Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Then we stopped.
He stopped first, and my lips followed.
When we met one another’s stare, we each took a step away from each other.
“Shit,” Theo muttered, placing his hands on top of his head as he paced slightly. He paused his steps, then turned toward me. My body was still recovering from the kiss that changed everything. Now, for the remainder of my lifetime, I’ll be thinking about Theo and the kiss of all kisses. “I’m sorry, Willow. I-I-I cr-cr-c…shit!” he spat out, turning his back to me so I couldn’t see his irritation or embarrassment.
I stayed still for a moment, taking in his movements. Noticing every piece of him and remembering the little things. How his shoulders rose and fell heavily. How his hands made tight fists. How his head sat lowered.
My steps toward him were quiet. The boat only swayed lightly.
I stepped in front of him. I moved in close and placed my finger beneath his chin to heighten his head. I smiled. He didn’t. I placed my hands against his shoulders and rolled them back. I smiled again. He almost smiled back. I placed his hands in mine and loosened his tight grip. I smiled again. He smiled back. My heart felt that smile deeply. I pulled his hands up to my mouth and kissed every single finger. I then kissed his palms.
I looked up, and his eyes weren’t packed with embarrassment or anxiety anymore. No. Now, all I saw was gentleness. Calm. Security.
“Theo?” I whispered.
“Yes?”
“You don’t have to turn away when you get too overwhelmed.” I placed my hand against his cheek. “You’re safe here.”
He closed his eyes and exhaled a breath he seemed to have been holding for maybe a lifetime.
“Willow?”
“Yes?”
“Want to go home now?”
The way he said home made it feel as if it was somewhere I belonged, too. Oh, to have a home again.
“Yes,” I agreed. “Let’s go home.”
After docking the boat, we silently walked into the house and escaped to our rooms. I hopped into my shower and heard Theo’s shower turn on, too. The whole time I showered, I thought about his kiss. The whole time I dried off, I thought about his kiss. The whole time I applied my lotion and washed my face, I thought about his kiss.
Then there was a knock on my door.
I opened it to find Theo standing there with only a towel around his waist. Every muscle against his arms and chest was revealed as he placed his hands on each side of the doorframe.
“Hi,” he whispered.
“Hi,” I whispered back.
He grimaced for a moment before he slightly shook his head. “I have a question.”
“I have an answer.”
“As you know, I’m new to this whole friendship thing.”
I nodded. “Yes. A newborn, one might say.”
“Yeah, exactly. And the thing about it is, I don’t know all the ins and outs of friendship, you know?”
I smiled slightly. “I could understand the learning curve, yes.”
“Right, right.” He nodded as he raked one of his hands through his still damp hair. “So my question is this. Do friends…kiss sometimes?”
I wavered my head back and forth and followed it with a nod. “I mean, yeah. I’m sure some friends kiss sometimes.”
“Right, okay. Thanks,” he said, dropping his hold on the door and stepping backward. “Well, all right. Good night.”
“Good night.”
He started to walk back toward his room but paused. “Willow?”
I leaned against the door. “Yes?”
He turned to face me and raised an eyebrow. His blue eyes were packed with so much intrigue that it made my own stomach flip. “Can we be those friends who sometimes kiss?”
I bit my bottom lip. “I wouldn’t be opposed to that idea if you’re okay with—”
And again, with haste, Theo’s mouth crashed against mine, and he swept me up into his arms, lifting me from the floor. I wrapped my arms and legs around his body as I kissed him back. I felt all of him as he pinned me to the wall, his body and his tongue showcasing how much he wanted to be friends who kissed sometimes. His thickness brushed against my inner thigh as he moved his mouth to my neck and growled against me. His tongue licked across my skin before he kissed my lips again. My hips began to grind against him as my heart rate picked up and my hands rested against his rock-hard chest. I was out of breath, but breathing seemed overrated as he explored me. He lifted me higher, his hands wrapped beneath my ass cheeks, making it almost impossible for me to consider anything else in life other than this. Than us. Than his hands roaming freely all over my body.
He kissed me once more before pulling away slightly. His forehead rested against mine as he lowered me back to the floor, yet I still felt as if I were floating.