Page 49 of Bluebird

He held his lips together as he adjusted to the shock and the weight of my body. I lay on his winded chest, gaping into his twinkling eyes. Mud trickled down his forehead, and I cheekily smeared it across his cheek. I giggled happily and his pupils dilated. With a sly grin, Luke abruptly flipped me over into the sludge, splattering mud all over his face. My eyes grew wide and we both burst into fits of laughter.

As our breathing slowed, I became acutely aware of his closeness. Luke’s solid body encased my small frame, and my heart pounded in my chest. When he gazed down at me and swallowed, I apprehensively slid out from under his arms.

I managed to scramble my way back onto the bank, with Luke trailing close behind. I stumbled over to a fallen tree log and plonked myself down to recover from our misadventure.

After I slid my gumboots back on over my wet socks, I stood, grimacing as the slimy sensation surrounding my feet. Luke chuckled softly and I glared at him, before poking out my tongue.

Feeling a small itch on my right thigh, I casually inspected my leg. Shrieking in horror, I backed myself into an enormous snow gum, where I remained frozen in fear. Luke was by my side in a heartbeat.

“Get it off me,” I whispered, refusing to breathe.

Luke examined my body. “Get what off you?”

“On…my…leg. Get it off, Luke.” I hitched my dress up enough for him to see the filthy blood sucking creature.

Luke ran his hand over his face to conceal his amusement. “Just hold still,” he ordered, softly, as he took something out of his pocket and knelt down beside me.

His fingers slowly traced up my thigh, pulling my dress out of the way. My heart pounded in my chest as his gentle touch stole my attention away from the leech. The flick of a lighter sounded, and in a few short seconds, Luke held his hand firmly over my wound to stop the blood flow. I became light-headed, and it certainly wasn’t from the blood loss.

Luke rose gradually, keeping his hand securely on my thigh. He propped his other arm on the tree beside me, and gazed intensely into my eyes, heightening my awareness of the precarious location of his fingers.

The corner of his mouth turned up. “You’ve changed.”

I furrowed my brow. “No, I haven’t,” I disagreed on impulse, annoyed that it was possibly true.

“Yes, you have,” he chortled. “You’re a city girl now.”

“No…I’m…not.”

Luke raised his eyebrows, unconvinced. “The girl I used to know would never have flinched at a leech.”

I pursed my lips. “I’m still that girl.”

Luke eyeballed me. “Prove it.”

I clenched my jaw and tried to shove him backwards, but he didn’t budge. He was much stronger than I remembered. There was nowhere to look, except into his daring eyes that were igniting a dormant flame.

Overcome with desire, I aggressively grabbed his shirt and pulled him in, crashing his lips into mine. My arms slid around his neck and deepened the kiss. His hunger matched my own, and I found myself pressed hard against the gumtree.

Luke’s hand forgot its original purpose and progressively rose up my thigh. Blood trickled slowly down my leg, but I didn’t protest. I needed him to soothe a different ache.

He pushed away my mud-soaked hair, exposing my neck. I shivered as his soft lips trailed down to my shoulder and when his tongue reached my collarbone, I moaned in delight.

Luke’s breathing accelerated. He rummaged over the buttons of my dress impatiently, undoing just enough to reveal my bra. His mouth travelled downwards, as he gently pushed my bra straps to each side, exposing my pert breasts. A muffled growl escaped his throat as he took my right nipple into his mouth, and then my left. I ran my fingers through his dishevelled hair as my yearning grew.

His hand found its way back underneath my dress, caressing my thigh as it inched towards my core. The anticipation drove me crazy. I impatiently reached for his belt, unclasped it, and unzipped his jeans. He was definitely ready for me.

Luke grabbed my thighs and lifted, as I hooked my legs around his body. The pressure of his body and the tree behind us was enough to keep me from falling. Without hesitation, Luke yanked my underwear aside and dove into me. I cried out, arching my neck in unprecedented pleasure. His gaze burned deeply into mine as he watched me come undone with each thrust of his body, and didn’t deviate until it was over.