Well shit, he hadn’t known that. Luckily he was in pretty good shape.
“On your mark,” he said, his grin widening. “Get set.”
They were both poised and ready, his own body tightly coiled. There was nothing he loved more than competition, even in fun. It sped up his pulse and spurred on the adrenaline now pouring through his veins. Damn if it wasn’t a turn on with this woman too.
He nodded, letting her know she could call them to action. Her eyes lit up in challenge and she turned to gaze at the far end of the pool.
“Go!” she yelled and they both launched themselves forward with a splash. Susie Langtree wasn’t just gorgeous, she was also fun, and Chris had big plans this week. All he needed to do was convince her to forget about Dane and fall for him.
*
Susie pushed off the edge with all her might, propelling her body through the warm, silky water. She swam as hard as she could knowing Chris was right next to her. His long figure was at least a foot taller than her own with muscles that flexed and bunched every time he moved. She’d been shocked by how aware of him she was as they sat together in the pool, but she couldn’t stop from being drawn over and over to his wide shoulders and flat abdomen.
She had vivid memories of running her tongue along those ridged abs. His skin had tasted salty but his kisses had been sweet.
The images sent tingles to a few places that had been sadly neglected until last night. She’d never thought of Chris…that way…before and it was something of a shock. She’d always thought of Dane as the sexy one but Chris certainly had it going on too. With his golden brown hair and eyes, square jaw, and winning smile he was the epitome of the all-American male.
She and Chris had enjoyed an easy friendship through the years. He’d always been friendly and quick to laugh. She also knew that he kept Seb and Dane from killing each other, which couldn’t be an easy job.
Right now he wasn’t easygoing but a fierce competitor. They reached the other end of the pool at the same time but Chris’s powerful thigh muscles proved too much for her. He passed her easily and she had to dig deep for every ounce of reserve energy inside. Sucking air into her starved lungs, she was still behind when he seemed to surge forward. He was way ahead, touching the side long before she did.
“You win.” Her breathing ragged and her body drained, she barely managed the two words. Chris, on the other hand, hardly looked winded. She’d never really had a chance to beat him. Grinning, he levered himself out of the pool and reached down to lift her out. Before she could protest he effortlessly pulled her from the water and placed her on her feet.
“So I did.” She didn’t have time to feel self-conscious about the brevity of her swimsuit or how much bare flesh she was showing. He picked up her towel from the lounge chair and wrapped it around her shoulders, his fingers heating her skin wherever he touched. “Now we go out on a date. How about I fix breakfast in the morning?”
She’d have thought him the candlelight and roses type.
“You’re going to cook breakfast for our date?”
He shrugged but a smile played on his well-shaped lips. “It’s the most important meal of the day. Be waiting downstairs at eight o’clock.”
Susie groaned; she was no morning person. “It’s already one in the morning,” she protested.
“If you go to sleep now you’ll still get seven solid hours of sack time,” Chris replied reasonably. “If you want breakfast it’s eight or nothing. You know even better than I do that Seb and Amanda are running a tight schedule this week.”
Typical male response. He would get seven hours but she would be up earlier to take a shower, do her hair and make-up, plus pick an outfit. Wait…she wasn’t trying to impress him.
“You’re right, then eight it is,” she agreed. “This breakfast better be amazing.”
“It will be.” A dimple appeared in his cheek. “Thanks for keeping me company tonight.”
“You’re welcome. I think.” She wrapped the towel around her more tightly, a giddy feeling in her stomach despite the fact that she’d lost. She should be mad or upset but clearly her emotions hadn’t gotten the message. “I guess I better get some sleep if I’m going to rise and shine tomorrow.”
“Just one more thing.”
Chris gave Susie plenty of time to say no but the word was stuck in her throat. His lips came down on hers gently at first, then more fiercely as he felt her response. She could feel the heat coming off his skin under her palms and smell the mix of chlorine and soap. Pulled close to his muscular body, his hard cock pressed into the softness of her belly.
His lips dragged from hers and traveled over her jaw to her ear. Nipping at the lobe, he soothed the tiny hurt with his tongue before running it down her neck to the sensitive spot on her shoulder. Her fingers dug into his biceps as the bodice of her suit fell down to her waist. When he’d untied it she didn’t know but her nipples puckered as the cool air washed over them.
His callused hands cupped her breasts, lifting them as he brushed his thumbs over the already tight tips.
“Chris,” she whispered, an ache in her voice. Her body was already on fire, flames licking at her flesh and burning out of control, the heat short-circuiting any rational thought. Being with him wasn’t wise but her starved senses didn’t care. She wanted…no, needed this man who could set her on fire with a mere touch of his hands.
Lifting her easily into his arms, he laid her down on the cushioned chaise lounge chair. Staring up at the starry sky, she moaned as his mouth teased first one nipple and then the other until they were hard buds under his rough tongue.
“Lift your hands over your head, Susie Q, and keep them there.”
He’d done the same thing the first night – giving orders in that deep, commanding voice. And just like that evening, her arms raised of their own volition, gripping the frame of the lounge chair with her fingers. Somehow he’d tapped into the secret she’d held deep inside of giving up control to someone she could trust completely.
“Good girl,” he praised, sending warmth to her abdomen at the thought of pleasing him. “Obedient girls get rewarded. I think I know what you’d like.”
He certainly did. His lips trailed down her belly even as he tugged her wet suit down her legs, falling into a heap on the deck. Nibbling on her hip bone, he chuckled as she twisted her torso trying to get his mouth and tongue where she needed it most.
“I’ll give you what you need,” he assured her, his head dipping between her legs only to drag his tongue up her inner thigh. She groaned in frustration as he traced patterns on the sensitive skin but only skimmed near her slit.
“Please,” she gasped, her pussy and clit throbbing with need.
“I like it when you say please.” His voice vibrated over her already quivering flesh sending arrows of arousal through her veins. “Say ‘please, Sir’ and I’ll give you want you want.”
Licking her dry lips, it took all her effort to form words. “Please, Sir.”
“That’s my girl,” he crooned, pushing her shaking legs farther apart to fit his wide shoulders. His warm breath blew softly over her sensitive clit and she half-screamed as his mouth closed over the pearl. Tongue flicking, he teased the nub only briefly before sucking on it, his teeth softly scraping the sides.
Her climax hit her hard and fast, the stars above whirling and dancing in front of her eyes. Waves of pleasure suffused every cell inside of her body and she shook from the power it had over her.
Her lids fluttered open as her orgasm subsided and Chris was simply gazing at her, his brown eyes almost black with passion.
“Watching you come is a beautiful thing, Susie Q. But we’re only getting started.”
Limp and pliant in his arms, he rolled her so she was on top, straddling his thighs. His strong hands gripped her hips as he held her above his cock, not letting her sink down onto him. Her senses screamed to impale herself on his impressive length but he shook his head as if he could read her mind.
She should take the opening and run inside but she found herself shaking her head instead. “I’m on the pill. And I’m clean. I just had a physical.”
“I’m clean too. I’ve never done it without a condom. Are you okay with it?”
She wanted him more than anything right now. And she trusted him not just as a lover but as a friend. “Yes, it’s okay.”
“Then you’re only to do as you’re told. Do you understand?” His tone was firm but gentle and she nodded, not sure her voice would function at this moment. “Put your hands behind your back. There’s no touching me without permission.”
His golden skin beckoned to her and she itched to explore the planes and dips of his male body but he’d delivered on every promise he’d made so far, more than anyone ever had. She reluctantly put her hands behind her back and laced her fingers together.
“Good girl. Thank you for obeying even when you didn’t want to. I know that it can be difficult, can’t it? Submitting is not for the weak or faint of heart.” His warm chuckle made her tremble as she hovered over him, his cock at her entrance but no farther.
“Is that what this is?” she asked, her voice hoarse. “Submission?”
Chris smiled and massaged her bottom with his strong hands. “It is. I like to be dominant in bed. I think you like to be submissive, am I right?”
She nodded, not ashamed of her predilection but not ready to announce it either.
“We’re going to take this nice and slow. Lower yourself onto my cock until I’m inside you as far as possible. Do it now, Susie Q.”
She needed no second bidding. Pressing downward, his cock stretched the walls of her pussy, rubbing sweet spots until she was panting with pleasure. When he was in to the hilt she paused and closed her eyes to savor the feeling of being full of his cock.
Chris groaned and she opened her eyes to see his jaw tight, a muscle jerking in his cheek. “Jesus, that feels good. Your pussy is so hot and tight. So perfect. Now, go back up but not all the way. Only about three-quarters, then stop.”
Susie did as he commanded, taking a shuddering breath as she waited, her pussy clenching on the head of his cock and fighting the urge to slam herself down on him. Her thigh muscles burning with the effort, she corralled enough discipline – barely – to obey.
Chris’s chest rose and fell rapidly, his breathing short and ragged. If he was torturing her, he was doing the same to himself but his control seemed unbreakable.
“Slowly lower yourself again,” he said, his voice like broken gravel.
Susie sank down again, his beautiful cock filling her once more. She had to choke back a sob at the amazing feeling it evoked, the pleasure ricocheting through her abdomen and licking along her veins. Sucking air into her lungs, she closed her eyes and wriggled her hips experimentally, her clit rubbing his groin.
“Please, Sir,” she whimpered, desperate to be fucked hard and fast. Already moving toward the precipice, it wouldn’t take much to send her over.
He reached out and smacked her left ass cheek, leaving a hot handprint on the flesh. She jumped and the heat went straight to her pussy and clit, raising her arousal to never before known heights. She had to bite deeply into her lip to keep from crying out from the pleasure.
“You were naughty, swiveling your hips like that. You do only what you are told. Now you’ll have to wait longer for what you want.”
She mewled in protest but he shook his head. “Up, the same as last time.”
“Oh God,” she moaned as she lifted herself partway off of his cock, the mushroom head still stretching the walls of her pussy and sending arrows of pleasure straight to her clit. “Please, Sir. Please.”
This time Chris grinned, a dimple appearing in his cheek. “Do it, baby. Take what you need. You can touch me if you want to.”
She almost sang with relief as she braced her palms on his chest and speared herself on his thick cock, the ridges dragging over sensitive nerves in her pussy. She fucked herself as hard and fast as she could, his fingers gripping her hips to keep her steady.
When he pressed his thumb to her swollen clit, her spine stiffened and her toes curled as her orgasm took her even higher. Wave after wave flowed through her until she was limp and spent, lying on his chest, both of them gulping in air. His hand stroked her soothingly while he whispered soft words she really didn’t understand in her ear. Eventually her heartbeat slowed to normal and she relaxed in the reassuring strength of his arms.
At some point he wrapped her in a fluffy beach towel and carried her drowsy form into the house and up the stairs, depositing her on her bed. Pulling the covers over her body, he pressed a brief kiss on her lips between whispering in her ear.
“Breakfast tomorrow morning. If you’re late I might have to spank you.”
With that erotic promise he was gone, shutting the door firmly behind him and leaving her to contemplate what had happened between them.
Again.
But she couldn’t find it inside of her to be sorry. Christian somehow had tapped into the most private of her fantasies and was making them come true one by one.
Perhaps it was time to let go of a girlish dream and embrace a more womanly vision of her future. Maybe it was time to give Christian Rhodes a chance.
Chapter Five
‡
Susie paced the kitchen and tugged at the straps of her tank top. She was waiting for Chris to show up and fix her breakfast if she didn’t expire from nerves first. After a restless night, she’d decided this morning to give this thing with Chris a real shot. He was a terrific guy – smart, funny, and enjoyed an adrenaline rush just as much as she did. Not even adding in the bone melting sex, Chris was a catch. If they could make this friends and lovers thing work, it would totally be worth it.
She didn’t want to contemplate what might happen if they couldn’t. Losing Chris’s friendship was something she couldn’t even imagine.
“Right on time.”
Chris stood in the doorway of the kitchen with a grin that showed off his dimples. He was dressed in khaki shorts and a blue T-shirt, his feet stuffed into a pair of flip flops, and sunglasses perched on the top of his head. He looked tanned, fit, and utterly gorgeous.
Her stomach fluttered and her heart thumped in her chest. She could feel the heat in her cheeks as their carnal adventures crashed through her mind. He must have known what she was thinking because he grinned at her nervousness.
“I thought I might have been stood up,” she said, determined not to act like some dippy teenage girl. She looked pointedly at the clock over the stove that clearly read five after eight.
“I’m late but I promise breakfast will be worth it. Are you ready to go?”
“Go? Go where?” she repeated. “I thought you were going to fix me breakfast.”
“I am.” Chris hitched his thumb over his shoulder. “We better get going. You look pretty this morning.”
Warmth ran through her veins at his compliment. As a single woman who lived alone, she didn’t get many and was surprised at how it filled her with pleasure.
“Um, thank you. You haven’t said where we’re going.”
“That’s true, I haven’t. Don’t you trust me? I promise you won’t end up dead in a ravine or something. Are you ready?” he challenged.
Was this some kind of test? She did trust him and he ought to know that as she’d done some kinky things with him the last two nights.
“I guess so. Is our destination far from here?” she asked even as she was dutifully following him. “I’m pretty hungry.”
“We’ll be eating before you know it,” he assured her. “It’s too beautiful of a day to spend it stuck indoors.”
“That’s not really an answer.” But it didn’t look like he was going to enlighten her any further.
“I didn’t mean it to be one. You really seem to have an issue with surprises. Are you always thi
s suspicious?”
Frankly, yes. The last time a man had taken her by surprise it was because she’d found out he secretly had a wife and two kids.
“I haven’t had the best of luck with surprises,” she said instead. And men. And sex. And relationships in general. Not that she’d had that many relationships. She’d been too busy to date until the last few years.
But she had to admit the anticipation inside her was building. This better be one heck of a breakfast. They were currently walking along the boardwalk that paralleled the beach. The sun was shining and the palm trees were swaying slightly in the warm breeze.
Chris grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the strip of beach. “Time to lose the shoes. We’re almost there.”
Susie kicked off her sandals and let her feet sink into the soft sand with a sigh. There was something primal and satisfying about soles connecting with the earth. It was basic and simple but powerful. Chris seemed to feel the same way. His soft brown eyes were almost gold with happiness and a smile was spread across his face. He really was a handsome man.
“I hope breakfast is close by.” Her voice came out breathless. “I’m starving.”
“It’s good to work up an appetite. Just a little farther.”
He pointed into the distance and that’s when she saw it. How he’d managed it in the wee hours between one in the morning and now she had no idea but there it was. Perhaps he’d woken the concierge at the resort up the road or maybe he’d managed the feat all by himself. Either way, the man was resourceful and knew how to impress a woman.
Breakfast for two. Al fresco.
Chris had laid out a big red blanket on the sand each corner held down by a basket or cooler. They were going to eat with nothing around them but the sound of the waves and the occasional squawk of a bird in the cloudless blue sky.
“I like the way you think.” Susie shook the sand from her feet and dropped her sandals on the ground before stepping onto the blanket. A smug grin on his face, Chris followed suit, settling across from her.
“I thought you might like something… unconventional. You seemed like someone who would appreciate a more exotic setting than the kitchen.”
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