Bunny Hills and Bikinis

by Heather Thurmeier

  She did as he asked and a moment later, his hands slid over her hot flesh. He stifled the groan rising in his throat and gently began rubbing his thumbs in slow, deliberate circles across the tops of her shoulders.

  Her skin was soft and slippery under his fingertips, like a satin sheet wrapped around a warm naked body. Her shoulders rose and fell with each intake of deep breath as his fingers kneaded her supple flesh. Desire flared to life inside him raw and pure, unlike anything he’d experienced before—hotter, deeper, and so intense.

  He closed his eyes and imagined leaving a trail of hot kisses along her shoulders to the back of her neck. He could almost feel the pressure of her skin against his lips. What would it feel like to explore other areas of her body with his hands—with his teeth and tongue? An urge to groan crept up his throat and again he forced it back, trying desperately to keep his raging emotions for her at bay. He didn’t want to come off as creepy, but controlling his desire became harder and harder with every passing moment.

  “How does that feel?” He opened his eyes again to focus on the task under his hands instead of the imaginary ones in his mind. “Getting any better?”

  She shifted back a little closer to him before answering. “Can you go a little lower?” She peeked back over her shoulder at him. “It hurts more in the middle than up on top.”

  She was so close as she spoke the words over her shoulder. Close enough that if he wanted, he could lean forward and silence those questioning lips of hers with a kiss.

  Not yet. Wait.

  She turned back around and he kneaded a path along her spine, his hands fully submerged in the water until she nodded her head letting him know that he’d found the right spot. His hands splayed out across her back with his thumbs rubbing circles between her shoulder blades while his fingertips danced cautiously along her sides. The tiny strings of her bikini top rolled beneath his fingers. Resisting the intense urge to untie them was harder than he expected.

  She moaned, tilting her head and letting her arms relax and float near her sides. She was so close to him. If he wanted, he could tip his head slightly and kiss the crook of her neck. He could lick a path up to her ear and nibble gently on the tender skin he found there.

  Just as his thoughts wandered into new territory, exploring every inch of her with his mind, her fingertips caressed his thigh under the water. Her touch instantly brought him out of his own thoughts and into the moment. Her fingers playing on his flesh was unexpected but so welcomed. Without thinking, he bent his head down, kissing the side of her neck. He inhaled her scent, a mixture of flowers and something else that reminded him of fresh pastries—vanilla maybe. He found the scent even more intoxicating than her bikini.

  Well, maybe not quite as intoxicating, but close.

  Nails scratched along his thigh before the firm pressure of her hand squeezed his leg. As quickly as she’d squeezed him, she released him and his body instantly longed for more contact. A second later, her hand was on him again, further up his thigh and his desire for her burned even hotter under her touch.

  He gave in to the groan that had been building, finally letting it ease out of him in a primal, animalistic way. He got no relief out of it as another guttural moan followed quickly in its place. Oh god, he wanted her so badly, he could think of nothing else. Right here, right now, he had to have her.

  But it couldn’t happen with all these people around he realized, suddenly remembering they were in the hot tub. He was probably doing too much with Amelia already. They should find somewhere private where he could have his way with her instead. His hotel room would do fine if only he could pull himself away from her long enough to get there. But how could he get himself there without putting his desire for her on display for the rest of the hotel guest to see?

  Getting to his room wasn’t going to be possible.

  He opened his eyes, expecting to see people staring back at him aghast at his actions with Amelia in the hot tub, but quickly remembered their hot tub was empty. People still lingered in the other hot tubs and swimming pool, but they were too absorbed in their own conversations to pay them much attention.

  He scanned the room looking for somewhere more private where they could be together. He wasn’t sure she was ready to come back to his room just yet, but being out in the open like this didn’t feel right. As much as he wanted Amelia right now, he had to remember that as long as he ran the workshop, he needed to put on a good appearance while in public.

  A couple of people laughed as they spilled out the door of one of the saunas in the room, steam billowing out behind them. Beyond them, he could see that particular sauna was now completely empty.

  Maybe it was secluded enough to at least finish giving Amelia her massage.

  Three saunas sat around the outskirts of the room, each with a solid cedar door. It wasn’t exactly a bedroom, but it would be more private than being out in the open in the hot tub and not as presumptuous as asking her to go back to his room.

  His hands had stopped moving when he’d first been distracted by her fingers on his body, so close and yet so far from where he really wanted to explore.

  “Want to go into one of the saunas? I might be able to get a better angle and really help with those knots.”

  Oh god, please say yes.

  She smiled. “Sounds good to me.” Her hand on his thigh disappeared, leaving him with an ache to have her touch him again. He wanted her to touch him everywhere, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen right now. Maybe later if things worked out the way he hoped they would, but definitely not now.

  Keep it together.

  They climbed the stairs out of the tub, her small hand cradled in his. As they emerged from the hot water, Amelia’s eyes swept across the length of his body. A smile of approval and a cocked eyebrow from her told him she liked his physique. There was no way to hide his obvious desire from her now that they were out of the water and he was okay with that. She could look all she wanted—he had no intention of hiding it from her. He wanted to show her everything, then spend the next few hours satisfying her deepest needs and his own.

  It was the rest of the poolroom patrons he worried about. He could do without them taking notice of his current status. Clasping his hands strategically in front of himself, he quickly exited the hot tub.

  They strode across to the sauna room Nate had seen empty out and pulled open the door.

  Empty. Excellent. Too bad there isn’t a Do Not Disturb sign for these doors.

  Two levels of benches lined the walls and a large square metal box off in the corner held hot coals. The solid door closed behind them with a click, leaving them in sudden quiet after the white noise of the other, busier room. The thick, hot air caressed his wet skin, taking away any possibility of a chill from not having a towel.

  Amelia took a seat on the lower bench. “This is nice.”

  Nate sat beside her, unable to take his gaze from hers. “And quiet.”

  True this was still a public place, and there was still a chance that someone could walk in on them, but it felt secluded and private enough for their little massage. He’d just have to pray that no one else was interested in this particular sauna tonight.

  Amelia turned in her seat so her back was to Nate. He put his hands onto her skin, which was still damp from soaking in the water. Her warm flesh under his hands momentarily distracted him from the massage he was supposed to be giving. He began rubbing her back again with long, slow movements.

  Amelia moaned and leaned against his chest, trapping his hands, her body melting into his. She turned her head to the side and gazed up at him with heavy, half-lidded eyes. Reaching up around the side of his head, she tangled her fingers into his short hair, pulling him to her. Her lips parted just before his mouth touched hers.

  Her tongue slipped into his mouth. She tasted even more amazing than he could have dreamed. He crushed his lips against hers, too excited to bother being gentle. Oh damn. Had he been too rough with her? He hesitated fo
r a moment, waiting for a sign from her as to whether or not he should continue or back off. She responded with a nibble on his lower lip. Continue. His chest might actually explode with the lust that threatened to overtake his body.

  He caressed her hip, having long forgotten the massage they were supposed to be participating in. He traced the line of her side, down to the little bow tied tight at her waist and back up again. Then, without any more willpower to resist, he found the string of her bikini top, following it until he cupped her fabric-covered breasts.

  She arched her back, pressing her shoulder back against his chest so that her breasts leaned into his touch, her body seemingly as excited as his own. Good thing they’d decided to move somewhere more private or his desire for her would have been on display for everyone else to see yet again.

  He thumbed the hardened nub of her nipple over the tight cloth of her bikini top, enjoying the feel of the taut skin reacting to his touch. She moaned into his mouth in response, encouraging him to explore further. He was more than happy to honor that request. He’d waited long enough, waiting longer wasn’t an option he wanted to pursue.

  Nate skimmed his fingers along the material until he found the edge that ran along her cleavage. He tucked his index finger under the fabric, nudging it all the way to the side. She gasped as he fully exposed her breast to the hot air before caressing the delicate skin.

  She moaned into his mouth once more at his touch, gripping his hair in her fist as her tongue sought his again. His own desire grew with her response to his touch. If this is how she reacted to his hands, what would she do when he went exploring with his tongue? He was eager to find out.

  Her breasts were perfect—supple, round and luscious. He wanted to experience them with his mouth, his tongue, but that couldn’t happen here in the public venue of the sauna. He’d have to be content with the sensations his hands provided for now. Maybe later, he would get the chance to experience her fully, when they were alone and in a bed.

  “Oh, Nate,” she murmured against him, never breaking contact with his mouth. Her hand fell from his neck and she twisted in his arms so that she sat sideways in his lap. He almost growled as her thigh brushed against the hardened length waiting for her—aching for her.

  Her arm closest to him slipped behind his back, clinging to him. Nails gently digging into his skin, sending a mixture of pain and pleasure straight to his gut.

  Her other hand found his bare chest. He shivered with desire despite the heat of the steamy air as she traced a path down his chest, pausing on his abs. She scratched against his sensitive skin, then tugged lightly on the fine hairs leading to the place he ached for her to find. He wanted her to keep going, not stop. He wanted her to touch him everywhere. Now.

  Nate crushed his lips to hers again, seeking relief in the kiss even though it wouldn’t be enough to satisfy the fire burning in his chest. He stroked a line down across her flat stomach to the lower triangle of fabric tucked between her inner thighs. Hesitating, he waited for a sign that she was okay with this new level of intimacy. It would be a mistake to overstep the bounds of what she was comfortable with too quickly. He didn’t want to assume anything.

  He traced the line of the string holding her bikini to her body with his fingers. He was eager to slip his hand further south, but he could wait until later if she wasn’t ready. Was she ready? She hadn’t indicated to him in anyway that she wasn’t, but he hated to assume anything and risk her feeling uncomfortable. Instead, he rested his hand on the curve of her hip. This would have to satisfy him for now.

  She pulled back from him, finally breaking the kiss that had gone on forever and not at all long enough. Her eyes conveyed the passion she seemed to feel for him like little windows into the depths of her being. Seeing her gaze at him, he realized in the day and a half he’d known her he already cared more about her feelings than he had with any other woman he’d ever been with.

  He would wait until eternity to be with her if it meant that she was happy. What was it about this girl that made it so he’d do anything for her—even deny his own pleasure indefinitely if it meant she was happy?

  Everything. It’s every little thing about her.

  She kissed him again then, gently on the lips. It was a different kind of kiss—one that wasn’t fueled by raw passion, but something more sensual, more intimate. A feeling that was reciprocated within his being.

  “What are you waiting for, Nate?” She sounded half breathless.

  “Nothing, I guess.” He pressed his lips softly against hers again, squeezing her hip at the same time. “I just had to make sure you wanted this as much as I do.”

  “You couldn’t be any more gentlemanly if you tried,” she said with a little smile. She dropped her hand toward the waistband of his swim trunks. “I want this. I want you.”

  Chapter Seven

  Nate groaned, deep and rasping, as rockets shot off in his brain. He felt like he’d just been handed the keys to Disney World with her words of permission.

  Toying with the tie of strings at her hip, he debated about whether or not he dared undo them here in the sauna. He decided against it. As much as he wanted to see those little bottoms off and lying on the floor, he would save that for later when they were really alone and could take their time enjoying each other. Maybe he’d see if his teeth were up to the challenge of untying the knot. Or maybe by then he’d be so raring to go, he’d just rip them off in haste. Either option sounded like bliss right now.

  The trail of strings guided him back to the captivating little triangle of silky bikini material that had sparked his interested since she’d first taken off her hotel robe. Sliding his fingers a little lower he relished the feel of the triangle getting smaller and smaller until he reached the junction of her thighs. Gently nudging her thighs, they parted without hesitation, silently inviting him to touch her most intimate area.

  And he did.

  She gasped and squirmed against his touch. His longing became painful with his desire building to its breaking point. He needed to feel his skin on hers without the annoying material in the way. It was time for the bikini to come off and he knew just how he wanted to do it.

  Upstairs—in my bed. Alone for hours with no reason to stop again.

  “I need you, Amelia. I want you,” he said, his voice husky with desire.

  “Then take me.” She wiggled her hips, causing her body to rub against his hand harder. “Yes, Nate, yes. You have my answer.”

  “Not here. Not like this.” He quickly moved her body out of his lap so he could compose himself. “Give me a minute to calm down and then I’ll take you to my room. I want to do this right.”

  He closed his eyes, trying to block out his raging desire so he could exit the sauna without the whole world knowing how excited he was to be leaving with her. Images danced behind his closed eyelids of her in her little bikini sprawled across his bed, waiting for him, her legs parting to let him in.

  Heaven help me, I have to have her. Now.

  “This isn’t going to work.” He wondered how many witnesses he’d run into between the sauna and his robe. He stood and peeked out the door. Not that many, thank God. And the ones who were around seemed like they were involved in their own conversation. Chances are they wouldn’t give him and Amelia more than a passing glance as they left the room. It should be safe for him to make a dash for his robe without too much exposure.

  “I think I’m about as ready as I’m going to be. You?”

  She fiddled with her bikini top, getting everything securely back into its proper place before answering. “Yeah. Let’s get out of here.”

  Nate went to step out of the sauna but quickly changed his mind. Walking through a public area with a raging bulge in his swim trunks really wasn’t a good idea.

  “Would you mind getting my robe for me?” He nodded to where it hung on the wall, a few hooks away from hers.

  “Sure.” She darted across the room to where their robes hung and donned hers before
grabbing his and bringing it back to him. They left the sauna together this time. The frigid air took his breath after spending so long in the steaming heat, but the sensation was pleasing, awakening him from the lust-filled daze he’d been in for the last little while. If it had been any other day, the cold air would have been equivalent to stepping into a cold shower, but not today. Today nothing could stop the fire raging inside him. Now he was just more awake to take full advantage of the situation he found himself in.

  His mind filled with thoughts of ways he wanted to spend the remainder of their night together, each more interesting than the last.

  They pushed open the door to the pool room and sprinted to the elevators at the end of the hall, pushing the button repeatedly like it would somehow help call the elevator to come quicker. This wasn’t the moment to be patient and wait calmly for the slowest elevator on earth to arrive. This was the moment they needed a shortcut to his room. Fast.

  Nate couldn’t be bothered waiting for the chime. Instead, he pushed Amelia up against the closed elevator doors and kissed her hard on the mouth, his arms braced on the cold steel of the door behind her. The elevator could take as long as it wanted as long as he was here with her, kissing her, her body squirming against his with only their robes to separate them.

  His tongue plunged into the hot cavern of her mouth and she responded by grinding her hips into his, arousing him further. His body answered her instantly, straining against his swim trunks.

  Goddamn. How does she do that to me so easily?

  The fire in her kiss distracted Nate from hearing the chime signaling the arrival of the elevator. Suddenly the doors opened behind Amelia and he struggled to find his footing, catching her as she fell backward. He managed to catch her just before they both crashed to the elevator floor in a heap of tangled arms and legs. As he managed to stand straight again with Amelia still snug in his arms, he started laughing at the ridiculously stupid moment they’d just shared—until the distinct sound of a cough and a throat clearing interrupted them.