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Time to listen to her gut.

No.

Lower…

…and just let go.

Her body was in control, her mind a servant to anything it wanted. She met Taylor’s eyes, a mixture of curiosity and simmering heat. The golden flecks amongst the green roaring to life in their own challenge.

Sam ghosted a kiss over Taylor’s lips, barely touching, her stare never wavering. She caught the hint of cinnamon from their ice-cream as she paused to take her in and capture the moment.

Outside, the rain hammered on the roof above, the wind roaring through any crack it could find. Yet they remained still. The calm amongst the storm.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Taylor’s hands twitched.

To touch. Grab. Bite.

No.

She wanted this to be on Sam’s terms. She needed to hold back. To let Sam explore. Let her discover. The roaring wind urged them on, ramping them up with each gust battering against the building.

She took in the depths of Sam’s blue eyes locked onto hers. The quirk of her lips as Sam leaned back in, sucking Taylor’s bottom lip into her mouth. An uncontrolled groan escaped her.

Embarrassing.

Sam let it go with a pop, running her tongue along it before claiming Taylor’s mouth, her hands landing in Taylor’s hair.

Taylor uncrossed her ankles, supporting herself more fully as she kissed Sam back, ratcheting them up to the next level. Unable to help herself, she began running her hands along Sam’s arms, her sides—giving her something,anything,to let out the pent-up energy.

Her mind was blissfully quiet, focused solely on thoughts of Sam, savouring every moment, planning everything she wanted to do to her. Sam stepped between Taylor’s legs then, her thighpushing Taylor harder into the table. Taylor spread her legs wider to accommodate the pressure exactly what she wanted. What sheneeded. Sam pulled back from their kiss, Taylor’s head held in her hands.

“Why do I want to kiss you so badly?” Sam asked breathlessly, almost to herself, half-dazed, an adorable mix of confusion and want written all over her face. All Taylor could do was smile back, a stupid grin on her face, before Sam pulled her back in.

She was relentless as their tongues danced, a force to be reckoned with, and Taylor was here for it. She deepened the kiss as hands groped, kneaded, clawed. Sam’s thigh pushed into her harder, the friction driving her wild, sending heat shooting straight through her body with their rhythm.

It felt like so long since she’d been with someone whowantedher like this. It woke her entire body, making her realise how long it had really been, much longer than she cared to admit. She had to be careful as she felt the familiar threads starting to build.

The table screeched underneath them as Sam got a little too enthusiastic. Taylor lurched back before she even realised what was happening.

“Oof!” Sam grunted, landing on top of her, arms flailing out to catch herself. Taylor steadied her, laughing as Sam joined in.

“Okay, too keen,” Sam said, climbing off her ungracefully, “Shall we move somewhere more comfortable?” Her eyes flicked to the staircase.

“Are you sure?” Taylor sat up on her elbows, checking in. Sam held out her hand and pulled Taylor up, leading her to the mezzanine above.

“I am.”

As they reached the bed, a flash outside lit up the whole room, a rumbling boom following shortly after.

“Wow, that’s pretty close,” Sam uttered, her face lit by the soft glow of lights down in the storage yard.

“Yeah,” Taylor breathed as Sam reached for the edge of her knit, giving it a tug, a knowing look in her eye. Taylor grinned. “Okay, Miss Impatient.” She held up her arms as Sam untucked her shirt and pulled, both layers ending up in a heap, her eyes never leaving her.

“Even better than I imagined,” Sam whispered under her breath as she drank her in.

Taylor stood in her sports bra, goosebumps breaking out along her arms as she let Sam’s eyes roam. Paddleboarding and an active job kept her fit; her arms naturally muscular. Still, a bubbling of nerves echoed under the surface as she stood in front of Sam, feeling truly seen—raw. Lust swirled with wonder in Sam’s eyes as she dragged her hand down Taylor’s front, stopping at her stomach. She gently pushed Taylor backward until the back of her knees hit the bed.