Page 102 of Don't Let Go

“How do you know?” she mumbled. Her eyes were closed. A single tear fell down her cheek. I wiped it away before pressing my forehead against hers.

“It just has to be. Isn’t there enough pain and sorrow in your life?”

“My life is a damn soap opera, keep up,” she joked, but her laugh was hollow. She didn’t move. We were somehow linked together.

The compulsion to kiss her was too strong. I kissed her cheek. She made a low moaning sound. My hands twisted into her long hair as I kissed the tip of her nose. She opened her green eyes and staring into them, I’ve never seen so much sorrow.

“I’m sorry you lost Lizzy,” I said, kissing her other cheek.

“I’m sorry you lost your parents,” she replied.

Her teeth sank into her lower lip. My thumb gingerly tugged on her chin, freeing her swollen lip. Rory stared at me with such passion, those jade eyes burning into my soul. When I kissed her lips, she opened her mouth, inviting me in. Our tongues tangled as our kiss deepened.

40

Aurora

There’s a hitch in my breath before gliding my hands over Tyler’s chest, feeling the warmth radiating from his body and the firmness of his muscles beneath my fingertips. I tug on his shirt, needing more contact. “Off,” I ordered.

“Right now, we’re not ourselves,” I whispered. “We're anyone else.”

He complied and his shirt disappeared. He lifted my chin with his finger and said, “But I want to be us. I’ve wanted this for so long.”

Something inside me snapped and I wrapped my arms tightly around him, pressing our bodies together until I could feel his heart beating against mine.

Our lips met and our tongues danced as we tasted each other. Tyler let out a low moan that sounded like relief, as if thepossibility of being with me had always been just out of reach but now he could finally let go. He released all control and I loved it.

As I took off my top, Tyler smiled wickedly. His hands traced the black lace of my bra delicately as if I were fragile. But I didn't want delicate, I wanted passion. I unhooked my bra from behind and he slipped it off my arms, brushing his thumb over my right breast. My nipple hardened in response to his touch and he licked my breast while teasing the other with his thumb. I whimpered and he kissed my lips again, igniting a fire within me with his warm skin against mine.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked as I unbuttoned his jeans and pulled down his zipper.

“Yes,” I said, staring into his lust-filled eyes.

He brushed a strand of hair away from my face. “I’d do anything for my siren with the green eyes.”

I laughed. “Does that make you my sailor?”

“I’m whatever you need me to be,” he whispered.

His jeans and boxers slid off his hips and he kicked them away. I peeled off my dress and we walked backward until the back of his knees hit the end of the bed. I pushed him onto the mattress and pounced on top of him.

I gave him a wicked smile as I fished out a condom from my overturned purse and handed it to him.

His face flushed, the light dusting of freckles under his right eye becoming more prominent. “I didn’t think we’d—”

I placed a finger on his lips. “Shut up and kiss me. I don’t want either of us to think. I just want to feel.”

He rolled the condom onto himself and wrapped his large hands around my waist. His fingertips dipped under the elastic of my purple panties and he kissed my jawline and collarbone. As he licked my breasts, his hands gently pulled down my underwear, exposing me.

He gingerly pushed me over so he was on top, gazing down at me. He studied my naked body for a moment as if memorizing every detail. I thought this type of staring would make me self-conscious, but instead, it made me feel seen and special.

Tyler pushed his hand against my collarbone, making me arch back. “You’re beautiful,” he said in a husky voice.

His fingers trailed down my sternum to my belly button, circling it tauntingly. I bucked my hips and he moved south, cupping me between my thighs.

A small gasp escaped my lips and he froze. “Are you okay?” His eyes filled with worry.

I nodded. “Yes. I’m just not used to someone being so… kind to me.” I turned my head. Shame flooded over me as I thought about how I had allowed myself to be used and mistreated by Paolo in the past, never experiencing true pleasure or care from him. But with Tyler, it was different. He made me feel seen and cherished, and for that, I was grateful.

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