Page 101 of Cold Front
His grip was warm, firm, his thumb grazing over my skin in a slow, deliberate stroke. He guided me a few steps away from the table, pulling me close. One hand settled at my waist, grounding me, while the other stayed linked with mine. And then—just like that—we were moving, swaying to the rhythm, caught in the pull of something neither of us had the words for.
Heat rolled through me, sinking into my skin as Niall’s body pressed against mine. The scent of his cologne mixed with the lingering spice of dinner, a heady combination that made my pulse race. His grip tightened at my waist, his fingers flexing like he was trying to hold on, trying to savor this moment as much as I was.
I tilted my head back slightly, meeting his gaze. His eyes were dark, intent, filled with something unguarded. My breath hitched.
And then he leaned in.
The first brush of his lips was tentative, searching. A question.
My answer was immediate.
I surged forward, closing the space between us, and my fingers slid into the soft curls at the nape of his neck. A shudder rippled through him, and then his grip tightened—one hand firm at my waist, the other splayed across my back, pressing me flush against him. The heat between us flared, scorching, and the kiss deepened, turned desperate, like we were both afraid to let go.
A low sound rumbled from Niall’s throat, vibrating against my lips. His fingers flexed, skimming under the hem of my shirt, grazing my bare skin. I gasped at the contact, my body lighting up like a struck match. God, I’d missed this.Missed him.
He murmured something against my lips—my name, a curse, maybe a plea. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was the way he held me like I was something he couldn’t bear to lose.
My hands roamed over the solid lines of his back, the tense muscles of his shoulders. His jaw was rough with stubble, and the scrape of it against my skin sent a shiver down my spine. His breath came fast, uneven, mirroring my own.
When we finally broke apart, neither of us moved far. Our foreheads rested together, chests heaving, bodies still pressed close. His thumb traced slow circles against my hip, an unspoken promise in every touch.
“Eli,” he whispered, voice rough, wrecked.
I swallowed thickly, my heart hammering. “Yeah, baby?”
His eyes burned into mine, something unspoken lingering there—something aching, something inevitable.
CHAPTER39
NIALL
Heat coiled in my stomach, pulsing low and insistent. My forehead still rested against Eli’s, my breath mixing with his, but I couldn’t move back—not yet. His hands were on me, steady and warm, his touch grounding even as my entire world tilted on its axis.
I wanted him.
The thought slammed into me with the force of a freight train, sudden and undeniable. I had spent years—my whole life, really—feeling nothing, not like this. Attraction had been an abstract concept, something I understood in theory but never in practice. Until Eli. Until now.
My fingers tightened at his waist, and I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “Eli.”
He hummed softly, his lips ghosting over mine, teasing, waiting.
I drew in a shaky breath. “I—” The words caught in my throat. I forced them out. “I want you.”
Eli stilled. Then, after a beat, his hands slid up my sides, slow and deliberate. “Yeah?” His voice was soft, careful, but his eyes burned with something deeper. “Are you sure?”
I nodded, but it wasn’t enough. I needed to say it. Needed him to know. “I’m sure.” My voice was rough, barely above a whisper. “I’ve never—” I exhaled sharply, frustrated by my hesitation. “You’re the only person I’ve ever wanted like this.”
Eli’s eyes softened, and he brushed his nose against mine, a quiet reassurance. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for.”
“I am.” The certainty in my voice surprised even me. “I just…” My gaze flicked down between us, heat prickling my skin. “I don’t know what I like yet.”
Eli’s lips curved, a slow, knowing smile. “That’s ok. We can try whatever feels right.”
A shiver ran down my spine. I wanted that. Wanted him.
His fingers traced over my hip, dipping beneath the hem of my shirt, and I sucked in a breath. “Should we—” I swallowed. “We should talk first.”
Eli nodded. “Yeah.” He stepped back slightly, his hands still on me, like he couldn’t bear to let go completely. “I’m on PrEP. And I’ve been tested recently. I’m negative.”
