by Alexis Anne
He grinned. “With the cowboy?”
“Yep.”
“Did you tell him who you are?”
I blushed crimson. “No . . . not exactly. I told him I was an artist. Or, well, at least Annie is.” I know it sounds counterintuitive that an actress would feel funny playing a part, but this wasn’t the same thing. When I was working everyone knew I was acting. Colt didn’t. And even though it gave me the exact freedom I needed to finally relax, I felt terrible inside.
I was a big fat liar to a really nice guy I cared about.
Even though we’d only known each other a day.
Okay, so all of it was nuts. The connection, the sex, the wanting . . . none of it made sense so soon.
So did it really matter if he thought my name was Annie from Miami? Or that I had a trust fund so it didn’t matter that I worked in a small private school as the art teacher? None of these pieces of information mattered or hurt him in any way.
But for me it was everything. I wasn’t Lily Lawrence—a tabloid joke. For the first time I finally understood my sister and why she legally changed her name.
That last little bit of hurt I felt toward her slipped away. Elizabeth needed to escape our parents even more than I did. If anything, I felt terrible for asking her to stay as long as she did. I owed my big sister a big, fat apology.
“And was the sex amazing?”
I shot him a look that told him to mind his own damn business.
“Never mind, that was a trick question. I know you got laid and I know it was amazing. All I really care about is whether you were responsible.”
Now what the hell did that mean? “We both consented to the semi-anonymous and short-term sex.”
He rolled his eyes. “Well of course you both did. You’re hot, hungry, and alone. You used a condom, right?”
I froze. Condom.
“Oh fuck. You really are out of practice.” Ted disappeared into the bathroom and came back with a stack of foil wrapped condoms. “Too late to fix the twenty times you did it last night, but for fucks sake be safe from now on.”
I stared at the condoms.
How had we not even thought about using protection? We were two grown, overly responsible adults. Condoms were safe sex 101.
Oh god.
Ted touched my chin. “I’m sure everything is fine, Princess. You won’t get preggo, you’ve got the IUD still, right?” I nodded. “Good. Then all you have to worry about is—”
“Sexually transmitted diseases. Oh god.” I buried my face in my hands. On the bright side, Colt was out of practice, too. And didn’t he say he always needed to trust the women he was with? That had to help with the disease factor, didn’t it?
Oh, who was I kidding? This was a crap shoot. “I need to see the doctor as soon as we get back.”
He patted my head. “You and me both. However mine is just to be extra safe. We actually used condoms last night.”
“And how are you doing? What happened with the angry brunette?”
He grinned. “Her name is Charlotte, Charley for short, and I’m in love.” He said it quickly and looked away.
Which could only mean . . . “No.”
He peeked back. “Yes. I mean it, Lily. I love her. She’s the perfect woman. She’s a total ballbuster.”
“Obviously.”
“Obviously,” he agreed, swiping a hand through his dark hair. “She pushed me in the pool after our first conversation and I’ve got to tell you, she’s like that all the time.”
I liked her already. “But love, Ted? After one night?”
“Says the woman who hasn’t stopped smiling. Tell me, does your midnight cowboy speak to your soul when he’s fucking you blind or were those moans I heard coming from your side of the bungalow purely sexual?”
I didn’t answer. Mostly because I hadn’t realized I’d been that loud.
“I’ve heard you have sex many times over the years,” he said matter-of-factly. An unfortunate truth that went both ways. “And I’ve never heard you like that. Or him, for that matter. He sounded . . . happy. Very happy. And my impression of the grumpy cowboy was that happy was not normal for him.”
“Were you standing outside my window or something?”
He shrugged. “Charley and I didn’t quite make it into my room the first time.” He cleared his throat and looked away.
Ew. “You two banged on that bench out there? And listened to us while you were doing it?” This was taking our friendship way too far.
Way too far.
“Don’t be ridiculous. We were trying very hard to ignore you. It’s not our fault you were that loud.”
I covered my ears and tried desperately to drown out the image of Ted and Charley listening to us.
“Which is it, Princess? Was the soul involved?” He lowered my hands and dipped down to catch my gaze.
I hated admitting how much Colt affected me. “The soul was involved.”
“So you do understand what can happen in a single night. You can meet that person who gets you and know.”
“All I know is that I don’t have time for this.”
He rolled his eyes. “That’s an excuse.”
“I lied to him.” I spun back, finger in his chest. “Because someone encouraged me to do so.”
“If he likes your soul as much as he likes fucking your body, he’ll understand.” He twirled away from my jabby finger. “Look at where we are. Half the people here are using an assumed name. You don’t know his real name is Colt.”
True.
Ted had a point.
But it didn’t erase the fact that he was a workaholic and I was too busy cleaning up a mess to fall in love with someone. Love involved selflessness, something I didn’t have to offer.
Not yet.
“Look, if Charley is your other half, great. I’m happy you found it and instantly knew. But don’t expect me to feel the same way. We’re best friends, not identical twins.”
He shrugged. “And here I thought you were making progress. Turns out crabby pants is still in there.”
CHAPTER 6
We heard the falls long before we saw them. I expected it to sound like deep thunder or maybe the drums in a band, but it wasn’t like that at all. From the distance the sound had a high pitch and the closer we got the more it overtook everything until it felt more like the falls were vibrating the air than creating actual sound.
Maybe they were. Sound did that, didn’t it? That’s how we got sonic booms and stuff. Sound that was so powerful it actually changed everything around it?
Well, that’s what this was like. It was as if Colt and I stepped through some sort of force field and slipped into an alternate reality where we were the only two people in the world.
“It’s all ours,” he murmured against my ear, wrapping his arm around my waist. His loose t-shirt hung damp around his muscles. The tendrils of his hair flattened against his brow beneath his cowboy hat.
“Guess that’s the benefit of a private island.” Limited numbers of guests and all . . .
I craned to try and see the top of the falls but the sunlight blotted it out. A wall of water tumbled down into the pool in front of us. Smooth rocks jutted here and there separating the green tropical jungle from the oasis.
“I was right. Worth every penny.” He dropped his pack and stripped off his shirt so he was wearing only his trunks. “Are you up for trying something, Annie?”
How could any woman say no to a smile like that? Pure mischief lit up his eyes. “I don’t know. Can I trust you?”
He took me in his arms, pressing his firm body flush against mine, his voice dropping into a growl. “You trusted me last night. Trust me again.”
A shiver of want raced down my spine. Want to be with him, sure, but also a need to let everything go and drown in the possibility of it all. “Okay.”
His hands dropped to my hips and began gathering my sundress. Inch by inch the fabric slid along my skin until I felt the air cooled by the falls. I
lifted my arms, giving him permission to strip me down to my bikini.
Strip my clothes, my thoughts, my fears. Take them all.
It was almost as if he could hear the words running through my mind because his eyes darkened with worry. Then he dipped down to my throat and began to nuzzle, dropping soft kisses until he reached my lips. “No tomorrow, Annie. Just today.” He kissed me again. “You and me. Here. Now.”
I held him, memorized every curve and dip of his back as we kissed reality away. Then he took my hand and led me to the ledge that ran up to the falls. From the distance it didn’t look that high. Boy was I wrong. Perspective was a tricky bitch. Up close the ledge was at least thirty feet from the water. And with the falls crashing beside us, it was a terrifying place to be.
Also thrilling.
At least that was what the blood thumping through my veins seemed to be screaming.
“Have you ever done this before?” he yelled above the noise.
I shook my head. “No! Have you?” Dear god, I hoped so. Someone should have a clue. What if this was dangerous? What if the falls took us under and drowned us? We were alone. No one would rescue us and they’d find our bloated, dead bodies days from now.
“We’re not going to die,” he laughed. “I recognize that shade of green.” He ran a finger along my cheek. “There are a lot of cliffs where I’m from. I’ve been jumping my whole life. I promise I’ve got you.”
For some reason that sent a thrill through me. I’ve got you. I didn’t think most people understood how precious a sentiment like that could be. They probably had lots of people who had their backs. Maybe to them it was just an expression.
But not to me. I’ve got you was a precious commodity, even if he didn’t really mean it the way my silly heart took off with it.
“Just tell me what to do.”
His eyes lit up and my heart beat even faster. I liked the mischief, but even more, I liked this. The excitement. Yeah, that’s what it was. Excitement that I’d agreed to match his challenge.
All right, Mr. Cowboy. I see how you play.
“Make sure you have a steady foothold,” he instructed while demonstrating, “then leap. Feet first, toes pointed. You can cross your arms like this if you want to.” He crossed his arms over his chest, fingers on his shoulders. “Then swim to the surface. I’ll be right beside you the whole time.”
And he would. It was probably a sad comment on the people in my life, but usually when people said that what they really meant was I’ll be here doing the same thing but I won’t be thinking about the fact I just asked you to do something you’ve never done before, and I’ll leave you behind to fend for yourself.
But then again, that was how I learned to be so fucking good at everything I decided to do. So maybe I should focus on thanking everyone for helping mold me into the woman I was.
Yeah, I was going to go with that.
“Let’s do this before I chicken out.”
He shook his head. “I get the feeling you usually attack everything you decide to do.”
And before I could fully process how fucking amazing that one little sentence made me feel, he nudged my hip, cocked his head, and we both leapt off the ledge together.
For a moment the free fall felt amazing. No gravity. Nothing holding me down. And then cold, hard reality in the form of water surrounded me, took my breath away. The water was freezing and I clawed my way to the surface so I could scream.
Colt beat me to the top, his strong arm reaching to help pull me the last few feet to freedom. The first thing I heard after the water cleared was his laugh and hoot of victory. “Yeah! Whoo! Isn’t it great to feel alive?”
My frustration melted away, replaced by the high Colt was feeling. I was so distracted by the rush and the cold I’d missed the adrenaline. I swam into his arms and kissed the crap out of him.
“Well hello.” He kissed me back, one hand on my neck, the other around my waist, urging me to wrap my legs around him. “You know the best thing to do after a stunt?”
I ground against him. “What?”
“Sex. It keeps the high going.”
“Here?”
“We’re alone. We’re alive . . . ”
He had a point. “Aren’t you cold?”
“Warm me up,” he whispered, the playfulness gone. I wasn’t sure where it went or why, but the urgency turned me on just as much as the mischief had.
The water pushed us further and further away from the falls until we could touch the bottom again. Birds screeched in the distance, trees sheltered us from the sky. We were two people alone in a jungle and no tomorrow. He swam us over to an outcropping of rocks in the middle of the stream. “Do you think you can lean against these?” His hands cradled me, holding me with a gentleness that took my breath away and made me want him even more.
“Yes.” It was exactly like hanging off the edge of the pool back home. I leaned on my elbows and let my body float. “You really jump cliffs all the time?”
He flashed me another smile as he unlaced the waistband of his trunks. “Well, I used to. I’m too busy to have fun now.”
That was a damn shame. This Colt was charming, endearing, fun. And sexy. So very, very sexy. “Maybe you should make the time.”
He froze. “Same.” Then he positioned himself between my legs, a hand on each thigh. “When we met yesterday you had a worry line right here.” He touched between my eyebrows. “I thought it was permanent but you know what? It’s gone now.” Then he smoothed my hair and cupped my cheek just as he pushed against me, lighting me up.
I pushed back, wanting more. “Maybe we should move here. No more work for you, no more worries for me. We’ll build a little hut over there and live off of the jungle.”
His cock began to grow thick and hard. “And what would we do with our days?” He ran a thumb over my top, searching for my nipple. “Jump off of cliffs all day and fuck all night?”
The jungle faded away as I closed my eyes and gave in. His fingers danced and played, back and forth, back and forth. I began to throb as my blood rushed south, seeking out the erection he kept pressing against me. When I glanced down I saw the soft tip peeking out of the top of his trunks. “Why not? We’re good at both. We’ll probably live to be a hundred and ten with a relaxed lifestyle like that.” As opposed to the sixty-two my grandmother made it to.
“I think if we really want to explore this idea we should test it out.” He reached inside his trunks, pulling the front down enough to free his thick cock. I angled my hips in invitation. “We’ll start with post-cliff diving sex and then graduate to picnic sex.”
He hooked a finger around my bikini bottoms and pulled them to the side just as he thrust inside me. Inch by inch he worked deeper and deeper, stretching me, opening me to him. I had never been this naked with a man. It helped knowing this was it. Tomorrow afternoon I turned into a pumpkin. My secrets stayed secret, my real life carefully separated from this little piece of heaven. Because of this I could give Colt things I normally kept private.
I could show him when I was unsure or scared and trust that he wouldn’t use it as a weapon to strong-arm me. I could give him my body without worrying that he might use it against me the next time he needed something. I could feel good and know that it came without consequences.
“Yes, Colt.”
He gripped the rock beside me, using it for leverage. “You’re all right?”
This wasn’t a bed and it most certainly wasn’t the most practical situation, but it was amazing nonetheless. “Yes. Are you?”
“Never better, babe.” He let out a gasp, then a moan as he sank deep. “But I think slow is the name of the game here. For both our sakes.” He grabbed my hip with one hand and thrust that little bit deeper, my core pulsing once, twice around him.
I shuddered with delight. I knew it was a physical reaction—his cock was inside me, after all—but it lit me up everywhere. My mind, my heart . . . everything felt warm and tingly, too.
An
d then . . . he took things up a notch. “Don’t move,” he said as his hand moved to the place our bodies met, finding my clit. Neither of us said anything as he touched me. Pressing and rubbing, then circling. His cock stayed buried deep and I got the impression he enjoyed feeling my reactions to each new way he touched me.
Every flutter.
Every pulse.
“Can I—” he gasped for breath as I clenched around him, “—can you go a little higher?”
I pressed up on my elbows, rising out of the water until my breasts were in his face. “Like this?”
He closed his eyes, groaning. “God, yes.” Then, without any flare he took my left nipple into his mouth, bathing suit included. He swirled his tongue several times until he felt my body contract around him, then leaned back just enough to use his nose to nudge my top free on the right side, exposing my other nipple. “Just keep talking to me, okay? Let me know when you’ve had enough.”
I’d rather lose feeling in my arms than ever have enough of this. Feeling good—being made to feel good—by Colt was everything.
This time he was slower, gentler with me. He nuzzled my nipple before flicking it with his tongue, then gently tugged with his teeth, all while finally beginning to thrust up and inside me. Each fresh invasion took me higher until I felt every bit as wild as I had when I burst out of the water.
“Yes,” I gasped. “Can you go higher?”
He smiled around my nipple. “Like this?” He thrust hard.
The water splashed around us. “Yes.”
“I can, but if you want more, I really need you to lay back a little.”
So that’s exactly what I did, giving Colt my body to do with as he pleased . . . for now. On land I’d get my turn. He stepped back, holding my hips in his hands, and began to pump harder, faster, while I pressed back, meeting each thrust until a spectacular orgasm hit me hard and fast, taking Colt with me into the oblivion of not giving a single fuck about what tomorrow might bring.
* * *
“DO YOU LIKE RED GRAPES?” Colt held up a bunch.
