Page 48 of Striking the Match (Redwood Bay Fire #3)

The drive isn’t long, but I still charge my phone as we go.

Who knows the next time I’ll be able to.

Teddy dozes, leaving me to navigate, which I don’t mind.

I feel like my body is still trying to flush out the adrenaline so my hands are ever so shaky on the wheel, but my mind appreciates the quiet to process everything that happened.

I’m sure at some point the loss is going to hit me like a truck…but at the same time, maybe not. Bryan will absolutely revel in sorting out all the logistics. My things will either have survived or not. The only thing I really care about is having Teddy and Kiki here with me.

Tonight could have been a devastating tragedy. Instead, everyone made it out of the flood, and I became even closer with the man I’m falling in…

No. The man I love. And he loves me.

We might have had extremely bad luck with the weather, but it feels like destiny that we found each other in this crazy world of billions.

Bryan’s coordinates take us down a suspiciously dark dirt track. But just as I’m getting worried, a small light appears in the distance. As we approach, I see a sign that reads ‘Aurora Glamping Pods.’

“Oh, Bryan,” I mutter in apprehension, having had just about enough of the great outdoors for the time being. “What have you gotten us into?”

I should never have doubted him.

The turn-off leads me down another track where we eventually happen upon a lake.

As we drive around, I start seeing arched wooden huts, all nicely lit with warm glowing lights and spaced a decent amount apart.

I don’t want to risk taking my eyes off the road for too long, but I think each one also has a hot tub out front.

So…maybe this won’t be terrible. Bryan did say ‘adorable,’ and with his standards I should never have assumed that meant camping.

Not long after that, I find our number, parking the car up and killing the ignition.

“Baby,” I say softly, squeezing Teddy’s knee. “We’re here. Wake up.”

He inhales and snaps his eyes open. “Sorry, fell asleep again.”

“Don’t apologize for that,” I say sincerely as I unbuckle my seatbelt. “Did you message your friends, though?”

He frowns and pulls his phone from his pocket, careful not to disturb Kiki. “I have now,” he says with a guilty laugh.

We don’t have any bags with us other than the duffle we used to transport Kiki out of the house. I grab it just in case, but she’s so pliant, Teddy’s able to simply carry her to the front of the little pod that’s apparently going to be our home for the next day or two.

The key is in a code box that of course Bryan sent me the digits for. After I retrieve it, I unlock the door and let us inside.

“Oh, wow,” Teddy says as he stops at the threshold. “This is…”

“Adorable,” I say affectionately. “You can thank Bryan.”

“I will,” he says. We step farther in, and he places Kiki down as I close the door, shutting out the rest of the world. “What’s all this? Oh, Cassius. Look!”

I take in the grocery bags on the kitchen counter to our left in the first half of the pod. A small sofa stands to our right, facing a TV mounted on the wall. A bathroom is built into the back left quarter with a king-sized bed wedged in the remaining space on the back right.

And that’s it. But there are fairy lights strung everywhere, illuminating the pod rather than the built in downlighters and giving the place an ethereal, cozy feel.

As well as the bags of food, Bryan has left a bunch of flowers in a vase.

On the bed is a basket of items he looks to have supplied himself, chiefly phone chargers, a simple selection of underwear, sweatpants, T-shirts and a fresh Seattle Seahawks hoodie each.

By the sofa is a filled litter box for Kiki along with wet and dry food, and a scratching post that I’m guessing came from his own apartment.

On closer inspection, the grocery bags have sensible items like bread and coffee, but he’s also included all kinds of sweet and savory snacks.

The fridge has some cheese, meats, and milk, as well as juice and beer.

It’s our own little bubble of heaven.

“Take a shower with me?” I ask Teddy, crowding into his space, suddenly needing to feel every inch of him pressed against me.

“Will we fit?” he asks dubiously.

“I’m sure we’ll manage,” I tell him with a grin.

Of course, Bryan’s also provided us with toothpaste and brushes, hair and body products, and the brand of facial moisturizer I use. I’m not entirely sure how he was able to source all of this so fast in the middle of the night, but I’ve decided if it’s witchcraft, that’s okay by me.

The corner shower unit is bigger than I might have assumed at first glance, but it’s still a bit of a squeeze to get us both inside.

However, neither of us seem to care as all our relief comes crashing out after such an unbelievable, intense night.

Before long we’re soaped up, kissing messily as he strokes my cock and I finger his hole.

I wish we could do more, but without lube or condoms, I enjoy the simplicity of getting each other off under the blissfully hot water.

Yet again, I shouldn’t have underestimated my otherworldly PA.

“Oh, shit,” I say with a laugh as I’m unpacking the basket of goodies on the bed.

I was intending to plug my phone in then wear some boxers to sleep in.

But nestled underneath everything else is exactly what I was wishing for.

Lube and condoms. I’m torn between embarrassment that Bryan would buy those for us and horniness for what I really wanted to do to Teddy back in the little shower cubicle.

Who am I kidding? Horniness wins out almost immediately.

“What’s— oh.” Teddy blushes, and it only makes me need him more. He’s just set out some food for Kiki, and she’s curled up peacefully on the sofa after her ordeal. Bryan gave us explicit instructions not to resurface until he reached out to us.

What else have we got to do while we’re here? Crossword puzzles?

We’re both still naked, so despite the recent fumble as we cleaned up, it’s obvious that I’m interested once again. Of course Teddy is. He’s still in his early twenties, for crying out loud.

But as he approaches me, he slides the condom box from my fingers and looks at me seriously. “Do we really need these?” he whispers.

My eyebrows creep up my face. “I guess I don’t…if you don’t?”

He looks at them and bites his lip. “We have regular physicals, and I know I’m negative for anything we might worry about.”

“Me, too,” I say quickly. “Not to sound like a complete amateur, but I’ve never, ah, done that with anyone.”

His mouth drops into a cute little ‘O’ shape. “I get to be your first bareback ride?”

My heart stutters in my chest. “If that’s what the kids are calling it these days, then, yeah.”

Teddy snorts, tossing the condoms aside and getting in my face, his lips ghosting over mine. “That’s what I’m calling it. Cassius, what do you want? To fuck me or to get fucked?”

I’m lost in his green eyes, having trouble concentrating on words when all my blood is rushing south. “Uh, both?” I croak.

Teddy snorts, then leans in and catches my lower lip between his teeth before letting it slide free. “Which do you want first, then?”

“You,” I say automatically. “Uh, you. I want to fuck you. Please, baby. I want everything. I, uh…”

“Shh,” he tells me kindly before treating me to a longer, more sensual kiss. His fingers skim up my sides, and I rest my hands on his hips. “Make love to me, Cassius,” he murmurs against my mouth. “Get me ready with your tongue.”

I moan and nod, prompting him to draw away from me, which I’m not a fan of. But then he turns and crawls up the bed, showing off his peachy ass, and I’m a big fan of that.

He lies on his stomach, hugs a pillow under his head, and spreads his knees, making his hole open and inviting for me.

I grab the bottle of lubricant, leaving it at the foot of the mattress so it’ll be in reach when I need it.

But then I waste no time in pulling apart his plump cheeks and burying my face against his most intimate area.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he gasps as I lick and kiss his fluttering hole, loving how he humps the duvet, seeking friction on his dick as I pleasure him. I’d already fingered him quite thoroughly in the shower, so this is more for fun than practicality.

Oh, and what fun.

He mewls and squirms and pants and every other delicious little thing.

I turn my gorgeous man into a puddle beneath me.

And just when he seems like he’s going to combust, I pull my slightly numb face away, douse my cock in sweet smelling, shiny lube, then yank his hips up so I can line myself up and ease my way inside.

“Oh, Cassius, yes, yes,” he babbles. His face is turned to the side as his upper half presses into the mattress, his skin flushed and damp. We’re going to need another shower after this.

I don’t care. In fact, I can’t wait.

“That’s it, baby,” I grunt, his channel unbelievably hot and tight around my bare, throbbing cock. “You feel so amazing. Do you like that?”

“Love it, Cassius!” he wails. “Love you. Oh, Christ, yes, yes!”

After all that prep, it doesn’t take me long to bottom out. Then at Teddy’s insistence, I start thrusting, claiming him over and over as he howls my name.

I almost wish the neighbors were closer so someone could witness this monumental moment, but I wouldn’t actually want to disturb them.

Because I think we’d be disturbing them a lot over the next few days.

“Teddy, I’m close,” I warn him, feeling my insides burning up like a rocket ready to take off.

“Come in me, Cassius,” he begs, wrapping his hand around his leaking cock and stroking vigorously. “I’m yours, I’m yours!”

He starts shooting over the bedspread and that’s all I need to drop my head back and let go, stars bursting behind my eyelids as my orgasm rips through my body, tearing me apart and piecing me back together all at once.

We collapse in a heap, and I smother his body with mine, tangling our limbs as I plant sloppy kisses anywhere my lips can reach. “Teddy,” I say with a sigh. “Mine, all mine.”

I know we need to clean up soon or we’ll regret it. And I really hope there’s clean bedding stored under the mattress, otherwise we’re going to find ourselves in an uncomfortable situation by the morning, if not earlier.

But we’re both boneless and beyond tired as we take a second to catch our breath. I’m fighting off passing out, but I swear I hear him whisper, “Forever.”

Could he really be mine forever?

I guess I’ll find out eventually, won’t I?