His Reverie (Reverie #1)(27)

I want it. Want her bad. But I’m going to draw this out for as long as I can.

“You smell good too,” I whisper, pressing my nose against her hair. It’s silky soft, the feel of it on my skin ratcheting my need for her another million notches. “Sweet.” I inhale deeply. “Like candy.”

Her eyes remain closed as she smiles. She turns her head toward mine, her nose nuzzling my cheek and I don’t know how much longer I can hold out. “Are you teasing me, Nicholas?”

“I’m trying to make this good, Reverie.” My voice is hoarse. I sound like I can barely hold it together, which is pretty damn close to the truth.

“It’s already good,” she confesses so softly I almost don’t hear her. “So, so good.”

Our cheeks are pressed together and I move away from her slightly, repositioning myself so our mouths are more aligned. Warning bells are going off in my head, clanging loudly till they’re all I can hear. Telling me I shouldn’t do this. Shouldn’t play with her. Shouldn’t even look at her, let alone touch her. She deserves so much more than this.

So much more than me.

I push the warnings out of my head, determined to do something for me for once. I’ve done everything for everyone else for so damn long. I took the fall along with David all because of his lies. I took care of Mom because she was dying. What about me? What about what I want?

It’s my turn to take. And to give, all at once, with Reverie.

Touching her cheek, I drift my fingers across her satiny soft skin. She opens her eyes, her gaze meeting mine and I swear she’s holding her breath.

“Close your eyes,” I tell her and she does so without hesitation, licking her lips once more. I study her for a long, quiet moment, taking in every tiny little detail. Her smooth skin, her rounded cheeks, her thick, dark lashes. They flutter, as if it’s taking everything within her to keep her eyes shut and a surge of unfamiliar emotion floods through me, making me feel wobbly.

“Nick,” she whispers, and that needy, pleading little sound pushes me over the edge.

I lean in and settle my mouth on hers. One kiss. Two. Soft. Gentle. I kiss her bottom lip, her top lip, one corner of her mouth, then the other. I drag my lips up her chin, teasing her, kissing her again, drinking from her perfectly sweet, perfectly lush lips. She remains completely still, her hand still braced on my shoulder, my hand still cupping the side of her face. I tilt her head back the slightest bit so I can rain kisses on her chin, her jaw, her throat.

A shuddery breath escapes her as her hand curls into my skin, clutching me almost desperately. I step closer to her, our feet tangling together, my chest brushing against hers as I slip my hand behind her neck. Lifting my head, I look at her, the riot of pink color in her cheeks, her lips damp from mine, her eyes still tightly closed.

“How was that?” I ask, my voice low, my thoughts chaotic. That was nothing. A minor kiss in the scope of things.

So why do I feel all twisted up in knots? Like the most momentous thing of my life just happened, all within about ninety seconds’ time? It was just a kiss.

Yet it was more than that. Way more.

She slowly opens her eyes, her expression dazed as she blinks up at me. “That was…”

“Okay?” I smile, trying to keep it light so I don’t expose how much that just…what? Moved me? I kept it slow on purpose so I wouldn’t freak her out and instead I feel completely pushed off my axis. What the hell would’ve happened if I’d slipped my tongue into her mouth, let my hands wander, let myself get out of control…?

I wouldn’t be able to stop, that’s what. Not with Reverie. I want her too damn much.

“It was good.” She nods once and I c**k an eyebrow at her, earning a tiny smile from her in return. “It was perfect,” she adds.

“Perfect? So I set myself up to fail next time?” I slide my fingers into her hair, savoring the silky softness.

“I-I don’t know.” She closes her eyes again and thunks her head against the wall behind her. “I’m so not good at this.”

“You’re perfect at it,” I whisper against her lips before I kiss her again. I can’t resist. Our mouths linger and I angle my head, tempted to deepen the kiss. I shouldn’t. I just told myself I shouldn’t but…

Yeah. I rarely follow the rules, even my own. And that’s what usually gets me in trouble.

Carefully, I dart my tongue out and lick her top lip. Once. A quick little swipe to test her and she whimpers, slips her arm around my neck and draws me even closer to her.

Looks like she just passed my test with flying colors. And that means I need to break this off quick.

Pulling away from her, I smooth her hair away from her forehead, stroke my index finger along her hairline. She blows out a harsh breath from between pursed lips, her eyes still closed as if she’s afraid to open them. I take a step away from her, then another, creating some much needed distance between us.

“Nick.” She swallows hard and opens her eyes. “Would you…”

“Hey douchebag, you in there? Better not be jacking the horses you f**king pervert!”

Christ. It’s Michael. Accusing me of jerking off horses in front of Reverie, no doubt. Way to make an impression.

I spring into action, moving away from Reverie with lightning speed. “Go over to the horses,” I whisper-hiss at her, not bothering to slow down as I head toward the giant industrial sink in the far corner of the room. I crank on the water at full blast at the exact moment Michael strides into the stables, whistling some popular rap shit song that he was playing at full blast earlier this morning.