302 Forbidden Ave. (A Cherry Falls Romance)

Could he feel how hard my nipples were as they stabbed through the material of my shirt? They ached and were so sensitive. Too sensitive.

“I want to see you again.” My voice was so breathy, but I didn’t care. Let him know how he affected me. I wanted him to see it and feel it, just like I knew how much I affected him.

His chest was moving harder and faster after I said those words, his jaw clenched as if he ground his teeth.

The silence stretched between us, but I liked it. It was heated and thick, our combined desire mixing together to create this massive black hole that threatened to suck us both in.

“I want to kiss you so fucking badly,” Braxton murmured, and I watched as his eyes widened for a second before he snapped his gaze up to mine. “I didn’t mean to curse. I’m sorry. Shit.” He shook his head. “Fuck.” I felt a wave of emotion wash over me. “I’m sorry. I’m screwing this up.”

I felt something rise up in me before snapping. It was courage, the kind that had me feeling powerful enough to do something I’d never done before—to take control of a situation and go after what I wanted.

I braced my hands on his chest, felt his pectoral muscles through his T-shirt, and inhaled deeply. His lips partly slightly. I watched his pupils dilate as he focused on my mouth, and I knew there was no going back. I didn't want to. I only wanted to move forward fast and hard and never worry about anything I did with Braxton.

He smelled fresh and clean, the cologne he wore making me feel dizzy. My body tingled, made me even needier in my desire for Braxton. I couldn’t breathe for how intoxicated I felt.

Our mouths were so close together, only a small inch separating us from the kiss I wanted so badly. I’ve wanted you to kiss me for so long, I thought, too afraid to say the words, even though I knew he’d welcome them.

And then I rose on my toes that last inch and kissed him, taking that control and surprising both of us. I heard his gasp then groan against my mouth, and for a millisecond, he was solid and tense against me. But just as I was about to pull away, he wound his hand behind my head, tangling it in my hair, and tilted his head to deepen the kiss.

It was my turn to gasp now, the dominance slowly coming from him with each passing second. I felt it in the way his mouth moved against mine, in the way he gently stroked his tongue along the seam of my lips before adding more pressure, telling me without words he wanted me to let him in.

I want him in me so bad.

“That’s it,” he groaned and dragged his tongue along the swell of my bottom lip. I opened for him then, a little bit voluntarily, a little bit because I was shocked by how hot I was burning up for him, from this.

Braxton plunged his tongue inside my mouth, making me take all of it, showing me that he was a passionate, powerful lover. I wanted to give all of myself to him.

He held me so tightly, and I felt the cold, hard, and unforgiving wood of my front door greet my back before I realized he’d been moving us. A soft sound left me at the almost brutal nature of his actions. God, did I love this hardness, love that Braxton took what he wanted.

He broke away, panting against my mouth, refusing to give me an inch to breathe.

I only want to breathe him in.

“I'm sorry,” he whispered and kissed me gently, as if he was trying to make it up to me, trying to show me he had this soft side.

I liked it. I want it all. Hard. Soft. Frantic. Easy. I just want you.

But I was tongue-tied, unable to say those words, to reassure him that I liked it any way he gave it to me.

He rested his forehead against mine, his eyes closed as he breathed. I knew he was trying to gather his control. And I was thankful, because even if I wouldn’t have stopped this, I was glad he’d been with it enough to make the call. I wanted time to process these feelings he’d opened up in me.

I wanted Braxton without a doubt, wanted him to be my first… everything.

He pulled back enough to look at me, this pained expression on his face. He leaned in and slowly kissed me, and I melted against him all over again, moaning, my hands curled around his biceps, keeping him close. Needing him closer.

“This is where I say goodnight and that you’re all I’ll be thinking about.” He pulled back, and his expression was so serious. He slid his hand that wasn’t tangled in my hair up to cup my cheek. I shamelessly leaned into his hold. “But I don’t want to say goodnight, even though I’m going to.” He kissed me gently, sweetly on the lips. “I don't even want to pull away from you, but it’s the right thing to do, and I want to be a gentleman.” He gave me one more lingering kiss, and I almost said screw being a gentleman. “But I can say with 100 percent accuracy that you’re all I’ll be thinking about until I see you again, and even then, you’ll still be on my mind.”