by Linda, R.
“Three.”
He growled, his hands dropping from my hair and tugging the lace top over my head. I was ready for this.
“So fucking perfect,” he whispered as he brought his mouth down on mine. Slow. Passionate. Intense.
All thoughts of the running shower were lost immediately.
My knees buckled, and Linc caught me. He carried me and placed me on my feet in front of the bed. My body was overheating, desire flooding my veins. I wanted nothing more than him, to give myself to him. Right here. Right now.
“Last chance,” he said, his lips brushing mine as his hands skimmed the waistband of my underwear, hovering there for a moment, and when I didn’t respond, he ripped them off.
Oh my God. I was naked. Completely naked in front of a man. No one had ever seen me without my clothes on before, and the thought of that should freak me out and have me running from the room. But I wasn’t freaking out. I was cool, calm, and collected…and, holy hell, what was he doing?
He pushed himself up and stood back. He looked at me. Why was he looking at me like that? Like I was the most precious thing in the world. I was naked, and he was standing there in his shorts, looking at me. He gripped the waistband of his board shorts, and I stopped breathing. Eyes wide, I stared at him, focused only on his face. I couldn’t look anywhere else as he dropped his shorts and stepped out of them.
My traitorous eyes lowered…lower and lower. Oh my God, he was naked. Completely naked in front of me. I’d never seen a man naked before, and…I was totally freaking out. I fell back onto the mattress quite ungracefully.
What was I supposed to do now? With him? With his—? It was right there. Umm…
“Ace, you okay?”
I tried to respond. I tried to nod, to open my mouth, anything, but I couldn’t function.
“Shit.” He dropped to his knees in front of me, his hands framing my face. “Ace? It’s okay. We don’t have to—”
I lunged for him. Something snapped in my brain, and I lunged for him. Wrapping my arms around his neck and crushing my mouth to his, we tumbled to the floor. I needed to kiss him. I needed to do something other than stare at his, umm…him. Oh, geez, he was naked underneath me. I could feel him pressed against me. Everything.
Pushing that thought aside because it would only make me panic, I allowed myself to get lost in his kisses and the way he held me to his chest like he couldn’t get me close enough. His hands trailed up my back and wove through my hair, angling my head so he could deepen the kiss. I moaned. His kisses were that good. Our tongues danced together, fighting for dominance while our bodies remained pressed together in very intimate places.
Linc rolled to the side, sliding me off him, and gave me a moment to regain my composure before he climbed to his feet once again. He reached down to me and pulled me up to stand in front of him. His chest rose and fell as rapidly as my own.
“Shower,” I blurted.
“What?” His eyebrows furrowed as he bit his bottom lip.
“The shower is still on. Shouldn’t you—” I said absently because his hands were roaming my body again, tickling my hips, my stomach, my ribs. “Turn…Turn it—”
He walked me backwards until my knees hit the bed.
“What?” His lips were on my neck, sucking gently. Hands firmly gripped my hips and pulled me into him and his…
My breath caught in my throat. Hell, I could feel him, right there between us. And it was…I didn’t know what it was, but it was there.
“Off. Turn it—” Again, his hands distracted me, moving up and brushing over my breasts.
“I’d much rather focus on you right now, Ace,” he said into my shoulder before gently lowering me onto the bed and stretching his body out beside me. “I want you to stay still. Think you can do that?”
I shook my head and said, “Yes.” Then nodded and tried again. “No.” I didn’t know what I could. My hands were trembling again, and my breathing was erratic at best.
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“So, relax.” He brought one of my hands up between us and kissed the pads of each finger before repeating on the other. It was such a sweet and tender moment that emotions bubbled away, threatening to spill over in the form of tears, but I held them back.
He kissed behind my ear and dragged his lips down my neck, grazing my collarbone and over my chest until his mouth was on my breast. What was he doing? Was he? Was that his…? His tongue. Sliding. Gliding. Swirling. Lips. Teeth. Teeth? I tensed, but one touch from his hand over my heart told me to calm down. It was Linc; he wouldn’t bite me.
His glorious mouth continued its assault on my body, wreaking havoc on my nerves as he kissed and licked and nibbled, down my ribs, across my stomach, over my hips, the inside of my thighs.
The inside of my thighs.
I jerked my legs, but he held me still. He was too close. Was he going to kiss—? Lick? Nibble? No, that would be too weird. Right?
Sensing my thoughts, he lifted his head and smirked at me. “Not today, Ace, but one day.”
My eyes bugged out of my head. He skimmed his mouth down my calf before moving to the other leg and gliding all the way back up, over my hips, across my stomach, past my ribs, and focusing his attention on my other breast.
Was it hot?
It was definitely hot. Maybe we should open the doors and let a breeze in, or maybe—
He slid his body over mine and kissed me slowly and with so much passion I thought I was going to burst into flames. His kisses calmed me down. My nerves settled, and I felt safe. Secure. Loved.
He slipped his hand between us, and his fingers moved in a…
Whoa. My eyes rolled into the back of my head. Everything tingled. Everything was on fire. Everything was screaming at me for more.
“More?” he asked, kissing my jaw.
Dammit, I said that out loud.
“Yes,” I breathed, clutching his back.
“Are you sure? We can wait.”
“Now.” I grabbed his face and brought his lips to mine again.
“Now,” he repeated, before freezing. “Dammit!”
“What?” I brushed a dreadlock out his face.
“I don’t have a condom.” He groaned and dropped his head to my chest.
“You don’t?”
“No. Well, I didn’t plan on seducing you this week, did I?” His lips pressed into my skin just above my rapidly pounding heart.
“Pretty sure I seduced you, you stupid ass.”
He looked up at me with flint in his eyes. “You have no idea.”
My eyes widened in shock. I seduced him? “I did?”
“Hell, yes. You were always either wet, in your underwear, or both. That does things to a man, Ace.”
“I’m on birth control,” I announced rather quickly, my thighs parting a little more.
Linc grinned and settled himself between my legs. “Thank God for that.”
His mouth met mine as he pushed into me gradually. And…ouch.
I gasped, tensed my muscles, and screwed my face up. That hurt. It was not at all like the movies or Bailey’s romance novels. No way.
“I’m sorry, Princess. Want to stop?”
I shook my head, still squeezing my eyes and digging my nails into his back. If I had to feel pain, then so did he. It was only fair.
Each time he moved inside me, Linc placed gentle kisses on my jaw, my nose, my tightly squeezed eyes, between my eyebrows, and my lips. He kissed me softly, sweetly, and with so much tenderness I could have cried. But that might have been the incredibly uncomfortable feeling I was experiencing.
He moved leisurely and carefully, with such a gentleness, as though afraid he’d hurt me, and didn’t stop kissing me until the uncomfortable feeling start to subside, and…Oh!
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
Linc
She was perfect. She was everything.
And I didn’t think I could say goodbye tomorrow. Not now. Not a
fter being with her. Worshipping her. Her body. Loving her until we both fell asleep in a mess of tangled limbs. Her body fit mine flawlessly. The saying that two people were made for each always seemed like absolute shit until now. Indie was made for me.
I woke some time during the night, not because I was tired, but because I couldn’t stop thinking about the following day. The sun would be up too soon, and that meant we only had a short time together before it was time to part ways.
I was going to do everything in my power to see her every weekend. She would only be a few hours away, and it was only for another six months until she graduated. Once she was finished with school, we could plan our future. As long as I had the surf and Indie, I didn’t need anything else.
I traced my fingers lightly down her spine and across her back. In the moonlight, I could just make out the light dusting of freckles on her nose, her eyelashes casting a shadow on her pink cheeks. Her lips were still slightly puffy from kissing for so long, but I couldn’t get enough of her.
Her breathing increased, and her arm tightened around my waist. She was awake. She slid her leg between mine and pressed a kiss to my chest before looking up at me with a sleepy smile. “Hi.”
“Hi, Princess.” I brushed her hair out of her face, rubbing my thumb across her cheek and lips.
“Why are you awake?” She pushed herself up until she was lying on top of me, her mouth millimetres from mine.
I wrapped my arms around her back and held her close. “Watching you.” I rubbed my nose along hers and captured her mouth with mine when she sighed.
“What time is it?” she asked quietly.
I shook my head. “Sun will be up soon.” My voice was subdued, and the light in her eyes dimmed as the reality of the situation sank in.
“Do we have to go?”
“Afraid so.” I cupped her face and kissed her again, languidly exploring her mouth. She moved against me, her body soft and warm, her hips lined up with mine. I pulled back just enough to speak when I realised what she was doing. “Ace?”
“Please.” Her lips moved against mine, our breath mingling.
I leaned forward, closing the tiny gap, joining our mouths as I lifted her hips a fraction before helping her lower herself on me.
I swore I saw stars. Flashing lights. I might have even passed out. I would never get enough of her this way. Open. Trusting. Vulnerable. Mine.
***
We had a shower together. A long, hot, silent shower. No words were exchanged. The mood was very downcast. Indie was so lost in her own thoughts, she didn’t even notice when I washed her hair and lathered her skin. She didn’t notice when I shut off the water and wrapped her in a thick, fluffy towel, then dried her hair and her body.
I did get a small, grateful smile from her pretty mouth when I pulled the bathrobe on and tied it around her waist. We didn’t need to speak, though. We’d said all the words we’d needed to. All the important ones. We’d spent an incredible night together, and now it was over. We had to leave for the airport in a few hours, and that would be it until one of us could make the trip to see the other.
Room service arrived, and we ate on the balcony like every other morning. Indie poured my coffee, while I filled her plate with pancakes and syrup and berries, just the way she liked. It seemed the hotel went the extra mile for us, today being our last day. But the silence was getting to me now. I wanted to know what was going through that gorgeous head of hers.
“Talk to me, Ace. What’s up?” I asked, only to receive a blank stare. I climbed out of the chair and grabbed Indie by the hands, pulling her to her feet as well.
I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight, breathing in the scent of her hair, memorising how every curve felt pressed against mine. Her fingers dug into my back, and she buried her face in my chest.
“Indie, please? I’ve tried to be patient and give you time to think, but I can’t cope with this silence any longer. What’s wrong?” I tilted her face up to mine. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
“I don’t want to say goodbye.” She sniffed and bit her bottom lip to stop it from trembling.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay.”
“How do you know? You’ll be home in Blackhill, and I’ll be across the country at uni. What if you get tired of waiting? What if you change your mind? What if—”
I slammed my mouth down on hers. Gripping her hips, I lifted her and pressed her into the wall behind us. Her legs tightened around my waist, and she moaned into the kiss, while her fingers found their way into my hair.
“I,” I said against her lips.
“Have.” I skimmed my nose along her jaw.
“Waited.” Kissed below her ear.
“Fifteen.” Traced my tongue down her throat.
“Goddamn.” Grazed my teeth over her collarbone.
“Years.” And crashed my mouth against hers again, sliding between her parted lips. I kissed her until I couldn’t kiss her anymore. I kissed her until we were both breathless and struggling for air.
“Nothing is going to take you away from me. I won’t get bored. I won’t change my mind, and I sure as hell won’t give up on us. I already told you, we’re getting married someday, Ace, so quit worrying and kiss me while we still have the chance.”
“Stupid ass,” she muttered then wiped a tear from her eyes and kissed me.
“Yeah, I love you too, Princess.”
Epilogue
Indie
I couldn’t wait any longer. It had been six very long months. I was packing my bags and heading home to Blackhill, a place where I belonged, and also a place I felt I’d outgrown. So much had changed this year. I was a completely different person, and I wasn’t sure Blackhill was the place for me.
“I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe you’re doing this to me. Please don’t do this. Change your mind. Stay here with me. We could be happy together. I know I can make you happy, Ace. Just give me a chance.”
“Will you quit calling me Ace?” I zipped up my suitcase and glanced around my room to make sure I had everything.
“Fine. Baby cakes, please don’t leave me. You’re my best friend.” Jack threw himself on the ground at my feet and hugged my knees.
“Jack, get up.”
He shook his head. “Not until you promise you’ll stay.”
I wiggled my legs and tried to get free of his hold, but I had no luck. He had a good grip.
“We will see each other all the time,” I said. “I promise.”
“You’re lying. You’ll get home with Adonis and forget all about me.”
“Adonis?” Linc asked as he strolled through the door and took a seat on my bed.
“Yeah, handsome. You’re Adonis,” Jack mumbled, pushing my legs apart slightly so he could stick his head through and see Linc.
“Little help, please?” I looked over my shoulder at Linc and wiggled again in an attempt to dislodge Jack.
“Dude, we’ve spoken about this. Hands off my girl.”
I liked when he got all possessive and called me his.
Jack sighed dramatically and let my legs go, before curling in a ball on the floor and rocking himself back and forth.
“What’s wrong with him?” Ryder nodded at Jack as he walked into the room.
“We’re leaving him behind. Where’s Bailey?”
“Just checking the house again to make sure nothing is left behind.” He crouched in front of Jack. “Man up. You’ll graduate in six months, and then you’ll be out of here too.”
“But six months is a long time, and we’re all going to be apart. I don’t think I can do it. I mean, long-distance relationships never work. Someone always gets sick of waiting and cheats or breaks up with the other—” Jack rambled until Ryder slapped him over the back of the head.
“Idiot.”
I stared at Linc.
“Ace, no. Don’t even—” He reached for my hand and pulled me onto his lap. “No.”
I knew he was
telling the truth. I knew he’d never cheat. I wasn’t insecure. I trusted him completely.
But it still didn’t stop Jack from planting that tiny seed of doubt.
What if?
I needed to fix this soon. Erase the sliver of fear from my mind, and make sure that we got our happily ever after.
He wove his fingers through my hair and pulled my face to his. “No.”
“I know.” I pressed my forehead to his and breathed him in. It had been a month since I’d seen him last—the bi-annual surfing competition held on our beach in Blackhill did a great job at keeping him away, and I was so busy finalising everything here and preparing to move home while I looked for a job that time slipped away. “I’ve just missed you.”
“Okay, we’ve got everything,” Bailey announced as she came through the door. “Jack, what’s wrong?”
I pulled back, and Linc released me so I could stand.
It was time to go.
Sadness washed over me, and I suddenly understood why Jack was curled on the floor that way. Everything was going to change now. Things were never going to be the same.
“It’s going to be fine. You know you can always come to Blackhill when you finish, right?” Bailey reached out to pull him up. Jack looked at her and sniffed, a hopeful expression on his face. “You can stay with me and Ryder. We should have our own place by then, right, Jones?”
Ryder glared at her, but she smiled sweetly, knowing he wouldn’t argue with her right now for the sake of getting out of here as soon as possible.
“Of course,” he ground out through clenched teeth and a fake smile that lacked his trademark dimples.
“Really? You mean it?” Jack jumped up with enthusiasm. “Hear that, baby cakes? We’ll see each other all the time.” He scooped me into his arms and spun me around until I was giddy. I caught a glimpse of Linc’s face as I twirled, and he didn’t look impressed. I didn’t think he’d forgiven Jack for treating me so badly back in Fiji and for kissing me when we weren’t even dating.
“See, I told you it would all work out.” I laughed, relieved that Jack had a renewed optimism.
