Page 23 of Smokin' Situation

“I’m so sor…”

I didn’t even get the word sorry out again before two large, calloused palms were framing my soot covered cheeks and pulling me forward.

Tripp hesitated for a fraction of a second before he was tilting his head and plunging his tongue past my lips. Falling forward, I braced my palms on his muscular chest, my fingers itching to dig into the solid muscles as he groaned into my mouth and nipped at my bottom lip.

The frantic, wheezing man from moments before was gone, replaced by a man as crazed as the fire we’d narrowly escaped. I could have died in that truck waiting for the search and rescue, but like something out of one of my grandmother’s old harlequin novels, there he was. A man, whose face was obscured by a bandana, pulling me out and practically throwing me onto theback of his horse before he rode off toward the sunset that had been nearly drowned out by smoke.

The attraction I’d sensed the night before flared brightly, burning between us as he sat upright and hauled me into his lap, his lips coasting down my throat before his teeth sunk into my collarbone.

“Fuck,” he grunted into my neck as I rocked in his lap, the layers of rough denim pressing against me in a way that sent sparks racing up my spine.

It was like I was being consumed by him, the rough scrape of his facial hair marking my neck as he kissed me and pressed his hips into my movements.

“Oh God,” I panted as his hands gripped my hips, his fingertips digging into my skin. “Yes.”

His hands were everywhere, skating up my back, digging into my back, his large palm wrapping around one of my braids before he yanked me back down to him, taking possession of my mouth in a way I’d never experienced before. He was rough in how he handled me, but I greedily rocked into every movement, taking all the anger and passion he poured into the kiss.

Gasping for breath as I pulled away, I dug my fingers into his hair, scraping his scalp while his eyes tracked my movements, no longer gripped with panic. He looked like a man possessed, dark blue eyes hooded as his grip on my braid tightened, tilting my head back as he stared at me.

“I’m sorry,” I panted, gasping as his hips thrust from beneath me.

“Be quiet,” he growled, forcing my head back while his grip on my waist tightened, pulling me forcefully against him. Even through the layers separating us, I could feel how hard he was beneath me, throbbing against the denim between my legs.

“But I—” I trailed off, my nails digging into the skin on the back of his neck when he pulled my hair hard, my neck arching backward.

“Shut the fuck up.” His voice was low and angry, and I worried that maybe I’d pushed this too far. Read him wrong. Acted too impulsively when I’d kissed him.

With strength I was surprised he had, he lifted me, standing and turning so my back was pressed against the wooden wall of the barn.

Bringing my fingers to the sides of his face, I rubbed my thumbs across his stubble, gripping the back of his neck as our chests heaved against each other. “Tripp, I…”

His eyes narrowed as he loomed over to me, his hips pinning me in place with my legs wrapped tightly around his waist. “I said, shut the…fuck…up, Rhey. Or should I call you Annie?”

Opening my mouth to apologize again, a low rumbling growl rose from his chest. He released my hip with one hand, reaching back to grab my hand, swinging it over his head and pinning it to the rough wood above mine.

“Don’t talk. Just… Just don’t,” he panted, interlacing his fingers with mine above my head and leaning in, ghosting his lips across mine. “No more words.”

“Kiss me again,” I breathed, arching my back and trying to lean into his touch, but he pushed in, pinning me to the wall. He leaned forward, his facial hair scraping my jaw as his teeth latched onto my earlobe, eliciting a gasp from me—part pain, part ecstasy.

“No,” he growled in my ear, scraping his teeth down the side of my neck as his hips rocked forward. “I’m so fucking mad at you.”

“I’m sor…”

His teeth clamped down on my collarbone, scraping the sensitive skin as I gripped his shoulder, digging in my nails until he gasped. His lips and tongue soothed where he’d bitten me, leaving a scorching trail up the side of my neck until his lips hovered millimeters from mine again, his eyes no longer clouded. He stared down at me with an intensity I feared might be more anger than arousal. “Stop fucking apologizing.”

“I…”

He swallowed the words, his lips punishing as he kissed me, teeth scraping my bottom lip before he sucked and bit down, pulling back as my neck arched against the rough wood behind my head.

“I’m allowed to be fucking angry with you. What you did…”

“Was stupid, I know,” I whimpered, panting as his hips thrust forward, rocking into me in a way that sent my pulse racing.

“So, fucking reckless. You’re lucky I found you,” he panted, pressing his hips forward and using them to support my weight as his hand disappeared between us, frantically unbuttoning my shorts. His rough fingertips disappeared beneath the fabric, pressing lower until they reached where I was wet and aching for his touch.

“Oh God.” My voice was a whimpered gasp as he circled my clit briefly before slipping lower and pressing inside, forcing our joined hands hard into the wood above my head before his lips descended on mine again.

He wasn’t gentle as he touched me, punishing me with rough thrusts of his fingers as I gasped into his mouth, the tables reversed as I had trouble drawing in breaths between harsh kisses.

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