Chapter 79 79
Chapter 79 79
Roman’s POV
The ice princess was on fire… for me.
Harmony kissed me frantically, tangling her fingers in the hair at the nape of my neck. The sudden heat of her mouth against mine caught me completely off guard, shattering the heavy silence that had hung over the empty shoreline just seconds before. I instinctively dropped my hands, reaching for the curves of her waist that I had been admiring since we met. Cupping those curves, I savored their softness, squeezing her lightly. I was going to love holding her to myself tightly later.
The wind off Lake Michigan howled around us, kicking up spray from the black water, but the chill didn't touch us anymore. The impenetrable brick wall she used to keep the rest of the world at a distance, it simply melted away under the moonlight. I could feel the rapid, frantic beat of her pulse against my palms. It was like an admission that she was just as overwhelmed by the moment as I was.
I didn’t try to overpower her, I let her duck away if she chose to. I kept my movements deliberate, giving her every opportunity to snap back to her senses, to pull away and tell me this was a mistake. But she didn’t. Instead, she leaned further into me. Her soft lips melded against mine, and parted. I groaned, taking what she gave me, sliding my tongue against hers, exploring that sweet-tasting mouth.
I liked kissing, and I’d missed kissing. And kissing this particular woman could easily become an addiction.
Every inch of her womanly body was pressed against me, from the softness of her mouth, the lushness of her perfect breasts, the flat tummy, the curvy hips, the long legs. The sheer fabric of her black dress felt like nothing between us, allowing the warmth of her skin to radiate straight through my heavy hockey hoodie.
This wasn’t some sweet, exploring first kiss; it was a hot and hungry stolen interlude. One both of us knew wasn’t going to last and shouldn’t be repeated, so we would have to make the most of it. There was a desperate, almost reckless edge to the way her fingers dug into my shoulders, as if she were trying to anchor herself to the earth while everything else spun out of control.
I angled my head one way and she angled hers the other so our tongues could plunge deeper. Her fingers twined in my hair, mine dropped to her hips and we pressed into each other, making no effort to pretend that we weren’t both incredibly turned on.
I knew I was turned on, but not in a crazy way. Certainly not crazy enough to have sex with this particular woman that I'd known for only a few months. Especially not one who was my student therapist, one who I had slept with earlier that semester and promised never to do so again.
It almost killed me, but I let common sense invade, and slowly, I ended the kiss. I didn’t pull away completely, keeping my mouth near hers so we could share each deep, gasping breath. I didn’t release her hips, and she still had a death grip on my hair. I sensed she was fighting the same inner battle as me, knowing it was time to end this, but almost pained at having to do the smart thing. Her dark eyes were wide and glossy under the dim lights of the distant pier, her breathing shallow and ragged against my neck. Neither of us spoke.
Quietly, I controlled myself enough to lead her back to the car. My right knee gave a slight throb again as we walked across the loose sand, but this time she didn't seem to notice it. I opened the passenger door for her, watching her slide into the seat before I walked around to the driver's side and climbed in.
I glanced at her silently. Seeing her flushed cheeks and swollen lips, and her windswept hair catching the green glow of the dashboard lights, the resolve I had just built up outside crumbled into dust. I grabbed her waist and pulled her closer for yet another kiss.
Harmony tensed for the slightest moment, her eyes darting to mine in surprise as my hand found the soft curve of her hip once more. Then, with a little sigh of acceptance, relaxed. The tension left her jaw, and she parted her lips slightly to share a warm breath with me.
I inhaled it, tasting her and letting myself be filled by her essence. The kiss remained light, sweet and innocent. This time, there was no frantic hunger, no desperate pulling at clothes. My thumb traced the high line of her cheekbone, feeling the soft texture of her skin, and I knew that despite how desperately I wanted to sink my tongue into her for a fuller taste, I couldn’t deny myself the sweetness of this simple, innocent pleasure.
Finally, when I no longer trusted myself to keep it simple and innocent, I slowly pulled away. “Jesus Christ, I’m sorry.”
“Sorry you kissed me?” she whispered, blinking a few times as if she’d just woken up from a dream. She reached up, her index finger gently tapping her lower lip as she tried to steady her breathing.
I shook my head, a small, breathless laugh escaping me as I rested my forehead against the steering wheel for a brief second. “Sorry I had to stop.”
“Oh," was all she said in response. She looked down at her hands, which were now resting loosely in her lap.
I shifted in my seat, trying to stretch my long legs in the cramped front seat, wondering if she’d noticed how much tighter the fit was now that I had let myself give in to the need to taste her. Especially the fit of my jeans.
“That was supposed to be a friendly kiss.” I joked, trying to inject some of our usual easy banter back into the air.
She let out a snort. “Aren’t friendly kisses usually on the cheek?”
Her words made me smile. I reached over, turning the key in the ignition, and the engine roared to
life. "Come on, Firecracker. Let's go home."