Instant Temptation (Wilder #3)(72)

She glanced up at him. Eyes closed, head back, he wore a look of such agonized pleasure it gave her a rush that was only a millimeter beneath an orgasm. When she felt him draw tight under her hands and mouth, she knew he was close, a fact that was verified when he groaned and tried to pull her away, shifting his hips backwards.

Not taking the hint, she tightened her grip and kept at him.

“Harley. God, Harley—you’ve got to stop, I’m going to—”

She murmured her understanding without releasing him, and just the vibration from her throat wrenched a rough groan from him. His muscles spasmed as he came, one hand still fisted in her hair, the other slapping to the trunk at his side to keep him upright.

She didn’t move away until she felt him relax. He staggered, then dropped heavily to his knees. Without opening his eyes, he reached for her, pulling her into his lap as he sank all the way to the ground, sagging back against the tree, panting, boneless.

He slouched there, head back, eyes closed, wearing nothing but the opened jeans that were barely still on him.

Barefoot.

Shirtless.

Looking hot enough to spread butter on and eat up in one bite.

She smiled and curled into him, nearly purring as his hands slowly roamed her body. “Hope that helped with the tension a little,” she whispered against his throat, smiling when he shivered.

“More than a little.” His voice was rough, giving her a feeling of satisfaction. “In fact, I seem to be missing all of my bones.”

She laughed, was still laughing when he slid his hands into her hair, tugged back her head, and kissed her long and deep. She realized he’d fully recovered, because he had his hands beneath her top, his thumbs gliding over her nipples. She moaned, and felt him smile against her neck. “I found my bones,”

he murmured, rocking his hips into hers.

No kidding! She snuggled in, not wanting to move, enjoying the way his heart was still pounding beneath her cheek. “We’ve got to go back.”

“Mmmm.” He took a deep breath and reached down to kiss her again. “Not yet.”

“If they wake up and need anything—”

He went still, clearly thinking—fun or duty? Watching the battle was fascinating, as it took a very long few minutes.

Duty won, which only made her like him all the more.

With a groan, he climbed to his feet, reaching down to pull her to hers, holding her against him for a minute when she would have turned away. “Thank you,” he murmured.

“I had a good time,” she said, and made him grin.

He’d had a good time, too. It was in every line of his body, and holy smokes, that body. Milk did a body good, and sex did it better.

He hugged her hard, pressing his face in her hair. “Remember how we both said that being out here on the mountain, away from all the bullshit, made us feel alive?”

She tilted her head back and looked into his warm eyes. “Yes.”

His gaze searched hers, his smile slowly fading. “I’m starting to think it’s not the mountain at all, that maybe it’s you. You make me feel alive, Harley.”

On that shocking statement, he took her hand and led her back to camp.

The next day on the river was a rinse and repeat of the one before. Except instead of otters, they saw three huge, gorgeous bucks on one of the ridges watching them from afar. Later, they heard a pack of coyotes howling. Harley assured the girls they were not about to be coyote bait, and to distract them, told them a little about what she was doing for her internship, and from that moment on, they looked at her with what might have been respect instead of competition for TJ.

By nine o’clock that night, the coeds were once again in their tents, out cold.

“Kayaking takes it out of you,” TJ said from the fire, where he was putting on more wood.

“The way you do it, it does.” Harley moved toward the heat, hands out. Her legs were chilly since she was still in her bathing suit with a hoodie sweatshirt and board shorts over it. “You pushed them a little hard today.”

He slid her an inscrutable glance.

She met his gaze, raised a questioning brow.

And he caved with a smile.

“I knew it,” she breathed. “You did it on purpose. For a replay of last night, perhaps?”

His eyes dilated black. “I had to dunk myself in the cold water every time I thought about last night.”

“I was wondering why you kept going in.” She grinned. “Did it help?”

“No.”

She was quiet a moment, then voiced what had been on her mind all day. “Maybe it’s not the mountain?” she whispered, repeating his words from last night.

He just looked at her.

“Where did that come from?” she asked. “Because aren’t you the guy who isn’t into commitment. I mean, did the rules change?”

“I’ve never been much of a rule man.”

More off balance then ever, she shook her head. “You say that like…like you’re sure.”

His gaze remained steady and thoughtful.

“But…you can’t be sure,” she whispered. “No one I’ve ever known is sure.”

“Stone and Cam seem pretty sure.”

She was having trouble processing the words. “But they’re not playing the temporary game that we are. We have one week. Even that could be too long if you think about it. What if you get tired of being with just one person? Tired of the banality of it, tired of the daily grind? What if you get tired of sleeping with just one person, of having sex with just one person? Hell, maybe I’ll get tired of it.”