Page 61 of #Starstruck

He moved from my lips to nipping and pressing hot kisses against the side of my throat. I dug my fingers into his shoulders, trying to pull him closer, wanting this feeling to last for eternity.

Because this was more than just physical. The reason I’d never been kissed like this before was because I’d never had feelings like this for any man. My brain was too woozy to understand those emotions. I only knew I wanted to be near him and didn’t want to lose him.

And I never wanted to stop kissing him.

“Zoe.” His harsh whisper against my skin felt like a branding. I turned my head, intent on bringing his lips back to mine, but he pulled back slightly, just out of reach. I wanted to whimper in protest. It sounded like he said my name again, but I was having a hard time hearing. Because I didn’t know which was louder: my desperate, shallow breathing or my thundering heart.

“Tell me I can lock the door.”

That shot a bolt of clarity through my fuzzy mind. I knew what he was asking. What he’d just told me he wanted. And it all began with a locked door.

He started nibbling on the bottom of my ear, and I slumped down as my bones turned liquid. He put one of his strong, muscled arms around me and kept me upright. He was not fighting fair.

I wanted to say yes. The wordyespounded quickly inside my brain, keeping time with my throbbing pulse. I’d never felt so tempted. It would be so easy. And feel so amazing.

But something inside me whispered that I’d regret it. It was like dumping a bucket of ice water over my head.

“Chase.” I pushed softly against his chest so he’d stop burning my skin with kisses. “I’m sorry. We should stop.”

He leaned his forehead against mine and let out a sigh of regret. “Don’t be. You set your boundaries and made them clear. I just really want to cross them.”

Now that I’d had a small taste of what it would be like between us, I kind of wanted to cross them, too. “We should go back to where there are other people.”

He kissed me one last time, fierce and quick, and it was over far too fast. Then he leaned across me and turned the knob to let us out of the room. He laced his fingers through mine, and we walked down the hallway, my legs totally unstable beneath me.

We passed a mirror, and I said, “What?” when I saw my reflection.

It wasn’t because my cheeks were flushed or my lips looked swollen and well kissed. My hair looked as if it had been attacked by a dray of crazy squirrels. “Why didn’t you tell me how bad my hair looked?”

He twisted a lock of it around his finger. “Because I like how it looks right now. Like somebody was running their fingers through it. And very much enjoying it.”

Hearing him say that made me feel it all over again. Like we were still in that bedroom, and he was drugging me with his magic touch. But if I walked downstairs like this, everybody would know what we’d been up to.

And nobody would believe we’d stopped at just kissing.

We were next to a bathroom, and I ducked in, looking for something to help. I found an elastic band, quickly took out the bobby pins Lexi had used, and pulled my hair into a messy bun. It wasn’t as cute, but it would have to do.

I studied myself in the mirror. I looked different. Maybe because I felt different. I felt ... beautiful. Wanted. Desired.

Even a little adored.

Chase came up behind me, slipped his arms around my waist, and kissed the top of my ear. “I liked your hair better before.”

I gulped, hard. I loved the feeling of being held against him. “We really need to go back downstairs.”

Before I forgot about my morals and choices and stuff.

He seemed to find that funny, and he kissed my hand once before turning toward the stairs.

When we reached the bottom step, he asked, “Do you understand now how attracted I am to you?”

Now that we weren’t alone, it felt safe to tease him. “Almost. I may need more convincing.”

“Careful, woman,” he growled playfully, and I giggled in a way I didn’t know I could.

I felt light and free and just ... really happy.

Which sent a jolt of worry through me. The only times in my life when I’d felt this way, truly happy and contented, something had always happened to ruin it. I’d suffered some truly terrible losses.

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