Page 65 of All Your Tomorrows

“I’m not your ex, Nora. I’d never lay a hand on you or betray you,” he began. “I’m just scared that no matter how all of this ends, I’ll hurt you.”

“You’d never purposely hurt me. I know that.”

He pulled back just enough to see my eyes. His riveted between them. “Do you?”

I nodded.

He released our hands and slipped his arms around my hips, pulling me against him. “When you’re around, everything just makes sense.”

The rush of emotions flooding my body wouldn’t allow me to speak. I wanted to smile at the vulnerability in his words but cry at the inevitability of our fate.

“Am I selfish for not wanting to lose you despite knowing this could all end really badly?”

I slipped my arms over his shoulders, needing to be closer to him. “It’s my decision too, you know. I do get a say in all this.”

“Have I left you a say, or have I just relied on you without asking permission?”

“I’ve told you before. I want to help you.”

“Help me? Or be with me?”

I swallowed down the lump in my throat wondering what I had to lose for admitting the truth. “Both.”

A small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. “Tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone.”

“I know.”

“I want all your tomorrows, Nora. And I want you to have all of mine,” he said. “And if that makes me a selfish prick. I’ll own that.” He didn’t let me respond. His mouth sealed over mine, his tongue pushing between my lips and holding me a willing captive.

He lifted me off my feet causing me to wrap my legs around his hips. He didn’t stop kissing me as he climbed the stairs and walked straight to my room. He lay me down on my bed and followed me down, covering me with his body. His erection pressed between my thighs and fire erupted inside me, spreading over my body. I’d never wanted anyone as much as I wanted him in this moment.

My hands slipped around his hips, burrowing under his T-shirt and hoodie. My fingertips slid over the soft skin on his back, tracing figure-eights the length of it. They eventually moved to his hips and slipped around until they grasped the button on his jeans. “Stop trying to get me naked,” he said against my lips.

“Youarethe streaker,” I chuckled as I kept at it, slipping the button through the slot.

“I’m serious,” he said, pulling back enough to look me in the eyes. “I expect nothing.”

“Well then, you are going to be pleasantly surprised.”

He sighed, knowing I wasn’t stopping and he couldn’t deny me this. He lifted his weight off me and let me push his jeans down his legs. Once they reached his feet, he kicked off his shoes and jeans but left his boxers on.

“Oh no,” I said, feeling brave. “Those too.”

His brows shot up. “You sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure,” I said, knowing this is what it was supposed to feel like when it was right.

He nodded, as if he could read my thoughts, then pushed his boxers off.

I kept my eyes on his, though it took everything in me not to look down.

“Why am I always the naked one?” he chuckled.

I reached around and unhooked my bra, then lifted my arms over my head. He tugged my shirt and bra off. I kept my eyes on his. He didn’t look down, though I knew the desire was there. He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, slow and intentional. This meant something to him. I was offering myself to him this way when I’d never been ready to do it before. He wasn’t going to rush this. He was going to make it memorable and special. He pulled away from my lips and peppered my neck with open-mouthed kisses. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” I sighed.

“I would never do anything that you didn’t want to do,” he said.

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