Kiss and Burn (7 page)

“A little,” she answered quietly.

He sent her a look through lids that were half mass and found her
staring at him in the same fashion. “I could kiss it,” he suggested.

Her throat worked. “Kiss…what?”

Eli’s digits played with the edges of her skirt. “
It,”
he answered, nodding towards her
inner thigh.

She chewed her lip.

“Maybe it’ll soothe the ache.” He watched her eyes glaze over.
“Maybe it’ll disappear.” Angling towards the injury, he tapped her legs as a
signal for her to spread them wider. When she did, he locked gazes with her
just before he flitted his lips across the bandage. A small grunt left her
throat and he did it once more. A light touch skimmed over his curls and he
took hold of her calves, thrusting her legs apart with a determined firmness.

Her skirt rose another inch and Eli lowered his eyes only to catch
a glimpse of what he’d mentally pictured for months on end. The glistening seat
of lace met him and his heart thrummed a heavy rhythm that sped up as his head
lowered.

“Eli…” Carmen’s tone attempted to sound chiding, cautious, but
failed. The desire drowned out any inflection that could’ve made it sound like
a warning.

He inhaled, caught the sweet smell of something heady. His jaw
clenched with every, passing moment and finally—
fucking finally—
Eli found himself pressing, pushing, and snapping
his tongue against the dampness resting between Carmen Amalie Sanchez’s thighs.
He sucked her clit through the scrap of fabric and heard her hiss. Her fingers
balled at her side and he directed her hand to his scalp.

“Let me soothe it, Carmen. Let me soothe the ache…”

Her hips lifted and he tugged at the seat of her panties, choosing
to simply move it aside. Dark brown curls lay moist and neatly trimmed over
plump lips that parted to reveal a glistening nubbin to his hungry stare. Eli
almost
gave into to the temptation to
say, “
Hello, little one. So nice to
finally meet you.”
Seeing as how he didn’t want to be kicked in the face,
he swallowed the words and instead chose to tease the bundle of nerves, running
his lips over it until Carmen’s voice broke above him.

His tongue swiped down, then up again and into a slow figure
eight. He pressed kisses against her swollen nether lips, the quickening of her
breaths spurring him on as the tip of his tongue lowered and ringed her
opening.

“
Jesus…”

He didn’t wait another second, simply tunneled it into her waiting
pussy until he felt her legs close on either side of his head. Undeterred, he
adjusted both limbs so they rested over his shoulders and continued the task at
hand. She tasted just as he’d expected her to… like raw sugar cane. Something
so sweet, so potent that he wasn’t sure he’d be able to
ever
walk away.

Broad licks followed his oral penetration and Carmen’s waist
rolled. He followed every movement, enjoying the low curses and moans of
pleasure that burst from her in starts. Eli teased her opening and her thighs
tightened. When he blew on her clit and kissed it with the same fervor he’d delivered
to her mouth, she thrashed above him and let out a small shriek, coming. Her
calling his name was just enough that he found himself surprisingly releasing
into his boxer briefs.

Carmen lowered her legs and he casually adjusted her panties back
into position. Rolling her skirt back, he moved so that he was on his haunches,
watching the steady rise and fall of her chest, almost regretting that he
hadn’t gotten her blouse open.
Next time.

Her lashes fluttered and he knew she was searching for something
to say.

Eli stood, not caring that her eyes drifted to the spot on his
jeans.

“Eli—”

He shook his head. “No.”

Her mouth opened.

“No.”

Her mouth closed.

Grinning when she glared, he simply said, “See you at the airport
on Friday.”

He left whistling.

The ache hadn’t been soothed. Not even close. It was worse. The
hot sensation between her legs hadn’t quelled in the least bit over the last
few days. Carmen was in a heightened state constantly. Each time she closed her
eyes, all she saw was Eli, on his knees, amber irises clouded with lust as he
watched each and every expression that crossed her face. When she’d originally
set her plan in motion for self-indulgence, he hadn’t once crossed her mind.
Why? Because he was a complication she didn’t need. However, she
did
need release. She couldn’t remember
the last time she’d found it without the use of the things she kept in her
bottom right drawer. Wait
that
was a
lie. Seven days ago she’d found it…with
him.

“Give me the week in Mexico.”

Carmen’s abdomen involuntarily contracted. A week. He wanted a
week. Technically it would actually be nine days, being that it was Friday and
none of them would be returning until next Sunday. This gave Eli ample time to
play a gambit of games with each inch of flesh he’d left unexplored. She
swallowed. Her response to his prodding hadn’t deterred him one bit and the
fact that he hadn’t gone running in the other direction the moment she drew the
line in the sand said a lot.

She didn’t know whether to be excited or anxious but it seemed her
emotions had made the decision for her because, she felt them both clearly as
she trudged out of the back of Maikao’s truck. He had offered to give her a
ride to the airport along with himself and Addison since they all had the same
flight out. Seven hours with one stop in Denver, Colorado. From there they’d
switch planes after a brief layover and land in Mexico.

It wouldn’t take long to reach the hotel. The group would part and
rest, waiting for the arrival of parents before they began to implement any
plans to enjoy resort activities.

“The wedding, that’s for
Addie and Mak but the other days—the sun, the sand, the feel of kelp, the food,
the music, can be for us.”

Carmen’s hands trembled as she lugged her bags through the doors
of the airport. The three headed for checkout, each bleary eyed and anxious. At
five a.m. in the morning, she wasn’t as alert as she normally would’ve been. When
steely familiar arms of Eli banded around her waist from behind, she jumped.

“Sorry,” he mumbled against her temple. “I’ve been waiting to do
this for the last week days.”

The whispered confession made her heart stutter. Carmen moved,
unconsciously settling into his taller frame as he squeezed her. “When did you
get here?”

She felt his shrug. “About an hour ago.”

Frowning, she turned around. “You’ve been waiting an entire hour
at check out?”

Eli’s hair looked as though it hadn’t seen a comb in…ever. His jaw
was lined with stubble and he wore a white V-neck, jersey shorts and leather
flip flops. Yet, he looked put together. Why did he look so fucking put
together?! She hated him for it! More so, because it had taken her a full
thirty minutes just to find a comfortable pair of yoga pants and a tank top that
didn’t pinch.

His grin was crooked. “Nothing in comparison to how long I’ve been
waiting to see you without a bra.” He leered and allowed his eyes to stray from
her face. His brows inched upwards. “Alas, I have been disappointed yet again.”

Carmen
wanted to knee him. “I’m in public and over a C cup. My bra stays
on.”

“Over
a C cup eh?” The leer returned. “This information is much appreciated.”

“I
have not touched caffeine as of yet, Elijah. Do you really want to annoy me
right now? Do you really want to risk the wrath of a thousand hells raining
down on you?”

Lips
quirking, he told her, “Don’t full name me. It makes me want to lick your
face.”

She
rubbed her temples. “Why do I do this with you? Why do I allow myself to be a
party to your insanity?”

He
leaned forward and pressed his mouth against her ear. “It’s quite simple,
Carmen. I. Can. Make. You. Come.”

Why
did she suddenly feel like she couldn’t breathe? Ah, maybe because she had
stopped. With Eli so close in her personal space, his abdomen pressed to hers
as his teeth nipped her diamond studded left lobe, all she could think about
was how he smelled like laundry detergent and mouthwash. It wasn’t Polo or Marc
Jacobs but something about those scents, made her rub her thighs together in an
attempt to relieve the steady spasms at her core.

Finally
she found the voice to say, “So can my five speed rabbit. And it does so in
half the time with
none
of the
talking.” Her lashes flicked up as she set her gaze on his. “Brag when you
manage to accomplish that.”

His
eyes narrowed. “The gauntlet has been thrown.”

Her
stare widened. “I did not mean—”

“What’s
the fastest period you’ve ever gotten off with the help of your pocket sized
counterpart?” he questioned.

“Eli…”

“Everyone
times it Carmen. Whether unconsciously or out of curiosity. You’re anal
retentive enough that I’d bet you have it down to an exact science so you can
be done before ABC airs your favorite dramatic-comedy.” Eli’s head cocked.
“Relax your shoulders, baby. That wasn’t an insult, simply an observation. You
needed release, I provided it. You want to have a week of fun, I’m providing
that also.”

“I
never agreed—”

“The
moment you allowed me to pacify myself on your clit, you did,” he smoothly cut
in. His eyes were suddenly free of the aloof silliness he’d had moments ago. “I
won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to, Carmen but, I
will
do my fucking best to convince you
that it’s a good idea.” He nodded his head to the multiple kiosks around. “Let’s
get checked in, I’ll get you caffeine so we can avoid the raining down of a
thousand hells and then, you can tell me your fastest orgasm time.”

“I
am
not—”

He
angled himself forward and took possession of her mouth. It wasn’t a greeting
or something you gave in passing to your mate without really considering the
contact. No, he made sure to suck the breath from her lungs. He made sure that
any and every objection that had been ready to fall from her lips was swallowed
in the fray of his oral assault. Eli clearly didn’t give a fuck about the fact
that they were in public or that their friends were standing just a few feet
away, possibly gawking. He cleared all thought, all reason and all irritation
with the simple caress of his mouth. And Carmen, Carmen stood there and took
it. She took everything he had to give and found herself clinging to him when
she should’ve been ready to let go.

He
flicked his tongue against hers, took hold of her bottom rim between his teeth
and then released it. His smile was slow and lazy. “Good morning.”

Carmen
sucked in a deep breath, blinked to clear the haziness from her vision. “Hi.”

Chuckling,
Eli ran his thumb over her jaw, hauled up his backpack and strolled past her to
check out. Disoriented—and quite frankly so fucking horny that she could barely
stand straight—Carmen watched him go.

“Oh
Lucy,” Addison commented from a few feet behind her, a thick Cuban accent
clouding her voice. “Youse got some ‘splainin to do.”

***

“You can stop looking at me
like I’m going to strip you right here,” Eli calmly stated, continuing his task
of ripping open sugar packets to dump into his coffee.

He could
feel
Carmen eyeing him.

“I’ve no idea what you will or
won’t do,” she muttered.

His lips twitched as he finally
raised his gaze. “And yet, there you sit rather than making an excuse to stay
as far away from me as possible.” He tilted his head just a bit to the left.
“Tell me something, Carmen, if I make you so uncomfortable, why are we going to
have sex later tonight?”

She closed her eyes and he
could see a smile forming around her mouth. “You’re such a presumptuous ass.”

“Then get up from the table,”
he told her. “Get up, walk away and ignore me for the rest of the trip.”

When she looked at him, her
stare was narrowed. “Don’t challenge me.”

Eli simply quirked a brow and
sat back, waving a hand.

Carmen’s palms hit the table
and she moved as though she would rise. His fingers curled around her wrist.
Their eyes met.

“Don’t.”

“Then stop making me
want
to,” she whispered. “I prefer you
when you’re behaving like a goddamn adult. This cocky football captain shit
isn’t a turn on, Elijah. Not in the least bit. Either cut it and show me what I
saw last week or leave me to my original plan because believe it or not, I
can
pretend like you don’t exist.”

Eli slowly released her,
sitting back with a hard breath. He was acting like a twat and she was right to
call him on it. The whole point of Carmen’s ignoring him for so long was
because of the very thing he was exhibiting right now—arrogance. The problem
with that Carmen Sanchez was
not
a
sure thing. She never would be. Predicting what was crossing her thoughts was
about as easy as predicting when he’d die—impossible. He’d gotten so accustomed
to women doing whatever they could to get and keep his interest that he’d
fallen back into the same routine: a flirtatious smile, a few compliments and
comments birthed from pure egotism. Losing the little ground he’d gained with
her was right on the horizon if he didn’t remind himself of who he was dealing
with at the moment.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, clenching
his hands.

“What?”

He swallowed, caught her eyes
and enunciated, “I’m
sorry.”
He
nodded to her seat. “Would you please sit back down and tell me the first place
you’d like to go tonight?”

She eased back into the chair
almost warily, like she was waiting for Hyde to return with a vengeance.

Eli gripped one leg of her seat
and pulled it until she was directly beside him. She shot him a look but he
simply grinned, placed her cup in front of her then slung an arm across the
back of the chair.

Looking thoroughly annoyed with
his antics, she told him, “Well, Addie was looking through the resort’s
activities and apparently tonight kicks off the first in a line of decade
themed parties they’re supposed to be having at one of the clubs.”

He sat back a bit. “Mak told me
about that. This one is supposed to be the 70s right?”

She nodded and tucked a
fly-away-piece of hair behind her ear. “I packed some stuff I found in
the back of my mom’s closet.”

Leering, he
said, “Did you now?”

Carmen pinched
his nipple through his shirt. “
No hay
fantasías enfermizas sobre mi madre!”

“Ow!” He
rubbed the now sore spot. “English, woman! Speak English! And don’t do
that
again unless we’ve established a
clear safe word!”

She pointed a
manicured finger in his face. “My mother is not here for your perversions.”

Eli tucked in
his lips. “But I have a crush on her. And she does funny things to my—okay,
okay! I’m kidding!” He reached out to pull her back to his side. “Calm
yourself, female. While I find Miss Angie attractive, she frightens me. And not
in an amusing way. I
literally
wouldn’t
close my eyes around her.”

Smirking, she
retook her place. “As you shouldn’t.”

He buried his
nose in her hair. “I’d close my eyes around
you
though. But only if I were really tired… and sure that no blunt or sharp
objects had been left in your presence.”

She grinned.
“That’s so sweet.”

“Really? Sweet
enough that you’d let me feel you up right now?”

“You’re
pushing it, Aaronson.”

Sighing, he
replied, “A man can dream, Sanchez. A man can dream…”

***

“Land!” Addison cried. “Glorious, beautiful land!”

Maikao’s head dropped forward. “The dramatics, stop them.”

She shook her head, stopping to spin in a circle. “You don’t
understand! After being confined for an eternity—”

Carmen and Maikao shared a look as he corrected his fiancée.
“You mean seven hours?”

“Eternity!” she bellowed.

He blinked. “Right… I’m just going to go to baggage claim now
and behave as though this entire thing”—he waved at Addison’s shimmying
form—“isn’t taking place.”

“Oh but it is,” Eli whispered in an ominous tone. “It
is.”

He shot Carmen a wink before following the other man.

“God, I’m so happy to be back here,” Addison breathed, her
eyes wandering about the airport. “It gets better every time we come.”

The first
vacation their mothers had ever taken them on had been just after their first
year in business. With Selena’s incredible taste in fashion and Angelina’s
charm and social capabilities, the pair had opened a joint salon and spa that
became quite popular.