Page 106 of Wildfire
I throw myself down onto the bed, kicking off my sneakers and lying down. “Yes.”
He sits me back up and pulls my T-shirt over my head. “You told me earlier to make you shower before bed because you won’t have time to wash your hair in the morning. I don’t even really know what that means, but I know you should have a shower.”
Another huge yawn. “Ignore me. Earlier me didn’t know how tired we are. She was optimistic and foolish.”
“Come on, Roberts. Into the shower.”
I fold my arms across my chest defiantly, pouting for as long as it takes me to yawn again. “Make me.” My yawn turns into a hiccup of surprise as he throws me over his shoulder and marches us toward the bathroom. “You’re cruel.”
He slaps my ass and that wakes me up a little. “Shush.”
Russ is methodical as he strips us both of our clothes, and five minutes ago I would have said I’m too tired for sex, but the ass slap and the bossiness might have changed my mind. The shower starts to fill the bathroom with steam and he checks the temperature before ushering us both in.
He stands behind me; I’m not ashamed to say I’m waiting to bebent over. He doesn’t, though, he just reaches for my shampoo and squirts some onto his hand, lathering it up between his palms.
I don’t need to be bent over. I can definitely come from him washing my hair for me.
“You are perfect,” I groan as his fingers massage my scalp. “Why haven’t you been washing my hair for me this entire time?”
He chuckles as he begins rinsing out the suds. “I promise I’ll do it anytime you need when we’re home.”
Home. We still haven’t talked about what that looks like for us. I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to bring it up in a cool and casual way. A way that doesn’t apply any pressure, in case the sweet things he’s said to me have been in the moment. “Tell me a secret, Russ.”
“It’s a physical and emotional struggle to not stare at your ass all day.” I spin to look at him, his wet chest pressed against mine as he continues to wash my hair gently.
“A real secret.”
He pauses and thinks about it, rubbing the back of his neck. I’m glad he’s nervous, because so am I. “I think you know most of my secrets.”
“Can I ask you a question?” He nods, and I clear my throat as I scramble for the easy intro I’ve been looking for. “What happens when we go back to school? What are we?”
He cups my face, and when I look up at him, he appears as nervous as I feel. “We’re whatever you want to be, Aurora. I’m a little worried I’m going to scare you away, but I think I’ve been pretty clear I don’t want to let you go.”
What I want is the next big question. As soon as I’m with him I forget everything I’ve ever said about other people’s baggage, relationships, men. But the thoughts still linger when I’m alone; I can’t help it. Emilia is right when she says the bar is so low for me thatI’m impressed by mediocrity, and I get attached easily to someone who gives me hit after hit of the things I crave like attention and validation.
Nothing about Russ is mediocre.
“I want to be together,” I say quietly, suddenly feeling ten times more exposed than I did when he stripped me of my clothes. “I’ve never been in a relationship before, but I want to see where this can go. I want to be your girlfriend.”
He bends to kiss me, and even under the hot spray of the shower, goose bumps spread over my entire body. “Good,” he murmurs against my lips. “Because I want to be your boyfriend.”
I’m exhausted by the time we’re dried and I’m climbing into bed. “Why don’t you sleep in here tonight?”
“I haven’t finished packing yet, sweetheart. I got distracted saying bye to the dogs.”
“But you’re great at folding shit. You’ll do it in no time.”
“Go to sleep, Ror,” he says softly. “I’ll go when you’ve fallen asleep.”
I tug him to lie down beside me over the covers, and with the weight of his arm draped over me, I fall straight to sleep.
I’M SO GLADRUSS CONVINCEDme to shower last night, because Emilia and I both overslept this morning.
I don’t know what time she came to bed because I was already asleep, but apparently neither of us thought to check that the other was setting an alarm.
I said my good-byes to Jenna, even though it’s not really good-bye because she’s visiting us in September, and we’re now waiting with our bags for the guys. Xander is first to appear with his things and I’m feeling impatient. “Where’s Russ?”
Xander drops his bags by our feet. “You can’t even pretend to be excited to see me for two minutes, Roberts? Immediately hit me with the ‘Where’s Russ?’ I am underappreciated in this friendship.”
