Fire & Ice

Chapter One

Chapter One

Journal Entry:

I'm angry, pissed at the world right now, and pretty much everything in it. I'm so tired of all this shit. I hate running—hate always looking over my shoulder. Right now, I should be exhausted from spending the night on the beach with a beautiful girl, not from driving all night long. This isn't living. It's existing . . . it's being prey to someone else's whim. I'm not sure how much more I can take.

***

Laughter filled the air and I couldn't stop grinning as I chased Amber down the moonlit beach, her short white sundress rippling behind her, giving the appearance of a mystical apparition floating through the dark.

I reached out, snaking my arm around her waist, and the two of us tumbled down into the sand, wrapping ourselves around each other as our lips connected, pressing frantically together. Breaths mingled in short, fast puffs as hands quickly explored one another's bodies.

"Vance." Amber's voice cut through my senses. "What about the others?"

Lifting my head, I glanced to where the large bonfire burned brightly, illuminating the cliff face and the figures of the teens gathered around it.

"Everyone's drinking or making out. They probably haven't even noticed we're gone," I replied, finding her lips once more. We were close enough to the water that the edge of the waves repeatedly washed over my bare feet, leaving them feeling cold. But the rest of me was raging hot.

I knew Amber felt the same way. She stared at me in the dim moonlight, her pale strawberry blonde hair spread across the sand beneath her. I couldn't see the tiny freckles that lightly covered her nose, but I knew where they all were. I'd kissed every single one. And even in the dim light, I was aware that her skin was flushed right now and she was as turned on as I was.

"Tonight's our two month anniversary," she said, tracing my lips with her fingertips. "Did you remember?"

I nodded. Time was something I always paid attention to—especially when it came to relationships. Hiding out and being on the run hadn't afforded me many opportunities to cultivate lasting connections with other people. It was something I longed for and craved. Yes, I'd counted every minute with Amber, never knowing when it would abruptly come to an end.

Normally I was wiser than this, choosing to stay away from making friends or having girlfriends. It hurt too badly when I had to leave them behind. But Amber managed to wheedle her way into my life, constantly inviting me to things and asking me to hang out with her. Giving in became easier than trying to resist; and now here we were, two months later, and I knew everything was about to change between us tonight.

My lips found hers again, and I thought of all the times we'd made out heavily before calling a halt to things. I didn't want to do that this time. I wanted to be with her.

It felt like we kissed and stroked each other for hours, until I was so on fire I could barely stand it. Slipping the straps of her dress off her shoulders, I pressed my lips to the bare skin there, trailing lower as I revealed more and more. She didn't try to stop me, and I knew she wanted this too.

Her hands traveled over my bare chest down to the edge of my swim trunks, and I detected the tremor in them as she paused there.

My blood roared in my ears. "Don't be afraid," I whispered, encouraging her to continue along her path of exploration. This girl might not be a witch, but the things she made me feel seemed pretty magical. Her hands slid lower and my breath caught for a moment. This was really going to happen—right here, right now.