Page 41 of The Pucks We Freeze
His eyes searched mine, then flicked toward the bags sitting in the corner. His jaw tightened.
“How long until you’re back?”
I hesitated, toying with the hem of my sleeve. “Only a few months. I was thinking maybe I’d come back for the summer.”
His gaze didn’t waver. “You should.”
My breath caught. “Yeah?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
He stepped closer, his fingers brushing a strand of hair from my face. His hand lingered, cupping my cheek, and the way he looked at me… it caused something deep in my chest to tighten.
“I don’t want to sleep,” I whispered, my voice catching.
“Me neither.” His voice was low and rough now. “I just want to hold you.”
So I let him.
He pulled me into his arms, and I melted against him, every part of me aching with the knowledge that this was temporary, that stupid clock would keep ticking until it was time to go.
We made our way to bed, tangled in limbs and quiet urgency. Kade moved slowly, as if every kiss meant something, as if he were tracing every inch of my body to remember it later.
He eased my shirt over my head, his mouth following with warm, deliberate kisses along my collarbone. His hands were strong yet careful as they hooked into the waistband of my sleep shorts and slid them down, pooling on the floor with his.
He lay back, guiding me over him, his palms gliding down the curve of my hips. His breath hitched when I leaned in to brush my lips against the corner of his mouth, then slower, deeper. Myhair fell around us like a curtain, shutting out the world beyond this bed.
“I’ve been going out of my mind,” he murmured, voice thick with longing, “thinking about being left here without you.”
I traced the edge of his jaw with the backs of my fingers, savoring the way he shivered beneath my touch. “I’m still here now.”
Kade’s eyes darken as I move, swinging one leg over his hips until I’m straddling him. The heat of my body presses against him, sending a shiver up my spine. His gaze drops to my lace panties, lingering for a beat before finding mine again, his throat working as he swallows hard.
“Damn,” he breathed. “You’re trying to kill me.”
I smiled slowly and leaned in, brushing my lips over his but not quite kissing him yet. “Not kill you,” I whispered. “I just want to make sure you don’t forget me when I’m gone.”
“I couldn’t even if I tried.”
His breath stuttered when I kissed down his neck, over the strong line of his collarbone, and lower still, trailing open-mouthed kisses down the center of his chest. His shirt was long gone, and I let my hands explore the planes of his stomach, feeling every muscle twitch beneath my touch.
I shifted down his body, letting my fingers hook into the waistband of his briefs. He tensed beneath me, eyes locked on mine.
“Willow…” he warned, the word little more than a groan.
I kissed just above the waistband. “Shhh,” I whispered. “Let me take care of you.”
His hands fisted the sheets, his chest rising and falling faster now as I peeled the fabric down. I took my time, teasing and exploring, watching him slowly unravel beneath me. His fingers buried in my hair, his hips jerking slightly despite the restraint I could see written all over his face.
“Kade,” I murmured, glancing up at him through my lashes, “you taste so good.”
His head fell back against the pillows. A rough, low sound escaped him as he gritted out, “I’m gonna lose it.”
I kissed my way back up his body, taking my time until I was pressed against him again. His hands gripped my waist, eyes hooded but shining as they roamed over me. “You wore these just to ruin me, didn’t you?”
He helped me step out of my underwear before I straddled him again.
“Maybe,” I said, breathless, as I reached between us and guided him to where I ached the most. “But I think I ruined myself in the process.”
