by Kylie Scott
"No." The first touch of cool water on his toes was magic. He let out a groan and settled himself as close to her as he dared. His knee was a hair's breadth from connecting with hers. For a moment he held his breath, waiting, but she didn't move. "It's nice here."
And it was. The rich smell of damp earth, the fragrance of flowers. He could see why this had become her haven.
"What do you want, Adam?"
His shoulders dropped and he exhaled hard. "Truthfully? To come up with a way to apologize to you without actually having to apologize."
Louise rested her elbows on her knees. Her face was in her hands, blocked from view. Everything about her posture radiated defeat, and his guts clenched. He'd done this to her. There was no humor to be found in this situation.
"Princess, I'm sorry. I was an ass."
She turned her head with her cheek still cupped in her hand. "Why do you call me that?"
"Ah." He rubbed his hands together and scrunched up his face. Did they really have to go there? At least she'd spoken to him again, not much but a little, and a little felt better than nothing. It remained infinitely preferable to her walking out on him. Shit. "Well...last night, you know how we discussed our mutual distrust of one another when we first met?"
She blinked.
"So, ah... I...I felt..." He sucked in his cheeks and shut his stupid mouth, not enjoying himself much at all. Unhappiness sat like a stone inside him. His wife sat there patiently, waiting for him to dig himself a deeper hole. Something he proved particularly efficient at. "It's a term of affection. Now."
Louise turned to look out at the dark pool. "You should go and get some sleep. You've got work tomorrow."
"No, I've got tomorrow off."
She gave a small, uninterested nod.
"You haven't accepted my apology yet," he helpfully pointed out.
"I don't feel like forgiving you yet."
He held back his smile of victory. She didn't feel like forgiving him yet. "Yet" being the key word, thank fuck. "Ah."
Water trickled and splashed, and a bird hooted somewhere in the thicket of trees behind them. He rubbed the side of his foot against hers, daring to touch her. Needing to touch her.
The response was immediate. Louise jerked her foot back, brows and mouth drawn tight. Her eyes lit with fury. "You discussed our sex life with another woman!"
"Only a little and in very vague terms, and I said I'm sorry."
"Not good enough. Say more." Her mouth trembled and he felt like the biggest heel in the universe.
"I wasn't discussing it with Rose, exactly. I was just... You have to understand, they're family to me."
"And if you'd told your brother intimate details about me, then rest assured, we would still be having this conversation. You betrayed my trust."
He clenched his jaw tight. "I know."
"Is she family to you, Adam? Or something else? Because honestly, I'm confused."
"Louise--"
"The truth. Please."
"Are you fucking serious? She's my best friend's wife," he growled.
"And I'm asking if you've fucked her. Is that why she's so territorial? Answer me."
"Louise..."
"Forget it." His wife shook her head and pulled her feet from the water, every movement tight and sharp, fast and graceless. She scuttled back from the lagoon's edge and got to her knees, obviously preparing to leave.
He couldn't do it. He could not let her go again. Everything in him revolted at the idea. It didn't even feel as if he had control of his own body anymore.
Adam spun and rushed to his knees. He wrapped his arms around her waist, grabbing her from behind before the dubious wisdom of such a move could make its way through his panicked mind.
Louise grunted and her top half pitched forward, unbalanced. She shoved a hand at the ground to hold herself up while the other clawed at his arm. "What are you doing?"
"Don't go."
"Adam," she growled, and squirmed.
"Please." He shuffled his hand up her chest and pulled her back up against him, her back to his front. "Princess, I fucking hate the thought of you walking away from me again. Honest to the gods, deep down hate it. So...please."
The rise and fall of her chest against his palm was furious. "You have abandonment issues now?"
"So it would seem. I'm sorry for that too, if it helps." He coughed out a humorless laugh. Adam fisted his hand in her top and buried his face in her neck. He pressed his mouth against her hot skin. "I swear, it's just you. Only you." He was hers and she was his. Or she was supposed to be. He wanted her to be. "I'm sorry she was mean to you. I guess she feels slighted about the tour or something."
Louise squirmed in his hold. "Do not defend her to me."
"All right. All right. I'm sorry."
She said nothing.
"I only want you."
She scoffed.
"It's true."
Rose had never been his--she didn't compare. He thought highly of her and always would. She was a beautiful, lovely woman. But she wasn't Louise. The everyday intimacy of being with his wife blew any guilt-ridden daydreams of Rose out into space. She just wasn't real to him in the way that Louise was. Rose didn't draw him in the same way at all. When his wife stopped and stared at him, it seemed time stopped as well. What he wouldn't give to know what went through her mind. Never before had he been so driven to know a woman down to the last detail. Having Louise with him was a revelation. The sense of belonging had been lost to him for a very long time, but Louise, sitting beside him in the bar, sleeping next to him with an arm thrown over his chest... Listening to her quiet breathing in the dark of night. The warmth of her and the scent of her. All those small intimate things fed something inside him that he hadn't even known existed. He had barely gotten a taste of it and now he was on the verge of losing her.
"Louise?"
Her breath left her on a sigh and she reached back, threading her fingers through his hair. She tugged only once. But she tugged hard. Whether from frustration or affection, no matter, though it did smart. "You're driving me out of my head, Adam Elliot."
"Right back at you, Mrs. Elliot."
"This is insane. It's only been four days."
"Imagine what we'll be like in four years."
"You really think we'll last that long?"
"Yes." He clung to her in the quiet of the garden, bussing the side of her neck 'til her breathing calmed and she leaned back into him. "To answer your question, I think maybe I had a crush on Rose. Before..."
"You and your before." Slowly, her hand slid down from his hair, pressed against the arm circling around her middle. So long as they were on him, it was all good.
"There's before you arrived and after. Before shouldn't count."
"It doesn't," she said firmly. "I agree. But you realize I'm going to do savagery to you and your man bits if you pull any more shit with me."
His stomach tightened and his cock hardened inside his jeans. It felt a little wrong but a lot sexy when she threatened him. With castration, no less. She could be so fierce, his wife. Adam rubbed his nose against her neck. Gods, she smelt good. It was the lemony, citrusy thing again. "Loving the honesty, princess."
In a voice so small it sounded lost, she said, "Honesty is important."
"Yes it is."
She said nothing for a moment. Then she opened her mouth and made him a very happy man. "So is make-up sex."
"Very."
"I thought you might agree. Your dick's poking me in the back."
"Ah."
"Lucky I'm fond of it."
"You're going to confuse it, threatening it and then complimenting it under a minute." He palmed one perfect, small breast through her shirt. His wife upped the ante, sliding a hand down to cup his groin, stroking the heel of her hand over him through the thick denim. He loved how she was all boldness when it came down to this between them. It worked for him like nothing else ever had. She worked for him.
"It doesn't se
em worried," she said.
He grunted, pushing said appendage into her hand. "Hmm."
"Home?"
"Water."
"What? Here? Someone might see."
"I know." He plucked at her nipple and her breath caught audibly. "Your nipples are hard. Excites you, doesn't it? That someone might see us."
"No. If you'll please recall our earlier conversation about privacy, Adam."
"Shhh. We need this." Her hasty denial failed to convince, but he kept that to himself. He started in on the neat line of buttons running down the front of her top. "There's no one around. No security or anything in here. No one will know but you and me. And every time you come down here, you'll remember..."
"Adam..."
"And you'll think of me."
"Egotistical."
"Practical." He slipped the top off her shoulders but it caught on something. A belt. The impediment could be dealt with easily enough. "You spend a lot of time down here. And no, I don't mind you spending a lot of time down here, so don't give me that look. I just like the thought of being on your mind now and then."
"You're definitely on my mind now and then."
"Good." The waist of her pants gaped sufficiently to let him slip his hand down the front and burrow into her panties. Why she wore such ill-fitting clothes he had no idea, but it came in handy right then. His fingers found her meltingly hot and wet, and he nearly came right there. The faint, heady scent of her arousal drove him mad. "Princess, you need help."
"Shuddup," she said, but he could hear the smile in her voice. "You can talk."
Her hand squeezed his cock. Swearing profusely, he removed her clever grip before he disgraced himself. He twined their hands together against her bare belly while he explored with the other, gliding two fingers through the slick folds of her pussy. She was so lush and lovely. Back and forth he traced, making sure he had her full attention.
"It's my husbandly duty to help."
"Is it now?" Her chin sunk to her chest, her head lolling forward. "Hurry, Adam."
He hummed his disapproval. "It's better if you wait."
"You owe me."
"That I do. Fair enough."
He zeroed in her clit, rubbing either side, massaging and plumping the hard bead. The scent of her arousal grew heavy on the air, spurring him on. Louise tightened her hold on his hand, grinding bones together, and a long, low moan escaped her lips.
It was the sweetest sound in the universe.
"You can't be too loud though, princess," he murmured in her ear. Partly because it was the truth but more for the fun of it. "Shhh."
Her pelvis bucked against his hand, which was telling.
He gently, quickly thrummed her clit and she fell into climax. Hottest thing he'd ever seen. Her pussy quivered against his palm. With a strangled cry, her whole body jolted, stiffening then wilting in his hold. Making Louise come was a wonderful thing.
Her breathing was full of static and the back of her neck damp with salty sweat. Impossible to resist--and why would he? She squirmed when he licked her, rubbing her rear against his hard cock. This woman--what she did to him. His stomach muscles clenched tight with need.
"All right?" he asked, slowly removing his hand from her pants, careful to make sure her legs would hold her.
"Very," she sighed.
"Hmm." Adam sucked his fingers clean and the side of her mouth slid into a lopsided grin. "You're tastier than the food at Hali's."
"High praise."
"Truth," he said.
She stared at the lagoon, dark eyes a mystery. "We really going to do this?"
"Yes." The "please" stayed silent. Coming from a position of strength could be important during negotiations.
Her shoulders rose as she breathed deeply. "I've never been skinny-dipping. You'd better be right about those cameras."
"I am. No one gets to see your bare ass but me."
"It's big. And my breasts are small."
"You're wrong. Very wrong." He shook his head and stood, started in on his belt buckle, then his fly. "Get your clothes off."
But she hesitated, remaining on her knees. "First this."
Cool hands slipped over his stomach, fingers sliding beneath the waist of his boxer-briefs. Excitement almost undid him. Dark eyes looked candidly up at him. When she licked her lips, he damn near swallowed his tongue.
"Don't you think?" she asked.
As if he would disagree. "Oh whatever makes you happy."
His cock sprang into her hand as if she had it tamed. Louise guided it to her waiting mouth, hot and wet and eager. She took nearly half of his cock at once and gave a couple of hard sucks, then pulled back, concentrating on the head, traveling all over it with her tongue. Adam locked his knees and held on.
What a lovely thing a wife was. Fuck...she was. Really, really lovely. He would be sure to tell her as soon as he could speak.
Reverently, he shaped his hands to her head and stroked her hair. She made a humming sound that reverberated through him in a most painfully pleasant way. His whole body shook. Fingers cupped his balls and massaged them gently, rubbed at the sweet spot behind his sac. His toes dug into the soles of his shoes and tension gathered at the base of his spine. So damn good. Too, too good. It had to stop. Because as nice as it would be to come in her mouth, he really did want to get into the lagoon with her, and the fact was that this was a public space--someone could come along. They couldn't afford to dally too long.
"Stop," he said in a choppy voice.
She pulled slowly back from his engorged cock, which was shiny and wet with her saliva. Louise waited on her knees for him. Gods, but she was a divine sight. He felt like a king receiving his due. Only he had never done anything nearly worthy of her.
"Why?" she asked.
"In the water," he croaked, and held his hands down to her, brought her to her feet. "I want to fuck you in the water."
They undressed quickly, quietly, and he helped her to step into the cooling pool. The temperature had no effect on his angry, throbbing cock. He drew her deeper, keeping a hand on the rocks lining the edge. They didn't stop 'til her breasts bobbed, her nipples playing peek-a-boo with the surface. She was perfect. Her hair sat slick against her skull and a bead of water fell from the tip of an eyelash.
So pretty he could only stare.
"Louise," he said, and she pulled closer. Arms twined about his neck and her breath was warm on his face. Her dark eyes were huge. He could have fallen straight into them. She had to be some sort of hypnotist, his wife. A voodoo priestess.
"You know, I think I prefer 'princess'."
"Princess it is."
She wrapped her legs around his waist and he filled his hands with her, pulling her close and kissing her as he had needed to for hours. Not stopping 'til they were both panting and her mouth was even more wet and swollen. He lifted and she squirmed and his cock found her, pushing deep into the heat of her body.
A perfect fucking fit. She'd been made for him. Any remaining blood in his brain left in a blazing rush. "Damn it."
Her teeth gnawed at his jawline and her heels drummed his ass, a little demanding, which he liked a lot. "Fuck me, Adam."
"Yes." And he did.
He set a steady pace, thrusting into her with an arm anchoring them to the shoreline and his toes digging into the soft sand on the bottom of the pool. Fingers dug into his back and her pussy clutched at him as she did her part, pushing back onto his cock with soft grunts, taking all of him. His breath stopped, caught in his chest, and his balls drew up to his body.
It wouldn't be long but he wouldn't go alone. Not this time.
Adam grabbed her waist and changed his angle, enough to rub against her clit and hit her sweet spot. The startled noise from her confirmed it. Again and again he thrust into her. When her knees dug into his ribs and her cunt clamped down on him, he didn't stand a chance. He was helpless against her, defenseless. He came and came until there was nothing left in him.
A
dam held her to him in the water, enjoying the serenity, the post-come floating, mental and physical both. Loath as usual to break contact. Things were much simpler when they were naked together.
"Princess?"
"Yeah?"
"I love your body."
The muscles in her arms and legs flexed and she snuggled in closer. "I love yours too--all lean and hard."
"And I will never break your confidence again," he continued.
His wife leaned back and her dark eyes searched his face. The moment felt charged with meaning--acceptance or rejection? He needed her trust. He wanted it. She made him wait for it for one hell of a long moment.
"I believe you," she said finally.
Thank fuck.
"Good," he said.
Chapter Five
Day Five
Louise came awake with a start. Someone sat a hand's breadth from her face. They'd found her. She strangled a shriek and slapped a hand against a hard chest, adrenaline surging through her system like flood waters. Fight or flight. This was it. Oh no.
"Hi." Her husband frowned and calmly covered her hand with his own, nonplussed by her over-reaction. "I've been thinking."
"Adam!" The gods damn heart attack kept right on in her chest. Shit. Shit. Shit.
"Mmm?"
Her name was Louise and she was married. Married to this man, Adam Elliot.
Fuck a duck. Okay. Everything's fine.
Apparently he had been lying there, nose to nose with her, watching while she slept. Which might have been kind of cute but he had scared the almighty crap out of her. Her ribs hurt and her throat stung from the pre-emptive heart attack.
"Great. You've been thinking." Her breathing gradually slowed and her heart rate eased. Who knew how many years he'd taken off her life? "What about?"
"What we should do today." He scooted closer and his hard-on nudged her in the thigh.
"Bet I can guess."
Adam's eyes crinkled and he rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. "There's that too. But I was thinking I could take you top-side--we could go and see the lights. There's a good vantage point about an hour away."
"What? Wait." She freed her hand and sat up, rubbing her sleep-heavy head. "I've promised to do some jobs in the garden today."
His dark brows pulled tight and he sat up too. "I've got today off, remember?"
"Yes, but you only told me last night," she said. "Adam, if you'd given me some notice I would have kept it free."
"You can go down to the gardens anytime."