Page 7 of The Smokejumper’s Lady (Praise Me Like Fire #1)

Ryan

She’s going to ruin me.

I’ve been with women before. I know what I like, what I want, and I know how to get it.

But this? Her? It’s like all the air’s been sucked from the room and the only oxygen I need is her breath on my skin, her voice in my ear, her hands clawing at me like I’m the only thing tethering her to the earth.

Her naked body is pressed against me now in the bed, her damp hair brushing my chest, the scent of her pleasure still clinging to my skin. I’m not done with her yet, but she deserves to rest for a moment after the orgasm I just wrung out of her.

I think back to what she told me about the pressure her family puts on her. That they want her in some cold, corporate box, wearing pearls and speaking in PR-approved soundbites while she slowly dies inside.

Fuck that. She’s meant for mountains and wind in her hair and wildfires that can’t be tamed. She was born to burn, and now I can’t stop imagining myself being consumed by her flame.

Her fingers toy with the band of my sweatpants, like she’s deciding whether she’s ready for more.

“Ryan…”

“Just relax, baby,” I whisper against her ear, tucking a strand of hair behind it. “I want to make this good for you.”

Her breath catches. “You already have.”

That makes my chest tight in a way I wasn’t expecting. I press a kiss to her temple, then trail down her jaw, over the sensitive column of her neck. She shivers when I nip small bites into her skin, a little gasp slipping past her lips.

“Still with me?” I ask, voice low.

She nods fast, eyes wide. “Yes. God, yes.”

“Good. Because I’m not done spoiling you.”

I start slow, teasing her everywhere with my hands and my mouth, kissing, sucking, biting and then soothing the pain. Her back arches off the bed, and I growl softly against her skin.

“Fuck, Clea. You have no idea what you do to me.”

“Ryan—” she moans breathlessly. “Please…”

“Please what, sweetheart?” I murmur, pressing a hot kiss to her inner thigh. “You gotta tell me what you want. Say it for me.”

“You,” she whimpers. “I want you. All of you.”

Fuck. I might die from how much I want this woman.

“Then that’s exactly what you’re gonna get.”

I slowly back off the bed and then remove my sweatpants, savoring the way her eyes are immediately drawn to my hard cock. I don’t think I’m imagining the small gasp she lets out, or the way her eyes widen in surprise.

I crawl back onto the bed, up her body, every muscle tight with restraint. I kiss her slow, deep, letting her taste how wrecked she’s made me.

“Nervous?” I ask, hovering above her, using my arms to keep my weight off her. I know she can feel my length against her inner thigh.

She bites her lip. “A little, it’s just…you’re really big.”

I chuckle. “Sweetheart, you can take me. I know it.” I nuzzle into her neck, murmuring, “I’ll make it feel so good for you, baby, I swear.”

I gaze down at her, taking a second to memorize this moment…her flushed cheeks, the way her lips part in anticipation, the soft curve of her hips rising toward me like she’s trying to draw me in with gravity alone.

She’s nodding now, arching her body toward mine, whining, “I want you, Ryan. Please—”

My hand skims her side, down her thigh, and I pull her leg around my waist, thrusting gently against the outside of her slick pussy. I let out a groan at the welcoming heat of her body pressed against mine.

“You sure?” I ask, because I need to hear it.

She cups my jaw, pulling me in close until our noses brush. “You have no idea how much I want this.”

My control falters. I line myself up and push in slowly—very slowly—because I want to savor every single inch of her, the feeling of her walls as they stretch around me. Her eyes fly open and lock on mine, and there’s something about this moment, something electric and quiet and terrifying as hell.

She gasps, clutching at my shoulders. “Ryan…”

“I’ve got you, baby.” I drop my forehead to hers, panting through the tight grip of her heat. “Fuck, you feel perfect.”

I ease in deeper, and she moans into my mouth, her legs tightening around my waist. She’s snug, warm, wet, and so goddamn responsive I think I might lose it before we even really get started.

“Move,” she whispers. “Please.”

I do.

I pull back and thrust again, harder this time, and she cries out my name, the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard. Her hands claw down my back, dragging me closer, urging me deeper.

“Just like that,” she breathes.

I feel the urge to snap my hips and drive into her like a wild thing, but I temper my lust and control the feeling, reminding myself it’s her first time. She deserves perfection.

But she gazes up at me, eyes heavy-lidded, a knowing smile on her face. “Harder. Please, Ryan. I want all of you.”

“What?” I’m certain I’m misunderstanding her.

She reaches up and pulls me down for a kiss. It’s sweet and strong and perfect, just like her.

“Fuck me like you want to. I want it.”

This woman is going to be the death of me.

I let go like I need to, picking up the pace, hips snapping forward, grinding against her on every stroke. Her body writhes beneath mine, slick with sweat and glowing in the dim lamplight. She’s so fucking beautiful like this…ruined for anyone else.

“You like that, sweetheart?” I whisper, nipping her earlobe. “You like being filled up by me?”

“Yes—God, yes—don’t stop…”

I’m slamming into her hard now, and she loves it, her moans and the sound of our bodies slapping together filling the little cabin.

I take both of her hands and pin them above her head with one of mine, while my other slides between us, finding the swollen bundle of nerves I already know will drive her wild.

She bucks beneath me when I touch her there, keening with every movement.

“Come for me, Clea,” I growl against her mouth. “Let go. I want to feel you break around me.”

She does. Her whole body locks up, then shatters, pulsing and clenching around me in the tightest, most mind-blowing release I’ve ever felt. She screams my name, and I follow her over the edge, burying myself deep as the orgasm rips through me like a wildfire, fierce and all-consuming.

I collapse against her, still panting, both of us trembling, our hearts thundering against each other’s chests. For a long beat, there’s just silence, our breathing, the soft creak of the bed, and the insistent crackle of the fireflies outside the cabin walls.

She laughs, a soft, breathless sound. “That was…” She trails off with an embarrassed chuckle.

“Yeah,” I say, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. “It was.”

She runs a hand through my hair, and I close my eyes at the tenderness in her touch.

“Holy shit,” she whispers.

I grin against her skin. “Get some sleep. Round two’s gonna blow your mind.”