Page 107 of Trust Me

“It was more than that,” he realized.

“I needed to do things on my own.”

“No, that’s not why you left.”

“It is—”

“You couldn’t even believe that Remi would want you around?” he interrupted. “That he wouldn’t throw you away? You left because you didn’t want to wait for him to do it.”

“It doesn’t have to be logical,” I muttered.

“This isn’t like that damn show. You’re not just an unwilling bystander, victim to whatever the world throws at you, with no idea what the future could hold.”

“That’s . . .” I laughed, shaking my head. “You don’t know why that’s funny yet. I want to spoil it for you, but then it wouldn’t hit the same.”

“We can watch a few episodes when we get home.”

“Remi’s on the couch.”

“We can use my laptop.”

The idea of lying in his bed watching anime was . . . Well, it was better than any daydream I could ever have.

“Oli, listen to me.” He tightened his grip on my face. “I’ll admit that I don’t know whether this thing I’m feeling is just some weird curiosity or a mental breakdown or something.”

“Gee, man. That’s encouraging.”

“It’s the truth, though. This might work, or it might not. That’s just life. But even if we try this and it doesn’t feel right, I’m not just gonna walk away like you’re nothing, okay? I may not know much right now, but I know you’re worth more than that.”

My nostrils flared, but he wouldn’t let me turn my head.

“Do you . . . want me to try again?” he asked softly.

He leaned closer, and my lips parted as I breathed him in. “Do you want to?”

“What’d you tell me about straightforward answers?”

My reply came automatically. No thought required. “Yes. A million times yes.”

He hesitated for a moment, making my heart slam against my chest. If he changed his mind now . . .

“Wait,” I said when he moved in. “I’m sweaty and disgusting.”

He smiled as his nose brushed mine. “You know you’re cute?”

I hadn’t come up with anything to say before his lips brushed mine. His breath shuddered like he was nervous, so I closed the rest of the distance. When my lips were firmly against his, his grip on my jaw tightened, but this time I wasn’t afraid of it. It felt like he was using that touch to ground us both, locking us into this moment where everything was changing.

His lips were significantly softer than I’d expected, even with how hard he kissed me. Bringing my hand up to his face, I felt the roughness of his cheeks against my fingers. Turning my head, I trailed my mouth over the stubble, taking in the new feeling.

I wanted to reach every part of him with my lips, to claim him bit by bit so that he’d never be able to look at himself without thinking about how I’d touched him.

I wanted to leave my mark all over his body, from head to toe.

Hell, I wanted him to do the same to me.

Using his grip on my jaw, he tilted my head so he could kiss me again. Heat spread across my entire body, intensified by the way he completely devoured me, over and over again. His tongue brushed mine, and that was when I completely lost it.

I grabbed him by the back of the neck and yanked him closer so hard that his teeth slammed into mine. My legs locked around his hips, and using both hands, I held him to me and deepened the kiss. It was desperate, like some damn beast had taken over my body.