Once Upon A Half-Time: A Secret Baby Romance (12 page)

“Yeah, that’d be…funny.” Her laugh was forced. She lowered the camera. “Do you want the truth, Charming?”

“Always.”

“I don’t know how I feel about you. I don’t know if I
should
feel what I do feel for you.”

“So it’s something good?”

“It’s
something
.”

“I can work with anything that isn’t straight-up revulsion.” I hesitated. “Are you afraid I’ll hurt you?”

“I’m more worried I’ll let you hurt me, maybe.”

“Never. I can promise you that. Give me a chance. You know we’re good together.”

She chose not to answer. Instead she pooled a little water in her hands and dripped the shimmering drops over her heated skin. The water teased her dark legs and arms, and my cock hardened as each droplet trickled down between her thighs.

“I’ve always wanted to be a photographer,” she said. “I’d planned to see the world. My father thought it was a stupid and wasteful pursuit. He wanted me to stay near home, with family. Which meant he planned to control every aspect of my life. He wasn’t cruel, exactly. We weren’t
afraid
of him, but none of us were happy. I was the one who decided to live my own life. I got out.”

“What made you leave. What was the trigger?”

“It’s a long story.”

I gestured to the water. “We’re on a four-hour bob down this river.”

She bit her lip, not realizing how that tease tightened the limited space in my trunks.

“There’s not
one
event. A couple maybe. When I was in high school, I met a boy. It was something totally innocent, just a little crush. We might have gone to see a movie when I could sneak out, but usually we were in a group of friends. When my dad found out, he was furious.”

“Why?”

She drifted close enough to touch. She brushed her finger over my arm, highlight the contrast. Dark against light.

“Because he was…and I am…”

“Oh,” I said.

“Dad didn’t accept the modern world. He saw things in literal black and white. It was ugly, and he had a bad reputation for it. He was always livid that I didn’t see the world the way he did. So…I packed a bag.” She shrugged. “And here I am. Married and floating on an inner-tube.”

“Have you seen your father since then?”

She cleared her throat. “No. He tried to call me in Vegas, but it wasn’t to reconnect.”

“You were upset.”

“Nothing a couple body shots and a marriage couldn’t fix.” She tisked. “This is what happens when you forget to bring limes to the room. We had no choice but to get married.”

“I’ll know for next time.” I grabbed her hand and spun her, casting her in a circle downstream. “Do you miss your family?”

She blew the hair from her eyes. “I tried calling my dad these past two weeks.”

“And?”

“He’s…not returned my calls.” She sighed. “But my family isn’t like yours. You love your mom and Bast. You have a really big heart, Lachlan.”

“I have bigger things.”

“I don’t know…your heart is pretty impressive.”

“Wanna check?”

She splashed me. “Lemme guess. Sex in public? Another rush?”

“Public?” I laughed. “Look around, Red. We’re the only idiots for
miles
who thought tubing in a half-dried-up river would be fun.”

“I dunno…I think it’s kinda pretty.”

It was, once I tore my eyes from her to check out the shore.

The river widened and opened into a deeper, secluded area hidden by willow trees. The light softened, tickling through the thick, blossoming branches. I grinned at her.

“You know…it’s just you, me, and too many layers of bathing suits. Why not have some fun?”

“You are
so
bad.”

“Elle, don’t you get it? Why I’m trying so hard?”

“You want me.”

“It’s more than that. You are the greatest adrenaline rush a man could have. My heart won’t stop
pounding
when I see you. I sweat when I talk to you. I shiver every time we touch. When you smile, I freeze because I’m afraid I’ll blow this…and then you won’t blow me.” I grinned. “Who needs bungee cords and rip-ties when I’ve got a beautiful woman to impress? You’re enough to keep me on my toes.”

“And all you want to do is curl mine.”

“Tease.”

“Who says I’m teasing?”

Elle shifted, tugging on the straps to her bikini. The suit popped off, and she tossed the top at me before I could get a look at the perfect swell of her breasts. She wiggled her hips, and I nearly launched out of the tube to catch the bottoms.

I damn near capsized my ride to paddle to her side, staring at her beautiful curves and the soft, dark promise between her legs. She gave me a devilish smile.

“Feeling adventurous, Red?” I kicked off my boxers.

Her gaze feasted on my hard cock. She licked her lips and spoke with a sultry murmur.

“You could say that…”

I didn’t have time to prepare. She grabbed my tube, spun it, and yanked. I sprawled off balance.

I fell into the river with a splash.

And the games were on.

L
achlan tumbled
backwards into the water.

I dipped under the river without a splash.

A couple strong kicks propelled me away from the tubes and into a secluded and pristine pool bordered by willow trees and large, smoothed stones. The rocks gently funneled the river into an opened mouthed reservoir perfect for a bit of fun.

Lachlan surfaced with a growl. He didn’t have to tread the water—he was tall enough to stand. Lucky bastard. He rubbed his eyes and searched for me.

He’d never find me.

I sunk under the ripples again, hiding as he walked closer. He turned, granting me the perfect opportunity to swim close and pinch his ridiculously muscular, utterly amazing ass.

“
Hey
!” Lachlan shouted, but I kicked under the waves and surfaced a few yards away.

“So you wanna play that game?” He grinned.

His smile was becoming one of my favorite features on him—as well as his typhoon green eyes. Or the dangerously wicked tattoos that curled over his biceps and other more interesting parts of him. His thick cut muscles were great too. Or maybe I liked his laugh the best. Everything about him charmed me.

I dipped low in the water and hid most of my body from him. My hair fell loose from the braid, and the ends floated around me, bright red.

“Think you can catch me?” I asked.

“I know I can.”

“And what happens when you do?”

Lachlan’s smile twisted. “All sorts of horrible things, Red.”

I pouted. “
Horrible
?”

“Depraved. Nasty. Naughty. You’re gonna stay real wet, little girl.”

A thrill shot through me. Lachlan dove forward, making a tremendous splash as he flailed and kicked and used brute strength to punish the water.

“You’ll wear yourself out doing that.” I twisted away, surfacing a few yards from him. “And when you’re too tired to ravish me, you’ll only have yourself to blame.”

Lachlan snorted, accidentally inhaled a mouthful of water, and unsuccessfully leapt again for me.

“Don’t underestimate my strength,” he said.

“It’s not about strength, Charming. This is all finesse.”

I cut under the water, circling wide before pinching his ass once more. He shouted and surged forward, cutting the distance between us with just the massive size of his body.

I squealed and kicked, splashing him to escape. It worked. I thrashed to the edge of the pool and hauled myself onto one of the giant boulders. The sun broke through the willow trees, and the light might have been the only reason Lachlan didn’t follow. He liked the natural spotlight on me.

“No fair,” he warned. “Fish out of water.”

I grinned, but my heart thudded hard in my chest. The sun grazed my skin, heating me, practically steaming off of me. Lachlan wasn’t even close, and already I burned for him.

Maybe we both liked the thrill of the chase?

I tight-rope walked over a fallen log bordering the pool. The thick trunk led through the drooping, blossoming branches of a willow tree. The cozy shelter hid me from Lachlan. Inside the branches, the light faded into a gentle blue haze. Something quiet and perfect. Totally romantic. I might have wished for my camera if I wasn’t so desperate to be seized by Lachlan.

I committed this secret hideaway to memory. The lapping river. The clean, pine scent of the woods. The hulking man swimming in the depths, waiting for the chance to grab me, take me under, roll in the ripples…

The waves splashed a little too rough against the rocks.
Someone
was trying to get out of the river. I knew he wouldn’t let me out of his sight for too long. I gauged the distance from my hidden lagoon to the deeper end of the pool and made my leap. I dove headfirst into the cool water.

But Lachlan was faster than I anticipated.

He wrapped me in his arms as I surfaced. I squealed, but he held me tight.

Close.

“Gotcha,” he whispered.

I shivered—a deep, promising tremor that clenched me deep. “Are you gonna kiss the girl?”

“I’ll do more than that.”

I parted my lips, and he overwhelmed me, quick and fierce. His tongue immediately flicked against mine. Nothing about this man had seemed
possessive
or
demanding
, not until I trapped myself in his arms and nearly surrendered to desire.

His body strained, and the corded strength of his muscles flexed under my hands. I shouldn’t have doubted him—it was adrenaline that surged through him when he seized me. Testosterone too. Something raw and animalistic that strengthened his grip and hardened his cock.

I melted into his arms. This game, the hunt, excited me too much.

But hadn’t I liked it? Hadn’t I been teasing and flirting and
praying
for this one moment when he’d capture me with no escape from his smile or touch or the fuzzy feelings that so dizzied my head?

He nipped, playful and hungry. He didn’t need to hold me. His charming grin ensnared me more than his arms.

What was I doing? Every minute I spent with him, every kiss I allowed, only encouraged him and his ridiculous plan. Making me fall in love with him in three dates? It was crazy. It was foolish.

And, if I wasn’t careful…it’d be working.

But maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing?

The water rushed little deeper where we stood. My toes couldn’t graze the bottom, but Lachlan held me firm. I teased him with a flick of my tongue and pulled away from the kiss despite the ache for more of his touch, his words, his skilled lips. My daring smirk intrigued him. I slipped free of his arms, but I didn’t swim away.

I dipped below the surface and caressed the strong muscles of his legs. My fingertips nearly crashed him into the water.

If he liked that…

I reached for him, gripping a cock so thick and hard it was no wonder he was a slow swimmer. I wrapped my hand over the shaft and floated closer.

Even beneath the ripples, I heard his grateful profanity as I took his cock into my mouth. The water made it difficult, but nothing was would stop me from touching this man, teasing him with my tongue, drawing my lips along that hulking shaft.

What was it about him that made me do the craziest things?

The river’s touch was as gentle as mine. I teased him, using the warmth of my mouth and the chill of the water to harden him more. I surfaced after a minute and was rewarded by his deep-throated growl.

“Where’d you learn to do that?” His cock flexed hard in my hand.

“My secret.”

The real secret was that I didn’t know what I was doing, I only longed to hear his sultry groan every time the water struck him or a tug of his cock delighted him.

I’d never wanted to pleasure anyone else as much as I needed to please him. I longed to hear his gasp. To watch his body tremble. To feel how hard my touch made that amazingly thick cock.

My insides clenched. Too much. Too desperate. I’d twist and drown in my own desire if I didn’t have him again.

I dove under the river, taking him in my mouth for as long as I could with a single gasp of air. Lachlan called my name and leaned into my mouth. A couple of tugs primed him. He tensed, groaned, and bucked his hips through the water.

This was it. I’d make him come.

If only because I remember one of Lachlan’s talents from Vegas with perfect clarity.

His endurance.

His was a skill other men envied. I’d thought his cock was made from stone. His desire never wavered. For three days, Lachlan had fucked me until we both crashed in exhaustion, and even then his fingers and lips and tongue delighted my spent body.

With any luck, he’d do it again.

I jerked him as my lips sealed around his shaft. I pumped once, twice, but he pulled away.

Lachlan pulled me to the surface, and my back slammed against his thick chest. I whimpered, unable to touch the bottom of the river. Didn’t matter. He held me by the hips and across my breasts. His whisper hazed my thoughts to everything but the pulsing, shivering, demanding beat of my core.

“Not so slippery now, are you?” He kissed my neck, latching on with a gentle nip.

“Thought you liked that.”

“Oh, I do…but I much rather make you sticky.”

“Not if I get you first.”

I twisted, trying to reach for his cock. He dodged my touch, forcing me still with a bite to my ear. It worked. I went stiff with a whimper.

“Aren’t you naughty?” Lachlan whispered. “What happened to our leisurely, relaxing ride down the river?” He breathed against the hollow of my throat, casting goosebumps over my shoulders and the tops of my arms. The water still hid most of my body, but his hands could easily discover all of my secrets. “
Lachlan, why can’t you sit still? Lachlan, can’t you just enjoy the day
?”

“I thought this would be more fun,” I said.

“You weren’t wrong.” The hand on my hip drifted lower. No pretense. No teasing. He found my slit and captured me with a searching hand.

I pouted. “But I wanted to make
you
come.”

“Ladies first.”

I arched as he rolled my clit between his fingers. The fierce shocks dizzied me. My timid mew became a pleased gasp. He rubbed me with an expert touch. I went limp against his muscles.

It didn’t make sense.

Every twist of his fingers
owned
my body. He tore through my inhibitions and touched me as if he had known me for years, not the few days we spent tangled within drunken desperation and consuming desires.

Harder or softer, quicker or slower, he knew
exactly
when to change his pace to make me shiver. Maybe he understood me that well…or maybe I surrendered to any touch he’d offer that secret place.

No other man could dizzy me the way he could. Not just my body, but my mind. My heart.

I shouldn’t have been so comfortable with him.

Shouldn’t have gotten so close.

Shouldn’t have trapped myself under his skilled fingers.

I whispered in pleading breaths for him to take me. A couple flicks. A little rub. A pinch. Hell, even a rasped word from him. I paralyzed myself on the brink of his control and my passion. But as long as he touched me, I never wanted to be free again.

Lachlan was right. He was an adrenaline rush wrapped in a dangerous touch and shadowed by my own desires. The brush of his hand fluttered everything inside me. His kiss on my neck tensed my core, already twisting in blissful agony. His thick fingers prodded me. He teased my swollen clit.

This wasn’t a fight-or-flight response. This was complete surrender.

Again and again he flicked his fingers over that little nub. The water rushed around us, tickling and tugging and guiding us deeper into the pool, under the dropping branches of the tree and into the hidden cove that heated our blood and trembled our words.

His cock hardened and pressed into my back. Huge. Wanting. Dangerous. My body craved to feel it again.

Was this a rush…or an addiction to him? I hadn’t had him inside me since Vegas, and yet I slickened and waited and
clenched
over the memory of it. His fingers could tame my suffocating need, but only his cock could free me in a moment of absolute magic.

His cock rubbed my ass. I pushed back. He liked that. So did I.

I bumped him with my hips and teased his shaft. I ground against his waist and rubbed his cock with every little hump. His breathing hitched again. I grinned. He could touch me all he wanted, but I’d make sure every stroke of his fingers was answered with a wiggle of my ass against his cock. I’d torment him with the same delights he wove over me.

“Fuck, Elle…” He spoke through clenched teeth. “You’ll drown me.”

I panted through my words. “You think you’re the only one who can tease?”

He pinned me close and forced my hips to still. “You’ve been nothing but a tease, Red, but now you’re gonna come for me.
Hard
. And you’re gonna realize what you’ve known all along.”

“What’s that?”

“That you belong right here, in my arms, getting fucked like an animal by your husband.”

A tempting offer when my blood boiled and core ached for him. My eyes pinched closed. His fingers moved too quick, too fast, too perfectly.

“And if I refuse to come?”

He laughed. “I’d love to see you try. You’re begging for it now. Shaking. Hot. That puffy little pussy is wetter than the damn river.”

“Doesn’t mean…” I bit my lip to silence a moan. “I’ll come for you.”

“Why fight it?” His words lowered, a secret whisper for me and me alone. “Stay with me forever, and your life will be nothing but pleasure.”

His hand slipped on my hip.

I wasn’t letting him win that easily—not even with a lifetime of his skilled tongue on the line.

He didn’t expect me to twist so suddenly. The rush of kicked bubbles tickling against my slit almost pitched me over the edge. I darted away, diving through water that nearly boiled around me.

I sighed. I trembled. I kept a safe distance between him. A few yards. Well beyond his arms.

Because if he caught me again, I’d never escape.

I’d never
want
to escape.

“What are you?” He laughed. “Half fish?”

“You really want me that badly?” I asked. “Forever? As your
wife
?”

Lachlan didn’t lunge for me, even as I circled him. “You
are
my wife, Red. And I’ll be the greatest husband for you.”

“You want me to take your word on it?”

“I’d love to prove it. Over and over again. For a couple hours.”

“Only a couple?”

Lachlan grinned. “For today. After that we’ve got the rest of our lives.”

That thrill was dangerous. I silenced the voice in my head that might have agreed to anything as long as we could seal the vow with a kiss. I dove under the water and surfaced in the safety of my willow branches. Hidden. Secret.

Desperate.

Lachlan’s gasp wasn’t subtle. He had gone under, and I treaded further back, to the safety of the tree roots and rocks. Listening. Waiting.

But I didn’t hear him—only my thumping heartbeat echoed in the woods. That meant he planned something. I spun, hopping onto the boulder to pull myself from the river before he pounced.