Beyond Me (Quinn and James 1)

Recognition hit. She scrunched up her nose and gave me a halfhearted punch on my arm. "Very funny."

"Mind in the gutter much?" She blushed and I pressed a hard kiss against her soft lips. "Sorry, I couldn't help it. I like when you get embarrassed."

"I'm not! I don't!"

"'K." I ran a finger down her heated cheek, and she jerked her head with a muttered curse. She tipped the last drops of her champagne, set it aside, and began wiggling out of her tank top.

And that's when I realized the joke was on me.

Fuck. The black cotton tank eased over her head and got dropped to the sand. With a wicked glance from under her lashes, she flicked open the button on her khaki shorts, dragged down the zipper, and slid the material down her legs.

My dick wept for mercy. Every muscle tightened as I fought for control. The red bikini should have been illegal. The top was just two tiny squares covering her breasts, and the bottom had a sexy string on each hip that made me fantasize about slowly unlooping it to see what was hidden beneath. Her skin was pale and flawless, stretched like a gift across toned muscle and endless legs. The swing of her ponytail was pure sass as she grinned at me. "This good?"

"Witch," I muttered. "How am I supposed to concentrate?" I looked down at my demanding erection. "Thank God there's no audience. You officially got me back."

She stuck out her tongue and bounded toward the water.

Her full ass was barely covered as she dove in and surfaced, shaking off the water and gasping for breath. "It's so warm. Come on in."

My hands paused on my belt buckle. Shit. I had planned to change on the boat but got distracted. I longed to just get naked and skinny-dip, but I didn't want to shock her. I pulled out my bathing suit from beneath the towel and held it up. "I still have to change. Turn around."

Her delighted laugh echoed in the water. She swam closer. "Hmm, this is an interesting dilemma. Be good and give you privacy? Or be bad and get a preview?"

Her sense of humor challenged me. Who would've thought she was so snarky and fun? I decided to play a game of chicken. "You want a preview, huh? Well, hold on, baby girl. Here you go."

I pulled off my T-shirt and tossed it away. Her gaze roved over my naked chest and turned me on even more. I couldn't wait until her hands were all over me. I dropped my hands back to my belt, loosened the leather, and pulled the metal lever open. Grasped the zipper. And waited.

"I'm not wearing underwear."

She squealed and whipped around fast, presenting me with her lovely back. I laughed and dropped my shorts, taking my time to change into my bathing suit in order to torture her a bit. When I managed to squeeze myself into the suit with an uncomfortable erection, I hit the water with a splash and swam toward her.

She laughed and tried to kick me away, but I was a strong swimmer and always believed I was part fish. I dove under, grabbed her legs, and yanked her up so she was firmly secured in my arms. Her wet skin slid over mine, and her nipples poked against the thin red material from the water. And hopefully something else.

"Round one to me," I said.

"Were you teasing?" she asked suspiciously.

"You'll never know. Next time you'll have to take the risk."

She wrinkled her nose in annoyance, but allowed me to hold her. All my circuits were firing nonstop, my body attuned to each curve pressed against mine. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around my shoulders and clung tight. I fought a groan, wondering if I'd drown in her sweetness. "James?"

"Yeah?"

"I know another game we can play."

My heart slammed against my chest and I tightened my hold. Oh yeah. "Sounds intriguing. What's the game?"

Her legs brushed against my thighs and her breath rushed over my lips. "It's called Catch Me if You Can."

I came way too close to untying that cute bow from her hip, hooking my finger under the bottoms, and diving deep. "Rules?"

Her voice was hot and dripped over me like an ice cream cone on a summer day. "There's only one. You have to count to one hundred before you chase me."

I almost passed out but managed to rally. "Done. What do I get when I find you?"

Her lips touched mine in a whisper soft kiss. "Anything you want."

Oh, she was killing me. "How do we start?"

"Close your eyes. Count to one hundred. Then try to catch me."

My eyes drifted close with the promise of pleasure ahead. She broke the embrace, and I heard her dive under the water.

That's when she yanked down my bathing suit.

It happened so fast, I couldn't get my bearings. In a flash, she was swimming away, and I fought the natural urge to go after her, but I remembered the rules of the game and kept my eyes shut, continuing to count. Her musical laughter drifted to my ears, and I realized I hadn't had so much fun with a woman in a long, long time. Who would've thought such mischief lurked beneath her serious facade?

I played fair and got to one hundred. When I opened my eyes a surge of adrenalin and lust mingled and exploded. I sank back into primitive time, knowing once I hunted her she'd be mine, on my terms.

She'd definitely left the water, there weren't even bubbles around, and I was stuck naked. Thoughts of sweet revenge kept me focused as I trudged out of the water and began exploring the small island for clues. I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my waist, peeking behind rocks and looking for a path to follow.

The water droplets pooled together in a large wet patch led me back to the boat.

Sneaky girl. I made sure to remain silent as I reboarded and made my way in an organized search. My wet bathing suit had been dropped onto the bench. I checked the cabin and bathroom, opened doors, and finally heard a squeak.

I caught a flash of red and I dove for her. She tried to rush past me to get back off the boat and run to the island, but I leapt at the last moment and tackled her around the waist. She let out a terrified yelp and tried to fight me, but I kept my balance and tossed her over my shoulder in one smooth motion. My hand caught her flailing legs and kept her still.

"Let me go!" she yelled, squirming in a way that set me off.

"Not a chance. I caught you fair and sq

uare. It's payback time. Head down, sweetheart." I climbed down the stairs to the main cabin, making sure I ducked so she didn't hit herself on the ceiling ledge, and headed toward the bedroom.

The mattress was large and comfortable, even though the room was a bit on the small side. I lowered her down flat on her back, climbed on top of her, and straddled her. My towel fell off. I kept my hands off her so if she panicked, I could roll right off, but she responded immediately to my show of domination and stopped struggling. My gaze locked on hers.

Pupils were dilated. Her pulse pounded, evident at the base of her neck. She panted for breath, and her nipples were hard points beneath her bikini top, begging for me to pull down the fabric and take them in my mouth. Yeah, she was definitely into this. I just needed to be careful she didn't get spooked, and make sure she was ready for me.

"I caught you."

"I guess." She stared right back, unblinking. "What are you going to do with me?"

I grinned. Her body spread before me like a feast I was about to devour, but I needed to go slow, or it would be over way too soon. She deserved an orgasm she'd never forget. I craved to wipe out every guy she had before me and replace them with my face.

Slowly, I lowered myself, giving her the opportunity to wrench free or tell me to stop. She didn't. Her eyes darkened to an inky black. My hands slid up her naked belly and cupped her breasts. Quinn gave a low moan and arched her back. I tweaked the hard tips with my thumbs, enjoying her open response, and shifted my weight so I knelt over her, my mouth close to hers.

"Everything, Quinn. I'm going to do...everything."

I took her mouth in a fierce kiss, finally letting myself go and refusing to hold back. She was right there with me, opening her lips to my tongue as I drank her in and conquered the wet silk of her mouth. I kept up the tweaks to her nipples, refusing to go underneath her top, even though her body begged for more. My erection throbbed for relief, but I was afraid too much pressure against my dick would get me off. Shit, I felt like a teen with my first woman, so I locked my brain down with my control and swore to give her the most pleasure I could.