Chapter 195: Chapter Thirty-Three

Jaymeson

I couldn't read her. I wasn't sure I wanted to.

I'd never done it for anyone else in my life, nor would I ever. Because as far as I was concerned, Pris was it.

Tense silence blanketed the room. And then, Pris pressed her cheek against my hand, closing her eyes.

Drained, I pulled her into my arms and held her.

With a sudden jerk, she pulled back — only to press her hot mouth against mine.

My legs almost gave way as she kissed me, kissed away the pain I'd just sliced open, kissed away the embarrassment at being so insecure about the man that I was — her kiss healed.

It didn't take.

It gave.

Our mouths nipped and sucked, alternating between pushing and teasing. Every kiss was new, exciting, as if I'd never actually kissed a girl until this moment in my life.

My hands instinctively went to her hips, dragging her body closer to mine as I hovered over her.

“You're not going to disappear on me again, are you?” Pris asked, briefly pulling her mouth from mine.

“Not a chance in hell,” I muttered, taking her lips between my teeth. “You'd have to kill me.”

“I almost did earlier.”

“All you had to do was ask and I would have jumped off a cliff for you.” I slid my tongue into her mouth then pulled it back out. “I would do anything for you.”

“Good.” Her back arched as my hand slid up her side. “Because I've been dying to get an autographed poster for months.”

Our teeth hit from both of us laughing. I gave the side of her ass a firm slap and shook my head. “I'll sign every damn poster in your room if you promise to let me sleep on the left.”

“What is it with you and the left?” She tried to get up, but I pushed her down, nipping her lips with small kisses then doing the same to her cheeks, her eyelids.

I tugged her shirt over her shoulders. My mouth met creamy smooth skin and I almost died.

“I just like the left. Besides, you sleep on your right and I sleep on my left, meaning when I wake up…” I licked the spot I'd just kissed. ”…I wake up to you.”

She let out a sigh as my mouth moved to her neck and then blew in her ear.

“I love waking up to you.”

“Funny, I thought whores couldn't go out in the sunlight.”

“Vampires.” I tugged her ear with my teeth. “But I understand why you'd be confused since I'm a badass.”

“Werewolves,” she blurted. “More of a werewolf fan.”

“Remind me to take that werewolf script.” I laughed into her hair, breathing hard from exerting myself so much. I'd never carried on a conversation with a girl while kissing her.

I was in uncharted territory.

And I was so damn nervous I was shaking.

“What's wrong?”

“I'm nervous,” I said honestly, then pulled back to look into her eyes. “I've never done this before.”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “Isn't that my line?”

“No.” I tilted her chin so I could kiss her mouth again. Her lips would be the death of me. “I've never kissed a girl without it leading anywhere. I've never, um…” Shit, my face felt red. “Made out.”

Her grin widened as she wrapped her arms around my neck and jerked me against her. My entire body went rigid with pent-up frustration — with want.

“Well, allow me to demonstrate.” Her voice was husky. “First you kiss me, and then…” her hands inched down my naked chest. “You may or may not touch me.”

“Touching.” I gripped her hips. “Right.”

“And there's always tongue.” She licked my lips, the minx.

“God, I love your tongue.”

“And sometimes there's more. Clothing may come off… Then again, you're already in nothing but boxer briefs.”

I smirked. “Vulnerable, love. It's called being vulnerable, not naked.”

“Is that what we're calling it?”

“Yes,” I said seriously. “With you, always.”

“With anyone else?” Her eyes searched mine.

I kissed her nose. “Never.”

Deep brown eyes met my gaze as her hands closed over mine and then slowly slid them underneath her shirt.

Cursing, I closed my eyes as my fingers memorized every damn curve, every goose bump they came into contact with.

When my thumbs grazed her bra, I stopped.

Pris smiled.

“You shouldn't tempt the devil.”

“I don't see a devil,” she whispered. “I see… you. Only you.”

My eyes blurred for a moment, as if they were struggling to take in her beauty — my body trembled — unable to accept the compliment for what it was.

She shivered.

When my tongue touched hers, I lost complete control of my senses.

I wanted a new beginning.

Her hands moved to my boxers.

My body damn near screamed.

With a groan, my hand grazed her side, reaching to the back of her bra.

“HOLY SHIT!” someone screamed.

With a curse, I fell off the couch and hit my head against the coffee table, while Priscilla covered herself with a pillow, even though she wasn't naked.

“Dammit!” Demetri stormed into the room. “Babe, where's my gun?”

Alyssa rolled her eyes.

“Bastard!” Demetri walked around the couch and pulled me off the floor.

Well, at least I wasn't so aroused I was embarrassing myself. I had no fight in me, so I simply smiled.

Even when he punched me across the jaw.

Pris screamed.

Alyssa laughed.

And I smiled. It would hurt like hell in the morning, but I felt buzzed, like I'd just downed an entire six-pack of beer. He could beat the shit out of me and I'd still be smiling. Because I had her.

“I swear…” Demetri shoved me against the wall. “If you screwed her, I'm going to knife you!”

“Violent,” I mumbled under my breath.

“Guys!” Priscilla pushed Demetri away. “Nothing happened.”

At least she'd had enough sense to right all her clothing. It was distracting enough watching her swollen mouth form words.

“The hell it didn't!” Demetri spat. “He was on top of you! He was touching!” He waved wildly in the air. “With his hands!” When I laughed, Demetri set his green eyes on me.

“I know,” I said calmly.

“You can't just screw her and leave her.”

“I know,” I repeated.

“And, and—” Demetri swore. “Damn, I wish I hadn't given up drinking.” With another curse he went over to the wall and started banging his head softly against it while Alyssa came up behind him.

I burst out laughing.

“You!” He pointed. “I'm not done with you.” He turned on his heel and pointed at Pris. “And you! You… go to your room!”

“It has smoke in it,” she answered smartly.

“Go to the guest room here. Son of a bitch,” he muttered and walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.

“Can I talk now?” I asked.

“Can I kill you now?” he replied.

Alyssa followed after Pris while I just sat and witnessed the rest of Demetri's nervous breakdown.

“Tell me,” he said in a low voice. “Tell me you didn't…”

“I didn't,” I said smoothly. “I know my track record proves otherwise, but I actually care too much about her to strip her naked and have my way with her on your couch.”

“Thanks.” His voice cracked.

“Anytime.”

He took a swallow of water then spit it out onto the counter. “Wait, what?”

I looked at my hands.

“You care about her? As in you care about her like a five-year-old cares for his goldfish?”

I scowled.

“Holy hell…” Demetri sat on the barstool. “I thought when you said you liked her you meant you had a little crush or obsession because you hadn't been with anyone in a while.

“Don't say it,” I warned.

“Fine.” He grinned. “I'll just think it.”

“Ass. Why are you even here?”

“Seven days off tour, man. We wanted to check out the condo, plus our next stop is in Portland, so it works out.”

“Thanks for the text.”

“Thanks for the naked surprise.”

“Touché.”

“Hey, guys?” Alyssa called from the back room. “Can you order us pizza?”

“Sure,” we answered in unison, both glaring at one another.

“I'm not a whore,” I said, feeling the need to clear the air.

Demetri snorted. “I'll believe it when I see it.”

“What the hell's that supposed to mean?”

“Ten more minutes.” He shook his head. “I was a whore once. I know how it works.

“You tell yourself you won't go too far, you tell yourself you'll stop, and then, you wake up at five a.m., damning yourself to Hell. You really like her? Prove it. Don't sleep with her.”

A bucket of cold water would have done less damage to my already pounding blood.

“But—”

“Take it or leave it. She's Alyssa's cousin, soon to be my cousin by marriage. You want her, that's fine. Prove you're man enough not to do what you've been doing for the past five years.”

“I'm not a monk,” I grumbled.

“Be a monk.” He winked. “For her.”

“Fine.”

Demetri burst out laughing. “I can't wait to call Alec. He's supposed to meet us down here, but they got a later flight for tomorrow.”

“Thanks for the heads-up.”

Demetri reached across the counter and punched me in the arm. “Surprise, bitch.”