Page 62 of The Sound Of Silence

“And with me…” I ask, trailing off, taking in his darkened pupils and shallow breaths.

“I can already feel your touch. Your fingertips are setting me on fire and there’s a goddamn space between us.”

He grabs my hand and holds it against his skin, leaning into my touch. “I want your hands all over my fucking body, I want your lips molded to mine, I want our tongues thrashing together. I want to hear the sounds you make. I want to make you scream. I want to take every piece of you, mind, body, and soul, and make it mine. And I don’t care how selfish I’m being. I haven’t been able to think of anyone else since you fell into my arms, and you’re the only one I’ve ever allowed this close.Wanted. This. Close. But I’m not sure I’ll be able to do any of those things. And I’m certain that I shouldn’t.”

He takes a slow drawn-out breath and once again squeezes his eyes shut. I prepare for him to pull away, but when his eyes open, they’re filled with something I never expected to see—hope. My heart stops beating. The world stills. And Jesse inches closer to me. “I fuckingneedyou, Willow. And I’m willing to burn for it.”

His lips brush the corner of my mouth, and while it’s brief, it’s enough to breathe air back into my lungs and start my heart beating again.

Terrified of what I’ll see in his eyes, I focus on the rise and fall of his chest and how it seems perfectly in sync with mine. Both doing nothing to hide our feelings at this moment.

My eyes slowly rise to meet his pained stare, and my chest tightens. “Jesse, I—”

“Can I try something?” he asks quietly as though he never heard me speak.

I nod without thinking. I’ve known him for less than a week and yet I want him to try everything.Iwant to tryeverything, but God, it’s terrifying.

Jesse must see something in my expression because his hard gaze softens, and his eyes almost smile. “You don’t have to be scared,” he whispers, his hand back beneath the water. “I promise this’ll hurt me more than it hurts you.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” I whisper back, so softly he may not have even heard it. But it’s the truth. Because while we haven’t even kissed, he’s already stolen a piece of me, just like he said he wanted to, and I’ll never be the same.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Jesse

Holdingmybreath,Itry to ignore her quiet words because if I focus on how true they are, I might not go through with this. And Ineedit. More than I’ve needed anything in my life.

Willow stills, waiting for my next move as I reach out and slowly run my fingers down her cheek. She shivers at my touch. And while my eyes focus on the path my fingers are taking, hers are locked on my face, undoubtedly searching for my reaction.

Reaching her chin, I slowly exhale as I gently brush over her neck and across the column of her throat, which bobs as she swallows. Exploring her collarbone next, and then her chest, I keep moving until I reach the thin material of her poor excuse for a bikini.

The lighting may be low, but I can see the outline of her perfect nipples peeking through the faded fabric, especially now that they’re beaming at me.

Her breasts rise and fall rapidly under my intense gaze, but I can’t move. I’m stuck momentarily with my own heartbeat keeping in time with hers. Every part of me burns, but I welcome the fire. I deserve it. I’ll gladly take all the pain. I’m more concerned about what this will do to her.

“CanItry something?” Willow whispers, drawing my attention to her beautiful face, a face that’s haunted my dreams since I was sixteen and yet one I almost didn’t recognize.

She softly smiles, and it hits me deep in the chest. She’s too good for me. I know this. But I can’t bring myself to stop.

“I promise to try not to hurt you,” she continues, paraphrasing my words. If only she realized just how much power she has over my pain.

Her eyes bore into mine as she waits for my response, her previous confidence wavering.

Ignoring my pounding heart and the ringing in my ears, I finally nod when the silence becomes too much, sucking in a breath in anticipation.

Mimicking my movements, Willow runs her fingers down my cheek and across my neck, stopping at my collarbone, her hand resting just next to my tattoo.

She squints as though she’s trying to make out the meaning in the darkness, but doesn’t ask me what it says, perhaps sensing it’s not something I want to or am ready to talk about.

Seeming to shake off her thoughts, she continues her explorations with a featherlight touch. Her fingers glide over my pecs and along the ridges of my abs, making my muscles jump under my skin. She circles my navel before moving back up and stopping with her hand sprawled across my heart.

As her pulse flutters against me, my heart misfires and my breathing escalates to an alarming rate, but before I can ask her to do it again, her hand disappears, and she slowly reaches for the bikini cups of her suit, holding on as if she’s going to remove them.

“One for one?” she whispers, and even though she sounds confident again, the pink tinge of her skin suggests otherwise.

I nod but don’t move, taking a moment to compose myself. But on seeing my hesitation, Willow stands up and grabs my shoulder, careful to only touch my skin in places her hands have been before.She fucking gets it. But why did it have to be her?

Giving me a gentle shove, she shifts me until I’m sitting upright on the bench seat and steps forward, positioning her legs on either side of mine.

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