One Last Call (25 page)

Witnessing her server’s betrayal when she tried to pick up Josh wasn’t what bothered Sarah the most. It was the insult to her intelligence when Kelly denied it. She’d flirted with every male patron under the age of eighty at least once since she’d been hired. At first, Sarah thought it was her friendly personality and a calculated ploy to get tips. She’d been an efficient worker and good with the customers, so Sarah had thought nothing of it.

She couldn’t believe it had taken her this long to realize that Kelly’s behavior wasn’t so much about tips, as it was about the server thinking all men were open season. Disrespect and lies were two things she refused to tolerate.

The fake crying petered out when Kelly realized that Sarah wasn’t swayed. Things had gotten ugly after that.

Kelly dug her tips out of her short apron before untying it and tossing it on Sarah’s desk like throwing a gauntlet. Her order pad and pen skittered out of one of the pockets and landed on the floor. She stuffed the cash into her bra and set a well-manicured hand on her hip. “Good luck with business after I leave. The men
love
me. I draw in the customers. Who’s going to want to come here when I’m gone?”

The enormity of Kelly’s ego was staggering. Sarah rolled up the apron and set it aside. “I’m sure we’ll manage.” She’d pick up the pen and pad of paper after Kelly left. If she did it now, it would put her at a disadvantage.

Kelly eyeballed Sarah with distaste and raised a drawn-on eyebrow. “You know what, Sarah? You might think you’re better than everyone, but you’re not. Honestly, I feel sorry for you. Everyone does. It feels good to finally say to your face what the whole town has been whispering behind your back. You’re just some dried-up old loser still living at home with mommy.” A condescending pout played at her slick, glossy lips. “Sad, really. How long were you married before your husband got bored and banged his secretary? He must have wanted a real woman.” She stifled a giggle. “Shouldn’t be too long before your cowboy wants a real woman too.”

Sarah took a really good look at Kelly.
Huh, Sophie was right
. The chick needed to touch up her roots. “When someone’s been fired, the next logical step is to leave the premises. Like the saying goes, you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”

“Josh has my number.” The taunt came with an ugly smirk.

“Everyone has your number. It’s right up there with nine-one-one. You’re like a public service.”

“You, bitch!”

“Thanks for noticing. Don’t expect a reference.” Sarah was holding on to her temper by a thread. She wanted to punch the woman in her over-glossed mouth. It didn’t surprise her to find her hand already curled up in a fist. “Get the hell out of my bar and don’t come back.”

“You’ll regret losing me.”

“Doubt it. Get out.”

Kelly slammed out of the office, yelling to anyone and everyone who would listen, that she was out of there.

Good riddance.

* * * *

“Sweetheart, I swear you need a vacation.”

Sarah had been brooding since Josh got behind the wheel to drive her home.

“Sounds perfect. I could use a deserted island in the middle of nowhere.” She stared out into the darkness. “Somewhere no one will find me.”

“What about me?”

“You can come with me. I’ll need someone to build a hut out of palm tree fronds and coconut shells.” Sarah warmed to the fantasy image of Josh in a loincloth, working in the sun, golden muscles gleaming. “Besides that, I could use a personal masseuse.”

Josh took hold of her hand and scooted her next to him on the bench seat. He pressed her palm to his upper thigh. “I was thinkin’ more along the lines of bein’ your personal love slave. You know, livin’ to take your mind off your troubles.”

“With the way my life’s been going, that’s going to be a full-time job.” The denim was worn and soft under her fingertips. She traced along the seam on his inner thigh until the muscles in his leg tightened up. Sarah slid her hand farther up before letting it glide back down to his knee.

Josh let out a breath and made a U-turn in the middle of Prospect Street.

“Josh!” Sarah squeezed his leg to keep from tipping into him. “Where are you going? We were almost home.”

“You’ll see.”

“It’s after midnight! Nothing’s open.” Not in this town. Her place and the Gas N Go were the only businesses open after dark on a Sunday night.

“I know.” That was the last thing he said for a good fifteen minutes. Josh turned the radio on and up when Sarah asked him where they were going again. Stubborn man.

The lights of town got farther away until he finally pulled into the gravel drive leading to the Falls.

“You know the cops patrol here after dark, right?”

“Hmmm.” Josh parked and got out of the truck. He opened her door and tugged her out by the hand. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?”

“Swimmin’.”

“Now?”

“Right now.”

Josh pulled her around the lake to where the water rushed louder and an outcropping of rocks grew taller. There was a small opening behind a boulder where rivulets of water trickled down in a cool mist and landed in a secluded alcove of water. He untied and kicked off his boots and unbuttoned his shirt.

“You want to go skinny-dipping this late?”

His denim shirt fell on top of his boots. The moonlight played off the outline of his shoulders as he bent to shuck off his socks. He turned her way and saw her standing transfixed, staring at him.

“It’s still warm out, and you’re overdressed.” Josh sighed when Sarah nervously peered around the glen and the surrounding forest. “Come on, sweetheart. It’s just you, me, and the moonlight.” He grabbed her hand and held it against his chest. His skin was hot and smooth under her fingertips, and the thud of his heart knocked against her palm. “Show me yours, Sarah, and I’ll show you mine.”

Sarah trailed her fingers over his abs and down to his waistband. “Show me yours first.”

“Catch up with me. Lose the top and shoes.” He took the hem of her top in both fists and pulled it over her head. He stepped back and took in her creamy lace bra. “Look at you. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of seeing you this way.” Josh slid one satin strap over her shoulder and kissed the skin revealed. Goose bumps skated down her body. “Cold?”

“Far from it.” They were in the middle of a heat wave, and Josh’s lips spiked Sarah’s temperature to a fever pitch. In the dark, the breeze blew over her skin in a sultry rush.

“Good. Now take it off, Sarah. I wanna see all of you.”

Hearing that sexy drawl surrounding her in the darkness was enough to seduce her. What had initially been a coaxing plea for her to undress changed into something entirely different. Josh wasn’t asking anymore. He was demanding it of her. Her nipples hardened against the fabric of her bra, aching to be touched. Sarah reached behind her and unclasped the scrap of lace. She slipped the straps down her arms and let the undergarment fall to the grass at her feet.

“Sweet Jesus.” Josh rubbed a hand over his mouth. “More.”

She toed off her shoes and unbuttoned the top of her shorts. “Are we going to do the big reveal together?”

“I’m not shy.” He proved it by unzipping and dropping his jeans and underwear down his legs.

Sarah got sidetracked staring at all the sexy man bared before her. Holy hell. He was a late-night fantasy come to life. The glow of moonlight showed off the corrugated ridges of his abs and the V of muscles leading down his lower stomach. His sex was shadowed in a tempting tease of what was revealed and not revealed. She wanted to see it. “How often do you work out?”

He glanced down at himself in negligent disregard. “Why?”

“It looks like I could bounce a quarter off of your…everything.” Sarah knew exactly how hard he was.

Josh kicked away his jeans and closed the distance between them. He got on his knees before her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Sarah smoothed her fingers through the soft layers of hair brushing against her stomach. His lips rubbed in whisper-soft caresses on her skin. “You look like a goddess, steppin’ out into the night so I can worship you.” He tugged her shorts down her legs. “Prepare to be worshipped.”

Sarah held on to his shoulders for balance and stepped out of the rest of her clothes. Now that she was completely naked, she was nervous. “What if someone sees us?”

He rose to his feet and swept her up in his arms. “Let’s get in the water.”

“What if it’s cold?”

“I’ll keep you warm.” He walked easily to the stone ledge and let the mist coat them.

“What if…”

“No more what-ifs.” Josh carried her into the water and sank down until she had to hold on tighter to his neck to keep her head from going under. Sarah thought it would be too cold, but the water was perfect. It was a cool relief against her hot, overly sensitized skin. “Pretend we are on your island, Sarah. We’ll call it…”

“Sarah’s Island?”

“Creative.”

“Best I could do under the circumstances.” She couldn’t think straight. Josh’s hands were wandering lower. With the absence of light, her other senses were magnified. Sarah felt enveloped by his heat, aware of where his hands held her. Her breaths came faster, and her anticipation of Josh’s next move was pleasurably excruciating.

“How about Sunshine Shores?”

Sarah couldn’t believe that Josh was still trying to name the island when she was about to combust from sensual overload.

“Sounds like a timeshare.”

“Logan Lagoon?”

“Worse.”

“Sarah’s Sexy Sands?”

“How about we leave it nameless for the time being?”

“Your island, darlin’. I’m here as a love slave.”

“A love slave who can make a palm-tree and coconut-shell coffee table, right?”
What the hell am I talking about?

“Of course.” Josh moved them farther along in the water. Cool liquid swayed and lapped around their bodies the deeper he went. “I can smell the coconuts already.”

“That’s my shampoo.”

“No wonder this faraway island fantasy is turning me on so much. You always smell tropical…and good enough to eat.”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with our swimming naked in the moonlight?”

“It’s all you.” Sarah shimmied around until her legs were wrapped around Josh’s waist. The apex of her thighs was pressed right against his stomach. There was no hiding anything in this position. He exhaled a shaky breath. “It’s all you, naked.”

“I have a confession.” She squeezed her legs around him a little tighter. “I’m not a very good swimmer.”

His hands landed on her ass. “I’ve got you.”

“Don’t let go, okay?”

“Never.” He laid his cheek against hers and whispered in her ear. “I won’t hold it against you if you want to squeeze me tighter.”

* * * *

Josh felt guilty letting Sarah think the water was deeper than it was. “Sweetheart, if you put your feet down, you could touch the bottom.” By the way she was gripping his hips between her thighs, Sarah wasn’t quite on board with that. Not that he was complaining. The heat of her sex sliding against his lower stomach was heaven and hell combined.

She wrapped her arms tighter around him and put her face against his neck. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I just don’t like it if I think I’m in over my head.”

“You’re safe.”

“I’m naked in the dark with you. How safe am I?”

“You’re safe from the water.” That was all he was promising.

“How about from you?”

“You’ll never be safe from me.”

“You’re not safe from me either.”

“I’m okay with that.” He palmed her ass and pulled her hips away enough to slip his hard-on between them. Once Josh was settled, she slid against him again. The hard points of her nipples scraped like sensual little pebbles against his pecs. The seam of her sex lined up perfectly with his dick. The hot slickness of her core welcomed him. She glided up and down, not quite taking him inside her. “I feel you.”

Sarah pushed off of his shoulders and ground against his erection. “I feel you too.” The moonlight cascaded over her body like a natural nightlight. He saw teasing glimpses of rosy peaks and shadowy valleys. Buoyed up by the water, Sarah floated back and got her hair wet. He held on to her ass to keep them connected. As soon as she angled away, Josh latched on to her nipple and sucked the sweet flesh into his mouth.

Sarah’s cry echoed off the rocks. He drew her in with long, rhythmic pulls, squeezing the firm cheeks of her ass in his palms. She rocked into him, coating him with her heat. Josh walked her to a shallower depth and set her on the narrow rock ledge jutting from the boulder wall.

The water was barely to his thighs. “If you scoot down, you can touch the bottom.” Sarah let her legs slip from his hips and pushed off the rock until she was standing, staring up at him in the dim glow sparkling off the water. Her breaths were coming as fast as his.

Josh spun her away from him and set her back against his front. He skated both hands up Sarah’s waist and cupped her breasts, kneading and rolling her tight little nipples. Her head fell back against his shoulder. She set her hands on his thighs and arched her back. “God, Josh. More.”

“Put your hands on the ledge and lean forward.” He pushed between her shoulders until she was bent over in front of him.
Perfect.
“Now tilt that sweet ass up.”

Sarah peered over her shoulder, then rested on her outstretched hands. She canted forward more until her hips lined up with his. Her skin was slick and shiny in the moonlight. Her secrets were in shadow. Josh skimmed that staying hand down her back until he palmed her ass again. She moaned when he squeezed. He kept hold of her hip in one hand and nudged his fingers between her thighs. Sarah was so damned slippery with her excitement he wanted to drop to his knees and lap her up with his tongue.

Josh kneed her legs wider and pushed two fingers into her from behind. She shoved back against his hand, bucking with her hips.

“Oh sweetheart, you feel like you want to get fucked.” Sarah moaned and pushed until his fingers went deeper. “Is that what you want?”

“Yes.”

He set a rhythm that was slow enough to drive her crazy. “Tell me what you want.”