Playing It Close (8 page)

“So soon after eating?”
Nice one
,
nervous ninny.

He gave her an assessing look, then glanced at the pool. “I don’t think it’s that deep. But if you want, I’ll test it out and let you know.”

Tess rolled off him and watched as he stood and dusted off his bum. Never taking his eyes from her, he crossed his arms in front of his stomach and whisked his T-shirt over his head. Her mouth went utterly dry at the sight of his chiseled chest and abs. Jesus, the man had better breasts than she did. So bloody unfair.

She’d seen him topless before. In fact, her sister gave her a London Legends calendar every year, which featured twelve players lounging around the changing room in various states of undress. Last year, Mr. July here had been starkers. She’d really hated that strategically placed rugby ball he’d held.

Being confronted with his body in person, though, was a joy she’d never imagined she would have. His muscles bunched up as he bent to undo his laces. Within seconds he’d dropped everything except his tight knit boxers, which were at her eye level since she was sitting at his feet. His arousal strained against the front.

He hooked his thumbs in the waistband and cocked a brow at her in question. “I did bring swimming trunks, if you’d rather I put them on.”

Waving her hand as if she’d seen it all before, she attempted a blasé voice. “Please, don’t feel inhibited by me.”

One corner of his lips kicked up and he swept his pants down, stepping out of them without looking away from her.
Don’t look
,
don’t look.

She looked. Swallowed hard. Her body clenched with longing.

Water splashed against her burning hot face, shaking her from her trance. He’d jumped in feet-first and was now swimming toward the waterfall, his tight back, biceps and bum working with each stroke. When he got to the middle, he trod water and faced her. “Coming in?”

Oh yes. Before she could second-guess herself, she jumped up and whipped off her shirt and hiking trousers. She’d worn her bikini under her clothes, but that was coming off. Now.

Liam’s body moved gently from side to side as his legs scissored underwater to keep him afloat, but he watched her with unwavering interest.
This is Liam Callaghan.
He’s been with some of the hottest women in the world.
Remember that Brazilian model—whatshername?
She only has one name.
Whatever it was
,
you don’t look like her.
You’re Titless Tess.

Yeah, and? She was the one here right now, and he’d found this spot for
her
, so she could fulfill one of her trip’s goals. She just had to work up the bollocks to follow through. Squaring her shoulders, she reached behind her neck and yanked on the tie holding her top together. The cups fell toward her waist, and a breeze tickled her breasts as she shifted to untie the string around her ribs.

“Jesus.” Liam’s reverent utterance floated across the water to her. The tip of his tongue touched his bottom lip, and his eyes narrowed in concentration. “More. Please,” he croaked.

Confidence swept through her. He wanted this.
She
wanted this. She had no idea how her world had collided with his, but she wasn’t going to ask questions of a gift horse. No, she was going to turn her back on it instead—momentarily, so she could tease him a little as she wriggled out of her knickers.

His groan reached her across the water, and she slowly stood up again, tossing him a sexy smile over her naked shoulder.

“Tess, I don’t mean to be rude, but if you don’t get over here right now I’m going to have to take matters into my own hands.”

She broke eye contact long enough to step carefully off the boulder into the water—because nothing would kill the mood faster than her losing her balance and belly-flopping in front of him. The cool water came to her knees, and she took a few steps across smooth stones before lowering herself until the water lapped at her neck. Ooh, yes. She was Eve. The original woman, at one with nature. Keeping her movements slow, she pushed her hands out and swept them back, lost in the sensuous flow of water over her heated skin. She came within a meter of Liam before kicking swiftly away and twisting to do the backstroke toward the waterfall, exposing her body to the elements and to his gaze.

She wanted him. But more than anything, she wanted exactly what she had right here, right now. To float. To see the trees stretching far overhead. To hear the waterfall growing louder. To know that, for the next few hours, her life was completely her own. She owed nobody any explanations, didn’t have to lay her motives bare for the world to examine, or do anything other than whatever the hell she wanted to do.

And she wanted to do Liam Callaghan.

She swam to the waterfall and dunked herself under. The water beat against her shoulders, knocking out any remaining tension like a brutal massage. Finding her balance, she stood and arched her back, pushing her wet hair off her face. Something big blocked the sunlight and she smiled, cupping a hand over her eyes to keep the water from streaming into them as she looked up at Liam.

He slowly brought a thumb to her cheek, sweeping it across her skin before leaning down to capture her lips with his—except...no, he didn’t kiss her. He let his lips whisper over her jaw, nuzzled the sensitive underside and found the hollow behind her ear. His hand settled on the curve of her lower back that he’d explored earlier and pulled her flush against him. Skin to skin. Flesh to flesh. Her breasts pressed against the arch of muscle below his lower ribs. Her thighs between his. Her belly against his erection.

“If I can’t call you Pixie,” he murmured in her ear, “can I call you Nymph?”

Nymph
. A sensual, alluring siren. “Oh, yeah,” she sighed. “I’ll be your nymph.”

She slid her fingers through his hair and twisted until she found his mouth, pressing against him as she kissed him with all the passion she’d never had a chance to indulge. The strong bands of his arms tightened around her and he held her so close she couldn’t tell where she ended and he began. She opened her mouth, inviting him in. He wasted no time accepting her invitation, kissing her over and over until she had to pull back to fill her lungs with much-needed air—only to nearly drown herself with a mouthful of waterfall.

He patted her back as she sputtered, but instead of teasing or letting her lack of grace ruin the moment, he walked her backward until her bare bum hit a wall of slick rock. She caught her breath and glanced around. Now they were hidden behind the falls in a tiny cavern, protected by the out-jutting rock above them and the curtain of water behind Liam. He rested his forehead against hers, one hand still rubbing between her shoulder blades. “Okay?”

“I think the water gave me amnesia.”

“You want me to remind you what we were doing?”

“Yes, please.”

His lips were curved when they met hers again. He braced his hands under her bum, lifting her until his erection slotted perfectly between her spread legs. God, he felt so hard all over, yet one of his arms protected her back from scratching against the cliff as he rocked against her. “Oh, God,” she moaned, “please tell me you brought a condom.”

He paused only long enough to settle her on her feet before diving away. Even through the roar of the waterfall, she heard the urgent splash he kicked up as he swam swiftly to their rock. Moments later he parted the wall of water and stepped into their private room, condom packet gripped in his front teeth.

She laughed. “You were pretty sure of yourself, were you?”

“Just hopeful.”

The water here came up to his thighs, leaving most of his beautiful body bare to her sight. She sighed. “It’s not fair.”

“What’s not?” He ripped open the packet, then looked around for somewhere to put it. “Shit. I didn’t think about this. I’m not littering Eden with condom packets.”

She tilted her head. “Plural?”

At least he had the good grace to look sheepish. “I was
very
hopeful.”

She laughed and shook her head as she took the foil from him. “Suit up, Poseidon. I’ll hold this till we get back to our rock.”

“Poseidon, huh?” He rolled the condom down his thick length and then lifted her again, finding exactly the spot that’d driven her wild moments earlier. “Does that mean you’re impressed with the size of my trident?”

Her laugh turned into a moan as he rocked into her. Her head rested against the wall, and she tilted her hips to give him a better angle. A few pumps and he’d slid home, his pelvis grinding against her sweet spot. “Oh my God. Your trident is magical. Keep it right...
there.
”

He didn’t listen. Her sea god set up a rhythm that made her vision swim and her inner ears roar with the lust pumping through her. She cried out as his fingers found her clit, pulling her lips tight around it so every stroke did double duty, rubbing her from the inside and out. She tightened her legs around his waist and drove her hips against his, riding him until her orgasm crashed over her, through her, liquefying her. All she could do was collapse against him and hold on while he thrust a few more powerful times before groaning his release against her neck.

They held each other for countless silent heartbeats, uneager to let reality return. When he finally disengaged, Tess let her jelly legs slide over his hips and into the water again, but she tightened her grip around his neck. How could she let go? He’d helped her feel something she never had before: completely, utterly desirable. Like a woman who could drive a man mad with desire. Playful yet sensual.

Like a nymph.

He nuzzled her temple and held her close. “You okay?”

“Mmm-hmm.” Finally she let her arms relax, and he slowly lowered her into the water again. But he still held on with one arm. Good thing too. She would’ve collapsed in an embarrassing sloppy heap without his support.

He stroked her, and they both watched his hand roam over her breasts, lazily circling her nipple before journeying farther south to tangle in the dark hair over her sensitized mons. “So...” he said, “you’re not a natural pinkhead.”

His meaning took a moment to sink in, but when it did she laughed so hard the sound bounced off the rock and vibrated around them. When she caught her breath again, she kissed his pec, grateful that they wouldn’t have an awkward post-coital moment. “Sorry to disappoint. Maybe I should’ve dyed the hair down there to hide the evidence.”

He cringed. “I don’t know much about genital grooming, but I’m fairly sure it’s a bad idea to put chemicals down there.” He leaned into her and gave her a gentle kiss before pulling back and looking at her with a teasing glint. “Besides, I like you just the way you are...Nymph.”

* * *

A cool breeze drifted over Liam’s skin and sunlight glowed through his closed eyelids, prodding him awake from a deep slumber. He stretched, his muscles thanking him for a day of activity after one spent on planes and another lazing in bed.
Activity
—that might describe yesterday’s hike, but it didn’t even come close to summing up the afternoon of earthly delights he’d shared with Tess.

And not just
earthly
delights. When they’d started their hike yesterday, he hadn’t intended to develop terminal chattiness and tell her all about his mum.

Well, not
all
about her...but enough to ease some of the tension that had been squeezing the life out of him. Last night was the first night he could remember sleeping a dreamless sleep. Good thing, because a ghostly visit from his mum would’ve been a real mood-killer.

Reaching across the bed, he searched for Tess. When his hand touched nothing but cool sheets, he reluctantly opened his eyes and blinked a few times to get rid of the blurry sleepiness. He was alone in the bed. He glanced toward the bathroom, but the door was open and he didn’t hear the shower running.

Then a dreamlike memory came back to him. Tess leaning over him at some point in the night, her hand wrapped around his biceps as she kissed his shoulder and whispered, “I have to go. Thank you for everything.”

He’d thought it was a dream, and even at the time he’d felt a twinge of discomfort at whatever part of his ego had conjured up a lover thanking him for services rendered. Or maybe she’d thanked him for the dinner he’d bought when they’d returned to the hotel, which they’d eaten on his balcony again before curling up together and kissing in his hammock.

Or maybe it was for the shell necklace he’d got her in a village Tony had stopped at on their way down the mountain. Several women there had been selling items they’d made, and he’d told Tess that every nymph needed some shells.

“I think you’ve got nymphs confused with mermaids,” she’d teased.

He’d looped the necklace over her head and let it slide through his hands. It was long and could’ve been looped twice, but instead he let it fall between her breasts and hang nearly to her belly button. “No, I haven’t. Mermaids cover themselves up and have fish tails. Vastly overrated. I much prefer nymphs.”

She’d worn the necklace and nothing else when she’d put those womanly legs to good use and ridden him hard later in the night.

The solar-powered clock next to the bed said it was ten, so he shouldn’t have been too surprised to wake up alone. In fact, part of him was grateful for it, since it would give him time to think. He should confess to her today, tell her who he really was. He had nearly a week left in Venezuela, but she was leaving in a few days and the thought of sticking around without her lost its shine. He wanted more time with her, and those days would only pass quickly if he knew he could see her again when he got back to London.

He had no idea what the hell had happened, but a gut feeling told him that this wasn’t a short-term affair. He wanted to explore whether they could have something more significant, something that lasted beyond their time in paradise.

He picked up the hotel phone and dialed her room number, ready to insert himself into whatever plans she had for the day.

Ring...ring...ring...
Nothing.