I collapse to the ground and watch her laugh.
Bri is so beautiful, it hurts. She plops down next to me and leans against my arm.
“I guess the swimming lessons will have to wait,” she says and nudges me.
“Yeah, I’m definitely not going back in there.” I grin at the sight of her, wet from head to toe, water dripping down her smooth skin.
“Here, let me see that.” She grabs my wrist and brings my thumb up to her face. She intently studies the small bite marks left behind.
“It’s okay, it didn’t hurt that bad.” I gulp down nothing, my mouth dry again.
“Do you have anything in your pack to mend it? I don’t want it to get infected. Who knows what sorts of microbials are here? I’d hate for you to lose your last good hand.”
“I’m pretty good with both hands.”
I curl my bionic arm around her and bring her close. With one slow finger, I trace down her throat, around to the back of her neck, following her spine all the way down until my hand comes to rest at the small of her back. All I see is Bri and her gorgeous eyes and lips. Lips that are being licked, preparing for a kiss.
I’m on her in an instant. Her hands comb through my hair when I kiss her. She tastes like salt and smells like rain.
The brethren are right. She’s a goddess, and I want it all.
She rips her lips away from mine and scoots away. The distance between us now feels worse than anything I’ve ever felt.
“Um, I’m gonna go check the pack.” She stands up and tries to cover up her exposed body. I watch her over my shoulder. She puts her fingers to her lips absently, touching the place I had my lips on as she walks away, taking my sanity with her.
FORTY-FOUR
Bri
Ihad been worried the line between hookup and something more was approaching. The combination of the conversation on our way here and the feeling of his hand moving up my thigh officially pushed us into perilous territory. I’m confident that I can move us back into the safe zone where we fuck like rabbits at night, tell a joke or two during the day, and keep feelings out of it.
How ironic. Not that long ago I was telling Elowen to let her guard down with Aro. That she was worthy of love. It’s a lot easier to give advice than to take it. If Elowen was here right now, she’d be calling me out.
Especially now, Tai has been giving me these tiny little glimpses into where he came from, who he is under all the gruff exterior. He’s got hang-ups about his past. He thinks he’s being vague and subtle about it. But he wears it like a neon vest.
And that’s the problem. I want to know more.
I shake my head to focus on the task at hand and dig through the pack. There has got to be some first aid here somewhere. Myfingers snag on the liquid sutures at the bottom of the bag. I swing around and collide right into his hard, dripping wet chest. This up-close and personal view is exactly what I was attempting to avoid. A smattering of indigo freckles span across his chest and shoulders, begging to be touched.
“I’m trying to figure something out,” he says.
I clinch my hands at my sides, squeezing the tube of sutures almost until it bursts. All to keep myself from reaching out and touching the dark blue specks.
“Oh?”For fuck’s sake, Bri. Use your words.
“I’m trying to figure out if you are running away from me. Or towards something else.”
Old habits kick in. The tightness in my throat tells me it’s time to make a joke, to shut this conversation down before it goes too deep. My hands don’t want to cooperate when I tell them to relax.
“At the moment, I’m running toward a bandage for your finger.” I know he didn’t mean it literally. But I don’t have time to think of anything better.
“Don’t do that. I really want to know. Are you pulling away because this isn’t what you want? Or you do, and that’s what scares you?”
The bottom of my stomach drops away. I do want him. Is that enough to overcome the fear?
“You don’t have to tell me. But at least be honest with yourself.”
Shaken to the core, my mind races to find the right words. It’s too hard to explain something when I’m still trying to figure it out for myself.
