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The minute I’d finished, his eyes raked over my body, full of wonder. Awe. He reached out and untethered my ponytail, allowing my hair to settle around my shoulders. After a beat, he touched the underside of one breast, running his thumb over its hard bud before cupping it in his hand. “I always knew you’d be beautiful. I’m going to enjoy the rest of my life with you.”

At his words, butterflies the size of seagulls took flight in my chest, their wings beating against my ribs. My heartbeat kicked up into overdrive. The rest of his life?

I opened my mouth, but before I could ask what he meant, he pushed up to sitting, kissing me hard, pulling me closer. The tickle of his chest against my nipples and the pull of his breath set my insides on fire, igniting the low pulsing I’d come to love.

I ground into him to relieve the pressure, and his breath came in ever-increasing rasps against my lips. I dragged my nails over his back, tempting him to come closer, to envelop mecompletely. But, as our movements became wilder, Brody closed a hand around one of my buttocks.

“Please, can we…will you…”

He laced every word with tortured breath, but I didn’t give him time to finish. Instead, a grin spread across my lips. “Oh, hell yes.” I needed no persuading.

I brought my palm flat against Brody’s chest, pushing him back so he rested on his elbows. Then, with my eyes nailed to his, I shifted my weight off a little before taking him in my hand and sliding onto him. The drag of his cock inside me, filling me, took my breath away. My gasp fought for supremacy with his guttural growl.

Brody tipped his head back, and I moved in slow circles, chasing every sensation, every pull of pleasure. The soft skin of his thick neck stretched before me as if begging me to kiss it. I obliged, and once again, my breasts nudged against the light dusting of hair on his chest. With every movement, every rotation I made, I wanted him more. Like I was an addict, he was my drug, and I’d never get enough.

As I moved on top of him, Brody gripped my buttocks. He tipped his hips into me and followed my movements, chasing my strokes. If I paused, he paused. If I sped up or ground harder into him, he matched my rhythm. I was in full control, and damn, it felt good. The slide of Brody inside me, his hands clamping me in place and his mouth on my breasts, was all I could ever imagine.

Repeatedly, we met together in a slap of skin until neither of us could bear it. Grinding out my name, Brody pushed up to sit. He bent his knees behind me, and I leaned back slightly, crashing into him hard as he met me with strokes of his own. The relentless rhythm of our bodies coming together was hypnotizing. Magical. Blissful. With each tip of my hips, hesucked in a breath, his mouth at my breasts. Senseless words tripped off his tongue.

As fireflies danced around us, the first nudges of paradise tickled low down in my core. The first tugs of ecstasy. The creeping onset of a feeling that would take over, consume me, and then leave my body wracked and heavy. Sated. It was all I craved.Hewas all I craved.

“Brody,” I rasped, “I want you.”

At the sound of my voice, his grip around my hips tightened, and his lips found my neck. “You have me. Just like you said, no questions, no reservations. No regrets. I’m yours.”

His words filled my soul, and as I tangled my fingers through his hair, waves of want and pure ecstasy bubbled up inside of me. Each thrust of his hips drove me higher. Each shuddering breath at my ear pulled me in. He was dragging me over searing coals of delight, and I was a willing victim. My head spun until finally, Brody groaned my name one last time, and rocking together, we dissolved in a mess of hopeless desire.

30

RO

Aslap of skin roused me from my sleep. The humming of insects filled the air, and as I opened my eyes, my vision snapped into focus. The weathered wood of the boat, the grass and trees lining the bank, and Brody Flockhart bringing his hand down against his hip. Repeatedly.

“Mother f…” He stopped when he noticed me lift my head.

“Are you okay? What’s up?” I reached out a hand to touch his arm and recoiled a little at the feel of his skin. It was like touching a sheet of bubble wrap. A canvas of nasty red lumps. I tightened my eyes. Mosquito bites covered every inch of him. After the little suckers had targeted me last night, he’d given me the tarp to cover up. The flying assassins had obviously decided that any blood was better than none. They’d feasted on him instead.

I sat up and took in the braille-like bumps that spread over his back. “Oh, crap! They really went to town on you.”

Brody grimaced. “Yep. I swear I read somewhere that mosquitoes don’t bite men.” He rubbed at his arm. “I may have to ask you a favor. Can you crochet me a pair of mittens? I swear I’m going to scratch my skin to the bone at this rate.” He waggedhis head and offered his fists to me like he wanted me to slap him in cuffs.

I gave him a lopsided smile. “At least you had the foresight to put your boxers on at some point. I wouldn’t want your package to have suffered any damage.” His grin made my heart skip, and my insides melt.

A shiver ran over my body as the mist on the water turned to minute drops of dew on my skin. We must’ve fallen asleep last night. We’d had every intention of returning to the jetty, but our post-pleasure snuggles had been too tempting. The last thing I remember was Brody telling me the whole truth about his injury and the worry he’d gone through these last few months. I’d had no idea.

I shoved over to one side of the hull and opened the old canvas. “Come here under the tarp. The bugs’ll disappear once the sun warms up.”

Brody came to join me, wincing a little as he moved his leg. We’d certainly tested its resilience last night. If DIY rowing and boat-sex had been on the list for his physical with the Denver doctor, he’d have passed with flying colors.

I settled on Brody’s chest as the dawn light hit our faces. I sighed, tracing my fingertips through the smattering of hair. The last time we’d lain like this, I’d been full of doubt. My stomach had resembled a tangled ball of yarn at the thought of talking to Coop about me and Brody. Now, I could barely contain the jitters in my chest and the smile on my face.

Thank goodness I hadn’t dreamed last night and chalked the countless orgasms he’d given me down to imagination. No. He was here, hard and warm underneath me. All my tomorrows at my fingertips.

“Let’s start again. Good morning,” he said, kissing the top of my head. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“I’m just sorry I made you stay out in the bug-infested air. Why didn’t you wake me? I’m sure the tarp would’ve covered us both.”

“Let’s just say I took one for the team.” The warm air of his chuckle ruffled my hair, and he ran his fingers over my shoulder blade. “Do you think anyone would miss us if we stayed out here?”