He almost kissed her.
Gray almost kissed her. That was the only thought Violeta’s mind had space for as they made their way, a little unsteady, to a room at the back. She could still remember the rush of euphoria, the adrenaline flooding her bloodstream, his warm breath fanning across her mouth…
Gray took a seat in the circle in an open space. He didn’t dare look at Violeta. He almost kissed her. She hadn’t pulled away from him. Was it okay to be hopeful, that maybe she wanted him to kiss her?
Laura, who had done an excellent job with distracting Josh, was talking to him with an interest in her eyes. Whether she was faking it or not, Gray couldn’t tell. That girl was like a fox.
“Okay, so we’re going to play Rulers and Numbers,” a girl started, setting a jar of craft sticks in the middle. Each stick had one of its end covered. “I’m sure everyone has heard of it, but I’ll go over the rules…”
When she was done, everyone pulled out a stick. Gray got number 7. Laura was stuck with a number 4.
Violeta gravitated immediately towards Rae and Lillian, who were sitting together in the circle. The two embraced her fiercely, babbling incoherently about how relieved they were to see her, but when a girl began to explain the rules of the game they were playing, the chatter died down.
Basically, everyone drew a popsicle stick from the jar in the centre of the circle. Most had numbers scrawled on the bottom, but two had a King or Queen instead. The two people who drew a Ruler got to randomly select two numbers (only you were supposed to know your number), and give them a dare or task to complete with each other.
Sighing softly, Violeta leaned forward and drew a stick. When she turned it over, she saw a beat little 5 inscribed on the bottom end. She did not see Rae, who drew a Ruler, peek at her number, neither did she see Lillian mouth it to Laura from across the circle.
Had Gray not gotten lost in his thoughts, he would have noticed Laura peek at his number and smiling to the other girls.
“Okay, so who’re the Rulers?” Lillian questioned.
Violeta was slightly surprised to see Rae raise her hand. Across the circle, a boy with bright turquoise hair did the same.
The two Rulers conversed for a few minutes, apparently coming up with a few horribly embarrassing ideas, but eventually, they returned to the circle. “Four and ten!” Rae called out, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Josh flinched a little; he was one of the numbers who had been called. “Four, I dare you to put lipstick on ten without using your hands. Who are four and ten?”
Josh raised his hand. “Ten.”
Laura nearly choked on her spit. She glared at Rae, though there wasn’t even a little bit of embarrassment on her features.
“Oh, come on,” she pouted. “You’re so cruel, Rae. I’m four. Does anyone have a lipstick?”
Gray nearly growled, but held it back. Come on, why did it have to be her?
Lillian flashed both Rae and Laura a grin, lifting a stick of crimson lipstick from her pocket and tossing it over to the pink-haired girl. Violeta watched with interest (and amusement) as Josh reddened and shuffled closer to the other girl.
Laura caught the lipstick with ease, scooting closer to Josh. Her eyes darted towards Gray, who merely gave a shrug of his shoulders. She sighed, uncapped the lipstick and looked back at Josh, his reddened cheeks.
She grinned and winked before setting the lipstick between her lips, rested her hands on his shoulders and leaned forward until the tip of the makeup touched his mouth, their noses barely touching.
Then she moved, eyes narrowed in concentration as she tried to put it on using her mouth.
Josh was a blushing mess, his glasses slipping sideways, hands fidgeting anxiously with the bottom of his shirt. Violeta managed to muster a reassuring smile and sent it his way, trying and failing to hide her growing amusement. Meanwhile, Rae was having a field day, struggling to hold back peals of laughter as she watched the two.
When Laura was done, she looked at Josh right in the eyes and, with that same little to no distance between them, smeared the lipstick across his cheek. Then she pulled away, took the makeup from her mouth and offered him a seductive smile.
“You look hot,” she purred, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. “No joke. Maybe I’ll put it on you again, but next time let’s hope it’s just my mouth and nothing else.”
With another wink, Laura settled back into her seat. Gray rolled his eyes at her shameless flirting, but he would be lying if he didn’t notice her secretly wiping her hands on her shirt.
Josh just sat there, his eyes as round and wide as marbles, his face the same colour as the lipstick smeared across his face. Violeta nearly laughed out loud.
The turquoise-haired Ruler, snorting loudly, called out the numbers one and six. A girl and a boy raised their hands; the girl was forced to sit in the guy’s lap for the next three turns. Strangely, neither of them seemed very disappointed by it…
And all of a sudden, Violeta’s number was being called.
“Five and seven! Who are five and seven?” Biting her lip, she raised a hand.
Gray nearly jumped when his number was called. He bit his lip, but maintained a cool facade and raised his hand.
“Seven,” he answered, cocking his head to the side. “That’s me.”
Violeta locked eyes with Gray, heart thumping furiously. All the dares up until now were romantic… what would they have to do? To make matters worse, Rae was looking down at them with the most evil smile twisting her lips…
“I dare you two,” she said slowly, deliberately, “To go into the closet and play Seven Minutes In Heaven. Make out. I’ll set a timer.”
Violeta’s eyes went wide. Immediately, her face exploded into a shade of red somehow more saturated than Josh’s blush… but there was nothing she could do to stop the dare. She stood up, stumbling towards the closet without a word.
Gray’s world nearly stopped upon hearing Rae’s words. Seven Minutes in Heaven. Making out. With Violeta.
He kept his eyes on her the entire time as she walked towards the closet, red in the face before he stood up as well. He pretended not to notice Laura’s thumbs up. Gray was definitely going to use this chance well.
And the second they were inside with the door closed, Gray pressed Violeta to his chest, cupped her cheeks and brought his lips down on hers.
Fireworks exploded through her stomach, a whirlwind of emotions completely and utterly decimating every thought occupying her mind until the only thing left was the earth-shattering sensation of Gray’s mouth on hers.
Violeta’s heart slammed against her rib cage like a desperate bird, struggling to break free. Ecstasy, euphoria, pleasure—all three tore through her bloodstream, flooding her body. At first, she panicked, having no idea how to move her mouth and where to put her hands.
My first kiss.
But Gray’s experienced mouth guided hers with such expert touches that a soft sound was prompted from the back of her throat. Her hands found their way into his hair. Her fingers entangled themselves in the thick strands. She didn’t think, didn’t try to breathe. She just lost herself in the beauty of the miracle she had been given.
Gray.
Gray kissed a lot of women. Whether it was for a short moment or for a relatively long one, he’d kissed them. But kissing Violeta was undoubtedly better than kissing anyone else.
Kissing Violeta was like taking a swim in molten lava. His body was ridiculously hot, his blood boiling, but he continued to soak himself in the thick liquid. The burning desire was driving him insane, but he indulged in it. He savored it.
Kissing Violeta was like taking a walk in a storm. Dangerous, deadly, blinding. He was lost to everything but the feeling of her soft lips pressed against his.
At first, she was sloppy as if she hadn’t either expected the kiss, or if he was her first. The latter satisfied him thoroughly. So Gray moved his mouth against hers, guiding her, his hands lowering until they firmly rested on her waist. They did not go down further than that.
And then she released a small sound that caused something to snap inside of Gray. Her fingers in his hair did not help her case, either.
Gray pushed against her harder, the soft kiss turning passionate. He pushed in all of his feelings inside. The desperation, the love, the heat and intensity. Everything.
And while he devoured her, he hoped she had kissed him back because she wanted to, not because she had no choice.
And Violeta melted in his arms. Her knees went weak, her heart swelled to a bursting point. She would have crumpled against him had she not moved her fingers down to grip his biceps.
“G-Gray—“ she stammered against his mouth, taking a tiny step back and pulling Gray with her, until she had successfully pinned herself between him and it. Gray, Gray, Gray. Her heart practically pounded out his name, singing for him and only him.
Violeta had never experienced anything like this before. This attraction, this passion, this intensity. Pleasure rolled off her body in waves as he continued to devour her until she was dizzy and gasping for breath between kisses. And she nearly fainted right then and there. Gray had his strong hands on her waist and his burning mouth against hers, and he was kissing her with a mouth so full of promises that they spilled from his lips like sweet nectar. Violeta drank them all up, as if silently pledging herself to him.
That was his answer. The way she was kissing him back was the answer he needed. If Gray thought he was in heaven before, he was wrong. This was heaven.
She practically melted in his arms and he held her tighter, lips never pulling away from hers as he did so. And then his name spilled from her mouth and he growled, pressing against her harder. He loved it. Loved her pushed up against him, loved her mouth on his, loved the way she spoke his name. As if it was the only thing on her mind. As if he was the only one in her mind.
When she took a step back, he nearly hissed, but took it easy once he realized she was pinning herself between him and the wall. His heart skipped several beats. He never thought he was going to be this close to her, much less make out with her in a closet. Better yet, he had no idea one day Violeta would be kissing him back with just as much passion as he was.
And she was gasping and mewling against his mouth, driving him over the edge. If he thought he couldn’t get any crazier than this, he was wrong because he had reached a new level.
Gray pulled apart, gasping for breath, eyes still screwed shut. He panted heavily, dizzy and lightheaded from the kiss they’d shared. However, he didn’t let either of them catch their breath before he brought his mouth down on hers again.
”Mine,” he hissed through the kiss, weaving one of his hands into her short hair. It was soft, just as he had predicted. “Violeta. Mine.”
Then he took one of her hands and pressed it against his chest without breaking away from her.
“Yours.”
He could never get enough.
Violeta was overflowing with need and passion, craving his touch like nothing she’d ever wanted before. He was like a drug——no, he was a drug——completely and utterly intoxicating. She gripped him tighter, stopping her fruitless struggle against the waves of euphoria continuously crashing down on her, chasing his mouth with hers even when he pulled away for breath.
But whenever he reconnected their lips, it was like she forgot how to stay in control. She would weaken beneath him, shiver beneath each masterful brush of his mouth, completely helpless to resist the powerful spell he was spinning around her.
It was a miracle she hadn’t passed out yet.
And when he pushed a hand through her hair and uttered two words that sent her tumbling over the edge…. Mine. Yours.
“Y-Yours,” Violeta agreed shakily, gathering a handful of his shirt in her fist. A word she never thought she would say to anyone… “All yours.”
This beautiful world, this new and wonderful reality, was being thrust into her hands, and she never wanted to let it go.
Yours. All yours. Gray never thought he would ever hear those words from Violeta. It still felt like a dream despite everything screaming that it wasn’t. He clung to her, kissing her again and again, never having enough.
Never having enough of her.
He didn’t know what was going on with him, but he wasn’t complaining. If he was losing his mind, he wasn’t complaining. He could lose his mind if it meant being with Violeta.
Finally, he pulled apart from her, lips burning. He panted heavily and pulled her into him, burying his face in the crook of her neck. He breathed her in.
“If this is a dream,” his hot breath fanned across her skin, “Then let me stay asleep.”
Violeta inhaled sharply, her grip on him tightening. “G-Gray—“ she stammered, breathing his name like a prayer, like it was something sacred and holy.
His hot breath on her skin was driving her insane, reeling her closer to the edge. She was playing a dangerous game… and, god, did she intend on losing to him.
“This—This isn’t a dream…” She turned her head, nosing aside a lock of hair on his forehead. “You—You just kissed me. That—That just happened. Does this mean that…?”
His name on her tongue was a dangerous combination. Never had he loved the sound of his own name until it was spoken by her.
“I hope,” Gray breathed her in, kissing her again briefly, lips numb and swollen. “That it means you’re willing to go out with me.”
Her spaghetti strap slipped down her shoulder, so she pushed it back up. Panting heavily, her swollen lips parted, she nodded. “Of course—Gray, what did you think I wanted to do?”
But suddenly, she grew nervous. “We—Can we take this.. slow? I’ve just never done this before with anyone, and I don’t want to…. is that okay?”
Gray cupped her cheeks again. He kissed her on the forehead, her nose, and on her cheeks.
“Yes,” he breathed. “More than okay. Definitely.”
He pressed their foreheads together, eyes closed again. He never wanted to let her go.
“Hey, lovebirds! Time to get out now.”
Violeta’s eyes snapped open. Panting heavily, she forced herself to pull away, though Gray’s presence constantly chipped away at her resolve. After hurriedly flattening down her hair, she stood up on her tip-toes and put her mouth close to his ear. “That was my first…” she whispered, before putting a hand on the doorknob and pushing open the closet door.