Total pages in book: 176
Estimated words: 164533 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164533 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
Rhys gazed at me. “Better?”
“Yes,” I whispered, my eyes going to his mouth. We stayed like that, standing in the water, while others made noise and splashed about in the distance. Waves gently crashed over us, knocking us together and making me ever more aware of the hardness in his pants. Rhys gripped me tighter, and I shivered, arousal flooding me as I closed my eyes and savoured the moment.
No one else existed. There was just Rhys and me, alone in our bubble.
“You should probably kiss me now,” I went on, opening my eyes. A shock went through me when I saw the dark, lust-filled need shining in his gaze.
“Yeah?”
I nodded, a soft smile shaping my lips. “It’s the polite thing to do.”
“Well,” he almost growled. “I wouldn’t want to be impolite.”
Rhys’ mouth descended on mine, and I gasped into the kiss. It wasn’t soft or nice. It was hot and wet and feral. He tasted like the sea. His tongue plundered inside my mouth, and my fingers wandered to the ends of his hair, my nails scraping lightly at his scalp, soliciting a low groan.
“Keep doing that,” he urged breathlessly before his mouth was on me again, laying waste to whatever ounce of self-control I might’ve had.
His hands kneaded my thighs while his tongue danced with mine. I tightened my legs around his waist, his erection pressing into my belly. He felt … big. I couldn’t help being impressed considering how cold the water was. Unable to douse my curiosity, I reached down, palming him. Rhys hitched a breath then made a fascinatingly needful noise.
“I love touching you,” I whispered, breaking the kiss and nipping at his chin, then his jaw.
“I wish we weren’t in the bloody sea right now,” he grumbled, which made me laugh because I kind of wished that, too. I wanted him badly, but I wasn’t prepared to lose my virginity in the freezing cold water with crabs and fishes swimming around.
Rhys caught my cheek in his hand, his thumb rubbing gently over my chin. “You’re so beautiful, Charli, especially when you laugh like that. It fucking destroys me.”
My laughter faded as electricity zipped through me. How did this nineteen-year-old boy have such words in him? Words I was certain most people went their entire lives without ever hearing. He was an old soul, and I was obsessed.
We stayed there, locked in each other’s gazes, until Tristan’s voice broke through, “Hey, you two! We’re heading back now. Come on!”
Without a word, Rhys swam us back to shore, only letting me go when the water grew too shallow. I was loopy headed and in a daze as we grabbed our things, and Rhys insisted I put on his dry hoodie. We walked back to my cousins’ house, everyone giddy and chatty around us while we stayed quiet, too aware of each other for conversation. My entire body was covered in goosebumps, my mind unable to stop replaying our kiss in the sea.
“Oh my God, I need to shower so badly,” Nuala said, shivering as her damp, sandy clothes clung to her. Theo’s eyes wandered over her before he caught Derek’s glare and studiously turned away. He and Aidan said their goodbyes and headed home while Derek walked Milly to her place.
When the rest of us reached the house, all I wanted to do was lead Rhys to my room. I wanted us to take off our wet clothes and get lost in each other.
Saying goodnight to Nuala, I went to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. I’d just filled it when Rhys appeared, looking like he had the same idea. Then his gaze locked on mine, and a power greater than either of us took over. Rhys cleared the distance between us in seconds, his mouth hungrily capturing mine. He backed me into the wall, and my water was all but forgotten about as his busy hands swept up my ribs before palming my breasts.
“I can’t stay away from you,” he grunted.
“So, don’t,” I responded breathlessly between kisses.
Suddenly, my bedroom felt too far away, a distance too great to travel. Gripping Rhys’ T-shirt, I pulled him back towards the pantry. Seconds later, we were inside the dark, well stocked room, the door shut behind us as we pawed desperately at one another. A few boxes of cookies fell off a shelf as Rhys backed me into it, his mouth on my neck, his breaths hot and heavy in my ear, causing tingles to skitter down my spine.
My fingers reached for the waist band of his shorts, eagerly slipping inside to palm his cock. He groaned deeply as I gripped him, slowly moving up and down, finding a rhythm. His face fell to the crook of my neck, his hands lowering to my jean shorts. He had them open in no time, and then I was the one to make a noise when his fingers skimmed me. I shuddered, needy for his touch. No one had ever touched me so intimately, and I was overcome with sensation. I kept stroking him, and I knew he enjoyed it from the way he kept breathing heavily into my neck, pressing kisses to my skin.