Page 94 of Wildest Dreams

I clench my fingers tightly around the fabric of Aisling’s panties, knowing that we have to pause this for now.

I give her one more gentle nudge with my knuckles before reluctantly tearing my fist from her underwear, trying to get my breathing under control at the realisation that the guys are clearly coming back from their morning to afternoon session at the rink.

I swallow hard and keep my eyes averted as I tug Aisling’s shoulder string back into place, and then I’m gripping my hands around her hips and shoving her quickly around to the back porch. Once I’ve got her out of view and up against the side of the wall I tuck my fingers into her hair, dipping down to kiss her again.

“Are the guys back?” she asks me, eyebrows arched in need and confusion.

I nod, kissing her again. “Yeah,” I murmur, thumb rubbing up her jaw. Then I’m sighing and resting my forehead against hers, knowing that our private sanctuary is now temporarilyinterrupted. “Where does, uh… where does this leave us?” I ask her, my shoulders heaving with every breath.

I know exactly where I want this perfect moment to leave us – with Aisling letting me take her to the other side of the lake and telling all of those fuckers that she’s officially my girlfriend – but I also know that Aisling has spent years trying to fight this feeling between us, not wanting to be with a guy who everyone knows fucks around. She’s going to want to be a million percent sure about her own feelings before telling anyone that she’s thinking of giving me the time of day.

She drops her eyes and pouts, a tiny crease forming between her perfect brows.

“You know where this leaves us,” she mumbles, as I tuck my fingers under her chin.

“Enlighten me, baby,” I rumble. I can hear the guys laughing and dismounting on the other side of the lake.

I slide my thick fingers through hers, locking our hands together.

“Okay,” she breathes. “Well, we can’t have anyone… you know…know. Yet.”

I shove my tongue in my cheek, eyes burning down into hers. “Know what exactly?”

Say the words, baby. Say that we’re a couple.

“We can’t have anyone know that we’re thinking of maybe… potentially… rekindling… something,” she finishes raspily, eyes all big and earnest as she looks deep into mine.

I mean, they’re not exactly the concrete fucking betrothal vows I was after, but it’s a start.

I drop one of her hands so that I can quickly rub at the back of my neck, grinning at that affronted expression she pulls when she looks down at her now-empty hand.

I chuckle and leash my fingers back through hers, hunching low so that I can apologise for her one second of not having her hand held by giving her another gentle kiss.

“Kinda hurting my feelings, Ash,” I murmur, a dimple popping in my cheek when she flashes me her vicious scowl. “Being treated like a dirty little secret.”

Her eyes flicker to the drawstring of my shorts before she quickly blinks away.

She does a tiny cough.

“I wouldn’t exactly saylittle,” she whispers, and I’m instantly grinning, gripping her frowny little face in my palm and crushing rough kisses all over those cheruby cheeks.

“More compliments please,” I rumble, chuckling quietly as she can’t help but smile at my tease.

“Fine,” I finally murmur as I reluctantly stand to my full height, smoothing my palms over her rain-drenched hair. “If you want, we can keep this thing a secret for now. Until you’re sure” –please God let her be sure– “that this is the right decision.”

That I’m the right decision.

I can hear the guys calling my name into the woods on the other side of the lake, thinking that I’m trekking through the forest like a werewolf or something.

I smirk at the thought and then look back down at Aisling.

“We’re taking it slow,” I reaffirm, cupping my hands around the nape of her neck.

She nods her head at me, eyes all pupil and unblinking.

I swipe my tongue over my lower lip before hunching down to kiss her again.

Now that we’ve started, I don’t want to stop.

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