by Tara Mills
“What?”
He grinned. “Sunscreen—where’d you put it?”
“In the bag,” she said, shaking herself out of her haze of lust.
“I’ll get it,” he said with a chuckle, knowing what was happening to her and loving it. He was smiling when he came back up. “Let’s do you first, okay?”
Walking straight for Sabrina, he eased her cover-up down her arms and tossed it onto her chair. His composure took a solid hit. That was a lot of bare skin, and what he couldn’t see he wanted a look at—bad. He took a calming breath, but it was useless.
“You know, this suit of yours could bring a priest to his knees.”
That frank statement thrilled her, but Sabrina wasn’t exactly a natural in the temptress role, so she was blushing when she turned and presented her back to him. She hoped he couldn’t hear her dangerously fast heartbeat. She was sure she could.
Jackson had to swallow, twice. From the back it looked like Sabrina was wearing a bikini. There were four thin little knots holding the suit together: at the back of her neck, under the shoulder blades, and a cute little bow at each hip. This barely-there work of art was made to come off fast and easy, and Jackson’s fingers were twitching with the need to tug on those strings. He was salivating—damn it, he was salivating again.
Man up, Jackson, you can do this.
He squirted lotion into his hand and set the bottle aside. His hands hovered over her shoulders for a second before he lowered them to her warm skin.
He knew it, she was soft.
His fingers flowed across her bare shoulders, working their way down to the middle tie. That damn tie was a bad influence on him. It was luring him into mischief, but to his surprise he had more self-control than he expected. Moving below the teasing knot, he applied more sunscreen to her lower back, his large hands stroking along her waist, his fingers flaring over her sides as his thumbs dipped into the crevice of her spine.
It was running his thumbs along the band of her low-rise bottoms that proved too much for him. He was close, so close, to slipping under the sleek spandex and brushing over her warm smooth cheeks. He couldn’t, he really shouldn’t. God, he was burning up.
Sabrina pulled her ponytail around to the front and looked back over her shoulder and smiled that sexy smile of hers, and Jackson’s simple and forgivable craving transformed into a fierce, aching need. He needed to plant his mouth on that bare neck. He needed to pull her against him and really introduce himself in a very personal way.
Realizing he was losing his grip on his self-control, Jackson did the only thing he could think of—a rather desperate thing. He wrenched away from Sabrina and dove right over the side. He hit the lake with a loud inelegant splash and disappeared.
Absolutely shocked, Sabrina ran after him and hung over the side, her eyes frantically trying to locate him.
He eventually resurfaced with a groan. No question he’d needed the body slap, but did it have to sting that bad?
“What the hell was that?” she asked.
He scowled. “What do you think?” His frustration was coming through loud and clear. “You come out wearing that skimpy little excuse of a bathing suit and expect me to be cool while I’m rubbing sunscreen all over you? It was too much, too goddamned much. So just stay there and let me have a minute or two to cool off, okay?”
A giggle burbled out of Sabrina. “No.”
“No?” He frowned up at her.
“No,” she repeated and raced around to the back of the boat, kicking out of her sandals along the way. Sabrina dove in and headed right for him.
I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna do it. Oh, God, I can’t believe I’m doing this!
Jackson was treading water when she paddled over with that playful smile he found so damned irresistible.
“Don’t look so worried,” she said and linked her hands behind his neck. She pulled him in, throwing everything she had into that kiss.
Chapter 21
The water closed over their heads as their mouths sealed. Jackson’s left arm locked around Sabrina’s waist and his right captured the back of her head as he took over and took her under in oh-so-many ways.
They breached the surface two minutes later with ragged gasps and kicking feet.
“That was unexpected,” Jackson said, grinning from ear to ear.
“I thought I’d start off this inning since you were making such a mess of things.”
“Is that right?” He reached out and caught the front of her suit and towed her in to give her another lingering kiss, softer this time. “If we’re going to be playing, I should probably understand the rules. I don’t want to be penalized for committing an error I didn’t even know about.”
“Such as?” She combed back his damp hair and toyed lazily with the shell of his ear. Jackson hummed with approval.
“For instance, if I do this…” He cupped her left breast, and her eyes fluttered as she gave herself up to the contact. “Is this going to get me sent back to the dugout?”
Her voice was low, husky, when she could finally focus on his eyes. “No, I think that’s perfectly legal, as long as you don’t ignore the right.”
“This one here?” he asked, shifting to the other breast and giving it a little squeeze.
“Exactly,” she said with a deep drawn-out moan.
“I have more questions.”
“Let’s hear them,” she said quite willingly.
He released her breast and reached around, planting both hands on her bottom. When he pulled her close, she was almost dizzy from all the ways she could feel him. Their practically naked torsos were pressed tightly together. Their legs were engaged in an unseen dance to keep them afloat, and, and, and, oh, god, and that unmistakable reminder that he had an awful lot to offer a girl was digging into her pubic bone. If she wrapped her legs around him, would she drown them both?
“I’m sorry,” she said, shaking herself out of her sexual stupor. “I forgot the question. Could you repeat it?”
“Of course.” He chuckled and gave her ass another luxuriant squeeze.
“No,” she said breathlessly, “I can’t imagine how that could possibly qualify as unsportsmanlike conduct.”
He kissed her again, and this time Sabrina skimmed her hands down his back and went for his ass. Kneading his muscular glutes, she sighed, overjoyed to finally satisfy this recurring fantasy of hers. Jackson didn’t seem to mind.
“One last question,” he said, moving his fingers over her bottom in a most satisfying way.
“Mmm, shoot.”
“Were you hoping I’d do this,” he tugged the tie at the back of her neck and the bow pulled apart, “when you put this on?”
Unable to speak, she simply nodded.
“Are all the ties in play?”
“That’s another question.”
“Just answer it.”
“All in play.” Her heart stuttered at the sudden flare of heat in his eyes.
“Come on.”
He swam to the back of the boat and turned, drawing her to him by the wispy strings at her hips. The bows came apart in his hands and floated free even as he went for the remaining tie across her back. She closed her eyes and trembled when the back of his fingers brushed her bare stomach and then her suit was simply gone. Jackson tossed it in a wet heap onto the swimming deck and pulled her naked against him. Her entire body sighed with pleasure.
“This is good,” he murmured, almost as overcome as she was at the contact.
“Could be better,” she said with that impish smile of hers. With a playful laugh she slipped her hand between them and right down the waist of his trunks, looking for the cord. With her help he kicked out of them and they landed beside her suit on the deck.
“This is good,” she said.
“I can’t argue with that.”
She slipped and slid up and down his yummy torso and quivered. Jackson’s arm tightened around her, and suddenly she was up and out of the water with his mouth sealed t
ightly over her breast.
She felt terribly exposed even though they were relatively sheltered. It was pretty hard to ignore the sounds of motors just outside the quiet bay. “What if someone comes in here and sees us?” Sabrina asked, looking around anxiously.
Jackson hummed over her breast, the vibration mingling deliciously with the deep satisfying sucking.
“Forget it,” she said breathlessly.
He slowly released her breast, and with one final swirl of his tongue he asked, “Feel like floating on your back?”
Over the next thirty minutes Sabrina cried several times, completely overcome by emotion, sensation, and the relief and release that she was putty in Jackson’s hands. With his insatiable mouth and tongue came a need inside her so strong she didn’t recognize herself. His talented hands brought desperation and urgency. But it wasn’t until he finally possessed her, filled her, and brought on a second thunderous climax that she was absolutely shocked to her core. It left Sabrina so weak afterwards that he had to help her back onto the boat.
****
Jackson lowered his wine glass and gazed contentedly at Sabrina sprawled beside him on the deck cushions. She still had a gorgeous glow. “Looks like you got a bit of sun, anyway.”
She gave him a lazy, satisfied laugh. “So did you.”
He ran his finger down her bare arm. “Maybe you should put your cover-up on.”
She sat up. “Am I really bad?”
“Not yet, but let’s not push it. Do you have a hat?”
“No.”
“I’ll see if there’s something down below.”
Sabrina slipped into her wrap and squirted more lotion into her hand, reapplying it over whatever skin still showed.
Jackson came back up spinning a baseball cap on the end of his finger. “It’s all I could find.”
“It’ll work.” She pulled her wet ponytail through the back and settled the hat on her head.
“Cute,” he said with a grin. “What do you say we head back?”
“Probably should.”
“Can I interest you in dinner?”
“Yes. The cheese and crackers are good, but they’re not doing it.”
Everything that could blow away he closed down below, and then they hauled up the anchors. Sabrina was washing the mud off her hands on the swimming deck when she turned to find Jackson walking up behind her.
“Got it?” he asked.
“Got it.” She flicked the water off her hands, then caught the predatory look in his eye. “What?”
He smiled, took her by the upper arms, and backed her against the sun deck. His answer was brevity itself. He simply invaded her space and claimed her lips, bending her backwards as the kiss deepened. She was close to swooning when he brought her up and allowed her some air.
“Well,” she said fanning herself. “That was risky, kissing me like that so close to the water.”
He grinned and chucked her under the chin. “But worth it. Come on.”
They took their seats and he fired up the engine.
“Everything secure?” he asked.
“You tell me,” she said, her reply dancing carefully around so many new issues they hadn’t discussed yet. Like what the hell was going on between them? Did he like her enough to call her again now that she’d given him the goods? Would he call her because she gave up the goods? Did he see this going anywhere, or should she guard her heart?
“Keep an eye on your hat and glasses,” he said.
“I knew that.”
****
They were in his car, racing up the highway, when Sabrina felt her phone vibrate against her leg. “Hello? No, I was with Jackson on the boat. How many times? I’m sorry. Yeah, come over. I’m on my way home now. Okay. Love you too.”
He glanced over. “I take it dinner is off?”
“Sorry,” she said helplessly. “Tanya’s been trying to reach me for two hours, but I had my ringer off, so I didn’t know. She’s really upset about something and needs to see me.”
“I understand. Are you free tomorrow?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know yet.”
“Why don’t I give you a call in the morning?”
Rays of sunshine in her heart, angelic voices ringing in her ears, Sabrina’s doubts and fears were allayed for now by his desire to see her again. “Sounds good,” she said, cool and casual.
When Jackson dropped Sabrina off at her building, he caught her arm before she could get away from him. She turned and he cupped her cheek, then her ear, combing his fingers into her hair. It was so easy to surrender to the pull of his eyes and lean across the console to kiss him, twice—okay, three times.
“Good luck,” he said as she threw her door open.
“I had a great time today.”
“Me too. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
****
Sabrina was just dressing after her shower when Tanya pounded at her door. She opened it, and Tanya dumped a Duluth pack into Sabrina’s arms that was heavy enough to bow her knees. Then Tanya walked in towing a large rolling suitcase behind her. She had a bursting duffel bag slung over her shoulder, too.
Sabrina stared at her and closed the door. “You’re moving in?”
“I’m moving out. I can’t stay there anymore.” Tanya burst into tears, and Sabrina dropped the bag and rushed over, putting her arms around her friend.
“What happened?” She tugged Tanya over to the sofa.
Tanya buried her head in her hands and sobbed for two minutes straight without being able to get a single word out. Feeling helpless, Sabrina went and got the box of tissues from the bathroom. She put it on the coffee table in front of Tanya.
Her friend yanked four in rapid succession and blew her nose. “Brian dumped me. That bastard dumped me!”
“He didn’t!”
“He fucking did!”
Sabrina winced. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.”
“Me too.” She sniffled again and reached for more tissues, blotting her eyes. “So he told me not to make any plans for last night, right? He said he had something important to talk to me about. He made reservations!”
Sabrina simply waited, patiently rubbing Tanya’s back.
“So,” Tanya hiccoughed brokenly, “I’m really excited and I get dressed up, assuming he’s finally going to pop the question, you know?” She nodded and Sabrina nodded back, her heart already breaking because she knew the painful punch line. “Well he’s already there—he looked really good, too—and we sit down, and there’s a drink waiting for me on the table. I thought it was sweet.”
“I’m sure.”
“Then he reaches across the table and takes my hand, and he’s got this soft sort of look in his eyes. You know what I mean?”
Sabrina nodded. “Yes.”
“And there I am waiting for him to reach into his pocket and pull out this little box, but he tells me to drink up. So I drink. He orders me another one, and one for himself, and I said maybe we should order because I haven’t eaten all day and the booze is starting to hit me.”
Sabrina made a grab for a tissue herself.
“Brie, he’s been cheating on me for two months!”
“The dick!”
“Totally. He stopped going to Thursday poker nights and started seeing this slut instead. He said he would smoke a cigar just before coming home because he knew how much I hated them and I wasn’t going to smell her on him if I wouldn’t kiss him. He had a ready excuse for a shower.”
“What a slime!”
“A cheating sleazy no-good slime.”
“And I suppose he wants you to forgive him now that his conscience is clear?”
Tanya gave her a woeful head shake. “He wants me gone so they can move in together.”
They hugged and both cried for several minutes. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to trust another man again. I gave him everything and he kicked me out for a skanky hose bag.”
“Well, he’s
getting what he deserves.”
“I hate him, I really hate him, but I still can’t stop loving him. This sucks so much.”
“The love will die in time. I’ll help.”
Tanya laughed and dabbed her eyes. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”
“Can I get you something?”
“Like what?”
“Have you eaten?”
“Not since breakfast yesterday.”
“Let’s order a pizza.”
“A big one.”
“Right.”
“Is there anything to drink around here?”
“Maybe a couple of beers. Do you want me to run for something?”
Tanya nodded. “Wine?”
“Couple bottles of red?”
“Perfect.”
Sabrina gave her an understanding smile. “You wait for the pizza and I’ll make a run to the liquor store.”
“I knew I could count on you.”
“Delivery number is on the fridge. You know what I like. I’ll be right back.”
“Oh, hey,” said Tanya getting up and following Sabrina to the door, “then you can tell me all about your date.”
“There’s not much to tell.”
****
Saturday night and Jackson was doing his laundry—his laundry, for crying out loud. Here he hoped he could tempt Sabrina back to his place after dinner and cover all the bases, this time without the risk of drowning, but that didn’t work out. Her friend needed her and she responded without hesitation—pretty tough to fault her for that. It was the right, commendable move, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.
It was strange, bizarre, but he felt an overwhelming sense of wellbeing every time he saw her lately. Oh, sure, in the beginning the alarm bells were going off in his head, for good reason, but Sabrina was always compelling, luring him in against his better judgment. No, his response was instinctive, elemental, and you couldn’t fudge that nor could you control it. He tried to mischaracterize his attraction at first as nervous tension, but that was bullshit and he knew it.
They were engaged in a dance now, and his ass was hanging out there, the little red cape too small to cover him. He had no choice but to face those sharp horns. He did it gladly, if warily, knowing that he’d never felt so alive in his life.