It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

Atlas lifts the blanket and motions for me to climb into his bed. It’s so
comfortable, it feels like I’m nestling into a cloud. He scoots in next to me,
stopping only when he can’t come even a centimeter closer to me. He’s on
his side, but he rolls me so that I’m flat on my back, tucked against him.
I like this position. I like the way he’s holding himself up on his elbow,
hovering over me. I like the slight grin in his eyes, as if I’m a reward he’s
earned.
Atlas lowers himself and we’re no longer easing into these kisses. It’s an
immediate deep and hungry kiss that starts with the dive of his tongue and
ends with him impressively reaching for a condom and putting it on without
interrupting the strength of his kiss. Atlas grips the inside of my thigh and
pushes my leg aside to make room for himself.
Then he’s above me, pushing into me, and he moves against me until I
find myself in the middle of a beautiful falling apart.
Atlas is on his back on the bed, and I’m curled into him, my leg draped over
his thigh. These are the moments I look forward to sharing with him the
most. The quiet minutes we get to steal from the chaos of our lives, where it’s
just the two of us, satiated, content. My head is resting on his chest, his
fingers are trailing back and forth over my arm.
He kisses the top of my head and says, “How long has it been since we ran
into each other on the street?”
“Forty days,” I say. I’ve been counting.
He makes a huh sound, like that surprises him.
“Why? Does it feel longer?”
“No, I just wanted to know if you’ve been counting like I have.”
I laugh and press my lips against his skin, right over his heart.
“How were things at the party today?” he asks me. I know what he’s
asking without him having to say it. He wants to know how Ryle treated me.
“The party was good. I spoke to Ryle for maybe five seconds.”
“Was he unkind?”
“No. We just stayed out of each other’s way, mostly.”
Atlas runs his fingers through my hair, pulling them through the strands
and letting them fall over my back. He takes another handful and repeats the
movement. “That’s progress. Hopefully it’ll just get easier from here.”