Page 63 of Dirty Game
“It will scar,” she says.
“Everything does,” I reply, not taking my eyes off of her.
She stands there, looking down at me, hands at her sides. Her breathing is tight, shallow.
There’s a tension in her body, something coiled and waiting. I can feel the heat of her skin from here.
“What are you afraid of, Rosalynn?” I ask, softer than I mean to.
She hesitates. Looks away, then back. “I’m more afraid of how I feel when you’re not here.”
The words hit like a punch.
For a second, I don’t know how to respond.
I’m used to people fearing me, hell, I prefer it, but this is different. This is honest. And it’s worse than if she had told me a lie.
I reach for her wrist, the one still bruised from her brother’s grip.
She lets me and stands perfectly still as I pull her closer.
I guide her onto my lap, one arm around her waist, the other sliding up her back.
Her whole body is taut, unsure, but she doesn’t pull away.
Her face is inches from mine.
I can see the pulse in her neck, can taste the warmth of her breath.
“Tell me to stop,” I say, and mean it.
She shakes her head, just once.
I lean in, slowly, letting the tension build. Letting my intentions broadcast before sealing our fate. When our lips meet, it’s different than any other time.
Soft at first, barely a touch, then building as she leans into it.
She makes a small sound in the back of her throat, and I want to devour her.
Her hands come up, tangle in my hair, hold me there like she’s afraid I’ll disappear.
The kiss deepens—hungry, raw.
I open her mouth with mine, taste the heat of her tongue, the sweetness of her.
She melts into me, body going slack, then tense, then slack again.
I break away, just for a second, needing air. Her eyes are wide, lips parted, face flushed.
“Have you ever—” I start, but she shakes her head.
“I don’t know what to do,” she admits, voice trembling.
“That’s okay,” I say. “I do.”
I kiss her again, harder this time, hands roaming up her back, down to the curve of her hip.
She arches into me, and I feel every inch of her, soft and yielding against the hardness of my body. I want her more than I’ve wanted anything in years.
