Page 76 of Fragile

Finally, I can’t take it anymore. “Quinn,” I murmur, turning to face her fully, my voice barely above a whisper.

She looks at me, eyes wide and filled with the same anticipation that’s been building inside me all night. “Yeah?” she replies, almost breathless.

I lean in to close the space between us as my heart pounds harder. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to do all night,” I say, my gaze flicking to her lips.

She doesn’t pull away. Instead, she leans in too, her eyes gleaming with anticipation, as if she’s been waiting for this moment just as much as I have. “Then do it,” she whispers, and that’s all the encouragement I need.

I close the gap, my lips brushing hers in a tentative kiss, testing the waters. The moment we connect, it’s like a floodgate opens—the kiss deepens, our bodies moving closer together as if we can’t stand to be apart for even a second longer. Her hand slides up to the back of my neck, pulling me in, and I respond by wrapping an arm around her waist, drawing her into my lap.

The kiss is slow and deliberate, every movement fueled by the need building between us. I can taste the faint sweetness of the gummy worms we shared earlier, and it makes me smile against her lips.

She pulls back slightly, just enough to speak, her voice husky and filled with need. “What about the movie?” she asks, but there’s no real concern in her tone.

“Screw the movie,” I murmur. Capturing her lips again, this time, there’s no hesitation, no holding back.

She climbs into my lap, her hands sliding under my hoodie, peeling it over my head, and the feel of her warm skin against mine sends a shiver down my spine. We’re crossing lines we’ve blurred for weeks now, but it feels right—like this is exactly where we’re meant to be.

Her center brushes against my length, and I can’t help the low groan that escapes me. My hands find their way to her waist, gripping her firmly as I pull her even closer, needing more of her, needingallof her. Her fingers dig into my shoulders, and she responds with equal intensity, her kisses growing more urgent, more desperate.

When we finally break apart, we’re both breathing heavily, our foreheads pressed together as we try to catch our breath. Her eyes are half-lidded, her lips swollen from our kisses, and I’ve never seen her look more beautiful. I reach up, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and she leans into my touch, her eyes closing just for a moment as she breathes in deeply. “I like it when you do that.”

I can’t help but leave my hand against her skin, reveling in the fact she likes something I do. She leans in, kissing me again, softer this time. It’s as if we’re finally acknowledging everything, letting it all spill out in the way our lips move together, the way our hands explore each other’s bodies.

As the kiss deepens once more, I turn us so that she’s lying back on the bed, and I’m hovering over her, propped up on my elbows. Her hands slide up to tangle in my hair, and I can feel the way her body responds to mine, arching up to meet me, her breath hitching every time I touch her.

The shirt she’s wearing has ridden up, exposing the more of her smooth skin, and I can’t resist the urge to kiss my way down her neck, across her collarbone, moving lower still. The sound she makes—a gentle, breathy moan—nearly undoes me, and I have to take a second to gather myself before carrying on.

My lips brush against the edge of her hoodie, and she lets out a shuddering breath, her hands tightening in my hair. “Miles…” she whispers. The sound of my name on her lips sends a thrill through me every single time.

“Yeah?” I murmur against her skin, trailing kisses along her stomach, feeling the way her muscles tense beneath my touch.

“I want—” She cuts herself off with a gasp as I kiss just below her navel, her fingers digging into my shoulders, as if she’s trying to ground herself.

“What do you want, Quinn?” I ask, my voice low and rough with desire as I slowly make my way back up to her, capturing her lips in another searing kiss.

Her eyes open, locking onto mine, and there’s something exposed in her gaze that makes my heart squeeze. “I want you,” she whispers, her voice barely audible, but there’s no mistaking the honesty behind it. “I want all of you.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, all I can do is stare at her, my heart thundering. I can see the sameemotions mirrored in her eyes—desire, need, and something deeper, something that’s been there all along, but that we’ve both been too afraid to acknowledge.

“I’m yours,” I whisper. “All of me, Quinn. I’m all yours.”

Her breath catches at my admission, and she pulls me down into another kiss, her lips moving against mine with a newfound urgency. The intensity between us ramps up, and I feel like I’m drowning in her—in the taste of her lips, the feel of her body beneath mine, the way her hands roam over my back, pulling me closer.

My hands slide under her shirt, skimming over her sides, feeling the warmth of her skin against mine. I push the fabric up, exposing more of her, and she arches her back, helping me slip it off. The sight of her, almost bare and vulnerable beneath me, takes my breath away, and I pause for a moment, just taking her in.

“You’re so beautiful,” I murmur, my voice thick with emotion, and she blushes, a shy smile spreading across her face.

Her fingers trace over my chest, over the tattoos that decorate my skin. I know her favorites are on my left arm, the half royal flush of cards. She spends the most time brushing her fingers over the Queen of Hearts.

Slowly moving down to the waistband of my sweats, she runs her finger inside the edge, grazing against my skin, making my body respond in the most primal way.

But then she pauses, and I see the decision cross her face as she shifts upright to pull my sweats and boxers down, freeing me from the material.

As soon as her hand wraps around me, I feel heat shoot down my spine and settle in my balls. The sensation overtaking me with such a force, I thrust into her hand unintentionally. My thighs tense as I realize what I’m doing, stopping myself. “Sorry, that just felt so fucking good.”

She grins and squeezes me once more, and I groan. “Queenie, baby, please don’t tease me. I’m a strong man, but right now, I feel weak, and I could give in to this feeling so easily.”

“Maybe I want you to give in,” she purrs, and how the hell I keep it together I’ll never know.

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