Page 61 of The Love of My Next Life
“Is it really okay, or are you just saying that to avoid confrontation?”
I already know the answer, but she needs to own that shit. She purses her lips and blows a puff of air through her nose.
“It’s not,” she says finally. “It makes me angry that I was left in the dark about this. You should have told me.”
“I know.” I sigh. “Trent asked me not to. He wanted to be the one to tell you. It was his place to tell you, not mine. But after the first month passed...”
I sit back up and rake my fingers through the sand, plucking up a shell and tossing it into the water.
“I should have told you, and I’m sorry.”
She nods and her lips curve up just slightly.
“Forgiven,” she says. I’ll take it. “They want to have afamily dinner,” she uses her fingers to make air quotes, “but at least I’ll have some time to get used to it.”
“I am glad they’re together. Mom deserves someone great, and your dad is a really great guy.”
“I’m glad, too. It’s kind of weird, though.”
I snort. “Imagine walking into the kitchen at one in the morning, high as shit, and seeing his tongue down her throat. I thought I was on a bad trip.”
“Oh, gross.” She groans, and I laugh.
It’s the first time I’ve really laughed in a while, sitting here on the beach alone with Lennon. So much in my life is fucked up, but here with her, it’s easy to pretend. I hate myself a little less when Lennon is around, even on days when she hates me enough for the both of us.
“Hey.” I nudge her shoulder. When she turns her head and locks her gaze with mine, I reach out and trace her jaw with my knuckles. She leans her head into my touch and my heart speeds up. “Thank you,” I whisper. “For this.”
“Of course.” Her voice rasps, and she bites her lip. I can’t resist.
I’m an addict with poor impulse control.
I take my thumb and rub it across her plush lower lip, smoothing the mark from her teeth. Her lips part in invitation, and I slide my hand to her neck and pull her into me. Her mouth lands on mine without hesitation, like she was waiting for this. Like she wants it as much as I do.
Our last few kisses were angry, rushed. I make sure this one is slow, sliding my tongue over hers in the smoothest caress. The contact stings my cut, the pressure causing an ache in my swollen lip, but I welcome it. I kiss her harder until I feel the cut break open. I want it to hurt more. Her fingers tighten in my shirt, but she pulls back.
“Wait,” she forces out. “We shouldn’t. You’re going to be mybrother.”
I chuckle. I can’t help it. I press my forehead to hers and smirk.
“But I’m not your brother right now, am I?”
I wait. Restrain myself. Slowly, she smiles and shakes her head no, then she’s pulling me on top of her in the sand, kissing me with more fervor than before. Speeding up the slow pace I’d set. Tugging on me until her legs are wrapped around my waist and my hand is up her shirt and pulling down the cup of her bra. I pinch her nipple, and she arches into me, letting out the sweetest little whimper.
“You like that,” I say, and pinch it again, harder this time. Her whimper turns to a low groan, and I smile. “Tell me you like it, Lennon.”
I pull back and she chases my lips, but I stay just out of reach.
I do it again, and the way her mouth falls open on a gasp and she pushes her chest into my hand is so god damn sexy that I can hardly believe it’s really happening. Fuck.
I press my hips into her, showing her how hard she’s made me.
“Tell me you like it, Lennon,” I rasp, and the roughness of my voice surprises even me.
“I like it,” she pants out. “I like it.”
I kiss her again, moving my mouth from her lips to her jaw, then pulling her shirt up so I can take her nipple between my teeth. I circle my tongue around it, suck, and then bite down, just enough so she can feel it. Just enough that she gasps and bucks her hips into mine.
I grunt at the contact. She’ll be absolute fire when we fuck.
