Dash of Peril

by Lori Foster

  His spine made contact with the sharp edge of the counter when he moved both hands to her head, urging her to a faster pace. Insanity. If she didn’t stop now, there’d be no going back for him.

  Already he was on the verge of coming.

  He hated to call a halt, but... “That’s enough.”

  Her fingers tensed on the base of his shaft, squeezing to let him know she disagreed. Her tongue moved over the sensitive underside, then curled up and over the head, wrenching a deep groan out of him.

  His testicles drew taut, signaling the point of no return. She held them gently in her palm as if urging him on.

  He fought against it, growling, “If you don’t stop, I’m going to—”

  Pulling back, she looked up at him and whispered, “Do,” before sucking him deep again.

  That one small word, coupled with the way she looked at him, on her knees, his dick in her mouth... It was more than enough. Too much, in fact.

  He clenched his fingers in her hair, holding her closer, breathing harder—and groaned out a raging release. She took all of him, everything, and even after the twisting pleasure waned, he heard the soft, hungry sounds she made.

  Spent, he twitched as she licked along his length before finally releasing him. He got several more small, damp, teasing kisses, each one sending aftershocks through his now lax muscles.

  He needed a hold on the counter now more than ever but he didn’t want to let go of Margo. His legs trembled and he sucked in air, trying to regain his wits.

  As she gradually rose, she cupped her hands behind his denim-covered knees, up to the backs of his bare thighs, then to his ass.

  Walking her fingertips up his back, she kissed his hip bone, opened her mouth on his abs, lightly bit his left pec, then cuddled in close, nuzzling his throat, aroused and warm and sweet.

  Could she feel him shaking?

  He dropped his head forward, pulling her closer. Love left his heart full while a slow burn remained just under his skin. “Give me a minute or two.”

  “Take all the time you need,” she murmured, still licking his skin, tasting him all over with open-mouth love bites—doing a lot to revive him. She snaked a hand back down to his crotch and gently held him.

  It took some concentration, but Dash managed to string words together into a sentence. “You know what this means, right?”

  She gave him an easy tug. “It means I’m in control now.”

  He smiled, cupped her cheek and leaned her back so he could see her face. By the second he recovered, now semisated and without the sharp bite of desperate need.

  But she looked beautifully aroused. Dash glanced down at her breasts, at her stiffened nipples. At that very tempting mouth that had just pleasured him.

  He touched her lips with his thumb, then had to bend down to kiss her. “Now that I’ve come—and I thank you for that, by the way—I can hold out longer. A lot longer.”

  Something passed over her features. Surprise. Sudden awareness. Hot excitement.

  He nibbled on her bottom lip. Had she done it on purpose? Had she deliberately helped him release the sexual tension so he could take her through her paces again? It was a nice thought—one that did a lot to get him going again.

  And since her hand still held him, she felt it when he flexed, thickened.

  Eyes widening, she looked down at him. “Already?”

  “You’re here with me, in my house, and I’m thinking about everything I want to do to you. Everything you’re going to love.” He kissed her, moving his mouth over hers but keeping it gentle.

  Controlling it.

  Her hand released him, moving to his chest as she anxiously tried to get closer.

  Raising his hands to her breasts, Dash closed his fingertips over her nipples. Very, very gently he teased, pinched, rolled.

  Moaning, she broke away, bit her bottom lip and turned for the stairs.

  Dash hiked up his jeans and followed. “In a hurry?”

  “Yes.”

  The spiral staircase put her at a disadvantage as she climbed the treads ahead of him. He nipped at her bottom, managed to stroke her a few times, and by the time they reached the spacious bedroom she was gasping.

  As soon as her feet hit the floor she turned to face him and whisked off her T-shirt, effectively making him pause.

  Staring at him, she hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her panties and skimmed them down. Because of her elbow, because she still felt the effects even though she’d deny it, the striptease wasn’t as smooth as it might have been.

  Didn’t matter.

  Dash wanted to devour her, but he forced himself to stand back. “Lay down on the bed.”

  Without question she turned to do just that...and he added, “On your stomach.”

  He heard her soft groan as she went to her knees on the bed, almost stopping his heart with the tantalizing view, before stretching out. She kept her healing arm at her side, but folded the other under her head.

  Never taking his gaze off her, Dash stripped off his jeans. Emotional overload, scalding lust—the combination left him devastated.

  He walked around the foot of the bed, surveying her from each side. The sides of her breasts swelled out from under her, her back dipped down to a tiny waist, then flared up to that round, sexy rump. Shapely legs, crossed at the ankles.

  She was sleek and smooth and strong as only a woman could be.

  As he walked, she turned her head, keeping him in sight. “Do you have a condom?”

  “A boxful.” He was hard again, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to play as much or as minutely as he wanted. He needed her a second time, maybe even a third, before they could rest. But he wouldn’t forget himself, not this time. Not ever again. “You don’t have to worry about it.”

  He sat beside her on the bed, trailed a hand down her graceful back.

  She purred, and said, “Wasn’t all your fault. I know better.” Without his direction, she turned to her side, propped her head up on a fist. “Odds are it’ll be okay.”

  Would a baby be so horrible?

  That thought stunned him, scared him a little, and made him feel desperate. Because no, for him, it wouldn’t be terrible at all. Just the opposite.

  Coming down over her, Dash took her to her back and covered her mouth with his. A baby.

  He nudged her lips open and licked his tongue inside, going deeper and deeper. He didn’t want to analyze his own reaction too much because it made no sense. He still didn’t know how Margo felt about him, if she cared even half as much as he did.

  Which would be tough, given he loved her more than life.

  Cupping her face, he kissed her until he stole her breath while settling his body over hers, one knee between her legs, opening her.

  She kissed him back, just as wild.

  She lifted her belly up against him and he realized he was, in fact, on dangerous territory.

  Time to get it together.

  He raised up, not far, but enough to separate their mouths. “Does your arm pain you?”

  “No.” She tried to take his mouth again.

  Staying out of reach, he caught her wrists and, watching her closely for any signs of discomfort, pressed her hands to the mattress. “Okay?”

  She adjusted, moving her left arm to a more comfortable angle. “What are you going to do?”

  “Kiss you all over until you come.”

  She drew in a shuddering breath. “My arm is fine.”

  “Margo.” He opened his mouth on her throat. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Then hurry it up.” Squirming under him, she breathed, “And please don’t tease too much. Honest to God, Dash, today, right now, I just need you.”

  He searched her face, knew she meant it, and presse
d the gentlest of kisses to her mouth. “All right.” And with that, he left a damp trail of soft biting kisses down her neck to her breasts, where he sucked softly—then not so softly—on each nipple. He didn’t touch her between her legs, wanting the anticipation to build.

  Leaving her nipples wet and tight, he moved down more, licking over her ribs until she twisted away, then over her flat belly and her cute navel, down to her hip bones. “Ticklish?”

  “On fire.”

  He smiled, and nibbled his way to the inside of her thigh. She tried to part her legs, but with him still resting on her, she couldn’t. He breathed her in, loving the heated scent of her excitement. Her skin was so silky, he couldn’t stop sucking her against his teeth, marking her in various places.

  When she breathed raggedly, shaking and moaning, he shifted, lifting her legs up and over his shoulders, holding her bottom in his hands, burrowing his mouth against her, his tongue seeking—

  “Ahhh...Dash.” She arched up.

  He licked over her, past the silky wet lips, into her.

  Her hands came down to tangle in his hair, holding him closer, stinging in her intensity. “Stop playing.”

  He licked again, this time up and over her clitoris.

  She cried out, her heels pressing into his back.

  Nice. He loved getting her like this, pushing her into a climax. Carefully he closed his teeth on her, holding her for the wicked flick of his tongue, a soft sucking, playing his tongue over her—and far too quickly she came.

  He waited only until her shudders eased before raising up to grab a condom, rolling it on, then moving over her again.

  Gathering her close, he kissed her parted lips, her dewy cheekbones, her temple. “Look at me, honey.”

  Dark, heavy lashes lifted, showing her slumberous, sated eyes. Smiling lazily, she focused on him. “That was—”

  He pressed into her. There was no going slow, no building her need. He swept her away with him by sheer, raw sexuality. Each hard thrust rocked the bed, faster and faster.

  He knew the second she caught up, when her own need escalated. Her knees came around him, high on his waist, her ankles locking at the small of his back. He felt her nails on his shoulders. She turned her face and, trying to muffle her cries, bit his chest.

  God, yes. “Now, baby.” He needed her with him. Holding back became nearly impossible, even painful. “Now.”

  Her inner muscles squeezed him, milking him as her second orgasm overtook her, and Dash lost it. Going to his elbows, his gaze glued to her face, he joined her in a near violent release.

  How did it keep getting better and better? As the wild thundering of his heart slowed and his clenched muscles eased again, he sank back against her.

  With every breath he inhaled the combined scents of their bodies, the scent of sex and sweat and satisfaction. Slowly, he rolled so that she was on top, his hands cupping her ass, keeping her right where he wanted her—as close as she could be.

  As if that suited her just fine, she sprawled over him, her hand on his heart. Around a yawn, she asked, “How do you feel about a nap?”

  It took all of Dash’s concentration not to crush her with a tight hug. It was even harder not to say aloud how he felt. Repeatedly he stroked her, kissed her shoulder, the top of her head.

  He turned, putting her to her back again. Seeing her like this was such a gift. He kissed her. “Go ahead. I’ll get rid of the condom and be right back.”

  She stretched, smiled and closed her eyes. “Don’t take too long.”

  When Dash returned only a minute later, she was sleeping. But as he gathered her close, she snuggled in...right where she belonged.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  THEY SPENT THE DAYS having sex, talking, walking along the shore and enjoying the tranquillity of nature.

  Margo couldn’t remember ever being so relaxed. She got updates from Logan, Reese, even Rowdy and Cannon, but work didn’t dominate her thoughts. The concern remained; nothing would make her not care. But she didn’t suffer the near-frantic need to single-handedly resolve the problems.

  With Dash as a buffer to her workplace persona, she was better able to compartmentalize the various duties of her life.

  Her only regret was that the time passed too quickly.

  It seemed in the blink of an eye, Sunday morning rolled around. Dash woke her with soft touches that turned into hot demands. Every time with him just seemed to get better.

  They had lingered in bed until late morning and now a quiet lassitude left her pleasantly at peace. Yoga-style, she sat on the dock next to Dash. The bright sunshine glittered off the surface of the lake, but the temperatures remained in the mid-sixties and with the breeze off the lake, she couldn’t help but shiver. Because she hadn’t packed warm clothes, Dash had loaned her one his sweatshirts, then tucked a blanket around her.

  She watched bubbles rise from a hungry fish, but Dash watched her. With the back of his knuckles, he touched her cheek. “In the summer, we can swim. It’s deep right off the end of the dock.”

  Summer seemed a long way off. Would they still be together? She turned her head to look at him. “You really enjoy the water, don’t you?”

  “I grew up around it. My parents often took us vacationing at the beach. I can’t remember a time when we didn’t have a boat or two.” He traced a fingertip along her jaw to her mouth. “Water has a way of draining away tension.”

  When he reached her mouth, he teased that one finger along her bottom lip. She opened, licked the tip, drew him in.

  Expression arrested, Dash caught his breath. In the next second she found herself in his lap while he kissed her like a starving man.

  Always, though, he used care with her, never forgetting about her injured elbow. She cupped his face. “Can I ask you something?”

  “You can ask me anything.” He kissed the corner of her mouth. “Shoot.”

  She was so curious about him, she wanted to know everything. “Is your home as big as the lake house?”

  “Bigger. Maybe twice as big. Why?”

  What could she say? That he fascinated her? “Do you really need that much room?”

  He shrugged. “Mostly I choose it for the land. It’s private, and secure.” Looking abashed, he admitted, “It has an indoor pool.”

  And he loved water.

  “When we get home, I’ll show it to you. In fact...” He drew in a deep breath. “I was hoping to convince you to stay with me.”

  For how long? But she couldn’t ask him that. She’d fought a lifelong battle for independence; giving it up in any way wouldn’t be easy.

  Dash went on as if he sensed her uncertainty. “I know your place has already been cleaned up, but I don’t want you to be alone.”

  She smiled at him. “I can take care of myself.” If that was his only reason for wanting her to come to his house, there’d be no need.

  “What if you’re caught without your gun? What if two men come after you?” He lowered her to her back on the dock, half covering her with his chest. “You’re still healing from the last attack.”

  She touched his jaw. He hadn’t shaved today, but she liked him with the rough whiskers on his face. “What if a man bigger than you attacked you? What if two men jumped you from behind?” She loved the feel of his weight, his heat and his incredible scent mixed with sunshine and fresh air.

  “I’m a man.”

  Somehow his sexism felt more caring than insulting. “We’re all vulnerable under the right circumstances, but I’m not helpless.” She gave him a quick kiss. “When you were off vacationing at the beach, I was taking self-defense classes. True, I’ve got the bone structure and muscle mass of a woman. But it’s not always about brute strength.”

  He didn’t look convinced. “Margo...”

  She
lifted up to kiss him, then pushed at his chest. “Come on. Let me show you.”

  Determination changed his expression. “Show me from here.”

  Oh, a challenge. “You want me to get away from you?”

  “Yeah.” He looked at her mouth. “If you can.”

  Fun. One thing about Dash, he never, ever bored her. Slowly she put her arms around his neck. Her elbow wasn’t entirely comfortable yet, but she managed without a single flinch. “Maybe I don’t want to.” She kissed him again, this time making it more than a fast smooch. With her tongue she traced his bottom lip. Making her voice husky, she admitted, “I like being under you.”

  So much heat showed in his dark eyes, she almost felt guilty. But not that much.

  When she invited his mouth to hers, he didn’t disappoint. And honest to God, the way he kissed, she almost forgot her purpose.

  Encouraging him with small sounds, wicked touches, she waited until he really got into it—in a sudden, fluid move she rolled out from under him and shot to her feet.

  Confused, Dash was left grasping the air.

  Margo stayed out of his reach. “Were you a real adversary, I would have stomped your balls, maybe kicked you in the chin.”

  Still stretched out at her feet, Dash stared at her. His smile came slow and easy. “A surprise attack?” He seemed mildly impressed. “Hate to break it to you, honey, but I was trying not to hurt you. Someone else might not be so considerate.”

  Margo gestured him up. “Playing the victim is a great way to get free.” When he didn’t stand, she cocked out a hip. “Up. I want to show you what I mean.”

  “I’m already up.” He nodded at his lap.

  Mmm, perfect. She could combine her two favorite things—defense and Dash. “We’ll deal with that next. But you asked how I’d handle an attack, so let me show you.”

  In an impressive show of muscle and dexterity, Dash rolled to his feet without using his hands. “All right, I’m game.”

  Standing in front of her, he blocked the sunshine and she shivered.

  He took her hand. “But not here on the dock. That damn water is still frigid and I don’t want either of us to take an accidental dip.” He scooped up the blanket and led her to the flatter, grassy area that sloped down to the shoreline. He tossed the blanket aside and pulled off the flannel shirt he wore over a long-sleeved T-shirt.