Unbridled Passion: A Riverton Crossing Novel

by Savannah Maris

  “Fuck, Ness,” he growled. “I want that too, but not tonight. Tonight, you’re the ultimate temptress. You’re giving me just enough to imagine this tight little pussy wrapped around my hard cock.”

  His dirty words ignited her like a blazing inferno. Her hips squirmed, and her legs shook causing his shorts to slide down. “Nathan, faster.”

  He increased the speed of his hand. “Fuck, baby, if you don’t sit still, I’m going to…shittt…”

  “Mmm…Oh, oh…”

  Nathan moved his forearm to cover her mouth. “Suck,” he whispered through heavy breaths.

  Her mouth wrapped around his arm, and she sucked so she wouldn’t make much noise. Her body convulsed for several minutes. Damn, if she came like that with his hand, how much better will it be with him inside of her? Finally, she released his arm and tried to relax against him.

  “Hold up, baby, don’t lie back.” Nathan licked his fingers then moved so he could take off his shirt. “You felt so good, I didn’t make it to the shower.” He kissed the back of her head.

  “What? Nathan, I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  “Don’t be. Was that your first non-self-induced orgasm?”

  “You know it was.” She giggled.

  “That was so beautiful, I couldn’t help but join in the party.”

  “Thank you. It felt terrific.”

  “No, ma’am. Thank you for giving me the honor. I think I better jump in the shower right quick though.” He held out his hand to help her up.

  “I don’t know if my legs will carry me, now.”

  “I’d carry you, but my chest is a bit sticky at the moment.”

  She stood and turned to look at him. The head of his cock was completely out of his shorts exposing his piercing. She squeezed her legs together and licked her lips.

  “Don’t look at me like that. I already want to devour you, especially now that I know how you taste.”

  Vanessa quickly turned as her face heated. “Sorry.”

  Nathan stood up and cupped her face. “Two things, baby. One, quit saying sorry. I knew what I was in for. I’m a big boy. I’ll be just fine. Two, you need to think about birth control. I don’t care if you use it or not, but I don’t ever want anything between us.”

  Vanessa’s mouth fell slightly open. “Nathan, you can’t mean that.”

  “My fingers and my tongue are not going to get to experience something my dick can’t. So, yeah, I do.” He held her stare as he took a deep breath. “I’ve already told you how I feel. I want to marry you when you’re ready. If that’s ten years from now and we have ten kids between now and then, I don’t care. You will still be mine, they will be mine, and I will be one happy fucker.”

  Her hand flew to her heart. “Oh my word, that has to be the sweetest, sexiest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

  He placed his lips on her forehead. “Let’s talk in bed after I’ve had a shower.”

  “Do I still get to watch?”

  “No, that’ll give you something to look forward to.” He patted her ass and followed her down the hall.

  27

  Nathan walked out of the bathroom and stopped dead in his tracks. “What the hell, Ness?”

  “Um, I thought it would be for the best tonight.”

  “Does this happen often?”

  She shook her head. “Never before.”

  “Then why tonight?”

  She shrugged. “Because…” Her eyes begged him for understanding.

  “Because why?”

  Her lashes lowered, and she took a deep breath. When she made eye contact with him again, he could feel the love that flowed from her to him. “Because I’m weak. After, you know,” she flipped her wrist toward the hallway, “and I want more. I figured with Max in bed between us we’d be safe.”

  Nathan smiled as he slowly closed the distance between them. “Bed, Max.” He pointed toward the door without taking his eyes off Vanessa. She nervously bit her lip, and it took everything in him not to fuck her raw. “Vanessa, he doesn’t sleep in our bed, ever. And, baby, I want more too, so much more, but we’ve come too far to screw this up in the last few weeks.”

  “I told Max to get up here to protect you. Nathan, I don’t know how much longer I can wait. That felt wonderful. What if I attack you in your sleep?”

  A smile that lit up his eyes with pleasure spread across his face. “If only I would be so lucky.” He chuckled. “Baby, if I have to be strong for both of us, I will.” He slid between the comforter and top sheet just as he’d done before then rolled to face her. Moving his finger between the two of them his expression sobered. “This is for the long haul, but we’ve got to get through this speed bump called a divorce. I will not let anything happen that’s going to cause any problems with that. Do you trust me to do what’s right for you? For us?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “Then have faith in my decision to keep my dick in my pants for a little longer. I promise that the day you can tell me what I need to hear, I’m going to make love to you so much you won’t be able to walk normally for a few days. So, you think about that and make sure you’re prepared for it.” He gently kissed her.

  Her eyes widened, and she rolled her lips inward. “Do you mean what you’ve said, now and earlier?”

  “Have I ever lied to you?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  He placed his finger under her chin to hold her gaze. “Never, and I won’t. So, you’ve got three weeks to make sure you know what you want and where you want this to go. You need to let me know the day your divorce is final so I can take some time off because we’re going to stay holed up for a few days of uninterrupted sex.” The covers moved toward the end of the bed as a whimper left her mouth. “Are you pressing your legs together?”

  Her face was bright red. “Yes, I swear I think I could, you know, just from the words you say to me.”

  “Come? My words make you want to come, baby?”

  “Yes,” she said in a rushed breath.

  “Turn over and back that cute little ass as close to me as you can.” She did as he requested. “Do you feel my cock against you?”

  “Yes, you’re hard.”

  “Not completely, but this is the feeling you need to get used to, only closer.”

  “Nathan, my nipples are tingling again.”

  He closed his eyes and pulled the sheet down to her waist then stroked her nipple. “I’ve got you, Ness. Let’s get some sleep.”

  28

  The next morning a wet nose touched Nathan’s arm which woke him with Max looking up at him. He rolled out of bed and took a pair of swim trunks to the bathroom. A few minutes later he quietly left the room in search of Max who was sitting beside the back door. Nathan closed Sam’s door on his way past and headed for the front door in a pair of beach sandals with Max on his heels.

  While Max did his business, Nathan unloaded his and Sam’s surfboards out of the back of his truck. With one tucked under each arm, he and Max walked around the side of the house. Nathan left Sam’s leaning up against the steps of the walk that led to Vanessa’s house then jogged toward the water with Max barking and running with him. When Nathan got about waist deep, he sat on his board and called Max over so he could help Max get on the board.

  “Come on, Max, you’ll love it.”

  The dog got on the board but didn’t seem sure of what was going to happen. His tail was between his legs, his head was hunched down, and his ears were down. As Nathan paddled out, he talked to Max.

  “These waves aren’t as big as the ones I grew up on. You can handle them.” He stopped paddling and stroked his hand down Max’s back. “Yeah, we probably should have started this when you were younger. You’re still young enough to learn how to surf. Okay, boy, here comes a good one.” Nathan started paddling and jumped to his feet at just the right time while Max stayed on his belly but looking ready to leap off at any moment. They rode the wave toward shore. Before they got to
o close, Nathan sat down and rubbed Max’s head.

  “You did it! Want to go again?”

  Max barked, and his tail tapped the board. They went out one more time. As they approached the shore, he saw Vanessa sitting on the steps drinking what appeared to be coffee. When he sat back on the board, he let the waves bring them a little closer before he jumped off. Max rode until Nathan made him get down then splashed his way to shore. As soon as his feet hit the sand, he shook from head to tail, and Nathan laughed.

  “You liked it, didn’t you?” He hauled his board straight toward the steps. “Good morning.”

  A demure smile curved her lips. “Good morning. I can’t believe you had Max on a surfboard.”

  “He loved it,” Nathan said full of confidence.

  “I don’t know. He looked scared to me.”

  “We’ll see. If he wants to go back out, he’ll get on the board by himself.”

  “How do you have this much energy first thing in the morning?”

  “I slept better last night than I have in weeks thanks to you.” He leaned in for a quick kiss. “Was Sam still in bed?”

  “I guess. His door was closed when I walked by.”

  “But he’s up now,” Sam said as he walked toward them. “You went out without me?”

  “Max needed to go this morning, and you were snoring, so I left your ass in the bed.”

  Max was barking as he ran between them and the water. Both Nathan and Sam looked to see if there was something wrong, but Max’s bark was a playful bark, not a protective one.

  “Nathan, I think he wants to go back out.” Vanessa was watching Max.

  “Dude, you’re not going to believe this. He likes to surf.”

  Sam looked at Nathan with disbelief. “What? This I gotta see.”

  Vanessa looked up at Nathan. “Are we still going for a run?”

  “Do you want to?”

  “No, I’d rather sit here and watch you surf.”

  “You got it, beautiful.”

  They took the boards and walked back toward the water. Max was prancing around like a show horse. He followed Nathan in the water and swam until Nathan told him to get on the board. He crawled up like before but his tail wasn’t between his legs, and his ears weren’t down. He looked more relaxed.

  Sam laughed. “Holy shit! He likes this.”

  “Just watch him on the way back in. He loves it.” Nathan ran his hand down Max’s back. “Okay, boy. Here comes our wave.” Nathan started paddling. Just like the previous times, he popped to his feet at the right time, but this time Nathan turned the board instead of going straight. Max just stayed glued to the board. When the wave died down, Nathan sat down again.

  “You did it. Way to hang on, Max.”

  Sam finished his ride and caught up to them. “I can’t believe he likes to surf. Way to go, Max.” Sam rubbed his head.

  “Are you still going back to Charleston?”

  “Absolutely. I told her I would. We’ll see if she stands me up.”

  “Are you coming back here before you go home?”

  Sam gathered his board as they walked toward Vanessa. “Nah, I’ve got to go in early tomorrow. Some kind of Hurricane preparedness training.” Sam shook his head. “They’re just rain storms.”

  “What are just rain storms?” Vanessa asked.

  “Hurricanes.”

  Vanessa’s eyes opened wider. “Are you kidding me, Sam?”

  “Vanessa, I’m from the mid-west. I’ve dealt with tornados.”

  “Uh-huh. Well, a hurricane is basically a tornado that forms in the ocean. They can get pretty bad. My parents told me about the last big one that hit Charleston in the 80’s. It tore through the entire state of South Carolina then moved up through North Carolina. They can be just as deadly after they make landfall as they are beforehand. You’re in for a treat if we have one hit here this year.”

  “So, they don’t hit here every year?”

  “No, but we get the effects if they hit North Carolina, Georgia, and sometimes Florida.”

  “Well, this will definitely be new.”

  Nathan took in the conversation. “What happens when they hit here?”

  “The state will issue evacuation notices for people along the coast to move inland.”

  “If you aren’t back in Riverton Crossing, where would you go?”

  Vanessa looked playfully at him. “Back to Riverton Crossing? I hope I’d have a place to stay there.”

  Nathan closed his eyes and released his breath. “You’ve definitely got a place to stay.”

  29

  The rest of the morning and early afternoon flew by. It was getting close to three when Nathan’s phone rang. Vanessa heard his side of the conversation and assumed he was talking to Thomas.

  “Come through the gate and follow the driveway down to the beach house,” Nathan said as he walked out the door.

  Sam was already packed and ready to leave. “Are you sure you don’t want to bring her back here?”

  “I’m sure but thank you for the offer.” Sam smiled.

  “Well, if you change your mind, we’re walking down the beach to The Seafood Shack.”

  “I won’t change my mind. Worst case scenario, I go back to Riverton Crossing tonight instead of in the morning.”

  Vanessa nodded as she moved to look out the window toward the ocean. The only reason you’ll go back is that she won’t have sex with you. I want to have sex with Nathan, but we can’t. Yeah, you won’t be going home until morning.

  Voices coming through the door brought her out of her thoughts. She turned around and found a look of concern on Nathan’s face and felt her cheeks warm.

  “Oh, this is the cutest beach house.” That had to be Cat.

  Even though she was in school with Cat and Kayla, they really weren’t friends. Vanessa had stuck to herself in high school, especially after her father made her date Charles. With Linda being Kayla and Thomas’s cousin, she never wanted to accidentally say something that would get back to Charles. So now, she wasn’t sure how to handle things with Cat, or Thomas for that matter. Would they be pro-Linda and view her as the issue that kept their cousin from the man she loved? Or maybe, she was viewed as stupid for staying with a man who didn’t love her. This was why she tried to stay to herself. She didn’t want to know what the town gossip was about her.

  Nathan walked toward her with his hand stretched out. He wouldn’t put her with people who would be mean to her. “Ness, you know Thomas.”

  “Hey, Dr. Gregory. It’s good to see you again, especially in these circumstances.”

  “Call me, Thomas. If you’re going to be with Nathan, we’ll be seeing each other socially.”

  Vanessa nodded. “Okay, Thomas.”

  “Baby, do you know Cat?”

  “We went to high school together, but I kinda stayed to myself.” She looked at Nathan with a ‘you know why’ look.

  He kissed the back of her hand. “Sorry,” he whispered.

  “Vanessa Har—I mean, Calhoun, this is Catherine Livingston, but everyone calls her Cat.” Nathan’s smile was brilliant.

  “Hi, Cat. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

  An apologetic smile crossed Cat’s face. “Hey, Vanessa. I remember you always hanging by yourself. I should have friended you.”

  “At the time, I’m glad you didn’t, but I’m glad we can be friends now. Or at least I hope we can.”

  “Why wouldn’t we be?”

  Vanessa looked at Nathan. She wasn’t sure if she should address the elephant in the room or just play dumb to the fact that it’s staring them all in the face. Nathan nodded for her to continue.

  “Because of Linda,” Vanessa softly said.

  “Vanessa, we don’t pretend to know that whole story, and quite frankly, Linda should have backed away when you and Charles got married, if not before.” Thomas laid a hand on her shoulder. “Linda’s family and my family haven’t been close in years, so don’t worry about Kayla or me.”


  Vanessa nodded. “Thank you.”

  “I’ve never liked Linda and her gossiping self. No woman deserves a man who openly cheats on her.” Cat reached out and hugged Vanessa.

  “That whole situation has been some messed up shit, but that’s Vanessa’s story to tell if and when she’s ever ready,” Nathan said.

  “Thomas, Cat, it was good seeing you, but I’ve got a date waiting on me in Charleston. I’m going to shove off. Y’all have a good night.” Sam hugged Vanessa and whispered into her ear, “Have a good time and stop thinking about your past. You’re perfect for him.”

  “Thank you, Sam.”

  Sam hugged Cat before the guys walked Sam out. Once the door closed, Vanessa turned to Cat. “Would you like some lemonade or wine? Nathan may have some beer in the refrigerator.”

  “Lemonade would be nice. Can we go out on the porch?”

  “Absolutely.” A genuine smile graced her lips. Vanessa hurried to pour the lemonade and led Cat out to the porch facing the ocean.

  “I’m sorry you and Nathan have to go through this, not being able to be alone and all, but I think it’s romantic, too.”

  “I feel like we’ve stepped back in time to where courting was the norm, you know?”

  “I can see that. How are you handling it because that man is a force to be reckoned with?”

  Vanessa giggled. “It hasn’t been too bad until this weekend. We’d normally only see each other for a few hours during the day. He’d only ever stayed over one other time, and he was passed out. This weekend has been a test.”

  Cat laughed. “I bet it has. I swear that’s the most I’ve seen him smile in weeks.” Cat pointed over her shoulder to where they’d just left.

  “He’s a good man. He makes me smile more than I’ve smiled in nine years.” A frown marred her face as she quickly looked at Cat in hopes that she wouldn’t ask her to elaborate.

  Cat held her hands up. “I won’t ask, but I’m willing to listen if you ever need to talk.”