Wildfire (Maple Hills, #2)(71)

“Jeez, Rory!” I rush toward her, gripping her hips so she doesn’t fall and break something. “Why didn’t you come and get me to help?”

“I didn’t want to be annoying. I can get it, if I reaaaach—” I grip her hips tightly and lift her higher, until she can comfortably grab two chairs, and lower her back down safely onto the stool. I keep a hand on her while she hands me the chairs to set on the ground. Turning carefully, she gives me a sweet but mischievous smile as she sets her hand on my shoulders and I look up at her. “Told you I could reach.”

“Please don’t do things that might get you hurt.”

She jumps down, landing next to me. “You don’t need to be worried. I’ve been surviving my questionable choices for twenty years.”

“I do worry,” I argue, sitting on the stool and pulling her closer. “Don’t do it.”

She moves her legs over mine until she’s straddling me and I suddenly can’t remember why I’m worrying. Her arms wrap around my neck and she leans in until her mouth is close to mine, her voice lowers. “You know, telling me not to do something makes me want to do it.”

I brush my nose against hers. “What can I do to convince you to behave?”

“Hmm. I can think of a few things.”

“Here?”

“I don’t see any possums,” she says, leaning forward to tug at my lip with her teeth. “And I really do need to be convinced to behave.”

Kissing Aurora is intoxicating. Every inch of her molds to me perfectly and we fit together like we’re two people who have done this hundreds of times. It’s hard to worry about getting caught when she’s grinding herself against me, but it isn’t impossible. “Is there a lock on the door?”

“Nope,” she says, running her mouth along my jaw. “We’ll have to make it quick.”

Groaning, I hold her hips steady. “I don’t have condoms.”

She leans back, smiling sweetly. “That’s okay, it was probably a silly risk anyway.” She goes to stand but I hold her in place.

I unbutton her shorts and she watches me, teeth sinking into her bottom lip as she tries to steady her breathing. “You can’t be loud,” I whisper, sliding my hand into her panties. Fuck, she’s always so ready for me.

“I refuse to be held accountable for my actions when you look like that.”

There’s something about how much she compliments me that makes me feel untouchable. She isn’t shy with it, telling me how hot I am even when I’m doing the most mundane tasks. It gives me the confidence that she’s as attracted to me as I am to her and makes me want to risk everything to watch her say my name as her eyes roll back.

She’s not hard to please like this. Kissing, pressure, consistency and the most important bit, telling her how incredible she is. I’m addicted to the way she clings to me as her body rocks against my hand and when I feel her tighten and pulse around my fingers, I crash my mouth into hers, absorbing the sound of her chanting my name.

This bit is my favorite. When she’s satisfied and clingy, trying to get as much of her skin on mine as possible. I carefully remove my hand, pulling her close to me as she sags against my body.

“I’m going to put myself in danger more often,” she laughs.

“I can’t lie, I was motivated by jealousy not chivalry. Why didn’t you tell me Clay tried to kiss you?”

“Because I thought Xander told you? You came to my cabin and said you were jealous,” she says, frowning.

“Yeah . . . that was about something far more petty than a kiss.”

“Never had you down as the possessive type.” There’s nothing hurt or sad in her tone. “It’s always the ones you least suspect.”

“You get that way when you know how fucking special someone is. How they have no goddamn idea how much brighter they make everything. You’re like sunlight, Rory. I want to bask in everything you have. And I absolutely don’t want to share that with Clay. Not even for a minute.”

Her body stiffens as she leans back, putting distance between us. “I’m not those things.”

I hate that she doesn’t see it. “You are.”

“I don’t want to be sunlight, Russ.” She shakes her head adamantly. “If you stand in the sun for too long, you get burnt. I don’t want to be another person who burns you. Let me be moonlight.”

The look of vulnerability on her face steals my breath away. “What if we get caught in the rain? You don’t get rainbows at night.”

“You don’t need rainbows when you have the northern lights,” she says softly. “And last time we got caught in the rain we did just fine. Incredible, in fact.”

I want to say something sweet and funny, but looking at her scrambles every thought in my head. Nothing seems good enough. Nothing quite tells her how mesmerized I am by her. “If you’re moonlight, does that make me the sea?”

I’m cringing at myself as she leans in and kisses me. Slow, soft, meaningful. “You want me to talk about sharks again, don’t you.”

Just like that, the tender moment slips away as we both begin to laugh, but I don’t mind. “We should probably head back before someone comes looking for us.”

Scooping the chairs under my arm, we walk hand in hand toward the door. Rory turns the lights off as I pull the door open and that’s when Jenna appears.