Desire Unleashed (8 page)

“Now I’ll do you,” she said and began liberally rubbing it in circular motions into his back. “Can’t be too careful can we? What, with the holes in the ozone layer and all.”

At any other time he would have enjoyed the lanky redhead’s hands all over him, but not since he’d laid eyes on Kathy.

When Liz was done, she refocused her attention. “You’ve got a blotch of cream on your cheek Kathy.”

“Allow me.” Leaning across, he rubbed the cream into Kathy’s soft skin in a caressing motion. The heat radiating from her drew his hand like a magnet. His thumb lingered circling her cheek, and as his eyes dropped to her breast, her nipples pebbled under his appreciative gaze.

“Ah thanks,” Kathy murmured, crossing her arms.

“Come on you guys let’s hit the waves,” Liz called as she ran toward the surf.

The connection broke. Kathy took off after Liz, with him hot on her heels.

He hit the ocean first, dived beneath the waves, and surfaced in deeper water about twenty feet out. A hare’s breath later, Liz laughingly came up beside him shaking the salty water from her hair. It was evident she was a strong swimmer as she had reached him easily.

“Not bad for a girl,” he praised.

“Ha, how about I race you to the pontoon?” she challenged, pointing to the floating platform about one hundred and thirty yards farther out.

“Just say the word Red,” he teased.

“Go.”

Liz started and struck out through the water catching him unawares. The small head start she gained was no advantage as he caught up and adjusted his stroke to keep pace with her. Stroke for stroke, he matched her over the distance, level-pegging her all the way and only increasing his speed over the last twenty yards to touch the pontoon ahead of her.

“What kept you, Red?” he taunted as she came up alongside him panting.

“Showoff,” she accused, thrusting out her tongue in a most unladylike manner.

He laughed at her antics as he hoisted his ass onto the platform and reached down for her hand. “Like I said before Red, not bad for a girl.”

They sat without speaking, dangling their legs over the edge of the bobbing platform, the salt water glistening on their skin, an easy camaraderie between them.

“Kathy’s a good cook,” he broke the silence.

“Yes she is—you caught me. I fibbed about my culinary skills, can’t cook at all.”

“I enjoyed the evening immensely, except for the phone call of course, what was that about?”

“Kathy admitted that they started over a week ago. At first she dismissed them as prank calls, but there was that one last night, another at midnight on Thursday, and another before we left this morning. She said he started out as a heavy breather, but now he’s declaring that they have a future together, that she’s his destiny. To tell the truth, I’m a bit concerned leaving her alone, she doesn’t really know anyone here yet.”

Hearing what Liz had to say put a different spin on things. “She knows me now, I’m away a bit, but while I’m around I’ll look out for her.” He scanned the water trying to spot where she was as he spoke.

Liz pointed to the shore. “I told you last night she can’t swim.”

“Seriously, I thought you were joking.”

“I was joking when I suggested you teach her to swim, because there’s no way that will happen, you’ll be lucky to get her out past her knees.”

Ice enjoyed a good challenge and lithely got to his feet. “We’ll see about that shall we?”

“Don’t bully her,” Liz warned.

“Never.” He laughed and executed a perfect dive off the pontoon. Slicing through the water like a porpoise, he swam toward the shoreline and Kathy. She had her back to the horizon, frolicking in the cool shallows with the gentle waves lapping her thighs. He easily closed the distance and came up alongside her grinning. “How about a swimming lesson?”

Uncertainty flickered across her face, and she gave a vigorous shake of her head.

“Come on Kathy, the water’s calm,” he encouraged.

“No it’s okay, you go back to Liz, it looked like you were having a good time and I’m fine here.”

“Kathy, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, but one way or another, you have to learn to swim.”

“But I’ve changed my mind.” She squeaked her objection.

Ice ignored her, and without another word scooped her into his arms and waded into deeper water. She clung to his neck like a vine, protesting all the while and pressing her breasts hard up against his chest.

“I won’t let anything happen to you I promise, and you’ll be able to touch the bottom, so don’t be scared.”

He lowered her smoothly to her feet, the undulating waves lapped her breasts like a lover’s caress, but she acted afraid and gripped his arms tight for support. “It’s too deep.”

“Relax, you’re safe with me,” he whispered into her ear. “Just lie on your back and float while I support your weight,” he instructed.

“I don’t know if I can.”

“Sure you can, you’ll be fine. Trust me.”

Kathy did as he asked, closed her eyes against the brilliant sunshine, and laid back in the water, legs and arms akimbo with his hands under her back.

She was doing well, so well in fact he slowly removed his hands allowing her to float on the surface, blissfully unaware that he’d released her. He took advantage of her oblivious state to study her face. Not a classic beauty, her mouth was too wide, her nose a trifle broad, but she had a cute little mole on her top lip. She looked angelic except for that mouth, it was full lipped and dead sexy. His mind boggled. Then his eyes traveled further down her curvaceous form and he was rewarded with a bird’s eye view.

The water had saturated her flimsy swimsuit making it transparent. The material stretched taut across her chest clearly defining each areola and its stiff peak. The words left his mouth in a whisper, “If you’re trying to tempt me with that see-through suit then your strategy is working.”

A definite mistake.

Kathy’s eyes flew wide, without his supporting hands she panicked and with flailing arms sank like a stone beneath the water.

Ice lunged, grabbed her arm, and dragged her coughing and spluttering to the surface. “I’ve got you Kathy, you’re safe.”

She clutched his neck like a lifeline and gripped his hips with her legs. He tried to calm her. “Relax you were never in any real danger,” he said cradling her in his arms. She clung tighter. Her curvaceous body jammed hard against him made him lengthen. Pleasure engulfed him. He fondled her ass, rubbing her up and down his length. Meeting her eyes, he whispered raggedly, “You’re killing me, babe.”

*

The bulge at his groin was obscenely huge and his words had her in a fluster. Beet red and way out of her depth she whimpered, “I don’t mean too.” Then dropping her legs scrambled to put some space between them.

Liz, her self-appointed protector, swam up and intruded on the moment giving Shane, a censorious glare. “Kathy, are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine. It was silly of me, I panicked,” she muttered.

“Come on, we’ll take you in, that’s enough lessons for one day.”

“You two go ahead, I want to do a few laps first.”

Kathy and Liz waded to shore and picked up their towels. Liz spread hers on the sand and stretched out, Kathy rubbed herself dry. She was still blushing and pulled her T-shirt over the offensive swimsuit that was so transparent, everyone had copped an eyeful. But that wasn’t the worst of it. When she’d launched herself at him, she’d felt the full length of his rigid penis flush up against her, but did she back away then? No, she circled his hips with her legs and settled on top of it. It wasn’t until he rubbed her up and down its length did she back away. What he must think of her, she dare not imagine. But oh, he did feel good.

*

Ice watched until Kathy and Liz were safe back on shore. He seriously needed to burn off some tension and couldn’t walk out of the surf with a boner the size of Everest. Holding Kathy like that had fired his blood to the point where it wasn’t a question of if they’d have sex, it was where and how soon.

An hour passed before he came ashore, the exercise had left him feeling relaxed and more in control. He padded up the sand to where the girls were stretched out sunbathing.

“I was beginning to think you’d drowned.” Liz pushed her sunglasses off the bridge of her nose and peered up at him.

The towel was scratchy on his skin as he dried off. “I guess I was out there a while,” he conceded. A shadow passed overhead as he dropped beside her. He looked up. The sun was eclipsed by a disruptive sky. “I think it’s time we made a move.”

“Ready when you are,” Liz said, and she and Kathy got up and began gathering up their belongings.

His stomach rumbled like the threatening sky, and he gave it a slap. “All that exercise has made me ravenous, how about we grab a bite to eat before heading home? There’s a little café on the promenade that makes great burgers.”

“That works for me,” Liz agreed.

The sand scrunched beneath their feet as they picked their way back up the beach. Kathy was still avoiding his eyes. She’d been doing that since their encounter in the surf, so he confronted her head on. “How about you Kathy, are you up for it?” He wondered whether she’d get his underlying message. It wasn’t just food he was ravenous for. When her head shot up and she spoke, he had his answer loud and clear.

“I’m ravenous too.”

Yep, she wanted him.

By the time they’d finished lunch and headed for the pickup the rain that had been forecast seemed imminent. Blackness rolled in over the horizon and thickened the low hanging clouds over head. Ice stored their gear in the back, jogged around to the driver’s door, and slid behind the wheel.

The women were already buckled in, Kathy once again in the middle. It was a snug fit—their thighs touched. It was as if a lightning bolt from the approaching storm had dropped from the sky and coursed through his body. It was becoming a familiar sensation.

She was watching him, but he didn’t dare take his eyes from the road for fear of losing control, not of the vehicle, but of himself. She had that kind of effect on him. He was still reeling from what nearly happened in the surf. Hell, he might have fucked her then and there if Liz hadn’t intervened. It wasn’t like him. He wasn’t an exhibitionist, he preferred his sex in private, but with her, it would be anytime, anyplace. It was a perplexing revelation.

By the time they reached home, it was late afternoon. The sky was turbulent, but by some miracle, the rain still held off.

“Thanks for a great day, and Shane, I truly am sorry about all the kerfuffle with Cindy, but on the bright side, it did give us the opportunity to meet. Anyway, if you’re free anytime I’m in town we should catch up,” Liz suggested as they reached Kathy’s apartment.

“I’ll look forward to it Red, and speaking of Cindy, I forgot to tell you I have someone in mind who might take her, I’ll let Kathy know.”

“That’s awesome.”

“So what time’s your flight?” he asked.

“It’s not till six forty, but I thought I’d book a cab for four thirty. I’d rather be early than risk missing the flight, and that way I can grab a bite at the airport.”

“Forget the cab, I’ll drive you.” Sure, he had ulterior motives, but even if he hadn’t, he would have driven her to the airport anyway. Kathy was an added bonus.

“That’s very kind of you but not necessary.”

“It’s my pleasure, Red. I’d just be home watching the box anyway. I’ll knock at about four thirty. I’m sure Kathy, would like to see you off as well.”

“Yes, I would.”

“Well, that settles it then. See you girls in an hour.”

*

Smooth, Liz thought, very smooth. She followed her friend into the apartment in one heck of a dilemma. She’d picked up earlier on the vibes between the other two and prayed Kathy knew what she was getting herself into. Shane had the look of a jungle cat ready to pounce with Kathy the willing victim. So she was torn between advising Kathy against it and saying nothing. On the one hand, it would do her good to have a diversion, but was she ready for someone like Shane Jackson? He was virile; she’d seen his erection in the surf. Was he too much man for Kathy? She was so old-fashioned and such an innocent. Would she appreciate her concern, or would she tell her to mind her own business? It was a tough call.

Once inside she stalled her decision, opting for the first shower instead. By the time she’d finished, her mind was made up. Dried and dressed, Liz seized the bull by the horns and went in search of her friend.

*

Kathy had been pensive since the incident in the water. What had Shane meant when he said she was killing him? She’d been ready for his kiss and was disappointed when he hadn’t followed through, but his body had made up for it. It felt so good when she’d wrapped her thighs around his hips, the feel of his masculinity pressed against her. But when he touched her intimately, she’d panicked like a schoolgirl and backed off. She was so darn naive and was momentarily regretful that she lacked experience. At college, she’d been so busy attending academic classes she missed the one on life.

“Can we have a chat?” Liz hesitated by her bedroom door.

“Of course.” Kathy beckoned her in.

“Shane seems a nice enough guy.”

“Then why do I feel a ‘but’ coming on?”

“Honey, he’s not like the hometown boys. He’s a man. Older and more experienced than what you’re used to, and I don’t want to see you getting hurt. I feel somewhat responsible as I orchestrated the introduction.”

“Then don’t. I’m not a child Liz—I’m quite capable of taking care of myself.”

“Of course you are Kath, but you’re vulnerable at the moment. I know you were holding out for a ring on your finger first, so I don’t want you pressured into something you may regret later.”

“I’m not about to get pressured into anything…”

“These macho types like Shane can be pretty forceful, and he won’t be satisfied stopping at a few kisses, I can guarantee you that.”

“Thanks for your concern, but it’s really not necessary.”

“But Kathy…”

“For pity sake Liz, I don’t want to talk about it,” she snapped, her voice holding more heat than she’d intended.