Page 17 of Ember’s Heart

Colton

“ … you overly possessive…jealous…jackass,” Ember mumbled, as I gently placed her in the passenger seat of my truck, a faint smell of tequila and something fruity clinging to her breath.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. She was a beautiful, fiery mess, and despite the jealousy that had surged through me back at the bar, a reluctant smile tugged at my lips.

My little Firefly was funny, even when she was three sheets to the wind.

Her head lolled against the headrest as I gently buckled her seatbelt, my fingers lingering on her soft skin for a moment longer than necessary.

God, she feels good, I thought, my gaze lingering on her flushed cheeks and parted lips.

I had to physically restrain myself from brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.

I needed to get her home and out of my truck. Fast. Before I did something stupid.

Climbing into the driver’s side, “You’re a real piece of work,” I muttered as I buckled my seatbelt.

The scent of Ember filled the cab. It was a sweet, intoxicating mix of perfume and something uniquely hers .

Hearing Ember groan beside me, I looked over to check on her.

She was already halfway to unconsciousness.

I sat there for a moment and took in her slumped form, the soft curve of her cheek, the way her dark lashes rested against her skin.

It had been so long since I’d been this close to her, this aware of her.

Too long since I’d held her, even if it was to carry her out of a bar like a jealous jackass, as she put it.

Scooping her up had been an automatic reaction.

Ember, even drunk and fighting me, was intoxicating.

Her feistiness, the way her body fit against mine, the memory of that brief, playful slap on her backside flickered in my mind.

Just the feel of her had sent a jolt of desire through me.

It had been a long time since I’d been with a woman - years, in fact.

I hadn’t even thought about being with anyone else.

Sure, I’d had a couple of girlfriends in high school, but nothing serious, and they never lasted more than a couple of weeks.

Once Ember caught my attention, truly caught it, there was no one else.

I only saw and wanted her. Even if I wanted to, which I didn’t, there had been no time for fleeting connections or casual encounters.

My life had been too stark, too dangerous, to even entertain the thought of someone else.

But suddenly, sitting here, inches away from the one woman I ever loved, had my dick hard, a physical reminder of a yearning I’d suppressed for so long.

Get it together. I thought, reaching down to adjust myself before I forced my attention to the road.

The windows were down, allowing the fresh, clean, scent of the mountains and the creek to fill the cabin as I pulled out of the bar’s gravel parking lot and onto the main road.

Within minutes of driving, I could faintly hear the soft breathing sounds coming from Ember, letting me know she was out cold.

Just the sight of her stirred something deep within me.

I was still feeling the adrenaline from my confrontation with that Miller guy. Thinking about how he slid his hand under her shirt sent a fresh wave of visceral anger through me and made me regret not punching the guy back there.

How dare he touch her? She was mine. My Ember, a possessive voice whispered in the back of my mind.

I know it was irrational and laughable, given the years of silence I’d allow to come between us.

I had no right to act the way I did or feel this way.

I have no claim to her. None. Yet the moment I saw his hands on her, something inside me snapped.

It wasn’t just jealousy, it was a possessiveness.

Suddenly the reality of the years I’d been gone slammed into me.

While I was off fighting my demons, shutting myself away, she was here, hurting over what I’d put her through, but also living her life, laughing, growing and going out with other guys.

It was what I wanted, right? To grow and have fun.

It was a bitter pill to swallow, thinking about her with someone other than me.

The thought that she could look at another man, that she could let another man touch her, made something twist in my gut.

Running a hand through my hair, I leaned my head against the headrest. What was I doing?

Hadn’t I decided I was no good for her? For years I justified my actions by telling myself she deserved someone who wasn’t damaged.

And after causing her so much pain, she managed to put herself back together, and here I was, acting like a jealous asshole.

I had no right. It was selfish. It was messed up.

And yet, I didn’t care. I couldn’t walk away.

The moment I saw her at the bar, laughing with Avery, then when our eyes met, I knew she was trying to make me jealous with that guy.

We still had a connection. Despite everything, she still had the same feelings for me, as I did her.

The front porch light is shining bright as I make the turn to head down the drive towards her house.

As I pull up, I see her dad sitting on the porch swing, a beer bottle in his hand.

He pushes himself off the swing just as I kill the engine and climb from the truck, making my way to Ember’s side, his eyes sweeping over Ember’s slumped form in the passenger seat.

“She’s all yours, Son,” he says, a knowing grin on his face. His voice was laced with amusement and a hint of sarcasm.

“She… had a little too much fun.”

“I see that,” Richard chuckled, shaking his head. “Take her on up. I’m sure you remember the way.”

I nodded and gently unbuckled Ember, scooping her into my arms once more, this time like I was carrying her over the threshold instead of over my shoulder.

She slightly stirred, murmuring incoherently, before resting her head on my shoulder.

Her breath was warm against my neck and everything in this moment felt right.

As I climbed the steps and passed Richard, he held the door for me. He placed a hand out to stop me, “And why don’t you grab that beer on your way out?”

Nodding once, I kept going, the screen door softly closing behind me.

Back at the bar, I told Miller she was off limits to him, and she was… to him. Not to me. I knew I had a mountain to climb to earn her forgiveness and for a second chance. But after seeing another man’s hands on her, I was willing to do anything. I wasn’t giving up. Not on Ember. Not on us.