Lorelie Brown - Riding the Wave

Her mouth tasted as good as he remembered. All cool hesitation and a splash of salt. His own heady margarita.

For the first seconds, her mouth was slack under his. He thought for a moment he’d pushed too hard, tried to take too much. She’d pull back and realize any sort of involvement with him was a mistake.

But then she flashed to life with a gasp. Her lips sipped at his. Her tongue moved first, slicking along his bottom lip.

Tanner let his eyes close. She felt like safe harbor. He could come to shore with her and they’d stay away from the world.

He’d have enough fresh hell over the next few days. He’d already put enough behind him too. For now, all he needed was something good to sink into.

And the tastes of her mouth he’d stolen convinced him exactly how good she’d be.

One hand wound around the back of his neck, diving into his hair. But that wasn’t enough for Avalon. Her fingers wound through the strands and tugged. Hard. That fast, he was rock hard, despite the cold water that occasionally sloshed over his ass.

There was nothing but Avalon.

For now, Avalon was more than enough. She was the whole ocean wrapped up into one rushing, sweeping feeling. He’d let it take him, even as he took Avalon.

Avalon couldn’t remember the last time she’d been kissed like this. Even their kiss earlier, in his old bedroom, didn’t compete with this . . . this . . . dude. Avalon could hardly even put words to it. Full-on melding? Absolute connection?

For all that she’d thought she’d build a life with Matthew, his kisses had felt perfunctory, like he’d been doing what needed to be done. Tanner kissed her as if he couldn’t get enough. As if he didn’t have anywhere else in the world to be. As if even getting her into bed was a much lower priority than simply kissing the hell out of her.

It almost seemed like he wanted to use her as an escape hatch. A way out of his own head.

She probably should be offended.

But holy damn, when the result was being kissed hard enough to make her toes curl, why the hell would she care?

His hair verged on short around his neck and ears, but that didn’t prevent her from getting a good grip at his crown. She didn’t want him going anywhere, not when he was making such lovely silent promises.

Their knees bumped and she had to pull harder to keep him from floating away. The grip his fingers burned into her waist was no less hard. Almost desperate.

Their mouths came apart with a quiet gasp.

Avalon licked her lips. She felt like she could still taste him, but that didn’t make much sense. That salt was every bit as much the sea; not him.

She felt marked anyhow. Like her lips were slightly swollen. The tingle under her skin burned higher.

“We should head in.” Her voice sounded slightly unsteady, which only made sense.

“You make that sound so normal.”

He had beautiful eyes. She’d never tell him, never use that word, because he’d likely blow her off in that guy kind of way. But even with their blue color obscured in the dark, the shape of them left her breathless. The way his gaze bore into her. She thought she might be able to live off that connection.

He cocked his head, casting his voice into a light parody of cheeriness. “No big. We’re done on the water, so it’s time to head in.”

“How should I have said it?”

His mouth opened but only for a moment. His heavy-lidded eyes flashed a bit of sly humor at her. “No. I think we’ll leave that one be. C’mon.”

With that, he led the way back to shore. Since the waves were so tiny, they didn’t bother surfing in. Once their feet touched the hard-packed sand below the tide line, they linked hands. Their fingers twined together even though neither of them breathed a word.

Avalon drank in Tanner’s proximity, his heavy strength and solid warmth. Anyone caught within his shadow would be protected, even if things went too far. The difference between protecting and sheltering seemed to be escaping Tanner.

Her fingers cinched his. They walked along in silence as if breathing the same existence. It was almost too easy, and Avalon couldn’t trust it, at least not for long. She could already feel the sand rushing between her fingers, the hourglass running out.

That was fine. The feeling of impermanence had become a blessing in her life. She’d learned that it heralded the beginning of a wonderful time, excitement. There was no point in not grabbing on with both hands if the moment wasn’t going to last. She might as well take what she could.

At the back door of Tanner’s rental house, she waited patiently as he unlocked the door, letting the tail of her board droop toward the wooden deck. If they had been closer, she would have nestled up behind him and licked that spot at the tip of his spine that drew her attention so well. He’d left a light burning over the blue-painted door. The twitch and play of his shoulder muscles was a thing of beauty.

Soon she’d get a chance to touch and play as she liked. But that wasn’t the same thing as cuddling. Or laying her cheek against the divot of his spine.

Her fingers curled into her palm, folding safely in on herself. She should do it anyway. The risk was so little, and the reward of his flesh would be so great.

But before she’d managed to overcome the trembling knot in her stomach, it was too late. Tanner tossed open the door, set his board inside, and then leaned hers against the wall next to his.

Then he shut the door again. Leaning against it, he gave her a wicked grin. In the pale light of the energy-efficient bulb, his teeth looked as white as a shark’s.

“Tell me what we’re doing here.”

She let her head tilt and let a sultry smile curve her mouth. The practice she’d put into this look as a teenager was worth it when his eyelids went heavy and his chest thickened on a deep breath. “I had been under the impression that was obvious.”

The touch he trailed down the inside of her arm sent a wicked shiver through her. The weight landed in her pussy, making her swell with heat that battled against her damp swimsuit.

“No.” His grip looped around her wrist. She’d never been tiny, but he made her feel delicate. Breakable, but only in the best possible way. “I mean, how bold do you want to be?”

“Bold enough to make it worth it.”

When this all ended, she would need something big and bold enough to take away with her. A fully absorbing memory for when she was once again alone in her bed, playing with her battery-operated friend.

Tanner liked that answer. He pulled her closer, then stole a kiss, which was instantly reciprocated. The way he swanned through life, so fully assured of his right to what he wanted, made her head spin. She needed a little of that, even if it was only a taste by proxy.

When he lifted his head again, it was all she could do not to sway into his arms. “What are you hinting at?”

“I’ve always wanted to do something. It’s late enough, I think.” He wound his fingers up through the back of her hair. Tiny tugs and pulls told her he was removing her hair tie. “And you, Avalon, seem brave enough to try it with me.”

The idea gave her a little rush. That she’d be able to give him something no other woman had, sent a hot coil of yes down her spine and through her pussy.

She rose up on her toes, letting her kiss be enough of an answer. The way he grabbed her hips sent more power running through her, until her head almost buzzed with it. Until even her toes tingled.

He hitched her higher in his grip, yanking her up. Their torsos came together. The pressure against her breasts was enough to send another rush of wet to her core.

Almost involuntarily, she gave a little hop. Almost a test—would he catch her? He did.

Big hands curled around her ass, warm under the edge of her wet bikini bottom. His fingers were callused and his grip was hard and unrelenting. As if now that he had her in his hold, he wasn’t letting go.

She crossed her forearms behind his neck, not wanting to admit how much she liked that. She wanted more too. All the way through. It was more than want—it was need. His touch, his existence. She needed to give him what he desired.

Everything she had, she poured into their kiss. More of her energy through and through, until his tongue in her mouth sent tiny wiggles of pleasure through her. The depths of her head went haywire, taking enjoyment further and further.

The world almost seemed to sway under their touch.

But then she realized it really did sway—because Tanner had walked her toward the side of the deck. There, tucked underneath the balcony of the upper floor, was a half-walled outdoor shower for washing off sand. All the nice houses along the beach had them, and this one was one of the nicer Avalon had seen, with tiled walls and both hot and cold water.

Tanner set her down on her feet in the corner. He flattened his hands at the wall beside her head. The dark became deeper in their close slice of the world, the porch light half concealed by the artfully worn boards.

She could only make out shadows and planes of Tanner’s face. It gave him a slightly sinister edge, until she reached up to touch. Her fingers slid along his jaw. A slight hint of scruff, the golden hairs invisible in this light, roughed up her skin. “Here?” she breathed.

The idea was dirty. Filthy. Wonderfully so. She’d etch herself in a corner of his mind, something that would belong to her. During the day, she’d never consider such a thing. The tourist-packed sand and the neighbors would guarantee they’d be busted. Seen. Caught.