Between the Sheets

by P. J. Mellor

  It had to be proximity. Face it, she had the annoying habit of falling for whomever she became involved with sexually, and it always turned out badly.

  Could Daryl break her streak? Did she want him to?

  “Ash? Grab a condom from the pile on the nightstand. Now.”

  Her eyes widened again at the size of the pile of condoms. “Big plans for tonight?”

  “Just optimistic.”

  “I’d call it being an overachiever.”

  As she stretched to reach for the condom, he took her nipple into his mouth, drawing it deeply, sucking in time to the bucking of his hips against hers.

  The pull on her breast temporarily short-circuited her thought process. Head back, she lolled against the pillow, enjoying the sensations streaking through her body.

  Making love with Daryl—and though she would never call it anything but sex to him, in her heart and mind she’d been making love—had quickly become a habit. Like an addict, she craved his body and the things he could do with it.

  Cool air wafted across her wet nipple. Idly she watched him roll on the condom. Even that was a turn-on.

  What was it about Daryl that had flipped her hedonistic switch?

  Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he pulled her to sit on his lap, arranging her legs around his lean hips before entering her with a powerful thrust.

  Against her breast, his heart thundered. The muscles in his arms constricted around her.

  They paused, enjoying the sensation of him filling her for a few seconds before he began moving his hips, pushing deeper, nudging her uterus, pushing an internal button that sent heat streaking to her extremities. Every nerve ending stood on alert as a wildfire of sensation swept through her.

  He held her tightly against his sweat-slicked chest, continuing to move in tight circles deep within her as she slowly came down from her pinnacle.

  Before she caught her breath, he began moving again, this time thrusting harder, pushing her higher.

  He rolled her over until the sheet touched her back, never breaking their connection, while he, on his hands and knees, continued to pound into her.

  She admired the fierce determination on his handsome face. She wanted to stroke the grim set of his lips, caress his cheek, but her hands and arms refused to obey her command. Relaxed and sated, she watched him, reveling in the feel of his firm flesh deep within, the faint scrape of his whiskers on the side of her face. Her nostrils flared at their combined scent.

  The scent of sex.

  Daryl rose, still embedded deep within her, dragging her to the edge of the mattress, where he resumed thrusting. Sliding his hands down her legs, he grasped her calves and placed her feet on his shoulders, deepening his already impossibly deep penetration.

  Each thrust pushed her a little along the sheets, his firm grasp on her shoulders preventing her from sliding too far. Leaning forward, he swiped the tips of her breast with his tongue.

  Instant awareness zinged through her, waking the erogenous zones she’d been sure were asleep for the night. Her breath caught. A fresh wave of completion washed over her, causing her to bite her lip to keep from screaming her satisfaction.

  Still Daryl continued, picking up her limp body and holding her close while he continued his now-rapid-fire thrusts.

  Cool plaster walls met her back as Daryl slammed into her once, twice, three times before tensing and releasing a hedonistic roar of completion.

  He squeezed what little air remained in her lungs as he hugged her to him, trailing kisses along her hairline, whispering words her roaring blood drowned out.

  Whatever they had going on between them, Ashley knew one thing for certain:

  She didn’t want it to end.

  14

  “What if someone sees us?” Ashley tugged at her bathing suit while Daryl did his best to remove it.

  The morning sun sparkled on the Gulf. Granted, the beach was currently deserted, but she knew it could change soon.

  “You said you’d never tanned in the nude, Ash. I’m just trying to help you out. Broaden your horizons.”

  She swatted at his busy hands. “There are a lot of things I’ve never tried, but that doesn’t mean I plan to, either.”

  He slid a suntan-oiled finger beneath the cup of her bikini top and stroked her traitorous nipple. “Don’t you like to feel my hands on you?”

  “You know danged well I do. I may like it too much.” She couldn’t prevent the little shiver his touch ignited. “Which is what has me worried. What if we get carried away and forget we’re on a public beach?”

  “We have a blanket,” he countered. “We could always hide what we’re doing with that. Not that we’d necessarily be doing anything. I’m just saying, just in case.” He rubbed oil from her hips to her breast, slipping his fingers beneath the loose-fitting bikini cups. “C’mon, Ash, cut loose and live a little. What have you got to lose?”

  “My dignity? My privacy? My bathing suit? This is my last one. If I lose it, our vacation fun in the sun is finished.”

  “We only have one more day here, anyway. And it’s not like there are no stores around. We can always buy more suits.” His well-oiled fingers slid the spaghetti straps from her shoulders. “And it’s not like we’re in the water. Where would it disappear to? I’ll keep it right here, and the second you begin to feel uncomfortable, or if we have unexpected company, I’ll give it back. What do you say? Wouldn’t a hot-oil massage feel good?”

  Her eyes darted around the deserted beach while he stripped the top from her and immediately began a sensuous massage she’d bet was probably illegal in some states.

  “Relax,” he whispered against her ear as he laid her back on the blanket and brushed the bottom of her suit away as though it were an annoying gnat. “So pretty.” He propped his big body on one arm, shielding her from potential eyes while he slicked oil from her sternum to her pubis, swirling his oiled finger across her labia, occasionally dipping in to rub her already-aching clitoris. “Relax. No one can see us. Doesn’t that feel good?”

  No, it felt fabulous. The combination of Daryl’s languid strokes, the warmth of the sun, and the oil on her skin worked its magic. Muscles relaxed. Inhibitions floated away with the tide.

  When he slipped his finger into her, she was aching and ready. Beside her, his naked body slipped up and down on the oil he’d applied, his erection gently thumping her hip in time with the waves hitting the shore.

  Hot. All she felt was heat, inside and out. The relentless South Texas sun bathed her in its heat, wrapped her in the sensuality of Texas summer humidity. Within, Daryl’s fingers continued to work their magic as climaxes broke free to wash over her in wave after wave of orgasmic sensation.

  It was sensory overload.

  She wanted more.

  “Let’s go back to the beach house. Now!” She gasped as another sensation towed her under.

  “I don’t think I could make the trek in my current condition.” Daryl’s breath huffed against her ear with each word, his excitement palpable.

  “Then here,” she said in what sounded suspiciously like a whine. “Take me here. Right here, right now. You brought condoms, right?”

  She felt more than saw him nod.

  “In the beach bag,” he said, breathing heavily.

  “Well, crap, Daryl, roll it on!” Wiggling closer, she could feel another climax cresting, her nipple drawn into aching buds of sensation.

  “You said no sex in public,” he reminded her, but she noticed he was reaching for the bag.

  “You’re already flashing your lily-white behind to God and everybody. What’s the difference if it’s moving up and down?”

  “True. But I was trying to protect your modesty.”

  “Hah! I’d say my modesty is pretty much a thing of the past when I’m around you.” Her breath caught. “Hurry. A little to the left. Agh!”

  Darkness enshrouded her as fine grains of sand rained down on her head.

  Spitting sand, she barely mad
e out Daryl’s face above her. His chest slipped smoothly over the oil, creating a delicious friction.

  His sheathed erection slid home.

  They sighed.

  “Hang on,” Daryl whispered. “We’re covered by the blanket. Well, pretty much, I think, anyway.”

  “Don’t you think people will still know what we’re doing?” She tried, in vain, to flex her hips, to get him to pump faster.

  “Maybe not. Not if we do it slow and easy.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “And if you can keep from screaming.”

  “I only did that once. Well, okay, maybe twice. And you had something to do with that, too, mister.”

  “Ash?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Shut up and fuck me.”

  The feel of oil-slicked skin on oil-slicked skin was pleasant. Ashley had more than met her orgasm quotient. She lay there, enjoying the sounds of the waves and the seagulls, the feel of Daryl sliding on her oiled skin, the solid feel of him within her.

  That had to be the reason her climax snuck up on her.

  One moment she was relaxed, enjoying her personal internal massage.

  And the next moment she came to a screaming release, clamping Daryl to her in an attempt to pull him deeper into her body.

  Daryl was right behind her, his body bowing as every muscle tightened in preparation for his release. It came quickly, signaled by the low growl in his throat that vibrated her chest, setting off more contractions deep within her sex.

  When her heart stopped trying to escape through her chest, she chuckled. “Wow. I think we set a new personal best.”

  A growl sounded next to her ear. Daryl was on the other side just a second ago. She turned and met a pair of black eyes. They were set above a long, black, furry snout.

  She screamed again, but this time not in a good way, and struggled to topple Daryl.

  He hung on.

  “Shit!” Daryl lunged, but since they were still connected, he didn’t go far.

  Sand flew up, stinging their faces.

  “What was that? A bear?”

  “No,” Daryl said, disengaging and sliding to her side, keeping their blanket securely over them. “A dog. That’s the good news.”

  “But it’s gone now, right? What’s the bad news?”

  “He took your suit.”

  15

  Ashley trudged up the stairs to the beach house, the blanket trailing behind her like a royal cape.

  “Aren’t you going to wait for me?” Daryl readjusted the weight of their cooler and beach bag as he followed her.

  She shot him a glare. “What are you complaining about? You still have a bathing suit. I’ve lost both of mine.”

  “Well, technically, you still have half of one of them,” he pointed out.

  That earned another glare.

  The screen door whacked the siding, and she entered the house.

  Dropping the gear inside the door, he hurried to catch up to her before she shut the bathroom door. “Ash, don’t be mad. In the grand scheme of things, it’s really not a big deal.”

  “Cut the psychobabble. I’m not in the mood.” She tried to slip from his grasp, but he tightened his fingers.

  He moved his hands to her neck, allowing the blanket to fall to the plank floor, ordering his eyes to maintain eye contact instead of traveling down her sun-kissed nude body. He moved his hands down, but only to her shoulders. He needed something to hang on to in order to keep his hands off her breasts.

  “What are you in the mood for, Ash? It’s our last night here. We can do anything you want.” He rubbed the skin over her collar bones with his thumbs.

  “I need a bath. I have sand stuck in all that oil.” She looked down and shrugged. “I guess it would be okay if you took one with me.” Her gaze met his. “Just to save time and water.”

  Right. “I could do that.”

  “But I’m hungry, so no funny stuff. As soon as we bathe, I want either a steak or lobster. Or both.”

  “I saw a steak house on our way into town. Or we could go back to the crab shack.”

  “Let’s go to the crab shack since it’s our last night, and we can walk.” She turned on the faucets and reached for towels from the stack on the vanity. “I can’t believe it’s our last night here already.”

  “Me neither.” It still thrilled and amazed him how quickly Ashley had acclimated to walking around naked with him. “I’m sorry we didn’t get to stay the whole week. Maybe next time.”

  “It wasn’t your fault the owner contracted for the remodeling to start before our time ended.”

  Next time. She hadn’t even acknowledged it. Would there be a next time? He waited for Ashley to call him on his innuendo. Instead, she dumped some girly smelling bubbles into the tub.

  “That stuff isn’t going to make me smell like a girl, is it?” He paused with his hands on the waistband of his bathing suit.

  “No, it’s just moisturizing. Doesn’t really leave a scent on your skin.” Without a backward glance, she stepped into the tub, sighing once she was submerged.

  Shucking his trunks in record time, he stepped into the surprisingly hot water, then settled behind her, his knees framing hers.

  “Geez, Ash, do you think the water’s hot enough? Are you trying to boil my boys?”

  “Stop whining. If my girls can take it, so can your boys.” Sighing, she relaxed, using his chest as a cushion.

  He didn’t mind.

  “This feels so good….”

  He silently ordered his interested cock to behave. “Ah, yeah, it does. But we probably shouldn’t hang around in here too long. Want to beat the dinner crowd.”

  Ashley snickered, her eyes closed. “Yeah, right. I think there were less than twenty people in the place last time. Don’t worry.” She patted his knee with a touch he felt in his groin. “There’s plenty of time.”

  They must have dozed off for a while, because the next time Daryl roused, the water was considerably cooler.

  “Ash?” He touched her shoulder, biting back a smile when she mumbled and turned to snuggle closer against his chest. “Ash? We need to finish washing the sand off and get going.”

  Dinner was good, if not great. Crab was the special, so they each had a huge platter with all the sides, then split a cheesecake for dessert.

  By the time their waiter brought the check, the band was warming up.

  “I forgot they have live music on the weekends.” He reached for Ashley’s hand. “Want to dance before we leave?”

  After gazing at the band with a look that could only be described as longing, she shook her head. “I’d rather take a walk on the beach before we head back.”

  “We can do that.” After he signed for their meal, he led her out of the restaurant, down the wooden steps to the beach.

  “Listen,” he said. “We can hear the band down here. Let’s dance.”

  She didn’t resist when he pulled her into his arms, following as flawlessly as though they’d danced together their entire lives. If he had his way, they would be dancing together for the rest of their lives.

  Ashley sighed when the song ended, not resisting when he slung his arm over her shoulder, drawing her close to his side as they began the walk back to the beach house.

  There was so much he wanted to say to her. He wanted to tell her how much their time at the beach had meant to him. He wanted to tell her he’d lusted after her since the first time they’d made love, at the Halloween party, how devastated he’d been to find her gone when he returned with their drinks. That feeling had only intensified when she’d moved in with his friend the very next day.

  But he didn’t want to cast blame, even if it stung to know she’d had sex with him and then spent the night with one of his best friends.

  And it had about killed him when she and Andre broke up, and immediately she and Connor were engaged.

  He wanted to tell her he wanted to keep seeing her, keep sleeping with her, after they returned to Houston.

  He
wanted to tell her he loved her.

  But he didn’t think she was ready to hear any declarations of love yet. He just hoped she was ready to continue with whatever it was they had, once they were home.

  He couldn’t imagine going back to being pals. Just friends. Not even fuck buddies. He wanted more.

  Not to say he wouldn’t take fuck buddies if that’s all she was willing to give at this point.

  “You’re awfully quiet.” Ashley smiled up at him. “I feel like I’m walking alone.”

  He hugged her to him, planting a smacking kiss on the top of her head. “Never alone, Ash. As long as I’m around, you’ll never be alone.”

  Instead of responding, she did one of her vague nods and started climbing the stairs to the house.

  “I want to dance with you again,” Ashley announced when they walked into the moonlit bedroom. “One more time, here at the beach.”

  He’d planned on making love until they collapsed, but if she wanted to dance, they’d dance. “Sure. Do you want to go back to the crab shack?” She shook her head. “You want to dance on the beach? We may be able to hear the music from here.”

  She shook her head and walked to stand before him. With a secretive smile, she reached for the lone shoulder strap on her sundress and released the red flower-shaped button. The bodice fell to her waist. She immediately stepped out of the dress, tossing it to the open suitcase by the window.

  Daryl’s mouth went dry, his heart pounding so hard it threatened to burst from his chest. He swallowed. “I must have missed the fact that you didn’t put on any underwear.”

  She stepped forward and tugged his shirt out of his pants, then began unbuttoning it.

  He found his voice again when she shoved his shirt off his shoulders, down his arms, and off. “I thought you wanted to dance.”

  “I do,” she insisted, shoving his unbuckled pants and boxers down. Stroking his excited body, she whispered, “I want to dance naked.”

  Naked. She wanted to dance naked. If this was a dream, he didn’t want to wake up.