Chapter 8 Serena
SERENA
Blaze’s lips brush mine. The touch is feather-light at first. It’s like he’s asking for permission and I answer by fisting the front of his shirt and pulling him closer. He groans against my mouth and electricity whips through every inch of me.
His hands slide into my hair and tilt my head back as he parts my lips with his tongue. It's not gentle anymore. It's hungry and desperate. It’s everything I've been dreaming about from the moment I left him in bed.
I melt into him.
My back arches as his arm wraps around my waist. He hauls me against his chest and I can feel every hard inch of him pressed against me. The heat pooling low in my belly turns molten.
Buzz. Buzz.
“Your phone—” I start, but Blaze shrugs it off.
"They can wait. You have no idea what you do to me, Serena.”
My name is like a prayer on his lips and I’m ready to get on my knees.
He walks me backward until my shoulders hit a tree.
The bark is rough through my jacket. But it’s hard to care when his mouth is on my neck and fire trails down to my collarbone.
I gasp and my fingers dig into his shoulders as he nips at my pulse point.
"You're so fucking beautiful." His voice is a rasp against my skin. "Every time I saw you this week, it took everything I had not to drag you into a supply closet."
"Maybe you should have."
He pulls back just enough to look at me. His pupils are blown wide, his chest heaving. "Don't say things like that unless you mean them."
I raise an eyebrow. "Maybe I mean them.”
Something dangerous flashes in his eyes. He kisses me again and it’s harder this time. His hands grip my hips like he's afraid I'll disappear, but I can’t imagine ever leaving his side. I hook my fingers through his belt loops and tug him closer. I need more contact, more friction… more of him.
Buzz. Buzz.
He pulls back with a groan and fishes his phone out of his pocket.
"Damn it. Sorry, let me just—" We're both breathless.
His forehead drops to mine and I can feel his heart pounding against my palm where it rests on his chest. He glances at the screen, and his expression shifts. "It's base. I have to take this."
I nod and step back to give him space. He walks a few feet away. His voice is low and clipped as he talks. I can't hear what he's saying, but I can see the tension in his shoulders.
I take the moment to inhale the magic of this place. The crisp mountain air fills my lungs, carrying hints of pine and wildflowers. Sunlight dapples the ground in shifting patterns of gold. This is what the world looks like with Blaze in it.
It seems impossible. Not that long ago, I didn't even know his name. Now I don’t want to spend a single minute without him by my side.
But maybe this could be my life. I could wake up wrapped in his strong arms. I could spend evenings on a porch watching the sun sink behind the mountains with him by my side.
I stand here and watch the broad stretch of his back while he paces back and forth as he talks. With every minute the door I've kept bolted shut cracks open a little wider. I can't help it. Everything in me screams the truth. I want this. I want him.
When Blaze comes back, there’s a noticeable shift in him. His jaw is tight.
"Hey, is everything okay?"
"Training schedule got moved up." He shoves the phone back in his pocket. "We've got a new group coming through next week. It’s the largest we’ve ever had at one time. Which means..."
"More physicals," I finish. "More exams. More chances for us to get caught."
"No, that’s not it." He hesitates. "They're assigning a field medic to shadow the training exercises. In case of injuries."
My stomach drops. "They want someone from the base clinic."
"They want you, Serena." He runs a hand through his hair. "You've been assigned to my unit for the next two weeks. They’re going to tell you on Monday."
Shit.
Two weeks of forced proximity. Two weeks of pretending we're nothing more than colleagues while every cell in my body screams for him.
"This is a disaster," I breathe.
"This is just a bump in the road.” He catches my hand, threading his fingers through mine. "We'll be careful and when the training is over, we'll figure out the rest."
We walk back to the parking lot hand in hand. It's stupid and risky and exactly what I promised myself I wouldn't do. My stomach turns and clenches from the news of my new assignment.
But I don't let go of him and that’s a start.