The Inheritance (Contemporary Reverse Harem 1)

“Really? Is it worth it? Or will you just have to work even harder?” she asked.

“The irony is that, while I’d take on more responsibility, my hours would not be longer. And, I’d get paid a lot more.” I could just make out her features in the moonlight, with her hair whipping in the breeze. Damn if she didn’t smell great, all simple soap and shampoo.

“What drives you so hard?” she asked.

“Well, I didn’t have much growing up, so I’m working for some security. But sometimes, I wonder how much is enough. You know what I mean?”

“I do. I do know what you mean,” she said, nodding.

Shit, she was beautiful.

“Garnet?” I asked.

“Yes?”

I leaned toward her. “I’m going to kiss you now.” I wrapped my fingers in a fistful of her hair and drew her toward me, touching lips that were as delicious as I knew they’d be. I let my fingers trail down the front of her blouse, where they landed on a magnificent breast topped with a very hard nipple. Shit, if I wasn’t careful, I’d explode right there in my pants.

I looked up to see that the captain had gotten us back to the dock. How the hell had two hours passed so quickly?

“Thanks for the sail, it was great,” I said to him.

“You’re very welcome.” He tied us to the dock and left.

“Wait,” she said, standing. “Where’s he going? Don’t we have to get off the boat too?”

“Sit back down.” I pulled her to the seat. “I’ve got the boat for the night. We can hang out as long as we want, right here in the slip.”

“No way. This is fantastic.” She leaned back on the bench and stared up at the sky. “What’s that tinkling sound? It’s so pretty”

“Those are the buckles that connect to the sails. It’s like boat music.” The sound always made me happy. “I hope to have a sailboat of my own some day. But for now, I’ll just have to hire them when I want to go out.”

I stood and pulled her to me. “Let’s go check out the stateroom.”

“What’s that?” She stood and shyly took my hand.

“It’s a fancy name for a bedroom on a boat. Watch your head,” I told her. We ducked beneath a low door, taking a few steps down from the deck.

“Oh my god, look at this.” She did a complete three-sixty to take in the room with its polished wood and king-size bed. It wasn’t a big stateroom since it wasn’t a big boat, but it was comfortable and cozy.

“Garnet,” I said slowly, running my hand along the soft skin of her arm. I grasped her fingers, bringing them to my cheek. Her response to my touch was just what I’d hoped for—she invited me for more. Everything about her was new to me. I’d known few women who were beautiful and smart, confident and ambitious. And at the same time, vulnerable. Which made me mad with passion. Fuck, I wanted her.

I ran my fingers up the back of her neck and drew her to me. Unable to wait a second longer, I embraced her with everything I had. Those damn pillow-soft lips seared into mine, and when my tongue sought entrance into her mouth, she whimpered like she’d not been properly kissed in a long, long time. Strangely, time both stood still and sped up as we got lost in a kiss before we pulled apart, both gasping for air as the boat rocked lightly in its slip.

Holy shit.

Her face was flushed with need that I was only too happy to fill, and she drew her fingers up to her lips as if she expected them to be bruised from our encounter.

“Garnet, I’ve been wanting to do that since the first time I saw you, the day I came to the bar,” I whispered.

She fell into a smile so beautiful, it almost broke my heart. At the same time, my cock bounced to full attention, straining against my blue jeans and causing me more than a little pain.

“I didn’t know…” she mumbled.

I looked at every inch of her face. “How did you not know? Are you unaware of how fucking amazing you are?”

r /> I kissed her again, and that time, it was ferocious. I lifted her, bringing her to the bed where I laid her on her back and pushed myself between her legs, our blue jeans grinding against each other, out of place and unwelcome.

“May I?” I asked, my fingers poised on the fly of her jeans.