Text Me (5 page)

The explosion was too intense. Her knees wanted to curl up,
but didn’t have the room. She bit her bottom lip and screamed, the sound only
half muffled. Her hips churned up and back, working in an unconscious rhythm to
prolong the exquisite torture.

“God…dammit,” Donovan growled over her and pushed in once,
twice more before his body went stiff and she was almost convinced she could
feel the pulse of his cock through his release. Then he groaned into her ear
before collapsing to her side.

Neither moved nor spoke. The air felt heavy with heat and
sweat and panting breath. Donovan blew on her neck, lifting the baby-fine hair
there and cooling her down. She smiled at him. His cock was still inside her
and her body was boneless from two intense orgasms, yet he managed to give her
the most adorable “Did I do good?” little-boy grin and she fought back a laugh.
She doubted he’d like the comparison.

He lifted off her and headed to the bathroom to clean up.
When he came back, he lifted her hips with ease and removed the pillows holding
her up, tossing them on the floor. Without their support she flopped back down
to the bed stomach-first, still unable to move. He slid next to her, his
fingers trailing up and down her back. His chest was warm against the side of
her body, his fingertips and the air that moved over her back were cool. The
shiver was involuntary and he planted a kiss at the base of her spine and
asked, “Cold?”

“No, that just tickled a little. Feels good though.”
It wasn’t her style to spend the night, but right then Ariel
felt like she could close her eyes and sleep for a week straight. She could crawl
up to the head of the bed, curl up on her side and let Donovan’s warmth blanket
her while he wrapped her in his arms.

Whoa. Her eyes flew open, staring straight at Donovan’s
forehead.
Let his warmth blanket me?
Where the hell did that come from?
She rolled onto her back and stared at the popcorn ceiling. It was that line of
thinking that would get her into trouble. She didn’t have time for a
relationship and the guy wasn’t even a local to begin with.

The deep, even breathing from Donovan assured her he was
either asleep or close to. She wondered if it would be easiest to just slip out
now and avoid the uncomfortable “We’ll say that we’ll see each other but both
know it’ll never happen” convo.

But before she could even figure out how to best slip out from
under his arm, the mattress dipped and shifted. Mary Ellen and Goodwin both
stood, as if coming to some silent consensus that they’d been lounging around
long enough.
Mary Ellen headed to the bathroom and
Goodwin, heedless of his nakedness, turned on the bedside lamp and stretched.
When he glanced down and caught her staring, he gave her a wolfish grin. “So
you’re awake.”

She nodded, not sure what else to say. Why did this feel
awkward all of a sudden? They’d been in this position before, ending the night
with the same guy—or pair of guys—together. But for some reason, Goodwin’s
obvious perusal of her body while Donovan slumbered next to her, his arm a
heavy weight on her torso, made her stomach flip just a bit.

Goodwin’s eyes, bright and joking only moments earlier, took
on an intent focus. “Ready to switch?”

“No switching.” Donovan had been close to sleep, lulled by
the feel of Mackenzie’s soft skin beneath his hand, her breathing next to his
ear, her warmth. But one mention of giving her over to Pete snapped him out of
his pleasure-induced coma. No fucking way was he watching his friend’s hands
all over her. As if to reassure himself she was still in his arms, he ran a
hand up her ribs, cupping her breast possessively.

When Pete gave him a measuring look, raising one eyebrow, he
took stock of what he’d just said, what he’d just thought. What the hell was he
doing feeling protective, jealous even, over a woman whose last name he didn’t
know? Who he hadn’t even known an hour? But it was instinctively there.

His friend cocked his head, shrugged and sat down on the
edge of the bed. He opened the nightstand drawer and took out the phonebook.
“Worked up an appetite. Pizza?”

Trav forced a casual tone to his voice. “Yeah, sounds good.”
Looking down at Mackenzie, he asked, “Hungry?”

“Um, sure I guess.” She looked anxious, like a deer on the
first day of hunting season.

Dammit, that’s not what he wanted. He wanted her relaxed,
calm, enjoying herself. Not nervous with one foot out the door. His hand
stroked her arm a few times. “If you want to get something else to eat—”

“No, pizza’s fine.” She shook her head. “Actually, I have a
lot to do, so it might be best if I take off.”

“Don’t tell me you double-booked the night,” he joked.
“You’re not rushing off to some other guy, are you?”
Say no. I don’t know
why it matters…but say no.

She laughed and he liked the sound. It wasn’t fake or
hollow, but full and thick with fun intentions. “No, nothing quite like that.
Just life.” She sat up and shifted out of his grasp. “I’m going to get
dressed.” And without a look back, she bent to pick up her clothes—giving him
an amazing shot of her ass that had his cock shifting to life again—grabbed her
purse and headed to the bathroom. With a quick knock, the door opened and
Mackenzie slipped in.

“Ever wonder why it’s totally cool for two girls to be in
the bathroom together, but not two guys?” Pete asked.

Trav’s head snapped his way. He’d completely forgotten his
friend was there. “No.” He stood up and stretched. Was there a way he could talk
Mackenzie into staying longer without sounding creepy?

Though Pete would take to a nudist colony like a fish to
water, Trav preferred to be clothed if there wasn’t a good reason for him to be
naked. Like sex with a hot brunette. He grabbed his jeans and slipped them on.
As he buckled his belt, his cell vibrated against his thigh.

Ariel. As usual, the moment he received a message, her name
was on his mind. A quick glance to the bathroom showed no sign of the girls, so
he slipped the phone out of his pocket. Guilt stopped him in his tracks and he
stared at the lit-up display showing one new message. Two seconds ago he’d been
debating how to keep Mackenzie around longer, maybe the whole night. Now he was
sneaking a peek at his phone because it might be some girl named Ariel that he
would never meet?

Another moment of thought, then he decided to screw it and
flipped the phone open to check.

Try coffee houses, local and national chains.

Ariel

She was still helping. He pecked out a quick thank-you text.
As the door to the bathroom opened, his thumb hit send and he slipped the phone
back in his pocket in one smooth motion.

Mackenzie and Ellen emerged, dressed and pulled together.
Nobody looking at them would have guessed they’d just spent the last hour
horizontal and in several compromising positions. Ellen went to sit by Pete on
the bed and Mackenzie walked his way. Something beeped in her purse and she
stopped to set it on top of the TV.

“Sorry,” she said and gave him an apologetic smile. “I just
want to make sure it’s not important.” She opened her phone. As her eyes
scanned the screen, her lips curved into a slight smile. Her thumbs flew over
the keypad. She closed the cell, held up the phone and grinned at him. “What
would we do without them?”

“Not sure,” he said. His cell vibrated once more and he
wanted to laugh. The timing was ironic. But he ignored the message for the
moment. “So we can’t convince you to stay for a late snack?”

“Or more sex?” Pete asked, blunt and hopeful.

They both laughed and Ellen said, “Sorry, boys. My work
doesn’t have weekends and that one over there,” she said, pointing a thumb at
Mackenzie, “is a bookworm. We had fun though.” She grabbed the back of Pete’s
neck and dragged him close. “Lots of fun,” she purred, then gave him a smacking
kiss before letting go.

“Did you have fun?” Trav asked Mackenzie. She gave him a shy
smile and nodded. “Good,” he said and grabbed her hand. He tugged until she was
pressed up against his front. Her body was soft and warm and he was loath to
let her leave now. His muscles tightened, flexed, and he fought hard to keep
another erection at bay. “Maybe we’ll run into each other again before we leave
town.”

She hesitated a split second before nodding. “Maybe.”

He let her go and grabbed his shirt from the floor. Flinging
it on, he said, “We’ll walk you down.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Mackenzie protested, blushing a
little. She shook her head and a piece of hair stuck to her lip.

He reached out and smoothed the hair behind her ear before
he realized he’d made the move. She turned to the side, but he could see the
flush creep up her neck and reach the shell of her ear. God, that was adorable.

“Yeah, we want to.” He glanced over and saw Pete shrugging
into his shirt, jeans already on. “Let’s go.”

The foursome walked down the hall in silence. In the
elevator, Ellen mentioned a few restaurants to try in the area. Mackenzie
stayed silent and stared at her reflection in the mirrored doors. When they
opened, she walked out so fast she almost knocked over a mom holding onto a
stroller.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” She blushed viciously and stammered
another apology to the scowling woman. But she didn’t slow down. The rest of
them had to pick up the pace to keep up.

When the group reached the revolving front door, Ellen
paused. “We’ve got it from here. I know you manly men are all about walking a
woman to her car, but we’re good. Seriously.” She reached up on her toes and
gave Pete a light brush of a kiss across his cheek. “Thanks for a good night,”
she said.

“Thanks back,” Pete said without hesitation. Then he took a
step back and waited in the wings.

Ellen gave Trav a wink and walked out to wait on the
well-lit sidewalk.

“So,” Trav began, then cursed himself for sounding like a
moron.

“So,” Mackenzie repeated, giving him an impish smile.
“Thanks.”

“Yeah, thanks.” He didn’t trust himself not to grab her and
pull her back to his room so he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Mackenzie stared at him for a moment then took a step toward
him. He held his breath, not sure what she was going to do, but it didn’t
matter. She rocked back, turned and walked out the door without another word.

Well. That was anticlimactic. He watched as the two women
walked to the parking lot, not able to take his eyes off Mackenzie’s back as
she faded into the evening.

“Let’s get some food,” Pete said behind him. “I’m starving.”

He turned to look at his friend, seeing none of the turmoil
or regret on Pete’s face that he felt himself. Apparently only one of the four
developed a quick attachment. And since that was the case, he needed to shake
it off. Fast.

“Sure. You’re buying.” He started toward the elevators with
Pete.

“Donovan!”

He spun and saw Mackenzie sprinting through the lobby.
Before he could do more than take his hands out of his pockets, she launched herself
at him. He stumbled back one step before his hands found her waist and his legs
caught their balance. Arms wound around his neck, she leaned up and took his
mouth in an urgent kiss. It was like she was giving him a sendoff before going
to war…again. Her tongue flicked at the seam of his lips and darted in for a
too-quick taste before retreating.

She eased back and sighed a little. “Thanks.”

Trav’s tongue was too thick for his mouth. He managed to
grunt out, “I think we covered ‘thanks’ before.”

She smiled. “Yeah. But I wanted to say it again.” She slid
out of his grasp and sighed once more. “If only,” she murmured, then gave him a
jaunty salute. “Bye.”

He watched as once more she slipped out of his grasp and
into the night.

On the elevator ride up he remembered Ariel’s text from
earlier. He fished his phone out of his pocket and checked the message. The
irony, based on his “thanks” talk with Mackenzie, made him smile once more.

You’re welcome.

Ariel

Chapter Five

“I’m glad you decided to stay the night at camp,” Mary Ellen
said as she turned the car down the isolated dirt road that led to the entrance
of Camp Tecumseh. “Between a late night and us having the breakfast shift
tomorrow, I’d be worried about you driving here from your apartment tomorrow morning.”

“Me too,” Ariel said, staring out the window. She didn’t
want to be on the way home with Mary Ellen, much as she loved her friend. But
what she did want—being in bed with Donovan for another hour or two or
twelve—wasn’t just impractical, it was dangerous. Dangerous for her mind. She
knew herself well enough to know that for whatever reason, they sparked. And
spending extra time with him might lead her to romanticize or fantasize about a
relationship that would never happen. Ever.

Ariel’s purse beeped on the floor next to her feet.

And speaking of relationships that would never happen…

“Gonna check that?” Mary Ellen asked wryly.

“Why bother?” Ariel snapped, then sighed and checked her
pissy attitude. “Sorry. I’m just in a bad mood.”

“After that? You’ll have to excuse my confusion, but from my
point of view, it looked like you were enjoying a double orgasm thirty minutes
ago. How does that put someone in a bad mood?”

It doesn’t. Ariel turned to stare out the window as the camp
lights came into focus. She waited until Mary Ellen parked her car in the staff
parking lot and got out.

“I’m going to head to my cabin,” she said. The cheerful tone
was faked. The yawn she produced afterward was not.

Mary Ellen eyed her a moment in the dim streetlamp light.
“All right. If you need anything, you know where my cabin is.”