“Yeah,” she nods.
“Which means I’ve only got one shot at this.”
“What?”
She can only blink as I reach over to her side of the car and place my hand on her cheek.
“I’m going to kiss you,” I say softly.
Her breath hitches, but she doesn’t push me away like I had expected her to. A hopeful part of me actually thinks she looks expectant.
Maybe, just maybe, she wants this too.
Too late to turn back now.
I lower my head slowly and finally take her lips in mine.
Chapter 2
(Fallon)
______
The first time I met Alexander King, he was wearing a baseball cap, a black leather jacket, and a bruise on his right cheek. I was 13, he was 18, and my brother had invited his new friend over for dinner. Naturally, I was intrigued. I wanted to know who he was. The sad boy that tried so hard to hide his pain behind fake smiles and irrational behavior. He was really good-looking. Tall with alluring hazel green eyes, every feature on his face beautifully set. From his mesmerizing eyes to his jawline, his cheekbones, and even the small scar on the side of his face.
He was interesting, but my parents didn’t see it that way, especially my mother, who caught me watching him with interest.
‘Stay away from boys like that, Fallon. They’re toxic.’
She said it with so much scorn that I felt bad for Alex, but I still listened to her. From that day on, I watched Alex from the sidelines. It wasn’t hard to avoid him. I was in high school, and he and my brother had signed up to join the Navy. I only ever saw them during leave and holidays.
My mom wasn’t wrong about him. He was toxic and dangerous. When Alex wasn’t working as a SEAL, he was out partying and drinking. I can’t count the number of times he has had my brother bail him from jail for one idiotic thing or theother. He got into fights and seemingly wasn’t afraid of anything or anyone.
He probably always saw me as a shy, silent girl, but I saw the real him. He was someone in pain. He needed his family; all he ever wanted was to be held.
But I couldn’t be that person for him. Especially not when my feelings for him threatened to jeopardize the little cocoon I had built around myself and my life.
Just for tonight, things could be different.
I’m leaving home with a plan. I will live for myself instead of my parents and my family. And what better way to enjoy my one night of freedom in my hometown than kissing the boy I’ve wanted since I was thirteen.
“Tell me to stop,” Alex groans against my lips.
Somewhere deep in my addled mind, I hear his voice, but I don’t understand what he’s saying. Why would I ever ask him to stop? I’ve never been kissed like this before in my life.
“Don’t stop,” I whisper as his lips close over mine again. He pulls me into his lap, and my hands grip his short dark hair. It’s so silky and soft.
The kiss is hot and demanding. When his tongue slips in, I moan into his mouth, clutching his hair tighter as I kiss him with all I’ve got. I’m not sure when he carries me out of the car, but I soon find myself inside his house. He sits on the couch, pulling me with him.
His hands are on my back, unzipping my dress. He tugs it over my head. I’m sitting on top of him, clad in black lacy underwear and a black bra. One of his hands squeezes my ass as he jerks me towards his cock. I look down at the exposed appendage between us. He’s still wearing his jeans even though they’re shoved down. It’s at that point that a splash of reality hits me.
Am I really going to have sex with Alexander King?
My parents would kill me if they found out. As soon as I think that, though, I want to slap myself. I’m a twenty-five-year-old woman, and I’m done letting my parents’ ideals dictate who I can sleep with. They’ve always exerted control over my life, but not anymore. I want to be free, even if it’s just for one night. I want to get lost in Alexander King. Like I’ve wanted to for so long.
He stands, the motion draws me to his hard, erect cock, and I lick my lips. I’m dying to have him inside me. He completely removes his jeans, then walks towards me. He takes off my bra quickly, and then my panties, maintaining eye contact.
“You’re so fucking beautiful, Fallon,” Alex says.