Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 137871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 689(@200wpm)___ 551(@250wpm)___ 460(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 689(@200wpm)___ 551(@250wpm)___ 460(@300wpm)
A bitter ache formed in her heart. Abandoned not even six hours later. She should have known better.
And why was she taking it so personally? It wasn’t as though they were mated or married. There should be no ache in her chest or hurt in her belly. It was one night. Nothing. They only lived together out of necessity. They were friends. This must be what casual meant. Perfectly acceptable, no strings attached, don’t ask, don’t tell…
The logic continued, but the disappointment never eased. Last night had been iconic.
She covered her face with a pillow and groaned, hating the wishy-washy neediness ransacking her common sense. But the truth was, she didn’t want it to end. She wanted to wake up beside her and—
“Morning.”
Adriel’s heart stilled. All debasing thoughts slammed to a halt as the weight in her stomach lifted like bubbles of air. Sliding the pillow from her face, she turned her gaze to the door and found Juniper staring at her.
“You okay?”
An embarrassed smile curved her mouth and her cheeks heated. She was losing her mind for this female—far from okay. “I’m great. How are you?”
Juniper closed the distance, her unique scent softening the air. A thousand butterflies took flight in Adriel’s belly.
“I’m fantastic.” She laughed, almost to herself. “Better even.” Wrapped in only a towel, she bent to press a kiss to Adriel’s mouth, lingering for a moment to caress her jaw before slowly pulling away. “You sure you’re okay?”
Again, she blushed. “I…thought you left.”
She chuckled and tossed the towel aside, sliding under the covers to pull Adriel close. Her body was warm and soft—safe and welcoming. “I’m not going anywhere, babe.”
Adriel closed her eyes, breathing in the perfumed scent of the soap on Juniper’s skin. Relief melted the knots of tension inside of her like butter left out on a hot day. Her entire being became soft and malleable just from having her arms around her.
Should she confess she was having such an extreme reaction to the intimacy they shared? Was this normal? She honestly didn’t know if people discussed such things. She never knew anything could feel so incredibly…right.
Juniper’s lips pressed to her shoulder. Time slowed as she simply held her like that. No one had ever—that Adriel could recall—nurtured her so affectionately. The more she thought about the absence of touch in her life the more her insides ached.
Her aimless touch teased lower, and tension unraveled, swelling and waning like waves along the coast that built and then faded into softness. Her gentleness disarmed her as much as it unnerved her. Each little stroke was a lesson in trust and kindness. Like oxygen, Adriel breathed the comfort in, holding the intangible sensations for the briefest moment, then letting go and surrendering to the delicious pleasure.
“You have the softest skin,” Juniper whispered, trailing her fingertips down Adriel’s side. Tender caresses skated over her hip, swirling low on her stomach, and glided upward to trace her ribs.
Adriel laughed.
“Ticklish?”
Was she? No one had ever touched her so softly before, so she didn’t know. “I suppose I am.”
“Hmm, I wonder where else you’re ticklish.” She shifted between her legs, tugging Adriel closer as she grinned. “Let’s find out.”
A sharp, delightful whisp of pleasure chased up her spine as Juniper nuzzled her neck. Adriel’s shoulders reflexively lifted as they both laughed. Soft lips teased the wing of her collarbone. Juniper watched her through thick lashes and violet eyes that hid dark promise in the depths.
Adriel stilled, the sole purpose of her entire existence now invested in seeing what she might do next.
“What about here?” Juniper whispered, kissing the slope of her shoulder. As she moved above her, the tips of her breasts dragged against Adriel’s chest, teasing and titillating. “Or here?” Her fingers trailed low, past her hip, and lightly grazed her inner thigh. “Or maybe here.”
She rolled her hips and their eyes met. Juniper held her stare, her knuckle dragging upward between her legs at a glacial pace. Time stood still.
The precipice of curiosity needled with excruciating wanting until she could take no more. “June…”
Juniper’s mouth hooked into a playful grin, perfectly aware she was tormenting her. “Yes…?”
Adriel’s throat tightened at her teasing tone. Emotion rolled through her like a landside, pushing words out of her mouth before she could call them back. “I never knew it could be like this. So soft and pleasant yet so…intense. I heard whispers, but I always assumed they were embellished.”
Noting the tears in her eyes and the way her voice strained, Juniper sat up. “Hey, don’t cry.”
Embarrassed, Adriel wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s come over me. It’s as if you’ve loosened something that’s been lodged in my chest for hundreds of years.” She rubbed a hand over her heart where it hurt. “This is nothing like I imagined. Nothing like I remember.”