by Tess Oliver
It took me a few moments to regain my composure. I spun around in Denver’s arms. “That was like an erotic fantasy come to life. I won’t ever look at a waterfall the same.” I reached up and ran my fingers along the dark stubble on his chin. “Heck, I won’t ever look at another man the same.” As I said the words, they swept down into my chest and took hold. I was falling for Denver, and I had no idea how this could end without me completely broken.
Chapter 20
Denver
We were done with the ad shoot and I felt the need to celebrate. I hoped that it would be my last campaign for Crushin’ It. I was a freestyle rider not a damn magazine model. Britney had been a complete pain in the ass for this last session. It had taken two extra hours just because of her whining and complaining. Amy had stood by as a possible stand in, and in the end, the photographer had grown so tired of Britney, he’d asked Amy to take her place. After the model switch, things went quickly and the photographer seemed pleased with the outcome. Britney was not as pleased.
I’d stopped off for champagne and strawberries, like Jami had mentioned on our first day in the hotel. A little celebration and final fling for our last night in Hawaii. Not that we were heading back to anything too boring. Even though it was rundown, our beach house was perfect as far as I was concerned. Especially with Jami living just a flight of stairs away. I was trying not to over think our relationship or project too far into the future because when I did it left me feeling empty.
I stuck the key in the door. The sun was set low enough in the sky to fill the room with long shadows. Jami was tucked under a sheet, fast asleep. A white bath towel was draped over the chair near the bed. We’d returned from the waterfall hike tired and mud stained. She’d told me she was going to take a hot shower and read her book while I was out on the shoot.
The book was on the nightstand. Her long lashes fluttered with a dream as I stepped into the room. Looking at her naked form stretched out beneath the white cotton sheet, a plan quickly formed in my mind. I walked quietly out onto the balcony and popped the bottle of champagne. It bubbled up and over my hand. I licked it off my fingers. It was pretty good . . . for champagne. I went back inside. My sleeping angel was crinkling her nose. A soft, sleepy sound followed.
I slipped off my clothes and climbed under the sheet. The mattress movement woke her. Her long arms came up for a stretch, causing the sheet to roll off her breasts.
I held up the champagne bottle. “I bought strawberries too, but I just saw something that would taste much better with champagne.”
Jami’s blue eyes rounded in question. Her smile broke, the second she comprehended my meaning. I poured a thin stream of champagne in the hollow between her breasts. She giggled at the feel of the fizzy, cold liquid.
I leaned over her and swept my tongue through the champagne, taking care to lick it completely off her skin. I poured a tiny bit more over her nipple. It tightened as the liquid dripped down the curve of her breast. I covered the nipple with my mouth and suckled off the champagne. She mewled in appreciation and pushed her breast harder against my mouth.
While still licking clean her breast, I poured a little more champagne along her concave belly, making sure to pool some in her belly button. Her breath came in short gasps as my mouth trailed along the bubbly liquid. The short, almost desperate, moans coming from her lush lips made my cock ache.
I stopped and peered up at her face. Her blue eyes were glazed, and her skin was flushed pink. “Of course, I’m not really a champagne type. More of a beer guy, but—” I lifted the bottle to my mouth and took a swig. “I think I could really learn to like this stuff.” I scooted up toward the pillows, and she lifted her head. I watched with profound interest as she wrapped her pink lips around the top of the bottle and took a drink.
She immediately rubbed her nose. “Sorry, I’m not a sexy champagne drinker. It tickles my nose.”
I leaned on my elbow and stared down at her naked body, slick with champagne and my kisses. “Everything you do is sexy, Holliday. Even when you’re not trying.” I pressed my erection against her thigh. “Here’s proof if you need it.”
She reached for my cock, but I lifted my finger. “Nope, not yet. Turn on your stomach. I haven’t finished my cocktail yet. I’m all done with the photo shoot, and I’m in the mood to get wasted on champagne coated girl, especially if the girl is you.”
Jami reached up and pressed her hand against my face. For a second, I held it there, keeping the warmth of her palm against my cheek. I released it, and she turned onto her stomach.
“Damn, Holliday, your ass is perfection.” I drizzled some champagne onto the hollow of her back. She wriggled just enough to send some of it down her sides. I started with the runaway drips. She sucked in an audible breath as I ran my tongue over her skin, stopping to kiss away the champagne on the small of her back.
“Who needs a damn strawberry,” I muttered, hardly able to keep my own breathing at a normal pace. I pushed her hair off the back of her neck and lifted the bottle, pouring a long line of champagne starting at the base of her neck and down her back ending at the top of her ass. Clear, bubbly liquid ran off in thin streams down the sides of her body. I took the time to drink it all.
She turned around without me asking. “Denver, please.” Her whisper evaporated into the room.
I rolled on a condom and lowered myself between her legs, the taste of her champagne soaked skin still on my tongue. I leaned down over her and kissed her as my hand slipped underneath her ass. She obliged me by lifting her hips higher. I’d strummed her pussy to orgasm beneath the waterfall, but I hadn’t had a taste or touch of her again until now. I was tense with wanting her. The connection I felt every time I pushed inside of her was like nothing I’d ever experienced. It wasn’t just physical. I felt it through my entire body, deep inside my chest. I wanted nothing more than to satisfy her, to keep her safe and secure in my arms, always.
My cock reacted like it always did with Jami, as if she was my first. I had to consciously keep from coming too fast. Holding back wasn’t easy when everything about her, her creamy skin, her plump lips, her sweet fragrance was so fucking intoxicating. “Damn, baby, I can’t slow down,” I growled as I pumped inside of her, her pussy lifting to meet me each time. “Come for me. I can’t finish until I feel your pussy tighten around me.”
She clutched at the sheet and rocked against me, absorbing the full impact of my body as I moved against her. The bed creaked and moaned and the headboard tapped the wall. I lowered my mouth over hers. I could still taste the champagne on her lips.
“Yes, Denver, yes.” Her breath brushed across my mouth. Her fingers released the sheets, and she clutched frantically at my arms. “Yes.”
“That’s it, baby. Your pussy is full fucking ecstasy.” My words pushed her over the edge. She held her body tight as I slammed into her. She wrapped her legs around me and cried out with each thrust. I’d been ready all damn day. It took me only seconds before my body exploded and I came.
Jami reached up and curled her arms around my neck as I lowered my body down over hers. We kissed as our ragged breathing and heart rates slowed. I slid off to the side, curled her into my arms and pulled the sheet up over us.
She pressed her face against my chest. “I wonder how long we could stay in this room before the management noticed. Is there such thing as squatter’s rights in a hotel?”
“Pretty sure squatter’s rights don’t pertain to Hawaiian hotels.”
“Too bad.” Her big blue eyes peered up at me. “If I was to squat somewhere, I’d want to squat with you.”
“That sounds a little weird, but if you need a squatting partner, I’m there for you.” I tightened my arms around her. “Seriously, Jami, if you need me, I’m there for you.”
Chapter 21
Jami
It had only been three days
, but I felt like a neglectful mother for having left Stuart on his own. I opened the case and sat down on the couch with the violin. Sometimes I could almost feel Stuart purr in my hands like a satisfied, smug cat, waiting to have his chin stroked.
I lifted the bow and the usual mind melding, exchange of souls transpired. The music flowed. Sometimes I wondered if it was me playing or if I was just holding the bow and Stuart was making it move over his strings. Playing just to play, that was pure joy. I’d been given a talent that I had no real use for except to keep my mom in nice cars and clothes. But when I could just produce the music for fun, like now, I saw that my talent was not wasted. I loved playing. I needed to play violin the same way some people needed to play football, or, like in Denver’s case, to ride motorcycles.
The three days in Hawaii with Denver had solidified our feelings for each other. In the giant pool of people on Earth, we’d ended up living on the same square footage of land. I still secretly pinched myself every time I saw him. I had less than four weeks left before I had to return home and pack to leave for another tour, this one in Australia, half a planet away from California and from the man who had taken hold of me, emotionally and physically. Thinking about leaving Denver made me so distraught, I had to push the thought from my head. For now, it was easier to pretend that my professional life had never existed.
I closed my eyes and drifted around the room with the music. A knock on the door startled me out of my trance. I held firmly to Stuart and practically skipped to the door. I only knew of one possible visitor, and that visitor always sent a tremble of excitement through me.
I opened the door. Denver always looked exceptionally good after I hadn’t seen him for a few hours. Absence really did make the heart grow fonder.
I motioned him in. “Stuart and I were just having a moment.”
“Should I go? I don’t want to interrupt.”
“You’re the only interruption I look forward to. Do you want a soda?”
“Nah, I’m fine. I’ve got to head to the hardware store, and I was just coming to check how many new drawer handles the kitchen needs.” He headed into the kitchen and glanced around. “Looks like three should do it.”
“Not that I use those drawers,” I said. “But if it’s an excuse to see my delicious handyman, I’ll find other things that need replacing.”
“Unfortunately, I’ll be slowing down on the handyman jobs for awhile.” He leaned against the counter. “Looks like we’re going to be back on the job site again. I’ll be working overtime to catch up, so I won’t be around as much.”
“But that’s good, right? I mean not for me, not for us, but you were hoping to get back to work soon.”
“Yeah, it’s good they gave us the go ahead a week earlier than expected. But I’m going to have less free time.”
“Then it would be wise not to waste a second of the time we have.” I placed Stuart in his open case and walked over to Denver.
Denver’s arms went around me. “I’m in total agreement. In fact, why don’t I go get the hardware I need and then I’ll come back up here to install it and perform some other handyman duties while I’m here.”
“Good plan.”
“By the way, I’m participating in a freestyle exhibition this weekend. I was wondering if you wanted to come watch. It’ll be a lot of loud bikes, people and dirt, but it should be fun if it’s not too hot.”
“Of course I want to come.”
He smiled. “Great.” His phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. “It’s the landlord. I’m sure he has more requests. See you in a bit.” He pushed the phone to his ear. “Hey, Mike,” he said as he headed out the door. His big feet tromped down the stairs.
I picked up Stuart and sat down to resume my practice. I was just on the edge of getting lost in the music again when the door opened. No knock this time and a decidedly less happy looking neighbor on the landing.
I placed the violin down on the couch and got up. “Uh oh, is something wrong? You look a little stricken.”
“That was Mike, the landlord.”
“Yes, I got that. You mentioned his name as you were leaving. What’s wrong?”
“He wants me to show this place to some people tomorrow. Why didn’t you tell me you were only here for five weeks?” His voice was edged more with disappointment than anger.
I walked closer to him, but this time he didn’t reach out to touch me, a habit he’d gotten into and a habit I’d grown to love. “You knew I was only here temporarily, Denver.”
“Yeah, but temporary is a really broad term. I was thinking six months, not one fucking month.” Now the anger had edged in beneath the disappointment.
I stood there in a rare moment of being rendered speechless.
“A little warning would have been nice.” He turned to leave.
“I’m sorry.”
He stopped and looked back at me.
My throat thickened at the hurt on his face. “You’re right. I should have been more specific. To be honest, I’m a big coward. If I’d said it out loud, then it would’ve been too real. I came here to escape the drudgery of my life. The last thing I could have hoped for was to meet someone like you. You’ve made this whole excursion into freedom worth it.”
“Glad I could fulfill part of your little fantasy.”
“I didn’t mean it like that.” He wasn’t reaching for me so I went to him. I took hold of his hand. He lifted his gaze reluctantly. “You’ve become so much more to me. I’ve never met anyone like you, Denver. I’m sure that we can figure out something, some way to see each other after I leave here. Technically, my home is in Colorado. Not a terribly long plane ride from California, last I checked.” I wasn’t convincing him any more than I was convincing myself. “After I leave here, I go on tour for two months but then I’ll be back home. Maybe I can come back out to California.”
He nodded weakly. “Yep. Well, I guess I’ll go get that hardware. I need to finish up here, so I can go out to Cole’s house to ride.” The coldness in his tone was unexpected and once again I was at a loss for words.
I blinked back tears as I watched him turn and walk down the stairs. The usual confident set of his broad shoulders had vanished.
I had not been imagining the strong connection forming between us, a connection that would soon be broken by distance. My words returned. I knew they wouldn’t help much, but I needed to get them out.
I raced to the landing. He had just reached the last step. “Every second with you has been unforgettable, Denver. Just wanted you to know that . . . in case you decide never to speak to me again.”
He hesitated, and I hoped he was coming back up. But, without a backward glance, he walked away.
I shuffled back to the couch and lifted my one loyal friend from his case. I placed the violin across my lap and stared down at it. Growing up, when word of my supernatural talent on the violin had made its way around the neighborhood, my schoolmates had cleverly nicknamed me Freak. It actually hadn’t bothered me much until my mom pulled me from school to be tutored by Mr. Percival, a pinch-faced little man who traveled with us to the various countries so that my schooling wouldn’t be interrupted by my concert tours. Then I fell right into the category of freak. I was no longer gossiping about boys at recess or accepting invites to slumber parties. I was a kid shoved smack in the middle of an adult world. Any normalcy was gone. Now that feeling of freakishness had returned. I’d found a man who stirred every inch of me, a man who I could see spending forever with, and because of my unorthodox way of life, I’d hurt him and shattered my own heart at the same time.
Playing music was no longer an option. A shadow had darkened my day. I needed sunlight. I put Stuart away, pulled on my sandals and headed down the stairs and to the path that would lead me to the beach.
Summer vacation was still a
few weeks off, and there were only a couple of people walking along the shore. I’d spent so much of my short stay hanging out with Denver that everything reminded me of our time together. I thought briefly about us swimming in the icy cold ocean on our first date and how that night I’d decided to give into my urges and have fun, no matter what the cost. But I’d obviously underestimated the high price that came with a broken heart. Naively, I’d convinced myself I could handle a sexy tryst. What I hadn’t factored in was just how fantastic Denver would turn out to be.
I left my sandals near the bike path and hiked through the deep, warm sand to the water. Wind, the waves and the occasional screech of the gulls had kept me from hearing him come up behind me. A large hand gripped my arm, and Denver spun me around. His hands took hold of my face and he kissed me. Tears of relief rolled from my eyes.
He lifted his mouth from mine and gazed down at me. “I’m supposed to be smart, but I sure as hell lack common sense. And this is pure fucking common sense. I don’t know how I’m going to deal with it when you walk out of my life, but for now, I don’t want to miss one damn minute with you, Holliday.”
Chapter 22
Denver
It was like trying to ignore a looming dentist appointment as a kid. For now, I’d decided to not think about Jami leaving me. She was with me right now, and that was all that mattered. We were spending all of our spare time together. Some of it naked and fucking like we were the only two people on Earth, and some of it just being together, talking and laughing, but even then, there was touching, there was always touching. We couldn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. If she was near, I needed to be touching her.
I’d invited her to the freestyle exhibition but had questioned more than once if it had been a smart decision. Concentration and focus were my bonus skills out on the jumps. I could block out everything with an impenetrable brick wall around my mind. But I’d found one soft spot in my mental armor. Jami.
