Page 77 of American Hellhound
She stilled, bowl clasped in her dripping hands. “You.” Her throat jumped as she swallowed; her lashes swept low over her cheeks. “You don’t have to do that,” she echoed.
He said, voice rough, “I don’t mind.”
The bowl landed in the water with a quiet splash. She turned to him, mouth pink, and soft, and inviting, eyes wide, full of questions.
Ghost knew it was wrong – it wassowrong – but he couldn’t resist. Just once. Just a taste. He couldn’t help himself.
He pulled her to him, hand still gripping her hair, and cupped her face with his free hand. Brought her in close enough to hear her quick, shaky breath before he kissed her.
The way he figured it, he was bound to go to hell anyway. Might as well take joy where he could.
~*~
She’d forgotten what it felt like, kissing him. Then again, this kiss was different. Before, outside Hiram’s, he’d been aggressive, trying to teach her a lesson. But here, now, he was gentle. Slanting his mouth over hers with warm, careful insistence.
She hadn’t come here for this – God knew she didn’t want him to get in trouble – but in the moment, it felt like the thing she needed. The clever flick of his tongue along her bottom lip, the way it slid into her mouth when she opened for him. She felt her knees give out and he let go of her hair so he could catch her around the waist, managing to deepen the kiss in the process.
He’d removed his cut before dinner, so it was only the soft cotton of his t-shirt against her hands as she clung to him. In the moment, breathless and reeling, he wasn’t a Lean Dog, or a sad single father who made poor life choices; he was the boy she wanted to kiss, and keep kissing more than anything.
He pulled back, suddenly, with a ragged sound. “Shit. Ah, damn.” He was panting, and his eyes were dilated. He thumbed her jaw, his calluses rough, his touch gentle. “Wecan’t,” he said, voice full of regret.
Maggie took a deep breath and stepped back. Her skin was cold in the absence of his touch, the places his arms and hands had been as vulnerable as fresh wounds. She suppressed a shiver. “Sorry.”
“No,I’msorry.”
Her legs were like jelly; she caught herself against the counter. Her body hummed, a closed circuit of energy suddenly broken open too soon.
Ghost turned his back to her and got another beer out of the fridge.
She stared at the defeated set of his shoulders, aching. She hated her own birthday in that moment, wished she was eighteen. Or maybe wished he didn’t care so much. He wanted,neededthis as badly as she did, but he wouldn’t let it happen.
“Okay.” He still faced away, and his voice was still shot. “I think we’ve gotta set some…some rules or something, for while you’re here.”
“Rules.” She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t crushed. “Okay. Sure.” Even thoughhe’dkissedher.
“Damn it.” He set the beer down and turned to face her, expression dark with some emotion she couldn’t decipher. “That’s not what I meant. I just.” He blew out a breath and managed to look chastened with his hands on his hips and his face flushed from kissing. “I just don’t want to ruin your life, kid. Have you even…Are you a…” He winced.
“A virgin? Yeah.”
“Jesus,” he muttered. “I amsogoing to hell.”
“Thanks for making me feel so good about it.”
“No, no, that’s not what I – Look, I know you think you like me…”
She gave him a thoroughly unimpressed look.
“I mean,” he continued, “that you’re the kind of kid–”
“Stopcalling me a kid.”
“–who could do a lot of things with your life. Don’t make big decisions now.”
“I didn’t hear you proposing to me. What kind of big decision is sleeping with you?”
He looked pained. “Maybe bigger than you think.”
~*~
