PASSIONATE ENCOUNTERS (18 page)

His cock sprang forward, and for a moment they both paused
from what they were doing to look at it. Like some pagan god it was standing
straight up, fierce and proud, and engorged with blood. Mike could see the
pleasure in Emma’s eyes, and holding his breath, he waited for her next move.

A sensual smile spread across her face. She gently took his
cock in her hand and began to move it up and down. Mike shook. And when she
replaced her hand with her mouth, he sucked in his breath and fell back against
the boat.

“Oh god, Emma.” His breathing escalated. And soon his hips
were moving in a rhythm that promised one outcome.

The pleasure was almost unbearable. And there was only one
thing that came to Mike’s mind that would make the situation even hotter. In
between breaths he managed to say, “Turn around, honey.”

Emma halted her movements and raised her head to meet his
eyes. He could see the question simmering in those glazed pools and smiled at
her confusion.

“You think you’re the only one who wants a taste? I’m
hungry, too.” He watched a slow smile spread across her face as she obviously
got his meaning. “Now put that dripping pussy on my face.”

Without hesitation Emma moved to do what Mike requested. She
rolled her jeans further down her thighs and then moved over his body. Mike wet
his lips in anticipation of tasting her sweet juices, of tonguing her clit
until she came. He watched her plump mound get closer and closer to his face,
breathing in her scent.

He wasn’t disappointed when she finally settled her weight
on him and spread her thighs so he would have access. At the same time his
tongue flicked over her swollen clit, her mouth closed over his cock again.
Their mutual groans revealed their mutual satisfaction.

Fuck! I’ve never tasted anything so good.
Mike ran
his tongue over and over her clit, feeling her tremble and smiling inside. He
was doing his own fair share of shuddering every time Emma moved her mouth over
the head of his cock. But it was when she took his balls in her mouth that he
almost spilled.

“Sweet Jesus!” He took the time to groan, forcing down the
rush erupting through his body. He wasn’t ready to end it just yet. It felt too
damn good.

He buried his nose in the wet hair covering her pussy,
breathing her musky scent deeply into his lungs. His tongue manipulated her
throbbing clit with every stroke. And when he heard her breathing pick up
speed, felt the tightening of her body, he buried his tongue as far as it would
go inside her. Her whimpers turned into moans that escalated until gradually
dying down again.

Mike felt his orgasm building fast and hotly through his
blood. Even as her cum coated his pounding tongue he was conscious of what she
was doing to his cock. Her tongue swirled around his aching shaft; her hand
gently squeezed his tight balls. His control snapped and in a flash it was
over. He grunted, exploding inside her sweet mouth.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck!” Mike felt totally drained. In fact it
took effort just to breathe. He let his taut body relax against the bottom of
the boat and tried to catch his breath. “You have a lethal mouth, honey.”

He felt more than heard Emma’s soft chuckle. “I was just
thinking the same thing about you.”

Mike could feel her warm breath against his deflated cock. A
few moments of silence followed as they rested against one another and their
bodies calmed. He wondered what Emma was feeling, what she was thinking. A
woman like her deserved more than just sex.

After a few more minutes Emma moved and they both busied
themselves with fixing their clothes. Their gazes met once they were back on
their seats facing each other. The wild seductress was gone. Sitting opposite
him was a vulnerable woman filled with doubts.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Emma. I don’t want to get
emotionally involved with any woman right now.”
Shit, smooth move, Denton.
You rank right up there with the fuck ’em and leave ’em jerks.

There was a slight hesitation before she said, “Are you
saying all we have between us is sex?”

“Not exactly.” That’s all Mike could think to say without
contradicting himself more. How could he expect Emma to believe that crap when
he didn’t believe it?

He took a deep breath, and glanced up at the sky. The sun
was slipping behind a gathering of storm clouds. For the first time he noticed
the temperature had dropped.

When he’d asked Melissa to check the weather that morning,
she hadn’t said anything about rain being in the forecast. Still and all he
should have acknowledged the signs. Maybe he’d purposely ignored them just to
be with Emma.

His gaze returned to her. “I think we’re in for a storm.”

“Not if we’re smart about it.”

Is that amusement in her eyes?
Laughter erupted at
her misunderstanding. “I mean the weather,” he explained. “We should pack it in
and head back to shore.”

Mike no sooner said it when Mother Nature backed up his
decision. The first drops of rain began to fall. Emma shuddered and Mike realized
she was feeling the chill.

“You’d better put your sweatshirt back on. As it is I’m
afraid we’re not going to make it back to your place before the sky opens up.”
He packed up their fishing gear as he spoke. Then dug around for something at
the bottom of a duffel bag.

“Here, put this on.” Mike handed Emma a yellow rain poncho.

“What about you?”

There was concern in her tone.

“I think a cool drenching will do me some good.” Like hell
it would but he was willing to try anything that would take his mind off Emma
and what she did to his libido.

The talking stopped once they were underway. Mike turned the
motor up high in an effort to get to Emma’s before the storm hit. They
practically made it too. Until her pier came into view and then the sky opened
up as he’d predicted, pouring buckets of ice water on them.

Emma snuggled beneath the poncho, keeping her face down. In
spite of that a good gust of wind swept over them and suddenly her hood flew
back and in a matter of seconds she was drenched. She grabbed for it, laughing,
before finally giving up. The wind was just too strong for her.

“Another five minutes and we would have made it!” she
shouted above the roar of the motor. “You must be freezing.”

If she only knew. Mike smiled because she was smiling. He
noticed that about Emma; she liked to smile. He wondered if she knew how radiant
her face became when she laughed, or the way her eyes came to life. Especially
in passion. Even now with the rain beating down on her she found something to
laugh about.

Face it, Mike, you’re hooked.

Accepting that realization took the smile right off his
face. He glanced up, slowing the boat down as they neared the dock. He could
feel Emma’s eyes on him but resisted the urge to glance back. She made it hard
to look away once they made eye contact. If he could make it through the next
few minutes he’d be home free.

Then he asked himself why he was worried about it. They’d
already had sex. Only he wanted Emma again.

“Hold on.” Just as he’d expected, the rough water caused the
boat to hit the dock hard. And for a few moments they bounced helplessly
against it until he tied it securely in place.

He turned to Emma, surprised to see she was already on her
feet and moving toward him. “Give me your hand and I’ll help you out, it’s
slippery.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than she slipped,
slamming into him. Mike braced his body for the impact, aware it wouldn’t take
much to send them both over the side. His arms automatically went around her to
steady her.

“Sorry. She chuckled, not sounding sorry in the least.

She turned her face toward his, causing Mike to nearly choke
on his tongue. Her mouth was parted and glistening with rain. He almost had
heart failure when her tongue came out to catch the large drops rolling over
her top lip. Groaning low in his throat, he lowered his head until realizing
what he was doing.

He pulled back; their eyes clung for a moment until the air
was split with a rumble of thunder. Mike took the hint that a higher force was
trying to warn him of something and he quickly released Emma, guiding her up
the crude three-step ladder.

“Head up to your place,” he ordered lightly, and turned to
get the picnic basket. “I’ll be right behind you.”

It was a miracle neither one of them fell as they ran the
short distance to her condo. The ground was soaked and muddy in places. Puddles
the size of small swimming pools provided them with an obstacle course fit for
a cross-country runner looking for a workout. Mike didn’t know why they were
running; they were already soaked to the bone. Well, at least he was.

When they reached the covered entranceway to Emma’s place,
they stopped by the door and she turned to face him. Her hair was plastered to
her scalp and she ran her fingers through, shaking out some of the water.

“You’re welcome to come inside and dry out in front of the
fire. We still have that picnic lunch I prepared,” she offered, suddenly looking
shy.

Mike stared at her long and hard. If he went inside with her
he knew they’d end up doing a hell of a lot more in front of the fire than just
drying out. Furthermore, he sensed she knew it too.

Does she want me as much as I want her? Maybe she doesn’t
mind sex without commitment.
The image of them fucking again raised his
libido.

“Depends on what’s in the picnic basket,” he teased,
reaching forward to brush a wet strand of hair out of her eyes. “If it’s peanut
butter and jelly sandwiches, you have a date.”

Emma’s eyes flared with pleasure, warming Mike’s heart.
“That’s exactly what I made!” she said with breathless surprise. “What’s a
picnic without peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?”

He’d been kidding when he said that. Mike hadn’t eaten a
peanut butter and jelly sandwich since he was a kid.

“Well, Detective?”

He decided to be honest with her. “We both know what might
happen if I go through that door. I can’t seem to keep my hands off you.”

A curious mixture of emotions crossed her face. But it was
the desire in her lovely eyes that decided it for Mike. Instead of the out he’d
been hoping for she was clearly giving him the signal that anything they did
beyond the door was okay with her.

He was the one who didn’t want a relationship. The smartest
thing he could do was turn and leave. When Emma lowered her gaze, he reached
forward, put his finger beneath her chin and raised her gaze to his.

He knew he was lost. “You might be inviting in the wolf,” he
said with quiet emphasis.

That statement returned the gleam of mischief to her eyes in
spite of the seriousness of his tone, raising Mike’s blood pressure a little.

“Are you implying I’m ‘grandma’? I know what happens to
grandma.”

Mike couldn’t help the grin from spreading across his face
anymore than he could stop the next rolling clap of thunder overhead.
“Definitely not,” he replied.

“Not one of the three little pigs,” she rushed out in
feigned shock, her brows lifting above rounded eyes. Several flashes of
lightning too close for comfort quickly put an end to their playful banter.
Emma took hold of Mike’s arm. “Come on, it’s dangerous out here.”

Not half as dangerous as it was inside. Mike let Emma drag
him behind her.

Chapter 16

Emma took the picnic basket from Mike, and turned to walk to
the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. She heard Mike
close the door. “You have to be freezing, Mike. Get out of those soaked clothes
and I’ll toss them in the dryer. There’s a robe on the back of the bathroom
door.”

“I suppose it’s better than catching cold,” he agreed.

Emma set the basket down and proceeded to struggle out of
the rain poncho, surprised to see him still standing there when she brought the
garment up over her head. She quickly glanced down; half-expecting to find her
shirt had come up again. They both grinned over the memory.

“I’d love a hot shower, but I don’t think I want to chance
getting struck by lightning.”

“Perhaps you’d better wait. I’ll build a fire after I change.”

“I love lounging by the fire, and, uh…” Why didn’t she just
spell it out for him? She could easily picture them making love there. She
glanced away, embarrassed by her thoughts and worried he might guess them.

“Sipping warm chocolate?” There was a teasing glint in his
eyes.

She offered him a thankful smile for not stating the
obvious. They both looked like drowned rats. The poncho hadn’t done much to
keep her from getting wet. She shivered, but it wasn’t from the cold. It was
the look in Mike’s quiet scrutiny that unnerved her, reminding her of the
incident on his boat.

She felt a tingle of awareness travel down her spine. She
couldn’t afford to let him see she wanted him again. Emma understood his reasons
for not wanting to get involved right now. But they were already involved,
sexually at least, whether Mike liked it or not.

“I’m going to change; I’ll be right back.” She forced
herself to casually walk past him, intensely aware his eyes were watching her
as she disappeared down the hall to her bedroom.

She closed the door and leaned against it, giving her racing
heart time to calm down. Inviting Mike in wasn’t a good idea. Though Amanda
would disagree with her. Thinking about Amanda caused Emma to look at the clock
on the nightstand. She’d invited her and Troy for dinner that evening, but they
were coming over early to watch a movie first. Thank God they weren’t due to
arrive for at least two hours.

Time enough for her and Mike to… She quickly reined in her
thoughts. Her hands covered her suddenly hot cheeks. Hearing the guest bathroom
door close galvanized her into action. She sprinted to her bathroom to dry off,
before going to her closet to change.