Third Chances

by Smoak, Ivy

But I didn't feel teeth. I felt lips brush gently against mine, warm breath on my skin. "It's me. It's just me. It's okay. You're safe."

  My heart felt like it was breaking through my ribs as I gasped for air. My eyes still hadn't adjusted from the darkness, but I knew the voice. It wasn't the waterfall calling me toward it. It was him. Had my senses somehow known what I didn't? Had it known he was here, waiting for me? My body wanted him. But my mind was lagging behind.

  "What the hell is wrong with you, Rob? You scared me half to death."

  He laughed, releasing me from his tight grip, but he kept me sandwiched between his torso and the rocks. "I was trying to surprise you."

  "I thought you were a crocodile."

  He laughed again. "How? I wasn't biting you. Although, if that's what you're into, I can arrange that."

  His words made me shiver. "I thought I was having one of those experiences where you don't feel the pain because your body knows it needs to get out of danger. You know, like when moms can lift cars off their kids."

  "Well, I'll certainly have a few bruises from you trying to beat me up."

  I didn't react to his jokes. I was having a hard time calming down. "I thought I was going to die." I clutched onto his strong shoulders. He was right. I was safe. Nothing could happen to me when I was being protected by someone so strong. I let my hands slide down to his biceps. It was like my hands had a mind of their own.

  "Your heart's beating so fast."

  "Because you scared me."

  "I don't think that's why." His face was so close to mine. I could feel his warm breath. The smell of mint and coconuts mixed with the sunscreen I had put on him was intoxicating.

  I didn't want my mind to catch up to my body and tell me no. For one second I wanted to give into my impulses. I wanted him. Oh God, did I want him.

  Before I could lean closer to him, his lips landed on mine, easily parting them with his tongue. If his smell was intoxicating, there were no words to describe the taste of him. All I wanted was more. My hands wandered to the back of his neck as he pressed his body more firmly against mine.

  I moaned into his mouth as I felt his erection press against me. My legs instinctively wrapped around his hips. One of his hands slipped to my ass as the other trailed down my back. I felt his fingers tug on the string of my bikini.

  My mind had finally caught up. I put my hand on his chest and gripped his hair in my hand, pulling away from his kiss. That wonderful, wonderful kiss. My fingers tugging on his shaggy hair made me even hornier. Be sensible. I immediately released his hair. "I don't do one night stands. I can't do this."

  "Daphne, I'm not planning on having you only once." His voice was low and husky. I could hear the desire just as much as I could feel it pressing against me. He felt so big. I wanted to reach down and touch him. I wanted to wrap my fingers around his erection and hear him groan my name.

  I swallowed hard. "But how long are you even here?" Please be for a week like me. Please. I could rationalize a week. It was so much harder to rationalize one night.

  He kissed the side of my neck, making me moan again. My body was betraying me. "Until tomorrow night," he whispered in my ear.

  Tomorrow night. He was only here for one more day? And then he went back to wherever he was from. I'd never see him again. I couldn't do this. I'd get attached. I'd want more. He'd leave me. I let my thighs fall from around his waist. "I can't."

  Chapter 16

  Rob

  She can't? The way she was kissing me screamed that she could. That she wanted to. She didn't move away from me. She stayed pressed against my throbbing erection, teasing me. I wanted to push her bikini bottom to the side and show her just how much she could. Over and over again.

  I wanted to feel how wet she was for me. I wanted to taste her sweet pussy. I wanted to show her just what it meant to let go, to truly live. She needed me. She needed me and she didn't know it.

  "Then what was that kiss?" My words betrayed me. They sounded eager. She was going to think I needed her instead of the other way around. But she had enjoyed that kiss just as much as me. She was a second away from initiating it before I had.

  Her voice squeaked slightly as she swallowed. She cleared her throat.

  I wish I could see her face in the darkness. I wanted to be able to see what she was feeling. Because how could she not be mirroring my own emotions? How could she not feel this heat between us?

  "I don't even know where you're from. I only know your last name because Kristen has a crush on your brother. And you're going to leave tomorrow night and I'll never hear from you again. I can't do something like that. It's too casual for me. I need more than that. I need something tangible. Something real. Something stable."

  There was something desperate in her voice. I couldn't tell if she was fighting her own thoughts or if she truly needed stability in her life. I couldn't imagine that she needed that. She seemed so centered. So grounded. So sure in her ways. But here she was, telling me that wasn't true. She needed something to hold onto. Right now she was holding onto me. And I liked that feeling. I liked the feeling of her hands on me. "I live in Newark."

  "Still?" She immediately coughed. "I mean, do you really? It's a shame we never ran into each other. I went to school at the University of New Castle with Alina and Kristen."

  "I know." I hadn't meant for that to slip out. She was going to think I was stalking her. I wasn't. I just noticed her. She was hard not to notice. And she had said "still." She had known I lived on campus. Had she notice me too?

  "How did you know that?" she asked.

  "I saw you around campus."

  "Why didn't you introduce yourself?"

  "You were always studying. I would have just gotten in your way." Again, too honest. But she said she wanted something real. I found it easy to tell the truth around her. To tell her whatever she wanted to know.

  "Did you go to school there too?"

  "No, I moved in with James and then ended up staying when he went to New York with Penny."

  "Where did you go to school then?"

  "Harvard. Like everyone else in my family." I couldn't hide the resentment in my voice. I had wanted to take a few years off to travel, but my father forced me to go. So much good that had done him. I hadn't had a real job since graduation. I had been traveling ever since. Maybe I'd never stop. Unlike Daphne, stability didn't appeal to me that much.

  I was surprised when I felt her hand brush the side of my face. It dipped behind my back and rested against the base of my neck. She felt comfortable around me. Why else would she be holding onto me?

  "I would have loved to go to Harvard. I got in. But I almost got a full ride to the University of New Castle. I couldn't turn down that scholarship. Not when I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I would have had to pay off those loans for the rest of my life. I regret that sometimes. Being so worried about the future."

  For some reason I felt the need to comfort her. To tell her she hadn't made a mistake. Because maybe we would have never met if it wasn't for that decision. But that's not what came out of my mouth. Instead, I said, "The University of New Castle's campus is actually prettier. And the people are nicer."

  "They weren't nice to your brother."

  "No. I guess they weren't." I felt guilty sometimes for staying. Like I was being a traitor, staying in the place that had shit all over him and Penny. But I couldn't seem to move. I couldn't go back to New York. There wasn't anything there for me. There wasn't anything for me in Newark either though. "You moved away from Newark, right?" I knew that she probably graduated last year, because I hadn't seen her since last spring. I was an observant guy.

  "Yeah. I guess you could say that I needed a change. New York City seemed like a glamorous choice. I'm teaching at a school in Manhattan."

  "My family is from New York. But I chose to keep my distance."

  "Why?"

  Why? Because I hate my parents? Because I'm jealous of James? Because I worry about him? Distance doesn't
change those things. Maybe it makes it harder. "I need to figure some stuff out on my own."

  "I'm still figuring stuff out too." She laughed in the darkness. But it wasn't like her laughs from earlier. There was something sad in it. I wanted to know what it was.

  I thought I'd surprise her here. I thought she'd find the gesture grand and romantic. And I'd get to finally have her. Instead, I had got beaten up. She knew how to take a fucking swing. The girl had an impressive right hook. And she hadn't just physically assaulted me. She was making me think about things I didn't want to think about. Things I avoided thinking about. And now my insides were twisting in knots. Am I avoiding my family? Am I hiding in Newark? I prided myself on truly living. Maybe I wasn't living at all.

  "So, you live in Newark and I live in New York. See? It would just be this one night."

  One night isn't enough. "I come to New York all the time to bother James and Penny. I'm sure I could bother one more person on my trips."

  "I like plans and structure. I wouldn't be able to handle you just showing up for booty calls or whatever you'd call them. That's not what I'm looking for. At all."

  Me either. I wanted her to want me. Not just for a night. I wanted to be wanted. I wanted to be needed. No one really needed me. I had my family and my friends but it wasn't the same. I wanted someone to look at me the way Penny looked at James. Maybe I needed something real. Maybe I needed a change. I was sick of sleeping around. I wanted a little of that structure that she was apparently so into.

  "So, how long term are we talking about?" I asked. What the fuck did I just say?

  She laughed. A real one this time. The sadness was suddenly gone. What I had just asked was ridiculous, but why did she find it so humorous? I could do long term. If I made a decision I could stick to it. Now I just wanted to prove her wrong.

  "I can't handle you," she said and lightly touched the center of my chest. "And I don't think you could handle me either."

  "Baby, I can definitely handle you."

  "I don't think so."

  "Is that a challenge?"

  She laughed.

  "Challenge accepted."

  "It's not a challenge."

  "Mhm. Well, either way, how about we just see how this weekend goes?" If she was scared of the label of a one night stand, then I'd take that off the table. It could be more. At least a few nights. Just not one. "Like I said, I'm in New York all the time. Probably as much as I'm in Newark."

  "I'm not having sex with you this weekend, Rob Hunter."

  Yes you will. "Fine. Just kissing."

  She laughed. "I think I should swim away and we should never see each other again."

  I didn't like that thought at all. And there was something in her voice that made it seem like she didn't like the idea either. Like she almost said it as a question, wondering what I was thinking. "That's going to be hard. We already have plans tonight."

  "We can cancel them."

  "I'm sure your friend would be terribly disappointed if she didn't get to hang out with my brother tonight."

  "Don't encourage that. Kristen is impossible. Actually, you two kind of have that in common. Maybe you should be hitting on her."

  God this girl was stubborn. I just wanted to shake her. She could feel this heat. She said she wanted something tangible and I could feel this chemistry. It couldn't just be me. "What are you so scared of?"

  "I'm not scared."

  "Look. Here's the deal. I refuse to leave you alone for the rest of the time we're here. I refuse to let someone else remove your bracelets. I don't think you even realize how R-rated the cards get. And I can't not kiss you when I'm next to you. So you'll have to let me do that too. Okay? No one night stand. No sex." I cringed saying it allowed. All I wanted was to fuck her. "Just really borderline inappropriate make out sessions. We're going to see where the weekend takes us. We'll go from there. Deal?"

  "Why is everything a negotiation to you? I feel like all I've done since we've met is make deals that always seem to sway in your favor..."

  I silenced her complaint with a kiss. I was done talking. So what if I told her I wasn't going to put sex on the table? It just meant I'd have to get her to beg for it instead. And she wouldn't have to beg for long before I said yes. I grabbed her ass, lifting her legs around me again. If she didn't feel this electricity, I'd make her feel it. I'd make her feel it until she couldn't stand it. Until it shattered her. Until she opened her legs and guided my cock deep inside of her.

  And she never had to worry about it being a onetime thing anyway. I fully intended to fuck her over and over and over again. Especially now that she was making me work for it. Torturing me, teasing me. I needed to forget about the envious feeling in my chest. I just wanted to forget everything that talking to her made me think about. And if her pussy was as sweet and her lips, I'd be able to forget. Even if just for awhile. Help me forget.

  I ran my fingers through her long hair, gripping the tendrils and pulling her head back, exposing the flesh of her neck. I wasn't a crocodile, but I certainly had the urge to leave a mark on her.

  Chapter 17

  Daphne

  Oh God, what am I doing? But even as I thought it, my fingers just gripped his shoulders tighter. He gently kissed my neck, his tongue tracing my skin. And all I could think about was how amazing that tongue would feel between my thighs. He had taken sex off the table and now I wanted it more than ever.

  My friends were swimming just on the other side of the waterfall, but I was seconds away from begging him for more. How could he be doing this to me? How could I have this reaction to him?

  He was right, I was scared. I was so scared of him. Why was this fear so damn intriguing? It was like opening Pandora's box. He was going to ruin me. And a part of me wanted him to ruin me.

  I spread my thighs a little farther apart. My body was uncontrollable. I was pretty sure I was losing my mind. I was definitely losing my last ounce of restraint.

  And it wasn't just physical. I liked talking to him. There were so many layers that he seemed to be hiding. I wanted to know more. I wanted to know everything. Oh God. I moaned as his lips moved to my collarbone.

  "Whoa," Kristen said. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

  Rob laughed. His warm breath against my skin made me tingle. "That's okay," he said. "I'm just trying to prove to your friend that she wants to do more than just kiss me."

  "Oh, she definitely wants more," Kristen said.

  "Kristen!" I hissed. "That's not true."

  Rob let go of my waist and my feet sunk to the muddy bottom. It felt like my heart sunk too. Had I just hurt his feelings by denying that I wanted more? And not just denying, but lying about it. I rolled my eyes at myself. Why do I even care if I hurt his feelings? Absolutely nothing is going to happen between us.

  "Of course not, Momma Bear. Our tour guide said he has a schedule to keep. But if you'd like to stay with Rob..."

  "Momma bear?" Rob said with a laugh.

  I was so glad I couldn't see his face. Was he going to call me that now too? I was mortified. "It's a long story," I mumbled. "And no, I'm coming with you guys." I started to swim away from both of them.

  "I'll see you tonight," Rob said from behind me. "Try not to run into any crocodiles on the way back!" His voice disappeared as I swam underneath the waterfall.

  ***

  I ran my hand through the fog on the bathroom mirror and stared at my reflection. My thoughts had been consumed by Rob the rest of the afternoon. I couldn't explain it. I couldn't stop thinking about him when I told myself I should. And I still couldn't believe that he had noticed me. Not just here, but back on campus. He remembered me reading in the grass. Of course I had wanted to talk to him back then, but I wasn't in a good place. I had sat there reading every afternoon to escape. Maybe I had been focusing on the wrong thing, though. Maybe he could help me escape.

  I sighed and stared at my reflection. I was pretty in a high school teacher kind of way. I wasn't beautiful. It
was unnerving that Rob kept calling me that. It wasn't that I wasn't confident. I was. I took care of myself. I was independent. I had my shit together. Kind of.

  So why can't I stop thinking about Rob? I looked away from the mirror and twisted my hair into a bun to dry. There was no use combating the Costa Rican humidity. Loose waves were the only style this climate could handle.

  I was the last one to take a shower, which meant my friends would all be ready and eager to go. I quickly applied some foundation, eyeliner, and mascara before leaving the bathroom to find out what they were going to force me to wear tonight.

  "No," I said when my eyes landed to a dress laid out on the bed.

  Alina laughed. "The green matches your eyes. You're going to look so pretty."

  "I already told Rob I wasn't sleeping with him. This will give him the completely wrong impression."

  "Why did you tell him that?" Layla asked. "We could all see your chemistry."

  "Chemistry? Yeah right," I said. "Guys like him didn't pay attention in school, they were too busy hitting on cheerleaders. He probably flunked chemistry."

  Layla laughed. "I've heard that all the Hunters are geniuses. And I'm pretty sure Rob went to Harvard like all the rest of them."

  "Most likely not from his grades but from his lineage."

  "Harsh."

  I paused in my onslaught. Why was I being like this? I was judging him again before I really knew him. He seemed smart. We easily held a conversation. Why was I trying to prove he wasn't a good guy? Because you like him, you idiot. Because he's leaving tomorrow. Because you can't afford to get attached.

  "Sorry. I'm just...frustrated." There was the understatement of the year. Frustrated that all my friends had found their soul mates? Frustrated that I was falling behind? Frustrated that I couldn't have Rob? Because I wanted him. I really, really wanted him. But it went against every rule I had ever made for myself. I couldn't have him. Not the way that I wanted, which was the only way I knew how.

  "You're just horny," Kristen said. "You need to tap that while you can. Rob Hunter is a catch."