She watched the muscles flex in Mike’s arms as he started the outboard motor, trying not to let her mind wander back to the night after the play.
“Once Melissa backed out, I’m surprised you showed up at all, considering,” Emma remarked, holding onto the sides of the boat as it rocked against the waves.
His eyes caught and held hers. “Considering what?”
She shrugged. “You’ve made your feelings pretty obvious about…” She hesitated, unsure of herself. “Well, wanting to be alone with me.”
Mike tore his gaze away and looked out into the distance, a muscle twitching in his suddenly taut jaw.
“It’s obvious when we’re alone, I can’t keep my hands off you.”
“You think you hold a monopoly on those feelings?”
When it became apparent he was going to ignore her comment, Emma riveted her gaze on the shoreline to watch the scenery fly by. She couldn’t help noticing how fast they were building along the lakeside. Houses were going up at an alarming rate, a lot of them vacation homes. She was glad to see the builders were doing their best to avoid altering the landscape any more than they had to. Not cutting down the mature trees offered the homeowner privacy from their neighbors.
She’d thought about buying a house but the convenience of townhouse living had appealed to her more. Furthermore, her decision had left her with enough money to live comfortably until she decided what she wanted to do with her life.
Mike finally slowed the boat down, heading for a secluded little inlet. Massive trees grew along the muddy bank. Heavy branches swaying like giant canopies over the water’s edge provided them with even more privacy.
The water was dark and choppy that morning and for the first time Emma began to notice the unfavorable skyline. If she didn’t know better it looked like rain. Turning off the motor, he reached for one of the fishing poles at the bottom of the boat and proceeded to bait it, all without words.
She made a face when he hooked the fat, wiggling earthworm before handing her the pole.
“Here, you don’t have to cast, just drop it over the side and wait.”
Thank goodness. Emma knew enough about fishing to know she didn’t know how to cast. “Thank you.” She did as he instructed under his watchful eye. “What kind of fish are we fishing for? Since you’re nice enough to bait the hook for me, I’ll cook whatever we catch. It’s the least I can do. But you’ll have to lop off their heads and tails, skin and gut them because I…”
“Emma,” he said in a tone one might use on a tiresome five-year-old.
She looked at him expectantly. The expression on his face was as serious as they came. It was obvious Mike didn’t fool around when it came to fishing.
“You have to be quiet or you’ll frighten the fish away.”
Oh. She knew that. She watched him bait his own hook before casting it into a clump of wet grass further away from the boat. She had a hard time believing that he and Melissa fished the whole time without talking, but if that’s what he wanted, she’d do things his way.
For a while she watched the red-and-white bobber gently floating on top of the rough water before realizing it was making her sleepy. She covered a loud yawn with her hand, giving her head a vigorous shake to clear it. Waiting was always the hardest part, she should have remembered that.
She’d gone fishing with her father once, when she was nine, but she’d been too young at the time to appreciate the value of waiting for something. It took patience, a trait she’d never associated with Mike before now, although his quiet perseverance didn’t come as a surprise. She had no doubts that when he wanted something he’d wait for as long as it took to get it.
For some reason that brought a smile to her lips, which didn’t go unnoticed by the much-too-serious Mike.
“You look like the cat that swallowed the canary,” he said in a low voice.
He narrowed his eyes on her in a way that made her feel like squirming.
“What’s going on inside that head of yours?”
She glanced away with a shrug, pretending interest in a couple of squirrels circling a tree on the bank. “Nothing, why are you so suspicious?”
“It’s the detective in me. And you look guilty as sin about something.” He reeled in his line only to cast it out again in one smooth motion.
“I assure you I’m very innocent,” she breathed, giving him a come hither look that produced a sparkle of humor in his eyes. And something else that caused her heart to flutter.
“You weren’t so innocent the other night in the dressing room,” he reminded her.
Her mouth dropped open that he’d dare bring that up. “That sounds like you were disappointed, Detective.”
There was no denying the smoldering emotion filling his dark eyes. “Not at all. You were very, ah, good.”
“And you see where that got me,” Emma said before she could curb her tongue. She hadn’t meant to say it like that. The last thing she wanted was for Mike to think she was disappointed. “That didn’t come out the right way.” She smiled.
“Neither did the other night,” he said with a sexy grin that grew crooked on one side.
Emma couldn’t miss the underlining of truth behind Mike’s comment. She could only hope he wasn’t referring to her embarrassing acting abilities. She lowered her gaze, his comment filling her cheeks with instant heat that rapidly swept down her body.
Suddenly the insulated sweatshirt she had on was much too warm. She set her rod down and proceeded to remove it. As she tugged the sweatshirt over her head it pulled the rubber band from her ponytail, releasing her hair in a soft cloud of tangles around her face.
She glanced at Mike, freezing at the raw expression on his face. “Is something wrong?” Worried there was a hole in her tee shirt, she glanced down, her heart plummeting. It was worse than that. The sweatshirt had snagged her tank top on the way over her head, baring Emma’s left breast.
All she could think of was thank God she’d had the foresight to wear a bra, even if it was a sexy see-through.
Her embarrassed gasp was loud enough to scare away every fish in their vicinity to the other side of the lake. As she reached up to tug the tee shirt down another gasp escaped her when Mike’s hand shot out, stopping her. She looked at him questioningly, holding her breath as she waited to see what he was going to do.
Desire licked at her senses when his finger snagged the folded edge of her tank top. He began to drag it down in slow motion, taking a path that left her flesh on fire. Her gaze fell to his hand, mesmerized as his finger moved down her breast and over her nipple, causing it to pucker and tingle instantly, which then caused every nerve ending in her body to go haywire.
Suddenly there was a fire burning in her belly, moving rapidly lower. When Mike was done she glanced up, meeting his lazy gaze. The look in his eyes excited her, if not frightened her a little. She wasn’t an expert on the subject but all the signals were there; she only hoped she was reading them correctly.
Mike wanted her.
And he wanted her now.
Chapter 15
Mike tried to swallow but his throat closed up. Seeing Emma’s breast encased in a lacy bit of nothing, was more than a man in his fragile state could bear. How the hell was he supposed to ignore that? Or forget what she’d tasted like the other night in the dressing room. How her body responded to him.
It all came rushing back to him now. How sweet her flesh was. How her nipple had swelled in his mouth. How her pussy surrounded his cock with tight, wet heat.
Reaching forward to cover that tempting mound seemed the natural thing to do. The opposite of what he really wanted. He had to think about his sanity. Still, nothing could have stopped him from taking his time and trailing his finger across that tempting flesh, marveling at how soft it was.
How responsive.
His gaze met hers, the desire evident in the smoky depths of her eyes, as well as a subtle shyness that endeared her to him when they weren’t fucking. There was n
othing shy about Emma then.
The urge to pull her across his lap and kiss that soft, sweet mouth was so powerful that he shook with it. How could the sight of one lace-covered breast cause such turmoil in his body? Maybe if he kissed her it would appease some of the hunger eating away at his soul. Chipping away at his control.
He should never have touched her to begin with. Should never have fucked her. Because now that was all he thought about. Sliding into her wild body and driving them both a little mad.
Mike didn’t need to glance around to know they were in a well-secluded spot. Maybe he’d unconsciously chosen this area, knowing the house on the lakeside lot was empty now that the occupants had returned to their winter residence in Florida.
His body tightened like a coiled spring, making up his mind for him. Fingers closing around Emma’s upper arms, he slowly drew her across the open space between them, with every intention of kissing that delectable mouth.
“I might regret this but if I don’t kiss you right now you might as well take me to Cherry Grove and drop me off at the hospital.” Cherry Grove only had one hospital, the Cherry Grove Institute for the Mentally Insane.
“Is it that bad, Detective?” Emma teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
It was as if she’d known how he was reacting to her. Her hands came up and she automatically braced her palms against his chest. Only she wasn’t pushing him away. Her fingers curled into his torn shirt.
“Worse than bad,” he growled, leaning back as he brought Emma against him. He meant to straighten when she was settled on his lap but suddenly Mike slipped off the seat backwards, landing with a mild thump on the bottom of the boat, with Emma on top of him.
“Oops!” She laughed, her hair falling down in her face. “You…”
Mike bent his head, closing the short distance between them and slanting his mouth firmly over hers, effectively cutting off whatever she’d been about to say. He wasn’t in the talking mood, or the listening mood for that matter. All he knew was the feel of Emma’s softness against him and the overwhelming urge to do something about the pain in his loins. Kissing her seemed a good place to start.
Yet Mike’s heart sank when he realized almost instantly that kissing her wouldn’t be enough. He’d had a taste of her fire. As his mouth worked on hers, he gradually lay back, bringing Emma more fully against him.
Her startled gasp only allowed him the chance to slip his tongue inside her mouth. At that point Mike was sure he heard fireworks. He almost drew back to look but caught himself. He had a beautiful woman in his arms, returning his lusty kiss with every bit as much zeal and enjoyment as he could have hoped for. Why should he waste a second of it looking for something he knew was only in his imagination?
As desire for her surged hotly through his blood, Mike’s hands left her arms and glided up to her shoulders, before sweeping down the graceful arch of her back to the gentle flare of her hips. His hands explored her with thorough slowness, touching her everywhere. He groaned deeply with pleasure letting his palms smooth down the back of her slender thighs and back up to her hips, before cupping the half-moons of her buttocks.
He squeezed, then parted his thighs and thrust against her, letting her feel how hard his cock was for her. Her low moan encouraged him to run his hands beneath her shirt up her smooth back. He unclasped her bra, wanting, needing to feel her naked skin beneath his palms.
Mike wanted so much more than a stolen moment, wondering wildly what kind of trouble they could get into making love in the bottom of his boat. Stratton was a small town, and gossip traveled like wildfire. If he thought he’d put Emma in a situation that would humiliate her, he’d stop. No matter how hard it was.
He tore his mouth from hers only because he needed air. He was powerless to do anything but lay there, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he worked to fill his empty lungs. With shaking hands, he reached up, and pushed the hair from Emma’s face so he could read what was in her eyes. Her pupils were dilated, her nostrils flaring in her overheated face. Her desire for him was evident in her aroused expression.
She never looked so beautiful, or as desirable.
“Damn, lady. I feel like a keg of dynamite getting ready to blow.”
Emma lowered her head against his chest, trembling wildly against him. When she spoke he could hear the smile in her voice.
“The feeling is mutual.”
“Don’t say that. You don’t know how weak I am right now. All I want to do is kiss and touch you and sink my cock into your hot pussy.”
She arched into his hard on and Mike groaned.
“My clit is pulsing right now, Mike. And I’m so wet for you. That’s what you do to me. The way you look at me turns me on.”
He closed his eyes. “God, Emma…don’t.”
She didn’t listen to him. Mike kept his eyes closed but that only sharpened his other senses. As she continued to rock her body against him, he willed himself not to give in.
Soon he felt her mouth against his chin and jaw before she closed her teeth over his bottom lip and gave it a tug. His cock jumped into the crevice between her legs. Laughing huskily, Emma’s soft mouth kissed its way to his ear.
Mike’s hips left the boat in reaction to her warm breath. His heart was pounding. Then he felt her move.
“Open your eyes.”
He barely heard her soft plea. His inclination was to say no but he was intrigued at what he might see and she was too damn tempting. Hardly taking note that Emma had moved to a sitting position, Mike couldn’t tear his gaze away from her movements.
Slowly, and wearing a teasing half-smile on her pretty face, Emma took the hem to her shirt in her hands and brought it up and over her head. She shook her hair free and he watched mesmerized as the thick locks fell to her quivering, hard-tipped breasts. He wasn’t aware he was holding his breath until her hands moved to the snap of her jeans. She quickly worked at getting her jeans undone. It wasn’t until Mike caught the first glimpse of hair covering her pussy that he finally lost it and was able to move.
He grabbed Emma around the waist and pulled her down to him, her swaying breasts his target. She cried out softly when his mouth closed over the tip of one. Her hands went to the front of his jeans. He knew what she wanted and he didn’t care.
As he loved one breast, and then the other, his hands caressed her silken flesh. Her little mewling sounds were like music surrounding them. The gentle rocking of the boat added stimulation to their rocking bodies.
“Help me, Mike.”
He chuckled at the breathless frustration he heard in her tone. Instinctively knowing what she wanted, he raised his hips so she could roll his jeans down over his hips and butt.
His cock sprang forward, and for a moment they both paused from what they were doing to look at it. Like some pagan god it was standing straight up, fierce and proud, and engorged with blood. Mike could see the pleasure in Emma’s eyes, and holding his breath, he waited for her next move.
A sensual smile spread across her face. She gently took his cock in her hand and began to move it up and down. Mike shook. And when she replaced her hand with her mouth, he sucked in his breath and fell back against the boat.
“Oh god, Emma.” His breathing escalated. And soon his hips were moving in a rhythm that promised one outcome.
The pleasure was almost unbearable. And there was only one thing that came to Mike’s mind that would make the situation even hotter. In between breaths he managed to say, “Turn around, honey.”
Emma halted her movements and raised her head to meet his eyes. He could see the question simmering in those glazed pools and smiled at her confusion.
“You think you’re the only one who wants a taste? I’m hungry, too.” He watched a slow smile spread across her face as she obviously got his meaning. “Now put that dripping pussy on my face.”
Without hesitation Emma moved to do what Mike requested. She rolled her jeans further down her thighs and then moved over his body. Mike
wet his lips in anticipation of tasting her sweet juices, of tonguing her clit until she came. He watched her plump mound get closer and closer to his face, breathing in her scent.
He wasn’t disappointed when she finally settled her weight on him and spread her thighs so he would have access. At the same time his tongue flicked over her swollen clit, her mouth closed over his cock again. Their mutual groans revealed their mutual satisfaction.
Fuck! I’ve never tasted anything so good. Mike ran his tongue over and over her clit, feeling her tremble and smiling inside. He was doing his own fair share of shuddering every time Emma moved her mouth over the head of his cock. But it was when she took his balls in her mouth that he almost spilled.
“Sweet Jesus!” He took the time to groan, forcing down the rush erupting through his body. He wasn’t ready to end it just yet. It felt too damn good.
He buried his nose in the wet hair covering her pussy, breathing her musky scent deeply into his lungs. His tongue manipulated her throbbing clit with every stroke. And when he heard her breathing pick up speed, felt the tightening of her body, he buried his tongue as far as it would go inside her. Her whimpers turned into moans that escalated until gradually dying down again.
Mike felt his orgasm building fast and hotly through his blood. Even as her cum coated his pounding tongue he was conscious of what she was doing to his cock. Her tongue swirled around his aching shaft; her hand gently squeezed his tight balls. His control snapped and in a flash it was over. He grunted, exploding inside her sweet mouth.
“Oh fuck, oh fuck!” Mike felt totally drained. In fact it took effort just to breathe. He let his taut body relax against the bottom of the boat and tried to catch his breath. “You have a lethal mouth, honey.”
He felt more than heard Emma’s soft chuckle. “I was just thinking the same thing about you.”
Mike could feel her warm breath against his deflated cock. A few moments of silence followed as they rested against one another and their bodies calmed. He wondered what Emma was feeling, what she was thinking. A woman like her deserved more than just sex.
PASSIONATE ENCOUNTERS Page 14
