NautiCal (Forever Wilde 8)

Thinking of my brother and sister alone in a Chicago park had overwhelmed me with fear and the constant, buzzing anxiety of “what if” thoughts. Thinking of Cal sinking down on the reef without his mask or regulator gave me the same sense of impotent worry. What if it had ended differently? What if they’d been moored over a deeper spot? What if there hadn’t been anyone left in the water to go after him? What if he hadn’t been so well trained on helping himself?

“I’m fine,” he murmured in his dozing state. “Stop.”

“You reading my mind?” I asked softly, running fingers through his drying hair and kissing the top of his head.

“Your body is so tense.” He didn’t open his eyes, but he snuggled even closer. “Relax with me.”

“I…” I wanted to tell him I was having feelings. I wanted to ask him to be more careful. I wanted so badly to ask him if I could just hold on to him a little longer until I felt steadier again.

“I’m relieved you’re okay,” I said instead. “So relieved.” My voice sounded odd in my ears.

His eyes blinked open, and his forehead crinkled as he peered up at me. His face looked sleepy and sweet. The bandage near his hairline made my heart flip around like I imagined the flying fish had when it had landed in the boat. “Jon?” he asked.

I couldn’t think straight. My brain was swirling with a million thoughts, and my lips itched to press against his like maybe it was the only thing that would reassure me he was here with me and fine.

“I…” I said again, stupidly. My throat was thick with indecision. “Can I… can… fuck.”

I leaned in and tasted him, trying to keep the kiss soft and light so as not to hurt him. Cal let out a soft sound of surprise but didn’t move away. Instead, he inhaled through his nose and surged forward, deepening the kiss and bringing a hand up to cup the back of my head.

We kissed like we were desperate for it, like one of us was the sun and the other a sunflower stretching its neck to get as much warmth as possible.

Within seconds, Cal was squirming on top of me, shifting over until his knees landed on either side of my hips and the hardening ridge of his dick pressed into my stomach.

“You’re hurt,” I said against his lips.

“Don’t you dare,” he warned, tightening the hold he had on the back of my head.

I stopped fighting it and let myself feel. The weight of his body on mine. The scratch of his whiskers against my cheek. The gentle thrusts of his cock against my stomach.

And the utter certainty that this was going to end in disaster.

13

Cal

I couldn’t believe Worth had kissed me, had let his moment of weakness actually turn into something physical. After all of the walls and barricades he’d erected, he’d actually succumbed to this obvious attraction that had been sparking between us.

It was un-fucking-believable. Every brush of his lips against mine made me want more… harder, deeper… just… more.

“Please,” I heard myself beg. I’d take anything from him. Anything.

Worth grabbed my ass and squeezed. Soft curses fell from his lips between kisses. Finally, he pulled back and sucked in a much-needed breath.

“You’re hurt,” he said again.

“Not hurt,” I argued. “Horny.” It wasn’t an accurate description of what I was feeling, but I hoped it at least got the message across.

Worth cupped the sides of my neck. “You need to rest. We should—”

I didn’t want him going down the responsible-adult path. “We should fuck. I sleep so well after an orgasm.” Score one for me for being so reasonable.

Worth’s eyes widened. “You could be concussed.”

“I’m not. Besides, what better way to celebrate being alive than with sex?” I countered.

“This would complicate things,” he warned. “We weren’t… we weren’t supposed to…”

We stared at each other while a million words seemed to pass unsaid between us.

“Please,” I whispered again. “I want you. I want you to touch me and kiss me and put your fingers inside me and then fuck me hard. Or soft. Or both. I’ve wanted you from the moment you got bossy with me that first night.”

He continued to stare at me as my words sped up his breathing. His face finally cracked a smile. “Why doesn’t it surprise me that you enjoyed being bossed around?”

I leaned in and kissed him again, moving from his lips down to the square angle of his jaw and down his neck. “Let me suck you off.”

“No,” he said firmly. “You’re going to lie back and stay still.”

Worth nudged me off him and onto my back on the rumpled duvet. I had to admit to myself that sinking back into the mattress felt amazing. He turned on his side and slid a hand under my T-shirt. I sucked in a breath. My dick tented my boxers until the elastic waist was almost pulling away from my skin. When his hand skimmed along my stomach, I groaned and leaned back, closing my eyes and savoring every touch. I didn’t know much about Jonathan Worthington, but I knew for certain he would come to regret hooking up with me. So I needed to enjoy every moment of his attention while I had it.