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I could even comprehend what I was doing, before I could question my
judgment, or even my sanity, I found myself floating to where he stood, and
stepped up those three steps, so that I was almost at eye level with him. He
just watched me with those dark, clear eyes, burning a hole straight through my
heart and into my soul.
    I hesitated for only a second, looking him directly in the
eyes, before I pressed my lips against his. He immediately put his hands on my
lower back, pulling me closer, and I found my chest pressed up to him. He
tasted like the most incredible combination of bourbon and mint, his tongue
sneaking its way into my mouth. I let him in, feeling lightheaded from the
sensation of his tongue against mine. I let him lead, groaning into his mouth
when he sucked and licked my bottom lip. We got lost in each other, and I put
my hands on the back of his head, pulling him as close as possible.
    He let a moan escape, and I almost lost it right then and
there. I felt myself being lifted off the stool, and wrapped my legs around his
waist, like it was the most natural thing in the world. He sat me on the
counter, and I knew I was sitting in a pile of flour, but I couldn’t care less.
I just ran my fingers through his hair and let the taste of his mouth assault
my senses. I felt him pull the string that held my hair back, then he grabbed
my hair and wrapped his fingers in it. He kissed me back, just as passionately,
and I didn’t know if I could ever stop. Though I was completely breathless, it
was as if I could finally breathe again.
    I don’t even know how long we kissed like that, alternating
between light, gentle strokes and rough, almost desperate licking and sucking.
Eventually, finally, I opened my eyes, and saw him staring right at me. His
gaze was smoldering, and I immediately felt liquid pool in my panties. I
scooted closer to the edge and felt him nestle right there. It was almost too
much, and judging by his groan, it was almost too much for him too. I nipped at
his tongue, which he’d let into my mouth once again, and I felt him pull me
even closer. There were layers of clothes and uncertainties between us, but I
felt every part of him.
    Eventually he slowed and pulled his mouth away from my own,
but kept his forehead against mine.
    “Mellie,” he said.
    I just hummed against him, relishing the buzz I felt in every
inch of my body. I still had my hands in his hair, and it stood up straight, as
if we’d just done something far more than just kissing. I wasn’t thinking of
who he was to everyone else then, just who he was to me.
    “Mellie,” he said again, his voice hoarse. I didn’t know if I
would ever get enough of the way he said my name; the way he formed the letters
on the tongue he had just assaulted me with. He was breathing deeply, loudly,
as if he were breathing me in.
    “Jackson,” I said back, opening my eyes once again. His eyes
were closed this time, and I could almost see his internal struggle underneath
his eyelids. It confused me. “Jackson,” I said again, pulling my forehead away,
but he still didn’t look at me. “Jackson, what’s wrong?” I pulled my hands from
his hair and pressed them against his cheeks. He turned his head to the left
and kissed my palm.
    “Nothing,” he said, finally opening his eyes. They were still
dark, but there was something else there, something I didn’t comprehend.
“Everything.”
    I pulled my hands away, as if he had literally shocked me
with his words. “What do you mean?”
    “Mellie, I . . .” he said, drifting off, just looking at me.
His hands were on my shoulders, but he wrapped them around me and pulled me to
his chest. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
    “Okay,” I said, trying to force my hands between us to push
him away, but he wouldn’t let me. “What the hell was that about then? Why would
you do that if you didn’t want to?”
    I heard a strangled laugh come from his throat. “Oh believe
me, I