Ace sat beside me on the bed, one hand resting between us, the other tracing lazy shapes on the blanket. We’d spent the last hour talking about everything. When he leaned closer, I didn’t move away. 

When our lips met, it was unhurried, the kind of kiss that begins softly and deepens without permission. His hand brushed against my cheek, fingers threading gently into my hair. My eyes fluttered closed as I let the world fall away for a heartbeat. 

We fell on the bed, our bodies ...