Page 114 of The Broken Heart Playlist
Another ghosting of his lips over mine. “Do you want more?” he murmurs.
I can saynoand end it all now. Play it safe, the way I’ve been playing it since Oliver left. But I’m too far gone forno.
I find myself leaning forward, pulling against my restraints, a wordless invitation, reduced to begging.
“Yes,” I breathe out.
That’s all he needs.
He slants his mouth over mine, a tiny taste, a nibble of my bottom lip, testing, teasing, and then his tongue slides inside my mouth and he feasts. He’s in no hurry, taking his time savoring and exploring, but I taste his burning desire for me.
He holds nothing back as he deepens the kiss, his beard tickling my skin. It’s all heat and perfection, and if I never remember anything else about this time, I will always remember this kiss.
Sparks spill over my skin as my tongue tangles with his. I can’t get enough of him. He tastes like sunshine and summer.
My body is stirring from its self-imposed winter hibernation and giving itself over to him completely.
In the next instant, he’s tugging off my blindfold and loosening my restraints. He pulls me to my feet and we stare at one another for the longest ten seconds of my life.
My heart is thumping, my skin humming, the blood racing through my veins.
I know this feeling. I felt this way when I skydived. When I was in the plane and the door opened, the illuminated green light indicating it was time to jump. Funnily enough, the most nerve-racking part of skydiving is the lead-up. That’s when the worry sets in. The fear builds. And your imagination runs riot imagining everything that can go wrong.
Gideon frames my face in his big, capable hands, his thumbs stroking my cheeks. In the soft light of the dining room, his eyes are glittering, full of adventure and complications.
“Stop thinking,” he whispers.
“Kiss me then,” I say, stepping out of the airplane.
His eyes flash a shade darker. While one hand moves to cradle the back of my head, the other flattens into the hollow of my spine, bringing me flush against him. We fit together perfectly.
Then his mouth descends on mine, and I tumble through the air.
He kisses me so fiercely my joints turn to liquid. I let out a moan as I press myself against his deliciously hard body, so aware of his contained strength. I feel the muscles in his back move under my fingers. He groans into my mouth.
I’m falling, surrounded by sky, not knowing whether I’m up or down, my adrenaline pumping, wind rushing over my skin, a roaring in my ears. I’m reaching terminal velocity.
Except when he lifts his head and breaks our kiss, my parachute doesn’t open. I’m not floating gently to the ground. I’m still in free fall. Still plummeting. Heading for a hard fall.
“What’s going through that beautiful head of yours?” Gideon murmurs.
I shiver. “It feels like I’m skydiving, but my parachute’s not opening.”
He rests his forehead against mine. “Hey, we’re in a tandem jump here. I’ll open my parachute. Just hold onto me.”
My throat swells with emotion. “What if I can’t hold on?”
“It doesn’t matter if you hold on or not, because I’ve got you.” He cradles my jaw. “I’ve always got you.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Tess narrows her eyes. “There’s something different about you.”
Ten o’clock on a Sunday morning is too early to deal with my sister’s personality. I was hoping that when she dropped off Lisset she’d leave straight away, but no such luck. Tess waltzed breezily into my kitchen, helped herself to coffee, and is now trying to help herself to a significant portion of my life.
“It’s like you have a glow,” she murmurs.
I ignore her and focus on Lisset, who’s sitting at the kitchen island and undressing her American Girl doll. According to Tess, the doll hasn’t left her side once. “Did you have a fun time with Auntie Tess and Uncle Aaron?”
