Her Forbidden Hero (14 page)

“Definitely.”

At the stop sign at the edge of the neighborhood, Marco looked at her. “You don’t really have those secrets, right?”

She looked at him a long moment and burst out laughing. “You’re cute when you’re freaking out, you know that?” She slipped on a pair of sunglasses.

Marco frowned, partly relieved and partly weirded out by the images their strange conversation had created in his mind. He turned up the music and the next half hour passed in comfortable silence, the sun overhead, the music filling the car, the warm breeze blowing in through the windows. Alyssa held out her arm and made invisible patterns in the air with her hand, an expression of complete contentment on her face. That such a simple thing pleased her made him smile.

It only took thirty minutes to make the drive, and the lot was already half full when they got there. Marco recognized a number of cars and parked nearest them while Alyssa texted Eric to find out exactly where they were.

Eric came loping out of the woods a few minutes later, a big smile on his face.
You don’t have a chance, kid
, Marco thought to himself
. Not if I can help it
.

Alyssa hopped out. “Hey!” She pulled off her sunglasses and waved. “Sorry we’re late.”

“You’re not,” Eric called. “Most everyone just got here. We’re straight ahead down at the water.”

“Eric.” Marco nodded to him as he closed his door. Eric nodded back but barely pulled his gaze from Alyssa. Rolling his eyes, Marco unlocked the trunk and gathered Alyssa’s things. Her bag had two towels and two water bottles. Marco’s chest filled with a sensation he couldn’t name. She’d packed for him.

They walked through the woods—around picnic tables and kids playing—to the sand at the lake’s edge. Someone in their group had arrived early, because they had claimed the closest two tables to the beach. Marco dropped their stuff on a bench.

Alyssa waved to some folks out in the water, then grinned up at him. “Remember that time Brady cried when a school of fish swam around him?”

“I can’t believe you remember that. That was even before…”
Your mom died
, he finished in his head, not wanting to remind her of that time so baldly. “And, anyway, I can hear him right now denying it.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, but he totally did.”

“Yeah. He did. I guess everyone is afraid of something. Not much else scares your brother.”

Alyssa’s good humor slid off her face and she edged closer to him. “He’s not reckless, though. Right?”

Marco saw the pleading in her gaze and answered honestly. “Never.” He kissed her forehead and resisted pulling her into his arms. “Don’t you worry about him. If anyone can take care of himself, it’s Brady Scott.”

“Thanks.” Releasing a breath, Alyssa retrieved her bag. “Come on, let’s catch up with the others.”

Marco followed her across the sand. Several of the other waitresses were sunbathing. He exchanged hellos and realized he didn’t even know some of their names. Tommy sat on a towel in his usual gear, clearly not intending to swim but at least here with the rest. Eric and two waiters waded into the lake.

“Want to swim?” he asked Alyssa.

“Not yet. That water’s probably freezing. I need to get hotter first.” She pulled a towel out of the bag.

A choice response or two flitted through Marco’s brain before one of the women responded.

“It
is
freezing,” Tori said. “No way
I’m
getting in there.” Marco knew her name because she’d made sure he knew it. That was before she’d realized he wasn’t buying what she was selling.

Alyssa spread out their towels down by Tommy, giving Tori a wide berth, he noted. Marco sat beside her and kicked off his sneakers.

“So, I hear you’re really good on guitar,” Alyssa said.

Tommy looked at her over the top of his round black sunglasses. “I enjoy playing.”

She grinned, and Marco wanted to tell him he was already a goner and just didn’t know it. “I’m glad to hear you say that. I brought the new guitar my brother just bought me for my birthday, and I was hoping you’d play.”

An eyebrow went up. “You play, then?”

“Not as good as you, from what I’ve heard. So will you?”

He pursed his lips and the breeze caught his long hair. “Why not? After lunch okay?”

“Yes, of course. That’s awesome. Okay, then. Sun, swim, food, music.” She whipped off her T-shirt and settled back against the towel.

“Got it all figured out, huh?” the other man said, amusement coloring his voice.

She smiled, her eyes already closed. “Yup.”

Marco reclined onto his elbows but was too wide-awake to consider laying back and closing his eyes. Besides, this way he could watch over Alyssa and silently warn off the brigade of assholes likely to drool in her vicinity.

Suck it up, Vieri
.

Over the next half hour or so, he chatted with the others, enough to be social but not enough to get bogged down in inane conversation about which he didn’t really care. Eric and the others joined them on the beach, adding their towels to the group so they formed a big circle. That Alyssa was being so quiet was unusual, and it clearly meant she’d fallen asleep. Once again, that got Marco’s gut turning on what was causing her problems at night. Those shadows under her eyes were darker yet again, despite the fact that her mood was so bright.

Alyssa stretched beside him. “It’s hot.”

Marco chuckled. “I might know a way to fix that.”

She sat up, her gaze searching for the others. About half the group had moved up to the picnic tables, where Eric and Van were heating up the grill. She stood and undid her shorts, then pushed them to the ground. With her toes, she kicked the denim to the edge of her towel. “You coming?”

Marco struggled to swallow. Jesus, she really didn’t know what she did to him, did she? He damn well hoped that water was freezing. “Yeah. Be right there.”

He pulled off his T-shirt and followed her to the water’s edge. The view of her backside was just as good as the front. He fisted his hands against the sudden urge to feel the curve of her hips in his hands.

“I’m not going to test it. I’m just going in,” she said, looking less certain than she sounded.

Marco walked ahead of her, entering the water at a steady pace. Good God. It was ball-shriveling cold. He turned and smiled at Alyssa. “It’s actually pretty warm. Come on in. You’ll like it.” He kept the grin plastered on his face, the blazing sun his only saving grace.

“Really?” she asked.

Marco waved her in.

Alyssa darted into the water, up to her knees, then her thighs. Her mouth and eyes went wide and she screamed. “You are such a liar, Marco Vieri!”

Marco fought and lost the battle against his grin.

“Holy crap. It’s like ice. You suck!”

She scooped her hands into the water and a shower of frigid water hit his front. Marco bit out a curse. Alyssa wore a satisfied smile and braced her hands on her hips.

He launched himself in her direction. She squealed and turned for the shore, but Marco was faster and easily caught her around the waist.

She gasped as he dragged her backward into deeper water, almost to the rope line. “Let me go,” she said, laughing.

“Nope. You wanted the lake. I’m making sure you get the lake.”

“It’s too cold. Come on, Marco.” She squirmed and pulled at his arms, giggles spilling out of her.

And damn if she wasn’t rubbing all up against him as she fought. Good thing the water was too frickin’ freezing for regular body function. But Marco’s brain still operated enough to know just how good her body felt in his arms, pressed so tightly against his.

Suddenly the temperature of the water stopped mattering. Marco hardened slowly but surely. By the time they were up to her chest in the water, he was erect, and the sudden catch in her breath made it clear she felt it, too.

She moaned low in her throat. Under his arms, her breaths came faster, shallower. She reclined her head on his shoulder and whispered, “Let me turn around.”

Marco swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

She pressed back against him, dragging a groan from his chest. “Feels like it would be a very good idea. Please. Marco?”

A war erupted between his brain and his body. “Jesus, Aly.” He bent his head, trying to think, and his lips found the stretch of skin where her neck sloped into her shoulder. He kissed her, once, twice, his tongue snaking out to taste the crisp lake water from her skin.

Alyssa inhaled and tilted her head to the side, inviting his exploration.

He couldn’t resist. He licked and kissed up her neck until he reached the soft indentation beneath her ear. He sucked at her there until she was panting in his arms.

She reached back and grasped the material at his hip, using the leverage to pull them together. Marco let out a harsh breath at the sudden friction between his front and her rear. His grip slipped, one arm sliding up to rest under her breasts as he slid the other down to hold her low across the abdomen.

“Touch me,” she whispered.

Oh, God, he had to. He spun them in the water so that they were facing away from shore, out over the broad expanse of the mountain lake. “Aly,” he breathed.

“Please, Marco.” She gripped his hip and brought him firmly against her again.

He gave in, thrusting forward as she pulled, pressing the hard length of his dick against the indent of her soft ass. He cupped her breast and sucked her earlobe into his mouth as the warm weight of her flesh filled his hand.

“Oh,” she said, a soft, plaintive exhalation. She turned her face to his.

Goddamn if the desire shining from her eyes and shaping her lips wasn’t the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. He could read what she wanted in her gaze, but he wasn’t going to make her ask. Not when he wanted the same thing so badly.

One hand cradling her jaw, Marco lowered his mouth to hers. Their lips met softly, tentatively. Soft presses turned into nibbles as they pursued each other again and again. She turned in the circle of his arms, and this time he let her. She wrapped her whole body around him—arms around his neck, legs around his waist.

And Marco was gone.

“Damn, Aly,” he whispered as he tilted his face to the other side. He dove right back into kissing her, deeply and completely. One big hand tangled in her hair, the other slid down until it cupped her butt.

Alyssa rocked her hips into his hard length once, twice, more. Soon, Marco helped guide her movement with the firm grip of his hand on her bottom. The kissing stole her breath, but the friction was making her lose her mind. Slowly, a ball of energy gathered low in her stomach, an incredible pressure that found relief each time she rubbed against him.

He pulled back from their kiss but kept their faces touching, his eyes blazing into hers.

She gasped with every movement of their bodies, suddenly scared of what was about to happen. Power was moving through her, gathering an unstoppable momentum. She met Marco’s gaze, trying to tell him, to warn him.

“God, Alyssa.” He thrust against her, their movements confined by the buoyancy of the water and the others she knew were out there somewhere. “Hold on to me,” he whispered, his hand leaving her hair and joining his other on her butt.

Her mouth dropped open and she held her breath, afraid she’d scream if she didn’t. He pressed against her harder, faster, little movements concentrated exactly where she needed them. “Oh, Mar…co…I’m—”

His mouth came down on hers, hard and demanding. His tongue penetrated and her body detonated. She moaned into their kiss as sensation ripped through her in concentric circles of pure, hot bliss. She couldn’t stop moving against him, greedy for the feeling to go on and on.

Marco groaned, and the sound captured her attention. She opened her eyes and found his face frozen in the most incredibly erotic expression. Locking her ankles more tightly around him, she pressed herself against him, hating the scraps of fabric separating their bodies but hopeful this was only the start of something beyond her wildest expectations.

“I want you,” she whimpered, taking charge of the kiss this time.

His hands clamped down on her flesh as his lower body jerked against her. He groaned his release into their kiss, which was all passion and pleasure. She’d been with one other man in college, but nothing had prepared her for the ecstatic fulfillment of making love to Marco.

Did he think that’s what this was? She didn’t know, but surely the fact he wasn’t fighting the chemistry between them anymore was a step in the right direction.

He stroked her hair as his kiss softened. She felt cherished, wanted, safe in his arms. He leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes closed, face relaxed. He was so beautiful.

And she loved him more than words could say.