by J. H. Croix
“So much for your pillow barrier,” he murmured.
An almost hysterical laugh bubbled up in my throat. I tried to keep it from escaping, but a little bit slipped out. Flynn surprised me when I felt the rumble of a laugh in his chest under my palm—because, yeah, my hand was still on his chest. His chest was incredible—his skin warm and sleek with a dusting of hair. All hard planes that I wanted to explore with my hands and my tongue, if I was being completely honest.
“Wow, princess, you laughed.”
For the first time ever, the nickname he called me didn’t irritate me. I laughed again. I finally dared a glance at him, resting my chin on my hand over his chest.
Some kind of fluorescent night-light glowed in the corner of the room. He’d attempted to turn it off last night, but apparently, it was impossible to turn off. That little silvery stretch of light from the corner cast his face mostly in shadow, but I could see his eyes. They locked on mine the moment I looked toward him. I didn’t know what to think of any of this.
I was aroused beyond belief. I could feel the slick heat of it at the apex of my thighs. I knew the moment I looked into Flynn’s gaze that he was aroused too. His eyes searched mine. Although the room was quiet, the storm raged outside, coming at the roof in a rhythmic give and take. Rain struck sharply against the window beside the bed.
Blood rushed through my ears with every beat of my heart. I could feel Flynn’s answering heartbeat thudding hard and fast. I could also feel the edge of his hard, hot cock barely brushing my knee where it rested over his hip. Because I had truly plastered myself to his side, practically climbing him in my sleep.
“Tell me what you want, princess.”
Flynn’s voice came out husky and thick, and his words shocked me. While I may not have understood why I wanted him so fiercely, I knew it down to my bones. Every cell in my body was attuned to him.
With the force of my desire humming through me, in the darkness of this room in a place I’d never been, with a storm cascading outside around us, my usual barriers fell away. I spoke the plain truth. “You.”
I felt the leap of Flynn’s heart against my palm when I spoke that single word. As his eyes searched mine in that thin, silvery light, I braced myself. What he said next surprised me. “Okay.” He said it easily, his tone relaxed and nothing like the usually curt way he spoke to me. “That works because I want you too.”
A little thrill raced through me at his blunt, direct statement. Surprising myself once again, I shimmied closer and dropped a kiss right at the little divot at the base of his throat. I wanted to taste him, so I did.
After that, I dropped another kiss on the side of his neck, and my tongue darted out this time. He smelled woodsy and crisp with the fresh scent of soap clinging to him from the shower I knew he’d taken earlier.
Need pierced me so sharply when he let out a rough growl that I could hardly bear it. His hand gave my bottom a squeeze and then swept up my back in a rough, heated pass. His fingers slid through my hair as he cupped the nape of my neck and drew me closer to him. I didn’t mind one bit that he pulled me over his body, and my knees fell to the sides so I was straddling him.
I hadn’t planned it that way, but I could feel the tease of his cock through his boxers, just barely grazing between my thighs. I let out an inelegant moan.
Flynn’s low chuckle sent my belly into spinning flips, and I saw the flash of his smile in the darkness.
Just before his lips met mine, he spoke, “Don’t get bossy, princess. I’m in charge.”
When I opened my mouth to argue the point, my words were lost because he fit his mouth to mine. He tugged me closer and swept his tongue inside in one deep stroke.
I was waaaay out of practice with kissing, with anything even remotely related to flirting, romance, or sex. That said, I was instantly confident Flynn was the best kisser in the entire universe.
I melted into him with every stroke of his tongue against mine. He angled my head to the side and kissed me so masterfully I was pretty sure I was going to go up into flames. I wouldn’t even care. I wanted to dive into this fire and burn to ash if only Flynn kept on kissing me.
His tongue stroked mine almost lazily. He was in no hurry at all. He alternated those deep, overpowering kisses with drawing back to drop hot kisses on the corners of my lips, to nip lightly on my bottom lip, and to murmur all kinds of indecipherable things. I couldn’t even process the words, but I knew how they felt—naughty, flirty, dirty, and somehow sweet.
I barely registered as he shifted us until I was on my back, my hair in a tangle on the pillows, and one of his hands pushing my T-shirt up. The calloused surface of his palm on my skin sent sparks flying, rising in the air and then falling over me again as I tried to catch my breath and frantically absorb every sensation.
“Mmm, princess,” he murmured against my belly, the stubble on his cheeks yet another sensation that made me feel hot and needy. I shifted my legs restlessly, my clit throbbing. I was so wet my arousal had saturated my silk panties.
“You’re so fucking beautiful.” He rose up on an elbow to cup one of my bare breasts. My nipple was already tight and achy, begging for his touch. He gave it to me, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger, then brushing back and forth over it in a teasing touch.
I gasped, and cried out, “Flynn!”
“Right here, princess.” He teased my other breast as my hips rocked against his thigh where it rested between my knees. “Open your eyes.”
I dragged my eyelids up to find him watching me. “I want to see those gorgeous eyes when you come,” he murmured.
Oh. My. God. He was so blunt and direct, and it turned me on more than I ever could have imagined. His hand slipped over my trembling belly to cup my mound. I rocked restlessly.
“You want me,” he teased. “You really do, princess. My, oh my.”
“I already said that,” I gasped when he teased a finger lightly over the wet silk, his touch grazing over my clit and making me bite my lip to keep from crying out.
In another second, he pushed the silk out of the way, and two fingers trailed through my folds. I was slippery wet and had absolutely no shame.
“Flynn, please,” I begged between pants as he rubbed his fingers back and forth, just grazing over my swollen clit.
“Open your eyes,” he demanded, repeating his husky command.
I was nearly out of my mind with need, but I obeyed and was instantly ensnared in his gaze. He sank one finger knuckle deep inside me and then added another, the feel of it pushing me to near delirium. My vision blurred as I struggled to stay focused on him.
“You feel so good, princess,” he murmured, watching me intently as he moved his fingers in and out of my very core.
My hips rocked into every stroke as I chased my sweet release. Pressure built and built, tightening inside until I was trembling all over.
“Give it to me.” His husky command pushed me over the edge.
My eyes finally closed as my head fell back into the pillows. A rush of pleasure cascaded through me and intensified when I felt his tongue swirling around my clit as he sucked on it lightly. My climax went on and on as shudders wracked me.
By the time it was over, I’d practically forgotten who I was and where I was. I’d forgotten everything but Flynn.
My awareness came in fragments, and I felt Flynn’s light touch when his palm coasted over my belly. He pressed a kiss on the side of one breast before he pulled my T-shirt down.
Chapter Ten
Flynn
Rain lashed against the windows. The wind rushed through this valley, rolling in rhythmic swells over the roof. My internal state was just as unsettled, if not more so.
It felt as if the storm itself had taken residence in my body. Lust lashed at me with as much force as the wind and rain outside. Daphne—uptight princess—was absolutely breathtaking when she let her guard down. She’d utterly slayed me.
During this dark, stormy night while we were cocoone
d in our own space, I forgot the weight of everything I carried inside. I’d also greatly underestimated the effect Daphne could have on me.
Her skin was silky and warm. The temptation to take things further was nearly impossible to resist. I called upon every ounce of discipline I had and shoved against it.
Rising on an elbow, I all but yanked Daphne’s T-shirt down and folded her into my arms. I could feel her heartbeat where her rib cage pressed against my chest. As hers beat a rapid pace, mine echoed through my body, and I slowly caught my breath.
Jesus fucking Christ. We hadn’t even taken things further. I hadn’t even buried myself inside her, but I knew the very core of her was welcoming, slick, and clenching. I was out of breath, stunned, and rattled beyond measure. My control was absolute. Except, apparently, when it came to Daphne.
When Henry commented it was lucky we could share a room, mistakenly thinking Daphne and I were a couple, I’d almost wanted to argue the point. When he further mentioned it was the only room available, I didn’t want to make a scene. I wasn’t about to freeze my ass off and sleep on a wooden floor, nor allow Daphne to do so. I figured I would have no problem with the barrier of pillows she put between us at the start of the night. It was just sleeping, after all.
Yet sleep suddenly felt deeply intimate. If I shoved Daphne away now, I knew there would only be questions, so I played it cool.
“Flynn?” Daphne’s voice was soft and frayed on the edges.
I silently reminded myself to stay calm.
“Yeah?”
“I feel selfish.”
“About what?”
I felt her eyes on me in the darkness and opened mine. The moment I met her gaze in the shadowy room, my heart felt a physical pull toward her, and there was a tug low in my gut. An overwhelming rush of uncertainty washed over me.
I steeled myself, and repeated, “About what?”
The light was too dim for me to know for certain, but I was pretty sure she blushed. And I knew just how fucking cute she was when she blushed. “Yes, princess?” I prompted.
She sighed and elbowed me lightly in the side of my ribs. “When I said I wanted you, I didn’t mean for it to be a one-way street,” she finally said.
Damn. This woman. Although she was guarded and uptight, she was so damn honest that it chipped away at the ice around my heart.
“I know, but I don’t think we should take things further.”
I could feel her eyes searching mine. I didn’t quite understand how she could see so deep inside me. It felt as if she climbed right into my heart.
No matter what she understood, she didn’t comment on it. “Oh, okay.”
She held my gaze for a long moment, something flickering in her eyes before she nodded and let her head fall back against the pillows.
I fell asleep with Daphne curled up beside me. Although I tried to tell my brain this was a bad idea, I couldn’t bring myself to let her go.
She felt so exquisitely good. And I was so incredibly tired of holding everyone at bay.
Four days later
“You have got to be fucking kidding me.”
Cat gave me a saucy shrug paired with a roll of her eyes. “Nope, not kidding.”
“Fuck!”
My other sister, Nora, came striding in the kitchen at the resort and cast me a pointed look. “I thought we were trying not to swear so much.”
Cat burst out laughing. “It’s a lost cause with Flynn. I think we should have a swear jar so I can at least make some money out of this.”
“Please, go get ready for school,” I muttered, resting my elbows on the counter and tunneling my hands through my hair.
Blessedly, Cat left the room. Lifting my head, I met Nora’s gaze.
“What happened?” she asked.
“That woman I hired to cook, quit. Just fucking left.”
“You mean Tonya?”
“Yeah, Tonya. She up and left this morning without even cooking breakfast.”
I eyed the clock above the door. It was going on six thirty a.m. Pretty soon, we would have guests coming downstairs and expecting food.
Nora crossed her arms and gave me another pointed look. “Sometimes, you’re an asshole to work for.”
“I just need a cook. Is it that hard?”
I spun away from my sister just as Daphne entered the kitchen. She looked from me to Nora and back again. Meanwhile, I was busy trying to lock down the crazy that happened to my body any time she was near. The moment Daphne stepped into the room, every hair on my body stood on end. It felt as if electricity zipped back and forth in the air between us.
“I can cook,” Daphne said.
In the four days that had elapsed since our night at Henry’s lodge and the interlude that had literally been burned into my brain, Daphne and I had settled into a silent agreement to pretend it never happened. Small problem, though. There was no ignoring the chemistry that just wouldn’t quit.
I had plenty to do to keep me occupied and plenty of other guests at the resort to deal with. Of course, I also had my nosy, opinionated, and way too perceptive for my own sanity siblings to handle.
Speaking of. Nora caught my eye with a knowing glint in hers, but I ignored it. Maybe it was crazy to take Daphne up on her offer, but I didn’t have time to figure this out. In the next twenty minutes, I needed to be out the door for a flightseeing trip. Those trips made us money, the money I needed to throw into Cat’s college fund and everything else. Fucking money.
“Can you really cook, princess?”
“Does he call you princess all the time?” Nora interjected.
Daphne was unfazed and shrugged when she looked at Nora. “Not all the time, but sometimes.” Her eyes met mine again. “Yes, I can really cook. It might shock you to learn that some people say I’m excellent at it. I used to run a bakery.”
I had questions—lots of them—because, despite my best efforts, I was relentlessly curious about Daphne. Even before that night, it hadn’t slipped my notice that she’d make a damn good poker player. She held her cards close to her chest all the time. I sensed there was more than a typical story behind her choice to come to Alaska on her own. If I lost the battle to my curiosity, I’d find out all her secrets. Not now, though.
“All right then. If you can cover the meals for today, I would seriously owe you one.”
“What he means is he’ll pay you,” Nora chimed in helpfully.
“I’ll take care of it. Are you—?” I began.
Daphne was already striding into the massive pantry and waved dismissively over her shoulder. “Flynn, I have this. I can whip something up in no time. I don’t need instructions or any help. I promise.”
My sister snorted a laugh, and I cast a glare in her direction.
Following Daphne to the pantry, I leaned my shoulder against the inside of the doorframe. “Thank you.”
She already had a bag of flour hooked in an elbow and was rummaging through the industrial-sized refrigerator. Straightening, she closed the refrigerator door and looked in my direction. “You’re welcome. I promise, the kitchen is where I’m most competent.”
I wanted to say something. In the weeks she’d been here, it was obvious Daphne was up close and personal with self-doubt. At this moment, she seemed calm, collected, and confident. I wanted to point that out, but that would be weird, so I simply said, “Thank you. Really.”
Daphne nodded just as my brother, Grant, called from the other room. “Where the hell is Flynn?”
“You better get going.”
I left. Although I’d been surprised at her announcement that she could cook, I didn’t doubt Daphne was excellent at it. She wouldn’t have said as much if she weren’t. I didn’t know many things about her, but Daphne either said nothing or told the truth.
Chapter Eleven
Daphne
After three days of cooking and baking for the resort guests, I felt better than I had in years. Mind you, the bar was so low on my well-being that it wasn’t h
ard to beat, but still. It felt good to feel useful, and it felt good to remember there were some things I could manage.
It said something that I felt that good despite how unnerved I was by the insanity of what had passed between Flynn and me during that stormy night. It was hard not to think about it. It was nearly impossible to forget when he was always around and always mouthwateringly handsome.
Take now, for example. Flynn was standing at the counter, picking up a piece of cheese Grant had sliced into giant chunks. When my eyes snagged on Flynn’s long fingers, I instantly recalled the feel of them. Inside me. My eyes—willful, disobedient, and greedy—traced the flex of his forearm as he lifted the cheese to his mouth.
Yeah, forearms. I thought Flynn’s forearms were totally hot. That was how bad I had it. I purposely took a moment to study Grant’s forearms from where he stood beside Flynn. He drained a glass of water and set it down. The flex of his forearms did nothing for me. It was actually kind of boring to stare at his forearms.
“I think Daphne should do it,” Cat said as she skipped into the kitchen and slid across the floor in her socks to stop at Flynn’s side.
Flynn tweaked her ponytail with his free hand. “Daphne should do what?”
“Stay on as the full-time chef,” Cat said blithely as if that made perfect sense.
Nora, whom apparently Cat had been talking with before she came into the kitchen, followed her in. “I’m not having much luck with applicants. You’re kind of an asshole sometimes,” she said, resting a hand on her hip and narrowing her eyes at Flynn. “Diamond Creek isn’t that big, and word travels. Marley at the ski lodge told me that Harry heard from the last woman you hired that you told her she was too slow.”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing when Nora’s eyes met mine as she winked. Grant snorted a laugh but offered no more.
“We all know you probably did, so don’t even bother arguing,” Nora added.