Page 107 of Try Hard

I kissed her bottom lip, teasing it into my mouth and grazing my teeth over the fragile skin.

Her arms wrapped around me, her mouth on mine, and the sound of her ragged breathing were bringing to life parts of me I’d long locked down and forgotten. I hadn’t kissed anyone in years, and, even before that, hadn’t kissed anyone without flinching for a very long time. My mind had been filled witheverything they thought was wrong with me, my brain howling about the things they said as my body screamed not to let them kiss me.

Kissing Eve was not like that.

My brain was doing its best to catalogue every feeling, every tiny movement, every sound and touch and aching breath. My hands wanted to be everywhere on her, wanted her hands all over me. The way she didn’t wobble or hesitate from holding me up was a balm to all the thoughts that told me I was too heavy, that sounded like exes and doctors I wanted nothing to do with. And all there was to concentrate on—all I wanted to concentrate on—was how perfect Eve was, and how exquisite kissing her felt.

She adjusted her grasp, moving my legs to wrap around her waist. I went willingly, loving the way she traced her hands over my calves as she did.

Eve Archer was beyond perfect. Her skin was soft, her muscles mesmerising, wrapping around her body unapologetically. They were so beautiful. Every single person who had ever had a cruel opinion about her had been unforgivably wrong. And, when someone so perfect was kissing you like you lit up the entire world, it was hard to feel that hatred you’d been taught to feel against your physical self. She kissed me like I kissed her, and I knewexactlyhow I’d always felt about her.

“Is this okay?” she asked, more than a little breathless as she rested her forehead against mine.

I couldn’t help but smile. “More than okay.”

Her answering smile was glorious, right until I jumped down from her arms and she moved to step back, to give me space. I didn’t want space.

I took her hand and led her the two steps over to the bed. “As great as being picked up by you is, I think this might be a little more comfortable…”

She laughed, following me onto the bed willingly. “I wasnotuncomfortable.”

Her tone had me blushing, but I assumed I was already red from kissing her.

Generous as ever, Eve moved to lie next to me, giving me all that space I didn’t want, but when I tugged her on top of me again, she was only too happy to oblige.

“You don’t have to hold yourself up like that, you know?” I said, gesturing to the elbows she was balancing on.

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t.” It was clear in both my tone and her expression that we knew the comment went far beyond having a gorgeous, muscular rugby player lying on top of me and whether I could physically handle that.

She eased a little more of her weight onto me, laughing when I wrapped my arms and legs around her and pulled down, and she gave up, handing me exactly what I wanted. The comfort of her body pressed against mine, pressing us down into the mattress, was so ridiculously soothing.

“How well can you feel them?” I asked, shooting her a coy look.

She laughed. “Now that I know what they are? Pretty damn well. I can’t believe I didn’t figure it out last night.”

“I told you, I know how to keep them hidden.”

“While people are lying on top of you?” She shot me an understandably sceptical look.

“Okay, fair point. You are the first person to do that since I got them done.”

“How long have you had them?”

“Five years.”

Her eyes were wide as she nodded. I knew her well enough to know she was trying to hide how grateful she was that I was letting her feel them, especially after so long.

She ducked her head to press a quick kiss to my lips, but I deepened it, teasing my tongue over her lower lip, then against hers as she met me fully in the kiss. Being able to do this with her felt like exploding, like I was becoming a supernova. I’d never known it could be like that.

“Other than my therapist,” I whispered against her lips, “you’re the only person I’ve ever told on purpose.”

She was quiet for a second, considering. “The pool?”

“Yeah. I’m sure, over the years, someone’s spotted them there. They’re a little difficult to hide in a swimming costume.”

“I’m sure they are,” she said, sounding deeply amused, and I loved everything about it—everything about her being amused, being on top of me, knowing all my secrets.