Josie tried not to let nerves get the best of her as they walked from the manor house cottages back to Malcolm’s houseboat. But there was no way to stop the fluttering in her belly or her worries that she somehow wouldn’t measure up. After all, she hadn’t been with very many men. And she suspected that Malcolm had far more experience than she did. On top of that, what would he think of her body? She was no supermodel. Just a totally normal woman, with unexceptional curves and an average percentage of body fat. What if, once she was naked, he didn’t like what he saw?
Oh, if only this walk weren’t so long. The longest fifteen minutes of her whole life. Long enough for her to think maybe the best idea would be to call the whole thing off. To say she was just kidding. To say it was better if they focused on the project at hand and didn’t tangle things up with friendly sex.
“I swear,” he said, “I can hear every single one of your thoughts.”
His comment startled her, made her laugh. “That obvious, huh?”
He stopped on the path, not caring that other walkers and bikers had to go around them. “Whatever you’re worried about, don’t be. Whatever we do together, it’s going to be great. And if you don’t like it, don’t want to keep doing it, you just tell me, and we’ll stop.”
She swallowed hard, nodding. “I appreciate that. I know you’d never make me do anything I don’t want to do. It’s just…” It was embarrassing to talk about her lack of experience. But if she was about to take off her clothes and roll around with him, she should be able to say this, shouldn’t she? “I haven’t… I haven’t been with very many people.”
He kissed her then. Just pulled her close and kissed the breath out of her. Kissed all the thoughts out of her too. Maybe that was his goal—and if it was, it worked like a charm. “I’m glad, Josie. The truth is, I haven’t either.”
She looked at him in surprise.
“I’m not saying that I haven’t earned my reputation as a bit of a playboy,” he told her. “But it’s far less earned than people think. One-night stands got old pretty quick when I was younger. And I like to think I have some standards.”
Hearing that did help put her mind at ease a little. Maybe the playing field wouldn’t be that uneven.
Oh, who was she kidding? It was still totally uneven. Because he was Malcolm Sullivan. And she was just normal.
“I’m not a supermodel,” she blurted. Then, realizing what she had said and how it sounded, she felt compelled to add, “I mean, of course I’m not. You can see that. You don’t need me to tell you that. But I just don’t want you to—”
“You’re beautiful, Josie. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever kissed.”
That made her laugh again. “That’s really nice of you to say, but you don’t have to lie.”
But he didn’t laugh. He only looked more serious. “I’m not lying. You’re beautiful on the outside. And you’re beautiful on the inside. Let me tell you, it’s quite a combination. Every time you smile, you make my head spin. I haven’t been able to think about anything but you since I picked you up from the airport.”
She blinked at him, wanting to believe him, but finding it so hard to do.
“I don’t know what to say—what to think.”
“Then don’t. Just come back to the boat with me and let me love you.”
He kissed the gasp from her lips. She knew how he meant the word love. In a purely physical sense. That he would be making love to her body. And yet, just hearing him say it did something to her. Made her heart flip inside her chest. Made her feel a little breathless.
Most of all, despite wanting to keep her heart closed off, she longed for an even deeper love. For a love that went straight to the heart and stayed there. The kind of love that would last forever. A love that she had written off after the heartache she’d been through.
In time, they finally pulled apart.
They all but ran back to River Star. Her doubts had been, at least for the moment, overwhelmed by desire—stronger than she’d ever felt for anyone. She was glad to see that his hands were shaking just a little bit as he unlocked the door to let them in.
Once they were inside, there was no time for her worries to come back, because he was pressing her back against the door, covering her mouth with his again. Oh God, the way he kissed. Even though his lips were on hers only, it felt like they were roaming every part of her.
And then they did—over her face, her cheekbones, her closed eyelids, her chin, then down to her neck, where she found herself arching to give him better access. Of its own volition, one of her legs moved to wrap around his hips, to pull him closer. He lifted his lips from her skin.
“Too many clothes. I need you naked. I need to see you. Feel you. Taste you.”
She couldn’t say anything, couldn’t think anything, except, “Yes. Please.”
In the back of her mind, she realized she was begging. Already begging him for all the pleasure that he could give her.
But it didn’t feel wrong. It didn’t feel like giving up her power. No, on the contrary, it felt like he was showing her just how powerful she was. She held power over him that he could want her this badly. This much.
He slowly dropped his hands from her hips and moved back just enough that he could reach for the top button of her jeans. He held his hands there for a few beats and looked her in the eyes. “Promise you’ll tell me if any of this isn’t okay with you. Promise you’ll ask me to stop if you want me to stop.”
She couldn’t speak, could only nod. But she knew she wouldn’t ask him to stop. Because she was going to love every single second of this, even if she’d never done anything like this before and even if, deep inside, she was still a little scared.
She held her breath, not letting it go until he’d popped that button free. And then the zipper came down, and he was still looking her in the eyes as he pushed the denim from her hips. Let it fall at her feet. She kicked off her shoes and stepped out of the pants.
He finally lowered his gaze, letting it roam to her hips and her bare legs.
Of course she hadn’t packed any of her fancy lingerie. Heck, she’d burned it all after she’d learned the truth about her ex, not wanting it to remind her how foolish she’d been when she bought it, hoping to tempt and entice him. Now she was just in plain black panties.
Malcolm didn’t say anything, but from the way his breathing sped up, it didn’t look like he was disappointed.
He reached for the hem of her shirt next, slowly pulling it up over her abdomen, the tips of his fingers lightly tracing her skin, sending shivers all through her. He lightly grazed the outer curves of her breasts through the fabric of her bra, the same plain black fabric as her underwear. And then he pulled the shirt over her head, her arms going up so that he could get it all the way off.
And then she was standing before him, wearing very, very little.
“You’re even more beautiful than I thought. Absolutely perfect.”
He lowered his mouth to hers, threading his hands into her hair and kissing her so passionately she could hardly believe that any of this was actually happening. She’d never thought to be the object of anyone’s desire. But what Malcolm seemed to be feeling for her, how could it not be real? When her ex had told her how much he loved her, that she was his everything, he’d never kissed her like this. Like he never wanted to let her go. Like she was all of his dreams come true. This was better than any kiss she’d ever read about in any book or seen in a movie.
Again, he kissed his way from her lips, over her cheeks, down into the hollow beneath her chin and over her collarbones. This time, he didn’t stop there, because there were no clothes in his way anymore. Well, almost.
As he rained kisses over her shoulder, he gently slid one bra strap aside. She inhaled a shaky breath as she felt the fabric fall, and then he did the same to the other side, not yet touching her breasts, not until those straps were falling, and the cups were falling away, too, her slightly labored breathing raising her breasts higher and higher in the fabric that remained to cover her. And then it was gone, the clasp in the back undone before she even realized it, her bare flesh springing free into his hands. His thumbs moved gently over her, over the swell of aroused skin and then the tender peaks.
She was aching for more, for more of his touch, aching for him to do exactly what he did—he lowered his mouth to her, pressing fervent kisses along the upper swells of her breasts, one at a time, but never, never going to the part of her that ached the most. Until at last, he laved that aroused skin, drawing moans from her lips. Moans that she couldn’t possibly contain. That seemed to drive him on. Drive him further. Again and again, he went from one breast to the other, loving them with his tongue, his lips, even the faint edge of his teeth.
He drove her crazier and crazier. Made it so she couldn’t control the flexing of her hips into his. A silent plea for more. He must’ve understood, because the next thing she knew, he was dropping to his knees, running kisses down over her rib cage, her belly button, her hip bones. And then he was sliding his thumbs into the sides of her panties and pulling those down over her thighs. There was no room anymore for embarrassment or fear. There was only a desperate need. Need for him. To take her. To claim her. A need for her to give herself to him wholly in this moment, the future be damned.
He pressed his lips to her sex, and a moan escaped her throat. She tilted her head back against the door. They’d never even made it farther inside. He lifted one of her legs, rested it over his shoulders, opening her to him, and she loved every second of it. Loved the way he played over her, in her, with his fingers, his mouth.
She couldn’t catch her breath. Barely knew how she was able to remain standing. Knew she would have collapsed if he hadn’t been holding her up. Everything was rising higher. Higher. So high that she could hardly believe how sweet it was. How sinfully, wonderfully sweet his touch was. His intimate kisses.
And then she was leaping. Flying. Soaring. Higher than she ever had before. His name on her lips. Her body shuddering as he held her. As he took her even higher. Not stopping until he’d wrung every last ounce of pleasure from her.
And, oh, what pleasure it was.
* * *
Malcolm had never felt like this before. The only thing that mattered was Josie’s pleasure. Of course, he always wanted his partners to feel good, but the truth was, there had always been a selfish component to it. He had always wanted something for himself too. But tonight, it honestly didn’t matter to him if all he did was make her come over and over and over again. With no release for himself. Simply giving her pleasure was the greatest pleasure he’d ever known, he realized. Just that alone, just hearing her cries, feeling her body growing warm and damp and then breaking apart beneath his tongue and hands—hell, it was so damn good he’d never experienced anything like it. Never realized that sex could be more than it had previously been for him. Slowly, he kissed his way back up her body.
Every inch of her was sweet. Perfect. He lingered over her curves, and by the time he was standing, he was desperate to start all over again.
Her lips tilted up in a slightly shy smile as she looked into his eyes. “That was… amazing.”
He loved the complete honesty with which she told him her feelings. Whether she was nervous. Whether she was shy. Whether she was loving the way he’d made her feel.
“That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever felt.” Then her eyes clouded. “But you haven’t even—”
He kissed her before she could finish the sentence. Kissed her to say without words just how much she pleased him. Just how much he adored giving her pleasure. “I want to take you to my bed,” he said as he drew back. “I want to make you come apart again and again. That’s all I want.”
This time, she was the one pressing her lips to his, kissing him sweetly, but with a new confidence, it seemed. And even more desire than before. “That sounds incredible,” she said softly. “But I’d love more than that. I want all of you, Malcolm. For the next two weeks, or for however long we’re both having fun, I don’t want you to feel you have to hold anything back. Whatever you want to give me, I want it. All of it.”
He groaned, her words inflaming him further. He lifted her in his arms and strode back to the main bedroom, where she had been sleeping without him for the past two nights. He laid her on the bed, allowing himself to take his fill of staring. Just staring and loving every part of her.
“I could gaze at you for hours.” He saw her cheeks flush, watched other parts of her flush, too, but she didn’t cover herself up.
“I want to take your clothes off now. I want to stare at you too.” She sat up on the bed and opened her legs, pulling him into the V of her thighs. She put her hands flat on his chest. His heart was racing, and he knew she could feel it. Knew she could feel how she was affecting every part of him.
“My heart,” she said. “It’s racing that fast too.”
“Good,” he said. “I’d hate to be the only one who feels this way. Who wants this much.”
Slowly, she slid her hands beneath his T-shirt. His abdominal muscles flexed and pulsed beneath her exploring hands. “You have so many muscles. You’re so hard all over.”
“Hard is the right word for it,” he teased, loving it when she laughed softly. And then she was pulling his shirt up over his head. He liked the way her eyes widened when she saw his bare chest.
“Do you live in a gym? I thought you were working all the time.”
He shrugged, enjoying her frank enjoyment of his body. “I do work out some, run and do weights, and get out on the river when I can. But I admit I got good genes from my parents. We tend to build muscle pretty quickly, we Sullivans.”
Somewhere along the way, though, it seemed that she had stopped listening, because she was pressing her lips to his skin, first to his pecs, which instinctively flexed beneath her lips, and at the same time, running her hands over his abdomen again and then around his lower back, sliding her fingers beneath the denim of his jeans over his hips.
He never wanted her to stop kissing him. Touching him. In the same way that he worshiped every inch of her, he felt that she was doing the same with him. That she was enjoying the journey to pleasure as much as she would enjoy the eventual explosion when they came together. She was still kissing his chest, his neck, and then his lips. Then she moved her hands to the fastening of his jeans. Her fingertips trembled slightly as she undid it and then pulled down the zipper. And frankly, he wasn’t feeling much steadier than she was.
Every second with Josie was glorious. The sexiest, hottest evening he’d ever known.
She pushed the denim down off his hips, and his boxers went with them. His damn boots were still on, and he gave a growl as he kissed her and then turned to yank them off. As soon as he was completely free of his clothes and shoes, he leaned over her on the bed.
She laughed, and the breathy sound reverberated through the small shiplap room. He’d brought women here before, when he was younger and lived on board, but making love with a woman in his bed on River Star had never felt so joyful.
For a moment, he dreamed about just locking them in and making love to her over and over until they ran out of food.
But that wasn’t realistic, especially as Mari was counting on both of them. So tonight, he’d live out that fantasy as much as he could. Tonight, he’d love her in every way that she wanted, just in case she woke up in the morning and changed her mind. He had to get his fill of her. Even though a voice in the back of his head told him that would never happen, he had to at least try.
He rolled over so that she was straddling him, so beautiful, luminous as the setting sun poured in through the window. “My river goddess. That’s what you are.”
He didn’t know where those words came from. He just knew they were true. That she felt like the one thing that had been missing all these years. That having her here, on River Star, made the houseboat feel like a true home.
She laughed, another wonderfully warm sound. “I love that,” she said with a smile. “River goddess.”
She leaned down to kiss him, her breasts against his chest, all of her teasing him with a promise of even more pleasure. She began to run kisses down his chest again and then lower, low enough that he was soon groaning as she tasted him with her tongue, with sweet little kisses that drove him crazy. But when she took him into her mouth he knew he wouldn’t be able to handle another second.
A little rougher than he intended, he lifted her back up over him. “Condom.” The word was raw, barely intelligible. “In the top drawer.”
Please God, let there be at least one left. He hadn’t had sex on his boat in so long. But thankfully, his wish was granted, because there was a partial box there.
“You had me worried,” she said. “All I could think was, what if there wasn’t one in here?”
“Thank God there is,” he said, taking it from her and shoving it on. “I need you. Now. I can’t wait.”
And neither could she, it seemed, because she was moving her hips so that she could take him in, her wet center clasping around him, welcoming him home.
Sweet Lord. It felt so good.
She stopped him after only the first couple of inches. “It’s been so long,” she said, her breath coming in pants.
“Take it as slow as you want,” he urged her. “I’m not going anywhere.”
And then he reached up, one hand in her hair, the other still on her hips, and he kissed her again. Long and slow and hot. And her body responded, opening up even more for him. Taking even more of him in. Taking him in so deep, so true, that it was all he could do just to whisper her name against her lips.
“Josie.”
But she was lost to him. Lost to pleasure. Just as he was. As she moved, rocking into him again and again, he moved his other hand down to her hips and rocked with her. Both of them completely ensnared by ecstasy. Ecstasy that grew bigger and stronger with every thrust. With every gasp of pleasure. Until he couldn’t wait anymore. And all he could do was give her everything that he was. At the exact moment that he erupted inside her, her orgasm came with more shuddering breaths as she shattered over him, her body drinking him in even deeper, tighter, hotter.
This was everything he’d ever wanted.
She was everything he’d ever wanted.