Illusion

Chapter 28

Harry's POV

Her head is nestled against my shoulder, her long hair tickling my neck.

The inky sky is slowly fading to a light indigo, the sun getting close to rising. The morning dew is thick in the air and the birds are just beginning to chirp.

My hazy mind feels slow, my eyelids heavy and vision blurry from not having slept.

But I couldn't.

Not when they could come at any moment.

I'm honestly surprised they haven't found us yet. I mean, we're literally sitting in the open, in front of the most likely place she'd go.

But I just couldn't leave. What if I had dropped her off, and then they broke into her apartment. They're probably watching us right now and know that I'm protecting her.

My tired gaze flicks down to her chocolate halo, her features squished against the sleeve of my shirt. Her body is swimming in my blazer, but at least she's warm. I wasn't just going to let her just freeze to death in that drape of deep plum silk. I swallow thickly, remembering how she walked down the stairs, her eyes locked with mine.

I honestly didn't expect her to stay out with me all night, especially after what happened. What happened...

My stomach flips the second my recurring thoughts linger back to it.

She kissed me.

And oh my God did she taste good.

Like something sweet. Something resembling... strawberries. The corners of my lips quirk up as I remember the taste.

Her lips, soft against mine, but so rough in their urgency. The way she opened her mouth, inviting my tongue in.

My jaw dropped, my body froze, when she mouthed those words to me. Sure, I'd said them to her only minutes earlier, but that was when we were exposed, hiding in plain sight. This seemed different.

And I'm not denying that when I kissed her in public, I did slightly enjoy the way she arched her neck for me, perhaps playing into the whole 'distracted' act a little too much. But my lips happily obliged with her eager actions, lapping and sucking at her neck eagerly.

I forgot how good she tasted.

The way her hands gripped my hair, my body heating up as she subconsciously grinded against me. I don't even think she realised what she was doing. Her body gave in to mine with as little as a kiss to her jaw. Almost as if she was ready for me before my lips met her neck.

I think back to how she leaned into me when we danced. My heart skips a beat remembering the way she twirled under my arm, are eyes alight in wonder, her lips parted in delight.

I don't know why I felt such a strong, overwhelming urge to step in when I saw her with that Australian prick. I don't even dance. But when I saw how close his lips were to her neck, something just came over me.

My eyes darken thinking about his hands on her hip, the way he pressed his body against hers. My blood feels hot and my jaw is flexing as the image replays in my mind.

But... for some reason there's a small spark of satisfaction.

Not from knowing that his hands were on her body. But because when he leaned into her, she leant away, even if she didn't realise it herself. I watched as her eyes remained open, as if she wasn't really sure what was happening.

I try to supress my smile as I think of how much she changed when it was me leaning into her, pressing her chest against mine.

It was as if her body was gasoline and I'd just lit her on fire. Her hands couldn't grip my hair hard enough. Her neck couldn't arch further enough. Her eyes couldn't shut tight enough. And we were supposed to be faking it.