“Sorry about that,” she said, clearly embarrassed. “I haven’t been on a boat in years.”
Swallowing a laugh, I cranked up the boat’s engine, beginning to ease it into the open water. Serena sat at the edge, staring out at the open water, and I kept us chugging along until we reached a small cove, surrounded by pine trees. The fish often bit there.
I wrapped my hands around the fishing rod, lurched it back, and then cast the line far from the boat. I felt Serena’s eyes on me as I fished, gazing at my straining biceps, my tattoo. I knew my effect on women. I could feel it simmering in her blood.
“Why don’t I teach you how to do it?” I said suddenly, surprising even myself.
“What?” she asked, her voice high.
“Come over here,” I said, giving her a broad smile.
I gestured, bringing her toward me. She reached for the end of the fishing rod, wrapping her hands around the base, and edged toward the water. She was shivering slightly. I wrapped my hands around her upper arms, trying to guide her.
“A bit higher,” I coaxed. I inhaled the scent of her—flowery, delicate, and fresh. I took a step back, feeling my heart hammer with sudden lust.
“Am I doing it right?” she asked, sounding breathless.
“We’ll see,” I told her. “We’ll see if the fish bite, that is.”
“And if they don’t?”
“We’ll stay here till they do,” I whispered.
A long moment of silence followed. She shifted, her toes digging into the floor of the boat. With a sudden jolt, she spun into my arms, dropping the fishing rod onto the floorboards. Her eyes were closed; her lips were slightly parted. Suddenly, she was kissing me.
As my stomach grew tense with pleasure and excitement, I wrapped my lips around her bottom one and kissed her back fervently, passionately.
My firm arms wrapped tightly around her, squeezing her tight. She gave a gentle, loving moan, and then leaned deeper into me. I felt her breasts press up against my firm chest. She reached upward, bringing her fingers along my neck. They crept over my T-shirt, feeling at my thick, coarse chest hair. She began to rub at my chest, before reaching down and yanking my shirt over my head.
“God,” she whispered, looking at my muscled chest, my six-pack abdomen. “I’ve been wondering what you looked like naked since yesterday.”
I didn’t answer her. I couldn’t find the words.
Moving swiftly, I reached down and brought her black dress over her head, revealing her swimsuit beneath. She was gorgeous, with a gym-honed frame and gleaming skin. Her breasts were tight and round, and her thighs thin and taut—the very definition of perfection.
I took in the curve of her hips. I traced them with my thumb before moving my mouth to her shoulder. I gave her a kiss there, before drawing a line with my lips down to her nipple. Undoing her swimsuit, I revealed her breasts to the world.
“Are you sure we can do this? Out here?” she asked, still breathless.
“Baby, there’s no one around for miles,” I told her.
Without waiting another moment, I stripped her bottom suit from her legs and pressed her against the side of the boat. She separated her legs, revealing her soft, peachy center. When I reached forward, her pussy was wet, open.
I stroked a single finger against the tip of her clitoris, and she let out a long, slow moan. As she moaned, her feet rose high and positioned themselves on either side of my shoulders. She was available to me. Open. Alive.
I removed the rest of my clothes, bringing my cock into the open. I watched her eyes grow wide with awe. Her mouth was open, her lips wet. She drew her tongue over her bottom lip, looking hungry. My cock was wide and veiny and thick, a deep red color, with a small fleck of cum already on the tip of it. So expectant.
I knew she wanted it. But I wanted to tease her instead.
As she tried to reach for my cock, to wrap her hands around it and feel the weight of it, I moved to my knees. Keeping my hands on her thighs, ensuring her legs were spread wide, I moved forward and placed the tip of my tongue against her clit.
Serena gasped, placing her hands on my thick, black hair, pulling at it as I went down on her, sliding my tongue up and down the slit of her pussy, up toward her clit, and back down again. She was growing wetter and more insistent as I went on, crying out for me to go slower, then faster.
I obeyed her, feeling her muscles beginning to spasm for me. Just when I felt she was about to come, I brought my cock up and slipped it inside her, easing up to the hilt.
The movement was so abrupt, wild, that it caused an immediate orgasm to shudder through her. I felt the orgasm through my cock. It vibrated up my spine, causing a slight, knowing smile to creep over my face. I knew, in that moment, I had her.
“Jesus Christ,” she whispered, sweat pouring from her temples. She brought her fingers through her hair, yanking at it. “What did you do to me?”
“It’s not over yet,” I told her, my voice gruff.
Without another moment’s pause, I began to fuck her, bringing her legs up over my shoulders so that I could thrust myself far and deep within her. Our bodies were completely and totally aligned, speaking the same language.
The boat tipped left and right as we moved together, kissing and biting and crying out. As the forest around us was completely deserted, no one could hear our moans. No one could hear her demand that I fuck her harder, faster. When I squeezed her nipple, providing her a dramatic mix of pleasure and pain, no one could hear her cry out.
No one heard my low groan as my orgasm ripped through me, sending her over the edge once more.
When the aftershocks began to fade, I brought myself off of her and collapsed in the belly of the boat. She collapsed alongside me, her limbs shaking.
After a long gasp, she brought her arm over my chest, holding me close. It was no longer clear where I began and she ended. We were one body, one being. She shook her head, her hair flecked with sweat.
As we lay back, staring at the clouds that swept across the sky, I remembered that it had been almost two years since I’d been with anyone at all. And the way Serena had spoken about her own life assured me it had been a long time for her, as well. It was as if we’d both been waiting for that moment. We couldn’t have planned it better if we tried.
“So,” I heard Serena whisper, sounding like she was incredibly far away. “Do you want to do it again?”
Before we knew it, we were on one another again. She was on top, grinding on me, her breasts bouncing, as I pulsed up and down as well. With her eyes closed, she looked majestic, wild. Her blond hair swept out behind her with the wind.
When we finally did steer the boat back to the shore, latching it back on the dock, we didn’t have a single fish to our name. We dressed slowly, buttoning and zipping, grinning at one another sheepishly. As we entered the truck, she placed her hand on my thigh, showing that she didn’t want to be apart for long.
I dropped her off at her little cabin, my heart straining. I yearned to stay with her, but I knew I needed to pick up Gracie.
“Have a good night, Serena,” I whispered to her, giving her a wink. “I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”
Serena walked across to the cabin, carrying our uneaten food in a brown paper sack. Looking regretful, she turned her eyes away from me and snuck inside. When she disappeared, I felt a stab of regret. I should have kissed her goodbye, told her how much our stolen afternoon had meant to me.
But no. Nothing could come of this, I told myself.
I started the engine and eased back down the mountain, trying to return my thoughts to being a father, to keeping Gracie safe. But my skin still smelled and tasted like Serena. She was someone I couldn’t shake.
Chapter 6
Serena
After Ethan left me on that first fateful day, I stood on the porch of the little cabin, weeping softly. I wasn’t sure why. I felt the tears slipping down my cheeks, reaching my lips, which stretched into a smile. My body was spent, exhau
sted, after such an intensive lovemaking session.
I sighed and sank into the porch swing, gazing out at the lake. I couldn’t imagine ever being hungry, thirsty, or sleepy ever again in my life. It was like I no longer needed a single thing, physically and emotionally, as long as I had him once more.
Ethan and I hadn’t exchanged phone numbers, but two days later, in the early morning, I wasn’t surprised to hear his truck creaking along the gravel outside. He and Gracie were both in the front seat, looking like a perfect pair. After wrapping a robe around my shoulders, I scampered out to meet them.
Giving Gracie a big smile, I said, “Hey, you two! Where are you off to?”
“Gracie’s got school today,” Ethan told me, tapping her backpack between them. “But she wanted to say hi before she headed in.”
I waved my fingers at her, now completely conscious of my every word, of making a good impression.
“Good luck out there, Gracie,” I said. “I know you’ll do great.”
In response, Gracie stuck out her tongue, her eyes gleaming.
“And I was wondering,” Ethan began, leaning his head over the window, “if you wanted to go fishing again this morning, after I drop her off?”
As he drew closer to me, I inhaled the smell of him and it made my heart hammer with lust. My pussy tensed at the memory of his touch, and I nodded, knowing he knew what I needed.
“Good,” he said. “I’ll pick you up in an hour.”
While he was gone, I raced around the house, beginning to panic about strange things. If he wasn’t back in an hour, did that mean that he’d gotten into an accident? Should I call someone? If he didn’t come, was that because I’d made a bad impression this morning—with the robe?
Despite my fears, I eventually heard the truck creaking back into the driveway.
Racing toward the door, wearing a yellow dress now, instead of that robe, I watched as Ethan halted the engine and stepped out of the truck. Above him, the sky grew dark and thick with clouds, and the wind raced through my hair. All he did was stand in the middle of the driveway, tall and imposing, his shoulders wide and dominant. That’s all he had to do to make me race toward him and leap into his arms.
Our kiss was alive, vibrant, making my body quiver with desire. His hands held me at my hips, lifting me into him. I swear, with him, it never felt like my feet were completely on the ground.
After a long, lingering kiss, he carried me to his truck. I watched as he slipped into the driver’s seat and drove down the driveway, probably fully aware that I couldn’t stop staring at him. Gone was the woman I’d been for years; the sturdy, angry attorney who’d fought tooth and nail for success. I was now so malleable. I would have done anything.
We drove back toward the dock, my hand resting on his thigh. We chatted amicably, although I knew I wouldn’t be able to remember the conversation minutes later. He told me about the way of life in the mountains, that things were slower and easier. He told me that, despite having saved up quite a bit during his days doing his “other job,” he worked off the land and didn’t have to spend much to survive.
“We have a garden that produces enough vegetables for the year,” he said, “along with chickens, which give us plenty of eggs. I do odd jobs for a guy at the base of the mountain who suits us up with the occasional pork and beef. And beyond that, of course, I fish.”
“Strange to be able to live so far off the grid like you do,” I sighed. “Without the humdrum of normal life. Of feeling just like another consumer, you know? You must actually appreciate what you have, because you make it yourself.”
Ethan gave me a meaningful look. I wondered if, somewhere beyond it, he felt I was foolish. I shivered, my nostrils flared, until he nodded his head.
“Something like that, maybe,” he affirmed. “I don’t think about it often enough. Sometimes I crave normal life. Being able to go to a pizza place down the road, or grabbing a beer at a local bar. These aren’t things I can do in hiding. But frankly, they aren’t things I would really do as often with a daughter, either.”
“Things change,” I murmured, sounding breathless.
“They certainly do.”
Once on the boat, we didn’t waste a single moment. He wrapped his firm arms around me and held me against him, and when we kissed, it felt like the entire world stopped around us. His tongue glided across mine, making me shiver.
In a flurry, we ripped each other’s clothes off and held each other tight, our hands running up and down our naked torsos. I felt his fingers wrap around my nipples, squeezing them lightly as he bit at my lower lip. I cried out, needing and wanting so much more.
This time, we fucked against the boat driver’s seat, with me on top—riding him quickly, my breasts bouncing and my hair flipping wildly behind me.
When it was over, and we were gasping, gazing into one another’s eyes, clouds formed overhead, becoming dark and ominous. The first raindrop dripped on my nose, then another fell on my breast. We were soaked within seconds, and tittering with laughter.
“Shit,” Ethan cackled, wrapping his arms tighter around me.
“Do you think we should go back?” I asked, too comfortable to feel any kind of alarm. “The clouds to the west look even darker. What if there’s lightning?”
Ethan didn’t move. Instead, he hugged me tighter to him. The boat began to rock even more beneath us, as the wind whipped over the lake and waves started to form.
Our eyes connected. In Ethan’s, I felt I could see every thought in his brooding mind. I wanted to ask him to articulate them. I wanted to hear his stories of his old life. Of the men he’d hunted. Of the people he’d put behind bars.
Just then, a flash of lightning erupted over the lake, and Ethan bolted up, laughing. His cock had taken more girth in the minutes since his orgasm, showing he was ready again. My legs were spread wide, open. Wanting him. Yearning for him. But as the thunder boomed overhead, he yanked the boat’s steering wheel toward the shore.
We motored back, feeling that the storm was chasing us away. I giggled madly, wrapping my arms around his thick chest and tracing the lines of his bear tattoo with my fingertips, wondering if this was my actual life or just a fictional version of it.
Once we reached land, I watched as Ethan quickly tied the boat to the dock. It creaked against it, the wind making soft, white crests in the waves. I grabbed my clothes and his, and we raced toward his truck, still naked and without shoes.
With a great gasp, the skies opened up and began to pour with a torrential rain. We slotted ourselves into the truck, Ethan slamming the door behind us. The truck shook. The rain continued to blast down. Emotion filled us both.
We couldn’t avoid it another moment more. As the lightning streaked across the sky, we threw ourselves at one another, making love and steaming up the windows of the truck. Sweat mixed with the rain on our backs and stomachs as his hands clenched my hips.
As we came together, a smack of thunder seemed to shake the ground around us. Both of us gasping, we leaned into each other, placing our naked feet up on the dashboard. Our toes touched, feeling almost as intimate as any fucking. I felt his lips upon my forehead, kissing me.
“Damn, I can’t believe it. It’s almost time for me to pick Gracie up from school,” he said. It could have been three minutes or three hours later—time was strange when we were together.
My voice nearly caught in my throat. “Why don’t you two come over for dinner again?”
“We shouldn’t put you out like that…” he said, his voice lowering. I couldn’t sense if that was because he wanted to say “no,” but was trying to be polite.
I pushed it, not wanting to lose sight of him another moment. “Please. I promise, I’ll cook something better than the other night. Something planned.”
He shifted, still cradling me close to him. I could tell he was mulling it over. I brought my hand along the muscle of his chest, placing my thumb at his nipple. I wanted to coax him, but I knew he was far too cocky,
too arrogant, too masculine to ever go along with anything that he didn’t want to do.
“I don’t think I want to let you go yet,” he said finally, giving me another kiss on the forehead. My heart burned with desire, with excitement.
When the rain cleared up a bit, he drove us back to my cabin, where I dressed in dry clothes and he donned his pair of jeans, which had been more or less spared in the storm. We didn’t speak, perhaps feeling the weight of the moment. When we darted back toward his truck, our hair drying in the clean air, I slipped my hand into his and held onto it tight.
We drove down the winding mountain path, which was beginning to feel familiar, almost like home. Once at the grocery store, I forced myself to move quickly, opting for some lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, spinach, salad, and a nice bottle of wine. Ethan walked alongside me, making the occasional joke, and giving me a pure, loving gaze. I shivered each time we made eye contact, and flashed a smile. We couldn’t help it—we began to make out.
I closed my eyes, feeling him suck at my lower lip. My stomach clenched with emotion. Moments later, when one of the cashiers walked passed, clucking her tongue, our kiss broke and we shared a meaningful gaze and giggle, feeling like teenagers.
We drove up to the school gates, and Gracie’s head popped out of the crowd of kids as they raced out . She was blonder than any of them, and the emerging sunshine after the storm beamed off of her.
The moment she saw me in the truck with her father, she leaped into the air, smacking her hands together. “Yes! Serena! You’re coming home for dinner?”
A flicker of darkness crossed Ethan’s eyes. “No, baby. We’re going over to Serena’s,” he said.
This felt strange to me. But instead of thinking about it, I just leaned down and wrapped my arms around Gracie, grateful for this strange life that had opened up for me, up in the mountains. I couldn’t overthink it or read into it. These might be the only days I had.
“I’m going to make lasagna!” I told her. “Do you like lasagna?”
Steal Me Page 17