by J. S. Scott
She instantly moved her lower limbs and tangled them around his hips as he grasped the flesh of her ass tightly with his strong fingers. Taking a few steps, he pinned her body against the wall.
Tightening her arms around his neck, all she could feel was the raw, sensual, pleasurable sensation of her nipples colliding with the heat of his hard chest, the peaks so swollen that she moaned as the rest of their flesh met and melded together so tightly that she didn’t know where he ended and she began.
“Yes,” she moaned as Micah drove up into her tight, wet sheath in one hard thrust, his hands guiding her down with his grasp on her hips and ass.
He fucked her hard and fast, like a man who had been starved of carnal pleasure for a very long time. Tessa ground with his pumping motions, the strained muscles in her channel gripping him tightly every time he impaled her.
Her hands fisted in his hair, and she pulled his mouth tighter against hers as he kissed her, his tongue mimicking every thrust of his cock.
Micah’s powerful body surged harder and deeper, and Tessa knew she was about to climax hard. There had been so much teasing, and she’d been so close to orgasm when Micah had gone down on her, that she couldn’t burn much hotter without exploding into a mass of incendiary flames.
His chest was vibrating in what Tessa instinctively knew was a low groan of pleasure.
Climax rocked her body as Micah kept slamming into her over and over, sending her tumbling over the edge of the imaginary cliff she’d been standing on in a very precarious position. She soared as her orgasm shot through her entire being.
“Oh, God. Micah. Yes.” She clasped his shoulders tightly, her nails digging into his upper back. Her head dropped, her face resting against his damp neck as her muscles tightened and released over his pummeling cock.
His big body shuddered as he found his own release, and Tessa hugged him fiercely against her as he thrust one last time and the tremors stopped.
Her body was still humming with pleasure as he carried her out of the living room and into her bedroom. When he disconnected their bodies and laid her gently on the bed, she wanted to protest, but remembered he had to dispose of his condom, and they couldn’t stay joined forever.
He was back from the bathroom before she even caught her breath, and he lowered his massive body onto the mattress beside her, then circled his strong arm around her waist. He pulled until she was almost sprawled on top of him.
Her eyes shot to his mouth in time to catch his one-word comment. “Complicated.”
Then he grinned at her happily, not looking the least bit troubled by the fact that their coupling had been mind-blowing—at least for her.
Her heart lifted, and she smiled back at him, reaching up to smooth an unruly lock of his hair that always seemed to be on his forehead. Then, she nodded. “Complicated,” she agreed.
He fingered a lock of her crazy curls. “If that’s what complicated is like, I’d have no problem if it gets really complex.”
Tessa let out a surprised laugh. “You think you can top what just happened?” Sex with Micah was almost surreal, so she didn’t know how he could outdo what had just occurred.
He gave her a fake scowl. “That was the work of a desperate man. Sloppy. I wanted to make you come first with my mouth. I wanted to keep devouring you, Tessa. I wanted to wring every drop of pleasure I could from your body before I got inside you. I knew I wouldn’t last long.”
She covered his lips with her fingers. “Don’t. It was amazing. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”
He was grinning again. “Hard, fast, and up against the wall?”
“Yes.”
“Most women would complain.”
She winked at him. “I’m not complaining, stud. Most men couldn’t lift a woman up against a wall.” Tessa was serious. How many guys could really do a woman that way? It had been honest and raw. Maybe that was what made it so special.
“I couldn’t wait. That’s how bad I wanted you, Tessa. I have since the moment I saw you. I felt like a horny teenager. I wanted to bend you over the sink in the bathroom and take you right there in the guesthouse.”
She looked at him in surprise. “You did not,” she protested.
“I did. I wanted to go caveman on your beautiful ass.” His hand moved down and squeezed her rear. “I’m not used to having that kind of reaction to a woman.”
“You had a serious relationship once.” Tessa knew he’d been in one committed relationship years ago.
He nodded. “Once,” he agreed.
“Tell me,” she asked, knowing he was being deliberately vague.
“I met Anna in college, and we lived together after we finished school. She was from a wealthy family, so I pretty much knew she didn’t hook up with me because of my money. She hated my interest in skydiving and extreme sports. She kept waiting for me to settle down, but I never did. I traveled a lot, and she didn’t really want a career. I think she was ready to get married and have kids. College was just a necessary step before getting married.”
“You didn’t want to marry her?” Tessa asked curiously, realizing that trying to contain Micah would be like trying to pull a star down from the sky and stuff it into a bottle.
“I cared about her, and I thought we’d get married eventually, but I was still building my skills and my own company. We were young, and I guess I didn’t stop to consider how she felt. After a few years, she got tired of waiting and settled down with one of my friends who was content to be wealthy and eventually take control of his father’s business.”
“She cheated on you?” Tessa could tell from his subdued expression that it hadn’t been an amicable breakup.
“I came home unexpectedly from a business trip and found them together. In our bed,” he told her flatly. “I was pretty clueless. It hit me pretty hard. It took me a while to realize that I had nothing to offer any woman.”
“That’s not true,” Tessa replied indignantly. “She was a snake. You don’t screw another man in your current boyfriend’s bed. I don’t care if she was going to eventually break up with you or not. It’s disgusting.”
“So you think I deserved to be let down easily?” Micah teased.
“I think she was crazy for not traveling with you. If she didn’t want her own career, she could have helped you build your company. You were both young. She could have seen the world before she decided to get married.” Tessa sighed, knowing if she’d had Micah’s devotion, she certainly wouldn’t have thrown it away. Besides, she couldn’t think of anything more satisfying than traveling around with a man she was crazy about. Micah would be fun, and although she’d traveled some places when she was young and competing, she’d never been able to see anything. She’d been there for one reason and one reason only: to compete.
She’d gone a few places with Rick, but he wasn’t a pleasant travel companion, and he certainly hadn’t wanted to play tourist.
“Is that what you’d do, Tessa? Support a guy you cared about?”
She looked at his questioning expression. “Of course. If he supported me, then I’d support him. I can’t claim to be an expert, but relationships are give-and-take, I think.” She paused before she ran a comforting hand down Micah’s cheek. “I’m sorry she hurt you.”
“I’m over it,” he replied.
She tilted her head and surveyed his expression. “I don’t think you are. I don’t think you trust women much anymore.”
“Maybe I’ve just never found the right one to trust,” he answered, putting a hand over hers as it came to rest on his chest. “Having a woman who can live with my career choice isn’t easy, either.”
Tessa shrugged. “You are who you are, Micah. I’m not saying it would be easy for a woman who cared about you not to worry, but she’d have to accept that you wouldn’t be you if you weren’t doing what you loved.”
“I don’t do many BASE jumps anymore, and I’ve had to cut some things because my priorities are different. I want to make extreme spo
rts safer. But I could never give up my skydiving team, and I like to push some limits.”
“Slowing down?” she answered teasingly. “Getting old?”
He frowned at her. “No. I’ve just seen too many friends and acquaintances die by doing dumb jumps and not having safe-enough equipment. Finding a safe place to BASE jump is getting harder. It’s illegal in most of the best places to jump.”
“So you leap from a perfectly good airplane instead?”
“Don’t knock it until you try it. My team is pretty damn good, one of the best in the world. And there’s no feeling like a free fall.”
“Actually, I always wanted to try it. When I was younger, I didn’t have time. Then when I lost my hearing, I knew it was never going to happen.” Skydiving had been one of the things she’d always wanted to experience but never had. She guessed maybe it was one of those things that looked fun while she was watching it, but fear might have kept her from executing a jump. There was something a little bit crazy about jumping out of an airplane and relying on a parachute to keep from becoming a human pancake.
“So, do it. All skydivers are deaf once they leave the plane anyway. It’s not like you need to hear. You can’t hear anything except the roar of the wind.”
Tessa shook her head. “Lessons are expensive, and I would have been stepping outside my comfort zone. I’m not sure I could do it.”
“You could go with me,” he suggested. “I’m an instructor and I’ve done thousands of jumps. We could go tandem. I’d never risk your safety. If I wasn’t confident with taking you up, I wouldn’t.”
Oh, he was cocky when it came to his skills, but that confidence amused Tessa. She knew it came from experience, and she had no doubt Micah knew what he was doing. “I’d have to trust you first,” she contemplated jokingly. “But I’d love to fly with you someday.”
He moved so fast that Tessa squealed. In seconds, she was on her back with him on top of her, loosely restraining her wrist at the side of her head. “You’ll trust me,” he told her, a small, confident smile on his face.
“I suppose. You’ve already taken me flying once,” she joked.
“Get ready, woman. We’re about to do another practice run.”
She actually giggled as he began to lower his head to capture her mouth. All thought of skydiving left her mind as Micah kissed her, taking her to heights she’d never even imagined without ever leaving the bed.
CHAPTER 10
Micah was feeling unusually relaxed when he went into town the next day. He’d been willing to blow off their morning run, but Tessa had nagged him into getting his ass into gear. Hell, he was either getting old, or he was worn out from exercising in the most pleasant of ways all night long with Tessa. He was pretty sure it was the second option, since it had been a while since he’d had sex. With a smirk, he realized he’d made up for lost time last night.
After their run, they’d showered and had lunch, then he’d gone to the rink with Tessa. Dropping her off, he told her he needed to run back to the guesthouse on the Peninsula to get some clothing. But he made a stop first, one he wasn’t looking forward to making.
He stopped in front of Sullivan’s Steak and Seafood when he saw that the place was closed. Glancing at his watch, he realized they’d be open for dinner business very shortly. Micah’s eyes scanned the chipped paint on the outside of the building, wondering when it had last been painted. Between the salt water and the humidity, the exterior had taken a beating.
Putting his hand on the door handle, he turned it and then pushed hard on the door, surprised to see that it opened.
Doesn’t anybody lock their doors here?
He’d had to remind Tessa to lock up every time he left Randi’s old house. She did it, but she rolled her eyes at him every single time, reminding him that he wasn’t in New York. Hell, maybe he was paranoid, but he’d never been in a town where half the people never locked their doors.
He entered the restaurant and closed the door quietly behind him.
As he headed for the kitchen, where he was hearing some chopping sounds, he looked around the small restaurant, noting the ragged chairs and slightly tilting tables. The walls were lacking some chips of paint just like the outside of the building. Strangely, with all of the nautical décor, it looked almost normal for the place to appear somewhat old and tired.
“We’re closed.” Liam’s voice sounded from the order window.
“I know,” Micah answered as he strolled over to the kitchen door and entered without an invitation. Now, face-to-face with Tessa’s brother, he added, “I wanted to talk to you.”
“I said . . . we’re closed. Get the hell out of here,” Liam answered stubbornly.
Micah shook his head, resting his hip against the counter as he crossed his arms, staying several feet away from Liam. “I can’t. I have a business proposition to make.”
“I don’t need anything from you, Sinclair,” Liam growled as he went back to what he’d been doing before Micah had entered: removing lobster meat from the shell and slicing it. He tossed the cut pieces into a plastic container, probably in preparation for all of the lobster rolls he’d sell later.
“I think you might,” Micah drawled, watching Liam as he worked.
He had to admit, Liam knew his lobster. Tessa’s brother was making short work of his task in a hurry.
“Doubtful,” Liam answered, chopping a little bit harder at the seafood than he needed to.
“I want to form a partnership, invest money into refurbishing your building, equipment, and whatever else you need.”
Liam stopped working and glared at him. “What the hell for? I don’t need you. Why are you here, anyway?” He cocked an accusing brow. “Stay away from Tessa.”
Micah grinned. Liam was a little late for that warning. “We’ve already been together. A lot.”
He stopped smiling as Liam lunged for him, grabbing the collar of his polo shirt. “Did you touch her?”
Jesus! This guy is uptight. And I thought I was bad.
“It’s none of your damn business what we did. Tessa is an adult,” Micah growled as he dislodged Liam’s hand from his apparel. “Keep control of your damn temper, and keep your hands off me. I’m here to talk.”
Tessa’s brother turned red with rage. “She isn’t a woman that you can use and then toss away. She’s been there, and doesn’t need to do it again. She might be old enough to know better, but she has an impulsive streak sometimes.”
“I know,” Micah answered as he straightened the collar of his shirt. “And I have no intentions of tossing her anywhere. I care about her.” Too damn much!
Liam let out a disgusted male snort. “Whatever. Just take your ass back to where you belong.”
Micah ignored his comment. “I want to put the money into the restaurant, get it fixed up.”
“Why?” Liam was eyeing him suspiciously.
“The locals love this place, and it’s worth renovating.”
“I can do it myself.”
“Then why is Tessa busting her ass to find the funds to fix this place? She counts every damn penny she earns.”
“Our parents left us their house, which is paid for, and a decent sum of money,” Liam snarled at Micah. “The last thing I need is your money. I’ve told Tessa before that we have funds. She just refuses to even look at our joint account. Says she wants me to have it.”
“So she doesn’t need to work her cleaning jobs?”
“Hell, no. If she wasn’t so stubborn, she’d see that we have the money. But she won’t look. Mom and Dad left us a nice inheritance. We do very well with the restaurant, and I do some consulting on the side. I live rent-free and I put money away. Most of my problem is time. It’s hard to close the restaurant for renovations, but I’ll do it in the winter.”
“What kind of consulting?” Micah asked curiously.
“I worked in TV and films doing special effects and some stunt work,” Liam answered in a graveled voice. “If they need advice, I c
onsult. I used to patent products I made for my line of work. I make a lot in royalties. The last thing I need is more money.”
Interesting. If Liam and I didn’t hate each other’s guts, we could probably be friends.
Obviously, Liam Sullivan’s expertise was engineering, and doing calculated stunts and work on special effects. If Micah wasn’t here for a far different reason, he’d be bombarding the guy with questions.
“I want to help Tessa,” Micah answered stubbornly. Even if she didn’t need his money, he wanted to take the stress of refurbishing the restaurant off her.
“The last thing my sister needs is your kind of help, Sinclair,” Liam snarled, his face still flushed with anger.
“Much as I hate to disagree with you, you’re wrong.” Micah’s tone was dripping with sarcasm. “She’s skating again, something she should have done a long time ago.”
Liam snorted. “She can’t skate.”
“Something you feel is your fault,” Micah said lightly.
“It is my fault,” Liam grumbled. “And how the hell is she skating? The rink is closed.”
“I opened it. She’s regaining her skills, and she’s going to skate a routine for a reunion performance of Olympic champions in just a few weeks.”
Liam stepped forward and grabbed Micah’s shirt again. “What in the hell are you doing to her? She can’t skate. I’m proud of the way she’s learned to function in a hearing world, but she’s still working with a hell of a handicap. What happens when she fails, dumbass? Huh? Are you going to be around to take care of her when her world falls apart again?”
Pissed off now, Micah used his forearm to force Liam to release his grip, then promptly punched the big man in the face. It propelled Liam’s body back against the counter of the preparation area.
Micah shook his hand, irritated that he’d bruised his knuckles on Tessa’s jackass of a brother. “I asked you nicely once. I don’t ask a second time,” he warned Liam with a growl. “You might be a little bigger, but I’ve practiced martial arts since I was a kid, and I learned my fighting skills from some of the best in extreme sports. That was a warning. Touch me again and I’ll actually kick your ass.”
