DID YOU JUST SPANK ME?
EZRA
I trudge backfrom the lighthouse, the sound of waves crashing against the rocks echoing in the distance. The cottage comes into view, but my focus narrows in when I spot a figure at the end of the pier.
My jaw clenches.
Kruz.
She couldn’t fucking listen if her life depended on it.
But then again, I probably wouldn’t listen to me either if I were in her situation.
I suck in a steadying, frustrated breath, forcing myself not to snap before I even reach her.
I’ve told her not to go out there, warned her how unstable it is, but there she is, standing at the very edge like it’s her own personal playground. Like the rotting wood beneath her feet isn’t one wrong step away from sending her straight into the freezing water. Like tempting fate is a game she’s more than willing to play just to piss me off.
And it’s working.
My boots thud against the damp ground as I pick up my pace, anger simmering just below the surface.
By the time I reach the pier, she’s gripping the railing, her fingers wrapped tight around the weathered wood, the wind tangling her dark hair in a way that would have distracted me if I weren’t so fucking furious.
She’s beautiful even when she pisses me off. Maybe especially then.
I stop a few feet away, crossing my arms, my jaw set. “What the hell are you doing out here?”
She jumps slightly at my voice but masks it fast, straightening, her chin lifting in that way that always means trouble. “Walking. Watching the waves. What does it look like?”
“It looks like you’re asking to get yourself killed.”
She scoffs, tossing her hair over one shoulder, turning her back to me. “The pier is fine, Ezra. You’re just paranoid.”
I move closer, my boots creaking on the old boards. “Get off the pier. Now.”
“No.” She doesn’t even look at me, her tone as cold as the air around us.
One would think that a person like me could remain patient far longer than the amount of time it takes for me to snap, but she’s always done this to me.
To every single one of my emotions and states of being, not just my patience.
In two strides, I’m behind her, and before she can react, I grab her around the waist and haul her over my shoulder.
Her body against mine is dizzying, a heat I don’t want to acknowledge sinking through my clothes.
“Ezra!” she shrieks, pounding her fists against my back. “Put me down!”
“Not a chance.” I keep my grip firm, ignoring the way her small fists rain down on me, the way her body twists against mine, every movement searing through my already frayed composure.
She’s furious, spitting curses, but all I can think about is how natural it feels to have her in my arms.
The way she’s struggling only spurs me on, a fire igniting in my veins of a completely different sort.
“You’re insane! Let me go!” she yells, her legs kicking uselessly.
The fact that she’s completely powerless to me.
Fuck.
