Page 78 of We Are Yours

I didn’t have to be told twice. I turned and hauled ass.

This was our game—I ran, and he chased. He called me Little Red Riding Hood because of my hair color, and he was the Big Bad Wolf. The next thing I knew, he tackled me onto the grass. I shrieked, laughing at the same time.

I had no choice but to surrender, shouting, “Mercy! Mercy! You win!”

“Good girl,” he growled in my ear.

We were behind a rock where no one could see us. It wasn’t just my heart pounding; his was, too. I felt it against my chest, and it had nothing to do with us running. Our hearts felt in sync. It was the first time in my life that I finally understood what all these love songs were talking about.

From the way he was looking at me.

To the way he was taking every last emotion out of me like they belonged to him.

We were two crazy kids experiencing love for the first time together, but it wasn’t just teenage infatuation. It was something deeper. We were family, and regardless of what the future held, we’d always be in each other’s lives. There was loyalty, devotion, and trust.

Our eyes locked, fused as one. I struggled to find my breath, feeling his heated skin on mine.

This reminded me of the first time he kissed me.

Despite the awareness in his stare, I looked away. I had to. Avoiding the look in his eyes.

“Come back,” he uttered. “I wasn’t done with you.”

I basked in his embrace, hoping this was only the beginning. His intoxicating scent lured me in.

“You’re horrible.”

“And you’re beautiful.”

“That line works on all the girls?”

“Not sure, you’re the first girl I’ve said it to.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Wanna bet?”

My chest was rising and falling, and I loved every second of it.

Julius

Her gaze widened, making her stunning green eyes shine bright as they tore into mine. I reached for the side of her face with my knuckles, caressing her cheek.

“Why would you think otherwise?”

“Have you taken a good look at yourself in the mirror lately?”

“Have you?”

She rubbed her nose against mine.

“You think I don’t want to be with you, Isla?” With my thumb, I rubbed her bottom lip for a few seconds, and she stirred beneath my touch. “How about this?” I whispered. “I’ll tell you after I kiss you.”

And damn did I devour her.

Her scent.

Her taste.