Selena raised a brow “What did you have in mind?”
“Catch me if you can.”
Selena’s head tipped back in another laugh as she clicked her heels against the horse’s sides.
I kicked my horse, and he stretched his legs out into a gallop. Selena quickly caught up with me. Sand flew in every direction as we galloped down the beach. The rhythm of the horse’s movements, the rush of adrenaline in my veins, and the whine of the wind in my ears thrilled me.
The last bit of orange light had drained from the sky by the time we turned the horses around and walked slowly back to where we started. I pointed out over the water when I saw a whale jump. “Oh, look. You can see a pod of whales out there at two o’clock.”
She gazed toward the ocean, shrieking with delight when she saw a misty spout shoot up in the air. “That’s amazing. This is such a lovely beach.”
“It really is the best. I find it so peaceful, and there is so much nature to be seen here. I see so many colors and varieties of fish whenever I swim and in the summertime, the female sea turtles flop up on the beach to lay their eggs. Nearby hatcheries protect the eggs and release the tiny turtles into the sea once they break out of their shells. They’re only about this big.” I stretched my hand out to show a few inches in length.
“Have you ever seen any barracudas?”
“I’ve seen a few—some several feet long—and they give you a mean stare but never bite. I guess I’m not shiny enough.”
Selena laughed.
We dismounted once we reached the vendor area. The man and the others with him all held cans of Mexican beer in their hands. “Did you enjoy the ride?”
“It was fabulous,” I said. “Thank you.”
“It really was great,” said Selena.
We turned and walked along the beach back toward my house. The sea breeze felt chilly without the sun warming our skin.
Selena pulled the white cardigan tighter around her body and shivered. “That was great of you to take me out on that ride, Nick. It was awesome. Almost as fun as bungee jumping.” She pushed a tangled mass of hair from her eyes.
“Bungee jumping? When did you do that?”
“Oh a couple of times in San Diego. Just when you think you’re going to hit the ground with a splat, you bounce back up in the air. It’s great.”
“Where do I sign up?”
“Anywhere in California. It’s so much fun. I think danger makes my heart stronger.”
That sounds like something I would say. I grinned. “I’m almost sure you’re right.” Selena was so different from the women I’d dated who avoided thrill-seeker activities out of fear they might break a nail, or suffer some other trauma such as running mascara or a speck of dirt on a white blouse.
Selena was such a natural beauty—she didn’t have to make any effort at all to look lovely. And she thrived on adventure. She’d looked so hot straddling that horse. I imagined how she’d sweat and her face would flush when her hips arched over mine.
“Nick. Nick. Are you in there somewhere?”
“What?”
“I just asked you what kinds of adventure sports you like and you didn’t answer.”
“Oh, sorry. I haven’t had much time to venture out much lately, but taking a dune buggy out for a rough ride is a good time and I also like scuba diving.”
“Hmm. Diving’s one thing I haven’t done. It would require overcoming my fear of sharks. The idea of seeing a great white’s teeth rising up underneath me…” She shivered and leaned into me. “It’s hard to wipe that image from my mind when I’m in the ocean.”
Her shoulder’s warmth against my arm made me imagine what her naked body would feel like stretched over mine. Her plump fleshy breasts, her muscular thighs, the smooth, slightly rounded curves of her belly. I let out a long breath, trying to clear my head.
“It’s such a beautiful night.” Selena’s voice came out in a sensual whisper. “Do you want to sit down for a while and watch the stars? I want to listen to the waves and enjoy the evening out here with you.”
I wanted to pull her down into the sand and devour her inch by inch. “Sure. I would like that a lot. Over there’s a good place.” I pointed toward a cove of rocks that surrounded a circle of sand.
We dropped down into the sand beside each other, facing the ocean. A waning crescent moon hung over the sea and waves crashed against the rocks and sand. Selena’s face, smooth as a rounded river stone, glowed pale blue in the moonlight. The shadows on her face changed as her gaze wandered over my body. “I’m glad we’re finally alone together.”
This isn’t a good idea. Not a good idea at all. I knew once we gave into our desires, there’d be no turning back. “We’re going to be alone a lot now—Felicita will be gone by the time we get back. I always give her Saturday night and Sunday off. I hope that’s okay with you.”
Powerful sensations ripped through me as her fingers brushed over my arm. “Hmm. Staying alone in the house with you sounds dangerous. I barely know you.”
The energy exchange between our bodies became overpowering. My cock ached, and I choked on the air I tried to breathe. “Who knows—it might just be the kind of danger you like.”
“I’m almost sure of it.” Her face moved in closer and the nerve endings on my cheeks and lips hummed with anticipation.
My eyes had adjusted to the scant light the moon provided, and I could see every delicate feature of her face. Her succulent lips were less than an inch from mine. She’s a goddess.
Her lips curled up in a smile and she reached out and traced a finger across my cheek before bringing it to her lips. “If my memory doesn’t come back, that doctor friend of yours might not let me travel and you might end up stuck with me for a long time.”
The possibility struck me as more appealing than problematic. I can familiarize myself with every inch of her naked body until she’s so relaxed in my company, she walks around the house naked or in silky underwear. “Hmm.” As my heart drummed a frenetic pulse inside my chest, I imagined the sensation of our lips meeting. I wanted her to be the one to break through that tiny barrier of space that remained between us. Selena wasn’t another one-night stand—she was more like a dream.
She leaned into me until our lips met. She gently brushed her mouth over mine. Her voice came out in a raspy whisper. Her kiss sent a shockwave of sensation racing through my veins. It felt as if every minute since I first pulled her from the ocean had been leading up to this moment. As the cardigan she had draped around her shoulders slid down her back and onto the sand, I gripped her bare shoulders and leaned in to taste her ripe lips, which pressed wet and eager against mine. As she nibbled and nipped at my lips, she leaned back further and I followed her downward progression onto the sand. I stretched out alongside her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her in closer, fully aroused by the press of her soft yet subtly firm contours against my chest.
"When did you know I wanted you?" Her voice was a breezy whisper in my ear.
I smiled. "Not when I pulled you from the water. You thought I was a thug then.”
“I awoke to see a gorgeous man leaning over me. That’s not something that happens every day. You turned me on so much, I wished I was dreaming so I could do whatever I wanted without consequences.”
Her warm breath on my neck sent a hot jolt of fire straight to my cock. “Hmm. I sure didn’t read that when you were carving out shapes in my arms with your fingernails.”
An ebullient laugh escaped from her lips. “Well, seeing you crouched over me made me wet in a way that had nothing to do with the ocean. I felt so embarrassed, I pretended to be angry.”
Holy hell. I’m going to come in my pants right now. I wanted her to feel safe with me, but I couldn’t control my instincts any longer after hearing that. I kissed her lips hungrily from every angle in between our exchanged words and then flicked my tongue over her earlobe and the nape of her neck. Her skin felt soft and sensual.
Her lips met m
ine, wet and eager, and she tugged me in closer, nibbling and licking until a lusty haze permeated my mind. “Are you sure about this? I don't want you to feel like I'm taking advant—”
She cut off my speech with a kiss and a tug at my zipper. “Oh, I’m sure all right. You’re the man that I want and I want every inch of you now,” she said breathlessly.
Blood surged to my cock from every direction. “Are you sure you don’t mind the sand? We can go inside if you want.”
She nibbled on my earlobe until shivers of excitement raced down my back. “So you only like to do it in bed?”
Wherever she wanted was okay with me. “Not necessarily.”
“I think this beach is a great place to make love. We have chilly night air, the sound of the waves, and that forbidden feeling that we’re misbehaving and might be discovered.”
I slid my hand over the smooth tanned contoured of her calves, grabbed the hem of her dress and worked it up over her hips, exposing her silk panties before baring her abdomen and breasts and pulling the dress over her head. The large ivory globes of her breasts glowed in the moonlight, starkly contrasting with the tanned skin around them. The sensual sight of them made me lightheaded. Selena was hot as hell.
I pulled off my loosened pants to relieve the pressure and then removed my boxers, letting my cock fall free.
“God, you’re so beautiful Selena.” I felt completely mesmerized by the sight of her. I wanted to savor every delicious moment we were together. I kissed her again and then brushed my lips and tongue over the delicious curves of her neck and then trailed down to a breast, relishing its succulent shape in my mouth before sucking a dark nipple in my mouth and flicking my tongue over it until it beaded. She arched her back, and her lips fell open in a groan. The lusty look on her face heightened my excitement. I worked my way over to the other breast, working my tongue over it until the second nipple matched the excitement level of the first one. “So you like to make love outside where there’s a chance you can get caught?”
Her laugh came out more like a sensual moan. “Sure—it’s much more fun that way. Although I can’t remember ever actually having been caught.”
“You must not have made enough noise to attract attention. Tonight, I’m going to pleasure you so much, everyone nearby will hear you scream.”
Just looking at Selena’s body and skimming my lips over her breasts was nearly enough to make me unload. Despite my excitement, I reeled in my instincts, gaining control so I could maximize her enjoyment.
All my previous sexual encounters had been hurried, desperate and sweaty. But I couldn’t imagine making love with Selena would be anything short of sheer bliss and I wanted to savor every delicious minute. There was something about her—she’d cast a spell of enchantment over me.
I traced out a map of her slightly rounded stomach with my tongue, circling my tongue around her belly button, entranced by her skin’s soft texture and fresh scent. Then I slid one finger into the edge of her purple silk panties, tugging them down just enough to make her want more. She raised her hips, making it easier for me to slide them over her swelling hips and down the curves of her legs. I skimmed my hand back up her thigh until I reached her mound and then my fingers explored her silky wetness, teasing the layers around her slit, plunging inside her hole and then flickering back over her clitoris.
“Oh, please, Nicholas, I want you inside me now.” She reached down and tugged at her panties, pushing them the rest of the way down her legs with her toes.
The primal need to bond intimately with her was overpowering. I felt such a visceral, desperate need to own her. It wasn’t just her body I wanted. I craved that deep emotional connection that I’d often fantasized about when I’d laid beside a woman after sex feeling strangely empty. Selena was my fantasy—the woman I would always want to be with one more time. “If you insist.”
Breathing heavily, I yanked off my pants and sunk into the wet opening between her wide-open legs, overcome by the sensation of her tight vagina squeezing my cock. I plunged in and out of her, shifting the angle to stimulate her clitoris. At the same time, I met her mouth in a furious kiss, making love to her mouth with my tongue, while my cock pumped in and out of her wet hole.
“This feels so amazing,” Selena groaned.
She tossed her head from side to side, her hair spreading out in the sand as I increased my tempo, watching her face flush and her tongue slide across her lips. I slowed the tempo again, teasing her, trying to hold her on the edge, wanting to make her wait long enough that when she tumbled over the edge, the orgasm would make her crazy and she’d scream out her release so loud, people would hear it in California. “Come on, baby, that’s it, just let go.” I fought to maintain control as heady sensations rushed to my cock and her wet walls clenched around me. I grunted like an animal, overcome with savage need.
Selena groaned, her hips arching desperately into mine. Our bodies slapped together as our movements intensified and my cock swelled larger as I approached my release. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to wait.
“Oh, my God, Nicholas. Yes. Yes,” she screamed, over and over again. Her walls squeezed me even tighter, milking me until I couldn’t hold back any longer and I exploded deep inside of her.
I held her in my arms, skimming my fingers over the soft contours of her bare back. “Being with you like this was so amazing.”
“It was wonderful. It was worth the near drowning experience to spend a night with you.”
One night. Just the thought sent a stab of pain into my chest. “I’d like to give you many more nights like this if you’re up to it.”
“I think I might be able to bear it.” She nestled deeper into my arms.
My arms, legs and even my toes entwined themselves around her limbs. Lightning flickered in the distance, and a breeze brushed over my body. “I think another storm’s moving in—we better get back to the house.”
I stood and reached for her hand, helping her to her feet. We leaned on the rocks and helped each other brush sand off of our bodies before dressing. I took hold of her hand, and we walked back to the house laughing like the carefree new lovers we’d just become.
* * *
Thunder rumbled as we walked down the hallway toward the bedroom. As I turned toward Selena, another flash of lightning illuminated her face. “Would you like to sleep in my bed tonight?”
Her voice came out a seductive whisper. “Yes, Nicholas, I would.”
After a shower, we nestled together in bed. Her breathing eased, and hours after she fell asleep, I continued to lay awake, wondering if the man from Selena’s nightmare lurked outside watching and waiting. Lightning flickered through the window, and rain pelted the glass.
While Selena had brushed her teeth in the bathroom earlier, I’d hidden the gun under the mattress. If he comes, I’ll be ready.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Selena’s soft curls tickled my arm, awakening me. I opened my eyes and unfamiliar warmth erupted inside my chest as I gazed at her sleeping feminine form. The tips of her hair, illuminated by morning sunlight, glowed gold. I skimmed my hand over her tresses. Her eyelids closed, her red lips were turned up in a smile as if she was thinking about something sensual. Making love to me, I hope.
I didn’t want to wake her, so I continued staring at her, daydreaming about how it would feel to awaken beside her in bed every morning. I felt a stab of pain inside, when I realized my desires were impractical.
My career-oriented lifestyle didn’t allow for days off and out of control emotions. And Selena had her own life in a different city. There would be no happy ending for us.
Apparently, she sensed the intensity of my thoughts and my gaze, because she raised her head and opened her amber eyes, her brows drawing together. Her voice came out deep, husky, and just awakened seductive. “What is it? I can sense you’re thinking about something intense.”
“Nothing. You’re just so beautiful, that’s all.”
She rolled over on her
side and threaded her hands through my hair. “You look upset.”
“I’m not upset at all, I was just thinking.” I traced a finger over her cheek, aching to make love to her all over again. But I regretted having let the relationship advance to the bedroom. I could handle the hurt of saying goodbye. At least I think I can. But what about her?
“About what? You’re not comfortable here with me…like this.”
“In some ways, no. I feel like I let my attraction to you get out of control. I was supposed to take care of you, not this...”
She brushed her fingertips over the ridges of my chest. “But what happened was mutual, we both wanted it. What are you so afraid of?”
Mostly, these new emotions scared me. I enjoyed being with her so much; it had almost become a need. “That you’ll want something from me I can’t give. My work schedule just doesn’t leave much room for a relationship.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not expecting anything lasting. I make it a point to avoid attachments. Once you care for people…” She became too choked up with emotion to finish. A tear slid from the corner of one eye, and she turned her head away.
I pushed up on an elbow and turned her head in my direction, wiping the tears from her eyes. “It doesn’t always have to be like that.”
I wanted to say that nothing would happen to me, that I would stand by her, take care of her, and make sure she never had another difficult day in her life. What’s wrong with me? This internal dialogue didn’t sound as if it were coming from a man who ran a multi-billion dollar enterprise, who had just planned to explain to his new lover that a long-term relationship could never work.
“What do you mean?” Her eyes widened, the gold flecks in her irises showing an intensity, a desire I interpreted as her wanting me to say what we had mattered.
The words I wanted to say—I’m the one you can depend on forever—never escaped my throat. “Someday you’ll meet someone you can always depend on.”
Seaside Seduction Page 6
