Gatlinburg Getaway (Destination: Desire) (15 page)

Then again, she wasn’t buying a vacation home here, so she didn’t need to worry about that.

Dalton cranked up the air conditioning, and after the pollen issue, she was just as happy not to have the windows down.

Though if this evening turned out as well as that one, she might be willing to deal with more pollen.

* * * * *

Camille hadn’t been bragging—she baited her own hook, handled her fishing pole like a pro, and caught more fish than he did. Dalton was impressed. Not with the extra fish, because their take wasn’t anything to write home about, but that she seemed as comfortable in her fancy conference hotel as she was here on the lake, rocking on the gentle waves. He’d never even managed to get his ex-wife anywhere near the lake, let alone put a pole in her hands. She’d hated any road that wasn’t paved and any body of water that wasn’t chlorinated.

“Are we about ready to head in?” He hadn’t had so much as a nibble in a while, and it was sliding toward dinnertime. He’d brought water and snacks, but his stomach was starting to rumble for something more substantial.

“Yeah, that sounds— Oh, I got a bite!” Camille’s shoulder bumped into his as her arms jerked forward, and their life jackets rustled as they brushed. He heard her cranking the reel, working the fish in. After a couple of minutes, she pulled a decent-sized bluegill out of the water. “Awesome!”

A huge smile lit her face, and some hot-sweet emotion tightened his chest in response to her obvious joy. God, she was beautiful. He’d never met another woman he’d had more fun with. And that alone was a dangerous thought. He shook himself out of staring at her and helped her get the last fish into their bucket.

She popped a kiss on his cheek, the wide brim of her hat colliding with his forehead. She pulled back with a chuckle. “Sorry about that.”

Shaking his head, he said, “Never apologize for kissing me. Seriously.”

“Okay.” She dimpled. “So…do you know what kind of fish that was?”

“Bluegill.” He took her pole and set it beside his in the boat. “They’re pretty common in these parts.”

“I know this one is a largemouth bass.” She pointed to the biggest fish in the bucket. His catch, though that was luck rather than skill. It was usually easier to get a bass in the darker, cooler hours of day. She indicated another fish she’d nabbed. “But what’s that last one?”

“It’s got a couple of names. I prefer calico bass.”

She cocked her head. “What’s the other name?”

“Crappie. Pronounced like ‘crop’, spelled like ‘crap’.” He waited a beat for her reaction, and she didn’t disappoint.

Her eyes rounded, and her face scrunched. “Is it named that because it tastes like crap?”

“No. The taste is just fine.” He chuckled at her disgusted look. “Now you know why I prefer calico bass—there’s no crap in it.”

“Yeah, I don’t want to think about crap while I’m eating.” She nodded firmly. “I’m sticking with calico bass too.”

“Whatever makes you happy.” He fired up the engine and steered them back to shore. The boat bounced over the water, and Camille grabbed the sides of the boat to maintain her balance.

She glanced back at him. “Happy with my crappy!”

“You say it like
croppy
, not
crappy
. Crappie.” He laughed at her unrepentant expression, and the sound whipped away in the wind. They sped toward where he’d parked the trailer. Once they hit the shoreline, he hopped out. She threw him the rope, and he pulled the dinghy up. He gave her a hand out and steadied her so she didn’t twist her knee.

After they got the boat loaded onto the trailer, he settled the dead fish into his ice chest. She peered over his shoulder. “How many did we catch?”

“I got two.” He shut the lid and washed his hands with the soap and water he’d brought for just that purpose. She followed suit, and he said, “With that bluegill, you’re up to four.”

“Seriously? I won?” She threw her arms up and did a little victory dance. “I won!”

“You won.” He grinned at her celebration. Luckily, he didn’t judge his masculinity based on his pole, and he was just glad they’d made it through the trip without any disasters. He’d loved chatting with her, laughing, rocking with the waves. But there’d been a bit of tension in his gut, waiting for something to go wrong. The longer they’d been there, the more he’d relaxed, letting himself have an amazing time.

“Am I sunburned?” She pushed back her hat. “I put on SPF 9000, but the ginger curse means that sometimes nothing helps.”

Oh, this was an opportunity too good to miss. He stepped forward, tugged her hat off, tossed it in the backseat of the Jeep, and cupped her shoulders between his palms. Leaning close, he pretended to examine her face. Their eyes met, and he couldn’t prevent a satisfied smile when he saw heat fill her gaze.

“I think I see an extra freckle. Right here.” He kissed the tip of her nose, then the spot right below her ear, nipping with his teeth. “Or maybe here.”

“Mmm.” She tilted her head to give him more access. “Freckles I can handle, burns not so much.”

He nibbled his way down her throat, anticipation burning in his veins. There was no way this would go anywhere, but he’d take any chance to touch her. “You’re not even a little pink, so let’s hope that holds.”

“Exactly.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Mama Nature needs to be nicer to me today.”

He buried his face in the crook of her neck, pulling in the scent of sunscreen, warm sunshine, and Camille. “I was worried she wouldn’t be.”

“I’m normally not that big of a catastrophe, if you can believe it.” Her body eased into his, soft and pliant.

“I believe it.” He squeezed her tight and leaned back just enough to look at her. “But if disaster hadn’t struck that first time, we wouldn’t have met. And that’d be a damn shame. Despite the hiccups, I’ve had a great time with you.”

“Me too.” She smiled and popped a kiss on his chin. “I can’t say I’d be happy going through it again, but I also can’t say I’m sorry with how things turned out. I still hate the contacts though.”

“Poor baby.” He stroked a finger along her cheekbone. “I don’t blame you. I don’t see why people like them. Never regretted my LASIK procedure for a second.”

She leaned her cheek into his palm. “Take me back to your place and make me dinner. Then we can revisit that whole taking my panties off with your teeth idea.”

And just that easily, he was harder than a rock, a shudder ripping through him. “You’re a little bit evil. You know that, right?”

“More than a little.” She gave him a saucy wink, not a hint of remorse on her face. In fact, she pressed her belly into his rigid erection, letting him know she knew exactly what she’d done to him. “You’re welcome.”

“Brat.” He reached around and swatted her ass, making her squeak and burst into laughter.

She danced back and poked a finger into his chest. “Just wait until later, and you’ll get to see how evil I can really be.”

“You have no idea how much I’m looking forward to that,” he murmured as he watched her hop into the Jeep, her shorts pulling tight across the sweet curve of her ass.

“Let’s go, doc.” Her arm came out the open window and she smacked her palm against the door. “I’m starving. In every possible sense of the word.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.”

In under two minutes, they were on the road, headed straight back to his place.

One thing was sure—this thing with Camille was going to be one hell of a ride.

Chapter Six

Camille woke up to a hand gliding up her thigh, over her hip, along her ribs, and then cupping her breast. A grin curved her lips before she even opened her eyes. Dalton was fitted to her back, every inch of his front pressed against her. Heat suffused her body and tingles skipped down her limbs.

Oh, yeah. This was the way to wake up. “Good morning.”

“Mornin’, sugar.” His voice was still rough with sleep, rumbling in her ear. “What time do you need to be at your conference today?”

“Technically, it kicks off at 8 a.m. every day.” Her toes curled when he swept his thumb over her nipple, desire building to searing intensity within moments.

“Can I talk you into missing the first round of presentations?” He twisted the tight tip ever so slowly. “Maybe the first three rounds?”

His erection dug into her backside, so long and hot that she bit her lower lip to keep in a moan. Her sex clenched, going slick with need. Her thighs quivered and she closed her eyes as her breathing sped up. Yeah, he wasn’t going to have to argue much to convince her to stay. Her body was doing all the convincing for him. “Okay, but you have to feed me breakfast before I go.”

He hummed, brushed her hair aside, and kissed and bit his way down her neck. “You drive a hard bargain, Kirby, but I think I can handle that.”

“Great.” She pushed her ass into his cock, rubbing herself against him. “Now, stop talking and start doing.”

“Yes.” His thigh nudged hers forward. She grabbed an extra pillow and slipped it under her bad knee, so she was open to him from behind but her leg was supported. Perfect. Or it would be soon.

After reaching for the small box of condoms on the nightstand, she yanked one out and handed it back to Dalton. “I think we need this.”

“Good thinking.” He snagged the rubber, leaned back for a moment, and donned it quickly. His palm slid up her thigh, opening her farther. “Ready?”

Anticipation twisted like a wild thing inside her, and her heart hammered against her ribcage. “Ready. More than ready.”

The head of his cock nudged at her folds, then pressed into her opening. The first inch slid in so slowly she wanted to scream. Reaching back, she grabbed his ass and dug her nails into his glute, silently demanding that he hurry up.

He grunted at the sting, but gave her what she wanted, burying himself hilt-deep into her pussy. They both groaned, and her inner muscles clamped around his dick. Pleasure ricocheted through her, and she shuddered. “You have no idea how good it feels to have you inside me.”

“About as good as it feels to be inside you.” He laughed, his hand slipping around to cup her breast. After withdrawing slowly, he slammed deep with as much speed as she might have wished for. He shifted, driving still deeper. “I think I have the better end of this deal.”

“We can debate that later.” She moaned when he squeezed her nipple, the dual whiplash of sensation making her hotter, wetter. Sweat sheened her skin, rolling in beads down her temples. “Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop.”

“I won’t,” he whispered, his breath rushing against her ear.

He moved faster and faster, stretching her with each swift plunge of his cock. She arched back as he pushed forward, his belly slapping against her buttocks. The sound was loud, erotic, and exciting. It only turned her on more. His groans mingled with her whimpers, the mattress creaked as they moved, and the headboard banged against the wall. A sensual symphony that filled the room.

Each time he entered her, a wave of tingles rippled down her limbs. So good. So damn good. They moved in perfect sync, and every heartbeat, every breath, seemed to ratchet up her screaming lust. She could feel orgasm building, and she craved that surcease like an addict after a fix. Pushing herself faster, she bowed her body into his powerful thrusts. He released her breast, glided his palm down her stomach, and slipped his fingers between her thighs. He flicked over her clit, and it was like an electric shock jolting through her body.

“Oh, oh, oh!” Her thighs quivered as she catapulted over the edge of climax, and she closed her eyes tight. Ecstasy hit her in a rush that made pinpricks of light explode behind her lids. Her sex clenched around his shaft in rhythmic pulses, and another wave hit her as he rode her hard, seeking his own release.

“Camille!” He shuddered against her, slamming deep one last time. After a long moment, his tension eased. He sucked in deep breaths, his chest heaving against her back. He brushed a kissed over the back of her shoulder. He whispered her name with such reverence, almost like a prayer, “Camille…Camille…”

“Dalton,” she murmured in return, a grin shaping her lips. Her muscles relaxed slowly, her heart rate returning to normal. Euphoria still buzzed through her, and the sweet giddiness made her want to laugh. Damn, she felt good.

His fingers traced in slow circles over her bare skin—up her leg, across her ribs, down her arm, and back again. Goosebumps followed in the wake of his touch, only increasing the sweet sensations that suffused her.

She both heard and felt a deep rumbling come from his midsection. Swiveling at the waist, she turned to look at him. “Did your stomach just growl?”

“Damn. Yeah, it did.” He clapped a palm to his belly. “Sorry, I think we just burned a bunch of calories. The body wants a recharge.”

For some reason, his sheepish expression made her giggle. “All right, then. I think you promised to make me breakfast.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He rolled to his feet. “Let me clean up and then I’ll head for the kitchen.”

“I’ll help.” She pushed up to her elbows, but he drove her back into the pillows with a long, slow kiss. “Mmm, nice. But my breath has to be gnarly.”

“It is. So is mine.” Another quick pop on her lips and he pulled back. “Come brush your teeth and we can make out some more.”