Wild Ways (12 page)

“Everyone? You, too?”

“No, not me.” Mollie had sat on the sidelines while they all frolicked in the ocean. “Di’s the crazy one. I need to be the sensible one.”

“Why?”

The question made her pause. “I don’t know,” she said at last. “I’ve just always felt that way.”

He splashed his hands across the water. “You don’t have to balance her, you know. You being sensible doesn’t make her any less reckless.”

“I know.” That night she’d felt the pull to join them. To let go for once. And she felt it now. “I have issues. I know that, too.” Her body now strained to slide into that refreshing water. “Turn around.”

“Pardon?”

“Turn around. I’m coming in.” When he did, she pushed down her bottoms and panties, then pulled off her top. He was right; it would take forever for a bra to dry, especially during the night. “Are there rocks on the bottom, or is it smooth and slimy?”

“Sandy, not slimy. Some rocks.” He disappeared beneath the dark surface and came up with something pinched between his finger and thumb. “About this size mostly.” He flicked it up in the air and caught it.

The water swirled around her legs and waist and finally her breasts as she sank in enough for modesty. “Okay.”

It felt crazy sexy to be naked in the water with him, only a few feet away. He’d promised to keep his distance. Would he? Did she want him to?

“You have a lot of spunk when it comes to finding your sister,” he said. “But you don’t have a lot when it comes to you. Good for you, doing something out of character.”

His praise swirled through her. “Do you skinny-dip a lot?” she asked.

He sent the rock flying up and snagged it behind his back. “I haven’t had much of
a chance in the last ten years. That’s why I couldn’t resist the opportunity tonight.”

“I’ve never had sex in a bathroom before either.”

“It’s definitely not my preference.”

“So
you’ve
had sex in a public bathroom?”

“At a country club and once at a restaurant because my girlfriend had this idea about doing it everywhere we went.”

“You have a girlfriend?” It shouldn’t make her stomach sink, but it did.

“Susana was my girlfriend at the time. The one who tried to seduce me into staying in Orlando.”

And still missed him. If that was her text. “Do you still love her?”

“No. I loved her in the way a seventeen-year-old boy loves a girl. All hormones, drama. No substance.”

Mollie pushed past the feeling that smacked of jealousy—ridiculous!—and made another confession. “I’ve never had sex like that from behind either. Is it supposed to be … anal sex?”

“No. That’s why you bend so far down. I’ve never dry-humped a woman. That was different.”

“Probably not very satisfying.”

He lifted one shoulder. “It felt good for what it was.” He had moved a little closer, and the moonlight glistened on his wet hair. “I’m a guy. Any sensation on my cock feels good.”

She’d never been around a guy who just said things like that. It threw her off. “What were you saying when you were pretending to come?”

“Nothing that makes sense. When I’m in that place, I just let words flow. ‘Hot,’ ‘sweet,’ ‘oh, yes, baby,’ that kind of thing.” He gave her a wicked smile that she could see even in the near dark. “I’m loud and expressive when it comes to, well, coming.”

Everything he was saying tightened inside her. “So the rubbing was why you were … hard?”

“I was hard because I had your luscious ass in front of me, your hips in my hands,
and my imagination where I was buried inside you.”

The picture of that sent her cheeks aflame. “You’re so … honest. Blunt.” She would never admit to feeling aroused in that situation, though he’d certainly tried to get her to.

“Is there any other way to be?”

“But you were evasive about what you said at the end. Where I could only understand the
mami
part.”

“I said, ‘you keep telling yourself that you were only acting.’ ”

“Oh.” Well, she’d asked, hadn’t she? She narrowed her eyes at him, even if he couldn’t see. “It’s my turn to be blunt. You’ve been moving closer to me.”

He shook his head. “I’ve had the same rock under my foot since you got in.”

She glanced to the bank, which was farther away now. She
had
been moving closer. The way the water had called to her—or rather the adventure of getting into the water—he called to her, too.

“Why don’t you come the rest of the way?” he coaxed, his slight accent softening his voice. “You know you want to.”

“I don’t.” But she took another step closer, on purpose this time.

He pulled her the rest of the way. “Maybe we should figure out exactly what you want.”

He kissed her, his wet hand threading up into her hair. Even his kiss coaxed her, as he slid his mouth slowly back and forth across hers. Before she realized she’d done it, she opened her mouth fully to him. Needing to taste him, to sink fully into the kiss.

He let out a sound, stronger than a sigh, softer than a groan, and took her invitation. Their tongues danced in that same sensual pace. He kept a chaste distance between their bodies, though she was achingly aware of his nakedness only inches from her own. And of her need to close that distance.

His other hand slid down to her waist, stroking her lower back. He enveloped her even with that space between them, his mouth, hands … presence.

She moved back, shaking her head. “I can’t do this.” She wasn’t really all that
convincing with her breath coming fast and shallow.

He hadn’t released her, though, and he continued to stroke her skin. “Are you sure?” He brought his hand around, down her stomach, and lower to gently cup her mound. “Because your body sure wants me to touch you.”

Hungry. That’s the word he’d used earlier. And she was, terribly, wonderfully hungry.

She couldn’t deny it, not when her hips were involuntarily pressing into his palm. “It just doesn’t feel right having pleasure when I’m supposed to be looking for Di.”

He brushed his mouth next to her cheek. “You can’t give yourself to your search for her if you’ve got nothing left. You need to fill the well.”

The emptiness inside her, everything depleted … he was so right that it ached. “I don’t want to have sex. My mind, my heart, just can’t go there right now.”

He rubbed his hand very slowly back and forth, bringing her to life down there. “It doesn’t have to be sex. It can be just this, my hand and your heat.”

“Guys don’t work like that. You’ll get me off and then you’ll want me to get you off. And of course, fair is fair. But touching is always a precursor to sex.”

“Not with me, babe. Right here, right now, I promise you this will only be about you. Will I get horny and want to get off, too? Sure, maybe. But I won’t put any expectations on you. I’ll take care of myself. Right now I want to take care of you. You’re strung so tight, you’re going to explode. Release your tension, mami.”

She’d heard it before, just a back rub, honey, and then before she knew it she was lying flat on the bed with Jimmie aiming his penis between her legs. Still, her body was responding to Julian’s fingers moving in feathery motions across her clit, stealing her breath. She almost forgot that she was in the water, she was so caught up in the other sensations.

“This is too—”

“Don’t think. Go with the feelings in your body. Let go, Mollie, and be.”

“Okay,” she barely managed, because he hadn’t stopped moving those skilled fingers.

They slid into her folds, as gentle as butterfly wings. “Spread your legs,” he ordered, though it was soft. “I can maneuver better.”

Her body screamed to let him maneuver better. She obeyed, but that lowered her out of his easy reach.

“Let’s try something,” he whispered. “Hook your arms around my neck and brace your knees on my thighs.”

He helped her get into position, one that opened her to his ministrations. And put her face only inches from his. “Good. Now relax.” He slid his hands down her sides, his thumbs brushing the outer edge of her breasts. Yes, she was hungry for his touch. Desperately, embarrassingly hungry, and she’d die before asking him to cup them. This … this was crazy enough.

Crazy delicious. His fingers found her again, chasing away all thoughts. He moved slowly, as though he were enjoying this as much as she was. And, oh, she was. She caught her breath as his finger moved down over her entrance and dipped inside. She felt the slipperiness, her own lubrication or the water, she wasn’t sure. Julian eased his finger in and out with deep strokes while his thumb grazed her clit.

A different kind of tension stole through her, tightening her muscles. Her breath came in embarrassingly loud gasps as an insane kind of pleasure overtook her. Then she remembered how good it felt to let go when she was pretending.

Well, can’t pretend to be pretending now, can we?

Especially when she was about to slide over the edge. Just then, his thumb skirted away, leaving her hanging in painfully sweet limbo.

“What … are you doing? Or not doing?” She was back in that place, wanting to beg for more. What was happening to her?

“No need to rush. Is there?” His voice had a teasing lilt.

“I’m good with rushing,” she said with a squeak.

“If there’s something you’ll learn about me, it’s that I don’t do things half-assed or rushed.” While his hand remained still, his other one roamed over her stomach as though he were reading braille. Methodically, reverently. The tips of his fingers touched
the swell of her breast. She inhaled, willing them to move farther up.

“You wanted me to touch your boobs earlier,” he whispered.

“How do you know?”

“The same way I can feel you straining now to lean into my palm. The way your nails are digging into the back of my neck, urging me on. Don’t be shy about saying what you want. This is all about you right now. What you want. Need. Just tell me.”

Her breath hitched at those words. She showed him instead, taking his hand and molding it over her breast. Even beneath the water, his hand felt warm as it closed over her. A long breath came from her chest. Sweet relief. He squeezed softly, his thumb trailing over her nipple. She couldn’t see his eyes in the dark, but she could tell he was smiling. He leaned forward and kissed her, a kiss for no other purpose than pleasure this time. His tongue slid inside her mouth, dancing with hers. His hand gave equal time to both her breasts. The other began making those same maddening circles around her clit again.

“I bet you can rub your tummy and pat your head, too,” she murmured between kisses.

His chuckle was husky. “I can, but this is more fun.”

Her hips were moving with him, all on their own. And yes, her fingers were digging into his upper shoulders where she clutched him. He continued kissing her even as her breaths panted in and out.

“Don’t stop,” she breathed. “For the love of God, please don’t stop this time.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, the smile clear in his voice.

Feels … so … good
. When was the last time she’d felt this decadent? No answer came to her, but a tidal wave of pleasure was definitely approaching. She arched as it seized her. Her whole body shuddered, throbbing all around the finger still moving inside her. She collapsed against him, completely satisfied. Boneless. Vibrating. And still he touched her, sliding across her insanely sensitive nub. She twitched, hardly able to stand it. Had he missed her orgasm?

“I’ve come,” she said. “You can … stop.”

“You’ve only come once,” he whispered, his breath warm against her neck. “I’ll stop after the third time. Unless you want more.”

“No …” she gasped, but couldn’t say anything else as another orgasm crashed over her. A third? He wasn’t going to stop until he did this one more time? No, he wasn’t, because he was still stroking and making the pressure build again, and then yes, a third orgasm hit her.

“One more?” he asked.

She unfolded herself from him and regained her footing on wobbly legs, dizzy with the aftershocks. “I can’t take anymore.”

He leaned close, kissing her, bracing his hands on her cheeks. “Feel relaxed now?”

Relaxed? That wasn’t quite the word she’d use.
Fantastic. Languid. Shattered
. Oh, that’s right; relaxing had been the goal. Right? Her thoughts were so scattered. “I’m so relaxed, I can hardly stand.” She could feel the hard length of him grazing her thigh, but not in an insistent way. “My tension is definitely released.” Except another kind of tension coiled even deeper inside her.

He swept her up in his arms and carried her out of the river. Water rained down from their bodies. He easily carried her up the slope of the bank to her roll. She loved being held by him, the feel of his strength, of him taking care of her.

He’s planning on you taking care of him next
, that skeptical part of her reminded, keeping her from sliding into that dangerous place.
Come on, Julian, break your promise. Make this feel typical and wrong so I won’t want it again
. Because, oh, she did. And she wanted to please him, too. To feel all of him, and that was crazy. She’d just met him, and she didn’t have sex with men she hardly knew.

He set her on her feet, grabbed the towel, and gently rubbed her dry. Then he gathered her in his arms and lowered her to her roll as though she weighed twenty pounds. He bent down to plant a kiss on her forehead, then settled onto his roll on his back. “Sleep well.”

He may as well have turned into a rabbit. And what she was feeling made about
as much sense. She was both relieved and disappointed. If he’d hinted about her getting him off, she would have been disappointed. No, relieved! Damn, he had her all twisted up.

She turned to face him. “You’re not going to try to change my mind about going further?”

She could see slashes of him in the moonlight, his muscular chest, his chin. His erection rigid against his ridged stomach. “I promised I wouldn’t.”

Her eyes hungrily drank in what she could see of him. She ached to have those strong yet gentle hands exploring more of her, all of her. “You’re … turned on just by getting me turned on? Without expecting anything in return?”