34

Elise

I PUSHED AWAY from him to get up, but I heard him grunt, and then I realized that my elbows were sticking to his ribs. “Oh!” I adjusted my position. “Sorry.” And I started to get up again.

But his arms tightened around me. He looked winded, but he was smiling. My heart pounded as warmth spread somewhere in the vicinity of my lower abdomen. “Gian…”

“You do know that all that stupid play was to get you exactly where you are right now? Minus this small accident.”

I laughed. “Really? You didn’t plan to bump into my head?”

He sighed. “I know… I should have just kissed you the moment Anna left,” he said, then reached up and pulled me by the nape of my neck so our lips met.

I responded to him right away. As soon as he felt my response, he groaned and kissed me deeper. His mouth opened, and the next moment I tasted the sweetness of the chocolate we had shared in our heated kiss.

I felt warmth permeating my body. His arms released me but his mouth didn’t. He worked his jacket off, kissin