Chapter Eight
Ryland
“Now it’s your turn.” Naked, my cock already hard, I closed the distance between us in a single stride. “Let’s see what you’re hiding under that sweatshirt and jeans.”
“Not hiding anything.” Kimberly sat up, a seductive smile playing across her lips as she grasped the bottom of her shirt and pulled it over her head.
Fuck.
I sucked in a startled breath. How had I managed to forget the woman wasn’t wearing a bra?
Her perfectly shaped breasts swayed free of restraint.
The cool night air caused the nipples to harden into pebbled peaks that I couldn’t resist tasting.
I wrapped an arm around her and urged her toward me.
Lowering my head, I sucked first one and then the other into my mouth, teasing them with my tongue and lips.
Kimberly laced her fingers in my hair, emitting little moans of desire as I worshipped her breasts. She arched against me, her fingers tracing a path down the length of my stiff cock before she encircled it with a thumb and forefinger and gave it a gentle tug.
I straightened up, hissing out a deep breath as darts of unbridled lust slammed through me. “Careful, woman. I want to take this slow, show you what a great lover I am.”
She raised one brow, her voice low and husky. “Then you might want to get me out of my pants. They kind of get in the way.”
“That they do.” I fumbled with her zipper for a moment while she kicked her shoes off. The zipper finally admitted defeat and I skimmed her pants down over her hips. She obligingly shimmied herself free and kicked her clothing aside.
I grasped her hands, tugging gently, and we tumbled onto the makeshift bed, landing on our sides facing each other.
With one arm resting behind her, I inhaled deeply. “Do you have any idea how intoxicating your scent is? Feminine and flowery even after the day we’ve been through?” I propped myself up on an elbow and reached out to cup one beautiful mound. “You are so beautiful.”
She wasn’t model thin, like the women you see in magazines.
She had curves in all the right places, but she wasn’t soft.
There was muscle there too, and I found the combination incredibly sexy.
I did my best to rein in the raw passion I felt, but it was tough.
I wanted to make love to her slowly, to worship her body the way she deserved, but I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to control myself long enough.
Kimberly raised her hand to trace a finger across my lips, then trailed it lower, exploring my chest with the soft pads of her fingers.
She nibbled on her bottom lip as her fingers strayed even lower.
“I want you.” She reached down, circled my shaft with her hand, sliding it along the length. “Inside me.”
Those two little words were my undoing. Fumbling for my pants, I found my wallet and pulled out a strip of condoms. Ripping one open, I quickly sheathed myself and turned back to her.
I rolled, using my right forearm to support my weight as I towered over her. My tender left arm provided some balance. Kimberly’s lower body lay trapped between my thighs and my cock pushed against her belly, demanding action.
I had to give her one last chance to change her mind. “You’re sure?”
She nodded, trapping my gaze with her own and holding it. “Yes. Fuck me.”
I plunged into her, burying myself balls deep in her sweet body.
She let out an involuntary gasp, her nails raking welts across my back as she clung to me. Satisfaction slid through me and pooled low in my belly as her inner channel surrounded me with honeyed heat.
I teased her with my cock, pulling out almost completely before sliding back into her inch by agonizingly slow inch.
She squirmed beneath me, letting out little whimpers of need as she arched up against me, begging for release.
My gaze burned possessively over her. Maybe it was just the circumstances, the dangers and stress, but I’d never felt so connected to a woman, so possessive of her.
It was like I needed her more than I had ever needed anything in my life.
Just fucking her made me feel incredibly alive.
She opened her eyes, stark need in them as she stared up at me, and I lowered my head to devour her lips while I continued to ram in and out of her tight pussy.
A white-hot fire consumed me. I plunged harder and faster until she let out a wordless scream and her slick channel convulsed around my cock, sending me over the edge into orgasm.
My world exploded into an impossibly brilliant rainbow of feelings.
I let out a raging howl of triumph and collapsed heavily on my side, still buried deep inside her.
Careful not to crush her beneath me, I held her as multitudes of tiny aftershocks rippled through us.
Diego stood guard during the long night as his mistress and I fell asleep, woke up, and made love again multiple times.
* * *
Kimberly
I stretched my arms above my head, luxuriating in the feel of having spent the night with a magnificent lover. Ryland had been everything I’d expected, and then some. I should have tried this one-night stand thing a long time ago.
The smell of something vaguely resembling coffee tickled my nose, and I opened my eyes. Ryland was crouched in front of a small fire with a pot of something bubbling cheerfully over it.
He turned to smile at me. “Finally awake, lazybones?”
I blinked the last cobwebs of sleep away and gave him a shy smile. “Nope, I’m still asleep. I think you’re hallucinating.”
He nodded, pursing his lips as if he were considering my comment.
“I could be. I was shot yesterday you know, and then I met this amazing female who had me up half the night satisfying her lustful cravings despite the arrow wound in my arm. Life is tough. I may have strayed over the edge of sanity.”
I laughed, clambering to my feet and brushing a damp assortment of leaves and twigs from my clothing. “You may have at that. How is your arm this morning? I should probably have a look at it.”
“No need. I took a quick peek at it earlier just to make sure it’s not infected. I can get it looked at when we get off the island.”
The reminder that our time together was almost over sent a twinge of sorrow through me, but I firmly shoved it to the back of my mind. I’d known all along this was a one-time thing, in fact that was exactly what I wanted, wasn’t it? No strings. “It’ll probably need stitches.”
“I know.” He dipped a mug into the pot and brought it up full of steaming liquid. “Care for a morning cup of coffee?”
“We have coffee?”
“Not quite. I dug up some wild chicory roots, roasted them a bit, and brewed them up. It would be better if they’d had a bit more time to roast but it makes a good coffee substitute when there isn’t a Starbucks nearby.
” He held out a battered tin cup I suspected had been the top to his canteen until very recently. “Try it.”
I took it gingerly and sniffed the contents. It actually did smell a bit like coffee. I took a little sip. “Not bad. Where did you learn to do that? Are you some kind of herbal medicine junkie?”
Ryland grinned. “Actually, I have a degree in wildlife biology, specializing in endangered species. When you’re out trying to count rhinoceros in the wild, it’s sometimes not convenient to run into the local corner grocer for your favorite blend of tea. You learn to improvise.”
“Well, I’m impressed.” I sat cross-legged on the ground. “Any chance you managed to rustle up some food as well? I’m kind of hungry.”
“Voila!” Ryland reached into the emergency kit and pulled out a granola bar and a package of dark chocolate.
I took them, shaking my head. “After the coffee, it’s almost disappointing.”
“I can take them back if you like.” Ryland held out his hand.
“No thanks. I wouldn’t want to be ungrateful.” I grinned, unwrapping the granola bar and taking a bite. “Thanks.”
I chewed slowly as Ryland cupped his own coffee in his hands and watched me. I swallowed. “Aren’t you going to eat?”
He shook his head. “We’re a tad short on those, so I’ll just wait for the Coast Guard to show up.”
“No! I can share.” I broke the granola bar in half and offered it to him.
He shook his head. “No, I’m okay.”
“I insist.”
The corner of his mouth curved in a hint of a smile. “You’re kind of stubborn, aren’t you?”
I smiled sweetly. “Me? I think it’s been mentioned once or twice. Mostly by people who are jealous of my ability to get my own way.”
He tilted his head. “Once or twice a day?”
“Careful, or I’ll change my mind.” Reaching toward him, I brandished half of the granola bar. “Now open up.”
Ryland opened his mouth obediently, and I tucked the bar in.
“There. You do realize though, that no women ever have shared dark chocolate, right?”
Chewing on the granola, Ryland nodded.
“Good. Because it would be a shame if I had to kill you.”
He choked on the mouthful of nuts and things, and I rushed over to thump him helpfully on the back. Reaching for the canteen, I offered him a drink of water. I’d been right. His canteen no longer had a lid.
He finally quit choking and looked up at me with tears streaming down his face. It ruined his stern expression. “You, woman, are dangerous.”
I gave him another sweet smile. “Why, thank you for noticing.” I unwrapped the chocolate and popped a piece in my mouth.
He patted the log beside him, and I plunked myself down. He moved slightly, snugging his leg against mine and we sipped our chicory not-quite-coffee in companionable silence, staring at the fire.
Odd how I’d known Ryland for less than twenty-four hours and yet I felt more comfortable with him than I did with just about anyone else except perhaps my BFF and roommate, Sasha.
Ryland shifted his weight. “You know, we should probably talk about what we’re going to tell the Coast Guard when they get here.”
“What do you mean?
“Well, the poachers don’t know I was here, and they definitely don’t know they nailed me with that arrow.
I’ve been after these guys for a long time, and if I report them to the Coast Guard all I’m doing is letting them know I’m on to them.
They’ll melt back out of sight, and the organizer will send another group out to do the dirty work.
I’ll be right back to square one.” He gave me an apologetic look.
I wasn’t sure what he meant. “So what are you suggesting? You need to have that wound looked at.”
“And I will, but not at the hospital on the mainland. My group will find someone who can take care of it quietly. They have people they can call. No hospital reports, no record.” He placed a hand on my knee. “Can I count on you to back me up? This is really important.”
I sighed, plucking his hand off my leg and placing it squarely back on his own. I was such an abysmal failure when it came to judging character, especially men’s character. “So just because I slept with you, you think I’ll lie for you?”
“No!” He swore vehemently. “I am so bad at this. I slept with you because you’re beautiful, compassionate, and amazing and I thought we had a connection. Believe me, my job was the farthest thing from my mind last night. And I’m not asking you to lie. Just don’t tell the whole story.”
This is what I’d wanted, so why was I upset?
A one-night stand with no strings. I hadn’t exactly worried about politics last night either.
“Don’t worry. Not like I haven’t been here before.
” Damn. Maybe I wasn’t cut out for this kind of thing.
I should just stick to my fantasies and my battery-operated boyfriend.
Ryland reached for my hand, but I jumped to my feet and put some distance between us. Definitely easier to deal with if I couldn’t feel the heat of his body pressed against mine.
He sighed, his expression so sad I almost relented. “It has nothing to do with you, with us. It’s about catching this ring of black-market poachers while there’s still some animals left to protect. Imagine what could happen to the spirit bear if they knew it was here.”
Diego looked from Ryland to me, whining softly in distress. He obviously sensed the tension in the air, and he didn’t like it.
Diego liked Ryland, which meant he must be a good guy. Just because he’d taken me up on my invitation and now intended to abandon me didn’t make him an asshole. I’d just blown the whole thing way out of proportion.
Yup, one-night stands were definitely not my forte.
I turned to face him, crossing my arms on my chest. “Fine. I’ll keep your secret, but I want one thing from you in return.”
“And that would be?”
“Don’t touch me again. Not now. Not on the boat when it gets here. When we get back to the mainland, we go our separate ways and that’s the end of it.”
Ryland stared at me silently for so long I thought he was going to refuse. A tiny, silly part of me, buried way down deep, hoped he would. That part of me was hoping he would throw himself at my feet and declare his undying love for me.
It was also the part that believed in unicorns, leprechauns, and happily ever after. It was a pretty dumb part, which is why I kept it buried deep. Nothing spelled disaster more than a romantic in today’s crazy world.
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” He tilted his head quizzically. “I thought we had something here.”
Yeah, well, so had I but I’d been wrong. “I’m sure. It was just sex. I was horny, and you were available. Nothing special.”
The look on his face reminded me of a lost puppy at the animal shelter when someone walked away and left it behind in a cage. I had to fight the urge to go throw myself in his arms and kiss the hurt look off his face.
Then it was gone, and in its place were the ice-cold eyes and deadpan expression he’d had when we first met. “I’ll call and see when to expect our ride.” He turned on his heel and strode toward the radio.
I walked back to the log and sank down. I wasn’t sure my legs would hold me up much longer. I could hear Ryland talking to the dispatcher, but I couldn’t make out what was being said.
I didn’t care. It was over. Not that it had ever started.
Diego pushed his warm head into my lap, silently offering me his support. I stroked his head with a hand that I couldn’t stop from trembling.
Damn. Relationships sucked. I had to stop doing this to myself.