His Kind of Wonderful (Sugar Bay #2) (14 page)

“Stop, Dani.”

“Why?” She licked her lips and heard a groan. The sound was faint so she may have imagined it.

“Because.”

At last her knees bumped against the bed, shifting it. The ropes that held it aloft groaned but the incoming waves camouflaged the sound. A gust of wind flipped her nightie up and this time she knew she heard Joe groan.

“Please, Dani. Go back inside.”

With her eyes, she traced a visual path along his chest, which was lightly covered in golden hair, down to the happy trail that disappeared under the blanket. A large bulge tenting the sheet between his legs held her attention.

“What if I don’t want to?”

“Now is not the time to begin your research.”

“Why not?”

“Your brother is too close.”

Dani shook her head. She didn’t think she could wait any longer. It seemed like forever. Waves of heat emanated from him. She reached out to touch him but he grabbed her wrist before she could connect.

She looked into his shadowed face. “Just one touch, Joe.”

Their gazes locked in battle before Joe released his hold. She brushed a hand along his chest. Her fingers grazed his hot skin. She played with the whirls of his chest hair and skirted his nipples before she skimmed closer and closer to the tip. The fierce look on his face when she lightly brushed the stiff peak thrilled her. She shivered. His body was so different from hers yet somehow similar. The need to explore their similarities and differences gripped her. She bent to lick his nipple. His groan pleased her so she sucked him deep into her mouth. She watched in satisfaction as he twisted and shuddered beneath her.

“Fuck,” he muttered. His hand shot up and grasped behind her neck. “For research, right?”

“Right.”

He nodded and fell back. He tucked his hands under his head and let her explore. She grazed his other nipple and gave it the same treatment. The rigid muscles of his core went through detailed study next. Fascinated by the heat in his eyes, she lightly scored his flesh and traced a pattern along his abs. His muscles flexed and jerked with each touch. His scorching gaze seemed to warn her to tread carefully. Heedless of his warning, she circled his navel, and inched her way south with small nips and kisses. His fingers wrapped around her wrist like manacles, stopping her exploration.

“Not this time, Dani.”

She wanted to ignore him and press on. The massive bulge between his legs demanded her attention. They stared at one another, each willing the other to submit.

Joe shifted his eyes to her lips and she licked them. Anticipation pulsed through her body. He crushed her mouth with a groan and she tasted blood. She must have made a sound of distress because, immediately, he gentled his touch.

But still, it wasn’t a playful or teasing or a gentle getting to know you sort of kiss. It was aggressive and intense, filled with want and need. Willingly, she followed his lead and when he pulled back for a moment, she opened her eyes to meet his hot gaze. He brushed a thumb against her lower lip. It felt swollen and full. As if he understood, Joe lowered his head to kiss her once more and this time he took a more gentle approach. Taking his time, he sucked and laved and broke the pattern to nibble on her lower lip before thrusting his tongue deep in her mouth. He coaxed her to thrust and parry before capturing her tongue in victory. He shifted his body lower and nipped her neck. Joe maneuvered her until she lay half beside him, half under him.

“We agreed this isn’t real, correct?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

He raised her hand high above her head and urged her to hold the rope. “Don’t let go.”

Lowering his body, he nuzzled her breast through the thin nightgown. He mouthed her breast through the cotton and she arched into him and bit back a moan. He slipped the ribbon down her shoulder and lowered the neckline to bare her hard nipples. With his teeth, he scraped against the unbearably sensitive nubbin.

“Joe,” she whispered, squirming with sensation. She wanted to hold him tight against her—to direct the pressure exactly where she needed and began to loosen her grip on the rope.

He must have sensed her disobedience and lifted his head.

“Nuh-uh, Dani. What did I tell you?”

She bit her lip. Her body was wracked with need. Her nipples were wet from his mouth and glistened in the moonlight. She used her body to tempt him to continue what he was doing.

“Don’t make me tie you up.”

She froze at his command. The image of her tied to the bed while he tortured her with his mouth, lips and tongue made her heart pound.

“I can see that topic is open for further exploration.”

She remained silent.

Joe lowered his head and blew hot air over her sensitive nipples.

Dani groaned, closing her eyes. She shuddered as her nipples tightened further into painfully sensitive nubs. He chose that moment to rub his chin back and forth, the coarse hair abrading her delicate skin.

“Ah. Joe.”

“Hush, Dani. We can’t have your bodyguard coming out here, now can we?”

She shook her head almost in desperation. He couldn’t stop now. He hadn’t done anything lower. She was ready to come from nipple play alone. She was wet down there and could smell her arousal. She knew he could too. In their bed play, the shifting had lifted her nightie and exposed her tiny bikini panties.

“What’s this?” He whispered, fingering the elastic along her groin, brushing against her mound in the process.

Moisture flooded her panties and she groaned.

He shifted so his face nestled between her legs. His breath was hot against her thighs. His finger traced a line over her mound and down her seam then back up again. The action further defined to her wetness.

“Very pretty.” He brushed a kiss to her. “I’ve always wondered what you wore under your jeans.”

“You have?” She sounded breathless but that couldn’t be helped.

“Every damn day. And when you wore billowy skirts, I prayed for strong wind.”

She chuckled softly. “Well, now you know.”

“I sure do.” He pulled her panties aside. The silky fabric was no deterrent. “But what I really wondered about was how good you would taste.”

“Oh, fuck,” she muttered as he lowered his face and took a long lick.

“I wish I could Dani but I can’t.”

Her chest heaved from her desire. Dani glanced down and saw her exposed breasts and the wanton splay of her legs. A burst of modesty hit her and she attempted to close her legs.

“Oh no, you don’t.” He moved so he was wedged between her thighs. “You’re not hiding this pretty pussy from me.”

Dani’s face burned at his words. She fell back against the pillows and waited.

The first touch of his tongue made her jump but the second made her moan. No man had ever done that to her before.

“Delicious.”

He laved up one side but didn’t touch the sensitive hood that yearned for his attention. With the flat of his tongue he laved down the other side. On and on the torture went before he took pity on the quivering mass and sucked it into his mouth. He tongued the hard flesh, alternating between feather light touches and firm licks until her body bowed and her mind and body splintered into a million and one particles, leaving her a very satisfied woman.

So this was what a male induced orgasm was.

After reading shelves of books where she had a hard time understanding the nuances of sex, she now got it. All that talk about drifting in a galaxy—true. She felt like she could float away.

“Holy shit,” she muttered still struggling to catch her breath.

Joe moved away but the sounds of him shoving his feet in shoes caught her attention.

“Joe?”

“I need to go.”

“What?” Still in a hazy fog, she didn’t understand his silence.

And like a phantom of the night, Joe disappeared while she lay sprawled on the bed, well pleasured and alone.

***

Joe walked into the cottage just in time for breakfast and caught sight of Dani bent over his vintage record collection. She wore short, boy shorts that exposed her long lean legs and a hint of her butt cheeks.

From that luscious view he came to two conclusions—his morning swim hadn’t sufficiently numbed his body and Dani was put on earth to torture him.

After his midnight run, he’d fallen asleep only to be awoken a few hours later by a hot dream featuring Dani on her knees in front of him. He’d dragged his sorry ass from the twisted sheets for his second run in the span of twelve hours. Then followed the run by a swim, extending it in hopes the cool water would numb a particularly lusty part of his body.

Adding insult to injury, while Joe struggled with a walking hard on for the guy’s sister, Derek was secretly or not so secretly fondling his wife in the kitchen. The two cooed like lovebirds. Joe cleared his throat twice so they would quit already. Didn’t they know all that petting wasn’t helping his horny thoughts? What kind of friend did that to someone who wasn’t currently getting any?

Derek had the nerve to shoot him a shit-eating grin. “Morning.”

Joe grunted in response.

Punk ass.

He sat at the little table set for four and made a concentrated effort not to look towards Dani. Minutes later the others sat down to enjoy Anabelle’s French toast and bacon. Although he felt the weight of Dani’s gaze, he ignored it.

In response, Dani brushed her fingers along his thigh under the table. Instinct made him bang his knee, shaking the table and spilling the orange juice. His friends gave him curious looks and Joe knew ignoring her had been a mistake.

“Sorry. Muscle spasm.” He pretended to massage his knee under the table.

“You okay, Joe?” Anabelle looked at him in concern.

“Yeah. Fine. Sometimes the spasms happen when I don’t stretch enough after my run.”

Derek raised an eyebrow at Joe and somehow he met his best friend’s gaze without flinching.

“You should try yoga,” Anabelle said and grabbed a dishtowel to clean the mess.

“Yeah, maybe.”

Dani looked angelic as she cut her French toast in perfect little squares. She looked so pleased with herself, the thought of tattling on her had zero appeal so he kept his mouth shut and looked like the dumbass he was.

***

“The girls will be out in a bit but I wanted to talk to you first.”

Shit.

Joe opened the cooler he’d filled with ice and searched the pantry for the flat of water, Sam Adams and sodas he’d bought yesterday. The plan was to hang out on the beach before lunch.

“What’s up, man?” Guilt ate at him but he was pretty sure Derek hadn’t heard them last night. If he had, Joe would’ve eaten a knuckle sandwich for breakfast instead of Anabelle’s delicious cooking.

“We’ve been best friends since college, going on what—thirteen years, now?”

“Sounds about right,” he said, wondering where this was going.

“I want you to know how much I trust you, Joe.”

He was fucked. Pure and simple.

“And I want to thank you for letting Anabelle and I stay last night.”

“No problem. Anytime.”

“We’ve discussed it and have agreed Dani doesn’t need a chaperone anymore.”

Blood rushed from his head and left his mouth dry. Joe swallowed. The image of Dani as she’d been last night sprawled out under him in orgasmic surrender flashed through his mind.

“What are you saying?” His fingers tightened on the Sam Adams waiting to be transferred to the cooler. Panic threatened his control. He needed their presence. They were supposed to be the last barrier in case his will power wasn’t strong enough.

He imagined the next few nights ahead.

Dani in various states of dress or undress in his house.

Dani eating dinner with him alone.

Dani licking her lips at him while he sat in agony at the same table.

Him instructing Dani on the finer points of lovemaking and stopping before the point of no return, after which he would limp into his room.

Night after night.

He’d go bat shit crazy.

“After we hang out with you guys on the beach for a little while, Anabelle and I plan to take off,” his friend continued with no clue of Joe’s inner turmoil.

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Nothing to say, Joe. I trust you not to hurt my baby sister.”

“But, why?” He couldn’t help but ask.

Derek shrugged. “I know you’re not your father. You’re not perpetually on the prowl, not caring if your partner is young, old, married or single. Not one woman from your past has ever complained about their hearts being broken. You’re clear on the rules beforehand so nobody gets hurt. You’re a good guy. And since you promised not to hurt Dani, I know you won’t.”

“Shit, man.” Joe rubbed the back of his neck, uncertain of what to say next.

The tight rope on which he walked stretched before him—a careful balance honoring the promises he’d made to both Dani and Derek. Failure was not an option.

Dani wanted experience, which he planned to give her. No way was he letting her ask Professor Perve. Derek would hate that as well. So in essence he was protecting Dani in Derek’s place and in the process, he would make sure Dani didn’t get hurt.

In a few weeks time, Dani would be satisfied with her research and Derek would be happy. Joe may or may not be insane by that point. But if he were still sane, life would go on as before.

“Come on, man.” He lifted one end of the cooler and Derek grabbed the other. “I would never let anything bad happen to her.” That was the best he could do. He’d promised Dani his help, so he’d need to physically touch her. The plan was to help her, to protect her then to send her on her way so she could be with someone more worthy.

That much he could promise.

“I know.”

Anabelle stepped onto the deck and Derek forgot all about Joe. The poor sap looked like he’d swallowed his tongue.

“Is that a new suit, sweetheart?” Derek eyed the retro bikini Anabelle wore. The black suit showcased her pin up curves and Derek’s eyes widened comically. Joe detected a hint of drool before the guy remembered to lick his lips.

“Yes.” She struck a pose. “You like it?”