Dangerous Passion

by Bonnie Dee

  We wriggled and scooted out of the rest of our clothes until bare skin slid against bare skin. Oh, the luscious, silken feeling of his smooth flesh and the crisp hair on his chest and groin. I sighed and relaxed beneath him, enjoying his weight on top of me and then the hard push and his thickness filling me.

  I lifted my hips, asking for more, and he gave it to me. Every thrust pushed me higher and felt like a promise that he was fully there—in me, with me, wanting me as badly as I wanted him. Micah’s gaze remained locked with mine, keeping us connected as our bodies rocked together, right up to the moment when climax swept us both away.

  After my ragged breathing calmed and my body stopped twitching, I still clung to Micah’s sweaty body, collapsed over me. I could imagine being with him like this until I was as old as Sonia Heidelberg—although maybe by then we wouldn’t be quite so naked and sweaty. That would be sort of gross with all the wrinkles and saggy flesh.

  I got distracted by a vision of Micah and me as an elderly couple, sniping at each other and making daily jokes we both knew by heart—or perhaps those jokes would seem brand-new every time if our memories were shot. It was a sweet daydream, if a little premature to be imagining a faraway future.

  I kissed Micah’s shoulder. “Thank you for the gift. But no more surprises, okay? I like to know what’s coming, and surprises haven’t always been my friend.”

  I thought about Jeff and that actress, and other not so fun “surprise” moments, including the danger Micah had brought into my life.

  He pushed himself up, smoothed back my hair, and looked into my eyes. “Only good ones, I promise. No kidnappers and guns. Only kisses and chocolates. I swear.” He held up his fingers in the Boy Scout promise.

  I poked him in the chest. “Don’t tell me you were ever a Boy Scout. I don’t believe it.”

  “No. But I stole lunch money from one once.”

  “Now that I believe.” I grabbed his face between my hands and kissed the incorrigible smile right off his mouth.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Gina

  “My mom is completely under your spell. You know that, don’t you,” I whispered to Micah when my mother cracked up over something Micah had said. She laughed until tears streamed down her cheeks.

  “You could probably have a mother-daughter combo if you wanted,” I added.

  “Sick puppy. Behave.” He gave me a hard nudge in the side with his elbow. “It’s your turn. Go make a strike.”

  I popped my bubble gum at him, straightened the lapels of my silky, powder blue, ’50’s-era girl-gang jacket that he’d given me. I got my hot-pink bowling ball from the return, took my stance, stared down the alley, then drew back and let loose with a ball that sent pins crashing. Only a spare, but my generous partners let out a whoop of approval.

  I picked up the other two pins on my second roll, then spun around and hip shimmied my way back to where Micah sat next to my mom and my brother Frank. We four were one team. My dad, Frank’s girlfriend, Selena, J.D., and Leah made up the other. J.D. assisted Leah with lining up her throws, but once he got her in place, she timed the rest of it herself—three steps, draw back, follow through, and release, the exact same way every time. Currently, her score was higher than Selena’s. I could tell she’d played a bit back when she had sight.

  I squished in beside Micah in the booth, one leg straddling his. He leaned to kiss me, smelling of the cologne I loved and tasting of beer. Then he tickled my ribs until I squealed.

  “Cut it out, you two. You’re making everybody sick,” Frank complained. “Focus on the game.”

  I was too excited to sit still or concentrate. Micah thought we were here for a family get-together but didn’t know we’d planned him a surprise birthday party. The back room of Rock ‘n’ Roll Lanes might smell like old socks and cheap brew, but the pizza here was pretty fantastic. The place was an old birthday tradition in my family, a low-priced venue a family of five could afford. I had many fond memories of birthdays past, and I wanted Micah to become a part of that tradition. Plus I knew he’d love the vintage vibe of the lanes which had remained unchanged right down to the music since sometime in the sixties.

  I was practically bouncing in my seat as we neared the end of the tenth frame. When the game was finished, we’d go back to the “party room” decorated with streamers, balloons, and a big Happy Birthday banner for Micah.

  Frank threw a strike that brought our team into the lead, followed by Micah, who dragged us back down with another gutter ball. His personal score was nearly as bad as Selena’s. Apparently, wearing ironic old bowling shirts didn’t make a person a better bowler. My mom saved us with a sweet conversion of a 7-10 split, and then it was my turn again.

  I threw with more strength than accuracy that brought us back down dead even with my dad’s team. Selena was the last bowler on their team, everyone shouting advice at her until she looked nervous enough to cry.

  My dad went to personally coach her, guiding her into place and showing her how to draw back for her throw. His calmness soothed Selena, and she let loose an astonishing strike that made Dad’s Demons the winners.

  Our team booed them good. No sportsmanship in my family. And then we started to gather our things to leave.

  “Your dad’s a great guy,” Micah said as we unlaced our shoes. “Real patient and nice.”

  “Yeah, he’s pretty cool.” I glanced at my father, teasing my mom about having the losing team. It struck me how old they looked, many more gray hairs and wrinkles sprouting, which I’d managed to overlook until now. But the way they horsed around and joked made them seem young. They were best friends. My heart ached with love for them, for providing a great family for all us kids. I thought of Micah’s history, and more than ever, I wanted to welcome him into my family.

  I packed away my shoes and took Micah’s arm. I was so excited as I led him toward his surprise party that my chattering made little sense.

  “What’s up? What are you so jazzed about?” he asked suspiciously.

  “Nothing. Whaddya think? Do we like bowling enough to buy balls?” I distracted him at the tiny pro shop long enough for everyone else to get into place.

  Micah hefted a swirly tie-dye ball. “I don’t know. I think I’m more of a pool kind of guy.” He glanced around. “Where’d everybody go?”

  “I don’t know. Come on.” I grabbed his arm and practically dragged him the rest of the way to our destination. I threw open the door, and everyone yelled “Surprise!”

  Micah stopped stock-still beside me, staring at the crepe-decorated room, the centerpiece of helium balloons, and the big cake beside it on the table.

  I threw both arms around him and squeezed. “Are you surprised? You didn’t have a clue, did you?”

  “Uh, no. This is for…?” He sounded dazed.

  “Your birthday, babe. A little celebration.”

  “Huh.” His gaze flicked around at everyone’s beaming faces, then back to the cake my mom had baked from scratch. A slow smile tilted his mouth. “Dinosaurs.”

  “Yep. I thought you’d get a kick out of them.”

  Little plastic dinosaurs cavorted over a meadow of icing with a couple of tropical trees planted around them for atmosphere. Mom lighted the few candles she’d sprinkled around, and then everyone began to sing.

  With the first happy birthday to you, I could see Micah was close to losing it. His jaw clenched tight, and his eyes were shiny. Immediately my own eyes welled in sympathy.

  Bursting into tears wouldn’t do either of us any favors, so I rose up on my tiptoes and gave him a big kiss to distract him while everyone finished the rest of the song.

  When it was over, I pulled back and looked into his eyes from so close I could see the various shades of blue under the sheen of unshed tears. “Happy birthday, Micah.”

  “Thank you,” he whispered. “I can’t even…” He shook his head. “This is awesome.”

  “Just wait’ll you taste Mom’s cake. It’s the definition
of awesome.” I gave him a nudge. “Now blow out your candles before they get wax in the frosting.”

  Micah did as he was told, leaning over the table and taking another long look at the cake before extinguishing them with one big breath.

  As my mom cut the cake, J.D. came over and gave his brother a slap on the shoulder. “Hey, man.”

  “Hey,” Micah replied. “You were in on this?”

  “Uh-huh.” J.D. grinned, and Leah, standing beside him, added, “Happy birthday.”

  “Thanks.” Micah’s gaze swept around the room at the balloons and the family members, then came to rest on me. He said without a trace of humor in his voice, “Thank you for everything. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened in my life.”

  A brief pause and a swallow, and he added, “I love you.”

  *

  Micah

  I marched a pair of plastic stegosauruses, one blue, one green, over the plane of Gina’s stomach and up one hill that rose and fell beneath them.

  “Hold still. You’re messing up my diorama,” I told her.

  I left the stegos parked just above her nipple and reached for a diplodocus to set at the water hole of her navel. Another ripple went through my living landscape as Gina gave one of those belly laughs I adored.

  I raised an eyebrow at her. “Do you want to be a part of this or not?”

  She stilled her body but continued to let out occasional snorts of laughter.

  I reached for the tangle of dinosaurs, still a little sticky though we’d rinsed off the sugary frosting, and brought a tyrannosaurus out to play. It rampaged across Gina’s belly, took down the diplodocus with a roar, then stormed up the hill to where the stegosauruses grazed. I staged a battle over her breasts that left her nipples peaked hard and her breathing erratic.

  “This shouldn’t be sexy, and yet somehow…” she said.

  I swept the toys away and rolled on top of Gina, bracing on my arms and looking down at her beautiful face. “Ready for round two?” I asked.

  “Um, if we count that fingering in the car, I think we’re on round three. At least I am.” She smiled, and my heart glowed. An X-ray would show it was a thumping ruby-red valentine shape.

  I couldn’t get enough of her, in bed or out of it. The things I’d done with women in the past were pale imitations of the real thing with emotions involved.

  I quickly suited up my cock, then guided it to her inviting entrance. Plunging into her hot, snug channel was like coming home. Gina’s body wrapped around mine, fitting me perfectly in every way. I relaxed with a sigh while my desire ratcheted even tauter.

  The curve of her eyelashes fluttered down to cover her eyes, and her parted lips gasped slightly with every push. Her pleasure was a joy to watch. I never wanted to see anything but joy and happiness on her face. A powerful protective urge seized me. I’d make sure nothing ever hurt her, especially not me. Whatever it took to keep her happy, I would do.

  I closed my own eyes then and rocked slowly while the tension built inside me. And in her too, I could tell from her adorable whimpers and moans.

  Together we moved—a little deeper and stronger and faster until our bodies slapped together with the urgency that signaled the end. An explosion of absolute bliss showered through me when I came, not only my body releasing, but the knowledge that I was right where I was meant to be at last. I was the luckiest man on the planet.

  Afterward, when we lay tangled together across the bed, breathing heavily, Gina combed her fingers through my hair. “I love you too, birthday boy,” she said softly. “Did you have Lucky Charms for breakfast? Because you’re magically delicious.”

  I chuckled and shot back at her, “Good thing I wore my gloves today, because you’re too hot to handle.”

  “Your eyes are bluer than the ocean, and, baby, I’m lost at sea,” she quipped.

  “Do you work for UPS? ’Cause I could’ve sworn you were checking my package.”

  She groaned and tugged a handful of my hair. “You’re the reason Santa even has a naughty list.”

  I leaned up on my elbows so I could see her, and said without any irony, “If beauty were time, you’d be eternity.”

  Gina’s eyes shone as she smiled back at me. “If I could save time in a bottle…um, I’d save every day like a treasure and then, again I would spend them with you.”

  Well, damn, she had me stumped with those song lyrics. So instead of giving her a comeback, I gave her a long deep kiss instead. She tasted like sugar-frosted dinosaurs, and I feasted on her lips until I couldn’t hold another drop of satisfaction.

  The End

  A Note from Bonnie: If you want to stay informed about new releases, please SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER by clicking on the link. You can learn more about my backlist at http://bonniedee.com and find me on FB and Twitter @Bonnie_Dee. And if you want to help spread the word about my books, I’d love to welcome you to my street team at FB.

  If you missed the first Wyatt brother’s story, Blind Passion. You can catch up by buying BLIND PASSION.

  The third Wyatt brother story, Guarded Passion will be available about a month or so from now. Cover reveal soon. And I’m sort of feeling a Wyatt brother’s wedding story brewing beyond that. We’ll see.

  Here’s the in-progress blurb:

  A struggling single mother.

  Raelene Cutter strips to survive. It’s the best paying gig for a young woman with little education. The tips alone put a roof over her child’s head and food on the table. Working toward a better life, she has no time or energy for love.

  A tough criminal businessman.

  Jonah Wyatt is ready to make a big change, moving away from his successful pot growing business into a legitimate enterprise. He’s all business all the time and has no interest in finding love he doubts even exists.

  Could love get any sweeter?

  But love arrives on its own schedule and there’s no avoiding the collision. Can two people who carefully guard their hearts break down barriers to let the most unlikely person inside?