Page 33 of Fragile Hearts

Sloane laughs, shaking her head, even as she says, “We’re friends, roommates.”

“I know,” I reply with a nod. “So we get along, and we can live together. That’s awesome.”

She smirks at that. “You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”

I tip my head to the side, smiling as I say, “When I’m certain about something, yeah.”

“What if...” she starts before trailing off.

She doesn’t have to finish though, because I know what she’s thinking. What if it goes wrong? What if it doesn’t work out? It’s not like we can just walk away and never see each other again. We see each other all the time now. We have the same friends and work in the same places.

We couldn’t avoid each other if we tried.

And it’s not like we haven’t seen how awkward things have gotten for Miles and Daisy at times, even if they both try to act like it’s not a problem.

But I just don’t see Sloane and me being like that.

“What if...” I now say, smiling up at her as my hand slides up her spine to grip the back of her neck, wondering if instead of words, there’s another way I can convince her. “What if I just kiss you? Nothing more.”

Sloane stares down at me, her blue eyes wide and filled with so many questions. But buried behind them is something else, something that might just be what’s mirrored in my eyes.

Want.

“Can I kiss you, Sloane?” I whisper.

She stares at me for a few more seconds before she eventually nods, her tongue poking out to wet her bottom lip. Smiling up at her, I tighten my grip on her neck as I slowly, gently pull her closer.

Our lips have barely touched before a low growl rumbles in my chest. Sloane shivers in my lap as though this is already affecting her just as much. I take my time though, gently pressing my lips against hers in a slow kiss.

It’s Sloane who takes it further, tracing my bottom lip with her tongue in a way that has me moaning embarrassingly loudly. She smiles against my mouth, and my grip on her neck tightens as I now slide my tongue against hers, deepening our kiss even more.

“Fuck, Sloane,” I growl against her mouth.

I can’t help but wonder if she’s feeling even half as much as what I am right now. How much I wish I could pull her even closer, strip her out of her clothes and bury myself inside her all fucking night long.

But I know that can’t happen tonight because as much as I have fantasized about fucking this woman in every way possible, I know I have to go slow.

And for Sloane, I will go slow.

Even if my dick is aching inside my shorts right now.

Sloane’s fingers slide into my hair, gripping it tight as she angles my head slightly and nips at my bottom lip. Now it’s me smiling against her mouth, loving that she’s the one directing this, that she’s the one who now wants more.

“So fucking perfect,” I whisper, my other hand resting on the warm skin of her thigh.

She smiles again, finally breaking the kiss as she pulls back a little. Her blue eyes are now pools of blackness as she stares down at me. I return the smile, letting go of her neck as I move my hand around to cup her jaw.

Brushing my thumb across her swollen bottom lip, I say, “Please don’t ever doubt how perfect you are.” Her smile turns adorably shy as a blush creeps up her cheeks, and I can’t resist laughing as I nuzzle against her neck. “I’ll tell you every day until you believe me, Sloane,” I murmur into her warm skin.

She giggles, squirming in my lap a little. There’s no doubt she can feel what this kiss has done to me, but neither of us makes any move to separate or take things further.

“I kinda think it might be you who’s perfect, Owen Sinclair,” she whispers, the color on her cheeks darkening.

Chuckling, I swipe my thumb across her bottom lip again as I whisper, “Maybe we’re just perfect for each other.”

She smirks at that before saying, “Maybe.”

My heart immediately starts racing at that one word, at the possibility of what it means and all that it might imply. This is as close as we’ve ever come to taking things further between us, and a part of me can’t help but be hopeful that not only did Sloane let me kiss her, but that she also kissed me back.

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