Chapter 15: Not to Talk

He stopped just inside the door and did not touch me.

"Say what you want," Seth said. "All of it. I'll do exactly that and nothing else."

My heart was going hard, and I made myself go slowly.

"I want you to kiss me first," I said. "Properly, not on a cold sidewalk."

He crossed the room in three steps and stopped with his hands at his sides, a breath from my face.

"Okay yes?" he asked.

"Yes."

He put one hand along my jaw, and the other low on my back, and he kissed me.

It was slow for about two seconds.

Then I got my fingers into his shirt, and it stopped being slow at all.

He tasted like the hotel's bad coffee and something under it that was only him.

I pulled him in until his body pressed against mine.

He made a low sound into my mouth, and I felt it in my knees.

"Tell me where else," he said against my neck.

"Here."

I put his hand on my waist, under my sweater, and he spread his fingers across my bare skin.

His palm was hot.

I had not known how much I wanted to be touched until somebody asked where.

"Here," I said, and moved his hand up my ribs.

"Here?"

"Yes. Seth, yes."

He pushed the sweater up and over my head, and I let him.

I stood in front of him in my bra with my arms at my sides.

I wanted to cover myself, out of old habit, and I did not.

He looked at me for a long time, and his face was open and hungry.

"You're staring," I said.

"I'm allowed to stare. You said everything."

"I did."

"Then tell me how long I get."

"As long as you want," I said. "But I want to look at you too."

He laughed, shaky, and pulled his shirt off with one hand.

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