A Welcome Distraction
The Shoulder Kiss
There was no foolproof way of keeping cool in the sweltering summers the Saint Shields' village boasted; the fan whirring in Mariam's room was in danger of shorting out from the effort. The cloying humidity muffled the sounds of the village, making it seem, even with her window open, that the two of them were the only ones for miles.
After their swim, she'd stolen his shirt and stubbornly worn it the whole way home just so he couldn't. She had tied it up above her bellybutton in an attempt to stave off the heat, but it was no use, especially when she could practically feel the weight of his gaze lingering on every inch of exposed skin.
The blazing sun and high temperatures had kept him from acting on his obvious desires.
Now, as they lounged beside one another against her headboard, she couldn't be bothered by Max's hand resting high on her thigh. The twin bed didn't allow much space between them at all, but sitting arm-to-arm and hip-to-hip was worth sweating a little.
Mariam laid her head on her boyfriend's shoulder, eyelids heavy with that certain exhaustion that comes after spending a day in the sunshine. Max's rhythmic breathing was on the verge of lulling her to sleep when he slid his hand down her to her knee and back up again deliberately.
Just like that she was wide awake.
Despite the heat, Mariam shivered when Max repeated the motion with his fingertips grazing her inner leg just enough to make her body thrum.
She lifted her head off of his shoulder and winced at the prickly feeling of her skin unsticking from his.
"Ma-ax," she cautioned.
The smile that graced his lips proved he had heard her, but the purposeful squeeze he gave her thigh made her stomach swoop and confirmed that he wasn't going to heed her warning.
So she bit his shoulder, just enough to sting.
And when he whipped his head around in shock she yanked him down by a fistful of golden hair and claimed his lips with hers. He responded with the intent to deepen the kiss, and she pulled back, smirking at the dumbstruck look in his eyes.
Instead she pressed a lingering kiss where she'd bitten him, and took advantage of the moment to count the new freckles that had bloomed on his skin after their day in the sun.
He was fixing her with a saccharine look when she chanced a peek up at him through her eyelashes.
Smiling into his shoulder, she skimmed her fingers down his arm to hold the hand splayed across her thigh. She angled her body towards him so she could press closer and stroke the sensitive skin on the inside of his bicep with her other hand.
He looked at her as if she was the center of his universe sometimes, and it always sparked a flurry of emotions that she had no clue what to do with.
Mariam settled her chin onto his shoulder and met his gaze, hoping that, between whatever he could find in her eyes and the quickening pace of her heart, he would understand that he meant just as much to her.
Judging by the wide smile on his face, he got the message.
"Can I kiss you now?" His voice was tinged with laughter. "Or will you bite me again?"
Mariam snorted. "It was your own fault for getting handsy," she teased, squeezing his fingers in hers for emphasis. Nonetheless she tilted her chin up.
Max eagerly accepted the invitation, surging forward to kiss her soundly on the lips.
This time she let him in willingly and felt an instant, searing heat rage through her at the taste of his tongue and the feel of his body urging her onto her back. The tension lurking below the surface of her skin all day was building, the flames stoked especially high by the solid weight of him slotting easily into the vee of her thighs.
Shamelessly she dragged her palms up his bare chest to loop her arms around his neck, relishing the way he shuddered and moaned into her mouth.
In retaliation, he slipped one hand under her back and up her spine, prompting her to arch into him. She could feel him toying with the tie of her swimsuit and dug her nails into his skin.
She broke the kiss with a soft gasp and he dipped his head to latch onto her neck. Mariam was sweating in earnest now and couldn't find it within herself to care; the fever spiking between them was much more pleasant than the heat outside. She anchored her hands in his hair.
Max began kissing his way down her neck, not stopping when his lips met the fabric of her shirt. He kept going and punctuated his string of kisses with one more above her thundering heart.
Mariam was so focused on how the heat of his mouth clung to the cotton shirt, that she didn't notice him moving back upwards until she felt his teeth bite down playfully on her shoulder.
She tugged his hair in surprise.
"Max!"
He was already nuzzling in to kiss the patch of skin behind one of her dangling earrings, seemingly content with his small dose of payback. She could feel him smiling.
"I'm gonna get you for that, Max."
He laughed and whispered so close that his lips brushed her ear, "I'm counting on it."
A/N: Kiss 4 of 5! I'll leave it up to you to decide if Max is getting more bold in the relationship, or if he's just that easily distracted by Mariam. Maybe a bit of both?
Thanks for reading!
