“Well, I might have been wrong,” I teased, pinching her thigh.
She let out a startled yelp. “Liam!”
“Are you almost finished? Because next time, I won’t be pinching you. I’ll use my teeth.”
“You cad!” she scoffed, covering her laugh.
But I was being honest. I wanted to bite the flesh of those silken thighs. To lick and kiss the soft skin at the inside of her knee, leaving a trail of heat as I made my way higher to taste her.
“All right, I’ve got enough,” Cerise called, jolting me from my fantasy.
I knelt and let her climb off. Her face was flushed and she took a step back, straightening her shirt with one hand, the flowers gripped in her other.
I held out my hand. “So what are we doing with these?”
“Rubbing them on our skin. They emit powerful semiochemicals that protect them from predators. It will deter these biting insects.”
“Brilliant.”
She gave me a few flowers and we sat on a log. Following her lead, I crushed them between my palms and rubbed them on my arm.
“How much farther do you think we’ll go today?” she asked, smearing some of the flowers on her chest. My eyes followed the motion and I couldn’t help but lick my lips. “Well? Liam? Are you listening?”
My eyes flicked to hers. “Apologies. I was distracted.”
She raised an eyebrow. “By?”
“Are you sure you want to know?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.”
I glanced down at the movement again, then tilted my head. “By the beautiful woman wiping flowers on her chest.”
Her cheeks turned the most precious shade of pink. “Oh. I—um…” She turned away, pulling her shirt tighter, and shifted uncomfortably.
What the fuck?
“Cerise,” I said softly. “What’s this about?”
She wouldn’t look at me, remaining silent.
“Sunshine?”
“You shouldn’t call me that,” she whispered.
Okay. What’s happening? Why did she suddenly clam up?
I gently reached out and took her chin in my fingers, turning her to face me. “What’s going on? Did I say something to upset you?”
She stayed quiet for a moment. Her violet eyes held so many emotions, I could hardly guess what was going on in that brilliant mind of hers. Reluctance. Nervousness. But something else swirled in the depth of her gaze. Something almost like…disbelief.
Her shoulders slumped. “No one’s ever called me beautiful before…” she whispered.
I straightened, letting go of her face. “What? Never?”
She shook her head, looking at the flower in her hand as she twirled it around.
I found it hard to believe no one had said that to her. Because shewasbeautiful. Stunning. Captivating. How was that possible?
