“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Uh, yeah,” I said, feeling my face burn. Thank goddess it was dark outside. “I, uh, I just wanted to give you a goodnight kiss.”
A pause. “Oh.” He cleared his throat. “You should have told me.”
Slowly, stiffly, he bent down, and I—now embarrassed beyond belief—turned my head and quickly landed a peck on his cheek. Then I reached for the knob to scurry off into my apartment and lick my wounds.
I was detained when William hooked a large hand around my arm.
“That’s not a goodnight kiss,” he said.
“Oh? So then—” And that’s all I got out before his mouth pressed against mine. I barely had a chance to catch my breath before I was on the ride of my life…
I opened my lips and suddenly something inside of me jolted, like a rollercoaster hitting the track at full speed. The shock was such that I almost pulled back.
I was certainly glad I didn’t when William reached up and slid his palms to the back of my head, his fingers weaving into my hair. I pressed my hands to his broad chest as he pinned my body against the cold metal door. Struggling for breath, I felt that kiss not just at the juncture of our lips but all over my body. From the top of my prickling scalp, where his fingers rested without ever relinquishing their hold, to the tingling in my toes.
It was almost too much. And yet I wanted more. Like the craving of an adrenaline high on a rollercoaster after the first breathless dip, I wouldn’t stop until the ride had come to a screeching halt.
Almost as if hearing that thought, William’s tongue slipped along my lips, slowly, seductively asking for permission to enter.
Goddess, the tingles suddenly transformed into aches. Now it was more than mere wanting. I needed more.
Permission granted.
Within seconds, the kiss intensified and the pressure from his mouth deepened. His tongue slipped into my mouth and was now dueling with mine, as if we faced each other on a field of battle. Against my will, a little sigh escaped my lips.
I hadn’t had a kiss like this in ages. It was searing, bright and powerful—pure thrill. At once, I trembled with fear and craving. Wanting to pull away and end it while also willing it to never end.
William made the decision for me, and as he slowly pulled away, I felt just as jolted from the severance of our connection as I did when it began. After a long, silent moment, he cleared his throat. “Now that is a goodnight kiss.”
I burst out laughing. I couldn’t help it. As soon as I did, his grin widened and I felt a pang at how adorable he was while still being incredibly sexy. My throat tightened and my heart rate sped up as a distant fear nibbled at the back of my thoughts.
I couldn’t get involved with William for so many reasons, not the least of which was that I was leaving soon. I couldn’t let feelings get involved. I—I couldn’t go there with him. I could never go there with anyone. My heart had been killed and buried long ago.
But it hadn’t taken me long to realize that William was different than the others.
I stepped back to move into the doorway, only to bang my head loudly on the closed door. “Ow! Shit.” I’d forgotten to open the door, and in my dazzled state had tried to walk through solid matter. It didn’t take a physics student to know that you couldn’t do that.
William asked if I was okay, and I barely muttered enough to alleviate his concern before telling him goodbye as quickly as possible. Then I unlocked the door and moved inside before he could say another word.
