Page 151 of Something So Strong

His voice is like cotton wool wrapping me up. Protecting me.

Fighting for me.

Is this what it feels like to be loved?

Not a one sided love, but a true, once in a lifetime—I’ll let you have the door floating in the icy Atlantic while I freeze to death—kind of love.

His freckles and those gorgeous green eyes get closer until I can feel the heat of his nose radiating against the tip of mine.

“Are you with me, Kai?” he asks gently, and I suck down his words and kiss him.

He kisses me back. Softly. Like a promise more than anything.

Like he knows he has a whole world he needs to introduce me to.

“Thank you.” My lips move against his because I don’t want to pull away.

“What for?”

“For wanting me. Even when stuff like this keeps happening.”

The slightest shake of my head in his hands has me opening my eyes.

“I’ll deal with shit like this every day if it means I get to have you every night.”

My eyes burn like I haven’t blinked in ages, and to be honest, I’m not sure how long I’ve been staring at Jesse because the grip he currently has on my soul is occupying every fiber of my being.

I’m completely lost.

A stranger in a strange land.

I don’t know words as sweet as those. Not how to put them together, at least.

I’ve never needed to.

Emotions are hard to decipher when all I’ve ever known is hate, fear, and self-destruction.

But I want to make Jesse feel as good as he’s made me.

I reach for his belt.

“What are you doing?” He jolts back.

I close the gap he created and try again.

“Stop it.” He slaps my hand away.

My hands land on his chest, then slide to his waist. “Just let me.”

“No. Are you mental? We’re in the fucking staff room.”

“Let’s go back to your room, then.”

“No.” He grabs my wrists. His expression is confused and almost outraged and I don’t understand why he won’t just let me do this for him. “Why are you being like this?”

“Like what?”

“Like this.” He tosses my hands away and steps to the side. “So pushy… We just had a fight with Alma and your first thought is to drop to your knees.”

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