by Thea Devine
Joel’s words might be casual, but his tone, the look in his eyes and the tension that clutched his body, wasn’t. He obviously didn’t like seeing her with another man, and that warmed something deep inside of her.
“Joel, he touched my hand accidentally when he was reaching for the bill, and the kiss was innocent. That was the sum total of our contact all day, except for dancing. Really, that was it,” she said softly, coaxing him to listen, to believe.
Why would Joel be so suspicious? He’d said he was divorced, and she figured that didn’t help—obviously his previous relationships hadn’t gone well, but she didn’t care to be measured by the yardstick of women he’d known before.
She continued, “I’m not saying more wouldn’t have happened if I’d wanted it to, but I didn’t want it to. I don’t go around dropping into bed with every man who happens to ask.”
“He asked?” Joel’s eyes narrowed, his lips tightening.
She stepped closer, wanting contact, wanting to reassure him, and following her instincts.
“Yeah, he did. But I think he knew what my answer would be—it was pretty clear my mind was elsewhere for the rest of the day after you made your appearance. I wish you’d come to join us. I missed you,” she admitted, hoping she wasn’t crossing a line, but Joel had a right to his emotions, and she had a right to hers. He wanted honesty, so she was giving it to him. “I came back early because I wanted to spend some time with you on my birthday. Maybe dance?”
She touched his chest tentatively, laying her hand over the spot where his heart was beating hard, even if he was trying to deny his response to her. He sucked in a breath as she resumed her exploration, clamping his hand over hers, looking down at her intently.
“I wanted to throw him over the side of that pretty little deck when I saw him touch you—so I left,” he said, the admission seeming to erupt, and the confusion she saw in his eyes alongside the passion made her step in closer. She framed his face with her hands.
“I know. I saw. You have any idea why?”
“Yeah. I don’t like sharing. Even if it’s for a short time, even though it’s temporary, while you’re here, you’re with me.”
She rubbed a thumb over his lips, simultaneously thrilled and disappointed at his declaration. She liked the idea of being his, though not just temporarily.
That wasn’t fair. Joel wasn’t in a place for commitments, but for the moment, she was his. Wanted to be his, couldn’t help being his. Whatever came after would have to take care of itself. She swallowed her disappointment, concentrating on the moment, since it was what they had.
“You should have said so, then,” she said huskily.
“I’m saying so now.” He caressed her cheek with the pad of his thumb in a gesture more tender than she’d experienced from him so far. There was more than sex in his touch, and she wondered if he knew it. “I wish I’d danced with you, too.”
She glanced at her watch. “I have an hour left to my birthday. Want to go back to the house and celebrate with me?” She smiled. “We can always put some music on. Have that dance.”
“Yeah. I’d like that.”
She nearly squeaked with happiness as he picked her up in his arms, and strode off the boat, toward the house.
JOEL KNEW he was behaving a little like a caveman picking Edie up and carrying her back to the house, but he wanted her, needed to be with her, inside of her, as soon as possible—to touch her and wipe the thoughts of any other man except for him from her mind. They wouldn’t have made it past the door except that he was covered in sawdust and paint, and he needed a shower. He carried her into the bathroom with him, hoping they’d share.
He loved how her eyes didn’t disguise anything, openly revealing her desire as she let her dress fall to the floor and stepped past him. With Edie, there was no subterfuge, no games. He wouldn’t have believed there was a woman on the planet like her, but he knew as he watched the emotions play over her face that she was the real deal.
He stripped his shorts off and didn’t wait for her to remove hers, pulling her up against him for a deep kiss, breathing in her scent, his hands roaming over all of those fantastic, soft curves until they were both panting with excitement.
“Let’s get this sawdust off you,” she said.
“Couldn’t agree more,” he answered with a chuckle, helping her into the shower with him, never breaking contact.
Warm water sluiced down over their bodies and he took the soap from its ledge, wrapping both of their hands around it as he washed the sweat and sand from his body.
“I want your hands on me, Edie,” he said roughly.
“Happy to oblige,” she said breathlessly.
Her small, smooth hands worked butterfly caresses over his skin, washing away wisps of soap, and she followed her hands with her lips. As she lowered, closing her mouth over his shaft and taking him deep, he moaned, planting one hand on the tile wall for balance, and one in her hair.
The play of her lips over his skin was heaven, and when she raised her hand to cup his balls with her feather-soft fingers, he nearly lost it and tried to pull back, letting her know he was close. He’d been selfish enough today; he wanted to make up for his stupid behavior however he could.
She peeked up at him, her cheeks flushed with passion, her lips wrapped around him as she closed her eyes in bliss and took him even deeper. He wrapped his fingers in wet blond curls, knowing he couldn’t hold on much longer. She seemed intent on making sure of it. He’d wanted to take her, and instead was being taken, thoroughly possessed, by her. And he loved it.
His head spun and the breath whooshed from his body as the rush of release poured through him. He fought the urge to close his eyes, caught instead by the vision of her in front of him, doing for him what no one had ever done quite so lovingly.
As his mind cleared he ran his fingers along her cheek, tenderness he’d never experienced before overcoming him. He reached down, tugging her up next to him, and she didn’t resist this time, cuddling against him. The water turned cool, and he shut it off without putting any space between them.
Out of the shower, he grabbed thick towels from the rack and neither one of them said a word, not breaking the spell.
He dried her off first, leaving kisses along the way until he saw her hands tremble when she lifted one to balance on his shoulder. He swept the same towel over himself in a quick, cursory movement and dropped it to the floor, taking her hand in his and leading her out into the main room.
“Joel?” She said, pausing for a second, gazing around at the open windows.
“Shhh. We’re fine. No one’s around to see,” he reassured.
He led her to the sofa, intent on pleasing her the way she’d pleased him, on giving as much as he had received. It was her birthday after all, and he hadn’t given her a gift.
Joel didn’t question the emotions coursing through him, the feeling of affection and caring that softened the edges of need and desire. It was just sex, but sex could be special. For Edie, he wanted it to be memorable.
Lowering her onto the huge sofa, he levered over her so that he could kiss her deeply, plundering her mouth until she moaned in need. His cock responded by twitching against the creamy softness of her skin. Amazing how intensely she turned him on, giving him the stamina he’d had when he was ten years younger. Right now, though, he was focused only on her.
He ran his fingers over her hardened nipples in a way he knew she liked, causing her to arch underneath him. He caught them and pinched, drawing yet another throaty moan. When his fingers found their way to the thatch of downy-soft hair between her thighs, he groaned back at how slick and hot she was—ready for him.
He brought her close several times, swallowing her moans and delighting in her gasps as he pushed her to the brink and then denied her satisfaction. She was trembling, flushed and writhing beneath him when he slid down, parting her thighs with his shoulders and settling down in between.
She tasted like sex, salt wate
r and honey, and he lost himself in the intimate kiss, sucking and sweeping his tongue over her, finding out which spots made her quiver and which ones made her body tighten with need. He discovered that when he nibbled at her clit, she made the most beautiful sounds deep in her throat. He couldn’t resist drawing them from her time and again, until the sounds turned into breathless pleas.
Burying his fingers inside her and finding yet more sensitive flesh that sent her skyrocketing, he kissed and licked, hypnotized by the rhythm they’d found and experiencing a joy he wasn’t quite sure he’d ever known as she cried out his name, over and over, her inner muscles clutching, her body pouring forth its own honeyed pleasure onto his hands and mouth.
He was burning up, and she was ready, so he reached quickly to find his wallet on the table where he’d left it, sheathing himself and entering her with no preamble. He was so hot, it didn’t take much. A few quick, hard thrusts and they both burst in one more sparkling explosion of pleasure, leaving them spent and tangled around each other.
He didn’t know what time it was when he woke up, lying over her, although to the inside of the sofa, most of his weight off her. She was out like a light, sleeping, and he chuckled. She was so beautiful, and hot and so giving of herself. He moved a hand over her breast, watching her nipple peak, her mouth form an “Oh” in sleepy response to his touch. It was all he could do not to take her again, to love her until the sun came up.
Love?
No.
Joel wasn’t about to confuse love with what was happening. He liked Edie—a lot—but in just over a week, she’d be gone, and he’d be back to his life. And that was how he wanted it. It was sex—warm, fantastic, incredible sex—and that was all he was interested in. He was almost completely sure that was true.
5
THE NEXT MORNING Edie was floating on air. She’d always thought she had a happy life, but now things were different. Last night with Joel, something had changed, at least for her. The warning bells were ringing, but she was intent on ignoring them. When they’d awakened, entangled and hot for each other, he’d made love to her slowly, turning her inside out, pleasure saturating her soul. And more.
It seemed that his previous distance was all but erased, and he was as interested in being around her as she was in him. His touch was never far away, nor his kiss. She loved it, and that was big trouble.
Her old life felt so far away. And she didn’t miss it.
Joel, stretched out on the sand alongside her as the afternoon sun passed over them, toyed with her fingers and asked a question out of the blue, seeming to read her mind.
“So, how did a sexy chick like you end up being an accountant, anyway?”
“What, accountants can’t be sexy?”
“None of mine are.” They laughed, but he pressed on. “Seriously, do you love it?”
She sighed. “I don’t love it, no. I like it, but it was never as if accounting was my grand passion or anything. I was good at math, and I wanted something steady, something sure, so that I knew I’d have a job and income after college. I’d always taken care of my family’s finances, so accounting seemed like a natural fit. I like the people I work for, though.”
“That’s always a plus. Weren’t you a little young to be running the family finances?” He propped up on one elbow, impossibly handsome, looking down at her. “Tell me to mind my own business if you want.”
“No, it’s fine.” She touched his face gently, secretly happy he wanted to know about her life, though there wasn’t much interesting to tell. “I inherited the only practical gene in my family, is all.”
“And that means?”
“My parents are kind of hippies—my mom was an art teacher who left teaching to try to be a full-time artist, and my dad was on disability from his job and so he started sculpting. They do okay, and they’re happy, but it was never a big-money operation. They’re not really clued into keeping track of things—they get into something they’re working on and lose track of time, other things.”
“Like paying bills on time?”
“Exactly, or buying groceries. My younger sister is an aspiring actress, and my brother is in college, drifting from program to program, trying to figure out what he wants to do.”
“So you shoulder all the responsibility?”
“I don’t think of it that way. They’re my family, I love them, and I don’t mind helping out.”
“By helping out, do you mean you needed a reliable career so you could support them?”
“No, no, not like that. They actually do pretty well on the local art scene, and have even had a few studio showings. My mother teaches, though she does it on a part-time basis. My sister supports herself, though I do help with my brother’s tuition a bit.”
Joel paused, and Edie sensed he was holding back what he wanted to say—not that she hadn’t heard it all from her friends. Cutting the apron ties, and all of that. Her family was important to her, and she was happy, more or less. She still had her own life, and being here with Joel proved that. Didn’t it?
He didn’t say anything, but he just ran his fingers up and down her arm. “It’s nice that you all take care of each other. If you hadn’t become an accountant, what would you have been?”
She wasn’t sure she wanted to say. She was living one fantasy right now, why think about others?
“Edie?”
She gave in. “Well, this was a long time ago, but I always thought I’d like some kind of business of my own. You know, a bakery or bookstore, that kind of thing. Maybe a bakery that’s also a bookstore,” she quipped, joking. Suddenly, it hit her with a sinking feeling how long it had been since she’d given up on that idea. She’d gone as far as shopping for locations once in college, but it didn’t take much studying to know how difficult and risky starting her own business would be.
“As an accountant, you have the financial skills to support a business plan—why don’t you do it?”
She shook her head and sat up, staring out at the ocean. “Too risky, and doesn’t everyone on the planet think of that? You know, owning their own shop or bed and breakfast, but very few people actually do it, and probably fewer make it work.”
“Sounds like you’ve given up before you even tried.”
Anger sparked. Why were they talking about this? Real life wasn’t part of their deal.
“Joel, I know you mean well, but not everyone can be as successful at their own business as you’ve been, and look what you lost in the meantime. Your marriage. My family is important to me, and going off and starting my own business would just be risky and selfish.”
She expected him to draw away, or snap back, but instead he drew her tight against his chest.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
Now she felt terrible. “No, I’m sorry for saying something so mean about your marriage. I didn’t mean it. It’s just, well, I’ve made different choices.”
“You didn’t say anything I don’t know. Thing is, I love being a lawyer, but I ran my marriage into the ground because I didn’t know how to balance things. It was selfish. Even getting married was selfish, when I knew I didn’t have the energy to put into a relationship. Which is why I don’t want to make the same mistake again. My mother and father built the family business together, and I think it brought them closer—I didn’t know how to do that. The firm was something I was married to before I got married, I guess.”
“What kind of business do they run?”
“They have a chain of popular seafood restaurants.”
“Do you have any involvement?”
“I handle a few cases and contracts for my father. I really wanted to be a lawyer since I was about ten. I don’t know, I saw something on TV that was very exciting, a lawyer giving a big closing argument, winning a case, saving the day. I wanted to be that guy.”
“And you are.”
“No. I have a very successful corporate law firm that spends its time protecting the money of some very important clients,
but it’s not what I envisioned.”
“Why so different?”
“There’s not a whole lot of money in public defense and criminal law.”
“And money matters?”
“Sure—think about what you just told me. I guess in my own fashion, I was bent on success to show my father I could do it, but also to show him I was right to not just inherit the family business. I wanted a certain lifestyle, and I went after it single-mindedly. I lost sight of important things in the process.”
“You said you came here to think, to reprioritize?” As he kissed her hair, his hand circled tantalizingly on her bare midriff.
“Yeah. The firm is doing well, and now I have to figure out what else I want. Take more time for life, and maybe even start taking some criminal cases on.”
“So you will pursue your dream!” she said, pleased.
“I’m thinking about it. I want to try to focus on what matters.”
“That’s wonderful, Joel.”
“You’re wonderful,” he said, dipping his lips into the curve of her neck, making her shiver with desire.
A WEEK LATER, Edie knew she was definitely in trouble. They’d been out sailing all day, and it was like a movie, every moment perfect as she drifted through scenery that she’d only ever seen on postcards and calendars.
With only a few days left to her vacation, neither one of them had expressed any inclination for anything more than the temporary affair they were having. Back at the dock, as she watched him gather up the ropes and tie the boat securely, her heart beat faster. Her fingers stretched and relaxed, recalling every inch of him that she’d gotten to know so quickly and so intimately. Had she ever known any man so well?
No.
At least, not physically. With Joel, she’d memorized the strong lateral muscles of his back, the chords at the back of his neck, and the lovely play of biceps and other muscles in his gorgeous arms. She knew the dip where his flat stomach transitioned to his hip, and the strong thigh and leg muscles that brought her so much pleasure. She knew he was ticklish behind the knees, and what spots could turn laugher from tickling to moans of desire.