The kind of love that ignites.
Ever since I arrived on the Kansas farm, I’ve been careening toward a life that lacks any kind of spark or flame. Edward was always the safe choice, the comfortable and familiar one. That felt like enough. Or maybe I just believed that it was. That hoping for more was selfish and delusional.
But if I contain a wick, do I not deserve to burn?
Without thinking, without doubting, I stumble forward and collide with Rook and press my lips to his.
He inhales and freezes for a second before he’s pressing forward, pressing into me, his hands coming to my face, fingers threaded with my hair.
He spins me around, driving me back. I bump into the tunnel wall. Dirt rains down around us but we don’t stop this time.
Where two seconds ago he was unsure in his movements, now he is demanding. His tongue darts out to meet mine. He tastes like mint and coffee and desire and the touch of him makes my heart beat in my throat, stealing the air from my lungs.
I push my hips forward, my body moving without thought or plan or intention, but Rook meets me, his groin driving against me.
I feel the hardness of him through his pants and an excited moan escapes me.
The flame flickers, the wick snapping.
“Kansas,” he says into me, his hand trailing down my body, resting on the swell of my hip.
“Yes?”
“Can I tell you a secret?”
I kiss him again. Our tongues slide against one another.
“Yes.”
“I didn’t expect you’d be so dangerous.”
His hand comes to my ass and he pulls me forward where he throbs against the material of his pants.
“I promise there’s nothing dangerous about me.”
He groans and wraps a length of my hair around the knuckles of his other hand. “The most dangerous thing of all is a woman who thinks she is powerless.”
Yanking my hair back, he forces me to bend, exposing my neck, and he drops his mouth to my pulse point, kissing, tasting.
A sizzle of pleasure sinks to my core.
The candle gusts, the flame going sideways.
I’m burning from end to end now, nearly engulfed.
I’ve never been so turned on, covered in dirt.
Give in,a voice in the back of my mind says.Give in and fucking live.
Since landing in Oz, I’ve been out of my depth, unsteady, so unsure of everything.
But I’ve never been more sure of this.
I reach between us, finding the cold press of metal ofRook’s belt buckle. I fumble with it, finally managing to open the buckle, unthread the pin.
Rook nips at my neck and my insides sway as new wetness spreads over my panties.
I unbutton his pants and slip inside the gaping zipper.
