LOCKDOWN

Chapter 19

PEYTON'S POV

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Zara was running towards me, a blazing look in her eyes. She leapt onto me threw her arms around me, her legs wrapping around my waist. I caught her around her middle, hugging her tightly as she clung onto me, and without thinking, without considering the consequences or the aftermath, I kissed her.

The moment my lips met hers, it was as if an explosion of ecstasy was released into my bloodstream. It flooded my body in seconds, and my previously cold body was now searing with an intense heat that was unmatched by anything I had ever felt before.

I swallowed her surprised gasp as my lips met hers, and I wasted no time in deepening the kiss and pulling her body as close to me as I possibly could. No matter how tightly we clung to each other, it could never be close enough. I was gripping her desperately, never wanting to let her go. The past twenty four hours without her proved to me just how much I needed her. I pushed my tongue gently, yet urgently, against her lips and heard her sigh, using that moment to push my tongue into her mouth. She responded with enthusiasm, her tongue meeting mine with equal urgency. Her hands moved to the back of my head and she gripped my hair tightly, pulling at it as we continued to devour each other. All of the words we had never said; the unspoken feelings, the tension, all of it was pouring out into this kiss.

I moved my hands from around her back to under her legs, squeezing the toned flesh gently. She gasped again, gripping my hair tighter and deepening the kiss even more. I didn't move my hands further — this kiss was unlike any I had ever felt. Sex wasn't even on my mind, all that mattered in that moment was her, and her lips on mine.

I couldn't tell you how long we kissed for, it could've been minutes, or it could've been years. Time ceased to exist in that moment as our lips continued to assault one another's, our hands desperately holding each other as if fearing we would disappear.

We broke apart, and I pressed my forehead against hers, breathing heavily. Her eyes were still closed as she gasped for breath, her perfect lips swollen from our passionate embrace. I lowered her slowly to the ground, still pressing my forehead gently against hers. I kept my hands on her hips, gripping her softly, still not wanting to let go.

She finally opened her eyes, striking twilight blue meeting brown. Her eyes were bloodshot and glimmered in the reflection of the streetlights outside, only illuminating the fierceness of the colour further, and I could see the remnants of tear tracks staining her flushed cheeks.

"You've been crying," I stated softly, removing one hand from her hip to wipe away the tear tracks from her face. She sniffed softly, gripping the front of my shirt tightly as I cradled her face in my hand.

"I was so worried," she choked out, gulping loudly. "I thought you'd been shot."

Zara looked absolutely shattered as she relayed the past twenty four hours to me. She explained how she had called my phone and not gotten any response. How she had called the hospital and discovered that I had dropped off the medication on time. How she had seen the news of a civilian execution on TV. I hadn't considered just how much she would've been suffering here alone, being kept entirely in the dark and unable to contact me.

I stroked the side of her face as she leant into me further, not wanting to let go. "I'm so sorry you went through that, but I'm here now. I'm safe," I said, pulling her against my chest in another tight embrace.

Dennis suddenly came clambering down the stairs as fast as his lanky legs would take him, skidding on the floor as he bounded towards us. Zara stepped out of the way, allowing Dennis to pounce on me, his front legs resting on my shoulders as he attacked my face with slobber.