“I don’t like this one bit!” Dakota mumbles. She is strapped in, the way I am, with a pair of headphones over her ears and a microphone in front of her mouth.
I know there have to be cameras somewhere in the helicopter, since the audience will want to catch every heart-stopping, cringe-worthy moment of this epic disaster.
I can’t admit it out loud to her, but I don’t like it any more than she does. Flying in a helicopter is one thing since I don’t have a fear of heights. Although, it doesn’t exactly make me comfortable to be this high up in the thin air wearing a wetsuit, but knowing what we have to do once we reach a specific point of the Delaware River is a whole other thing.
I flash Dakota what I hope is a confident smile. “No sweat! Just close your eyes and it’ll be over before you know it!”
“You know what else could be over before I know it? My life!”
I reach for her hand and give it a quick squeeze. It’s freezing cold and clammy. “They wouldn’t ask us to do anything that would kill us. You have to be smart about the way you jump.”
Her head whirls around. “Smart? Smart how?”
How the fuck should I know? I have to come up with something to relieve her anxiety. “Try to fall straight up and down. Point your feet. Cross your arms over your chest.”
“Have you ever done anything like this before?” She wants me to say yes. She wants it so badly.
But I’m a shit liar. “No. But you’ve seen stuntmen perform falls like this, haven’t you?”
“Actually, no. I don’t like action movies.” She cranes her neck to look beneath us. We’re still flying over the city, and it’s a gorgeous view. The skyline is speeding toward us—or, rather, we’re speeding toward it—which means the river isn’t far away. Which also means we don’t have much time left.
She’s like a frightened animal right now, so I have to be gentle, or else risk her digging her heels in. “All you’ve got to do is decide to get it done and do it. I know you can.”
“How do you know that?” she asks, looking at me with those wide, terrified eyes. They’re about as big and round as saucers.
“Because I know enough about you to know how tough you are. You don’t back down from a challenge. You didn’t back down that first day, remember? When I tried to intimidate you after you hit my car?”
She lets out a nervous bleat of a laugh. “I didn’t hit your car. You hit mine, but it’s good to know that you finally admit you were trying to intimidate me.”
“Well, yeah. But you stood up to me and threw all my words back in my face. God, I wanted to fucking throw you over my knee, pull your panties down, and tan your ass.”
“You did?”
Hell, yes, I did. I look back at that morning and I can feel the same physical reaction I had then: heart pounding, blood pumping in my ears, teeth-gritting levels of frustration. “You drove me crazy. I wanted to spank you into submission, Miss Dakota Manning.”
She giggles a little. “At least I know for sure now.”
“I’m glad I could make you feel better about yourself.” I roll my eyes, and she giggles again. Good. As long as she keeps giggling, we’re okay. She has to do this. She can’t back out. I’ll push her out of the damned helicopter if I have to. “You see? You don’t back down, even when you’ve got me in your face. And that’s not something I can say about everybody. Or even most people.”
“Really? You’re not just saying that?”
“Believe me. When we have the time someday, I’ll tell you all about it.” I look out of the copter’s window. But that time is not now. We’re rapidly closing in on the river and we’re going to have to make the jump soon. I can see three boats sitting out on the water, forming a sort of makeshift circle. That’s where we want to end up, in the center of that circle. I can just make out the shape of divers waiting on the deck of one of those boats. They’re obviously there in case we need rescuing.
“I’m pretty sure I’m gonna pee in this wetsuit,” Dakota frets nervously, looking out from her side of the helicopter.
“Go right ahead, but you might want to wait until you hit the water to do it.”
“Thanks,” she mutters. Sarcasm practically drips from her voice. At least she sounds like herself again.
“It’ll be alright. I bet you’ll wanna do it again by the time it’s over.”
“Somehow, I doubt that.”
“Hey. Haven’t you ever surprised yourself? Done something completely out of character?”
She turns her head slowly, eyes meeting mine. She doesn’t say a word. She doesn’t have to. I know exactly what she’s thinking about. I just marvel silently at the way I’m thickening at the memory of last night. Even now, in this damned stupid helicopter, when I’m about to pull the stupidest stunt ever, my fucking dick is responding to her. “There you go, then,” I choke out. “You’re able to surprise yourself. You can do it again, right now.”
She looks down again at the river then turns to me and shakes her head, her eyes full of panic. “Trent. I’m sorry. I really am, but I don’t think I can do it. I’m frozen. I can’t move.”
“Sure, you can. Stop telling yourself you can’t.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re not me. You don’t know how I feel.” Her chin quivers and her chest rises and falls faster, faster, to the point where I’m afraid she’ll hyperventilate before she even takes off the headphones.
“Listen to me.” I lean over and take her shoulders in my hands. “I know you have to have a damn good reason for doing this. Right? This isn’t fun and games for you. You’re in this for some larger reason.”
She nods, silent.
“Me, too. And that’s what I’m thinking about right now…how much I need the money, and why. That’s what you need to remember. Why you did this. Why it’s important to you. If you keep that in mind, you’ll find that there isn’t anything unthinkable anymore. You’ll do whatever needs to be done to get where you want to go. Just follow everything the old guy taught us to do and you’ll be just fine.”
She nods slowly.
“You’re capable of so much more than you can imagine.”
“You think so?”
“I know so. If there’s anybody I know that’s true for, it’s you.” Our eyes lock and I don’t look away. I need her to know I mean it, that I’m not just saying it to get her to do what we’re being dared to do. I believe she could do anything if she was desperate or motivated enough to do it. Which doesn’t bode well for me in the future, but it’s what I have to tap into right now, if we’re going to move forward.
“Do me one favor, please,” she whispers before biting her lip.
“Anything.”
“Hold my hand as we’re jumping. Jump with me. You can let go once we’re out of the chopper, but I need you with me when my feet first hit thin air.”
“I can do that.” I smile, and she smiles back.
“Okay! We’re all set, you two.” The pilot looks over his shoulder at us. “Ready to go?”
“No, of course not,” Dakota laughs nervously. “But there’s not much of a choice.”
Dammit, I wish I didn’t like her so damn much, but she says and does all the things that twist my insides, and I just can’t help myself.
We unstrap ourselves and take off our headsets. Then we sit down on the edge of the opening in the side of the helicopter with our feet along the rail. The whir of the blades and roar of the engine threaten to deafen me. There’s no point in saying anything more to her, since she’d never be able to hear me. The wind whips past us, all around us.
I take her hand in mine and signal with the other, holding up three fingers. She nods. God, I hope we’re not both screwed right now.
Three…two…one…
And we jump.
Her hand is wrenched from mine as our bodies fall through the air, but I can’t worry too much about her in those few heart-stopping moments because I’m busy trying not to die. I take my own advice,
straightening my legs and pointing my toes just before hitting the water. Even with the wetsuit, it’s cold enough to make my nerve endings scream in protest. I kick my legs hard and reach the surface seconds later, then immediately look for her.
She’s not surfacing.
“Dakota!” I swim in a circle, breathing heavy. Every ugly scenario imaginable flashes through my head at once and I’m just about to dive down to look for her when her head pops up not five feet from me.
She’s grinning like a maniac.
“That was amazing!” Dakota screams, laughing maniacally. “You were right! I wanna do it again!”
Chapter 24
DAKOTA
I can’t believe I did that. I really cannot believe I did that. That’s two things in two days that I never in a million years would’ve imagined doing. Ever.
But here I am, occasionally breaking into giggles as I step out of the shower Wetsuit or not, the Delaware is the Delaware and it was freezing cold. I remember again the unbeatable thrill of falling through the air, nothing under me, and the splash as my body hit the water. That awesome, adrenaline-shot moment when I knew I had made it all right, and hadn’t died on impact, or wasn’t about to drown. That beautiful moment when I knew I had done it.
Trent is right. I’m pretty unstoppable when I put my mind to it.
Mom is asleep when I get downstairs. Not a surprise, since it’s after dinner and she usually spends most of the evening dozing. I wonder if it makes me a bad daughter, being slightly glad she’s asleep. There are times when I miss being able to live in my head without having to constantly answer questions, or check on another person’s welfare. I didn’t spend much time living on my own, but the two years I had to myself were nice. I felt independent. I was doing my own thing. Living in my own little apartment. Yeah, it was small but it was mine. I felt I was building a life.
But as soon as Mom got her diagnosis, I felt wracked with guilt. I was immediately sure it was my fault. There had to be something I could’ve done to help her stay healthy. Anything. Within days, I was back in my old bedroom.
I don’t regret it, not for a minute, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t times when I miss living the way people my age do. Going out, drinking, dating, having little adventures. Things like what I did with Trent last night aren’t in my repertoire of experiences and I don’t want them in my life on a day to day basis, but it was great to test my limits.
I guess my life can be described as boring, but I never minded having to grow up faster than all my other friends, or taking on all the extra responsibility of taking care of a sick parent. It only bothers me sometimes. Like tonight. When I come home bursting with energy and adrenaline and I’m all alone. There’s nobody to share it with.
The doorbell is ringing. I run out from the kitchen in time to get the door before it rings again and wakes Mom.
It’s Trent.
“You!”
He’s standing there on the porch, leaning against the wall beside the bell, a jackass eating cactus grin stretched on his face. Only the grin doesn’t reach his eyes. His gorgeous eyes look deadly serious. “Yeah, me.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to pick you up. There are things we need to talk about.”
“I—I don’t know if I can just leave.” I throw a glance over my shoulder. He can’t see Mom and her bed from where he’s standing, but I sure can.
“You have company?”
“Sort of. Not the way you think. It’s my mother.”
“Ah. Mommy doesn’t like you going out with strange boys.” One corner of his mouth quirks up in a sexy smirk. “Especially, strange boys who ride motorcycles.”
Oh, so he’s brought that, has he? Sure enough, it’s sitting on the curb, just as sleek and shiny as ever. “I really don’t know…”
“Yes, you do.” His eyes meet mine and he doesn’t flinch. “You do. You need to come with me.”
He’s right. I do. Mom’s stirring as I reach for my coat and purse. “Do you need anything, Mom? I’m going to go out for a little while, if not.”
She smiles. “Go. Have fun for once.” The sandwich I made for her dinner is still there, waiting, along with a pitcher of water.
“Okay, I won’t be long. I promise.” Can I really make that promise when I don’t even know where he’s planning to take me? “It can’t be long,” I say as we’re going to the bike. “I mean it. I have to be back here for my mom.”
“Sure. We won’t be out all night. Just give me an hour or two. Okay?”
When he smiles at me the way he is, I can’t even think of saying no. Actually, what woman in her right mind would?
Instead of answering, I swing a leg over the back of his motorcycle and link my hands in front of his navel. Before I know it, we’re speeding off through the night while raw adrenaline pumps through my veins. I’d better be careful before this rush becomes an addiction.
We don’t go far. Just to a motel around ten minutes from my home. By the time we pull in, I know what he has in mind. Not the most romantic scenario, and the fact that he already has a room key means he’s already paid for the room, which means he’s planned this out.
I don’t care.
I’m glad.
I’ve wanted this since last night. No, since before that. Since that moment after we ran from the restaurant without paying and he stood so close to me I thought he might kiss me. That was the moment when I stopped thinking about him as the competition. The enemy.
It’s almost scary how it never occurs to me to question him on anything or make even a token objection as we walk into the room and he locks the door behind us. Maybe it’s the naughty, irresponsible, sexy me that he’s unlocked or maybe there aren’t any questions that need to be asked. We are just a man and a woman who are hungry for each other.
He pins me to the wall and his mouth is on mine before I even have a chance to look around. His big powerful body crushes me, but I don’t care. I want it to. I need it to. I tangle his hair around my fingers and pull his face closer to mine, kissing him back as hard as I can, until it hurts. And even the pain is good.
And still, he kisses me, breathless and grunting. Like an animal. A dog in heat or a shark that has scented blood. His tongue sliding in and out of my mouth in time with the thrusting of his hips against me. The passion is like wildfire. So much promise, so much to come. It’s so hot and savage because it has been building from the moment I set eyes on him in the parking lot.
He lets go of me long enough to peel off my coat and drop it to the floor. “You taste of cherries.” His hands are under my sweater and lifting it over my head. He runs his fingers through my hair and tugs my head back so the whole length of my throat is exposed to his lustful eyes.
“Jesus,” he mutters thickly, before his mouth descends.
Then his mouth is all over my jaw, my throat, the side of my neck, my collarbone. Burning me, devouring me, making my head spin and waves of delicious pleasure to course through my body. I feel his mouth suck on my throat. I know what he is doing. He is branding me. Telling the world I’m his. And I let him. I let him leave his mark on me.
“Yes…yes, please…” The words pour out of me in a raspy whisper that doesn’t sound like me.
He lifts his head and looks at my neck, his eyes dark with lust and feral satisfaction. “Now you’re mine,” he says.
I wrap my arms around his neck and hold on tight when he cups my butt with both hands and lifting me easily, carrying me to the bed. He lowers me and stretches out on top of me.
I clasp my hands around his neck, lock my legs around his hips, and bring him closer to the center of my wet, throbbing heat. I’m aching to draw him inside. I crave him. I slide a hand between us to take a tentative stroke of that bulge.
He groans and goes stiff. He’s so hard, scary big, practically bursting out of his jeans.
Clenching his jaw, he lets out a shaky breath. “I don’t know how much of that I can stand,” he growls
before descending on me again, leaving a trail of wet, hot kisses down my chest. His fingers hook into the cups of my bra to pull them down, exposing my nipples to his greedy eyes. I arch my back, pressing myself to his mouth, moaning his name between gasps of pleasure. I lose it then. His mouth sweeps me up into an oblivion beyond words, beyond thinking.
I lift my hips when his hands reach my waist. He helps me wiggle out of my jeans and then strokes up my legs, admiring them, trailing soft kisses from ankle to thigh which makes me whimper helplessly. My head rolls from side to side as his skilled tongue flickers over the crease between my inner thigh and my plump lips.
When he picks up the scent of my yearning, he growls like a starving animal. “Jesus, the smell of your pussy is driving me crazy,” he grunts as he pulls my panties aside and tastes me again.
It’s bliss, even better than the first time because now it’s just us. I grind my pussy against his face and cry out. I don’t have to hold it in this time. I can tell him how much I love it, how good it feels, how good my body feels when he runs his tongue between my swollen lips and around my pulsing clit.
“Yes, yes, right there,” I beg, straining, hips off the bed.
Then my climax hits and I go flying over the abyss. Never in my life has my orgasms been like this. It goes on and on.
His mouth is warm on my inner thighs as he pulls my panties down and I hear the lowering of his zipper. That makes me open my eyes. I want to watch as he strips down. His body is as chiseled as I guessed, strong and muscular. I could bounce a quarter off it. Heat begins to spread again in my core, and I lick my lips in anticipation when he frees his massive dick and rolls a condom down its thick length.
He moves between my legs, and I let my eyes take in the size and strength of his shoulders, arms, chest and thighs. Our eyes lock and I see pleasure in his, and lust. Need. For me. The thought makes my fire burn hotter. When he pushes forward, pressing the bulging head through my wet entrance and slides deep inside, my eyes widen with shock.
“You’re so damn big,” I gasp. I’ve never felt so stretched and full in my life.
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