Page 66 of Cold Front
I shifted slightly, and his body moved with mine, pressing closer rather than pulling away. My hand found the small of his back without thinking, and my fingers grazed the fabric of his hoodie. He was warm. Solid.Real.
I let out a slow breath, my mind catching up to the moment.
This wasnew, but not in a way that made me panic. Not in a way that made me question if I wanted it. We’d already kissed. Already admitted we liked each other. But that had been words and stolen moments—this was something else.Thiswas waking up with him pressed against me, his body curled into mine like he belonged there.
And maybe that was the part that scared me.
Because Ihadbeen in relationships before. I knew what it was like to fall, to want, to hope. And I also knew what it was like when someone didn’t want the same things.
My chest tightened as Niall’s words from the night before echoed in my head.
“I want to figure it out. With you. If you’ll let me.”
He wanted tofigure things out. Notbe with me.
Maybe there wasn’t a difference. Maybe there was.
What if I was just part of his discovery? What if, one day, he figured it out and realized I wasn’t what he wanted?
The thought sent a sharp pang through me, one I wasn’t ready to sit with. Instead, I focused on the warmth of him, on the way his fingers twitched slightly against my waist as he shifted in his sleep.
I wasn’t going to overthink this. Not right now.
For now, I was just going to let myself have this moment.
I took a slow breath, still trying not to wake him. The rise and fall of his chest against mine was slow and steady, a calm rhythm I wanted to let myself sink into. But I couldn’t help the wave of awareness that washed over me. He was here. So close. And this wasn’t just any closeness—it was intimate, new, and felt a little vulnerable.
I shifted slightly, and in doing so, I became even more aware of the pressure of his body against mine. His breath fluttered against my skin, and I couldn’t ignore the way my chest tightened. It wasn’t just the closeness that made me feel this way; it was therealizationof what was happening—what was between us.
A few more seconds passed, and Niall’s breathing changed. His chest expanded slightly, and he pulled away from me, just enough so I could sense the tension in his body. Then, barely above a whisper, he murmured, “Eli?”
My arm was slung over his waist, and at some point, his hand had found its way under my shirt, fingers curled against the small of my back. Notintentionalexactly—just something that had happened while we slept, our bodies finding the closeness we hadn’t let ourselves have until tonight.
I stayed still, watching him. His face was relaxed, the usual tension in his jaw gone, lips parted slightly as he breathed. He was beautiful like this—unguarded in a way he rarely allowed himself to be.
I barely resisted the urge to brush his hair back. Instead, I trailed my fingers lightly over his side, just enough to feel the warmth of his skin. He stirred, exhaling a deep breath before his lashes fluttered open.
Niall blinked slowly, his breath warm against my collarbone. His gaze was unfocused, still caught somewhere between asleep and awake, but when his eyes landed on mine, something shifted. Awareness. Want. It flickered across his face like a match catching fire.
I barely had time to take a breath before he moved.
His hand slid up my side, gripping the fabric of my shirt like he needed something to hold on to. Then he lifted his head and kissed me.
It wasn’t careful or hesitant—it was hungry, a slow burn that turned to wildfire the second his lips parted against mine. His breath was uneven, and his fingers dug into my ribs as he pressed closer. I opened up for him, meeting the kiss with equal intensity, matching the way he tasted me, like he was trying to memorize every part of this moment.
My heart slammed against my ribs. My pulse roared in my ears.
This was different.
Before, we were testing the waters. But this? This was Niall taking. No second-guessing. No hesitation. Just pure and unfiltered heat poured into me with every press of his mouth.
I cupped the back of his head, threaded my fingers through his hair, and swallowed the quiet sound he made when I deepened the kiss. I could feel his heartbeat against my chest.
I didn’t want him to hold back.
Breaking away just enough to catch my breath, I searched his face, my chest rising and falling like I’d just sprinted across campus.
“Come to my room?” My voice was rough, uneven.
