Page 41 of The Tribrid Princess and the Taste of Chaos (The Rossi Legacies #7)

Sienna

H is lips brush the side of my head, his hand caressing my skin one final time before he lets go of me, my heart thudding, and I feel so lightheaded.

We walk side-by-side towards the ice cream stall, waiting quietly in line, Jayce standing just slightly behind me. When we reach the counter, he chooses Oreos and vanilla ice cream, and I choose cherries with raspberry ice cream.

Watching it is a fascinating process as they crush the fruit, mixing it with the ice cream. Once the ice cream is ready, they are scraped into rolls and put into a little pot.

“Thank you,” I say, accepting the two pots as Jayce pays, before he folds the bag containing the jewellery and shoves it into his jacket pocket. I pass him his cup as we walk along, stepping down from near the shop and walking closer to the edge of the water.

“What happened at the game between you and Seth?” I ask. It’s not what I want to discuss on our first date, but he has questions. That much I know, and so do I.

“Not much. He just said something that pissed me off.” He shrugs as he takes a spoonful of his ice cream.

“Ok, was that something to do with me?”

He looks down at me. “What do you think, Darling?”

I blush at that before sighing. “Seth and I began dating around six months before… before Dad.” I swallow the lump in my throat before shovelling a spoonful of my ice cream onto my spoon and eating it.

“He was interested in me months before that, and after a while, his efforts paid off, and I agreed to go out with him. He won me over.”

“Did you love him?”

I look up at him before nodding. “I did, but it’s…

” I don’t elaborate on what I was about to say as I continue.

“When Dad died, my powers were out of control, so I shut him out. I couldn’t bring myself to tell him the truth, just like I couldn’t tell Mama, Jaddati or anyone else about what I’m going through.

He tried a few times to get me to open up, to let him be there for me, and that final time I was almost on the brink of telling him…

but then he just didn’t bother anymore. He had to go away, and he was fed up, and I don’t blame him. I’m stubborn.”

He’s silent for a moment as I reminisce about it. It did hurt that he stopped trying, but in comparison to losing Dad, nothing hurt.

“After that, I got over him. I didn’t even remember him much, or regret ending it. I changed when Dad died. I know I did in so many ways.” I look at the night sky. The clouds block out most of the stars. “Since Dad, it felt like I was in limbo, just stuck in time, until now.”

He’s silent, watching me patiently, waiting for me to finish.

I turn to gaze up at him. “Since you came into the picture… somehow you managed to get me to open up when no one else could. I want to do better, even if I know I’m messing up badly.

I want to control my powers. I’m not lost in thought every night.

I’m getting up, looking forward to the day. ”

Looking forward to you.

The wind blows, and he brushes my hair back.

“Well, that sure boosted my ego,” he says with a faint smirk.

I roll my eyes. “Wasn’t it big enough already?”

“I could do with it getting bigger.” He winks at me, and my eyes widen, thinking of something else rather than his ego. My cheeks burn up, and he chuckles, a sound that messes with my head. He looks away, taking another spoonful of ice cream between his teeth, a tiny smirk on his face.

“So that crush you said you had on me, any timeline on that?” he asks as I try not to think of Jayce naked, because right now I wouldn’t mind that. Gods, I would never mind that.

Stop, stop, stop!

We’re taking it slow, remember? This is the first date!

“Well, for as long as I remember, there was something there. Until I realised it was silly, and you’d never see me like that.

” Because you were sleeping with a variety of girls, I heard and saw things.

That was one of the reasons I agreed to that first date with Seth.

I look over at him. “So, I’ve shared my past. What about yours? ”

“There’s not much to share, aside from what you’ve already teased me about.”

“And Allison? She’s not so subtle about your… nighttime shenanigans.” I cast him a look from beneath my lashes, pretending to focus on my dessert, but I know my tone gives me away. Soft, but a little sulky and maybe just a little hurt.

Jayce slings his arm around my shoulder, leaning closer. “You look even sexier when you’re jealous.”

“I’m not,” I lie as I take a spoonful of ice cream, cracking my poor little plastic spoon. Jayce chuckles as he offers me his, and I realise he’s finished with his ice cream. I take it with a pout, swirling the spoon around my melting ice cream.

He chuckles low, the sound curling around me like smoke, tossing his pot and my broken spoon into a nearby bin.

“That was nothing,” he says, his voice suddenly heavier, quieter, like a secret being unwrapped. “Just a quick fuck. That’s all they ever were.”

I try not to imagine them. All the girls who’ve had him. His mouth. His hands. His body.

“So, what changed?” I ask, my voice barely audible. My heart is thudding, my chest is tight, my skin burning under his gaze.

“You,” he says simply, his eyes locking with mine. “You were put so close to me, I can’t stay away anymore. I know I’m not your first, but I swear I’m going to be your now, your next and your last. If you’ll let me.”

The words hit me like lightning, sudden and devastatingly beautiful.

I want that more than I’ve ever wanted anything. I want him. The way he looks at me is like I’m the only thing he sees. The way his voice turns to velvet when he says my name.

“I want that,” I whisper, turning toward him, letting my fingers rest lightly against his chest. His heart beats beneath them, strong and steady, grounding me in this moment that feels too good to be real.

He doesn’t answer with words. He cups my face with one hand, his thumb brushing along my cheek as if memorising the shape of me, his other hand sliding around my waist. Then his lips touch mine, cool from the ice cream, but his kiss is nothing but hot.

He tastes me slowly, thoroughly, like he’s savouring every second. I feel the tingles through my entire body, my knees weaken, and he wraps his arm tighter around my waist, pulling me in until there’s no space left between us. He’s supporting me entirely as if he knows I’ll collapse if he lets go.

He runs his tongue softly against my lips, seeking entrance, and I part my lips for him, soft and willing, and he takes full advantage.

His tongue slips into my mouth, caressing mine, slow at first, tasting me like he’s savouring me thoroughly.

But then something shifts, and he’s holding me with a new kind of dominance.

His fingers tighten around my waist, dragging me in with a roughness that makes my breath catch.

He kisses me firmly, like he owns me. Like he’s waited far too long, so that he can no longer be patient.

I moan softly, unable to stop myself, as I kiss him back. Gods, the way he kisses…

A low, satisfied sound rumbles from his throat, and he tilts his head, changing the angle as if needing me closer, taking me deeper. His mouth moves possessively, sucking on my tongue, nibbling and sucking on my lips, consuming me.

I feel as if a live wire is jolting through me. When he pulls back, it’s only just enough to speak, his breath hot against my lips.

“Cherries, you taste of cherries,” he murmurs huskily, almost to himself. His eyes are fire and ice all at once. “Fuck.”

He stares at me like I’m the most addictive thing he’s ever tasted. Then he kisses me again, harder, rougher, deeper.

His hand threads into my hair, tugging slightly, adjusting to the angle where he wants me. I take the chance and slip my tongue into his mouth. He tastes so good, and I whimper when he sucks on my tongue. My core is aching with need.

And when he groans into my mouth, it vibrates through every part of me.

“Jayce... Gods…” I gasp for air, clinging to him as he forces himself to break the kiss. Pulling back just enough to look into my eyes. His lips are swollen, and I know mine are probably the same. His voice drops into something low, dangerous and seductive.

“Don’t say my name like that, Darling,” he rasps. “Unless you’re ready to scream it.”

My heart slams against my ribs. I can’t breathe. I don’t want to. I want him. All of him.

He leans in again, brushing his lips over mine like a tease, then slips his tongue into my mouth with slow, devastating precision. There’s no rush in him, no uncertainty. Just a calm, dangerous confidence that makes me melt and burn all at once.

“Tell me to stop,” he whispers, even though he knows I won’t.

I shake my head, lips trembling. “Don’t.”

His mouth curves into a wicked smirk against mine.

“Good, because I didn’t plan to.”

Then he kisses me again, and I’m gone. I think I drop my ice cream, locking both arms around his neck, and he lifts me up effortlessly. Then I’m lost in the heat, the taste, the tension that coils tighter and tighter with every breath.

The world disappears from around us. It’s only him. His hands. His mouth. The way he takes his time, like he knows exactly what he’s doing to me.

My heart is a storm of emotions, my entire body on fire, but I’m beyond happy. He makes me want to dance and sing with happiness, the way I feel. I want the world to hear me scream how happy I am. He makes me feel exactly what’s mentioned in the storybooks I read.

Where the man of her dreams sweeps her off her feet and promises her a happily ever after.

Jayce Westwood is my happily ever after.

My every desire, my everything.

Jayce Westwood is what makes me feel alive.