When Our Worlds Collide (Our Worlds #1)(64)

“Of course I do,” I smile down at him as he slowly moves his hands towards the front of my towel. “What are you doing?” The fear evident in my shaky voice.

“You’re going to have to trust me, okay?”

“Okay…” my voice trails off as I watch his eyes as if they hold the secrets I’m looking for. My voice is full of apprehension. I don’t dare break eye contact in fear of losing everything I want, but don’t know that I need. I can feel his hands lingering on the front of my towel with deliberate and gentle gestures.

Graham has one strong hand on my hip that’s holding me in place. He’s thinking that I will shy away from his touch. He doesn’t understand that I’m not capable of moving even if I wanted to. I feel physically drawn to him. Breaking any contact will only be cruel self-inflicted torture. His available hand falls just above my breasts where he allows his pinky to linger low enough to rub in between the fabric of the towel that separates us.

To try to explain how it feels to have Graham looking up at me the way he is in this moment isn’t possible. Stringing together enough words to express how he makes me feel is hopeless. No one could understand the exchange our eyes are having with each other. Reassurance from my end that I accept anything that’s going to happen next and his is pure attentiveness. Every simple and complex move he makes is to make sure I feel at ease in his arms.

The Graham that I’m experiencing isn’t the one that anyone knows or can even dream up. To most he’s harsh and too cocky for his own good. The one that I get the honor to know is soft and genuine. He puts my needs before his own and makes it a priority to ensure my complete comfort. I like that not everyone knows this side of him as if it’s meant for only me.

I shut my eyes for a split second taking a much needed deep breathe trying to calm my nerves. As I open them again with a new understanding of what I want, I watch his hand move to where the towel’s tucked in holding it in place. Just one finger is all it takes to unravel the towel from around me leaving me exposed under his watchful eyes.

I don’t have any time to feel self-conscious before he looks up at me in the way he had when he first woke up this morning. It’s not possible to feel anything but beautiful when someone like Graham looks at you with such wonder. Before I can move an inch, Graham flips me over onto my back holding his body above me trying to keep as much weight off of me as possible. His eyes lock on mine not allowing them to drop from mine. As if he was to look away for a split second that I would disappear out from under him. He gently pushes the stray hairs out of my face.

The soft kisses start in the spot just behind my ear causing a shutter to roll through my body. It’s a physical jolt that doesn’t go unnoticed by Graham by the way his smile grows as his lips trace a trail along one collarbone onto the other not allowing himself to miss a single inch of skin. I shut my eyes in satisfaction as he makes his way onto the same spot that causes the uncontrollable shudders.

I can’t stop it before it happens as the feeling rolls through my body again ending at the end of my toes.

“You’ll drive me crazy with that, baby,” Graham whispers between laying kisses down my right arm placing one on each of my fingers. I know I should feel embarrassed to be completely exposed to someone like Graham who’s been with more girls than I like to imagine. I can never measure up to what he’s already had.

“Graham…” I half-heartedly attempt to stop his trail when his lips land on my hip. He looks up at me as I watch him possessively laying his declaration on my bare skin.

“You deserve to be admired and protected. I let you down and I’m going to take as much time as I need to prove to you that you are and will always be worthy of claiming,” he pauses to plant a few kisses along my stomach just below my belly button. Hauntingly close to the top of my panties.

I can only nod my head at him, trying to speak is going to be impossible. Graham’s words are honest and I know what he’s wanting and I’d be lying if I don’t want the same thing. There doesn’t need to be candles and rose petals scattered all over the floor and bed for it to be magical. As I feel Graham’s lips reach the shallow dwelling between my breasts I know then that the surroundings aren’t what will make this worthwhile for me. It’s the person who’s taking his time to try to erase every unwanted touch that had tried to be unrightfully claimed last night.

I know Graham’s actions aren’t solely based on Craig’s attack last night. I know that it plays in the back of his mind none the less. The way he looks at me last night and now this morning could move mountains if it meant that the hurt and torment would be wiped away for me to never return. The guy who’s above me is someone worth claiming just as much as he believes I am.

Without caring what happens tomorrow or the next day or even an hour from now I make a decision that I won’t be able to take back. It won’t matter though. When I look back on this day I’ll know that I allowed myself to feel something, something that is worth striving for until the end of time.





Chapter ThirtyTwo



-Graham-



A simple look is all it takes. The slow movement in Kennedy’s head nodding at me in silent encouragement. The silence between us suddenly feels deafening. I know what it means to her. Hell, I know now what it means to me. Being someone’s choice means everything.