by H G Lynch
She lifted her hips to make it easier, and he leaned back. She could feel his gaze on every inch of skin he exposed beneath the denim, until her jeans were on the floor, and he wasn’t touching her anymore, and her heart was exploding in her chest.
She opened her eyes, wondering what he was doing, wanting his hands on her skin again. He was just standing at the end of the bed, staring at her lying there on the mattress in her underwear. His lips were parted, his cheeks flushed, his hair a tangled mess of gold. Shirtless and still, he was a statue of angelic perfection, and her breath caught at the wild desire on his face. His throat moved as he swallowed, his next breath hitching slightly.
Nervous, Ember murmured, “Reid?”
His eyes flicked to hers, and he shook his head. “God, you’re…so, so beautiful,” he whispered. He raised a hand to rake back his hair, and she saw his fingers shaking. Softly, he admitted, “You know, I’ve never been so nervous in my life.”
With a tiny smile, Ember replied, “Neither have I.”
He blinked, and then laughed breathlessly. “Yeah. Yeah…I…God help me, damned as I am, but I feel like…” He closed his mouth, a crease forming between his brows.
Ember pushed herself onto her elbows, looking at him. “What, Reid?”
His smile was small and rueful. “Like I’m corrupting you or something…doing this…you’re just so…”
“Innocent?” she said, knowing that he’d never say it for fear of offending her. But in this respect at least, innocent was the right word.
He nodded.
She smiled softly at him. With a sigh, she lay back and stretched her hands above her head, watching him for a reaction. He sucked on his lower lip, agonising longing passing over his face. Emboldened and endeared by his nervousness, she said, “I don’t want to be innocent anymore, Reid. I want to be a little bit wicked. And I want to be wicked with you.”
He closed his eyes briefly and asked in an uneven voice, “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
He nodded, opened his eyes again, reached for the button of his jeans. Ember watched him as he flicked open the button and slid out of his jeans. She bit her tongue, trying to remind herself she’d seen this much of him before, when they’d gone swimming and he’d been only in swim shorts. But then he paused, staring at her, and a slow smile spread across his lips; expectant and so, so wicked. His eyes glittered, and she realised what he was waiting for even before he said, “Your turn.”
Part of her cringed, recoiling from the idea of getting anymore undressed than she already was, but she wasn’t backing out now. She wanted this – she did. So she sat up and reached back to undo the clasp of her bra, not quite looking at him as she slid it down her arms and dropped it to the floor. She swallowed, hard. This was her greatest insecurity. She didn’t have the assets most girls her age did. Just letting him see that so obviously, so undeniably, made her face flame, and her stomach was in knots. She fought the desperate urge to wrap her arms around her chest to cover herself. It felt like all sorts of wrong to be so exposed in front of him, and at the same time, it felt right. Still not quite meeting his gaze, she whispered in a rough voice, “Your turn.”
He didn’t say a word as he slipped off the last of his clothing, leaving him completely bare for her to see, with no shame. But then, of course he wouldn’t have any shame. He was utterly perfect, every sculpted inch.
Her heart crashed into her ribs as he slid onto the bed next to her, and she waited anxiously for him to say, “Your turn.” But he didn’t. He just lifted a hand and put his fingers on her jaw, turning her face toward him, and kissed her softly. And all her nervousness and insecurity melted away. He pulled back, looking into her eyes, and he didn’t need to say the words.
Then there was nothing between them but air, and his skin was on hers, and everything was molten flame and Reid’s lips and the smell of spiced-apple. And three little words whispered over and over: “I love you.”
Chapter Three
The next day, they did…nothing. For once, they sat inside, watched TV and played crappy board games. It was the most normal thing Ember had ever seen the boys do.
When evening came, Reid swept out the back door to do a quick perimeter search, just in case. He and Ricky had taken turns doing it every night since they got here. But so far, nothing dangerous had jumped out of the bushes — unless you counted a possibly rabid squirrel. And tonight was no different.
He came back inside and kicked off his shoes, closing the glass doors in the back room, and locking them. Then he went to see Ember, in the guest room.
“Um, enjoying that?” Reid gestured toward the tub of chocolate ice-cream sitting on Ember’s lap. Ember paused with the next spoonful halfway to her mouth, and nodded.
“Mh hm.” She held out the tub to him, offering with wide, blue eyes.
Sherry, suddenly next to him in the doorway, snorted and bounced onto the bed, grabbing the tub from Ember.
“Is this Rocky Road or Chocolate Fudge Cake?” Sherry asked casually as Ember produced a second spoon from nowhere and handed it to her friend.
Reid was a little amazed. It was rare he ever saw Ember eat anything at all, and here she was scarfing down a tub of chocolate ice-cream like it was going out of fashion.
“What?” the little blonde girl suddenly asked in an exasperated tone.
He blinked and shook his head in response. “Nothing. Just thinking the only two things I’ve seen you consume on a regular basis are coke and my blood.” He flashed a smile at her and could see the urge to blush tickling her skin.
Instead, she arched a brow. “And? Your point is?” she asked, lisping ever so slightly.
He folded his arms across his chest and leaned in the doorway. “No point. Just making an observation.” He shrugged. She raised another spoonful of ice-cream to her mouth, still watching him with probing blue eyes. He gazed back calmly and smirked victoriously when she finally looked away.
“Okay, stop staring at me,” she muttered, that odd lisp in her voice.
He opened his mouth to ask about it, when Sherry said for him, “You know you’re lisping?”
For some reason, both girls grinned, like it was somehow funny. He would never understand some things about girls.
Ember replied, “It’s the ice-cream. It’s made my lips numb.”
Reid couldn’t resist, and took that as his cue, regardless of Sherry being in the room — she knew the rules. If the kiss lasted longer than five seconds without Ember breaking it, she was to get the hell out. “Well, I’m sure I can warm them up for you.” He smiled devilishly, never one to miss an opportunity to kiss his beautiful demon girl.
Ember giggled as he strode over and tilted her face up to his, her pretty eyes sparkling with mischief. He bent and put his lips to hers lightly. Her soft lips were cold and tasted distinctly of chocolate. Daringly, he deepened the kiss, and her lips parted at his tongue’s request. The inside of her mouth was even colder and sweeter, and he mentally held his breath, counting. One, two…Please don’t pull away…Three…Come on Emz, you know I can’t resist…Four…He was almost afraid to hope, all his nerves heating up…Five…She broke the kiss. He sighed in disappointment, hanging his head, his lips still tingling. Cruel, he thought, so cruel. So many times she waited until, literally, the last second to break the kiss, just when he started to burn for her.
Sherry sighed too, but rather in relief, and Reid shot her a dirty look. The green-eyed girl smirked and shrugged. “Hey, I can’t control her,” she said. That was true. Nobody controlled Ember.
Ember scowled. “Don’t talk about me like I’m some out-of-control miscreant.”
Reid chuckled. “Oh, we wouldn’t do that, would we, Sherry?” He smiled innocently, and Sherry did the same, shaking her head.
Ember scoffed at the condescension, and he was surprised she didn’t hit him for it. After all, there wasn’t much Ember hated more than being patronised. But then, maybe her nerves were still all ji
ngly from the kiss too? He could find out, but it would involve banishing Sherry for a while, and removing the tub of ice-cream from the equation…Then again, that latter wasn’t a necessity…Perhaps he could—
“Reid, what’re you thinking about? You’ve got that look on your face that always means trouble.” Ember was putting the lid on the ice-cream tub, watching him with suspicion.
Ah, she knew him too well. There was a knowing glint in her eyes, and her rosy lips were set in an expressionless shape so he couldn’t tell what she was feeling. Sometimes she was so hard to read — and it was often dangerous to read the wrong things in her expression. It wouldn’t be the first time he got singed for misreading her emotions.
“I was thinking that Ricky’s sitting out in the park on his own. Brooding, I’m guessing,” he lied smoothly, casting his eyes to Sherry. “Maybe you ought to go keep your man company, Sherz,” he suggested, in a way that said it wasn’t really a suggestion as much as a command.
Sherry, suddenly looking guilty about abandoning her boyfriend for ice-cream and gossip, made to get off the bed, but Ember grabbed her wrist.
“Uh-uh! Stay! As soon you’re gone, he’s going to…” Ember threw him a meaningful glare and he hid his frown, wondering if he had misread her again.
Sherry, though, shook her head and grinned. “Pass me the ice-cream,” she said.
Ember did so, with a confused expression. Reid wondered if Sherry had any idea what was going on in his head.
“I’ll at least take this to, ah, minimise temptations.” Her tone suggested she knew exactly what was in his head.
Then, Ember’s eyes widened as she finally caught on, and sent him a disparaging glower, the menace of it ruined by her blush.
Sherry snickered and promptly left, carrying the tub of ice-cream in one hand. Damn. There went that plan. Oh well. He didn’t need any additives with his beautiful Ember. So, as soon as he was sure Sherry was out of earshot, he got the lovely demon girl pinned to the mattress and flashed a grin down at her as she cursed.
“I knew it, I bloody knew you’d do this! Why do you always do this?”
The question both stunned and confused him. ‘Why?’ What did she mean by that? Why did he always pin her, or why did he always want her? Each question had a different answer.
The only thing he could think to reply was, “Why? What do you mean, ‘why’?”
Ember looked up at him passively, a slightly sad look in her eyes that he’d rarely seen before. Her fine hair was spread out around her like gold satin and her mouth held a sort of bitter twist to it that he didn’t like. “I mean, why? You know I still don’t — not entirely — understand why you love me like you do. It baffles me yet more the way you constantly seem to…” she stopped, her delicate brows pushing down to form a crease between them. She was clearly unsure how to word what she was trying to say. And he couldn’t comprehend her lack of understanding. She just couldn’t seem to see her own beauty — both in who she was and in her appearance. She looked up at him earnestly, knowing he knew what she meant. Her blue eyes held so much he couldn’t figure out, making them all the more mysterious and enthralling.
“I love you. I love you for everything you are, everything about you. And I always want you because you’re gorgeous, in every way. Every inch of you. How can you not see that?” He couldn’t truly explain to her how much he loved her, how she shone like a brilliant star through his eyes, how she made his skin burn and his nerves prickle just by lacing her fingers through his. She looked simply puzzled, her head tilted quizzically. He thought she might make an argument, but instead she sighed, looking past him up at the ceiling. Then a glimmer of something sparked in her eyes and her lips curved slowly, and he felt a rush of anticipation for whatever devilish thing she was going to say or do.
“So, why then, do you insist on pinning me down all the time?” And that was a question he’d love to answer.
He smirked. “Because you hate it, and you’re sexy when you fight me. Even better is when you give in and let me have my way,” he crooned sensually, leaning down to whisper it against her cheekbone. He heard her heartbeat quicken, and grinned to himself. Good to know he hadn’t misread her after all.
“In that case, you’ll be disappointed this time,” she murmured, and rolled over so she sat astride his stomach, grinning smugly down at him. He didn’t struggle, though, as she kissed her way down his neck, her hands sliding under his shirt. Did she know how that action alone made him want to squirm, rapidly becoming far too hot in his own skin? Of course not. Her clever, light fingers drew silly patterns on his chest, before slipping down to play with the button of his jeans. Surely, by now, she could feel how he wanted her...
Only, that was when she decided to stop, and it took a good deal of his self-control not to pull her back to him as she flipped off the bed. She was evil. Yeah, turn me on and then leave. Grrr, he thought with a groan. He pushed himself up and got off the bed, glaring at her.
She returned his glower with a smile. “Told you you’d be disappointed,” she chirped.
He sighed. “Fine. I’m going for a shower, and if you’re still in this room when I come back, you can forget being pinned; I’ll damn well tie you down. Got it?”
Ember seemed undaunted. “Uh huh. Whatever.” She waved a hand at him dismissively, not even looking at him as he brushed past her where she stood in the doorway. He stepped into the bathroom, locked the door and turned on the shower. He started shucking his clothes to the floor. That damned girl would be the death of him.
***
Ember leaned by the bathroom door and decided to be particularly cruel. She folded her arms over her chest, crossed one ankle smoothly over the other, and began uttering all sorts of nonsense she knew would stir Reid.
“Is that water cold, Reid? I bet it is. I bet you wish right now that I wasn’t so sadistic. That I’d let you take my clothes off, that I’d take your clothes off and run my fingers over your skin,” she tried her best not to laugh, even though she was blushing at saying these things. It was worth it for the thrill of teasing him.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Reid’s voice came, muffled, through the door, deep and husky.
She grinned to herself. “I’m bugging you. Is it working?” she taunted. He didn’t reply so she took his silence as an affirmative. With a triumphant smirk, she continued talking. “I bet you wish I would join you in there, kiss your lips, stroke your hair, sink my aching fangs into your neck…” She stuffed her fist into her mouth to silence her shoulder-shaking giggles. She expected to hear the intensity of the shower patter increase as the temperature of the water was turned down. But instead, she heard the snick of the lock sliding, and she instantly knew what was about to happen. Her body, though, was slower than her mind, meaning she didn’t have time to move away from the door before an arm darted out and caught her round the waist.
The strong arm yanked her into the bathroom and, before she could protest, her back was against the bathroom door —closed and securely locked again — and Reid’s mouth was on hers, his soft lips and smooth tongue clashing with hers furiously. When he finally pulled his mouth from hers, she was breathing hard, eyes closed helplessly. His hands were on her hips, and she realised belatedly that the front of her t-shirt was damp. She blinked her eyes open and immediately bit her lip —Hard.
Reid was standing in front of her, his skin flushed, his hair in wet tangles, and his eyes were the burning blue of the centre of a very, very hot flame. Plus, he was entirely naked, dripping wet from the shower, and showing every sign of how effective her teasing had been. Unable to help herself, her eyes followed the drops of water sliding from his collarbone, all the way down his perfectly sculpted chest, the sensual curve of his hipbones, and down further still. Suddenly breathless, she jerked her eyes back to his face, feeling her cheeks burn with an intense blush, and her stomach with an altogether different heat.
Reid flashed one of his most devilish, arrogant, fuck-me smi
les —succeeding in making her stomach flip-flop hotly — and leaned close to whisper in her ear. “You have thirty seconds to strip off every item of clothing on your body before I push you against the wall and…” he said something unprintable, his voice almost a growl.
Her eyes widened and she sucked a breath through her teeth. She felt a rush of heady, burning tingles run from her throat, down to her toes and back up again. There was no arguing with the flames sizzling in his azure eyes, even if she’d wanted to. Which she didn’t. Well, that left only one option, didn’t it? One which she had no problems complying with as she hastily discarded her clothes to the floor with his.
Chapter Four
Ember blinked her sleepy eyes open and yawned, scraping her hair back off her face with one hand. She turned and glanced at Reid as she sat up. He continued to snooze on peacefully, soft lips slightly parted, his hair a gleaming halo in the white, dim light peeking through the gap in the curtains. The light was oddly directionless and pale, which could only mean one thing. A flutter of excitement bubbled in her chest, and she slipped eagerly out of the bed. The thick carpet was rough on her bare feet, the air just a little too cold.
She reached the window and carefully drew aside the edge of one curtain. Giggles rose to her lips and she swallowed them. Beyond the glass, the entire garden was coated in a thick duvet of white, glittering snow. It was beautiful, and the child in Ember squealed in delight. Desperate to get her camera and take some photos, she whirled and padded quietly across the room. Her fingers barely brushed the door handle when lean, strong arms belted around her waist.
“Now, just where do you think you’re going?” Reid murmured in her ear, pressing a sweet kiss to her temple.
A little bit inside her sighed blissfully, but the rest of her was wriggling to get free, impatient to go out in the snow. Reid released her, confusion and amusement written on his face as she turned to beam at him.
