Page 20 of Ash on the Range
“I wore it because I remembered you liked it,” I said, my lips still tingling. I wanted to touch them, see if they were as swollen as they felt, but my hands were trapped beneath his. I didn’t want to pull away from his touch either.
“Damn right I did.” He kissed me again, gentler this time, and I managed to breathe afterwards. “You gonna take some pictures of this place so we have proof that today was about more than me taking the girl I’m falling for on a date without anyone else interrupting us?” His gaze sliced through me with unimpeded intent.
“Oh.” I couldn't respond to that, didn’t have any other words.
He didn't seem to need one, thankfully, as his hands slipped around my hips. Will tugged me forward, lifting me out of his truck while I strangled the camera equipment.
“I have no idea how to work any of this,” I admitted, placing all the pieces on the picnic blanket he placed on a flat patch that overlooked everything.
Twenty minutes later, we managed to decipher Eve’s handwritten notes on the best lenses for which sorts of shots, though Travis seemed to have crossed out a few and added his own diatribe here and there. I laughed at some, and strained my eyes at others while Will did the honors and set it all up.
“Ta-daa.” He proudly presented it to me.
“Looks good,” I approved, taking the camera from him, and held it up. “Wow, that's kinda heavy. Okay, so promotional shots. Eve gave me a list…”
I delved into that for the next however long it took. The sun warmed my back as Will sat quietly at my side and by the time I got the hang of clicking away, checking the digital screen and resting the frame, I was sure my legs wouldn’t work the next time I tried to use them. Actually, I couldn't feel my feet any more at all.
“I’m sorry. That took a whole lot longer than I expected.” I bit my lip. “This probably wasn’t how you wanted to spend time with me.”
Will shrugged, sending me an easy smile. “I’m with you. That makes me happy, honey.”
Butterflies rioted in my stomach as he took the camera from my lowered hands and placed it on the far side of the picnic rug. That same warm hand came back to catch my jaw, turning my head as he angled his mouth over mine. Before our lips touched my eyes were already closed. I sank into his touch, relieved not to have to fight to find time with him at the end of the day when I could barely keep my eyes open.
HIs lips traced the shape of my own, pressing a little firmer. I sighed and let him in, letting him lay me back on the rug, tuckingme beneath his body. Out here, there was no one to see us, no one to offend or tell usno.
For the first time since we arrived at Red Hart, we were alone and it felt so damn good.
Will eased his thighs between mine, pulling back to break our kiss with a question written across his face. I stretched up, needing him closer, but he shook his head.
“Tell me if this is too much,” he murmured, cupping the back of my head and massaging my scalp deep enough to draw a moan from my lips for a different reason than how his weight pressed against me felt. “Tell me to stop any time, Cassie.”
“But I don’t want you to st–”
His thumb brushed over my lips and settled there, silencing me. “You might change your mind,” he whispered. “I don’t want to take that choice away from you, now or ever. I want you so damn bad, but that doesn’t mean I won't listen to what you want, Cass. Do you understand?”
I nodded, my throat too tight to get the words out. “Kiss me?” I finally managed to blurt.
Will huffed part of a laugh against my mouth. “Yes, ma’am.”
His kiss started slow but sensual, his tongue sliding between my lips as he pressed his body against mine in a rhythm I could deny. A hitched gasp tore from me as he pushed my legs apart with his knees, the memory of what we’d done the night before flooding back.
Heat flushed me from where our lisp connected to where he ground against me, sensation zinging between the two points. I ached for him to be rougher, like he’d kissed me before, move fast, pull my shirt off,something.But today’s version of Will Kirk seemed intent on torturing me with every hour we had left together in slow motion.
A deep moan left me as he found a spot on my hip and ran his thumb down the inside, beneath my jeans.
“Please,” I whimpered, uncaring how I sounded. “Will–” I tugged at his shirt as he laughed softly.
“Desperate little thing, aren’t you?” he murmured, trailing his lips across my jaw line and over my collar bone. “Can I take this off?” he tugged lightly as the material of my tee with his teeth.
Fuck yes.
“Please,” I whispered again,reverted to begging for the smallest thing already. “I need…”
“Need what?" He toyed with the hem of my tee, lifting it up and dipped his head to kiss the curve of my stomach. “Cassie?”
“You,” I managed as he tugged the top over my breasts and nipped one through my lace bra. “I need you.”
“Where?”
