Fighting the Undertow

by Eden Rivers

  Squirming as Jeremy spread the cool gel over burning folds of skin, then slid his fingers into her vagina and spread them until she whimpered at the stretching sensation, she wondered if she could die from an excess of sexual pleasure. As Ian tugged and rolled her nipples between his fingertips, his breath felt hot against the back of her neck.

  “Come here.” Jeremy lifted her, easing her onto his lap so his cock pressed against her desire-slick folds, a fraction of an inch from entry. “You’re in charge, Val. You set the pace.”

  As she lowered herself a fraction of an inch, guiding his cock with her hands, she decided the lubricant hadn’t been overkill. Breathing slowly, she let her head drop back against Ian’s shoulder and eased down farther. Her breath escaped in a gasp as her body adjusted to the intrusion, and she reached up to steady herself on Jeremy’s shoulders.

  “God, Val, you feel good.” Jeremy’s whisper rasped with the strain of holding back, the only indication of his struggle for control.

  Grateful he’d decided to let her set the pace, she dug her nails into his shoulders as she sank down another inch. She wondered if, in Jeremy’s case, nature might have been a bit too generous.

  Startled by a sudden flash of pain on her shoulder as Ian’s teeth sank into her skin, she forgot to support her weight on her knees. In an instant, she sank down until her bottom rested against Ian’s thigh and gasped at the pressure of Jeremy’s cock buried deep inside her.

  Panting, she tried to adjust to the overwhelming fullness. Jeremy stroked her back, soothing her as her breathing steadied. The air felt dark and slippery on her sweaty skin, and when she opened her eyes, the warm light of the July afternoon came as a surprise. Her mood felt like midnight, deliciously dark, like the brush of velvet.

  Jeremy’s eyes were closed, and she ran her fingertip along his dark lashes. Surrendering to the urge to move, she raised herself on her knees until only the head of his cock remained inside her.

  “Please? Val, if you don’t keep moving, I think I’m going to die.”

  As she lowered herself again, sighing as he filled her, Ian brushed his lips against her ear.

  “Miss Vee?”

  “Hmm?”

  “There are three ways we can do this.”

  Another one of the choices he liked to offer her.

  “Tell me.” As she clenched around Jeremy’s cock, he moaned and pressed his face against her neck.

  “You could finish what you’re doing, and afterward I could either make love with you, or with Jeremy.”

  This was the first time she’d heard him call it that ‑‑ making love. She pressed her cheek against his hand.

  “Or?” How could there possibly be an “or”?

  She gasped as Jeremy lost the battle to remain still and tilted his hips upward to meet her downward thrust.

  “Or I could enter Jer’s ass while he makes love to you.”

  Jeremy grabbed her hips and held her still. “Just give me a minute.” Breathing hard, he buried his face in her hair.

  “You like that option, don’t you, Jer?” Ian reached up to touch Jeremy’s face.

  “Tell her the other ‘or.’”

  “Or…” Ian nipped her shoulder, but not as hard as before. “I could fuck your ass while Jeremy makes love to you.”

  She didn’t know if it was his choice of language, or the realization that something like that was even possible, but a wave of heat prickled across her scalp and spread down the back of her neck, following the line of her spine and leaving her boneless and limp as it pooled in her belly.

  “You decide, Val.”

  “But please hurry, because I’m dying here.” Jeremy tickled her ribs.

  “I think I’d like to try…” Hell, did she have any idea what she was getting into? Where was her bossy inner psychologist when she needed her?

  “What, Val? I want you to be sure. You have to say it.” Ian’s breath brushed warm against the back of her neck, and she sensed his coiled anticipation.

  “I want you in my ass.”

  Her words evidently had the same effect on Jeremy as on Ian, because both men cursed softly under their breath.

  “You have no idea what you do to us, Miss Vee.” As Ian let his cock rest against her spine, pressing his weight against her, she wondered if she could really do this.

  “This is going to hurt some. If it’s too much, tell me. Just because you agreed to try it doesn’t mean we have to follow through.”

  Before she had a chance to be afraid, she felt the caress of Ian’s fingers, slippery with lubricant, and she whimpered when he slid them inside to stretch her before entering. She made a startled noise as his fingers tugged free, only to be replaced by the head of his cock.

  He gave her a minute to get used to the idea, and Jeremy held perfectly still, his hands gripping her shoulders to offer support.

  “Okay so far?”

  “Mmm.” Her eyes drooped closed, and she felt cradled by a dark velvet blanket of heat. “Yes, I’m all right.”

  As she let her breath follow the pattern set by Jeremy’s heartbeat, fast and erratic where she pressed her palm against his chest, Ian eased inside her in a series of shallow movements. “Oh!” As heat and pressure mingled with licks of pain, she panted at the intensity. She’d never imagined anything like this. So frightening. So wonderful.

  When Ian pressed deeper, tugging skin already stretched tight to accommodate Jeremy, she felt a cold edge of panic. “Too much!” Pain. Tearing heat.

  But as her breath caught in a half-sob, and Ian and Jeremy eased back just enough to take the edge off, the sensation subsided and gave way to a rush of pleasure so strong it pushed her to the edge of climax in seconds.

  “Okay now, Val?”

  She nodded, struggling to catch her breath. “Wasn’t for a second, but I’m all right now.” As Ian cupped her breasts in his palms, she eased into the stretch, embracing the edgy fullness.

  “Can you…” Realizing they must, she shivered. “Can you feel each other inside me?”

  “Hell, yes.” As Jeremy arched his hips, pushing deeper inside her, Ian’s soft groan confirmed the truth of his statement.

  “Ready, Miss Vee?”

  Though she nodded, lost in a world of dark heat and riding the edge of sensations so sharp and unfathomable they defied description, she wasn’t sure what she’d agreed to.

  Ian started to move, and Jeremy followed the pattern he set, one withdrawing as the other glided deeper. Forever ‑‑ or maybe for a heartbeat ‑‑ they moved like that, never hurrying, careful not to hurt her. She could feel sweat trickling down her neck, was aware of soft voices, but the world seemed to shrink to the rhythm of her heartbeat, the pattern of her breathing.

  And then, as fierce and sudden as falling off a cliff, either Jeremy or Ian missed a beat in the rhythm, and they both pressed deep inside her. They murmured their apologies as she threw her head back and cried out, panting through the fiery release of her orgasm.

  She couldn’t say whether Ian or Jeremy came first, but as they shuddered and clung to her, she plummeted over the edge again, her climax so sharp, it hurt. Breathless, she screamed as colors exploded behind her closed eyelids in a series of wild sunbursts.

  They held her for a while afterward, still warm and wet inside her. Unprepared for the tug of pain when Ian eased out of her ass, she tangled her fingers around handfuls of Jeremy’s hair and pulled ‑‑ hard. He didn’t protest, but he reached up and gently untangled her fingers.

  When Jeremy pulled out, she felt hollow, abandoned. Struggling with a flood of emotions, she was vaguely aware of Ian handing Jeremy a box of Kleenex, and then someone wrapped a blanket around her.

  Together, they held her, warm and close, as her heartbeat slowed. When she was ready to stand, they helped her up to the shower, soaped her back, and massaged shampoo into her hair. By the time they’d all dressed, fed the kitten, and settled her back on the couch in the den, she felt almost normal.

  But
free. Still so free.

  She held the kitten on her lap while they shared a pizza, and when Nathan showed up to join them, the four of them watched TV for a while ‑‑ just like a family. At some point, Ian switched off the television, and they sat listening to the roar of the waves and the sound the wind made when it rustled the curtains.

  “Ian?”

  “Yes, Miss Vee?” He planted a kiss on her shoulder, near the red mark where he’d bitten her earlier.

  “Would you play for us?”

  He stiffened in surprise, glanced at Jeremy, then nodded. “Okay.”

  Nathan pulled her close when Ian got up to get his violin, and as she rested her head on his shoulder, she reflected that he was maybe the closest thing to a brother she’d ever have.

  “Any requests?” Ian pulled his violin out of a battered case.

  “How about ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’?” Nathan reached over to brush his fingers along Jeremy’s arm.

  A little night music. Perfect.

  As she watched Ian tighten his bow, apply rosin, and shift through a pile of music, she wondered how this could be the same man she’d met on the beach.

  But when he placed his music on a wire stand and began to play, his face had the intense focus, the same passion and affection, as when he made love to her. This was Ian. Her Ian.

  His hair fell across his forehead as he played, and he shook his head to shift the blond thatch away from his eyes. The bow skipped over the strings, and Ian’s hands moved with the same gentle deftness he used to touch her body.

  Her throat tightened as the music flowed around her, filling the room with a melody so clear and beautiful, it reminded her of riding the waves onto the shore. With the force of a blow, she realized what she’d been thinking as she watched Ian play.

  This is a man I could spend a lifetime with.

  Since they weren’t likely to have a lifetime together, she’d settle for now ‑‑ and enjoy every precious second.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ian lifted Val’s arm and tried to roll free without waking her, but she shifted closer and spread her fingers against his bare chest.

  “What time is it?”

  “Only six. Why don’t you go back to sleep for a while?” Again he tried to roll toward the edge of the bed, but she draped her legs over his and held tight to his shoulder.

  “I want to talk before you leave.”

  If he didn’t get out of this bed soon, he suspected he’d end up driving to Boston without a chance to grab a shower or eat breakfast first. He propped himself against a pile of pillows and pulled Val onto his lap, careful not to disturb the sleeping ball of fluff and claws at the end of the bed.

  As Val settled closer against him, he decided situating her in his lap hadn’t been such a wise move, not if he wanted to get out of here anytime soon. Her unbuttoned silk sleep shirt allowed him a full view of her breasts, and her naked butt pressed enticingly against his rock-hard cock.

  “If you changed your mind and came into Boston with me for the weekend, you could talk to me during the drive.” And you’d be warm and naked beside me in bed tonight.

  “Mmm. And then I could help you pick up groceries and watch you do whatever else needs to get done before a hectic week at Historic Moments.”

  “Okay, so it’s not the most romantic invitation I’ve ever extended, but I’d take you to Ishmael’s tonight, and Tyler would spoil you rotten. If you like his food here, imagine what he can do with an entire restaurant staff behind him. And you could hang out with Abby while I picked up groceries and cleaned the apartment.”

  Ian winced at the thought of the piles of boxes in the spare bedroom ‑‑ Lisa’s things, which he needed to ship to her once she settled at a permanent address.

  Val squirmed around to face him and nibbled his lower lip. God, she smelled good. Warm and soft and adorable with those crazy spirals her curls twisted into while she slept. Damn it, he didn’t want to be away from her for a couple weeks, but his tasks at the journal wouldn’t wait, and he needed the weekend to make his place livable again.

  “I have more phone interviews lined up on Monday and Tuesday, on top of the four I did in the past three days. And I’m half dead on my feet after Brenda’s summer sale. I’d be lousy company. Besides preparing for the interviews, all I plan to do for the next two days is sleep.”

  She went to work on his lip again, nibbling until he let his mouth drop open just enough for her to slide the tip of her tongue inside. Just when he was ready to abandon his plans to get an early start to Boston, she pulled away.

  “Come with me. Please? Not just for the weekend. For the week, until you have to be back at work?” Hell, he sounded downright needy.

  Val sighed. “I can’t. With Brenda gone, and the shop closed while she’s on vacation, this is my best chance to nail down what I’ll be doing this fall.” Her expression turned cloudy, and she tugged her fingers through her hair, trying to worry out the morning tangles.

  “Truth?” He wanted the whole story, not just the part she’d offered him.

  Val looked up, her eyes wide and startled. “That is the truth.” She tangled her fingers with his but looked away. “That, and I need to make sure I can do this. If I can’t be away from you for a couple of weeks, what am I going to do if I get a job out of state? I can’t promise you I’ll be here in September. Or even anywhere close by.”

  Hell, as if he needed reminding. But he refused to let the shadow of possibilities ruin what they had right now.

  “You’re scared.” He cupped his hand under her chin.

  “And you aren’t?”

  Not a lot he could say to that. Neither of them had planned on getting in this deep. Damn right he was scared.

  “Ian, before you go, what I wanted to talk to you about…” She shifted restlessly and then settled back against his chest. “Last week, with Jeremy…”

  “No regrets, I hope?”

  “None. It’s just ‑‑ I wanted to make sure you know, before you leave, how important you are to me. I wouldn’t hurt you, not the way Lisa did.”

  Ian let out a relieved chuckle. “If that’s all you were worried about, there’s no problem.” He took her face between his hands and stroked his thumb along the slope of her cheekbone.

  “When I found out Lisa was more interested in the experience ‑‑ the sex ‑‑ than in me, it all but destroyed me. But you…” He shook his head. “When we were with Jeremy, you kept reaching back to touch me, as if you wanted to make sure it was okay. Wanted me to know how important it was that I was there too.”

  Damn. She had to know he trusted her. But he didn’t know if he could find the right words. “I’m glad you’re starting to feel the way I do about my friends ‑‑ our friends. They were hurt, too, when Lisa left, but they trust you. I trust you. You don’t have to worry about anyone mistaking you for Lisa. We know what a struggle it’s been for you, adapting to our wild little group.”

  She pressed her face against his neck. “I think it’s fair to say I’ve adapted, given our encounter with Jeremy.”

  Chuckling, he made another attempt to escape from the bed. “On that note, if I don’t get into the shower, I’m never going to get to Boston today.”

  Moving so fast he hardly knew what hit him, Val lunged and toppled him onto his back. As she dived for the bedside table and snagged a condom, he decided Boston could wait. His body responded as if lightning sizzled through him as she smoothed the condom into place, and he moaned his approval when she swung around to line her face up with his cock. Grabbing her hips, he tugged her down and shoved the silky tails of the nightshirt out of the way.

  Each stroke of her hot little mouth on his cock threatened to drive him out of his mind, and he sucked relentlessly at her clit, skipping any tender preliminaries. She quivered on top of him but never missed a stroke, dragging her mouth up and down, letting her teeth brush just hard enough to knock the breath out of him. Her knees dug into his sides, and she coated his face
in tangy moisture, driving him higher.

  For all the hours they’d spent in tender lovemaking or wild, passionate sex, nothing prepared him for the relentless speed with which she dragged him to the top of the cliff… “Ah, shit!” And let him fall.

  Ian shook and strained as she circled the head of his cock with her tongue, and when he came, he felt each spurt of liquid tug through him like molten fire. Somehow, he managed to see Val to the peak, nibbling and sucking as she collapsed on top of him, keening out her own release.

  They lay in a boneless heap, breathing hard. Though he could have stayed like that all day, before long she rolled off him and gave him a sound slap on the side of his thigh. “You’ll be late, Mr. Winters.”

  Reluctantly, he sat up and grabbed a handful of Kleenex to dispose of the cherry red condom ‑‑ Val’s favorite flavor. “But the memories will make it worthwhile.”

  Val trailed her fingers along his ass as he slithered out of bed, and it took all his resolve to keep walking toward the shower. He half hoped she’d follow, but instead she reached for the sleeping kitten and snuggled back into the pillows with the ball of fur nestled under her chin.

  When he emerged from the shower, dripping wet and still aroused, her eyes were closed, and he dressed quietly. Damn, he hated good-byes. Even just for a couple of weeks. When he bent down to kiss her, she grabbed his hair.

  “I dropped some things off for you yesterday.” He grinned, imagining her reaction when she opened his gifts. “Brenda hid them in your closet, but don’t peek until tonight.”

  “Thanks.” Lacing her fingers together at the back of his neck, she pulled him closer and kissed him again.

  “I’ll see you soon. You’ve got the key if you change your mind and decide to spend some time in Boston.”

  “Hey, don’t forget to talk to Eileen ‑‑ see if she’s interested in those New York positions.”

  “I saw her when I was in Boston the other day. Walking in and finding you and Jeremy kissing must have wiped it from my mind.” He grinned as she blushed under her tan. “Turns out, she relocated to Boston because she’s seeing someone in town, so no chance she’ll head to New York and hand my old job back to me.”