Hearts the Last Beat (Angel Fire #6) - Ellie Masters Page 0,14

you have to ask, then I didn’t try hard enough, but I have to say, I wasn’t trying to make you come.”

“Holy shit.” I press my palm to my forehead and shake my head. “That was fucking incredible.”

“No, babe, you’re fucking incredible.” He glances over his shoulder, looking up toward the top of the cliff. Stepping back, he leans against the other side of the gondola and crosses his arms over his chest. “You’re fucking dangerous.”

It takes a moment before I fully recover. We’re nearing the top, and I see a shock of white-blond hair peeking over the edge.

“Shit!”

“What?” Spike casually kicks a heel across his ankle.

“It’s Forest.”

Spike pushes off and looks up. “Shit.” Turning around, he points at my shirt. “Straighten that out and fix your hair. You look like you’ve been fucked, and the last person who needs to know about us is that man.”

Quickly, I comb my fingers through my hair and straighten out my shirt. Spike adjusts his shorts and tucks the evidence of his arousal beneath his waistband. The tip sticks out, and something shiny glints at me. Before I can wonder about that, Spike yanks his shirt down to cover everything up.

He leans over and opens the side window and waves his arms like a madman.

“What are you doing?” I stare at him like he’s lost his mind.

“It smells like sex in here.” His arms flail as I lean back and roll my eyes.

Spike’s deathly afraid of anyone finding out. I get it. I really do. I’ve gone over the thousands of reasons we can’t be together. Doesn’t change one damn thing.

I want to be with Spike. I know what’s at stake. I tuck myself into a corner of the gondola as we crest the rise and slowly inch the final few feet. Spike has the door open and jumps out before we stop.

Forest looks at Spike. His glacial gaze sweeps over to me huddling inside the gondola. I tuck my chin to my chest and exit. Fingers curled into fists, I march out and stride past the gentle giant without a word. Not once do I look at Spike.

“What’s up with her?” Forest’s deep gravelly voice makes the air rumble.

“Who the hell knows?” Spike gives a shrug and follows behind me. Just like always. We’re together without being together.

And I hate it.

“Hold up for a second.” Forest’s booming voice hitches my shoulders to my ears. I pull to a stop, but he continues. “Not you, Angel; I need to have a chat with Spike for a moment.”

Feeling like I’m getting away with something, I leave Spike to deal with Forest. Truthfully, Forest scares me more than my dad. I can deal with Bash. We certainly clash over enough things that adding more fuel to the fire won’t matter.

But Forest… Yeah, I’m not proud, but I leave Spike to fend for himself. Not that he’ll have a problem with Forest. Spike doesn’t give a shit what anyone thinks about him.

Six

Spike

The last thing I need is a conversation with Forest. Angel scurries off, lucky little shit. Not that I can’t handle Forest. I pull up short and brace for whatever it is Forest wants to talk about.

“What do you need? I’m a bit busy.” Like, there’s a girl I’m very interested in pursuing. That kiss rocked my world, and the taste of her lingers on my tongue. No way am I leaving her with one tiny orgasm. By the end of the day, I plan on making her scream my name.

I try to step around him, but he places his massive paw of a hand on my shoulder and stops me in my tracks. Stop is generous. Forest holds me in place. There’s no escaping when he gets it in his head to talk about whatever’s on his mind.

Forest’s glacial gaze follows Angel’s retreat, then sweeps back to take me in. Can’t help it, but I suck in my gut, puff out my chest, and stand a little taller. That lopsided grin slips as I brace for a verbal beat down.

At six-foot-two, I’m tall for a guy, but next to Forest, I’m small. That does something to a guy’s confidence. Erodes it. Puts it in perspective.

I don’t like it one bit. Never have. Never will.

“I can see you’re busy.” Forest’s attention swings back to Angel’s retreating backside, and I follow the direction of his gaze, appreciating the sway of Angel’s hips and the way the creases of her ass cheeks peek out from beneath those