Love's Last Chance (13 page)

“Really? You think you could have seduced me
that easily?”

“I did, didn’t I?”

“Maybe I seduced you?” Anger rose in
Dorrie’s chest.
What the hell am I arguing about?

“Don’t fight with me, Dorrie. I wanted you,
wanted you bad by the end of the summer. Being friends was great,
but it was time to take it up a notch.”

“And?”

“And it was great. You were great. I was
right. I knew you’d be better than the rest. And you had that
look.”

“What look?”

“The look you gave me. While we were doing
it. You looked up into my eyes, and I swear I saw…the ‘L’ word
there. It was the first time.”

“Lust?”
No more truth. Don’t go
there.

He made a face at her. “The other ‘L’ word.
Whether you admit it or not.”

“Did you love me, Johnny?” Dorrie’s voice
was barely a whisper. Her hand trembled when she asked the
question. She held her breath.

“Yeah. But I didn’t know it then, only
later… two weeks later. But it was too late. You shot me down.”

“Only because you shot me down.”

He gave out a mirthless laugh. “Guess we
both made mistakes.”

Dorrie sat back on her calves, staring at
his face kissed by the moonlight.

“Tense?” he asked. She nodded. “Turn
around.”

Johnny put his hands on her shoulders and
began to massage, digging his thumbs into her muscles. She closed
her eyes and lowered her chin to her chest. “No one can do that
like you,” she muttered.

His massage forced her to calm down. At
first, she tingled at his touch then relaxation seeped through her.
Johnny moved closer, putting his hand on her neck. Closing his
fingers ever so gently, he brought his mouth to the tender spot
just below her ear. He feathered small kisses there while his hand
traveled south to the bow holding her top up.

“I’ve been wondering what would happen if I
pulled this,” he whispered, tugging on it.

“Why don’t you find out?” she cooed in his
ear.

He gave a quick yank and the bow gave way.
She turned to face him as the halter-top slowly slipped down,
exposing her chest to his eyes. His sharp intake of breath told her
he was happy with what he saw.

“You’re so beautiful, and with the
moonlight…” He bent his head to kiss her breasts.

Dorrie ran her fingers through his dark,
curly hair as he eased her down on the towel. The only sound she
heard was the crashing of the waves and the beating of her heart as
she gave in to the demands of her body. His fingers rolled her
nipples into hard nubs, which he devoured with his mouth. Slipping
her fingers under his shirt, she inched it up until it got in the
way. Johnny tore himself away long enough to rip his T-shirt over
his head and toss it aside.

Heat flew through her veins. His hands
cupped her breasts then slid down her sides. Everywhere they
touched, they scorched her with the fire of desire. She loved the
feel of his hands on her body and wished it would never end.

Burying her face in his neck, she kissed him
and took tiny licks with the tip of her tongue. His masculine scent
mixed with the slightly salty taste of his skin stoked her fire.
Her hands explored his chest and back, where her fingers memorized
every muscle.

“You’re delicious,” she murmured, her words
almost lost against the sound of the ocean.

“You, too.” Johnny pulled away only long
enough to strip off his shorts. He reached for the zipper on hers.
“May I?”

“Wish you would.” She grinned back at his
smile, so white against his tanned skin, highlighted by the moon’s
glow. She shimmied her shorts down and off then shed her top, which
had pooled around her waist. Johnny removed his boxers.

Sudden shyness gripped her. When he put his
hands on her hips and started to slide her lacy white bikinis down,
she balked.

“Shy?” he asked.

She nodded.

“We’ve already been…naked together, Dorrie.
Let me look at you.” She gave one quick nod, and he went to work.
He removed her panties quickly then glided his hands up the outside
of her legs to her behind, which he squeezed a few times.

“It’s perfect,” he moaned.

He nudged her knees apart and moved between
them. After placing his face between her breasts, he kissed down to
her stomach. Dorrie ran her fingers down his arms then kissed his
head. She skimmed her fingertips down his back.

“Cute butt,” she said.

“Thank you,” he replied. “You, too.”

Johnny pushed up as his gaze sought hers.
She lost herself in the black pools of his eyes, glowing with
passion in the moonlight. He lowered his mouth to hers for a tender
kiss, followed by a hard, demanding one.

“I want you,” he breathed into her
mouth.

He placed his hand on her knee then moved it
down her thigh, his fingers seeking her warmth. She gasped when
they hit home.

“Oh, baby.” He kissed her again, coaxing,
seducing.

Dorrie’s pulse jumped around wildly. Her
breathing became panting as Johnny explored her, looking for the
right spot. He found it, and concentrated his efforts there,
circling, stroking gently but insistently. Then, he slipped a digit
into her easily, making her moan.

“Oh my God.” Paralyzed by pleasure, she lay
there and let him make love to her. When her brain began to
function again, she reached for him. Wrapping her fingers around
the hardest erection she’d ever felt, she smiled. “Wow,
Johnny.”

“Show me, tell me how to touch you, where to
touch you.” He lowered his lips to her core.

“You’re doing fine,” she tossed out, trying
to catch her breath.

Heat climbed in her body, spiraling up and
up at every touch, every press of his lips, or flick of his tongue.
Dorrie gave in to her body’s need for him. She let go, moving with
the rhythm of his strokes and caresses.

He removed her hand. “Can’t do that yet.
Nope.”

She tried to control her response, but her
body was under Johnny’s command. Her eyes closed while she focused
on the exquisite sensations ripping through her.

“Please, take me, or I’ll…” Before she could
finish her sentence, a huge climax took her over. Muscles clenched,
released, and then fluttered as pure pleasure crashed through her
like a wave. She opened her eyes when she heard his chuckle.

“That was awesome, Ms. Rodgers,” he
whispered.

“If you don’t…”

“What are you gonna do?” His face was above
hers, his eyes mocked her before his lips descended again, taking
her mouth. Dorrie folded her arms around his neck and hooked one
leg around his waist.

“Come get me,” she teased when he came up
for air.

“Protected?”

“I’m on the pill. Watch out for sand.”

“Yeah. Don’t want you to make love to a
giant emery board.”

With that, Johnny pushed to his knees and
entered her, carefully. She gasped, and he groaned as they were
joined. He thrust into her gently at first, slowly, bringing his
head up, his gaze roaming her face. She cupped his cheek with her
hand, dropped her defenses, and looked at him with all the love she
had shining through her eyes. His expression softened. He kept
staring at her while moving in and out slowly.

“That’s it. The look,” he whispered.

“What?” She combed her fingers through his
hair.

“The ‘L’ word look.”

She laughed.

“Hey, I can feel that, too.”

“Oops. Sorry.” But she couldn’t muster a
contrite look. Johnny lowered his head into her shoulder and placed
his lips over her soft skin. He increased his speed and began to
pound into her. The sudden rise in her heat level meant her body
was taking over again. Wrapping her arms tightly around him,
closing her eyes, she moved with him and another orgasm washed over
her, making her cry out his name.

His back heated up, and her fingers slid
through a thin layer of sweat as he plunged into her again and
again. He groaned loudly then stopped, holding her tightly to his
chest. Johnny collapsed after his release, panting. She cradled him
in her arms and tried to control her own breathing.

“Oh my God,” he muttered. “That was
fantastic.” He pushed up on one elbow and sank his fingers into her
hair. She ran her thumb over his sensuous bottom lip. He took it
into his mouth and sucked on it for a second. “Hmm, salty.”

She leaned forward and brushed her lips
against his as he flipped onto his back. The coolness of the night
air made Dorrie snuggle closer. He grabbed the other two towels to
cover them. Huddled together with their arms around each other,
they fell asleep on the beach.

* * * *

The light of morning found the lovers asleep
on the empty beach, clinging to each other, wrapped in towels with
a light coating of sand over them. Waves raced into shore rather
than roared. The only other sound was the high-pitched cry of a
seagull.

“Hey, close the curtains,” John mumbled,
shielding his eyes.

Dorrie cracked her eyelid. “Holy Hell!” Then
she laughed, rolling away from him.

He turned on his side to face her and
smiled. “Good morning.”

“What time is it?”

“Sunrise, baby,” he chuckled.

“Oh my God, we’ve been here all night?”

“It’s chilly,” he said, pulling their
makeshift blanket up over his shoulders and hers.

She rubbed her hands together and moved
closer to him. “You’re nice and warm.”

“If you stay there, I’m gonna get a lot
warmer.” He pushed the hair off her face.

“Johnny, we…”

“We what?”

“I don’t know. Forget it.” She closed her
eyes and hid her face in his neck. He snaked his arm around her
waist, sliding her a few inches over the sandy towel and flush up
against him.

“That’s better.” He laid back.

“Umm, yeah. Better. Much better.” She sighed
and rested her hand on his bare chest.

They dozed off for a bit until they were
awakened by a child’s scream. “Two dead people!”

Their eyes flew open. Johnny sat up and
looked around. He spied a little girl running toward the beach,
hollering for her mother. She stopped and looked at them again. He
waved at her. She waved back.

“Maybe we’d better get out of here before we
get in trouble.” Dorrie rose slowly, hiding behind him. “I’m not
dressed!”

“Wrap the towel around you, honey. Carry
your clothes.”

“Good idea.” Dorrie clasped the sandy towel
to her, sliding it off him.

As soon as the woman saw them, she grabbed
her child and moved farther down the beach. Johnny laughed. “We
just scared ’em away. When she saw you, she took off with her
kid.”

“Oh, God,” Dorrie covered her face with her
hand. “We’re naked in public. Isn’t there a law against that?”

“Just a little ways down, and we’d be on the
nude beach. Would’ve been a good idea.”

“Really? That time I went with you and the
gang? That was the first and last time.”

He laughed. “Had to practically peel Pierre
off you.”

“It wasn’t funny.”

“I took care of him, didn’t I?” He cocked an
eyebrow.

“Yeah, you did.” She sighed at the memory of
Johnny winding his arm protectively around her shoulders and
warning Pierre to back off.

“I always take care of you,” he mumbled,
looking down at his hands.

“Pouting? So unlike you.”

“I’m not pouting!” he said in a loud
voice.

“Okay, okay.” She shrugged and raised her
hands.

“Just trying to get a little credit. That’s
all. You’re tough.”

She leaned over to plant a sweet kiss on his
rough cheek. “You do take care of me.”
And I love you for it.
Crap, did I use the “L” word?

He grinned. “We’d better get back. Damn,
that woman and her kid spoiled my plans.”

“Were you going to seduce me again?”

“Can you seduce a woman twice? I thought you
could only do that once. Then the second time, she’d know what she
was getting into.”

Wish I knew what I was getting into.

Dorrie picked up the towel and stood up. She
wrapped it around her chest, watching Johnny’s gaze caress her
body. She watched him while he wrapped his around his middle.
God, he’s gorgeous.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered in her ear.
She fell against him, and he caught her in his embrace.

“Do we have to go?” she whispered, almost
more to herself than him.

“Chrissy will have called the police by
now…”

“If she’s up.”

He grinned at her, running his hands up and
down her back, brushing off sand. He kissed her hair. Dorrie clung
to him, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. His scent mixed
with the salty sea air was heady, intoxicating.

“Last night was a dream come true,” he said
softly, bending slightly to reach her.

“For me, too.”

An older man with gray hair and a beard,
carrying a small folding chair, climbed the stairs. He started over
the walkway to the beach as small waves, glistening in the sun,
crept peacefully into shore.

“We’d better go before the place gets
crowded,” Johnny said, dropping his arms. For a moment, Dorrie’s
heart slowed and sadness crept through her. He took her hand, and
they climbed onto the path then descended the stairs. After a
passionate kiss, he walked her back to her place before departing
for his.

Dorrie tiptoed into the house, making sure
not to bang the screen door shut. She took off her towel and shook
it out in the bathroom then brushed sand off her body. Naked, she
crept silently through the living room to her room, where she
slipped between the sheets, not waking Bella, asleep in the other
bed.

Visions of Johnny and their time together on
the beach danced through her mind when she closed her eyes. A
feeling of warmth and contentment washed over her, and she dozed
off quickly.