Taming Lily Read online

  In other words, I was horrid.

  “How about skinny-dipping? Ever do that?”

  My entire body tingles at the casual suggestion. “Are you saying that’s what we’re going to do? Don’t tell me we’re going to hike down this entire mountain to the ocean.” We’re still a long way from the water. I can’t imagine he could carry me much farther.

  “Nah, I have a better spot all picked out.” He turns right, down a trail I didn’t even notice. It’s mostly covered by overgrown shrubs, vines and low-hanging tree branches, and we have to duck as we make our way along the new trail.

  “Where exactly are you taking me?” I ask, squeezing my legs along his sides.

  He huffs out a breath. Finally, he sounds tired. The man can just go and go. It’s almost nice to see cracks in his perfectly fit veneer. “Another few minutes and you’ll find out.”

  I remain silent, enjoying the sensation of his big hands gripping the back of my legs, how solid he feels between my thighs. The scent of his hair is intoxicating, as is the feel of his body moving and shifting beneath me. He’s so strong, so hard … everywhere. Just knowing this man had me every which way last night into this morning is enough to leave my body buzzing and desperate for more.

  He rounds a corner, past a particularly thick group of trees, and I hear it before I see it. A dull, steady roar, the sound of water splashing. Then it comes into view, like a shining oasis in the middle of a desert, a gorgeous waterfall cascading down the side of a mountain and falling into a channel of swirling water.

  “We’re here,” he says as he loosens his hold on me and I slide down his back, making sure I brush against every available body part of his that I can. I straighten the hem of my tank top as he turns to look at me, a satisfied smile on his face as he waves a hand in the direction of the waterfall. “Was that worth the hike or what?”

  “It’s beautiful,” I agree as I start walking toward it. The water is falling so rapidly I can feel it mist in the air, bathing my warm skin in cool sprinkles. I go to the water’s edge and kick off my flip-flops, dipping my toes into the water. “And cold.”

  “Yeah?” He approaches me, stopping right by my side. He tugs off his shirt, revealing that mouth-watering chest, and my greedy gaze drinks him in, not sure where I should settle my eyes first.

  All of it is just too delicious to take in.

  “Are you jumping in?” I ask as he toes off his shoes.

  “Hell, yeah. It was hot, packing you down that mountain.”

  I slap his arm, grimacing at the impact. His biceps are rock hard. “I told you I was too heavy.”

  “Nah, I’m just giving you shit.” He reaches for the button of his shorts and undoes it, then slides the zipper down, taking off his shorts and his boxer briefs in one push. He kicks them off, flashes me a wicked smile, and starts walking into the water.

  Breathless, I watch him, my gaze glued to his ass. It’s firm and muscular, just like the rest of him, and stark white compared to his tanned skin, as are the back of his thighs. I giggle, clamping my lips shut when he gets waist deep and turns to look at me.

  “What are you laughing at?” he asks.

  “Your ghostly white butt,” I tell him, deciding to be honest.

  He splashes water at me, getting my feet and ankles wet, and I jump back a little. “I bet your pretty little ass is just as white. In fact, I know it is.”

  I remember that he became real up-close-and-personal with my ass this morning and my skin tingles at the memory. “Care to see it?”

  “Absolutely,” he says without hesitation.

  I grab the bottom of my tank and yank it up and over my head, tossing it to the ground. I’m not wearing a bra and I swear I hear him mutter, “I knew it,” under his breath as he watches me strip.

  Smiling, I continue, taking off my white shorts, a small part of me hoping like crazy that they don’t get too dirty while crumpled on the ground, leaving me only in a white lacy thong that is completely see-through.

  Exactly the reason I wore it.

  His expression slackens and that arrogant smile disappears. He’s gazing at my panties like they’re the solution to all of his problems and I start to wade into the water, hissing in a breath at the cold temperature. “Like what you see?” I ask innocently.

  “Not going to take off the panties?” he asks, his voice a little rough.

  “I thought keeping them on made things more interesting.” Slowly I approach him, the roar of the waterfall becoming louder and louder as I come closer to Max. The water is waist high, then chest high, and he grabs me, hauling me to him, his hands automatically going to my butt as he slides his palms up and down my curves.

  “Very interesting. And flimsy. Though I thought we were skinny-dipping,” he murmurs just as he bends his head, his mouth connecting with mine.

  I run my hands up his wet chest, parting my lips, allowing his tongue entry. A moan escapes me when he hauls me in close and I wrap my legs around his waist, feeling his erect cock poking against my backside. “Take them off then,” I encourage when I break away from his hot, delicious mouth.

  One hand goes to the thin band of my thong and he tugs, tearing the lace away from my body. A gasp escapes me and he’s pulling the ruined panties off me, balling them up into his hand and tossing them over the water, where they land on the shore, right by my flip-flops.

  I stare at the balled-up underwear on the ground before I turn back to look at him, my lips parted, gaping at him like an idiot. He smiles and grabs hold of me, pulling me farther into the water, and I have no choice but to swim with him.

  “Let’s go fuck under the waterfall,” he says, and I laugh at him, shaking my head.

  “We don’t have a condom. Unless you have one tucked under your balls,” I tease, making him chuckle.

  “That I don’t. I have one in the pocket of my shorts, though.” He glances at the shore once more, where his shorts lie in a heap. “Guess we’ll have to improvise.”

  “Guess so,” I say, my heart racing at the thought.

  Can’t wait to see what he comes up with.

  chapter thirteen

  Max

  LILY LOOKS LIKE A WATER NYMPH, sexy and naked, droplets of water scattered all over her skin and clinging to her eyelashes and her hair slicked back. Her breasts bob in the water, offering me teasing glimpses of her dark pink nipples, and they’re hard as diamonds¸ tempting me to lick and suck and make her crazy out of her mind with wanting more.

  She likes it when I suck her nipples. She likes it when I do anything to her. She’s so damn responsive. I know she liked it, too, when I tore her panties off her body. They probably cost a fortune but I don’t give a shit. It felt good, showing such aggression, showing her what I can do.

  Hell, I felt like a show-off carrying her down the trail to this spot. She complained she might weigh too much, but give me a break. She’s light as a feather. And despite how hot it is, it still felt good having her pressed so close to me. Her mouth at my neck, her breasts crushed against my back, her legs clamped around my hips. She’s warm and soft and fits perfectly in my arms, against my back …

  Too damn bad the condoms are stuffed in my shorts pocket and I was too stupid to remember to grab one and bring it with me into the water. Now I can’t fuck her properly like I want to under the waterfall.

  Guess we really will have to improvise. Eventually I’ll carry her back to shore, grab a condom, and fuck her in the shallow end. Hell, if I can stand it. I’m afraid she might wear me out by the end of the first go-round.

  She splashes water in my face and pushes her body beneath the surface, headed toward the waterfall. I follow after her, my arms slicing through the water as I easily catch up with her. She’s a good swimmer, a talent I figured she was lacking considering what happened when I rescued her out of the ocean.

  “So you really can swim,” I say when I capture her in my arms and haul her in close to me.

  An indignant gasp escapes her and she slu
gs my shoulder. “What makes you say that?”

  “After your little tumble in the ocean a few days ago, I figured you were a beginner at best.” I grab hold of her injured hand and examine it. The bandage is gone and it looks like the wound is healing nicely. “Still bother you?” I ask.

  She slowly shakes her head. “It’s a lot better.”

  “Good.” I bring her palm up to my mouth and kiss it, noting how her eyes fill with heat when my lips touch her skin. “That was a scary moment.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “What happened, anyway?”

  “I don’t know.” She shrugs, turning her head to stare at the waterfall. “One minute I was fine and the next, I was being swept away, along with the tide. I couldn’t get my bearings, I couldn’t rise above the water, and I started to panic.”

  The worst thing that can happen when something goes wrong while underwater—panicking. “Glad I was there,” I say, knowing we’ve had a similar conversation already but feeling like it needs to be said. She’d come close to death that afternoon.

  “I’m glad you were there, too.” She returns her attention to me, her voice going soft, as does her body, since she seems to melt into me. I gather her closer, my gaze dropping to her breasts, the way they’re pressed firmly against my chest, water drops making wet paths all over her abundant flesh. “I’m glad you’re here now.”

  “Yeah?” I skim my index finger along her temple, her cheek. Her skin is sleek from the water and chilled, her cheeks and lips redder than normal.

  “Oh yeah.” Her smile turns sultry and she circles her arms around my neck, her fingers diving into the wet hair at my nape. “You’ve made my solo vacation infinitely more interesting.”

  “Same goes, princess.” I lean in and kiss her, her lips parted and wet, the inside of her mouth hot compared to her cool skin. I sweep my tongue inside, tangle it with hers, and she clutches me closer, her legs curling around my thighs.

  I grab hold of her legs and lift, groaning when they wrap around my hips and I can feel her hot pussy press against my erect cock. I’d give anything to drive myself inside her, but I can’t. Not without protection. I’m not about to do something stupid and fuck her bare.

  She rubs against me, little whimpers sounding in the back of her throat as she grinds her body on mine, and I know she’s trying to get off. No way am I going to let her find her satisfaction just yet. “Slow down, baby girl,” I tell her, my hand going to her ass and giving one cheek a firm squeeze. “You’re moving too fast.”

  “I can’t help it,” she murmurs, wiggling her hips and nearly making my eyes cross. “You feel so good.”

  “It’ll feel even better if you can find some patience.” I squeeze her butt harder, wanting her to get the hint, but it seems to only get her off more. “If you don’t stop squirming, I’m going to drop you.”

  She sends me a challenging look. Brows raised, lips curved in a smirk, eyes full of doubt. Slowly, boldly, she rotates her hips, slips one hand between us, and grips my cock tight. “You really want me to stop?”

  I release my hold on her, shocking her so much her fingers spring free from my dick, and I push her legs away from my hips, putting some much-needed distance between us. Damn it, when she moves like that, touches me like that, I can hardly think straight. And I’m always thinking straight. I’m the one who’s in control, not her. She tends to forget that.

  So I guess I need to remind her.

  “What the hell are you doing?” she yells, splashing water at me with both of her hands.

  I swim away from her, drawing closer and closer to the waterfall. It’s so damn loud I can hardly hear myself think and the water is colder, helping my erection settle down some. “Trying to get you to slow the fuck down. Haven’t you ever heard of anticipation?”

  “Haven’t you ever heard of a quickie?” she yells back, looking completely irritated.

  And hot. Definitely hot. There is nothing better than watching a naked Lily Fowler swim around in a freshwater lagoon, all those lush curves on display, her expression full of rage. That I’m getting off on her like this shows what a sick fuck I am.

  “Baby, you were rubbing against me like a cat in heat,” I taunt, because for some twisted reason, I enjoy riling her up, pissing her off.

  “It’s all your fault, you know. You’re the one who makes me feel like a cat in heat.” She starts for me, diving beneath the water and swimming fast, straight toward me like a bullet. I turn onto my belly and put some effort into it, swimming as fast as I can, until I find myself directly beneath the waterfall. The water pummels me deeper and I struggle to swim away from it, opening my eyes to see Lily zoom past me like she’s some sort of mermaid.

  Impressive.

  She pops her head above water at the same exact time I do, about fifty feet away and glaring at me like she could slice me to bits with just her eyes. “You’re an asshole.”

  “You’re only just now realizing this?” I push my wet hair away from my face with both hands. “I thought you had that all figured out when I took you on that death ride to get here.”

  “Do you want to drive me away? Because I don’t get this.” She waves a hand at me, flicking water in my direction. “What you’re trying to do. Put a wedge between us? Act like an arrogant prick? I’m confused, Max.”

  I tread water, watching her, her words repeating themselves in my muddled brain. She just called me out on my shitty behavior, something that hasn’t happened in a long time. My mama used to do it when I was still living at home, but that stopped once I went into the military and straightened my ass up.

  Until I didn’t have my ass on straight and made a spontaneous move, trying to save the men in my squad and losing more than half of them in the process. I lost all control, something I rarely do, and it cost me my military career.

  I disappointed my family, especially my father. I fucked up. Swore I would never do something stupid again when I became a civilian once more, grateful for my friends who rallied around me and invested in my new business. I took their unwavering faith as them investing in me, believing in me.

  And I needed that. Desperately.

  The business has done well; it’s been almost two years and it’s grown steadily. Since the doors opened I’ve taken on a steady stream of clients, treated them well, done what I needed to do and kept on the right track.

  Until Lily. She’s fucked me up all over again. I shouldn’t be here with her. I shouldn’t be doing this. I can tell myself all damn day I’m trying to get close to her so I can get that laptop, but it’s complete bullshit.

  I like her. I’m attracted to her. Hell, I think I might be addicted to her pussy, to her mouth, to the fire that blazes within her. I want her.

  And it has nothing to do with the laptop, with the job, with Pilar Vasquez.

  It has everything to do with Lily.

  Without a word I swim to her, never taking my eyes from hers, seeing the troubled doubt, the anxiousness, the worry in her expression. The fire is there, too, blazing in her beautiful hazel eyes, and I know she doubts me. Is probably tempted to shove me away and tell me to go fuck myself.

  I’d deserve it, too.

  I stop just before her, water splashing all over my head, the roar of the waterfall making it hard for me to hear or be heard. Clearing my throat, I yell, “I’m sorry.”

  There’s no need to explain myself to help her figure out why I just reacted the way I did. I need to finish out today and be done with it. Be done with her. That’s what I tell myself, at least.

  I don’t know if I can do it.

  She watches me, her gaze, her expression, softening the slightest bit. But she says nothing, which fills me with the need to say something.

  “I’m a dick.” I shake my head, sending water droplets flying, and she floats away from me, like she needs the distance. “I don’t want to ruin this.”

  Lily frowns. “Ruin what?”

  “Today. This afternoon. What we’re doing.”
I come toward her, relieved she doesn’t move away. “I’m having fun.”

  “I was, too,” she says, the sarcasm heavy. “Until you went all asshole on me.”

  “I can’t say I won’t do it again.” I slip my arms around her slender waist and she drifts toward me, her legs circling my hips once more, her hot pussy pressed up against my lower belly. Breathing deep, I place my mouth at her temple, the scent of her shampoo, the feel of her skin, making me hard once more. “But I’ll try my best to not be a dick for the rest of the day.”

  She starts to laugh, her arms coming around my neck, her breasts once again lodged against my chest. I love how her body feels close to mine. We fucking fit. “Well, that was the most honest apology I think I’ve ever received.”

  I kiss her because I can’t resist her laugh, can’t resist the way she’s touching me. The kiss turns deep in an instant, our tongues tangling, the two of us moaning, our bodies melding as close as they can get. I start to steer us both closer to the water’s edge, on the other side of the waterfall, so I can at least stand.

  Within seconds, it’s shallow enough for me to find my footing and I reach between her legs, making her gasp. She’s so hot, she coats my fingers with her creamy essence and I kiss her hard while I work her harder, sinking my fingers inside her body as I press her swollen clit with my thumb. She moans into my mouth, her teeth nipping my lips, her tongue circling mine, and I know she’s already fucking close.

  Hell, I’m about to explode, all from arguing with her, kissing her, touching her. She works her hips against my hand and I add another finger, then another, fucking her with three, getting a little rough as I thrust as deep as I can get.

  But this girl, she can take it. She likes it when I take over, when I’m not gentle. It’s a rare thing, to find a woman who seems to get me immediately. When I was young I fought my urges. Figured they weren’t normal. Now I run with them, though I usually have some restraint when I’m first with a woman.

  Not Lily. I sensed she would like what I could give her. And I was right.