Her lips were warm—no, scorching—like she'd been storing up all her heat just for this moment. The soft, faintly sweet taste of her breath hit me and I swear my knees almost gave out again. If I wasn't holding her waist, I might have collapsed right there.
Tomoko's hands slid up my chest, hesitant at first, then curling into the fabric of my shirt like she was afraid I'd slip away.
Spoiler: I wasn't going anywhere. Not unless an asteroid hit us. And even then… I'd probably hold on until we burned together.
The faint rustle of her tulle dress brushed against my arms as I pulled her closer, until there was no space left between us. Her body was soft—painfully, perfectly soft—pressed against mine. I could feel the subtle curve of her stomach, the rapid rise and fall of her chest, and those lethal thighs shifting ever so slightly against me.
When our lips finally parted, the tiny, breathless sound she made went straight to my brain's danger center.
Danger level: maximum critical.
Her flushed face was so close I could see the fine trembling of her lashes. "Sousuke-kun… your heartbeat… it's so fast…"
Of course it's fast! You show up in that outfit and expect my cardiovascular system to behave like it's a Sunday afternoon stroll?
I let one hand travel from her waist, skimming over the lace edge of the dress until my fingertips brushed the bare skin of her thigh above the stockings. Her whole body twitched at the contact, and I felt her breath hitch against my cheek.
"Tomoko…" My voice was low, rough, the kind that doesn't come from polite conversation but from something much deeper, hungrier. "Do you… have any idea what you're doing to me?"
Her lips curved into that dangerous smile—the one that could probably make a monk break his vows. "Maybe… that was the point…"
Oh, I was done for. Absolutely done for. And judging by the way her fingers tangled in my hair and her body leaned into mine, she knew it too.
I kissed her again, deeper this time, my hand tightening slightly on her thigh. The thin strings at her waist brushed against my knuckles, taunting me with the knowledge that one simple motion could undo the whole deadly ensemble.
I might have done it right then if her soft, whispered "Sousuke…" hadn't made my chest ache in a way that had nothing to do with lust.
This wasn't just heat. It was Tomoko—warm, real, close enough to feel the steady tremble in her body as she clung to me.
Her breathing was uneven now, each exhale brushing warm against my lips. The sound alone was intoxicating. Like the world had narrowed down to just the rhythm of her—the faint, quick inhale, the shiver in her voice when she whispered my name again.
My hand lingered on her thigh, tracing the border where soft, warm skin met the silky band of her stocking. God… that contrast. Smooth heat under my fingertips and cool fabric clinging just tight enough to remind me exactly where I was touching.
Tomoko's legs shifted under my hand, her knees drawing in slightly as if trying to trap the sensation there, to keep me from pulling away. Her body was trembling—subtle, but unmistakable—like she was fighting between holding back and giving in.
Her eyes lifted to mine. They weren't shy now. They were burning.
"I wanted…" she began, her voice barely more than a breath, "…to see your face like this."
My face?
What, this half-crazed, hopelessly addicted expression I was sure I had right now?
Well congratulations, Tomoko. Mission accomplished.
I leaned in, brushing my lips against the shell of her ear, just enough to feel her shiver. "Then keep watching…" I murmured, letting my hand slide a fraction higher.
She let out the smallest, sharpest gasp—half surprise, half something else entirely—and her fingers gripped my shoulders tight. The faint scent of her skin—clean, warm, and just a little sweet—filled my head until I couldn't think straight.
The strings at her waist were still there, mocking me. It would be so easy. A tug, and that impossibly perfect lace-and-tulle miracle would be gone.
But I didn't pull. Not yet. Because right now, the anticipation in her eyes was almost sweeter than the promise of what came after.
Her lips parted, just enough for me to see the soft curve of her breath. "Sousuke…"
I kissed her again—slow, this time. Lingering. Feeling every shift of her mouth under mine, every small, needy sound that slipped past her lips.
My other hand slid to her lower back, pressing her flush against me until I could feel her heartbeat hammering as wildly as mine.
When I finally broke the kiss, she looked wrecked in the most beautiful way—cheeks flushed, eyes half-lidded, breathing fast.
Her body was like a map I'd been dying to trace with my hands. From her shoulders—smooth and delicate under my palms—to the gentle curve of her back, every inch of her seemed to draw me deeper into this haze of heat and want.
My fingers roamed down, feeling the subtle shift of muscle under her skin as she trembled. The lace of her dress snagged lightly against my knuckles, a whisper of texture before I found the bare skin of her hip. She let out a breathy sound—one she probably didn't even realize she'd made—and it only pushed me further.
I skimmed my hand along the slope of her waist, over the curve of her hip, and down the outer line of her thigh. The silk of her stockings was cool to the touch, but just beneath the band… warmth. Real, living heat that sent a shock through me the moment I felt it.
Tomoko's legs shifted again, the movement small but impossible to miss. I glanced up—her eyes were half-closed, lips parted, her breathing faster now. There was no protest there. Only anticipation.
My hand moved inward, fingertips brushing the sensitive skin along the inside of her thigh.
She gasped—soft, high, and utterly devastating—and her knees instinctively pressed together before slowly, hesitantly, parting just enough for me.
And then my palm slid higher, until there was nothing left but that final, forbidden space.
I could feel the heat radiating from her even before I touched her there—an almost electric pulse that made my own breath catch. When my fingers finally grazed that spot, through the thin barrier of lace, her whole body jolted.
"Ah—Sousuke…!" she gasped, her voice trembling in a way that was equal parts shock and need.
Her hips shifted, almost unconsciously, as if trying to chase the contact. My other hand found her waist again, steadying her, holding her there while my touch lingered exactly where she was most sensitive.