Page 38 of Only Ever His

Instead, she tilted her chin up, her lips parting slightly. I didn’t waste a second.

I leaned down and kissed her, the rain drumming around us as I pressed my mouth to hers, tasting the sweetness of her smile mixed with the freshness of the rain.

She responded with equal fervor, her fingers curling into my jacket, pulling me even closer.

When we finally broke apart, I let my hand linger at the nape of her neck, breathing her in.

“Let’s get back to the lake house,” I murmured, my voice thick with a possessive edge that even surprised me.

Tori nodded, her cheeks flushed, and I didn’t miss the way her eyes held that same glint of excitement.

With renewed energy, we navigated the rest of the slippery path down, my hand never leaving hers.

By the time we reached the lake house, the rain was still pouring down.

All I could think about was the fact that we finally had the place to ourselves.

The house was quiet, the air inside warm and still.

I could see Tori shivering, her clothes soaked through, and I took off my pack, grabbing a couple of towels we’d stashed away earlier.

Gently, I wrapped one around her shoulders, rubbing her arms to help chase away the chill.

“You should warm up,” I said softly, pulling another towel free and drying off her hair as best as I could.

“There’s a bathroom just down the hall if you want to take a hot shower. I can heat up the leftover soup from last night,” I added.

Tori smiled, looking up at me with gratitude in her eyes. She turned to head toward the bathroom.

But then, she paused, glancing over her shoulder at me with a look that sent my pulse racing.

“You can join me…if you’d like,” Tori said.

A surge of heat flooded through me at her invitation.

Her voice carried a hint of shyness but a clear invitation that made my blood surge.

I think I just might,I thought, my gaze catching hers as a blush colored her cheeks.

I followed her down the hall, unable to look away.

I knew the kind of trust she was placing in me, and I swore to myself I wouldn’t betray it.

We stepped into the small, warm bathroom.

As the shower hissed to life, a mist filling the space, I watched her reach for the hem of her shirt.

Her movements were a little hesitant but steady.

I moved to help, my hands gently brushing hers, lifting the fabric and sliding it off her shoulders.

We undressed slowly, almost reverently, as if we had all the time in the world.

The air was thick with anticipation and an unspoken promise that neither of us wanted to break.

When I finally stepped under the stream of warm water with her, the heat washing away the chill of the rain, I felt as if everything else had faded away—leaving just us in this moment.

Tori leaned into me, her hands resting on my chest.

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