Sun, Sand, Sex

by Linda Lael Miller; Jennifer Apodaca; Shelly Laurenston

  No way was he letting her think too much. He was light-years past thinking and one hundred percent into Lexie, just Lexie. Shutting the door, he tossed the stuff he carried, took the shoes from her hand, and rubbed her shoulders and bare arms. He felt her tremble, felt the rise of gooseflesh beneath his palms. “I only want you wet where I make you wet. And shivering when I make you shiver.” He moved behind her and found the zipper of her dress. Dropping a kiss on her shoulder, he slid the zipper down her long back, then pushed the tiny straps down her arms. The material whispered down her body, revealing her tan lines, the white swells of her ass, her legs. He reached to gather her in his arms and remembered his wet clothes.

  Nick stripped his clothes off. Then he pulled her against him. Her skin against his, her curves pressing against him. He leaned down to her neck, inhaling the scent of her, the lingering sunscreen, slight chlorine of the waterfall water, and just pure Lexie. He could still taste her on his tongue. Unable to stop from touching her, he skimmed his hands over her nipples, feeling the tremor go through her. Cupping her breasts, he brushed his thumbs back and forth across her nipples. His cock strained against her back. “I want you, the real you. Raw, honest, riding my cock, Lexie. Taking the pleasure you crave. The pleasure you denied yourself trying to be good and perfect for everyone else.”

  She leaned back into him. “Yes.”

  It ripped through him, the untainted trust in her. She’d been riding the edge of wild since he’d met her, reaching for a chance to throw off the shackles but always pulling back. No pulling back tonight. Not with him. He’d known in that first kiss, when she’d melted into him with trust, that she’d let go for him.

  It had scared him to death.

  Now his cock thickened and his pulse pounded. He glided his hand down her belly, sensitive to the quivers in her stomach muscles. Dipping between her legs, he separated her gently. She was soft and wet, her body opening to him. Male pride swelled and drove him to give her pleasure, to push her to be free with him. He stroked her, and she writhed against him, her skin sliding over his while his fingers sank into her wet heat. She arched against him, forcing his fingers deeper into her body.

  He groaned. “Condom,” he told her. Taking his hands off her body, he went to his dresser and found the condoms. Grabbing one, he turned and holy God, he stopped. Lexie’s hair was wild, her face flushed, her eyes sparkling. Her breasts were tightly nubbed, and between her legs, her curls were wet. Her clit peeked out.

  She came to him, taking the condom, opening it, and sliding it on him.

  He grabbed her shoulders, pushed her back to the bed, and went down on top of her. Nick opened his mouth over hers, sucking her tongue. He was so hard, so goddamned desperate to be inside her, he worried he’d hurt her. Grabbing her waist, he rolled her over him. “Let me watch you.”

  She rose up on her knees and straddled him, her hair sliding over her shoulders and brushing over her tits. Taking hold of his cock, she pressed the tip against her sleek hot entry. She was looking down, watching as he slid partway into her. Then she looked up at him.

  He reached over his head, hooking his fingers around the wrought-iron headboard. “More, Lexie. Jesus, you’re killing me.” Her walls were hot and slick and sucking him in. Sweat coated him. But he watched her face. The flare in her brown eyes. She wanted him, she wanted something…“Take it, Lexie. You want it, take it!”

  She took him all.

  Nick squeezed his fingers around the wrought iron over his head. The feel of her body taking him in deep slammed him with a truth—this wasn’t just sex, but an all-consuming passion.

  Lexie began to move, sliding him in and out, torturing the hell out of him. The need to possess her, fill her, grew, but he fought to let her set the pace. Color rose in her face and chest, and she began to undulate in a frantic way.

  Nick got it, realized what she was trying for. He let go of the headboard, reaching down to separate her folds and expose her clit better.

  She stopped moving, startled.

  He looked into her face, desperate to reassure her. To teach her to take what she needed from him. “I want to feel you rubbing your pussy on me while my cock is deep inside you.” He took hold of her hips, showing her how to rock herself on him.

  Then she did it on her own. God. He arched up under her, grabbing the headboard as she rode him. Her breasts bounced, her face softened, and she arched as she found it…her orgasm. She made sexy noises, bearing down on him, rubbing her pleasure on him. Her face flooded with color, and Jesus, she was so fucking beautiful.

  He lost it. He reared up to put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his chest. He had to feel her, hold her. Putting his free hand on her lower back, he dug his heels into the bed and thrust up high and hard. Her body was soft and pliant and he couldn’t get enough of her. He thrust harder, deeper.

  A small voice warned, Don’t hurt her.

  But he went deeper and came holding Lexie against his chest, feeling her hot skin against his and inhaling her scent.

  As soon as he could breathe, he said, “Did I hurt you?”

  A small tremor went through her, wrapping around his cock. “No.”

  He knew it was true. Her body was spread out, still soft and supple, with little aftertremors. He hadn’t hurt her. He’d just lost control.

  And his mind.

  Lexie watched the cold gray dawn, barely able to see the ocean. She could just make out the white caps of the waves. Fog chilled her and she wrapped both hands around her mug of coffee. The noise of the crashing waves somehow sounded like freedom to her. Like the powerful sense of freedom she’d felt last night.

  She hoped the sound of the waves would always remind her of that precious feeling. And of Nick.

  She knew last night cost him, blurred lines that he couldn’t emotionally afford to blur. Ellen’s murder haunted him, and he coped by keeping sex and duty separate. Who was she to judge that? Hadn’t she been judged enough? She wouldn’t do that to Nick. One day, he would find a woman he could care about again. A woman who came without trouble that brought out the memories for him.

  Hearing the slide of the door behind her, she tried not to tense up.

  Nick moved up behind her. “What are you doing out here? Can’t you sleep?”

  “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  He reached around her, sliding the cup from her hands to take a drink, then settling the warm mug between her palms. He put his arms around her. “You’re cold. Come back to bed.”

  She had put on his shirt because it was easier than her dress. His warmth penetrated the material. She could feel his hard-on pressing against her lower back. Desire rose, thick and desperate. But with the morning came the consequences. “No. We should get going. It’s a long drive.”

  His arms tightened around her. “Lexie.”

  She turned, stepping out of his arms and putting a little distance between them. “I’m not going to let you bend your rules because of some kind of twisted logic that you have to protect me. You don’t. I’ll handle this situation with the stalker. I’ll go back and fix things.”

  “You mean cave in to your family?”

  There was enough light now for her to see Nick wearing only his boxers. She intimately knew the curve of his shoulders, the feel of his muscles covered by skin that smelled like Nick—bold and determined. He was powerful and overwhelming as a lover, and yet, she’d touched a part of him last night that was vulnerable. He handled his vulnerability by keeping barriers in place; she wasn’t going to cross those barriers and cause him more pain.

  “I’ll deal with it, Nick. They are my family, they’re all I have. I shouldn’t have run.”

  He returned her stare. “Running was the first smart thing you did do.” Dragging a hand through his hair, he added, “I read some of your book. You are good. It’s only Wednesday. We have until Friday morning. Keep working on your book.”

  Her chest hollowed, and her hands tingled like they were falling as
leep. She set the coffee cup down on the small table. “You looked at my book? On my laptop?” It was hers. Her book. Just hers. The only thing she had that was hers. Emotions welled up, burned. Anger? Nerves? Did he like it? She didn’t know what she felt.

  “Yes. You fell asleep while working on it the night we went to Mac and Shelly’s. I was making sure the file was saved to shut down your computer…and I ended up reading. I’m not sorry, Lex. I read for hours. I didn’t want to stop. Hell, I’ve been trying to work up the courage to ask you to read the rest of it.”

  She stepped farther back, hit the edge of the chair, and fought for her balance. Something was moving inside of her, shifting, swelling.

  Nick closed his hand around her arm. “I know it was wrong to invade your privacy. But where you’re concerned, I have no self-control. None.” He voice dropped to a caress as he added, “I like you in my shirt.”

  She shivered and couldn’t resist asking, “You liked it? The book?”

  He smiled. “Yes.” He pulled her against him, leaned down, and kissed her.

  She couldn’t sort it all out, but Nick wrapped one arm around her waist, lifted her up, and carried her inside. Taking her mouth from his, she tried to keep the boundaries in place. “Sex? This is about vacation sex, right?”

  His grin turned wicked. “Sun, sand, and sex. Mostly sex.” He tossed her on the bed.

  She had to be out of her mind. He had the ability to keep his emotions separate, but she knew it was too late for her anyway. She cared for Nick, cared so much she couldn’t leave him and yet was desperate to ease his worries and conscience. Did two more days really matter? Bouncing on the bed where he tossed her, she watched him strip off his boxers. He was hard, his dick thick and twitching. Still wearing his shirt, she got to her knees on the mattress and touched him.

  He thrust his hips and groaned at her touch. Sinking his hand in her hair, he tilted her head up to him and said, “I intended to go slow, drive you crazy—”

  She cut him off. “Nick?” He closed his eyes as she stroked his cock and cupped his balls.

  “What?” He groaned.

  “Shut up and get down to business.”

  He snapped his eyes open. Then he grinned. He reached out and slid his shirt halfway down her arms, then he picked her up and put her on her back.

  Lexie realized he’d bared her body to him, but trapped her arms to her sides. She could roll over and free herself, but why the heck would she do that? She pretended, though. “No fair.”

  He laughed, then he bent her legs, spread her knees, and looked his fill. He touched her clit, stroked her. She writhed, spreading her thighs for him. He took his hand away.

  “Nick, don’t stop!”

  He went to the dresser and got a condom. “Lexie?”

  She watched him roll the condom onto himself. “Hmm?”

  “Shut up, sweetheart.” He moved on top of her and slid his cock inside of her. “Unless you’re whimpering.” He thrust hard, reaching the spot that fired her nerves. A spot that only he knew.

  She whimpered, wrapped her legs around him, and arched up to take more of him.

  “Or panting.” He thrust again.

  Her breath rushed out of her.

  Nick rose up, placing his arms on either side of her head. He looked down at her, his eyes golden. “Or you come…” He slammed into her, over and over, deeper. “Come hard, Lexie, squeeze me.”

  She cried out, her release pulsing and squeezing even as he shoved her halfway up the bed, burying his cock in her and groaning his release.

  Nick rolled her over on top of him and stripped the shirt off her, throwing it to the side. Then his arms wrapped around her, holding her. He drew one hand down her back to spread his fingers over her butt cheek. “How about you spend the day writing in bed while naked?”

  Lexie sank into the warmth, hearing the slam of her heart, feeling the sting of his sweat against her face. Her whole body throbbed. “I think you tricked me into staying under false pretenses, bounty hunter.” She took a breath and asked, “Will you be naked too?”

  He tightened his arm around her. “Oh, yeah.”

  Seven

  Lexie’s stomach rumbled loudly.

  Nick walked out of the bathroom with a towel slung around his hips. “Is that your subtle way of telling me to feed you?”

  She laughed. “A body can’t exist on sex alone.” Although she was happy enough to try. He looked good in a towel. It was a shame to watch him pull on board shorts.

  The room phone rang, startling her.

  Nick walked over and grabbed it. “Vardolous.” A pause, then, “Yes, she’s here.” He handed her the phone.

  “It’s for me?” Who could possibly know she was in Nick’s room?

  Nick grinned. “It’s Mac.”

  She took the phone, a little bemused. “Hi, Mac, is something wrong?”

  “Evidently not, if you’re in Nick’s room.”

  She blushed, remembering breakfast with Mac and Shelly yesterday morning. Lexie had known they were doing some creative matchmaking. “Uh, what can I do for you?”

  “Can you come up to the lobby for a few minutes?”

  “Why?” She had no idea why he’d want to see her.

  “Nothing to worry about. The resort manager would just like a quick minute.”

  Was something wrong with her credit card? She wasn’t anywhere near her limit. “Uh, okay. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  “See you then.” Mac hung up.

  Lexie set the phone down and stared at it.

  Nick walked up behind her, put his hands on her arms, and rubbed up and down. “What’s up?”

  She turned. “The resort manager wants to see me. I don’t know why. I’m sure my credit card is fine. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

  He laughed. “Why don’t we stop by your room so you can get your swimsuit and laptop, then we’ll go see what terrible crime you’ve committed. If you aren’t arrested, then we can get some breakfast, and I was thinking that maybe you’d like to try surfing again before you get to work.”

  “You mean the class?” She’d had fun in the class except when Nick got all bent out of shape.

  His dark eyebrows drew together in a frown. “Not a chance. It’ll be my hands all over you this morning.” Drawing himself up, he added, “I’ll teach you.”

  She didn’t get it. “Why?”

  He reached out and touched her face, sliding his fingers along her jaw. “Because when you stood up on the surfboard yesterday, I could see your smile even from a distance. I want to see it again. You were doing pretty good. Come on, it’ll be fun.”

  He wanted her to have fun. With him. She was just digging herself in deeper and deeper. “Well, uh—”

  He leaned down, brushing his mouth over hers. “Or we can come back to my room and you can try to work naked.”

  Shivers danced in her stomach, but she tried to look stern. “Try? I’m very serious about my book, I’ll have you know.”

  “Hmm. I might have to test the level of your commitment.” He dropped a hand to the bare skin of her thigh and slid it under her dress.

  God, she was too easy. With Nick. She wanted to strip off her dress, strip off his board shorts, and…she shoved him away. “Hands off, bounty hunter. Mac is expecting me soon.”

  Nick grinned. “I could kill him and solve the problem.”

  “Nick!” Her horror somehow turned into laughter. There was nothing sexier than a man making her feel desired. Nick had that way about him. With all women? she wondered. That thought hurt, but Lexie was determined to accept that this was just vacation sex, nothing more. “Let’s go.”

  Since she had showered in Nick’s room, it didn’t take her long to put on her bathing suit and cover-up, then grab her beach bag. They left their laptops in her room for now and walked to the lobby. It was cool inside with the lazy ceiling fans, mosaic tiles, and an indoor waterfall. Mac strode toward them with two women, both wearing the blue and white
resort colors.

  Mac grinned at her. “Lexie, I’d like you to meet the resort manager, Rose, and our event coordinator, Vivian.”

  Rose had short blond hair and a wide smile. “Hi, Lexie, Mac’s told us a lot about you. So has the staff that has worked with you to book rooms for your clients’ honeymoons.”

  At a loss for what to do, Lexie smiled and said, “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you. What can I do for you?” The professional tone was automatic, although she felt awkward in her bikini and flip-flops. What did they want? She was pretty sure it had nothing to do with My Perfect Wedding.

  Rose said, “I’ll make this quick so you can make the most of a beautiful day here at our resort. Vivian will be leaving Sand Castle Resort in a month. I understand that you are an excellent wedding planner but you are considering a career change. I’ve talked to two of your clients this morning, and they raved about you. I’d like you to consider a job as an event coordinator here at Sand Castle.”

  She turned and looked at Mac.

  His blue eyes glittered. “I recommended you, and the staff backed me up.”

  A vein of possibility opened up, spilling out excitement. She could move to San Diego, work at the resort, and write in her spare time. It’d be a fresh start, put some distance between her and her demanding family. She’d have to plan some weddings, but she’d also be planning events for businesses. It’d be different and challenging. She already had friends—Shelly and Mac. Her mind spun, trying to break it down and grasp it.

  Nick checked her thoughts when he said, “She can’t work here. She lives in Santa Barbara.”

  The excitement drained out like her lifeblood. San Diego was Nick’s home. Mac and Shelly were his friends. Lexie didn’t belong here, she was just…vacation sex. She turned back to Rose and Vivian. “Thank you. I’m pleased that you would consider me. But I won’t be able to accept.”

  Rose’s sharp gaze drifted over all of them, then settled on Lexie. “I’m sure the offer is a surprise. Why don’t you take some time to think it over? We can talk later.” She reached out her hand.

  Lexie shook it and turned to shake Vivian’s hand. To be polite, she said, “That’s very generous of you. I’ll be in touch with you soon.”