Summer Wager

by Stacey Joy Netzel

  “Do you have any ice in your cooler?”

  “There’s some left.”

  “I’ll wrap this now, and when we get back, you’ll ice and elevate while I pack up.”

  “Pack up?” she asked with a frown.

  “Yes. Pack up.” At her indrawn breath to argue, he stated, “You need to get this x-rayed, Shanna.”

  “I’m not leaving.”

  Leaving was the same as quitting in her book. Not happening.

  He glanced up, his frown cutting a deep V on his forehead. He opened his mouth, then shut it again with a sigh and shake of his head. “We’ll talk about it when we get back.”

  “I’m not leaving,” she repeated firmly.

  He ignored her and wrapped her ankle, his large hands surprisingly nimble with the bandage.

  “You’re pretty good at that,” she complimented grudgingly.

  “I spent a couple winters as a ski instructor out in Colorado during college. We had to take basic first aid, so I’ve wrapped my share of ankles.”

  Never went camping as a kid, but he’d been a ski instructor. “Do you still ski?”

  “Not nearly as much as I’d like to.” He glanced up as he finished the job and secured the metal clips to keep the elastic bandage in place. “Your boot has to go back on. It’ll help keep the swelling down. Ready?”

  She nodded and grit her way through the process.

  “Do you ski?” he asked while tying her laces.

  “I’ve always wanted to learn, but never did.”

  “I’ll teach you sometime.”

  She blinked at the easy words, but before she could determine if it was a real offer or just an offhand comment, he zipped the backpack closed and stood to help her up. She accepted his hand, and once she was standing on her good foot, she gingerly tried to put weight on her injured one. A stab of fiery pain made her gasp and hop on her left leg. She grabbed the trunk of a nearby tree for balance while she breathed through the worst of it.

  Concern creased Kevin’s forehead as he stooped for the backpack. “Yeah, you’re definitely not walking on that.”

  “What’s the alternative?” she snapped, frustration and emotion getting the better of her.

  “I’ll carry you.”

  “You can’t carry me that far.”

  “Wanna bet?”

  She tilted her head, slightly annoyed with the reappearance of his macho ego. Besides, she didn’t doubt he was strong enough, but it was way too much to ask.

  He held out the pack while motioning with his other hand for her to hurry up. “Put this on and I’ll throw you over my shoulder fireman-style. That way you can keep your foot elevated higher than your heart.”

  Her mouth gaped open as she gripped the tree trunk. Good God. She’d throw up in less than a minute. “You’re not serious. Are you?”

  He rolled his eyes, a slight smirk tugging the corner of his mouth. “Of course not. You’ll ride piggyback. Now let’s go.”

  As she put the pack on, he took a knee in front of her so she could climb onto his back. Her pulse skipped as she imagined him in the same position, only facing her, his warm hazel gaze turned up to hers, his hand extended with a—

  “We doing this today or tomorrow?” he prompted over his shoulder.

  She shook away the ridiculous fantasy and awkwardly placed one hand on his firm shoulder while hopping closer, trying to figure out where to put her injured leg. He guided her knee to his thigh, and reached for her hand to pull her arm around his neck.

  “Lean forward and hang on,” he instructed.

  Her breasts pressed against his back as she leaned, and with a seemingly effortless push, he stood and wrapped his arms back under her thighs. After a couple of jostling adjustments that made her feel like a ragdoll, he strode off as if she were no heavier than the backpack.

  “If you need to rest, just let me know,” she said.

  He chuckled. “Don’t worry, I will.”

  A tree branch was coming toward her head. She tightened both arms around his neck and ducked her head next to his. “Watch out—”

  He’d already veered to the right so she cleared the branch with a foot to spare.

  “Trust me, Shanna. That’s what this is all about, isn’t it?”

  A reluctant smile cut through the throb of her ankle, but she didn’t answer. Two steps later, he nearly tripped, and she held on for dear life as he regained his balance.

  “We’re good,” he muttered. “We’re fine.”

  “Barely. Maybe I should—”

  “Stop choking me? That’d be great.”

  “Sorry.” She immediately loosened her grip.

  Beneath her left forearm, she could feel the racing beat of his heart. When he resumed walking, she noticed he slowed down a bit, and they reached camp without any more incidents.

  He set her down near the campfire pit. The back of his shirt was wet with sweat from where she’d been pressed against him for the past half-hour. The front of hers was wet, as well as her back from the pack.

  Plucking the sticky cotton away from her heated skin, she glanced longingly at the lake. A swim would be awesome right about now.

  Kevin rolled one of the logs within a few feet of the one bumping her right knee. “Sit.”

  Shanna turned toward the tent. “I need to get my—”

  “Sit,” he repeated in his familiar, no-nonsense business tone as he blocked her way. “Or I’m tossing you in the canoe and we’re leaving.”

  She sat, but crossed her arms to give him a mutinous glare.

  He bent to lift her injured foot onto the other log, and she quickly reached back to grip her log for balance. A few adjustments took the edge off her sharp grimace, and then she watched him move this way and that, until her boot was off and she had an ice pack on her ankle.

  Kevin stood in front of her, hands braced on his hips. “Here’s the deal. I’ll give you tonight to see how things go. If the pain isn’t any better tomorrow morning, we’re going to the ER, got it?”

  The unbending authority in his voice raised her hackles, but she glimpsed a flicker of worry in his expression as he glanced at her foot. He was giving her a fair option. That he was giving her an option at all was something else to consider.

  “Okay,” she agreed.

  Surprise brought his gaze back to hers, but he quickly masked it. “I’m not done with the conditions yet. You’re also going to rest, keep your foot up, and let me do everything that needs to be done tonight.”

  Like she was going to argue him waiting on her hand and foot?

  “Sounds like a win-win-win for me.” She gave him a smug grin and stuck her hand out. When he reached forward, she pulled back a few inches. “Wait, do we need to swap spit for this, too?”

  His fingers closed around hers as he leaned closer. “Only if you want to seal it with a kiss.”

  Yes, please.

  She swallowed hard against the impulse to say those two words, but in the next moment, he released her hand and stepped back.

  “I’m going to set up something more comfortable,” he advised. “Do you want to recline out here, or in your tent?”

  The breeze off the lake made the sticky summer heat bearable. “Out here for now, please.”

  “Fair warning, I’m taking a swim to rinse off after that hike.”

  “I don’t care.” She’d seen his boxers numerous times in the past two days. What was once more?

  An opportunity to sneak a peek and dream.

  “I actually would like to rinse off, too.”

  “Later. First, you gotta give the ice and gravity time to do their job.”

  She made a face, but didn’t argue.

  Twenty minutes later, she reclined on a makeshift bed of cut branches cushioned by both their sleeping bags. Her foot was elevated without the icepack for a little while, she had a cold beer within reach, and her e-reader in hand. Kevin propped a makeshift crutch at her side in case she needed to get to the bathroom, and then he readi
ed the campfire to be lit when it was time to make dinner.

  After one last check to make sure she didn’t need anything else, he strode toward the shore while pulling his shirt over his head.

  Over the top of her device, Shanna enjoyed the smooth play of muscles in his back as he leaned to drape his shirt on the edge of the canoe next to the extra towel she’d offered for him to use. He undid the button and zipper on his cargo shorts and bent to slide them—her eyes widened—and his boxers—all the way off.

  Good Lord. What if someone happened by? She cast a quick glance around. They were pretty remote, but that didn’t mean boaters couldn’t motor past or paddle into their secluded little cove.

  What do you care? Just enjoy the naked.

  Her mouth went dry and her pulse sped up as Kevin dropped his shorts and briefs on top of his shirt then strode thigh deep into the water before diving under. By the time he surfaced and swiped his hair back from his forehead, she made sure her head was ducked so it appeared she was fully engrossed in her digital book.

  Whatever it took to keep from mentally drooling over those impressive biceps on the arms that had carried her over a mile back to camp.

  Chapter 9

  Kevin saw Shanna with her e-reader up on shore, but she didn’t fool him one bit. Sizzling awareness had prickled along his skin as the heat of her gaze followed his every move on shore.

  He wished he could’ve seen her expression when he stripped off every last stitch of clothing. Remembering the longing in her brown eyes when he suggested sealing their new deal with a kiss, knowing she watched him undress, and thinking about her desire to rinse off, too—preferably in her birthday suit—had him hard by the time he dove into the lake.

  He watched her across the water and stroked himself beneath the surface, but his hand was no replacement for the memory of her glorious heat. If he’d kissed her earlier, he wouldn’t have wanted to stop at her lips. He’d have wanted to explore every inch of her soft skin, then bury himself deep inside her until they both saw stars.

  Letting a low groan of dissatisfaction rumble up from his chest, he set about swimming fast laps of twenty arm-strokes to burn off his frustration.

  When he reached lap thirty, he took a moment to catch his breath. He cast a quick glance to make sure Shanna was still okay on shore, then froze at the sight of her wading into the water with the makeshift crutch he’d found for her. It appeared she’d removed the bandage from her ankle, but unfortunately, she still wore her bra and panties.

  Heaven help him, did she know how damn tempting she was?

  She was in up to her knees when something slipped from her hand and splashed into the water. She cursed and leaned for it as it bobbed out of reach. Her arm flailed as she lost her balance. The crutch went sideways and she fell into the water head first with a shriek, creating a much bigger splash than whatever she’d dropped.

  Kevin swam toward shore to help, but by the time he reached her, she was floating on her back, eyes closed to the late afternoon sun, a refreshed smile on her face. Little waves lapped at her cleavage where the pointed tips of her breasts broke the surface.

  The exertion of his swim was no longer the reason for his elevated pulse as he soaked in the erotic image before admonishing, “You were supposed to wait.”

  She squinted at him, then closed her eyes again. “The ibuprofen kicked in.”

  “Helped by the beer, no doubt.”

  “Maybe.” Her smile widened as she circled her hands in little movements to slowly move her body through the water. “This feels sooo good,” she moaned in a husky voice that had him hard all over again.

  He spotted her bottle floating a few feet away and reached for it in desperation. The label read Biodegradable Body Wash & Shampoo, citronella scented, with bug deterrent essential oils. He flipped open the top and took a sniff. Not bad, and if it helped deter the bugs, awesome.

  “You’re welcome to use it if you want,” Shanna offered.

  He glanced over to see she’d maneuvered to where she could stand. The water rippled against the swell of her breasts over the lace edge of her bra.

  This time around, common sense and good intentions went for a swim as Kevin floated closer. “I’ll wash your back if you wash mine.”

  Across the short distance of water separating them, her gaze met his. Warm, aware, and dark, chocolate brown with unconcealed want. “Is that smart for either of us?”

  “Probably not.” His heart thumped hard in his chest. “But I don’t want to be smart about this right now.”

  She didn’t look away as she swam closer to wrap her arms around his neck. “Clearly, neither do I,” she murmured as her mouth met his. Her body pressed along the length of his, and his jutting erection brushed against her thigh.

  “Thank God,” he muttered.

  Her lips parted, inviting him in for an instantly intimate, deep, passionate kiss, as if she was as desperate for him as he was for her. As their tongues tangled in a breathless duel of give and take, she tightened her hold on his neck to rise up and wrap her legs around his waist.

  “Careful of your ankle,” he warned, even as the new position gave him room to reach up and cup her breast.

  “It’s good for now.”

  “You should be laying down, though. Foot elevated.”

  God, yes. He could work with that position.

  Through the silky material of her bra, her hard nipple pressed into his palm, and he shifted to lightly pinch with his thumb and forefinger. One gasp of pleasure from her lips and he needed to have her in his mouth to hear those breathy moans that haunted his memory from a month ago.

  She tilted her head back, arching into his touch, her long blond hair swirling about her shoulders as he dipped down to nip at her throat on his way farther south. Before he reached his goal, her body sank lower against him, and suddenly, the tip of his shaft prodded against the barrier of her panties. Torn between her breast and the temptation of her heat, he cursed under his breath.

  “I need a condom,” he muttered against her neck.

  Her thighs tightened on his waist as she rocked against him. “Please tell me you brought some.”

  “I have a couple in my backpack—”

  “Thank God. No, wait. Only a couple?” She drew back a few inches. “We still have five more days out here.”

  “Is this going to last all week?” Could he be that lucky?

  No. Lucky would be if it lasted a lifetime.

  “It’s not like we’ll have anything else to do.”

  Brilliant woman.

  “I’m definitely not arguing that reasoning.” He hoisted her higher with one arm, so her breasts were above water again. Then he pulled her bra cup down and pushed the creamy mound up as he dipped his head to take her into his mouth. She gave him one of those low-throated moans that made his whole body throb with anticipation.

  “Can I ask you something?” she breathed.

  “Anything,” he agreed, laving his tongue around her nipple.

  “Well…I’m on the pill…and I haven’t been with anyone since you, and no one for quite a while before that.”

  “Likewise.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.” In the middle of switching to her other breast, he lifted his head with a little spurt of defensiveness. “I wouldn’t lie about something like that.”

  “I didn’t think you lied.” Her chin ducked. “I just assumed you dated a lot.”

  “Much as I love sex, Shanna, I don’t sleep with just anyone.” The firm statement held more of an admission than he realized until he heard the words out loud.

  Shit. Had she noticed?

  “Me neither.” Her fingers combed through the wet hair at the nape of his neck. “You were my first, um, one-night-stand—if it could be called that.”

  “Not after this.” His heart raced at how closely they mirrored each other. Could that night have been more than a fluke for her? He swallowed hard, almost afraid to hope. “So…what was you
r question?”

  She glanced up through her lashes as she slid down along his body in the water, until his rock-hard erection once again pressed against her core. “It’s more of a suggestion. That we don’t have to use a condom if we’re both good. I mean, that we’re both clean, and that you’re okay with it.”

  Automatic no-brainer. “I’m definitely good if you’re good.”

  “I’m good.”

  Her lips curved in the sexiest grin he’d ever seen as she drew his head down for another kiss.

  He loved everything about the way her mouth melded with his, the soft sounds of arousal she made, the sweet taste of her on his tongue, and most especially, the unrestrained enthusiasm as if she couldn’t get enough. He could kiss her for hours, but his body insisted on more.

  “Where’d that shampoo stuff go?” he asked between kisses. “I am more than ready to head up to the tent.”

  She reached down beneath the surface of the water and took his length in her hand. “Forget the tent.”

  Blood surged through his veins, making him throb in her grip. “What if someone comes by?”

  “Do you think we have to worry about that? We haven’t seen anyone in two days.”

  She was so right—and the stroke of her hand was so much better than his. “Keep that up, and I won’t give a fuck who comes by.”

  Her fingers tightened the slightest bit as she increased her speed. He buried his face against her neck with a deep-throated growl. “As good as that feels, Shanna, I’m dying to be inside you.”

  “Not yet.”

  “I’m not going to last.”

  “That’s okay. As I recall, you have an impressive recovery time.”

  He quit arguing and instead moved them closer to shore where he could set her on her feet with her head and chest above the water. “Ankle still okay?”

  “Yep.”

  The steep slant of the lake bottom put her breasts at the perfect height for his mouth as she stroked him closer and closer to climax. He tongued and suckled until the rising tension short-circuited his brain, leaving him to rest his forehead against her chest while he concentrated on the sensations building with the force of a freight train.