Chapter Seventeen - The First Time His Mouth Found Hers
1058 Words
The moment stretched between them, silent and heavy in the best way.
Ronan stood still, his hand brushing against Evelyn’s cheek, his breath mingling with hers in the narrow space between their bodies.
The quiet hum of the garage faded, the scent of oil and summer heat disappearing beneath the thunder of her heartbeat.
Evelyn looked up at him—wide-eyed, lips parted, chest rising and falling in soft, shallow waves. She wasn’t afraid.
She was ready.
So Ronan leaned in.
Not all at once.
Not like a man giving in to hunger.
But like someone handing over something sacred.
His lips brushed hers softly—just once. A test. An offer.
She leaned in the slightest bit more.
And that was all the permission he needed.
He kissed her fully then.
Slow. Controlled. Barely open.
His lips moved against hers with careful pressure, coaxing her mouth to follow, to explore. To learn.
He wasn’t just kissing her—he was teaching her.
Evelyn’s fingers gripped the edge of his shirt, her body stiff at first from nerves. But when his other hand settled at her waist—warm and strong and not demanding—she melted into the moment.
He deepened the kiss just enough to show her how it could feel. How he liked it. A little firmer, a little slower. When her lips opened slightly in response, he gave a low hum of approval that vibrated down her spine.
“That’s it,” he murmured against her mouth. “Just like that.”
She gasped softly at the praise, which only made his grip at her hip tighten a little.
He kissed her again—longer this time.
And she followed.
Picked up on his rhythm.
Let him show her how to tilt her head, how to part her lips just enough, how to let their breaths tangle in a way that made her stomach flutter and her knees feel unsteady.
She was a quick learner.
Too quick.
Because when she let out a soft sound in the back of her throat and pressed just a little closer—boldly, bravely—Ronan’s restraint thinned.
His hand slid around her lower back. His other tilted her chin ever so gently, guiding her mouth to exactly where he wanted her.
He kissed her like a man who knew exactly how he liked to be kissed—and was now sharing the secret.
And Evelyn?
She matched him, breath for breath.
When they finally pulled apart, her lips were swollen, her breath shaky, and her eyes wide with something deeper than shock.
Wonder.
She whispered, “That was my first real kiss.”
He touched her cheek with the backs of his fingers, voice low and hoarse. “You sure as hell didn’t kiss like it.”
She smiled then. Small. Glowing.
“I had a good teacher.”
He leaned in, brushing her forehead with his lips.
“You have no idea how hard it is not to push further right now.”
She swallowed, still breathing hard. “I want to learn more.”
Ronan closed his eyes at that.
But when he opened them, they burned with something dangerous and beautiful.
“Then I’ll teach you,” he whispered. “When you’re ready.”
By the time Evelyn made it back inside, her legs still felt a little unsteady.
Not from nerves.
Not from fear.
From him.
From that kiss that had unraveled something inside her and stitched it back together all at once.
She headed straight for the lounge where Jules had promised she’d be—and sure enough, there she was, sprawled out on the couch like she owned it, flipping through a fashion catalog and snacking on red licorice.
The second Jules saw Evelyn’s face—flushed, lips a little pinker than usual, eyes full of that shell-shocked glow—she sat up straight and pointed.
“Oh. My. God.”
Evelyn tried to suppress a smile, but it broke through anyway as she collapsed into the cushion next to her.
Jules grinned like a kid on Christmas morning. “Talk. Now.”
Evelyn took a breath, then whispered, “We kissed.”
Jules’s jaw dropped. “Finally! Holy hell, that man’s been walking around like a caged animal since you showed up.”
“It was slow,” Evelyn said softly, her voice dreamy. “Careful. He let me learn. Like he was showing me… how to kiss him. How he liked it.”
Jules placed a hand dramatically over her heart. “He taught you? Oh girl, you just unlocked the holy grail of slow-burn fantasies.”
Evelyn laughed, the sound light and full of disbelief. “I can’t believe I did it.”
“I can. You’re waking up, Evelyn. You’re starting to see what the rest of us already knew.”
She raised a brow. “Which is?”
“That you’ve got a whole-ass vixen inside you just waiting to take the wheel.” Jules nudged her playfully. “And now that Ronan’s had a taste? I guarantee you that man is counting the minutes until your next lesson.”
Evelyn blushed. “He said he’d teach me more… when I’m ready.”
Jules wiggled her brows. “Oh honey, he’s going to teach you so much more. That man doesn’t half-ass anything. He’s going to take his time showing you exactly how to be touched. Where to be kissed. What gives you those spine-tingling, toe-curling, holy s**t kind of orgasms.”
Evelyn buried her face in her hands, laughing. “Jules!”
“What? I’m just saying, your future is looking very promising. And I’m proud of you.”
Evelyn peeked out from behind her fingers. “For what?”
“For being brave. For going to him. For following what you want. That’s not just sexy, Evelyn. That’s powerful.”
Evelyn smiled, softer now. “I didn’t know I had that in me.”
Jules leaned back with a wink. “You always did. You just needed the right man to bring it out.”
And Evelyn—still tasting the memory of Ronan’s mouth, still feeling the warmth of his hands on her skin—knew Jules was right.
She was no longer just surviving.
She was becoming.
- Writer
