The Moth and the Flame

by Reid, B. B.

  “Best friends are supposed to take care of each other.” His gaze found mine at the same time my hand started to slide up my thigh. It was all I could do not to close my eyes and sever the connection. “You’re always there for me…except when I need you most.”

  My hand was now close enough to feel the heat between my legs rising as anticipation mounted. This wouldn’t be the first time I’d touched myself, but in the past, it was out of curiosity. Only now did I understand that I’d been building up to this moment. To have the courage to take what was rightfully mine.

  I sighed as if all were truly lost. “I guess I’ll just have to be there for myself.”

  “Don’t,” he pleaded, but it was too late. My eyes fluttered, threatening to close at the sensation my fingers were stirring. Wren’s chest moved up and down rapidly as he inched closer against his will.

  I knew what he wanted, so I offered him a shaky smile despite my agony and let my legs fall to the side. The moment he saw my fingers circling my clit, he groaned, and my stomach clenched at the sound.

  I kept my touch light and unhurried, building my desire until the fire kindling in Wren’s gaze was a raging inferno. It was enough, more than enough. Feeling my orgasm rising too quickly, I abandoned my clit with a whimper. There was no denying how much I wanted Wren. The sound of my fingers gently massaging and slowly exploring made it clear. And when the tip of my middle finger teased my entrance, I didn’t think twice about filling my pussy.

  He sank onto the bed to get a closer look, and I watched him lick his lips whenever I withdrew only to push deeper. At that moment, I found a way to win his surrender. My hand trembled as I moved my soaked fingers to his lips.

  His eyes went wide when he saw my intent. Before he could plead some more for mercy, I traced his lips. He closed his eyes tightly, and after only a second, he opened them enough for me to slip inside and give him a taste of what he’d denied himself. The moment my fingers touched his tongue, he growled.

  With my other hand, I found my clit again, chasing my orgasm while he hungrily sucked my fingers. “Do you see?” I asked shakily. I was so close. “Do you see how good it could be?”

  He opened his eyes, and his voice was thick when he spoke. “I’ve always known.”

  “Then touch me,” I whimpered as my fingers sped up. I was at the edge ready to fall over. “Take the hurt away. Ease the need. Make us both whole again.”

  He dropped his head to my thigh, and I heard him inhale deeply before he pushed my fingers away and licked me there. Just once, but it was more than enough. I threw my head back, and my toes curled as I stiffened and came with a startled cry. It was more powerful than anything I’d experienced alone. My body was locked for several seconds before I broke free of the sensations washing over me. I was still fighting to catch my breath when he spoke.

  “I’ve tasted your pussy,” he croaked, making me shiver in delight at the reminder. “I haven’t even kissed you yet.” And then he groaned. “There’s something seriously fucked up about that.”

  “Then kiss me now,” I pleaded. Lifting his head, I held his gaze. “And never, ever stop.”

  He looked ready to do just that before he jerked away and stood from the bed with a savage curse as he shoved his fingers through his thick brown hair. The look he gave me was dark, and I knew right then that I lost him. “That’s never going to happen, Lou. I mean it.”

  My heart tore in half along with my composure. “Why are you doing this?” I screamed at him. It was a good thing his grandmother wasn’t here, or she’d be getting an earful. “Why do you have to treat being with me like the end of the world?”

  “Because it will be the end. Of us…of me.” He began to pace. “God, if you knew what I’ve done,” he said so softly I almost didn’t hear.

  “Whatever it is, I don’t care. I just want you.”

  “You’re too young to know what you want. Too fucking young to even understand what your body is telling you.”

  “That’s not true. I’m old enough to consent.”

  He laughed then, and it was full of scorn. “But that doesn’t mean you should.”

  “What does it matter if you fuck me now or wait four months until I’m eighteen? I’ll be the same girl. I’ll still be yours.”

  “You’re just a kid,” he mumbled, sounding like a broken fucking record.

  I scoffed as I stood from the bed and grabbed his shirt in my fists. “You’re not even old enough to drink, but you keep telling me what a kid I am. The age of consent in New York is seventeen. Do you know what it means? It means you’ve run out of excuses.”

  He freed his shirt from my fists and shoved me away so hard I stumbled. “No, I haven’t, Lou. No. The Fuck. I haven’t.”

  I was sitting on the porch swing watching the water when I heard the glass door behind me slide open. Wren had been MIA for hours, and I had no idea if he’d left me alone or was just good at hiding. My pride was too wounded to look for him.

  “Are you hungry?” I heard him ask. I looked over my shoulder and found Wren filling the threshold, wearing his brown leather jacket and holding his keys. My mouth watered. I’d only just decided to give up trying to be more than friends when he showed up and called me a liar.

  “Sure. Where are we going?”

  “I think I know just the place.” That was all he said before he led me to his car parked just outside the garage. I started for the passenger side when he grabbed my hand and dropped his keys into my palm.

  “What’s this?”

  “You need more practice driving. I’m still getting shit from my godfather for the damage you did to his truck.”

  I winced. At the time, stealing Bear’s truck seemed necessary. Now, not so much. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll hurt Paula, too?”

  “She’s just a car. Making sure you can take care of yourself is more important to me.” He took a deep breath and said, “I might not always be around.”

  The sadness in his tone had me rushing forward. “Don’t talk like that,” I pleaded as I threw my arms around his neck and pressed my face to his chest. I’d forgotten all about this morning’s disaster. “No one is going to hurt you. I won’t let them.”

  I felt his hands at my waist, and then he pulled me closer until our hips met. “It’s not my pain that I’m worried about.”

  I let him go and stepped back so I could see his eyes. “You won’t let him hurt me, either,” I said, referring to his boss.

  “Yeah,” he agreed, and then he looked away but not before I saw the uncertainty in his eyes.

  What was Wren so afraid of? Fox was powerful with an entire army behind him, but Wren was stronger and smarter than any of them. It was Exiled who should be worried.

  Unless…there was something else?

  I peered up at Wren. Was there another reason he feared me getting hurt?

  Before I could question him, he walked around to the passenger side and got in. I followed him, feeling weird sitting on the driver’s side. Somehow, the Impala seemed larger and more intimidating. Wren, on the other hand, stretched his long body out, looking way too relaxed and sexy for my liking.

  After securing my seat belt, I turned the key in the ignition, and Paula gave a fierce roar. I couldn’t help grinning even as my armpits began to sweat. “Okay,” I said as I eagerly reached for the gear shift.

  “Aren’t you going to adjust your mirrors?” Wren asked me casually. “You might want to see what’s around you if you plan to get where you’re going without killing anyone.”

  “Oh…right.” I adjusted the rearview mirror and then the side mirrors before shifting the car into drive. However, when I went to press the gas, only the tip of my shoe reached the pedal. Realizing Wren had almost a foot in height on me, I went to adjust the seat, and the car rolled forward. I quickly slammed on the brake, making the car jerk to stop before throwing it back into park.

  I glanced at Wren and found him staring at me with a perplexed expression. “How the hell did y
ou get into the mountains alive?”

  “Dumb luck?”

  He snorted. “Clearly.”

  I huffed ready to give up on ever learning how to drive. “It would help if you told me what to do instead of just sitting there looking—” I slammed my lips shut remembering my decision to give up getting inside Wren’s pants.

  After a brief silence, he said, “I was under the impression that you already knew what to do.”

  I sighed and shrank inside my seat. “You’re making me nervous,” I admitted quietly.

  His only response was to reach over, grab the lever under my seat, and push me closer to the steering wheel. And then he whispered in my ear, “You’ve got this, little Valentine,” before lounging again in his seat.

  Taking a deep breath, I sat up straight then looked over at him. “Seat belt,” I ordered, knowing he never wore one while always insisting that I do.

  He chuckled and reached for the belt behind him. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Once he was secure, I rechecked my mirrors and then took off. What might have been a ten-minute drive took me almost thirty. By the time we arrived, my good mood and excitement had gone to shit. Wren complained incessantly about almost everything I did.

  “Stay in your lane, Louchana.”

  “Red doesn’t mean go, Louchana.”

  “Watch out for that baby in the stroller, Louchana.”

  I was breathing fire by the time we arrived. Yanking the keys out of the ignition, I threw them in Wren’s lap and hopped out. His laughter followed me across the parking lot as I stomped toward the diner that looked like an air stream. By the time I reached the door, Wren had caught up to me. His arm locked around my waist as he pulled me into him from behind.

  “You can’t drive for shit, but you didn’t kill us,” he whispered against my hair. “I’m thankful for that much.”

  “You’re a dick,” I spat. And a tease. His cock was growing harder by the second. Surely, he must have known I’d feel it?

  “I know,” he said while laughing.

  I blinked, and words escaped me until I realized he was responding to my insult. He had no idea what I was thinking, but thanks to his cock lodged against my spine, I knew exactly what was on his mind. Wren didn’t let me go when he walked us inside. A beaming hostess wearing skates greeted us, and I knew we didn’t look anything like best friends should.

  As she showed us to our table, my stomach growled loud enough to bring heat to my cheeks. They became inflamed when Wren rubbed his hand over my belly.

  “Let’s get some food in you,” he said with a chuckle before letting me go and stepping around me. “You’re vicious enough when angry and downright terrifying when you’re hungry.”

  I glared at his back. “I’ll just eat that pretty face of yours if you don’t shut up.”

  He threw back his head and roared all the way to our seats while I looked around in awe at the brightly colored interior and vintage décor. The black and white checkered floors gleamed while the small booths—some blue, some pink—allowed for an intimate setting. There were photos of Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Diana Ross, and James Dean hanging on the wall and there was even a jukebox in the corner. It looked like a scene straight out of the fifties, and I knew my mother would love it here.

  When Wren turned and smiled, eyebrows raised expectantly, I knew he was hoping I would, too.

  “Oh, God.” I groaned as I pushed away the plate that once held a slice of cherry pie. The waitress had just set down a large root beer float with two colorful straws before skating away. “Go on without me,” I told Wren. “I can’t eat another bite.”

  Wren had ordered nearly half the menu, and we barely spoke a word to each other as we pigged out. The food was great, but the air between us had been…tense. I think we were both happy for the diversion since we sucked at pretending nothing had happened back at his grandmother’s house. The food at least gave us an excuse not to talk about it. Not to mention I couldn’t remember the last time I ate. Until we arrived, I hadn’t noticed my hunger. I’d been distracted by much more demanding needs.

  Wren’s laugh was cut short when he reached for the cherry, and I snatched it before popping the treat in my mouth. “That was mine,” he gritted.

  I stuck out my tongue, showing him the cherry and worked it like a cuckoo clock. In and out, in and out until his eyes turned completely blue. “You want it?” I teased. “Come and get it.”

  I wasn’t prepared for him to do just that.

  Gripping my jaw, he pressed his lips hard against mine until they parted on a gasp, and he stole the cherry from my tongue. I was still in shock when he pulled away and with blue eyes fixed on me, he chewed—slowly.

  When he was done with the cherry, he pulled me into his lap, making it clear he wasn’t done with me. This time when he kissed me it was slow, allowing me to taste the sweet syrup on his tongue as he deepened the kiss and stole the air from my lungs. My hands found his hair at the same time his fingers dug into my hips, and I pulled hard to get him closer. He grunted, but neither of us cared about the pain we were causing each other. I’d probably go insane if he stopped.

  Wren had finally stolen one of my firsts, and luckily for me, I had many more to go. All for him to take.

  I moaned, getting excited and forgetting we were in a public place. Wren came to his senses before I did and pulled away. His eyes were full of more emotion than I’d ever seen them hold when he stared back at me.

  “I was afraid I’d never get to do that. I promised myself I’d kiss you at least once before I died. Not in my most haunting nightmares did I ever dream that I might lose you first. Don’t push me,” he pleaded. “Not now.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” I said as I held his shoulders. “So take all the kisses you want. They’re yours.”

  He didn’t say anything as set me aside before throwing down some cash. “Let’s get out of here.” His voice was thick.

  “Are we going to bed?”

  I hid my grin when he cut his eyes at me. “Yes,” he said as he stood. “But to separate beds.”

  On the way home, Wren stopped at a gas station to fill up, and I wrestled some cash out of his pocket before heading inside to load up on snacks. I made sure to sway my hips, knowing he was watching and could have sworn I heard him groan.

  Back at the house, he put on a movie before stretching out on the couch and leaving the comfy looking recliner for me. I turned my nose up at it before going to him on the couch and fitting myself inside the curve of his body. He tensed but didn’t argue, and for a while, we both pretended to watch the movie playing. It was some movie about a married couple who went on the run together when their bosses, who turned out to be rivals, wanted them dead.

  To my surprise and utter delight, Wren was the first to break when his hand began creeping up my shirt. I kept my eyes on the TV screen and didn’t dare speak a word. Wren was like a skittish kitten. Too sudden a move and he’d scurry back to where it was safe. I couldn’t let that happen. Not when I was so close to having him once and for always.

  “What have you done to me?” He growled as he cupped my breast and brushed my nipple with his thumb. I shivered wanting more. “You give me one taste, and I’m an addict. You allow me one touch, and I’m yours. You’re very cruel, Louchana Valentine.”

  I peered at him over my shoulder. “Men take what they think is theirs all the time. Why shouldn’t I do the same?” Looking away, I whispered, “If you don’t want me, you’re going to have to a better job convincing me.”

  Turning me on my back, he kissed me softly and then deeply. “Make no mistake, Lou. There’s no one and nothing I want more,” he whispered fiercely. “But I can’t have you. Do you understand?”

  “No.”

  He sighed and brushed my lips with his own. “You will one day.”

  I broke away and stood. I wanted to lash out, but the moonlight shimmering on the surface of the water outside caught my eye. With a wicked grin, I wondered if W
ren would be opposed to a midnight swim.

  My best friend might be a big, bad gangster, but I had him wrapped around my finger. Now if only I could get him wrapped around the rest of me.

  LOU STARED OUT AT THE water, looking frustrated and forlorn. Well, she had no fucking idea. If today had been a test of my honor, well then, I’d failed fucking miserably. Even now, I was ready to go to her and give her what we both wanted in abundance. At that very moment, a smile spread her lips as if she heard my thoughts. Suddenly, she stepped toward the sliding glass door, and I watched feeling helpless as she pulled her shirt over her head.

  She hadn’t worn a bra today.

  That had been a pleasant but torturous surprise. Lou was blessed with more than enough to fill my hands, so maybe it was me that had lucked out. They bounced with each step she took as she shed more clothing until she was completely naked.

  “Lou, don’t do this.” My voice sounded hoarse, and I forced myself to get a grip. I’d been fucking long before Lou set her sights on seducing me. I knew I’d play the game better, but guilt kept me at bay. I’d taken enough from her. Stealing her virginity was out of the question. It would just be one more thing I couldn’t undo.

  She slid open the door and cast a smile over her shoulder as she disappeared into the night. I hesitated for only a moment before following after her. Standing at the water’s edge, I watched her wade deeper, and when the water was at her waist, she turned to me and smiled.

  “I won’t bite!” she shouted teasingly.

  I grinned back at her. “The sharks might.”

  “I think you’re afraid of more than just fish with sharp teeth.” And then she took a deep breath before dipping below the water. My heart sped up. I’d never undressed so fast in my life. The water was freezing, and I was thankful for it as I felt my balls shrivel up inside my boxers. If Lou thought she’d seduce me this way, she clearly hadn’t thought it through.