Downunder Heat

by Alysha Ellis

  Their mouths met, his lips closing over hers, opening them. Their tongues touched and she tasted the tart sweetness of the lemon gelato he’d had for dessert and the subtler sweetness that owed nothing to what he had eaten but was an integral part of him.

  His arms tightened and he pulled her closer, the hard ridge of his cock pressing against her an unmistakable signal of his desire. Needing to get closer, she rocked her hips, wanting the feel and the heat of him.

  He groaned and lowered his hands to her bottom, pulling her in hard against him. He thrust his tongue in and out, in time with the surge of his groin against hers. She widened her stance, opening herself, giving him access to…

  A chorus of laughing voices crashed her into awareness. Zakk lifted his head, dropped his hand from her bottom and eased back. Through dazed eyes Kitty watched a group of about twenty people, male and female, coming along the beach laughing and shouting to each other, some carrying baskets and insulated drinks carriers, some picking up pieces of driftwood as they went.

  “A beach party,” Zakk whispered. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Kitty wasn’t sure her shaky legs would propel her across the sand, but Zakk’s arm around her waist gave her the support she needed to walk.

  Without another word, they reached the car, got in and headed back toward the city. Tension, stirred into life by the wild kiss, made her breasts tight and achy, and her hardened nipples rasped against the lace of her bra, keeping her on edge. Moisture dampened her panties and she smelled the musk of her own arousal. The hard lines of Zakk’s face, the tight set of his lips and the twin slashes of red on his cheekbones, told her that he felt the same need, the same urgency. The silence between them became part of the tension, too heavy, too redolent with meaning to be broken by triviality, too sexually charged to be ignored.

  At her apartment building, Zakk pulled into a parking spot, leaving the car at an angle in his rush to get out and open the door for her. He took her hand and marched up to her flat. As soon as she opened it, he spun her inside and body-slammed her up against the door, his mouth locking onto hers. He searched with his hands for the zipper of her dress, pulling it down, unclipping her bra, cupping her breast in his hand.

  He pushed her dress up to bunch around her waist and reefed her panties out of the way. Kitty felt the brush of his knuckles as he undid his belt and shucked off his pants and underwear, then he was there, his hard cock nudging at her entrance, hot and impatient. Once more she opened herself to him, hot and wet and ready.

  He thrust hard, sliding inwards on her moisture, his thick cock stretching her. His legs, longer by far than hers, lifted her and her weight pressed downwards, seating him deeper. Her back pressed up against the door and, with each flex and surge of Zakk’s powerful legs, she rose and sank back down, her clit throbbing and rubbing against the base of his cock as he drove into her. Zakk clamped his hands around her bottom. Kitty wrapped her legs around his hips.

  His breath rushed in and out of his lungs, the harsh rasping sound combining with the heavy thudding thrusts of this wild abandoned mating until she screamed and convulsed, her back arching, her vision going dark and her entire body pulsing in a tsunami of pleasure.

  A deep groan broke from Zakk, and he dropped his head and closed his teeth on the tendon of her neck, sending aftershocks rocking through her. He pushed hard and deep and held there as his cock pumped out hot cum. His hands clamped her to him as if he was trying to meld their two bodies into one.

  At last he lifted his head and Kitty slid her legs down to the floor. In a half-stunned, replete and dreamy state, Kitty watched as Zakk bent once more and withdrew from her body.

  “Oh shit.”

  Zakk’s expletive burst her out of her post-coital stupor.

  “I didn’t use a condom.” He banged his head against the door. “Shit, shit, shit, shit!”

  “Zakk, it’s okay. I don’t have any diseases, I promise you. And if you don’t—”

  “What? No. I don’t have any… But that’s not the point. I should have protected you. If you get pregnant…”

  She wrapped her arms around him and stroked his back, trying to comfort his obvious distress. “It’s not likely, Zakk. Not likely at all. Even if it were the right time of the month, which it’s not, I am old enough that, even if I were trying to get pregnant, it would be very, very difficult.”

  “I hope you’re right, but we won’t do it again.”

  “We won’t?” she squeaked. “I was really hoping we would—not right away, I mean. But later. Another time, maybe. I bought a box of condoms and everything.”

  Zakk’s eyes went wide and Kitty felt the heat rushing to her cheeks. What must he think? He’d just said he didn’t want sex again and she’d blurted that out! She tried to pull out of his grasp, to pull her dress down, lift the top to cover her breasts—anything to armor herself.

  A choked sound drew her attention back to Zakk. His eyes danced and he dissolved into laughter. “We won’t have sex again without a condom! That’s just common sense. How could you think I wouldn’t want to have sex with you again after what we just did? Hell, that was one of the very best experiences of my life and I am ready to go again right now.” He bumped his groin against hers. The hard rod poking into her stomach proved he was not lying. “So, you bought a whole box of condoms, huh? Wanna go test ’em out?”

  Without waiting for an answer, he scooped Kitty up into his arms and strode with her to the bedroom. No one had ever carried Kitty anywhere before. If anyone had asked, she would have described it as a silly, pointless gesture and probably gone on to say something about the likelihood of back damage to any man foolish enough to do it. But, cradled in Zakk’s strong arms, it suddenly seemed like the most romantic gesture she could imagine, and the ease and care with which he carried her made her feel weightless and cherished.

  “Where’s the bedroom?” he whispered in her ear, and she stretched one arm out and pointed. He slipped inside the open door. He placed her on her feet, stripped the dress away then lowered her to the covers. “This time we take it slow.”

  “I liked it wild and fast,” Kitty felt compelled to tell him. “It was one of the best experiences of my life, too.”

  “Good.” Zakk smiled. “We’ll do it wild and fast again later. You drive me crazy, woman. But this time I want to explore every inch of you.”

  He put actions to words by nibbling her ears, nipping and licking until she hunched her shoulders and shivered. After a slow slide down her neck, he took a nipple in his mouth and sucked gently. The soft tug sparked a live wire sizzle down to her still wet and sensitized pussy.

  She squirmed restlessly and slid her hands down to cup his balls, the heavy roundness an erotic weight in her palm, her fingers stretching up to stroke the base of his cock.

  Zakk tensed and he grated out, “Condoms! Now!”

  “On the bedside table,” Kitty whispered. When she’d brought them home she’d shoved them into a drawer, hiding them under her panties, but tonight, while dressing for the evening, a streak of boldness she hadn’t known she possessed had made her pull them out and place them where they could be seen…and reached…and used…

  If Zakk wanted her, then she wanted Zakk just as much, and her decision to put the condoms in open view marked her acceptance of that relationship.

  Zakk leaned up over her and groped around, found the box and tore it open with a small grunt.

  Reaching up, Kitty grabbed the condom from his hand. “Let me.”

  Too impatient to search for the opening nick, she ripped it open with her teeth and tumbled the ring of latex onto her palm. A gentle shove on Zakk’s shoulder gently, rolled him onto his back. “Mmm,” Kitty hummed. “Nice view.” Her hands caressed him as she slid the condom onto his hard cock, letting, enjoying the small moan of pleasure that accompanied her actions. It felt so good, she circled her fingers around his wide girth and squeezed, a soft pumping that made Zakk jerk his hips up off the bed.

&n
bsp; “Oh shit, there goes slow,” he muttered as he spun her around and slammed her back down onto the bed, entering her in one strong, smooth sweep. “I swear I’ll get to it next time,” he added, his hips lifting and falling, driving into her hard and fast.

  Kitty loved the glide of his cock, but even more she loved the power his sexual desire gave her. He said she drove him wild and he showed it was true. The sound of air rushing in and out of his lungs, his snarl of pleasure, the frantic dive and retreat of his hips, the sweat beading on his brow and turning his skin to wet silk, the heated scent of musk rising from his body—all combined into an erotic symphony that played on every nerve ending and pleasure center in her body. He groaned out her name and that added the final, perfect note. He knew who he was with and he wanted her. There was nothing more. She dissolved into a quaking, quivering orgasm that rocked the deepest, most unexplored center of her being.

  Like a sympathetic explosion, her release triggered his and he arched against her, a shout of satisfaction torn from him, his body vibrating like a plucked string. He stayed that way, every muscle pulled tight for a long moment. At last he lifted his hips, rolled to the side of the bed and tugged the condom off. He dropped it into the waste-paper basket.

  He lay back down beside her. With one arm pillowed behind his head, he wrapped the other around her to pull her into his side. “Next time we’ll take it slow.”

  The glow of great sex surrounded Kitty, and for a moment she was happy to just lie there, feeling content and desired…and hot and sticky. She wriggled, the wet glide of skin on skin not quite so sexy now that their frenzy of sexual need had temporarily abated.

  “I need a shower,” she said.

  “I’d come with you,” Zakk said, “but I think I’d better stay here and recoup my energy instead.” He grinned at her. “You wore me out, woman. I’m not eighteen anymore. Not that I ever got a chance to do three in a row then, either. I just reckon I could have.”

  He stretched, and, even though Kitty really didn’t think she could face another bout of sex at the moment, her mouth still went dry as she watched the play of shadows from the slanted light from the bathroom falling across the muscles on his chest and stomach.

  Kitty retreated while she still had the strength of will. In the shower the warm water washed away some of the aches. When she emerged from the bathroom wrapped in her light robe, Zakk was waiting for her in the doorway of the bedroom. He leaned forward and sniffed appreciatively. “Hmm. You smell lovely. All soft and womany.”

  “Womany, huh,” Kitty snorted.

  “It’s a word,” Zakk replied with mock dignity. “It means sweet and lovely and very, very sexy. Like you.”

  He reached down and planted a swift kiss on her lips, then stalked unconcernedly naked and semi-erect into her bathroom. Kitty slumped onto the side of her bed and sat there, not sure what she should do next and positive she didn’t have the energy to do it.

  The sound of off-key singing emerged from the bathroom over the splash of running water. A smile curved her lips. It amused her that he sang badly but had the confidence or the sheer delight in life to do it anyway.

  When he came back to the bedroom, he pulled her into his arms and tugged her back onto the bed with him. “Come here, you.” He nuzzled her neck. “One last kiss with the most womany woman in the world. Then I really should leave. It’s late.”

  “Stay,” she asked. “I’ll make you breakfast.”

  “An offer too good to refuse,” he replied. “And, after a good night’s sleep, I’ll have lots of excess energy to burn off…”

  He chuckled and Kitty gave herself up to his embrace, snuggling in as he spooned behind her. His erection nudged against her. He was abstaining from initiating another bout of sex, not because he couldn’t handle it, but out of consideration for her. Zakk, her handsome, considerate lifesaving hero—the perfect man. A perfect man who wanted her. With a deep sigh of contentment, wrapped in his arms, she fell asleep.

  * * * *

  When she awoke, the sun was shining through the window, the bright light making everything sharp and clear. Before last night she’d have scurried over to close the blinds, cut out the light, reduce the room to gloom so that Zakk would not see her flaws and signs of age… But not now. Now she felt confident, ready to face the sun and accept herself the way Zakk accepted her—as she was.

  She smiled and rolled over onto her stomach, propping herself up on her elbows, and looked at the man lying face down next to her. The sheet had been kicked to the bottom of the bed, leaving his perfect, tight buttocks on display for her to study at her leisure.

  A white line marked where his bronzed back gave way to the strip of skin covered by his swimwear. Before she was aware of making the movement, she’d reached out and traced the mark. Instantly, Zakk twitched and rolled over.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to wake you.” Sliding out of bed, she picked up the robe Zakk had tossed to the floor last night. “I’m going to make coffee, and I promised you breakfast.”

  “You did,” Zakk replied, “but it can wait. I promised you I’d be recovered by morning. And you did wake me up. You’ll have to pay for that.”

  With one quick tug on her hand, he tumbled her back into bed and the robe hit the floor again. The long lingering kiss he pressed to her mouth removed any thought of breakfast.

  He slid his mouth down her body, kissing as he went. “What are you doing?” Kitty asked.

  Zakk looked up, his chin on her naked stomach and a smile spread across his face. “Seeing if you taste womany too. I was going to do it last night, but you’d had enough, so I saved it up for morning.” His dark eyes sobered for a moment. “Are you okay for this, Kitty? Not too sore?”

  She stretched a little and felt a twinge or two, but they were pleasant twinges, reminders of time very well spent. “No. I’m not too sore.”

  “Good.” His grin got wider. “Just scream when you’ve had enough.”

  And scream she did. Zakk’s tongue and teeth worked in perfect synchronicity to turn her into a quivering shaking mass of melted female. If being womany brought her to this, then she was all for it.

  Before the quivering subsided, Zakk donned a condom and slid smoothly inside her. And this time it was slow. Slow and leisurely, punctuated by soft, tender kisses and long, languid strokes. Instead of a wild rush to orgasm, they climbed steadily, looking into each other’s eyes, watching the tension build, feeding off each other’s pleasure.

  When her climax hit, it was a deep throb that seemed to go on and on, with Zakk’s lips fastened to hers, his body pulsing out his release at the same time.

  Their bodies stilled and they lay with Zakk’s head resting in the crook of her neck, their hands clasped, fingers linked on the pillow either side of her head.

  After a long moment, he lifted his weight from her and sighed. “I wanted to stay for breakfast, Kitty. I intended to. But I have surf patrol this morning and we just used up any extra time I had.” He pushed himself upwards. “I’ll have another shower here, if you don’t mind, then I’ll have to rush home, get changed and get down to the beach.”

  “Yes, of course,” she said.

  He got out of bed and walked away. Kitty told herself to get up, to do something, but she lay there another couple of minutes. Then she heard the bathroom door open and she forced herself out of bed, pulled the much mistreated robe back on once more and walked out to find Zakk in the living room gathering up his clothes. He turned his pants back the right way out and, as he did so, a pile of square condom packets fell out of the pocket.

  “You had some anyway,” Kitty noted.

  Zakk bent and gathered them up. “I knew damn well what I had in mind and came prepared for it.” He smiled at her. “I just wasn’t prepared for the way you’d make me lose my senses. And then later… I wasn’t going to leave you and get out of bed to get these when there was a box right there.”

  He looked at the little pile in his hand. “
I was going to say I’d leave these here, but it occurs to me that any time I’m with you, the need for these could—ahem—arise in an instant. I think it might be safer to carry these with me at all times.”

  “Even in your bathers?” Kitty asked with a grin.

  “Only if you’re going to be at the beach again today,” he replied.

  “Not today,” she said. “I have things to do, and I wouldn’t want to distract you from your duty.”

  “And you would,” he agreed. “If you were anywhere on that beach, I’d be constantly watching for you instead of keeping my eye out for people in trouble.”

  “Speaking as one of the people in trouble you have rescued, I don’t want to be responsible for you not keeping your mind on the job. Go do what you have to.”

  He kissed her again, and pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. “I’m on duty all day. I’ll call you when I can.”

  “You do what you have to do,” Kitty repeated, returning the kiss.

  “I’ll see you soon, though, okay?” Zakk said as he bent to tie his shoes. He straightened and headed for the door. “And next time I will stick around for that breakfast.”

  He pulled the door shut behind him, and Kitty leaned against the sofa, feeling like a whirlwind had rushed through her life, shaking it up, changing it round and leaving her not sure she recognized herself.

  She bent to pick up her new dress. Okay, maybe everything would have still happened without it, and maybe she hadn’t needed to shell out two weeks’ salary to ensure Zakk’s enthusiasm, but she smoothed out the creases and hung it in her closet with the greatest of care. Regardless of how much the dress had contributed to what happened last night—and this morning—she would always treasure it for its link to one of the most exciting, wonderful times of her life.

  With Zakk gone, Kitty went about her normal routine. Every time she stretched to put something away and her clothes pulled tight against her skin, she thought of Zakk’s hands and mouth touching her. Before she threw the sheets in the washer, she buried her face in the crumpled white bundle and inhaled the intoxicating aroma of him that clung to the fine white cotton.