Page 137 of Fire Island
I turn back to Evie, sweeping her into my arms. I walk for the waterhole, and her arms slide around my neck.
“You know, Mr. McCreary, this kind of feels like riding off into the sunset.”
A hearty laugh escapes me that echoes through the trees. “Only your mind could connect those two.”
When we reach the waterhole, I don’t bother slowing, don’t release her.
I walk into the water, wading into the cool, cleansing waters like both our lives depend on it.
Like our souls do.
The water laps my back and soaks Evie’s shorts through, and I let her down.
“Arms up,” I rasp.
She obeys, lifting her arms over her head.
I slide my shirt and her cut-up one over her head, tossing them in the water. I tug my T-shirt from my back and push it into the water. Bringing it back out, I wring it out before dabbing it over her chest to clean off the blood. She hisses when it sweeps over her cuts. And when she is clean of a dead man’s blood and her own, I dot kisses above each wound as if it’ll accelerate the healing.
“Cal?” Her voice is too soft. Her hands wander up my neck, resting on my jaw.
I look up to beautiful browns that have darkened since we left the hut.
All the adrenaline has her body in a frenzy. I can tell by the way she scans my face and her hands wander my body. Pressing against me, she closes in.
“Close your eyes, fear milis.”
My eyes slide shut, the blood that’s been racing through my body plunging south, heat building with only the touch of her fingertips as they skitter over my shoulders. Then... she disappears, and the loss of her touch is cold.
“Keep them closed,” she mutters. The water moves. Sloshing. I hear drips and then something slapping to the water’s surface. Warm legs wrap around my waist.
“Open,” she breathes.
Eyes widening, I find her brown eyes burning as she nips my mouth. Only when her tongue slides over mine do her eyes close.
Hands sliding down her spine, I knead her bare ass.
Fuck me, mo ghràdh.
This is going to take longer than we thought.
Thirty-Seven
EVIE
Em’s throat works as I cross the sand and fall into his arms. I swear to god, this man is my brother from another mother. I know now why Cal is so protective of Em’s place in his life. The man is one hell of a guy, and my heart aches with the knowledge Iris may never?—
“Hell, you scared us, Miss Evie.” His hug tightens around me.
I wrap my arms around his bulky frame and sag against the rock we call Emmett.
With a rough, playful hand, he messes up my already filthy, tangled hair. “Before McCreary takes me out, you got to know how fucking brave you are. Iris is going to be so damn pumped over this. She’ll be talking about it for weeks.”
I chuckle, but it disintegrates into a breathy sob.
His hand runs over my hair. “You’re okay.”
Yes, yes, I am.
