eyond Desire Collection

by JS Scott, M Malone, Marie Hall, et al

  The way she slumped against him with a whimper of need, he knew she’d not be able to take much more. And then she gave him the answer he sought, her words a whisper upon sweet lips. “I want you, Thorsen. I want you to make me come again.”

  He couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll try to oblige you then, darling.”

  Words were no longer needed between them, and he bent her forward just enough to plunge into her slick heat, before letting her slip free onto on all fours. With his hands gripping her hips, he took her from behind, burying himself with slow purpose.

  “Mine…” When his pace started to pick up and he knew he could take little more, he leaned forward and held her to him with an arm across her chest and shoulder, still thrusting deep.

  He nipped at her neck as her muscles tightened around his hard length and he knew she too could take little more. And then she came again, and it was enough to push him over the edge to his release, as she quivered in his arms, his heart forever hers as she spoke the words he needed to hear. “Yours, love. I’m all yours.”

  ***

  Thorsen should’ve felt damn guilty about taking Riley to his bed when he had yet to tell her he was part of Holt Enterprises. Yet how could he when having her in his arms was like his heart and soul had finally come home? Their one and only night together so many years ago had been incredibly special. But now? What they had before was still there, but the connection between them felt stronger—and it had nothing to do with the mind-blowing sex.

  Even if he was guilty of far too much, he couldn’t regret wanting her. Not when she was curled up against his side, her naked body molded to his, their limbs entwined. Never before had he felt more whole.

  If it were possible for him to be honest with her, he’d have done so without hesitation. But for now there was nothing he could do but wait it out. He’d soon be able to tell her everything, and in the meantime, making her happy was his top priority. Once the sale of the inn was finalized, he’d do all he could to keep Riley’s artist retreats and writer conferences, knowing she had vested so much time and effort in them, and they were dear to her heart.

  What else could he do?

  She stirred in his arms and nestled closer to him, kissing the crook of his neck. Even that small gesture of affection had him going hard again, though if he took her again, he didn’t think the poor girl would be capable of walking. They’d napped into the evening, their afternoon spent taking each other time and again, lunch long forgotten—not that he needed anything but her to sustain him.

  When her hand dipped low to stroke him, he twined his fingers with hers, stopping her with an escaped laugh. “You know I’d like nothing more, darling, but we need to eat. Keep our energy up for later.”

  Laying across his chest, she looked up at him, her dark hair in a tangled tumble that clearly spoke of their adventures. “I should probably check in with the front desk and make sure everything’s okay. They’re good about handling things, but I still worry. Not that it matters.”

  And just like that, the guilt he’d managed to keep at bay came back with a fury. “You mentioned that you now have a few weeks off. What happened in that meeting, Riley?”

  Her eyes watered, but she blinked them clear. “I had some vacation time accrued and was told I needed to take it. It was just a way to get me out of everyone’s hair, since I’ve refused to let that woman steamroll everything that makes the inn special. But since there’s nothing that can be done about the sale of the inn or my forced vacation, I have few options short of quitting.”

  “You can’t quit, love. Not when this place means so much to you.” He cupped her cheek and kissed her, wishing he could take away her pain and worries. Yet confessing any part of his role in the sale of the inn wasn’t an option. Not only would he jeopardize his standing in the company—and wouldn’t that jerk of a cousin of his just love that—it could also result in him losing what little control he might have over helping her keep the inn the way she wanted it.

  And yet he knew there was more to it now. Those may have been his reasons to start with, but that had also been before he’d realized she didn’t want Holt to purchase the inn. Now that he knew her feelings on the matter—and now that things had quickly gone to hell, courtesy of Anna Blake—the truth was that he wanted to solidify their relationship a bit more before coming clean.

  “Or…” She looked at him with an uncertain smile. “I could try to find a way to buy the place.”

  He wanted to groan. That could be disastrous. “Do you have those sorts of funds?”

  With a weary exhale, her shoulders slumped so she looked deflated, physically and emotionally. “Not even close. I mean, we’re talking millions. And there’s no way the little money I have saved would even be enough for a down payment if I tried to get a loan. The only thing that might work would be to get together several people willing to invest in the inn. But…”

  “But the sale is in two weeks, right?” She nodded—not that he needed her to confirm that. “Maybe it won’t be so bad, Riley. They might be able to give you a bigger budget to work with. You could hire more staff, make improvements. It could be good, darling.”

  “That may very well be the case, but it doesn’t mean they’ll keep the programs we currently offer.” She shook her head and looked away, squeezing her eyes shut. “If they get rid of everything that makes the Siren special, then it won’t be the same place I fell in love with. And frankly, I don’t know that I can stand by and watch some corporate jerks ruin this place.”

  He pushed back his anger with Anna and resisted the urge to call Ethan to see if he’d found out what the hell was going on. If he could help her forget her worries—if he could give her something more positive to focus on—then maybe she wouldn’t take the sale of the inn so hard. “Maybe you just need to get away from here for a bit. Make the most of your time off.”

  “It’s not like I’ve come up with a way to stop what’s happening.” She let out a ragged and weary sigh, but then looked up at him, and gave him a small smile. “I guess this means your timing couldn’t have been any more perfect. Don’t suppose you’d like to help distract me—or help me conjure up a plan to buy the inn?”

  Knowing that Holt had made a generous offer on the inn, he didn’t think Riley would manage to scrape together that sort of money, and the last thing he wanted was for her to be disappointed or upset once more. It was going to be hard enough telling her he was part of Holt when the time did come, and he didn’t want to cause her even more heartache along the way.

  All he could do was try to make her happy and divert her attention from her problems. “Then how about we go away for a few days? I’ve got a friend who’s offered me his jet, so no place is too far away.”

  Her mouth popped open in surprise, her eyes wide as she playfully slapped his chest. “You have a friend who has a jet? And they’re letting you use it?”

  He couldn’t tell her the jet was his—or worse, that it actually belonged to Holt. But he did think it would do her some good to get away from the inn and the island. “In my line of work, you manage to accumulate a fair number of favors.”

  Her eyes narrowed as a mischievous grin danced upon her lips. “And what exactly did you do for Interpol?”

  “I’m no longer with Interpol, love, and when I was, it was always a bit of this and that. I’ve been doing contract work the last few years, but those tend to be the jobs that get you into the most bizarre predicaments.” Dangerous too, though he refused to let her know what his life had really been like.

  He’d managed to rack up more than his share of enemies who’d be happy to see him dead given half the chance. Inheriting his father’s share of Holt was just the excuse he needed to try to settle down and live a normal life. Maybe even start a family.

  She ran her finger over a line of pale skin on his chest, and then another one, though there were still more to be had. “Is that how you got these scars? Getting yourself out of bizarre predicaments?” Her tone was
more serious and subdued than he’d ever heard it, and he wished he could have hidden that part of his life from her.

  “Nah…got those from an evil cat I had growing up. She was the size of a raccoon and meaner than a wolverine trapped in a sack. She was my mum’s and didn’t like anyone but her.” He gave her a crooked smile, happy to see some of the worry in her eyes fade.

  “I don’t believe it for a second, but I’ll let it go.” She gave him a bashful grin that had him leaning over to kiss her. “So, these friends of yours…I don’t suppose any of them would want to buy an inn?”

  “Only if the inn comes with a casino, a steady stream of drink and a gaggle of supermodels. I’m afraid they aren’t really the sort of people who’d enjoy the Siren for what it is.” He stole another kiss, wanting her once more. “But we can still get away, if you’d like. Where would you like to go? Paris? Hong Kong? London? Florence? Santorini?”

  She seemed to mull it over while chewing on her bottom lip. “Though I’ve always wanted to go to the Greek Islands and Florence, I was wondering if we could stay closer to home—your home.”

  “Mine?” He didn’t quite understand. “I’ve never settled in any one place for too long, love.”

  She shook her head and sat up, her hair cascading over her shoulder. “Then your family—where did they come from? When you think of home, of your parents, what place do you think of?”

  “Well, my father was from England and I’ve spent a fair amount of time there, and my mother’s from Norway.” With his father’s passing, his mother had moved back to their home up in the north of Norway. Not ideal for their first trip away.

  “Ah…that explains it.” She shook her head with a laugh, her cheeks flaming with color.

  His eyes narrowed as he pinned her with a curious stare. “What do you mean? What does it explain? My accent?”

  “Yeah…your accent.” She then threw her head back and laughed. “And why you look like a Viking.”

  “A Viking?” He shook his head. “I don’t look like a Viking, darling.”

  “Oh, but you do. Like you rode in on some Valkyrie’s shield over a field of the dead, and you’re ready to claim your spoils.” She slipped a leg across his body and straddled him, pinning his hard cock between her slick heat and his body.

  By the gods—and the Valkyries. She had claimed his heart. Just like that. “Are you my spoils then? Does it mean I get to have my way with you?”

  Her smile had his heart skipping a beat. “I sure as hell hope so.”

  Chapter Seven

  Standing around the kitchen in Thorsen’s cabin, Riley twined her fingers with his while mulling over his offer to fly them to some fabulous city, far away from all her problems. At least they’d finally managed to get some clothes on.

  “I don’t know…would you hate me if we just stayed local ?” Riley bit her bottom lip, while wondering if she was being a fool. “I know they won’t need me for anything—and that horrid woman, Anna, certainly doesn’t want me around—but there’s so much going on this weekend. I don’t want to abandon them completely, on the off chance something goes wrong.”

  “Then we need not go far, if it’ll have you worried.” Thorsen brushed the hair from her face, and gave her a quick kiss. “Maybe a day-trip or an overnight stay somewhere not too far? Where would you like to go?”

  She shrugged and slipped her arms around his waist, loving how his solid form felt when she snuggled up against him and he held her tightly. “I honestly don’t mind where we end up, as long as I get to be with you.”

  It was completely unlike her to fall for anyone this hard, let alone so fast. Yet it seemed like her heart had a mind all its own when it came to Thorsen. And why wouldn’t it? The sweet and chivalrous boy had turned into a sweet, handsome, and smart man. Not to mention sexy and damn good in bed.

  Or maybe her heart had been holding out for Thorsen all along.

  Yet she still worried this was all temporary. His vacation would eventually have to come to an end and real life would set in. Then what? She couldn’t imagine he’d be moving to Mermaid Isle permanently—and she couldn’t see herself moving away or following him around the globe as he chased down criminals. He might be done with Interpol, but it’s not like he’d completely changed his line of work if he was still taking on contracts.

  He sighed and shook his head, as if reading her thoughts. “Riley, I know things are moving fast. It’d be easy to brush this all off as a continuation of our teenage crush, but I swear, there’s more to it than that and I meant what I said. This isn’t a fling.”

  It may not be a fling, but it’s not like she could ignore the fact that they might be building things up in their heads, based on some fantasy or shared past. The reality of what a real relationship might be like could easily turn out quite different once the newness of it all faded away. And yet…she had to believe there was something to the feelings she had for him.

  “I totally get it.” She tucked a stray curl behind her ear and stole a kiss. “It’s not like I’m normally like this with other guys, Thorsen.”

  She could have sworn he growled, something feral coming from deep within that broad chest of his.

  “I’d hope not.” And then as if catching himself, he forced out a breath. “Not that your life and your relations are any of my business.”

  Riley had to bite back the laugh that wanted to burst out of her, knowing full well that he was forcing himself to be calm and logical—which made his small jealous streak kind of endearing. With a teasing look, she sidled against him, resisting the urge to bite his lip. “Thorsen Black, could it be…am I detecting a smidge of jealousy?”

  He shrugged, his lips tugging into a smile as he pulled her close so that the feel of him pressed against her erased all thoughts from her mind except what it felt like when he made her come. “I’ve no right to be jealous of any of the blokes you’ve been with, although, Riley…at this point, I don’t think I could share you with another and not want to rip their head clean off their body.”

  And she’d put good money on him knowing exactly how to manage such a thing, and probably in more ways than one.

  “What exactly are you saying, Thorsen?” Her insides tightened as she waited for his response, excitement warring with a bit of fear.

  Things might be moving fast between them, but it felt right, damn it, and she had to stop second-guessing herself. Even if it ended up as nothing more than a summer fling, she thought it would be worth it—’cause this felt like the sort of romance that could sustain a person, the sort of romance she would think back on when she was old and gray.

  It made her realize that she wanted this. Whatever it may be and for however long.

  “I’m saying that I won’t share you with another, Riley. I can’t. I’m not normally this intense—or demanding—but with you? I can’t be any other way.” He let out a ragged breath and cupped her face in his hands, the feel of them strong and warm and capable. Leaning in, he nipped her bottom lip before stealing a whisper of a kiss that spoke of so much promise. “Can you deal with that, love? Can you deal with me wanting you? Because I do want you, Riley…like I’ve wanted no other.”

  “I’ve no interest in being with anyone else, but Thorsen…you’re here on vacation. Eventually real life will get in the way, and you’ll go home.” It wouldn’t help either of them if they were delusional.

  “I can stay as long as I want.” Though his shrug seemed casual, his gaze was still intense enough to have her heart knocking around in her chest. “I have nowhere to be, Riley. And any work I pick up will be short term and will require travel, which means I need a home base—and that could be anywhere. That’s the reality of my life.”

  “You say that now, but wait until you’re freezing your patootie off in the middle of a Maine winter with the brutal winds blowing in off the Atlantic, and you’re bored to tears. Don’t get me wrong—the island’s perfect for a vacation, especially in the summer, but when you live here, it’s ea
sy to run out of options for entertainment.” Of course, she kept busy with the inn and there was the mainland, but still. “After all your international adventures—”

  “I need a break. I want to settle down to a quieter life. And how could I possibly get bored when you offer the finest entertainment?” His piercing gaze took her in, making her blush seven ways to Sunday. “As for your Maine winters, do you really think they’ll be worse than the ones I spent in Norway? Even the elk wanted to put on sweaters.”

  That earned him a smile and a quick kiss, her body pressing against his so she was once more tempted. “Okay. You’re probably fine with the cold then. But if you are going to stick around, then that means we have time, right? Not that I mind the mind-blowing sex, but emotionally, I don’t want to go rushing into things. I’m not saying I don’t like the intensity of what we have, but…” Crap. Why was she telling him all this? As always, her mouth seemed to have a mind all its own. “I could fall for you all over again, Thorsen. Harder than I did even the first time around, and I don’t think I could deal with a broken heart on top of everything else that’s going on with the inn. I don’t know that I ever got over you after our summer together, and if things went wrong this time around, I don’t think I’d ever recover.”

  He cupped her face in his hand and kissed her. “I won’t break your heart, darling. How could I, when I can’t remember ever being happier?”

  She looked up at him and smiled, trying to lighten the mood after her heart-wrenching confession. “That’s just the post-sex buzz talking.”

  He barked out a laugh and held her tightly, wrapping her in his big arms so she was enveloped in his warmth and bulk. “You might be right, love, but I still think there’s more to it than that.”

  She sure as hell hoped he was right, because despite the words she’d just spoken, she could already feel her heart teetering on one hell of a slippery slope.