Page 18 of The Seascape Between Us (The Men of Saltwater Cove #4)

My cock was already half-hard. I scrubbed both hands down my face, frustrated with myself.

What was I doing? I shouldn’t be thinking about him like that.

Not when we’d agreed to a fresh start for the hotel and the partnership.

Still, I couldn’t seem to chase away those images of him naked and wet in the shower.

I guess what he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him.

The water shut off, and from where I slouched on the sofa, I could hear him open the bathroom door, pad across the hall before he went into the bedroom and closed the door.

I’d planned to sleep upstairs in the same room I used the last time I stayed here.

It wasn’t the largest of the two bedrooms upstairs, but it had a view of the ocean and I’d love that when I had stayed here before.

It was probably a smart choice, choosing to sleep on a completely different floor than Daniel, because the more time I spent around him, the more I wanted to touch him.

I desperately needed something to occupy myself, a distraction.

I should have had Carter bring my laptop.

Maybe I should order dinner now. It was just past four p.m., early for dinner, but then neither of us had had lunch.

Maybe I should wait a bit before ordering food, let Daniel sleep for a while before I woke him to eat.

I should at least find out what he wants.

I stood and made my way to his room. I knocked on his closed door.

“Hold on a second,” Daniel said. I could hear the rustle of fabric before he said, “Okay, come in.”

I opened the door enough that I could peek my head inside. Daniel was in the bed, the quilt pulled up to his waist, his chest bare. His towel was in a wet heap on the floor next to his bed, his clothes in another pile in the far corner.

Holy god, was he naked under there? Heat rolled through me like a wave. I could feel my resolve to keep things professional weakening. My hands itched to pull the quilt down, revealing all of him one glorious inch at a time.

“What is it?” Daniel asked, brows pulling into a frown.

I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. “Um… I didn’t ask. Is… there… anything you want me to order for dinner?”

He shrugged his broad, naked shoulders. “I’ll eat anything.”

He really would. He wasn’t just trying to be easy-going. I remembered from before, he pretty much liked everything.

“How does Chinese sound?”

“Great.”

“Is there anything specific you want?”

“You know what I like.”

I did. I remembered all his favorites. There was something almost surreal about being together, but not together.

I remembered how good it felt being with him before it turned bad.

Not just sex, though that had been pretty fucking spectacular too, but just being close to each other, knowing I could look over at him and know exactly what he was thinking from his expression.

Something in my chest ached, but I pushed those thoughts away. “Do you want me to order now, or do you want me to let you sleep first?”

He snorted. “It’s not even five o’clock. There’s no way I’ll sleep now .”

“I can help you.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. “Help you relax, take the edge off.”

Daniel stilled, his gaze darkening. “What do you mean?”

“Exactly what you think I mean. Do you want me to?”

“What about the hotel? The partnership?”

“It doesn’t have to mean anything,” I said. “Just two consenting adults enjoying each other. People do it all the time.”

“Co-workers with benefits?”

I stepped closer to the bed, to him. “Something like that.”

His throat jumped, and he nodded. “Okay. Yeah.”

It was all I needed. I slid my feet out of my shoes and climbed up on the bed until I was kneeling between his blanket-covered legs. Daniel leaned towards me, but I pressed my palm to his chest. His skin was warm beneath my touch.

“You’re supposed to be resting. I’m just here to help you relax.” I gently pushed against his chest until he was lying back against the pillow. “That’s it. Let me take care of you.”

His pupils grew big, darkening his eyes while I let my fingers lightly trail down his chest, over his flat, hard stomach until I reached the edge of the quilt at his waist. “Can I?”

He swallowed hard and nodded.

My heart pounded, my cock painfully hard just from touching him, from the anticipation of everything I wanted to do with him— to him.

I curled my fingers around the edge of his covers and pulled them back slowly, exposing Daniel’s naked body, one glorious inch at a time, as if I was unwrapping a present—and in a way, I guess I was.

The sight of him naked and spread out for me was a gift.

“You really are naked under there.” My voice rasped, my mouth still dry.

Red crept into his face. “I just showered. I didn’t want to put my dirty clothes back on.”

“There’s no need to explain.” My gaze slid over his muscled chest, six-pack abs, down to his thick cock jutting out from his neatly trimmed gold hair.

God, he was gorgeous. He always had been.

“As a matter of fact, I’m in favor of you spending more time naked.

So, don’t feel you need to wear clothes on my account. ”

Daniel laughed. “The feeling’s mutual, you know.”

“Is this your way of hinting that I’m wearing too many clothes?” I was still wearing the suit pants I had on this morning, though the jacket was a write off, and I had rolled up the sleeves of my white shirt to my elbows.

He grinned. “Something like that.”

“Soon,” I promised. The truth was having him naked and spread out before me like my own personal feast while I was still completely dressed did something for me, feeding into the hunger gnawing at my insides.

I wanted to watch him while I took him apart, turn him desperate and vulnerable, before I put him back together again.

I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his, catching his mouth in a long and filthy kiss.

When I finally tore my mouth away, we were both breathing hard.

I leaned back again, letting my hands move over his warm skin, exploring every inch of his body.

I deliberately avoided his cock, thick and hard, begging to be touched.

My mouth watered at the thought of taking him into my mouth against my tongue, my lips stretched around him.

His legs had drawn up, so his knees were bent on either side of me, his heels pressing into the mattress.

I ran my hands up the backs of his legs, earning a soft whine from him and a shiver that trembled through him.

I pushed his legs open farther, to accommodate me better, then let my fingers trail down the backs of thighs over the small curve of his ass.

“My god, I want to fuck you,” I’m murmured, letting my finger graze his hole.

He groaned and lifted his hips as if it was an offering. “Please.”

I was tempted. The idea of letting myself sink into his tight heat filled me with an almost desperate need. Only my nagging conscious, reminding me we’d just been at the hospital, kept me in check.

“Soon,” I promised again, and I meant it.

Instead, I shifted back, then dipped my head and licked up the length of his cock with the flat of my tongue, swirling the tip around his head before enveloping him wholly in the wet warmth of my mouth.

“Shit! Grey,” Daniel groaned. His fingers tangled in my hair, tightening as I sucked up and down his cock. I swallowed him deep, earning another thready moan that shot straight to my dick.

With my nose pressed to his pubic hair, I could smell the pine of the body wash from his shower and that sweet musk scent that was all him.

I’d forgotten how good he smelled, how good he tasted, and as my head bounced up and down between his knees, the memories of the sounds he made, the feel of his hands buried in my hair returned—not that they’d ever really left me.

I could feel him trembling beneath me, getting closer to the edge. His fingers tightened in my hair, and I felt him try to tug me back.

“I’m close.” He groaned. “So close.”

Instead of pulling off him, I sucked him deeper until he exploded inside my mouth with a shout. I swallowed everything he gave me, every drop. When I felt the tension drain from his body, I released his softening cock, lifted my head, and met his gaze.

He looked so beautiful, fuzzy and fucked out, eyes half-lidded while he looked up at me. He started sitting up and reached for me, but I shook my head and pressed my hand to his chest. “You’re supposed to be resting.”

“What about you?”

“I can take care of me.” I opened my pants and pushed my underwear down, freeing my erection, hard and straining until it ached.

Daniel’s gaze darkened as I took myself in hand and began stroking. He pushed up onto his elbows, maybe to see better, while my hand flew up and down my length. I knew it wouldn’t take long. It had been a while since I’d been with anyone, and having Daniel like this drove me half out of my mind.

His dark, hazy gaze locked with mine at the same time my balls tightened. Streams of cum splashed across his stomach and chest, marking him as mine. A few stray drops struck his chin and his tongue darted out, catching them.

Mine .

Spent, I sagged forward, breathing hard. After a minute or so, I felt Daniel shift beneath me as if he meant to get up. I lifted my head. “Are you okay?”

He chuckled softly. “More than. I just need to…” He gestured to my cum already drying on his skin.

“Relax.” I stood from the bed, my legs rubbery under my weight, and grabbed his towel from down on the floor. “Here.” Carefully, I wiped up the mess I’d made. “Was this okay?”

He grinned. “Um… Yeah. It was amazing.” A faint frown clouded his sleepy expression. “Didn’t you think so?”

I kissed him, slower this time, without the desperation from earlier, but no less hungry. “Yeah, I thought so. Better than I remembered.”

It had always been amazing between us. Even that first time together, fumbling and awkward, jerking each other off in one of the hotel room showers, fighting to keep our voices low, so no one would catch us. It had still been hot.

I collected the dirty towel and Daniel’s clothes, then took them to the laundry room.

There was nothing to wash the clothes with, and I hadn’t thought to ask Carter to pick up laundry soap.

If we were going to be staying here for the next few days, I’d have to make a list of everything we needed, then stop at the store when I went to pick up mine and Daniels’s things tomorrow.

When I got back to the room, Daniel was lying on his back, his eyes closed, his good arm over his head. Soft rhythmic breaths escaped from his slightly parted lips. He finally slept.

It would be so easy to fall for him again. Those feelings I convinced myself were long dead hadn’t gone anywhere. They were still buried inside me, like I'd stored them all away in a glass box where they had remained dormant until I’d come into contact with Daniel again.

While his chest rose and fell with sleep, finally having claimed him, I gave into the urge and gently brushed his hair back from his forehead.