“Did I see Charlie coming out of your dome?” Jules asks.
“Yeah, an animal destroyed her mattress and I offered to share my dome.”
Jules grins. “How very Canadian of you.”
I glance at Rider, who has caution and worry on his face. He knows my background, and what really went down with Breton. His warning look isn’t necessary. What’s going on here between Charlie and me is just physical attraction. I really do know better than to fall for a hometown girl, seeking a way out. I can’t—won’t—go down that road again. As I think about that, there’s a part of me that says she wouldn’t come with me even if I wanted her to, and don’t even ask me to explain the knot that brings to my stomach.
“Steaks will be ready in about half an hour. Meet us at the barbecue area.” I take another drink of my beer, and head toward the barbecue, where I find Charlie making up a salad at the picnic table.
I eye the big steaks as I step up to her and put my hands on her waist and my mouth near her ear, wanting her as aroused as I am. A hard quiver goes through her, but I know she’s no longer cold.
“Looks delicious,” I murmur. My cock thickens and presses against her back, and I don’t bother to hide it. “I can’t wait to eat.”
“Steaks shouldn’t take too long to get ready.”
“Babe, it’s not the steak I want in my mouth, it’s you.”
10
Charlie
Tonight has been the most insane night of my entire life, and no I’m not exaggerating. Every time I think about the things Wes said to me—that he wants me to tell him what I want—my body burns with a need that is foreign but thrilling. Honest to God, the entire night has been like one long drawn-out foreplay session, leaving my body on hyperdrive and my brain buzzing like a swarm of bees.
I turn to find him staring at me, that knowing little grin on his face. My God, I’m not all that experienced in bed, and never have I told a man what I wanted sexually. Yes, we’re playing a game here, one that involves guest satisfaction, but the truth is, out on this island it’s like we’re living in an alternate reality, a dreamlike state of constant arousal.
Over the course of the evening, during dinner and around the bonfire, there was enough electricity arcing between the two of us to ignite the trees and burn down the entire island, and not even the surrounding ocean could extinguish the flames. But to tell him what I want…
Do I dare?
Do I dare not?
Right now, as I sit on a log, roasting another marshmallow—maybe I’m stalling—it’s all I can do to keep my hands from shaking, and don’t even get me started on breathing. Cripes, filling my lungs is a goddamn chore. Never in my life have I experienced anything like this. Everything about me is constricted, jittery, so freaking aroused, I’m sure if I shift on this log the wrong way, or the right way, I’m going to get myself off. Ooh, now there’s an idea. Maybe I should take the edge off to calm myself down before I explode and blast off into space. Is Wes as messed up as I am? Then again, it’s not like it’s been years since he’s been touched.
“I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun,” Jules says, putting her hand over her mouth as she yawns. “But I have to call it a night.”
“So soon?” I say and catch the smirk on Wes’ face. He knows what’s going on with me. He knows that I know, the second we’re alone he’s going to ravish me, and I want that, I really do. I’m also just a little afraid. I’ve never been devoured—never had a man look at me quite the way he’s been looking at me all night. It worries me. The truth of the matter is, he’s proving to be a really sweet guy, a guy who cares about what I want, and while I’m eager to mess around, I can’t have him mess with my heart. He’s here on vacation, a guy who couldn’t wait to get out of this town. I might soon be moving to Toronto, as much as I hate that idea. I also can’t forget that I’m pretty sure he’s still in love with his ex. Maybe what he’s doing with me is simply to make her jealous, to get her back. Maybe he’s past the hurt and ready to start new with her. Really, I don’t know and right now my brain is in no shape to puzzle things out.
“We want to get a good night sleep before the hike tomorrow.” Rider stands and pulls his wife up. “Do you need any help getting the fire out?” he asks.
“Nope.” Wes pokes the burning logs with a stick, and he’s not only stoking the flames in the pit, but he’s also stoking the flames burning through me. My God, just watching him standing there, his body all power and muscles, so damn fit and fine, it’s enough to turn a girl into a bumbling idiot.
I blow on the marshmallow and take a bite of the sweet gooeyness, and as we all say good night, I hold my stick out to Wes. He steps closer, crouches beside me, his presence completely overwhelming me as he opens his mouth. Trying to keep my hands from shaking, I feed him the sweet treat, and my nipples pinch tight, as I imagine him taking them into his mouth, instead. He moans, deep and sexy, and that’s the sound I want to hear when he has me naked—because yeah, we’re definitely getting naked at some point.
“Delicious,” he murmurs. “Everything tonight was great, Charlie.” His smile is warm, sincere, and his voice is suddenly soft, but behind it all, I sense the beast stirring, the wild animal waiting to be untethered. Damned if I don’t want to snap that leash and let him have his way with me, even though I’m a girl who never really hands herself over.
I stand and brush my hands over my jeans. “I guess we should call it a night too, huh.”
“The night is just beginning, babe.”
My gaze flies to his, and he takes a step closer, crowds me, and he lifts his hand, puts it on the side of my face.
“You’re not tired?” I ask, and curse the quiver in my voice. God, there is no hiding my desire when I’m around him.
“No. Are you?”
I gesture with my head, and nod to nowhere in particular. “I had that nap.”
He grins. “I remember the nap.” A beat of silence, and then, “Have you thought about it?”