Page 44 of Light My Fire

Aw. Shoot. Because all the feelings she’d roused in him earlier had flashed over.

“Yeah,” he said, in answer to the question she hadn’t asked. “Really pretty.”

He hadn’t meant to move, but somehow he found himself closer, her back to a birch tree, those pretty eyes holding his. “And I’ve been wanting to do this since I saw you in the Midnight Sun.”

He stopped just a whisper from her lips, his gaze searching hers.

Yes. She didn’t exactly say it, but her eyes flicked to his lips—

Whatever simmered between them for the past twenty-four hours ignited. He wound his hand behind her neck, pulling her mouth to his, and dove in.

She tasted like the protein bar, smelled of smoke, and turned to fire in his arms. Kissing him with the same delicious fierceness that she possessed when she’d charged up the hill to save him from Rio or flew down a cliffside on a motorbike.Hold on, whatever you do.

Oh, yeah.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to himself, feeling her body mold against his. And when she lifted her arms and curled them around his neck, he realized it was a good thing she’d run out of that cabin and away from the bed.

Because the temptation to roll over and for a good long moment escape into her embrace might have been too much.

As it were, she kissed him with the same all-out, all-in passion that he was beginning to realize embodied just why Vic had called her trouble.

Yeah, his heart could be in big trouble here. Because for the first time, he’d met a woman who didn’t seehimas trouble, but as her hero.

And he hated to admit how good that felt.

So he ignored the warnings and let himself surrender, just for a moment, deepening his kiss, letting the midnight sun fall around them in soft shades of lavender and gold.

Because no, she wasn’t going anywhere without him.

Seven

Oh, this was going to end badly. Stevie knew it in her gut. But still she sank into Tucker’s kiss, the way he cupped his hand behind her neck, the way he angled his kiss deeper. He was fire and the depths of a periwinkle night, power and determination and everything she wanted to cling too.

Despite her better sense.

Despite knowing this could only end with at least one of them—if not both—regretting this moment.

But he had such a strong, work-honed body, such delicious shoulders, and yeah, she hadn’t been kissed like this, well, ever.

As if Tucker might know exactly what he was doing.

And that thought stopped her, pushed her hands to his chest.

He let her ease away, his breathing hard as he looked at her.

And she must have worn something of her regret in her expression because he stepped back. “What? Oh…I thought I was reading you…I’m sorry, Stevie.”

Yeah, see, and that’s how she got in over her head. Because her brain said one thing, but her pitiful, weak emotions screamed another. She gave a hard chuckle, nothing of humor in it. “Oh no, you were reading me right. Which I’m sure you’re plenty good at. But…we…this is a mistake.”

“What do you mean…plenty good at?”

She walked away and headed into the woods. “Nothing.”

“Itissomething. What do you mean—”

She couldn’t look at him, her face hot. “Just that you probably have plenty of practice reading women, and I…I’m not…I’m…”

He scooted up beside her, then in front, turning to walk backward. “Plenty of practice?”

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