Thigh High (4 page)

She nuzzled the spot between his earlobe and his shoulder. He smelled of warm flesh and good man, and she couldn't resist a lick.

“Keep that up and I'll stumble.” At the bottom of the ramp, he turned right toward his float home. So much for her right or left, right or wrong quandary.

Her heart hammered, and she licked him again to see if she really did have the power to make him stumble.

Barkley scampered ahead of them, hopped onto the deck and disappeared into his doghouse.

Next time she tasted Daniel's neck, she gave his earlobe an experimental suck. This time, it wasn't a groan she heard, but a growl. And Barkley was nowhere to be seen.

D
aniel set Frankie down on deck, next to the barbecue. The sky was rife with stars failing against a dawn-pink sky, the air spiced with the sea and soft quiet.

She kept her arms looped around his neck. He slid his palms down each side of her rib cage to hold her hips. He squeezed, happy to find she was womanly where he wanted. Too many bone racks had wandered through his bed, and he liked a woman with flesh. Frankie was perfect. A package of taut womanly curves that fit into his hands as if she were made for him.

Her face tilted up to his, eyes gleaming in the pearly dawn light, full of mystery and come-get-me.

“I don't know anything about you. Where you came from, where you're going, or why you're here with me,” he said, avoiding the trap of falling into her eyes. Patting himself on the back for his quick thinking, he left the leading statement where it lay between them.

“I'm here for the same reason you are.” She stretched up and kissed him, her lips soft, yearning and ripe. She tasted of coffee and need, and he lost all the questions he thought to ask.

“Just so we're clear, it's been a long time for me. Life's been hectic and I'm a touch…raw. Best bet here is to let tonight be about tonight,” Frankie said, “with no promises for tomorrow.”

“Works for me.” He hadn't missed the neat sidestep she took around his curiosity, but he was so hard and she was so pliant, he let his body, and hers, be in charge.

Besides, Frankie was doing something with her tongue under his ear that had him lifting her to waist high.

 

Need swamped her as Daniel hauled her up to his waist. She wrapped her legs around him and let him carry her through the door and into the living area of his home. An impression of masculine efficiency flashed by, but checking out the decor would have to wait. He took her straight through the kitchen to his bedroom at the front. The drapes were already drawn, the bed turned down.

She worked on his buttons while he walked her, straddling him, to the bed. Her fingers worked fast, because even as shaky as they were, it had been far too long, and all she wanted was the feel of his hot flesh under her palms.

In ten seconds she got it. “Oh, you feel good,” she murmured as she slid her hands under his shirt. She cupped his pecs and sighed with the rightness of his smooth skin. A sprinkling of hair between his pecs narrowed to his waistband. Silky, springy hair. She shuddered as she ran her fingers through the heated silk. She grinned in the dark. “I love chest hair.”

“Good.” He released her and she plopped onto the bed. He followed her down, but before she could settle he straddled her hips, pinning her into the soft mattress.

Vulnerable, she caught her breath, aware of her mistake. She was here with a stranger and no one in her life knew it. Big-city smarts had faded to horny stupidity in the face of six months of abstinence.

But Daniel wasn't into hurting her, she realized in a blink. He wanted her naked. He copied her rapid work at buttons and whipped her shirt as wide open as his. “Front?” he asked.

“Yes.”

He found the catch to her bra and clicked it, then swept the cups off her. “Dark, like I thought,” he said as he palmed her. “Big, full nipples.”

She moistened at the admiration in his gaze, the slide thick and wet between her legs.

He positioned her nipples in the apex of two fingers. With quick squeeze-and-release manipulations, he brought each nipple to hard in record time.

Oh yeah, this man knew his way around a breast. To show him how much she liked what he was doing she flung her hands up toward the headboard and arched up into his palms.

Encouraged, he squeezed and plucked, sending arrows of heat to her dripping pussy. “Oh, that's good,” she said on a tightened huff of breath. She squeezed her thighs together for the little comfort she could find from the aching need.

He balanced on his heels and undid his belt buckle. She held her breath while she watched the smooth play of his hands and fingers. No turning back now.

Thank God.

She sat up and palmed his ribs while she found and sucked one of his nipples, then the other. He caught his breath and stilled. She nipped the flesh lightly. “Yes, do that.”

She delighted in his responses to every lick, every suck of her lips and tongue. Her belly tightened with anticipation.

He slid off the bed, yanked down his jeans then kicked off his sneakers. Then he stood and let her look her fill. And her fill was what she'd get. The man was spectacular. Fully erect and thick, his penis would fill her and then some. She felt her inner muscles quake as the message zipped from her eyes to her brain and down to her weepy pussy.

“I'm going to have to be very ready.”

He chuckled. “I'll make sure of it.”

She just bet he would.

“Now I want to see you. Strip out of those shorts, Frankie, and show me your wet, tight, lickable pussy.”

Her hands stalled on her zipper. She swallowed. “Oh.”

“Never been kissed?” His eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store. She wanted to be everything he hoped for.

“Not very well.” Fact was, she'd been shy and awkward and the whole thing had seemed forced anyway. As if Blaine was doing what he thought he should instead of what he wanted. Which had been to shove himself inside, root around for a moment then pull out to shoot all over her belly. He liked to see the mess. That is, if he got the condom off in time.

She always thought he'd seen too much porn and got off more on the cum shots than the act itself. She was already more turned on with just a few touches and kisses from Daniel than she'd ever been with Blaine.

 

Daniel's warm palms on each knee brought her back to bed, to the here and now and what they were doing.

“We'll see if I can do better.” His voice stroked like rough suede down her spine. She melted under the intensity in his gaze.

“Do you like…doing
that
?”

“Say it.” Desire filled his voice, his eyes, warmed through his palms and burned the flesh of her knees. “Say what it is that you think I like doing. Say it.”

She thrilled at the soft command. “Do you like licking pussy?”

“Strange question, but yes, I like it. Love it. You'll come, I promise. If I'm really good, you'll come more than once and then I'll get to slide all the way home and we'll both go off like rockets again.”

She couldn't form thoughts let alone words, so she unzipped as quickly as she could and let him help her out of her shorts and panties.

Then he spread her legs to indecent and settled at the foot of the bed.

From this angle all she could see was his incredible focus. She wanted to watch his face as he studied her, but shyness washed through her so she stared at the ceiling instead.

Stars twinkled where there shouldn't be any, and then she realized he'd stuck the Big Dipper over the bed. Glow in the dark stars reflected their stored light. She smiled at the whimsy and liked Daniel even more. “You're making me see stars,” she said.

“Jeeze, and I haven't started yet.” His humor eased its way through her shyness, and she felt her body bloom open.

“I like you, Daniel.”

“I like you, Frankie.”

The bedside clock ticked into the silence. “Are you going to start now?” she whispered.

“I'm trying to catch my breath. You're so beautiful, Frankie, I'm not sure I can do you justice.”

“Now you're teasing me.” She raised up to her elbows and looked between the vee of her knees. Daniel grinned back at her.

“No, this is teasing,” he said. He dropped his face to where she waited.

Daniel felt pretty good about how he'd kept the awe out of his voice. He often depended on humor to hide his real feelings. Fear of the microphone, fear of losing his train of thought and fear of losing his audience were all kept at bay with jokes and light talk.

But this woman scared the hell out of him, and there weren't enough jokes or humor in the world to help him fake it.

He could see she was nervous, maybe shy. But she'd made it clear what she wanted, and she wanted a night of good sex. He already wanted more, but for now it was enough to give the lady what she wanted. Tomorrow could take care of itself.

She lay spread before him like a banquet, all pink rosiness, plump and oh-so-juicy. He lifted each of her legs and draped them over his shoulders. No need for finesse; he didn't want to give her time to backtrack or shy away.

He pressed the flat of his hand on her low belly, then tracked the landing strip of dark curls to just over her clit. Her belly quivered so he pressed deep to let her know there would be no squirming away from him. He rubbed at the apex of her mons to encourage her bud to peep out from its protective hood. A little more encouragement and out it popped like a plump pearl.

He blew across it, feeling her belly react and flutter under his palm. She stayed quiet, waiting.

But he could see moisture gathering, creamy and scented in a way that made his blood boil. “I like your scent, Frankie. Like hot need and warm woman.”

He nuzzled the side of her inner thigh, where some of her juice had smeared. The hollow between her outer lips and her inner leg was as good a place as any to start tasting her. She jerked at the first lick, but he pressed his palm into her again until she calmed and relaxed.

His cock pounded, his blood rushed in his ears as he set the tip of his tongue to her outer lip. She flinched at the touch but soon eased her muscles again. “You'll come soon. And then you'll want my mouth all over you.”

She rolled her head from side to side. He imagined her biting her lip to keep from crying out. But she couldn't hold back a moan as he worked her into a frenzy. She gushed into his mouth while his tongue delved deep into her. She tasted of ambrosia and the earthy taste of horny woman.

His thumb stretched to cover her clit and he rocked her into a soul-searing come that exploded on his tongue and lips. She grunted and pressed toward him while he lapped and held her at the peak.

She rolled her hips and cried out. One arm slammed across her mouth to cover her screams, while she used her other hand to hold his head in place. Her fingers bit into his scalp while she bucked and lunged and came and came.

Before the inner muscles stopped clenching, he rose to the bed and crawled up her trembling, shattered body, grabbed her hips and widened her cradle. While she quieted he slid on protection and positioned himself at her entrance.

“Slide home, Daniel. I want you in.”

The invitation sounded like the opening of heaven's gate and he took his place inside.

F
rankie woke to the sound of a phone ringing and then the sound of a groggy male voice answering. Daniel.

She snuggled into the heat of his side and tried to drown out his whispered conversation, but his voice began to clear, get sharper, louder.

She peeped open an eye as he pulled himself to a sitting position. This put her face interestingly close to his cock.

His morning erection filled her vision. She grinned and tipped out her tongue. Musk and salt burst on her taste buds.

The man was as hot and delicious and good for her as an old-fashioned bowl of oatmeal on a cold morning. The taste of him warmed her belly and woke her completely.

His voice changed as she slid her mouth over the top of his cock and down as far as she could go. He shifted his legs to give her room to seek out his sac. And a full sac it was, too.

Full and hard and yummy.

She rolled to lie between his open legs so she could lick his balls and tease at the hair there. Whatever he was talking about was already done. She heard the phone click off.

“Good morning,” he said. His palms cupped the back of her head, fingering through her hair. “This is good, Frankie.” He moaned. “I'll come if you don't stop.”

She considered it, but the musky flavor had woken her own need and she took one last swirl around the head of his lovely penis, dipped her tongue into the slit to taste the dew of pre-cum he offered then rolled to her back.

“Climb on, big man, and ride me,” she crooned, pressing her breasts together for her own morning offering.

He reached for a condom and stretched it over his burgeoning flesh. Sitting on his haunches, he pulled her to his lap and let her slide slowly onto his spearing cock. Playfulness in full force, he bounced her up and down. “Giddyup.”

She laughed and took over, bouncing and bucking, letting him in deeper and harder, closer to her heart than she'd ever intended. A one-night stand was looking to be far more, and she let herself enjoy the idea of a full day in bed with him.

Daniel had no idea who she was, where she was from or how she'd ended up here, and that's the way it had to stay. With some luck, though, she could have this time with him.

If he never learned the truth, she'd never have to doubt him. Doubting Daniel was not something she ever wanted to happen.

Because this was all she could give him.

But give it to him she would. The way he was giving it to her. Hard, fast, deep and strong. Bouncing gave way to rocking, and rocking gave way to holding her pubis to his while he moved slickly in and out of her. His thumb rubbed her clit and took her into a crashing orgasm.

He crowed with a come that bounced off her inner walls and tipped her into her favorite kind of deep, inner clenching. Powerful shudders racked her as he pressed up and into her, as he sought to keep her on the edge for as long as possible.

The man was a master.

 

Two mugs of coffee later, she waited on deck while Daniel finished dressing. He had an idea where to look for the thong, and she was antsy to get going. The afternoon stretched on either side of them. The first half had been about outdoing each other in the orgasm department. A contest she'd won handily. She had at least four to his two and had the sore pussy to prove it.

From this side of the marina the sounds of people living their lives on live-aboard boats and float homes took on more of a familiar neighborly sound. She could hear television shows in the distance. Two slips away, she saw a woman hanging her wash on a line that bisected the deck of her converted boat. It had the look of a Chinese junk about it. As she'd noted more details about the surrounding homes, she noticed more of the quirkiness of the people who chose to live aboard. Every conceivable type of vessel that could be converted to a home, had been.

Some were obviously built for life on the water, others had once been working vessels with haphazard additions and renovations to turn them into live aboards.

Daniel's was fairly new and had been built as a float home. He had everything here that a regular house would have, including laundry facilities. He was hooked up to city water and sewage, just like a regular house.

Fascinated by the lifestyle, she scanned for similar homes to his and found several, all painted in muted tones. The more quirky places, the homemade ones, seemed the most likely to be painted in brilliant yellows, red, purples and some combinations that would make an interior designer's stomach turn.

No one would ever look for her here. She blew out a breath and enjoyed her first truly peaceful afternoon in six months.

Great sex, good coffee, and a humorous man with a magic tongue, lips and cock; what more could a woman ask for?

She decided to enjoy the respite while she had it.

Strong arms slid around her waist and she sank back into Daniel's embrace. He took her coffee mug with one hand while his other copped a feel. He tweaked her nipple, sending sparklers deep and hot to her center. She heard him sip the last of her coffee next to her ear and smiled.

“Ready to go, you coffee thief?”

He turned and called the dog out of his doghouse. “Barkley, you're the real thief, now cough up that thong.”

“I thought we established the fact that he couldn't cough it up when we got that X-ray.”

“Good point.” He stepped onto the dock, then held out his hand. She liked that he wanted to touch her in such a simple way. One of the joys of a relationship was having a strong hand to hold. “There's a trash can just at the entrance to the park. I've seen Barkley drop stuff there. Next time I look, whatever he's dropped has disappeared. I think there's another animal that drags it away.”

“You mean he's supplying some wild creature with women's panties?”

“Not panties so much as sparkly things. Barkley will take girly shiny hair bands, or glittery stuff or pieces of shiny plastic. He's a pain in the ass.” He slanted the scruffy canine an exasperated look.

“But he's
your
pain in the ass.”

He snorted in good humor. “Yeah, he's mine. Aren't you, you little thug?” Barkley danced in a circle, then peed on a pylon.

“I've passed this trash can a hundred times and I've never seen anything but a dog near it.”

“Lead the way,” she said. He took her hand as they walked along the cement dock to the ramp. Everyone who was outside waved to Daniel. A couple of people commented on the sunny day. All of them appraised her with interest.

“They're staring at me.”

“Because you're from the
Boondoggle
and it's making them nuts that they don't know anything about you and you've been here two weeks.”

“Oh.” She sighed and swung his hand between them. “That's not going to change any time soon. I don't shout my business to anyone.”

“They're also curious because I don't often have women sleep over.”

She heated and squeezed his hand. He pulled her to a stop at the bottom of the ramp, set his hands on her shoulders to make her face him. “Yes?” she asked.

He kissed her. Not in an Oh! baby, we had a great time together kind of way. Oh no! Not Daniel. He had a hidden theatrical flair. He kissed her, then dropped her into a dip that made her belly drop to her toes and brought out a chorus of cheers and whistles from his neighbors.

When he set her back on her feet, she slapped his shoulder in a show of affection. “You're a wild man.” His sense of fun brought out her inner clown, and she turned to the onlookers and gave them a deep curtsy.

To another set of catcalls and whistles, they turned and headed up the ramp, Daniel's hand on her butt, just in case anyone doubted she was his.

She laughed. “How long have you lived in the marina? And what made you decide to live in one?”

“I like the people. Some of them are a little on the odd side.”

“Eccentric, you mean.”

“No, they just like to live their way. It's a frame of mind, mostly.”

“It's like living in an RV park on water.”

“Sort of.” He swung her hand as they turned and headed up the ramp. “I'll be sorry to leave.”

“You're going somewhere?”

“Not yet, but I'm always putting out feelers.”

“You want to move from here?” The city's downtown core was compact, easily accessible and fun. The harbor was one of the most beautiful she'd seen. The architecture alone was worth a visit. Stone government buildings, a glorious Victorian-era hotel and a causeway for strolling around a U-shaped inner harbor made the city unique.

“I hate to, but if I want more money I need a wider audience.”

“And you want more money.” Dread weighed like an anchor in her belly.

“Doesn't everyone?” He grinned and looked back the way they'd come, then out across the harbor. “I want a real home, with a wife and kids. Late night pays the bills, but not enough for the life I want. Not to mention the shift's a killer for relationships.”

It was midafternoon and they were out for the first time today. “I can see how that could be a problem. If I had a regular day job, I wouldn't be here with you now. Guess we're just lucky.”

“Very lucky.” He snugged her close to his chest and kissed the tip of her nose. “I'm very lucky.”

She smiled up at him. “Me too.”

“The trash can's over here.” The chain holding it to a concrete slab was rusted from dogs leaving their mark.

“You've never actually seen another animal drag things away?”

“Some animals are shy. With good reason. I think this one's a rat.”

While she shuddered at the idea of Fiona's thong being fondled by an honest-to-God wharf rat, Daniel grasped opposite sides of the can and slid it a few inches. “There's a hole.”

Right under the trash can. She jumped back, convinced the rat waited, beady eyes glaring, sharp rat teeth ready to tear into her exposed ankles. “Oh, ugh! Daniel, be careful.”

“He's more afraid of us than—”

“Yeah, yeah, you sound like my father explaining spiders to me when I was five.”

He stopped shoving and stared at her. “You had a father?”

“Of course I have a father. Had a father,” she corrected for caution's sake. “I was named after him.” The family had splintered six months ago, and her heart still ached from the pain. She and Fiona were the only ones to keep in direct contact. For now, at least.

Daniel chuffed and pushed until the entire hole was exposed. He knelt beside the can.

“You're not putting your hand down that hole, are you?”

“I don't have a shovel. Not much use for one when you live in a marina.”

“I'll run to the beach and see if I can borrow a sand shovel from someone.”

But her suggestion fell on deaf ears, and Daniel shoved his hand into the rat's den up to his elbow. She couldn't help but think of herself in the saloon with her arm inside the safe.

“That would be fine, but it's not a sand beach. It's full of boulders and rocks.”

She'd forgotten.

“It would be a stupid rat to have only one escape route,” Daniel explained. “I'm betting he took off the minute I shoved the can.” The sun caught the movement of muscle in his back and shoulders as he stretched into the hole and felt around.

Great shoulders, and a fabulous butt. And a heart as kind as all get-out. She didn't know another man who'd stick his hand where the sun never shone just to help her out.

Her heart warmed and cracked open at Daniel's kindness.

Barkley, fascinated by the idea of his human pal stretching out on the ground under a smelly trash can, danced around like a crazed whirligig, yipping and growling near Daniel's head.

She scooped the dog into her arms.

“I've got something.” Daniel pulled, then sat back on his haunches. In his hand, smudged with dirt and covered with leaves and other bits of debris, was Fiona's thong.

Barkley jumped out of her arms the minute she started to sag to her knees beside Daniel. She kissed his cheek, his ear, then planted a powerful one on his lips in thanks. She slipped the thong from his hand into hers and balled it up so no passerby would see it.

“You're the sweetest, kindest man I've ever met, Daniel Martin. Don't ever forget that.”

“Don't you ever forget it, Frankie.” He stood. “I need a shower, right away.”

“I'll go call my sister and let her know.”

“Want to toss that in the wash?”

“Thanks, no. I'll do it by hand.” Then she'd put it back in the safe where it belonged. She only hoped she could convince Fiona to return it. She loved her sister, she did, but there were times she could smack her upside the head. With a two-by-four.

Barkley continued to dig at the hole and began unearthing a treasure trove of junk. “Get away from there, Barkley.” Daniel slid the trash can back into place. “Don't want anyone to step in this hole and break an ankle.”