Page 71 of Lights, Camera, Love

‘Exactly. Well, almost.’ He takes my hand and lifts my index finger to a small, dried-up bunch of old leaves. ‘It’s a spiny leaf insect.’

‘That’salive?’ I lean closer to inspect the hanging creature, whose tail curls up like a scorpion’s. ‘I can’t believe you even spotted it—you should be a professional sniper. Or a lifeguard. Or someone who paints those teeny-tiny miniature paintings.’

Kye smiles and shakes his head. ‘You can keep these as pets,’ he says, nodding at the insect.

I make a face. ‘No thanks. I’d much prefer a fluffy, cuddly bunny that doesn’t look like it was conceived in the seventh circle of hell.’

As I continue to survey the creepy creature, Kye steps up behind me, slipping his arms around my torso and sinking his hands inside the front pockets of my jean shorts. When his fingertips reach my pelvic area and press down through the thin fabric, I twist around to give him an accusatory stare.

‘Hey,’ I say, as a flush of heat washes over my skin.

‘What?’ He gazes down at me, his gorgeous eyes growing smoky.

I lay my hands on top of his. ‘Don’t act like you’re not trying to feel me up in the middle of a national park.’

He hums a flirty sound as he flexes his fingers more firmly against the insides of my thighs, pushing through the fabric. Kye’s hands are so large that the pads of his fingers are causing all the nerve endings from my waist to my knees to awaken and tingle.

‘Stop it,’ I say, but my coarse breaths betray the warning.

He swallows roughly and withdraws one hand from the pocket of my shorts. He then lowers it to touch his thumb to exactly the right spot between my thighs—over the denim—and a sigh escapes my lips.

My head tips back against his shoulder, my hoop earring landing on his neck. ‘Don’t tease me,’ I beg. He slowly undoes the button of my fly, tugs down the zipper and slips his hand inside my underwear. My fingers tighten around his other hand, which still sits loosely in my pocket.

Kye looks down to my panties, beneath which his hand has disappeared. ‘Baby, you’re soaked,’ he says hungrily. He brushes his fingertips against me, savouring my arousal, and then he positions his body a little lower. Once again, he finds the exact right spot with his thumb—skin on skin this time.

‘Kye.’ I sound as if I just climbed Mount Everest.

‘Yes?’ he whispers, turning his lips to the side of my neck. ‘You want me to stop?’

‘No,’ I manage as my legs buckle beneath the weight of my desire. But when I feel his length thickening against my behind, I remember where we are and how illegal this is.

‘We should stop,’ I murmur with a great deal of reluctance.

His hands lift off me. ‘I know; sorry.’ He shakes his head and lets out a forceful breath. ‘If you hadn’t stopped me, I was gonna take you right here in the dirt. And spiny-leaf guy might have seen.’

I turn, giving him a needy look. ‘Now, there’s a mental image I can live with. And I don’t mean spiny-leaf,’ I clarify. ‘I disapprove of insect voyeurs.’

‘They bug you?’ Kye brings his lips to mine and smiles against my mouth. Every part of me melts as he brushes our tongues together, his palms cradling my face.

‘Fuck, Evie,’ he whispers. ‘I need to taste you so bad. I need my mouth on you.’

My vision starts to swim.Another mental image I can live with.

I don’t know where we can go to continue this. I’m pretty sure my mum is at home right now, and I can’t bear the thought of hooking up with a guy while she’s in the next room. Especially not a talker like Kye.

We can’t go to Kye’s apartment either. He’s been crashing over at a friend’s house for the past few days, some guy called Mike. He hasn’t brought up Austin,and I haven’t asked because every time Kye speaks or hears that guy’s name, a new ice age seems to descend upon the Earth.

Kye nuzzles his lips into my neck, and I sigh. ‘You are making this very hard,’ I say.

‘Oh, you thinkI’mmaking things hard?’

He takes my hand and presses it to the firm length stretching beneath his fleece shorts, and my skin blisters with heat. I can’t help but squeeze him, and a low groan escapes his mouth.

‘Stop it,’ I gasp, yanking my hand away. ‘You’re just being evil now. Let’s go.’ I prise myself off him and put some much-needed space between us. ‘Also, being out of phone range for this long is starting to freak me out.’

‘Does that mean you still haven’t heard from your agent?’ he asks as we resume our walk back down the trail, kicking up dust clouds of dry earth as we go.

‘Nope,’ I sigh. ‘Crickets.’

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