I slap my thigh where a mosquito just bit me. I wipe at another one that lands on my arm, and pretty soon the buzzing is loud around my head, and I’m frantically waving my hand around my face. A blood-sucking army is out tonight, and I scramble to my feet, snatch up the now empty bottle, and hustle toward the sanctuary of my house.
My heart lodges in my throat when I see a figure detach itself from the shadows of the porch.
“Was wondering how long it would fucking take before you came running.”
I bend over, gasping to get air in my lungs, when I hear the voice.
“I swear, Riordan Doyle…one day you’ll be the death of me.”
“Not what I had in mind,” he chuckles easily, as he grabs my arm, drags me inside, and out of the way of the charging mosquitoes.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, as he takes the bottle from my hand, sets it on the counter, and pulls me into my living room. There he drops down on the threadbare couch and tugs me down beside him. “I thought you went home?”
“I did,” he confirms, throwing his arm over my shoulder and tugging me to his chest. “And I was just putting my feet up on the coffee table when I realized I didn’t want to be there.”
“No?”
“No,” he repeats. “Couldn’t relax. Started thinking about this…thing…between us. And you know what? Waiting for the right time is for the fucking birds.”
“It is?”
“It absolutely fucking is,” he says with conviction, curving his free hand along my jaw and turning my face toward him.
His hazel eyes are almost black in the scarce light of my living room, his heavy-lidded gaze roaming my features before settling on my lips.
“I’m thinking right now sounds like the right time.”
I can feel the deep rumble of his voice down to my toes, and my own drops a few octaves lower as well.
“You do?” I mutter breathlessly as his head bends down.
It’s clear from my distinctly unimaginative responses that my brain cells have signed off for the day. I’m starting to sound like a goddamn parrot, but Roar doesn’t give me time to linger on that thought. His mouth is already on mine and his tongue is demanding entry.

One moment I’m tucked beside him on the couch, and the next I’m on my back, Roar’s heavy frame covering me, his lips still firmly fused to mine. Good God the man can kiss.