Page 23 of The 21-Day Boyfriend
“I don’t think that will happen anytime soon.”
I laugh. “No.”
He takes one last drag, then puts out his cigarette in the ashtray beside the pillar.
“So…” He pushes back up and faces me.
His expression is exhausted, probably from having to lie, from the alcohol, and from something much deeper than I could ever get to.
“I guess this is goodbye.”
Something bitter drips into my vocal cords. I have to swallow this, too, before I try to respond.
“And you don’t even have to pretend to be sad,” I say, trying to joke again – although I get the impression that neither of us wants that.
He smiles sadly, his gaze wandering out behind me for a moment. I don’t have time to work out what’s about to happen, or to understand what has changed between us. I just know that in the space of a few seconds, I find his lips – those same lips as before in all their perfection – pressed against mine.
I stand there, frozen and disbelieving, incapable of responding to his kiss or even politely pushing him away, when his hands snake around to the back of my neck, pressing my body against his. I find myself parting my own lips for him, holding my breath so as not to take it from him.
His touch against my skin is rough, but inexplicably electrifying. His mouth is overwhelming, but ridiculously pleasant; his tongue slides so far into my mouth that it’s almost in my throat, suffocating but also unexpectedly exciting.
Maybe it would be best not to let myself go quite so much, not to enjoy the fact that he kissed me with no warning, when he explicitly asked me not to make any kind of contact. But this is me we’re talking about; I’m incapable of saying no.
How could I start now?
His hands slowly leave my skin and his mouth liberates mine. I gasp air into my lungs. His eyes are dark and deep, more terrifyingly intense than ever.
When I’m about to say something, or at the very least, ask for an explanation of what just happened, my gaze falls onto an unwelcome figure behind us.
I should’ve understood right away. I should have known before I let myself enjoy it so much.
I clear my throat and compose myself. “I see the rule about not touching each other doesn’t apply to… How should I put this…? Exceptional cases.”
“I made the rules.” His tone is as hard now as it was at the start of the evening, his gaze just as impenetrable.
“So you can just break them whenever you like?”
“Exactly.”
“Especially when it’s for a good cause.”
I gather up what’s left of my pride and try to be an arse.
“I’d appreciate if you could give me some warning the next time you try to kiss me.”
I tried, right?
“What?”
“I don’t love surprises. I’d rather be prepared, have the situation under control…”
His hands grab the lapels of my jacket and pull me into him. His mouth crashes against mine before I can even think about breathing. His warm lips devour mine again, his tongue sliding sensually into me; the taste of smoke and alcohol overwhelms me, as if someone has lit a fire inside me. Something embarrassing moves between my legs.
Eric holds me against him, his hands grabbing at the fabric of my jacket, his mouth still hungrily working at my own, as if it were a juicy steak. His scent melds with my anxiety, lust, and excitement, a shiver crawling beneath my skin. I almost believe, just for a second, that this is all real.
He pulls away from me before I can completely lose focus. I look around, trying to understand the motive behind his actions, but can’t see anyone nearby. I’m confused, and over-excited; I study him, incredulous at what’s just happened.
“I thought I was quite clear.”
