Page 19 of In Stockings
“Yeah, you were awkward, but you were also pretty cute.”
She peeks up at me. “I think you are misremembering the past.”
“No.”
She leans up on her elbow. “I remember when Mrs Stanfold made us write our own love poems.”
“Urgh,” I groan, falling backwards onto my backside.
She giggles. “That poem you wrote –”
“Was fucking awful.”
“It literally broke my little teenage heart. Ahhh.” She flops down on the bed. “If I wasn’t already crushing on you, you tipped me right into full-blown love.”
I stare at her. “You were in love with me?”
She hooks the pillow off the bed and throws it at my head. “The entire school was in love with you. Including most of the teachers.”
“You’re getting me confused with Samson and Craig.”
“I’m not saying I wasn’t in love with them too. Everyone was. We used to huddle around in the girl’s changing room debating whether you were already a pack, crowning you the hottest pack on earth.”
I ignore her words, wondering if that mulled wine from earlier went to her head. Or maybe she’s not really awake.
“We weren’t a pack back then.”
“I’m glad you became one. It makes sense. For you and Lyra.”
“And for our omega.”
Her body goes rigid. “You have an omega?’
“No,” I chuck the pillow back at her. “But one day …”
“One day …” she repeats, staring into my eyes with those pretty blues of hers.
And fuck it, I can’t help myself. I lean in and kiss her.
I agreed with the others we’d take it slow with Astrid. It’s no secret that we all like her. No secret Lyra already adores her. So spooking this one, chasing her away by coming on too strong, was not the plan.
But when she looks at me like that. When her caramel scent is so tempting.
I’d have to be some kind of saint to resist this.
She sighs against my mouth as our lips meet. Hers are warm, her tongue wet. Her hands hook around my neck, dragging me closer. I raise up on my knees, and she rolls onto her back, so I’m hovering above her, my hands braced around her head.
She tastes of cinnamon and spices from the mulled wine, and her fingers twist in my short hair, pulling slightly at my scalp, causing electricity to charge through my veins.
I slip my tongue between her lips, brushing up against hers, exploring her mouth. Then I capture her bottom lip between mine and suck on it until she’s sighing again.
I draw back.
Soot is smudged across her chin and her cheeks.
“Shit, I got you all mucky.”
I rub the pad of my thumb over her skin.
