Page 81 of Love Me Fierce

“Nice!” I call out.

In the space between us, Everett’s hand just touches mine. “Then we’ll make sure you feel safe there, okay?”

We?Not fighting him on this has my gut churning all over again.

He crosses his pinky over mine. The contact sends a tremor ghosting over my skin. But it’s more than just what his touch does to my body, it does something to my heart, too. It’s confusing, but maybe I don’t need to understand it to believe in it.

Dinner ischaotic with two boys at the table, but there’s plenty of laughter to go with it. Roasting s’mores around the fire pit in the backyard afterwards seems to settle the energy a few notches, though once the sugar kicks in it’ll be a different story.

The night air has that bite of early fall that nips at my cheeks, and the stars in the inky black sky seem extra close. Before I moved to Finn River, I had never seen so many stars.

“Can Matty and I go back inside?” Logan asks Everett after we’ve polished off the s’mores.

“If it’s okay with Vivian,” Everett says, stirring the coals with a length of kindling.

“I could show him my Legos,” Logan says.

“Yeah!” Mateo says, jumping off his chair.

“Okay,” I say with a laugh, pulling Everett’s spare coat tighter around me. At least I remembered to bring Mateo’s, though I noticed the sleeves are getting a little short. “Matty, promise me you’ll wash your hands first.”

“I will!” he calls out as they race toward the house.

The fire crackles, sending sparks into the dark night.

Once the boys are inside the house, Everett offers me his hand and I take it. “Nice having you both here tonight.”

I intertwine our fingers. It’s such a simple thing, but the connection sparks something inside me. Something powerful, but is it real?

He leans into the space between our chairs, his eyes dark with that playful edge, and presses his lips to mine.

I close my eyes, savoring the hint of sweetness from the marshmallows and his soft scruff against my face. He caresses along my jaw with the backs of his fingertips to the sensitive place behind my ear. My skin heats and that galloping energy zips through me, making my pulse throb.

Our lips meet again, and I lean closer. He cradles the back of my neck, his fingers in my hair. His tongue darts out to meet mine, and I sigh into his mouth.

In one motion, he lifts me by the backs of my thighs and urges me onto his lap. My knees hug his hips as I lower down. The press of his body against mine sends a quiver straight down to my toes. Everett draws me to him for another kiss, his tongue sweeping past my lips.

Maybe it’s the fire at my back, snapping and crackling, or the unmistakable hard length of him beneath me, but I can’t keep mydesire at a simmer any longer. My pulse thumps lower and my breaths turn raspy in my throat.

Everett caresses down my back and slides his hands into the pockets of my jeans, urging me closer. The added friction sends a jolt through me. I stroke past his jaw as our tongues swirl and he strokes my lower back, the tips of his fingers brushing my bare skin. Heat blooms from the hollow between my thighs, spreading upward, making me crave him closer.

His tongue flicks against mine, sensual and soft. My hair falls past my face, and Everett gently strokes it back, tucking it behind my ears. He kisses along my jawline, sucking my skin just enough to make my thighs tense. When he gets to my ear, the tip of his tongue and the tender press of his lips acts like a tease. I tilt my head to give him better access, because it feels decadent, delicious. His low groan echoes through me, hungry and tense with longing.

“You smell so good,” he says in a sultry voice. His soft, wet lips pinch my earlobe, sending an electric charge down my spine. “Is it perfume, or what?”

I smile. “Probably my shampoo.”

“It’s fucking addicting,” he says, burying his nose in my hair.

I rock my hips against his, the firm pressure of himright theredrawing all my focus. “I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight.”

“If you were staying with me, I’d make sure of it.”

I laugh, and he chuckles.

We kiss again. “I’m not going to be getting much sleep, either.”

I rest my forehead against his while I try to reclaim my bearings. As tempting as his full-body kisses are, it’s already late. “I should… go.” It’s surprisingly hard to get that last word past my lips.

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