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Her hands brush my chest in a way that hints at her curiosity. It’s like she wants to touch me but isn’t sure if she should. I tighten my fingers in her hair and deepen the kiss while grabbing one of her hands and spreading her fingers. With her hand open, I press it to my chest and hold it there.
Her touch is electric, addicting in the same way adrenaline is.
A gruff noise escapes me when her other hand joins the first. They start moving up my body, and I nip at her bottom lip, unable to hold myself back the more she touches me.
The tension between us has finally exploded, leaving us buzzing in the aftershock. Scarlett opens her mouth for me, and I get my first real taste of her.
When she moans against my lips, the final bit of my restraint snaps in half. I drop my hand from her hair and grip her hips before lifting her and setting her on the vanity.
Stepping between her spread legs, I slip my fingers beneath the bottom hem of her shirt and hold her waist. She’s all warm muscles and smooth skin, and my head swims with need for her.
I ache to bring her closer but know better than to push my luck.
It’s her that breaks the kiss, pushing me back and closing her eyes. Her chest rises and falls just as fast as mine does.
“What am I supposed to do with all that?” she snaps, suddenly furious.
I can only grin, staring at her swollen lips. “Remember how you just felt when you think about the possibility of you and me. Maybe it will help clear some things up for you.”
“You make everything sound so easy.”
I sober up. “I know. There’s a lot for you to think about. Just know that I’m ready to talk about it when you are.”
“And if I tell you that you’re wrong? That I don’t feel what you think I do?”
I squeeze her waist one last time before releasing her and stepping back. Grabbing the door handle, I say, “If you lie to me, then we’ll be here again. Only it won’t be your mouth I’m kissing.”
19
SCARLETT
Hours later, I can still feel Adam’s mouth pressed to mine. I can still taste him and smell the woodsy aftershave on his jaw. My lips tingle. My core aches for more.
Confidence, skill, emotion—it was the perfect mix of all three.
I’ve never been kissed like that. Like the other person wouldn’t be able to breathe again without knowing what my mouth felt like pressed to theirs. It was passion and hunger and desperation, and as shocking as it was to be on the receiving end of a kiss like that, I should have been expecting it.
Adam and I are electric. We always have been. It was only a matter of time before we blew a fuse.
It’s just a shame I can’t lose myself in that connection like I want to. Not yet. Not when there is still so much to figure out. Both with myself and what a relationship with Adam could mean. What it could bring.
Speaking of what it could bring. Cooper’s voice is what pulls me out of my thoughts. He and Maddox are currently chasing after Noah, Oakley and Ava’s second-born son, and Tinsley, Braden and Sierra’s daughter, with a handful of water balloons.
“You stand no chance against us!” Cooper yells and launches one at the tiny legs of Tinsley. She squeals when it explodes and the cold water soaks the bottom of her poofy pink dress.
Cooper’s floppy brown hair hangs in his face, brushing his eyes. His grin is a testament to how happy he is, and I find myself smiling too. He’s so similar to his father in the way his feelings are so boldly shown. They don’t fear their emotions. Not the same way I do.
Tinsley’s giggle is pure child happiness as she jumps on her mom’s lap and holds on to her for dear life. “No more!” she yells.
“That’s cheating,” Maddox grunts.
The oldest of the Hutton children is already near his mother’s height and has a scowl that could intimidate a grown man. Hell, I know it’s already intimidated me. His eyes are the same piercing shade of green that both his parents have, and his hair is a soft brown that’s cropped close to his scalp.
He’s only ten and already screams mischief and trouble. I hope his parents are prepared for the hell he’s going to bring when he gets older.
Not long after Tinsley cuddles up on Sierra’s lap do the other kids turn to leave, clearly not bothered too much by the five-year-old’s decision to sit out the rest of the game. The only kid that stays is Noah. He lingers beside Sierra’s chair with his arms folded and an adorable scowl on his face as he faces the rest of us. He’s taken up the position of Tinsley’s bodyguard, it seems.
“You know, I’ve dyed my hair so many times over the past few years, but I’ve never tried red,” Gracie hums from the chair on my right. I can tell she wants to reach over from her pool chair and touch my hair but decides against it, choosing to touch her own instead.
