A hint of wariness entered her expression. “You do?”
“I’m not going to haul your ass back. I owe you my life. But I’m not going to let you walk away either. I think you’ll come to your senses before the end—”
“No, I won’t.”
“God, you’re stubborn.”
She gave him a slight smile. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
He shook his head. “Anyway, what I propose is—we stay together.” Something flickered in her eyes, and he held up his hand. “Don’t think this is a proposal or anything. I’m good for a quick fuck but nothing more. I don’t do relationships.”
Her expression went blank. “I never asked for a relationship. If you remember, my ideal man was a stranger.”
“Well, that’s good. As long as we’re straight.”
She sniffed. He remembered that haughty expression from when he’d seen her in the Abyss. She was hiding behind her bitch mode again. “So we stay together…?” she prompted.
“You have a list of things you want to do before you…spontaneously combust.” He wasn’t going to let her forget that part. “I suggest we do them together. More fun than alone.”
“Don’t you need to get back?”
“They can manage without me for a while.”
She stared out to sea, and he could almost see her brain working. “Why?”
“Because I like you, and I don’t want to see you die.”
“Oh.” He was guessing not many people had said that to her in her life. If any. Now, that was sad.
“What do you think?” he asked when she remained silent.
“You’ll come with me dancing, and horseback riding, and…bungee jumping?”
He swallowed. He had a thing about heights. “Yes.”
“And you won’t try and take me back?”
“I won’t take you. I will try and persuade you, though. And I will try and find a way out for you. And in between all that we’ll fuck each other’s brains out.”
A blush spread over her skin, her eyes darkened. “Deal.”
They spent the afternoon on the beach, lazing on the hot sand, teasing each other with small touches, little kisses. Cooling down in the blue water. She seemed to love the sun, sprawling almost naked on the silky sand, soaking up the rays, her skin turning to darker gold.
He was having fun. That wasn’t something that played a huge part in his life.
But now the sun was going down.
She wore a miniscule scarlet bikini that tied at the sides, and he spent an inordinate amount of time imagining how easy it would be to tug on the tiny bows. He rolled onto his front to hide his growing erection and felt her fingers trail down along his spine, over his ass, tickle his thighs and he hid his head in his arms and groaned. He hadn’t felt this horny since he was a teenager.
He lifted his head, found her watching him. “Let’s go,” he said.
She nodded and started to gather their things together. When she straightened, he took her arm and started towing her toward the villa. As soon as the door shut behind them, he pressed her up against the wall and kissed her. “You’ve been driving me wild all afternoon,” he murmured when he had to come up for air. “Time to pay the price, kitten.”
He turned her around, rested her palms on the wall, and tugged on the two ties that held the top so it fell to the floor. For a second, he cupped her breasts, then he dropped to his knees and undid the ties on the bottoms, peeled them away, and bit down on the curve of her ass. She gave a tiny squeak but didn’t move and he rose up, thrust his thigh between hers, spreading her legs. Dipping a finger between them, he found her deliciously wet and ready for him. A second later, he was inside, and she was hot and tight, and it felt so right and so good.
He held her hips as he pumped, sliding one hand around her and into the curls at the base of her belly. Moving lower, he found the swollen nub of her clit and massaged it gently, feeling the tension rising inside her. His own orgasm tugged at his balls. So close. He pinched her clit between his finger and thumb, and she exploded, her inner muscles tightening around his cock, tipping him over the edge, and he came, his teeth biting into the soft flesh where her throat met her shoulder.
He rested his forehead against the warm skin of her back, breathing in the sweet scent of her while he waited for his heartbeat to slow and the strength to return to his limbs.
She was the best, and he didn’t think he would ever get enough of her.
Deep inside, his wolf growled in agreement.
He’d never accepted the whole mate thing, never wanted one woman for his own, but his wolf wanted this one.
He forced himself to straighten. If he did persuade her to return, could he continue seeing her? In the Abyss? Go pick her up for a date at her dad’s house, perhaps? Yeah, he could see that happening.
Shit.