Permission to Come Aboard (The Great Outdoors Book 2)

by Shayne McClendon

  “Please…” she moaned softly.

  “What can I do for you? What do you want?” With slow thrusts, he set a steady rhythm. Her nipples furled tightly and fresh sweat slicked over her body.

  She lifted, her hand sliding along the back of his neck. Her kiss was forceful as she ate at his mouth. She seemed desperate to take him into herself in every way possible.

  “I need it hard. I need it. Do you understand?”

  “Whatever you want, whatever you need. Lay back.”

  When she was settled again, he pushed her knees to her chest and stood, towering over her.

  He withdrew and slammed forward with such force that he moved her several inches. She reached under her body and grabbed the bench to anchor herself.

  Over several minutes, he built the force and speed, applying a strength he’d never used with any woman, even her.

  The muscles of her pussy sucked at him with each thrust. Her arms and shoulders strained to keep her in place and he maintained the pace until she bucked beneath him.

  “I want you to come while I’m fucking you so hard it borders on pain. Pleasure just this side of something else.”

  The impact of their bodies was jarring.

  Her muscles tightened with every stroke until she came like an arrow shot from a bow. All the air rushed from her body on a scream, her pussy locked around him, and she shook violently as the orgasm spread through her.

  “D-don’t stop,” she begged breathlessly.

  Gunner changed the rhythm. Shallow then deep, hard then soft, straight on then circling into her until her head thrashed side to side. He kept her off balance, unsure what was going to happen next, and unable to do anything but take it.

  He saw the moment the chaos of sensation consumed her and reverted to long intense plunges. Her arms dropped away and he grabbed her shoulder to brace her. Her legs fell and he cupped her ass to maintain the angle.

  Struggling to focus, she tried to pull him down to her, her fingers fisting in his hair as another orgasm stole her breath.

  He bent lower, his arms under her back so he could grip handfuls of her hair while he drove down into her body without mercy.

  She screamed, begged, demanded, and urged him on. He didn’t hesitate. When she came, she sank her teeth into the flesh of his shoulder.

  Gunner roared his release, the sounds of their mutual fulfillment echoing through the large room.

  They didn’t move, couldn’t move, for a long time.

  It was the first time he thought his heart could beat out of his chest. Dropping his head to her shoulder, he groaned.

  “You need to marry me, Dakota.”

  “That’s the saddest excuse for a post-coital marriage proposal.” She laughed as her fingers petted him weakly.

  He chuckled against her neck. “I’ll work on it. You don’t let me get away with a fucking thing. I like that about you.” He lifted his head to look at her, his lips curved in amusement. “Get a lot of marriage proposals, do you?”

  “It’s ridiculous really. Men come here on vacation…well, fuck, so did you, come to think of it. One guy quit his job. Decided to be a Keys bum and write a book. He swore I was his muse or some damn thing. With few exceptions, men are stupid.”

  “Believe me, I know.” He kissed her deeply. When he pulled back, she noticed the deep red, mouth-shaped ring she’d left on the muscle of his shoulder.

  “I bit you hard. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t you dare apologize. I came so hard. Felt like a caveman conquering my mate.” He made a funny caveman sound. “Now we shower and take a well-deserved nap.”

  He gathered her in his arms and sat, her legs crossed at his low back.

  She sighed, resting her cheek on his shoulder. “I’ve never felt so comfortable with another person.”

  “You’re a perfect fit. I feel like I was created exactly the way I am so I could hold you like this.”

  His hands stroked over her hair, down her back, and cupped her ass with a light squeeze. He hugged her firmly and her body tightened around him.

  Gunner closed his eyes, certain he’d never held a woman and felt so intimately connected to her until this moment.

  He stood and walked through the house to her bedroom and the private bathroom he’d used many times.

  Gunner reached in and turned on the water, waited until it was warm, and stepped inside. He let the spray beat over their bodies, massaging tense muscles.

  A long time later, he made love to her against the cool tile. Slow and deep, he took her in a way that brought them closer.

  It was his unspoken promise.

  When she came and he followed with a low groan against her neck, she whispered, “I’ve never let anyone love me slow. I was afraid it would…remind me. You wipe everything clean.”

  He set her on her feet, not surprised when she could barely stand. The morning caught up to her with a vengeance.

  Taking his time, he washed her hair and scrubbed her with a body puff. When she was scrubbed and rinsed, he lowered her to the built-in bench on one side so he could wash himself.

  After he rinsed, he shut off the water and pulled her to her feet. Gently guiding her from the shower, he dried her body and thick hair.

  She leaned against him and he held her up. “I can barely keep my eyes open.”

  “It’s been a monumental few hours. You need rest now.”

  Scooping her up, he deposited her naked in the center of her big bed. He climbed in beside her and Dakota rolled to her side to scoot back into the warmth of his body.

  He slid his arm beneath her head and her cheek rubbed against his bicep as she dropped quickly to sleep.

  Gunner pressed his face against her damp hair and followed.

  * * *

  For the rest of the day and the one that followed, Dakota didn’t worry about the company or her brothers. Gunner sparred with her, played with her in the water, and delivered shattering orgasms to help her balance.

  The Harding males were able to do without their sister for long enough for her to get her bearings.

  It was probably good for them to have a break when she wasn’t off risking her life in tournaments held in remote locations on the planet.

  Another truth was that she was ashamed to face her twin.

  In many ways, she hadn’t been fair. She’d pushed him and protected him more like a mom than a sister and she wondered if that simple fact would change things between them.

  For most of their lives, she’d called the shots without asking Chaz if he wanted things to be different.

  Looking back at all the lines she crossed made her cringe.

  “Do you want to talk it through?” Gunner sipped his coffee on the back deck while they watched the sky brighten.

  She glanced over with a smile. “Was my hair smoking?”

  He put down the cup and reached for her hand. “Bubba spent the night camping with his friends after Chaz met their families. Last night, the three of them took the boat out and slept on the deck under the stars.”

  Turning to stare out over the water, she asked, “Is he okay?”

  “Both of them are excellent. If you’re asking if Chaz is mad at you or something, the answer is no. Shawn told me he couldn’t stop talking about your many accomplishments.”

  He winked. “Other than that, he said things were none of my business or yours and we’d know what we needed to know when either of them felt like talking about it.”

  “Serves me right.”

  “Hey.” She met his gaze. “He loves you. In this area of his life, you can be empathetic but you can’t know how it is. Let him figure it out. He’s been alone too long and a creeping fear developed that doesn’t sit well with him.”

  Releasing a heavy sigh, she nodded. “True.” Standing, she moved to sit in his lap. “I’ll do better at minding my business.”

  “I don’t think that’s it. You may have overstepped but the reality is that Chaz has to speak up. Tiptoeing around one
another is going to result in more of the same. If he doesn’t push back, you can’t know your actions bother him.”

  Staring into his green eyes, she realized she’d stumbled on a man who walked through life without blinders.

  “You’re amazing, Gunner.”

  “I’m not. I’m a realist with optimist tendencies.”

  “I hope that last part is contagious.”

  He wiggled his brows at her. “Are you ready for an injection?”

  Laughing warmly, she leaned forward to kiss him. “Damn right I am. Race you back to bed.”

  That he managed to catch her was pretty incredible.

  That he tackled her on her bedroom floor and proceeded to deconstruct her with pleasure was a bonus she never saw coming.

  She could get used to having Gunner in her life. Loving him wasn’t hard at all.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Later that morning, Dakota was taking food out to thaw for dinner when her brother walked through the front door with Shawn and Bubba in tow.

  He made a beeline in her direction, lifting and sitting her on the counter. They stared at one another with the same eyes.

  She loved him as the person she’d known since the womb, who loved her despite her mistakes, who always had her back even when he disagreed with her plans.

  Softly, he said, “I’m glad to see you didn’t kill him.”

  “I don’t think I could have honestly.”

  “You’re wearing my shirt.”

  “I am.”

  “Why do you take my shirts?”

  She shrugged. “Yours are bigger.”

  “You could buy some shirts in the same size.”

  “Then it wouldn’t be your shirt and I wouldn’t want to wear it.” She reached out and hugged him tightly. “I’m sorry I’m fucked up. I love you very much.”

  He stroked her hair. “You’re not fucked up and I never doubt that you love me, Kota. Not ever.” He leaned back and tipped up her chin. “You look better.”

  “I feel better.” She put her palm over her heart. “Emptied out of the bad stuff but not the good.”

  “I bet he can last longer against you than anyone else.” Gunner appeared on the other side of the kitchen. “I was able to last about half an hour. Trying not to hit her and keep her from beating the fuck out of me took its toll. I’d start to lag and then she delivered the pain.”

  “I’m more like a gnarled heavy bag.” He smiled. “She’s the best fighter I’ve ever personally sparred. I planted my feet and prayed she’d tire eventually.”

  “That’s an excellent strategy.” The twins’ eyes met. “You look almost…relieved. I could get used to seeing you like this.”

  “Me, too,” she admitted.

  “I came by to get the list of school stuff for Bubba. Shawn and I are going to take him to the mainland and stay at his place for a couple of days. I rearranged all the charters to give both of us some necessary time off.”

  She wanted to know, she was desperate to find out, but she held her tongue and hoped her brother would spill the beans about the stoic former SEAL at some point.

  Inhaling carefully, she said, “Be careful and I’ll see you when you get back.”

  Chaz’s smile was blinding. “It’s killing you not to ask.”

  “Shut up.”

  “Killing. You.” He laughed and glanced at Shawn behind him. “Be patient and we’ll talk when I get back.”

  With a heavy frown, she hissed, “I’ll take my payback but I expect to hear everything or else you’re meeting me on the mat to spar until you talk.”

  “It’s not payback. It’s…a sort of whisper so the universe doesn’t hear and fuck me up.”

  Her eyes went wide and she held his face in her hands. With a single nod, she kissed both his cheeks. “Then I can wait.”

  “I love you, Dakota.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Tweaking the end of her nose, he pulled her into a hard hug before putting her back on her feet. She loved on Bubba for a few minutes and he talked a mile a minute.

  When they were ready to leave, she approached Shawn and stared at him in silence for almost a minute. He didn’t break eye contact or speak from where he leaned against the wall.

  “You’re a good and patient man.”

  “I try to be.” He pulled her in for a tight hug and murmured at her ear, “I’ll look after them. Let Gunner look after you. It’s time to hit the reset button on your life.”

  Closing her eyes, she nodded against his neck. “Thank you, Shawn.”

  He set her away and stroked a strand of curls off her face. He spoke to Gunner over her shoulder. “I’ll call you in a few days. Tyler and Lance have things covered.”

  The dark man planted a kiss on her forehead and announced to her brothers, “When you guys are ready, let’s get on the road. There’s a great little place I want to take you for dinner.”

  A few minutes later, the three of them backed from the drive in Gunner’s truck. She glanced at him across the room.

  “You’re stuck with me now. They just took your ride.”

  “There’s no place I’d rather be, pretty girl.”

  * * *

  August 2004

  Never in her lifetime had Dakota lived with a man who wasn’t her family. The easy domesticity they shared was shocking.

  When she mentioned wanting to repaint the gym, Gunner hustled her into her Jeep and they drove to the nearest home store.

  After picking paint and supplies, they wandered the aisles of the garden section. She talked out loud about trees for the deck and he bantered with her on pots and soil.

  When everything was unloaded at the house, he carried her into the bedroom and ravaged her until she took an unexpected nap.

  He was gone when she opened her eyes and she went in search of him in panties and his t-shirt.

  She found him taping off the windows and trim in their training space. He’d already removed all the switch plates and outlet covers.

  He grinned over his shoulder when she said his name.

  “I thought I’d get started so we could knock the painting out faster.” She hugged him from behind as he applied the last strip to the slider. “You hungry?” She nodded against his back. “Good. Let’s make sandwiches first.”

  It took them two days to complete the space and she loved the new pale blue of the walls. It was a stark difference to the thick black mats he returned to the floor.

  Standing in the doorway and taking in their completed project, he kissed the top of her head.

  “Well done, Miss Harding.”

  Shoving him against the wall of mirrors, she went to her knees and thanked him in a more decisive manner.

  As he filled her mouth with his release a while later, he murmured breathlessly, “Jesus, what’s our next project?”

  She grinned up at him and kissed the tip of his semi-softened cock. “I’ve been wanting to freshen up the kitchen…”

  He bent, threw her over his shoulder, and went to work making her scream with pleasure.

  Then he took her back to the home store.

  * * *

  The idyllic world they constructed around themselves couldn’t last forever since both of them had companies and responsibilities to return to.

  Shawn brought her brothers back and Bubba couldn’t stop chattering about everything they’d done while in his care and keeping.

  It was his last week of summer vacation and Harding Charter was booked solid until the Sunday before school started. The little boy had everything he needed for school and then some.

  Though there’d been no official updates from her brother or Gunner’s best friend, they were easy in one another’s company in a way that said more than words.

  Chaz hadn’t laughed so much in years.

  Biting her tongue, she held back all her questions.

  The next morning, Gunner and Shawn prepared to head back to Hialeah. To say Dakota was stressed about him leaving was an under
statement.

  “I’ll be back so stay out of trouble while I’m gone.” His hands cupped her face, his lips against her forehead. “I’ll miss you and if you get the urge to call me, you should give in to the temptation. I know you like to be woman on top and all. I like it…but you’re not confined to the role.”

  “I’ll call and talk dirty.”

  He leaned back with a grin. “I’m going to hold you to that, pretty girl.” The kiss he delivered was deep and full of promise but for a woman who’d spent a lifetime rolling with disappointment, it was hard to believe it. “I’ll call you tonight.”

  She nodded and masked the inner turmoil she felt. “Thank you for staying, for every moment.”

  Releasing a heavy sigh, he bent so they were eye to eye. “The way you phrase things tells me you’re still not convinced I’m going to show up again. Time and actions. That’s the only way I can prove it so I’m going to do that.”

  “I trust you completely, Gunner.”

  “You trust me but not this.” He gestured between them. “You will, Dakota. I give you my word.” At her ear, he added, “Now kiss me like you mean it and tell me something I can think about later when I stroke off.”

  She did and he groaned against her neck. “I have several pleasant reminders of all the things we did together and how you made me feel.”

  Heat flared instantly as she talked softly about their trip out on the ocean the night before. The moment they were out of sight of the shore, Gunner tied her to the deck of her boat and tormented her sexually for hours.

  “I still have faint marks on my ankles and wrists from the rope. My ass is a little tender but it’s like I can still feel you inside me so I don’t mind. All that screaming in pleasure/pain…thank god we weren’t within earshot of other people.”

  Knowing it was their last night together for a while made Gunner even more aggressive, dominant, and rougher with her than usual to brand his presence on her body.

  “Thank you for granting me access to your incredible ass. It’s going to haunt me, I know that.” Stroking his fingers through her hair, he murmured, “You’re the single most incredible woman I’ve ever met. Believe in what we have.”