Page 36 of Fragile

“But if you don’t want that, I’ll back off and let you date your musician. I’ll be your friend and leave it at that.” He moves his hand to cup my jaw, his calloused fingertips scraping against my skin in the headiest way, as he drags them into my hair. My head tilts up to look into his eyes, and my body responds, heating and pushing toward him, desperate for more. I wet my lips as I attempt to control my breathing, desire and need pooling low in my belly just as I lean forward, almost touching.

“I don’t want to date the musician,” I say breathlessly.

His eyes flicker with surprise, and yet confident smirk blooming on his lips tells me he’d hoped I’d say that. “You don’t, huh?”

I shake my head, lifting onto my toes to brush the tip of my nose to his.

“Kiss me and mean it, Cooper.”

I catch a glimpse of a smirk again before he pushes me fully against the door and slams his lips to mine.

Chapter sixteen

Miles

For the second timein my life, I’m kissing Quinn.

My Queenie. The girl who has been under my nose my whole life.

Those beautiful green eyes pierced me when I turned up tonight, and I tried so hard to act normal, but that went about as well as a fumble at the touchdown line. I couldn’t pretend. The moment I walked into her space, that smells like her sweet cinnamon scent, she did the most Quinn thing she could possibly do and outright asked me what was going on. And just like that, I wanted to kiss her again.

Which is what I’m doing now. Her lips move against mine like she’s always kissed me, like she was made for me. The overwhelming and entirely new feeling of possession roars its way into my blood again, making me pulse and vibrate with need for her. I tighten the grip I have in her hair and feel her moan against my mouth as I sweep my tongue along hers.

Breaking away briefly, I stare down at her. My favorite color isn’t reflected back at me yet, her eyes closed, and her lips lookswollen from my kisses. “Quinn,” I breathe, and I’m rewarded with her emerald eyes opening and burning with lust for me. “Fuck, you’re beautiful,” I whisper before kissing her again.

I don’t know how long we stay kissing, but it’s not enough. When she pulls away, breathless, I take a tentative step back to give her some air.

She swipes across her puffy lips, holding her fingers there. “Wow, I mean, that was—”

“Yeah. Agreed,” I say on an exhale.

“What should… I mean, the… Uh…” She squints, as though she’s thinking really hard.

“Have my kissing skills made you incoherent, Queenie?” I muse, a smile playing on my lips.

She scoffs and waves her hand. “No, yeah.” She pauses and thinks. “Definitely something going on. My brain isn’t braining.”

I chuckle and reach for her hand, pulling her to me, and she comes willingly, fitting against me perfectly. It blows my freaking mind how natural it feels. All of it. “So…” I begin, slowing my gaze over her delicate face. “Wanna watch a movie?”

“Movie,” she repeats mindlessly and stares at me for a beat before wriggling out of my hold and walking to her bed, her hands laced in her hair. “Wait, what the h-e-double hockey sticks just happened?”

“I kissed you.”

“Again.”

“Again,” I confirm, watching her face morph from confusion to surprise and pretty much staying that way. “Is that okay?”

“Okay?” she repeats with a huffed laugh. “Yeah, it was more than okay. I mean, we should talk about it, right?”

I nod. “I know, and we will.” I bring her toward me to kiss again. Now I’ve started, I can’t seem to stop. She wraps her arms around my neck, letting me kiss and taste her exactly how I needto before I whisper against her mouth. “But let’s just chill for a bit, okay?”

She nods, seemingly in a daze, and I walk to her bag, taking out her laptop again, passing it to her. She taps a few keys, waking it up as she sits on her bed. “What were you watching?” I ask as I flop down next to her.

“Insidious.”

A startled sound escapes my mouth as my gaze darts to her. “You know that’s scary as shit, right? It’s not a happy ending like you’re used to and it’s sure a shit not a comedy.”

She shrugs. “Trying something new is good for you, and I’m sure I can handle it.”

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