Page 202 of Falling Backwards
“Like this.”He encloses me in his arms and slips our legs into a slight, easy tangle.With some adjustments, my head kind of ends up tucked under his chin.
I let out one quiet, dry laugh.“No, not the cuddling.You taking all of the blanket.”I burrow into him, situating my arms between our chests.
“Oh.”
His exhale is long and slow, causing his body to relax against mine.
Many moments pass in silence before he lets out a quiet noise of amusement too.
“What?”I ask.
“I guess the theft happens ’cause I’m not used to anyone else being in my bed.I never have to think about anyone else.”
Try as I do to hold back a truer laugh, it still escapes me.
“‘The theft,’” I repeat.
His arms around my shoulders give me a cozy squeeze.“Probably never thought you’d have a thief for a boyfriend, hm?Not very rule-follow-y of you.”
I can’t help another hushed laugh.
He echoes it.
My annoyance is melting away.
Although…well, it really hadn’t been that substantial to begin with, all things considered.
I rub lightly at his chest for a moment, then move my head out from beneath his chin so I can rest it on the pillow, more level with him.In the darkness, I can’t tell exactly how close we are, but I know there can’t be more than a few inches between his face and mine.
I allow my voice to soften the way it wants to.“It’s not my fault you’re irresistible.”
Swear I can sense a smile gracing his lips.
I add, “But maybe I should just bring a second blanket in here and let you keep this one.”
“No way,” he murmurs.He shifts a bit—shifts his face closer, I realize as his nose grazes mine.“I like having you under this one with me.”
A sweet, somewhat sultry thing that I love hearing.
Still, I inform him in a whisper, like this is a secret, “But I’m not under it with you all the time since you take it so often.”
A chuckle rises up through him, deep and gravelly from lingering sleep, as warm as all the rest of him.It radiates to me, slips along my spine, makes me shiver just a little bit.
Also makes me want to kiss him.I love Luke’s laughter.Love that I’ve gotten it in this way.And I want to hoard it.
His lips are still in a smile when I manage to clumsily seek them out with mine.I love, too, that he kisses me through it—at least, he does until his amusement dwindles so he can properly fit his mouth to mine.As comfortable as I am being held in his embrace, my top arm finally slips around him, my other hand going up between his neck and the pillow.
It doesn’t feel like enough, though.
Doesn’t feel like there’s enough of us touching each other while we share these kisses with his laughter and the blanket thing fading into the darkness, leaving us quiet and…intent and….
Moments and movements gently blend together,
My leg slips out of our little tangle and curls over his, and I feel his sigh on my lips, the downwards sweep of his arm from around me, his hand in the crook of my knee.He tugs and lifts until my knee is bent almost at his waist—and suddenly our hips are meeting, the contact bringing little pants of air out of us.I’ve drawn him in with my leg around him, too, and I didn’t intend that, but I’m glad I did it because it feelsso….
His hand goes from my knee to the small of my back, firmly keeping me close with that sprawling, heated touch.A soft noise of liking escapes me as I pull him into another kiss, shifting in more yet, trying to cage him against me just like he’s doing.
I want to lose myself in his kisses.In his warmth.In how he makes me feel.
