First Punch ➟ Kellic

T H I R T Y F O U R

"Okay, I'm calling now so cut it out," he demands, kissing me one last time before shuffling over to the phone that's on my side of the bed. He hovers over me as he dials, holding the receiver to his ear.

I follow his orders, keeping my lips to myself no matter how much his bare chest tempts me. I can't help myself from admiring him though, my hands resting on his waist and my thumbs delicately tracing his curves. I smile as I see goosebumps spread on his skin. I don't even listen to what he's saying because I'm so focused on his body.

"Okay, thanks. Bye," he finishes, hanging up. He turns to me and takes my hands, laying them on either side of my head as he laces our fingers together. "You have to stop that." His voice is low, rumbly and it sends shivers down my spine.

"Why?" I ask, biting my lip as I continue to check him out.

"Because," he mumbles, "It's hard to..." he stops himself, looking as though he doesn't want to finish his sentence. I want to hear this though, so I play with his fingers, shooting him a look I can't even explain and he spills. "To control myself."

I smile, lifting my head to kiss him, but he moves away. I frown, confused. Why is he suddenly so hesitant?

"We shouldn't," he says, letting go of my hands and rolling off of me. I sigh, hating when he says that. What's stopping him? We need to take advantage of this alone time.

"What's wrong?" I wonder, rolling on top of him and brushing my nose against his.

Jake has this hesitant expression on his face, looking from one of my eyes to the other. "I...I don't want to hurt you."

I blush at his words, convinced that he's the sweetest human to ever exist. I press my lips to his, trying to show him how much I care about him. He kisses me deeply, giving me butterflies, his hands gently resting on my back as our lips move together slowly.

My hands slide down his chest and I finally pull away to say, "Baby..." my voice light as I brush some hair from his face. "You're not gonna hurt me."

Jake still looks worried, not moving and just staring at me. "I don't know... Last night was amazing, but today...it's gonna be...different...for you."

I try not to smile, knowing how serious he is and it's honestly so cute. His fingers tap lightly against my skin, making me shiver. He's been so careful and gentle with me lately, it's adorable but also frustrating. I shouldn't have to beg my boyfriend for sex, so I sigh, giving up.

I brush my lips against his, looking into his eyes one last time before kissing him deeply. "You're right," I whisper against his lips, pressing my lips against his harder. "We'll wait." I pull away, getting off of him. "I'm gonna go shower, okay?" Jake nods, kissing my hand before letting me go.

I quickly clean myself, feeling whatever was left of last night's activities wash away. My mind sinks into worry as I think about the world outside of this hotel. Lucas is freaking out. Carter disowned me. Both Jake's and my life are a mess, but I try to remind myself that for now everything's okay. Jake and I are safe. We're happy. The rest can wait.

When I finish up, I'm feeling more confident about things. I quickly dry myself off and put the robe back on, tying it loosely around my waist as I head back into the main room. I walk toward the bed, smiling as I see Jake relighting the last few candles, the room glowing again. He glances over at me, double taking and focusing on where the robe lay open, revealing my chest.