Beast's Demands (Crude Hill High 3)

Sleeping had always been hard for me.

In the early days of moving to England, the new sounds had made it difficult to relax. I was always having to get used to places to have a good night’s sleep.

With no one around, Earl occupied with whatever it was he did while he was here, I snuck out to the pool.

Paddling in the big ocean wasn’t going to happen. The very thought of it made me absolutely terrified. Sea-creature fear.

I sat on the edge of the pool, paddling my feet in the water, getting accustomed to the feel and heat.

It was nice.

I gripped the edge and lowered myself into the water. Wadding through the water, I went up and down, then took on the breaststroke, doing the full length of the pool and back again.

Then I floated on my back, staring up at the blaring sun. I’d never been one for summer, or at least I wasn’t back in England. I was a comfort girl, sweaters and jeans to keep me warm.

Now though, with the warmth beating down on my skin, I felt lighter than I had in a long time.

I wasn’t going to get comfortable with it.

Anything could happen.

On Earl’s island, time seemed to stand still.

There was no fear. No pain. I spent a great deal of time confused, especially about Earl’s illegal activities. I wasn’t going to change him. He was a man who was set in his ways.

An arm clamped around my waist, pulling me down into the water.

A scream fell from my lips, but water filled my mouth as I was taken beneath the surface. The arm holding me down let go, and I quickly broke the water to see Earl standing there, watching me, a smile on his face.

When he smiled, the scar on the side of his face seemed less severe than usual.

My heart raced as I looked at him. “Are you crazy?”

“You looked really peaceful.”

“For a reason. I can’t believe you did that.”

Earl swam toward me, cupping my face. I expected him to kiss me.

I didn’t realize how much I wanted his kisses until he got close enough to be a temptation.

I licked my suddenly dry lips. Would it be so bad to kiss him? I knew how good his lips felt against mine. There was no harm in that.

He was going to be doing a lot more than kissing my body.

I waited.

Earl slipped the strings of my bikini open.

“What are you doing?”

“No one is around. You don’t need to be modest.”

Staring into the pool, I caught sight of his obvious erection. He took care of the bikini in no time. Loosening the strings and letting them fall to the pool floor beneath.

He did the same with the bottoms.

They were gone within seconds, and like him, I stood in the pool naked.

“What about cleaning the pool?” I asked. I went to cross my arms over my breasts, but he stopped me.

“Nothing you need to worry about. It’s why I pay people to do it.” He dropped a quick, almost playful kiss to my shoulder and stepped back.

I watched transfixed as he slid to his back. The length of his cock, hard, standing tall.

Squeezing my thighs together, I felt an answering pull he created just from looking at him.

No man should have that kind of power, and yet, he emitted it.

I was naked. He was naked.

He was aroused, and so was I.

Ignore it, Ash. You can do this.

I started with the breaststroke, and once I calmed my racing nerves, I flipped over and continued with a backstroke, going the length of the pool as I did.

It was easy. I felt in my depth and comfortable.

Earl faded to the back of my mind where he belonged.

I didn’t know what he was doing, and I wasn’t going to look for him.

Time passed.

My thirst built, and I moved to the edge of the pool, about to jump out when Earl wrapped an arm around my waist.

“What are you doing?”

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked.

“I’m thirsty.”

“So am I,” he said. His lips brushed across my neck. A shiver of heat raced down my spine.

He had me pressed flush against the edge of the pool. His hands on my hips, going to my ass, and then he slid his palm between my cheeks, cupping my pussy.

I sank my teeth into my lip, trying to contain the cries that threatened to spill out.

“You make it so hard for me to concentrate. Do you know that, Ashley? I watched you walk out of the house, come to the pool. That bikini should be illegal.”

“You packed it.”

“I know, which is why I was the one to get to remove it from you.”

Two fingers stroked across my clit, and an ache started to build. I didn’t know how he knew what to do with my body. I was putty in his hands. Gripping the edge of the counter, I tried to control my reaction to him.