One and Done

by Melynda Price

  The first tremors of her climax shuddered through her body, her grip on him tightening as wave after euphoric wave suddenly crashed over her. “Oh God…Yes!” she cried out, his solid strength anchoring her when she felt as if she was floating away.

  Her release was his undoing. Balen lost control, his powerful body tensed, his grip on her tightening as he shouted her name. The heat of his release blasted into her core, a pulsing rush that sent her spiraling over the edge all over again. Her channel milked his release with rhythmic spasms, each one more intense than the last.

  It took her several moments to catch her breath. When she opened her eyes, it was to find him watching her. The intensity of his stare gave away none of his thoughts. She was about to ask him if everything was all right, when he whispered, “You’re so beautiful when you come.”

  Color bloomed in her cheeks, adding to the flushed hue of a woman who’d just been good and properly fucked. It was a good look on her—she wore it well. Reluctant to break their connection, he stayed inside her, reveling in the sensations he’d never allowed himself to indulge in before her. Everything was heightened. The heat of her core, the grip of her tight sheath, the moisture slicking his shaft—a mixture of his release and hers—all compounded by the overload of emotions flooding through his veins.

  But the one emotion he hadn’t expected to rear its ugly head was guilt. Autumn had given herself to him—in every way. And he hadn’t given her the same gift in return. He was still holding himself back. She deserved better. She deserved the truth. Even if it costs you the woman you love? his conscience unhelpfully pointed out.

  In the last five years, he’d experienced enough loss to last him a lifetime. And it was that fear that ultimately proved him a coward and kept him from telling her the truth, and from uttering the words so close to his tongue—words he’d recited in his head so many times they’d become a goddamn mantra. Don’t leave…

  He could feel time slipping through his grasp. Urgency sent his pulse racing with dread. Studying her, he threaded his fingers into her hair and curled them around her silky tresses, needing something tangible to hold onto. If only for right now, Autumn was his. He would tell her the truth, he resolved—tonight. But as for right now, he refused to waste one more moment worrying about it.

  Lowering his head, Balen kissed her softly, telling her things with his body he didn’t dare speak out loud. Her lips parted on a breathy sigh he felt all the way to his cock. The rush of blood pounding in his veins swiftly returned the moment her sweet little tongue swept against his. He grew hard and she must have felt him swelling inside her, because a playful smile curled her kiss-swollen lips.

  “Again?” she teased, rocking her hips to encourage him deeper and pulling a low, throaty groan from his chest.

  The grip of her satiny glove sent a jolt of pleasure racing down his shaft. He rooted himself deep, and a wave of pure male satisfaction rolled through him at her startled gasp. He kissed the mark he’d left on her neck and then moved up to whisper against her ear, “Unless you’re planning on rescheduling your flight back home, I’ve got approximately twenty-four hours to get you out of my system. But I’ll be honest, Autumn, I don’t think that’d be possible if I had twenty-four years.”

  And that was the closest he could bring himself to asking her to stay. She either missed it or conveniently ignored the offer. But in her defense, she was moaning, the blunt tips of her nails were digging into his ass as she writhed beneath him.

  He took her slow and easy this time, learning exactly where and how she wanted to be touched. Autumn was like an open book, so trusting and willing to let him explore her body. It didn’t take long for him to discover what she liked, and by her surprised responses and breathy moans, he wondered if she wasn’t discovering them for the first time herself.

  Finally, when she broke down and begged, he let her come. Her release was so powerful she ripped his own from him. Though he’d spent only a little while ago, he came again, this time harder than the last. Her spasms milked him dry. His name, a broken cry on her lips, was like a siren’s call to his cock. Balen never would have thought it possible, but in just a few short hours, this woman had somehow managed to own him—body, mind, and soul.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Autumn stood in the shower, letting the water beat on her chest. Closing her eyes, she stepped tipped her head back and rinsed the conditioner from her hair. I’ve got approximately twenty-four hours to get you out of my system. I’ll be honest, Autumn, I don’t think that’d be possible if I had twenty-four years…

  Balen’s words played over in her mind like a broken record. Did he really mean them, and what exactly did that mean? Could she really hold him responsible for the things he said in the heat of the moment? Did she believe them? She’d trusted a man once, believed him when he told her that nothing would separate them, and look what it got her. She’d believed his lies when he’d vowed he still loved her, even though she would never be able to give him the children they’d wanted. What was true today wouldn’t always be true tomorrow. If she’d learned one thing from her heartbreak, it was that most men told women what they thought they wanted to hear.

  Was Balen one of those men? Sure, he didn’t seem bothered by her infertility now, but what would happen if the day came when he wanted to have children? It was easy to say it didn’t matter. He was only twenty-five. Raising a family wouldn’t rank high on the priority list for many single men his age. But he wouldn’t always feel that way. He wouldn’t always be living the beach-bumming life where his biggest concern was where he could catch the next wave.

  One more day. The thought made the knot in her stomach twist tighter. Technically, she’d be here a little longer than twenty-four hours. Her flight didn’t leave until tomorrow evening. Since his comment about working her out of his system, Balen hadn’t said anything more to her about staying, not even when she made the remark about what time she needed to be at the airport. She had a rental, so she’d be driving herself. There was no reason for him to take her, but a part of her had still wished he’d offered.

  What would she do if he asked her to stay? The thought sent a flutter of hope filling her chest but she quickly dismissed it. Thoughts like that were dangerous. Was she making this into more than it was? It was so hard to tell, so impossible to read him sometimes. Their last few hours in bed together had been so epically poignant, Autumn was having trouble discerning reality from wishful thinking.

  So much for One and Done... Instead, it was like Four and Many More, please. Balen hadn’t been kidding about wanting to spend the rest of her vacation in bed. Not that she was complaining. If Summer wouldn’t have already booked and paid for their activities, she would have been more than content to remain in Balen’s bed until it was time to leave.

  He was an incredible lover—attentive yet demanding. In her whole thirty years, she’d never been with someone so in tune with her pleasure, and she feared she never would again. But then, Autumn wasn’t sure she’d want to, because the idea of being with someone other than Balen just felt…wrong. Her mind rioted at the thought, guilt swamping her heart when she tried to imagine it.

  Oh Lord... What was she going to do? She’d come to Cyprus for a fresh start, to dump her baggage and overhaul her attitude. At the rate she was going, she’d come home a bigger mess than when she’d left. Of course, there was always Option B: tell Balen she’d fallen in love with him. Yeah, that oughta go over really well. Autumn wasn’t sure she could risk that kind of rejection—not again. They’d both made a vow not to fall in love with each other, and the guy straight up told her he didn’t believe in it, so why in the hell would she set herself up for that kind of fall?

  A knock on the bathroom door pulled her out of her reverie. “You all right in there?” he called. “If we don’t get going soon, we’re going to be late.”

  “I’ll be just a minute,” she called, reaching up to make sure all the suds was rinsed out of her hair. Autumn shut off
the water and pulled the curtain aside, momentarily startled to find Balen standing there, one shoulder propped casually against the wall, a towel dangling in his hand and a sexy grin on his face.

  His hungry gaze swept over her, leaving Autumn feeling scalded despite the goosebumps prickling her flesh. She reached for her towel, and at the last second, he grabbed her wrist, dragging her closer. He wrapped the terry cloth around her shoulders and used it to pin her against him. She could feel every muscular peak and plane of his hard body.

  “If it’s dancing lessons you want, I’d be more than happy to give them to you right here,” he growled, dipping his head to kiss her.

  Autumn laughed and slipped her arms around his neck. She rose to her tiptoes, making sure to get him good and wet. “That’s generous of you to offer, but I’m pretty sure Summer didn’t sign me up for the horizontal polka.”

  Balen laughed. That was one of the things she loved about him the most—the sound of that deep, throaty chuckle. “Knowing your friend, I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

  He had a good point. “Just think, if she wouldn’t have dropped her suitcase on you, we wouldn’t be here right now.”

  “Oh, we’d be here. The moment you stepped on that plane I thought, that woman’s gonna be mine.”

  A bout of laughter escaped her. “You did, huh?”

  “Absolutely. I was going to stick my foot in the aisle when you walked by.”

  “You were going to trip me?”

  “Well, I was going to catch you.”

  “That’s it? That’s your smooth move?”

  He tugged on the edges of the towel, pulling her closer, locking her against him, and growled, “Baby, I’ve got moves you’ve only dreamed of.”

  “I bet you do. How about you save your moves for the dance floor, Casanova, because you are going to make me late.” She rose to her tiptoes and placed a quick kiss on his lips before ducking out of his arms and making a naked dash to her room.

  “Balen, I don’t know what I’m doing,” she uttered the confession under her breath.

  “Well then, it’s a good thing I do. Put your hand on my ass.”

  “I don’t think that’s the way we’re supposed to do this,” she protested.

  “Sure it is. Grab my ass.”

  Autumn rolled her eyes and sighed as she slid her hand down to the firm rise of his glute. A few moments later, their instructor walked by and gently took hold of Autumn’s wrist, moving her hand up to Balen’s shoulder and scolded, “This is the Salsa, Miss Harris, not Groping 101.”

  Balen busted out laughing and Autumn’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “That’s not funny!” she hissed, cuffing his shoulder after Mrs. Teal moved on to critique the stance of the couple behind them. “Why did you do that?”

  “I wanted to see if I could get you to grab my ass in public.”

  “You have no idea how to Salsa dance, do you?”

  “Not a clue,” he laughed.

  Fighting a smile, she arrowed him with her best attempt at a scowl. “You just wait. I’m going to get you back for that. Our Salsa instructor thinks I’m trying to molest you.”

  Balen’s hand slipped around her side, his fingers splayed against her back as the music started up and Mrs. Teal called out instructions.

  “The basic Salsa consists of taking three steps for every four beats of music. The odd number of steps creates an inherent syncopation to the Salsa dancing and ensures that it takes eight beats of music to loop back to a new sequence of steps.”

  Okay, she was already lost.

  “The leader takes his partner’s right hand in his left, and places his right hand on her left shoulder blade. The follower should keep her left hand on his right shoulder, with her arm over his.”

  Autumn was still trying to sort out his and her right and lefts when Balen pulled her in tight, molding her against his body. She could feel his arousal pressing into her hip. Oh, payback was going to come sooner than she’d thought. “Balen?” She wiggled in a little closer.

  “Huh…?” His response was more a throaty groan than an intelligible word.

  “This isn’t the closed dance position.” Autumn took a step back and reached behind her, moving Balen’s hand up to her shoulder blade.

  “Always look up, ladies,” their instructor called out to the class. “Do not look at your feet or your partner’s.” Autumn lifted her eyes and they locked on Balen’s. A rush of heat traveled through her at what she saw harbored beneath that good humor. It smoldered with the promise of passion and an intensity that made her heart stutter inside her chest.

  “Keep your arms bent at a ninety-degree angle from the elbows. In this position, your hands are most easily accessible to your partner. Your arm should rest on a horizontal plane. Most of the movement in the Salsa comes from the hips, so keep them loose. Even if you’re just moving your foot, a slight shift of your hip goes a long way.” Mrs. Teal’s instruction jolted Autumn back to reality.

  “What did she just say?” Autumn whispered.

  Balen grinned, assaulting her with those panty-melting dimples. “She said follow my lead.”

  And then they were off. Balen moved to the beat of the music, his steps fluid and graceful as she attempted to mirror his repetitive one, two, three, four… One, two, three, four... He moved his hips with that sexy sway, making Autumn think of a lot more than dancing. He was a natural. She, on the other hand, was not. Her gaze dropped to his feet as she tried to keep up, but she kept losing the beat of the music. She was Jennifer Grey to his Patrick Swayze—especially when he let go of her hand, and with his knuckle, tipped her chin up, guiding her eyes to meet his.

  Eyes up here, Baby.

  She tried, she really did. But the third time she stepped on his toes, she quit. “It’s no use, Balen. Some people have natural rhythm and some people just don’t. I can’t do this.”

  “Sure you can. It’s just like having sex. All you need to do is find your partner’s rhythm.”

  “I never said I was any good at that, either.”

  His brow arched in amusement, a smile tugging at his gorgeous mouth. “I happen to have it on good authority that you’re fantastic at it.”

  Heat bloomed in her cheeks and flushed all the way to her toes. The sexy rumble of his voice undid her when he growled, “Come here.” Balen readjusted his hold on her and pulled her against him. “You just can’t feel the music, that’s all.” He began to move, a subtle sway of his hips rocking into her to the rhythm of the music. “Feel that?”

  Oh boy. She felt it. She felt it all the way into her core. Autumn nodded, not trusting herself to speak, all the while praying he couldn’t feel her heart slamming against his chest.

  “I’m going to move my feet now.” His voice was a husky rumble in her ear. “Just close your eyes and move your body with mine.”

  His body heat radiated against her, his masculine scent enveloping her. She wasn’t thinking about moving her feet, or counting the beat of the music. Her body just synched with his and before she knew it, they were dancing. The steps were a simple pattern, the feel of his body moving against hers… He was right. This was a lot like sex.

  “See?” His breath kissed her neck as he whispered, “You’re a natural. I knew you would be. You just needed the right leader is all.”

  On so many levels, that was true. Autumn’s revelation caused her to miss a step, and he caught her as she stumbled. She glanced up, meeting his stare, and was instantly lost in those gold-dusted eyes. Before she could stop herself, the words tumbled out of her mouth with her own double meaning. “Are you offering?”

  “Are you asking?”

  “I think I might be.”

  “I think maybe we should get out of here.”

  Autumn laughed. “But what about my lesson?”

  He brushed his lips against her neck and goosebumps rose over her arms, her nerve endings lighting up with hyper-awareness of the man pressed up against her. “I think you’ll enjoy my less
on a lot more than this one.” His husky voice was like sex to her ears. She felt the rumble of that deep throaty promise all the way into her core. When his teeth captured the lobe of her ear and he bit down, her breath audibly caught in her lungs.

  “Let’s get out of here.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “If you don’t slow down, you’re going to get a speeding ticket.” Autumn laughed.

  Balen glanced down at the speedometer and let his foot off the accelerator. Was he really going seventy in a forty-five? His nerves hummed with restless anxiety—both with the need to get inside her and the inevitable conversation he could no longer keep putting off. A part of him was relieved to get this burden lifted, while another was scared as hell he was about to lose the best thing that had ever happened to him.

  He’d spent a good portion of the day—when he wasn’t busy making love to Autumn—weighing his options and playing out the various scenarios of how this could go down. He’d messaged Connor when she’d been in the shower and asked him to leave for the night. He wanted to take her back to his place and make love to her on the beach. Once she was good and sated, he would tell her the truth and confess he’d fallen in love with her—and pray to God she didn’t leave him.

  Over the years, he’d given up all hope of ever finding the kind of love his parents had shared. He remembered his dad telling him stories about meeting Balen’s mother. He said the moment he met her, he knew she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. At the time, Balen thought that was ridiculous. Love at first sight was a fairy tale. That kind of passion didn’t exist. But somehow, in a matter of a few short days, Autumn had made a believer out of him. It wasn’t until he’d truly connected with her—in every sense of the word—that his bond with her solidified and he realized he couldn’t keep denying what his heart already knew… He couldn’t let her go. What they had was too real, too rare, to let it slip through their fingers. This was not some fleeting affair, and they owed it to each other to give this thing a chance. Now, if he could only convince her of that.