Page 113 of Cloudy With a Chance of Bad Decisions

“Hey—”

“With a diamond collar. And a pedigree. Like from that movie—with the kittens. What’s her name…Duchess. That’s you.”

“I don’t have a diamond collar.” I wasn’t a cat either, but for some reason, that was the thing I latched on to.

“I’ll buy you one,” Alex promised, his eyes drifting shut. “I’ll buy you whatever you want.”

“You’re drunk.”

“I’m not,” Alex countered, nuzzling, nuzzling away. “I haven’t been drunk since you told me you think that Lego Batman and Joker should’ve been together in the movie. That sobered me right up.” I didn’t believe him, so Alex reassured me again. “I’mreallynot, Georgie. Unless you count being drunk on you? Because if you do, I totally am.”

“Stop flirting with me.” I wasn’t drunk anymore either. The wine had run out long ago. So I couldn’t even blame intoxication for my next words. It was all me. Like an idiot. “Shut up right now or I am going to kiss you.”

“If you don’t, I mightliterallydie. Right now. I am being so…sogood.” Alex’s voice was quiet enough I could hardly hear it over the thundering of my own heart. “I want you so fucking bad it’s driving me crazy. You have no idea how difficult it's been to hold back.”

“Then why don’t you make the first move?”

“Because I respect your boundaries. I told you sex was your choice to make. I won’t betray your trust. If you want more then you can have it,” Alex replied immediately. “But you have towantit.”

His eyes opened, and I met his gaze, shuddering. The hand that had been holding mine slipped free, a single finger tracing up the back of my forearm. I found it incredibly difficult to decide where to focus my attention, his mouth—or his hand. “I don’t think you were given choices in your last relationship. And I don’t think people listen to you enough. You deserve…better.”

“Andyou’re…better?”

“If you’ll let me be,” Alex replied. His fingers climbed higher, dipping into the inside of my elbow, then skimming up my bicep. “I didn’t mean to pressure you—to say anything,” he added. “But you just…your mouth. Jesus, George. I swear to god you have the prettiest mouth I’ve ever seen. And I just want to?—”

I kissed him.

I kissed him and the world didn’t end. I didn’t explode. Didn’t burst into flames. I did, however, die a little. Because as Alex’s lips parted, and a needy sound escaped him, I realized just how stupid I’d been. I should have been kissing him all this time. Forthreedays I could’ve had his mouth on mine. For three days I could’ve?—

“Stop thinking,” Alex chided. “C’mon, Georgie. Please. I just—” His mouth firmed, lips growing hungrier, still soft, still careful. “Just feel me— Feel how much I need you.”

“Mmm,” I was the one who deepened the kiss, let my mouth go slack, let my lips part, let my tongue sneak out to tease along his lower lip, chasing the taste of chocolate cookies. Alex made another hungry sound, his teasing fingers turning into the scrape of his palm as he dragged his hand over my shoulder, then my collarbone, finally settling at my neck. He squeezed. My Adam’s apple bobbed beneath the touch, pulse skittering.

Alex was a greedy kisser. Once invited in, he never seemed to want to leave. He licked everywhere, these hungry swipes of his tongue that set my toes curling. If I didn’t give him what he wantedexactlythe way he wanted it, he had no qualms about tugging my chin down with his thumb and forcing my mouth to open wider for his enjoyment. It felt like being fucked. Thoroughly. Completely. Lewd in a way I wasn’t sure kisses had ever been designed to be.

Despite how voraciously Alex devoured my mouth, palm on my throat, he never initiated more. He respected the unspoken boundaries I set as though it were easy to do so. Like he didn’t mind at all.

Content to be blue-balled for the duration of our short relationship, if that's what I chose.

He acted like this kiss was a gift.

Like it was worth something.

Priceless, honestly.

I’d never been valued as highly as Alex valued me. Never been treated so softly. Never had someone pay attention to me the way he did. Never had someone to protect me, or coddle me when I needed it, or allow me to coddle back.

He let me need him and he didn’t get angry.

It was no wonder that I’d initiated this.

That I wanted this.

It was as inevitable as the moon rising high in the sky.

We kissed for a long time, eons probably. Soft, then harsh, then soft again. Alex was on top of me for more than half of our impromptu make-out session, the hot line of his body between my legs, hands on my face, holding me still and open for his tongue to plunder.

At one point, I ended up in his lap, fingers in his hair, his hands clutching tight at my lower back. He let me lead then, but only for a few minutes before he gave up trying to control himself and devoured my mouth again.

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