Firefly

by Molly McAdams

  “Dare,” she breathed, her lips stretching into a smile.

  I don’t remember moving.

  I only remember staring at her like she was a hallucination, and then the next second I was pulling her off the barstool and into my arms.

  I buried my nose in her hair, breathing her in to assure myself she was there and real, and I hadn’t lost my fucking mind.

  “Goddamn firefly,” I whispered, then brushed my lips against her neck.

  She pushed against my shoulders until I reluctantly set her down. “Is it okay that I’m here?” she asked hesitantly. “I know it’s kind of late to ask now. But you can tell me to leave and I—”

  I captured her mouth with my own, needing to taste her and needing her to know I didn’t want her anywhere else but with me. “Where did you come from?” I asked against her lips.

  “I told you I’d try to be around.”

  A laugh rumbled in my chest as I leaned back to look at her. “I thought you meant the next day. Or the next. Not . . . shit, days.”

  Her brows pinched, worry and exhaustion and pain filling her eyes. She tilted her head like she was going to explain then shook it instead. “I’m sorry.”

  “You made no promises,” I reminded her.

  But from the silence that settled between us, it didn’t make it any easier for her than it had me.

  “Dare,” she began, but paused, her eyes widening and body stiffening before she slowly looked to the side.

  When I looked in that direction, I found Diggs hunched over the island counter with a dopey grin as he watched us, with that massive sandwich falling apart between his hands.

  “Come on.” I curled my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close as I led her through the kitchen to the hall toward my room.

  That constant buzz between us burned hotter, the space between us grew thick with tension. As if the energy around us already knew where this night was headed.

  As soon as we were in my room I kicked the door shut and turned her around, pressing her against the hard wood—my grip tight on her hips and face buried in the crook of her neck.

  “I fucking missed you,” I whispered, confessing the words that had bounced through my head since she’d walked away from me at Brooks.

  A stuttered breath left her, one of her hands curling against my stomach where it rested.

  “Too soon?” The words were meant to be a tease, but I couldn’t hide the worry in my tone from what her response would be.

  Her head moved slowly from side to side, her free hand finding my jaw. Her soft fingers trailed lightly over it before she put the slightest pressure there, forcing me to lean back so she could look into my eyes.

  “I think I missed you before you ever entered my days and my dreams.”

  Fuck, this girl . . .

  I dropped my forehead against hers, pulling her body closer. “Firefly.” Bending to nip at her lips, I asked, “How long do we have?”

  “Don’t wonder.”

  I met her eyes, the question in my own, and felt her shrug against me.

  “It’ll waste the time we have if you do. It’ll make it rush by if you know.”

  I had a feeling any time with her would be over too soon because it ended.

  “Then I won’t,” I promised, leaning forward to capture her mouth just as someone started banging on the door.

  “Open up.”

  Before I had a chance to tell whichever twin was in the hall to fuck off, the door suddenly flung open.

  I grabbed Elle and twisted her away when she was shoved forward, my hard glare set on my sister from where she stood flanked by the twins in the doorway. Diggs was eating out of a large bowl of popcorn with a shit-eating grin.

  “Can I help you?” I asked, my teeth clenched.

  “Uh, hello?” Libby scoffed and stepped forward to reach for Elle, but I pulled her deeper into my room. “Didn’t you hear? We’re having a sleepover.”

  I stared her down like she’d lost her mind. “Yeah, we have been for a while now.”

  “No, no. In the theater room. And it’s been planned since yesterday, which means the two of you can’t be the only ones who don’t come.”

  “I just got Elle back, I’m not spending the night with all of you.”

  Diggs pretended to stab himself with the bowl. “Dude, we spent all day setting it up. Let us impress the nerd with our fort-making skills.”

  “There’s food,” Maverick added.

  “Dude, so much food,” Diggs said as he shoved more popcorn in his mouth. “Did I say there was a fort? The whole theater room is a fort.”

  A soft laugh sounded from the girl in my arms. “Didn’t you just eat?”

  Maverick huffed. “Popcorn and candy, newbie. There’s always room for it.”

  Libby shot me a look. “I think it’s so cute that you think we’re giving you an option.”

  “Fort,” Diggs said again, drawing the word out. “Fort.”

  Elle craned her neck to look up at me. “What’s a fort?”

  The twins made a sound that might’ve been a cry. Even Libby looked stunned.

  “Aw, baby. It’s okay. Diggs has got you, and he’ll be real gentle with you.”

  A warning growl sounded in my chest when Diggs reached for Elle.

  Instead of backing away, he just looked at me. “My nerd doesn’t know what a fort is. Let me educate her before I cry for the childhood she never had.”

  “I know what a fort is,” she said, shifting in my arms. “But I don’t know about a fort you can make in a room that has to do with sleepovers and food.”

  Everyone gave me a look, and I knew right then I’d lost the argument.

  I blew out a sigh. “All right, we’ll go.”

  Libby snorted and gestured to something behind me with her chin. “Again, like you had an option.”

  I looked over my shoulder, my jaw clenching when my eyes caught on what was missing. “Where’s my mattress?”

  “Dude, what part of fort don’t you understand?” Diggs asked, exasperated.

  Cutting her amused gaze to where Elle was trying to silence her laughs, Libby said, “Come on, I have clothes you can change into.”

  I reluctantly let her go when she started following my sister, then turned to change into a pair of sleep pants.

  By the time I made it into the theater room, my frustration had only grown.

  I had hours or minutes or seconds with my girl . . . I didn’t want to spend it with the rest of my family.

  But the moment she walked in, her eyes lighting up and mouth falling open in shock and fascination as she took in the large room, my anger cooled. It was worth it to see her experience something like this.

  And Diggs and Maverick had gone over the top, as usual.

  Some of the couches and recliners were pushed to the walls, with a few left near the front of the room, with five mattresses scattered throughout the empty spaces behind them.

  One of mine included.

  Blankets and pillows were everywhere, three times the amount that were normally in the room. A table full of food sat near the door. Sheets hung from the ceiling, making it feel like we were in a giant tent, and waiting to be used for makeshift walls later on. The only openings were at the main doorway, the door leading to the bathroom, and the front of the room where the screen was.

  “This is a fort?” Her question was nothing but a breath when she reached me, her hand grasping for my shirt and her eyes still taking everything in.

  “This is the twins’ idea of a fort. Most are smaller. Much smaller. About the size for a couple kids.”

  Her head shook, the action so slight I wasn’t sure she knew she was doing it. When she turned to face me, a breath of a laugh blew past her lips before they pulled into a wide, unrestrained smile.

  And everything stopped.

  My heart.

  Time.

  The whole goddamn world.

  The second it happened, I knew deep in my gut I’d been waiti
ng my entire life to see that smile.

  Elle was beautiful . . . she had always been beautiful. But the smile she’d offered everyone since the first day I’d seen her held so much sadness and pain. Like she didn’t know how to truly smile anymore.

  This?

  It was like a punch straight to my heart, because I knew it was real and it made this beautiful girl fucking breathtaking.

  I wanted to wrap her in my arms and never let go.

  I wanted to kiss that mesmerizing mouth.

  I wanted to pull her away from here so I could have her to myself.

  But I was afraid to move . . . afraid to do anything that would take that smile from her.

  “Oh, oh!” Diggs came crashing into us, pulling Elle away and waving his free arm in the air, like he was showing off the room to her. “What do you think, nerd?”

  “This is amazing,” she said, her eyes searching me out . . . that smile never fading.

  “Damn straight it is. Get you some food.” He gave me a victorious look as he released her and walked back to the door. “And you were gonna skip this.”

  I wanted to hug him and thank him for forcing us all into this, but my attention caught on Johnny where he stood near the door with Einstein, his wide, crazed eyes locked on Elle.

  I grabbed for her, pulling her close and slanting a warning glare Johnny’s way when Diggs called out, “And it’s official. Locked in, fuckers.”

  The brief moment of wanting to hug him vanished when I watched him yank on the door a few times, then walk away with a satisfied smirk.

  “What does he mean?” Elle asked when I bit out a curse, a slight tremble in her voice.

  “It means he just locked us all in here for the next five hours.”

  It meant he just locked Elle in here with my psychotic best friend.

  And now that her smile had vanished and her chest was moving too quickly with her rough breaths, I couldn’t get her out of here at all.

  “No . . . No, I can’t—”

  I pulled her close, pressing my lips to her ear and trying to calm her. “It’s just the twins’ way of making everyone stay. It’s not just a theater room, it’s a safe room. There’s a lock on the door, and when it’s activated it won’t unlock for five hours. Johnny won’t come near you.”

  She shook her head, her tongue darting out to wet her lips as she pushed away enough to look at me. “No, you don’t understand. I can’t be here that long.”

  My stomach dropped, knowing I wouldn’t have even had five hours with her.

  And that’s when I understood why she didn’t want me to know how long we had.

  I would’ve made every minute count if I hadn’t known.

  I would’ve dreaded every minute that passed if I had.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t open that door. There isn’t a way.”

  Her chest heaved, panic covering her face.

  “Fuck, Elle, I’m sorry.”

  She shrugged, the action a quick jerk of her shoulders. “We can’t change it.”

  “Nerd,” Diggs called out from the food table. “What are you doing standing over there? Get some food and find a couch. Movie’s starting in five.”

  Elle watched Diggs for a few seconds before looking back at me. The panic slipped from her expression, leaving resolve in its place. And with a steeling breath, she offered me a smile.

  A pained smile.

  Fuck.

  “Boo,” Libby yelled from her spot at the front row of couches a couple hours later, drawing out the word and making Elle jump.

  I pulled her back against my chest when Maverick mimicked her tone, firing back, “Shut up.”

  “I vote something else,” she continued. “Anything else.”

  “We already played your vote,” Diggs said. “Now it’s ours.”

  Elle turned her head so she could whisper, “What’s happening?”

  “Libby hates shoot-’em-up movies.” I nipped at her bottom lip, my hands tightening on her thighs when she relaxed against me and sighed.

  God, this girl.

  It hadn’t been long into the first movie before her worries about being in the room had faded.

  Guess I could thank Diggs for that too since he’d come back to talk to her every ten minutes. Getting closer and closer until Elle had gone from sitting beside me to being between my legs with my arms tight around her.

  Sometime near the end, hands had started searching, and I’d pulled her onto my lap, her mouth parting for me when I’d begged entrance.

  It’d been like high school all over again, and I was pretty damn sure I was having the best night of my life.

  She pressed a gentle kiss to my lips, turning when gunfire sounded through the speakers, filling the room. Her chest moved with her muted laugh. “Killed two guys in the first five seconds. Very telling. Very different from Libby’s vote.”

  Also extremely loud.

  And I knew from experience it would put Libby to sleep and hold the guys’ attention. Which meant Diggs would stop wandering back here.

  I went back to trailing my fingers up and down Elle’s thighs, every few passes going higher than the last now that I knew we’d be left alone—every few passes barely catching the hitch in her breathing when I did.

  She gripped the edge of the blanket that covered us tighter, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip when my fingers brushed the inside of her thighs. And then again. But her eyes never once left the screen.

  On the next pass up her legs, she shifted, spreading them wider for me in a silent plea and the greatest tease. Because that movement had caused her to rock against me, and it was torture not to respond the way I wanted to.

  I slid my hand higher into her shorts and was teasing the edge of her underwear when she did it again—that slight rocking that made my need for her grow. That made me forget where we were. That made me forget everything else except for her.

  She glanced over her shoulder, her heated eyes locking with mine when I moved my hands away to grab her hips.

  Hooking my fingers in the band of her shorts, I started dragging them and her underwear down.

  “Dare . . .” She gripped at my hands through the blanket that covered her, her voice hesitant, unsure.

  I nipped at her jaw. “I won’t let anyone see you, Firefly.”

  Holding my stare, she released my hands and lifted her hips to let me slip the fabric off her. A groan sounded in my chest when she sat on my growing erection, rocking her ass harder against it and letting a whimper escape her parted lips.

  I gripped her hips, pressing her harder against me for a few seconds before I moved my hands to spread her legs.

  “You okay?”

  She nodded, her breaths growing rougher.

  “Tell me.”

  “I’m okay,” she whispered, a soft cry sliding up her throat when I trailed my fingers along her sex. “Oh God.”

  Her head dropped back to my shoulder when I pressed a finger inside her, her hands gripped my hips when I pushed in another.

  “Still okay?” I asked, my voice gruff with the need to sink into this girl.

  “Yes.”

  True.

  I held my other hand to her stomach, keeping her from arching too far away and keeping her ass pressed firmly against me as she rode my fingers. A shiver tore through her when my thumb found her clit, her whimpers and moans getting lost in the yelling and gunfire from the movie.

  “Stop.” Her voice was a throaty mixture of pleasure and need. “Stop, I’m going—oh, God. I’m going . . .”

  A smirk tugged at my lips when I whispered, “I dare you.”

  She reached up with one hand to grip at my hair, her body tensing and trembling.

  I quickly released my hold on her to cover her mouth when a shocked cry burst from her chest, pride surging through me as I pushed her through the tremors rolling through her body.

  I kissed her cheek and lowered my hand when she relaxed against me, my eyes darting from couches to chairs to make
sure no one’s attention had left the screen.

  She loosened her tight hold on my hair and pled, “Let me face you.”

  I helped her turn so she was straddling me, making sure the blanket still covered her, and fought back a groan when she pressed her mouth to mine, reaching for where I was straining for her.

  I gripped her forearms to stop her, placing another quick, hard kiss on her lips when hurt and confusion flashed across her face.

  Bending to grab her discarded clothes, I handed them to her. “Hold these and hold on to me.”

  That was the only warning I gave her before I stood from the couch with her in my arms and turned toward the mattresses.

  I needed to thank Diggs or Maverick. Whoever had put mine in the farthest corner, away from the table and couches and doors.

  I pressed my mouth to Elle’s as I knelt to lower her onto it. “Wait here.”

  I pulled the ties that kept the sheets secured to the posts throughout the room, spreading them out to create our makeshift room, then turned to face Elle.

  She was propped up on her elbows in the middle of the mattress, her eyes wide and teeth sinking into that full bottom lip as she watched me.

  “Tell me what you want,” I begged from where I stood. “Tell me you want to talk and we will. Tell me you want to sleep and we will. Tell me to go share a mattress with Maverick or Diggs . . . and I fucking will.”

  Her head fell back, a gorgeous, husky laugh bursting from her.

  When she looked at me again, she lifted one of her hands toward me in offering. Once our fingers were touching, she gently pulled me onto the mattress and rose to her knees.

  “I want you,” she whispered, a shy smile playing at her lips as she reached for the hem of her shirt. “I want to shut out everyone and imagine a world where I never have to leave.”

  “This is that world, Elle.”

  I took the shirt from her fingers and lifted it off her, letting it fall to the floor as my eyes fell over her mostly bare body.

  Trailing my fingers over the swell of her breasts, I said, “You’re beautiful.”

  Leaning forward, I pulled one of her nipples into my mouth, my blood heating when she moaned and arched, offering more of herself to me.