Page 29 of Puppy Love

“Maybe not, but you said that, when there is, it’s something you can’t say out loud.”

I let out an uncomfortable laugh as Cam takes another step closer to me. Her arm brushes against mine, and goosebumps wash over my skin.

“Sure, but that goes for everyone. I mean, you’re essentially saying the same thing right now.”

Cam’s lips tug at the corners, though I don’t think she means for them to. Her eyes drop to the floor, the warmth from her skin still radiating against mine.

“That’s because what I’m thinking isn’t something you say. It’s something you do.”

She looks up, and her lashes pin to her brow bone as her eyes lock onto mine. A pink tint rushes to her cheeks, and her breath becomes shaky. I tilt my head, confused.

“But you can still say it. Like, I can say ‘I am thinking about walking to the store.’ but it doesn’t mean I have to actually walk to th—”

My words stop as I’m cut off by a warm, delicate pair of familiar lips. They lock between mine gently, pressing into me with just the right amount of pressure to make my mouth part.

Oh. I get it now.

I sigh softly, melting into the tender touch. But after not nearly long enough, Cam pulls back, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed.

“Fuck, I—” she mutters, stepping backwards into the wall. “I—”

I don’t care what she’s about to say, mostly because it’s probably something along the lines of “I’m sorry.” And nobody with lips like that should ever apologize for pressing them to mine.

My hand snakes around her waist and pulls her body into me. Then, my mouth crashes back into hers. Cam shudders, her fingers gripping the front of my shirt desperately as our lips intertwine again. She pulls back softly, and I can feel the vibrations of her whisper against my skin.

“What about policy?” she asks, her breath soft. I look down at her lips, before flicking my gaze back to her anxious eyes desperately.

5“Fuck policy.”

eleven

Manners

Cam

Ithink this place might be haunted. Or maybe it’s Violet herself. Something happens when I’m around her that forces me to do things I didn’t know I had the capability or even desire to do.

Like kissing her.

I knew I liked to kiss her, but I didn’t think I’d ever find myself doing it again. Yet here I am, pressed against a wire rack in a dingy storage closet.

What the actual fuck is happening?

Sweet vanilla lips melt into mine. Violet’s fingers slide gently underneath my shirt, her rough fingertips tracing circles on my skin.

“Is this okay?” she whispers, her warm breath brushing against my lips. I try to answer, but my throat tightens, so I nod instead. Violet smiles, pressing her body against mine as her fingers slowly venture downward. Her tongue traces the vein in my neck, the cold metal piercing in her nose tickling the trail behind it. The hair on my arms stands up, my skin tingling from the delicate touch.

“Can I?” Violet asks, her voice raspy, but controlled. She tugs at the drawstrings on my scrub pants. I nod again, and the band around my waist loosens, before two fingers dip gently inside.

A shaky breath escapes my mouth, my grip around Violet’s waist tightening.

“You’re going to have to let go of me if you want more, Sparky,” she mumbles, and my thighs clench together unintentionally, heat rising to my core. For a moment, I think about arguing back. Challenging her for trying to boss me around. But I don’t think I could get a word out if I tried.

I nod, forcing my grip to soften as Violet’s fingers dip lower into my pants, tracing the line where my thigh and hips meet. My chest brushes against her cheek as I inhale, then quickly retreats as I let the air back out. She tugs at the collar of my shirt, pressing her lips against the skin on my collar bone, sucking gently. I groan, and she smiles against my skin.

“You like that?” she whispers, before taking my earlobe between her teeth. I nod, and she sucks it into her mouth, her tongue tracing around it, warm and wet. I swallow.

“If you’re going to fuck me…” I manage to get out in a ragged breath. “Get on with it.”

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