by Selena Blake
“Well past sundown, Sleeping Beauty.” His words made her melt a little. “Do you really think I’d risk that beautiful skin of yours, much less your life?”
How was it that he could protect her without making her feel claustrophobic? “What are we doing?”
“Come find out, my beautiful vamp.”
Oh, that sexy voice of his. It was her undoing. “I’ll be right there.”
And she was. She dressed with lightning speed, shoved her toes into the flip flops and hit the down button on the private elevator. Two minutes later she was striding through the atrium of the hotel and out onto the sand.
The whole time her body was on full alert, searching for him. And at the same time, sensing that people were looking at her. This time, however, she didn’t mind how little the suit covered. She was a well-loved woman, and right now she felt a warm glow lighting her from the inside out.
She heard someone shout her name and saw him wave from the shoreline. Two jet skis bobbed in the surf behind him.
“Was this on your list?” he asked when she joined him.
“Actually, it was.” Although… she’d planned on learning how to swim first. But she wouldn’t tell him that. First of all, how embarrassing was it that she didn’t know how to swim. Not her fault, though. She’d begged her parents to teach her. They had a pool, after all. And second, he might decide they couldn’t go Jet Skiing and that wouldn’t do.
She threw a shield around her thoughts and smiled at him. He would keep her safe.
“Excellent.”
He’d created his own bucket list. She couldn’t believe it.
“Let me help you.” He held out a hand as she waded into the surf.
She watched his instructions and let him help her on board. “Don’t we need… lifejackets or something?”
“You’re immortal aren’t you?” he asked with a devastating grin. Waist deep in the water, he got her settled onto her Jet Ski and went through the motions again. Safety cord. Throttle. Steering.
There was an unmistakable knot of tension in her stomach. He must have noticed how quiet she was.
“Don’t worry.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I’ll protect you.”
He hopped onto his ski like he’d done it a thousand times. Who was this handsome werewolf who said all the right things? He clipped the safety cord to his shorts and started the engine. His confidence eased her tension. As long as she didn’t think about how big the ocean was or all the scary things in it, she’d be okay. Right?
He revved the engine and took off. She could do this. She had to do this. To prove to herself that she could.
She squeezed the seat with her knees, let out a little squeal and hit the gas slowly. It felt odd to be gliding over the water, using the handles to increase the speed and steer. Very different from driving a car, but it didn’t take her long to get the hang of it and soon they were zipping around the island, laughing and splashing each other beneath the stars.
A good ways out, past the end of the island, he stopped and turned off his machine. She slowed and circled back.
“Next time I’m putting my hair in a ponytail,” she called as she stopped next to him.
“Let me help with that.” He reached over and tucked her hair behind her ears and then pulled her into his lap.
He silenced her squeak of alarm with his lips. “Was this on your list?” he asked.
Making love on a Jet Ski? No. She wasn’t that imaginative.
He had the straps of her swimsuit down, revealing her breasts, in two seconds flat. Despite the breeze and water clinging to him, he warmed her with his hands and mouth. Laying her back over his arm, he feasted on her breasts.
I can’t believe this is happening. The words repeated over and over in her mind, dulling only when he sucked on her nipples. The sharp pleasure/pain blacked everything else out.
“Maxim --”
He kept at it. Cupping her breasts, holding them up so he could devour them. The gentle pulls of his lips brought flood after flood of moisture between her thighs. For endless moments, the whole of her existence was focused on those two singular peaks that brought her so much pleasure.
How had she never realized how sensitive her breasts were? How much pleasure her nipples held? A gentle tug with his teeth brought her shoulders off the seat and a cry echoed across the water.
“Are you ready to come again?”
“Yes!” Who in their right mind wouldn’t be?
He laughed. Who indeed?
Even though they bobbed in the water, one wrong move away from swimming with the fishes, Maxim maneuvered them with ease. Shocking ease.
“I’ve never done this before, so get that thought out of your pretty head.”
She blushed.
He pulled her suit to the side, tested her readiness and shoved his trunks down just far enough to extract his cock. Then, there on the Jet Ski, he gave her another orgasm that left her weak in the knees. And she was pretty sure her shout of ecstasy was probably heard back at the hotel, but it didn’t matter.
It was a sex resort, after all. No one would notice another shout of completion.
Ceara was limp as a noodle and in no form to man her own Jet Ski. Maxim kept her snuggled against him and charted a course for the shore.
They pulled up in front of the hotel, where the night was in full swing. Ceara was a little embarrassed to have departed with two Jet Skis and return with only one. But, she reasoned, for all any of the onlookers knew, she’d had an accident.
One of the hotel staff came into the water to help her off.
“Wait here while I go get the other Jet Ski?”
She was surprised that he’d formed it as a question. Truth was, she felt a little grimy, her hair was a complete wreck, and she wanted to check in with the girls. Not that she was going to tell them everything, but she was pretty darn excited about the whole Jet Ski excursion. The fact that she’d actually ridden one and not fallen off. Not to mention Maxim.
“Ceara?”
She shook her head to clear it and noticed that the staff member had hopped onto the back of Maxim’s ski.
“Sorry.”
“Be thinking about what else is on your list.”
Oh she had plenty of ideas. And she’d devoured the resort’s pamphlets so she knew exactly what she wanted to do next. “How about you meet me at the zip-line in two hours? I want to go change and check in with my coven.”
Even in the spotty outdoor lighting she could see his lips twist with disappointment. But he nodded. “Two hours.” Then he took off.
Chapter Eight
Of all the excursions on the island, she’d picked the one guaranteed to make him sweat bullets.
“Maxim!”
A feminine voice drew his attention skyward. Soft lights highlighted a labyrinth of stairs leading up to a perch high in the trees. Sierra waved him up.
“I’ve always wanted to try this,” she said when he joined her.
He bit back a snarl when a stocky staffer started strapping her into a harness. Whether he wanted to go on this crazy ride or not, he didn’t like the other man’s hands that close to her crotch.
Which was silly. Insane even. They’d known each other for two days. There was no reason to be so territorial. But that didn’t stop the wolf inside him from bristling.
When he met her gaze, he found her staring right back at him, laugh lines creasing her lovely eyes. And just like that, the predator inside him quieted. His fear of heights abated. Had he been in his wolf form, he would have wagged his tail.
Fuck. He’d never wagged his tail for anyone.
“Are you coming?” Her voice was quieter, laced with uncertainty. He didn’t like that she was second-guessing herself. Despite her obvious nervousness, she’d taken to the Jet Skis and enjoyed herself. He could do this.
Then he’d scribble it on his list. Scratch it off. And never do it again.
“Let’s do it.” He nodded to the staffer who handed him a
harness. Maxim quirked an eyebrow, noticing that the guy didn’t offer to help him strap in.
She must have read his thoughts because her smile was so broad he saw her fangs. She stared at his bare chest, then followed his movements as he attached the harness over the black swim trunks clinging to his hips.
When he had his harness in place, Sierra reached up and clipped herself to the zip-line. The staffer gave her a series of last minute instructions, pointed down to the other end of the island. The specs of light in the distance were their destination.
He sighed. She was really going through with this.
He hooked in right behind her. “Have a good time,” the man said and stepped away.
Sierra turned to Maxim and placed a hand on his chest, tipping her head back to look up at him. Her smile grew, infecting him with her enthusiasm.
“You don’t seem as excited as I am about this. I’m guessing zip-lining didn’t make it on your list.”
He grunted. “Jumping off a perfectly good platform. Sailing down a mountain. What’s not to love?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe,” she said, echoing his earlier promise on the Jet Ski.
His jaw dropped a little and she leaned closer.
“See you at the bottom,” she whispered and pressed her lips against his. Then she turned and jumped off the platform before he could respond. A cry of delight echoed through the mountains, and he smiled.
Gusto. Somewhere in the course of the last two days, the shy woman he’d met on the terrace had blossomed, was still blossoming in front of his eyes.
Well, if she could battle her demons, so could he. He took a deep breath, jumped off the platform and sailed down the mountain after her.
Ceara clutched the straps and stared hard at the rapidly approaching platform. Four lights beckoned her with a warm yellow glow. Wind whistled in her ears and a breeze whipped her hair around her, temporarily blinding her. Soaring through the trees, sweeping beneath the stars… it was a dream come true. Another item to check off her bucket list. She felt free and exhilarated.
Two hulking men wearing the trademark Mystic Isle polo shirts stood at the edge of the platform, hands out, ready to catch her. But that didn’t stop her heart from bouncing around in her chest. Now was not the time to land flat on her butt and ruin her “I’m a confident, fun woman” exterior. She could do this.
What had the other guy said? Bend your knees. Right.
She fought the urge to close her eyes as she barreled down the last few meters. A little “eep” escaped her lips as her feet hit the deck. Thank goodness for good athletic shoes. Running to stay upright, she felt two pairs of hands holding her steady.
Blood rushed through her veins and adrenaline took over. She yelled out her delight to anyone who was listening.
“S’en donner à coeur joie. That was fun!”
The men laughed.
The distinct whir of someone coming down the line drew her attention. Maxim coasted in, broad naked chest and all. She couldn’t drag her gaze away.
He made landing look easy and graceful.
“Have fun?” she asked, noticing his grin.
“Yes.” He started taking off his harness, a determined gleam in his eyes. Men had a one-track mind. Not that she wasn’t interested… she might be young and inexperienced, but she wasn’t stupid. Men like Maxim didn’t come around often. And the sex… well…
They handed in their harnesses at the same time. He reached for her immediately, cupping her elbow and ushering her toward the stairs. After the activities of the last few days, her more tender bits needed some rest. She couldn’t tell him that, though.
“So I was thinking… want to watch a movie with me?”
Snuggling up to a sinfully handsome man, eating popcorn and watching a flick was on her list.
“I don’t know about the popcorn part… but I wouldn’t mind eating something…” he murmured against her temple.
Chapter Nine
Ceara stood on the balcony, gazing out at the water. It was their last night together. She wasn’t going to beg him to take her with him. She wasn’t.
She shivered as a breeze raced over her skin. Or maybe it was her conscience, telling her what a fool she was. While she agreed that Maxim was as perfect as any man she could imagine, she also knew that a half dozen orgasms, a few excursions, and a day snuggled next to him on the couch watching old movies did not a relationship make.
She would just have to continue knocking “to do” items off of her list without him. He’d opened her eyes to the possibilities. Made her realize she could have all the things her heart desired.
Everything but one.
“You are so beautiful.”
She hadn’t heard him approach, but his heat quickly wrapped around her and his arms followed, crossing over her chest in a tight embrace.
“Thank you.”
“Come inside with me.”
The hard length of his erection was undeniable.
She laughed softly. “Why do you rent the penthouse if you don’t like heights?”
He sucked in a breath and his body went rigid.
“There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m afraid of pretty much everything. And --” She took a deep breath. “I can’t swim.”
He groaned and pressed his cheek against hers. She’d be willing to bet his eyes were closed, blocking out the incredible view and the tremendous drop off. Of all the things she feared, this balcony was not one of them. She trusted the guard rail.
“So… penthouse. Heights?” she prodded.
“It has the best view and the biggest bathtub.”
“Ahh…” Smiling, she leaned back against him.
His lips moved over her neck, sending a thrill down her spine. Shimmying her ass against his cock, she grinned when it jerked against her.
“Want something?” she asked, suddenly feeling a little breathless.
“You,” he said against the side of her neck.
“Then have me.”
A growl rumbled out of him and he slid his hands beneath her skirt. She could tell by his body language the exact instant he realized she wasn’t wearing underwear.
“You naughty, naughty woman.”
“Mmm huh.” She could scarcely believe she was standing on a balcony in a skirt with no underwear. It was scandalous and yet Avery promised that he would never forget her. She was counting on it. So beneath her clothes, she was bare as the day she’d been born.
“I like it.”
She liked him. Too much.
To stop herself from that dangerous train of thought, she reached back and squeezed his cock. Groaning into her hair, he sank a finger into her pussy.
“You’re ready for me,” he murmured.
“Yes…”
“Good.” His hands left her just long enough to extract his cock. Then he was back, tipping her hips, lifting her skirt and guiding his cock home. He filled her with a single thrust.
She moaned and braced her hands against the railing. His hands closed over her hips, holding her in place as he picked up the pace. At that moment, she didn’t care if anyone saw her. She felt naughty and brave and delicious all in one. Who cared about something like modesty when one could enjoy incredible sex and a fabulous view?
His lips trailed over her shoulders, kissing in time with his thrusts.
“I love the sounds you make.”
And she loved the way he made her feel. Like anything was possible. And everything would be okay.
He paused, cock deep, and slid his right hand between her breasts, over her chest and closed around her throat. “Ready to come, gorgeous?”
His other hand snaked down between her legs and took position against her clit.
All she could do was moan in agreement.
He held onto her as his cock pistoned in and out. Her throat warmed beneath his hand. Her juices coated his finger, providing little resistance against the bundle of nerves that would have her seeing stars. He groaned ag
ainst her shoulder and his body began to tighten. Hands. Arms. Cock.
Her own orgasm twisted inside of her, ready to let her freefall. So ready. So close. One final, long, slow thrust of his cock and… yesss.
Blinding pain radiated through her as his teeth closed over the tender area between her neck and shoulder. But as quickly as it came, the pain vanished and her head pounded. Blood rushed through her body so hard she felt as if she might come apart in his arms. He was growling, his hips still rocking against her ass.
The only thing keeping them upright was her death grip on the railing.
A handful of heartbeats later he licked the wounds closed, muttering something in a language she didn’t understand. She didn’t care. The way he was nuzzling her neck felt too good. His finger took up residence against her clit again and three circles had her crying out again. Her body clenched tight and she threw her head back against his shoulder.
The hand around her throat loosened, slid upward, and cupped her chin. She felt boneless. He held a finger over her lips but she wouldn’t have any of that. She’d earned her right to shout from the mountaintops. And she’d never be shy about it again.
She gently closed her teeth over the offending digit. His finger circled her clit again and another blinding wave swept her under. She collapsed against him, pulling her knees up as the most powerful orgasm she’d ever felt gripped her body.
Then everything went fuzzy and dark.
Still wearing his slacks, Maxim settled into the armchair so he wouldn’t be tempted to touch her. Touching would lead to bonding and wanting to touch her even more. Be with her.
Propping his chin against his palm, he glanced around the luxurious room. Her flip flops lay several feet apart. His shirt puddled at the end of the bed. Her skirt slithered across the dresser. This was the evidence of his desire for her. His inability to slow down and take her as gently as she deserved to be taken.
After a midnight stargazing session, they’d joined her coven for dinner. Though, he and the other wolf, Grayson, were the only ones with food on their plate.