Hot Number

by V. K. Sykes

Grabbing a towel from a pile on a corner table, he wiped his brow and sat down beside her. He began gently stroking the inside of her leg, heading for paradise.

  She reached down and stilled his hand. “No. It’s your turn now, Sheriff.” She smiled apologetically. “I mean, Nick.”

  Before he could reply, Sadie dropped to her knees on the wooden floor and slipped in between his legs. Her wild curls, already damp from the steam, cascaded in a soft mass over his groin as her lips kissed the base of his cock. When she slid her tongue up the full length, from base to tip, he groaned his pleasure.

  Her head came up and she gazed at him with questioning eyes. “Am I doing this correctly? I’m a novice at this sort of thing, you know.” She gave him a hesitant smile. “I don’t mind at all if you instruct me. In fact, I would sincerely welcome it.”

  Something in his chest went tight at the vulnerable expression on her face. “You’re doing just fine, baby. You don’t need me to tell you a thing.” She ducked her head, her smile turning a little smug, and went back to work.

  Actually, it was even better than fine. For some reason Sadie’s mouth on his cock felt like nothing he’d had before. It felt like sweet innocence, which made no sense given what she was doing to him.

  For a woman of limited experience, she managed to be both creative and passionate. When she took his shaft halfway into her throat, he clenched his teeth. When she took it nearly all the way, he grasped her head in his hands and growled. And when, with his pulsing cock in her almost to its base, she cupped his aching balls and stroked them with her delicate fingers, Nick knew he was finished. He roared and his body convulsed as he came in a long, hot rush. She took all of him, caressing him as she knelt between his legs, the hottest little thing he’d ever seen.

  * * *

  Sadie had never done that before. Oh sure, she’d had a man’s penis in her mouth a few times. But she’d never done that. In fact, she’d always thought it would be rather distasteful, despite what Cassie and another girlfriend had said. Somehow, though, with Nick it had felt right. Better than right. As beautiful and skyrocketing as her own orgasm had been—and the word rapture again jumped into her mind—feeling Nick pulse inside her mouth was incredibly satisfying. She knew she’d given him the same pleasure he’d so generously given to her, and that made her feel, well...powerful.

  Nick exhaled a deep breath. His eyes were dark and heavy-lidded, and his big body, sprawled on the bench, looked as sexy as sin. “You get an A plus for skill and an A double plus for effort,” he said in a lazy voice.

  Sadie grinned, thrilled by the silly compliment. “Thank you. But just think what I could have done if I’d actually gone to class or studied intently. Despite your too-generous grading scheme, I’m sure there’s still considerable room for improvement. I trust I’ll be able to get in more practice this week.”

  The man practically purred. “Now, that I’ll look forward to.”

  She almost shook her head in disbelief. It still seemed impossible that a man like Nick wanted to be with her, even for a quick fling. The fact that he hinted at more left her speechless.

  Nick made room for her on the bench and they sat quietly, side-by-side, his left arm clasped loosely around her shoulders. The moist heat was so good, so calming, that her orgasm-blasted body began to fully settle. Several times she felt herself on the edge of sleep.

  Finally, Nick moved his arm away. “I’m about cooked. You ready to go?”

  “Any more surprises in store for me tonight, Sheriff?”

  “We’ll see. Why don’t we finish with a swim? I know the pool is as warm as a Caribbean lagoon.”

  She sighed. Of course, there had to be a fly in the ointment. “I don’t swim,” she confessed. “I wasn’t kidding the other night when I told you I’ve always been athletically challenged.”

  He shook his head in mock lament. “Never had a massage and never learned to swim. What am I going to do with you, Sadie Bligh?”

  As she shrugged, feeling awkward, his gaze softened and he dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you drown. I promise.”

  Nick took her hand and led her back down the Moroccan staircase to the first floor, making a quick detour to the massage room to grab a condom out of his wallet. She almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of the two of them sashaying around the lavish club as naked as the day they were born. Another experience she’d never forget. As crazy as the evening had been, it was full of magic, too. For her and, she hoped, for him.

  The pool with its faux starry night ceiling seemed less silly to her now than it had earlier. Amazing what a mind-numbing orgasm will do to you.

  She looked toward one of the shallow hot pools, its water bubbling away under a warm spotlight. “Maybe I’ll just relax over there,” she said.

  “Later,” Nick said. Before she could open her mouth again, he’d swept her into his arms. Three steps later, they hit the water in the main pool with a thunderous splash.

  Sadie surfaced, still locked firmly in his arms. The water felt as a warm as he’d promised, but the shock of the plunge made her gasp. She stroked the hair out of her eyes and grabbed him by the ears. “You could at least have given me a warning!” She gave his ears a good tug to show her displeasure.

  “Ow! Jesus! Didn’t anybody ever tell you it’s better to jump right in?”

  “Yes, and I still think it’s the most insane advice I’ve ever heard!” She tried to scowl at him, but the aggrieved look on his face made her start to laugh.

  “Mock me at your peril, Ms. Bligh. Now, hug me tight.” He shifted her until she was fully upright, supported by his arms. Sadie could feel him treading water effortlessly.

  She locked her legs around his waist, pushing her groin into the flat of his belly. His cock was long and rock-hard again. It nudged firmly against her bottom as she wrapped herself around him. “You reload your gun awfully fast, don’t you, Sheriff?”

  He snorted. “Like I said, you talk too much.”

  Then he kissed her deeply, his tongue pushing past her lips. She welcomed the heat as he stroked into her mouth. She gave as good as she got, darting her tongue into him as soon as she had the opportunity. He tasted intoxicating, like hot man and sex. She hadn’t been kidding when she said she couldn’t swim a lick, but she felt totally safe in his strong embrace. After all, he’d sworn not to let her drown. And she figured Nick Saxon for a man who always kept his promises.

  As he deepened the kiss, he released his right arm and trailed his hand down her back and over her bottom. She sighed as his fingers found her, penetrating her folds and pushing gently into her opening. Her inner muscles contracted, eager for more. His touch made her wild with wanting, and impatient to have him finally inside her. Lifting herself, she nudged his erection.

  He drew back, his wet, handsome face glistening under the reflected starlight of the fake sky. “I’ll get the condom.”

  She grimaced. “I almost forgot about that. It must have been the shock of some guy tossing me into the water.”

  “Oh, funny girl,” he murmured as he swam them over to the side of the pool. “Hang onto the edge. I’ll be right back.”

  He lifted himself up and out in one smooth move, the strong muscles of his gorgeous ass and legs flexing with power, his bronzed skin gleaming as the water streamed off him. Sadie clutched the edge of the pool, her heart pounding with a mix of trepidation and excitement as she watched him smooth the condom over his truly impressive erection.

  Nick slipped into the water beside her and took her in his arms again. She sucked in a shuddering breath as she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. She shivered, not from cold but from the sense that something profound was about to happen.

  “You don’t have to be nervous, Sadie,” he murmured, nuzzling her lips. “I’ll take care of you.”

  “I...I know,” she stuttered. “It’s just been a while.”

  Understatement of the year.

  “We�
�ll fix that right now.” Nick guided the tip of his penis to her opening. As nervous as she was, she so ached for him to be inside her that she wanted to impale herself without waiting one more second. And maybe if she got that part over with, she’d relax.

  But Nick was gentle and oh-so-slow, making sure she was completely ready. He eased the broad head of his erection just inside her and stopped.

  “Oh, God, don’t stop now,” she whimpered. Just feeling that tantalizing bit of him inside her was enough to ratchet up her anticipation to unbearable levels.

  He groaned and surged deeply, stretching her and filling her completely. She cried out, stunned by the heady rush. The impact of the sweet invasion pulsed through her entire body.

  “You okay?” he asked, his voice low and tight.

  She wiggled, adjusting the fit, bringing her clit into direct contact with his groin. The contraction that rippled outward from where they were joined made her gasp. “Ah, yes. I’m fine,” she managed. “The vagina is a wonder, you know. Such elasticity, even under this kind of astonishing demand you’re making on it.”

  Oh, God! Had she really just said that? Talk about romantic. Not.

  “Yeah,” Nick grunted, seeming to barely notice her idiotic remark. He thrust into her as he treaded water, keeping them easily afloat. Sadie dropped her head onto his shoulder and let him take over, overwhelmed with how good his big cock felt inside her. That was probably the greatest surprise of all.

  “You’re awfully big, you know,” she gasped as he stepped up his rhythm.

  “Is that good or bad?” he growled.

  “Oh, good. Very, very good. I’m just a little surprised I can…ah!” She broke off as her inner muscles clenched. Another orgasm coming already?

  Nick pumped into her with hard, controlled thrusts. She could feel his muscles tensing, ready to explode. The warm water swirled around them with a silken caress. The hot slide of their wet bodies, slapping together in the water, was unbearably erotic. His brute strength both stunned and excited her. She was practically boneless in his arms while he did all the work, holding her upright and treading water as he hammered into her, again and again. All she did was clutch at him, arms and legs wrapped around his body, gasping with pleasure as he brought her rocketing toward another wild climax.

  Under her hands, fine tremors rippled through his shoulders. “I’m gonna come, baby,” he groaned. Moving his hands down to her ass, he gripped her cheeks hard as he thrust. She shifted slightly, changing her angle so his driving cock rubbed right on her swollen clit. In seconds, her insides tightened in climax.

  “Yes, Nick,” she shrieked. Yes, yes!”

  He thrust once, then again, and erupted. At the same moment, she collapsed against him, every muscle in her body trembling with a delicious weakness. If he hadn’t been holding onto her so securely, she would have sunk like a stone to the bottom of the pool.

  Lucky for her, the sheriff was a powerful man indeed.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “Buzz Carson hated your father’s guts, Nick,” Michael Webb said, “and now he’s taking it out on you.”

  Startled, Nick glanced up from the diner menu and met the eyes of the man who’d always been a mentor to him, and his dad’s closest friend. Michael Webb looked every bit the Marine major. Within months of retiring from the Corps, he’d landed a job as assistant general manager of the Desert Oasis. Tall, hard and tanned, he could pass for a decade younger than his fifty-five years. Today, his wintry blue eyes belied the natural warmth that Nick had come to expect from the man he’d grown up calling Uncle Mike.

  Nick was determined to get some answers about why Carson kept trying so hard to make his working life a misery. The voice mail message Carson had left this morning had made this meeting with Webb even more imperative. And Nick had been prepared for any number of explanations for his boss’s dislike, but not this one. The surprise must have shown on his face.

  Webb nodded sympathetically. “It takes a grade A asshole to hold a grudge even after a man’s long dead. But that’s Carson. Using a man’s son to get even—it doesn’t get much lower than that.”

  Nick glanced around the restaurant, jammed with tourists and locals grabbing a quick, inexpensive lunch. The hard plastic booths and dingy tile floor put the place close to the “dump” category, but the all-day breakfast and grilled burgers made it easy to overlook the challenged décor. He’d asked Webb to meet him at the diner because the last thing he needed was for his boss to see them having a cozy tete-à-tete at the Desert Oasis.

  Satisfied there were no other employees of the Oasis in the diner, Nick returned his attention to Webb. “I didn’t know the chief and Dad even knew each other. Carson’s never said a word about it to me.”

  “He wouldn’t, because it was all about those two fights.”

  Nick gave a resigned sigh. Knowing his dad, he had a hunch about what would come next.

  “Your father was the best damn company commander in the 7th,” Webb continued. “And the toughest son-of-a-bitch I ever met. He didn’t get those medals in the Gulf for nothing.”

  Nick nodded. During his years in the Corps, he’d heard all about Captain Mike Saxon of the 7th Marines. Measuring up to his father’s legend hadn’t been easy, but with a lot of hard work and determination he’d finally done it.

  “One night at the Flamingo, Carson made a big mistake,” Webb said with a frown. “Mike and I had just gotten back stateside from Kuwait, and were going to be home for a few days. We took our wives to see some comedian at Caesar’s, then headed across the street to the Flamingo for drinks. That’s where we ran into Carson.”

  “He was a Vegas cop back then, wasn’t he?”

  “Yes. I found out later he’d spent years trying to get his detective’s shield, but kept getting passed over. It must have made him crazy. Crazier than he already was.”

  Things were finally starting to make some sense to Nick. “He has a chip on his shoulder the size of a bowling ball.”

  “That night at the Flamingo, Carson was already drunk by the time we got there. He overheard us talking about Desert Storm, and obviously figured out we were in the Corps. Before long, he was mouthing off to the others at his table. Really stupid stuff, too. For some reason, the guy had a thing against the military. Mike held it together pretty well, but when Carson kept at it, your dad finally blew his cork and told Carson to shut the hell up, or else. I figured we should just let it go, but not your dad. Mike Saxon wouldn’t put up with shit from anybody. After a few minutes, he invited Carson to go for a walk, and nobody could stop him, not even your mother.”

  Unfortunately, Nick could believe it. His father had been a great man, but he could be a total hard-ass, too. “I’m sure Dad was able to persuade him of the error of his ways.”

  “Mike told me that as soon as they were out the door, Carson took off into a rant about fucking arrogant Marines. Well, I guess it took about ten seconds before the asshole was flat on his back, down for the count. Mike came back inside and called for the paramedics. He told me to take the wives home, and didn’t leave until he was sure Carson was going to be okay.”

  That outcome didn’t surprise Nick. Since his dad had taught him how to box, Nick knew exactly how good a fighter Mike Saxon had been. “You said there was more than one fight?”

  Webb nodded. “Carson made another stupid mistake. A few nights later, the guy tailed your dad’s car, switched on his police flashers, and pulled him over on some side street—off Tropicana, as I recall. Carson said he wanted another go at him, since he’d been too drunk to really fight that night at the Flamingo. So, your father obliged him. That time I gather Carson got a couple of good swings in, but Mike made a real mess of the guy’s nose. And that was the end of the story, until you came along.”

  “I thought Carson’s nose looked like he might have been a fighter. Obviously not a very good one,” Nick said with a snort.

  Webb gave his head a frustrated shake. “But all that was sixteen years a
go. You’d think the jerk would have let it go by now.”

  The server hurried over to their table with a large white platter in each hand. She served Webb his chicken Caesar, then carefully set Nick’s plate of eggs and bacon in front of him, leaning over in what was surely a deliberate attempt to display her cleavage.

  “Be sure to let me know if you’d like anything else, sir.” Her eyes and smile relayed an unspoken but obvious invitation. Nick had to admit the young woman had a sexy smile, not to mention a nice, tight ass under her black mini-skirt. But he’d been bowled over by Sadie Bligh and, right now, no other woman even came close.

  In fact, he’d been thinking a hell of a lot about Sadie ever since he kissed her goodnight at three a.m. in the Oasis parking lot. The trip to the Moroccan Spa had turned out to be the hottest night of his life. Sadie had been more than game for the fantasy evening. And for an unschooled lover, she’d proved creative and enthusiastic—if a little challenged in her verbal responses to his lovemaking. Not that he’d minded. Sadie was as unexpectedly funny as she was adorable.

  When they got back to Vegas, she’d wanted him to spend the rest of the night with her, but there was no way he could risk the security cameras catching him entering her room at that hour. Or at all, for that matter. Carson would have been all over him, which had been yet another prompt to have this meeting with Webb. Carson was starting to interfere with his personal life, and that wasn’t something Nick could tolerate.

  “Thanks. I’m fine,” he said to the waitress with a polite but cool smile. Nick turned back to Webb. “Sir—”

  “You don’t have to call me sir, Nick,” Webb interrupted. “We’re not in the Corps any more. Call me Mr. Webb at the hotel, and Mike everywhere else.”

  “Old habits die hard, I guess.”

  Webb picked up his fork, but then hesitated. “Listen, when you came to me looking for a job in security, I probably should have told you about the history between Carson and your father. I had to lean on him to get him to take you, but you already know that. Still, I didn’t think he’d take his grudge out on you. And I thought it would make it even harder for you and Carson to get along if you knew the truth.”