Since You've Been Gone

by Elle Kennedy

  She and Austin swam separately for a while, but soon he made his way back to her and they ended up floating together, their gazes tilted up at the sky.

  “This is fun,” he said in a husky voice.

  Mari smiled. “It totally is. I’m glad we stopped.”

  “Me too.” He did a few lazy backstrokes before returning to her side. “Wanna lie on the grass for a bit and dry off, or are you in a rush to get to Virgil?”

  “Nah, I wouldn’t mind relaxing for a little while longer.”

  They leisurely swam back to shore, their bodies dripping water onto the warm grass as they stepped out of the pond.

  Suddenly Mari heard a sharp intake of breath. Startled, she swiveled her head, and was stunned by the expression on Austin’s face.

  Passion.

  Heat.

  Raw lust.

  With that intense green-eyed gaze glued to her barely clad body, her heart began to race. “You okay?” she asked, finding that her voice was not at all steady.

  He blinked, then met her eyes, looking a tad bewildered. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just…fuck, I’m just going to say it—you look sexy as hell right now.”

  Warmth spread through her, and it had nothing to do with the temperature of the air. His appreciative gaze and raspy voice were so very welcome—she’d thought she was the only one on lust overload here and it was nice to know Austin felt it too.

  “I know, I know,” he said when she didn’t say anything, “friendship only. But damn, sweetheart, you’re beautiful.”

  “Thanks.” She gulped. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

  Forcing herself not to ogle his spectacular chest, she plopped down on the towel she’d laid out and tried to pretend she wasn’t turned on beyond belief.

  A shadow fell over her. “What, you didn’t bring a towel for me?” Austin teased. “Selfish girl.”

  She stuck out her tongue. “I only packed one. And I’m not sharing it, so back away, Bishop.”

  “If I wanted that towel, I’d get it in a second, Smith.” He grinned at her. “But luckily for you, I prefer the grass beneath my back.”

  To punctuate that, he lowered his long, delectable body on the ground and stretched out. As he got comfortable, he let out a moan that sent shivers up Mari’s spine.

  “I could stay here forever,” Austin mumbled.

  From the corner of her eye, she noticed he’d propped his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, which gave her the opportunity to study every detail of his face. Dark eyebrows, sharp cheekbones, sexy mouth. He hadn’t shaved since they’d met, and his stubble had become a full-on beard she was dying to drag her fingertips over.

  Then do it.

  The silent command caught her off-guard, especially since up until now, her brain yelled at her nonstop whenever she had a dirty thought about Austin. And now it was urging her to act on the lustful impulses?

  Who’s it gonna hurt? the annoying voice cajoled.

  Oh, hell. She could feel her reservations crumbling as the idea of getting involved with Austin filled her head. But she wasn’t interested in flings, damn it. When it came to sex, her pesky emotions always got in the way, and she didn’t want to get involved with a man she’d only be saying goodbye to in a couple of weeks.

  Then again, she’d never actually had a fling. Maybe when you knew ahead of time that something would be temporary, your emotions didn’t enter the picture. Maybe all the fun she and Austin had been having could extend to the bedroom, without either one of them—her, mainly—getting hurt in the end.

  Mari smothered a sigh and snuck another peek at the man beside her, wishing her thoughts weren’t such a chaotic mess. She really liked Austin, and she was ridiculously attracted to him, but she’d never had casual sex before. In her experience, sex had always meant something.

  And yet she couldn’t quit thinking about getting naked with him. Her gaze swept over his body, the smooth tanned skin glistening in the sunlight, the dusting of hair on his chest, the flat brown nipples. The mere sight of him made her mouth run dry.

  Maybe a fling wouldn’t be a terrible idea. Would it kill her to live a little and indulge in a casual romp for the first time in her life? God knew she hadn’t had sex in ages…

  Indecision washed over her, continuing to plague her long after she and Austin left the pond. It nagged at her during their visit to the town of Virgil, the quick dinner at a local diner, the drive to the motel they decided to stop at for the night. By the time they strode into the cramped motel office later that night, Mari still hadn’t made up her mind about sleeping with Austin.

  But the decision was made for her the moment the desk clerk uttered five prophetic words.

  “There’s only one room left.”

  Chapter Five

  Austin spent way too much time in the shower, delaying his return to the bedroom for as long as he possibly could. The past few days had been pure torture, yet somehow he’d managed to keep his hands off the quirky redhead who made his entire body burn. The separate room arrangement had been a blessing—every night he’d been able to retreat to his room and jack off in the shower using all the Mari images he stockpiled during the day.

  Like the way her hair shone in the sunlight. And how her full breasts filled those skimpy tank tops she liked to wear. How her sensual lips curved impishly whenever she teased him.

  So far, the self-gratification sessions had succeeded in easing his discomfort.

  But tonight they would be sharing a room.

  And a bed.

  God help him.

  He tipped his head and let the shower spray soak his face, but the water had grown lukewarm, a signal that he really ought to quit stalling. It didn’t help that Mari had been acting strange all evening, far more subdued than he was used to. Normally she chattered on endlessly, always armed with a sassy remark or silly joke, but she’d been quiet during the visit to Virgil and the dinner that followed.

  Sighing, Austin shut off the water and stepped out of the tiny shower stall. He reached for a towel, but it was difficult to secure it around his waist what with the massive erection trying to poke through the terrycloth. The memory of Mari in those flimsy pink panties and sports bra flew into his head and sent a jolt of heat straight down to his cock.

  Jesus. The woman had the curviest, sexiest body he’d ever seen. His hands had itched to touch all that smooth white skin, to glide over the curve of her hips, to cup her firm ass. And her breasts…his mouth turned to sawdust just thinking about those perky breasts.

  Maybe asking her to travel with him had been a mistake. How the hell was he supposed to keep his hands off her now that he’d seen her half naked?

  Austin stifled a groan of frustration and forced himself to be mature about this. So they were sharing a bed tonight. Big deal. He’d draw an imaginary line down the center of the mattress and pretend that he was sleeping alone. He was twenty-five years old—surely he could sleep with a woman without sleeping with the woman.

  He quickly dried off and yanked on the clean pair of boxer-briefs he’d brought into the bathroom with him, then took a breath and left the bathroom.

  “That was the longest shower I’ve ever seen anyone take,” Mari announced. “Are you secretly a girl or something?”

  She was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed, wearing a pair of blue cotton shorts and a white tank top that didn’t hide the braless state of her breasts—or the puckered nipples straining against the thin fabric.

  “I was shaving my legs,” he cracked, doing his best to keep his gaze far, far away from her mouthwatering chest.

  In fact, he avoided looking at her altogether. She looked too damn cute in her PJ’s, with her wavy hair loose around her shoulders and her skin pink from the shower she’d taken before him.

  “Anyhoo,” she went on, “your super long shower actually gave me the opportunity to do some thinking, and I’ve made a decision.”

  “Okay.” He drifted to the television set and
grabbed the remote control, still averting his eyes. “What about?”

  “I think we should sleep together.”

  The remote promptly fell out of his hand and clattered to the linoleum floor.

  Austin couldn’t help but turn to gape at her. And God help him, but her declaration had made his cock go harder than granite, an erection that was hard to miss beneath his boxers.

  Sure enough, Mari’s blue eyes instantly homed in on the undeniable proof of his interest.

  “Huh. I thought it would take a lot more convincing,” she mused.

  Breathing through his nose, Austin tried to banish the desire sizzling through his blood. “What do you mean, we should sleep together?”

  She shrugged. “Like I said, I thought about it, and I don’t think a short-term fling would be a terrible idea. I mean, as long as we agree that it’s temporary and promise to stay friends afterwards, I think it could work.”

  His head started to spin. Goddamn women—why were their thought processes so frickin’ nuts? One day she wasn’t into casual affairs, the next she was saying she wanted to get busy.

  “What changed your mind?” he had to ask, though his voice came out raspier than he intended for it to be.

  Mari shot him a pointed look, her blue eyes sweeping up and down his body. “Look at you,” she grumbled. “I probably could have controlled myself if you weren’t flaunting that hot bod every other second.”

  He choked out a laugh. “Hey, I’ve been fully clothed since we met, except for today at the pond and right now. You’re the one parading around in the tightest tops known to man. And those short-shorts! Jesus Christ, woman.”

  Her pretty face lit up in delight. “You’ve been checking me out too?”

  “Duh.” He rolled his eyes. “If you want to talk self-control, I think I deserve a damn medal.”

  Mari hopped off the bed and approached him with purposeful strides. “Okay, then we’re still attracted to each other. That bodes well for our fling.”

  His pulse sped up the closer she came. “Who says I’m agreeing to it?” he challenged.

  Smirking, she glanced at his crotch. “I think your agreement is implied.”

  She had him there. Truth was, he didn’t know why he was arguing. Not touching this woman had been pure torture, and now she was giving him the green light to strip her naked and have his way with her? It was a frickin’ no-brainer.

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “You sure about this?”

  She didn’t even blink. “Yep.”

  “Thank God.”

  Without another word, he yanked her toward him, captured her chin with one hand and bent down to kiss her.

  The moment their lips met, a bolt of electricity streaked down his spine and grabbed hold of his cock. Mari’s lips were so soft, so sweet, and when her tongue darted out to touch his, Austin damn near passed out.

  He tore his mouth away. “I’ve been wanting to do that for days,” he ground out.

  “Me too,” she said breathlessly, before reaching up and bringing his head back down for another kiss.

  She was so much shorter than him that kissing standing up was a challenge, bound to put a crick in his neck, but he solved the problem by lifting her up and cupping that ass he’d been fantasizing about for days. Mari twined her arms around his neck, her groin settling over his as her legs wrapped around his hips. The heat of her core seared his skin right through his boxers, making him groan.

  With their mouths latched and their bodies straining to get closer, Austin marched her over to the bed, but a misstep caused them to tumble onto the mattress with zero finesse. His body landed on top of hers with a thump, eliciting a breathy laugh from Mari.

  “Someone’s overly eager,” she teased.

  His lips found the curve of her neck, tongue darting out to taste her soft flesh. “Do you blame me?” he muttered.

  “I actually meant me. I’m the eager one.” She lifted her hips off the bed and rocked her lower body into his aching groin. “I haven’t done this in ages.”

  He brought his mouth back to hers, kissing her deeply. “Me too.”

  It had been so long, in fact, that Austin prayed he’d be able to last for more than thirty seconds. The feel of Mari’s warm body beneath him sent his pulse careening and made his breathing go ragged, his cock throbbing to the point of pain.

  Sucking in a breath, he raised himself up on one elbow and used his other hand to reach for Mari’s tank top. With one swift motion, he brought the shirt up to reveal her bare breasts, and all the breath in his lungs whooshed out in a fast burst.

  “Jesus, you’re so fucking beautiful.” His gaze ate up her full breasts and pale-pink nipples that puckered the moment he looked at them.

  Those perfect breasts heaved as Mari’s breathing grew labored. When he dipped his head and enclosed his mouth around one nipple, she moaned softly and grabbed at his head to keep him in place. She didn’t need to, though—he had no intention of going anywhere. He spent an obscene amount of time kissing and licking her breasts, sucking her nipples hard enough to elicit a groan from her lips, then flicking his tongue in featherlight movements over those rigid buds until Mari was whimpering and writhing restlessly.

  Chuckling, Austin lifted his head and searched her agitated expression. “You okay, baby?”

  She groaned again. “No, I’m not okay. You’re teasing!”

  “You love it.” With a smirk, he shoved her shorts and panties down her legs, gliding his fingers over her silky-smooth legs as he rid her of the garments.

  Mari shivered when he gently stroked her thighs. “That feels good.”

  Her arms reached for him, but he moved out of the way, sliding down the bed so that he was at mouth-level with the prettiest pussy he’d ever seen. “I’m not done teasing,” he murmured, grinning when she dropped her arms on the mattress with a frustrated grumble.

  “I’ll get you back for this,” she informed him.

  “I look forward to it.” Licking his lips, he brought his mouth closer and closer to her glistening folds, wanting so badly to devour her but forcing himself to go slow. He wanted to make her moan and squirm and beg for him to fuck her.

  A gentle flick of the tongue directly over her clit got him the moan, but the squirming didn’t come until a few minutes later, after he’d started licking her in earnest. She tasted like heaven, and the sexy sounds she made only fueled his hunger. His cock was so hard it hurt, and he had to shift his lower body so the rock in his pants wouldn’t grind against the mattress as he drove Mari wild.

  “Oh, that’s good,” she breathed. “Keep doing that.”

  He skimmed his tongue up and down her slit the way she’d requested, but this time he brought his fingers into the mix. When he pushed one finger into her tight core, Mari almost bucked off the bed.

  “Oh my God. Yes.”

  He peered up, and male satisfaction rippled through him at the sheer pleasure he saw etched into her face. But it didn’t compare to the way he felt when she came apart a moment later, crying out as an orgasm shook her body. He sucked on her clit and continued to finger her as she came, and it wasn’t long before he got his third wish, as the words “Fuck me, please!” burst out of Mari’s mouth.

  He left her only to grab a condom from his bag, then stripped off his boxers, sheathed himself and returned to the bed. Mari was sprawled on her back, her legs parted sexily, her blue eyes glazed with passion and lingering bliss. She made such an alluring picture he was tempted to grab his camera and capture this moment forever, but the hunger that suddenly filled her eyes distracted him.

  “You are so freaking sexy,” she said, her gaze fixed on his erect cock.

  “I was just thinking the same thing about you,” he said gruffly. “I almost went to get my camera.”

  A laugh popped out of her mouth. “No way, buddy. I’m not interested in being a centerfold.”

  He got back on the bed and slowly lowered himself over her, resting his elbows on either side of he
r body. “You won’t even pose for my private collection?” he asked with a mock pout.

  “Nope. I’ll pass.” She arched a brow. “But I’m willing to take naked pictures of you for my collection.”

  He laughed, then leaned in to kiss her, his tongue sliding into her mouth and making her gasp. She instantly responded to the kiss, held on to his shoulders and kissed him so deeply his head started to spin. Suddenly he couldn’t think about anything but being inside her, the craving so intense that he tore his mouth away from hers and muttered, “Put me inside you, Mari.”

  Her breath hitched, eyes filling with dark desire. Without a word, she reached between them and gripped his cock.

  Austin shuddered as those delicate fingers wrapped around his girth. Son of a bitch. Her fist around his cock felt so damn good, but it didn’t compare to the sensations that raced through his body when she guided him into her opening and he plunged inside in a hard, fast stroke that made them both moan.

  “Holy shit, you’re so tight,” he choked out. “I could come right this fucking second.”

  She didn’t seem at all troubled by that, nor did she make a sassy remark about endurance. What she did was shoot him a devilish look and say, “Then do it.” A second later, she wrapped her legs around his waist and gave an upward thrust that made him see stars.

  Austin had no hope of delaying the climax, not after months and months of celibacy. With Mari’s pussy squeezing his cock like a hot glove and her distended nipples rubbing against his chest, he was surprised he lasted as long as he did. He thrust into her, over and over, deeper and deeper, groaning loudly when she brought her hand to the place where they were joined and started rubbing her clit. He summoned some more restraint, watching her face, refusing to let go until she came again. A minute later, when pleasure flooded her blue eyes and her lips parted to release a cry of bliss, he finally exploded, coming so hard his entire body trembled with unceasing pleasure. The orgasm shot through him, heating his flesh and coursing in his blood, and when the waves of ecstasy finally ebbed, he felt like he’d run five marathons.