Moonlight Mirage: Bandicoot Cove 2 (9 page)

This can’t be happening.
It was all so surreal—surreal and intensely erotic, like one of her fantasies. It was that sense of unreality that allowed her to follow Ty’s instructions. Hayley gripped the flat surface of the rock at her back and arched her spine, putting some distance between her body and Ty’s, shamelessly displaying herself for his—and Mitch’s—visual enjoyment.

A whisper of cool night air brushed over the tips of her breasts, causing the already puckered flesh to tauten. Ty drove his finger all the way inside her primed channel, and Hayley thrust into the touch instinctively, rocking to the pace of his plundering, imagining—God help her—that it would soon be Mitch driving into her wetness. She’d promised him, after all. If he did this, she would do anything he asked, any way he wanted her to do it.

The very thought caused her inner muscles to spasm. Ty groaned, enjoying her response. Hayley bit her lip and stared at the place where Ty now added a second finger and began driving them in and out of her body. She was suddenly afraid to look at Mitch again. What if she was wrong? What if he wasn’t turned on? Worse, what if he was disgusted by her behavior?

Holding her breath, Hayley once again glanced over at the edge of the pool. Mitch was leaning against the trunk of the palm tree now, as though his legs had grown weak. As Hayley watched, he lowered his fly and took out his erect cock. It was long and thick and so red with arousal Hayley could see its flushed state even in the meager light. He grabbed it at the base and squeezed, as though forcing himself not to come. Hayley sensed his gaze upon her face, unwavering, as he slowly began stroking up and down.

Hayley convulsed around Ty’s fingers, so excited was she by the sight of Mitch masturbating. “So wet,” Ty said. “Do you want him to watch while I fuck you?”

Instead of answering right away, Hayley raised her eyes until they connected with Mitch’s. She let the question hang in the air between them, giving him the opportunity to say no. To stop this before it went further than he wanted it to. Mitch said nothing. He merely stared back at her, his eyes growing hooded as he continued to slowly pump his erection in his fist.

“Hales?”

At some point Ty had donned a condom. Now, his shaft rested at her entrance, a demand and a request at once. Hayley tore her gaze from Mitch, transferring it to Ty. She’d never seen him appear anything other than devilishly self-assured, but now there was uncertainty in his whisky-brown eyes. Briefly, he glanced over his shoulder at Mitch, then back at Hayley. “You want me to stop?”

Although she wasn’t at all sure what she wanted anymore, Hayley shook her head. She couldn’t speak over the lump that had formed in her throat. He wasn’t going to prevent this.

Mitch wasn’t going to fight Ty for her.

Never in his life had Mitch had to battle so hard against his primal instincts. He wanted to rush over to the couple in the water and tear them apart. The need to curl his hands around Ty Butler’s throat and squeeze was like a living, fire-breathing dragon inside him. The thought that he might just kill the guy if he laid a hand on him stopped Mitch from doing it—that and the knowledge that this was what Hayley wanted. She wanted her freedom, and in exchange she would give herself to him afterward.

It was the anticipation of
afterward
that had Mitch’s cock pulsing in his hand, that had that hand moving as though of its own accord—up and down, over and over again. In the water, Hayley arched her body, opening it to the man who stepped between her thighs. Mitch forced himself to believe the other man didn’t matter. Hayley was beautiful, and she was his. He would show her how completely he could make her his.

Afterward.

This was just…foreplay.

A moan fell out of Hayley’s lips as Ty entered her, a long, slow sound of pleasure that skittered over Mitch’s senses. If Butler had been anything other than gentle in his movements, Mitch might have given in to his instincts and beat the man to a pulp. But he rocked into Hayley with a hypnotic rhythm that made her eyes drift closed and her head fall backward. Her enjoyment was so obvious it delighted Mitch—and killed him at the same time.

“Babe, you’re so tight and hot.” Ty’s pronouncement grated on Mitch’s nerves, even as it made his cock jerk. “You like how my dick feels inside you?”

Hayley gasped as Ty shifted his hips, changing the angle of his thrusting. “Yes.”

“Still wish he was the one fucking you, though. Right?”

Mitch’s heart stopped beating in the moment before Hayley replied. She opened her eyes and glanced at Ty before turning her face away as though ashamed. “Yes.”

“Shh, it’s okay.” Ty placed a kiss against Hayley’s temple, wrapping his arms around her as he continued to stroke inside her body. It was Mitch’s turn to look away. Witnessing the tenderness between them was worse than the sexual interplay. Yet at the same time Mitch was relieved—for Hayley’s sake—that Ty Butler was capable of showing that tenderness.

“It’s been fun, hasn’t it?”

There was a wistful note to Ty’s query. Hayley’s voice vibrated with a sadness to match. “It sure has.”

Hayley’s gaze once again connected with Mitch’s, and he saw it all in her eyes. She might not love Ty, but the man meant something to her. He’d been a part of this transformation of hers, and because of that he would always own a piece of Hayley’s heart that Mitch couldn’t touch. The idea lanced him, but Mitch fought to accept it. If he’d embraced his feelings for Hayley two years ago she would never have gone off and met Ty, so the man’s involvement in Hayley’s life was Mitch’s own damn fault.

Never again
, Mitch assured himself.
You’ll never let her go again.

“Goddamn, Hales. I can’t hold on much longer.”

Over Ty’s shoulder, Hayley surveyed Mitch, her gaze trailing over his open shirt and pants, coming to rest meaningfully on his abused hard-on. She said, “Then don’t,” and Mitch felt a surge of heat in his balls that made him grit his teeth. “Do it. Come for me.”

As the pace of Ty’s thrusts accelerated, so did the movements of Mitch’s hand. He couldn’t help himself. Hayley was so damn sexy, so sure of her ability not only to please Ty but to drive Mitch to desperation while she did it. Her sexual confidence was a massive turn-on. That combined with the pure visual spectacle before him was enough to make Mitch admit he wasn’t in control of this—Hayley was. If she wanted him to see this through to the end, he would.

“Hales, are you close?”

“Uh-huh.”

Hayley’s gaze never left Mitch’s as she rotated her hips with a moan. Ty let out a litany of curses as he started to pound into her body, harder, faster. Mitch worked his cock, unable to stop himself. His balls were hot, his staff throbbing with the need for release. Dear God, he was going to enjoy turning the tables on Hayley. Next time she would be the one losing her mind. She’d be bound, helpless, quivering with carnal desires that only Mitch could satisfy.

“Harder. Oh yes,
please
.”

The word, the way Hayley pinned Mitch with a stare as she said it, had heat exploding inside him. As Ty groaned and pumped his hips in a wild release, Mitch swore and let the inevitable claim him. His seed shot out of him in a hot burst, spilling onto the sand at his feet. His eyes drifted closed, but he could sense Hayley’s gaze burning into him as he gave himself over to orgasm. Only then did he hear the gasping moans that heralded her climax.

Chapter Seven

“You need to leave, Butler. Now.”

Although he’d withdrawn from her body and refastened his board shorts soon after they’d both climaxed, Hayley sensed the tension that threaded its way through Ty’s body at Mitch’s autocratic demand. He turned to face Mitch. “Why—you gonna hit me again?”

Hayley’s glance darted toward Mitch. Once again he appeared composed and in command, his clothes arranged neatly. If she hadn’t watched him masturbate to orgasm with her own eyes, Hayley would never have believed him capable of losing it that completely. This new piece of information was like another blow to her view of Mitch as the one man who never lost his cool.

He’d
hit
Ty?

“Don’t tempt me,” Mitch drawled. “Get away from her now, or so help me—”

Ty’s caustic laugh cut off Mitch’s threat. “You know what, Wood? I’m not sure you’re good for her. I might have to stick around and make sure she doesn’t get hurt.”

Hayley placed her hand on Ty’s chest. “Ty.”

Ty turned back to face her and all the antagonism seeped out of his expression, to be replaced by tender acceptance. “Hell, I knew how things were going to go the second I saw you dancing with him last night, Hales. I just don’t feel like making it easy for him.”

Hayley smiled sadly. “Then make it easy for me. For now, please. We can talk tomorrow.”

“Ah, babe.” Ty sighed and brushed a hank of her hair behind her ear. “If that’s what you want.”

Hayley nodded. “I’m sorry if I—”

“Don’t.” Ty silenced her apology with a finger pressed to her lips. His grin was familiar in its brashness. “Nothing hurts me, Hales. I’m practically Teflon.”

He placed a kiss to her forehead. Hayley closed her eyes and let her affection for this man flow through her. Affection, not love. Neither of them had allowed their mutual attraction to expand into anything more significant. Hayley couldn’t be certain of Ty’s reasons, but for her it had been because she’d already given her heart to somebody else, and she’d never really gotten it back.

Ty turned away and strode out of the water, right by Mitch. Before he departed, he stopped and said over his shoulder. “I know what you think of me, but you’re wrong. I do care about her.” Ty flicked Hayley a glance, his lips tilting slightly. “If it doesn’t work out, you call me.” He winked and added, “Hot stuff.”

As Mitch’s shoulders tensed, Ty’s smile broadened. Ratbag that he was, he’d tacked on the “hot stuff” just to piss Mitch off. Once Ty moved away, Hayley and Mitch stood facing each other in utter silence. Only the muted sounds of music filtering out from the hen’s night and the soft lapping of the water punctured the quiet. Suddenly hyperaware of her nudity, Hayley located her dress on a nearby rock and held it against her. Only then did she realize how badly her hands shook.

Suddenly Mitch was walking toward her, apparently uncaring that his trip into the water soaked the legs of his trousers. The implacable lines of determination that marked his face made Hayley’s breath catch. Mitch said nothing as he closed the distance between them. He remained silent as he wound his arms around her and gathered her tight to his chest. Still without uttering a word, he slanted his mouth over hers and kissed every last ounce of breath from her lungs.

Hayley’s pulse raced as his kiss claimed her. That’s what it was, a claiming. This was Mitch branding her, obliterating every last memory of the way Ty’s body had so recently possessed hers. The all-consuming power of Mitch’s kiss, the bold, sensuous thrust of his tongue, caused more of a physical response in Hayley than anything Ty had ever done to her. If there had been a shred of doubt remaining that she’d made a mistake in ending things with Ty, Mitch’s kiss would have eradicated it.

With a primal growl that vibrated against Hayley’s lips and spread tremors through her entire being, Mitch tore his mouth from hers. His blue gaze appeared otherworldly in the strange blue light of the moon reflecting off the water. “Never again, Hayley.”

Hayley wasn’t sure if he meant never again would she give herself to Ty, or never would she give herself to any other man. She found it didn’t matter. That kiss had emphatically reminded her that Mitch was the only man she’d ever wanted so badly her bones turned liquid from the pure intensity of it. She shook her head. Her reply was barely a whisper. “Never.”

Abruptly, Mitch lifted her, cradling her against his chest. He carted her out of the pool, strode across the sand until he found the path that wound its way throughout the resort grounds. Her dress was crumpled between their bodies. She was naked and being dragged around Bilby Island by a man who appeared almost possessed with the need to reach his destination.

Hayley seriously hoped nobody got in his way.

Before long, Mitch located the patio of his room. He never lost his grip on Hayley as he stepped over the low railing and slid open the glass door that led into his suite. Once inside, he stalked to the bed and promptly deposited her on the mattress with an undignified plop. He moved to the minibar. When he returned, he switched on the bedside lamp and Hayley saw he carried a bottle of whisky.

In the light, she could she how everything in his stance radiated tension. “Did you enjoy torturing me?”

The barely leashed fury underpinning his question sent a shiver racing over Hayley’s spine. “You could have stopped me anytime you wanted.”

“You didn’t want me to stop you.”

“Maybe you don’t have any idea what I want.”

Mitch’s eyes narrowed, their blue glittering. With no more warning than that, he bent down and nudged her shoulder with his, until she fell back against the mattress. He was on top of her in an instant, his clothed body covering her naked one. He used one of his large hands to trap both of her wrists above her head while with his teeth he pulled the cork from the bottle of alcohol. The strong aroma wafted out, assaulting Hayley’s senses.

“I hate that I can still smell him on you. I’m going to wipe every trace of him from your body tonight, Hayley. Starting now.”