Page 16 of House of Soot

"What are you thinking about?" Blaise asks, his thumb brushing my bottom lip.

"That I want to be brave." I pull him closer, pressing against the hardness I feel against my belly, surprising myself with my boldness.

His lips crash into mine, and I throw caution to the wind. I give myself fully over to him. Not just physically, but emotionally, all that I am.

His fingers trace patterns on my skin, and I shiver. "Cold?"

"No." I press closer, breathing in his scent, wanting, needing more, more, more. "I've never felt more alive."

It's true. Every nerve ending tingles with awareness. My heart races not from nervousness, but from pure joy. Thisconnection between us feels real, tangible. Nothing like the fantasy I built around Ronan. No, this with Blaise is pure and true. It’s love.

"I've never felt this way before," I whisper, touching his face. His stubble scratches gently against my palm.

"Me neither." His voice is rough with emotion.

When he kisses me again, it's different, deeper, more intense. My whole body vibrates with anticipation.

I moan in frustration. “Blaise…”

It’s almost as if something snaps in him. His hands are everywhere, removing clothing, touching me flesh to flesh. The world spins as he moves over me, his hips settling between my thighs. I open for him, needing him as much as I need my next breath.

I feel a soft pressure that grows more intense. “Oh,” I gasp and arch, gripping his shoulders.

He lets out a feral growl followed by, “Fuck.”

The next moment, he’s seeped inside me. It happens so hard, so fast, with a quick, piercing pain that steals my breath.

“God, you’re so fucking tight.” His lips crush mine again. His hips rock against me. Soon, pleasure is coiling tight, tighter. My breath comes harsher. My hips move in rhythm with him.

He levers up on his hands, and his moves pick up speed. Faster. Deeper. Harder. Pressure builds. More. More. More.

And then I’m at a precipice. He drives in, grunting, grinding against me, and pleasure explodes. My body pulses around him, shudders as the most delicious sensations flood my body.

“Fuck, yes!” He thrusts in again. Warmth fills my body.

I hold on to him as the wondrous feelings cascade through me, slowly dissipating. He collapses on me and then rolls to the side, his breath coming as quickly and harshly as mine.

I rest my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Joy bubbles up inside me, pure and bright. I've found him, the one person for me.

"I love you." Blaise's words wash over me like summer rain, sweet and perfect.

I snuggle closer to him. "I love you too."

I know it’s been only a short time, but the words feel right, like they've been waiting to spill from my lips. After all, I so willingly, without any hesitation, handed over my virginity to him. While I know sex isn’t love, I know that this isn’t just sex. This connection goes deeper than that. I know it. I feel it deep in my soul.

He kisses my forehead, and my heart swells. Every touch, every look, every word between us feels like a gift. Like finding a piece of myself I never knew was missing.

This isn’t a school-girl fantasy. Blaise is my happily ever after.

8

BLAISE

Ilie next to Jenna under the old oak, her breaths now slow, a smile of contentment on her face. I’m filled with self-loathing. That felt… well… it was too much. It went beyond a simple fuck to something deeper.

I mean, yeah, I told her I loved her, but that was part of the make-her-fall-for-me-then-break-her-heart plan. So why the fuck did it make my insides twist?

“I’m glad you were the one,” she says.

---