That she was hot for him?

But there was a huge deal breaker between them in spite of her raging libido. Her chin rose until they were eye to eye. “You’ve always had a ton of girls in your pocket, Devon. I’ve never been interested in being simply another toy you play with.”

He nodded slowly. “I don’t blame you.”

“What would Lana think of us fooling around?”

His shock seemed genuine, replacing the lust. “Lana who?”

She bit back a laugh. “I saw her in your truck the other day.”

Comprehension lit his eyes and the familiar, teasing Devon was back. “Oh, when I drove her to the grocery store because her car was busted. Were you jealous?”

Embarrassed was more like it. “Don’t make me regret this, Devon.”

“Regret what?”

They were on opposite sides of the circular hot tub, feet dangling in the water. The entire width of the pool separated them and yet she swore she still felt his touch. Bubbling and splashing carried on around them. Everything else had vanished in the wake of this new challenge.

A bit of defiance stiffened her resolve, only this time in Devon’s favour. Vincent had shown up in her new backyard, so to speak. Unannounced and uninvited.

He was the last person she wanted to be involved with.

Devon had already proved he was a fine distraction. Maybe seeing him wouldn’t be the worst mistake she could make. If she was careful, and didn’t get her heart involved. Would it really be so bad if she let loose a little and satisfied the ache he created inside?

* * *

Devon examined her, top to bottom. Her smooth stomach, the skin showing between the expanse of her swimsuit bottom and the sports bra top she wore. She’d climbed in a top like that. He’d touched her while climbing, but this was much different. This wasn’t about a professional work relationship, this was the two of them finally dealing with the itch that had been driving him crazy forever.

Her, too, if she’d admit it.

Right now, right here, all he needed was for her to agree they would be together. Time was of the essence, especially with that Vincent showing up.

Maybe there was a better way to do this, but he’d expended all his patience in the years leading up to now. “I promise I don’t consider you a toy, but I do want to play with you.”

Her eyes widened, and that pink tongue of hers snuck over her bottom lip.

He stood on the bench of the hot tub, not hiding his hard-on as he paced the perimeter toward her. “I want kisses, and tastes of your skin. I want to touch you everywhere and learn what kind of noises you make when you’re trembling on the edge of orgasm.”

“Devon . . .”

“I want to fool around with you for hours until we’re both so tired we pass out, just so we can wake up and do it all over again.”

The passion in her eyes—the astonishment and longing—increased as he drew closer. His cock was rock hard, tight to his body with the wet fabric of his shorts barely confining him.

He stepped to her side and slipped his hands along her thighs, loving the catch in her breathing as he made contact. Driven on by the flutter of her heart rate at the pulse of her throat, he eased her thighs apart, stepping between them as he lowered himself into the water again so their eyes were level.

Her breathing picked up. His was none too steady, either.

His hands were still on her thighs, so he skimmed them ever so slowly upward. Closer to her sex. Palms cupping the top of her limbs, thumbs dragging on the inside of her soft, smooth skin.

“I want to slip my tongue into you and eat you out until you’re squirming. I want to lick your cream from my fingers after I’ve brought you to orgasm. Then I’ll drive my cock into you until you scream with pleasure.”

He’d lowered his voice, barely audible over the everyday pool noises. But she’d heard. She’d heard every word.

Her bottom lip quivered, moisture shining on it where she’d given in and nervously licked a second ago. She stared at his mouth as if she were starving.

He was. For more of her.

“Yes, Alisha? Do we give in to the heat and make both of us far happier than we’ve been? Or we can go back to being frustrated. You using whatever vibrators you’ve got shoved in your side table, and me fucking my fist, wishing I were pumping into you instead.”

“God, Devon.” Breathless. A mere whisper.

He inched his hands higher, fingertips brushing the edge of her swimsuit, thumbs hovering closer to where he needed to be.

She clasped his wrists, her strong climber’s fingers squeezing tight enough to make him pause.

Devon didn’t give up. “You tell me. You decide. I want you so fucking bad, but I want you to want me as—”

She let go of his left wrist and caressed his cheek, jerking his words to a stop. He was the one who gasped when she shifted their connected hands and brought his fingers over her sex. The dark circles of her pupils were so wide they nearly eclipsed the greyish blue of her irises. They stared into each other’s eyes as he enjoyed the passion dancing over her face.

Alisha leaned forward, and their lips were together again.

Holy shit, yes.

Everything he’d mentioned doing to her was only the tip of the iceberg. Just the start of the adventure he wanted to take her on, but it felt so good finally beginning.

He savoured her. The sensation of her lips moving against his. The pressure as she attempted to get closer.

Even as their tongues touched and retreated, breaths intermingling, he was all too aware of her soft sex under his hand. He stroked his thumb over her suit, a gentle brush. She whimpered deep in her throat and pulled away from the kiss.

The flash of fire in her eyes—no way he wanted to miss experiencing it for the first time.

He pressed their foreheads together, left hand cupping the back of her neck to keep her where he wanted her. “I’m going to make you come, and I want to watch every second of it.”

She swallowed hard and widened her legs in invitation. “Yes.”

Alisha had pulled off her bathing cap earlier, and her long hair tousled over her shoulders, the ends curling around her breasts. She still wore her sports bra, and he wished they were in a better location so he could strip it from her. Leave her naked so he’d see her nipples hiding behind the long blond strands, peeking out with every breath she took. Her skin was smooth, water droplets clinging to her.

“So beautiful.”

He lowered his gaze to her sex, playing again over the material, rubbing with increasing pressure as the fabric slipped between her folds. The little noises she made added to his pleasure as he adjusted his touch, varied the pressure based on her response.

He glanced around the pool area for a second, making sure they were still alone and his body blocked the instant view of what they were doing from anyone who might enter the area. There shouldn’t be a class for at least another thirty minutes, but he didn’t want to be interrupted by surprise.

No one around—no one to stop them from this moment. Devon slipped his fingers under the edge of her swimsuit and tugged it to one side, exposing her sex.

He nearly swallowed his tongue. “Sweet. Fucking. Mercy.”

Alisha laughed. “You like?”

She was bare except for the trimmed strip of curls on her mound. “When I mentioned eating you out I had no idea. Now I can hardly wait.”

Moisture glistened on her folds, not just the water from the pool, but her arousal. Her desire for him.

He shook his head to refocus and pulled his gaze to her face, staring into her eyes. The corners of her mouth twisted upward slightly as if she had a secret she wasn’t willing to share. Trapping her gaze, his hand returned to her sex, circling her tender core gently. As one finger drifted deeper, her lashes fluttered.

“Look at me,” Devon commanded, his voice soft but clear. Her lids snapped open, her tongue slipping out again to moisten her lower lip. As he continued to caress her folds, a range of emotions crossed her face. Embarrassment passed quickly enough as she caught fire. Caught the need for more. Desire rising, excitement growing. Her breathing quickened as he stroked deep inside.

Devon slipped two fingers into her, pressing his thumb over her clit to continue the assault on her senses. He smiled at the soft noises she made, her face twitching occasionally when his fingers touched a particularly sensitive spot. “Oh yeah, I got you there. Right here, yes?”

He stroked with the pads of his fingers and she squirmed, a deep flush rising on her chest. She released her lower lip from her teeth to pant lightly.

Her eyes glittered as her breathing rate increased even further.

“Devon . . .”

He leaned in and whispered, “Come on, let yourself go.”

Alisha threw back her head as a cry of pleasure escaped her. Around his fingers, her sex squeezed, her upper body shaking as a climax rolled through her. Devon held her, stroking through the aftershocks until she lifted her head and caught his gaze, a brilliant smile breaking free as he slowly withdrew his fingers, caressing her folds and soothing as he left her empty.

“Oh, God, I needed that.”

Devon laughed. He met her halfway, accepting her kiss, wrapping his arms around her as she drove her fingers into his hair and kissed him with wild abandon.

The sound of voices and laughter poured through the change room door as a group of students arrived early and flipped the lights on. Devon and Alisha pulled apart slightly, but he stayed in front of her, tugging her suit back over her sex and stroking softly before removing his hand.