The rival, p.10
The Rival, page 10
“Let’s go for a swim,” I say. I’m sweaty and hot, and although the water is probably freezing, maybe that’s just what I need to douse my raging libido.
“Let’s do it,” she says brightly.
After changing into my swimming shorts, I wait for her on the dock. A moment later, she appears. Her bathing suit is a two piece, basic black with a halter top that ties behind her neck. She looks delicious, all smooth skin and creamy curves. Her body is just as a woman’s should be. Soft and luscious.
All my irritated thoughts from earlier fly away. Right now, all I want now is to forget about everything and indulge in her.
When Aspen tries to cover herself with the towel, I tug it away playfully. “Don’t do that. You’re perfect.”
One eyebrow arches as she watches me. “I’m not. But thank you.”
“How do you want to do this? It’s going to be cold,” I warn her.
She drops her towel and dips one toe into the dark blue water, fighting off a shiver. “It’s freezing.”
“Cannonball?” Smirking, I raise a brow at her.
“I think that’s the only way.” She grins and reaches for my hand.
All at once, and with a running start, we hold hands and jump in together. The icy water steals the breath from my lungs, and when we surface, Aspen lets out a shriek.
“Holy shit, that’s freezing.”
I laugh. “I told you.”
She shivers and treads water, humming to distract herself.
“Come here,” I say, opening my arms to her.
Aspen fits herself against me, and suddenly I’m no longer cold. Her soft curves press to my chest, and she feels warm in my arms.
“That’s better,” she murmurs, looking up to gaze at me.
She wraps her legs around my waist and releases a strained exhale. When her eyes meet mine, they’re filled with desire, and my heart nearly explodes.
I know she can feel me hardening, despite the freezing water. As my cock juts out and presses against her ass, her eyes widen and meet mine. “Sorry,” I mumble, but she doesn’t look bothered by this.
So I kiss her. Slowly. Adoringly. Our lips connecting lazily before gently retreating again. But my slow exploration doesn’t last long, because I feel the warmth of Aspen’s fingers threading into the hair at the back of my neck, and then her lips part.
I taste her with measured strokes of my tongue against hers as my breathing quickens. Rocking my hips against her center elicits another of those strained sounds from her. It’s an unspoken promise between us. I would be happy to fuck her into next Tuesday, but not until she’s ready.
“Soon,” I whisper.
Her mouth fuses to mine again, and our kiss deepens. Her hand brushes the front of my shorts, and my cock jerks.
“Maybe we should go inside,” she says on a shaky exhale.
Five little words. That’s all it takes to make me lose my resolve.
While she clings to me, I swim us with one arm back to the ladder attached to the dock, but if Aspen notices my awkward swimming technique, she doesn’t comment on it. She climbs out first and grabs her towel, wrapping herself securely.
The cold water has done nothing to temper my raging erection, and as I climb out behind her, her gaze falls to the place where my shorts are wildly tented in front of me. I should feel embarrassed. I’m like a horny teenager who can’t control his body, but when her cheeks brighten, all I feel is prideful lust.
I tug on a T-shirt and wrap myself in a towel, and then we jog toward the house. Inside and up the stairs, we leave a dripping trail of water in our wake. At the top of the stairs, Aspen tugs my hand.
I follow her to her bedroom. The bed is bigger in this room and it’s neatly made. I spin her in my arms and kiss her again as our towels fall into a damp heap at our feet.
Aspen pulls back and offers me a shy smile. “I’ll be right back. Make yourself comfortable.”
I release a slow exhale and nod. She disappears into the bathroom, which gives me a minute to think.
I don’t know how far she intends on going today, but the decision I made to leave the condoms at home suddenly seems like a very, very stupid one. Maybe there’s a random one still in my duffel bag?
But no, it’s wishful thinking. I know there’s not. And the nearest store is a good forty-plus minutes away. That’s nearly two hours there and back . . . which would totally ruin the mood. Fuck.
Sprinting across the hall, I do the only thing I can think to do with all the blood in my body rushing south. I grab my phone and text Saint.
Hey . . . uh, you have any prophylactics here, by chance?
Pro-what? he replies a second later.
Saint’s dumb ass probably doesn’t know the meaning of the word . . . or how to spell it.
I peek across the hall. The bathroom door is still closed, and I hear running water.
Condoms. It almost pains me to type the word because it means Saint now knows our personal business. But desperate times and all that jazz.
He sends back the emoji of the purple-faced devil with a smirking grin. This is amazing. You are such a fuckup.
Do you or not? I text back.
Master closet. Top shelf. I can’t wait to pick out your new tattoo. You kids have fun!
I pull open the closet door and help myself to a square foil packet. Happy with the expiration date, I set it on the dresser just as Aspen opens the door and reenters the bedroom.
I swallow a wave of nerves. I woke up the last three mornings with my hand inside my boxers, stroking my dick while I dreamed about being buried inside Aspen, convinced that it could never really happen. But now that the moment is here, I’m more uncertain than ever.
When she steps into my arms again, she chases away the cold. Our skin may still be raised in chill bumps, but I’m hot all over.
With trembling fingers, I untie the strings securing the top of her bikini. Her breasts are perky and perfect, and I trace her nipples with my thumbs. She inhales a shaky breath as I explore her body . . . the dip in her belly, the weight of her breasts in my hands, the soft, want-filled sounds she makes when I pinch her nipples.
Aspen trails her fingers along my bicep. “Tell me what you like. In bed, I mean. I’m worried I won’t—”
“Don’t worry about a thing. I like you.”
And with that, she kisses me. Hard.
I force a long, slow breath into my lungs and try not to get too excited. Which is difficult, because I haven’t had sex in months. So this is either going to go really, really good . . . or really, really fast.
When she tugs off my T-shirt, it doesn’t feel like she’s just removing my clothes. It feels like she’s removing my armor, freeing me, layer by layer, of whatever it was that was holding me back before. And being bare-chested with her, holding her close? It’s magic. Her soft breasts press into the hard planes of my chest, and I can feel the frantic rhythm of her heart. Mine’s beating just as fast.
When we part, she gives my chest an appraising stare, her eyes lowering as she takes in my physique. I work hard for it. Sometimes it feels nice to be noticed. To be seen. And Aspen sees me.
“Your body is insane,” she murmurs, trailing her fingertips over the grooves between my abs. Her fingertips linger over the black heart tattooed on my chest. I could stand here and let her admire me like this, but my body has other ideas.
I guide her to the bed, and when she sits and begins scooting up toward the pillows, I hook my fingers into her bikini bottoms and tug. As badly as my body aches for her touch, my need to watch her come apart is even greater.
When she parts her knees, I climb toward her, appreciating the delicious view of pink, wet flesh that I want to devour.
My cock is still very hard and very ready for fucking, but I take my time, kissing a path from her knee up to her core. I press my mouth to her center and use my tongue to stroke her clit. The sound Aspen makes is surprised and pleasure filled. I don’t stop until she sinks her fingers into my hair and comes apart, her body jerking as her orgasm washes over her.
After, I settle next to her, kissing her neck, and she reaches between us to untie the laces holding my swim shorts together.
“You sure you want this?”
Aspen licks her lower lip and nods, and there’s not a single doubt in her eyes. “Positive.”
The word crashes through me. “Then take out my cock.”
Her hand dips beneath the waistband to draw out my aching erection. My eyes sink closed and my jaw clenches as she curls her fist around me and begins to stroke.
With one delicate fingertip, she traces a vein in my cock with the lightest touch, but I feel it everywhere.
I can’t take it anymore. I shove the damp shorts the rest of the way off and toss them to the floor.
“Condom.” I croak out the word, my voice now rough with need.
I tip my chin to the dresser, and Aspen retrieves the foil packet, tearing it open with nimble fingers. She hands the condom to me, and I sheath myself in a matter of seconds.
I move between her legs and align us, balancing my weight on my forearms. She can’t seem to stop herself from touching me, though. Running her hands over the muscles in my ass. Cupping the back of my neck so I’ll lean in and kiss her. Palming my biceps and appreciating the way they tense as I hover over her. I love it.
Part of me could stay here in this moment forever, kissing Aspen and letting her touch me, but the organ below my navel has other ideas. My cock ruts and nudges against her, insistently asking to be let in.
She says my name with desperation, and it’s good to know I’m not the only one who feels so desperately out of control.
When I press forward, I’m welcomed into the slick heat of her body with a soft moan.
“Okay?” I check in, pausing but not withdrawing.
“One second.” She nods, her breath sawing in and out of her unevenly as she adjusts to the intrusion of my body into hers.
I sense that this is more than just sex to Aspen. There’s some reclaiming of herself, some rebuilding of her broken self-confidence. It’s beautiful to watch. I know the feeling. I need a moment to right myself too, because this feels too good to be true.
She relaxes, her fingers pressing into my shoulder. I thrust again, sinking into her heat until there’s no space left between us.
“Fuck,” I grunt out. “You’re tight.”
I bury my face into her neck and breathe in her scent. She smells of lavender and rainwater and the sweet scent of female. And then she starts to move against me, lifting her hips to meet my thrusts.
I’ve bedded a lot of women, but suddenly my mind goes blank of everyone before her. I can’t recall a single one of them, not even if you paid me a million dollars.
All I can think of is Aspen. Aspen with her pouting mouth and flushed cheeks. Aspen with those wide blue eyes trained on mine, and her lush curves, and the scent of her desire. The wet spot she’s currently leaving on the sheets as I fuck her tight, curvy body.
She’s drenching me in her heat, and I can’t take much more. She feels unbearably good, and my self-control is shot.
“I need to come,” I say on a growl.
“Yes. I’m close,” she murmurs.
It’s only a few whispered syllables, but to me, they mean so much. The fact that she’s choosing to be here with me, giving herself to me so completely, makes my heart swell in a way I’m not sure it has before.
I bring one hand between us, and when I touch her slick heat, Aspen curses—pushing out words I’ve never heard leave her mouth before—and her body quakes around mine. Her climax is powerful, stealing the breath from my lungs and squeezing my cock in hot, pulsing waves until I have no choice but to follow her over the edge.
With a low groan, I fill the condom with my release. It’s the most powerful orgasm of my life, and my hips jerk up in a hard thrust as I bury myself inside her for a final time.
Holy shit. What was that?
I move off her, rolling to my side, though I immediately miss the heat of her skin, the weight of my body pressing hers into the soft mattress. My heart rate slows, and I press a kiss to her temple. “That was incredible.”
Aspen merely nods, her eyes heavy and her expression one of total satisfaction. With one last look of appreciation, I exit the bed.
It’s then that I notice the light has changed. It’s no longer afternoon, and the room is painted in orange and pink twilight.
Inside the bathroom, I dispose of the condom and wash my hands, and when I reenter the bedroom, I try to get a read on the situation. Does she want me to grab my clothes and go? Is she done with me now? I mean, it was just a hookup, so I’d get it if she wanted her space to herself now.
But her face is relaxed and open, and she pats the spot on the bed next to her.
With a smile, I climb in once again, covering us with the sheet. She curls into my side, using my chest as her pillow, and I bring one arm around her to hold her close.
While we lie there together, we talk of many things. First, about mundane things like how awful that freezing-cold lake water was, and about the things I’m going to make her for dinner while we’re here. But we dive into weightier things too. She tells me about losing her father when she was twelve to a drunk driver, and I tell her of almost losing my mom to breast cancer ten years ago.
They’re heavy topics, but with Aspen curled up on the bed beside me, my fingertips lazily tracing circles onto the skin of her shoulder, they don’t feel so insurmountable. It feels natural to be sharing the deepest parts of ourselves after something so intimate.
And I realize with a jolt of clarity, that might be the most dangerous thing of all.
12
* * *
ASPEN
“Why does everything taste better after sex?” I ask between doughy bites.
Alex found the waffle maker in one of the cupboards this morning before I even got out of bed. I’ll admit, it was kind of disappointing to wake up and roll over, only to find an empty pillow. Even if the sex is the best sex you’ve ever had, I’m pretty sure if a guy goes MIA the morning after sleeping with you for the first time, that’s not a great sign. But this syrupy breakfast is doing a good job of making up for it, so all is forgiven.
“Endorphins,” Alex says, but something’s missing in his voice. His usual sense of humor is gone, replaced with an undercurrent of tension.
That’s . . . weird. Maybe I’m reading into it.
I wash down my last bite with a sip of coffee. “Did you sleep all right?”
“Fine,” he mutters, his gaze glued to the table.
Has he looked at me even once this morning? Dread settles around me like a wet coat. Something’s definitely wrong.
“Are you okay?” I meekly reach out to brush the back of his hand with my fingertips.
Alex almost flinches away before he seems to make the decision to take my hand firmly in his. I’m trying to decipher his serious expression when he finally makes eye contact, his gaze stormy.
“Can we talk?” he asks, his voice flat and emotionless.
Okay, I’m definitely not reading into it. My stomach drops. “Of course.”
The muscle in Alex’s jaw ticks like he’s gritting his teeth. I brace for impact.
“I think last night was a mistake.”
The word mistake crash-lands on the table between us. Bracing didn’t help. I’m stunned.
“A mistake?” I repeat the words numbly. “It seemed to me like you had a good time.”
“I did.” He sighs, squeezing my hand.
I pull back, knotting my fingers in my lap. I don’t want his pity. I want an explanation.
“And that’s the problem,” he says. “I always do this. Jump in without thinking about the consequences. Anything for a good time, right? But then my impulsiveness bites me in the ass. It always ends the same.”
Blinking rapidly, I try to process it all. Where has this come from? “What are you saying, Alex?”
“I’m saying that last night was a one-time deal. It won’t happen again. It can’t.”
I saw it coming, but that doesn’t take away the sting of his words. I break away from his penetrating gaze and opt to stare out the window. “Well, isn’t that convenient. You get to make all the decisions, and I get to live with all the regret.”
Alex shakes his head. “I don’t regret it, Aspen. Not one bit. And I hope you don’t either, but I can’t tell you how you should or shouldn’t feel.” He rakes his fingers through his hair, his eyes squeezed shut. “I’m trying so hard not to be an asshole for once in my life. I’m trying to do the right thing.”
“And what’s the right thing?”
He opens his eyes, pinning me in place. “I want to be your friend, Aspen. Not your fuck buddy.”
“So, you didn’t like fucking me?” The word feels stilted and unfamiliar on my tongue. But it packs a necessary punch.
“Of course I did. Fuck, Aspen. Last night was . . .” He trails off. It was a lot of fun. Really.”
Fun. I guess that makes me the girl you have fun with once, and then immediately discard. Good for a one-night stand and nothing else. What did I expect?
I bite my lip, blinking back hot, angry tears. I will not cry. I’ve dealt with rejection far worse than this, so I will not cry. Especially not in front of him.
Alex’s chair creaks as he slumps back. “I’m sorry. Really, I am.”
“Fine. If that’s what you want, then it’s fine, Alex.” I don’t know how I manage to say that so evenly, but I do. Even though the weight of all these tears I refuse to cry may crush me.
A long, excruciating pause stretches between us before he speaks again. “Thanks, Aspen.”
Alex clears his side of the table quickly and quietly before he leaves the room, muttering something about the guesthouse and clogged gutters.
I almost want to yell after him, Good. You should probably stay in the guesthouse anyway. But all the wind has already been knocked out of me, and I don’t think I could speak right now, even if I wanted to.
I try to keep my mind blank, washing the dishes by hand and scrubbing every possible surface of the kitchen until it’s squeaky clean. Then I move into the pantry for today’s task—taking inventory and throwing out anything that’s expired. Between the clatter of canned goods being tossed in the trash, Eden’s words ring hollowly in my mind.
