Daryl King was kissing me like his life depended on it, and I was kissing him back with just as much need and vigor.

What.

The.

Actual.

Hell?

Unable to stop the tears from spilling, I clung to him like my life depended on it, needing the feel of his skin on mine in this moment to ground me, as our lips moved in a crazed frenzy of feelings emotions. I needed the feel of him to remind me that we were both still here, and that we had survived a cataclysmic tragedy.

Yes, I was still hurt and licking my wounds over the fact that I'd been invisible to him for two years, but that was so miniscule in comparison to the colossal sacrifice he'd made the night he risked his life to save mine.

It was so miniscule in comparison to way I felt when I was in his arms.

So wanted.

So safe.

So loved…

With his one hand cupping the back of my neck, Daryl reached down and grabbed my thigh, hoisting me upwards, as his continued to kiss me into reckless submission.

Like the habit of a lifetime, I followed the boy blindly, wrapping my legs around his waist, and clinging to his neck, as he led me down a dangerous abyss with his both his lips and tongue.

My back hit the wall and a lust-filled moan escaped my lips when I felt him press hard against me, grinding his narrow hips between my spread thighs, and making my eyes roll back with erotic sensation.

Keeping me pinned to the wall with his hips, he slid his free hand under my shirt and traced every uneven curve and groove on my scarred flesh.

He moved with a precision and expertise that was almost worrying. Boy knew exactly what he was doing and that made the innocent in me fumble and squirm.

A huge part of me wanted to scream 'I love you' at the top of my lungs and tear and pull at the horrible layer of clothes that kept his body from mine. But an even bigger part of me wanted to run and hide from the pain of rejection that was sure to follow once Daryl came to his senses and stopped this madness.

Keeping one hand on my throat, Daryl continued to kiss me hard and reckless, giving me his tongue, while taking more of my heart with every thrust of his hips. It was too much.

"I've wanted to do this since we were kids," he growled against my lips, his alcohol scented breath making me drunker than I already was. Or maybe I was just drunk on him. I didn’t know and I couldn’t think too much about it. I was too invested in the way his body felt pinning mine.

My hands were in his hair, cradling my face, as his lips devoured mine. His tongue was dueling with mine, our bodies flush together, as my heart threatened to escape my ribcage. "Do what?"