Reckless Hearts

by Melody Grace

  “That’s great, you’ll kill it,” he declares. “Hell, you sold me on moving down here without even trying. I don’t even want to think what you could talk me into if you really wanted.” He flashes me a grin, but it’s not what I want to talk him into that’s the problem—it’s what I want to talk him out of.

  Like that T-shirt.

  And those jeans.

  I look around. “This is a good spot,” I say, before I get too far thinking about stripping him naked right here in the middle of the creek. “We can set up here.”

  “As you wish.” Will pulls the oars back into the boat, letting us drift gently on the current. I reach for my rod and set about threading the line and fixing the right tackle and bait from my box. Will watches, then whistles. “You know what you’re doing, huh?”

  “I still hold the title for biggest bass in the county.” I pull back the rod, then flick the line out into the water in one smooth swoop. The buoy bobs on the surface, marking the spot, so I nestle the rod into the nook of the oar rest, then settle down on the floor of the boat and flip the top of the cooler. “Ooh, Dove bars, good call.”

  I rip into one, savoring the cool creamy sweetness. When I look up, Will is still watching at me. “That’s it?” he asks, looking amused. “I thought you came here to fish.”

  “I am,” I nod to the line. “The fish will bite in their own time.”

  I let out a yawn, and stretch my legs out, resting my feet up on the side of the boat beside my rod. I lean back, and let the afternoon sun warm me from the inside out. It’s been a long, strange week, but right now, everything feels just right: I have no place to be, nothing to do, ice cream in the cooler, and oh yeah, a hot guy trapped in the boat with me.

  Not bad for a Friday afternoon.

  I hear Will chuckle. “Pass me one of those,” he says, so I toss him a Dove bar. He makes himself comfortable, and licks melting ice cream off his thumb.

  Hello.

  He glances up and finds me watching from over the top of my shades. “How are you doing over there?” he asks. “Getting . . . hot?”

  “I’m fine,” I answer sweetly. “But you’re welcome to go take a dip.”

  He grins. “Not necessary.”

  Too bad. A spot of skinny dipping would definitely amp things up a notch. In fact . . . I give him another look. Will seems to be totally at ease, but his posture seems kind of tense.

  I slowly cross and recross my bare legs. His jaw clenches, just a flicker.

  Interesting . . .

  I finish up my ice cream and set the wrapper aside. Casually, I straighten up, and slowly lift my tank top over my head to reveal the red bikini top I’m wearing underneath. I feel Will’s eyes burning on my skin as I stretch, yawning. “The sun’s hot today,” I say innocently, digging in my bag for a bottle of sun lotion. “Would you mind getting my back?”

  Will meets my gaze. His lips curl in a smile, like he knows just what I’m doing right now. “Sure.” He takes the bottle and I turn, sweeping my hair to one side to reveal my bare back.

  I feel Will shift closer. There’s a pause, and then I feel the cool spread of lotion on my skin, and Will’s strong, steady hands smoothing it over my shoulders.

  My skin prickles. Not from the cold, but the feel of his touch, skimming over my back now in a soft, leisurely caress. Will is slow and methodical; he strokes every inch of my bare skin in smooth circles, down over my spine and edging around my sides in an almost-hypnotic rhythm, every touch sending ripples of sensation spiraling through me, the heat building, a bulls-eye between my thighs.

  God, he’s good.

  I find myself slipping into the breathless haze of desire, thoughts whirling now in my mind. Is this how he’d touch me when we’re naked and undone in each other’s arms? Or is this his self-control still holding tight? Given half a chance, would he be rougher, wild? Holding me down, making me pant and moan for more . . . ?

  “All done.”

  Maybe it’s my own desire talking, but I swear Will’s voice is thicker, his jaw clenched more firmly when I turn and take the bottle back. There are mere inches between us now, and I can see the heat of lust in his eyes.

  “Thanks,” I murmur, with a playful smile. “Want me to do you now?”

  Will holds my gaze, a challenge. “Right here?”

  I grin. “There’s plenty of room.”

  “I don’t know,” he replies, lips curling in a teasing grin. “I’m pretty big.”

  I can’t help it, I burst out laughing. Will grins. “We were talking about my height, weren’t we?”

  “Sure we were.” I shake my head, still grinning. What is it about this guy that I can go from turned on to laughing in hysterics in five seconds flat? I’m about to go retreat to my end of the boat, when my rod skitters and jerks in its place.

  “You got a bite!” Will exclaims. I leap up and grab the rod, trying to keep my balance as the boat shifts and creaks on the current. Something’s biting alright, I can feel the tension on the line.

  “It’s a big one,” I say, starting to reel it in. “I think it’s snagged on something . . .”

  “Here.” Will gets up and moves to stand behind me. He wraps his arms around me, helping keep the rod steady.

  Suddenly, fishing is the last thing on my mind.

  His body presses against the length of me, his strong arms cradling me close. In an instant, I’m surrounded by him: his scent, the whisper of his breath against my cheek, the heat from his sun-drenched skin. It’s an avalanche of sensation, and god, it’s too good to be true.

  How can someone just holding me feel so right?

  I take a shaking breath, my pulse racing. His hands overlap with mine on the rod, and I can’t stop myself from flexing my fingers, threading them to intertwine with his. I don’t want this moment to ever end, but still, it’s a rush of relief when I hear Will’s voice curse,

  “To hell with the damn fish.”

  He throws the rod down and spins me around. I can only glimpse the determined hunger in his eyes before his mouth claims mine in a searching, searing kiss.

  Yes.

  Hot and wild, the fever rages through me in an instant. The boat rocks wildly, the wood groaning under our weight, but I don’t care, all I want is more of him. Now. I reach up, pulling him nearer, parting my lips to invite him in. Will’s tongue slides, deep and slow, tangling with mine in an erotic dance as his hands roam over my bare skin and the inferno between us rages out of control. Nothing else matters, nothing exists in the world but the crush of my body against his, and the devastating magic of his mouth as we—

  SPLASH!

  Nine.

  The cold water closes over my head in an icy rush, shocking me back to reality again. The creek is only a few feet deep, so I easily kick to the surface; when I come up for air, I see Will, splashing beside me, wiping water from his eyes. He laughs.

  “I guess the universe is telling us to take a cold shower.”

  I grin, grabbing his baseball cap as it floats on by, and reach up to jam it down on his head. Water trickles down his face. “Speak for yourself. You’re the one who pulled me in!”

  “I didn’t pull anyone,” he protests. “Your boat decided to give up the ghost.”

  He nods behind me. I turn and let out a gasp.

  “Harold!”

  The poor old rowboat has a massive hole splintered in its side, taking on water fast. “Don’t just splash there,” I cry to Will, swimming over. “Help me bail it out!”

  “I think it’s past saving.”

  As I reach it, the boat tilts over and starts sinking into the creek. Game over.

  I watch sadly. That boat was a part of my childhood, and I guess now it’s gone for good. Will swims over and pulls me closer, treading water to keep us both afloat. “Hey, it’s OK,” he comforts me. “Maybe we can get it mended.”

  “No, I think Harold’s time has come. Rest in peace,” I say watching it sink until just the prow is sticking out. I turn back t
o Will, and smile. “At least he went down in service to a good cause.”

  Will grins. “The kiss that sank the Titanic.”

  I laugh. “Just don’t expect me to give up a spot on my raft.”

  “Never.”

  Will slides his hands around my waist, and just like that, the cold creek water is no match for the heat between us. I shiver at the intimacy of our bodies suspended here in the water, the way my legs seem to part to wrap around his waist as he keeps us afloat with steady, sure kicks.

  Time slows as Will reaches to caress my cheek, and I inhale in a shudder, feeling the slow snaking fire ignite in my bloodstream; seeing the intensity in his hazel gaze.

  When he kisses me again, he takes all the time in the world.

  Slow and leisurely, and hot as the summer’s afternoon. I melt against him, sliding my hands up to tangle in his wet hair, tasting and touching, letting our tongues softly caress, so sweet, I could lose myself in the moment and never come up for air. I wrap around him, feeling his wet shirt against my bare skin and the heat from his body beneath, every breath, every movement rippling through my body in an intoxicating rush.

  God, how can this feel so good? I gladly surrender and give myself over to the storm of sensation, the simple pleasure of his touch. There’s more heat, more desire, just from kissing this man that I’ve ever felt before in my life.

  What else can he do to me . . . ?

  His mouth moves over mine with a dizzying sweetness, easing my lips apart and biting down softly on my lower lip with a nip that makes me moan. Will stiffens at the noise, and drags his mouth from mine, breathing fast. “I need to get you out of this creek,” he says, his voice rough, eyes dark with need.

  I hold his gaze, my blood singing. “And I need to get you out of these clothes.”

  I’m not sure how we manage to keep our hands off each other long enough to rescue our bags from the sinking boat and swim back to shore. We’re both wet through, but neither of us care as we pile into his truck and take off, Will pushing the speed limit on the winding country roads until at last, he pulls up in his front yard and drags me from the passenger seat.

  “I told you, I have running water now,” he says, a wicked smile on his face. He claims another kiss, hard and fast, until I’m panting, then pulls me after him, straight through the front door and up the stairs. We don’t make it to the top before he shoves me up against the wall and captures my mouth with his, hands roving freely now over every inch and curve.

  God, I want him.

  I yank his wet T-shirt over his head and toss it to the floor, kissing wildly at his neck, his chest, those delicious planes of golden, taut muscle. Will muffles a groan, and then his mouth is on me again, tugging my bikini top aside and licking across my bare breasts in a hot, delicious swoop.

  I fall back against the wall, gasping as he teases me, lavishing my sensitive nipples with rasping, soft strokes until I’m writing against him, desperate for more. “Will,” I moan, shaking, and I feel him smile against me, enjoying the sweet torment until finally he closes his lips around one taut nipple and sucks.

  Hot pleasure rushes through my whole body, and I moan again, louder, hearing the raw sound of my own desire ring out in the empty house. For a moment, it’s like I’m watching from outside myself—half naked, head back against the wall, seeing his tongue slide across my breasts in turn. It’s hot, so hot I can feel the tension twist between my legs, aching until I can’t take it anymore. I drag his face back up to mine and kiss him with everything I have.

  Will pins me back, wrapping my legs around his waist and carrying me easily up the last remaining stairs and down the hall while our mouths devour each other, desperate for one more taste. We slam back through the bathroom door, and Will doesn’t even pause, he reaches blindly to turn on the shower, and then pushes me back, right under the spray. The water is cold to start, sharp against my skin, but I don’t care. All I want is him, all of him—as close as I can get.

  Hot mouths and pressing bodies and god, his tongue, sliding deep into my damp mouth. I’m lost in the storm of sensation as the water pulses down on us, and I never want to come up for air. Will grips my hips and I moan into his mouth, arching up, feeling him hard against me. I reach for his belt, and shove his wet jeans down. He kicks them away, and then he’s hard in my hands, so fucking hard and thick, I shudder with anticipation just to touch him, running my fingers over his shaft as Will lets out a groan.

  “Not so fast.” Will suddenly spins me around, pushing me face-first against the slick tile and pinning me in place with the hard weight of his chest. “We’re going to take our time. God, I’ve dreamed about your body,” his voice rasps in my ear. He slides one hand over my breast, squeezing now, closing his fingertips around my aching nipple to pinch and tease with delicious friction. I whimper, pressing eagerly against his hands. “You’re perfect, every damn inch of you, it’s been driving me crazy to stay away.”

  Will slowly unbuttons my cutoff shorts from behind and slides them lower, peeling my bikini bottoms away as he goes. I reach to help him, but he snatches my hands away, pressing them back on either side of my face, palms to the wall.

  “No,” he murmurs, trailing his fingertips down over my naked body in a shivering path. His chest presses against my back, my body molded to fit against him. “Don’t move. You stay right there. I promised you, I’m going to give you everything you need, and baby, it starts right now.”

  My legs go weak at the sinful promise, and I brace myself against the shower wall. Will’s hands slide over me from behind, the water pulsing hot now, beating down on my aching flesh. He kisses the back of my neck, my shoulders; his fingers searching, skimming over my stomach and the hollow of my hip. It’s exquisite. It’s pure torment, knowing he’s so close—naked, but out of reach. I’m aching and breathless, shuddering to his touch.

  And then he slides one hand down between my legs, and I realize the torment has only just begun.

  I hear Will inhale with a hiss. “God, you’re so wet,” he curses, sliding one finger slowly through my folds. “Wet, and tight, and fuck . . . Delilah . . .” My name comes out twisted with a ragged desire, and I’ve never heard it like this before. All I can do is whimper and buck against his hand. Will grips my hip to steady me, and then slowly strokes over my clit in a steady, rhythmic rush.

  Fuck.

  I fall forward, head pressed to the tile, hands still flat against the wall as he softly explores my arched aching body, brushing over my clit, delving deeper to dip into my wet core, just a fingertip teasing, but god, it feels so fucking good. I clench, pleasure radiating from his soft, devastating strokes. “Will,” I gasp, half moaning in his arms. “Please . . .”

  “Oh baby,” he chuckles, a low wicked sound in my ear. “You’re going to have to beg a whole lot louder before I let you come.”

  He nips my earlobe, and sinks one finger inside me.

  My moan echoes from someplace deep inside, a ragged, raw place I never knew existed. Will pulses slowly, curling his finger up just right, his palm pressing against my clit with every stroke. Dear god. My legs are giving way, but he holds me up, using his other arm to brace me against him, pinning me against his chest as that one wicked finger strokes and beckons and unravels me from the inside out.

  I turn my head, burying my face in his damp shoulder. “What are you doing to me?” I whisper, writhing hard against his hand.

  “Giving you what you deserve.”

  Will pulls his hand away, and I whimper in protest, but then he’s turning me to face him under the hot spray, kissing me slowly, possessively, every touch taking me over. He pulls back to hold my face in one hand, watching me as the other slides down between my thighs, finding me slick and aching for him.

  “Look at you,” Will breathes, his eyes locked on mine. “Look how beautiful you are.” There’s an intensity to his stare that makes something twist, an ache deep in my chest. Nobody’s ever looked at me like this. Nobody’s ever made me
lose control, taken over my body with such command—and tenderness, too. Will strokes my cheek, infinitely soft even as his fingers pulse and surge inside me, pushing me closer to the edge.

  “God, Will . . .” I want to close my eyes, just sink into this incredible pleasure, but something keeps my gaze fixed on his. That face, fuck, that gorgeous face: the gold-flecked glint of satisfaction in his eyes, the slow, teasing smile that spreads with every whimper from my lips. He’s loving this, I can tell, seeing me like this, strung out on his every word, every touch, totally under his thrall.

  “That’s right, baby.” Will slides his thumb over my clit. I shudder, the tension coiling, closer, closer . . . “Tell me what you need.”

  “You,” I gasp. “Will, I need you. Please . . .”

  I reach for him then, closing my fingers around his length, and loving the ragged hiss that escapes his lips, the shudder of his body.

  A new heat surges through me, a sharp satisfaction mingling with my own sweet pleasure. I can drive him crazy too. I can make him feel this, so wild and uncontrolled.

  I pump harder, finding my rhythm against Will’s bucking hips. He meets my gaze like a challenge, and his smile widens, teasing as he sinks another finger inside me. Stretching, filling me, but fuck, not enough.

  “Fuck,” I whimper, starting to lose it now. I want to keep control, keep him hanging on, but my body is already cresting higher, winding tighter, ready to explode.

  Will bites down softly on my shoulder. “Come,” he orders softly.

  I shake my head, trying to focus, to take him to the brink right along with me. “Wait . . . I can’t . . .”

  “You will.” Will grabs my hands away from him and pins them up above my head, holding me in place with one hand as the other returns to me, stroking with that mindless rhythm, sinking deeper, beckoning me to the brink. “You’re going to come right now. Because when you do, I’m going to take you to bed and fuck you raw.”