Page 36 of The Heartbreak Hotel

“Ella, wait.”

“You know what?” Ella spun to face her, taking quick steps to get back in her face. “This whole course is about finding yourself and getting out of your comfort zone. But why don’t you practise what you preach?” Her voice stung, cutting straight through Riley’s heart. “When was the last time you ever got out of your comfort zone?”

Ella’s chest heaved, those wild eyes flicking between Riley’s.

She was right. Riley always bit her tongue, always tried to keep control. She couldn’t say anything in reply. Words wouldn’t cut it. Pushing all her doubts and reservations off the nearby cliff, she reached out, placing a hand on Ella’s waist.

The gasp was soft in the pattering of the rain around them, but Riley still heard it. She pulled Ella closer to her. Delicate hands landed on Riley’s chest. Riley’s breathing malfunctioned, alarms blaring in her head, heart racing like Ella was petrol and Riley’s body a waiting match.

Before she could change her mind, she leaned in, pressing her lips to Ella’s and lighting the flame.

Ella’s soft mouth kissed her back, and Riley’s stomach plummeted. Time slowed. Freefalling in the best way possible. The chatter in her head fell away, leaving the feeling lighting her up head to toe, fire engulfing all of her senses.

Ella’s grip tightened on Riley’s T-shirt as she kissed her deeper, her nails grazing through the fabric of her soaked shirt. She opened her mouth to her, and heat filled Riley’s belly, curling the tips of her toes. She welcomed it, delving deeper, feeding the kiss with everything she wanted to tell her but couldn’t. She loved her sweet taste. Her plump, pillowy lips. How she wore her heart on her sleeve and kissed just the same. She wished she were as brave.

Her hands drifted from Ella’s waist to the curve of her bum. Every touch elicited a new, breathless sigh, and Riley wanted it all. She cupped Ella’s jaw, pushing the slick strands back from her face, her kisses becoming desperate. She couldn’t get enough, and dragged her lips along her soft neck, inhaling her scent and placing a firm kiss to her pressure point.

Ella’s gentle moan woke Riley’s clit with a throbbing ache, and she pulled back to look her in the eye, noting the moon reflected in her dark irises. Something knotted deep within her loosened, and she leaned in to kiss her again and again.

The wind swirled around them, but Riley hardly noticed it. Every sense pointed to Ella, singing a song that was uniquely hers. Her body hummed, pleasure and arousal searing every nerve ending. Why had she been fighting her instincts so hard?

They finally parted for breath, hearts beating wildly. Riley missed her touch immediately.

“That’s better,” Ella commented, her breath tickling Riley’s mouth.

Riley smiled, pressing her lips to hers and pulling her closer, two wild flames burning bright in the pouring rain.

Chapter Eleven

Riley

Riley closed her cabin door behind them and flicked on the light. The rain continued to hammer against the roof, but the worst of the storm had passed. Ziggy meowed from his spot on the bed, squinting against the brightness, and Ella scampered over to him, leaving drip marks across the floorboards.

“Hello there, handsome,” she murmured, scratching behind his white ears.

Riley stood still on the welcome mat, raindrops rolling down her forehead and arms. The whole ride home, she’d soared higher than the birds in the sky as they’d skipped over the waves, Ella’s arms tight around her waist.

Their kiss had electrified her, filling her veins with a shot of something she hadn’t even known she needed. Hand in hand, they’d sprinted through the rain as it bounced around their ankles, and Riley had brought them both here on autopilot.

But back inside the familiar space of her cabin, reality descended on her, swirling her mind like the storm’s black clouds.

What am I doing?

Ella glanced her way, probably wondering why she hadn’t moved or said anything since they stepped inside.

Riley slipped her sodden shoes off and cleared her throat. “I’ll just get us some towels.”

She pulled two fresh, fluffy ones from the bathroom and handed one to Ella. Now the adrenaline had started to wear off, she could feel the cold seeping through her soaking T-shirt and shorts. She rubbed the towel over her hair as Ella fussed Ziggy. His loud purrs could be heard even over the pouring rain.

Riley’s eyes wandered over Ella’s body. Her yellow dress clung to her curves like a second skin and was incredibly distracting. Especially when she noticed her firm nipples pressing through the material. God.

“Would you like a change of clothes?” she asked.

“That would be great, thanks.”

She pulled out two clean T-shirts and two pairs of pyjama bottoms and left Ella’s on the bed. “I’ll just get changed in the bathroom. Give you some privacy.”

She left and closed the door before she could cringe over herself. Why was she suddenly being so formal and…strange?