“Good night, Lucien.”
The vampire swiftly glided out of the room and disappeared into the night.
“Poor guy,” Holly murmured. “At least you won’t have to worry about running into walls.”
“How many more surprises are you going to throw at me tonight?” Johnny asked.
“Let me put it this way.” Holly sighed. “We’ve gotten everything wrong up until this point.”
“Everything?”
“Just about.”
“How is that possible?”
“I’ll explain as best I can, but first…” Holly reached for his hand. “Can we go up to my room and take a moment before we dive into everything?”
Johnny’s eyes softened. “Of course.”
Holly closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh. “Thank you.”
She led Johnny up the stairs and tiptoed quietly down the hall. Light spilled from the crack in the door leading to Trevor’s room.
Once inside her own room, Holly slowly shut the door.
“Is there a light sleeper nearby?” Johnny asked pointedly.
“I don’t know how thick these walls are,” Holly admitted.
“I hope they’re thick.” A wicked smile appeared on Johnny’s face.
That smile was all it took to make Holly melt. She locked the door before dashing across the small room into his arms. Johnny caught her and fell backward onto the bed. The headboard slammed against the wall, eliciting an embarrassed giggle from Holly.
She kissed him, allowing herself to be flooded with longing. She knew how much she missed him, but up until this point, she hadn’t allowed herself to feel it. If she had, she’d have never left the room.
Johnny ran his hands up and down her back, pulling her closer with each movement.
On top of him, she felt too exposed. She wanted to be completely enveloped by him. She wanted him to block out the rest of the world, if only for a short while. She rolled onto her back, tugging on his shirt as she went.
He rolled on top of her, careful not to put his full weight on her. If he had, she wouldn’t have minded.
“I love you,” she blurted between kisses.
Johnny went still, smiling against her lips. “You what?”
“You heard me.” Holly giggled. “I love you. I should’ve said it sooner. Before the battle would’ve been smart. I didn’t realize I’d be taken away.”
“You don’t have to explain,” Johnny murmured. “I love you, too. I have since the moment I saw you, and nothing is going to change that.”
“And I’m—”
“Holly, honey,” Johnny said, planting kisses down her neck. “This is the part where you relax and allow yourself to enjoy the moment.”
Holly let out a long, slow breath. “You’re right. The bottomless pit of anxiety within me can wait until morning.”
Johnny laughed against her skin. “That’s the spirit.”
He slid down her body to where her shirt met the top of her jeans. Johnny lifted her shirt and kissed her stomach. Holly squirmed and clapped a hand over her mouth to control her laughter.
“Ticklish?” he asked with a sly smile.
“What makes you think that?” Holly struggled to speak through giggles.
“Nothing at all.” He attacked the ticklish spot with kisses and gentle nips.
“If you’re not careful, you’re going to get kneed somewhere that I’d prefer to keep undamaged,” Holly warned.
“Noted.” Johnny kissed up her stomach, lifting her shirt as he went.
Holly arched her back to undo the clasp of her bra.
“Eager, are we?” Johnny hummed against her skin.
“As if you’re not.”
Johnny pulled her bra out of the way and sucked one of her nipples into his mouth. Holly let out a shuddering gasp. As if by reflex, she pushed her hips against him. He let out a low, rumbling growl. His hands left her waist to pull down his jeans.
Holly pulled his shirt off his body and tossed it away, and then did the same with her own. She jolted when she felt Johnny’s thumbs slip beneath the waistband of her simple, black panties.
She missed all of her shifters, but it was particularly hard to be without Johnny. He was her first in so many ways. He’d brought her into Silver Spruce. He’d fought to tell her the truth when no one else would. He’d taken her virginity.
Naked beneath him, she looked up into his eyes.
He met her gaze.
No one in the world had eyes like Johnny. Every time he looked at her, she felt like he stared right into her depths—into her soul.
She opened her legs and wrapped them around his waist. Johnny teased her entrance with the tip of his cock before slowly sliding into her, never breaking eye contact. A shudder tore through Holly’s body as she took him into her. He bucked his hips as Holly slid her legs up his back. No matter how deeply he pushed into her, it wasn’t enough. Even when Holly’s body took all that she could, she wanted more.
If she could fuse her soul with his, she would. She wanted to drown in him while he became lost in her. Even a hair of separation would be too much.
Johnny slid his arms beneath her legs, propping her knees on his shoulders. She turned her head and bit the pillow to avoid crying out, eliciting a short laugh from Johnny. She wrapped her arms around his back, pulling him in as close as he could come. He sank deep inside of her and slowed his movements.
With each slow, steady thrust, Holly devoured the sensation of him. She clung to him, digging her nails into his skin as he drove her to the edge. She bit down on her lip, hard, in an attempt to quiet her cries of pleasure. Her entire body trembled from head to toe as she tightened around him, urging him to completion.
His body went rigid for several delicious moments before he relaxed against her.
