by P. J. Mellor
Swallowing, she finally managed to croak out, “No words.”
Executing a little shimmy against his marauding hand, she pushed his finger deeper. “Just action. Please,” she managed to say in a desperate whisper.
A whimper escaped her when he withdrew the tantalizing warmth of his hand and fingers.
Almost frantic, she grabbed the waistband of his underwear.
He grinned and wordlessly stepped out of them, his erection was huge, the head of his penis dark and shiny.
“Stop looking at me like that, darlin’, or it will all be over before we begin.” He grinned and patted her butt. “Turn around and hold on to the mantel for a little bit. Do you trust me?”
She could only nod and do as instructed.
The warmth of the fire heated her naked flesh, caressed her nipples.
Behind her, Ben closed the distance, his warmth branding her back, his erection searing her upper buttocks, where it lay against her spine.
He moved slowly, up and down, creating a sexy friction. The hard points of his nipples dragged up and down her back, causing her nipples to pucker tighter.
In slow motion, his hands caressed her hips, gliding around to trace her pelvic bone, sliding downward.
Fascinated, she watched his tanned forearms against the pale skin of her belly. His palms cupped her femininity, heating her as surely as if she’d straddled her favorite heated vibrator. Gently he moved his hands, petting her. She’d read about this phenomenon, but she still gasped when his actions caused her labia to bloom, opening for him, their damp furrows dark with the circulation of her excitement and glistening in the firelight. It beat the heck out of her vibrator.
With one hand, he gently pushed back, causing her labia to part more. Using his index and middle finger, he parted her farther while the fingers of his other hand stroked her dampness, spiraling her excitement until her breathing grew ragged, her nipples ached and the muscles in her thighs quivered.
“Shh,” he said against her ear when she tried to speak, to tell him she wanted more, so much more. His teeth worried her earlobe, causing a resurgence of moisture to shine her exposed flesh and drip onto the slate of the hearth.
“So pretty,” he said on a breath in her ear. “But I want more. Is that okay?”
Weak with desire, she finally managed to give a faint nod.
Before she could protest the removal of his hands, they petted her legs farther apart. In a heartbeat, he slid between her legs to sit on the hearth while she stood above him, a foot on either side of his lean hips.
His hot hands stroked up her legs, then again gently pushed her labia apart, exposing her to his rapt gaze.
He lightly blew on her dampness, the action causing a shiver to streak through her and pucker her now-aching nipples.
Pushing the soft tissue together, he traced every fold with the tip of his tongue. Just as she was about to tell him she wanted more, he opened his mouth and sucked her into his heat.
He continued massaging her, pushing her more fully into his voracious mouth, all the while alternately rubbing and plucking her nub to screaming awareness.
Every nerve ending in her body vibrated. Her knees grew weak. Her nipples puckered into aching points.
He slid two fingers of his other hand deep into her and wiggled them at the same time he took a little nip of her soft tissue before resuming his suckling.
On sensual overload, she dug her nails into his shoulders, locking her knees to remain upright. Deep breathing only did so much.
Her climax roared through her like a tsunami, drowning her in sensation and never-ending pleasure.
She may have screamed.
Her lungs were paralyzed. It took a tremendous act of strength just to drag oxygen in and out. She knew her muscles were the consistency of pudding. Oh, yeah, what she’d just experienced was worlds away from her best vibrator experience, with or without heat.
Surely, she was too spent to remain standing…. Oh, right, the tightness at her hips was Ben’s strong hands holding her up, the pads of his thumbs drawing lazy circles on the sensitive skin just below her hip bones.
Wait.
A tiny spark of excitement flared into a flame of desire within seconds. Her breathing accelerated. Her nipples puckered.
And when Ben pushed his sheathed erection into her, she was more than ready.
She was eager and willing.
25
Finesse flew out the window as Ben pumped into Reese with reckless abandon. How long had it been since he’d been so turned-on? Hell, how long had it been since he’d even been with a woman? That had to be at least part of his excitement.
Reese Parker was different. Deep down he knew it. And, also deep down, he knew she could spell trouble for him and the future of his grandmother’s island.
But, right now, buried deep in her wet heat, he didn’t care.
With a growl, he slammed into her one last time and did his best not to howl his frustration. It should have lasted longer. He should have made sure she’d climaxed at least once before he got off.
Was Reese Parker the kind of woman who would allow do-overs?
Damn, he hoped so.
When his breathing was somewhat under control and he was reasonably confident his knees would support his weight, he leaned forward to lick the side of her neck.
She giggled and scrunched up her shoulder, trapping his face in the fragrant cocoon of her smooth shoulder and neck, her flowery fragrance washing over him, surrounding him. Drowning him in sensation.
He wanted to kiss and lick every inch of her body, then do it all again.
But he’d just taken her, standing up, against the mantel of the lobby fireplace in his grandmother’s hotel. How would she react if he tried for an instant replay?
She struck him as the kind of woman to make love to in a bed, surrounded by flowers and candles. He wanted to make her scream, and he wanted to take all day and night doing it. Doing her.
Serious thoughts for so early in the morning.
“Hungry?” He eased from her solace and reached for his underwear in the suddenly cold lobby. A feeble light filtered through the clouds, telling him it was definitely daytime. “There’re quite a few canned things in the pantry and fruit-house out back.”
“More stuff to char over the fire?” A tentative smile curved her lips as she modestly pulled the quilt around her again.
Momentarily distracted by the smoothness of her skin, he fought the urge to tell her to forget covering up. Not in front of him. Hell, he wanted her naked, 24/7, for as long as they were together. Even if they weren’t fucking. He just loved to look at her.
“What?” He made what he hoped was a discreet adjustment. “Oh, uh, no. At least, I hope not. I saw a generator out back. Thought I’d see if I can get it started, while the rain has eased up a little.”
“I thought the hotel had been closed years ago. Would a generator still be hooked up?”
“Sure. It runs on propane, which was delivered on a regular basis.” At her amazed look, he shrugged. “That’s what I was told, anyway. And, since propane doesn’t evaporate, it’s a pretty safe bet there’s at least enough left to run the stove and water pump for a little bit.”
“And you know how to start it?”
“Sure. The battery is solar powered, so it’s just a matter of flipping the switch—”
“How do you know all this?”
Shit. How would he know it? “I told you, I spent a lot of time here as a kid.” He shrugged again. “You know how boys are, exploring everything. Besides, it’s the only way an island this size could get electricity, by generating it. It just makes sense.”
She nodded. “Maybe to you.” With a wave of her hand, she sat down on the sofa he’d pulled close to the fire. “If you don’t mind, I’ll just wait here.”
Flip-flops on, he headed toward the back door.
“Wait!” she called to him with a laugh. “Are you planning to go out in just your underwear?�
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His smile was relieved. For a second, he’d thought she was going to ask more questions. His knowledge of the island and the reason were no secrets, and he planned to tell her. Later. He stuck up his foot. “Nope, I’m wearing shoes. Don’t look so shocked. It’s not like anyone will see me, and this way, I won’t have to worry about getting more clothes wet. Be right back!”
The rain had slacked off from semityphoon status to a steady downpour. Ben had seen it before, so he wasn’t fool enough to believe the worst of the storm had passed.
Within seconds, his boxers were drenched and sagged low on his hips as he made his way around the hotel to the shed housing the generator. The pump controls were right where he remembered, next to the door. The generator looked just as he remembered, so he could only assume it was functional. He unlocked the control box and flipped the switch on the solar battery. In seconds, the generator roared to life. They would have to conserve, since he had no idea how much fuel remained, but at least they could use the bathrooms and the occasional light. He knew Reese would appreciate that.
Humming, he ducked his head against the intensifying wind and made his way back to the porch.
The old hotel seemed suddenly big and empty. Reese pulled the quilt tighter and looked around the lobby. It truly had been, and could again be, spectacular. All it would take was a little work. Well, maybe more than a little. But it would be worth it.
Though not large by hotel standards, it would be a huge B&B. Possibly too huge. Try as she might, she couldn’t picture the Dragon Lady running a place that large. Or any bed-and-breakfast, for that matter. It was so out of character.
Not for the first time, Reese wondered about her boss’s sincerity at wanting a change of career. Could sending Reese to the auction have been a ruse to get her out of Houston? And, if so, why? To her knowledge, no deals were pending.
A huge clunk echoed through the hotel. Reese could have sworn it jarred her bones.
“Oh, no!” She scrambled from the sofa and skidded down the hall toward the back porch. “Please, please, please,” she fretted under her breath as she ran for the back door, “don’t let Ben have blown himself up!”
A leap from the back porch landed her in Ben’s arms as he rounded the corner.
“You’re alive!” Relieved, she clung to his broad shoulders and rubbed her cheek against the firm, wet skin of his chest.
“Sorry to disappoint you.” He set her on her feet on the rough planks of the porch and then hopped up, wiping his hands on the leg of his boxers.
“What?” Where was the passionate guy of a few minutes ago? Had she read it all wrong? Was she, after all, just a convenient way of passing time on the island during the storm? Was she that out of practice with men that she hadn’t seen it?
“Lighten up.” He brushed a kiss on the end of her nose and pulled her along as he walked into the kitchen. “I was just kidding.” He glanced back over his shoulder. “Unless you were trying to off me back there.” He made a show of rubbing his chest. “You hit me pretty hard.”
He couldn’t possibly be serious. She deftly ignored the seductive sight of his bare chest, glowing in the weak light.
And she refused to allow her gaze to wander any lower.
For now, anyway.
“You’re kidding … right?”
At the entrance to the lobby, he whirled on her, pulling her tightly against his—she now realized—aroused body.
“What do you think?” His low voice was a half whisper/half growl as he rubbed his excited lower body against hers. His hands briefly skimmed her nakedness, beneath the quilt, before he pushed it away to land at their feet. “Although, now that I think about it, you definitely have a killer body,” he said with a grin, and an outrageous wiggle of his eyebrows.
Although she’d love to jump into his arms and continue what they’d started, she had to be serious. They hardly knew each other. Sure, they had great chemistry, or whatever you wanted to call it, but she was only here for a few days, until the auction.
To start something they had no intention of finishing would be counterproductive, and could quite possibly have disastrous ramifications in the long run. So, pleasant as it had been, it couldn’t happen again.
Darn it.
How could she put all that into words without sounding cold or harsh or just plain uninterested?
She couldn’t.
Instead, she reluctantly picked up the quilt and wrapped it around her nudity. She forced a yawn. “Do you think we have enough power to run water for a bath?”
He stared at her for a few seconds. “Sure. I guess. The pipes probably have some air in them and maybe a little rust from sitting for so long. Tell you what,” he said when her shoulders slumped. “I’ll go up and take a quick shower, to get things going. Then I’ll run the water until it’s clear for your bath and call you when it’s ready.”
“Thanks.” She smiled a smile she really didn’t feel and walked to sit on the sofa. “Sounds like a plan.”
Of course, a better plan would be to share his shower, but she knew that wasn’t a very good idea at the moment.
Avoiding further intimacy was her idea, and she was sticking to it.
Even if it killed her.
26
Paige’s head was throbbing by the time she left Bailey in the restaurant. Good Lord, was it really only a few minutes past noon? They’d gone on an excruciatingly long and boring tour of a local dairy barn, culminating with a seemingly never-ending demonstration of churning butter. Who the hell churned butter these days, anyway?
During their excursion, the drizzle had morphed into a torrential downpour. They were lucky they hadn’t drowned on their trek back to the hotel.
Soaked and exhausted, she’d made her excuses to her friend and trudged up to her room. Even fantasies of what she and Brett could do to fill the stormy day couldn’t warm her. Besides, after her nocturnal activities, all she was really interested in was a long nap under the soft, warm blanket.
Her purse landed with a dull thud on the rug, next to the door. Without turning on the light, she flipped the privacy lock and stepped out of her soggy sandals. The leather soles were already beginning to separate.
“Great. That’s two hundred bucks down the drain. Literally.” She unzipped her shorts and let them drop to the floor as she began peeling her halter top off over her head.
Goose bumps rose all over her body and she wondered if the air conditioning was on.
Suddenly heat covered her bared breasts at the same time she was pulled roughly against a hard, muscled male body.
A naked and fully aroused male body.
Her brain had just processed that as her lungs filled with air for her first scream, when Brett’s voice whispered in her ear, “About damn time you came back.”
The chill immediately left as heat streaked from her core to her extremities.
His big hands spun her to face him a nanosecond before his demanding mouth covered her surprised one.
A whimper of delight escaped from deep in her throat. She opened wide to accommodate his marauding tongue. A little hop pushed her higher in his embrace and her legs clung to his lean waist.
He growled, the sound low and feral. Primitive.
Her back slammed against the wall, his kiss all but devouring her, while his erection bumped wildly against her wetness.
With a frustrated roar, he tore her thong from her, tossing it like a piece of annoying tissue that was keeping him from his present.
The next instant, he was buried deep within her as they grunted with each penetrating thrust.
Reese sighed and sank deeper in the rapidly cooling water of the claw-foot tub. She’d have loved to have a really hot bath, but just couldn’t wait for the old water heater to do its thing. The cooler air of the bathroom, compared to the warmth by the fire in the lobby, would make the bathwater seem hot when she finally decided to get out of the tub.
She glanced at the locked door and tried not to fee
l guilty.
Ben had already taken a shower. If he joined her in the tub, she knew it wouldn’t be for bathing or water conservation.
Her soapy hand found her swollen clitoris and toyed with it, her breath catching at the intimacy of the touch. It felt good. Too good. No doubt her sleeping hormones had roared to life.
Too bad Ben wasn’t there to help.
No, wait, that wasn’t right. Backing off had been her idea. And she knew it was probably for the best.
But …
She sank down until her nose barely cleared the water and rested the soles of her feet on the edge of the tub, her legs spread.
She idly stroked her swollen folds, watching as her nub swelled from its hood. She’d never watched herself being pleasured, and it sort of embarrassed her.
But it also excited her. A lot.
Swirling soap around her breasts, she thoroughly massaged them, then slowly drizzled water from her washcloth until they were clean, her nipples standing in alert peaks, tingling in the cooler air.
Ready for Ben’s eager mouth.
No! Not yet, anyway.
Thoughts of Ben brought her hands between her legs again.
What was wrong with her? Had she become a sex addict?
Her hand moved faster, rubbing her slick folds, pinching her clitoris.
Water sloshed as her hips began to undulate. Faster. Harder.
Her breath caught when the first wave of pleasure washed over her, setting off aftershocks all over her body.
On sensual overload, she arched her head back and promptly took in a mouthful of water.
Choking, she floundered, slopping water all over the tile floor as she slipped and slid on the porcelain, trying to catch her breath.
Ben pounded on the bathroom door with enough force to splinter the wood.
“Reese! Reese! What’s going on? Are you okay?” Bang, bang, bang. “Reese! Answer me!”
Finally she was able to make a sound other than a cough. “I’m fine. I just breathed in some water. I’ll be out in a sec.”
