Celine should hate me. There should be nothing I could do or say that makes her look at me with anything except disgust. She certainly shouldn’t care what I think, but gods, am I glad she does.
I’m tired of worrying about what should or shouldn’t be.
Satisfied with her admission, Celine pockets the keys and gets out of the car. She pops the trunk, unzips her backpack, and retrieves a black rubber band from the front pocket. “If I’m going to wear the air, I can’t have hair on my neck.”
She twists the thick red mass into a complex knot on the top of her head and secures it. I’m used to seeing her hair down orbraided for a fight. Thebun gives her another three inches of height, and I have the outlandish urge to poke it and see if it’s as sturdy as it appears.
“Don’t judge me.” She slams the trunk. “It’s like wearing a fur coat in hell.”
I show her my palms. “I said nothing.”
“Your face said plenty.”
That surprises me. I’m practiced in masking my emotions, and the amber coating makes it even easier. She’s too confident. Too sure of her ability to read me. I need to disrupt her or do something to put us back on equal footing.
“I thought you looked lovely.”
“An acceptable lie.” She smirks. “Let’s go before we melt.”
“Can I touch it?” I reach for the bun.
She smacks my hand away. “Absolutely not.”
I follow her into the woods, which is compiled of a variety of healthy-looking trees. The thick canopy blocks the direct sun but does nothing to combat the humidity. The ground is covered in pine needles. They muffle the sound of our footfalls, making our hike nearly silent.
Celine has the coordinates on her new phone. I follow her, finding myself distracted by the way her shoulder muscles move as she walks. Her neck is graceful and glistening with sweat. And her ass... Her jeans are a second skin, enhancing her curves rather than concealing them. Combined with the sway of her hips, and?—
“You’re staring,” Celine says.
I startle, then smile. “Yes. Yes, I am.”
“We’re in a whole new biome, Riven. Surely, there are more interesting things to see than my ass.”
I scoff. “And here I was thinking you couldn’t lie.”
She glances over her shoulder, giving me a glimpse of thelovely flush on her cheeks. It has more to do with heat and exercise than my flirting, but I want to believe I contributed.
If I kissed her, how would she react? If I seized all my courage and pinned her against one of these trees, would she want to finish what we started last night? I’m obsessed with the idea of altering her, making her so wild for me that her unshakable confidence slips. Just for a few minutes. I want to be strong enough that she doesn’t have to be. I want her to let go.
My cock hardens uncomfortably in my pants, but for once, I don’t try to redirect my thoughts. I let them roam, imagining how she tastes. She was soaked and unashamed last night—owning her desire. Would she let me own it, too?
I lose all ability to think, sliding my fingers into the waistband of her jeans and pulling her to a stop.Fuck it.
Celine spins, eyes wide, and scans the woods, her forehead bunching in the middle. She thinks we’re in danger, and maybe we are, but I want her. No, I need her. I just don’t know how to tell her. So, I don’t.
I pull her into my chest and work both hands into the back pockets of her jeans. They’re tight, and my hands are big. I lick my lips. “Darling, please...”
She gets it. I can see it in her eyes.Thank the gods.
Then she’s kissing me. Standing on her toes, her tongue strokes mine with single-minded determination.
Spinning us both, I pin her to the tree and recreate my fantasy. A bird squawks, but I ignore it, kicking her legs apart and grinding my thigh against her core until she’s arching into me. “Can I make you feel good?” I echo what she said to me in the car, and when she nods, I don’t hesitate. Gripping her waist, I lift her until she’s straddling my thigh, her feet hovering off the ground.
I’m completely in control. Rubbing her pussyagainst the bunched muscle of my thigh with slow, steady strokes. Her pupils dilate, and she bites her lip.
“Could you come for me like this?”
She grins. “You’ll have to wait and see.”
