Page 31 of The Man in the Painting

I turn around, and my gaze falls on the main object of my thoughts.

Abram is standing by the stairs, his eyes fixed intently on mine.

My throat goes dry as my eye glides down to his shirtless chest. All rational thought immediately flies out of my head as I gawk shamelessly at his strong-looking abs.

My fingers itch to glide over his chest, down to his abs and…. I catch myself in time and raise my eyes slowly to his.

Abram’s lips pull up in a small knowing smile.

I duck my head, embarrassed to have been caught gaping.

“Can’t sleep?” Abram asks, walking toward the fridge.

I let out an inaudible breath of relief, glad to be momentarily free of his perceptive eyes.

“Yes,” I reply quietly.

I wonder if he knows that he’s the reason why sleep evades me.

“Yeah, me too,” Abram says, coming toward me with a full glass of milk. He sits beside me on the couch and holds the glass. “Here, drink this. A glass of milk will help.”

Our hands brush as I take the glass out of his hand.

Electric tingles shoot up my arm from the contact. Our eyes meet and hold for a tense second.

I lower my gaze and raise the glass to my lips with shaky hands, stupefied by the raw desire in his eyes.

An awkward silence falls between us.

“What about you?” I ask after a while, a feeble attempt to break the ice. “Would you like to have some milk? I can get you a glass if….”

“What I really want to do is kiss you, Melody,” Abram says, cutting off my mindless ramble. I freeze in shock at the bluntness of his words. “Thoughts of you keep me awake every night, and now it seems like they’re driving me crazy. I keep telling myself to be patient and take things slowly, but I want you so bad it’s killing me slowly. I....”

“Me too,” The words slip out of my mouth unconsciously.

Abram looks surprised. “What?”

“I can’t stop thinking about you, too,” I admit without looking at his face. I can barely hear myself above the roaring sound of my heart, but I forge on bravely. “I think about what it’d feel like to have your body against mine and....”

Adam leans forward swiftly and seals his mouth over mine.

My entire system freezes up with shock.

I have imagined this moment a million times, but it feels almost surreal now that it’s actually happening.

His mouth moves against mine, driving away all sane thoughts from my head. His lips are soft against mine, moving with delicious expertise that makes my toes curl from excess pleasure.

I raise my hands hesitantly to his shoulders, unconsciously pressing myself further against his chest. Abram exerts gentle pressure on my lips until I open up beneath him.

He lets out a deep groan of satisfaction and dips his tongue into my mouth.

It felt strange yet thrilling.

His tongue runs slowly along the contours of my mouth, tasting me in slow leisurely licks.

I weave my hands into his hair and slide my tongue along the lush wetness of his, awkwardly copying his strokes.

Abram’s moan of approval vibrates against my chest, edging me on.

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