Page 10 of The Hotshot's Prize
I forget the storm outside. Forget the fall, the fear, the ache in my knees. There’s only this. Only him.
It’s crazy.
I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, but I don’t want to stop.
Chapter Four
Zack
She tastes like danger.
Soft lips, breathy moans, the way her body leans into mine like she already knows I’ll catch her. I’m losing control faster than I can rein it in.
And I don’t lose control.
Not on a fire line, not during drills, not even when everything around me turns to smoke.
But Ella? She’s chaos in a hoodie and hiking boots. With those wide hazel eyes and the tiniest little gasp when I cradle the back of her neck, pulling her closer, greedy for more. Her fingers dig into my shoulders through my shirt, tugging me closer.
Damn, I can’t get enough of her.
I press her body even closer, pushing my tongue between her lips, devouring every inch of her mouth.
“Zack,” she whispers, her breath hitching when I slide my hand under the blanket, over the curve of her hip. She’s warm, trembling, whether from nerves or want, I can’t tell.
But I can feel it. The heat between us. It’s fast, reckless, electric. I press her gently against the ledge behind her, my fingers trailingdown the side of her thigh, savoring the way her breath catches when I touch bare skin.
This is insane.
I just met her.
I should stop. Should slow down. But the way she arches when I run my hand up her side, the soft sound she makes when my lips find the curve of her neck?
I’m addicted. Already.
“You’re gonna drive me out of my goddamn mind,” I murmur into her skin, right beneath her jaw. She shudders, her fingers tangling in my hair as I kiss her throat, just above her racing pulse.
Her hoodie’s already pushed halfway up. My hand finds bare skin, and the softness of her curves makes my stomach clench with desire.
I trail my palm up to her ribs. She doesn’t stop me. Doesn’t even hesitate. If anything, she’s arching into my touch, egging me on.
“You sure about this?” I rasp.
She nods. Breathless. “Yes.”
But when I reach for the button of her shorts, her hips tense, just a little. She’s not pulling away, but…hesitant.
“Ella,” I say softly, brushing hair from her face. “It’s okay if you don’t want to do this.”
She shakes her head, cheeks burning. “No,” she murmurs, dropping her eyes from mine. “It’s just, I—I’ve never done this before.”
I freeze. Everything in me goes quiet.
Holy shit.
I scan her flushed cheeks, her parted lips, the rise and fall of her chest beneath the hoodie. She’s gorgeous. Absolutely fucking stunning.
And untouched.
