Chapter 146

She always kept her feelings bottled up, rarely letting anyone see what was really going on inside her—let alone showing love. So whenever she did crack that shell, even just a little, it hit William straight in the gut, pulling every string in his heart tight. He held the back of Elsie’s neck, almost rough with how urgently he kissed her, lips pressing hard, teeth parting hers to catch her quickening breath. Elsie gripped his shoulders, the buttons on her shirt undone by his teeth in the heat of the moment. He lifted her slightly, her skirt spreading where she sat, soft pale legs folded on either side of him. The summer breeze danced through the courtyard, bougainvillea blooming in pink and white above, and her frantic breaths echoed through the huge living room. The little broken sounds from her throat were soft and helpless, like a kitten’s whine. The ‘little boat’ rocked and dipped in the storm stirred by his strong hands. Head tilted back, her eyes were hazy with the flush climbin