Page 33 of Wild Life

When I finally reached her, her contortions were too violent for her to speak coherently. She kept slapping at her body, tears pouring down her face.

I couldn’t figure out what was wrong because she wouldn’t stay still. I needed her to stop moving before I could figure out how to help her.

Without caring about handling her tenderly, I pinned her to the ground, my knees on either side of her body. She wouldn’t stop crying out, repeating “Ow” over and over.

And then I saw them on her neck.Fire ants.

Too many to count, scurrying all over her perfect skin, and leaving trails of angry red bites.

My eyes went to where she’d been sitting. A mound of dirt lay next to her string project. A nest.

Fuck.There were so many ants swarming, swiping them off with my hands wasn’t enough to get them all.

My head spun, glancing at the pool. I needed to get the ants off her. Too many bites could do serious harm.

I stripped off her shirt and lifted her, hoisting her thighs around my waist. My skin tickled as ants crawled onto me, but I held her twisting body tightly against mine. After inhaling a deep breath, I jumped.

Cool water consumed us as we sank to the bottom, our bodies separating. Maris’s arms and legs flailed. The water wasn’t deep, just hitting my waist if I were to stand up. The ants only needed a few more seconds to dislodge, and then they’d wash off her skin. Longer contact with the crisp liquid would help the swelling from the bites, too.

I grabbed her shoulders and held her under with me, and her eyes widened. Even under water, I could hear the sounds of her protests amid the bubbles she created with her frantic movements. She hadn’t been prepared for the plunge and must’ve been starving for air.

Thinking fast, I grabbed her head tightly and sealed my lips around hers, creating an unbreakable connection. She went still against me. I loosened my lips, and when she did the same, I forced breath into her mouth. Then I bit her lips to force them closed to keep the air in.

She watched me, eyes sparkling under the crystal liquid. I nodded, assuring her it was okay to exhale. I could hold my breath much longer than her due to years of training while deep-sea fishing.

She pursed her lips, and tiny bubbles escaped as she breathed out. I cradled her face to guide her.

I nodded again, signaling it was time to ascend. We rose together. As fresh air hit her lungs, she sputtered, coughing up what had been trapped inside. I wiped the water from my face and pulled the rubber band out of my hair, looping it over my wrist for later. Rivulets from my wet locks ran down my back.

Red welts had already started to form on Maris’s skin, but luckily, her face had been spared. I caressed her shoulders, gently examining the bites. They would swell more by tomorrow. I cupped my hand in the water and splashed some onto the bumps.

She braced a hand on my chest for balance. “They sting so much, but that feels good.” Her voice was hoarse from hacking.

She closed her lids and angled her head away, allowing me to bathe her. Droplets trickled down her smooth skin, guiding me to discover a new set of bites on her chest. I splashed her there, too, my hand skimming over her body, careful not to press too hard.

Those drops of water drove my gaze lower. Her breasts skimmed the surface of the pool, pink nipples peaked from the cold. My hungry vision ate them up. While my fingers ached to touch them, to roll the buds to see if I could make them pointier, I didn’t.

Her focus was on me, like she was fully aware that I was memorizing her. Her breathing quickened, causing them to heave. She braced her other hand on my hip, sealing our connection.

I wanted to play with her breasts. To test their weight in my hold. To massage them. I dripped liquid over them and watched how it rolled down to her nipples and hung off the tips before falling back into the pool that kissed my skin.

I could have gone on forever, if she’d let me. My mouth craved to taste them, and before I could stop myself, I let out a deep groan that rippled the aquatic surface. It startled her, and she immediately covered her naked chest from me with her arms. Our sights lowered, where we could both see the distorted image of the magical V between her legs.

My length twitched its appreciation.

I turned away. It was too much, and the way I was yearning, I wanted to ram her against the rocks and bury myself inside that V.

I climbed out onto the soil, water sloshing from my thick frame. I needed to get away from her before I hurt her already injured body.

“Thank you,” I heard. I turned slightly to see her peeking from behind the rocks at the side of the pool, only her face fully exposed. “Thank you for helping me. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

I let out a grunt of acknowledgment before walking away.

I didn’t know what I would have done to her just then, but I knew Ishouldn’tdo it.

Chapter 18

The Honey Scene

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