Page 32 of One Last Touch

I couldn’t take a lecture right then, so I did the only thing I could think of to shut him up, the only thing I really needed in that moment. I tugged Sage’s jaw down slightly and pressed my lips to his, cutting him off as he mumbled around my mouth before surrendering.

I gasped as his tongue stroked along mine, taunting, before he bit my lip and took it for himself, sucking and teasing until I automatically pressed closer. Needing more. Wanting him.

And that was exactly why I pulled away, panting. I was certain that my lips were probably puffy from the force of our kiss but right then I didn’t care. It took all of my willpower to take a step back, and then another, wincing as I put weight on my ankle.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly as I turned around with an awkward shuffle and limped my way back to my room. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“On the contrary.” Sage sounded frustrated and I knew I was probably confusing him as much as I was confusing myself, running so hot and cold I could barely keep up. “I think we should be doing a whole lot more of that—before you leave here for good.”

“The cost isn’t worth it.”

“Why don’t you let me worry about the cost.”

Then his hand was in mine and his arm around my waist as he lifted me, twirling my body effortlessly until our chests were flush and his eyes dropped to my lips. I licked them, unable to help myself as I tasted the faint sweet smokiness he’d left behind.

Sage leaned in slowly, giving me plenty of time to pull away but I was hypnotised as his mouth brushed mine, coaxing it into a deep kiss that made me moan. He pulled back and his eyes were heavy as he watched the blush I knew I was spreading steadily across my cheeks. Then he leaned in again, his lips whispering over mine like a language I hadn’t realised I could speak but that my body responded to.

He rested our foreheads together and I closed my eyes as the kind of pain that made my body draw taut forced me to ask, “What are we doing here, Sage?”

“Kissing, Georgina.”

I pushed out of his arms gently and he watched me, standing glowing faintly in the last of the light coming through the window. “You want me to leave, you want me to carry on without you, but then you kiss me like it means something and I just don’t know what it is you want from me.”

“I want you,” he whispered, “in every capacity possible.”

“You told me that you couldn’t feel those things for me—”

He shook his head. “I thought I could stay away from you. I was wrong.” His fingers traced my cheek and I jerked my face away.

“Look at you,” I cried. “You’re fading in front of me, more every day. You can’t touch me, or kiss me, because I refuse to be the reason you fucking die.”

“It’s not enough,” he growled. “Whatever it is that’s between us… I need more than just a taste, Georgina. While I still can.” He took a step forward and I retreated. “You know that I’m already—”

“So that makes it better? That makes it hurt less to know that if it wasn’t for me, none of you would be in this situation?”

“Love is fickle.” Sage’s mouth hardened into a flat line that I wanted to trace with my fingertips. “It’s rarely uncomplicated. And I don’t think you’re masochistic enough to put the blame of all of this onto yourself. Not when you know who the real issue is—in case you missed it, it was the guy who just pushed you down the stairs.”

I folded my arms across my chest and his eyes dropped down, making me grumble with exasperation until I dropped them again. “I’m going to bed. Don’t follow me.”

“Georgina—”

“I mean it, Sage.”

He sighed, running a hand through his thick hair until it stuck up at odd angles before it fell back into place. “Goodnight, then.”

“Goodnight,” I murmured, watching him walk away for a second until I closed my door and leaned my back against it. Love is fickle.

Had Sage Williams just told me he loved me? No. Surely not, it was just an expression, he didn’t say that love was fickle—just like what he felt about me.

I climbed into bed and gingerly stretched out my legs before I tentatively squeezed the ankle that hurt. It was a little swollen, but it seemed like I’d just twisted it. Not broken.

I’d gotten lucky that Sage had been there to catch me.

But I didn’t understand why Jared had let us walk away? Did he not have enough energy for more than one push?

Maybe he’s not in a rush. I shivered at the thought but drew some comfort from the fact that we were biding our time too and as soon as we knew how, Jared Alswell was not long for this world.

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