As Jared looked down at her with an expression of curiosity softened by something tender, Jerica's apprehension faded. His eyes sharpened as he took in her surroundings, like he was absorbing another part of her he hadn't known. "This was always your room?" he asked, his voice low, a hint of reverence woven through it.
"Yes, as long as I remember," she murmured, slipping her hands behind his neck and drawing him closer. Her fingers tangled in his hair, tugging him gently as if he might disappear if she let go.
Their lips met in a kiss, one that poured her longing and all the nights she had imagined him like this, warm and near, as her insatiable fire finally found its spark. Her heart surged with the familiar ache she'd tried so long to ignore, the fire in her reigniting with a burning need only he could quench.
