Kissing Fire (18 page)

She was eyeing me with curiosity. “Um, what are you
doing?”

“Oh, we need to get this stuff away from where we
sleep.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because of the bears.”

“The bears?”

“Yeah. They’ll sniff out anything from miles away.
You never leave food near where you sleep. Anything that has an
odor needs to be tied up and put in a tree.”

“You’re joking, right?”

“No, not joking here. Avery, if you want to brush
your teeth and wash your face and stuff, now’s the time.”

We did all of our personal hygiene things and I had
everything all stuffed in the pack--trash, food and personal items.
Then I found a tree several hundred yards away from where our tent
was and used a nylon rope to tied to one end to sling it over a
branch that extended out for about fifteen feet. It was a smaller
branch that wouldn’t hold the weight of a bear. I tied it off and
we were all set.

“So bears, huh?”

“Avery, we’re spending time in their back yard, so
yeah, bears.”

“Damn Preston. I really wish you hadn’t told me
that.”

“Listen, you don’t need to worry
about the bears. They won’t bother us. That’s why I’ve taken those
precautions. Trust me please?”

“Okay, but what if I have to pee in the middle of
the night?”

“Are you worried that they might see you?”

She knocked me in the stomach with her hand. “Be
serious here. What if they, you know, get me?”

“Honey, if you have to pee in the middle of the
night, just wake me up and I’ll go with you and even hold your
hand.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“Of course I would.”

“But, then you would have to see me
peeing.”

“Don't worry, I would close my
eyes.”

“Promise?”

“I promise. Now can we go to sleep?”

“But it’s so early.”

“Well, that’s kinda what you do out here. It’s not
like we can turn on the TV or anything.”

The sun had set and I tossed her a head lamp.
“What’s this?”

I put mine on and flipped the switch so she could
see. “It’s one of these. But you might want to make sure the lamp
is pointed up or down ‘cause it’ll blind the person across from
you, namely me.”

She put hers on and laughed. “These are pretty
cool.”

In the distance, coyotes started howling and Avery
got very still. “Preston,” she asked in a whisper, “what is
that?”

I laughed and said, “Those are just coyotes.”

“Just coyotes. What do you mean just coyotes?”

“Avery, they’re not gonna come and rip you to
shreds. Don’t worry honey.”

“Christ, I never thought about all the creatures
that would be out here. I thought it was going to be just us.”

“I see. Avery, where exactly did you think these
creatures hung out?”

“I didn’t bother to think about
that. I only thought about bunny rabbits and squirrels and tiny
things that can’t hurt me.”

“Come here.”

She flew at me like a damn rocket. “You really are
frightened, aren’t you?”

“Of course I’m frightened. What, did you think I was
making that stuff up?”

“Look, they won’t bother us and if
by chance they did, we have weapons. I’ve been out here lots of
times. People do this kind of thing all the time. Animals aren’t a
problem or no one would ever go backpacking. It would be considered
too dangerous. Okay?”

She was clutching me like I was her lifeline.
“Okay.”

“Look, you trust me, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then why don’t we go inside and get in our sleeping
bags. Maybe you’ll feel better then.”

“Preston, I have to pee and I’m scared now.”

I didn’t want to laugh, but I couldn’t stop
myself.

“Would you like me to go with you?”

“You think I’m going out there by myself or
something? Hell yes I want you to go with me!”

I grabbed her hand and took her to a good place for
her to do her thing. She made me turn my back and I just rolled my
eyes at her. If she only knew some of the situations I had been in
before, she would’ve lost all modesty. But a huge part of me didn’t
want her to because it was cute the way she was so shy about
certain things.

When she was finished, we headed back to the tent
and crawled into our sleeping bags.

“This is relatively comfortable,” she commented.

“What did you think? That you’d be sleeping on a bed
of nails or something?” I teased.

“Well, no, but I thought it would be hard and
cold.”

“Technology is an awesome
thing.”

“I know, isn’t it though? But it does have its
limitations.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, this sleeping bag isn’t big enough for the
both of us,” she whispered as she scooted close to me and touched
my cheek.

“It’s probably a good thing because we would never
get any sleep otherwise.”

“Would that be such a bad thing?”
she asked in barely a whisper.

“Oh, it would be quite the
opposite. But you see, I want something more than just a night of
passion in a sleeping bag with you. I want it to be more than just
sex honey. If it ever happens between us, I want it to be for all
the right reasons.”

“Preston, how long before you think that will
happen?”

“Why do you ask?”

She inched her way right up next to me and put her
mouth next to my ear. I felt her warm breath fan across my neck as
she spoke the most beautiful words I’d ever heard. “Because I think
I might be in love with you.”

Chapter 17

Avery

Maybe it was the darkness that made me so bold or
maybe it was the setting. Perhaps it was seeing that word carved
into his beautiful skin and loving him more for it. I’m not quite
sure exactly what it was that made me tell him, but I had been
wanting to say it for a while. I’d known it since that day in the
shower...since that day he told me we wouldn’t have sex until it
was an emotional experience.

I couldn’t see his expression, but his arms slid
around me, then tightened and I was on top of him and he was
kissing me deeply before I could even think. His lips caressed mine
with care as his tongue slipped past them and explored every inch
of my mouth. I loved the way Preston kissed. He was so precise
about everything he did, but his kisses were deliciously slow and
tantalizing. It wasn’t long before my body was humming with desire,
desperate for his touch.

“Please tell me again,” he begged.

“I love you Preston.”

“Once more.”

“I love you.”

He framed my face with his hands and said, “I’ve
been hoping you’d say those words to me. I’ve loved you from the
day you launched yourself at me in my room at Caroline’s. It took
everything I had not to tell you that day. When you started making
those sweet and sexy kitty noises I was about to lose it over
you.”

Oh good lord!

“Preston, about those kitty noises.”

“Hmm, I love those kitty noises.” He kissed me
again.

“But that’s the weird thing. I’ve never done that
before.”

“So Avery-kitty is just for me?” He asked in
surprise.

“Yeah,” I said in a breathy voice. I was starting to
purr again because his hands had lifted the hem of my shirt and
were inching their way up my back. When his thumbs began to make
those little circles that I loved so much, my purring grew by many
decibels, surprising even Preston.

“Oh how I love Avery-kitty,” he said as his mouth
sought out mine again. My belly tightened with a need that was so
profound, my hands started to tear at his sleeping bag in my
frenzied attempts to get my kitty paws on his skin. I wanted to
feel all of him, to feel his warmth beneath my fingers. He captured
my hands in his and brought them to his lips instead. Kissing each
finger slowly, deliberately and with care, he said, “There’s no
rush. We have forever Avery. I want to hold you in my arms and just
hear you tell me again how you feel.”

Whoa! What? My body was burning with desire for this
man and he only wanted to hold me?

“Preston, I want you. I’ve wanted you for the
longest time.”

His eyes met mine for a moment and then he said,
“Come with me.” He unzipped our tent, grabbed our sleeping bags and
pads and I followed him outside. He threw some more wood on the
fire and got the flames burning again. I spread our pads and bags
down and he joined me a few minutes later.

“Are you cold?” he asked.

“No, are you?”

He shook his head and pulled his shirt off. I went
to him then and began to kiss his chest. My tongue circled his
pierced nipples and when they puckered and he moaned, my body
burned with need. I wanted to touch every scar he had and so I did,
with my tongue. It traced several of them before his hands reached
for me and pulled me in to him.

“I’ve waited far too long for this,” he said as he
put his hands on the hem of my shirt. Looking at me by the
firelight, I could see he was looking for my approval.

“You don’t have to ask.”

“It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t. I want to make
sure it’s what you want.”

“I’ve wanted you for longer than I can say. Now take
my damn shirt off.”

“There’s just one thing first. You know I’m clean.
Are you on any...”

I knew what he was going to ask, so I interrupted
him. “I’m healthy too and I’m also on the pill. So all’s good here.
Now about my shirt. Will you please get this thing off of me?”

He did and my bra followed. But then he just stared
at me, almost as if he had never seen me naked before. A long time
passed and he didn’t say anything. Maybe he didn’t like what he
saw. I stood there, exposed to him and was unsure of what to do so
I finally asked, “Preston, is this okay? I mean am I...”

His voice caught as he breathed, “Oh yeah. You’re
much better than okay. Perfect in fact.” His hands reached for me
and held my shoulders as he bent his head and kissed my neck. I
felt his tongue and lips blazing a trail of heated kisses to that
place below my jaw that set my heart racing. My body was lost in a
sea of sensations before I realized that I was lying on my back on
one of the sleeping bags and Preston was on his side next to me.
His fingers were trailing up and down my tummy, over my breasts and
across my chest to the dips above my collar bones. His tongue would
follow each move his fingers would make and I was purring and
mewling with the pleasure he was inducing.

My hands suddenly had a mind of their own for I had
grabbed him by his hip and tugged him closer to me as I purred and
moaned.

“Naked, Preston. I want you naked. Completely.
Totally. I want to feel all of you. Now.” He heard the desperate
urgency in my voice. How did I know this? His mouth and hands left
my body and he stripped himself right then. When I sat up to do the
same, his hand halted my movements.

“Please don’t deny me of this,” he
begged.

I looked at him and, oh dear God,
he was nothing less than magnificent. The sheer sight of him stole
my breath and turned my blood into liquid fire, leaving me burning
with lust and desire. I wanted to carve him into my memory, so I
would have this sight to cherish forever. Before I could stop
myself I told him so. “You are so beautiful. I want to...no, I need
to touch you.”

Giving me the oddest look, he stopped and stared at
me, like maybe he didn’t get what I was saying.

“I’m not kidding. Take off my pants now, so I can
move.”

He nodded and did as I told him. When I was naked I
moved to my knees in front of him and looked at him. “May I?”

“Yes.” One simple word and I almost melted into a
puddle of liquid passion. My hands reached for his hips first.
There were several tattoos there that begged for my attention. But
the main ones were on his back. I wasn’t sure if I would get there
tonight, but someday, I would revel in paying homage to them. I sat
back on my heels as my hands gently ranged over his glorious body.
There was one thing I learned with certainty that night. I would
never tire of admiring, touching or kissing every piece of
Preston.

“Avery, I think it’s my turn.”

“But I’m not done yet. There’s just
one last thing,” I mumbled. My mouth had been venturing across his
luscious V and as I reached that fine dusting of hair that led
straight to my destination, my mouth wrapped around him and I
finally tasted heaven. He gasped as I began to lick and tease him,
stroking him with my hand, mouth and tongue.

“
Sweet heaven you have to stop
now.” There was steel in his voice that grabbed my
attention.

Looking up at him I asked, “Why?”

“Because this is our first night together and I want
it to be all about you.” He was hiding something, but I didn’t care
at that moment.

“I didn’t know there were any rules to this.”

“No rules. But for you, I want to give you the
heavens,” he explained as he pulled me up to join him.

“But Preston, you just were.”

“Kiss me honey. I need to feel your mouth on mine,”
he said raggedly.

There was such desperation in his request, I did,
knowing it was what he needed. For whatever reason, he was more
into giving than receiving. But one day, I would give him this just
so he could see how much pleasure it gave me.

This kiss was much different from the last. The
urgency in him was greater as he took over my mouth. His tongue
plunged past all barriers and moved with a heat unlike the Preston
I had known before. My breath was gone and I matched him stroke for
stroke as our tongues met and danced together. His arms went around
me and lifted me up to him, molding my body to his. “Now it’s my
turn.”