Vivian Arend - High Passion

If her mind hadn’t been whirling with confusion, she’d have made a snarky crack in response. As it was, all she seemed capable of was staring in shock. “But you kissed me .”

He smiled. Not the full-out cocky grin she’d seen so often when they competed with each other. This one was different. More sensual. Teasing in a way that made her ache inside.

“I want to kiss you again.”

A zing shot through her, like catching hold of a live wire.

He leaned forward and crowded her. “If I’m being honest, I want to do more than kiss you.”

Honest made her heart pound. “Devon. Stop.”

He did, instantly pulling away and reseating himself opposite her.

Fleeing seemed over the top and unnecessary, even though her heart rate was higher now than when they’d been racing. “I don’t understand. I mean . . .”

His expression grew darker, not in a frightening way but as if he wanted to consume her. “What’s so difficult about this, Alisha? It’s been hanging over us for years. Maybe now, while we have to spend a bunch of time together, would be a good opportunity to stop fighting what we’ve known all along. We’re attracted to each other.”

“But you kissed me.”

This time he cracked, amusement spreading across his face. “Yes, Alisha. I did. And you kissed me back.”

“I didn’t want to kiss you.” Lie. Total lie, but the words spilt out from habit if nothing else. Denying their chemistry was too ingrained for her to toss it away this quickly.

“Bullshit.” Devon leaned away and rested his arms on the pool edge, his biceps flexing. “You weren’t complaining a moment ago. And right now, I’d bet what you’d really like, if you were honest, would be for me to start all over again and not stop.”

She caught herself with her mouth gaping open, and quickly closed it. “You are one arrogant, cocky bastard, aren’t you?”

“Stopped you from hyperventilating.”

Shit.

Alisha pressed on the hard tiles under her fingers, curling her fingers around the edge. “You kissed me to distract me.”

He nodded, then briefly shook his head. “Your pulse was rising and your breathing was accelerating, but I kissed you because it distracted you and because I wanted to like crazy. I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first day of our first class together when you walked in late and we got stuck as partners using the oldest mats in the gym.”

The memory returned far too quickly. “Gee, I’d have never have known it. I seem to recall you being the center of some kind of Devon in the middle huddle, with all the girls using you as the football.”

He pushed himself up to sit on the edge of the poolside, water running down his torso and leaving a glistening layer shining on his skin. “You remember that day far different than I do, then. I remember partnering with you for stretching. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to hide a hard-on in climbing gear?”

She couldn’t stop it. Her gaze involuntarily fell to his lap, where evidence of his erection formed a mound in his board shorts.

She slipped out of the water, suddenly far too heated to stay in one place anymore.

“Alisha.”

She wanted to hide, but . . . Lifting her head to meet his gaze was nearly impossible, but she’d done far more frightening things over the years. Far more frightening than to acknowledge she knew he was hot for her.

That she was hot for him?

But there was a huge deal breaker between them in spite of her raging libido. Her chin rose until they were eye to eye. “You’ve always had a ton of girls in your pocket, Devon. I’ve never been interested in being simply another toy you play with.”

He nodded slowly. “I don’t blame you.”

“What would Lana think of us fooling around?”

His shock seemed genuine, replacing the lust. “Lana who?”

She bit back a laugh. “I saw her in your truck the other day.”

Comprehension lit his eyes and the familiar, teasing Devon was back. “Oh, when I drove her to the grocery store because her car was busted. Were you jealous?”

Embarrassed was more like it. “Don’t make me regret this, Devon.”

“Regret what?”

They were on opposite sides of the circular hot tub, feet dangling in the water. The entire width of the pool separated them and yet she swore she still felt his touch. Bubbling and splashing carried on around them. Everything else had vanished in the wake of this new challenge.

A bit of defiance stiffened her resolve, only this time in Devon’s favour. Vincent had shown up in her new backyard, so to speak. Unannounced and uninvited.

He was the last person she wanted to be involved with.

Devon had already proved he was a fine distraction. Maybe seeing him wouldn’t be the worst mistake she could make. If she was careful, and didn’t get her heart involved. Would it really be so bad if she let loose a little and satisfied the ache he created inside?

Devon examined her, top to bottom. Her smooth stomach, the skin showing between the expanse of her swimsuit bottom and the sports bra top she wore. She’d climbed in a top like that. He’d touched her while climbing, but this was much different. This wasn’t about a professional work relationship, this was the two of them finally dealing with the itch that had been driving him crazy forever.

Her, too, if she’d admit it.

Right now, right here, all he needed was for her to agree they would be together. Time was of the essence, especially with that Vincent showing up.

Maybe there was a better way to do this, but he’d expended all his patience in the years leading up to now. “I promise I don’t consider you a toy, but I do want to play with you.”

Her eyes widened, and that pink tongue of hers snuck over her bottom lip.

He stood on the bench of the hot tub, not hiding his hard-on as he paced the perimeter toward her. “I want kisses, and tastes of your skin. I want to touch you everywhere and learn what kind of noises you make when you’re trembling on the edge of orgasm.”

“Devon . . .”

“I want to fool around with you for hours until we’re both so tired we pass out, just so we can wake up and do it all over again.”

The passion in her eyes—the astonishment and longing—increased as he drew closer. His cock was rock hard, tight to his body with the wet fabric of his shorts barely confining him.

He stepped to her side and slipped his hands along her thighs, loving the catch in her breathing as he made contact. Driven on by the flutter of her heart rate at the pulse of her throat, he eased her thighs apart, stepping between them as he lowered himself into the water again so their eyes were level.

Her breathing picked up. His was none too steady, either.

His hands were still on her thighs, so he skimmed them ever so slowly upward. Closer to her sex. Palms cupping the top of her limbs, thumbs dragging on the inside of her soft, smooth skin.

“I want to slip my tongue into you and eat you out until you’re squirming. I want to lick your cream from my fingers after I’ve brought you to orgasm. Then I’ll drive my cock into you until you scream with pleasure.”

He’d lowered his voice, barely audible over the everyday pool noises. But she’d heard. She’d heard every word.

Her bottom lip quivered, moisture shining on it where she’d given in and nervously licked a second ago. She stared at his mouth as if she were starving.

He was. For more of her.

“Yes, Alisha? Do we give in to the heat and make both of us far happier than we’ve been? Or we can go back to being frustrated. You using whatever vibrators you’ve got shoved in your side table, and me fucking my fist, wishing I were pumping into you instead.”