Seaside Embrace(9)

She was hot and willing and felt so good. That should be all that mattered. The here and now. He held on to that thought as he lifted her legs around his waist, slid a pillow beneath her hips, and took her over the edge one final time before finding his own explosive release.

They lay spent for a moment before he rid himself of the condom and gathered her trembling body closely as he unbound her hands. Her arms fell limp as he held her against him.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.” He carried her into the bedroom, his heart making itself known again with fast thumps and a tightening in his chest.

“Wow,” she whispered. “That was…incredible.”

He sat on the bed and held her for a long time, brushing her hair from her cheeks, stroking her arms to ease the ache he was sure she felt. Cradling her naked body against him, he tried to make sense of the unfamiliar emotions washing through him. Gone was the urge to roll away from her and fall asleep, or to dress and leave. He wanted to sit right there, holding her until she had her strength back, until he was sure she was okay.

And that rattled him to his core.

“We’re supposed to be at the bonfire,” she said softly against his chest.

Part of him wanted to cling to that excuse, wash up and get the hell out of there, but a bigger part of him wanted to stay right there holding her. Which was exactly why he needed to force himself to move.

“We missed the sunset, but we can still make the bonfire,” he said, reluctantly setting her beside him on the bed in the dark room. She looked sweet with the sexy afterglow pinking up her cheeks and the hazy look of a satiated lover lingering in her eyes. Oh hell. She had that trusting look in her eyes again, too.

With a groan he pushed to his feet. “I’m going to wash up.”

He stalked into the bathroom and took a cold shower. When he came out with a towel wrapped around his waist, he expected to find Jana covered up and moving around, but she was still sitting on the edge of the bed, naked and tired. Sweet and sexy.

His heart did that notice me thing again.

“Come on, pretty girl.” The tenderness in his voice was new, too. What the hell was she doing to him? “You need to get cleaned up so we can go.” He pulled her upright.

She pressed her hands against his chest, and after smiling sleepily up at him, she rested her cheek against his skin and said, “You shaved.”

His heart beat a little harder.

“And showered. Twice.” He didn’t mean to sound so rough, but she was talking all mushy-voiced with him, and that wasn’t Jana. Jana was snappy and fierce, not sensitive or the kind of girl who noticed things like whether he’d shaved. He liked that she noticed, but he hated the way it made his insides go soft.

He took her by the shoulders and turned her toward the bathroom, then smacked her ass. “Go on. Get in there or I’ll climb in there with you and we’ll never get out of here.”

“Just like a man,” she said with a little more energy as she sauntered toward the bathroom, looking devastatingly tempting. “Promise me sunsets and give me orgasms instead.”


***

FORTY MINUTES LATER Jana and Hunter pulled up in front of Pete and Jenna’s house. She’d hoped that the ride over would help clear her head, but the rumbling of the motorcycle between her legs only reminded her of Hunter making her feel all sorts of wonderful. When she was showering and dressing, she’d gone through a bevy of emotions, from curiosity—she was dying to know what other sexual tricks Hunter had up his sleeve—to feeling way too many positive emotions toward him. He’d been sweet and careful with her after they’d had sex. He’d never done that before. Usually they either parted ways without a word, or they fell asleep without touching and she snuck out, as she had the other morning.

She liked that softer side of him. She always knew he had a caring side. He was protective of Sky, and he always seemed to be asking after her, or touching base with one of his brothers, but she’d never seen him that way with any other woman. Not that she’d ever seen him with the same woman twice, and that didn’t escape her mind either. They’d been together too many times already, hadn’t they? Too many for both of them.

And then there was the anger that laced her every thought for giving in to her desires. Anger at herself for wilting beneath his heat and anger at him for kissing her in the first place, and for looking so hot that it was impossible for her to deny him. He’d even shaved, not to mention the cologne. She’d hoped the cool night air whisking across her skin on the ride over might quell her reaction to him, but as Hunter helped her from the bike, looking every bit as sinful as he did when he’d first arrived at her door, she felt renewed lust simmering inside her.

He lifted her helmet off her head and ran his finger over her hair. “I like your braid.” He grabbed hold of her thick plait and gave it a little tug. “Should have thought of that earlier.”

“God, you’re such a—”

He smirked as he draped an arm over her shoulder. “Come on, pretty girl. Blink away that desire in your eyes, or they’ll know you want me.”

“Ugh! I don’t want you,” she said as they walked past the house and across the dune. She couldn’t even fool herself. How would she fool anyone else? A breeze swept off the bay, and she shivered. He drew her closer, and as big and warm as he was, she tried to push away, because that’s what they did, wasn’t it? They didn’t snuggle. But he held on tight, and God help her, she loved it.

“That’s not what you were saying an hour ago. I seem to remember the words more, harder, and yes coming out of your luscious mouth several times.”

“Shut up and take your arm off of me. I thought you didn’t want people to see—” She let the sentence hang in the space between them.

“It’s not my eyes they’ll see want in.”

She pried his hand off her shoulder and groaned. “You’re infuriating. You think I don’t see how much you want me in the way you look at me?” She stopped walking toward the group and stalked closer to him. “You think they won’t be able to tell that we’ve just had sex?”

“Not by my eyes.” He shifted his gaze casually to the group at the bottom of the dunes and waved.

“Well. They won’t see it in mine, either.” She stomped down the dunes and tried to force a smile, ignoring his chuckle behind her. She was not going to look at him. Not one single time. Not even a glance.

Their friends were gathered around a roaring fire. She drew in several calming breaths and finally managed a real smile when Sky jumped up and ran to greet her.

“You made it! I thought my brother hijacked you or something!” She embraced Jana, and when Sky walked toward Hunter, Jana made a point of not looking over. She kept her eyes locked on baby Bea, nestled in Pete’s arms, fast asleep.

“Oh my goodness. She’s so precious.” Jana knelt beside him and admired the baby’s tiny pink lips and long eyelashes.

“She’s precious, all right,” Pete said, his gaze shifting over her shoulder.

She assumed he was watching Hunter, but Jana wasn’t about to turn around and check. She felt Hunter approaching. Felt his presence as tangibly as the sand beneath her feet.

Hunter leaned down and took the sleeping baby from Pete’s arms. “Let me hold my beautiful niece.” He smirked at Jana and snuggled his freshly shaven cheek against the baby. Bea had a fluff of dark hair, like Pete and Jenna. The baby sighed as he held her within his heavily muscled arms. Jana had never seen anything sexier than that pigheaded, beautiful man holding the tiny baby. Jealousy tiptoed through her. She kind of wanted to be the baby, all snuggled in safe and warm against Hunter’s chest. His smirk had been replaced with a genuine smile as he lowered his lips to Bea’s forehead.

Her insides went soft at the sight, and she fell a little harder for Hunter.

“Sit down,” Amy said, patting the blanket beside her. Tony, her husband, sat on her other side, with one arm draped over the back of her chair. “We forgot to bring extra chairs, but you and Hunter can use Hannah’s blanket. She’s in the playpen fast asleep.” Amy pointed to two playpens behind Tony. “Summer’s asleep in the blue one.”

“Thanks.” Jana sank down to the blanket, determined not to keep staring at Hunter as he reached one hand into the cooler beside Grayson and somehow managed to grip two bottles, while still holding Bea with one arm.

“So, did you figure out the whole romance thing?” Grayson asked.

Jana’s eyes leaped to Hunter. Romance thing?

The annoyed look in Hunter’s narrowing eyes told her that Grayson had just slipped up.

As if he’d heard Jana’s thoughts, Sawyer asked, “Romance thing?”

Hunter sat down beside Jana, still cradling Bea, and handed one of the drinks to her. When she didn’t take it, he arched a brow and smirked, as if to say, Take it, or they’ll know something’s up.

She reluctantly took the drink, trying not to let her heart swell at the scent of the baby and Hunter mixing together.

“Clark’s having trouble with his wife,” Hunter explained. “I was trying to find ways for him to help their relationship.”