Page 63 of Daydream

It’s unmistakable the way her eyes trace my lips. I push the bunny headband from her crown and throw it onto the floor behind me. “This isn’t for experience, Halle,” I say gently, trailing my thumb along her jaw. “This is because I want to, and I only want to if you want to.”

I lean in slowly, slower than I’ve ever moved, because if I’m wrong, if everyone is wrong, then I ruin this. My heart is thumping dramatically in my chest and I’m more nervous than I’ve ever been to kiss someone. And then she whispers, “I want to.”

And I finally kiss her.

Chapter NineteenHALLE

I’M NOT ASHAMED TO ADMITthat I’ve wondered what it would be like if Henry Turner ever kissed me.

My subconscious was kind enough to give me a more X-rated sneak peek a few weeks ago, but now that I have the real thing, I can confidently report that my subconscious doesn’t know what it’s doing.

Both of my hands are gripping his shirt, clinging to him like if I don’t, he’ll disappear into a breeze. His hands are cupping my face, mouth working to leave me breathless and hot and pulsing between my thighs. This is what it’s supposed to feel like, I quickly decide.

The longing, the desperation, the desire to do something—anything—to ease the aching.

The voice in my head saying, no,screamingthat this feels right, me and him.

“Halle,” he murmurs as he pulls back and rests his forehead on mine. The smooth way my name rolls off his tongue should be illegal. “Let’s go to bed.”

“Let’s.”

“To sleep,” he adds.

Henry never needs to worry about not giving me enough new experiences because they happen all the time. Like right now, while I’mdisappointedthat he doesn’t want to go to bed and take this further. I can guarantee this has never happened before.

“Oh. Are you not…”Where was I going when I started this question?“Into it? Wait, you don’t need to answer that. I wa—”

Moving his hands to my waist, Henry keeps me close to him as he walks me backward for the few steps it takes for my ass to hit the table. He presses his hips into me, and I get my answer. Feeling how hard he is and knowing I’m the reason makes me feel drunk.

“I’m into it,” he says, kissing me gently. “But we don’t need to rush anything.”

I nod in agreement, even though I’m not sure I do agree.

Taking his hand when he steps away, I let him lead me up to my bedroom. Every step reduces the lust-driven haze sitting like a cloud over my head, until we finally reach the top of the staircase and the logical Halle is back in control. For now.

“You need a box of stuff for your bathroom,” Henry says as I crouch beneath my sink, trying to find the toiletries he used the first time he stayed over unexpectedly. I put them somewhere safe in case he wanted to stay again, and now I can’t find the safe place. I’ve never needed them, because he brings an overnight bag now, but with work, and Will, and… He’s taking off his pants. “Halle?”

“Yeah?”

“Why do you look so shocked?”

Great question. He folds them over his arm, then again until they’re in the perfect little square, and then drops them onto the lid of my laundry basket. His fingers start on the shirt button and I get back to exploring under my sink. “I’m not.”

“Do you not want me to sleep in my underwear? I could sleep in my pa—”

“No! You’re good. Underwear is fine. Underwear isgreat. I don’twant you to be uncomfortable.” The first time Henry stayed, when I fell asleep downstairs and he carried me to bed, when I woke up he was sleeping on top of the covers fully dressed. “There’s no dress code.”

“Is it seeing my thighs that’s making you act weird or is it because we kissed?”

Henry does have very nice thighs. Arguably the nicest I’ve ever seen. After finally finding what I’m looking for, I stand with his toothbrush and washcloth, putting them on his side of the unit. “It might be both.”

We look at each other through the bathroom mirror. Well, I watch as he strips off his shirt and he watches me watch him with a smirk. Walking up behind me, he wraps his arms around my shoulders and kisses the sensitive point between my neck and shoulder. “Have a shower and process. Then come to bed with me.”

“Okay. Good idea.”

After kissing my temple, Henry collects his things and heads to the other bathroom, leaving me alone to “process” and shower. Choosing what I’m going to wear to bed takes longer than it should, but then the time it takes to deglitter myself does help and I’m glad I listened to him. Although even after dousing myself in cold water, the swollen and sensitive feeling between my legs remains.

“I grabbed you a bottle of water. And thanks for getting silk pillowcases,” Henry says as I exit my bathroom. He looks up from his phone as I close the door behind me. “Feel better?”

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