𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍 𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐒 | hunger games ✓

chapter 32

━━･❪ 🌸 ❫ ･━━

He tasted of pomegranates, ecstasy, bliss and home.

Caelum let out a soft noise from the back of his throat as Daphne's lips gently folded onto his. Carefully, at first, testing the uncharted waters. In the back of her mind, a chorus of worries echoed through the haze. Will he pull back? Did he change his mind? Are my lips chapped? Does my breath smell weird? Am I not a good kisser?

It all melted to oblivion the moment his arms went around her waist, pulling her close. She could feel his thundering heartbeat, pounding in sync with rapid rhythm in hers.

The kiss quickly deepened, fueled by the years and years of hopeless pining and repressed desire. Caelum had sunken down to his elbows, pulling Daphne atop him. Sparks burst within Daphne's gut as their bodies pressed together, her hands finding themselves woven in his dark hair. Heat streaked through her body, piercing deep into her core.

Daphne felt the bandages beneath his clothes as her legs straddled his waist. She suddenly lifted her weight. "Oh- is your wound okay? After the Cortexes and everything-"

Caelum simply pulled her back down, his lips finding hers once again. "I ripped my stitches, but it was an easy fix," he murmured in between kisses. "It's still quite numb from the ointment. I can't feel anything there."

Daphne chuckled against his lips. "Whatever you say."

Daphne had imagined how it would feel to kiss Caelum Caflisch for the past six years. Although she hadn't expected it to happen when they were dressed in old, dusty, bloodstained clothes, to actually do it felt almost unreal. His petal-soft lips were locked against hers, his hands were exploring the planes of her back, his body was firm and warm beneath her. This is real. Yet she couldn't quite convince herself that it wasn't all a dream.

Caelum suddenly stumbled beneath her, and Daphne let out an alarmed squeak. The floorboard beneath his left elbow had been jostled loose, falling through and landing with a clatter on the ground floor.

"Not to worry," Caelum said, moving in to graze his lips against her jaw, his voice coming out low and breathy. "With luck, maybe we won't fall through the floor."

Daphne puffed a breathless laugh, her entire body feeling like she'd just consumed six cups of coffee. It was hard to find words when Caelum was currently trailing kisses down the curve of her throat. "Well, good thing I'm feeling quite lucky."

Caelum bumped her nose with his, smiling mischievously against her lips. He wrapped Daphne in a tight hug, maneuvering her onto her back and positioning himself above her. Daphne let out a delighted gasp, hooking her legs around his waist. Shivers gripped her spine as his hands traced along her thighs, then slipped beneath her shirt.

Daphne's foot then caught against a pile of crumpled wood that probably used to be part of the roof. The wood dislodged, sending a cascade of broken panels toppling over and rattling more floorboards loose. There were a couple more crashing noises downstairs as debris fell through the gaps.

Daphne turned back to Caelum after watching the whole thing in stunned silence. Caelum's green eyes were as wide as her own. Daphne noticed with a twinge of satisfaction that his cheeks were flushed redder than she'd ever seen.

"On second thought, maybe we should go downstairs." He chuckled.

"Good idea."

Off they went, stumbling down the stairs hand in hand, drunk on something better than alcohol. Daphne thought her heart would implode at any minute by how hard it was hammering. She couldn't wipe the smile off her face, couldn't repress the giggles that kept escaping her lips.