by Kimberly Fox
I get a slight chill despite the warm sun on my face as I listen to him. I can’t imagine what that would feel like-being ordered to kill children.
“The heartless fuck on the other line of the radio was screaming at me to fire, but I couldn’t. I kept looking at the kids. My finger wouldn’t move. They were smiling as they pointed up at my jet, and I just couldn’t. I flew by and Yazen Maalouf got away.”
I want to run to him and feel his strong arms wrap around me, but I just stand there, standing awkwardly and quiet.
“That’s how I got dishonorably discharged,” he says with a sigh. “I’m lucky I didn’t have to face the firing squad.”
“You did the right thing.” My thoughts are jumbled right now but I know it. He did the right thing.
“Did I?” he asks, looking at me with sad eyes. “Three days later, Yazen Maalouf was responsible for an attack that killed two of my fellow soldiers. Ask their wives and children if I did the right thing.”
“Dex,” I say, breathless. “That’s not your fault. Those soldiers signed up to the military, knowing their deaths were a possibility. Those kids had no choice in the matter. They were innocent.”
“Maybe,” he says as he pulls out his sunglasses and puts them on. “Or maybe I deserve to face the firing squad.”
“Dex,” I say as he walks away. It falls on deaf ears.
I’ve been so busy thinking that Dex and I have been fighting a war that I forgot he really did fight in one. It couldn’t have been an easy decision what he did, but I think he made the right choice.
I’m lost in thought, feeling horrible at all the wrong turns the day took that I don’t notice Kara walking up to me.
“You two are getting close,” she says, eying me savagely. “I don’t like it.”
“I don’t really care,” I spit back at her. My eyes fall to the hammer in the sand and I’m tempted. Man, am I tempted.
“First you flirt with my husband,” she says, twirling a circle with her finger in her perfect blonde hair. “Now you’re flirting with my pilot. Are you trying to annoy me, or are you just a really big whore?”
I step up to her but then swallow my words when I remember what’s on the line. I have a big payday coming my way if I can get the prince to purchase the yachts and then I can finally pay my way through flight school.
But that’s not what’s really getting to me. If I get fired, I’ll probably never see Dex again, and as much as I hate to admit it, that’s the thing that’s really going to hurt.
“I’m sorry you feel that way, Mrs. Gladstone,” I say, lowering my head in a show of submission. It kills me to do it, but now is not the time. One day it will be, but not right now.
“Keep your stinky truck-stop pussy where it belongs, in your pants,” she says, glaring at me. Her glare turns into a smile as she raises her chin in triumph. “If I see you speak to Dex one more time. I’m getting you fired.”
This day has just gone from bad to worse.
And the sun is still up. I still have a few hours to go.
Chapter Sixteen
Riley
I skip dinner and find a secluded spot where I can be alone and think. Both Prince Kalib and Marv are expecting me, and I’ll probably get fired for this, but right now I don’t really care. I can’t face Dex.
It’s a beautiful night, and instead of facing the man who is constantly on my mind, I’m playing it safe and hiding like a scared little kid. I wandered around the resort until I came across an inground pool behind a small private villa, the kind of place where a couple comes to escape for a weekend. It’s tucked away off the path, hidden by palm trees, tall bushes, and the dark night sky. It’s perfect. Just what I need.
I can’t stop thinking of this afternoon and how I messed everything up. I thought I hated Dex, but the truth is a little more complicated than that.
I can’t deny any longer how my body reacts so strongly to him. It’s crazy how he can turn me into a sex-crazed she-beast so easily. Just the lightest touch from him can leave me so flustered. I wasn’t planning on kissing him or doing anything else today, but when I was sitting on his lap in the plane, I couldn’t help myself. His warm breath was tickling the back of my neck as his strong arms wrapped around me. It felt so perfect sitting on his lap as I flew the plane, enjoying the feeling of his big package resting against my ass.
When I turned and we were within kissing distance, it felt like my body was no longer mine. It was all his, under his complete control. The kiss was incredible, unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, and I just had to go further.
There’s something there. As frustrating and soul-crushing as it is to admit, there’s something there.
I see him everywhere and in everything. The bright turquoise water of the lit-up pool reminds me of his eyes, the gentle swooshing of the breeze reminds me of his breath when we’re nice and close, and the long pool noodle floating in the water reminds me of his long, hard-well, you get the idea.
He’s like a drug.
If God made crack into a human form, he’d be named Dex. But God couldn’t be this cruel. This has the devil’s work written all over it.
Dex is pure sin.
Sinfully hot, sinfully tempting, sinfully sexy.
Definitely the work of the devil.
So how come when he smiles at me it always feels like I’m in heaven?
After another half an hour of stewing in my own guilt and self-pity, the devil himself arrives dressed in jeans and a tight black shirt. Dex is wandering down the path with his hands in his pockets and his shoulders slumped forward. His chest looks massive as it strains against the tight material, and his tattooed arms look more jacked than usual. He must have hit the gym before dinner. He’s wearing a matching black hat that’s pulled down low over his eyes, giving him a dark look that I really like.
I’m sitting in the shadows and Dex doesn’t see me. I can just hide here and admire him, letting him walk by without saying a word, but we all know that’s not going to happen.
I’m usually so in control. In control of my desires, my thoughts, my emotions, my body. But when Dex comes around they’re all over the place. I’m a hot mess of desire, my thoughts are dominated by him, my emotions feel like a roller coaster, and my body betrays me with every look he gives me.
Eight billion people on the planet, and my heart has chosen him. I can’t help but wonder if my brain was consulted before the decision was made. I highly doubt it.
“Dex,” I whisper just loud enough for him to hear.
He turns, and after a few seconds of searching, his eyes settle on me, sending warm shivers cascading through my body. His face is still and calm, but his eyes are wild and alive, saying all the things he can’t or won’t say.
“Hey, Riley,” he says quietly. My breath catches in my throat. I love hearing my name on his lips. I’ve heard people call me by name for decades, but no one can make it sound as special as Dex does. “Would you like some company?”
I swallow hard as I nod. He comes over and sits on my lounge chair even though there’s an empty one beside me. He looks so gorgeous, and I’m suddenly wishing I chose something to wear that was a little sexier than black yoga pants and a long white tank top.
“How was dinner?” I ask, trying to break the silence. I don’t really care about the dinner. I’m just hoping he has forgiven me for my outburst this afternoon.
“Not the same without you,” he says, exhaling as he shakes his head. “I forgot how boring things are when you’re not around.”
I chuckle, smiling back at him. “You definitely make things interesting as well.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he says, smiling as he looks down at his hand.
It’s going better than I thought it would, but there’s still something nagging at me. “Are you mad at me?” I ask, just having to get it out there.
He jerks his head up and looks at me with confusion in his narrowed eyes. “Aren’t you mad at me?”
; “I don’t even know anymore,” I say with a laugh.
He takes my hand and smiles. “Me neither. I guess that’s something we’re going to have to get used to.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, enjoying the feeling of his skin on mine.
“We’re going to end up together.” He says it like it’s an undebatable fact. “And sometimes it’s going to be hard with us,” he says, gently sliding his fingertips over my wrist and giving me goosebumps. “I have a feeling we’re going to butt heads a lot and be at each other’s throats, and even we won’t know why. Sometimes it may feel like it can’t possibly work. Sometimes it may feel like we’re over. But I want you to know that it never will be. We’re going to have a long story, you and me. And it won’t end. Ever. I promise you that.”
“How can you say that?” I ask. “We just met.” But I know he’s right. My heart is racing from just a whiff of his cologne. My skin is tingling from only his nearby presence.
“Because I can’t stop fucking thinking about you,” he says, exhaling hard. “I can’t have a thought without you in it. That’s how I know.”
I could say the same thing about him, but I don’t. Because I’m afraid. He’s wild and reckless. He’s the opposite of the safe choice and that scares me.
I don’t want it to but it does.
“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same,” he says, cupping my cheek and gently caressing it with his thumb. His eyes are so bright. He’s so beautiful. “You will one day. I’ll make sure of that.”
“Maybe,” I say, letting myself enjoy the fantasy of it for a minute until reality comes crashing down. “You’re saying that now, but if we make love, what then? You’re going to lose interest.”
“This is not just about sex,” he says, locking eyes on me. The seriousness of his look gives me shivers. “If this was about sex, I’d be on the other side of the island right now.”
I tilt my head, wondering what he’s talking about, but he doesn’t explain.
“I’ve never met a girl like you before,” he says, making me lightheaded. “You stand up to me. You call me on my bullshit. You make me laugh. You’re smart and funny, and believe me, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
I don’t know how to explain how he makes me feel, but that’s why lips were invented. To say the things that words can’t.
I take his hand and lean in, smiling as I press my lips to his. It’s a soft sweet kiss, but something tells me it’s just an appetizer and I’m going to be feasting all night.
His look is full of heated desire when I pull away. His grip tightens on my wrist as his breathing becomes shallow and strained, like he’s holding himself back.
I don’t want him to hold back anymore. My body aches for him.
“I can give you what you want.” His voice is deep and raspy. His look is hungry and full of lust. “I can give you what you crave. Come on, Riley Coyote, let me give it to you.”
His words and voice and smell are all working together to make me lose control. I want him to be mine. I want him to rip off my clothes and make me his.
But I want more than just his body. What I crave is not just the physical. I want all of him. His mind, body, and soul. I want him.
“You couldn’t give me what I crave,” I gasp. My voice is so scratchy. My breath is so ragged. How does he do this to me so easily?
“I can do anything for you,” he whispers as he slides his fingers into my hair. “I can be anyone for you.”
I grab his wrist and hold it in place as I stare into his eyes. “I don’t want you to be anything for me,” I say to him. “I just want you to be with me.”
He kisses me with a passion that I’m not prepared for but is a welcome surprise. He devours my mouth, kissing me in a way that I’ve never been kissed before.
Our hands are everywhere, sliding under clothes and over soft skin, pulling each other closer. I take off his hat and run my fingers through his messy hair, loving the way it looks. My palm falls on his chest, and I smile when I feel his heart hammering as hard as mine.
Arousal swirls through me and settles between my legs. It’s then that I know we’re going to go all the way. It’s then that I know I couldn’t stop myself even if I wanted to.
“Tell me what you see when you picture it,” he whispers in my ear as he slides his hand up my stomach. “Am I sliding in and out of you nice and slow? Or are you bent over like a yoga master screaming as I fuck you like a sweaty jackhammer?”
I gulp when his hand pulls down my bra and grabs a hold of my breast, massaging it with his strong grip. The warmth between my legs is turning into a fire with his words. It’s turning into an inferno under his touch.
“It’s the second one, isn’t it?” he groans into my ear. “Hot. Wild. Rough sex. Test how far back your legs can go sex. See how soundproof the walls are sex. Is that what you think about?”
I can barely talk. My voice is gone. The only noise I can make is the pounding of my heart and the ragged breaths coming out of my wet parted lips.
“Dex…”
He kisses my neck as he releases my breast and runs his hand up my inner thigh. “Is that what you fantasize about? Is that what you want?”
I nod. It’s all I ever want when he’s around.
“Is that what you think about when you touch yourself through those lacy yellow panties?” he asks, his hands finally reaching my wet pussy.
“Yes…” I gasp, throwing my head back as he glides his fingers over my sex. My wetness is soaking through my underwear, soaking through my pants. I want to take them off. I want to take everything off until it’s just our bodies touching with nothing getting in the way.
“I want you to fuck me, Dex,” I moan as his fingertip finds my throbbing clit and rubs it in little circles. I would laugh if I wasn’t already so far gone. I want you to fuck me, Dex. Those words shouldn’t go together, but right now they feel perfectly fucking right as they roll off my tongue.
My pants are the first to go. Then his shirt and then mine.
I moan when he stands up and I see the long rod pressing out against the inside of his jeans. I bite my bottom lip in anticipation as he unbuckles his belt and slides them down his muscular legs. His hard cock looks huge as it fights the tight material of his white boxer briefs. I lean forward, wanting to set it free.
Every inch of him from the neck down is covered in hard sexy muscle. If it wasn’t for the incessant throbbing between my legs I would stare at him for hours. But there will be time for that later. Right now, I just want him in me.
He steps back to the beach chair, but instead of sitting down like I expect, he slides his arms under me and picks me up, cradling me to his chest.
“Was that our first fight?” he asks between kisses.
I smile. “The first of many. Is it bad that our first time having sex is going to be make-up sex?”
He shakes his head as he smiles at me. “We have three of the best kinds of sex combined. It’s going to be epic.”
I look up at him and smile as my hand slides over his hard, naked chest. “Three of the best kinds of sex?”
“First time sex,” he says, giving me a soft kiss on the lips. “Make-up sex,” he says, kissing me again.
“And the third?”
He turns around and walks to the pool, carrying me as easily as if I was made of rose petals. “In the pool at night sex,” he answers with a grin. “It’s the best.”
“I didn’t bring my bathing suit,” I say, giving him a smirk as he walks down the steps into the water.
“Perfect.”
He crushes his lips to mine as he walks into the pool, carrying me into the warm inviting water. I moan into his mouth when I feel his hard-on press up against my outer thigh. He’s holding me so tight, his arms wrapped possessively around me, pulling me as close as possible to him.
The warm water creeps up to Dex’s waist and then he dips down and it’s up to our necks. We’re still kissing like the only air we c
an get is from each other.
“Take off your clothes for me, Riley Coyote,” he commands in his deep gravelly voice.
I swallow hard as I step out of his protective embrace and reach behind my back. Any shyness I usually have is gone. I want him to see. I want him to see everything.
His hungry eyes widen as I slide my bra down my arms, letting my breasts fall free. The water is up to my shoulders but that’s not good enough for him.
“Stand up,” he commands, keeping his heated eyes locked on my body.
I do as he says and stand up, showing him everything. My knees are weak. My heart is pounding in my chest. My nipples harden to the point of pain as he stares at them with that dark hungry look.
“Take off your panties,” he demands. His voice is tight with pleasure as he growls out his command.
There’s no question he’s in control of my body. I’m a slave to his words.
I hook two fingers into my panties and am about to pull them down when he stops me. “Wait. Turn around.”
My heart is pounding nervously as I turn away from him, staring at the empty chair with our clothes piled on it.
“Now arch your back and slowly pull your panties down.”
I’m usually so shy to get naked in front of men, but with Dex I’m enjoying the thrill. I take a deep breath and hold it in as I slide my underwear over the curve of my ass and down my legs, enjoying the tingling rush of adrenaline at being so exposed for him.
“Beautiful,” his voice purrs as I step out of my panties and let them float away. “Now bend over, grab your ass cheeks and spread them for me.”
I’m panting and trembling as I do what he says, gripping my cheeks and pulling them apart for him. He growls in approval behind me.
He moves through the water like a shark and suddenly his strong hands are on me, bending me over as he replaces my hands with his own. He lets out a low groan as he spreads my legs and stares at my sex that’s throbbing with need.
A slow soft lick has my legs buckling, but his arm is there, tightening around my waist and holding me up as he licks me again.
