Page 21 of One Rule
It’s seconds before the words tumble out of me and emotions fill each line…
A single taste of you will never be enough.
You stole my heart.
Chapter7
Liliana
EIGHTEEN CANDLES…
“Happy birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you…” a voice croons near my ear and I jump, whirling around to face the culprit. Because I’d know that voice anywhere, missed him today, and yet nothing matters more than enjoying him this close. His scent envelops me, and it takes everything ounce of my almost nonexistent self-control not to lean in closer. To not nuzzle my face against his chest and drown in the moment. “Happy eighteenth birthday, you pretty little rebel.”
“You’re never going to let that go, are you?” I groan as a small smile tugs at my lips. It’s also a deflection; I’d rather let him think I’m embarrassed than let him know the truth…
That he affects me. That my heart beats for him.
“Not a chance in hell.” Lifting a hand, he brings it toward my dark hair and gives the beachy waves a tug. He doesn’t let go of the strand after like he’d typically do. Instead, Micah wraps it around a long digit while exhaling roughly. “It’s one of my fondest memories.”
A step closer. He’s invading my personal space.
“Where have you been? And are you serious?” All day, I’ve been searching for him—hoping to be gifted one of his warm hugs—but for the first time since we met, Micah let me down. A part of me is a little disappointed he wasn’t here to cut my cake or join the party, but I still smile at him and it’s genuine.
He’s nodding before I’m done with my questions. “Meetings with the old man and a few vendors. And two, that day you cemented your legacy at our high school for being an anarchist.” Amusement comes through his tone, but there’s also something that feels a lot like pride. Like he loved the little rebellion I accidentally caused the entire student body to join. I was mad at the faculty for the unjust ten-day suspension of a friend of mine for simply defending herself from a man who made her uncomfortable.
She told him to fuck off amongst other colorful things, and the staff member who heard her never thought to get the whole story. Not because this office employee was a bad person, but because they didn’t think past what they saw as disrespect toward an adult who was simply there to make a scheduled delivery to the cafeteria at our expensive institution.
My friend wasn’t being a brat. She wasn’t looking down at this man because of a tax bracket.
No, she was a sixteen-year-old girl who didn’t like the way he looked or spoke to her and told him just that in a very colorful way. And I made sure the entire school knew how I felt, which created an avalanche. One person told another, and soon we were all out of class and protesting.
I might have hacked the office computers too.
I might have made it so they couldn’t do anything but look at the screen replaying a donkey's ass for two days.
“But Nessa was back the next day with a full apology, and the man was reported to his company.”
“She was.” His beautiful blue eyes soften. “You did so good.”
“Thank you.” Heat sweeps across my skin, but this time it’s because he’s released my hair and is now tracing the same finger down my arm. Goosebumps rise and a shiver runs down my spine, one I can’t disguise as anything but what it is: his effect on me. “Too bad you guys had graduated by then…wait. How did you find out so quickly?”
One minute I was chanting with the crowd, and the next I had a human shield on each side. Lionel and Micah had appeared out of nowhere and the principal who had been shouting threats, demanding we return to class or else, backed off.
No repercussions. The entire staff at the school was mandated to attend special training.
“We were in the area.”
“That makes no—” I’m cut off by the sudden feel of his lips. Perfectly warm and soft, Micah slants his mouth over mine, taking from me what I give so easily. What I’ve saved for him; all my firsts are his if he wants them. Every bit of me, and I’ve never been happier with a decision I’vemade.
This was a corruptively earth-shattering moment; I’m left weak-kneed and grabbing onto the front of his white shirt, using him to remain upright. Not that I have to worry as a second later, his strong arm wraps around my back and tugs me closer. One yank and we’re pressed together without any space between us, and I moan at the feel of his chest pressing against mine.
Which makes no sense with our size difference, but then I notice my feet are no longer touching the sand. Micah’s picked me up, one thick arm supporting my weight, and I’ve never felt more delicate. Morehis, and I whimper when his teeth rake down my bottom lip, an action that pulls another moan from me, and he takes advantage of that.
I feel his possessive hunger as he slips his tongue over mine, caressing, while his other hand cups the back of my neck. He angles my head and deepens the kiss, devours me, before exploring every inch of my mouth. His groans vibrate through me, a sound that makes my thighs clench in his hold. That makes me chase his lips and suck a little on the tip of his tongue.
An action he approves of. His following growl and the prominent bulge in his pants are proof of that.
And every one of my processors is on overload, creating a delicious havoc within that in a way settles me. Hard and soft, opposite ends of the spectrum, and yet they complement each other. That’s how this feels.