Free Convincing Constance (The Blow Hole Boys) by Tabatha Vargo

lips , and he used thick fingers to brush my hair from my face. When had I started sweating? I hadn’t even realized there was moisture dripping down my cheeks, making my hair cling to my face.
    My teeth began to chatter like I was cold, and I could feel myself caving in. My legs got weak beneath me and I collapsed. I’d never been a girlie girl. Just the thought of falling or fainting disgusted me, but I couldn’t control it.
    Instead of hitting the floor, I felt two strong arms catch me and lower me to the floor. I couldn’t even fight him off. I’d never felt more like an idiot in my life. I lay there in his arms while he whispered reassuring words to me and moved my hair from my face.
    “Shhh, it’s okay. They’ll be here soon. We haven’t been stuck long. Just breathe,” he whispered.
    “I f -feel s-so s-stupid,” I stuttered. “I’m s-sorry.”
    “Don’t be. This is fine for me. I don’t hate holding you like this.”
    His words somehow made it through my panic and caught me off guard. I couldn’t help but turn my face toward his.
    He stared down at me with a sweet smile on his face. He lips hovered right above mine. I hadn’t realized how close we were. We looked each other in the eyes, until he broke the stare and his eyes dipped down to my mouth.
    He looked back into my eyes and his cheeks turned pink when he realized I’d seen him looking at my lips. I wasn’t hyperventilating anymore, but a new set of nerves set it. It had been years since I’d been that close to man, and while I should have been scared shitless, I felt safe in his arms.
    I felt him tense beneath me and begin to pull away, and I reacted quickly. Anything to get my thoughts off of being stuck in the fucking elevator. Tony seemed to be doing the trick since my panic attack was slowly dissolving.
    Leaning up, I pressed my lips against his. He gasped and pulled back before pressing his mouth harder against mine. Everything around us went away. Like in those cliché movies where the background gets blurry and fades away. I hated to admit it, but I was a part of that cliché, because everything did get blurry and everything did fade away.
    His fingers got lost in my hair, and I’d never been gladder I hadn’t braided it. They felt amazing. His finger would brush my ear before working its way down the side of my face. It sent chills down my body. Moving myself in his arms, I pressed my body closer to his. He released the side of my face and gripped my hip , pulling me onto him. I gasped at the sensation that flew through me, giving him entry into my mouth.
    His tongue flicked mine and I flicked back, pressing my tongue against his and throwing myself into the kiss completely. The sound he made traveled into my mouth and shot straight down into my panties.
    I kissed him back hard, enjoying the freedom of doing so without panic or fear. He tasted unique, like mint and something creamy and sweet. His facial hair tickled my palm as I ran my fingers across his cheek. Moving my hand down, the thick muscles in his arm flinched when I grabbed on.
    He broke the kiss to catch his breath and looked down at me , confused, before he buried his face in my neck and began to suck the soft skin beneath my ear. I dropped my head back to give him more space and enjoyed his mouth against me.
    My hand drifted down until I felt his hard chest beneath my fingers. He was so hard, so strong, and I wanted to feel every inch of him. Letting my hand fall f arther, I felt the moment everything changed. He froze beneath me and his lips stopped their sweet torture. Reaching for my hand, he pulled it from his body, brought it to his lips for a sweet kiss, and then frowned down at me.
    “We have to stop ,” he said breathlessly.
    His words were a force. One that sent a red blush of embarrassment down my body. It shook me and made me feel like I was moving. It wasn’t until he released me and moved away that I realized it wasn’t me, but the elevator as it made