The Assignment

Chapter 9

Only the sound of Joey's and my breathing and the rapid pounding of our hearts could be heard in the darkness. Joey had turned the light off and just a glimmer of moonlight shown through the window to our right. His eyes captured mine in an intense gaze and I was frozen. I couldn't look away. Streaks of ocean blue and turquoise melted together to create a bold color I'd not yet had the pleasure of getting lost in. His forearms rested on either side of my head, propping himself up. Our position wasn't the most comfortable. He still had one leg hanging off the bed and I felt slightly squished under the weight of his body. As if he could hear my thoughts, Joey repositioned himself, making us both more comfortable, and my legs parted just enough for him to lie between.

"What am I doing?" The words finally left my mouth.

It was a belated response but he didn't care. Even in the dim light, I was sure he could see the blush consuming my face. I watched Joey's eyes as their focus briefly moved to my mouth. His lips parted and I thought he was going to kiss me, but he didn't. Was he dragging it out on purpose, or did he not really want to kiss me?

His right hand twirled strands of my hair between his fingers, his eyes meeting mine again in a paralyzing stare. My breath hitched and what felt like a sudden cold breeze moved through me.

"You're teasing me," he accused.

I started to disagree. I hadn't been initially, but I'd allowed myself to get wrapped up in the moment, I suppose. I'd caved to temptation.

The feeling of his soft dark hair brushing against my forehead made me want to reach up and run my hand through it.

"Am I?" I asked in an alluring tone.

Joey's lips pursed before forming a smile. A smile that could make any woman weak.

"You realize how wrong this is, right?" He cocked an eyebrow, amused.

I knew he was right, but I was focused on brushing that thought to the back of my mind for now. All I could think about – all I wanted to think about - was him. Touching him. Kissing him. Feeling him. Just him.

I boldly snaked my hand between his chest and mine. He raised up a bit, giving me room and watching my actions intently. I courageously placed my hand at the top of my torso, softly grabbing ahold of the fastened button. Staring into Joey's smoldering eyes, I fiddled with the button for a few seconds, undoing it and moving down to the next one. I stared confidently at him, holding his gaze, though my actions were shaky with nerves. He captured my hand in his as I finished unbuttoning the second, halting my movements.

"Jess..." he trailed off with a soft sigh.

I could hear my pulse hammering wildly, waiting for him to speak again. I lightly massaged the back of his hand with my thumb. His lips parted again and his breathing became more labored. I gazed at him in lust, noticing his tongue swipe across his lower lip. A knot had formed in my stomach. A pit of desire and aching need. I craved his kiss again. But I longed for more than that. So much more.

"Joey," I breathed, relaxing deeper into the pillows.

An abundance of potential statements flooded my mind, my emotions on edge and my hormones struggling to override my composure. My free hand lifted to his face, my fingertips brushing over his peppered jawline and lowering to grasp his shirt. He sharply sucked in a breath when he felt me undo the first button. My confidence rose when he didn't stop me. I moved on to the next two buttons, opening up his shirt more and more until I had a stellar view of his chest. Our stomachs pressed together prevented me from opening the rest of his shirt. Joey seemed to read my mind, pushing himself off of me to sit up. My legs were still parted with him sitting between them, and the realization of how close our bodies were sent a shiver down my spine.