Page 19 of Tastes of Him
“Yes.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Roderick
Igroaned softly as I slowly broke through the waves of sleep and opened my eyes, not expecting to be wrapped in a halo of misshapen curls. It wasn’t unwelcome in the slightest, but despite the kisses traded back and forth under the cover of darkness, I had still expected to wake up empty-handed. The weight in my arms drew a smile from me, and I let myself breathe deep as I luxuriated in the feeling of having Sean right where I wanted him.
In my arms.
“Rod.”
The memory of that voice groaning out my name had me wanting to rock forward, but I fought against the urge. It had taken damn near a lifetime to finally get a kiss, and I was not about to lose ground by being too eager. I would play this shit cool if it fucking killed me.
Slowly, I unwound my arms from around Sean’s waist and shoulders, already missing the feeling of his comforting weight. Having him like this, sleepy and pliant, was thrilling, but my bladder was making itself known. I got out of bed, trying to make as little movement as possible before making my way to the bathroom. When I came back out a few minutes later, Sean was propped up against the headboard and rubbing an eye with one hand. The picture he made was so damn cute I almost wished I had my phone on me to capture it.
“What time is it?” His voice was deeper than I remembered hearing it, and it made me flash back to last night when he’d groaned out my name as I sucked kisses into the skin of his neck.
“A little after five,” I replied, moving over to sit back on the bed. Sean blinked owlishly, and I wondered if he was awake enough to remember clutching onto me as we traded breaths back and forth. When I moved closer, the hitch in his breath seemed to answer that question, and before I could second-guess myself, I reached out, cupping his cheek in my palm.
“What are you doing?” he asked quietly. I brushed my thumb over his lips, enjoying the plush softness to them. I hadn’t gotten to see what they looked like after being kiss-bitten, and I was eager to experience that in the light of day.
“Rod…we can’t.”
That drew a frown from me, but I simply brushed my thumb down his chin, tilting his head up and not breaking our gaze. “Why?” Sean opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off before he could give me a bullshit excuse. “And don’t say because of Cam. She’s been trying to get us together for ages, and you know it. Give me one good reason why we shouldn’t.”
I felt him swallow as I let my fingers drift over his throat. When he didn’t say anything, I reached around to grip the back of his neck and brought our foreheads together. The air between us was charged, and I could almost feel the electricity on my skin.
“Just…” I started before trailing off, words failing me. Sean stared at me, his lips slightly parted as he breathed in and out. He seemed frozen in time, and the intensity with which he watched me was delicious in so many ways.
“Just don’t,” I finished finally. “Don’t say anything. We have a week, just you and me. Just let us have this. We don’t have to put a name on it. We can justbe.” It was a desperate plea and one that hurt as much as thrilled me to make. I wanted to put a name on this, but I knew that would send him flying out of this bed and out of my arms.
The silence stretched, invisible yet painful. My heart thudded in my chest as I waited for him to speak.
To break my heart.
“Okay.”
The answer, when it came, was unexpected. I blinked quickly as the word finally penetrated my brain. Sean brought his hands up to cup my face, and I couldn’t look away as he pulled me into him. When our lips met again, it was like the first time. It was soft but so hot, and I clutched at him, not willing to let him go now that I finally had him in some way.
I wanted to deepen the kiss, but I could taste the staleness of my own breath, and I didn’t want to kiss him like that. Instead, I shifted my lips, brushing kisses over the scratchy hairs on his cheek and chin. I wrapped my arms around his waist in a loose hold as his arms drifted over my shoulders. We sat there for who knows how long, just enjoying the sounds of the world waking up around us.
“What time do you want to head out?” Sean asked, voice quiet as if he also didn’t want to disturb the sense of peace we had lucked into. I turned my head, brushing my nose over his ear and enjoying the small shiver that ran down his frame.
“As soon as possible,” I said, emulating the quiet of his voice. “I want to get a good start down to Denver before we decide to stop. I think the guide said they offer breakfast to go here, so we can get that and eat in the car.”
Sean nodded. “I can drive if you need a break.”
“I got it.” I pulled back slightly so I could look him in the eye. “You just sit back and look pretty.”
His smile was small but sweet, and I was helpless to do anything but kiss him softly. The fire from the night before was still there, simmering right under the surface and ready to burn at the slightest trigger. But we really did need to get on the road, and I didn’t want this time between us to be rushed. I wanted to take my time with him. Reluctantly, I pressed a final closed-mouth kiss against his lips and pulled away.
“I’m going to brush my teeth and get ready.” He nodded, and I had to practically tear myself away from him before I did something like tackle him to the bed and ruin all my plans to get us to Denver on time.
~*~*~
“We are not listening to that.”
“What’s wrong with it?”