Here Comes Trouble (16 page)

Stopping at the water's edge, Joel sat down
and pulled off his boots and socks. He stood and quickly removed
his shirt, then shoved his pants and underwear to the ground
stepping out of them. He stood there buck naked in the moonlight
for a minute, letting the breeze cool his heated body, then he
waded into the cold water and swam toward the middle.

Joel hadn't skinny dipped since he was a
teenager at his grandpa's ranch. When he and his friends, other
ranch kids, finished their chores during the summer, the first
place they headed was the lake on his grandpa's property, either to
fish or swim. There was a lake on Joel's ranch too, but it was
further back on the property, and not nearly as private as the
creek.

As he swam farther out into the wide creek,
the water soothed him and his problem eventually subsided. Easing
onto his back, Joel glided through the water looking up at the
beautiful night sky, and a sigh escaped him as he finally
relaxed.

A piercing cry split the air, then a giggle
echoed through the trees right before the water very near him
rocked and his face was covered by a wave. Joel sputtered and
choked then wiped at his eyes while he treaded water.

"What the hell?" he said and his voice echoed
through the trees. Looking upward, he saw a rope swing he hadn't
noticed before swaying on a branch that hung out over the
water.

His eyes followed the ripples in the water
from the center trying to figure out who or what had jumped into
the water. Suddenly his legs were pulled out from under him and all
he could do was catch half a lungful of air before his head was
forced underwater. Silky strands of what felt like seaweed wafted
across his face then soft skin brushed against his arm as someone
swam by him toward the surface.

Joel pushed up from the bottom and his arm
clamped around the playful water sprite who'd tried to drown him,
as he shot upward. His head broke the surface shortly before hers
and he was breathing hard. She was gasping for air.

He treaded water to keep them both afloat and
her slick wet body drifted back into his. Joel hardened, and pushed
her away from him a little. "You okay, sugar?"

"Umm hmm," she said and pushed the hair out of
her eyes, then kicked over to him. The moonlight sparkled on the
water and made her skin glisten. Joel licked his lips wanting to
taste her, but knowing that would only start something. He figured
out real quick though that's exactly what she was doing when she
slid her hands up his chest and looped her arms around his neck,
before clamping her legs around his waist.

Her soft folds were pressed directly against
him and lust then anger slammed into him like a freight train. Joel
tried to peel her arms from his neck, but she held
tight.

"Terri, let go of me...you said you don't want
this," he growled, but she still didn't turn him loose. Joel huffed
out a breath, then relaxed and leaned in to nip her lips. "Make up
your mind, sugar...you're driving me crazy," he whispered over her
lips and nipped them again, then kissed her cheek. His hands moved
to her ass and he pulled her against him.

"I'm driving me crazy too," she whispered back
and nipped his lower lip. "I want you, Joel," she told him softly
then licked where she'd nipped. His cock jerked and he moved right
into the perfect position to do exactly what his body was
demanding.

"I'm not that kind of girl, but you make me
want to be," she admitted with a moan when he moved against her.
"Looking at you day in and day out, being with you, and not being
able to touch you is like being on a diet and staring down a
chocolate fudge sundae," she mumbled into his shoulder with a
chuckle then licked the side of his neck. "I've never been good at
diets," she finished then nipped his collarbone.

Joel grabbed her tighter to him and closed his
mouth over hers in a hot needy kiss. He needed to make love to
Terri Cassidy more than he needed his next breath. Kicking toward
the shore, Joel continued kissing her, holding her wet body to his
until his feet touched the sludgy bottom. When he walked with her
out of the water, she shivered in his arms. "You cold, baby?" he
asked in a gravelly voice.

"No, just need you," she said and shivered
again.

Gently he eased her to her feet, then leaned
down and gathered up their clothes to spread them out in a
makeshift blanket. He pulled out his wallet, and removed a condom,
then sat down on the clothes. Leaning back against the tree behind
him he held his arms open to her and she knelt in front of
him.

"Give me the condom," she told him and his
hand shook as he handed it to her.

Joel sucked a breath between his teeth as
electricity shot through his body when her small hand closed around
him. The wispy ends of her drying hair swept over his thighs, as
she bent over him. He'd never felt anything so erotic in his life,
but that was before she bent farther down and instead of rolling on
the condom, her tongue swept around the head of his
erection.

"Yep, chocolate fudge sundae," she whispered,
her hot breath wafting along his nerve endings. "So damned bad for
me, but so delicious...irresistible."

Her hand held the base of his cock firmly
while she took him in her mouth and ran her tongue over him again.
Joel moaned and a tremor passed through his body as a wave of
intense pleasure shot through him and he barely held it
together.

Shoving his hands into her hair, he held her
head steady. "Whoa, sugar...slow down," he told her hoarsely and
pulled her up to claim her mouth in a heated kiss. He savored the
sweetness of her mouth and her needy response, then found her
tongue with his and invited it to dance. Terri straddled him and
when her slick wetness settled over him and Joel moaned and his
hands tightened on her and he kissed her harder. The thought that
with one push of his hips he would be inside her warmth ramped his
desire up to an unbearable level.

He ripped his mouth from hers and told her
gruffly, "Put the condom on me, Terri."

With a whimper, Terri pushed back from him and
rested on her haunches, then ripped open the foil packet. Her hands
trembled and she rolled the latex down his sensitized length. Joel
gritted his teeth to hold on, but he was fast approaching his
limit.

Once she finished, she sat back looking at him
and his eyes moved over her body, as well. Her beauty took his
breath away for a moment, her skin was iridescent bathed in the
lunar glow, her pert breasts were peaked, rising and falling with
every excited breath she took. Her gorgeous green eyes glittered
with passion in the moonlight.

"You look so beautiful, darlin'...come here,"
he breathed and opened his arms to her.

Joel knew he would probably regret this
tomorrow, because what he was feeling for Terri Cassidy right now
went way beyond lust. He was confused as to what exactly it was,
but all he did know was this woman was the perfect blend of beauty,
brains and seductress. She was perfect, and he wanted her with a
fierceness he'd never felt before with any woman. He ached to feel
her body close around him, ached to hear her scream his name. His
name, nobody else's...ever again.

Terri settled herself on his lap again and
said, "I want you," then closed her mouth over his. After a minute
she pulled back and held his face to look into his eyes. "But I'm
so damned scared you're going to hurt me," she told him.

He'd forgotten she was sore from riding and
immediately loosened his grip on her hips then kneaded her there.
"I'm sorry, sugar, I forgot..."

"That's not what I'm talking about," she told
him softly.

Terri put her hands on his shoulders and
looked deeply into his eyes. "It would be so easy to love you,
Joel," she said and her lips trembled. "You're a good man and I
want you, but I don't want to get hurt. Don't hurt me."

A good man? No, he was a cold selfish bastard.
Deciding to have sex with Terri now proved that to him. Even though
the best thing he could do for both of them would be to get up and
pull his clothes on and ride hell bent for leather back to the
house, he couldn't. He was weak, she made him weak. He wanted her
with everything in him, more than he'd ever wanted anyone
before.

The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her,
but he was afraid he was going to do just that. Joel wasn't ready
for this. His fear of commitment rivaled hers of being hurt. Not
wanting to lie on top of making promises he couldn't keep, Joel
just nodded like the coward he was.

A smile split her face and she moved over him
and slowly lowered herself on his erection. She was so tight and
hot around him, Joel closed his eyes and sucked in a sharp breath.
His hands tightened on her hips, as he savored the incredible
feeling.

"Look at me, Joel," she said softly then moved
her hips slowly up and down, rolling them as she did so. "Is this
how it's done, sugar? Riding the trot? I think if I practice a
little more, I might get the hang of it, don't you?" she purred and
picked up the pace a little, and a tremor passed through her as her
breathing became erratic.

Joel gripped her thighs and leaned his head
against the tree, his heart shot up to his throat, and he was very
close to climaxing. Holding on, he gritted his teeth and moved one
hand up to her left breast and cupped it to thumb her nipple, while
his other hand went to her center and she gasped.

"You can practice on me anytime you want,
sugar," he grated, watching her face as she neared a peak, feeling
her pulse around him. He quickened his pace and she moaned and her
muscles gripped him tighter. "But I think you're technique is
damned near perfect," he hissed and lifted his hips to meet
her.

A surprised look came over her face and she
closed her beautiful eyes then leaned forward, and her fingers dug
into his shoulders.

Her thighs tensed against him and she
whispered brokenly, "Oh, god, Joel..." before her body vibrated and
she fell apart in his arms.

Gripping her hips tighter, Joel pounded up
into her as his own orgasm barreled down on him. A few strokes more
and he was there with her, his body tensing as he was paralyzed by
the intensity of his own release.

Terri collapsed against him and her arms slid
around him. He hugged her to him, and kissed her hair. He could
still feel the remnants of her pleasure, as her body tightened
around him. Amazingly, he was getting hard again. He could make
love to her all night long, and still not be satisfied. With Terri,
he couldn't seem to get enough of her.

That indefinable something between them had
him craving not only her body, but craving a connection with her
both in and out of bed. He was addicted to her beauty, her humor,
intelligence and warmth as well as her body.

She gave him hope, warmed up that part inside
of him that had grown cold after Karen's betrayal. That was a good
and a bad thing. Although it was good to know he was still capable
of feeling anything for another woman other than just sexual
desire, Joel didn't want that connection. He didn't want hope, and
he certainly didn't deserve warmth.

He deserved exactly what those other women
gave him, because that is all he could give them in return.
Pleasure with no strings, no expectations.

With them he didn't have to examine feelings
and emotions. To get through the mess his personal life had become,
he needed superficial. Examining where he was emotionally right now
would probably scare the hell out of him. Joel had other things to
focus on without going there.

His ex-wife had left him broken without an
ounce of confidence in his ability to love, or to know when a woman
truly loved him or was using him. He just didn't believe in love
anymore. Joel was jaded, cynical and used up.

Terri Cassidy deserved better.

The best thing he could do for both of them
would be stay away from her. Why he hugged her closer, he didn't
know, but he had to feel her warmth just a little longer. She
smiled against his skin, then kissed his chest, and Joel flinched.
He was an asshole.

Joel gently pushed her upright and helped her
stand, then stood himself. "We better go eat, then get back," Joel
told her with a lopsided smile that grabbed at her
heart.

"Yeah, Rocky has another day of torture
planned for me tomorrow," she told him with a chuckle and rubbed
her butt

His smile faded and he told her, "She won't be
torturing you tomorrow, sweetheart. I'm gonna make damned sure her
torturing days are over."

Terri stepped forward and put her arms around
his waist and laid her head on his chest. Their heated bodies
connected and a fresh wave of desire floated through
him.

"Thanks for saving me..." she mumbled against
his chest and kissed him there.

"I'll rescue you anytime, baby, but I'm gonna
make damn sure you don't need rescuing anymore," he told her
gruffly. "Rocky was out of line and she knows it."

"Just remember...payback is hell, she'll need
me one day," Terri told him confidently and chuckled. That chuckle
held the promise that Rocky was going to be very sorry for messing
with Terri, and Joel's heart twisted. Feisty, sassy, smart, and
beautiful, an irresistible combination deadly to his peace of mind,
and his vow to stay away from her.