Page 113 of Alice Chen's Reality Check

“But Idowant,” I protest, and his returning smile is slow and full of promise. “It’s just, you’re you, and I’m me.”

“That’s kind of the point,” he murmurs into my neck. “You’re so fucking perfect, Alice.”

The uneasiness inside me evaporates, replaced with the warmth of his touch and his words.

There’s a beat where we just stare at each other, and then suddenlywe’re crashing together with purpose. He catches me up in his arms, and we fall back onto the bed in a tangle of kisses. I land on top of him, and I capture his mouth again for the sweetest, deepest kiss yet. We stay there, slow and languid, almost indulgent, until the sweetness sparks into something hotter. Daniel moves his head lower, his breath fanning warmly over my chest.

“Okay?” he asks, almost a whisper.

I’m still nodding my enthusiastic consent when his mouth presses a series of kisses down my body. He lavishes attention on one breast and then the other until I’m writhing. His hands move further down, to the inner corner of my thigh and up to my center, teasing me.

I’m lost in this moment of the pleasure, of having Daniel worshiping every inch of me. All my usual anxieties threaten to crowd in, but I focus on his touch. I want to be present for every precious second of this.

Beneath the press of his fingers, I can feel myself unraveling, until it’s all I can do to ask breathlessly, “Condoms?”

“In my suitcase,” Daniel says. His suitcase is only across the suite, but it might as well be on the moon.

“Suboptimal,” I say, kissing his collarbone to get his attention back, and he laughs into my neck.

“Well, I hadn’t anticipated this turn of events,” he counters. In retaliation, I reach down to his length to stroke him once, twice. His eyes shutter with pleasure.

“Daniel, don’t you know you’re supposed to put things in their proper place?”

“Alice, you’re killing me here,” he says. He lets out a moan when I lean forward and rock against him, reaching the nightstand.

“And the proper place for condoms is where bed activities happen, so therefore—” I yank the drawer open and push past the melatonin gummies in my sleep kit to pull out a foil package triumphantly. “Here.”

“I can’t believe this is a turn-on,” Daniel murmurs, watching me rip open the condom.

“Organization is very sexy,” I say as I work it onto him.

“Alice,” Daniel groans.

I move above him and start to sink down. The desperation on his face contrasts with the gentleness of his grip on my hips as he guides me onto him. He closes his eyes again as he fills me, his hands reverently tracing up my spine until he’s as deep as I can take him.

“Alice, you feel so good,” he says helplessly, and the words spur me to move, heat coiling tightly inside me. Ineedhim. Daniel seems to understand this because suddenly he flips us, taking over with a passion that makes my toes curl. He presses me into the mattress with one long, searing kiss, and I lift my hips up to meet him with every thrust, faster and faster until it’s unclear who’s spurring the other on.

If I’m being honest, I’d always known there was a connection between us, a push and pull that’s been all-consuming and, up until recently, infuriating. But now we’re moving together, perfectly in sync. It’s intoxicating, the shared rhythm of our desire, and when we both tip over the edge into bliss, it’s Daniel’s name that’s coming off my lips.

—

Afterward, we climb into the shower together, letting the hot water wash over us as Daniel massages my sore muscles, and I do the same for him.

He looks almost wistful as he bends to kiss me.

“I can’t believe that happened,” he whispers, his voice barely audible over the stream of the shower.

“You mean, because we used to be mortal enemies?” I ask.

He chuckles. “You’ve never been my enemy.”

“Okay, fine. Academic rivals, then.”

“Alice Chen, I’ve had the biggest crush on you since the first day we met.”

I give him a look. “Very funny.”

“I’m not joking, Alice.” Daniel’s fingers tangle in my hair as he moves on to massaging my scalp. God, that feels good.

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