I turned back to flash a warning smile. “I have a feeling Maddie’s watching us right now.”
Edwin was one step behind, but when I turned back we stood eye to eye. He didn’t leave me any room to breathe. His warm breath touched my lips and I nearly expired. “We’re here now. Let her watch.” He brushed a kiss across my lips and my dark lashes fluttered shut, with one single devastatingly sexy kiss.
I waited for another kiss, but after a second of silence I opened my eyes to find Edwin smiling. He raised an eyebrow. “Registration?”
“Tease,” I said, then shuffled up the rest of the stairs ahead of him.
He reached past me, to get the door, and I gladly let him open it for me. I stepped inside the registration room. It was as rustic as bark on a tree, raw wood touching every surface in the place. A beautiful young girl sat behind a heavy wooden desk. She looked innocent enough, wearing her ruffled white blouse and honest smile, until she turned that innocent smile on my man.
Jealousy raged deep in my chest, my teeth clenched, and my emerald eyes darkened, as I narrowed them at her. She didn’t seem to notice, her fascination with Edwin obvious, as she turned all her attention on him. Lips parted, lashes fluttering, could she be any more obvious? Edwin certainly noticed the fact that she was ignoring me entirely. He cleared his throat and linked our fingers together, then drew my hand to his mouth. His eyes reached mine when his lips touched the back of my hand, relieving enough of my tension for me to wipe the scowl from my face. A soft smile took its place.
Sharing a warm smile, I was confident my claim had been staked. The young lady drew her eyes away from my prize and was intent on keeping her attention on me now. "Welcome to the Southwind Inn," she said. So annoying. And fake.
"Thank you," I chimed, equally as cheerful. Also fake.
"Do you have reservations?"
I do, but Edwin doesn’t seem to have any. "We do. Jenkins. Abigail Jenkins. I have two rooms for the weekend."
Edwin looked at me and smiled, but remained silent. The girl typed quickly on her keyboard in an attempt to find some information about our stay.
"Oh, yes! Here you are. You have the studio cabin and the 2-bedroom reserved. Can I see some photo ID please?"
I pulled out my wallet and handed her my Driver’s License. She looked at the card and up at me to compare, then scribbled down my number.
"Thank you," she announced, as she handed it back to me.
I stood there, boredom consuming me, as she fumbled around behind her desk. She finally reached out four keys, dangling them before me. I extended out my hand and she dropped them dramatically, as if I might burn her if she got too close.
"I seem to have your MasterCard on file already, so you're all set." She passed me a couple of pamphlets and started into a speech about the resort. "This is where you’ll find everything you need to know about our grounds. A map to help you find the cabins. You’ll find the hours of operation for the restaurant on the back there. There are fresh towels at the poolside. Oh, and if you need anything else, there is always someone in the office."
"Thank you so much," I said, scooping up the brochures. I smiled at her, but I was not happy.
She had a wide smile for me and a wink for Edwin. I wanted to wrap my hands around her skinny little throat and strangle her.
"Yes, thank you," Edwin added, kindly nodding his head at her and smiling back at me. He pulled me toward the door, before I could give her a piece of my mind.
The girl stood from her chair, the legs scraping across the floor. "I must say. You two make an awfully cute couple," she gushed. Then after a harsh sigh, "I wish I were so lucky to have what you two share."
"Uh, thanks?" I said, gazing into Edwin's eyes in search of his reaction.
He winked at me and put his arm around my back as we turned to go.
"Enjoy your stay!" she called after us.
"What was that all about?" I asked, after the door banged shut.
"We must be giving off vibes. You certainly were,” Edwin said with a chuckle.
“Puh-lease. She was totally ogling you. It was disgusting.”
“Can you blame her?”
I rolled my eyes and dropped Edwin’s hand, then pulled open the passenger door and slid onto the soft leather seat.
"Where to?” Edwin asked, eyes on me.
I opened up one of the pamphlets to find our cabins. After leaving me squinting at it in confusion for a minute, Edwin yanked it from my hands with one swift tug. "Give me that. I can figure it out way faster than you ever will."
"Whatever," I sniped.
He ran his finger over the map. "Got it. What did I say, huh? I'm the man," he insisted. "Say it."
"You're so full of yourself," I retorted, unwilling to give him any props.
"Say it!" he repeated.
"I'm not saying it!" I also couldn’t stop smiling.
"Please stop! You two sound like an old married couple," Maddie shouted.
I snickered to myself and flashed Edwin a knowing smile. He subtly acknowledged my glance. Maddie obviously hadn’t been paying us any attention. We were hardly sneaking around, but it had become a bit of a game.
Edwin drove down the dirt path slowly but had no trouble locating the cabins. He parked the car in the oversized dusty gravel parking space next to the rustic wooden cabins. "Huh," he said, as he glanced over the resort's map. "That place we just passed seems to be the studio. It looks like we have shared parking."
"Perf! We're so close to the guys. Hunter won't be able to hide from me," Maddie said smiling.
"Great," Edwin moaned.
Maddie hit Edwin on the shoulder, before I could. “Give me the key,” she insisted.
I reached my arm into the backseat and dangled it out to her. "There are two. You can keep that one,” I said.
"Sweet!" Maddie yanked the lonely key out of my grip.
I dropped the other key into my purse and handed Edwin the others before getting out of the car. While Edwin stopped to take a good stretch, Maddie hurled herself past me to get to the cabin first.
"Take 'er easy," Edwin hollered.
"This is so great! Our cabins are right next to each other. Hunter won't know what to do with himself," she chimed.
And she was right. Hunter was stuck with her whether he liked it or not. Aside from the parking area, the only thing separating our cabins was a couple of overgrown hedges and a few large, bushy trees in the surrounding yard. I, being a little less excited about the accommodations and a little more excited about the handsome man unlocking the trunk, stepped around the car to see him. Maddie began to squeal with excitement inside the cabin. I doubted it was that intriguing.
"I guess it's as good as we hoped," I said smirking.
Edwin hooked an arm around my waist and pulled me toward him possessively, our bodies colliding. Standing there, behind the open trunk, Maddie couldn’t see a thing. "I'm here with you. That's enough for me," he said, in a low sexy growl, then covered my mouth with his.
When I came up for breath, I fluttered my dainty eyelashes hoping it would help my situation. "I just wish that we could share a cabin."
"We'll be together. Don't you worry about that."
When I pulled out of his arms he gave my rear a swat, then grabbed my bags from the trunk. He flashed me a dangerous smile as he carried my bags behind me, leaving all the others at the car.
"I think I'm starting to have fun with this secret lover thing,” Edwin said. “It's so…"
"Stimulating?" I finished.
"I was going to say arousing, but I could definitely do stimulating." His lips curled into a devious smile.
I liked it. Unable to stop myself, I spun around and linked my arms around his waist for another lingering kiss.
"I'm definitely going along with the secret scheming, if it turns you on that much,” Edwin said against my lips. His fingers skimmed over my nipples, straining against my shirt. "You have no idea how hard I am right now," he breathed in my ea
r.
I squeezed my eyes shut, imagining him in all his naked glory. Then on a sharp breath, I turned on my heel and continued up the sandy flagstone path. When I walked in the cabin, any chance at intimate conversation vanished in an instant.
"You snooze you lose! I get this room," Maddie boasted. She jumped into the doorway of the corner room, blocking my entry like a child.
I approached her casually and shoved her aside to peek inside the room. It was smallish, but tidy, with a queen-sized bed and an amazing, picturesque lake-view. Brushing quickly past Maddie, I headed for the other room. "I'll deal." I didn't plan to spend a whole lot of time indoors anyway. My room was a bit smaller than the first, but otherwise it was the same. One queen bed was pushed up against the front wall of the cabin, and covered in clean blankets of soft blues and white. The room smelled surprisingly fresh and felt like an airy ocean-like oasis.
Edwin took one step into the room and plunked my bags to the floor, snapping my attention from the bed. A sexual charge heated the room and with him blocking the door, it suddenly felt like especially tight quarters. He turned away from me and leaned out the door. "Your bags are in the trunk. Close it when you’re finished," he said to Maddie. He swung back around to face me, brandishing a wickedly sexy smile. He slammed the door shut and locked it securely behind his back, not removing his eyes from mine.
After glancing out the side window at the lush, green forest, I dropped myself backward onto the fresh, fluffy bed, eyes closed to hide from Edwin’s heated stare. Reveling in the relaxed atmosphere, in the confines of my temporarily private room, I stretched my arms over my head and took a deep breath.
At last, I found one downfall of the place. The walls were paper thin. I heard every angry slur Maddie made about Edwin's rudeness. I giggled softly, in my uninterrupted oasis. "So, what do you think?" I asked.
Edwin made his stealthy approach. "I think it's perfect," he said, his voice deep and serious. "I think you’re perfect.” He drew his knee onto the bed and locked his darkened blue eyes on mine. “And I think this is the perfect time to see if this bed can hold up to our high standards." He raised his arched eyebrows, his eyes full of promise, and crawled onto the bed like a savage animal, aggressive and hungry.
Frozen on the bed beneath him, my emotions swayed between exhilaration and anxiety. He hovered over me, waiting for me to give in. I locked my eyes shut, but his body continued to call my name. When Edwin’s lips hooked onto mine, wild and ravenous, I whimpered for more. The delicious pressure of his hard, heavy body, rocking against me only intensified every flick of his tongue. Floating among the fluffy clouds, Edwin’s firm, possessive hold on me threatened to steal my only connection to reality.
I heard a woman's faint cry of desire. The sound was coming from my room. I abruptly opened my eyes and Edwin lifted up as I froze in a state of panic, until I realized that cry was my own. Still fiercely clung to Edwin, he smiled at me, amused. I released his shoulders and dropped to the bed.
"You realize I can here you in there," Maddie hollered.
After a moment of silence, staring into each other’s eyes, we both broke into an uncontrollable laughter. It felt like we had gotten caught by my mother and were being warned to stop before she came in and made us. I wasn't even sure that Maddie knew what she thought she heard, because aside from my soft, desperate cry for more, we weren't saying anything at all.
I covered my face with my hands. "I'm sorry. But I don't think Aliah would appreciate it very much if we did the dirty in her bed."
"If we don't now, it's only a matter of time before we do,” Edwin said. “Would you rather Aliah and Hunter break the bed in first?"
“Ugh,” I groaned, fighting the urge to rip off his clothes. I bunched his shirt in one hand and pulled hard until he was on top of me bracing himself for a one long, delicious kiss. Before his roaming tongue could convince me to stay, I shoved him off of me and leapt from the bed, prowling toward the door.
"You can blame me," he pleaded desperately.
"Oh, I will. Let's go check out your place. You should get there first so you can claim the King." The truth was we needed privacy, and fast. I flashed a look at Edwin, then blasted out of the room into the common area. I walked straight out the exterior door leaving it wide open.
Predictably, Edwin jogged out of the cabin after me.
CHAPTER TEN
~
EDWIN FLUNG THE DOOR open and I stepped inside his cabin, curious and amazed. My mouth dropped open. Wow! The ladies definitely got shortchanged in this deal. Edwin only smiled and nodded, taking it all in with me.
The suite was fit for a honeymoon, much more elegant than I expected for a friendly weekend retreat. The room was complete with a wood burning fireplace, Jacuzzi tub, modern décor and panoramic views of the forest and lakeside. The windows were trimmed with wispy transparent drapes that fluttered delicately in the warm breeze. I lost myself in the whimsical atmosphere, without noticing that Edwin was admiring me while I admired the space.
He closed the door and locked the deadbolt. "You realize I have both of the keys right?" he asked in a deep, growling voice. He approached me, slow and deliberate, but I didn’t dare turn around. His big hands landed on my hips and skimmed up my waist, dragging my shirt up with them. He tugged me back against him and I could feel his fierce erection pressed against the small of my back.
"What are you getting at?" I whispered, trying not to squirm like a school girl.
His fingers brushed the hair from my shoulder and his lips caressed my neck. "While I can appreciate your morals - and I do, don't get me wrong - I need you.”
My mind wandered, as Edwin swept me up into his arms and effortlessly lowered me onto the oversized bed. Edwin stood over me a sensual grin on his face, before he lowered himself on top of me. Our lips locked and our bodies moulded together. Edwin's hands were touching me everywhere, as he scrambled to kick off his shoes.
Edwin rolled me on top of him until I pinned his solid body to the bed. Knees spread wide, I ran my hands under his shirt, exposing his full chiseled abs. His eyes were closed but that didn’t cool the wave of urgency flooding me. I lifted his shirt over his head eager to uncover his entire body. I flattened my palms on his firm, bare chest.
"So, what do you say?" I pressed myself against the crowded bulge in his pants.
He moaned, and not hesitating for another breath, "Yes!"
Amused with his impatience, I slowly, lightly circled my tongue around his nipple, before closing my mouth over it. My hand found him through his pants and he grunted again, raring to go. After working open the button on his pants, I slowly eased down his zipper. I slipped my cool hand in his pants and wrapped my fingers around him, only a thin veil of fabric separating our skin.
"How would you like it?" I whispered, squeezing tighter.
A bead of moisture soaked his shorts and a muffled groan sounded from his throat as I pulled him free. I twisted my grip and stroked his length, not that he needed any more foreplay. He was ready to go.
Before I knew what hit me, Edwin had me flat on my back, stripped of my summer clothes. “Off,” he said, reaching for the snap on my bra.
When I wiggled free from it, I was completely naked. So was he, like a naked statue only bigger and stronger and real. He pressed his firm erection against my soft inner-thigh and frantically dropped wet kisses all over me, until I didn’t know which way was up. When he glided over top of me, every nerve ending sparked alive. The urge to have him inside me was pulsing at high capacity. My legs trembled with anticipation.
“Now,” I begged, arching my back and bucking against him.
When Edwin’s mouth reached mine, he slid over me again, taunting, tempting my pleasure. My intuition begged me to open my eyes. I refused. Focusing on the thrilling energy swirling around us, and the wet tension between my thighs, I refused to be drawn back to reality. Edwin’s tongue slipped inside my mouth and his lips muffled my moan as he dipped toward me.
That’s when I heard it. Again. This time it startled me enough to break me from my sexual daze. I tried to push Edwin off of me, but failed miserably. Wanting to scream, ready to cry, I sat up as best I could and froze against his hot, hard body.
"Did I hurt you?" he asked.
"No! Shh!" I said, listening carefully.
Two seconds of stillness was all it took to confirm that we were no longer alone. There was someone outside the cabin.
"Aww man! What’s it gonna take to get laid around here?" Edwin grumbled, slamming his fist on the soft bed.
I pulled myself free from him and hurriedly collected my clothes. "Ditto,” I said, equally as frustrated. “I'll get you later," I promised, as I attempted to refasten my bra. I swiftly pulled on my clothes and checked myself in the mirror. After straightening my tousled hair, I paced to the window and pulled aside the dainty fabric that hardly covered it. Just as I had suspected, TJ's burnt orange Wrangler was parked next to my car.
Aliah and Hunter were standing next to the jeep, while TJ locked it up. Aliah immediately caught a glimpse of me through the window and hollered out, waving hysterically. "Hey girl. We made it!"
I dropped the panel and headed for the door. Edwin followed behind me with his shirt in hand.
"Nice timing guys," he hollered sarcastically, slamming the door shut behind him.
"Ohhh!" TJ hollered back, bumbling around and acknowledging Edwin’s sexual frustration.
I rolled my eyes at them both and shook my head in annoyance. There would be more of that over the course of the weekend, I’m sure.
The bright sunlight was already starting to fade to a light glow, as the sun began to set in the sky. TJ and Hunter pulled out their bags and headed for the cabin, shoving and tripping each other, trying to get to the cabin first.
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