Less than Perfect, S. J. Evans [classic literature books txt] 📗

her hand against either shoulder of his, pinning him against the couch’s back. “Please,” she pleaded.
He flinched, slightly taken aback. “You want me to kiss you? Right here and now?”
She nodded slowly, ignoring the slight pain it inflicted. “I want you to.”
“Look, as much as I want to kiss you,”—he paused, sighing—“I can’t. You need your sleep and I need to let you have it.”
“No, Jules.” She ran her hands through his tousled hair, biting her upper lip as she stared into his breathtaking eyes. “I don’t want it. As long as I have you, I don’t need it.”
He frowned. He was holding her carefully by her hips, making sure she didn’t slip. “You do Skye, you really do,” he insisted. “But if you want a kiss this badly, I guess I’ll have to make an exception.”
She smiled, pulling herself closer to his face. Before she could kiss him though, Jules pressed a finger against her lips and raised a brow.
“If, if

you promise

to get some sleep afterwards,” he added.
She rolled her eyes.
“I’m serious.”
“Jules,” she whispered. “I promise.”
“Good,” was all he said before he cupped his hands around her face and kissed her—a soft, gentle kiss. After a few more kisses, each with more passion and aggression, Jules pulled away, breathing heavy. His hands were at the small of her back, holding onto her. He smiled, kissing one last time with a small brush of the lips.
“I have to admit,” he breathed. Their foreheads were touching, each of them staring at each other with smiles on their faces. Brushing his lips over Skye’s ear, he murmured, “You’re a great kisser.”
Skye blushed, a bright pinkish red, and caught up with her own breathing. She couldn’t help but notice his touch, his smell, his taste—she noticed everything about him. And everything about him warmed her from the inside out, creating such a wave of security that it washed away all of her problems. She only had Jules to think about.
“Jules,” she whispered again. “Stay with me?”
He caressed her face, sighed. “Forever,” he mumbled.
She traced his jawline with her finger, feeling the smooth of his skin as a reminder that he really was real. He really was hers. “No. I mean, stay with me,” she repeated. “Tonight.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
He blinked heavily, grinning. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” she confirmed.
Taking her hands in his, he kissed her knuckles, spreading shivers across her arms, and mumbled something inaudible. “I’ll bring you to bed, trouble,” he whispered.
She knew, in that moment, that everything was real. Jules cared about her more than she could ever imagine; and that in itself was worth more than anything in the world to her. And with each passing moment they spent together, she couldn’t help but love him more and more. She needed him just as much as she needed air. She needed him to survive. He, and only he

, was her lifeline.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she let him lift her up and carry her upstairs. She leaned into him, as far as she could, and breathed in his scent, to treasure it forever. She wanted to remember everything about him for as long as she lived. And though in some ways, she knew she barely knew him, she had never been closer and more in love with anyone in her entire life. She cared about him with everything she had.
As he brought her into her room, she unclasped her hands and trailed them down along his shirt, grabbing onto it the moment he stopped walking. She didn’t want to let go of him. He’d never said he would stay, and it was slowly beginning to occur to her that he could leave. Groaning, she tightened her grip on his shirt and shook her head.
“Please don’t let go,” she begged. Vaguely, she realized he was laying her on the bed, her grip still on his shirt.
“I have to,” he whispered. “But I’m not going to leave you, Skye. I’ll stay beside you, as long as you want me to.”
Slowly releasing his shirt, she opened her eyes and scooted away from the edge of the bed. She searched for his face, found it, and smiled. “Please do” was all she said before her eyes went heavy, the world went black around her, and everything fogged out into a lazy mist of darkness. Sleep finally captivated her, only to release when the right time came.

The Dangers of Security

Morning came in a gray and gloomy fog. Skye, having been lost in a peaceful slumber, started stirring shortly passed ten, her once restless spirit tamed. Her eyes were heavy, unwilling to open as her mind drifted away from the enchantment of her dreams. Her mind was in-between reality and dreamland when she first came to, her body calm and tranquil.
Peeling her eyes open, she opened her mind to the reality around her. The light in the room was dim; the only illumination came from the windows, pouring in gray light from the fogginess of past rain. She took one long, deep breath, pulling the covers closer to her chest. The security of the blanket calmed her, gave her something to hold onto. But when she remembered all of the events from the night before, she realized she was not alone.
Warm breath was caressing the back of her head, instantly sending chills down her spine. It wasn’t from the cool of her room, she knew, but from his

presence so near. Jules had stayed with her all night. He stayed even when he could have left.
Slowly and carefully, trying her best not to wake him, she turned herself around to face him. The moment her eyes met his sleeping face, a small smile crawled up the corners of her mouth. Her body tingled, shivered, moved by the sight of him. He looked peaceful, Skye thought, as peaceful as a sleeping child. He wasn’t a child of course, but he looked much younger while asleep.
His breath bathed her face then, brushing across her skin. She propped herself up on her elbow, watching him in content. She could watch him for hours, days

, all the while perfectly content. All she wanted was him, by her side, always and forever. It wouldn’t matter whether he was there to mingle with her or not. Being in his presence, so near, was all she could desire.
He lay on his side, body facing hers, both hands lazily placed beside him. One hand was close to Skye, as if it had once held her but had fallen at some point in time. His breathing was quiet, a sweet sound in her ears. In that moment, all of the past slipped away, leaving her in the beautiful present with a man she couldn’t have stronger feelings for. She wanted to stay away from the past, to be free and live for the future. And she knew that only one person could help her, revive her. Jules

.
Gently, she intertwined her fingers with his, sighing. Warmth spread throughout her body from the touch, heating her desires to cuddle into him and never let go. She pushed herself towards him, ignoring the fact that he could easily wake up, and kissed him softly, a brush of her lips. Closing her eyes, she brought her lips against his cheek and kissed him.
She felt him stir beside her, the bed creaking under his weight. When she dropped her head against her pillow, opening her eyes, she noticed a small smile on his lips. She bit her lip, smiling.
Ever so slowly, his eyes opened, the emerald pools full of life. “Good morning, trouble,” he whispered. His voice was soothing, breathtaking—the perfect mixture of warm and inviting. His smile grew, his face lit up.
Skye felt him squeeze her hand, holding on tighter. She couldn’t help but smile, wide and lively, enthused by the beauty and care of the boy in front of her. Her heartbeat sped a little, tapping gently against her chest. Her eyes stayed locked with his, relenting to gaze away.
“Good morning,” she replied, a soft response. Her fingers played with his, brushing each other. She pushed herself a little closer, so there was barely any space between them, and let out another long breath.
Caressing her cheek with his free thumb, he smiled wider and pressed their foreheads together, their heads so close they could easily kiss. He didn’t kiss her though, only stared into her eyes and enlaced their fingers together, over and over again. Not a word was spoken, nor a sound made, but the silence was what bound their souls together more, creating a conversation without words from only their eyes.
Pushing herself into him, she kissed him, softly. “You stayed with me,” she breathed. “All night.”
He closed his eyes and nodded, letting out one long breath. “I told you I wouldn’t leave you until you wanted me to, didn’t I?”
“You did,” she confirmed. “Thank you.”
“I wouldn’t have had it any other way,” he said, kissing her forehead. He sat up, pulling Skye in his arms with him. He didn’t let go of her hand as he went, only tightened his grip, giving a reassuring squeeze.
“How long are you going to stay today?” she asked him. Cuddling into his arms, she breathed in his scent, pulling herself as close to him as possible. In all honesty, she knew that she didn’t want him to leave her—she wanted him to stay with her forever. She wanted to feel as secure and safe as he made her feel as long as possible; she wanted to be free and happy with him.
She felt the fall of his chest against her head—the reality that it would be much sooner than she wanted it to be. She felt and heard his heavy sigh. “For a while,” was his reply.
She wrapped her arms around him, dropping his hand, and embraced him in a long hug. It was comforting, cuddling in his arms, speaking with him—it gave her reason to be at peace with the world. It gave her reason to let go of her fear for Johnny. In those moments, nothing else mattered.
“Can you stay until—”
He knew the question, without her even having to finish. “Until