Twist (Siren Publishing Allure) (4 page)

He stopped short, gazing at her. “Why?”

“Rich, sexy, funny, I could go on for the next half an hour about all the admirable traits you have. I’m twelve years older than you, with a bad knee and inexpensive desires. What the hell do you want with me?”

He shrugged. “I just want you.”

“That’s helpful.” Again she found herself smiling. “Will you want me tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“Next week?”

He laughed. “Yes.”

Her eyebrows went up in speculation. “Next month?”

“Even more. I will ask you to marry me.”

“Yeah right.”

He lightly stroked her cheek with his fingertips and then grabbed her hand, leading her into a clearing. The path wove to the left around the base of a huge, rocky cliff. To the right, a mountain rose before them, sparkling with the fall of moonlit water as it cascaded down the steep rock face. It bubbled into a small lake, the water black and shimmering with the darkened reflection of the trees. “Wow. This is beautiful.”

“This was originally a river that flowed down the side of the mountain. My father had a thing for waterfalls, and years ago, he had the land surveyed and a contractor came in and blasted to create the falls and the lake. I have always loved it here. Want to go for a swim?”

Her nose bunched up as she crinkled it. “Is it safe?”

“Of course it is.” He draped the towels on the ground, setting the flashlight, package, and coffee down on one of them. Fred dragged his shirt over his head, dropping it with a flourish. “Your turn.”

The grimace that contorted her face obviously amused him. “What’s wrong? Are you suddenly feeling timid?”

“A little. I look better with my clothes on.”

“Off!” he demanded in a dark, slightly playful tone that shocked her but also aroused her intensely.

Lana hesitated for a moment more, not wanting to seem prudish. The women of his generation were supposedly more forward in their thinking. Taking a deep, resigned breath, she tugged off her shirt and dropped it on the towel. She was glad that she had at least put on a lacy bra and matching black panties. He appraised her, licking his lips as he unzipped his jeans and slid them off. He had nothing underneath.

Lana fought to keep the smile from forming on her lips, but it bloomed there against her will. He opened his palm toward her and she swallowed deeply, taking off her own jeans. He knelt before her, lightly touching the scar that ran up the front of her left leg. “Does it hurt?”

“Sometimes.” He leaned and ran his tongue up the quarter-inch white line, following it up and over her kneecap, his eyes never leaving hers. A savory yet sweet ripple of shivers ran through her flesh from the brief contact, and Lana fought to retain her line of thought. “Umm…The outside is numb and kind of twitches when you touch it or hit it. When they put the bone and my knee back in place, they clipped a nerve.”

“What happened?” He tilted his head in question, his eye seeming to glow in the moonlight.

Lana shrugged, trying to ward off the desire swelling within her as he caressed the back of her calf. “Stupidity. I had my arms full of laundry and someone had put a box on the top stair to be carried down. I didn’t see it. I fell down the stairs. I’m lucky I didn’t break my neck.”

“Who else lived at your house?”

“Me and Joe.” Lana grimaced as he stood, his eyes seeming to darken.

Fred clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth as if something distasteful was lodged there. “Joe put it there?”

“Yeah. He didn’t know I would fall on it. He was just too lazy to carry it down. He felt really bad.”

“I’ll bet!” With a perturbed groan, he lightly grazed her cheek with his knuckles. The touch consumed her, and she leaned into his warm fingers. Fred’s expression shifted and he smiled brightly before turning and diving into the water. He surfaced, shaking the wet mane of his hair. “Come on in.”

Walking daintily into the lake, she braced herself. The water was chilly but not as cold as she imagined it would be. Lana swam out to him, treading water as she floated onto her back. “Was Sue older than you?”

“No. She was two years younger than me. Was Joe?”

“He was two years older. Your name is unusual. Do you know what it means? ”

“Fredek is Swedish and means ‘peaceful ruler.’ Why?”

Pursing her lips, she considered her words. “I like that better than your Fred. I was set up on a date with a guy named Fred when I was seventeen. He tried to rape me and then punched me in the face when I fought him.”

“Lovely. Are you comparing us?”

“No. The only resemblance is your nickname. I really don’t think it suits you.”

Laughing, he rolled his eyes. “What suits me?”

“I don’t know. Let me think about it.”

Swimming away from her, he headed toward the waterfall. Lana rolled in the water, watching him disappear. Being alone in a dark lake in the middle of the forest suddenly made her nervous, and Lana raced across the surface, stopping in the roiling froth of the falls. “Fred?” She got no reply and dove into the water, coming up in an inner cave behind the waterfall. The shadowed figure of Fred was barely visible, his form lit slightly by a natural opening in the side of the cave that allowed the moonlight in.

“I have always liked the name Enar,” he said thoughtfully. “It’s of Swedish origin and means ‘warrior.’ I was born in Sweden. The woman was a distant relation to my adopted parents. She was from a poor village and couldn’t support herself, much less twin boys. Our father didn’t even know we were born. He was killed in a fire when our mother was two months along. Our birth mother died when we were eight months old. A wolf attacked her, and the infection from the bites killed her. The village contacted our parents, and they immediately adopted us. From what we have been told, our mother was trying to sell us. She never got the chance.”

Lana touched his arm, unable to boost herself up onto the ledge. “What were your adoptive parents like?”

He rolled to face her, the white flash of his teeth clear in the dimness. “They were the best. They loved us, taught us, spoiled us, but not the way kids are spoiled these days. We were taught respect and to be responsible. We all lost it when they were killed. The only good part of it was that it brought Lee and I closer together. Rolf was living in California. We were hoping he would come back, but he didn’t. His girlfriend Jessica is a bitch. I miss him.”

“Which one is your twin?”

“Rolf. Lee is from China. He returned to his village when he was nineteen to learn about his roots. He stayed for two years and came back here to go to culinary school. He loves to cook. Oh shit!” He stood, diving over her and heading back through the falls. Lana frowned and went after him, the inside of the cave creepy without him.

He waved to her with the flashlight. “Sorry. I just realized that the raccoons would eat our treat if they found it. The paper is fine for freezing food but not for containing the smell. Come here.”

Swimming quickly across the lake, she accepted his hand to help her out. He examined her thoughtfully. “Which would I rather eat? Fudge or you?” He ran his hand down the front of her body, the touch sensual and gooey. Lana looked down and saw that from the bottom of her bra to the top of her panties was dark brown.

“What is that?”

“It’s fudge! It melted out here in the heat.” He smeared his palm over her lips and then dragged her into a sticky kiss.

Lana came away moaning, not only from the embrace but also the rich, chocolaty flavor of the fudge. “Oh, that is so good.”

He licked his lips, wiggling his eyebrows. “I agree. The question is, what tastes better, the fudge or me?”

“I think it’s a toss-up.”

“Are you calling me Fred or Enar?”

“I like Enar,” she replied, honored by the idea that he would change his name for her. She also found the fact that he was interested in his Swedish heritage, after living in the United States for most of his life, impressive.

“Then from now on, I am Enar. Warrior, conqueror, and possessor of the fudge.” He handed her the packet, lifting her in his arms and laughing as she screeched. “What’s wrong?”

“It has been a long time since I was swept off my feet.”

“Oh.” He laid her down on the towel and instantly began to lap the fudge from her rib cage. His tongue slid up to her mouth, the kiss vibrant and chocolaty sweet. Enar was about to return to eating her, but the serious expression on her face made him stop. “What’s wrong? Am I overstepping my bounds?”

“No,” she admitted reluctantly. “I was just a bit concerned about the other sixteen or so women you have been with. I don’t want to die of anything sexual.”

He shrugged. “I dated them. I never had sex with any of them. Am I sleeping with you tonight? Who have you slept with since Joe died?”

“No one. I can’t even say my husband because he stopped making love to me when I fell down the stairs. His guilt affected his dick.”

“That sucks. You affect mine. I told you earlier when I cheated at the game in the Lobster Pot that it was your fault. I have been fighting a hard-on all night.”

The heat rose in her face again and she ignored it, lightly running her fingers down his cheek, as he had done to her earlier. The shadows on his face enthralled her, the flashlight seeming to accent the bits of fudge at the corners of lusciously full lips. He was seducing her, his eyes gazing over her face and body in a way that made her feel dizzy. For the first time in years, she felt wanted, lusted after, and Lana couldn’t help but wonder again why a man like him would want a woman like her. The sound of her own ragged breathing surprised her, and she slid her fingers into his hair, drawing him down to her lips.

His tongue caressed her, hard and wanting as he slid his hand around her back to unclip her bra. Lana’s mind flared with hesitation, and she knew that she should stop him. Their initial contact on Facebook had happened less than nine hours before.

His fingers traced lazily up her side, following her rib cage to her stomach. He growled playfully and smeared the fudge up onto her breasts. Fred leaned onto his elbow, his hand weaving a circular pattern around the sticky skin. His tongue flicked out suggestively, and then he leaned, drawing her nipple between his teeth. Her reservations faded slightly, but a part of her mind shouted that she should push him away, stop him before he went any further. His tongue trailed wetly over her skin, his hand slowly kneading her flesh as it wove a lazy pattern downward. In the dim light, he gazed up at her and then leaned, ripping her panties off with his teeth. Lana’s resolve vanished like the fabric from her skin.

Enar crawled over her leg and lay beside her. He was watching her for a reaction, the lace of her panties sliding over the skin of her legs as he dragged them with his teeth. His hands were tucked neatly beneath his chest, and he had positioned himself so that he wasn’t touching her with his body.

Lana smiled, leaning up to run her fingers over the muscular curves of his arm. Enar shook his head and shifted away from her hand, his grin infuriating. Her smile wilted, and he chuckled, dropping the lace to the ground and spinning so he could crawl over her. As he slithered up her body, his finger gently parted her pussy lips, and he wiggled his eyebrows teasingly. “I was wondering if it was possible to arouse you without actual contact. I guess it is.”

She wasn’t sure if he was trying to be cute, or he was simply being an asshole, but she pushed him back. “Explain that?”

“Explain why you are suddenly angry. I thought you wanted this. Was I wrong?”

“No. You weren’t wrong.” She sighed, not exactly sure why she was angry. “I guess I’m a little nervous.”

He moved closer, lying on her with his elbows to either side of her shoulders. He stroked her cheek with his palm. “Why are you nervous?”

“I already told you. I haven’t been with anyone but Joe in over twenty years. When he pulled away from my touch, it was because he didn’t want me to touch him.”

“I pulled away from you because I wanted to see how wet you would become with only the feel of the lace on your skin. It was an experiment into your threshold to become aroused. It showed me that you have the ability to enjoy things other than a direct touch. There was no need to get mad at me.”

Lana felt like a complete idiot, and she shrugged gently. “Sorry. I wanted to touch you and when you jerked away, I overreacted. I guess having Joe reject my attention left a nick on my brain.”

“What do you mean?”

“In the later years of our marriage, I wanted sex more often. Joe didn’t. He didn’t like to discuss sex, and when I started to do little things to try and arouse him, he pushed me away further. Then I fell down the stairs and that ended everything.”

“That sucks. I assure you that I didn’t move because I was rejecting your attention. I just didn’t want you touching me at that exact moment. If I knew that it would upset you, I would have changed tactics.”

A reluctant smile flowed over her lips. She had to wonder if he was actually as sweet as he seemed. “If you are still interested, I would like to start over.”

“Nope.” He chuckled at her instant look of dismay. “I don’t want to start over. I want to take up where we left off.” Enar ran his hands up into her hair, the full weight of his body upon hers as he crushed her with his lips. His tongue was gloriously hot within her mouth, enticing her, teasing her as it wove around her own. He slipped his tongue over her chin, following the curve of her throat as he moved downward. His hands followed his mouth, his palms encasing her breasts as he began to lick her nipple.

Lana pushed all thoughts of Joe to the back of her mind. Enar was nothing like her late husband, and she had every intention of allowing him to prove it. She drove her fingers into his hair, wallowing in his attention. Her nipples were throbbing from his caress, the ache in her groin increasing steadily.

Her eyes slid closed, and he stopped, his palms unmoving around her breasts. Lana looked down at him and smiled. “What?”

“I was just enjoying the sound of your breathing. Will you start to whimper soon?”