Page 44 of Passions Ignite

Zoey melted into the kiss, her arms wrapping around Lux’s shoulders, pulling her closer. When they finally broke apart, Zoey rested her forehead against Lux’s, closing her eyes as she let herself enjoy the quiet moment.

They didn’t need to say anything else. Everything they needed to say had already been said in the way they touched, kissed, and held each other like they never wanted to let go.

And for now, that was enough.

Zoey looked up at the trees as the reality of what just happened settled in.

The warmth of Lux’s body pressed against her was comforting, but her mind raced. The sex had been incredible, even better than the first time, but now, in the quiet aftermath, doubts began to creep in.

Lux shifted beside her, her fingers lightly running over Zoey’s skin under her shirt. The gentle touch sent a shiver through Zoey, but it also reminded her of all the relationships that hadn’t worked out before.

She had been in this place before: the thrill of something new, the hope that maybe this time it would be different, only for it to fall apart. Zoey didn’t want to go through that again.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Lux asked, but Zoey could hear the curiosity in it.

Zoey hesitated, not sure how much she wanted to share. “I was just thinking,” she said, her voice trailing off as she tried to find the right words. “This…this is nice.”

Lux looked at Zoey with a small smile. “Nice? That’s all?”

Zoey laughed softly, shaking her head. “Okay, it’s more than nice. It’s amazing. But…” She hesitated again, not sure how to continue.

“But?” Lux pressed.

“Why do I have a feeling that you didn’t quite understand what I meant the last time we spoke about this?”

“We didn’t speak about this,” Lux said. “I talked, and you just agreed. I…don’t know how that made me feel, but it’s fine.”

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Act like it’s all fun and roses when you’ve got a lot to say.” Zoey ran her hand over her face. Talking any longer might ruin things for the both of them, but she knew it was worth it.

Lux stayed quiet.

“I didn’t want to feel rejected,” Zoey said. “Not again.”

“Rejected?” Lux replied, clearly baffled. “Why on earth would you feel that way? You’re…you’re you.”

Zoey sighed, turning her head to look at Lux. “I’ve been in a few relationships before, and they never ended well. I guess I’m just trying to keep my expectations in check, you know?”

“Trust me, I know that feeling.” Lux’s expression softened. “I get it. It’s hard not to get caught up in the moment, especially with everything that’s going on.”

Zoey nodded, grateful that Lux understood. “Yeah. I don’t want to get hurt again.”

Lux reached out, brushing a strand of dark hair from Zoey’s face. Zoey smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Maybe it’s better if we just…enjoy what we have right now without expecting anything more.”

Lux didn’t respond right away, her eyes searching Zoey’s. “So, you’re saying we should just focus on the sex and not worry about what happens next?”

Zoey nodded. “Yeah. I mean, the sex is great, and we might die out here. Maybe it is better not to overthink it.”

“Jay is on her way,” Lux reminded her. “Let’s not jinx it, okay?”

“I just don’t want to complicate things. We’re already dealing with enough out here.”

Lux squeezed her hand back, her smile returning. “Okay. No drama. Just great sex.”

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