Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

JESS

A shiver of anticipation passed through me as I led Slate across the back field toward the tree line. With only light from the moon and stars lighting our way, I could make out the silhouette of the forest and see enough to be able to walk without tripping over a rock, but it was pretty dark out.

The perfect time for what I wanted to show him.

Feeling much better now after I'd talked to him about his crew, I figured it was only polite to do something nice for him in turn. Besides, I hadn't been out here at night this season either, and since it was one of my favorite pastimes this time of year, it was about time that I finally welcomed summer in the best possible way.

While what I was about to show him was no secret, it wasn't something I'd ever shared with an outsider before. I was strangely nervous that he wouldn't appreciate the beauty or the magnitude of it, but I heard his soft footfalls on the dirt behind me and smiled.

If you thought life in Firefly Grove was starting to grow on you before this, just you wait until you see this.

"Are you bringing me all the way out here to murder me?" he asked, his long strides easily keeping up even if he was unfamiliar with this terrain in the dark.

I giggled. "Nope. I'm bringing you all the way out here to show you a little magic."

"Magic?" He sounded completely unconvinced. "What kind of magic could there possibly be when it's so dark that?—"

Just then, as we approached the trees, a burst of little lights left the grass and Slate pulled up short. "What the fuck was that?"

"Just wait," I murmured. "Give it a minute."

As if they'd heard what I'd said and had decided to indulge me, another burst of little lights rose from the grass and Slate finally seemed to realize what he was looking at. "Fireflies. Holy shit, there have to be hundreds of them!"

I smiled, drawing closer to his side and hooking my pinkie finger around his. "Firefly Grove was named after them. Cool, huh?"

As we watched, our eyes adjusting and the disruption we'd caused settling, Slate sucked in a sharp breath. Little lights kept rising from the grass, lazily zooming this way and that. It was like the whole field was covered in twinkle lights, and even he seemed to appreciate it.

"Holy shit," he breathed, turning his pinkie around mine and gripping it tight. Gaze fixed on the countless little bugs, I could've sworn he wasn't even breathing. "That's amazing, Jess."

"See," I said quietly, glancing up at his strong profile, washed only in the silvery light of the stars. "Magic."

"No kidding," he whispered, like he was afraid it would disappear if he spoke too loudly. Sliding his hand into mine, he just stood there for a long moment, staring at the incredible show nature was putting on for us. "Is it like this every night? Or, I mean, how did you know to bring me out here tonight?"

"It's one of my favorite things about summer," I said. "I didn't know for a fact it would be this spectacular already, but I figured the time was right to take a chance. I'm glad we did."

"Where did they all come from?"

I shrugged. "We have one of the highest concentrations of fireflies in the world this time of year. From the end of May straight through August, the whole farm will glow in the evenings with these little blinking lights."

"I've never seen anything like it," he said, his voice hushed with awe. "Shit, it's no wonder you guys are so attached to this life. It's just one amazing thing after the other."

I grinned, bumping my shoulder into his. "It's always felt to me like this little place on earth competes with the sky to see who's more beautiful."

He dropped his chin in a nod, sliding his gaze to mine and fixing me with a look I couldn't quite read. "Yeah, I know what you mean. And that's saying something. The stars out here are really something else, but this? I don't even know how to describe it."

"It gets better," I murmured. "Watch this."

I released his hand, walking among the fireflies and running my fingers through the tall grass. In response, thousands of the tiny creatures took flight, making me feel like a princess in a Disney movie.

I giggled with glee, putting my arms out to my sides and spinning in a slow circle as I looked up at them rising into the dark night all around me.

"I swear, this never gets old."

Slate walked slowly toward me, looking at me like he never had before. Gently taking my face in his hands once he reached me, he leaned in, pressing his chest to my own. I looked up at him, loving the way his hard body fit against mine.

Neither of us said anything. We didn't touch outside of his hands on my face and our chests brushing on every shallow breath we took. For the longest moment, we stayed just like we were, staring into each other's eyes in the moonlight while surrounded by hundreds of fireflies, lending us their twinkle to turn whatever this was into the most romantic moment of my life.

Slate's fingers stroked my cheeks and he tucked some of the hair that had escaped from my ponytail behind my ears. Then he bent his head over slowly and touched his lips to mine.

It wasn't entirely unexpected and I melted into him, breathing in the scent of grass, earth, and Slate, convinced nothing had ever smelled so good. When I moaned, his tongue swept into my mouth and I closed my arms around his neck, tilting my head back to give him better access.

Just like it had the other day while we'd kissed, the world and all my worries seemed to disappear. I stepped into him, sealing the lower half of my body to his as much as I could. Slate groaned, deepening the kiss and sliding a hand into my hair, gripping it with meaning as he explored every nook and cranny of my mouth.

Lost in the moment, I lowered my hands from his shoulders to run my fingertips along his arms. For so long now, I'd simply admired him from afar, never quite getting to touch him the way I wanted. In all the ways I hadn't gotten around to that night. In all the ways I hadn't had time for in the shower.

This time, however, I was intent on getting my fill. I brushed my fingertips against the rippling muscles in his forearms, tingles shooting through me when he sighed quietly into my mouth. His biceps were up next, and I cupped them in my palms, feeling the strength there and squeezing them lightly.

Slate ran his own hands along my back, sliding his palms down to my butt and groaning as he held it. Sparks zapped through me when he tightened his grip, guiding me forward so I was pressed against the massive bulge in his jeans.

I practically whimpered, hooking my hands under his shirt to let them roam the ridges of his abs. As I traced the toned blocks with my fingers, he growled into my mouth and abruptly ended the kiss. His breathing labored, he looked at me.

"Is there someplace we can go?"

"We're already there," I murmured into his mouth before I slid my fingers into his, pulling him down with me until he was sitting on the grass.

I climbed into his lap, knowing that this wasn't ideal, but it was still really damn romantic. The fireflies were still floating around us, the blinking lights not leaving as I sealed my mouth back over his.

Slate combed his fingers into my hair, holding me to him. He dipped his head back and took control of the kiss even though I was on top. His tongue delved into my mouth, his kisses becoming more urgent. I rocked my hips into that steel bulge in his pants.

Finally feeling friction from him where I'd been wanting it for so long, my toes curled in my boots and my nipples pebbled in my bra. My cheeks heated, my lips tingling from his hard, passionate kisses. My body tightened as I adjusted my pelvis. Then I moaned when the new position rubbed me in just the right way.

"Slate," I mewled into his mouth, clawing at his shoulders and hoping like hell he wasn't allergic to grass.

In response, he wrapped his arms around my hips, lifted me off him, and laid me down gently in the long grass. Crawling until his knees were between mine, he reached for the button of my jeans, deftly flicking it open and unzipping me.

"This may not be the most comfortable you've ever been," he murmured just before he pulled my panties and jeans down in one go.

He kept them around my ankles which, as he'd predicted, didn't exactly make this comfortable or easy, but it was so dark that if we took them off, we might never find them again. Thankfully, Slate wasn't opposed to improvising.

Lifting my legs, he slid his head and shoulders between them, fitting by pressing my thighs apart and keeping me half-lifted as the action naturally opened me to him. Coolish night air washed over my damp, overheated skin, but it wasn't cold.

I moaned again and brushed my hands into his hair. He dipped his head and brought his mouth to my clit. I cried out when his tongue made contact with the desperate little button, my hips arching even though they were already raised.

Meanwhile, I let my head drop fully into the grass, my fingers clinging to his hair as he slid his tongue through my folds. Inside, I felt empty, but I knew that would be remedied soon enough. I also knew that I couldn't ask for a finger without risking it coming with dirt and grass.

Slate's teeth and tongue were exceptionally talented, though, quickly making up for that desire to have something inside me. He groaned when he sucked my clit between his teeth, his tongue circling it and my muscles going rigid.

"Slate. Shit," I grunted, squeezing my eyes shut as the first explosions of pleasure started going off deep down inside. "Don't stop."

Instead of responding verbally, he did it by intensifying the movement of his tongue, painting circles around my sensitive nub until I was dangling right on the edge. Moans spilled unabated out of me, my hips moving of their own accord as he held my ass in his hands.

It was the wildest thing I'd ever done, but the orgasm I was hurtling toward promised to be worth it. When he sucked again, his tongue flicking just once more across the very tip of my clit, I lost it, biting my lips to keep from screaming into the night.

Moans were one thing, but my parents were bound to hear a shrill scream. Pleasure lashed at me, turning me inside out. I writhed on the grass, so desperate for more that it felt like I might just disintegrate.

Slate seemed to know exactly what I needed, licking and sucking until the orgasm had rocketed through me, making me lock my muscles and tremble as I tried to hold back my shouts of pure bliss.

As it finally subsided, I was completely out of breath, my body weak and my brain simply gone. I lay there panting before I wrapped an arm around his neck, bringing him to me and kissing him hard, finding that I wasn't at all concerned about the taste of myself on his lips.

"Lie back for me," I whispered into his mouth. "The grass really isn't as bad as you might think."