He leans down as if he’s going to kiss me, and I start to panic.Do I want him to kiss me?His eyes roam from my mouth to my eyes, silently seeking permission, but I can’t move.I can’t push him away, and I can’t pull him closer.Instead, I wait, frozen as he moves in, and when his lips touch mine, the darkness of my world that’s blanketed me since the day he left explodes with color.
Twelve
Copeland
I’m home.
Fucking finally, I’m home.That’s what kissing Ellison Moran means to me.This isn’t just a kiss.It’s the collapse of time that’s separated us.It feels hesitant for a few heartbeats, as if we’re both trying to remember the shape of the other’s mouth.Learning with each stroke of our tongues.
Recognition floods my veins, warm and overwhelming, and when she moans into my mouth, all hesitation breaks.The kiss deepens with everything we’ve said, everything we still have left to say.All the years of the quietly carried longing, the moments of loneliness, and missing her fade away.All that’s left is the two of us, getting lost in this moment.
Her scent wraps around me—the same yet somehow different from what I remember.Something sweeter, but that could just be the nostalgia and the relief that she’s in my arms, where she belongs, after all this time.Her hands find their way around my neck, locking in place like she’s afraid I might let go.It’s as if muscle memory has kicked in, because she always used to do that exact move when we kissed: running her fingers through my hair.It’s not as long as it was back then, but the feeling of the practiced move sets my heart racing inside my chest.
The world around us falls silent, as if it’s silently holding its breath, giving us this moment after all this time.I couldn’t tell you if the house was on fire, because all I see is her.All Ifeelis her.
This kiss, it tastes like seventeen years of longing, loss, stubborn hope, and the impossible relief of finally being here with her, our bodies pressed close, no longer separated by anything but the breath we’re sharing.
Of course, I know that’s wishful thinking.I know that this one kiss, no matter how incredible it feels, isn’t going to fix what’s broken between us.It doesn’t change the fact that I was jealous, and I walked away.
I didn’t fight for her.
I didn’t fight for us.
But I’m here now.I’m a man who learns from my mistakes.
And I’m ready to fight.
Ellison moans again into my mouth, and my cock throbs.I move my hands from her face, over her neck, her shoulders, and down her arms until I’m reaching around her, gripping her ass.She arches her back, and another moan, this one a deep, guttural sound from somewhere hidden inside her, fills the air around us, when she feels my hard cock against her belly.
I can’t stop kissing her.This is not how I expected this night to turn out.I thought at best, I could hug her before I left to go home and formulate a plan to get my girl back in my arms.This right here, this moment, is more than I ever could have asked for.
Ellison nips at my bottom lip, and in turn, I grip her ass cheeks and lift her.Instinctively, she wraps her legs around my waist, and then we’re on the move.
I’m headed for the couch, but she murmurs, “My room,” against my lips, and I change directions.I don’t ask questions.I don’t ask her if she’s sure, because no matter how fucking selfish this is, I want her.She can tell me no, and I’d stop with no questions asked, but my girl told me to take her to her room.She wants this as much as I do.
When I reach her bedroom door, her lips trail down my neck, and my entire fucking body shivers.As I kick open the door, memories wash over me in waves—moments of stolen touches, kisses, and plans.So many damn plans for our future were made in this room.I lost count of the number of times I snuck in through her window.
When I reach the bed, I turn so that I’m sitting, and she’s straddling me.I need her to control this because I feel like a caged animal ready to unleash years of longing and love for this incredible woman in my arms.
I fucking missed her.
Her mouth finds its way back to mine, and I open wide, taking everything she’s willing to give me.I’m still gripping her ass, so I squeeze gently as I rock her hips against mine.She moans, her lips falling from mine as she tilts her head back.Instantly, I trace the column of her neck with my lips, never stopping my hands as they guide her over my hard cock beneath my jeans.
“Cope—” She pants my name, and my cock thickens painfully.
“I’ll give you anything, Ells,” I whisper in her ear, tugging the soft lobe with my teeth, before soothing the ache with my tongue.
“More,” she says, arching into me.
“Tell me when to stop, baby,” I tell her.I need her to understand that she’s setting the pace.I’m just the lucky bastard who gets to be here with her again after all these years, something I’ve imagined countless times, but wasn’t sure would ever happen, and certainly not this soon.
Straightening her spine, she reaches for the hem of her long-sleeved T-shirt and tugs it up over her head.She tosses it behind her before reaching behind her back and unclasping her bra.She holds my gaze as she lets each strap slide off her shoulders before pulling the silky material away from her body and tossing it behind us.It lands on the small desk with a slight thud.
I want to look at her.I want to soak up every inch of her gorgeous fucking body, but instead, my gaze is locked on hers.Her blue eyes are so dark and filled with lust that they appear almost black.
“Anything,” I say again, my voice gravelly.
Her hands find their way to my shirt, and she tugs.Bracing my feet, careful not to let her fall, I lift my arms in the air as she pulls off my shirt.Her hands quiver as they explore the hard planes of my chest and abs.I bite down on the inside of my cheek because this right here is heaven for me.
