“Mm. Fair. Well—it’s really just the clothes making me cold—if I could get out of those, I think I’d be fine.” I kept my tone neutral and didn’t look at him directly, but I could feel his warm surprise and hear his sharp intake.
“Hm, yeah, yeah, that’s true, but um…I mean, the truck’s kind of public, and your clothes will be just as wet when you put them back on. I could always take you back to my—oh, damn it, never mind.”
“Wait, why never mind? That sounded like it was going to be a good idea.”
He growled a heavy sigh. “Leroy. He never leaves that damn desk and he’s a talker. Talks to everybody about everything. Do you know how much I know about Mrs. Jameson’s bunions? Everything. I don’t even know what bunions are, but I know she had to exchange all of her high heels for slippers and she’s mad about it.”
“I don’t even know who Mrs. Jameson is,” I said.
“Me neither! You see? People who don’t even know you will be talking about you if we go there.” He pulled the truck over at the side of the main road, right at the end of the asphalt where it turned to gravel. He put it in park then slung his arm over the back of my seat, turning to look at me. His eyes were full of regret and his mouth looked hungry.
“Not that I don’t want you to get comfortable,” he said, his voice warm velvet. “I’ve missed a lot more than just your smile.”
My heart leapt with such force that it splashed down to my thighs, heating me from my belly button to my knees. His eyes were locked on mine, pupils dilated, irises burning. The rise and fall of his chest was like a magnet. I slid toward him, the dusty bench seat streaking my clothes, and put my hands on his shoulders.
“Kiss me,” I breathed.
He pulled me into his arms as though he’d been waiting for that invitation all his life. His mouth was a comforting fire on mine, all the excitement of a theme park with all the security of my own bed. Bed—God, how I wanted him in my bed. His big, warm hands ran over my wet clothes—then under them. As his skin touched mine I arched, pressing my ribcage to his palm, willing him to go farther. Wanting and needing and craving so much more than he was giving me right now, but yet panting like he was giving me everything. When his lips touched the spot on my neck just underneath my chin, my body heated up a hundred and ninety nine degrees. I wasn’t just on fire, I was burning.
“Kash,” I whispered. He traveled his kisses higher, capturing my mouth with his and sucking hard. I was breathless from his kisses. But if never breathing again was an option, I’d have taken that, as long as it meant his lips would stay on my mine, his body close to mine.
Lower, Kash’s hands traveled, first rubbing the heel of his hands against my breasts. My nipples tightened so hard it hurt to be touched and hurt not to be touched. I felt empty when he removed his hands, but that emptiness didn’t last for long. Cupping me through my jeans, Kash rubbed at my center. I was out of my mind and I knew it, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t just on cloud nine, I was in heaven.
Until I wasn’t.
If I thought what Kash was doing to me woke all my senses, the bang that rang through the air double-woke them as something hit the truck hard enough to knock our teeth together.
“Ow!” I pulled away and rubbed at my mouth, but my anxiety had already kicked into high gear. It’s Dad, he found us, he knows everything, he’s going to kill me. Kash must have had the same thoughts because he flung me out of his arms and peered through the window for a second before flinging the door open. I grabbed at him, but he wasn’t leaving—just sticking his head out into the rain.
“It’s a tree,” he said as he wiped rain water out of his eyes. “Uprooted sapling. Water’s rising, I better get you home, Daisy girl.”
I bit my lip hard. I knew he was right, but I couldn’t stop looking for a way around it. Home didn’t feel like the right place to be right now. In fact, tree on top of the truck, uncomfortably wet from my hair all the way to my center, this is exactly where I wanted to be. All my reservations had dissolved over the last week, leaving only this gaping maw of desire. My body ached for more, desperately thirsty for Kash’s touch.
He looked at me for a moment, eyes smoldering, then glanced out the window at the rain. “It’s up to you,” he said quietly. “Just be sure you’re thinking with your head and not your-” He paused and laughed a little.
Think with my head. Yeah, right. My head had nothing to do with my decisions just then and I knew it. I couldn’t think with him right there, looking all gorgeous and rugged and familiar. I wanted to explore him, to learn his body. I never felt like I belonged anywhere more than when I was in his arms. So I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep, cleansing breath, holding myself in a tight embrace to smother the skin-level desire. There was nothing I could do about the fire in my core. Not on my own, anyway. The only one who had the power to extinguish it was Kash.
“Kash…” His name came out a whimper
