The Bad Boys of Eden (66 page)

A hard shudder worked through him as he gazed down at her, that blond hair flowing around her bare shoulders and her eyes brimming with feminine confidence. He brushed the back of his hand over her cheek. “I knew you were having dirty thoughts when we talked,
cher
. But if I’d known this was on your mind, I would’ve moved our talks to my place.”

Her lips tilted into a smirk as she coasted her hand up his rigid erection, pale fingers against flushed skin. “Then you would’ve missed out on all those women on your trips and had no stories to tell.”

He threaded his fingers in her hair, the sensation of her touch making his thoughts slow and sticky. “Ah, that’s where you’re wrong. There were no women on those trips except you. Any story I told was a fantasy about what I would’ve wanted to do with if you’d been there with me.”

Her hand stilled, surprise lighting her eyes. “What?”

“Making love under a waterfall, curling up naked under the stars, binding a woman with my bungee cords…those were my fantasies about you.”

Her forehead scrunched. “But Miss Georgia?”

“The only one who’s seen any action in a year is my hand.” He smoothed the wrinkles in her forehead with his thumb. “You ruined me without ever trying.”

Something broke over her expression, and he thought for a moment she might cry. But instead, she nuzzled her face against his thigh, sending hot goose bumps up his spine, and then met his gaze as she put her mouth where her hand had been. He grabbed onto the bedpost as she closed her lips around him and took him inside her lush mouth. Sweet and hot and confident. Starbursts bloomed in his vision almost instantly. He groaned and reached for the silk of her hair with his free hand.

How many lonely nights had he stroked himself while thinking about Gretchen? Imagining what turned on her. Wondering if she’d be a tender lover or a bold one. Picturing the things he wanted to do to her, how he wanted to make her feel. Now she was here with him, taking him inside her body, tasting him like she’d been yearning for him as much as he’d been for her.

She ran her tongue along the underside of his cock and made a sound of pure, decadent appreciation—like she was the one receiving instead of giving. He wasn’t sure he’d ever heard a more erotic sound.

But as bone-melting as the pleasure was, this wasn’t what he craved most tonight. So after a few minutes of enjoying her talented mouth, he eased back, slipping free, and took her hand to help her to her feet. She gave him a questioning look, but he lifted her onto the bed instead of answering. He tugged his shirt over his head. “On your belly,
cher
. I need you under me.”

Her lips were glossy and her eyes full of heat as her gaze cascaded over his body. “You didn’t give me much time to explore, Mr. Brennan.”

He gave her a slow smile. “When we get home, you can tie me to the bed and do whatever you want to me.”

Her eyebrow arched. “Don’t make promises you’re not willing to keep.”

“Never.” He crawled onto the bed and kissed her neck. “I’ve got a long list of fantasies starring you. It’s going to take a while to get through it, I’m afraid.”

“Yeah?”

“Mmm,” he said with a serious nod. “Probably a lifetime. Maybe more.”

She looked thoughtful for a moment then smiled in a way that electrified everything inside him. “I think that can be arranged.”

He grinned. A lifetime. Looked like Mr. Decker the jeweler would get some business off Burke after all. Forever suddenly had a nice ring to it.

Gretchen settled back onto the pillows and eyed the silk sashes on either side of her. “So I heard this rumor that you were good at knots?”

“Well, I’ve managed not to fall off the side of any cliffs.”

She gave him a grave look. “I think I’m at definite risk for falling right now. I mean, did you see how high off the floor this bed is?”

He took one of her wrists in his hands and pressed his lips to the pulse point. “We can’t have that. Safety first. Turn over,
cher
. I promise to keep you safe.”

He kissed Gretchen one more time and then rolled her over. Without another word, he helped her into position and bound her with the silk, touching every part of her along the way. He’d never been particularly into handcuffs or anything like that, but the ritual of arranging her had him falling into this quiet place where nothing else existed but the two of them. He could feel her body growing warmer, more aroused, her pulse at her wrists pounding. She was breathtaking in her trust.

When he was finished securing everything, he kneeled behind her and took in the sight of her creamy skin and the red sashes. A small part of him feared that he’d finally come to the end of this crazy dream. That he’d wake up in his bedroom and there would be no such place as Eden. That the girl he loved would still be hurting and trapped in the past. That she’d still be lost to him.

But then Gretchen peered over her shoulder, his beautiful, sexy girl, with eyes full of love. He knew then that this was no dream. He could’ve never dreamed up this version of her. He wouldn’t have let himself imagine that he’d ever be this lucky.

He slid his hands to her hips, lifting her to him and kissed along the notches of her spine. “I want to do really dirty things to you,
cher
.”

“And I want to let you.”

He reached around to stroke his fingers over her heat and groaned at the slippery feel of her arousal. So. Damn. Sexy. “I love that you’re this hot for me already.”

“You seem to have that effect on me,” she said, her words getting a little choppy as he explored.

He eased his fingers inside her, slow, purposeful. “Would you get this way when we had our coffee dates?”

She tilted into his touch, hungry for it. “God, yes. I couldn’t get home fast enough afterward.”

“Mmm.” Visions of Gretchen going home after one of their talks, stretching out on her sheets, and touching herself with thoughts of him had any remaining blood in his head rushing south. “Guess I owe you for all that teasing.”

He coasted his fingertip over her hot button and enjoyed the ensuing moan.

“Yes, so much,” she said between breaths. “So much debt to pay off.”

He grabbed the condom he’d tossed on the bed after binding her, but Gretchen must’ve recognized the sound of the package opening.

“I’m on the pill. You don’t have to unless you want to.”

He paused, caught off guard. He’d never had sex without a condom, had never dated anyone long enough to get to that monogamous point. But the thought of being inside Gretchen with no barrier, of being skin to skin. He closed his eyes and breathed through the blinding rush of need.

He tossed the condom to the side and positioned himself behind her. She angled back, the hot clasp of her body teasing the head of his cock. Holy. Christ. His hand tightened on her. “
Fuuuuck.
”

“Yes, that. Let’s do that.”

He laughed, though it came out a little strangled, and rocked forward, giving them what they both were desperate for. She took him fully inside her body and the feel of her heat wrapping around him was like nothing he’d ever experienced. Perfect transcendent pleasure. Everything in his world seemed to shift into place all at once. They were joined—body and soul.

He’d waited his whole life for this. For her.

The island knows what you need.

Indeed, it did. And maybe it was still in a giving mood because time seemed to grind to a crawl in that room as they made love, the hours going on and on for the two of them. Their bodies didn’t tire, their pleasure didn’t wane, and their stamina seemed unending. As soon as they’d reach a peak, they’d find another around the bend. The island was giving them back some of their lost time.

And as the sun rose high outside the windowless room, Gretchen came for a final time with a shout, her body bowing up and his name falling from her lips. He closed his eyes, holding back his own orgasm a little longer, to revel in the ecstasy of hers.

“Burke, Burke,
Burke
.”

He’d never heard his name sound so good.

This was Gretchen untethered. Not the Gretchen who had forgotten the past. Not Gretchen in denial. This was Gretchen who loved him back despite it all. Because of it.

This was Gretchen free.

And this was him in love.

He’d never let her go again.

Epilogue

~ Gretchen ~

I shouldn’t be up this late, but I was too close to being done. I put one last stroke of orange on the painting that’d been inspired by our honeymoon in Brazil last week. I stood back to see if I’d properly caught the way the sunset hit the colorful row of buildings and the face of the man who’d been leaning against one of the doors. My attention flicked back and forth between the canvas and the photograph I’d taken of the scene. The man wasn’t in the photograph. No camera would’ve been able to catch what I’d seen, but his face was emblazoned in my mind.

“Hey, my little painting insomniac.” Hands landed on my shoulders from behind. “Can’t sleep or have you taken up sleepwalking again?”

“Nope, fully conscious, just wanted to get this done.” I put my hand over his. “Did I wake you?”

“Nah, the barking dog next door had that privilege.” Burke kissed the top of my head and looped his arms around my waist. “That painting’s gorgeous,
cher
. Even more beautiful than it was in person.”

I set my brush down and turned in Burke’s arms. “Thanks.”

He squinted and leaned a little closer to the painting, his expression changing. “Is that?”

“Yeah,” I said quietly.

He looked back to me, concern there. “Everything okay?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Everything’s good.”

He glanced at the painting again. “You just wanted to paint him?”

The fact that Burke seemed to have no issue with that warmed my heart. It also gave me the courage to be honest about why I’d put Harris in the piece. “No, I’m painting it as I saw it. He was there that day.”

Burke’s focus returned to me, the concern lingering. “I thought on the island…I thought he said good-bye.”

I exhaled. “Gran told me that even when souls know they’ll be happier on the other side, that the in between is no place to linger, it’s still hard to let go. Harris and I made our peace with each other on Eden, but I think he needed to see things for himself. You and me.”

Frown lines appeared around his mouth.

“I started taking photos of the buildings and then there he was. I don’t think he realized I could see him at first.”

“God,
cher
, you should’ve told me. That must’ve been hard for you. Did he say anything?”

“He didn’t get the chance. As soon as I realized he was there, you came out of the shop you’d been in, the one where you bought me that ridiculous hat. You plopped the hat on my head, picked me up off my feet, and kissed me. I didn’t have time to say anything.”

“Oh, Gretch
.
”

“When I looked back, he was still there, just like this. And then he was gone.”

Burke released me and stepped in front of the painting to study the little details. I knew what he’d see. Harris’s lips were curved in the hint of a wistful smile and his hand was raised.

Burke cleared his throat. “Is he…”

I put my chin on his shoulder. “Saying good-bye? Yeah, I think so.”

He let out a breath. “He’s wearing the ball cap I gave him. The one I’d sent as a joke when the Saints beat his beloved Giants.”

I smiled. “When he got that in the mail, he’d laughed so hard about it, especially the embroidered inscription on the back that said
#1 Fan
. I remember him saying,
Well played, bro
. He wore it more often than he would’ve ever admitted to you.”

Burke’s head lowered between his shoulders and he put a hand over his eyes. “Christ, Harris.”

I held Burke from behind, feeling the bounce of his shoulders and letting him have his grief. “I think that was his way of telling us both that he’s okay now. That we’re all okay. That he wishes us well.” I took a deep breath. “I can’t…I can’t feel him anymore.”

Since we’d gotten back from Eden, I’d had moments where I sensed him when I was alone. He’d never shown himself or talked to me, but I’d known that when I’d said good-bye on the island, he hadn’t done the same. But now there was a noticeable gap in the energy around me. I couldn’t feel him anymore. He was gone for good to wherever we went after this life.

He was finally at peace.

And so was I.

I took Burke by the hand and led him back to bed. Without a word, we crawled under the covers, and he curved his arms around me. I laid my head on his chest and closed my eyes. “Forever, Burke Brennan.”

“Forever, my love.”

I fell asleep without any worries of sleepwalking.

I had nowhere else I wanted to be.

I was home.

# # #

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About Roni Loren

Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. Though she’ll forever be a New Orleans girl at heart, she now lives in Dallas with her husband and son.

If she’s not working on her latest story, you can find her reading, watching reality television, or indulging in her unhealthy addiction to rockstars, er, rock concerts. Yeah, that's it. She is the
New York Times
and 
USA Today
Bestselling Author of
The Loving on the Edge
series and other sexy things.

Other Books by Roni Loren

Contemporary Erotic Romance

The Loving on the Edge Series

Crash Into You

Still Into You
(novella)

Melt Into You

Fall Into You

Not Until You

Caught Up In You

Need You Tonight

Forever Starts Tonight
(novella)

Nothing Between Us

Call On Me
– coming July 2015

Other Works

Nice Girls Don’t Ride
(novella) – Coming April 2015 – Sexy New Adult

Wanderlust in the
Sweet Seduction charity boxed set
– Coming May 2015 – Erotic contemporary novel

“Two in the Morning” in the
Fifty First Times
anthology – Male/Male New Adult

An Excerpt from Roni Loren

If you would like to read more Roni Loren stories, you can start from the beginning with
CRASH INTO YOU
, the first in the Loving on the Edge series. Or, feel free to jump into whichever book catches your eye first because though they are part of a series, they can also be read as standalones. The latest release is a hot m/m/f ménage romance,
NOTHING BETWEEN US
.

Here is a short excerpt from
NOTHING BETWEEN US
...