Iris Johansen - Dark Summer

"Good." He didn't open his eyes. "I'll rub a little more of Paco's potion on it when we go inside."

"Why don't you take it with you instead of having to come here to use it?"

"I could be superstitious. Perhaps it wouldn't work anywhere but here."

"That's ridiculous."

He opened his eyes. "Haven't you noticed? I'm not always reasonable. I lived too long with Paco." He stretched. "And I'm not feeling at all reasonable right now. I'm feeling basic and primitive, and I want to feel not think."

She felt tension tighten her muscles. He looked primitive. Lazy and sensual and every muscle catlike basking in the sun. She couldn't take her eyes away from him. It was crazy. One moment she had been thinking of Paco, spirits, and bonding, and now that was all gone.

Feel, not think.

Yes, that was what she was doing. Big-time.

"Thank God." His gaze had shifted back to her face. "I do believe your precious responsibility is about to take a backseat." He got to his knees. "Yes?"

"I'm always responsible," she said unevenly. "It's my nature."

"But we're still going to get what we want, aren't we?" He reached out, and his hand hovered over but did not touch her cheek. "That's why you came."

She remembered that reckless moment in the helicopter when she had taken his hand. If he touched her now, she would probably dissolve. "I'm very much afraid we are."

"Don't be afraid." His brilliant smile lit his dark face. "Never with me. It will be like coming home."

"Somehow I don't think so." Her voice was shaking, and she had to steady it. So was her hand as she reached out to touch him. "I don't feel at all like-"

"Don't touch me." He drew a ragged breath. "Not yet." He jumped up and pulled her to her feet. "Everything else first. I'm not going to want to stop."

"What-" He was pulling her toward the cave. "I won't go there, Marrok. I'm not one of your town girls who-"

"Hush. The dogs."

In the past few minutes, she had almost forgotten Ned and Wiley.

"Just a little while longer," he muttered as he jerked her into the cave. "I just have to check to see-"

Ned and Wiley were lying against the wall of the cave. Ned did not appear relaxed-his eyes were open and his hip was touching Wiley's. "At least, he's staying put," Marrok said. "That's a start. Now it's up to them." He released her to go over to the ice chest. "And we can get the hell out of here." He opened the chest and drew out the stoppered vial of Paco's potion he had rubbed into his wound. "Now."

"What are you doing? Are you hurting?"

"Oh, yes." He took her arm and pulled her from the cave. "But not my shoulder." He was half pushing, half lifting her up a path past the cave. "It's going to be rough. There's no comfort to be had up here. But with any luck, we won't care."

Her arm was tingling, hot where he was touching her. Her breath was coming short, hard. "Just stop. I don't care where we-"

"I just thought we'd get off the rocks and the shade might-Oh, screw it." He jerked her close and rubbed her body against him. "My God…"

Her stomach was clenching, and she was raw, burning… " Clothes…" she muttered. "Let me go. I have to-"

He was already unbuttoning his shirt and tossing it aside. "I'll help…" He unbuttoned three buttons and was jerking her shirt over her head. "Sorry. I'm in a hurry…"

So was she. Her clothes were gone in seconds. He was pulling her to the ground. The flat rocks were hot and hard against her back and buttocks as he came over her, in her.

Everything was hot and hard; the rocks, Marrok, the tension that was tearing them apart…

"Good." His voice was guttural, his eyes closed. "Don't move. Let me get used to-"

"Don't move?" She couldn't believe it. She was going crazy. He was holding her still, his thighs pressed against her. She couldn't stand it. "Get used to this." She lunged upward, her nails digging into his back.

Fullness.

Heat.

His back arched, and his lids flew open. "You shouldn't have done that," he said thickly. "I was trying-I want it to last."

"Then use one of your tricks you learned from that prostitute in Bangkok. I can't wait."

"I'm afraid I can't either. Not this time." His hips began moving in a deep, swiveling motion.

She cried out, her fingers closing on his shoulders.

"You like that?"

The sensation was indescribable. "Yes," she whispered.

He plunged deep. "And this?"

She bit her lower lip to keep from screaming. "Stop asking me questions. Just do it."

"But I want to ask you questions. I want to know what you like. So I can do it again." He began flexing, moving, plunging rhythmically. "And again. And again."

She had to put an end to this. Or a beginning…

She reached down between them. "Do you like this?"

He inhaled sharply, his cheeks flushing. "Oh, yes. But I don't believe I can take much of that."

"I didn't think so. Neither can I, you bastard. Now stop playing and give it to me."

"Whatever you want," he said huskily as he went deep. "As much as you want…"

"IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTERin the cave." Marrok's breath was coming in harsh rasps as he moved off her. "It would have been better anywhere but here. For God's sake, I couldn't even wait to get away from these rocks." He put his arm beneath his head and stared up at the searing blue of the sky. "It's not what I planned. Hell, I didn't have a plan. I just wanted it good for you."

"Well, it wasn't… bad." Understatement of the century, she thought dazedly. Primitive, rough, mind-blowing. It was probably the sexual high of her experience. But she wished Marrok would just stop talking and do it again. Once, a dozen times… Good God, that sounded sex-starved. "I like these rocks." She got up on one elbow and gazed down at him. "And I regard it as egotistical of you to take credit or blame in this par tic u lar endeavor. I was actively involved."

He frowned. "I seduced you."

"Bullshit. My choice. I wanted you, weighed caution and lust, and tossed caution out the window." She bent her head and brushed her lips across his shoulder. "And I believe I'm going to do it again."

He shuddered. "My, my. Am I the one being seduced?"

"Yes. You're moving too slow."

His hand moved to cup the back of her head. "I'll try to remedy that. I was being careful. I didn't expect you to be this enthusiastic."

She raised her head to look at him. "Why not?" Then she slowly nodded. "Lester?"

"You had a bad marriage."

"Yes."

"Did you like it with him?"

"At first. Then he started to hurt me. Do you really want to talk about this, Marrok?"

"No, I wanted you to tell me that you hated him touching you."

"I did toward the end. But I'm not going to lie to you. I like sex. It was what drew me to Lester in the beginning. He spoiled practically everything else in my life. I wasn't going to let him twist that for me." She made a face. "Though he saw to it that I avoided men like the plague. It wasn't safe for them."

"Good. That cuts down my competition." He bent his head and licked her nipple. "Did I tell you I like your breasts?"

"No, I don't remember our talking much."

"I do." His hand wandered down her body to her belly. "And I like your skin here. It's tight, but there's a sort of voluptuous fullness…" He started to stroke her, pet her. "I can see why Enright wanted to get you pregnant. There's something erotic and primitive about thinking of you with my child." He kissed her breast again. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't use anything. Is it going to be okay?"

"Do you mean did I protect myself? Of course." It was a lie. It hadn't been necessary for her to use contraceptives for a long time. "I'm not worried." And that was the truth. She had made a choice and she was content with it. Whatever happened, she would deal with it. It had been worth it. "And will you quit petting my belly as if I were Ned?"