Loving the Wild Card (6 page)

Chapter 6

Unable to still her reaction to the feel of his big hands cupping her
backside, Lux tensed her muscles and immediately regretted it. Knowing Josh,
that small involuntary response would probably be her downfall. Regaining her
footing, she got ready to restart her climb; glad he’d stopped her from
boasting of her tree climbing abilities.

The flex of his hands on her ass was unnecessary, and Lux knew it was
his way of ensuring she understood he’d registered her response to him. Joshua
Kingdom had to be one of the most vexing men she’d ever met. Knowing not to
repeat the mistake of speaking, Lux decided to regain a measure of her dignity.
Just as she knew she needed to remain silent, the same was true for him.

Her balance now regained, Lux lifted a foot and brought it down on top
of his head and used it as leverage to push upwards.
Take that Joshua
,
she thought with satisfaction as she moved on.

Once her foot gained purchase against the tree, her concentration
returned to pulling herself upward. Lux had no idea how it happened but somehow
their positions were reversed. Peering up through the shadows, she was grasped
around both her wrists and unceremoniously heaved up.

The branch she landed on was sturdy and she slowly exhaled; only to be
pulled close to a hard wall of muscle that flexed and rippled against her.
Managing to hold in her gasp of awareness, Lux bit down on her lower lip.

Still stunned, she wondered how he’d managed to move so quickly as to
reverse their positions. She was worried, and not about the men who followed
them. Maybe standing on his head hadn’t been such a good idea. It had been rude
and unnecessary, but in the heat of the moment, good manners hadn’t been the
forerunner in her thoughts. Plus, it really felt good at the time.

Pulled so closely against him, her body once again began to betray her.
He felt so good. Missing his touch for too many years, Lux closed her eyes and
subconsciously gave herself over to nothing but sensation as she rubbed her
body against his.

The tropical night air weighed down on her even as a waft of ocean breeze
found its way through the trees. The costume she still wore was so scant it
felt as though the only barrier between them was the T-shirt and shorts he
wore.

He felt wonderful. Joshua Kingdom had always been her only fantasy. In
the past, he’d been completely hers and she’d let him go. There wasn’t a night
during their separation that he hadn’t been her last thought when sleep finally
claimed her. When her eyes opened to greet the dawn of a new day, his image was
the remnant of her dreams. He was a part of her and Lux knew that he always
would be, and finally he was here.

Needing to feel the touch of his lips against hers, Lux brushed her
hands up his arms in a seamless sweep. Relearning his every contour, her
fingers moved on until they brushed against the column of his neck. Pressed
flush against him, she became aware of the escalation of his heart beat.
Cupping her backside, he lifted her onto tip-toes, so the hard ridge of his
arousal was between her legs. Then he remained motionless.

Silence was their reality. Touch, feel, and remembrance were their here
and now. Once experienced, Joshua Kingdom refused to be forgotten. He belonged
to her, she just didn’t know how to claim him. She loved everything about being
in his arms. If their physical fit had been enough, she wouldn’t have endured
seven years of separation from him.

Lux knew she had to feel his lips against hers. Gripping the back of his
head she pulled him towards her. They came together as though an electric
current passed through their bodies. Lux gasped and Josh swallowed the sound,
pulling it deep within him.

Their first intimate touch after so long refused to be denied. Their
mouths vied for supremacy; they devoured each other, their tongues in constant
motion to feel, to touch, to recapture the magic they made together.

Lux knew they had to stop. Wresting her lips away, she was glad when he
allowed it. Refusing to look at him and eager to put some distance between
them, she forgot where she was. Catching him unawares, she pulled sharply
against him and took her first step into a twenty-foot drop.

Terror gripped her. Before she could emit a sound, a band of steel
seized her up stretched wrist. Balanced on his toes, one hand pressed against
the branch, Josh held onto her dangling body; his expression one of sheer
determination. With a show of strength, Josh pulled her towards him. With each
upward advance, her shoulder screamed with the agony of supporting her full
weight.

She could hear them, the sounds of their pursuers as they searched for
them in the darkness. The sound distracted her and her head snapped in their
direction. They were close, too close. Returning her attention upwards, she
again looked at Josh, his grimace of resolve catching her attention. Still on
his toes, for the first time Lux noticed he was also extending his other hand
towards her.

When she’d lost her footing, her body had become rigid in preparation
for its impact with the ground. Now that she gave him her full attention, she
understood what he needed her to do.

With a nod, Lux relaxed her body. She then allowed him to begin his
swing. Her body moved back and forth even as her shoulder cried out for relief.
The pain was almost unbearable, but she refused to make a sound.

Once her swing gained enough momentum, Lux extended her free arm, but
their fingers only brushed against each other’s and slipped away. She didn’t
mean to panic, but the men were almost directly below them. Desperation
clutched at her and she reached upward yet again. This time when they touched,
Josh gripped her hand and held on.

If she hadn’t been so terrified, she would have reveled in the sheer
strength of him. The muscles in his arms and legs bulged as he slowly rose to
his feet. In a swift move, Josh transferred her arms over his shoulders and
held her close. As Lux clutched his big body, she could feel that he trembled
just as much as she did.

The men were now directly below the tree that hid them, and they
couldn’t have cared less. Silently maneuvering her towards the trunk of the
tree, Josh pressed her back against the rough bark. When his mouth touched
hers, it was direct and left no doubts to his intent. Neither of them gave a
moment’s thought to discovery. Disaster averted they needed the reassurance
that could only be found in touching each other.

His powerful body pressed against hers. The rawness of his demand
wouldn’t be denied. Memories flooded her. The way he made her feel, the way his
touch affected her. The way he had always wanted her; how she had always wanted
him. Time meant nothing, and Lux finally realized why she’d left. It was her
attempt to run away from the one thing she could never outdistance, herself.

****

This moment was all that mattered to Josh. He had nearly lost her. If
she’d fallen, this time she would have been gone forever. Throughout his
desperate rescue of her, his mind screamed the words he wasn’t ready to voice.

They were hiding from their pursuers up a tree and foremost in his mind
was finding a way to make love to her. A beam of light passed beneath where
they were standing. Pushing her further into the shadows of the foliage, Josh
protected her with his body in an attempt to avoid discovery. Finally aware of
his surroundings, he readied himself for action should the need arise.

“Do you see them?” Came a dismembered voice directly below their hiding
place.

“No, but I know they’re somewhere around here.”

“I never signed up for this shit! Why the hell am I running around some
jungle in the middle of the damn night?!”

“Well, technically this isn’t a jungle–”

“Shut the fuck up, I don’t need a geography lesson!”

Josh listened to the absurd conversation as the voices grew more
distant; even as his gaze remained solely fixed on Lux. When the men could no
longer be heard, he still didn’t move. When she released the breath, she was
holding and glanced up at him, he was waiting for her and captured her gaze.

Without warning his lips descended and moved against hers with a heat he
couldn’t stop if he’d wanted to. Her instant response was all that he needed,
and it sent even more blood rushing to his already rigid cock. She was his, she
would always be his, and there was nothing that could stop him from reaffirming
that; not even her uncertainty.

His hands roamed over her, Josh took in the changes of her body that now
reflected the woman she’d become. He still loved the smoothness of her skin,
and the way it enclosed lean, hard muscle.

His touch was relentless as he explored her body. Caging her in, he
assaulted her senses, giving her no opportunity to think of anything other than
him. His tongue was an endless swirl of movement. He wanted to devour her.
Pulling away, he stared at her through the dim light. His body throbbed with
need and Josh deliberately rotated his hips so she felt his hardness, Josh
licked her lips with a slow sweep of his tongue.

The trembling his action evoked was exactly the response he wanted.
Moving a hand along the indent of her waist, he continued on and came to rest
on her hip. When his big hand moved once again, her eyes told him she was in no
doubt of his destination. Her puff of breath against his lips and the shifting
of her legs welcomed him. With slow deliberation, his fingers moved past the
barrier that kept her from him. Moisture was his reward as his fingers brushed
across her sex.

“They have to be around here somewhere, he’s traveling with a half-naked
woman for God’s sake!”

“Well, I can’t see a damn thing in this dark.”

“What do you suggest, we go back and report that she got away?”

“You see, this is why I don’t like having anything to do with you; you
always get me into all kinds of shit!”

“Shut your pie hole and let me think for a minute, will you!”

Josh listened to their trackers incompetent conversation as his fingers
stroked her. Raising one of her legs he placed it around his back and inserted
a finger into her. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she bit down on her
lip to hold in her cries of pleasure. Adding another finger, Josh moved in and
out of her body as his thumb rubbed and pressed against her clit.

Watching her with an intensity that negated what was happening below
them, he worked her body in a way that spoke of his sexual experience. The
moment he felt the change in her body, he withdrew.

Her eyes popped open and he smiled. Lowering her leg to the branch, he
lifted his wet fingers and licked them. With a wink, he turned away and began
shimmying
down the tree.

****

Lux was in shock when he disappeared from sight. Her body still throbbed
with reaction to the way he’d touched her.

Sometimes she thought she actually hated him. He was always playing with
her. Even after all this time, he still aroused so many differing feelings
within her, she wanted to scream, and pursuers be damned. That he’d managed to
anger and arouse her with so little effort, made Lux wish for a chance to sit
on his chest and beat him.

Finally calm, Lux listened intently but heard nothing. She knew he
wouldn’t leave her alone for too long, but it worried her that he was alone and
probably putting himself in danger. The minutes ticked by and Lux grew
increasingly worried for his safety. Thanking Mother Nature for creating such
an enormous tree, she sat down as vertigo suddenly washed over her. Lux was
worried about Josh and considered going after him. Thinking to give him ten
more minutes, she let out a yelp when a large shape landed in front of her.

Chapter 7

“Now, where were we?” Josh asked as though no time had elapsed since his
departure.

“What happened?” Lux demanded, annoyed at his cavalier comment.

“As far as I could tell, you were about to come, but I was unavoidably
called away,” Josh quipped.

“You know that’s not what I mean!”

“Are you honestly trying to tell me I wasn’t about to make you scream?”
He teased.

Aware of what he was doing, she recalled that when he got into this type
of mood, her best course of action was to ignore him. Doing exactly that, and
with the full realization they were out of danger, she stood and made ready to
leave their perch.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m getting out of this damn tree. My backside probably looks like tree
bark!” Lux told him as she rubbed her butt cheeks.

“Sorry, but we have to stay here for a little while longer,” Josh
informed her, not looking sorry at all.

“Why?”

“Because it’s too dark to get through this terrain without one of us
getting hurt.”

“What did you do to those men?”

“I tucked them away for a while.”

“What does that mean?” Lux asked with genuine concern.

“If you want to know if I killed them, then the answer is no,” Josh told
her, holding her gaze unblinkingly.

Lux believed him. She also knew that whatever he’d done to them they
wouldn’t be a problem for a while.

“Okay, but honestly, I can’t stay up here it’s too uncomfortable, plus
I’m getting cold.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you,” he smirked.

“Good, so let’s go find somewhere more comfortable.” Lux could tell by
his expression that she wasn’t going to like what he
had to say.

“You can sit on me,” Josh said as he paused for effect. “I know just how
to warm you up.”

Lux wanted to roll her eyes at his less than subtle innuendo. The grin
on his too-handsome face gave her an idea. She might live to regret it, but if
he wanted to play, she was up for it. At the very least, he would be
up
by the time she was finished with him.

“Okay,” she agreed, catching him by surprise. “What are you waiting for,
get down there,” she pointed to the branch.

Josh wasted no time doing her bidding, his back resting against the
trunk of the tree. Lux took her time giving him the once over. Ensuring she
paid particular attention to his lower abdomen, as her eyes rolled up and down
the front of his shorts. When she was sure she had his full attention, she
looked at him and smiled. The growing bulge in the front of his pants was
unmistakable; he was rising to the occasion.

Turning around, Lux made a big show of rotating her ass as she folded
her body and sat on his rapidly hardening cock.

The sound of his hiss was exactly what she was going for. Wiggling her
backside around as though attempting to get comfortable, she moved up and down
the length of his shaft. When she finally came to a stop, she
couldn’t
help but tease him.
“I’m still
cold, but I have to say this fella,” Lux reached back and stroked his hard
cock, “seems to be heating up!”

“Luxandria, do not start something you’re not going to finish.”

“Don’t you worry, if
I
start something,
I
finish it.
That’s why I have no intention of taking a leaf out of your book!” Lux informed
him, rising up and coming down on him making sure she scored a direct hit.

In one continuous motion, Josh lifted her, reversed her position and sat
her astride his lap. “Too late, you already started it. But I understand,
Peaches,” Josh whispered into her ear. “All you had to do was ask.”

His hot breath against her skin was all it took for her plan to begin to
backfire. Deciding to play out her hand to see where it led, Lux relaxed.

“I’m not asking you for a damn thing. I didn’t ask you to come here, to
get a tree up me.” Horrified at her Freudian slip, Lux blessed the darkness
that hid the fire that rushed into her face.

Josh was laughing so hard she literally bounced up and down.

“Shut up, you know that came out wrong.”

“I thank you kindly ma’am. This is the first time I’ve been likened to a
tree, and I find that I like it,” he teased.

“I meant,
to be up a tree
,” Lux corrected in an attempt to regain
the upper hand. When he continued laughing, she gave up but not before punching
him in the arm.

Josh grew quiet. Throughout his show of amusement he’d managed to
distract her enough to palm her backside. He’d also widened his legs which
ensured her knees didn’t press against the rough bark. His readjustment also
meant she was completely open to him.

With a big grin, Josh raised an eyebrow before lowering eyes that fixed
on the red material that covered her from sight. With that one look, Lux felt
goose bumps pop out on her skin. She was in trouble!

“So, show me what you’ve got, island girl.”

****

Josh had no hesitation admitting he’d missed her. She always managed to
get herself into situations that never failed to amuse him. Open before him in
next to nothing, he had her exactly where, and how he wanted her, and it hadn’t
even been that difficult.

He understood she wanted to punish him for his abrupt departure, but
he’d had little choice. The men had been standing beneath them for such a long
time, it was only a matter of time before one of the bumbling fools looked up.

She was his responsibility and he was prepared to do whatever it took to
keep her safe. He had plans for her and he wasn’t about to change them.

His question hung in the air and her continued silence told him, he
wasn’t about to get a response. That was fine with him as he was prepared to
take his punishment like a man.

By increments, his hands moved lower. Luxandria wanted to come, and if
that was what she wanted, that was what she was going to get.

His hands rubbed the imprint of bark out of her skin. When he felt her
relax even more against him, Josh thought the time was right to move things
along. “How’s that; does your gorgeous ass feel better?”

“Umm... yes... umm, I feel fine, you can stop now.”

“Sorry, I can’t do that. I promised I’d warm you up. I’m a Kingdom, and
that means I’m a man of my word.” As he dismissed her halfhearted request, his
nimble fingers brushed and retreated from between her open legs.

Subconsciously, she pressed against him in a way that was sure to drive
him crazy if he didn’t stop her. He had no problem giving her release, however,
there was no way he was going to make love to her for the first time in seven
years sitting in a tree; it wasn’t his style.

“Are you warm yet, Luxandria?”

Lux shook her head at his teasing and Josh enjoyed the way she smiled at
him with genuine amusement. “I’m warmish, but your report card would say; could
try harder,” Lux countered without missing a beat.

“I was always an extremely quick study, so why don’t I just show you
what I know. If there are any gaps in my education, please feel free to fill
them in,” he laughed.

As she was about to comment, Josh moved his hand without warning and
scored a direct hit. Her eyes widened in surprise and he kissed her hard and
fast. As much as he loved the feel of her lips against his, he wanted to see
her face. It had been too long since he had seen his Luxandria climax.

Pushing aside the material of her skimpy shorts, his fingers were
relentless. Drawing out each touch, he stroked and caressed her. Allowing his
knees to widen further, he balanced them both as he opened her even more to his
questing fingers.

“Should I try harder, Luxandria? All you have to do is tell me what you
want and it’s yours,” Josh whispered as an arm circled her waist to hold her in
place. Meanwhile, his hand was unrelenting. Inserting two fingers inside her,
he pumped three times and retreated. Only to start all over again.

Lux gasped and Josh couldn’t pull his eyes away from her. She looked beautiful
and he didn’t want to miss a single moment.

“Do you like that, Luxandria? Do you like the way my fingers feel inside
you? Did you miss my touch over all these years?”

Josh didn’t know where his questions came from. One moment his sole
intent was to give her release, and the next he felt an almost overwhelming
need to punish her for leaving him the way she did.

“Do your other lovers make you feel this way, Lux? How many has there
been? How many men have you allowed to take what’s mine?” Josh demanded, his
fingers once again inside her. This time there was no retreat. This time his
touch carried with it a deadly intent as he pumped within her, his thumb
finding and stroking her clit with precision.

“How many lovers has there been since me?”

She tried to pull away. He refused to let her go. “What is this,
punishment by silence?”

“Let go of me, Josh!” She demanded pushing against his chest in a
halfhearted attempt at getting away.

While she said and did one thing, her body was saying something
completely different. He felt her stiffen against him as she grabbed two
fistfuls of his shirt, threw back her head and emitted a groan that came from
deep within.

Josh loved every moment of watching her. She may have left him but when
he touched her, when they were like this, she was his.

He pulled her close and held her; placing tender kisses against her
face, her neck, anywhere his lips found skin.

Enjoying the way her body convulsed around his fingers, he didn’t
withdraw his hand. He was heavy and throbbing with his need for her. Yet the
realization that he’d disclosed a part of himself he’d rather have kept hidden
was a wedge between them.

“Are you okay, Lux?” Josh asked, angry with himself that he’d revealed
his jealousy at her being with other men. He knew his feelings were
hypocritical but he couldn’t help how he felt.

She didn’t answer and he knew she wouldn’t when he felt the wetness of
her tears against his neck. “It’s going to be alright. I promise everything
will be alright,” Josh assured squeezing her even tighter. She was where she
belonged, with him, back in his arms; and this was where she would stay.