Page 59 of Steal Me (Rebel Hearts Heists 1)
River’s warm hand touches my waist and I feel his solid chest against my back. “Kitten, I’m so sorry. I’ll never spank you again if that really offends you. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
I take a step back, resting fully against him, relaxing my rigid shoulders with my eyes still lost somewhere on the horizon. “No it wasn’t you, Rivs. I actually thought that was quite funny. Sorry, I got distracted by something I suddenly remembered.”
He breathes out a relaxed exhale, “It mustn’t be anything good by the look in your eyes,” he says, making me turn to look at him and I know up until a couple of weeks ago, River would’ve been the last person I’d ever trust but a lot of things have changed since we left LA.
I slide the glass door open and step outside onto the deck, shivering slightly when a chilly breeze caresses my naked arms: I have to remember that this isn’t California and I can’t walk around in shorts and tank tops.
River follows me outside.
“It’s beautiful out here, isn’t it?”
I nod, relieved that there’s no one out here but the two of us and I tell him what I think I saw last night. “I know I’m being paranoid, I just can’t shake the feeling of being watched. I’ve felt this way since we got here.”
River doesn’t exactly join my paranoia but he doesn’t even tell me that it’s all in my head. “I get nervous too when things are too quiet. It feels like being in the eye of a storm, you know? Everything gets quiet before you get caught back in a crazy vortex. But think rationally, kitten. He was able to follow you because he had that tracker on you. Since I destroyed it, we haven’t seen or heard from your ex. Come on, let’s go for a walk on the beach. Last night’s storm would’ve erased any prints on the sand, but there’s no one but us around here for miles. If someone else was around, there’d be some signs.”
River is right, so I take the hand he’s offering me and follow him down the steps from the deck leading directly onto the white, fine sand of the beach. We walk around the house and I immediately feel better when we don’t see anything out of the ordinary, when everything looks beautiful and pristine.
“See? Nothing to worry about, kitten. Come on, let’s go check out the water.”
The sun is low on the horizon and the sky is lit up with pink and orange hues that make everything look soft and romantic. The sand is cold under my bare feet but nothing could prepare me for the freezing sea water when a tiny wave crashes closer to us than we expected and I get my feet wet.
“Oh, God!” I squeal, jumping closer to River and he chuckles lifting me into his arms and walking along the water’s edge with my legs wrapped around his hips. He sets me down after walking for a few minutes, the house is still visible behind us but it looks the size of a doll’s house in the distance. He doesn’t say anything for a long moment, keeping his incredible hazel eyes fixed onto mine.
“Sloane …” He whispers lowering his head and brushing his lips on mine in one of the softest, sweetest kisses I’ve ever received. At first his lips are playing with mine, almost making me chase him, teasing me by pulling slightly back every time I think he’s about to deepen the kiss. When I grab the hair at the nape of his neck to keep him still, he chuckles and whispers against my lips:
“Hmm, what does my kitten want?” I can’t help but smile as I torment his bottom lip with my teeth.
“I want you to kiss me, River.” The playfulness in his eyes subsides and he doesn’t make me ask twice, he crushes his lips against mine but I’m waiting for him, ready to give as good as I get. His tongue swipes against mine in a hot and skilled way, making me feel his dominance but not overpowering me. It’s like a dance, each of us has to take steps to keep this constant fire between us stoked and alive. And River’s kiss consumes me like fire and like fire makes me feel warm and daring.
I place one of my hands on his chest, feeling the smooth skin where his shirt is open. He keeps kissing me until we’re both breathless and I can feel his heartbeat under my palm, it’s as fast as mine. I know I want more than this and he does too, if I have to judge by the hard bulge in his jeans. But River breaks the kiss, still serious, he takes my hand from his chest and brings it to his lips, kissing my knuckles.
“Stay with me tonight?”
I nod, surprised that he isn’t trying to take my clothes off right here and now, since the beach is deserted. He must see the perplexity in my eyes because he explains.
“It’s getting dark and the house is barely visible. The only other building is that big grey boat house a few feet away. Blaine told me that they keep kayaks and a catamaran in there. I’ve no clue if there’s any lights around it. So let’s get back until we can see where we’re going.” He smirks. “Plus, if I’m going to have you riding me I damn well want to be able to see it.”
“Let’s hurry back.” I agree blushing before my body is wracked by a deep shiver.
“Is my kitten cold?”I nod and River takes his shirt off, walking behind me and helping me put it on. His warm breath tickles my ear when he whispers in it, rubbing my arms up and down to warm me up.
“Come on. I should be fucking undressing you, not putting more clothes on you.” I turn around for another kiss: the sun has almost disappeared on the horizon and right now the sea is a beautiful silver and pink mirror.
“Sloane …” He murmurs.
“Yeah?”I can feel the intensity and intimacy of this moment and I think how I didn’t realize just how into River I really am until right now.
“You know that this isn’t just fucking for me, right? Not anymore and truth be told, it never really was. I care about you, kitten. Everything new I learn about you makes me want you more. Please don’t choose between us. Not yet. Or if you do choose, please choose me.”His voice is vulnerable and soft. “I can’t lose you, Sloane. I’ve never felt this way about someone.”
I open my mouth to tell him how right now I couldn’t choose even if I wanted to. That I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to choose because I’m starting to have feelings for all of them and they’re equally strong. But I never get to say any of those things because a shadow comes out of the darkness and something metallic hits the back of River’s head. I gasp, trying to support his weight, to keep him from collapsing on the sand but a hand pushes a wet cloth on my nose and mouth and I’m pulled violently back and away from River.
A nauseating smell invades my nostrils and my last coherent thought, before the darkness that is starting to invade the edge of my vision takes me completely under, is that it’s the same smell of a hospital.
Everything goes dark.
