Wildfire: A Novel (The Maple Hills Series)

I now understand why there are so many songs about being kissed in the rain.

Russ presses me into the wall of his cabin, my legs wrapped tight around him like they have been so many times before, except this time his fingers are tangled in my hair, pulling to keep my head to the side to kiss, lick and suck the length of my neck.

It’s different to last time; he’s more confident, more sure of what to do to make me arch off the wall and whimper. My hands tug at his sweatshirt, impatient to see his body again and feel it against mine. He helps me pull the wet material over his head, immediately pulling mine off too. Our damp stomachs stick together, heat spreading across my skin like wildfire.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he whispers at the shell of my ear. “I can’t believe it took us so long to do this again.”

Preach. We deserve some kind of medal for the amount of self-restraint we’ve shown when we know how good we make each other feel. “Some of us like to respect the rules, Callaghan,” I tease. His hands sink into my ass and my entire body feels like it’s going to burst into flames at any minute.

Moving us to his bed, he gently lowers me down onto the mattress, the soft material a welcome contrast to the roughness of the wall. He pulls down his pants and boxers and I have to stop my jaw from falling off my face. Time has dulled my memory of how impressive he is and after several weeks of working here with only myself in the shower, I fear I may be a little out of practice.

“Do you know how big my ego gets when you look at me like that?” He says kneeling on the bed between my legs totally naked.

I’m pretty sure it’s a rule somewhere that it’s rude not to look at someone’s face when they’re talking to you, but in all fairness, they haven’t seen how pretty Russ’s dick is.

“I’m doing a risk assessment of the likeliness of you splitting me in half.”

He snorts and leans over my body to kiss me slowly. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“It’s all I’ve thought about for weeks,” I admit. “I’m not afraid of a little risk.”

Unbuttoning my shorts, Russ pulls them down, then finally pulls down my panties, spreading my legs wide in front of him. Without a little alcohol in my system, this is the bit where I’d normally feel self-conscious. Not with him. “What do you need?” he asks, massaging my inner thighs.

Everything. “I want to feel close to you.”

He moves to lie on the bed beside me, rolling me onto my side so our stomachs are touching, he hikes my leg over his hip and tucks an arm under my head. “This good?”

“Perfect.”

Russ takes his time to rub his hand over the curve of my waist, along the bottom of my back until he’s palming my ass. His mouth moves against mine, tongue dominant as his hand moves from my ass to dip between my legs. “Fuck, Aurora,” he groans, his forehead pressing against mine. “You’re so wet.”

His dick twitches against my stomach. “Can I touch you?”

“You can do whatever you want to me.” He moans when I wrap my hand around him, stroking up and down slowly. He pushes a finger inside of me, followed by a second, stretching me. My heartbeat speeds up, breathing falling into an unsteady rhythm as I move the hand wedged between us in a rhythm he loves. “You’re so fucking good, sweetheart.”

He’s patient, watching my every reaction to work out exactly what I like. The leg over his hips begins to shake, the building feeling in my stomach feels like it’s in my bones. “I’m going to come.” His thumb finds my clit and all I want to do is pull him closer. Closer how, I don’t know, but my freehand grips the back of his neck and I moan into his mouth. “Oh fuck, Russ. Oh my God.”

“That’s it. Let me see that pretty face when I make you come.”

My body bucks and writhes on his fingers, my hand still wrapped around him. He pulls his fingers out, his hips thrusting up into my hand a few times before he stops, wrapping his hand around mine to stop me. “I don’t wanna come yet.”

“Where are your condoms?”

I watch the expression on his face sink into horror. “Shit.”

“Please tell me you’re saying shit because you’re upset that you’ll have to be away from me for the two seconds it’ll take for you to get them?”

“I haven’t got any,” he admits sheepishly. “Don’t look at me like that, I wasn’t expecting to have sex!”

He rolls onto his back, using my leg to pull me on top of him. His dick is like a freaking rock, conveniently positioned flat against him but between my legs. I gently move my hips forward and back and his eyes roll back, hands immediately gripping my hips to keep me in place as he mimics my actions by thrusting up.

Everything is swollen and aching and wet, which is clouding my problem solving skills. I can hardly blame him for not bringing condoms when I didn’t either.

“We could just not use one? When was the last time you were tested?” I ask. “I’m on birth control and my most recent test was clear. I always use them. One of us can go into Meadow Springs to buy some this week.”

“I was tested a few weeks before I met you and it was clear. You’re the only person I’ve been with since, but uhm, I’m not comfortable not using them. I won’t enjoy it if I’m worrying about the statistics of how effective your birth control is.”

“That’s totally fine, I respect that.” We probably should have had this conversation before we got naked, but at least we’re having it. He looks a little embarrassed, but he has no reason to be. Pulling him to a sitting position, he leans back on his hands and I wrap my arms around his neck, pecking him on the lips. “There’s plenty of other ways I can satisfy you. Let’s keep count of th— oh my God, I bet Xander has some.”

I don’t think I’ve ever moved as quickly as I do rushing toward Xander’s side of the cabin. Russ puts his feet on the floor, perching on the edge of his bed. “Rory, I don’t think we should look through Xander’s things.”

He’s got a point, not one I’ll be taking on board, but a point all the same. “Do you think if Xander knew you needed a condom he would be mad?”

“Fair observation.”

I check the obvious places like his bedside table, his wash bag, his sock drawer, the wardrobe but I don’t find any. If I were Xander, where would I hide condoms? Dropping to the floor, I check under the bed and while there’s a real chance I’m about to find something furry with claws, I immediately spot a duffle bag.

“Jeez, Aurora,” Russ groans and he physically sounds pained. My ass is in the air, chest close to the floor and it doesn’t take a genius to work out what might be on his mind right now. I pull the bag toward me and find exactly what I’m looking for. Holding up the foil packets in the air like a freaking prize, I try not to run back to his bed. I’ve never seen Russ move as quickly as he does ripping the foil and covering himself.

Still on the edge of the bed, he grips the back of my thighs to move my legs to either side of his hips. I’m careful as he aligns himself and I sink down onto him. I’m so full that it stuns me, stretching me, making me freeze. “Take your time,” he murmurs softly, kissing my chest. His hands hold my waist, guiding me as I lift up and down tentatively, taking a little more of him each time. “That’s it, good girl. You feel so fucking good, Aurora. You’re making me lose my mind.”

The praise makes the sex better and I’m not embarrassed to admit that.

Russ Callaghan can call me a good girl any time.

We fall into a perfect rhythm. His hands move to my ass, helping as I bounce on him, while his mouth explores my neck and chest. My fingers rub frantically between my legs and I squeeze him tighter. “I’m close,” I pant.

His hands keep guiding me, I crash my mouth into his, our skin is flush is so many places that we feel like one body. It feels like light bursting through my body and I cling to him tightly, riding out the high, pulsing around him.

“You good?” he whispers.

“Thighs are burning. Worth it.”

Russ lifts me off him, lying me down on his bed again and lying behind me. His arm slips under my head, his chest flat to my back and it seems like we’re about to spoon, until I feel his dick poking me from behind. “Lift your leg a little, sweetheart.”

“You can’t put it in my butt.”

Goosebumps spread across my body as he laughs into my neck. “I wasn’t planning on that, but thanks for letting me know.”

He slides back inside of me with one thrust and everything feels different from this angle. I lower my leg and the arm around my neck crosses my chest, letting him swirl his finger around my nipple. His other hand dances across my stomach before slipping through my legs and I immediately know he’s ruined anyone else for me.

His hips rock back and forth gently, combined with his hand, and he whispers sweet things into my ear. He’s everywhere all at once and I know I’m going to be falling over the edge again soon. I feel valued like this; worshipped. Like his one mission in life it to make me feel beautiful and wanted. I force my hips back as he drives his forward and we fall into a crazed pattern, chasing a high together.

“That’s it, show me how much you want it,” he says into my neck. “You’re worth any risk, Ror.”

The sound of our bodies slapping against each other drowns out any sound of a storm. Shit, I don’t even know if there is a storm anymore. Russ is taking over my every sense. I’m moaning, he’s moaning. I go harder, so does he. My pulse in my neck is hammering against his mouth and his thrusts start to become sloppy and rough. He pants my name and his fingers rub me faster and I’m there, falling with him.

I’m exhausted, sore and completely satiated.

We lie there totally still, him still inside of me. He blows out a sigh. “I think I might be obsessed with you.”

It’s like another orgasm. “That’s the sex talking.”

“It’s not.”

He pulls out slowly, kissing me gently as I wince a little. He visits the bathroom to get rid of the condom and, for the first time, I don’t expect the guy I just slept with to close the door and wait for me to see myself out.

Lying back down beside me he leans over to see my face, brushing my hair out of the way and kissing me on the forehead. “Do you want anything? Drink? Shower? Something comfortable?”

“I’m good.” He pulls the duvet over me and gets in beside me. “Thank you.”

Russ kisses my forehead again and rolls my body toward him, putting his arm around me. It’s not something I’ve ever done but I feel so safe and happy it’s borderline overwhelming. He picks up a book from beside the bed and dims the lamp. I want to ask him what he’s reading, but my eyes are already closing. I’m about to fall asleep when his voice stops me. “Will you still be here when I wake up?”

“Yes, I promise.”