Chapter 824: You
"I want you."
"You’re not ’just you.’"
Each phrase sent a shiver down her spine, making her stomach twist into a knot of nervous excitement. She could still feel the warmth of his hands cupping her face, the intensity in his gaze as he spoke those words to her—words she never expected to hear. They had been so raw, so real, that even now, hours later, her heart wouldn’t stop racing.
She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling, her mind replaying the conversation over and over like a movie she couldn’t turn off. Every little detail came rushing back—the way his voice had softened when he reassured her, the gentle pressure of his thumb tracing her cheek, the way his breath had mingled with hers when their foreheads touched.
And then, of course, there was that moment.
Her face flushed hot as she remembered the awkwardness that followed his ’confession’, "Fortify your defenses," he’d said and then....he’d kissed her, taking her lips...
It wasn’t rushed or overwhelming, but slow and deliberate, like he was savoring every second. His lips had met hers with a tenderness that caught her off guard, sending a jolt of electricity through her body. She had frozen for a split second, her heart hammering in her chest, before melting into the kiss. The world seemed to blur around them, her senses narrowing down to just him—the warmth of his mouth, the faint taste of mint on his breath, the way his fingers gently tangled in her hair as if he couldn’t bear to let her go.
Her body had responded instinctively, her hands gripping the front of his shirt as she leaned into him, completely surrendering to the moment. It was as if nothing else existed but the two of them, wrapped in each other’s warmth. And for that brief, breathless stretch of time, she had felt something close to being exhilerated.
But then, as quickly as the kiss had started, it ended. Cai pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, his gaze soft yet intense, like he was searching for something. And whatever he’d found had made him pull back as he placed a small kiss on the corner of her lips," Lets’ go back."