Evaline:
River kissed me like he was breathing for the first time in forever... like he had been starved of air, of warmth, of everything that had once grounded him, and I was the only thing in the world that could fill the void.
The moment his lips pressed against mine, the world fell away. My heart raced, my pulse hammered in my throat, and the faint walls I had built over hours of frustration and pride crumbled like brittle glass.
Every stroke of his tongue, every press of his lips against mine, demanded surrender. It was not a gentle kiss. It was insistent, possessive, overwhelming, and I felt my body betray my stubborn mind.
All the control I had built up - the careful walls of pride, of reason, of fear - slipped from me like water through clenched fingers. My body yielded to him completely, almost instinctively, while my mind clung to the one thread of clarity I could muster... I still needed to be in control, if only in the smallest ways.
