Page 109 of Up All Night

She leaned down and whispered in my ear, my eyes going wide.

Pulling back, she looked down at me with a wicked grin.

She scrambled to get off my lap, but I was too quick for her. “Oh, no, you don’t. This is a competition I can get on board with.”

She giggled as she half-heartedly tried to get out of my grasp. The sight of her so happy and free, so light and bubbly, soHalle, made my chest expand with love and gratitude to have this woman in my life.

I nuzzled her neck, tickling her with the five o’clock shadow that had grown throughout the day, before placing kisses along the sensitive skin there, her body melting into mine. Moving up to her jaw, I continued to pepper her with kisses. Pulling back I cupped her face, staring into her beautiful blue eyes, the eyes of the woman I had given my heart to.

Slowly I brought our mouths together, the sweet taste of her making me groan.

Our tender kisses gradually turned into a deeper hunger, the need to further show our love becoming evident with our greedy hands.

Knowing Cannon could walk in on us any minute had me wanting to move our new competition to the bedroom. Although it was only a little after nine, he’d been staying out later and later the last couple weeks. I made a mental note to check in with him. I’d been alittleHalle focused lately and needed to make sure I let him know that even though I was with Halle now, our friendship wouldn’t change. That we would be best friends for life.

Grabbing Halle, I picked her up as I stood, her legs wrapping around my waist, our mouths never parting. Slowly I walked back to my room, closing the door behind us.

Finally I broke the kiss, laying her down on my bed, settling myself half way on top of her, holding myself up on my elbow as I looked down at her.

“Are you sure you can win this competition?” Her breathlessness turned her taunting words into more of a plea. She glanced over at the clock on my nightstand. “Itispast nine after all.” The teasing glint in her eyes made me want to kiss her even more than before.

“Halle,” I said, staring intently into her eyes. “First, this isn’t the first time you’ve kept me up late, and second,” I leaned down, my lips almost touching hers. “I’ll stay up all night to win this competition.”

I took her lips with mine, quickly getting lost in all things Halle.

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