I put another log on the fire, and the flame crackles higher.
“Is it ready? Can we make s'mores?” Aiden asks excitedly.
“Yep. Hand me one of those pokers. And be careful.” I sink onto a makeshift stool and unzip my pack with the chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers.
He passes me the metal stick with the wooden handle, andI skewer a large marshmallow on the end. Positioning him between my legs, I grab his hand and help him hold the stick over the fire.
“Keep it steady, and not too close or it’ll burn.”
He spins the stick like a rotisserie chicken. Not my preferred method, but it’ll get the job done.
“Good job, bud.”
As if on instinct, my eyes drift to the upstairs window I can just make out between the trees. The light is on, though I can’t see much of anything else. She’s up there, though. I know it. Is she in my bed? Maybe taking a bath?
Fuck, I need to stop thinking about her.
“Dad!”
I look back to find that Aiden’s marshmallow has caught fire, burning to a crisp. “Oh shit.” I snatch the poker from his hand and blow it out. “Sorry. I should’ve been watching.”
“It’s ok. Can I try again?”
“Of course.” I skewer a new marshmallow, and we start over from the beginning. This time, I keep my focus where it should've been all along—on Aiden. I can’t let Ruby distract me. She’s a temptation I can’t afford to give in to.
Ruby
A small fire crackles in the grove, and string lights hang between the trees, creating a canopy like a fairy garden. I can just make out a canvas tent and two shadowy figures sitting beside the fire.
“You’re a good dad, Liam Murphy,” I whisper. Releasing my hold on the gossamer curtains, I trail back toward the en suite bathroom, stripping off my clothes as I go.
I’ve already taken full advantage of Liam’s bathroom oasis several times since moving in. I turn the water just below the temperature of hell, and add oils and bubbles, bathing theroom in the soothing scents of rosewater and sandalwood. After lighting a few ambler candles and dimming the lights, I step into the steaming bathwater. The warmth seeps into me, soothing aches I didn’t realize I’d been living with until my body is utterly boneless.
Two years on tour takes a toll on the body, and I’ve been feeling the consequences more and more since it ended. Maybe I should borrow Liam’s gym and take up yoga again. It’s been a few years, and I’m not as bendy as I used to be, but it could help with the strain.
I sigh. No matter how many baths I take, or yoga poses I force my body into, there’s one ache nothing can soothe—nothing short of having Liam between my thighs. As my thoughts drift back to his corded forearms and what he’d look like with his shirt off, I slip my hand beneath the water and find the spot that throbs for him the most.
My fingers glide lower, and my pussy clenches on contact. God, I wish I had someone else touching me—himtouching me. It’s been so long since I’ve been with anyone, and my body yearns for it. In a world where social media is inundated with rumors and illicit leaks, it’s hard to trust people, let alone be intimate with them. It’s been years, and I’m dreading the day when my hands and my toys aren’t enough.
My breathing becomes ragged as I apply more pressure and circle faster. I pinch my eyes shut, resting my head back against the porcelain. The orgasm builds slowly along my spine, thoughts of Liam on his knees with his mouth on me bringing me closer to the edge. His gravelly voice in my ear whispering filthy words, threats of all the delicious things he wants to do to me. The gruff promise of his rough palm and my body draped over his lap replays in my mind.
I let out a small whimper that echoes through the empty bathroom, the water sloshing as I work myself faster. When I hit my peak, I cry his name above the pounding in my chest.The orgasm drags on for what feels like an eternity, white lights exploding behind my eyelids.
My heartbeat settles back to a normal rhythm. I take a deep breath and dip my head under the water, staying there until my lungs burn and I can’t hold on any longer, gasping when I breach the surface.
What the hell was I thinking moving in here? Being near Liam is like lighting a match beside a can of gasoline. It’s only a matter of time before we catch fire, and I’m not sure if either of us will be left standing in the ashes.
Chapter 9
The Dead Parents Card
? She Calls Me Back - Noah Kahan ft. Kacey Musgraves
Ruby
“Ruby?”
I startle and glance up from my guitar, pen still sticking out of my mouth. A pajama-clad Aiden is standing in the doorway to the music room, but I was so locked in that I didn’t hear him approach. I’ve been living here for a week now, and I’m still getting used to having other people around, but Aiden is always a welcome distraction.
