One-Click Buy: September 2010 Harlequin Blaze

by Lori Wilde

  Lain, yes.

  For almost a week, they’d been all over each other. In each other. Enjoyed each other. And every single time, it’d been over-the-top, mind-blowing.

  With one last stoke of the flames, Alex tossed his stick aside and turned to walk toward her. She curled her fingers into her palms to keep from digging them into those broad, sexy muscles and begging.

  Begging him for one more orgasm. For one more night. Or worse, for a promise of a month of orgasm-filled nights.

  In other words, a future.

  “You’ve got a look in your eyes, like you could light the bonfire with just a glare. Where’d you go?” Alex asked in a teasing tone as he dropped to the blanket next to her.

  “Just watching the waves. It feels like magic,” she murmured as she gestured to the water, there just on the other side of the dancing fire. “It seems so busy during the day, the sea. But at night, it’s softer, filled with possibilities.”

  Back home, she’d have slapped her hand over her mouth in horror if such a sappy, romantic statement had crossed her lips. But here? With Alex? It felt right. Comfortable. He made her dig deeper, look beneath the surface of their experiences and of herself. And she’d discovered there was a little romance under the veneer she usually showed the world. And since this was her vacation—and her fling—she figured a little romance was a good thing. After all, she’d be packing it up tight and putting it away when she stepped on the plane the day after tomorrow.

  She wasn’t going to worry about leaving, though.

  Not tonight.

  Dru sighed again when Alex pulled her close, his chest warming her back as he wrapped one strong arm over her waist to curl her tight to his body.

  “It is magic, if you believe. All you have to do is make a wish,” he murmured against her skin so she felt his words as much as heard them. Maybe it was that, more than anything, that still made her nervous. She’d spent a week getting naked in almost every position imaginable—at least by her limited imagination—with this man. It was all physical, all day, all night. And yet she could feel his words move through her body, echoing out from her heart all the way to the tips of her toes.

  Her stomach twisted tight with nerves she hadn’t felt since her first surfing lesson and the implicit agreement to have sex with Alex. Dru sucked in a deep breath of the cool night air and admitted to herself that she had a problem. A big one. She didn’t want this to end.

  Alex’s hand curved tighter around her waist, his breath warming the back of her neck as he nibbled to get her attention.

  “What would you wish for, Drucilla?”

  Him.

  Her heart tripped right over itself at the idea.

  Crazy. He wouldn’t fit into her real world. Of course, her vacationing, fling-loving self wouldn’t fit into her real world, either.

  “Success,” she finally answered, breaking their ban on discussing real life. It was that or the love stuff. This was obviously the lesser of the two evils. “I want to be the best I can, to do the most I can, and to be rewarded for what I do.”

  He tensed, just a little, against her back. Oh, God, she should have gone with the painful emotional admission. Dru winced, hoping like mad that he wouldn’t try to pick up the real-life-discussion thread.

  “Who decides if you’re a success, though?” he asked. She didn’t know if he’d sensed her tension or if he was just not interested in details. Either way, she was so grateful he didn’t ask for details about what she did for a living.

  “My peers,” she answered, relaxing again. Peers and coworkers at Trifecta, whom she’d known longer than anyone but her mother. People who’d want her to stick around. Who’d value her input. Who’d look at her and see success, not the new girl who never wore the right clothes or said the right thing.

  “Ever heard of the perils of peer pressure?” he teased.

  “I’m intimately familiar with the concept,” she said with a snicker, just a little self-mocking.

  “Don’t you think you’re motivated enough to push yourself to whatever level you want, without kowtowing to the judgment of others?”

  Dru started to turn, ready to spill the details of each and every work-related issue and success challenge. Then she caught herself and shook her head. No. No way. Alex thought of her as a sexy beach babe, which was a major thrill. The last thing she wanted to see on that gorgeous face was a squinty stare as he tried to imagine her as a wussy scientist. Or worse, an unsuccessful wussy scientist.

  “Self-motivation is good,” she said instead. “But unless success is measurable and validated, it’s better termed self-satisfaction than success, isn’t it?”

  She shot him a teasing look over her shoulder as she trailed her fingers down the hard planes of his thigh where it pressed against hers. “There are a lot of things we can do by—and for—ourselves, but isn’t it always more fun, and more satisfying, to do it with someone else?”

  It wasn’t just his grin that let her know he appreciated her double entendre. It was the way he took it as a hint, sliding a finger up the length of her thigh before tracing it along the elastic edge of her bikini bottoms.

  Damp heat between her legs, tingling need puckering her nipples. Dru had just had a star-splashed, mind-bending orgasm not more than a half hour before, and here she was, winding right up for another one.

  “But if you depend on others as judges, you’re subject to their biases, don’t you think?” Alex said, his words mellow and calm. As if his stiffening erection wasn’t spearing her in the small of the back.

  “Listening to others, even with their biases, isn’t a bad thing,” she replied, so focused on his fingers, she was barely aware of what she was saying. Or that she’d slipped into scientistspeak. “All tests need parameters. Why wouldn’t testing one’s success be the same? A control that guarantees the results are realistic, are measurable.”

  “That sounds…safe.” He said safe in the same tone she imagined he said boring, blah and bland.

  And that was exactly what he’d think of the real her, she surmised with a frown.

  “Success without safety is a flash in the pan,” she pointed out, her tone snippier than she’d intended. Nothing to rip a gal back from a building climax faster than feeling defensive. “It’s a fast thrill, but once it’s over, you’re stuck having to start again.”

  Dru forced herself to relax. After all, she wasn’t looking to bring Alex into her real world. He was a fling, a boy toy. As long as she kept that in mind, she could enjoy what they had. Fighting back tears, she watched the fire flare, sending sparks harmlessly over the sandy ground.

  “I’ll stick with secure success,” she finally said as calmly as possible. “What about you? What’s your ambition?”

  “To follow my bliss,” he teased.

  She rolled her eyes.

  “To know I’ve done my best,” he finally said, his words slow and contemplative as he shifted his gaze to the dark waves, “to stay true to myself while making a positive impact in the world. And to have as much fun along the way as I can.”

  Even though she knew he was only a few years younger than she was, Dru suddenly felt ancient. His words seemed naïve and unrealistic. But his idealism tugged at her heart in a way that worried her.

  Still, she’d wanted a sexual adventure. If she had to pay for the adventure with a small piece of her heart, well, she was a big girl. She’d live with it.

  Somehow.

  Swallowing hard against the unreasonable need for more, Dru watched the black waves wash a gentle dance over the wet sand. Day or night, the waves pulsed.

  She told herself to hold tight to that fragile thread of peaceful acceptance. And yet…

  “Do you miss it when you leave?” she asked quietly. She didn’t have to specify what she meant. As usual, Alex didn’t need it spelled out. Instead he lifted his head from his erotic exploration of the side of her throat to look out over the black, moon-drenched sea.

  “I’m never away for lo
ng,” he replied. “And I always come back.”

  And she wouldn’t be coming back at all. As she stared out at the water, Dru admitted to herself that she’d been harboring a tiny hope that maybe they’d meet up here in a few months. Or next summer. Or, well, sometime.

  But that’d ruin things. The romance Alex had encouraged her to open herself up to would lose its glow.

  No, better to accept that this was it. She wouldn’t be coming back.

  A part of her wished she could stay longer, then. An insane part, she knew. Even one extra day was an impossible dream. She had responsibilities to get home to. Not only her job, but the mortgage and taxes were due next week on her mom’s house and she had to make sure they were paid.

  Besides, what made this little sexual fantasy work so well was knowing it was just that. A fantasy. One that had solid parameters and a definitive ending.

  Dru blinked fast to clear the unexpected tears from her eyes.

  Stupid.

  And if she was acting stupid, thinking stupid, it was time to reengage her brain. Dru forced herself to consider the possibilities, what few there were. A quick deduction told her the consequences of even one more day in Alex’s company would be too high.

  This was it. Their last night. Their last time.

  So she’d better make it damn good.

  Unwilling to spend any more time wishing for what wasn’t when she had the most incredible reality she’d ever experienced, Dru turned quickly to lie back on the blanket. The move unbalanced Alex, who fell across her with a laugh. He caught himself on his elbows and grinned down at her. His smile, just this side of wicked, sent a shaft of desire through Dru’s body.

  “I want you,” she said as she pulled his mouth down to hers. Always a good student, a week of studying his reactions had taught her exactly what he liked. And how he liked it. Her lips melted against his, silky warm and welcoming before she lured his tongue into her mouth. When he gave a low moan, she made a soft sucking action, and at the same time she pressed her hips, covered only in a bikini, against his thigh.

  His moan turned guttural.

  “Let me deal with the fire and we’ll go back to your bungalow,” he murmured as he used that magic mouth to drive her crazy. He traced the string of her bikini from her collarbone down to where it met the skimpy triangle of fabric covering her aching breasts. His breath, hot and damp, sent shivers of desire over her flesh.

  She wanted him, more now than ever. But she couldn’t take him back to her room. If she did, she wouldn’t be able to leave.

  “No, here,” she said adamantly. If she couldn’t have more, she’d enjoy the hell out of what she had now. She’d have one more wild fantasy to remember. “Here and now.”

  His grin fell away and those enticing midnight eyes went even darker. This, she promised herself, was how she was going to remember him. A passionate sex god, looking at her as if she was the answer to every orgasmic dream he’d ever had.

  And if that didn’t get her through the rest of her secure and successful life, she didn’t know what would.

  ALEX TRIED to rein in his dick’s exultation at the idea and think straight. But he could barely remember his name, let alone pull in the rampant, sharp-edged desire that was driving through him like a runaway freight train.

  He stared at Drucilla, appreciating all over again the sharp angles and soft textures of her face. The pure romance of her indigo eyes and pale fairy-princess hair. She was a work of art. A work of very sensual, erotic art.

  A work of art who obviously wanted to make a few of his sexier beach fantasies come true.

  He was sure she didn’t realize what she was asking.

  “Drucilla,” he murmured as he leaned down to press a soft, teasing kiss over her full lips. “Someone could see us.”

  “I’ve wanted to make love with you here, on the beach, since our first kiss,” she confessed in a low, husky tone as she trailed one finger over his mouth. Then she arched one brow and traced that same finger down his chin, over his chest to the strained elastic of his bathing trunks.

  Alex was pretty sure this was what heaven felt like. Pure fantasy, wrapped in delicious female warmth, with an edge of forbidden sexual need.

  Then her finger slipped under the elastic, teasing a soft design over the quivering tip of his erection. And Alex’s brain shut off. Fantasies, arguments, even finesse all went flying into the wind. Elbows digging into the sand, he tunneled his fingers through the sea-tangled strands of her hair and lifted her lips to his.

  He took her mouth in wild need. Teeth, tongue, lips all melded into one intense, orgasmic crash. He had to have her. He needed to hear her cry out his name, feel her convulse around his body.

  After a quick gasp of surprise at the intensity, Drucilla moaned her approval. Sliding her fingers into his swim trunks, she wrapped her long, slender hand over his straining dick. The effect of her night-chilled fingers against his heated flesh sent a zinging flash of need through him. Before he could think twice, he pulled a condom out of the tiny pocket in his swimsuit and let her sheathe him.

  He growled in delight at the feel of her cool fingers, but before he could do more, Drucilla wiggled. Alex groaned, opening his eyes to look at her. Her rounded gaze stared back at him, a question in the indigo depths. Before Alex could figure out what she was asking, let alone answer it, she lifted her chin.

  “I want on top,” she whispered. “I want to ride you like you ride the waves. Power, pleasure and complete control.”

  He gave her a tight grin as he gripped her hips and flipped her over so fast she gasped out a laugh.

  She didn’t bother to pull down her bikini bottoms. Instead, she tugged loose the bow on her hip and black fabric fell away. Alex groaned, reaching down to trace the soft curls she’d exposed.

  Poised over him, she used both hands to tug the elastic down and free his throbbing dick, then with a wicked smile as her only warning, impaled herself in one smooth, wet thrust.

  It took all Alex’s control not to come right then and there. The throbbing heat gathered, pulsed, intensified. He’d only last a few minutes.

  Knowing he had to bring her up fast and furious, he slid the triangular panels of fabric off her breasts, swirling an index finger around each straining nipple, then flicking the hard nubs.

  She gasped, then rotated her hips in a way that tested his control. He plucked at her nipples, then levered himself up to suck one deep into his mouth, teeth and tongue savoring the delicious treat. Her head fell back, soft strands of silken hair tickling his thigh as she moved up, then down. Up again.

  He could feel her muscles quivering, tightening around him. Needing more, he lay back and wrapped his hands over her hips to set a faster, harder rhythm.

  So close.

  Something nagged in the back of his head, a faint warning. Alex shifted, digging his heels into the sand and raising his hips. Drucilla gave a satisfying gasp of pleasure, her head falling back so her hair rained like glistening moonlight over his hands.

  His body climbing higher with every slide of hers, he skimmed his palms along the smooth, bare flesh of her belly to cup her breasts.

  The nagging grew stronger. Alex frowned, his passion-glazed eyes narrowing as he struggled to identify the source.

  Laughter. He turned his head and squinted. The other end of the beach, about a mile down, at the water’s edge. He could just make out a couple strolling along. The wind carried the faint sound of their merriment over the pounding of the surf.

  The bonfire blazed between that couple and the glorious sight of Drucilla poised over his body like a sea goddess. But that didn’t mean the gigglers wouldn’t get an eyeful if they came closer.

  “Drucilla,” he whispered urgently, knowing how easily sound carried on the beach. “We’re not alone.”

  She slowed her undulating ride, but didn’t stop. With a shuddering breath she shook her head as if to clear passion’s fog, then met his eyes. It took a few seconds, glorious seconds since he
r undulations were now tighter, deeper, as she moved in tiny incremental swirls, before his words sunk in.

  He gestured with his chin toward their company. She followed his gaze. He pressed his hands onto the sides of her hips, preparing to help her slide free of the pony ride. But she tightened her thighs, gripping his like a vise.

  “I don’t care,” she whispered back. “They’re all the way at the end of the resort. They can’t see us.”

  Maybe not in detail, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what the silhouette of a woman riding a guy in the firelight meant. Alex didn’t care if they didn’t know exactly who they were, he didn’t want anyone getting off on the idea of Drucilla doing sexy times in public.

  Filled with a surge of what Alex vaguely recognized as some latent protective instinct, he did the only thing he could. Never one to refuse a lady, especially one who was doing such delicious things to his body, he scooped his hands under her shoulders and in a quick roll switched their positions.

  Now she was under him, her legs wrapped around his hips and those glorious blue eyes laughing as she caught her breath.

  Her smile was as exciting as the wet heat of her body as it gripped him. He’d never been as turned on by a woman’s laughter, by her sweetness, as he was with Drucilla.

  He shifted, sliding his still-throbbing erection almost all the way out, then slowly—oh, God, so slowly—back in.

  Her amusement quickly faded, passion clouding her gaze as he moved. Alex reveled in the feel of her wet heat gripping him as he slid in, then out. In, then out. His movements in time with the sea’s song, he gradually increased the tempo. Her breath quickened, the movement pressing her breasts tighter to his chest. He could feel the fiery prickle of heat where her nipples, still bared from earlier, stabbed into his skin.

  Urging him, enticing him. Testing his control.

  Control Alex was determined to hold on to. Not only to keep their pleasure private, but to drive Drucilla crazy. To give her the most incredible experience. One that she’d never forget. Just as he never wanted her to forget him, he realized as he shifted, sinking deeper with every thrust.