She gasped. “I’m not going to get seasick!”
“Then you’ll do it?”
“Yes. Okay. I’ll do it.”
“Good.” He leaned down to nuzzle the side of her head and murmured against her ear, “I’ve never met anyone who took so long to accept a simple invitation.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Keep it up, Carlyle, and that yes will turn to no.”
He laughed and wrapped both arms around her in a quick hug. “I’ll be good. I promise.”
He seemed happy. Genuinely happy and excited about the day. After all, boating was one of his favorite things in the world.
It made it impossible for Savannah not to be a little excited about it too.
SAVANNAH ENDED UP HAVING a great time on the sailboat. The weather was perfect—sunny with a brisk breeze that wasn’t too cool for comfort. Lance spent a lot of time showing her how to sail. How to adjust the lines and get the most from the wind. What to do in different situations. How to handle problems. She listened and followed his instructions as much as possible, and it wasn’t stressful because he was such a good teacher. Patient and easygoing. She enjoyed it a lot more than she’d expected.
When they got to a good spot in an isolated cove, he dropped anchor. They hung out there for a couple of hours. It was too early in the day for Savannah to want a beer, but she had a Coke instead, and they ate the snacks they’d brought with them. She laughed her head off at some of the stories Lance told her about debacles he’d had in boats.
They returned to the condo at around two. They both went to take showers, and Lance surprised her as she was leaving the bathroom in her towel. He grabbed her and carried her to her bed over his shoulder, and they ended up having an hour’s worth of naked fun under the covers. Then they cleaned up and went to watch TV on the couch for the rest of the day and got Chinese delivered for dinner.
Savannah had absolutely no complaints about the day.
THEY WENT OUT ON THE lake again the following Saturday morning, only this time Lance insisted that she do most of the work. She remembered her lessons pretty well from the previous week, but it was a lot of stress to be solely responsible, and she and Lance got into a couple of arguments about his bossiness and obnoxiousness in making her do everything.
The arguments were typical for them and didn’t get in the way of her enjoying the day, but she was exhausted when they finally got back to the condo after lunch, much more tired than she’d been returning last week.
As soon they walked in, she went to her bedroom and collapsed sideways on the bed, her legs hanging over the side.
Lance followed her, stretching out on the bed beside her. He wore khakis and a casual button-up shirt only half-tucked and with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked masculine and windblown and scrumptious.
She turned her head in his direction and said, “If you’re hoping for a repeat of last week, then you’re going to have to give me some recovery time. That was exhausting!”
He gave her a lopsided smile that was soft and just slightly goofy. “And here you were thinking all I did was sit around drinking beer.”
She sniffed. “I’m sure it’s not so exhausting for you. You’ve been doing it all your life.”
“Yeah. That’s true. And you’re probably more tired because you were so stressed out about it.”
“I wasn’t stressed out!” At his pointed look, she relented. “Okay, maybe I was a little stressed. But I don’t know what I’m doing, and a boat is a big thing to be responsible for.”
“You did great.”
“I didn’t do that good.”
“For your first time, you did amazing. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. You don’t always have to be an expert.”
She glanced over and saw he was watching her closely. “I don’t expect to always be an expert. But I’m usually good at things.”
“I know you are. You’re way too good at way too many things. That’s why it’s hard for you to not be in control. But you’ll be good at sailing too. You’ll just have to keep coming out with me.”
She rolled her eyes at his slightly taunting tone, but she wasn’t really annoyed. “You’re good at almost everything too.”
“I know I am.”
“That wasn’t a compliment. I was clarifying that I’m not the only one used to being in control.”
“I never said you are. I think that’s why we understand each other.”
She thought about that and concluded that he was right. They did understand each other. She felt closer to him than she did to almost anyone else. She wasn’t sure when it had happened, but it had.
To offset that rather terrifying revelation, she made a joke. “Of course, I might be a little better at some things than you. I seem to recall you not holding out quite long enough on one occasion in the past.”
He made an exaggerated sound of outrage. “I should have known you’d keep bringing that up every time you need an advantage. I more than made up for that, and you know it.”
“If you say so.”
He turned on his side, his eyes heating up. “If we were to count up the number of orgasms we’ve had between us in the weeks we’ve been together, I think you’ll have to admit that you’ve come out well ahead.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault that my body is designed without limits in that regard, and yours isn’t.”
“True, but I think if we’re to have a fair competition about which one of us has more control, you’d find I was the winner.”
“You arrogant jackass! Of course you’d think that. But you’d be wrong. A fair competition would have the same results as the first time we had sex. You’d end up coming just a little too quickly.”
Lance sat up, grinning almost predatorily. “Is that a challenge?”
She shrugged and sat up too. “It wasn’t intended as a challenge, but we can certainly make it one.”
“So we’ll have a contest? We’ll time how long it takes for each of us to come, and whoever holds out longest is the winner.”
“You’re crazy!” She was laughing now, although she was also getting a little excited. “You really want to have a contest about that?”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say that you were worried about me winning.”
“I’m not a bit worried. If you want to have a contest, we can do it. But the rules have got to be fair. No cheating. No artificial help. No vibrators. Nothing but what we can do with our own bodies.”
“Fair enough. And we can’t do it at the same time either. We need to be free to focus fully on the task at hand.” He was looking just as excited as she felt. His cheeks were flushed, and his eyes were smoldering. “We’ll take turns and time it. What’s the prize for the winner?”
She thought for a moment until it came to her. “I know. Halloween is coming up on Thursday. The loser has to wear a costume of the winner’s choice all day.”
Lance barked out a short laugh, but then his expression changed into thoughtfulness. “Wearing a costume on Halloween isn’t all that significant. What if we make it next Saturday? The loser has to wear the costume all day on Saturday. That way it won’t get in the way of our work, but it will be more embarrassing.”
“Only for you since I’m going to win.”
“We’ll see.” He extended a hand to her. “Do we have a challenge?”
She shook his hand. “It’s a deal.”
He reached into his pants pocket. “Flip a coin to see who goes first?”
“Do it. Heads you get me to come first, and tails I get you to come first.”
He flipped the coin, and it landed tails.
She stood and set up the stopwatch on her phone. “Okay. You ready?”
“I’m ready. Take your best shot.”
She was ridiculously excited as she started the timer. She already had her strategy planned out, and she was quite sure Lance wouldn’t have a chance of beating her. As soon as the time began, she started stripping her clothes off right in
front of where Lance was sitting on the side of the bed.
The minute she took her top off, he started to get hard. By the time she was naked and kneeling in front of him, he was mostly erect.
“This has got to be cheating,” Lance murmured thickly, his eyes devouring her naked form.
“Nope. This is just what my body can do. Not my fault boobs get you every time.” She scooted closer and parted his legs, beginning to work on the button and zipper of his trousers. Her face was only a few inches from his groin, and it was definitely having an effect on him.
“Oh shit,” he breathed, lifting his hips so she could pull down his pants and underwear. “This can’t be fair.”
She took what was now a full erection in her hands and smiled up at him with exaggerated innocence, batting her eyelashes and pursing her lips.
He huffed with amusement and then winced as she caressed the length of him.
Pleased with her quick success, she parted his knees to make more room and then leaned forward to lick a line down the underside of his shaft.
He let out a loud grunt.
She couldn’t stop smiling as she closed her lips around the tip of his erection and sucked hard.
His hips jerked with an involuntary thrust.
This was going to be over in no time. The muscles of his thighs and abs were already ridiculously tense. His hands were fisted in the bedding on either side of him, and he was gazing down at her with a hot, possessive hunger.
She wrapped one hand around the base of his erection and took the rest of him in her mouth, building up a fast rhythm of squeezing and sucking, and Lance was grunting and rocking almost immediately.
Her mind buzzed with excitement—with power—as Lance’s grunts turned quickly into the loud, helpless sounds he made just before he came.
Wanting to get him there as soon as possible, she reached her free hand down beneath her mouth to massage his balls and then farther back to rub the spot just behind.
He came hard with a loud bellow.
As soon as she felt the first spurt of his release, she let him slip out of her mouth so she could stop the clock.
Two minutes and six seconds.
That’s all the time it had taken him to come.
He’d fallen back on the bed in a sated sprawl, panting and holding his softening penis in one hand. But his eyes were wry and knowing as they met hers.
She showed him her phone.
“That’s a perfectly respectable showing, considering the circumstances,” he murmured dryly.
She giggled.
Then she was suddenly aware of something she hadn’t been before.
She was turned on. Very turned on. Going down on him, seeing how he responded, had been incredibly hot.
And now her body was primed for more.
“Shit,” she whispered. “This isn’t fair.”
He must have seen it on her face because he knew immediately what she was talking about. He laughed and stood up quickly, tucking himself back into his pants. He took the phone out of her hand and reset the timer.
“Hey,” she objected. “Wait a minute. This isn’t right. You should have had to go first.”
“Luck of the draw.” He started the timer and then grabbed her bodily, tossing her lightly onto the bed with her legs hanging over the side the way they’d been before.
“Wait.” It was all happening so fast, and she was way too turned on already. “This isn’t right. I already have my clothes off. It’s not a fair challenge if—”
He ignored her, kneeling on the floor next to the bed and pulling her bottom closer to the edge so he could get her where he wanted.
She stretched her arms out spread-eagle and fumbled for purchase as he started to work over her already aroused flesh with eager, sloppy skill.
He was way too good at this. It wasn’t natural or fair. She whimpered as her body responded to his ministrations, and then she cried out in pleasure when he sank three fingers inside her, curling them up to hit her G-spot.
He pumped a few times before he lowered his mouth to suck her clit. She was sobbing and twisting helplessly as an orgasm rose fast and hard.
He hummed in approval as he intensified his rhythm, pushing into her so vigorously that her entire body jiggled.
She raised her head so she could see him as she frantically rode his hand with loud sounds of effort and pleasure. Her climax broke way too fast, and she arched up with a muffled cry.
As soon as her inner muscles clamped down around him, he raised his head from her clit. He kept taking her through her orgasm with his fingers even as he reached over with his free hand to stop the clock.
She collapsed back when she’d finally ridden out the last of her spasms. The pleasure had lasted a really long time, and she felt boneless and happy.
But she was aware enough to know she was in trouble when Lance gave a wicked smile.
“What?” she demanded, trying and failing to sit up. She reclined on the bed, panting and limp. “Show me.”
He showed her the phone.
Two minutes and three seconds.
“No!” she wailed.
Lance laughed.
“No, that wasn’t fair. You had an unjust advantage. I was already turned on from getting you off.”
“It’s not my fault that you find sucking me off so arousing. Why didn’t I know this fact before?”
“Because it’s none of your business.” She frowned at him deeply. “And I’m not sure this was a fair challenge.”
“So you’re going to renege on the bet?” He was still smiling. He obviously knew she would go through with it.
“No. I’ll do it.” She scowled at him as she finally managed to sit up. “But I just want to make it clear the challenge wasn’t entirely fair. I got you going from a cold start.”
He leaned down to kiss her. “Yes. You did.”
“So what kind of costume am I going to have to wear on Saturday?”
“I don’t know. I’ll think of something good.”
HE CAME HOME ON FRIDAY with a costume for her to wear the next day, an over-the-top sexy bunny costume, complete with cottontail and rabbit ears. He even painted whiskers and a dark nose on her face.
He didn’t let her hide away at home all day either. He took her out to breakfast. Then they went grocery shopping and walked around the downtown area. Then they had lunch at a lakeside restaurant. She had to wear her bunny outfit for all of it.
She didn’t complain or resent it, however—she’d have done the same to him (and maybe more) if she’d been the one who won.
She went through the day with the cool disinterest necessary for making it through such a scenario. People giggled and looked and asked her what was going on, and she acted like wearing a bunny costume on a random Saturday was a perfectly normal thing to do.
Lance spent most of the day laughing his ass off.
That evening, they had a cocktail party at the country club that Lance had forgotten about, and he gave her a reprieve from the costume for that.
Thank God—she really didn’t want to go to a fancy party with a fluffy tail and whiskers, especially since the party was Lance’s thing and not hers. She put on her most flattering cocktail dress and her designer heels, but her purse was larger than normal.
She and Lance drove to the venue in his Aston Martin, and she went to the restroom as soon as she got there.
First she refreshed her rose-colored lipstick. Then she pulled her bunny ears out of her purse and put them on, admiring the effect in the mirror—the way the fuzzy ears contrasted with her diamond jewelry.
Trying not to giggle, she went out to the large room where Lance was waiting. He’d found some of his friends and was talking to them.
She walked over to join them with an air of blasé confidence, not a trace of a smile on her face.
Lance took one look at her and burst out in laughter, nearly bending over with the force of it.
Some of his friends smiled and some lo
oked confused. She didn’t care about them. The ears were entirely for Lance’s benefit.
She made it through the whole party, talking to every stuffy person and annoying snob as if she were completely unaware of wearing the bunny ears. Lance kept trying to restrain his hilarity, but he couldn’t and finally had to leave the room so he could stop laughing.
All in all, she decided the day had been a success.
And it only got better when they got home after the party. Lance took off her dress and fucked her over a table in her bra and panties until she came and came again. While they were going at it, he accidentally discovered that she enjoyed getting little swats on her butt midsex, so he kept that up as he took her from behind until she had one of the most intense orgasms of her life.
But he made her keep the bunny ears on the whole time.
Eight
THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY, Savannah was stretched out under the covers on Lance’s bed with her head propped up on two pillows, drinking the coffee he’d brought her a few minutes ago.
She’d fallen asleep in his bed last night after they’d had sex, and she hadn’t bothered going back to her own. They’d spent the night in the same bed several times now, and Lance didn’t appear to think it was strange that she hadn’t returned to her room. As inexplicable as it was given their relationship, waking up with him in the morning was beginning to feel natural to her.
Her first appointment was at ten, so she’d decided to sleep in later than normal. She’d still been in bed when Lance returned from his workout and run, and she’d quickly forgiven him for calling out how lazy she was being when he came back into his bedroom with a mug of coffee and handed it to her.
He’d looked tempted to kiss her or rub up against her or somehow get her all sweaty, but she’d warned him off in no uncertain terms, and he’d strolled into the bathroom with an irresistibly warm laugh.
The sound of the shower spray from the master bathroom carried into the bedroom, and she smiled at the closed door like a dope. Fortunately, her phone beeped with an incoming text, saving her from the uncharacteristic sappiness.
A Wedded Arrangement (Convenient Marriages, #3) Page 13