Mouth to Mouth (Beach Kingdom 1)

No help for it. She felt like a cherished belonging and it was…amazing. Mostly because Olive was pretty positive if she asked Rory to do anything, he’d do it. To make her happy. She wanted to make him happy, too, and all that was required was getting home safely. Letting him take care of her in this one way. “Yes. I will.”

“Thank you.” His shoulders lost their tension, his hand lifting to cup her face. “I’m on the beach all day, but I’m not bartending tonight.” Green eyes fell to her mouth and darkened. “Can I see you again?”

Olive wanted more than anything to be back in his arms. As fast as possible. Not being in them right now was awful. “I have a study group tonight, but I can miss it—”

“No.” The set of his jaw was resolute, but his eyes were soft. “Don’t miss school work because of me. How about I give you a ride to class tomorrow morning?”

Butterflies rushed into her chest, wings flapping wildly. “That sounds perfect.”

He caught her mouth in a hard kiss that wanted—so badly—to become more. They breathed heavily against each other’s lips for a few seconds, Olive’s thighs shifting beneath the bedclothes, which Rory obviously noticed, if his groan was any indication. “How does your body feel, sunbeam? You hurting from what we did?”

“No.” She kissed the side of his chin. “No.”

His eyes closed briefly, then refocused on her. “I’m sorry about the video.”

“It’s okay.” Olive’s lips wobbled into a smile. “I searched for you on social media. So I guess we’re just even now.”

Rory reared back a little. “You did?” He regarded her with a mixture of amusement and confusion. “I’m not on any of that shit, baby.”

“I know.” She lifted her chin. “It’s very frustrating.”

“Why?”

“Are you serious? It’s like a…virtual footprint. How else am I supposed to learn about you?” She arranged her features in a horrified expression. “Talking?”

Rory tickled her ribs and she sheet dropped from her breasts.

He yanked it back up with a bark of pained laughter, covering her up once more. “Jesus Christ, if dicks could cry, mine would be sobbing right now.”

When he seemed to be debating whether or not to leave, Olive knew she had to help him. He wasn’t letting her miss study group and she wouldn’t let him shirk his new managerial obligations. As much as it hurt. Like seriously, ouch. “Go,” she managed, saying a silent apology to her newly awakened femininity. “You have to go prep the bar. I’m…” Her breath caught a little as the truth tripped out. “I’m really proud of you for taking on new responsibilities. I’m proud of you for not fighting last night…I’m just proud of you. But you don’t have to earn me. I’m right here.” She laid a soft kiss on mouth. “Do it for yourself. You’re worth the effort.”

“How’d I find you?” His gaze cut away, a muscle in his throat working. “I guess I have no choice but to go to work now.” They shared a frustrated laugh as he rose from the bed, pulling on a shirt that had been laid out on his dresser. Before he could leave the room, his hand paused on the doorknob, Rory looking back at her over his shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

Olive nodded. “I’ll be waiting.”

“Yeah, still trying to believe it’s real,” he said, walking through the door and closing it carefully behind him. “Bye, sunbeam,” she heard through the barrier between them.

She must have sat there for fifteen minutes without moving. How could Rory be so polarizing and such a comfort at the same time? Her skin was overly sensitized, as if enveloped in static electricity. Her nipples were in tight peaks, as if in denial that he’d left. Finally, she lay down, turned on her side and took a deep inhale of his scent, letting it carry her back to a fitful half sleep. Groans from last night peppered her mind, memories of Rory’s mouth between her legs, his arousal sliding home inside her, one inch at a time. How he’d lost control at the end, driving into her hard, saying things into her neck she would have thought crude, but were perfectly paired with a man at the end of his rope. A man she cared about. Desired.

Still half asleep, Olive turned on to her belly and slipped a hand between her thighs. She found her clit with two fingers and worried the nub in fast, tight circles, breathing erratically into Rory’s pillow. His scent only got her to the precipice faster.

We fuck, you come. It’s a given, you understand?

She muffled her moan, her hips grinding down on to her fingers. Almost. Almost. God, she would have done anything for Rory to walk back into the room and thrust himself inside her. Hard. Hard—