There's something different about Stone. Turns out he's not just a caveman, he's a real ass man.
And I'm scared that I'm going to do something stupid to ruin the way he's looking at me now, because that? I don't want it to change.
"Come on," I say, "let's climb to the top."
"You're not scared of heights?" he asks.
"No, are you?"
He shakes his head. "When I'm around you, Skylar, I don't feel like I'm scared of anything."
"That's the nicest thing any man has ever said to me," I tell him, meaning it.
He pulls me toward him, arm around my waist, his chest against mine, his mouth lowering, his lips pressing against my ear.
"That's not the nicest thing I'll ever say to you," he says.
"No?" I breathe. "What's nicer?"
Before he answers, he gives me a kiss, a real kiss. The kiss only a real caveman can offer.
7
Stone
Her lips are softer than the pillows I used to sleep on before I ended up here. Her body is warm, reminding me just how cold it's been for five long years. I melt into that kiss. I may be a hard ass man who hasn't had a proper shower in a helluva long time, but there's something about Skylar – her fire, her spirit – that lights me up in a way I can't lose.
I kiss her more deeply, not wanting the moment to end. And when her fingers begin to run through my hair, I let out a low growl, wanting her to know I don't want her to stop, ever.
My cock, fuck it's hard, and her body leans closer against mine. There's not a sliver of air between us. It's her heart beating against mine. I wrap my arms around her waist, thinking how damn lucky I got that she ended up here.
My mouth opens and her tongue finds mine. And for a moment, there is nothing but blissed-out desire surging between us. I feel her nipples harden against me. The thin fabric of her bikini is doing nothing to hide what her body wants. And my damn loincloth is doing little to hide what I need.
When she pulls back from the kiss, it's like she's startled to remember that I am the man whose lips were locked with hers. "What?" I ask, trying to read her mind.
"I think I saw..." She points behind me, and I turn to see what caught her eye. It's a leopard, a giant black leopard that's jumping across the waterfall. Leaping from one large rock ridge to the next.
“It’s okay,” I tell her. “Look, he’s past the ridge, he won’t come back here. See how fast he’s running in the other direction?”
She nods. “You have your gun?”
I nod. “Always. Are you scared?"
"Of course I am," she says. "One moment I was lost in your mouth, in this moment, and the next I heard the leopard and I opened my eyes and..." She swallows, pulling back from me. Crossing her arms as if trying to shield herself, from what? Me? This world where we are? "It just brought me back to reality," she says. "This isn't just some vacation. This is your real life. And it's a pretty scary one."
"Not just my real life," I tell her. "Our real life. I never wanted to come here. I never wanted to be here alone. I've had to survive out here, Skylar. And then you came. "
She presses her lips together, lifting her eyebrows. "You've had five years to come to grips with the fact that you live here. Me, I've been here for a few weeks. I'm not in the same place, Stone. You might be a good kisser, but..."
"But what?" I ask. "Just not a good enough one for you to try and imagine this being your life now?"
She blinks back tears. "I can't get a good read on you, Stone. One minute you're grumpy, and the next you're super helpful, and then you're like a wounded soldier. Who are you?"
I shake my head. "All I am now is a caveman," I tell her. "And sure I'm lonely, and sure you're the first human I've seen in a long time. If you want to just be friends with me, fine. I'm not going to force you into something you don't want. But even if I hadn’t met you here, if we'd met at a bar back in the real world, getting drinks after work on a Friday night, I would have walked right up to you and asked you to dance. I would have bought you a drink and I would have brought you home. Because there's something about you, Skylar, that makes my whole heart light up in a way it never has before. So sure, you can feel like you're stuck here with me, but I sure as hell don't feel stuck with you."