Double Dare (8 page)

Awe laced her voice, making Sam smile with
satisfaction. So she thought that was incredible? Just wait until
he finished with her.

Sam kept up the steady rocking, then lowered
his head and suckled her breast through the damp fabric of her
top.

Lou jerked beneath him, her breathing
quickened. She squeezed her eyes shut and silently begged him with
her body to lead her to release. When it hit, her body arched
against his, then relaxed in peaceful satisfaction.

Sam wanted more. Needed more. He needed to
taste that nipple, feel it pebble against his tongue. He wanted to
slip her bikini bottoms aside and bury himself so far into her she
wouldn’t know where she began and he ended. If she was this
responsive now, he could only imagine what a great lover she would
be when they were in bed.

In bed? Dear God. She was a virgin!

That thought settled like the weight of the
world on Sam’s shoulders. He allowed himself one last lingering
kiss because she tasted so sweet and he couldn’t help himself.
Reluctantly, he drew away from Lou.

She must have known what he planned to say
because the dreaminess vanished from her eyes.

Regret washing though him, leaving him
ashamed as well. To top that off, she was incredibly vulnerable
right now. Sam passed a hand over his face, then opened his mouth
to speak. “Lou, I—”

“
Don’t,” she told him, and
slowly withdrew her hands from his shoulders.

“
But—”

Lou turned away from him and hauled herself
out of the pool. Her hands shook as she snagged the towel from her
chair and wrapped it protectively around her luscious,
still-trembling body.

“
I know what you’re going to
say, but just don’t.” A line emerged between her fine brows and
something akin to hurt flashed in her soft blue eyes. “I-I
know
. Can’t that be
enough?”

Reluctantly, Sam nodded. He felt like a
class-A bastard. How in the hell had his happened? How had he
managed to make such a mess of things? He’d never lost control.
Never. Control was an absolute must in this business.

But rather than wielding any of that control,
he’d come within a gnat’s eyelash of taking her in the freaking
pool.

“
I’m going to my room now,”
Lou told him, her voice remarkably calm. “We bungee-jump at eight,
right?”

Aw, hell. He’d completely forgotten. They
wouldn’t have a chance to check off that item on her list once they
reach the Keys. It had to be done tonight.

Sam sighed. “Eight, in the lobby.”

Lou nodded stiffly, then headed inside, her
back ramrod straight. Hurt pride radiated from her, making Sam feel
more and more like a bastard.

As well he should. He was the professional,
the one who shouldn’t have let this happen. Sam told himself that
had he tried harder, he could have prevented the kiss.

But, regardless of how many times Sam told
himself that what had just happened had been a mistake, he couldn’t
help remembering the feel of her in his arms, the way her glorious
body had meshed with his. The way her eager hands had caressed him,
set him on fire. Sweet heaven, the way she had tasted. He could
still taste her…and wanted to again.

They were only into day two of this
adventure. Another eight to go. Sam sighed and shoved himself from
the pool. He’d found hell, Sam thought miserably, for surely hell
was being with Lou and not having her.

Ice cream straight from the carton definitely
perked up one’s spirits, Lou thought as she wrapped her mouth
around another spoonful of butter pecan. It had cost her twenty
bucks, but she’d finally convinced one of the ladies in
housekeeping to get her the treat.

After the debacle in the pool, she certainly
needed it.

How had things escalated so quickly? Lou
wondered, marveling at her lack of inhibition. It was as though
Sam’s heat had melted it away. Still, how on earth had she gone
from craving a simple kiss to wanting to crawl beneath Sam’s skin,
or better yet, having him under hers? Utterly mind-boggling!

While it was true that she’d never had a
steady boyfriend—other than Chad, if you could truly call him
that—Lou had shared several kisses. Admittedly, her experience was
limited.

But what had happened in that pool went way
beyond that. She’d let Sam touch her—hell, kiss her—in pales that
had never known a man’s touch. And she desperately wanted him to do
it again.

Had there ever been any doubt about losing
her virginity on this adventure, it was gone now. Sam had awakened
passions in her that were in dire need of attention. If what she’d
experienced were any indication of the pleasure, Lou thought it was
a miracle couples ever came out of the bedroom.

She grinned and spooned up another bite of
ice cream. Still, a lot cold be said for simpler pleasures…like
butter pecan.

A knock at the door made her jump. “Lou?” Sam
called.

Tension momentarily gripped her, so Lou
ignored the brain freeze brought about by her treat and spooned up
another bite to fortify herself.

She unlocked the door and opened it wide.
“Yeah?”

His lips quirked at the sight of the ice
cream carton in her hand. “Er, I thought we were supposed to meet
in the lobby.”

Lou winced. She’d been so busy alternately
feeling sorry for herself and marveling over her very first orgasm
that she’d completely forgotten about the bungee-jumping plans for
tonight.

“
I’m sorry, “she apologized.
“I can be ready in five minutes if you want to wait up
here.”

Sam stuffed his hands in his khaki shorts.
“Sure.”

Feeling a bit awkward since this afternoon,
Lou pulled the door wider and ushered him in. She shoved her
leftover ice cream in the freezer of the mini-fridge, then tossed
Sam the remote. “Five minutes, I promise.”

The look he gave her
said,
yeah, right,
but Sam didn’t comment either way. He settled his considerable
frame onto her bed, sending her thoughts back into the danger
zone.

Lou gathered her clothes and disappeared into
the bathroom. She pulled her hair into a ponytail, freshened her
makeup, spritzed on a little perfume and hurriedly dressed.

She exited the bathroom with a minute and a
half to spare. The surprised look Sam wore made the rush worth
it.

“
Well,” he said, his gaze
making an subtle sweep down her body. The warmth in his eyes made
Lou shiver. “I confess I had my doubts about the five minute
promise, but it looks like you came through. Ready?” he
asked.

“
Ready.”

Sam waited by the door while
Lou gathered her room key and purse. When she reached his side, he
didn’t readily move. He stood so close she could smell the faint
tang of his cologne and that particular scent of
him
. “Er, Lou?”

Damn, he’s not going to let it go.
“Yeah?”

“
About this afternoon…I
wanted to apologize.” Sam sighed and shoved a hand through his
hair. He looked completely out of his element and it occurred to
Lou that he probably hadn’t made very many apologies. She found the
thought endearing. “I don’t know what happened. But I promise it
won’t happen again.”

Lou’s heart sank. “It won’t?”

“
No.”

Well, damn. So much for hoping that he’d been
so overcome with passion that he’d forget all of his rules, or at
least break them for her. She’d never been a dreamer before. What
had brought on the habit now?

Lou sighed, dejected. “Look, Sam, we’re both
adults. What happened…happened. It was only a kiss. Let’s leave it
at that and move on. Agreed?”

Humph. Only a kiss? And the Titanic had only
been a boat. Had those nonchalant words actually rolled off her
tongue?

Looking slightly taken aback, Sam frowned.
“Agreed. Let’s go.”

Sam handled the rental car every bit as
competently as he did everything else. He navigated the city
traffic with ease, as she added another talent to his list of many.
Lou found herself mesmerized by the strength of his hands,
remembered them gliding over her skin, kneading her breasts. That
thought quickly let to others and, within seconds, she felt an
erotic heat between her legs. She squirmed in her seat and
attempted to pull her wayward thoughts under control.

“
So, are you going to jump
as well?” she asked, struggling for composure.

“
If you want me
to.”

“
Yeah. I do.”

He smiled at that, just a little, but it
affected her all the same. “Are you afraid of heights.”

“
Not that I know
of.”

Same chuckled. “Not that you know of? I
didn’t ask if you were allergic to any medicines. Believe me,
people who are afraid of heights know it. You must not suffer from
that ailment.”

Lou grinned wryly. “We’ll know soon enough,
won’t we?”
“There’s nothing to worry about,” Sam assured. “It’s completely
safe. Just do what I tell you do to. I’ll go first, so you can
watch me and know what to expect.” Sam paused, a thoughtful look on
his face. “Have you eaten?”

Lou’s heart tripped in her chest. Dare she
hope he meant to ask her to dinner? “Only ice cream. I-I could go
for something a little more substantial.”

“
Not until after you jump,”
Sam said as he wheeled into the parking lot of Adventure City.
“It’s better if you jump on an empty stomach.”

Lou swallowed her disappointment. So much for
that thought. They’d practically made love in the pool, but he
still couldn’t bend his damned rules enough to share dinner with
her. “Sure. I see what you mean.”

If she hurled, she’d make sure a goodly
portion of it landed on him, Lou thought uncharitably.

Sam shoved the gearshift into park and turned
to face her. His smile, though not forced, lacked its usual charm.
“Are you ready?”

Lou bit her lip and nodded.

His gaze strayed to her mouth, then quickly
returned. “Then let’s do it.”

Twenty minutes later Lou stood on the edge of
the platform. She wore a harness and, to her immense relief, Sam
had doubled-checked all of the fastenings. She’d watched him dive
over the side without a single hesitation.

For the briefest second, she’d glimpsed the
wild glimmer in his eye, that certain spark that made him a little
more reckless, a little more daring than the average man. And
naturally, it had turned her on. But then, what about Sam didn’t
trip her trigger?

Still wearing a grin, seemingly relishing the
rush of the fall, Sam turned Lou to him and placed his hands on her
shoulders. “You can do this. There’s nothing to it. I’m going to
wait for you on the ground.”

Suddenly panicked, Lou clasped his arm. “But
you’re gonna stay right here until I jump, right? You’re not gonna
leave right now? I mean, uh, I might need to ask you
something.”

Sam’s grin softened with concern and his eyes
held hers. “I’ll be where you want me to be.”

Would that that were
true
, Lou thought.

Okay. Lou mentally loosened her shoulders
like a prizefighter stepping into the ring. Her time had come.

“
Ready when you are, Lou,”
the operator called. 

Excitement bubbled through her veins, made
her fingers twitch with anticipation. Her stomach knotted, dipped
and dived and she hadn’t even taken the plunge yet. It was now or
never. Lou quickly knotted her fists in Sam’s shirt and dragged him
down for a quick, explosive kiss. His eyes widened in surprise, but
to her insane delight, he instantly responded—with his
tongue—making Lou grin against his mouth.

Then she pulled away and leapt over the
side.

“
Ooooohhhh mmmmyyyyy
Ggggooooddddd,” Lou yodeled as she zoomed toward the ground. Her
stomach launched itself into her throat and Lou felt certain she
would be sick at any moment. She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed
for forgiveness for every sin she’d ever committed, imagined or
otherwise
. I’m donna die, I’m gonna die,
I’m gonna die
. The litany ran through her
mind repeatedly.

Until something amazing happened. Lou
realized she was flying, seemingly weightless. She cracked an eye
open and found herself no longer terrified. The euphoric feeling
wrapped around her until Lou didn’t want the jump to end.
Exhilaration pulsed through her, tickled her nerves and made her
laugh with giddy delight. She opened her arms and grinned until her
face hurt, until she could seemingly feel every particle of night
air embrace her. Oh, wow! No wonder Sam had enjoyed this! This
was…this was…amazing!

Almost as moving as his kiss.

Sam knew the instant the feeling grabbed her.
She’d stopped that incessant braying to the Almighty and opened her
arms and tilted her head back in sublime satisfaction. Her ponytail
stood on end, whipped by the night breeze as she hurtled happily to
the ground, and he could see her grin from here. Illogical pride
swamped him. Lou appeared to be an natural-born thrill-seeker.

That, or just certifiably crazy. What on
earth had possessed her to kiss him like that? Better still, why
had he responded? He’d been practically bowled over from the impact
of her ardent behavior. Geez, when she’d grabbed his shirt and
dragged him to her… Sam couldn’t recall ever being so aroused.

And truthfully, there hadn’t been a moment’s
hesitation as far as his body had been concerned. As soon as it had
recognized her intent, he’d had his lips parted and his tongue
ready, as though kissing Lou were as natural as breathing. Worse,
he feared should they do it anymore, it would become as necessary
as that. The thought didn’t bode well for the remainder of this
trip.