“I promise.” She responded to his solemn tone with an equally solemn nod.
“One time I robbed a 7-Eleven at gunpoint and made off with ten thousand dollars.”
She searched his face for a sign of humor, but it was stone-cold serious.
“Oh. Cool.” She had a thing for bad boys and all, but that was going a little too far. Still, she wasn’t about to show her apprehension. That could mark the tragic beginning of a Dateline Special Report. Nodding, she chattered aimlessly and tried to think of how to process this disturbing tidbit. “Was it a 7-Eleven Express or one that has the free chili with their nachos?”
A wide grin split his face, and he burst into laughter. “Boy, are you gullible. You should’ve seen the look on your face.”
Relief coursed through her, chasing away the chill that had started to settle in her belly. “You’re such a jerk!” She leaped to her feet and waded another six inches into the water, dragging her hand across the tide to splash the front of his jeans.
He gasped between bursts of laughter as the chilly water hit him, and then suddenly he was in hot pursuit, chasing her through the shallow waves, splashing her in turn. She squealed and waded deeper. She was already soaked; might as well go for broke. On her next splash in his direction, she really nailed him. His white shirt was soaked through, and it clung to him like a see-through second skin.
God. Damn.
He was pure strength, from his tree-trunk biceps to the deep vee and stone-cut abs that marked hours of dedicated training. She’d noted it at the auction, but close up it was a whole other ball game. He didn’t look like any doctor she’d ever had, but she sure did feel like she had a fever.
Just looking at him, she was starting to get a handle on why the women he was with never wanted to let him go.
“This was a new shirt,” he said.
“This was a new dress,” she countered. “So I guess we’re even stephen.” She felt twitchy, like she didn’t know what to do with her hands, so she splashed him again, but this time, he was ready. He launched himself in her direction and pinned her arms at her sides. They were both laughing.
And then suddenly, they weren’t.
His jaw tensed as he stared down at her. “What’s going on here, Serena?” he rasped, his fingers tightening on her wrists as he pressed closer. “You already got what you wanted.”
“Did I?” she murmured, half dazed as he leaned closer, the wall of his chest pressing against her breasts.
She should stop now. If she slept with this guy and things got complicated—the way they always did—he might back out on their deal. Grace would murder her.
But even that thought didn’t make her pull away.
“Well, let’s talk about that somewhere a little more secluded, then,” he said.
He turned her in his arms, facing her away from him, and urged her forward, step by step across the cooling summer sand, toward the patio. Instead of leading her up the stairs, he steered her beneath them. She moved to turn, to kiss him the way she’d wanted to the second she saw that slow smile, but he held her gently in place.
He brushed her nape with his fingertips, descending downward in a slow caress, following the indent of her spine to her bottom. His hot mouth pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder once, then again. His hand stole around her body to cup her breast, teasing her nipple through the thin fabric of her damp dress. She let her head fall back with a moan.
“You feel so fucking good,” he groaned, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear. “All night long, I’ve been wanting to see how sexy you look in that bra. It’s driving me crazy.”
He released her breast and slid his hands to her hips, pressing her ass against his thick arousal. She gasped and wriggled. They’d barely touched, and she was on fire.
“But I need to know. How far are we going to take this here and now?” The low rumble of his voice penetrated the dull roar in her ears and she tried to focus. “It would kill me to stop, but—”
“No!” Her whole body rebelled at that thought. “I don’t want to stop,” she murmured, straining closer to him, relishing the hardness of his cock lodged against her bottom.
His only answer was to release her hips to slip his hand under her dress, flipping it up until her ass was bare. She sucked in a breath and squeezed her eyes closed.
“This is just for tonight, though,” she managed to mutter, calling on what little remained of her sanity to issue that all-important PSA. “So we can get it out of the way. And after this, we’re just two friendly associates working for a common goal.”
She turned to face him, holding his glittering gaze in the moonlight.
“Can you handle that, Bryan?”
Chapter Four
Bryan tried to focus on her words through the haze of need clouding his mind as she reached out to cup his more-than-ready cock in her hot hand. He groaned and surged forward, but she pressed her splayed fingers to his chest.
“Can you?”
What was she asking again? If he could handle smoking-hot, no-strings-attached sex with her? Handle being back home without having to worry about Piper behind every corner—or potted plant—he walked by, thinking that the reason he hadn’t had a serious relationship since her was because he secretly still loved her? Handle touching Serena in every way he could possibly imagine and then not having to worry about her all up on his jock about marriage and babies afterward?
“Yeah, I think I can manage.”
“Good.”
Her voice was husky and soulful. A second later, her dress was in a pool at her feet, revealing breasts too beautiful to be real behind a scrap of red lace. There was no more holding back. He closed the space between them and crushed her against him, slanting his mouth over hers, palming her ass with both hands, anchoring her against him.
Serena broke away. “Please tell me you have a condom?” Her half-mast eyes were full of hope and she held her breath awaiting his response.
He dug his wallet out of the pocket of his jeans and nodded. “Lifelong fucking Boy Scout. Always prepared.”
“Oh thank God,” she murmured before turning to face the underside of the stairs. “Hurry,” she whispered feverishly over her shoulder, leaning forward to rest her hands on the knotty wood. The move sent her ass out toward him, giving him an eyeful of red thong and firm, rounded cheeks.
She didn’t have to ask him twice.
He reached around her and ran his free hand over her smooth, flat belly, then upward to cup one breast. It was a perfect, pert handful, and he plucked her nipple, reveling in the catch of her breath.
Somewhere inside him, a dam broke. He shifted, pressing a knee between her thighs until they were spread wide. Kneading his way past her ass cheeks, he paused as he reached her pussy to tug aside the lace and found wet silk. He held his breath, pressing two fingers into her clutching heat. She groaned, her back arching.
He thrust his fingers deeper, biting back his own groan as her slick walls squeezed him. Damn, he needed to be inside her now.
He pulled his fingers away and then reached down to unbutton his pants. As his cock sprang free, Serena reached her hand back between them and closed a fist around him. Helpless, he thrust himself more fully into her hand. She began to work his dick in long, firm strokes. In moments he was pumping his hips in counterpoint, a colossal orgasm bearing down on him hard and fast.
Just as he was about to wrench himself from her magic fingers, she stilled, releasing his shaft. She delicately circled the head of his cock with one fingertip, letting out a satisfied purr as she encountered the drop of moisture that clung there. A jolt of pure animal lust shot through him, and the need to bury himself inside her overwhelmed all thought.
He pulled back for a second, fumbling briefly with the condom before returning to her. Wrapping a fist in her hair, he grabbed his dick, rubbing it up and down against her hot slit. Slippery with her moisture, he centered himself and slid home in one long thrust, not stopping until his hips wer
e anchored to hers.
Serena whimpered, and her pussy fluttered over him. His balls tightened, and his cock throbbed in response, every nerve ending aflame. Desire clawed at him, urging him to move, to thrust, but she was so damned tight. Shaking with the effort of remaining still, he leaned forward to whisper, “You like it?”
“Jesus, yes.” To emphasize her words, she retracted from him until only the head of his dick was still inside her, and then slammed her ass back against him. He let out a loud grunt before he could stop it.
They both stilled, realizing at the same time that, while it was called Slap and Tickle Shore, they were still very much in public.
Serena quivered and Bryan flexed his hips. But for the sound of their harsh breathing, and the waves lapping against the shore, the beach remained silent. He took that as a good sign and reached around to cover her pelvis with his hand, pressing her back toward him.
Slipping his index finger into her folds, he found her clit, plump and slick. He massaged it in quick, light strokes as he plunged into her from behind, settling into a merciless rhythm. Deeper, harder each time until his pelvis slammed against her ass. His balls tightened almost painfully, ready to launch, the urge to come a grinding need.
Her body tensed, and she tossed her head back, teeth bared. He tightened his grip on her hair as he growled low in his throat. She was close…so close.
“Come for me.”