"You know I do," she breathed. "I've wanted you since the first night I saw you."
"I won't make you any promises. I can't. I don't have it in me."
She wondered briefly what he meant by that, but let it slide. "I'm not looking for promises. I'm looking for you to show me just what those hands of yours are capable of. Last night was a tease."
"Are you sure?" He studied her for a long moment, looking for something in her face to indicate that she wanted this.
She answered him with a kiss, soft and searching at first. She let her lips brush against his, teasing, testing. He didn't move, letting her decide what was next. She opened her mouth and took his bottom lip into it, sucking gently, then nipping lightly with her teeth. He moaned, encouraging her to continue her exploration. She dipped her tongue into his mouth, and he responded with an urgency that let her know he wanted this as badly as she did.
He dropped his hands to her hips and pressed her even closer to him. She could feel the heat of his erection pressing against her belly and she gasped with need. She wanted this man. For a day or for a week, she didn't care, she just needed to have him. Their kiss intensified and Meredith let him trail kisses down her throat while his hands moved up her sides to cup the outside of her breasts.
"Yes, please," she breathed.
"Please what? What do you want, baby?"
"You. I want you. All of you. Now."
"Impatient, aren't we?"
He pulled back and stared into her eyes as his thumbs made wide circles around the edges of her nipples. She strained against him, her hips squirming against his in an attempt to relieve the pressure building quickly inside of her.
"I'm going to take my time with you, Meredith," he said, his eyes never leaving hers. "I'm going to have you screaming my name and begging for more before you take me inside of you."
Her breath hitched at the dirty talk and she felt as if she would burst if he didn't stop the endless circles and give her some release. No one had ever talked to her like that before and she found it unbelievably sexy. She wanted to hear more.
"Tell me what you're going to do."
His eyes became even darker if that were possible and he lifted the corner of his mouth. "Naughty girl. I'm going to touch you everywhere." He finally flicked his thumb across her nipple as he said it, causing her to cry out in need. "Then I'm going to taste you everywhere." Oh, God, yes. "Then I'm going to watch you come for me. And when you can't take it anymore, I'm going to bury myself deep inside of you until you come again."
He stopped moving and stared in her eyes. "Are you okay with that?"
She had to laugh, but it sounded more like a moan to her ears.
"Now you have no choice. That's a promise you have to keep."
He scooped her up and in three quick strides was at the cabin door. He threw it open and walked down the stairs until he was standing before his bed. He lowered her carefully onto her back and she stared up at him, taking in his bare-chested and magnificent body. She sat up and tried to pull him down with her, but he shook his head.
"Lie back and enjoy. Right now this is for you."
He slipped her sheer swimsuit cover off her shoulders and she was left lying in nothing but a tiny white bikini, waiting for him to make the next move. The torture was endless. He'd meant it when he said he was going to take his time.
Starting at her ankles, he rubbed her calves in gentle strokes, slowly working his way up to her thighs. Just when she thought he was going to cup her with his palm, he ran his hands over her hips and up her stomach. He began making slow circles again around her breasts, this time working his way inward until the pads of his thumbs rubbed her nipples into tight peaks. She gasped out loud as he pinched first one, then the other. She had never been so carefully tended to before, and she halfway thought she might come with nothing but his incredibly skilled hands.
He lifted her back up from the bed and reached behind her to pull at the strings of her bikini top, letting it fall way.
She couldn't resist. His hip bones were just visible above his shorts and she had to taste him. She ran her tongue across his stomach and wrapped her hands around his hardness, feeling it pulsing beneath her fingers.
He groaned in pleasure, but gently pried her hands away. "Not yet, baby."
Not letting go of her hands, he lowered her back to the bed, and keeping her arms held fast above her head with his own, he settled his body between her legs and followed through on his promise to taste her everywhere.
He mimicked the circles he'd traced before with his tongue this time, finally taking her breast into his mouth and flicking her nipple with his tongue. When she thought she couldn't take it anymore, he released her hands and licked a trail down her stomach, causing her to flinch with pleasure as his hot mouth came in gloriously close contact with her curls that were drenched with desire.
Once again, just as she thought he was going to give her sweet relief, he bypassed her center altogether and ran his tongue down her thighs, nipping gently at the sensitive skin behind her knee.
Just. Wow.
"Cole," she pleaded. "Please."
"What do you want, baby?"
"I want you to make me come."
He smiled at her words, as wicked as the devil himself. "Your wish is my command."
Pressing her legs apart, he traced her with his fingers, building her need with every touch.
When he finally brushed his finger across her most sensitive spot, she nearly came apart, but he pulled away just before she could.
She laughed, arching her hips toward him in frustration. "Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?" The twitch of his eyebrow told her he did, in fact, and was taking great pleasure in it. Before she had a chance to say another word, he thrust a finger into her folds and she was so wet that it slid in like silk. He slowly moved his finger within her, then added another.
She closed her eyes, reveling in the sensations, feeling her body rock in time with the rocking of the boat. Her climax built, and at long last he lowered his hot mouth to her and flicked his tongue back and forth in slow laps, bringing her to the very brink. When he closed his mouth over her and sucked gently, she flew into a million brilliant pieces, crying out his name until her throat felt raw, and rode the endless waves as they took her beyond paradise.
***
Cole watched her ride out her orgasm, relishing in the fact that he'd brought her there. She was as gorgeous as a sea siren sending him over the edge of insanity. As she came down, he continued to move his fingers within her, slowing slightly with each stroke, to sooth her before he took her for another climb. She opened her eyes and stared into his. The way she looked at him with such a sated pleasure had something clicking into place in his chest. He didn't recognize it and didn't want to. Instead, he brought himself above her and kissed each of her eyes in turn before placing a gentle kiss on her smiling lips.
Withdrawing his hand from her silken folds, he adeptly removed his shorts, and she licked her lips as he sprang forth. God how he'd love her mouth on him, but as it was, he was hanging on by a thin thread. It would have to wait. When he came, he wanted to be inside of her.
"You ready?" he asked.
She exhaled heavily and said, "I don't know if I can handle another one like that."
"Just you wait."
Grabbing a condom from the nightstand drawer, he ripped the package open with his teeth, one hand never leaving her head where his fingers were tangled in her hair. He covered himself quickly, and hovering above her while her hips arched and bucked toward him, he placed another kiss on her forehead. He thrust into her, fast and deep, then stilled as he waited for her to adjust to his size. Her eyes widened briefly before she let them close. Wrapping her legs around him, she pulled him in deeper and he began to move within her, savoring her velvet warmth. Their desire built again and he moved faster, and she met him thrust for thrust. He clung to her as if his life depended on it until she cried out his name again. Her bo
dy pulsed around him and he let go of reason, diving off the cliff with her.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Meredith stretched her body lazily, not ready to move from the perfect comfort of Cole's arms. That. Was. Mind-blowing. She couldn't remember ever having been so thoroughly tended to, and the orgasms had been off-the-charts explosive.
Turning to curl up next to his body, she entwined her legs with his and was shocked to find herself becoming aroused all over again. She lifted herself up on one elbow and looked at him where he was stretched out on his back, hands clasped behind his head. He had become even sexier if that was possible. She wanted to devour every inch of him, as he had to her, and she wanted to do it again and again.
Not quite sure what that implied, she studied his face while she tried to figure out how she could make that happen. They had a little over a week left before she had to return to New York.
"You like what you see?" Cole murmured, his eyes still closed.
She grinned wickedly and rubbed against him. "I thought you had fallen asleep."
"I'm just conserving my energy. I'm not done with you yet."
A thrill of excitement and pleasure shot through her at his words. While he had more than satisfied her, twice, she wanted more. That was new. She typically felt a twinge of relief when her few ex-boyfriends had done the deed and promptly dozed off. She couldn't wait for another chance to go at it with Cole. He was unlike anyone she had ever been with.
"I'm going to hold you to that," she responded, eliciting a lazy smile from his lips. She settled back onto the bed, letting the waves that gently rocked the boat lull her into a hypnotic state. So what was she going to do to make sure that the rest of this trip was filled with hot days with Cole and even hotter nights?
She sat up with a start, an idea forming.
"Hey," Cole protested, pulling her back toward him. "Remember, I'm not done with you." He lifted her deftly and settled her over his hips, and she could feel him hardening again between her thighs. He closed his eyes again, tracing lazy circles with his thumbs where his hands remained on her hips.
"About that," she began, gathering her courage when he stiffened, his hands stopping their gentle caress. "I know I said I was okay with no promises." She watched him carefully and noticed him clenching his jaw repeatedly as if he were trying to remain calm. She was suddenly nervous, not sure how he would respond to what she was about to propose.
Best to just get it all out at once, she decided. "I was thinking, considering you aren't done with me and all, and since that was hands down the best sex of my life—" He smiled at that, and she relaxed slightly, feeling a bit of renewed confidence. "Maybe we should make use of my remaining time here. You know, like a fling. It would be an awful waste to not put your skills to good use. And I could definitely handle being on the receiving end of those skills."
She stopped talking, realizing she was rambling, and held her breath. He didn't say anything. Had she ruined the moment, after he'd clearly stated he wasn't able to make her any promises?
Cole slowly opened his eyes and regarded her, finally saying, "A fling?" He said the words as if they were unfamiliar to him.
Okay, not the best response, but definitely not the worst. "Yeah. No strings attached. We get to spend the next week finding ways to please each other, and then when it's over, we go our separate ways." She didn't like the sting in her chest at those last words, but she shoved it away mercilessly. They lived completely different lives, and it was silly to imagine anything extending beyond their time here.
"A fling," he repeated, this time trying the word out as if he were considering it. "I think that might be an experience worth having. No strings?"
"No strings."
"Deal." He smiled at her, but she noticed it didn't quite reach his eyes. They were an unfathomable depth of swirling doubt. She didn't have time to worry about it, though, because the next instant he bucked his hips slightly and she found herself aching for him to be inside her again.
She ground her hips against him, relishing in the feel of being completely naked and uninhibited with him. He reached for another condom and slipped inside her, kissing away any other thoughts she may have had.
***
A fling. Cole had to admit, it was a new concept for him. He was used to one night with a woman and often made a point not to be there the next morning. It was better that way. Safer.
He disentangled himself from Meredith's sleeping body and pulled a blanket up to cover her in case she got cold. He stared at how her dark curls splayed across his pillows, her face peaceful and content as she rested. He felt the stirrings of arousal yet again as he thought about how she'd opened herself up to him so completely. How she'd been so free and uninhibited as they'd made love.
Made love? Jesus, man, get a grip.
It was sex. That was all. She'd said so herself. No strings and they would both just walk away.
It seemed so easy and uncomplicated. A perfect arrangement for him. And he wanted more than anything to take her up on it. To be able to have her under him, over him, beside him every day for the next week.
And that's precisely why he knew his shouldn't do it. Angry at himself, he climbed the cabin steps and walked out on the deck, trying to clear his head with a few deep breaths of the salty sea air. This was his safe place, the one place where he felt free from all his inner demons. He'd never brought a woman into the sanctuary of his cabin before, and the fact that he'd done so with Meredith without a second thought had him worried all over again.
He'd known from that first night that she wasn't like the women he was used to. She had an uncanny ability to get under his skin, to make him want to know her on more than just a physical level. He'd learned the hard way what a mistake that would be.
Not for the first time in the past week he pushed away thoughts of Jessie and tried to enjoy being out on the water. He was at home, in his element out on the open sea, and it always put him at ease. For the time being, he was just going to forget his troubles and go with it. He took a seat on the deck and stared out to sea, letting a peaceful feeling take over.
***
Meredith awoke to the calming rock of the sea and it took her a minute to orient herself. Stretching out on the soft bed under an even softer blanket, she opened her eyes. Cole's boat.
She smiled to herself as she remembered just why she was so relaxed and sated. That had, without a doubt, been the best sex of her life. And that was just the beginning of what promised to be a very exciting week. She'd never done what she proposed to Cole. The idea of a week of no strings sex was unfamiliar, but she reveled in the prospect. After what she'd just experienced at his skilled hand, and mouth, it was worth breaking out of her comfort zone to have more.
Climbing from the comfort of the bed, she searched the tiny cabin for her scraps of clothing and dressed herself again, leaving her cover behind. She went up the steps to the deck and looked around, her eyes settling on Cole standing by the railing, looking out toward the horizon.
Moving quietly, she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He placed his hands over hers, and spoke softly, a smile evident in his voice. "Feeling rested?"
"Mmm," she murmured against his back. She was indeed much more relaxed now, but just the feel of his strong abs beneath her hands had stirrings of desire rising up in her again. She had never been so completely responsive to a man like she was with Cole.
He turned in her arms and gripped her waist, looking down at her with a glint in his eyes. "I think a fling with you is exactly what I need."
"Good. Because if that was any indication of what I can expect, you better be ready for a lot more of it."
He laughed. "I think I can handle that."
"Do you have to get back to the marina for anything?"
"I made sure to book your lesson for the entire afternoon. We can stay out here as long as we like."
"Works for me," she said. "So tell me about this life at sea I heard about."
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Cole placed a kiss on her forehead and walked over to a cooler near the cockpit. He grabbed a couple bottles of water and handed one to her, then led her to a soft leather bench seat and pulled her down onto his lap, taking a long drink before he spoke.
"I grew up not too far from here. My dad has a fishing boat and we used to spend every summer on it helping him. I can't remember a time when I wasn't familiar with being out on the water. It's like a part of myself."
She could see the passion in his face as he spoke about it, and it felt familiar. She felt the same way about dancing. The only difference was that he had found a way to make his passion part of his everyday life and she had cast hers aside.
"That must be nice," she said wistfully, not realizing she'd spoken aloud until he focused on her.
"What?"
"Being able to spend your life doing something you love."
"You don't love what you do." He stated it as a fact, not a question.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Not necessarily. I'm just going off of things you've said. And the fact that I can't see you as a banker type."
She laughed out loud. "That's perceptive. But you're right. I never would have thought I'd work in finance. I'd always imagined pursuing dance in some form or another."
"Why didn't you?"
He asked as if it were that simple. It was evident he had never had to explain himself and what he wanted to do. Or at least, that his family was supportive of whatever he chose. What was that like? "Did you choose the Coast Guard because it was expected that you would do something on the water, or because it's what you thought would please your family?"
He narrowed his eyes at her. "I love what I do. It's a natural fit. But my family would have been okay with me choosing something else if it's what I really wanted." He paused. "Not so with you."
She sighed, staring out at the gentle lilt of the ocean. "No."
"Want to talk about it?"
Rescue Me (Sunset Bay Book 1) Page 9
