by Croix, J. H.
Time passed in a blur. Clothes were torn off and tossed on the floor. Risa found herself standing in front of Darren, his hands curled around her hips. She looked down into his molten chocolate gaze and almost had to look away at the bare want in the depths. He held her eyes as he slowly slid a palm down, angling across her hips through the dark curls at the apex of her thighs and into her wet folds. His thumb barely grazed across the nub of her desire, the soft touch eliciting a whimper. His other palm angled down and applied subtle pressure to open her legs. Vulnerability arced through her.
“Darren…”
His name came out in a rasp.
His brown eyes held hers.
“What are you doing?”
“Don’t be afraid.”
It was his eyes, not his words, that eased her fear—fear of being too exposed, too out of control.
“This…is what I’m doing.”
His eyes broke away from her as he leaned forward and brought his mouth against her. She was lost. His tongue explored her folds with slow, unerring precision. Searing heart suffused her as he coaxed her closer and closer to a peak. His tongue dipped into her channel, his fingers following, establishing a steady rhythm. Fevered want pulsed through her until she flew apart, her climax ripping through her with such force that her knees buckled.
Darren’s strong arms caught her as she fell against him. He swung her in his arms, easily lifting her. Still stunned from the single most powerful orgasm she’d ever experienced, her eyes met his, colliding with his intense gaze. She sensed he was barely holding himself together.
“Bed?” he asked, his voice gruff.
She weakly gestured to the short hallway. He maneuvered down the hall, turning into the door to her room when she nudged him with her shoulder. She’d left a lamp on earlier. The room was cast in soft light. He laid her carefully on the bed. For a moment, she got to take in the sight of him. She’d known he was built the day she saw him walk to her through the trees while she waited in her wrecked car. But she couldn’t have imagined how glorious he would be naked. His skin was a burnished gold, every inch of him was lean muscle. He must have grabbed a condom out of his jeans before he carried her down the hall because he tore a packet open and rolled the condom on swiftly.
Darren paused to look at her, his eyes dark as they coasted over her body. She’d never felt so desired in her life—the intensity of his gaze set her pulse fluttering and moisture building again. Despite just having a mind-blowing orgasm moments ago, all she wanted was the feel of him inside of her. He moved fluidly, suddenly beside her on the bed, his heat and hardness surrounding her. His palm caressed from her shoulder, down along the curve of her breast to her hip—the rough skin skittering sparks in its wake.
Her breath caught and his eyes met hers. Without breaking his gaze, he slowly shifted his weight onto her, bracketing her face with his elbows. Her knees fell apart, and she almost came at the feel of his cock resting at her entrance. She shifted restlessly under him. He barely shifted his hips, the tip of his shaft teasing her. He did this repeatedly until she was thrashing under him, his name coming in gasps. He suddenly drove deep. He was big, stretching her, the sensation of fullness so deep and satisfying she groaned in relief.
Long strokes began, his pace steady and measured. Her desperation built as she danced along the delicious edge of another climax. When she came, it whipped through her. He finally let go of his relentless pace and surged wildly one last time, the pulses of his orgasm rippling through her.
Darren fell against her, shifting his weight to the side. Their breath echoed in the quiet room. Risa laid still, reverberations of pleasure pinging through her body. He eventually moved, sliding out of her. He got up briefly, returning to her side after stepping into the bathroom adjacent to her bedroom. Relaxed and sated, she watched him walk back to the bed, savoring the view. He met her eyes when he reached the bed, arching a brow and lifting the edge of the covers.
She wiggled out of the way while he swiftly tugged her quilt over them. He rolled against her, curling around her. She had a passing thought that she couldn’t believe she felt so cherished before she fell into a deep sleep.
***
Darren woke the next morning to the sound of the shower. He stretched and threw the covers off his body. He wondered whether it would be okay to join Risa in the shower because that was most definitely what he wanted to do. Which startled him. The depth of his comfort level with her was…like nothing he’d ever experienced. As such, it gave him pause. As he hesitated at the open door to the bathroom, he was saved from his thoughts when the water stopped running—prompting instant disappointment for him. The thought of running his hands over her luscious curves with water running all over them, well that was just delicious.
Risa stepped out of the shower and quickly wrapped a towel around her. She didn’t appear to have noticed he stood by the door until he took a step. Her eyes flew up.
“Morning,” he said gruffly.
She grabbed another towel and briskly rubbed her wet hair. “Good morning.”
He wasn’t quite sure how to read her, but she was reserved, so he elected to keep it light. “Mind if I hop in the shower before I go?”
She shook her head and slipped by him, gesturing to the shower.
After a quick shower on the cool side to tamp down the desire that surged the moment he’d met her eyes again, he dressed and walked down the hall to find her in the kitchen. She wore jeans that hugged her curves with a flowing blue blouse tied in the front just above her breasts. He had to force his eyes away from the delectable curves of her breasts above the top of her blouse.
She spoke quickly. “I’ll be in Diamond Creek in a few days. Will I be able to see you?”
Darren wasn’t sure what he’d expected from her, but her businesslike tone and guarded eyes didn’t match her question. He decided to ignore her mixed signals and stepped in front of her, lifting a hand and tucking a damp strand of hair behind her ear.
“You can absolutely see me, but only if we don’t pretend last night wasn’t mind-blowing.”
Her rich brown eyes widened, a flash of vulnerability darting through them. She lifted her chin slightly. “Okay,” she replied, the word coming out with a soft sigh.
He decided that was enough. He dropped a soft kiss on her lips, resisting the urge to kiss her senseless and stepped away. “Call me,” he said before turning to leave.
Just before he closed the door, he heard his name. He leaned his head around the door.
Risa’s smile was like the sun coming out. “Last night was amazing.”
Chapter 9
Risa spent the next few days in a flurry of planning with Ethan and Jack. They already had a well-formed business plan, having owned galleries in Seattle and Anchorage. She was tasked with the logistics, the most immediate issue for her to identify a location, preferably for them to buy. Ethan peppered hints about Darren in every interaction they had, leaving Jack to roll his eyes and assure Risa that they hadn’t planned this gallery for the sole purpose of allowing Ethan to try to set her up with Darren.
It was a mere day before she was to leave for Diamond Creek, and Risa had been working almost non-stop since her evening with Darren. Her mind, or more accurately her body, kept reliving that night with him. Though the anticipation of seeing him again was almost unbearable, she was frantic to reel her hopes and dreams in. When she’d dubbed him sexy-cop the day he walked to her car in the trees, she’d known he was amazing to look at and the chemistry between them was so strong it threw her. Yet she hadn’t been prepared for the intensity of actually being with him.
Until him, she considered herself in control with men. That was how she liked it. Not how you liked it, how you could handle it. Her mind just had to snidely point that out. Sad to say, control or not, she rarely came away satisfied from her encounters. Orgasms with men were comparable to mystical unicorns. It was another matter if she used one of her trusty toys.
But with Darren…she’d been swept away, literally. Her plans to be bold and in control had dissolved under the force of the sheer madness he elicited.
All of this disoriented her. After her latest fail when it came to relationships, she wasn’t feeling too confident about trying again. To be swept off her feet, to have her body scale heights she’d never thought possible in less than an hour, well that amped her hesitation up. And yet, she couldn’t even contemplate not seeing him again. She could hardly keep him out of her thoughts and was deep into a daydream about him when she heard her name. She was in the back of the gallery, checking the end of day figures. They were near closing time.
Glancing up, she saw her former friend Gretchen walking toward her. Risa had only seen her a few times since the fiasco of finding out Gretchen had been seeing Brad on the side for most of Risa’s relationship with him. What had hurt so much was that she’d confided in Gretchen about her insecurities about relationships, how she felt like the only person in her family who could never quite measure up. A feeling made worse by the fact that her family was nothing but supportive. It was just that whenever she looked at their lives and hers, well hers was kind of messy and slapped together. Her penchant for travel and not quite figuring out what to do with herself had her drifting until she’d met Ethan in her painting group and he’d offered her this job. Running the gallery made her feel competent and allowed her to immerse herself in the art she loved so much.
Gretchen strode toward her without hesitation. Risa looked her over. Gretchen was lovely, tall and slender with blue eyes and straight blonde hair that fell in a cascade to her waist. She dressed classically, usually in dress suits. Risa had often thought she seemed out of place in Alaska—too formal, too conservative. But she had an eye for art and enjoyed painting, which is how they’d become friends. Bitterness welled in Risa’s chest. Gretchen’s actions hurt more than Brad’s. Risa had believed her to be a friend.
Gretchen came to a stop on the opposite side of the glass case that doubled as a counter. “Hi,” she said simply.
Risa schooled her expression to blank and waited. Silence loomed between them. Gretchen shifted her weight from one hip to the other. She sighed elaborately.
“Risa, don’t you think it’s time to move on?”
“I have moved on.”
“No, you haven’t. We were friends long before Brad ever dated you. Why would you sacrifice our friendship over him?” Gretchen asked, her tone laced with annoyance.
Risa couldn’t hold her silence any longer. “I didn’t sacrifice our friendship over him. You did. I never would have done to you what you did to me. That’s not what friends do. Next time your friend’s boyfriend hits on you, you turn him down no matter how tempting it is and immediately tell your friend that her boyfriend’s a loser. I do need to thank you for illuminating what an asshole Brad was, but I no longer consider you a friend.”
Risa was furious and had to struggle to keep her composure though it was satisfying to call Gretchen out. She wasn’t about to allow herself fall apart in front of Gretchen. She had moved on in the sense that she didn’t have any lingering feelings for Brad. But the situation stung. It hurt like hell to learn she’d been such a fool. She wondered why Gretchen was coming to her now. It had been months and months. Last Risa had heard, Gretchen and Brad had moved in together. Much as she would have liked to avoid both of them, the world of art was small in Alaska and their circles bumped against each other.
“Why are you here, Gretchen?”
Gretchen’s mouth tightened and subtle flush crested her cheeks. “I lost my job at Lupine Gallery. I know why you wouldn’t want to help, but I thought maybe you might be willing to give me a reference,” she said baldly.
Risa’s mouth fell open. The sheer gall of Gretchen blew her mind. “What?”
Gretchen lifted her chin, flushing more deeply. “Look, I apologized about what happened. I get that we won’t be friends again, but you know how well I know art. I need a good reference to get in some of the local galleries. You painted with me for years and worked with me on a number of local events. It’s not crazy for me to ask.”
Risa shook her head abruptly. Though Gretchen had a point, she also had plenty of other people to ask. “I’m afraid you’ll have to ask someone else.”
Ethan came out from the door behind the counter that led to the offices and storage. Gretchen ignored him. “You’re not welcome here,” he said flatly, walking around the display case to her side.
Gretchen held Risa’s gaze for another moment before her eyes dropped and she turned away. Ethan silently escorted her outside, quickly returning.
“What did she want?” he asked, coming to Risa’s side.
Risa looked at Ethan and couldn’t help but smile. His usually warm blue eyes were angry, his gaze protective. She considered how she felt after Gretchen’s ridiculous request and clumsy attempt to gloss over what her actions had done to their friendship. She felt strangely okay. Her anger had dissipated in the clarity of the situation. Gretchen represented all that she didn’t want to be.
“I’m fine,” she said firmly.
Ethan gave her a confused look. “I’m glad you’re fine, but what does that have to do with what she wanted?”
Risa burst out laughing. “You’re not going to believe what she wanted. First, she wanted us to be friends again, or so she said…”
Ethan interrupted. “Oh my God! How dare she!”
Risa put her hand on his arm. “Oh, it gets better. I don’t think she really wanted to be friends again. What she wanted was to ask me to be a reference for her. She lost her job at Lupine Gallery and is scrounging around for references. Don’t worry, I said no. And you know, I’m glad she stopped by.”
Ethan eyebrows almost flew off his forehead as he kept shaking his head. “I cannot believe her. The nerve!” He paused and glanced sideways at her. “You’re glad she stopped by?”
Risa nodded. “At first, I wasn’t. But it was very…illuminating. She made me realize I have moved on, and that’s a good thing.”
Ethan stared at her and finally shrugged. “Okay then. I’m glad to hear it. Meanwhile, I’ll do my best to make sure no one hires her.”
***
Risa walked along the boardwalk that connected a run of buildings on a beach in view of Otter Cove Harbor. Ethan and Jack had given her a list of places they’d researched online. They wanted her to check them out before contacting realtors. She’d visited three locations thus far, all striking out in her estimation. This place was last on their list. Several stretches of oceanfront property in Diamond Creek were prime retail locations with clusters of buildings along boardwalks. There was a mix of arts, clothing, sporting goods and restaurants ranging from basic to high-end, all enjoying an amazing view that drew tourists from all over the world.
She paused in front of an art gallery with a For Sale sign on the building. Ethan and Jack had conferred with the owner about purchasing the business and building with the intent to gradually shape the gallery to their preferences. She stepped inside, immediately into a cluster of shoppers. A quick look around let her know the location would be ideal though the current owners certainly didn’t share Ethan and Jack’s taste in art. They appeared to have focused too exclusively on kitschy items, which held their own unique appeal, but could rarely bring in enough to keep a business afloat.
Risa meandered through the gallery before making her way back outside. She followed the boardwalk to the beach. Kachemak Bay spilled out in front of her, mountains rising tall across the bay, glaciers glowing that other-worldly blue in the valleys, and Mount Augustine, the volcano that sat sentry in the distance, anchoring the view. A salty breeze ruffled the water, and boats moved in and out of the harbor. An eagle sat on a piece of driftwood nearby, its gaze trained on the water. As she began walking along the edge of the water, a pair of seals surfaced, watching her curiously. She considered that if she moved here, she’d be able to walk along this beach whenever she wante
d. She kept walking, collecting a few rocks as she did, pausing to place a starfish left behind by the tide back in the water.
When she returned to her car, for the first time in too long, her mind was quiet. The beach did that to her. She quickly texted Ethan and Jack to tell them this place had definite potential. They would be down for a follow up visit with the realtor in the next few days. She began to pull out of the parking lot as an approaching vehicle was turning in. She thought they were going a little too fast and jumped at the sound of squealing tires. With an abrupt thump, the car skidded against hers. Her car swayed underneath her, and she slammed on the brakes.
“Dammit! I just got this car two days ago,” Risa said to no one. She’d finally decided on a used car to replace the vehicle totaled in her last visit to Diamond Creek. She put her car in park and got out.
If the driver of the other car were over the age of twenty, she’d be amazed. The driver was a young man, all arms and legs. She could hear whom she presumed to be his mother exclaiming that he hadn’t been paying attention. Annoyed as Risa was, one look at the boy and she felt bad for him.
He slowly climbed out, his face bright red. “I’m sorry. I think I didn’t slow down enough when I turned,” he said.
The woman with him came around the car. They shared matching blonde hair and blue eyes. “I’m so sorry. Eric is still getting used to driving. He has a serious lead foot and won’t slow down no matter how many times I tell him to be careful.” She glanced to Eric with a shake of her head. “I’m Shannon, by the way. Let me get our insurance information.” She scurried back around the car and began rummaging through the glove compartment.