Page 199 of Rules of Association

“If this is some kind of red hair joke—”

“It’s not a joke, Celestia,” he said, cutting me off. “I always thought your name was fitting. I never understood why you don’t let people call you by it when it’s so clear that you’re heaven-sent. I always thought it would be a star or something, but no. You’re the sun, baby. Mine anyway.”

“Watch out world. Connor the poet is making his comeback,” I said. But my damn emotions betrayed me as Connor slowed his gait and set me down on something. Leaning over he wiped my eyes before moisture had a chance to fall, then he tilted my chin so I could look up at him.

My heart squeezed and I let out a sigh.

“I’m sorry I made you wait so long,” I said, finally getting the words out of my clogged throat. “I’m sorry I got scared and hurt you. And I’m sorry I drove you away. This summer you’ve seen some pretty bad sides of me, but I think that side was my worst. I’m so sorry, Connor.”

Soft lips pressed even softer onto my own. “It’s okay,cariña.”

“Why do you call me that?”

“What?”

“Honey.”

He smiled. “Because you’re sweet like it.”

I scoffed, “Bullshit.”

He smirked. Then those soft lips came down hard on me now, his hands going over my body. Working into my hair and dragging across my scalp down my neck to rest along my collarbone. His lips moved like silk over mine, coaxing me open so his smooth taste could work inside and remind me what he could do with just a kiss alone.

In moments he had me moaning,meltinginto him, wishing my clothes would just burn off so I could be closer to him, feel him. But all too soon he was pulling back, bringing our noses together and rubbing his along mine.

“So fucking sweet, baby,” he said, then kissed me again. Long and hard and slow until I was outright whimpering. When he pulled away again, he was smiling. My eyes were glued shut, but I couldfeelit. “Only for me.Mysun.Myhoney.MyCelestia.Mine.”

“Oh,” I said again, the word apparently a new addition to my vocab favorites list.

“You ready?” he asked, lips still on my mouth.

My eyes popped open. “Here?”

He laughed, his hand squeezing on my collarbone. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Ceci. I meant are you ready to leave?”

Looking around us, I realized that we were out in the middle of the beach and I was sitting on top of a baby blue four wheeler ATV. Gloves and a helmet sat on the seat beside me and to my left stood another more familiar cart. I gaped.

“We’re driving these home?”

“We’re racing,” he said simply as he began to work me into the protective gear.

“You had one for me the whole time?” I asked.

He just shrugged. “I can’t spoil you all at once. We both know you have no problem taking me for all I’m worth.”

“Not like you ever complained,” I grumbled.

“That’s right,” he said. Lips touched the tops of my chest, and he leaned over me to trail them up my neck until he was speaking into my ear roughly. “But now I’m collecting. We’re on these things because we’re finishing what we should have the first time we rode them. And you are going to pay me back every last ounce of exasperating effort I pour into you. I plan on taking all you’re worth too, and then I’m taking some more.”

I couldn’t say a goddamn word. I was too hot, too turned on, too ready for the drive home to be over before it even started. Con’s place wasn’t that far, especially if we took the beach, but it was still far enough away from me to want to say fuck it and rip his clothes off right here. But he insisted we do this the right way. The way it should have been done that original night at the beach.

Even so, I was a little apprehensive about going back to the very spot where last time we’d fucked everything up.

But Connor made sure to wash all those thoughts away as we finally parked at the back of his house, and I dismounted to see a large blanket laid out on the sand with meat and cheese and wine crackers and even some little desserts that told me a certain someone had a hand in setting up our little date.

“And here I thought chivalry was dead,” I said.

Big warm fingers wrapped around mine and pulled me toward the blanket. “C’mon. Let me feed you. I know you’re big on treats.”

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