by April Wilson
He’s a writer now, and I’ve read several of his military thrillers. But that’s a pretty solitary job.
After accompanying me for a few laps, Jamie climbs out of the pool and heads for the high-dive platform that rises high overhead. My heart starts racing in anticipation as I gaze up at it. I love diving, especially the high dive. What I wouldn’t give to dive right now.
Jamie climbs the ladder and walks out to the edge of the platform. He turns his back to the water, and I realize he’s going to do a back flip off the platform. I have to admit, I’m seriously impressed. While I love diving, I doubt I’d be quite so sanguine about doing a back flip off a board twenty feet above the water when I can’t see what’s beneath me.
Jamie gets into position. “Clear?” he calls, his voice loud and clear.
“Clear!” Lia yells up at him.
Obviously, this is something they’ve done before.
Jamie executes a picture-perfect back flip, his form straight and powerful as he slices cleanly into the water. I marvel at his courage, not to mention his technique. I don’t think I’d have the guts to do that if I were in his shoes – not if I couldn’t see what was beneath me. The guy has some serious balls to be able to trust what he knows, rather than what he can’t see.
I climb out of the pool and step up onto the low diving board, which bounces and vibrates beneath my feet. It feels good to be on a diving board again.
Lia gives me a look. “I’m pretty sure diving would violate your doctor’s orders.”
I walk out to the end of the board and bounce a little. I have no intention of diving, but I enjoy the brief sense of weightlessness I feel bouncing on the board. Once I’m given the green light, I plan to give Jamie a run for his money on the high dive.
“Beth Jamison! Don’t you dare jump off that diving board!”
I flinch at the booming voice coming over the loud speakers. Gus starts barking frantically as he races along the edge of the pool.
“I told you, Princess!” Lia yells at me. She lays her head back in the water and yells up toward the ceiling. “I told her not to do it, Shane!”
I glare down at Lia, the little traitor.
The dog’s still racing around barking his head off, and Jamie tells him to be quiet.
I glance around the pool room searching for the source of the audio. “Shane, is that you? Can you hear me?”
“Of course it’s me! Who the hell else would it be? Don’t you dare jump, young lady!”
I roll my eyes. Oh, my God, he did not just call me young lady. “Shane, you’re overreacting! I’m not going to – ”
“I mean it, Beth! Don’t you dare!” Shane’s voice is little more than a growl over the speaker system.
I shake my head, exasperated. “Shane, would you relax!”
The audio falls silent then, and I linger on the diving board wondering why he’s gone quiet all of a sudden.
Jamie’s back up on the high dive, and Lia gives him the all-clear. I watch him as he executes another perfect dive, cutting cleanly through the water.
Just as Jamie surfaces, the glass doors to the pool room are thrown wide open as Shane storms in, his face flushed. His voice cracks like a gun. “Beth!”
“You’re in trouble now, Princess,” Lia says, enjoying herself way too much at my expense.
Shane scowls at his sister, and I seriously doubt he’s fooled by her innocent act.
Determined not to be cowed by the expression on Shane’s face, I paste a bright smile on mine. “Shane, hi!”
He’s livid. “If you jump, I swear to God I’ll paddle your ass!”
Gus runs up to Shane, barking excitedly as he nearly knocks Shane off balance. “Down, Gus!”
The dog drops down on his haunches, his tail wagging so vigorously I’m afraid he’s going to topple over into the pool.
Shane looks completely exasperated, and I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing. He grabs the hem of his t-shirt and yanks the thing over his head and throws it to the ground. His eyes narrow on me, and my smile fades. He doesn’t seem to think any of this is amusing. Maybe I’ve pushed him too far.
“Oh, for crying out loud,” I mutter, placing my hands on my hips as I glare at him in return. “I wasn’t even going to dive.”
Now I’m mad, too. If he’s going to be pissy, then so am I. I think we’re both at the end of our ropes thanks to an overwhelming dose of sexual frustration.
Shane reaches down and pulls off his shoes and socks. “Get off that board, Beth! Right this minute!”
“Why are you undressing? Are you coming in?”
He stands there belligerently with his hands on his hips. “No, I am not coming in.”
“Then what are you doing?”
“Get off that board and find out.”
I start to turn, intending to walk back to the ladder and climb down. But the water looks too inviting, and I really want to go off the diving board. So at the last second, I head back to the end of the board and look down at the glassy, smooth water.
Shane gives me a black look as his voice drops an octave. “Don’t you dare.”
I’m tired of him telling me what to do, and I’m tired of him holding himself back from me. Purely to aggravate him, I step right off the board, my arms tucked protectively against my sides, and I slip down feet first into the water, barely making a splash.
When I come back up, I take in a big breath, feeling wonderfully energized. I push my wet hair out of my eyes and look around to find that I’m the only one left in the pool.
“Where did everybody go?”
Shane glowers at me. “Get out of the pool.”
I’ve had just about enough of his attitude. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Get out of the fucking pool.”
Chapter 11
Everyone abandoned me – even the dog – and I’m looking at a Shane I barely recognize. He’s standing with his hands on his hips, his expression tight and guarded. His eyes are narrowed and his jaw muscles are clenched. I’m not sure what to make of this Shane. He’s never spoken to me like this before, his voice clipped and demanding. This isn’t his master-of-the universe tone; it’s something different.
It’s edgy.
It’s impatient.
He looks... pissed.
At me? Crap! This isn’t how I saw this playing out. He was supposed to look at my half-naked body in this bikini and think about sex... not get mad at me.
When I swim to the side of the pool, Shane reaches down and hauls me out of the water.
“What is your problem?” I demand when he sets me on my feet. I’m dripping wet and feel chilled. My bikini doesn’t leave much to the imagination, and now I’m feeling seriously overexposed. I cross my arms over my breasts. I don’t have much in the way of breasts, but what I do have is pretty much on display right now.
Shane’s heated gaze scans me from head to toe. “Where did you get that swimsuit?”
Steeling myself, I drop my arms and let him look his fill, determined to brazen it out. After all, I wore the darn thing to catch his attention, and if the glittering heat in his eyes is any indication, it’s working. “Do you like it?”
His eyes are blazing as they narrow on my chest. I look down and notice that my nipples are like tiny pebbles, pressing against the meager triangles of fabric covering them. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. I swear he’s counting to ten.
I glance around, confirming my suspicions that we’re the only ones left in the pool room. “Where did everybody go?”
“I kicked them out.”
“Why? We were having fun.”
“Because I didn’t think you’d want an audience for this.”
My heart rate kicks up, and I feel a fluttering of anticipation in my belly. “And audience for what?” Oh, dear. This could go either way.
Shane crosses his arms over his chest. “I told you I’d paddle you if you jumped off that diving board.”
As his words sink in,
“That’s not the point.” He’s frowning at me. “I told you not to do it. Besides, you could have hurt your arm.”
I’m sick and tired of hearing about my stupid arm. “Shane, my arm is fine!”
I watch his jaw muscles flex as his patience continues to erode. “I’ll decide when it’s fine!”
“Since when do you get to call all the shots?” Now I’m yelling too. It feels exhilarating.
Without warning, Shane sweeps me up in his arms and heads toward the changing room.
I start squirming. “Put me down!”
He swats my butt cheek lightly. “No.”
“Shane! I’m soaking wet! Put me down!”
“Don’t care.”
“You can’t do this!”
“Sure I can.”
When I start squirming in earnest, he gives me two more swats on my butt, considerably harder than the first one. “Ow! Stop that!”
My rear end starts to tingle. I’m not sure if I like it or not, but then I feel heat between my legs. I guess I do like it. Still, I don’t think I should encourage him – not while he’s in this kind of mood.
“Stop squirming before you hurt yourself!”
Shane uses his shoulder to push through a set of doors into the changing room and carries me to the leather sofa. He lays me down and takes hold of the waistband of my bikini bottom.
“Shane, I’m getting the furniture wet.”
“Don’t care.”
He strips my bikini bottom off me and tosses it on the floor.
My hands automatically move to cover my sex, and I’m shaking now from a combination of the chilly air on my wet skin and excitement. All the steam has left me, leaving me a quivering mass.
The blatant heat in his gaze makes my belly clench in anticipation. “What are you doing?”
“What do you think?” He pulls me into a sitting position and reaches around me to untie the strings of my bikini top. My top lands in the floor as well, leaving me completely naked.
I can’t help noticing his impressive erection trapped in his jeans. It’s pretty obvious what he has on his mind. But we can’t do that here. Anyone could walk in. Shivering, I draw my knees up and wrap my arms around myself strategically, trying to cover my mound and my breasts at the same time. It’s a habit he’s been trying to break me of – hiding my nakedness from him – but old habits die hard. I can’t help feeling self-conscious.
Shane gives me a chastising look. “Beth.”
Now that is his master-of-the universe tone that I know and love, the one that makes me go weak in the knees. That’s my Shane talking now.
“What?” I say defensively. “I’m cold.”
“Lower your arms, sweetheart.” His voice drops an octave as he pops the button on his jeans. “I’ll warm you.”
Oh, my God, he’s serious. Despite the butterflies flitting around in my belly, I shake my head. “Not here. Someone might come in.”
He crouches in front of the sofa and cups the side of my face with one hand, his thumb brushing along my bottom lip. “No one’s going to come in. Now lower your arms, sweetheart. Every inch of you is beautiful. You have nothing to hide.”
The sudden softening in his demeanor takes me by surprise. “You’re not mad?”
He smiles. “Of course not. Although you scared the hell out of me with that stunt. Jesus, I think my heart stopped beating when you jumped off the board. I was afraid you’d hurt your arm.”
I smile with relief. “If you’re not mad at me, then why did you chase everyone off?”
“Because I didn’t think you’d want me to fuck you in front of an audience.”
I can’t help my grin. “Is that what we’re going to do?”
He nods. “I figure if you’re strong enough to jump off a diving board, you’ll survive a little bit of fucking.”
I glance nervously around the room, looking for surveillance cameras. “Are there cameras in here?”
He laughs. “No.”
My face goes up in flames at the idea of having sex with him in here, where anyone could walk in on us. But the temptation is too great for me to pass up the opportunity. “All right, then, yes.”
Shane smirks as he crawls onto the sofa and looms over me on his hands and knees, caging me. He’s careful not to make me feel pinned down, and I love him for it. While we’ve made a lot of progress in that regard, we aren’t out of the woods yet. The fear is still there, always lurking in my subconscious, but I’ve learned to manage it a little better. And I trust Shane. I know he’d never hurt me intentionally.
He leans down and kisses me, his warm lips coaxing mine to open. He doesn’t have to work hard, though, because I’m way past ready for this. I’m starving for him. I open my mouth and welcome his tongue as it slips inside and strokes mine.
His kiss is slow and languorous, as if we have all the time in the world to get reacquainted with each other. My body heats up and a liquid warmth pools low in my belly. I can feel my sex swelling and tingling, and I’m aching for his touch.
I pull back to catch my breath. “I thought you were going to paddle me.” He didn’t, and I’m not sure if I’m relieved or disappointed.
He reaches down to swat my bare butt cheek. “There. Consider yourself paddled. Unless you want more?”
He seems serious, and I blush at his reminder of my penchant for spanking stories. But I don’t want fantasy right now. I want the reality of him. It’s been far too long since I’ve felt him there, surging inside me, filling me with his exquisite erection. I grab hold of his broad shoulders and pull him closer, licking the seam of his lips. I’m gratified when I feel a shiver ripple through him. “No, I just want you. You can spank me later.”
His mouth covers mine as he kisses me hotly, drinking in my sighs and all the little sounds I can’t help making. As usual, he’s a master kisser, taking control as he licks his way into my mouth, finding my tongue with his own and stroking it. It’s not long before we’re both breathless and needing more.
He gazes down at me. “Top or bottom?”
It’s not a casual question. Being pinned down can trigger all kinds of bad feelings in me. I’m doing better, but it’s still unpredictable.
Still, I love having him over top of me. I love watching his body work, his beautiful muscles flex and ripple as he rocks into me. “Bottom.”
“Are you sure?”
I can’t blame Shane for being extra cautious. I know the last thing he wants right now is for me to have a panic attack. They aren’t pretty, with all the ugly crying and screaming. I catch a momentary flash of something violent in his expression, something that looks like rage, but it’s gone as quickly as it appeared. I know he has to be thinking about Howard Kline.
But I’m determined not to let old memories ruin this moment. “Yes, I’m sure.” I reach up and trace the top edge of his trim beard. “I want to try.”
Shane stands and shucks off his jeans and boxers, and then he kneels on the sofa again, hovering over me. As he kisses me, gently coaxing me to lie back, he parts my legs and skims his hands slowly up the insides of my thighs. I close my eyes, reveling in the feel of his warm touch trailing along my sensitive skin.
When he reaches my sex, he touches me, lightly at first, to test my readiness. I can tell I’m already slick with arousal because his finger slips easily along my slit up to my clitoris, which he circles lazily, coating it in my body’s juices. I groan and raise my hips, trying to increase the pressure of his touch, but he’s not going to be hurried.
He sinks a finger partway into my opening and groans, his voice low and rough. “My God, you’re tight.”
I imagine he’s thinking about putting his cock in there... bare. After moving in with him, I started taking birth control pills, so there’s no need for anything to come between us. We haven’t had sex without a condom yet – well, except for that one time in his apartment foyer when we both lost our heads. I think the thought of him being inside me bare is tantalizing for both of us... just his hot, velvety flesh against mine.
His next words confirm my suspicions. “Thank God for the pill.”
He slowly withdraws his finger, letting it drag along my sensitive flesh, which does all kinds of wonderful things to me, and then he eases it back in, deeper this time. He makes a sound almost like a growl as my flesh clings to his finger, causing a delicious friction that makes me ache.
“You’re going to kill me,” he breathes.
He eases his finger in and out, each time pushing a little deeper, and my breath catches. It’s been two months since we last had sex, and in some ways I feel like we’re starting all over again.
As he slowly begins to thrust inside me with his finger, my hips start moving and my breath comes faster. I can’t help the whimpers and moans I’m making – it’s just too good.
He curls his long finger deep inside me and begins a methodical stroking that ratchets up my arousal. I know he won’t stop until he teases an orgasm out of me, the kind that starts slowly and swells relentlessly, sneaking up on me until I suddenly explode. His finger focuses on a delicious spot inside me.
I gasp as the pleasure builds. “Shane!”
His gaze locks onto mine. “It’s okay. Just relax and let it happen.”
His thumb, slick with my arousal, starts rubbing firm little circles on my clitoris. The two-pronged attack is more than I can bear. My hips come off the sofa and I’m desperate to come. “Shane!”
“I know, baby.” He leans down and kisses his way along my jawline, down my neck to the hollow of my throat, where he sucks my heated skin. “Mmm, chlorine,” he murmurs, licking my frantic pulse point.
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