“Oh, I’ll use my own words, honey. Question is”—his abs flinched as she trailed her fingers down his sides, but he tilted her chin, brushed his lips against hers—“do you like them sweet?” He sucked the side of her neck for an instant. “Or a little dirty?”
Breathing heavily, she rolled her neck to give him better access. “Why don’t you just show me what you’ve got?”
He loosened the cover-up she’d slipped on, gliding it off her shoulders, tugging to take it from her hands. But she held tight to the garment, clutching to keep it in front of her as she twirled into a defensive move. She grabbed for his towel. He dodged to the side. She grabbed again. He jumped back.
“So, you’re going to play like that, are you? Well, if you wanted me naked, honey, all you had to do was ask.” He loosened his towel and tossed it to the double chaise lounge behind her.
Instantly, her gaze skimmed his chest, his waist, his shaft. He finally had her attention.
Her lips parted before she moistened them, then looked back up, her eyes seeming to soften. Judging from the rise and fall of the rounded bulge of her breasts at the top of the cover-up she still clutched in front of her, her composure was pushing the edge.
“What do I get in return?” He held out his hand, palm up.
Standing on one foot then the other, she agilely slipped her bikini bottom off and held it out to the side. She winked. “Will this do?”
“Don’t you think that little bit of bikini material’s kind of tiny compared to that gigantic towel I tossed aside?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re actually talking size for size.”
Once again, she’d cocked her hip out to the side, which was okay by him. Gave him a better view of her ass.
“I’m saying you might want to make your offer a bit more in line with my own. In fact, I’ll throw in the fact I tested clean a couple months ago. Still am.”
Breathing heavily, she glanced toward his shaft and briefly smiled. “That works. I’m on the pill.”
“Sounds good. Now let’s get back to our”—he skimmed one of his hands across the rounding of her breasts, pausing to let the feel of her fullness push him to the edge, then slowly brushed his thumb back and forth—“negotiations. If you could see your way clear to include that little cover…”
He slowly circled his thumb below the edge of the material.
“Oh…” Her squeaky intake of breath was nothing compared to the slight blush that sparked her cheeks as she dropped the bikini bottom and cover-up at the same time. “Are we even now?”
Without another word, he lowered the two of them onto the double chaise, rolling them to the center of the round cushion. He cupped her breast, brushing his fingers across her tightened nipples, and she arched against his hand. Falling into his fingers’ rhythm, she closed her eyes and smiled as she pressed herself against them. Then he stopped. She moved his fingers back to her. When he still didn’t respond, she caressed her tightened breasts across his chest, slow and easy, faster and faster till she guided his mouth to her need. At the same time, he trailed his fingers down her curves, across her belly, lower.
“You are so beautiful, Liz.” For each of her reactions, he had a counter reaction, a counter move. “I could lie here like this forever.”
“I agree,” she said breathily as she stroked her hand down the side of his shaft. “But why don’t we get on with this for the moment? Before that damn computer signal beeps again.”
He rolled her on her back, braced his arms, and got on with it like she’d requested. They were both wound so tight there was very little time for the slow steady loving he’d planned to give her. Slow and steady quickly led to tangled and clutching. Tangled and passion. Tangled and more and more and…
Her release rocked a split second before he allowed himself to explode with his next thrust.
Unable to tear his gaze from her face, he gasped for air. Powerful. They’d been powerful together. A powerful he’d never experienced before. That rattled him as he rolled to his back beside her. Whatever had been building between them the past few days, he’d let happen. So had she.
And he’d felt invincible. That could be lethal for his freedom.
She softly moaned as she curled against his side, her languid eyelids fluttering, her breaths slowing yet heavy, her fingertips lying softly on his chest.
Things would never be the same for them. Yet everything would stay the same in his world. He hadn’t lied when he said he could lie beside her forever. Except he shouldn’t. Couldn’t. Wouldn’t.
Softly, she snuggled against his side. “That was nice.”
“Next time, we’ll do things slower.”Next time? Damn, he’d said next time. What the hell was wrong with him?
“Slower…um…” She’d already closed her eyes, drifting into sleep.
He grabbed a beach blanket from the table beside the round chaise and covered the two of them. Usually sleep was his MO. This time he was the one sleepless.
Sated and wide awake made for an interesting combination, but that was okay, he had a lot to work out in his mind. He pillowed her against his shoulder, listened to her breathing. Focusing on her warmth and scent and softness, his mind cleared.
