“Cora! I’m done!” Noah shouts from upstairs. I was so preoccupied, I didn’t realize the water had turned off. Giving me a look, she moves off my lap. I wince when she grazes my dick. It’s painfully hard, and I want her to come back and sit on it some more, preferably naked with her glasses on.
“Go. I’ll wait.”
Nodding, she heads up the stairs. While she’s gone, I look through the photos on my phone. She doesn’t know it, but when we had dinner, I took a couple of pictures of her. I desperately want one of us together. Maybe I can get one at the shop. Stowing that idea for later, I focus on the image.
It’s from when we were sitting at the table. Emma and Cora were talking and laughing, and I was reading a text from Seth, but when I heard Cora’s laugh, I quickly focused my attention back on her. In the image, she’s grinning with her head thrown back in laughter.
Cora is the perfect light to the darkness that lives in me. I needed to capture some of it for myself. She’ll never understand just how much she means to me. I never thought I could have something like this.
I don’t want to rush her, but I want more. It would probably scare her if she knew just how bad it was.
When I hear her footsteps approach, I stand to pull her back into my arms. Sitting back on the couch, I hug her to me and breathe in her scent. Just having her close to me is calming. It’s a balm to my damaged soul and body.
“Atlas?” she murmurs.
“Yeah?”
“Did you mean what you said earlier to Noah?”
“Which part?”
“About why you call me Firefly?”
I hesitate before answering. If this conversation heads where I hope it will, she’s never going to get rid of me. She’s already stuck with me, but this will speed things along. She’s been holding back, and I’m hoping I’ve finally breached the walls she’s built up. I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but I think Cora’s finally starting to get it.
“No.”
“Oh.” She freezes and starts to untangle from my grip.
Nope. That won’t do.
I hold her tighter but turn her so she’s straddling my lap again. “I didn’t tell him the whole reason. I mean, how do you explain to a kid that female fireflies don’t fly, and that they use their light to attract a mate?”
Cora looks at me in confusion. I’m doing a terrible job explaining it to her. Grabbing her hands, I twine our fingers together and bring them to my lips to kiss them. I’ll never get enough of her touch. “Female fireflies don’t fly, baby; they stay on the ground.”
“Okay?” She looks at me with a questioning gaze. “So…?”
“So, a male firefly just coasts around until it sees a certain light it’s drawn to. He flies lower to the ground because he’s so captivated by it that he needs to see it for himself. When he reaches it, he recognizes it as his mate.” Letting go of her hands, I tip her chin up and look straight into her eyes.
“You captivate me, Cora. You have from the start. There is no level I wouldn’t lower myself to for you. No line I wouldn’t cross tokeep you safe. And even though those dumb bastards don’t mate for life, there’s not going to be anyone else for me. You are it for me Cora, in every way, and every lifetime, it’s only ever going to beyou.”
“Atlas…” she starts, but I cut her off with a kiss. When I pull back, her eyes flutter open.
“You are the greatest light I’ve ever had the fortune to bask in. I’ve lived so long in darkness, I didn’t know there was another option. I don’t deserve it, but I’m begging you to let me show you that I can be the man you need. The one who deserves to fly down to you. Don’t make me go back in the darkness, baby.” I rest my forehead against hers, tightening my hold as my heart races. If she doesn’t want this, I’ll just have to try harder.
“That’s quite the explanation, Atlas,” she finally says. Pulling back, she searches my eyes. “No.” She shakes her head as she stands and leaves my grip.
“What? Cora, no, please.” I’m not above begging. Standing from the couch, I move towards her. I am not above kidnapping her either. Although, kidnapping is such an ugly word. I’d prefer to call it a ‘lover’s retreat.’
Walking toward the door, Cora ignores me. Furiously, my mind starts making plans B through Z. I swear I’ll make sure Noah gets back and forth to school and stuff.
“Cora…” I start but then freeze when she locks the front door and shuts off the lights. “What are you doing?”
“Come on, I’m not leaving you in the dark.” She holds her hand out to me. “Unless you don’t want to?” she asks, then looks toward the stairs.
Fuck me. Is she offering what I think she is?
Slipping my hand into hers, I pull her close and cradle her in my arms.
