21
Caroline hidher face against his chest so he couldn’t see her heart breaking on the inside. Reaper was a man of few words, part of who he was, she imagined, his line of work. but his words revealed an entire lifetime of loneliness and pain. Had he really never felt loved before now? Had he never had a family or a girlfriend? She found the second half hard to believe. Men as strikingly handsome as Reaper were never single for long. His expert moves earlier spoke of his experience, yet he had all the emotional standing of a newborn baby. And while she lacked the physical experience, she’d been surrounded by loving support her entire life.
Growing up, Caroline’s nanny had always told her that she’d find a soulmate who would complete her one day. He’d fill in her missing pieces and she would fill in his, just like Caroline’s mother had done for her father. Though her mother had died in childbirth, Caroline had seen the unquestionable longing in her father’s gaze every time he talked about her. That was the kind of love she wanted. A love that went beyond the boundaries of the here and now, and although she wasn’t ready to profess her undying love for Reaper, she sensed that possibility with them. His touch calmed her.
And she eagerly looked forward to learning more about sex with him—just as much as she looked forward to helping him realize that there were people in his life who could truly love him.
His heartbeat was fast beneath her ear. That had to count for something. She wouldn’t press him for more now; he wasn’t ready. She’d have to treat this warrior with kid gloves if she didn’t want to scare him off.
What she needed was a distraction in the pool, inches from their feet. If he’d never had a family or good friends, then he’d completely missed out on childhood pranks. She fixed her face into a solemn expression, unwound her arms from his waist and stepped back.
Reaper frowned, skepticism evident on his face, “What’s wrong?”
She sidestepped, forcing him to turn so that his back was to the water, and then pressed her hands gently against his stomach and leaned forward like she wanted to kiss him. “Just this,” she said and then shoved with all her might.
Reaper did not move an inch. It was like she’d shoved against a brick wall. Her stomach squeezed up into her throat as she realized her mistake. He might be emotionally underdeveloped, but he was so far stronger in every other sense. She didn’t have a prayer for taking the man by surprise.
His black eyes widened a notch and his mouth opened slightly. “Did you just try to push me into the water?”
Caroline gulped and took a giant step back. “Of course not.” She took another step back.
Reaper crossed his arms over his chest, the movement making his muscles flex in a way that made her mouth water.
“Yes, you did.”
Caroline read his intention before he even moved. She let out a shriek, spun on the ball of her foot, and made it one entire step running in the opposite direction before his hand wrapped around her waist. Before she could register what was happening, she was flying through the air. She had just enough time to slam her mouth shut before she hit the water and was submerged. She came up sputtering in time to see him jump in right next to her, the huge splash from his equally huge body soaking her once more.
And then she felt his hands around her ankles, her calves and sliding up her thighs. She kicked with all her might to get free, but he didn’t let go. Reaper rose from the water directly in front of her and lifted her above his head. She screamed once more and grabbed his wrists, afraid he was going to throw her again. Instead, he lowered her until he was eye level with her breasts. Heat spiked in her chest and she wrapped her legs around him.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“Paying you back.” And then his mouth closed over her nipple and sucked hard, drawing a loud moan from her lips.
She let her head fall back as the sensations washed over her. Already, she was throbbing and wet for him, ready to take him inside her again. But she didn’t want him to stop what he was doing either; the pleasure was so intense.
He continued to lavish attention on her, moving from one nipple to the next until she was a squirming, writhing mass in his arms. If he kept up this pace, he was going to make her orgasm again. And she’d already decided to make him lose control first this time. She wanted him to see what it was like to receive care and attention.
“Wait, we need to wash off,” she gasped out.
Reaper’s answer was a growl as he continued nipping and sucking her sensitive breasts.
Caroline dug her nails into his scalp and pushed him away. “You need to wash off, you beast.”
She prayed he could hear her teasing tone and was rewarded when he blessed her with a heart-melting smile. “Fine, I’ll clean up, but you’re not escaping me that easy.”
He crossed the length of the small pool, climbed out, and disappeared into the woods. Caroline tread water, watching the area where he’d disappeared into the trees. What was he up to? When he returned a few moments later with a small bottle clutched in his hand, her eyes widened. And then he jumped back into the water, popped the lid, poured clear liquid into his palm, and began scrubbing his head.
Even with the feet separating them, she could smell the fresh scent of his shampoo. “You have soap?”
She’d been scrubbing herself with semi-rough rocks to try and get the dirt off, wishing all the while for just a drop of body wash.
“Of course, it was in the medical kit.”
Caroline felt her eyes widen. It was her turn to stare in shock this time. “I thought that was some kind of disinfectant!”
“Nope,” Reaper said and then ducked his head under the water. “Combination shampoo and body wash,” he said when he surfaced.
Caroline swam across the pool faster than should have been humanly possible. She snatched the tiny bottle off the shore, and poured some into her palm. A delighted sigh escaped her as she lathered up her hair and the fresh scent filled her senses. “I didn’t think I’d get to have a fresh bath until I got home. Bless you.”
