His arms continue to wrap around me tightly. One hand remains firmly on my waist, holding me against him, while the other is still on the back of my neck, entwined in my hair, as if afraid I would drift away. But I am not moving away, on the contrary. My body relaxes against his in a way I didn't remember I could feel. The rain is still falling outside, I hear the distant tapping against the windows, but all that is starting to disappear.
There's only Ethan's warmth, his chest pounding against mine, and his lips moving slowly over my neck.
His breath is warm against my wet skin, and every time his lips slide a little lower I feel something strange expand inside me... something soft, deep, as if a door that had been closed for a long time was beginning to open.
My hands, which were stiff
