rapid rise and fall of her chest. Out of breath from the climb? Or…?
She didn’t move, so Connor didn’t either. He stayed in the doorway, leaning against the door frame. The silence stretched out. Finally he couldn’t take it anymore. “Why are you here, Vivi?”
Vivi’s eyes flew to his.
Damn
. That came out sharper than he’d intended. Then that flush began to climb out of the collar of her jacket again.
“I—I don’t really know.” She sighed, and he thought he heard a small curse. “You know, I probably shouldn’t have come. I’m sorry I bothered you.”
She turned and started slowly back down the stairs.
Let her go. It’s really better to just—
Even as he was thinking the thoughts his feet were moving, closing the space between them, and he was at the top of the stairs before she’d taken more than a couple.
“Vivi.”
She turned, and he held out his hand. It was her choice. He couldn’t make it for her, but she’d come this far and he felt like he needed to meet her halfway. She hesitated, then put her hand in his.
He hauled her up the last few stairs and pulled her bodyagainst his. He could feel her tension, but their bodies seemed to fit together like puzzle pieces and the sensation was electric.
Vivi’s eyes widened at the contact, and he knew she felt the same electricity. She swallowed hard, then he felt the slow slide of her chest against his as she rose up on her toes and aligned her mouth evenly with his.
There was the smallest moment of hesitation—one breath’s worth—and then her lips touched his.
He never knew what to expect from Vivi, and this was no different. Her mouth was pliant and warm, but cautious, gently moving against his.
Every rational thought shouted at him to stop. This was Vivi, and he had no business kissing her. He shouldn’t want to.
But he couldn’t have stopped if he tried. She tasted fresh, sweet and, God help him,
right
. Her tongue slid past his lips, and the tentative touch awakened something primal inside him, beating down all the rational thoughts until he couldn’t imagine not kissing her.
Vivi’s fingers threaded through his hair as his hands splayed over her back, pulling her weight onto his chest, and he felt the change in her as the kiss turned carnal and needy.
Without breaking contact, he backed up the few feet into the apartment and let the door swing closed. The sound punctuated the moment as a point of no return. He couldn’t say what exactly had changed between them, or when or why, but the wall had been crumbling and the kiss had reduced it to rubble. It defied reason, but it somehow made perfect sense.
“Vivi—”
She stopped him by pressing a finger against his lips, and he lost his train of thought when those blue eyes met his.
The clear evidence of desire he saw there just threw gasoline on to the bonfire.
She swallowed hard and her voice was barely above a whisper. “Could we not…actually…talk? I’m about to lose my nerve, and I really don’t want to.”
He should follow up, not just let that statement slide, but Vivi was kissing him again, and nothing else seemed to matter.
Vivi didn’t want to think, didn’t want to examine this too closely, because if she did, she’d realize what a fool she was. She just hadn’t been able to shake his words or the feelings those words evoked. Coupled with the echoes of Lorelei’s words—
Carpe diem. Be bad.—
she’d been showered and changed and on her way before really thinking it all the way through. Her nerve had nearly failed her a dozen times on the short walk from her house to here, but now…
She couldn’t regret the decision. She might not be able to say why she’d made that choice, but something about the feel of Connor’s mouth on her neck, the caress of his hands under her jacket to the small of her back…it felt good. There was something liberating in this—more than just seizing the day. It was new and scary territory for her, but it felt
She didn’t move, so Connor didn’t either. He stayed in the doorway, leaning against the door frame. The silence stretched out. Finally he couldn’t take it anymore. “Why are you here, Vivi?”
Vivi’s eyes flew to his.
Damn
. That came out sharper than he’d intended. Then that flush began to climb out of the collar of her jacket again.
“I—I don’t really know.” She sighed, and he thought he heard a small curse. “You know, I probably shouldn’t have come. I’m sorry I bothered you.”
She turned and started slowly back down the stairs.
Let her go. It’s really better to just—
Even as he was thinking the thoughts his feet were moving, closing the space between them, and he was at the top of the stairs before she’d taken more than a couple.
“Vivi.”
She turned, and he held out his hand. It was her choice. He couldn’t make it for her, but she’d come this far and he felt like he needed to meet her halfway. She hesitated, then put her hand in his.
He hauled her up the last few stairs and pulled her bodyagainst his. He could feel her tension, but their bodies seemed to fit together like puzzle pieces and the sensation was electric.
Vivi’s eyes widened at the contact, and he knew she felt the same electricity. She swallowed hard, then he felt the slow slide of her chest against his as she rose up on her toes and aligned her mouth evenly with his.
There was the smallest moment of hesitation—one breath’s worth—and then her lips touched his.
He never knew what to expect from Vivi, and this was no different. Her mouth was pliant and warm, but cautious, gently moving against his.
Every rational thought shouted at him to stop. This was Vivi, and he had no business kissing her. He shouldn’t want to.
But he couldn’t have stopped if he tried. She tasted fresh, sweet and, God help him,
right
. Her tongue slid past his lips, and the tentative touch awakened something primal inside him, beating down all the rational thoughts until he couldn’t imagine not kissing her.
Vivi’s fingers threaded through his hair as his hands splayed over her back, pulling her weight onto his chest, and he felt the change in her as the kiss turned carnal and needy.
Without breaking contact, he backed up the few feet into the apartment and let the door swing closed. The sound punctuated the moment as a point of no return. He couldn’t say what exactly had changed between them, or when or why, but the wall had been crumbling and the kiss had reduced it to rubble. It defied reason, but it somehow made perfect sense.
“Vivi—”
She stopped him by pressing a finger against his lips, and he lost his train of thought when those blue eyes met his.
The clear evidence of desire he saw there just threw gasoline on to the bonfire.
She swallowed hard and her voice was barely above a whisper. “Could we not…actually…talk? I’m about to lose my nerve, and I really don’t want to.”
He should follow up, not just let that statement slide, but Vivi was kissing him again, and nothing else seemed to matter.
Vivi didn’t want to think, didn’t want to examine this too closely, because if she did, she’d realize what a fool she was. She just hadn’t been able to shake his words or the feelings those words evoked. Coupled with the echoes of Lorelei’s words—
Carpe diem. Be bad.—
she’d been showered and changed and on her way before really thinking it all the way through. Her nerve had nearly failed her a dozen times on the short walk from her house to here, but now…
She couldn’t regret the decision. She might not be able to say why she’d made that choice, but something about the feel of Connor’s mouth on her neck, the caress of his hands under her jacket to the small of her back…it felt good. There was something liberating in this—more than just seizing the day. It was new and scary territory for her, but it felt
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