man himself, and when his fingers parted her, she weaved her hands into his hair for an anchor and opened her mouth on his throat.
“God, Harley. You’re wet.”
At his touch, his words, she tightened her grip on his hair, biting the tendon where his neck met his shoulder without even realizing it until she heard his hiss of breath and felt him rock his hips hard into hers.
As his fingers teased her, she moaned, her mouth still on him, hips helplessly moving. She was so ready that she began whispering her plea. “Please. Please, now, TJ…”
Abruptly he stood her up, ripped off her shorts and bathing suit bottoms. Even before they hit the ground, his fingers slid deep inside her, his other hand cupping a breast, his thumb rubbing over her nipple in a rhythm that matched.
She lost her mind. Completely lost it. As she panted and begged softly, he met her gaze. “I know you want a quick fuck, just like we had back all those years ago, but not again. Not with what’s between us now. This is more than that, Harley.”
She didn’t care what he called it, as long as he pulled her out of that frenzied state and filled her. Now. “TJ.”
“Right here,” he promised. “Harley. Look at me.”
It took her a minute to calm down enough to open her eyes and meet his gaze.
“More,” he said with that quiet intensity, and then he tugged her onto his lap, his lips taking hers hard, his tongue gliding in and out of her mouth in the same rhythm his fingers slid in and out of her body. When his thumb brushed over her very center, she threw back her head and gripped his shoulders, riding his hand, unable to hold back. She cried out his name as she burst, and he stayed with her until the last of the shudders shook her.
It wasn’t enough. She reached between them to unbutton his jeans, but he stopped her. “Harley.” He closed his eyes, his mouth grim. “I don’t have a condom.”
She pulled one out of the pocket of her shorts and held it up sheepishly. “I was a Girl Scout.” she said to his soft, grateful laugh. “But for future reference, I’m squeaky clean and on the pill…”
“Me too. The squeaky clean part,” he murmured as she slid her hands inside his jeans, caressing his hard length.
Still not enough. “Help me,” she whispered, and again he lifted her, this time so she could free him and put the condom to good use. Soon as she did, she immediately sank down on him, inch by thick, delicious inch.
“Jesus, Harley,” he breathed, gripping her thighs, spreading them open further, pulling her hard against him. Breathing raggedly, he held her there, giving her a minute to get used to him.
When she shifted, he growled and tightened his grip. “Christ, don’t move.”
Unable to help it, she rocked her hips and he swore, holding her still. “Not a muscle,” he said roughly, and pressed his forehead to hers, gulping in air like a dying man. “I’m going to lose it.”
Yes, but that’s what she wanted, and she nipped his bottom lip, her breasts brushing his chest.
A shudder racked through him, and then went through her as well. “Please,” she whispered again, and oscillated her hips.
With a groan, he brushed a kiss across her mouth, and eyes still locked on hers, he began to move. Just like on the river, he was in charge, letting her rock on him, but only as much as he allowed. He started off with glorious, agonizingly slow thrusts, but neither of them could hold to that for long, not while finally joined in the most intimate way possible. She’d never felt anything like it, and closed her eyes to savor the pleasure of having him fill her so completely.
When he said her name, she managed to open her eyes. His head was tipped down, watching as he thrust up hard into her. Then he looked up, and she was immediately lost in the dark pool of desire staring back at her. She felt like she was drowning in him, in the feel of him. She was reaching for something, needing…Sinking her hands in his hair, she kissed him, long and deep. With a groan, he ground his hips against hers, then stroked a thumb over where they were joined, murmuring hot, sexy things in her ear as he touched her. She burst and took him with her.
Spent, they collapsed to the ground in a pile of tangled, sweaty limbs. Either five minutes or five hours later, Harley sighed. “Okay, that was sooo much better than fine.”
By the soft light of the moon, TJ smiled and leaned over her, kissing her jaw, each eyelid, the tip of her nose, her mouth…Finally, he let out a long breath and lay flat on his back. “Christ, I’m done in.”
“Yes. That’s what happens when you turn into a sex fiend by night.”
He grinned. “It’s not my fault. You keep looking at me with the eyes.”
“The eyes?”
“The ‘please do me’ eyes. They’re very distracting.”
“So I should wear dark glasses, or better yet, keep my eyes closed?”
“It’s possible another part of your body would call to me.”
“Like?”
“Like your ass. You have a great ass, Harley.”
“My ass calls to you?”
“You have no idea.”
“What if I wore-”
“Let me save you some time. All of your parts call to me.” His voice lowered, and his smile went from teasing to something far more devastating. “Everything about you calls to me.”
Her heart pretty much turned over and exposed its underbelly. And that’s when she knew she was in big trouble.
As in unless he did something fast, it’d be too late to save herself.
CHAPTER 25
Nick picked them up as planned and drove back to Wilder Adventures. Harley was quiet on the ride home, and TJ wondered what she was thinking. Back at the lodge, she helped unload, promised the coeds a disk full of pictures from her camera, and hugged Nick good-bye.
Then turned to TJ.
He smiled and reached for her, but she backed up, whispered “good-bye,” and headed for her truck.
He barely caught up with her, playfully trapping her against her driver’s door, pinning her hands at her sides as he leaned in and nipped at her bottom lip. “So…”
Closing her eyes, she let out a shaky, aroused breath at his touch. He knew the feeling. A glutton for punishment, he ran a hand down her arm for the sheer pleasure of touching her and smiled. “How about dinner?”
“I can’t.”
His smile faded as he took in her solemn eyes. “Okay, then how about a game of pool later?”
“I have to catch up on my research work.” She shifted her gaze away. “Sorry.”
“Harley.”
She stared at his throat.
“Harley.” He accompanied the word with a finger beneath her chin, and she finally looked at him, the emotion in her eyes nearly cutting off his air supply. “I’m leaving in five days,” he whispered.
“I know,” she whispered back.
“That second trip is a distinct possibility as well. If I take them both you might be gone to Colorado when I get back.”
“I know that, too.”
“So let’s be together before I go, and say our good-bye.”
Pain flickered in her gaze. “Good-bye,” she whispered.
He stared at her, then closed his eyes for a beat. “Okay, now see, I meant a temporary good-bye. The kind where we get naked and sweaty, have a mutually good time, maybe multiple mutually good times, and then we say hello again the next time we see each other. But I’m thinking that you meant the kind of good-bye that doesn’t
