I eventually press myself away slightly, the heavy thumping of my heart becoming overwhelming and the tingling of my lips disconcerting. His fervour is something I've never experienced before and I think I like it. He lets me gently slip back, though still cradling me in his lap.
His hand comes up to cup my cheek and I close my eyes, feeling embarrassment flush my cheeks again, as he studies me closely. Somehow the waves of my hair have ended up tumbled around my shoulders. My lips feel bruised and tender and, under his scrutiny, I feel somewhat… lacking. "You are stunning. Why do you never let people see you like this?" I open my eyes and can't help but laugh just softly at the ludicrousness of what he has just said.
"Like this?" I gesture to our position and somehow develop the confidence to pout my lips.
"Relaxed," he murmurs, leaning in close again and kissing my neck softly. I bite my lip, my head dropping to the side, opening my throat to his attention as his lips press the softest kisses along the sensitive skin.
"I don't think you'd like me if I showed everyone this kind of relaxed," my joke falls on almost deaf ears as he merely smiles and continues on his quest down my throat, his fingers pushing aside my sweater so he can kiss along my shoulder. "You're distracting me."
"Good," he laughs, pressed against me, the sound causing vibrations across the skin of my shoulder to somewhere deep in my tummy. "Tell me if you want me to leave." I open my eyes and glance outside. The flakes of snow have grown larger, the road and his car all but obliterated from view by the whiteout.
"Look outside," I whisper, taking the opportunity of his distraction to maneuver myself off of his lap and back to the safe destination of my side of the couch. He turns back, watching me as I scoop up my coffee cup again, warding off any further advances. He mirrors me, picking his cup up again and relaxing back into the corner of his end but still, his proximity is enough to warm me even with the space between us.
I've watched him and avoided him for weeks at rehearsals, as many of the other women gushed over the power of his baritone and his clear attractiveness. My own attraction deep set in the kindness of his eyes and the crookedness of his smile. My avoidance has been set purely in my self-deprecation. Looking around at rehearsals, I have seen people flirt with him, completely unabashed. I've even seen him flirt back, but I have never even envisioned the idea of being this close to him, let alone having locked lips with him and having the attraction reciprocated even merely carnally. He watches me now with those hypnotic green eyes and I nervously look away and clear my throat before taking another sip of coffee.
"I have a spare room you can sleep in," my murmur is quiet, but he hears it and the corner of his mouth pulls up. Something wickedly daring flickers in his gaze.
"If I stay here tonight then I won't be staying in the spare room, Evie," he murmurs confidently, slowly sipping his coffee. "I know you wouldn't really want me to." I swallow and curl my knees closer to myself.
"You've never really spoken to me before today and then suddenly your in my house… doing… you know…"
"You invited me in," he smiles and I feel him teasing me. "I'll let you in on a secret." He inches closer and my knees tighten against my chest even more. I feel my breath hitch in my throat. "I've wanted you since the first moment I ever saw you, but you move too quickly to catch."
*****
She stares at me like a rabbit caught in headlights, her mug cradled in both hands as though she imagines it can shield her. "And now you have me in your clutches you're not planning on letting go?" The end of her question squeaks slightly and I smile again, slowly shaking my head as I take her mug, her hands relinquishing their grip without a fight. "I'm not this kind of girl, Will. I don’t really… you know… the rushing into things," she babbles adorably when she's nervous. I never imagined her as nervous. Sweet, maybe a little haughty at times, but never nervous. Brushing her glorious hair away from her face I kiss her softly again, just a peck this time in an effort to centre her which appears to work. Her gaze focuses in on mine again.
"Let me take control, Evie. We've waited long enough for this."
She nods to my whisper, the muscles in her legs relaxing, coming down from her chest as I lean into her, kissing her slowly once more before lifting her and taking her down onto the rug in front of the crackling fire. Her hair spirals into a curling pool of auburn flames beneath her as the light from the flames burnishes her ivory skin, and arousal causing her neck and cheeks to flush as I descend over her, my lips claiming hers once more as her hands pull me closer again. She doesn't stop me as my fingers push the hem of her blue ripped jumper up, my thumbs trailing over the silky skin of her torso, over the rough lace of the cups of her bra, over the rise of small breasts. Her back arches into me, pressing my hands more firmly against her. She raises her arms willingly, breaking the kiss for just a moment in order to free herself from its confinement.
"Don't let me overthink this," she gasps breathlessly as her fingers make quick work of the buttons of my shirt and my lips swoop down to claim the smooth skin of her neck and chest, my hands smoothing around her back to unhook her elegant cream lace bra.