Double Mountain Trouble

by Katerina Cole

  This time, though, there was something more to it. I bent down over her as she looked up at me with a needy, lidded gaze, breathing through her mouth as she panted for me. I rocked back and forth within her, feeling my every pulse against her insides, getting to know every detail of her pussy.

  I kissed her deeply, our tongues exploring each other, darting in and out as I sucked on her lip, she bit at mine, and I tasted hers. When our kiss broke, I looked into her eyes as I started thrusting into her. I felt her hands go to my sides, feeling my hardened muscles, counting the ripples in my rock-hard body.

  Her hands explored me, soft palms taking in my sculpted form like I took in the feeling of her pussy, the tastes of her breasts, the softness of her lips. We weren’t just fucking, we were fascinated with each other. It was like we were discovering something totally new that had been right in front of us all our lives.

  I started to buck faster, wanting to make her come, to feel her back arch and her body tense up and shake. When I brought Jillian on board on this ridiculous little ride I planned, I was hungry for her body. I’d wanted to devour everything she had to offer, to unwind that stern professional and see what she was capable of. Now that I knew, what I felt was so much more.

  And God, it was so much better.

  I felt comfortable around Jillian in a way I’d never felt comfortable around anyone. Was that the lust talking? Was it just the swarm of endorphins swimming through my head as I felt the need to release in her build up after countless minutes of bucking into her, wrapping her legs around me this way and that, reveling in everything she was?

  Whatever it was, I loved it. I wanted to make her feel good the way I felt good, and the way she ran her fingernails down from my back to my sides made me feel like she wanted the same thing. I gripped her ass and pulled her up into me, leaving so little of her body on the ground as I pumped my hips back and forth, listening to her soft whimpers--they weren’t the gasps of the girl she’d once been when I met her, but of the woman she’d become, drinking in everything I had to offer. I grew fiercer and fiercer until I felt her legs start to shake with the exertion, and as she screamed out in delight, I felt her flood my cock with her fluids. Gently, I set her ass back down on the poor, abused towel, still not relenting in my rhythm.

  I bent my head down to her ear and whispered as I thrust into her.

  “Jill.” She opened her eyes wearily, worn out from the battering I was giving her. I held her head up at the neck as I looked down at her, heart swelling. “Your eyes. God, Jill, I want to keep you here forever so I can always see the sunset playing in those eyes.”

  “Keep me,” she gasped in a ragged voice.

  “Maybe I just will,” I growled, and I thrust into her harder and faster than ever until I lost control of myself. My balls grew tight, my cock twitched, and I released whatever I had left in me as the orgasm shot through my body, leaving me paralyzed in her for so long I lost track of time before my powerful body slumped beside her, drops of my seed spilling onto her hips as we lay together.

  I stared into her eyes as we panted there on the beach, sun setting and painting the sky purple. We didn’t say anything for a long time. Our eyes did the talking for us.

  I had no idea what was going to happen at the end of this week. But at that moment, I didn’t care.

  Eighteen

  Jillian

  I was lying on the bed in a terrycloth robe, my hair a mess of tangles. I was exhausted, my body aching from head to toe. But it was the happy kind of tired. The kind that comes from a long week of sunshine, sea salt, and mind-blowing sex. Next to me, Bruin lay peacefully. His strong arm was draped over me, keeping me close, as though he was afraid I might disappear into thin air if he let me go for even a second. It was adorable.

  His gorgeous blue eyes were closed, his kissable lips slightly parted as he breathed deeply. I could tell he was seconds from sleep. There was something so irresistible about him this way. Calm. Quiet. But with that inner strength still thrumming underneath his skin. I could feel the heat radiating off of him. I snuggled closer, nuzzling my nose against his. He smiled, his eyes opening just enough to look at me. Even though we were drifting on the Atlantic, the waves outside were nothing compared to the deep blue sea of his eyes. He hugged me close and kissed my forehead gently.

  “God, you’re beautiful,” he said softly.

  “No, I’m not,” I answered.

  It was a gut reaction. I got compliments from people often enough, but never from someone like Bruin. It was usually some slimy guy at a bar or some taxi driver shouting at me from his car. Those “compliments” I could deal with. I would roll my eyes, turn away. Sometimes say thank you, usually with varying degrees of sarcasm. But with Bruin, it felt too genuine. Too honest. And it made me blush.

  “You are. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he argued.

  “Stop,” I laughed, looking away. “I don’t know how to react to how nice you’re being.”

  “You could just say thank you,” Bruin suggested, raising an eyebrow. He looked amused.

  “Yeah, I guess. I don’t know. It’s weird,” I began, and then stopped myself. He sat up, looking interested suddenly. He began stroking my hair back away from my face as I looked up at him. He cocked his head to one side.

  “What’s weird?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it. I don’t know what I’m saying.”

  “No, you can’t backtrack now. Tell me what you’re thinking. Whatever it is. I want to know, Jillian,” he pressed. I sighed and sat up, still too bashful to look him in the eye.

  “It’s just that… well, I’ve known you for years,” I started, biting my lip.

  “Yeah. Since I was in college,” he said, nodding. He looked at me expectantly.

  “Okay. Yes. Since you were in college. And I was just a kid. A dumb teenager with braces and frizzy hair,” I said, shaking my head. “And back then, I would have done anything to get your attention. To make you notice me.”

  “Jillian, I always noticed you,” he said, furrowing his brow.

  “No, I mean… to really notice me,” I added meaningfully. “Bruin, I’ve had a crush on you since the first time I ever saw you. But you were so mean. You used to tease me, remember? And when you were around, even Jeff would tease me. And he wasn’t like that.”

  Bruin sighed and ran his fingers back through his dark hair. “Yeah. I was an asshole.”

  “I wouldn’t say that…”

  “I would,” he said firmly. “Jillian, I’ve changed since then. I mean, I can’t deny there was a time when I was a dick. I was reckless and stupid and selfish. Hell, I might still be that way today if not for my daughter. She changed everything. It’s stupid that it took a little baby to make me change my ways, but that’s the truth. She came into my world and suddenly I didn’t want to be that guy anymore. I needed to be better. For her sake and mine.”

  “You’re a good father.” I smiled fondly. “I can tell.”

  He leaned forward and kissed me. “Thank you. I hope you’re right. That little girl deserves the world and if I can give her the world, I will.”

  “It’s crazy how you can be so different,” I said. “One minute, you’re like this hot, domineering sex god, and then the next minute you’re a sweet, doting father.”

  “Duality of man, I guess.” He chuckled. “I can never totally bury who I used to be. I think that side of me only comes out in the bedroom now.”

  “And in the shower. And on the beach,” I said slyly, biting my lip. He smirked.

  “And anywhere else you want to fuck,” he teased softly, kissing me deeply. I leaned into him as his hands cupped my face.

  “With you, anywhere is fine,” I whispered. He pinned me down on the bed, making me laugh. Leaning over me, he smiled.

  “God, it’s so hard not to just take you right here, right now. I can’t resist you, Jillian. I think I might be addicted,” he said, shaking his head slowly.

/>   “How long do we have before we get back to port?” I asked, my heart skipping a beat at the thought of going again. I was so tired, but at the slightest insinuation that I could fuck Bruin again, I was ready. My body was his for the taking, no matter what.

  Bruin kissed me, his tongue pushing into my mouth. I reached up and ran my fingers through his hair, tugging him down, begging him to stay with me this way. It was crazy. I had started this week-long trip with fear and worry, and now I never wanted it to end. But of course it had to. Bruin and I weren’t together. We came from separate worlds. We both worked so hard and had our own hectic, complex lives to keep up with. I had clients all over the world, and so did he. On top of that, I had to contend with Jeff and what he would do if he ever found out about Bruin and me. And Bruin had his little girl to worry about. No matter what, she had to come first.

  “For the way I’d want to fuck you, we don’t have enough time,” he whispered as he pulled away.

  My heart sank. I couldn’t believe our week of bliss was already ending. Suddenly, that familiar shadowy darkness was returning to Bruin’s demeanor. The softness, the sweetness was rapidly washing away with every minute closer to the harbor we got.

  “Bruin…” My voice was shaky. I was not sure what I even wanted to say to him. There were so many questions in my head. So many things I wanted to tell him, but I couldn’t find the words to string together and make sense. He got off the bed and walked away.

  “Don’t worry,” he said suddenly, “I’ll keep up my end of the deal. The yacht is yours. Well, Jeff’s. I’ll sign the papers as soon as I get back to my office.”

  “I wasn’t going to—” I protested.

  “I know. But let’s not pretend this was anything more than the deal. Okay?” he said, and the cruelty, the coldness of his words made me freeze up. Who was this Bruin Kincaid? A different man than the warm, passionate man who had been sailing with me this week.

  “Bruin, what’s going on?” I asked, sliding out of bed and walking over to put a hand on his shoulder.

  He flinched slightly, like he wanted to pull away, but then he just reached up and took my hand. He held it in his own, stroking my fingers with his thumb. I could tell he was thinking, but I had no idea about what. He slowly raised my hand to his lips and kissed it softly.

  I could feel somehow that it was a silent apology.

  But for what?

  “We need to keep a clear head about all this,” he said softly. “This week has been… fantastic. Your body is fucking amazing, Jillian. The two of us together, it’s like magic. I’ve never fucked anyone the way I fucked you. It felt… different, somehow.”

  I stepped closer, my heart pounding. “I know. It felt the same way for me. Like we were meant to do this. Like we were made for each other. Uh, sexually, I mean,” I added quickly.

  Bruin smiled, and there was that softness again in his eyes. But only for a flickering moment. He nodded. “Yes. Sexually. So, what have you got planned for when you get back? Going straight to meet up with your brother and tell him you sealed the deal?”

  I blushed, misunderstanding what he meant at first. He seemed to catch on.

  “I mean that literally. As in, he’s getting Mirabella,” he explained. I nodded.

  “Yeah, yeah. I know what you mean. Of course,” I said hastily. “I’m sure he’s probably worried sick about me. He calls me almost every day.”

  “Same protective older brother, isn’t he?” questioned Bruin, a little sadly.

  “Yep. I think after Mom and Dad died he took it upon himself to be my guardian. I was already a teenager by then, but he stepped up anyway,” I remarked. “He’s been looking after me ever since. Sometimes it gets a little annoying, but I know he means well.”

  Bruin nodded, a faraway look on his face. “Even before your folks passed, he was like that. I remember if I so much as mentioned your name, he’d get this fire in his eyes. Like he was ready to punch me in the face,” he said.

  “Oh. I never knew it was like that,” I murmured.

  Wow. How long had Jeff been shielding me from Bruin? Was it more than just the regular brotherly instinct? Why was he so aggressive about Bruin, in particular?

  “He’s a good brother, Jill. Now that I’m a father, I get it. He wants to protect you from everything. From the whole world. Especially from guys like me,” he added, shrugging.

  “What do you mean? Guys like you?” I asked, frowning. “You’re a great guy.”

  Bruin chuckled. “You’ve seen a side of me most people never even glimpse.”

  “But it’s the true part of you, right? The real Bruin Kincaid is a sweetheart. You’re not the guy Jeff made you out to be,” I commented. For some reason, this seemed to bother him. He pulled away.

  “All of this, all of me, is the real deal. I’m authentic all the way, baby,” he said, a warning tone in his voice. I backed off a little.

  “Yeah. No, I get it,” I said quickly.

  “No. You don’t,” he said, gritting his teeth. “Look, I need to go talk to Miguel about the plans when we reach port. I’ll be busy for the next hour or so.”

  “Oh. Okay,” I murmured, confused. Why was he acting this way? Hot one minute and cold the next? What did I do wrong?

  “Listen, Jillian. You may think you know me, but you don’t,” he began. His tone was less cruel, more matter-of-fact. “Nobody knows me. You can’t just sum me up in a couple of adjectives. I’m more than that. This week was fucking amazing, but it was just part of the bargain. You held up your end, now it’s time for me to do the same. It was great seeing you again, but that’s it. Okay?”

  I had to bite my lip to stop the tears prickling in my eyes. I’d be damned if I let Bruin Kincaid, or whoever the hell he was, see me cry over him. Screw that. My feelings for him had to stop here. Sure, my affection for him was years in the making, but I was putting them to bed. I had to. He didn’t want me. That much was clear. Or at least, if he did, he was denying it even to himself. And I, Jillian Hargrove, businesswoman and bad-ass, was not about to beg him.

  “Fine,” I said firmly.

  “Goodbye, Jillian.” That flash of sorrow in his eyes before he turned and walked out of the room was enough to shake me. What was going on? I couldn’t figure him out. All week we had been so hot for each other, nearly on fire. Had we really burned out that quickly?

  And I knew I was right. Bruin was more than just the cocky, womanizing image he put out into the world. I had seen his softer, kinder side. I knew about his daughter, about how much he adored her and doted on her. That wasn’t the same Bruin who teased me years ago. He was more than that. But why did he turn away? Why was he so offended when I looked at that softer side? What was he so afraid of?

  And then it hit me. Everything was fine until I’d mentioned Jeff.

  Was that it? Bruin knew how important family was to my brother and me. Maybe he was worried that his presence in my life would piss off Jeff. Drive a wedge between us. And why the hell was Jeff so against the idea of Bruin being in my life, anyway? He was the one who pushed me to make this deal, after all. Did it have to do with Bruin’s daughter?

  The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I was a grown-ass woman. I could make my own decisions about who I slept with, who I loved. By the time Mirabella came to dock, I was on a warpath. I needed to talk to my big brother.

  Nineteen

  Bruin

  The burn I felt in my arms as I lifted weights in my private gym on the Mirabella didn’t do as good a job of distracting me as I wanted. The only other workout enthusiast on the ship’s staff was one of the cooks, and he was spotting me as he counted my twelfth rep, giving me an uncertain look.

  “Let’s call it there, boss,” he ventured, but I ignored him and did another rep.

  My arms were screaming, but I felt like I needed some pain right now. Something physical could distract me from what was storming in my heart if I worked hard enough.

  I did another rep, and this time,
I let out a grunt as my teeth gritted. My spotter was giving me a concerned look.

  “Boss… ”

  I did another rep at about half the speed this time, and once my arms were up, the cook took the weights from my hands without my permission.

  “What the fuck?” I snapped at him, glaring daggers.

  “You’re my boss, Mr. Kincaid, but I’m not going to let you kill yourself,” he said in an apologetic tone as I sat up, shaking my arms out. I grunted in response, casting another dirty look at him before I stood up slowly.

  I was pissed at him, but the rational part of me knew he was just doing his job. I’d thank him with a pay raise when I cooled off, but I wasn’t about to let him know that just then.

  “I’m taking ten,” I told him curtly before leaving the gym and heading for the deck.

  I didn’t know what to be more angry about: the way I treated Jillian, or the fact that I wasn’t able to get her out of my head.

  I hated how I’d talked to her on the ship, and I knew it was wrong even as the words came out of my mouth. But I didn’t try to push her away just for me. Jeff was a big part of her business. If something came between the two of them, it could seriously hurt her career. As unbelievable and breathtaking as the past week had been, I knew Jillian was the kind of person who deserved a career like that, without stupid stuff like a week-long fling getting in the way.

  The thought of that just made me more angry, though. Was it just a week-long fling? I knew it wasn’t. I’d felt things with Jillian I hadn’t felt with anyone else, even if I didn’t know what that meant. But I did know that we had to pretend it had been that.

  I heard my phone chime, and I took it out to see an email from Jillian. My heart did a somersault at the sight of her name, and I gave my head a shake. What the hell? Was I in high school to be feeling like this over just getting a message from her?

  But if she’d wanted to say something personal, she’d have called. And sure enough, when I flicked the email open, it was a curt note with a professional tone.