Page 25 of Kiss Me Again

But she keeps talking, and she tells me everything. Honestly, I'm shocked by the story.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

MIA

I walk into the house and see candles and rose petals everywhere, and as I start to close the door, I notice a huge bouquet with red roses in a shape of a heart standing next to the staircase.

I come closer to the flowers and see a small note attached to one of the stems.

Please, follow the petals.

Love,

B

I smile. I’m still not used to Ben telling me that he loves me, even though since he confessed to me, he has repeated it a thousand times.

I look at the staircase, which is covered with more petals than any other place in the house, so I start going up, following it.

The trail of red rose petals and candles leads me straight to Ben's room, and I hold my breath before entering.

I've been here before. He’s invited me in many times, but I have never slept in his bed, not even once; he always slept in mine.

Di went to Vancouver two days ago, a day after we talked. I was amazed by her story, which I swore I wouldn't tell Ben. Still, I hope everything will be okay, and that she gets her happily ever after.

"Come in, princess," a low husky voice says as I enter Ben's room. The whole floor is covered with candles and petals, and so is the bed.

"What's this all for?" I ask even though I know the answer: It's finally time for me to become a woman.

"For you," he says and saunters in my direction, smiling, and only then do I notice a rose in his hand—a single red flower that he’s holding by the stem. "Will you accept this rose?"

I laugh at how good it feels when he quotesThe Bachelor, a show I forced him to watch with me. Even though he didn't like it, he watched every episode because I wanted to.

"I will." I nod, take the rose, and lean to him for a kiss.

My hands go around his neck, and he takes me in his arms. The rose falls to the floor, but I don't even care; Ben carries me to the bed and places me gently on the sheets.

"I want to undress you myself," I say and start taking off his clothes. Our eyes are glued to each other as I do it, and when I get to his boxers, I can feel that he's already half-hard.

"Look what you do to me," he says with a smile when I take off his briefs. "And that's only from one kiss."

I smile. I love teasing him, touching him, and exploring his body. For the last ten days, Ben has made me feel like the most beautiful, desirable woman in the world, and I’ve honestly never felt more confident than when I’m with him.

"It's my turn now," he says as he lifts up my dress and helps me pull it over my head, leaving me in my underwear. "Wow, you actually wore my present." He smiles, and I smile back.

Yesterday, Ben gave me a dark-red piece of lingerie that he chose himself from Agent Provocateur, a French brand I have been obsessed with for years but couldn't afford. And today I wore it, as he asked before, and now I know why: because of the red roses spread all over this place.

I am one of them, one of the roses. I amhisrose.

I feel like I'm in a Hallmark movie. A slutty, filthy Hallmark movie complete with the sex scenes they always leave out.

"I thought girls weren't allowed in your bedroom," I say, and then immediately bite my tongue.

Why do I remind him of his previous girlfriends?

"First of all, you're not one of them," he says as he kisses my collarbone, "so never compare yourself to others."

I shiver, and a wave of pleasure spreads through my body.

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