Page 46 of Light Up The Night
My lungs, aching from a lack of oxygen, scream, hot and empty. I suck in a gasp, finally, mouth trembling, hanging open, eyes on his rugged, handsome face.
My arms sling around his neck, and I lift on my tiptoes, panting. "Riley…" I breathe.
Now it is I who initiates the kiss. I lift higher on my toes and lean into him, trust him to take my weight, and I kiss him.
He makes a low, gruff sound when my lips slide against his and I open my mouth and—only panicking a little—offer my tongue to him.
It is a small, rough sound he makes, involuntary and surprised and greedy.
I did not know, until now, that one could be aroused by a sound. Yet I am.
Not merely the sound itself, however. By what it represents.
His desire.
For me.
And then I cannot kiss him anymore because I am weeping—embarrassed, aroused, amazed, overwhelmed, overcome, and a million, million other things besides.
Chapter 8
RILEY
Cadence pulls back, sobbing.
Guilt craters the ecstasy of mere moments before. I see tears sliding down her cheeks, and hate myself for putting them there. "I'm so sorry, Cadence," I whisper, swiping tears with my thumbs. "I shouldn't have let things go so far."
Her head jerks up, and she looks at me, surprised through her tears. "No!" She covers my mouth with her palm. "Please do not say that." She rests her forehead against the back of her hand, which is over my mouth. "You keep apologizing for things that I…I…” she pauses. "The correct and appropriate word eludes me." She inhales, holds it, lets it out, rolling her head against her hand. "Crave. Enjoy—no, need. Things which I have dreamed about, the reality of which so greatly surpasses my dreams that I can scarce believe this is real."
I pull back a hint, slide her hand to my cheek. "I thought I’d pushed you into…" I shake my head. "I thought you were upset that I was touching you. Your first kiss, ever, and here I am groping you. I should know better."
Her cheeks flame. "I am not upset."
"You're cryin', though."
"I…ugh!" she groans, sniffling, and nuzzles her warm nose and hot, wet tears into my throat. "Sometimes, when I have so many thoughts and feelings that I do not know how to process them, the only way I am able to express it all is through crying." She pulls back, looking up at me with wet, deep, green eyes, and she trails the pads of her fingers over my cheekbones, down my nose, across my lips, almost how a blind person would. "In this case, there is an added emotion, or rather an added web of emotions, and very potent ones at that."
All I want to do is take her mouth again. Fuck, so damn sweet, the way she kisses. Tender, eager, hesitant, gentle, hungry. And the gasps and whimpers? Fucking hammer to the gut, takes my breath away, and leaves my cock hard enough to drive railroad stakes.
And then there's her ass. Fuck me. Underneath the loose, flowing cotton dress, the girl has the ass of a goddess.
"Riley?" She says my name like she'd already tried to get my attention.
I shake my head. "Sorry, sorry."
"Where was your mind, just now?"
I grin, shaking my head. "Not sure I should say."
“Well, now you simply must," she says, frowning up at me. "My curiosity demands it."
"Cadence, I don't wanna scare you or scandalize you."
Her eyebrows arch. "Scandalize me? Why, Riley Crowe, what were you thinking about so intently?"
I slip my hands around the small of her back and pull her flush against me. Instead of the truth, though, I chicken out. "I was thinkin' that I'm not sure I believe you've never been kissed before, 'cause you took my damn breath away, sweetheart. And all I can think about is kissing you again…and again…and again."
Her blushing cheeks are apple red. "Riley, I do not believe for an instant thatthatis all you were thinking."
