Chapter 59: Kiss me [R18+]

Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Kiss me [R18+]

Garrett let the silence hold a moment longer before he actually answered her, wanting to get it right rather than filling the gap just to ease the tension sitting between them.

"Emiliana is still in the picture," he said finally. "I’m not going to tell you otherwise. I like her. That is real."

Freya’s expression stayed carefully still, giving nothing away yet.

"What is between us is complicated," he continued. "More than I can explain cleanly right now. I’m not going to pretend it’s simpler than it is, or make her sound like less than she is just to make this easier for you to hear."

He paused, holding her gaze.

"But what I feel for you is real too. That’s not me trying to have it both ways. That’s just the truth."

He braced for something after that. Hesitation. A step back. Maybe the beginning of her deciding this wasn’t worth whatever complication came attached to it.

None of that happened.

Freya considered his answer for a long moment, quiet, thoughtful, none of the earlier tension left in her posture now.

"I know," she said simply.

Garrett blinked. "You know?"

"That Emiliana matters to you. I’ve known that for a while, Garrett." She shrugged slightly, like the fact wasn’t nearly as complicated to her as it clearly was to him. "I pay attention. I saw the way you two were together that day. I’ve seen it since. I didn’t need you to spell it out for me tonight."

"Then why ask?"

"Because I needed to hear you say it. Out loud. Honestly." She tilted her head slightly, something softer entering her expression now. "There’s a difference between guessing and knowing."

Garrett studied her, still not entirely sure where this was going.

"I like you," Freya said, plainly, no hesitation left in it now. "That didn’t start tonight, by the way. I liked you back before you even knocked on my door asking for notes that you clearly didnt use. I just didn’t say anything, because I wasn’t sure it meant anything yet."

’She knew that all this while?’

"And now?"

"Now I’m pretty sure it does." A small smile pulled at the corner of her mouth, teasing creeping back into her voice. "You’re kind of hard to ignore, you know. Annoyingly composed all the time. Dry sense of humor that shouldn’t be as funny as it is. Cooks better than half the guys I’ve dated." She let that last part land deliberately, watching for his reaction.

Garrett opened his mouth, then found nothing immediately ready to say.

Freya’s smile widened at that, clearly enjoying the rare sight of him without a response lined up.

"I like being around you," she went on, quieter now, more sincere underneath the teasing. "I like how you treat me. I want to see where this actually goes, even with everything else going on." She shrugged again, lighter this time, like she’d said everything she needed to. "That’s it. That’s my answer."

Garrett still hadn’t managed anything clever, and from the look on her face, she’d noticed exactly that, and was thoroughly enjoying it.

"Okay," she said finally, straightening up, some of her usual composure sliding back into place now that she’d said her piece. "I have my answers. I’ll get going."

"Freya..."

"You can process it," she said, already moving toward the door, glancing back at him with a small, knowing smile. "Take your time. I’m not in a rush."

Garrett stood there watching her back as she proceeded to leave the flat, still working through everything she’d just laid out so plainly, no trace of hesitation in any of it.

Freya’s hand was already on the door when she stopped.

She stood there a second, not turning yet, like she was deciding something for herself before she let him see it.

Then she turned back to face him.

"Kiss me."

Garrett stared at her, certain for a second that he’d misheard. "What?"

"You heard me."

He didn’t move right away, the last few minutes still settling in his head, the conversation, the confession, all of it colliding with the abrupt shift now standing in front of him.

"Are you sure?" he asked, wanting to hear it plainly, wanting there to be no room left for either of them to second-guess it after.

Freya held his gaze, steady, none of the earlier hesitation left in her at all.

"Yes, you heard me right Garrett" Her voice was quiet but certain. "Kiss me."

This time there was nothing ambiguous in it. No small movements he had to interpret, no blanket pulled a little closer to justify what it actually meant. Just her, standing there, choosing this outright, on her own terms, in her own time.

Garrett crossed the space between them.

He reached up, fingers brushing lightly against her jaw the way they had earlier, though this time there was no hesitation left in either of them to slow it down. Freya’s eyes stayed on his for one more second before finally closing, and Garrett leaned in.

The kiss was slow. Soft, careful, neither of them rushing it despite how quickly the moment had arrived. Her hand came up to rest lightly against his chest, not pushing this time, just resting there, steady.

Their lips met passionately like Freya had urgently been waiting on this for a very long time.

He deepened the kiss, tilting his head slightly with one hand sliding from her neck down her back till both hands rested on her waist.

His arm slid around her waist, settling just above her lower belly. His hand slid upwards, reaching for her delicate neck and pulling her forward.

"You’re being a bad girl, Freya..." Garrett whispered near her ear.

His breath brushed against her neck as heat rose visibly across her skin.

Her breathing turned hurried.

"I can’t help it..."

Her eyes met his and all her hesitation vanished at this moment, replaced only by intensity and hunger.

His fingers slowly traced downward along her thigh, slow and teasing.

Then Garrett reached further downwards to get a feel of Freya’s ass

Freya let out a soft sound against his lips... feeling a pleasurable ting crawl up her body as Garrett’s fingers dug into her ass cheeks cupping them upwards slightly aggressively.

She shivered and then she turned in his arms.

Freya’s fingers gripped his shirt as she leaned into him fully, rising slightly onto her toes.

"Ughh...Ummm"

"Garr...ett"