Playing With Fire

Chapter 41 - Perfect

"Damn, woman, if you wanted on top that bad all you had to do is ask."

Kajol swatted his arm. "You are so bad."

"You like me that way, Angel. Admit it. You're so damn good it balances you out to have a little badness."

Now that got her laughing again. That easily the mood between them flowed from serious to playful and light. She loved both sides of him, treasured both sides of him.
"You're not as bad as you think you are." She'd thought so when they first met, with his broad, muscular body and pitch black eyes, but it hadn't taken long to see the truth.
"You're more good than you are bad."

Shahru winked. "I know." In one fluid movement, he stood and set her on her feet.
"Let's get back to the cabin, so I can show you just how good I can be. I'll even let you be on top if you want." Butterfly wings had nothing on the fluttering in her belly. Simple words or sexual promises made by Shahru were enough to set her ablaze for him. She was always on fire for him. He might have thought it would, but his past couldn't put a damper on that. Heck, she didn't think anything could.

* * **

Shahru moved a lot quicker through the woods on the way back to the cabin than he did on the way there. The first trip he'd been hesitant and now, eager. When he first opened his mouth to talk to her about those first few painful months, the words stuck in his mouth as if they were glued there. Once he started, the glue loosened until he felt completely comfortable opening up to her about how weak he'd been then. She made it easy for him. The way she looked at him, the way she touched him made him actually believe there wasn't anything he couldn't do.

If she could accept him so easily, he should be able accept himself. Now it was more than just letting himself down if he failed. It was more than just letting down his dead mum who wouldn't know the difference regardless, and it was more than just letting down the woman who used to love him, the woman who didn't love him anymore. If he failed he'd be letting Angel down. He'd be letting his Angel down, and that wasn't an option.

The weather turned cooler, brisker, giving him a reason to hold her tighter while they walked. By the time they made it to the cabin, it was late afternoon. Shahru unlocked the door and ushered her in. "The fire's pretty much out, and I remember when we first met, you said you'd like to learn to build one. Are you still interested?"

Sure, it wasn't real tough to build a fire, and there wasn't much to learn, but if she wanted to know how, he wanted to show her. When her eyes lit up at him as if he'd just saved a damn puppy from getting hit by a car or something, he knew he made the right choice. He loved having her look at him that way, as if there wasn't a damn thing he couldn't do, or as if he'd just offered her the world rather than how to throw wood in a fireplace and light. She amazed him.

"I'd love to! How exciting."

Shahru couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm. Not many women he knew would be excited about learning to start a fire. Especially women who grew up the way she did. He had no doubt no one in her family lifted a hand to build their own fire. Not even her father. "I never knew you excited so easily."

"Only by you."

She looked at him, so damn sexy and so sassy he had to fight the urge to pull her into his arms and forget about anything but passion. They had time for that later, though. Silly as it was, he wanted to give her this. "Come on, witch. Let's get this fire going before we build one of our own."

Soon the crackle and pop of wood catching fire sounded in the air. Warmth eased from the flames, beginning to take the chill out of the room. Angel had done the whole thing herself. He told her how to start, and she took over from there. Shahru stood up and pulled her with him, her smiling face never turning from his. "You're proud of yourself, aren't you?" He loved that about her. Loved the way she took such joy in such small things like building a fire or painting an apartment.

"I sure am, and don't you dare make fun of me."

Shahru looked down at her, admitting for the first time to himself he loved her. He loved everything about her: her body, her lips, the way she melted in his arms, but more importantly he loved her. He loved the way she thought, the way she cared about people, the way she trusted, and the way she grabbed life by the horns whether it was something like walking out on her parents and her cheating fiancé, or something as simple as building her first fire. "I wouldn't think of it." Shahru leaned down and placed a quick kiss on her lips. "Are you hungry?"

"I could eat."

Shahru went into the kitchen and opened the fridge. "I didn't think you'd appreciate frozen meals, and there aren't any burger and fry places too close, so the choices aren't many. I got us some soup and grilled cheese for dinner tonight. I hope that's okay?"

"That sounds perfect. I'll cook the sandwiches if you want to warm up the soup."

It shouldn't still surprise him how easygoing she was, but it did. The woman hadn't even known what a carpet picnic was a few weeks ago, but now, here she was splitting grilled cheese and canned soup duties with him when that kind of meal probably hadn't ever been served in her house before. "I can handle that."

It didn't take but a few minutes to get their dinner on the stove and then cooked.
Shahru filled two mug bowls with soup, while Angel put the sandwiches on two small plates.

He started to set the bowls on the table when she stopped him.

"What do you think about another carpet picnic? We haven't done that since the first night with the pizza, and I'd like to enjoy my first-ever fire if you don't mind."

Even if he wanted to, which he didn't, he couldn't turn her down when she looked at
him with those wide honey eyes and her plump lip lightly bitten between her teeth.
She was sexy, but even more, she was amazing. "I think that's a perfect idea." Almost as perfect as you.