Ignite (16 page)

“You really arranged a time for him to come by and everything?” Harper gaped at her.

“Of course, I did. I told him not to disturb you during the day, so that's why you never heard from him. Poor boy is probably champing at the bit to see you. Which truly, that's the ideal situation.” The smile on her grandma's face was downright naughty.

Harper leaned forward and pulled her grandma into her arms, squeezing her tight. “Thank you,” she murmured. “For the pep talk. And for arranging my date tonight.”

“Anytime, dear. Though you really should consider looking for a new place to live eventually. Or else I'm afraid we'll start cramping each other's style,” Grandma said with a laugh.

T
HE DOORBELL RANG
, and Harper counted to ten before answering it, as per her grandma's instructions.

“Anticipation is key, darling,” she'd trilled as she left the house to go on her own date for the evening. “And don't expect me back until tomorrow morning!”

Harper could've done without that little detail.

Running her hands down the front of her dress, she shook her hair behind her shoulders, took a deep breath, and slowly opened the door.

West stood on the doorstep, clad in jeans and a black T-shirt, a bouquet of wildflowers clutched in his hand. His eyes went wide upon first seeing her, scanning the entire length of her body. “Hey.”

She smiled. “Hi.”

He took a step forward, thrusting the flowers toward her. “These are for you.”

“They're beautiful, thank you.” She took the bouquet from him and brought the flowers to her nose, inhaling deeply their sweet scent. “Come in, let me put these in water.”

He followed her inside, shutting the door behind him as she went into the kitchen. She was nervous, having him so close, so many unspoken things shimmering between them. She wanted to grab him. Kiss him. Tell him she missed him, but she was still feeling a little unsure.

So instead, she grabbed a vase from the cupboard and filled it with water, then arranged the flowers carefully, her fingers drifting over the soft, colorful petals. She could feel West enter the kitchen, his magnetic presence making her shiver, and she went completely still. She was trying to come up with something to say when he was suddenly behind her, his big hands engulfing her hips, his warm mouth close to her ear.

“It about killed me to follow your grandma's orders today,” he murmured, his lips brushing against her neck and sending tingles scattering all over her skin.

She placed her hands over his when he slid his arms around her waist. “What were her orders?”

“Don't contact you. No texting, no calling, no nothing. Just show up here at seven and take you out. Bring flowers.” He paused. “That's exactly what she told me to do.”

Aw, her grandma was the best. Though it had been a slow form of torture, not hearing from West all day. “Why didn't you just give in and call me?” She leaned against him, loving how his solid, lean body cradled hers.

“She said it would be better this way. I think her exact words were
anticipation is key
.” He kissed her neck again, his lips lingering. “I think she might've been right.”

Harper absolutely couldn't take it anymore. She turned, slipped her arms around his neck, and rose up on tiptoe, pressing her mouth to his. West immediately cupped the back of her head with one hand, keeping her there, not that he had to. His mouth devoured hers and he tilted his head to the side, taking the kiss deeper in an instant. She moaned at the first touch of his tongue against hers, overwhelmed by the way he took total command of the situation.

“Is your grandma here?” he asked a few long, delicious minutes later, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke. He'd gathered the skirt of her sundress in his fingers until her butt was practically exposed and
now
he thought to ask if her grandma was around? “I'm about to throw you on the kitchen floor and get you naked if I don't watch it.”

A thrill shivered down her spine at his dark words. “She's gone for the night.”

He smiled, his fingers pulling the skirt higher, cool air hitting her backside. She tried to swat his hand away, but he was too quick. “So are you saying I can get you naked in your grandma's guest room? Or is that too crazy?”

It wasn't too crazy. She was just as eager to have him. She withdrew from his arms and took his hand, smiling as she led him back to her temporary bedroom. “Come with me.”

He rushed her into the small room, slamming the door behind him and gathering her into his arms. She went willingly, laughing when he fell onto the bed with her. He rolled over so that she was pinned beneath him, his knees bracketing her hips, his hands pressed on either side of her head.

“I probably should've done the right thing and taken you to dinner first,” he said, his gaze roaming over her face as he studied her. “But I couldn't wait. It's been too long since we've been alone. Really alone.”

She was rendered breathless by his admission. “I'm glad you couldn't wait.”

West bent down and kissed her, his lips lingering, warm and soft. “I've missed you.”

“I've missed you too.”

“I want you.”

Harper smiled, tilting her head back when he slid his lips down the length of her neck. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the delicious sensation of his mouth on her skin. “I want you too.”

“I think I'm falling in love with you.”

She went completely still as all the air lodged in her throat. Her eyes popped open and she stared up at the ceiling. His admission threw her for a complete loop. Could he really mean it? West wasn't one to just toss out careless declarations. She knew this. But still . . .

He lifted his head, his somber gaze meeting hers. “I meant what I said, Harper. After what happened yesterday, it made me realize just how much I care about you. You've always been a part of my life, and I took that for granted. I was a jerk to you in the past and I regret it so damn much. I came back here to Wildwood, and you should've treated me like shit for leaving you like I did, but you didn't. Not really. And somehow, you allowed me back into your life, and you worked your way into my heart.”

She reached for his face, drifted her fingers along his smooth-shaven jaw. “You've always been in my heart, West. For years, you've been there, even when you shouldn't have been.”

Closing his eyes, he leaned into her palm. “I know, and I took advantage of that when I kissed you that one night. But no more. You deserve to know how I feel about you.”

“And how do you feel about me?” She dropped her hand from his face, her chest squeezing tight as she waited for his answer.

“Like I said, I'm falling in love with you.” She parted her lips to speak but he cut her off, resting his fingers on her mouth. “I realize we haven't been seeing each other long, but we've known each other for years. What we have is special, Harper. And I'm not willing to let it go.”

“I don't want to let you go either.” She kissed the tips of his fingers before he lifted them away from her mouth and replaced them with his lips. The kiss was deep, hot, his tongue tangling with hers as he pressed her into the mattress. She slid her hands beneath his shirt, running her fingernails up and down the smooth expanse of his back as he growled against her lips, making her giggle.

“That feels good. I've missed having your hands on me,” he murmured, impatiently tugging at her skirt. “I want you naked.”

She laughed. “Impatient much?”

“For you, hell yes. I haven't touched you like this in weeks.” He lifted away from her and tugged the dress up so it was bunched around her waist, exposing her pale green cotton panties to his gaze. He groaned when he first spotted them. “Christ, you're trying to kill me.”

“They're not that sexy,” she protested, gasping when he shifted so that his mouth was on her belly, his warm lips on sensitive skin, making her shiver.

“Everything you wear is sexy. You're sexy.” He curled his fingers around the waistband of her panties and tugged them off, his movements erratic. He ran his mouth greedily over her skin, along her thighs, her hot throbbing core. Her hipbones, her stomach, her breasts . . . as if he was trying his best to consume her, though his mouth never lingered long. Growls of impatience escaped him and she was just as eager, kicking off her underwear, lifting her arms when he pulled the dress up over her head and tossed it on the floor. She wore no bra so she was completely naked, earning an appreciative glance from West before he straight up attacked her.

Oh, and she reveled in it. He was like a man possessed. His hands were everywhere, all over her body, caressing her breasts, slipping between her legs, testing how wet she was for him. She writhed beneath his touch, her fingers fumbling over the button of his jeans, pulling at them impatiently. She wanted them off. She wanted him just as naked as she was and within moments, like magic, he was.

He rolled on the condom that he had stashed in his jeans and wasted no time pushing inside her, burying himself so deeply that all she could do was close her eyes and clutch him close. There was no finesse, no prolonging the orgasm or drawing out the act. It was just pure, animalistic . . . fucking. A word she'd never used to describe any of the times she'd had sex before.

With West, she loved it. He was completely out of control, his mouth locked with hers as his hips shifted, his cock thrusting inside her again and again and again . . .

Until all she could see were stars.

“I'
M A SELFISH
jackass,” West said as soon as he could find his voice once again. He held Harper close in his arms, her warm, naked body wrapped all around his, their legs tangled up together. They were limp and sated, his eyes closed and his brain buzzing, feeling completely wiped out in the best possible way. He pressed his mouth to her forehead, trying to calm his breathing. His dick twitched, letting him know it was up for round two.

Un-freaking-believable.

Harper made this low murmuring sound in her throat, sexy as hell as she shifted against him, her hand brushing against his belly, his cock, making it spring magically back to life. “Why do you say that?”

“I was completely out of control just now.” Almost embarrassingly so. It had been too long since he had her and he'd just wanted her so damn much, he couldn't hold back. He'd fully planned on making love to her. Nice and slow, his mouth all over her body, hands mapping her skin. Learning every little spot that drove her out of her mind, discovering her intimate secrets.

But no. He'd tried that approach and gave up fast. Instead, he'd rutted on her like some sort of wild caveman, coming with a shout after five minutes of being inside her. It was sort of embarrassing.

“I thought it was hot.” She tilted her head back, smiling up at him. “It felt like you really wanted me.”

Her fingers brushed against his stomach again, making him flinch. “That's the truth. I always really want you. And now that we got that out of the way, I'll make sure to take my time with you the next go-round.”

“There's going to be a next go-round?” She sounded so hopeful he couldn't help but smile.

“There are going to be lots of go-rounds.” He kissed her, mentally reminding himself to go slow. “If I have it my way, we won't leave this bed tonight.”

“That sounds nice.” A dreamy sigh escaped her and she snuggled closer, her mouth on his shoulder. “What about dinner?”

“I'm sure we'll figure something out eventually.” Currently he only wanted to feast on her.

He held her close, loving how easily she curled her naked body around his. For the first time in a long time, he felt . . . content. It definitely had to do with the woman in his arms, but he also knew it had to do with being back home. In Wildwood. Once a town he couldn't wait to get away from, he was happy here. He liked where he worked. He enjoyed spending time with his siblings. His relationship with his father was permanently damaged, but with time, maybe it would get easier. He didn't mind the gossip, and the familiarity that came with returning to his hometown.

More than anything, he cared about the woman lying beside him, her hair in his face, her arm slung around his middle like she owned him. It felt good, having someone, having somewhere he belonged.

It felt right.

“What about the future for us, West?” She gazed up at him, nibbling on her lower lip. She looked unsure, hesitant. “You probably don't want to talk about the heavy stuff right now, but I have to ask. What do you want for . . . us?”

He brushed a wild tangle of hair away from her face, his fingers skimming her cheeks as his gaze never left hers. She had the prettiest eyes. She had the prettiest everything. Why had he never seen it before? When they were younger and she'd followed him around like a lovesick puppy . . . what an idiot he'd been. “I want to be with you. Only you. And we'll just need to take it day by day, okay? This summer, I'm going to be busy with work. It's going to get crazier, I know it. There's a lot going on around here. The fire season is going to be intense, what with the drought conditions and the . . . ” He thought of the arsonist. He didn't want to scare her, but it was happening. Hell, they were talking about it in the local newspaper. “The possible arsonist. I might be gone for weeks at a time. That's the norm during a busy fire season.”

She nodded, her eyes full of sadness. “I understand.”

“But I'll always be thinking about you, even when we're not together. You're mine, Harper. And I'm yours.” He leaned in and kissed her, taking it deep, leaving her breathless. “Nothing's going to change that.”

“Okay,” she whispered, her lips moving against his as she spoke. “I can deal with that.”

“Yeah?” He smiled and she smiled in return.

“Yeah.” She kissed him this time, her sweet lips molding to his. “I feel like my every dream has come true.”

“Me too, baby.” He splayed his hand across her back. “Me too.”