“Aren’t you licking the bowl?”
“I’m about to lick both of them.” He cupped her breasts and stuck his tongue out, long and curved for her perusal, then slowly, so slowly that she held her breath, he pushed her breasts together and gobbled as much as he could of both her nipples, twirling his tongue and licking from one to the other while massaging with his skillful hands and fingers, until she was bucking and arching.
“Is this too much?” He stopped what he was doing.
“No, keep going. I’ve decided.”
“Decided what?”
“Tell you later, just keep licking my bowls.” She clutched his head and brought him back to her breasts.
“I’ve run out of batter. I might want something juicier.” He kissed the tops of her breasts and peered up at her, his eyelids at half-mast, bedroom sexy.
“You might find honey under my jeans.” Oh, how tacky she was to suggest he disrobe her, but hey, she was a red-blooded American surfer girl and she had needs. Being around Finn these past few days, looking but not touching, had been pure torture.
Finn made quick work of her button and zipper. He picked her up and set her on the granite counter as she shimmied the jeans and kicked them off along with her panties.
She opened her legs, but he went for her belly button where he’d dabbed the creamed sugared butter.
Oh, no, no. The tease. No! She threw her head back and leaned on her arms, opening her legs wider, but he zeroed in on her belly button and licked her with tiny, delicate, and ticklish flicks.
“Oh, Finn. You’re so funny, so very, very funny.”
# # #
The shrieks of the smoke alarms and the smell of burnt chocolate stopped his teasing of Kerry. Finn couldn’t stop laughing at the way she’d opened her legs in hot anticipation of another licking over her sweet sex.
“The brownies.” She jumped off the counter, which was exactly the right height for many a fantasy, and opened the oven.
Dark smoke puffed out of the oven and Kerry pulled out a pan of black charcoal. “It’s ruined.”
“Then it’s good we had a dry run.” He dragged out the word ‘dry.’ “In more ways than one.”
“Ugh.” She dumped the pan into the sink and ran water over it, raising a hiss of steam.
“You might want to put on some clothes. Lucky we don’t have close neighbors.” Finn pulled on his sweatpants and opened the window. He fanned the air until the smoke alarms quit their high-pitched screams.
“I’m putting on my wetsuit.” Kerry stomped from the kitchen, a furious female full of frustration.
Finn chuckled to himself. He was just as frustrated, but years of deprivation in the battlefield had trained him to push past the sexual urges and channel them into the fight—which was why he was so eager to tackle the waves at the Point tonight. No danger, no reward, and he wouldn’t take Kerry until he’d earned his place in her bed. He had to be her hero first, and surfing the wave would be the first step.
An hour later, they’d strapped the boards to the top of her car, and were on a moonlit road down to the lighthouse parking lot. Tourist season hadn’t started, so it was thankfully empty.
“You sure we won’t get caught?” Finn helped Kerry unload the boards. He, of course, had the longer board while she used Siena’s brand new shortboard.
“Let me take a quick look off the cliffs in case anybody’s down there night fishing.” Kerry hiked from the parking lot down a private road to the end of the driveway of the lighthouse. She peered over the lip of the cliff. Above her, the light rotated in the lighthouse, however she had no worries. Electronics automated the turning on and off of the light, and the lighthouse no longer had a keeper. She scanned the rocks below and saw no one.
She jogged back to the parking lot and waved at Finn. “Doesn’t seem to be anyone out on the rocks.”
“Great.” He strapped a waterproof action camera on his head.
“Seriously? That’s going to fall off.” Kerry swiped at the head strap.
“I’m tethering it to a clip on my wetsuit.” Finn said. “There’s no way I’m missing out on this surf.”
“If we survive,” Kerry teased. “We didn’t even get our last dessert. You made me burn the brownies.”
“I? As I recall, you’re the baker, I’m just the licker.” He swept her hair back and licked her behind the ear. “If we make it back, I’ll give you a licking that’ll keep you ticking.”
“Oh, and I’ll give you a whipping and milk you for all you’ve got. We still have a short walk to the beach, soldier.”
Under the spell of moonlight, they hiked down to the beach. The ocean was boisterous and rough, and the waves roared under the cliff, bouncing off boulders and rocks. Montauk Point was the most easterly part of Long Island and exposed to swells from both the North Atlantic and the Gulf Stream.
“This is it.” Kerry hugged Finn when they laid their boards on the beach. The moonlight shimmered across the water, broken up by the crashing breakers. Adrenaline pumped in her veins and while she would have loved to surf naked, Montauk waters were simply too cold and the beach too rocky to make it safe.
“Don’t sound so worried.” Finn cracked a crooked-mouthed smile. “It’s going to be awesome. After you.”
“If you kiss me first, I’ll go first.” She tilted her face up, and he met her lips.
Kerry wrapped her arms around his shoulders and grasped the back of his neck. She kissed him hungrily, demanding his full attention. Never had she wanted a man more than Finn, and while it was scary, the fact that they had no hope for a future together curbed her emotions and numbed her enough to fully explore her need.
His whiskers rubbed against her lips, stimulating and warming all the blood in her body. Heat radiated from him, even under the layers of the wetsuit, and she pressed herself against his muscles, drawing strength and courage.
It was time. She sucked hard and let go, unable to unlock her eyes from his.
“I’ve got your back. Go, we’ll take the leap together.” Finn pinched her cheek lightly.
He grabbed his board and slapped it into the water, walking it out past the nearest breakers, and then paddling out at a furious speed.
Kerry raced to keep up, but Finn was already further out where the swells rose and fell. He’d found the left-handed wave, and he was up, riding a long rolling wave, high enough for him to duck into the barrel. He bailed before hitting the rocks and raised both arms sky high in a sign of victory.
“It’s wild out here,” he whooped. “Your turn.”
Kerry’s heart leaped as she paddled out to where Finn had caught the super lefty. She sat up on her board, waiting for a wave larger than the one he’d caught. Competition was in her blood, and she’d show him exactly how well she surfed.
Squinting into the moonlight, she caught a disturbance in the water. It could be anything, a riptide, or an underwater reef. Except it looked like a fin. She shook off her fear. Sharks attacked from below. They didn’t cruise like in the movies, and the rocky bottom here was too shallow for anything larger than a sand shark.
Except she was out deeper than she should be. She’d catch the very next wave. The fin moved closer and picked up speed. Oh, shit! If it was a shark, it was a huge one.
Kerry felt her blood draining from her head and her muscles tighten to the point of paralysis. Her heart flopped like a dying fish out of water, and her tongue was thick in her throat, tasting of blood and fear. Part of her wanted to give up and roll over. Let the shark drag her under and get it over with quick, but no, Finn was out here, and no way could she let him die trying to save her. Kerry cast her eye toward the dorsal fin, but it had disappeared, going down for the attack. Behind her, the ocean rose as if reaching for the moon. A wave was her only chance out of the jaws of the shark lurking below.
“Kerry, watch out!” Finn yelled from closer to the shore. He jumped onto his board and paddled toward her.
“No, no, stay back. I’m ridin
g out,” Kerry yelled, but he redoubled the speed of his paddling.
The wave strengthened behind her, curling at the top. Kerry paddled with all her might. Every nerve pricked and fired, expecting the pain of a million knife-edged teeth to slice through her skin. She popped-up and dropped over the edge of the perfectly shaped left-hander.
Crouching low, with thousands of pounds of water surging and crashing over her, she carved sharp turns to evade any pursuing shark. Where was Finn? She couldn’t see him since she was in the middle of the barrel.
She shifted direction and cut back over the top of the wave. The shark’s fin headed toward Finn who was paddling like a seal. Kerry screamed as she wiped out and a wall of water smashed over her, scraping her over the rocks and holding her down like a rag doll.
Her lungs felt like bursting as she held her breath, fighting for the surface. Visions of blood blackening the water fought with the inky bubbles of the dark sea at night. Kerry fought the wave and dove under it. When she emerged, she saw nothing. No fin, and no Finn. Where had he gone? Kerry paddled frantically out from the break zone.
“Finn, Finn,” she screamed, sure that the shark had taken him and dragged him out to sea. It was her fault. She deserved to die. She’d killed him all because he wouldn’t fuck her, and she’d gotten frustrated and wanted to challenge him.
She spotted his surfboard, bobbing all alone on the water.
“No, no, oh, God, no.” With tears streaming down her face, she swam toward his board and crawled onto it, scratching the wax to look for bite marks.
“Finn!” Her voice cracked with agony. “What have I done? I could have loved you. I could have really, truly loved you. I’m so, so sorry I killed you instead.”
A large body collided with the surfboard from below and something grabbed her leg. She flipped into the water as the board upended. The shark had come back for her, and she deserved it. Closing her eyes, she begged for the jaws to put her out of her misery.
Chapter Fifteen
Kerry didn’t thrash or fight. The churning of water filled her ears, and she was tossed and turned, being dragged down. She closed her eyes and covered her heart. Make it quick. Please, make it quick. I’m sorry, Mom. The life insurance should cover your costs. Dad, where are you?
If this was death, it was painless. Loving arms wrapped around her and lifted her. She opened her eyes, expecting to see Jesus.
“Finn!” She swallowed water. “What the hell? Where’s the shark?”
“Got’cha!” He threw his head back and laughed.
“No, really, where’s the shark?” Realization slapped her that he’d set the entire thing up. Tonight’s the night. The moon is waning. We better get out there. “You jerk! I’m going to kill you.”
He pushed her back to arm’s length and grabbed his board. “That’s funny, a minute ago you were worried you’d committed murder by shark.”
“It’s not funny.” She slapped the water. “Was there really a shark, or did you fake that fin I saw?”
“Oh, it was real,” Finn said, his demeanor darkening as he pulled himself onto his board. “We should get out of the water.”
She was still treading water, so she lunged at him and poked his ribs. “You’re lying, trying to scare me.”
“Ranger’s honor.” He held up his hand and pointed to the camera strapped on his head. “You’ll see it on my video. That shark was out there.”
“Liar.” Kerry scanned the waters. “Where is it? I don’t believe you.”
Now that the fright was over, she wouldn’t put it past Finn to somehow rig an inflatable dorsal fin and send it floating across the water. Maybe he’d hidden it under his wetsuit and slipped it into the water while she was paddling out.
“I scared it away, seriously.” Finn made fists and pumped them in the air. “I was paddling toward it, cussing and swearing.”
“Oh, right, so I’m going to believe you scared a sixteen foot, thirty-five hundred pound great white?”
Finn glanced over his shoulder. “We should be going. Believe me or not, you’ll see tomorrow on the internet.”
“Internet? You’re seriously going to post our illegal surfing on the internet? What are you trying to do, ruin my career?”
“Chill, dudette. I meant the shark tracker updates. This here video is between you and me. Private.” He lay on his board and paddled over a wave. “We better surf out of here before the shark returns.”
Horror tingled down Kerry’s legs, and she pulled herself out of the water and onto her board. Maybe the shark was below, waiting to attack. Shit. Shit. Shit.
Don’t freak, don’t freak. Finn’s out here. He won’t let anything happen to me. Unless he set it up, and there’s no shark. None at all.
She blew out a breath. Either way, she wasn’t sticking around any longer. Looking back, she picked a decent sized wave.
Beside her, Finn popped up onto his board, catching the wave with her. He held out his hand, and she latched onto it. Side by side, they rode the long, rolling wave to the edge of the beach. The left-handed wave had taken them further north and away from the rocks. Sure, the hike would be a little longer, but the sheer beauty of the ride overwhelmed her. She locked fingers with Finn, and they bailed together before the surfboards ran aground.
He swept her into his arms and waded to shore with her.
“Aren’t you going to thank me for saving you from the shark?” He peered at her with a mischievous smirk.
“Your inflatable shark.”
“Oh no, I’m not saving you from my inflatable shark.” He moved her hip against the bulge rising from under his wetsuit.
Gosh, how did he do it? Come out from the chilly ocean and sport an erection as big as Moby?
Despite her crashing emotions and not knowing what was real or not, Kerry’s body melted like marshmallows in hot chocolate. She cuddled up to him and whispered in his ear, “Not before I devour you. They don’t call me ‘Jaws’ for nothing.”
“They?” He pinched her behind. “There’ll be no more ‘theys’ after tonight. You’re mine now. I saved your life, and I claim you. Tonight.”
That sounded too serious, and yet, the thought of this hardened, alpha male claiming her made her putty in his arms. Kerry cast in her mind for a retort, but her tongue turned to rubber while butterflies fluttered and flowers bloomed in her heart. He was right. There would be no more ‘theys’ after Finn.
Kerry claimed his lips and kissed him good and hard. “You’re ‘The End’ for me, Finn.”
# # #
“I’ve had enough cold water,” Kerry said as she lowered herself into the warm and fragrant bubble bath.
They’d rinsed off the sand and salt in the outdoor shower, but it had been too cold, and she was too shaky for anything more than a quick wash off.
“You sure you want me in there?” Finn still had a towel wrapped around his waist. He sat on the ledge and swirled his arm in the water.
“Why? Suddenly shy? Don’t you want to claim your prize?” The tub was big enough to fit two, not cheesy or heart shaped, and neither feminine nor masculine with its gray and cream streaked marble surround.
“I was thinking that the last people who used this tub together were in love.” Finn blew a puff of soap bubbles over Kerry’s shoulders.
“Who cares? Get in the water, no sharks here.”
“I don’t know if I can control myself in the water.”
“About time you lost it, soldier.” Kerry pulled his arm. “You’re a worse tease than the valedictorian at a convent school. Get in.”
“If I get in, my heart will be in, too.” His demeanor softened, getting sappy again.
“My heart’s already in.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and dragged him over the edge. He was quick enough to lose the towel before splashing into the bubbles. Finally, he was where she wanted him.
“Now, lie back and relax,” Kerry commanded, rising from the water and giving him a full frontal view of the soap trail
ing over and around her breasts.
“I’ve never taken a bath with a woman.” He sat stiffly, his elbows on his knees, although the narrowing of his eyes and a quick wetting of his lips gave away just how eager he was for this new experience.
“Then you’re a bath virgin, and I’ll have to take over.” Kerry pushed on a plastic bath pillow attached with suction cups. “Put your head here, go ahead.”
“Next, you’ll tell me to close my eyes.” He scooted forward and rested his head on the pillow.
“Not really. I like taking advantage of you with your eyes wide open.” She straddled his legs, but kept well away from his crotch, settling instead on his muscular thighs. She dipped a large loofah sponge into the water and dragged it across his shoulder over the Viking’s face. “Tell me the story behind this one.”
Finn’s Adam’s apple bobbled. “My father was a warrior and the best father a boy could have. He served in the first Gulf War, and then after my mother died in the Twin Towers, he went back, even though he was over forty.”
“Your mother died on September eleven?” Kerry leaned forward and touched the tear hovering on Finn’s lower lash. “I’m so sorry.”
“She worked for that securities firm on the top floor. She met my father on the World Trade Center observation deck a year before I was born. My father was on leave, and working through his fear of heights—not a good thing to have when you’re an Army man. Mom was taking a break up top, enjoying the view, and she started chatting him up. He fell in love when she led him to the edge. He always said having a pretty girl to hold onto chased the fear away.”
“That’s so romantic and so sad. How many years were they together?”
“Fourteen years and just as in love the last day as much as the first. She’d left a plate of brownies on his pillow before leaving for work, and he’d ordered flowers to be delivered as she arrived at work. That was right before …” His voice cracked and he wiped his eyes. “I’ll never forget when my father picked me up early from school.”
The Remingtons: Leap, Laugh, Love (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 8
