by Sara Hess
“Can you swim?” I would have no problem teaching her if she couldn’t.
The side of her mouth twisted up. “Yes. I’ve been in the neighborhood irrigation hole, and I have a…friend who has a pool.”
Her reference to an irrigation hole as a swim spot had me inwardly cringing, because that was just nasty…and sad, but her hesitation on the word ‘friend’ caught my interest more. However, I had a feeling if I asked her about it she would shut down on me so I swallowed my curiosity.
I gave her a friendly nudge. “So this is your first time in the ocean. I almost wish I would have dumped you in it last night, I could have had the honor of initiating you.”
An actual shy smile crossed her face and she nudged me back. “You did get my feet in last night, so you could call that initiating me.”
I loved that she was giving me that when she could have easily tossed out a sarcastic comment. I also loved that we were connecting with more than repartee, but I had to take advantage of this moment.
Rushing her, I scooped her into my arms and she let out a small squeal, clutching at my neck. “Evan! What are you doing? I’m already in the water.”
Her slippery flesh slid against mine; soft breasts, smooth legs, and the wet ends of her hair wrapped around me. Damn, she aroused me like no other. “But you’re not completely wet.” I gave her a wicked smile before submerging us both under the water, but I brought us right back up.
Shaw gasped for breath swiping wet hair off her face and glowered at me. With water dripping from her wet lashes the glare lacked some of its heat factor though. All it did was make her look adorably sexy. But then she always looked that way to me, no matter how much she glared and snipped. In fact, that just made her hotter.
“You know, the more you glare the more I like it.” I smirked down at her. “It makes me want to dunk you again.”
First her eyes widened in surprise, and then they narrowed in warning. “Don’t even think about it.”
I didn’t listen, and for the next couple of minutes we water wrestled and it was a blast, and better yet, I got Shaw laughing.
“This is highly unfair,” Shaw panted in laughter, trying to dunk me. “You’re twice my size.”
With very little difficulty I picked her up and tossed her, yet again, and when she came up sputtering I chortled. “You’re smart, think out of the box.”
She tried so hard to scowl. “I’m computer smart.” She looked around. “There’s no…” Her face suddenly twisted in pain. “Auuhhh, ow, ow, my leg, something is stinging my leg.” She started screaming and bobbing in the water slapping at her leg.
Alarm shot through me at the pain and panic on her face. My first thought was that she was being stung by a jellyfish and I rushed over to get her out of the water and get whatever it was off her as quickly as possible. As I reached out to lift her up into my arms she out of the blue jumped me and because I wasn’t prepared she forced my head under the water.
When I shot back up Shaw was backpedaling rapidly while laughing. “You told me to think out of the box so you can’t be mad.”
I couldn’t deny it; my panic had morphed to anger. I should have known she was faking because it was too much of a coincidence, but my fear that she was actually getting hurt had overruled any logical thought. What she said was true though, I had told her to think out of the box. That didn’t mean I wasn’t going to make her pay.
I prowled after her, my heart beating double time with residual anxiety. “You know I have to get even now, Miss Scream Queen.”
Her face lit up with anticipation before she spun to swim away. The little actress was looking forward to it. I realized that Shaw’s protective walls were lowering right in front of me and I was loving it. She was even more incredible when she let herself go.
I dove after her catching her foot and dragged her back to me. She attempted to wiggle free but I got my arms around her and clinched her to me tightly. She was panting, green eyes effervescent, beautiful beyond…anything. Her body slithered against mine; breasts to chest, belly to belly, hip to hard-on. All I wanted to do was strip her bare and drive myself into her right here.
Shaw froze in my hold and stared at me with passion wary eyes. “Thank you.” She whispered.
Confused, I grunted. “For what?” My hand fanned out on her lower back; I had to touch more, and my hips weren’t stationary either, they rocked faintly into her abdomen.
A soft breath caught in her throat. “When you asked me why I was just standing there in the water…I was…a little scared.”
My hand traveled up to rub her back instinctively in comfort. “Why were you scared? You seem to swim well, and even though you faked a jellyfish attack they aren’t that common.”
A strained smile tugged at her mouth. “I can swim well, and it wasn’t jellyfish. It’s just so big…the ocean. I’m used to smaller areas of water, and stepping into it made me feel so small. An image of it sucking me in and pulling me out to sea popped into my head and I couldn’t go any further.”
I stroked her back reassuringly even as I grinned at her imagination. Moreover, I was delighted that she was feeling more comfortable with me that she could share that. “You only have to worry about that if the red or yellow flags are up, but it’s green today which means we are safe from any riptides that want to suck us out to sea.”
She huffed. “I was speaking more metaphorically than literally.”
“I think it was a little of both.” I retorted half seriously, half jokingly. Shaw had lived a rough life so every step and experience she took was probably measured cautiously. As that thought slipped into my head I realized that might be why she was tiptoeing around us, and like a light bulb going off it made things a little bit clearer for me. “No matter what, it’s good that you know what the flags denote for future reference.”
My fingers traced Shaw’s back; around, down, and then up to her nape. The sexual tension between us hadn’t gone away, it had just been put on hold for a moment, and I was now bringing it back to her complete attention.
Her pupils dilated and her breathing became irregular as she stared at me wide-eyed. “Evan…”
Unable to control myself any longer I captured my whispered name from her lips at the same time lifting her legs so that they were hitched on my hips. Her open sex pressed against the underside of my tormented cock and I growled in gratification, releasing the ravenous hunger I’d barely been able to keep in check around her. All rational thought went out the window again as my addiction for her was finally answered.
I ate at her sweet mouth like a man possessed; sucking, biting, and pulling on her lips feverishly. In the back of my mind was the thought that I wasn’t this aggressive with women. Normally I was more polished and calculating in my lovemaking, but that was impossible right now. This woman did something to my head that I was powerless against.
Leaving one hand in her hair I palmed her ass with the other and rocked her on my cock. The oceans waves facilitated the motion exponentially and I groaned at the sensations. Shaw’s whimper, and her short nails digging into my shoulders burrowed through my lust haze alerting me to the fact that she was enjoying my touch…thank god!...and her tongue tangling enthusiastically with mine confirmed her wholehearted participation.
“Fuck Shaw, I want you so damn bad.” I paused only long enough to grunt that into her mouth before resuming my assault on her lips.
She panted and mewed, and inserted a circle motion with her hips that my dick absolutely loved. I couldn’t believe it…but I was near to fucking coming. Delving my hand further between her spread legs I added my fingers to our water humping, rubbing them over her covered pussy lips, and though I was outside her I could feel the clenching of her inner muscles notifying me that she was as close as I was to climaxing.
I was so out of my mind that I seriously thought about pulling down my shorts and tugging her suit to the side to plunge into her right here. My finger burrowed into her suit to commence the plung
ing, driving deep into her tight, contracting wetness, and that appeared to be all she needed. Her mouth broke from mine as she stiffened, clamped down on my finger, and cried out her orgasm into my neck.
The thought of getting inside her was all I could think about now. I was about to yank my shorts down when Shaw unexpectedly bit my ear. A burning electric current shot down my spine to my dick so fast I stumbled at the power of it, and then I was exploding; coming so hard I had to be heedful not to slump down under the water as the fucking euphoria detonated through and out of me.
Seizing her ass with both my hands I ground her into me as I growled out my pleasure into her shoulder. “Fuuuucckkk!” So good, so fucking good. And as the last of the cum pumped out of me I lurched at the lightheadedness that crashed down on me. “Holy shit!” I gasped.
Shaw trembled wildly in my arms and feeling it had me gripping her tighter to me. Hell, I needed something to hang on to myself after that!
From the beginning Shaw had been singular, capturing parts of my interest no other woman had, parts I hadn’t even known existed, and now something inside me felt altered as I clinched her firmly to me. She was touching more than just my top layer, she was burrowing deeper. This might alarm me later when my brain cells came back into play.
The present, and our location, seeped back into my consciousness and I glanced around. There were only a few people on the beach and they didn’t seem overly interested us. Shaw and I were chest deep in the water so they couldn’t know what we had just done. To them, all we’d done was eat each others face off.
“I can’t believe that just happened.” Shaw moaned into my shoulder. She was still quivering and I rubbed her back soothingly.
“I can’t believe it took us this long.” That had been incredible, and I hadn’t even gotten inside her.
Her head rose and she scowled at me…through beautifully sated, bemused eyes…but then her expression became alarmed and she glanced around appearing to suddenly realize where we were.
“Shit, did we become a floor show?” She whispered, peering over shoulder at the few people on the beach.
I chuckled. “If people were looking they only saw us kissing. The water hid everything else.”
She sagged in relief, and then she was pushing herself out of my arms. “Let me go.” I didn’t want to but I allowed her to go free, and she turned to half swim, half storm away. “What the hell is wrong with my legs?” She grouched faltering in the water.
Laughter burst from me and I clapped my arm around her waist to haul her towards the beach. She groused about that as well, saying she had it, but I ignored her amused as hell. When we neared the shore she pulled away to march towards the cot with our things and snatched up one of the hotel towels they provided for guests.
Ogling her as she dried off, and getting myself all worked up again, I turned away to wave to one of the beach staff. He jogged over quickly.
“Yes sir?”
“Can I get a sausage and cheese omelet with toast, a fruit bowl, and a mimosa. Shaw, have you had breakfast yet?”
She raised startle eyes. “We can get food out here?”
“You can get anything you want out here.” I smiled wickedly as I stretching myself out on one of the cots.
Clutching the towel to her chest she eyed me avidly for a moment…before catching herself and glowering at me for daring to allude to the orgasm I’d just given her.
“Hopefully the food is superior to other subpar services.” She derided.
I just grinned, because she wasn’t fooling me; especially since she was still glowing.
Flushing even more she turned away with a huff to address the waiter. “Can I get an orange juice, some whole-grain toast, and a bowl of fruit?”
The guy, who was maybe eighteen, smiled at her…a little too jovially from my perspective…and rushed away to fill our orders. Shaw continued to dry herself, and then she began poking at her arms and looking up at the sky.
“Why are you poking yourself?” I asked, unable to wipe the stupid grin off my face. Shit, I felt good.
She slid me a sideways glance, not fully facing me. “I don’t want to end looking like a walking lobster tonight; red hair and red skin.”
Shaw’s skin glowed with a healthy light tan at the moment, but I could see why she was worried. Red heads were known to burn easily.
Standing up I extended the canopy that was attached to the cot and tilted it so it would give her some shade. “There…no look-alike lobster contests tonight.”
Mouth lifting slightly she sat down under the shelter. “Thanks.”
Her gaze met mine briefly before sliding away. It had been long enough for me to see desire plain as day in them, but I also caught questions and some unrest. I hoped she wasn’t regretting what had happened because we would be doing much more today. What we’d done had only wetted my appetite. I wanted the entire dish, and I wanted to stuff myself for days until…Well, I didn’t want to think that far ahead at the moment. I just knew I needed to get inside of her, and I needed to do it many, many times.
We were meant to happen, and after what just occurred she had to see that.
CHAPTER NINE
SHAW
I was trying my damn’dest to appear collected and not run for cover like a ninny. It was exceedingly difficult, but I wasn’t going to let him know how he’d just shattered me. What had gone down between us out in the water had been totally unexpected. I can’t believe I’d lost control like that; been so utterly out of my head.
No matter how hard I’ve fought to keep it from happening, Evan had wiggled his way past my defenses. When a man can turn your insides into nothing but raging desire stronger than the power of all five elements put together you know he’s a force to be reckoned with. And then when you see how sweet he is to his mother everything seems turned upside down.
God, I felt so lost. The reasons why I shouldn’t trust him were slipping through my fingers like water, and all I wanted was to run my hands all over his body, have his mouth claim mine again, and forget the outside world existed. He’d done a really excellent job at it ten minutes ago.
I’d never experienced anything like that in my life, not even on my own. The guys in my past hadn’t cared if I’d gotten off. They’d only cared about themselves, and I’d been too needy for attention and affection to care about my wants, or my self-respect.
“Shaw…”
My emotions weren’t ready to hear whatever Evan might say. Just sitting near him was nerve-racking right now, and I was having a really difficult time holding his gaze. “Did you get a hold of your mother?” I blurted, peeking his briefly and than out at the ocean.
He didn’t say anything for a moment, but I could feel him staring at me. His glimmering amber gaze seemed to see beneath my skin to every emotion. He made my normally impermeable exterior feel like paper.
“I did…this morning.” He finally answered.
I let my gaze finally meet his and the sensual intensity in them had every erogenous zone in my body throbbing. How could he look at me that way while talking about his mother?
Clearing my throat I looked away again. “And…is she okay?”
“She hasn’t spoken to Kyle yet because he hasn’t been home, but I told her she shouldn’t wait to find a divorce lawyer. What you said made a lot of sense. I don’t want him screwing her over.”
I nodded, inexplicably warmed at his admission of my good sense. “You and she seem exceptionally close.” In fact, their love for each other had caused a pang of envy in my chest. I had never experienced anything like that.
A covert glance revealed him smiling affectionately. “We are. For eight years it was just her and me, and even after she got married it was mostly her and me. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a bit of a mama’s boy, and I display it proudly.” He pointed to his tattoo…the one I’d been having a hard time not gawking at. It covered is left pectoral, shoulder, and half of his upper bicep. It was a tribal drawing with a
criss-cross type of pattern, but the section he was pointing out was the MOM interwoven within it. There were also two sets of initials; J.L. and T.H.M.
The art was beautiful, and a testament to how much he loved her. Not a lot of guys had the balls to put MOM on their body. It had my heart lifting, but at the same time my stomach hollowed in additional envy. I never had that, and never would. After twenty years I’d come to terms with the fact that my mother and father hadn’t wanted me, but every now and then I couldn’t stop pinches of pain and covetousness when I saw the loving relationships between some parents and their children.
“Are those your mom and dads initials?” I asked getting my fill of the tattoo, and his awesomely broad chest, while not appearing like I was ogling him. The man had arm porn that would make any woman weak in the knees.
“Yeah. I only did moms first and middle initial because putting Kyle’s surname on my body just felt wrong. It’s a good thing I didn’t since she’s divorcing him.” His lip twisted in partial antipathy for his stepfather and delight at the divorce.
“Well, it’s obvious she spoiled you, but maybe only mildly rotten.” I teased.
“Thank you. That’s high praise coming from you.” He joked back.
My grin drooped because I didn’t want him thinking my bitch switch was constantly on. “Seriously though, it appears she did a really good job raising you. You’re lucky to have each other.” I wasn’t that bitter to where I would hold what he had with her against him, but giving out praise didn’t roll off my tongue all that naturally so I could only hope it didn’t sound as stilted as it felt.
Evan’s stare was pensive on me and I had to turn my gaze to the ocean unable to handle the intensity of it. Thankfully, I was saved from the tension filled moment by the cabana boy…or whatever they were called. He set the food down on the table between us and Evan gave him his room card so it could be charged to the room. Landon’s father was paying for all the room service as well.
