A little shiver ran down her spine. Storms meant lightning and thunder. She didn’t like them. She remembered the terrible thunderstorms she’d endured as a child when her family lived in various cities in the Midwest. She tried to shrug off a second shiver as she stared down the beach at an approaching jogger.
As the figure drew closer, she recognized Blake. He waved at her, and she returned the gesture. A few moments later, he bounded up the steps to the deck. His breath came in hard gasps, and his skin glistened with a thin sheen of perspiration. He wore jogging shorts and no shirt. Her gaze fixed on his finely honed, well-tanned body. If he jogged on the beach as a daily ritual, then it was no wonder he maintained such a good physique. She could speak from personal experience about his physical condition and stamina. Jogging was not the only thing he did well.
Blake grabbed a towel from the railing and quickly wiped the sweat from his face and neck, then turned his attention to Vicki. “I’m surprised to see you up so early, especially after last night.” His voice was light and teasing, but the intensity in his eyes told a different story. “I like to get out at the crack of dawn before anyone else is on the beach.”
As it had when she’d appeared in the living room in the middle of the night, her hair hung loose almost to her shoulders. The bangs fringed across her forehead added an extra element of feathery softness to her face. Blake quickly flashed on the image of her hair in wild disarray and her face flushed in the throes of orgasm, a tantalizing vision he knew would remain burned into his memory forever.
He brushed his fingers lightly across her cheek, then threaded them through her hair.
“I like your hair down like this.” He quickly withdrew his hand when he saw the pink blush of embarrassment spread across her cheeks. “It suits you.”
His thoughts turned to what the next couple of days held for him. Would he have her in his bed again? Had last night been just one of those things? A heated moment in time? Two horny people getting it on? He tried to shove away the abstract thought but couldn’t quite manage it. The future—that’s all he’d heard from Vicki since she arrived, and now his thoughts touched on that very subject. What a strange quirk of fate, the way this woman had appeared at his door and entered his life at a time when he had given up entirely on that very future that so absorbed her.
Her voice cut into his thoughts. “I’m almost always awake with daylight, too. I don’t remember the last time I needed to set an alarm to wake up.” After taking a sip of coffee, she held up her mug and offered a gracious smile. “This was a pleasant surprise. I smelled the freshly brewed coffee as soon as I came downstairs.”
She swept her gaze across the ocean scene in front of her, and a slight furrow creased her brow exhibiting a hint of anxiety he didn’t understand.
****
Following breakfast, Vicki walked into the village. Somehow her conversation with Blake had never gotten around to the night before. She hadn’t brought it up, and neither had he. Had their lovemaking been only business as usual for him? Granted, she had to accept as much responsibility for their ending up in his bed as he did. The night had started with nothing more than her having the hots for a very sexy man. Would he expect her to continue spending her nights in his bed as long as she lived in his house? Was that his expectation of payment for giving her a temporary place to stay?
The morning after hadn’t turned out to be what she expected. Neither of them could leave to go home, because they were both already there…at least for the time being. She had never been in this position before, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. She certainly didn’t have any right to make assumptions, nor did she want to do so. She had her life planned out and it didn’t have room for a beach bum with no ambition, no matter how sexy or how terrific in bed.
Or, for that matter, how terrific he would be in any other room in the house where they might end up fucking each other senseless.
A quick flash of resignation confirmed for Vicki that last night wouldn’t be a one-time thing as far as she was concerned. All he had to do was look at her, and her pussy throbbed with need for his marvelous cock. She was his—body and soul. Well, at least as far as her body was concerned. Her clit still tingled from the expert attention he had lavished on her last night.
But this was a new day, and she had business to conduct. She made the bank her first stop. She walked up to the window where she had purchased the cashier’s check, took her copy from her purse, and handed it to the clerk. “I want to know if this has been cashed yet and, if not, what I need to do to cancel it.”
She knew it was a futile inquiry, but she needed to try. Her last vestige of hope disappeared when the teller informed her the check had been cashed the previous afternoon, as it turned out within an hour of the time she had given it to Mr. Edwards.
Her next task consisted of checking in with each of her summer clients and giving them Blake’s phone number as a temporary contact.
Vicki entered the gift shop and immediately spotted Sally Gaynor stocking shelves in preparation of the opening for the summer season.
“Vicki!” Sally climbed down from the small step ladder. “Just the person I wanted to see.”
She withdrew a large envelope from beneath the counter and handed it over. “I have the receipts and records you wanted. The only thing missing is my opening inventory list, but I should have that for you by Monday, along with the employee payroll forms, if that’s okay.”
“That’ll be fine.” Vicki surveyed the store. “How are you coming with the grand opening preparations?”
Sally and her husband, Jack, were both school teachers in their late thirties. She taught middle school English, and he taught high school chemistry. They operated the gift shop as a summer business during the school vacation months.
“We’re actually ahead of schedule.” Sally surveyed the surrounding disarray and laughed. “At least, I think so. Take a good look at this mess.”
Vicki and Sally talked for a while longer, and then Vicki continued down the boardwalk until she arrived at a small café. She tried the door but found it locked. Peering through the window, she saw Art Kincaid busy at work. She knocked on the glass to get his attention.
Art unlocked the door and let her in. “Mornin’, Vicki.”
A retired railroad conductor in his mid-sixties, Art and his wife, Mollie, ran the boardwalk café as a summer only business. They enjoyed the casual, open atmosphere of the beach community and the conversations with tourists.
“Good morning, Art. I’m glad I caught you here.” She quickly conducted her business, again giving out Blake’s phone number, then continued on her rounds.
Next came a gallery specializing in photographic art. Bob Mason owned the gallery and did all the photography. During the summer, he only accepted photographic assignments that were of particular interest to him. When he needed to be away for a few days on one of those assignments, his mother ran the gallery for him.
The next business on her list was another gift shop, this one dealing exclusively with items associated with the ocean, such as sea shells. A bicycle and roller skate rental shop was number five on her list. The sixth and final summer business she had established as one of her clients was a kite shop. She allowed a brief thought as to the coincidence between that and the fact that Blake apparently liked to fly kites. An omen of some sort? A portent of things to be?
She dismissed those thoughts as illogical. Her business concluded, she returned to the beach house. Enthusiastic shouts reached her ears, telling her something was going on outside. She poured herself a glass of iced tea and carried it out onto the deck.
The voices emanated from a volleyball game next door. Vicki sat on the deck and watched the combatants battle it out. She immediately spotted Blake. Just the sight of his taut muscles and finely honed body sent a tingle of excitement rippling through her pussy.
Each team consisted of one man and two women. She carefully eyed the four women, two of whom wore thong
s and the other two string bikinis. They all appeared overly endowed, whether real or implants, she couldn’t tell from her vantage point. With all the jumping and stretching required to play volleyball, it was a miracle their boobs didn’t pop out of their skimpy bikini tops.
She turned her gaze on the two men, with Blake the best player by far. She allowed a little huff of indignation. He’d obviously gotten lots of practice as he apparently had nothing better to do with his time than play volleyball and fly kites.
The other man was dark haired and in his forties. Blake had told her about his neighbor, Tim, while they were having breakfast. Even though he had not exactly said so, she’d gotten the impression he didn’t totally approve of Tim. How odd that an unemployed beach bum would disapprove of a partner in a prestigious law firm.
“That’s it. Game!” Tim’s shout brought her attention back to the makeshift volleyball court. The winning side consisted of Blake, one blonde woman, and one brunette. Tim’s team included another blonde and a redhead. Blake shook hands with Tim and kissed all four women. Not an innocent little peck on the cheek, but a kiss for each one right on the mouth. Even though it appeared to be a quick kiss, had he used his tongue?
The inappropriate thought shocked Vicki. She tried to shove it aside, but became distracted by Blake’s blonde teammate rubbing her body against his in obvious invitation.
Tim grabbed the redhead around the waist and lifted her off the sand, burying his face between her ample breasts as he swung her in a circle. She wrapped her legs around his hips and whispered something in his ear. A lascivious expression flashed across his face, and a sly smile curled the corners of his mouth.
He finally put her down and called to his blonde teammate, “Come on, baby. Let’s go see what other games we can find inside.”
Both women removed their bikini tops, allowing their bare boobs to bounce in the late morning sunlight. Tim reached out and tweaked all four nipples belonging to his two teammates, who were obviously about to become his playmates for sex games. Apparently none of them cared who saw them or knew what they were about to do.
The other blonde continued to hang on Blake while the brunette took off her bikini top. The sunlight glinted off her gold nipple rings as she shimmied in blatant invitation to Blake.
He shot Vicki an apologetic look that seemed to say he’d be there as soon as he could disentangle himself. And again, another inappropriate thought rose to the surface. Had he slept with those two women before? Maybe even as a threesome?
An unexpected and unwanted twinge of jealousy assaulted Vicki’s senses, leaving her both surprised and confused. She forced it away as being ludicrous, but it continued to linger at the sidelines of her consciousness.
A moment later, Tim, the redhead, and his blonde teammate disappeared into his house.
Vicki wasn’t sure exactly how to read Blake’s expression. Should she stay on the deck or make a discreet withdrawal into the house? She had no doubt where Tim and the other two women had gone or what they were going to do. Had they agreed beforehand to have a tryst following the game? It all seemed so sudden to her, so unplanned.
So spontaneous.
A strange quiver darted through her body. Her show of spontaneity when she had kissed Blake, ending up in his bed in the middle of the night…that was one thing. But spontaneous sex in the middle of the day? Somehow the thought held a curious fascination for her, fueled even more by the notion that Tim and the two women would be engaged in sex together.
She had tried that once with two men. The idea of sucking on one man’s cock while another pumped in and out of her pussy had sounded exciting, but in retrospect she knew one too many margaritas had merely made it seem like a good idea. It had happened many years ago when she was in college, and the three of them had never really gotten coordinated. How much practice did it take for it to stop being awkward and become truly exciting?
Maybe what had passed between Tim and his two companions consisted purely of primal lust rather than heated passion, but it certainly appeared hotter than polite agreement. She transferred her gaze from the volleyball court to the ocean as her thoughts drifted back to Blake. To the memory of his hard cock buried deep inside her. To the torrid sensations that exploded inside her when he’d sucked her clit into his mouth. Just the memory caused her pussy to throb. She closed her eyes and squirmed uncomfortably in her chair.
“Hi.”
Blake’s deep voice interrupted her thoughts, and it was just as well, because those thoughts had turned to the unsettling desires that came over her whenever he was near. He stood next to the deck, looking up at her while using the outdoor shower to rinse off the sand.
Vicki glanced toward the blonde and brunette slowly making their way down the beach away from Tim’s house. “Where are your friends going?”
“Beats me. Maybe to find another volleyball game. When did you get back?”
“About half an hour ago. I’ve just been enjoying the sun and watching your game.”
“Oh?” He eyed her intently. “Did you have half an hour marked off in your schedule book for nothing more than simple enjoyment?” A mischievous grin played at the corners of his mouth. “Not a very efficient use of your time, if you ask me.”
Blake knew the remark was uncalled for, but her statement had been in such contrast to her clearly voiced philosophy, and he couldn’t help it. He noted the way she immediately bristled. Of course, the heated and surprising sex they had engaged in last night was also in contrast to her well-voiced philosophy. But when she had seemed to prefer avoiding any conversation about it at breakfast…well, he wasn’t sure what she thought, what he should say, or where things stood between them. So he had followed her example and hadn’t mentioned it.
“I’ll have you know—”
“Why didn’t you come over and join us? There’s always room for one more.” He grabbed the towel from the railing and quickly dried off. “Do you play volleyball?”
“I played a little in gym class when I was in high school, but I’ve never played beach volleyball.” She glanced down at the sand. A hint of embarrassment darted across her features. She dropped her voice to a near whisper. “I would have been in the way, would have slowed up the game. I’m not very athletic.”
“Really?” He leveled a questioning look in her direction. His voice held a teasing quality. “I wouldn’t say that. You seem very athletic and coordinated to me.”
An immediate blush spread across her cheeks. There it was again, that almost painfully shy manner that would occasionally escape from behind her ultra-organized façade, which also hid the hottest partner who had provided him with the most incredible night of sex he had experienced in a long time…perhaps ever. He looked at her for a moment, wondering what was going on in her head.
“If I give you enough notice, maybe schedule the event far enough in advance, would you like to join in the game next time?” It was as much a challenge as a question.
“I don’t think so.” Vicki tried to keep her tone all business so she wouldn’t give away her thoughts. “I’m sure the other players wouldn’t want their game slowed down by a novice.”
No question in her mind, he was baiting her. She refused to succumb to the tactic she suspected was just another attempt on his part to deter her from her chosen goals. He had made several such references, and she had become accustomed to them. He had his philosophy and she had hers—polar opposites with perspectives on life that simply did not fit together in any way. The only thing about them that did fit together was his cock and her pussy.
And they fit together perfectly.
The nagging pull of her instincts told her Blake was a very dangerous man to be around. Not dangerous in a physical sense, but most certainly an emotional one. She took a large swallow of her iced tea, as if to signal the end to her wandering thoughts. Regardless of how hot the sex had been, he remained as far removed from her concept of the ideal man as anyone could be. She forced her thoughts to more sens
ible matters as she rose from the deck chair.
“I checked with the bank. Mr. Edwards cashed the check about an hour after I gave it to him. I imagine…” She took a calming breath, then swallowed down the lump in her throat. “I imagine that pretty well speaks for itself. But just in case, I’ll give the rental office a call on the off chance that someone might be there. I need to get myself situated somewhere so I can unpack my boxes and set up my office.
“I can’t continue with this unsettled feeling, and it certainly isn’t fair to you. I’m sure my presence has hampered your daily activities.” She glanced toward the volleyball court and thought about Tim with those two women. Would Blake be engaged in sex games with the other two if she hadn’t been here? “I’ve certainly intruded into your social life.”
“No, you haven’t.” Blake flashed on the scene of Tim headed inside with the two women and wondered if that had anything to do with Vicki’s comment. Having been in Tim’s playroom, he didn’t have any doubts about the activities happening inside his neighbor’s house at the moment. The only real question was whether he’d also be in Tim’s playroom if Vicki hadn’t returned from the village much sooner than he’d thought she would and if he hadn’t spotted her sitting on his deck. Or would the memory of last night have kept him from engaging in mindless sex with women who didn’t mean anything more to him than providing a place to poke his dick?
The more he thought about it, the more he came to the realization that he would have declined the obvious invitation from the blonde and returned to his own house whether or not Vicki had returned from the village.
She nervously brushed at an imaginary loose tendril of hair. “I’d better make that phone call.” She hurried inside.
Blake watched her with curiosity, an increased intensity, and heated desire burning deep inside him. She definitely didn’t have anything in common with the type of women he’d been fucking for the last two years. Uptight and overly organized was not what he looked for in a woman. His choices had revolved around women wanting as little conversation as possible, so he could take them straight to bed. He didn’t need anyone special in his life, not anymore. He couldn’t afford the emotional investment a true relationship required. He couldn’t risk the pain if it didn’t work out.
Summer Sizzle Page 5
