Page 14 of One Night Rebellion
"And I'm even more thankful for it now," I continue, my voice dropping lower. "Because if it hadn't happened, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be sitting in the back of my dad's SUV with the most beautiful woman in Bellehaven, working up the courage to do this again."
I lean in and kiss her. It's soft at first, tentative, but when she doesn't pull away—when she actually leans into me—I deepen it. Her hand comes up to rest against my chest, right over my racing heart, and I think maybe this is exactly where I'm supposed to be after all.
9
Addie
Even knowing it’s about to happen, knowing that he’s going to kiss me and that it’s going to make me forget everything about why all of this is probably a bad idea, I’m still not prepared. How could anyone be prepared for something that feels so fucking perfect?
His lips find mine slowly at first, a warm, deliberate press that makes my breath catch. He lingers there, coaxing me closer, then tilts his head and deepens the kiss. It’s sweet, teasing, and I know that it won’t go any further than that unless I want it to. He’s making me make that choice. So I open my mouth, parting my lips enough to let him in. The slide of his tongue against mine is unhurried but purposeful, every movement confident, claiming.
When he pulls back, it’s only far enough for his mouth to trace my jaw. The faint rasp of stubble grazes my skin, each kiss sending heat curling low in my stomach. He works his way toward that spot just below my ear, lips and breath warm against my skin, and my fingers tighten, gripping his shirt like it’s a lifeline.
I sink back onto the blanket, and he follows me down, braced above me. The SUV feels smaller, the air warmer, every sound and breath amplified. His mouth moves down the side of my throat in slow, deliberate kisses, sometimes a lingering press, sometimes a light graze of teeth followed by the heat of his tongue. My pulse pounds under his lips, and the ache in my chest spreads lower.
When his mouth returns to mine, the change in him is immediate. The kiss turns hotter—hungry, demanding, and so consuming that I forget to breathe. His hand finds my hip, steady and firm, and then he shifts, sliding one thigh between mine.
The first press of him there steals my breath all over again. I move against him without thinking, slow at first, testing. The friction is a shock of pleasure that has me doing it again, and this time his thigh presses up in response. His hand tightens on my hip, guiding me, holding me exactly where he wants me.
I kiss him harder, deeper, letting him take control of the pace. Every shift of my body against him draws me closer, heat building until it’s all I can feel. His other hand roams under my shirt, fingers warm and sure against bare skin, while his mouth keeps mine captive—raw, consuming.
His lips are still on mine, deep and consuming, when his thigh presses higher between mine. The steady pressure is enough to pull a quiet gasp from me, and I push against him again, chasing it. His hand on my hip tightens, guiding my movements.
The friction builds with every shift of my hips, heat coiling tighter inside me. I can feel the steady thud of his pulse in the thigh between mine, the flex of muscle each time I move. It’s too much and not nearly enough.
When his mouth leaves mine, it’s only to drag down my throat again, kissing along the line of my neck in slow, deliberatepasses. I arch up into him, a soft, instinctive movement that presses my chest to his. He groans low in his throat, the sound vibrating against my skin, and his hand slides up from my hip.
Fingers skim my ribs, then curve over my breast, his thumb brushing lightly before he squeezes. The heat of his palm through my shirt makes me shiver, and I push into his touch, wanting more. He answers by kissing his way back up to my mouth, capturing it in another deep, unyielding kiss while his thumb strokes over the peak through the thin fabric.
Every nerve feels tuned to him—the weight of his body, the slide of his hand, the slow rock of my hips against his leg. My breathing turns shallow, each exhale catching on the next kiss, and I can’t tell if the pounding in my chest is my heartbeat or his.
Right now, there’s only this—his mouth, his hands, and the way he makes me forget that anything else exists. The SUV could be parked in the middle of Main Street for all I care. Right now, there’s only him, the weight of his body, and the relentless pull of what we’re doing. Stopping isn’t even a thought… until I hear the crunch of tires on the gravel road.
—-
I’ve never moved so fast in my life. I’m sitting up, and JT’s sliding out of the SUV. But I don’t miss his grimace or the fact that he’s adjusting the very impressive bulge in his jeans.Holy fucking hell.
“See something you like, Addie?”
He sounds so fucking smug. “I’ll let you know… Who is coming up the drive?”
He swivels, his gaze tracking the oncoming car for a minute, then he lets out a curse. “One of Bellehaven’s finest… and I’m pretty fucking sure it’s Cam.”
“Great. Maybe Lucas is riding shotgun.” That’s all I fucking need.
He glances back at me and there’s more than a hint of annoyance in his expression. “We are adults. We’re not violating any laws by being out here. This isn’t private property anymore. The county has owned it for a decade.”
“I’m not worried about getting arrested, JT! I’m worried about Cam telling Lucas—and Malcolm—that we were out here. Do you really want to have those conversations right now?”
He shrugs. “I’m fine with having those conversations. You’re the one who thinks we need to sneak around.”
“It’s not sneaking! It’s just being… discreet.” It sounds lame even to me. His slightly raised eyebrow tells me he thinks it’s bullshit too. “I just don’t want people in our business. Gossips in this town ruin everything for everyone. I hate that damn page… Spotted in Bellehaven.”
“I get it,” he says. “Really, I do. My whole fucked-up family situation played out pretty publicly. And you know what that did for me?”
“Embarrassed you at every turn?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “No. It set me free. Not trying to hide, not trying to keep everything hushed up… Sometimes, Addie, if it’s worth it, you just have to brazen shit out.”
