As Seen On TV

17. Hookups & Hayrides

My first instinct was to close my eyes and lose myself in him. I was a chronic overthinker in all things, but Patrick had caught me completely by surprise, for once, and I had no idea what to do. So I gave in and kissed him back, meeting his intensity with my own.

He pushed me gently forward and into my room, kicking the door shut behind him without missing a beat, his lips still molded to mine and his hands firmly planted, gripping either side of my face. He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, and I responded by tilting mine the opposite way, so that our noses wouldn't collide in the process. My insides were on fire and my heart was beating as fast as I'd ever felt it.

Patrick removed his hands from my face and wrapped his arms around my lower back, sliding them under the hem of my t-shirt and grazing the skin of my stomach and back with the rough pads of his fingers, pulling me impossibly closer to him. I continued moving my lips against his at a feverish pace as I reached my hands up and entangled them quickly in his hair. He had some stubble growing on his chin and upper lip that tickled my mouth whenever we moved, which somehow made him even hotter and made me want to kiss him more. 

We both broke contact to come up for air at the same time, and I took the opportunity to back up a couple steps so that we were officially in my bedroom. He leaned his forehead against mine, both of us breathing as though we had just run a marathon. Then, his eyes fluttered open, dark and clouded by a question that he didn't have to ask. I reached up once again and pressed my lips to his, closing any distance I had previously put between us. 

He urged me forward once again, and I backed up until my back was against the wall of the room. He bit my lower lip lightly, and proceeded to trail kisses down my neck, stopping briefly at the crook to suck on the skin there. We both knew that would probably leave a mark later, but I coudn't bring myself to care. I raised my chin to allow him easier access to my neck, gasping as he brought his hands up from my waist to the sides of my breasts under my shirt. He then brought his mouth once again back to mine, and I took control this time, panting as I slipped my tongue between his lips and brought my hips up and closer to him. 

He growled lowly, under his breath, and I felt desire arise, deep and aching, in my chest. He bit lightly on my lower lip before breaking contact with my body completely, causing cold air to rush toward me, the emptiness left behind by the absence of his warmth taking me by surprise. He looked determined as ever, and began to reach to slip off his shirt. I couldn't help but notice he crossed his arms and reached them behind his head to his shoulders, slipping the gray tank up and over his head in the remarkably sexy way that I had only ever seen it done in romantic movies. 

I gasped at the sight of his impeccably sculpted chest and whispered a curse under my breath, causing him to chuckle, which in turn caused the muscles in his chest and abdomen to ripple slightly. I began to get nervous about how my body was ever supposed to measure up to this model of a man in front of me, but he seemed to have no qualms, as he closed the space between us and took me in his arms once again.

"Wait," I said quietly, breathlessly.

He leaned down and nipped at my collarbone. "What do you mean, wait? I've been waiting."

I blushed furiously. "I mean, stop. Think about what we're doing."

He pulled a face and bit his slightly swollen lip like he was doing so.

"Alright," he said. "Thought about it." He proceeded to lean in as if to kiss me again.

But this time, I placed both of my hands squarely on his broad chest and pushed him firmly backwards. 

"No. Pat, we can't. I'm sorry. We both know we can't."

"Why not?"

"Why not? Because we're not together? Because of Andrew? Because of Jazmin? It isn't fair to them." I shook my head. "Maybe in another situation, in another world... but not now. We can't."