Burning Both Ends

by Sinclaire Jayne

  “I am, but the beautiful adjective still stands.”

  Dare dipped her oar in the water so she could get her scull closer.

  “Lock?” Her voice ached with desire and regret and hit him hard in his gut. Her beautiful eyes searched his.

  There were two kinds of regret—acting and failing or not acting when action was required.

  He could live with the first. “Let’s go home.”

  “Breakfast?” Lock questioned after they’d rowed back to the boathouse, and then jogged back to his house.

  “Definitely,” Dare said.

  They’d walked the last few blocks down Chapel Street. Dare enjoyed the beautiful baskets with vibrant blooms spilling out luxuriously from pots that were grouped in front of some of the boutiques and restaurants. It was early enough that the street wasn’t yet clogged with shoppers.

  “I love that about finishing a twenty-four and coming off a busy night,” she said. “We’ve worked hard, had one of the best workouts. It’s still relatively early, and the day is ours.”

  “So no heading home and sleeping for you, Dare?”

  Home. For a moment her heart felt like it stalled in her chest. The word rolled so effortlessly off his tongue, and it was scary how natural it sounded to her as well. She never would have thought she’d like to live in such a big house. But she liked the open spaces. The small terrace garden was a wonderful place to have a coffee and read, and she loved the pool. She’d always had base housing or studio apartments since she’d left home.

  “I didn’t say no to heading home,” she said, determined to keep it playful. She even swung his hand back and forth in hers. “Just yes to breakfast.”

  “Okay.” Lock scanned the street “What are you in the mood for? There’s a bakery, a smoothie bar. A café with a some killer egg dishes or pikelets if you fancy those.”

  “I’m feeling like something hot and very spicy,” Dare said moving around in front of him and walking backwards so she could face him.

  “Are we still talking about food?”

  “I wasn’t.” She laughed.

  Lock was an intoxicating mix of masculine and sweet, sexy and natural, edgy and kind. And more physical than anyone she’d ever met. He was irresistible, and she didn’t want to resist him anymore.

  And he was safe. Their affair had a natural expiration date.

  Only now, on the sunny street, with the vivid summer blooms cascading out of hanging baskets lining the streets and pots grouped around businesses, and Lock holding her hand while they walked down the high street, Dare felt like Montana was too far away and too isolated.

  “Do you have a preference for food or...” she asked Lock.

  He met her gaze, his blue eyes like pools she could dive into.

  “I definitely have a preference,” his said softly, and goose bumps rose on her arms caused by the suggestiveness in his voice.

  “Now are we talking about food?” excitement coursed through her because even though Lock was so focused and serious at work he had a playful side she felt was reserved for her.

  Don’t think you’re special or he’s special.

  “In a manner of speaking.”

  “Let’s go to the house and make something.” Dare tugged him up the block where the turn off was to get to his house.

  “I’ll get you a chai here. You’ll love it.”

  He stopped at a cart.

  A young girl was reading a book. “Hey, Lachlan, you coming home or going in to work?”

  “Home.”

  “Regular wind down then?”

  “Make that two.”

  Her eyes slid to Dare. “Cool hair,” she said straightening out of her slouch and staring openly at Dare.

  “Alex, this is Darington. She’s on a firefighter exchange program from Montana.”

  “Cowboys,” the girl said. “Never been to the States yet. Lachlan runs a tab so if you’re ever caught short it’s on him.”

  “I’ll remember.”

  “What are you reading this week?” Lock asked, trying to read the cover upside down.

  “Adam Bede by George Elliott. Lit class. Lachlan convinced me to stay in school so I’m getting a composition class out of the way before I start on my nursing course.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Dare said, feeling unexpectedly ashamed.

  She’d been all set to go to school. She’d been accepted. Had a dorm room. A swim scholarship. She’d been excited. But it had all come crashing down after Ryan. She couldn’t concentrate. She couldn’t eat. She slept most of the day. And then, when she’d finally crawled out of the dark to the extent she could function, she chose, much to her family’s dismay, a completely different course for her life.

  She’d never looked back.

  But she wondered since Lock had his degree and obviously it was important to him since he’d finished it even after his parents’ death and he’d seen his three siblings through university, if it would bother him that she’d never even started college.

  Who cares what he thinks? You’re not sticking around.

  Even the fact she’d had a thought like that shook her up.

  They took their chais and walked home, their bodies brushing with each step. At the back gate, he paused and leaned down and kissed her lips, softly almost like a promise. Dare’s eyes closed and she swayed against him. The kiss was soft and sweet, a whisper like butterfly wings.

  “I’m so happy I met you, Dare Knight. You are a gift.”

  Her eyes unexpectedly pricked. “You’re the only one who’d ever say that,” she said. “I’m sure after two girls, my father didn’t think another girl was a gift.” She laughed. “He was one of seven boys and the only Knight who kept throwing girls. His brothers harassed him sending him pink boas, sparkly eye shadow and lots of tampons.”

  Lock laughed. “Strong man.”

  Dare furrowed her brow, frowned a little.

  “Did he know what to do with all that estrogen?”

  “What?”

  “Your dad. Did you torture him with tea parties?”

  “Not likely.” She laughed. “He threw us out on the trails and taught us survival skills and how to track in the Smoky Mountains and, when we moved to California, he tossed us all surfboards and into self-defense training classes and then had us all pick a sport. So, yeah, the pink boas never had a chance.”

  “You gonna show me some of your kick ass self-defense moves later?” Lock asked.

  “What?” Dare asked, deep in thought.

  “Hey, you okay?” His voice was warm and Dare shivered with awareness. Her nipples peaked and she let herself melt into him.

  “I’ll be better when you open the door.”

  She felt him harden against her and smiled. “I just love that you get ready so fast,” she said, stroking him through his running shorts.

  “Hell, Dare, with you I’m always ready.”

  “Me too.” She arched so she could kiss along his jaw. She nibbled and licked and his eyes darkened with desire, and his hand clenched on her hip.

  “You make me crazy for you.” He shuddered as both of her hands slid around this neck and toyed with his hair and she trailed kisses along his jaw. “I’ve had the worst weeks resisting you.”

  “Go crazy.” She encouraged a rush of heat scorched her.

  “Don’t tempt me.” His voice husked in her ear, which made her feel a rush of liquid heat. “Or I’ll take you right here.” His hands moved down her body, with purpose.

  She parted her legs so she could lodge his straining erection right where she wanted it. “Damn clothes.” She hissed.

  She took off her firefighter T-shirt, and balled it in her fist. She only wore her neon pink Nike sports bra and black running shorts.

  “I want you to lose control, Lock.” Dare had never meant anything more. “I’m done with your careful.” Her hand pressed into the middle of his chest. “I’ve been done with your careful for a week now. And I’m really done with your distance rule.�
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  She kissed his lips and bit down on his lower one. He groaned. She kissed him hungrily, her hands at his waist balling up his T-shirt to tug it up, but he framed her face with careful hands, avoiding her healing cut. “Dare, I don’t want you to think that I—”

  She covered his hands. “I don’t,” she said and turned her face so she could kiss his palm, and then she licked his fate line and sucked one finger deep in her mouth and licked a leisurely circle around it.

  “Jesus.” Lock groaned, his eyes drifting shut. “How do you do that?”

  “Just getting started.”

  “We’re in the alley,” he said, fumbling with the key as he pulled it out of his pocket.

  “Let me help you,” she whispered biting his ear and then licking. Her hand cupped him through his running shorts. “You’re so ready for me.”

  He dropped the key. Dare squatted down and fingered the key. “Now this is convenient.” She laughed and nuzzled his erection, blowing hot air on it, before licking him through his shorts.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Open the fucking door.” He growled his hands hard on her shoulders.

  Dare did and he practically pushed her inside the back garden and kicked the gate shut hard with his foot.

  “I like.” She sighed as he stripped her shorts off as he kissed her and walked her backwards. Then he ripped her bra off and tossed it behind him. Instantly his mouth was on one breast and then the other. His energy was so wild, so intense that she could barely think. She was so sensitive lately that his mouth caused as many ripples of pleasure as it did of pain, and Dare couldn’t decide if she should beg him for more or have him let up.

  “You feel amazing.” He breathed against her skin.

  He sucked one nipple deep in his mouth, his tongue flicked back and forth and Dare cried out, already feeling her muscles bunch.

  Her breasts had never felt so tender and sensitive. “Yes.” She hissed as he caressed her with expert fingers. She loved the feeling of his slight stubble against her sensitive skin. “Shower, baby.” Dare pulled him into the outdoor shower and turned on the spray.

  They were already so heated from the exercise, the midmorning, and their arousal that the initial blast of cool was welcome, but the water soon heated. Dare kicked off her tennis shoes, but still had her black running shorts on. She was lost in his kiss. It was like he was devouring her. And his rough hands on her skin caused a cascade of pleasure to shiver through body. She gripped his ass through his shorts and wrapped one leg around his waist.

  “We’re outside.” He breathed against her mouth.

  “So. Live a little. I need you now, Lock.” She felt drunk with need.

  Desperate. She whimpered as he brought her to the peak just sucking hard on her breasts but backing off and stroking her gently to settle her back down a notch.

  “Need, not want?”

  Dare startled.

  Her eyes met his. “I want you inside me,” she demanded pulling him out of his shorts so she could work him with her hands that were slick from the outdoor shower.

  “I’m not sure if people can see us from this angle,” he said a little desperately although he couldn’t quite break off from kissing her hungrily, and his hands caressed her nearly naked body.

  “Then it’s only fair if you give them a bit of a show.” She pulled off his shirt.

  He laughed and pulled her tightly against him. “You make me happy,” he whispered. “You have no idea.”

  She smiled and let her fingers play along his length. “Oh, I have an idea.”

  “But it’s so much more, Dare.” He caught her hands.

  She kissed his words away and held on to him tightly, trying to keep it sexual. To keep it light. She tilted her face to the warm spray, the water washing away any evidence of emotion, the dazzling morning sun blinding her with reflected silver spray. She felt so empty.

  “Please, Lock, I need you inside me. Now. Now.”

  She reached back and blindly turned off the water, trying to peel his sodden shorts off all the way.

  “Condom.” He breathed against her mouth and picking her up so that her legs wrapped around his waist, he carried her, drops of water streaming off them and puddling as he jogged up the stairs to his apartment, still carrying her.

  “You are seriously strong. Don’t waste all your stamina.”

  “Got you covered.” He reached behind her and opened the door to his apartment.

  She thought he’d toss her on the bed. Instead he laid her down on a white furry throw rug in front of the fireplace. This would be the perfect place to play on a cold night with a raging fire in the hearth, but in summer they’d probably melt.

  He grabbed a condom from his nightstand drawer.

  “Look at you all ready,” she said taking it from him.

  Pink slashed across his cheeks. “I bought them after the first night when I saw you swim.”

  “I’m glad you did.” Dare got up on her knees. She ripped open the packet and put the condom on the tip of his velvety head and then smoothed it on with her mouth. “I have a lot in my room. We can compare brands. I want to use every last one with you fucking in every room on every piece of furniture.”

  “Making love.” He circled her lips with his thumb. “I’ll make love to you in every room, in every positon on any surface you want.” He promised.

  The look in his eyes caused her heart to stutter. He was in trouble. Who was she kidding? She was in trouble. Big trouble. How had she let this happen?

  “Lock,” she whispered.

  Scared and desperate and not able to step back from the precipice she’d suddenly found herself standing on. She caught his hand and tugged him down on the rug with her. She lay back, and he followed her all the way down. He braced himself above her, his blue eyes dark with passion and his features harsh with sensuality.

  “Make love to me then,” Dare said, spearing her fingers in his hair. “But hard. I like it hard. And fast.”

  She reached behind her to leverage herself on the slate of the fireplace surround just as he powered all the way through her tight, slick folds. She cried out and pushed back as hard as she could, and the tension and pressure coiled unbearably hot.

  “Dare, are you...”

  “Yes.” She hissed and arched using one hand to pull herself back so she could urge him into the pounding rhythm she craved. “Yes.” She moaned as he surged forward again and again. Her body wound up faster with each powerful thrust.

  “Lock.” She chanted his name, feeling like she was going to tumble over any second if she could just... He leveraged himself up with one arm and put his other hand under her ass so he could angle up, and he hit the perfect spot over and over and Dare screamed, her vision darkening so that she saw stars and lost all of her coordination, but he didn’t slow down. He kept thrusting and Dare thought that this was it. She’d died. This was heaven. And she wanted to stay here forever with him. Never let him go.

  The thought branded her brain.

  Terrifying.

  But before she could reject it, Lock kissed her. The kiss so tender in contrast to their scorching passion, that she opened her eyes and looked at him, really looked, feeling as if she were swimming in the deep blue of his gaze. He slowed down their rhythm, kissing her with each slow glide—the corner of her mouth, her chin, near her cut that no longer hurt and was healing nicely, especially as he continually reminded her to apply sunscreen and the medical salve.

  “Oh.” She moaned as ripples began to run through her body, building in power.

  “Keep your eyes open this time,” he urged. “I want to watch you orgasm.”

  “Lock,” she whispered suddenly self-conscious, which was ridiculous considering what she’d done with him when she’d known even less about who he was.

  “Please.”

  She couldn’t have looked away if she’d wanted to. He continued to thrust, varying the pace and the degree, short followed by deep, then slow and a few quicker
thrusts until her legs were trembling on the furry throw rug and her breath was ragged.

  He slipped his thumb between their bodies and circled her clit, watching her intently to see what she liked. Dare couldn’t remember any man ever taking such care with her needs. Not that she’d probably let anyone in enough to even try. She bit her lip, trying to stay in the moment with him.

  “Ahhh...” She tried to bite back the cry, a little embarrassed by the intensity of her response to him.

  “Stay with me.” He stopped stroking her until she opened her eyes again, craving more.

  “I’m trying.” She panted. “Feels so...good.”

  Massive understatement of her entire sexual life.

  “Lock... I need...” She angled herself up more so his deep thrusts hit that one spot deep in her body that always caused her to hurtle of the invisible edge. She cried out. Bit back a scream.

  “Tell me.”

  “I need you to come with me,” she admitted, a little shy.

  The tension in his face warred with the sensual softness.

  He pressed on her clit a little harder, let his nail scrap it lightly and she nearly jumped a foot hissing.

  “Yes?”

  “Yes.” Her head fell back. “More.”

  “You have to look at me.”

  She was on her elbows now, no longer able to support her body because her arms shook from all the fire Lock created by drawing out their coupling.

  “Better,” he said when she their gazes collided. He smiled.

  “You have a beautiful smile.” She felt it to her core. Her entire body flushed as she neared, wound tighter. “Please...” She begged, waiting was torture, and she wanted him rougher. To thrust harder. To not always be in such damned control.

  It was like she didn’t know what to do anymore. She wanted to push, grind herself hard against him, but his hand on her hips had her pinned and the other one was drawing circles and pressing on and off against her clit and she couldn’t think enough anymore to coordinate her body to get what she needed to come.

  “Lock.” She rocked against his hand as much as she could, as much as he would let her.

  She was desperate, urging him to do something and, each time he’d thrust deep, she wanted to keep him there, filling her.