Page 43 of Hard Rock Love

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An explosion went off inside my head.

Seth’s warm lips were on mine. Our legs were intertwined. His hand was tangled in my long strands of hair.

I hadn’t thought this would ever happen again. I thought that first misbegotten kiss would be the last I ever had with Seth. But here he was, right in front of me, kissing me like he was trying to take the air from my lungs.

His tongue brushed the seam of my lips, looking for entrance. I gasped sharply through my nose and opened to him. His tongue slipped into my mouth and I made a sound of my own then, half-squeak, half-moan. He tasted as good as he smelled, as good as I remembered, that mint-and-licorice combination making my mind go hazy.

Seth’s chest was rising and falling as rapidly as my own. He used his grip on my hair to tilt my head for a better angle. I shifted closer on the wooden bench until I was practically climbing into his lap. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled him closer as we continued attacking each other's lips.

One of his hands wandered down my back, tracing my spine, making shivers course through me. He placed a hand against the small of my back, urging me forward. I squirmed closer, determined to have as little space between us as possible, rubbing against him like a cat in heat.

Our hips were almost pressed together, even closer than we had been at that party. I dug my nails into the flesh of his shoulder, clinging to him. His grip tightened around me, nearly squeezing the life from me, nearly taking my breath away. I didn’t protest. I loved the feel of being in his arms, of having him clutch me to his chest as if he never wanted to let me go.

I felt warm, and safe, and wanted.

I also felt incredibly turned on and suddenly wished we weren’t in the middle of campus. I wished I could push him down onto the wooden seats. The heat between my thighs called for something more than just his lips on mine and his hands on my hips. I wanted his lips lower. I wanted them kissing my bare flesh. I wanted his hands on my naked skin, wanted to feel his fingers tracing down my body.

My insides were turning heated and liquid, my inner muscles clenching with every swipe of his tongue. It was intoxicating and sent my head reeling, until all thoughts were lost and the only thing that mattered was the two of us in this very moment.

We finally had to break for air, our lips parting reluctantly. Seth breathed heavily as he leaned his forehead against mine and closed his eyes.

“Abby, what the fuck are we doing?” he murmured quietly.

“Kissing,” I reminded him. I surged forward, determined to continue that kiss.

Seth pulled back, turning his head away.

Just like he had before.

“We can’t,” he said heavily, mournfully. “Shit, this is such a bad idea.”

A terrible ache radiated from the center of my chest, spreading outward, until it reached the tips of my fingers and toes.

I cast my eyes down and twisted to untangle myself from his grip.

His arms tightened around my waist.

“Don’t go,” he said hoarsely. “Just— Just let me think for a minute.”

“Think about what?” My voice was thick with emotion and humiliation.

“It’s not that I don’t want to.” He fell silent, eyes turning pained.

“Then why do you keep pulling away?” I asked, almost angrily.

I continued struggling to get away from his grip.

“It’s not—” he began to say, before he was interrupted.

Loud voices cut through the silence as a group of students wandered up to the gazebo. I hadn’t heard them coming until they were almost within sight.

I scrambled to leave Seth’s lap before anyone saw, but they appeared at the entrance to the gazebo before we were fully parted. I was still half on his lap, his arms still around me.

“Oops, sorry!” one of girls said with an embarrassed laugh. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“We’ll just leave,” another said, trying to tug her friend away.