Untouched: a Cedar Cove Novella (6 page)

I breathe in the clean,
soapy scent of the fabric, of him, all my senses overcome. His hand
stays on my shoulder, and then he pulls me in against him. I stay
locked under the safe embrace of his arm until we’re further down
the beach, and the noise of the party is distant echoes.

“How’s your mom?”
I ask quietly.

He tenses beside me. “I
don’t know,” he admits. “Doing better, I think. She won’t
talk about it. I just hope, this time…” he lets out a wistful
sigh, then shakes his head, as if to shake off the dream. “It’s
stupid, I know.”

“Hope is never
stupid.”

I feel him shrug, still
defensive, so I stop and turn to him. Emerson looks uncertain as I
step forwards and slip my arms around his waist, resting my head
against his chest as I pull him into the hug I’ve been aching to
give him.

He tenses up, but I
just hold him, waiting until his solid muscles unclench, and he’s
hugging me back, our bodies joined for a moment in something safe,
and warm, and innocent.

I wonder how long it’s
been since somebody held him, really held him. Since he felt like he
wasn’t the one to carry his family’s burdens, and keep everything
together. All this time, he’s been alone in his pain.

I know what that’s
like. I know how dark it seems, fighting to stay above water, when
the world is conspiring to pull you under.

“You’re amazing.”
I whisper, lifting my head so my lips can find his ear.

He makes a low snort.
“You don’t even know me.”

“I know enough.” I
tell him, pulling back to look at him. Emerson’s face is shadowed
in the dark, but I can see the desperate hope in his eyes. “I know
you’re brave, and strong, and you’d do anything for the ones you
love.” I swallow, knowing I’m about to say too much, but not
caring anymore. If my words can make him see what I do, break through
the doubt and bitterness he has built around his heart, then it’s
worth it, worth making a fool of myself, if he can just understand
how special he is.“I only met you a week ago, and I already know
for sure, you’re a good man. Maybe even the best I’ve ever
known.”

Silence.

My words hang between
us, wrapped in the gentle crash of the waves against the shore. I
watch as Emerson inhales a ragged breath, then he’s reaching for
me. Not like before, wild and unleashed, but gentle. Hesitant. He
touches his palm against my cheek, fingers tracing along the outline
of my cheekbone and jaw.

I shiver, his touch
like fire against me. Fire and ice, sending every nerve sparkling
with energy. He takes a step closer to me, dark gaze still fixed on
mine, and it’s too much. I have to close my eyes, just to focus on
the feel of his slow caress, and the faint warmth of his breath
against my cheek.

My heart drums in a
wild rhythm as he runs his fingertips over every inch of my face. My
nose, my eyes, my lips… His touch is light as feathers, but every
new whisper against my skin sends golden sparks rushing in my
bloodstream, twisting lower, pooling with sweet tension between my
thighs.

I feel him everywhere.

At last, he cups his
hands around me and cradles my face, so delicately, I feel like my
body is about to shatter apart and spin out into the night.

My legs are weak, I can
barely breathe. Everything I have is strung out, pulled taut, waiting
for his kiss. And then, oh, finally, he lowers his lips to mine, and
presses them against me in the sweetest, most tender kiss.

It’s a revelation.

It's the most dizzying
thing I've ever felt before, heartbreakingly pure. Neither of us
move, or think, or breathe, we just exist in this single moment, our
lips barely touching, but a lifetime of quiet hopes and secret pain
passing between us.

Time stops. I swear, my
heart stops beating. Suddenly, everything I have in the world is
right here, suspended in the gentle touch of his soft lips on mine, a
whole universe bound up in this one moment. A promise. A bond.

Then Emerson catches
his breath, and pulls me closer. The kiss deepens. Still soft and
slow, but now my hands are locked around his neck, and his fingers
run through my hair. I lean into him, falling into his solid,
muscular warmth, and the ridge of his shoulders under my roving
palms. He teases my mouth open, and then our tongues are intertwined:
tasting, searching, drinking in this moment like we can make it last
forever.

I fall into the kiss
like it’s gravity. There's no thought or decision in my mind
anymore, only the sweet warmth that floods my system, every cell in
my body set alive, racing with pleasure, and desire, and something
more: a bone deep rightness. I can't even process it, only respond
from some place of pure instinct, like we're dancing in perfect
harmony to steps I never even knew I learned.

I was made for this.
To pull him closer, kiss him deeper, let everything go and just sink
into the perfection. I could stay here forever, I realize, through
the haze of us. He finally breaks away, his breath coming ragged and
hoarse. I can see from the look of sheer wonder in his eyes that he
feels it too: whatever this is, he's right here with me.

Emerson wordlessly
holds out his hand to me, and I take it, and follow him deeper into
the dark of the dunes.

I would follow him
anywhere.

I should stop.

Before I pull her any
deeper into the bleak mess of my life, before I lose it all. I should
take her back to the party, drive her home—stay in brightly-lit
places, around other people, with my hands to myself.

But I can’t. I
couldn’t stop kissing her even if the world was burning down around
us, if the whole universe was torn apart at the seams.

She’s the only thing
that’s ever made sense to me, and now I’ve had a taste of her
sweetness, I can’t ever go back.

I need to make her
mine.

I find a private part
of the dunes, away from the party noise. It’s a sheltered spot
facing the bay, with the sand still warm from the sun. Juliet pulls
my hoodie from her shoulders and spreads it on the ground. She sits,
delicately, tucking her legs under her and looking up at me with that
wide-eyed stare. Innocent. Inviting. I drop onto the sand beside her,
and reach for her without a word.

She comes to me,
willingly, her soft lips pressing eagerly to mine, her tongue sliding
into my mouth.
Jesus.
I kiss her back, ravenous, pulling her
close as her hands slide up around my shoulders, roaming across my
back. I shudder under her touch, and yank her into my lap, lifting
her so she’s straddling me, our bodies pressed tight together.

Fuck, she feels
incredible.

Juliet lifts my face up
towards hers. Her skin is flushed, she’s breathless, eyes bright. I
move to capture her mouth again, but she turns my jaw away and kisses
down the side of my neck, tiny butterfly touches that send shivers
through my whole body. I feel my hard-on grow, rock-hard, pressing
against her, every movement making me ache. I grip the soft flesh of
her hips and bury my face against her neck, but it’s not enough.
I’ll never have enough of her.

I lick up the pale
column of her throat and kiss her hard as I slide one hand up her
body. She trembles as I brush my fingertips across her breast, soft
at first, but my blood pounds hard and I can’t help myself. I
squeeze, feeling the gorgeous ripe weight of her in my hand, and the
tight nub of her nipple already hard and pressing through her
clothes. Juliet moans against my mouth, arching to press her chest
into me, so I pull her shirt open and yank her bra straps down,
sliding my hands under the lace. I groan. Her skin is warm, so
fucking smooth against my rough palms. I rub my thumbs against her
nipples, teasing gently, then I squeeze.

Juliet cries out, a
noise of ecstasy in the night. I drop my head and kiss lower, tasting
the sensitive flesh, replacing my hands and fingers with my mouth and
tongue. I circle one nipple until she’s panting, then close my
mouth around her and suck. Juliet yelps and grinds her hips into
mine, a pressure so sweet I’m gasping for air.

I want her naked, and
open to me. I want to plunge inside of her, drown in her, give her
pleasure she’s never dreamed.

Juliet bucks her hips
again, and it’s more than I can take. I let out a growl, scooping
her tight, round ass in my hands. I roll us, pinning her beneath me,
grabbing her wrists with one hand and pinning them above her head in
the sand. Juliet gasps, but it’s excitement I see in her eyes now,
wild and untamed.

In a flash, I realize:
she’s never felt this before.

I’m the only one.

I’m undone. I devour
her; kissing, touching everywhere. She writhes under my hold, crying
out, legs wrapped tight around me as our bodies slam together. I
release her hands, and suddenly, she’s the one on top of me:
yanking my T-shirt over my head and kissing across my chest, trailing
her tongue over the contours of my muscles and sending sharp, sweet
jolts of electricity through me with every touch. I lay back, dazed,
and stare at the night’s sky, dusted with stars.

I could die now. I
could die, right here, and be happy.

But not until I feel
what it’s like, inside of her.

I roll her underneath
me again, kissing her deep, and shuddering at the feel of her body
yielding to mine, the heat of her bare breasts against my chest. I
slide my grip lower, settling one hand on her hip. Gently, I slide my
thumb just a couple of inches under the waistband of her jeans.

Juliet tenses in my
arms.

I pause, propping
myself up on one elbow above her. She’s laying there, dark hair
fanned out like a halo around her face; eyes heavy-lidded and dark
with desire. My dark angel, so full of mystery and pain.

I stroke my thumb below
her waistband again, teasing under the lacey top of her panties.
Juliet catches her breath, but her eyes don’t leave mine. They burn
into me, full of wordless questions and curiosity.

I trail my hand across
her stomach, watching it tremble under my touch. I slowly unbutton
her jeans, then pause again, watching her.

She doesn’t look
away.

I dip my head to hers,
kissing softly as I slowly pull down the zip on her jeans. My hands
are shaking, I realize, like some green kid who’s never been past
second base. Me, Emerson Ray, who’s laid more girls than I can
count; struck dumb and shaking just from the sheer anticipation
sliding her jeans lower, and stroking gently across the lace of her
panties.

Juliet gasps against
me.

I stroke again, soft,
circling gently between her thighs. She’s already damp, wet for me
through the fabric, and I have to grit my teeth to hold back from
ravaging her right now. I force myself back to keep up the slow
touch, pressing gently, responding to every gasp and sigh she makes
against my lips. Juliet’s body rises with every touch until she
bucks against me, eager, and I finally slip my hands inside the
fabric and stroke my fingers down to touch her, hot and wet and the
center of my fucking universe.

I stop breathing, and
slide one finger inside.

Juliet lets out a
whimper, but it’s a distant echo to me. My heartbeat pounds so
loudly, I can’t hear a thing. There’s nothing anymore, nothing
except the feel of her, so tight and soft, and ready for me.
Everything I’ve ever wanted. All I’ll ever need. Time stops as I
slide another finger inside and she gasps, arching up again as I
start to stroke my thumb, circling, building the pressure, moving
with me against my hand as I stroke, and pulse, and cling on to the
last distant thread of self-control until Juliet cries out and her
body shudders against me.

She falls, limp and
surrendered in my arms.

I collapse on the sand
beside her with a gasp. Her eyes are closed, lips parted as she gasps
for air.

She’s mine now.

It’s the truest thing
I’ve ever known. Like gravity. Like endless swell of the ocean
waves. She’s mine, and just the idea of another man touching her
now—putting his hands where mine have been—is unthinkable.

I reach and gently
brush a lock of hair from her eyes. She smiles against my touch, not
opening her eyes. “Wow,” she breathes softly, and I feel like I
just scaled Mount Everest in a single stride.

“I’m just getting
started,” I promise, my voice coming out a low growl.

She blinks her eyes
open at me, questioning.

I grin, tracing down
her collar-bone. “When I’m done with you, you’re going to be
begging me for more,” I tell her, circling her nipple with my
fingertip. She shivers, and I feel another wave of lust. “You don’t
even know what you’re body’s capable of yet. But I’m going to
teach you. You’re going to come so many times, you won’t remember
your own name.”

Juliet blushes, and I
have to laugh. She’s still so innocent, it’s like a drug to me. I
get to be the one to show her, every inch of her body, all the
hundreds of ways I’m going to make her come, screaming my name.

A noise comes, from
further down the beach. Yells, and the sound of an engine. Light
comes cutting through the dark, a flashlight, coming our way.

“Shit,” I curse,
and move to cover Juliet’s body with my own. She scrambles to pull
her shirt back on just as the stranger reaches us.

“Who’s there?” A
voice demands from the top of the dune. He beams the flashlight right
at us, blinding us with the light.

I relax, shielding my
eyes from the glare. “Hell, Larry, get that thing out of my face.”

Larry lowers the beam
so I can see him, our town deputy, swinging a confiscated six pack
from one hand. “Emerson Ray,” he drawls, smug.“I should have
known you’d be mixed up in this trouble. Who's that you've got with
you?”

“None of your
business.” I growl, but Juliet steps out from behind me.