Sidequest for Love by L.H. Cosway

“Seriously?”

She shrugged. “It can’t hurt to try. Maybe I’ve been missing out and I don’t even know it.”

I swallowed as she closed her eyes, waiting for me to make the first move. My pulse pounded. Now that the pressure was on to perform, I was hesitating. She opened her eyes, a puzzled look on her face.

“What’s wrong?”

I shook myself. “Nothing, just … give me a minute.” I unzipped the top of my sleeping bag then shifted positions, moving us so that I was braced above her. I unzipped the top of hers, and she watched in silence, a vaguely amused look on her face.

“Why are you unzipping our sleeping bags? Do you need a full range of motion for a kiss?”

“Yes, actually, I do,” I said, shooting her what I hoped was a smouldering glance, and she immediately quieted. I took her in, my heart pounding a wild rhythm in my chest. She was ridiculously beautiful with her messy blonde hair and impossibly blue eyes. She wore a loose-fitting T-shirt to sleep in, the dipped neckline affording me a view of her rounded cleavage.

I wanted to bury my face in it.

Time seemed to become slow and thick like honey as I leaned down and pressed my lips feather-light to her throat. A strained gasp escaped her. I moved up, kissing her chin. My hand cupped her cheek as I finally brought my lips to hers. The moment of truth. I pressed my mouth to her lush, soft lips delicately at first.

Fireworks shot through my body, and I felt her tremble.

I was scared that she might startle and push me away if I kissed her as roughly and passionately as I wanted to, so I kept the pressure of my mouth light. I recalled what I’d said to her the night of Isaac’s surprise party.

I want to kiss you. I can’t stop thinking about it.

Now it was happening, and I felt like I was dreaming. I pressed my lips to hers, this time with a little more pressure, and I heard her whimper. The sound pulled me out of my trance as I drew back. I stared at her and was stunned to find several tears streaming down her face.

She was crying.

“Oh, God, I’m sorry. Have I upset you?” I asked with worry as I gently caressed her wet cheek.

She shook her head, her hands coming up to touch her tears. “No. I don’t even know why I’m crying. The kiss brought all these suppressed emotions I didn’t even know were there to the surface, and I’m just …” she trailed off as she brought her eyes to mine, “completely discombobulated.”

“I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

“I wasn’t crying because I disliked it,” she said, and I blinked.

“Why then?”

“I think I was just feeling way too much.”

I studied her. “So … does that mean you liked it?”

“I don’t know.” A pause as she glanced away shyly, her voice lowering almost to a whisper. “Maybe you should kiss me again. That way, I’ll know for definite.”

“I don’t want to upset you.”

“You won’t. I promise.”

Hesitantly, I lowered my body to rest next to hers. She stared at me while I bought one hand up to stroke her cheek and the other to cup her neck. She released a shaky breath as our gazes locked, and I pressed my lips to hers once more. I kept my eyes open, gauging her reaction. Hers fell shut almost immediately. She whimpered again, but this time it was accompanied by her hands tugging feverishly at the collar of my T-shirt, pulling me closer. I accommodated her, my chest pressing against hers as I continued to kiss her featherlight. After a few moments, she started to respond, her lips pressing against mine with building fervour.

My cock stirred, and I knew there was no possibility of me not getting an erection right now. Even this chaste kissing was giving me all sorts of depraved impulses. I wanted to strip her bare and lay waste to her with my tongue. I wanted to taste every inch of her and give her endless orgasms just to watch her writhe for me over and over again.

I was kissing her more forcefully now, and if the small moan she emitted was anything to go by, she seemed to welcome it. My breathing was laboured, my pulse erratic. Before, I’d had the willpower to stop, but now, I was lost. I loved the taste of her, the lush softness of her lips.

Her mouth opened for me, and her tongue dipped out. It ventured tentatively, stroking along mine, and I couldn’t contain the low groan that rumbled from my chest. I needed more of her, more of this. I was dying of thirst even while I was drowning. Afric’s hands drifted down then snaked under my T-shirt. Her delicate fingers drifted across my lower stomach, and I jolted. Pleasure shattered through me at her touch.

“Is this okay?” she whispered into the kiss.

“Yes. More than okay. Don’t stop,” I replied, my words guttural as I shifted us so that I was half lying on top of her, cupping her face in my hands as I deepened the kiss. Her mouth opened fully, welcoming me in. I couldn’t believe this was happening. After fantasising about it, the fantasies had nothing on reality. This was the greatest, most intense kiss of my life. I never wanted it to end, but I also didn’t want to overwhelm her.

Eventually, I broke away to catch my breath, studying her closely as I weighed her reaction. Her lips were puffy, her eyelids half-mast as she reached for me.

“Come back,” she begged, and at that moment, she was the sexiest woman I’d ever laid eyes on.