Page 182 of Broken Ties (Rixon High 4)

“Aaron.” Soft laughter spilled out of me.

“I know you’re scared, Poppy. I know I fucked everything up. But I need you. I love you. And I’ll do whatever it—”

I pressed my lips to his, cutting him off. His hand cupped the back of my neck, deepening the kiss as our tongues tangled together.

God, kissing him was everything.

I climbed over his legs and seated myself in his lap. His hand slid around my waist and down over the curve of my ass. “Fuck, Poppy. You’re killing me here.” He pulled me onto him and I felt him, right there. Hard and thick through his jeans.

A bolt of pure lust went through me.

“Do you know the single best moment of my life?” he breathed the words onto my lips. “It isn’t winning state last season or being named captain. It was watching you fall apart, hearing you cry my name. I’ll never forget that as long as I live. And when you—if—you ever gift me with that chance again, I’ll be Aaron the Luckiest.”

“You did not just say that.” I chuckled, toying with the hair at the back of his neck.

“Too much?” He grinned.

“Way too much. But I kind of loved it.”

The air crackled around us, thick with lust and full of anticipation. I wanted him.

I’d always wanted him.

But were we moving too fast?

I’d waited years for this moment… years. And now—

“Poppy?”

“Yeah, Aaron?”

“I can hear your thoughts all the way from over here.” He kissed me. “We don’t have to rush. We’ve waited this long, we can wait—”

“No. I don’t want to wait any more. I want you, Aaron.” I need you.

His eyes widened, heat swirling there. “Y-yeah? You’re sure?”

I nodded slowly, scraping my fingers along his jaw, loving the feel of his stubble against my skin.

He gathered the hair off my shoulders and wound it around his fist, tugging gently. “I need you to know I didn’t bring you here for this, Poppy. I’ll take it. I’ll take whatever you want to give me, but you just being here with me, giving me another chance is enough.”

“Kiss me,” I whispered, my heart so full I thought it might burst. “I really need you to kiss me now.”

Aaron crashed his mouth down on mine, stealing my breath. His tongue plunged deep into my mouth as if he couldn’t get enough, as if he wanted to devour me. Every flick and lick and slide stitched the broken pieces inside me back together.

He loved me.

Part of me had always known it.

My heart had known it.

But now my soul knew it too.

He looped his arm around my waist and whispered, “Hold on,” and expertly flipped us over so he was above me.

“I want to feel you,” I said, drunk on him. The heat in his eyes, the silent promise. My hand reached over, grazing the very obvious bulge in his jeans.

“Fuck, Poppy. You need to stop that or this won’t last very long.” I smothered a laugh and he quirked his brow at me. “Oh, it’s like that, huh?” He punched his hips forward and a moan caught in my throat.

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