by Elle James
When he still hovered, Elaine reached up behind his neck. “Then kiss me, damn it.” She pulled his mouth to hers and fell deeper and deeper into an abyss of mindless sensuality.
Her hands roamed over his shoulders and into the front of his shirt, ripping through buttons with a frantic urgency driven by her raging hormones, her body's natural reaction to a sexy man. That's all it was. Hormones.
Yeah, right!
Craig captured her hands and pulled them away from his skin. “Let's get out of here.”
Elaine's glazed eyes cleared and she stared around the parking lot. Every nerve ending screamed for more. If she didn't get him naked in the next five minutes, she'd explode. “Do you have a car?”
“Yes. Thank goodness I insisted on driving separately” He fished around in his pocket and pulled out his keys. With a quick kiss, he pulled her to him and steered her toward a midnight-black sports car. Once inside, he started the engine and shifted into reverse. “Where to?”
Feeling a little racy and altogether more uninhibited than she'd felt in her entire life, she answered, “Where did you go to make out as a teenager?”
“Huh?” Craig stared at her as if she'd lost her mind.
“I've never made out in a car before.”
“Never?”
“No.”
“Well then, sweetheart, you're in for a real treat. I promise this night will be unforgettable.”
“I'm counting on it.” She was more than determined to show him she could be every bit as aggressive and sexy as he was. My, what a new 'do and a sexy dress could do for a woman... or was it the Cajun sitting next to her stirring her blood to boiling? lam woman, hear me roar!
Craig parked on the edge of a moonlit lagoon. The moon kissed the water with diamonds, a perfect setting to initiate Elaine in the art of car bouncing.
When he shut off the engine, the silence in the interior of the car was broken only by the sound of their breathing - rapid breathing, at that. Craig stared around at the cramped interior of the sports car and almost cursed his idiotic choice of vehicles. Whatever happened to backseats? A seventies-model Cadillac with a roomy backseat would be handy about now.
His gaze shifted to Elaine.
Her hand reached down to unclip the seat belt.
Oh boy. The simple motion caused Craig's heart to rev into overdrive. He fumbled for the side levers and adjusted the seat all the way back, providing a pretty decent amount of space between him and the steering wheel. But would it be enough?
Out of her seat belt, Elaine smiled at him and shifted in her seat until the hem of her dress rode up, exposing the white lacy panties he'd glimpsed earlier.
He reached across the console to touch her thigh.
Her hand stilled his before he could caress up her leg to the center of that tempting triangle of material.
“Not yet. I'm experimenting.” Her hand moved inside her white panties and preceded to stroke the very place Craig longed to be.
Suddenly, his jeans were entirely too tight, with the strain of his arousal pulsing a tattoo against his zipper. He groaned and looked away, unable to bear another moment of her teasing. “You're killing me, woman.”
“Then my experiment is a success.”
Craig glanced over at her.
She slid the white panties down her legs and kicked them off her ankles. With a wicked smile, she climbed over the console and planted a knee on either side of his thighs, facing him. She leaned forward and levered the seat into a full reclining position before she turned her attention to his zipper.
Was this the shy scientist he'd met only a few short days ago? The one who stumbled over her words as well as her feet? Craig could hardly believe it. How could one man get so lucky?
Perhaps it was the wine, perhaps swamp gases. If Elaine were honest with herself, she'd admit she'd sprung free of her inhibitions and was riding hell-bent for the finish line. Damn the microscope and full speed ahead!
With her hands on the metal button holding the waistband of Craig's trousers together, Elaine paused.
“Honey, don't stop now” he begged.
“I wouldn't dream of it.” She slipped the button through the hole and paused again. “You're sure this road is deserted?”
“Absolutely.”
“Good.” She unzipped his pants until his erection sprung forward against his black briefs, creating a tent. “My, aren't we excited?”
“More than you could ever imagine.”
Elaine's blood burned through her veins. She felt capable of conquering any problem or, more difficult, her deepest fears - rejection, not fitting in and her fear of water. Tonight, Elaine was on top of the world, and on top of the sexiest Cajun this side of the Mississippi. Now, to show him she had what it took to keep a man's attention.
Excitement swirled in her belly, spreading fingers of desire ever downward to pool at her core hovering over his thighs. With her dress hiked up to her hips, Elaine gave Craig a moonlit view of what she had to offer, and the thought made her even hotter than before.
She leaned back and rubbed her sweet spot against the rough fabric of his black-denim-clad thighs. Flames of pleasure leapt through her and she gasped.
Craig grasped her buttocks and kneaded the flesh, driving the hem of her dress up around her waist. “I want to be inside you,” he said through clenched teeth.
“And so you will,” she promised. She leaned forward and ran her hands up the inside of his shirt, threading through the hairs on his chest, tweaking the hard little nipples. With eager fingers, she pulled his shirt from the waistband of his jeans and unbuttoned the last of the remaining buttons. Pushing the garment over his shoulders, she paused. “Does it still hurt?” She eased forward and pressed her lips to the jagged line where the bullet had skinned his shoulder.
“No.” A strong hand circled her hip to the front to cup the juncture of her thighs, a finger sliding easily into her warmth. “God, you're so wet.” His other hand traveled up her side to fit over a rounded breast. Looping a finger into the stretch fabric, he pulled it down until the strapless bra was the only thing between her and the night air.
Even the bra was too much. She wanted to be naked with him inside her. Now. Elaine reached behind her back and unclasped the bra, her breasts springing free from the tight confines.
“Glorious,” Craig breathed, wrapping his fingers around a glowing orb. He massaged first one, then the other, pinching the nipples into hardened peaks.
Elaine leaned forward and rubbed her breasts against the mat of hair on his chest, reveling in the coarseness against her tender skin. He was a big strong man, she was a soft-skinned woman. Such was the way of nature, and nature had outdone itself in Craig.
His erection pressed against her belly, an insistent reminder of his growing need and her burgeoning desire. With smooth precision, she eased her way down his chest to his narrow waist. Trailing kisses and tongue flicks all the way to the elastic waistband of his briefs, she reveled in every touch and taste along the way. With a nudge, she parted his legs and slid between his thighs until her knees touched the floorboard. Only then did she unwrap the package. First she ran her hands up from his balls over the hard shaft beneath the cotton. Heat warmed her fingers. Then she grasped the elastic and eased the briefs downward over him until his member was completely exposed.
“Ah geez, Elaine.” His fingers dug into her shoulders. “Come up here.”
“No,” she said, her gaze completely focused on his magnificent manhood. “I've only just begun.”
Craig moaned and lay back, his hands grasping the seat on either side of him. “I think I've died and gone to heaven.”
“You bet your BVDs.” Her voice was low and husky her own desire spinning out of control. “You'll be singing with the angels before I'm done.”
“God help me.” Craig said to the ceiling of the car and gasped when her hands wrapped around him.
With sure strokes, Elaine massaged his length, up and down. She moved for
ward and pressed her breasts around him. His hips rose and fell as he slid his shaft between her cleavage.
Elaine hovered over the velvety tip and slid her tongue around the curved edge.
He tensed, his shaft quivering and incredibly hard. “I need to be inside you now, Elaine. J can't take any more of this.”
“What about protection?”
“In my wallet, in my back pocket.”
Elaine and Craig both fumbled for the wallet, rifling through until they found the little-foil packet. When Craig went to open it, she held her hand out. “Let me.”
Still on her knees, she tore the foil while she licked his arousal. Then she rolled the condom down over him until it fit snugly against the base.
As soon as it was in place, Craig grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up onto his chest. He nudged her thighs apart and brought her knees up on either side of him.
With her dress nothing more than a belt around her middle, Elaine had never felt more attractive or sexy. The humid night air kissed her breasts and the man beneath her followed suit.
She eased down over his shaft, her moist opening accepting him without hesitation.
He slid farther inside until her buttocks rested against his thighs. He stopped. “Are you all right?”
“Oh, yesss,” she breathed, the flood of sensations pulling her closer to the edge.
“Then let's shake this buggy!” He lifted her hips, setting her in motion.
When she pushed upward, he withdrew. When she dropped back onto him, he met her with force enough to shimmy the little cat She rode him hard, meeting him thrust for thrust.
Craig clutched her thigh with one hand while the other tangled in her pubic hairs to find her most sensitive zone.
Already aroused to the point of mindlessness, Elaine toppled over the edge with one flick of Craig's finger. Her body tensed and burst into a kaleidoscope of sensation, rocking her to the very core.
Craig thrust one last time and joined her orgasm with one of his own. He held her fully sheathing his member, his expression one of utter concentration. Inside her, he pulsed his release.
As one, they relaxed. Elaine dragged in a deep breath and collapsed across Craig's chest, reluctant to sever their connection. “Is it always this good in the front seat of a car?” She buried her face in the crook of his neck and licked his earlobe.
His chest rose and fell in labored breaths, but Craig didn't answer.
Elaine leaned up on one elbow, peering into his shadowed face. “Did I do something wrong?” Her heart beat against her ribs.
Craig stared at her, his brows drawn toward the bridge of his nose. “Don't you have a clue what you do to me?”
She shrugged. “Not really.” With a glance down his torso to where they connected, she smiled. “Beyond the obvious physical reaction, I figure you're used to this.” She didn't delude herself into thinking she'd touched him on an emotional level.
With gentle hands, he reached up and turned her face toward his. “Don't play this down. What we just shared not only shook the car, it shook me too.”
She touched a finger to his lips. “Don't.”
He frowned his confusion, kissing the end of her finger.
“Don't say something you don't mean,” she continued. “Our time together is limited, let's not muddy it with false sentiment.” If he said something he didn't mean, she'd leave Bayou Miste with a broken heart.
Craig's frown deepened. “You know, for a smart lady, you've got a lot to learn about relationships.”
“And you're the expert?” She leaned away from him, allowing his flaccid length to slide free. When she glanced up, headlights hit her full in the face. “There's a car coming!” She rolled over the console, banging her knee on the shift. “Ouch! I thought you said this road was deserted?”
“It usually is.” Craig struggled to get his jeans up, buttoned and zipped. He levered his seat into an upright position.
Red, blue and gold lights strobed behind the car.
“Damn!”
“Cops?” Elaine squealed and fought to shimmy her twisted dress up over her breasts and down over her hips. She'd just covered the important stuff when a flashlight beam pierced the interior of the car.
“Craig, is that you?”
Craig pulled the edges of his shirt together and glanced over at Elaine. Apparently satisfied she was decent, he rolled the window down. “Hey Billy Ray, whatcha doing way out here on a Tuesday night?”
A man dressed in a dark uniform and sporting a polished gold badge peered through the window, shining his light into Elaine's eyes and down over her breasts. “Usually find some kids working on increasing the population of the parish. Could happen any night of the week, but especially on ladies' night at the Raccoon Saloon.”
His light panned the interior of the car until it shone on the rearview mirror where Elaine's strapless bra dangled.
If Elaine could have sunk through the floorboard, she would have. Of all the stupid, adolescent stunts to pull...
Her embarrassment faded, pushed out by the elation of having done something she'd missed out on in high school. She'd necked in a car with a boy, and she'd been caught doing something naughty by the police! What an achievement. She only wished she had a girlfriend to share it with over a cup of hot cocoa.
“You okay there, miss?” Billy Ray asked, practically poking his head into the narrow window. “Craig ain't pullin' a fast one on you, is he? I could haul him in, if you want.” The officer grinned. “Can't think of anything I'd like better. I'm sure I owe him one or two for all the pranks he pulled on me back when we were kids.”
Craig frowned. “She's fine, Billy Ray. Now, could you scram?”
“I didn't hear her say she's fine.” Billy Ray planted his feet wide and crossed his arms over his shoulders. “Well, are you, miss?”
Elaine struggled to keep a straight face and answered him with all the gravity befitting an officer of the law. “Yes, sir, I'm fine.”
The deputy's arms dropped to his sides and he shrugged. “Rats. I could have used a little excitement. You two shouldn't be hangin' out on this old road. Sets a bad example for the teenagers. Now, get on outta here.”
“Will do.” Craig rolled up the window; revved the engine and spun the car in a circle to head back up the road.
Before they cleared the headlights of the police cruiser,
Elaine exploded, laughing so hard she clutched her sides.
“What's so damn funny?” Craig asked, his voice a little on the cranky side.
Elaine gasped for air. “I've never ... you should have... I can't' believe...” interrupted every sentence she attempted until she gave up and doubled over.
When she could finally sit up and breathe, she glanced over at Craig.
His lips quivered and jerked upward on the corners. “You're some kind of nutcase.”
Elaine wiped moisture from her eyes. “Why?”
“I'd have thought you'd be mortified beyond belief. Instead, you're bustin' a gut.” He reached over and chucked her under the chin, then paused to stroke the side of her cheek.
Elaine leaned into his palm. “It was an experience I've never had.” She pressed a kiss to his palm. “I'm glad! got to share it with you.”
For a second, Elaine thought she'd destroyed the moment by her words.
Then in a quiet voice, Craig answered, “Me too.”
For the rest of the short ride to the cottage, Craig held Elaine's hand. Neither spoke, nor did Elaine feel they needed to.
When Craig finally pulled into the gravel driveway of Elaine's temporary home, he sat for a few minutes staring straight ahead. “Elaine?”
“Ummmhuh?” she murmured, unwilling to end the evening.
“Did you leave the door open when you left?”
“Huh?”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
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Elaine flew out of the BMW bef
ore Craig could stop her.
“Damn.” Before she could put her foot on the porch, he caught up with her. “Wait.”
“Why? All my equipment is in there.”
“Yeah, and whoever broke in might be too.” Craig crossed in front of her, keeping a tight hold on her hand, forcing her behind him. “Go back to the car.”
“No. This is my stuff.”
“Then stay behind me.”
“Okay, but don't do anything macho.”
Craig eased forward. “What? You mean you care?” he asked flippantly, his eyes focused fully on the house before him, yet his mind divided between the possible bad guy and her answer.
“No more so than you,” she shot back.
Boy that was a non-answer if ever Craig heard one. “Hey, if anyone's in there, I've got a gun the size of a bazooka and I'm not afraid to use it.”
Elaine whacked him on the arm. “You don't have a gun.”
“I know that and you know that, but if there's someone in there, he won't know that. Well, he will now that we've discussed it loud enough for the entire parish to hear.”
“I think whoever was here is gone now.”
“It pays to be cautious.” Craig crept up to the side of the open door and peeked his head around. The interior was dark and still. What little light shone in from the fractional moon revealed upset furniture and the clutter of items strewn across the floor. “Geez.”
“Geez what?” Elaine jerked her hand loose and stepped around him to flip the light switch. “Geez.”
The light illuminated the devastation. Craig listened for sounds of movement, but none came from inside the little cottage.
“Oh no!” Elaine clapped a hand to her mouth. Her eyes widened to round saucers and then filled with tears.
Craig stared at a spray-painted message on the wall. Go home or die! For the first time since he'd come face to face with a hungry alligator at the tender age of twelve, Craig knew real, gut-wrenching feat The threat was written in red paint across the wall of the little living room and it was aimed at this scientist he'd come to admire. A person who wanted to help the swamps become a better place. The woman who'd managed to touch him as no other.
