Page 41 of All Your Tomorrows

I lunged forward, my lips crashing into his. He staggered back a few steps, clearly unprepared for my drunken attack. But he seemed to be on board as his arms slipped around to my back and lips moved in tandem with mine. I draped my arms over his shoulders and walked him backward until the backs of his knees hit the sofa. I urged him down, climbing on his lap and straddling him as I kept the lead, my lips devouring his. His hands settled on my ass as our tongues dueled for control, tangling in delicious sync. My hips found a rhythm. I couldn’t stop myself from grinding against him. And, despite everything I knew to be reality, his erection pressed between my thighs sending zingers through me like someone who was very much there and alive.

I was desperate for a breath, but he pulled away first. Our chests heaved as we stared at each other, our eyes heavy with need. A slow smirk slipped across his lips. “What are the odds you’ll remember any of this in the morning?”

“Fifty-fifty,” I said.

He chuckled, leaning in and kissing me soft and slow before pulling back. “Come on. Let me walk you to your room.”

An embarrassed flush spread over my body. Was he rejecting me?Hadhe been pitying me? “I can find it myself,” I grumbled, feeling like a little kid being ordered to their room. I attempted to crawl off his lap, but he held me there.

“That’s too bad. I was hoping you were gonna let me sleep in your bed with you tonight.”

“Why? Is the sofa uncomfortable?” I asked.

He cocked his head. “No. But I bet you’re a good snuggler.”

“Probably not.”

He huffed his frustration. “Jesus Christ, Nora. I want to hold you. Can’t I just do that?”

I tried to ignore the tsunami rolling through my stomach. “You sure I’ll be able to resist you?” I asked, referencing the conversation that led to our first kiss.

He chuckled. “Oh, you definitely won’t be able to resist me. Luckily, I’m a gentleman who’d never pressure you to do something you weren’t ready to do.”

“Who said I’m not ready?” As soon as the words left my mouth, I gasped, shocked that I said them out loud.

“You’re drunk,” he said. “And while it’s one of the most adorable things I’ve seen in a long time, I’m not about to take advantage of that.”

“So, if I start stripping, you’d stop me?”

He laughed. “No. But, I wouldn’t let it go any further.”

I rolled my eyes. “Says the streaker.”

He suppressed a smile. “You’ll appreciate this in the morning. I promise.”

Embarrassed—and rejected, I attempted to crawl off his lap again.

His hands seized my arms and he pulled me back toward him, his lips capturing mine for a long glorious kiss. He was assuring me that he wasn’t rejecting me forever. He was just halting the brakes tonight when the chances were high that I wouldn’t remember it in the morning. His lips abandoned mine and moved to my ear. “Let’s go upstairs.” He urged me off his lap.

Once we both stood, he linked his fingers with mine and led me up the stairs—likely making sure I didn’t end up on my ass again. Regardless, the gesture had my heartbeat skyrocketing. How was this even happening? If I was dreaming—if this wasn’t even remotely possible—I didn’t want to know.

There were four rooms on the second floor. We passed the open bathroom, then Izzy’s closed door, and the spare room that was supposed to be Zoe’s. At the end of the hallway, we walked into my room. Kyler took in the crystal chandelier in the center of my ceiling, the heap of pillows on my bed, and all the hand-painted art on my walls. “Did you paint these?” he asked, taking in all the coastal scenery boasting vivid blues, yellows, and pinks—my favorite colors to work with.

“Yeah. I started after my dad passed away to keep my mind busy. It just kinda stuck.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I think you’re incredibly talented.”

I wished him in my bedroom complementing my art didn’t feel so normal.

His eyes moved to the nightstand that held a small light and framed photo of my parents and me when I was five outside of Disney World. He looked back to me. “You look like your mom.”

“Yeah. We both have the same freckles on our noses.”

He examined my freckles for a beat before he glanced back at the photo. “Your dad was healthy in this picture?”

I nodded.

His eyes made one more sweep of my room before he looked back at me. “I like your room.”

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