Chapter 188

That harsh yearning inside of me spirals into a crescendo as Tristan sweeps my mouth with his tongue. His kiss is as sharp and cold as he is, but it's threaded through with white-hot molten fire. If I can melt that outer steel of his, and dig down to what lies beneath … he'd be a fucking firestorm. His fingers grip my hips on either side, digging in just enough that it both hurts and feels good at the same time.

I'm reminded of winter formal, and that night on the boat. "Just remember that Creed isn’t the only one that’s interested." The way he kissed me then, and the way he's kissing me now … are the same.

It wasn't all bullshit, was it? The way I felt like I belonged when we all sat together at the table? That was real. It was real. It was fucking real.

Tristan pulls back, and puts his forehead to mine, breathing hard.

And then he jerks away like he's been burned, storming across the seating area toward his room.

He's running away.

"Stop." Just