“You’re treading on dangerous ground.” His chest rumbled as he growled.
Definitely not the cold.
“So, I guess it’s below the belt then.” A smile of smug satisfaction curving her lips, she trailed her finger down to his stomach until she touched the band of his shorts.
He inhaled sharply, his eyes dilating.
Good!
He was beginning to be affected by all of this. It was irrelevant that she was as well.
She hooked a finger under his waistband and took a step backward, tugging him along with her. He followed willingly.
“Now we’re playing below the belt.” She took another step and the floor dipped away. She kicked once and floated up. Daniel floated with her. Releasing her hold on his shorts, she ran her hand over the nylon fabric and down his leg.
“Amy—”
She shushed him with a finger to his lips. When she took a deep breath and ducked under water, trailing her hands past his knees to his feet, she knew she had him.
Quickly, she grasped his ankles and yanked him down.
She caught his shocked look as he went under.
Revenge is sweet.
Without waiting, she swam to the side of the pool and pulled herself out.
He surfaced, coughing and spluttering, incredulity plastered on his face. “I cannot believe you did that.”
“Me neither.” She grinned and picked up her towel.
“That was low.”
“Yeah, you might say it was below the belt.” She laughed as she dried herself off, squeezing water from her hair. “I was good, wasn’t I?”
“You don’t have to be so damn smug about it.”
“Now, now…let’s not get bitter over this.”
“You stuck your tongue in my ear.”
“Yep.”
“And your finger in my pants.”
“You liked it.”
“You tricked me.”
“You were so easy.”
He climbed out of the pool, muttering under his breath while Amy gloated nearby. Her revelry was short-lived. Dripping wet, he stalked up to her and glared down into her eyes. “You will regret that.” He towered over her.
She already did. They were extremely close to each other and there was no water between them to dampen her awareness. A slow flush suffused her cheeks. Breathing became difficult. “Oh dear, I’m so scared,” she improvised. Only it was not fear coursing through her veins. It was full-blown, red-hot desire.
“Good. Be afraid. Be very afraid.” His tone was menacing.
She bit back a smile. “Please, Mister. Don’t hurt little ole me.”
He took a step closer. “I intend to punish you, not hurt you.”
He was punishing her. His presence alone was punishment. Need pulsed through her. “Now, now. There’s no need to be a sore loser.” Amy dropped her towel and placed a placating hand on his chest. In an instant she regretted it—her palm burned at the contact. “Just because you lost at your own game doesn’t mean you have to take your anger out on me.”
His eyes narrowed. “I
never
lose at my own games.”
Not noticing the lounger, she stepped back. It caught her behind her knees and she sat unexpectedly. A bubble of laughter escaped her. The mischievous glint returned to Daniel’s eyes.
Strong, cool hands pushed against her shoulders, forcing her to lie down. She forgot to struggle against them.
“Now, if memory serves me correctly, you have a ridiculously ticklish spot just below your ribs.” He held up both hands.
“No!” She threw her arms out to ward him off. “Please, no.” It was too late. His fingers were on her waist and under her arms. Shrieking in protest, she pleaded with him to stop.
Relentless in his intent, he climbed on the lounger, a leg on either side of her, and tickled. She instinctively rolled into a ball, but the strategic maneuver caused problems of its own. In this position, she rubbed against wet, rock-hard legs, sending shock waves reeling through her. She didn’t know which torture was worse—his tickling or his touch.
A plan of attack was necessary, but what could she do? Thump him? Jump him? “Please…” she begged instead. “I can’t take it anymore.”
“Are you admitting defeat?”
“Never.”
I’d consider it if you’d kiss me.
Drops of water splashed down onto her bikini top as he bent over her. His chest was so near. “Defeat?” His breath was warm on her face.
All she needed to do was arch her back and her breasts would press against him. “Uh-uh.” Oh, how her nipples ached for contact.
He tickled her again, his arm brushing against the side of her breast.
A flame ignited inside her. “Okay, okay,” she relented. “I admit defeat.”
Now kiss me.
“Good. Let that be a lesson to you.” He stared down at her, exultant in his conquest, his mouth an inch from hers.
“Bully.” Her voice lacked conviction, the word coming out as a soft sigh.
He held her gaze for a second too long. Blood roared in her ears.
Kiss me.
Now.
Nervously, she flicked her tongue out and ran it along her lower lip.
A knowing smile touched the corner of his mouth, an arrogant, sexy smile. It caught Amy in her belly and sent shivers of awareness coursing through her. Her swim had done nothing to dampen her arousal. In fact, it had the opposite effect. She was so aware of Daniel, his body, his closeness, she debated the wisdom of wrapping her legs around his waist, arching her hips and pressing herself against his cock.
He didn’t give her a chance. One last wicked smile and he pushed off the lounger and stood up.
Disappointment and frustration coursed through her. Despite the heated air, she was cold. Her smile felt empty and lifeless.
Shit.
What was the point of all this fooling around? Was he just teasing her? Or was he sticking to his word and keeping their relationship platonic?
Fuck that.
She didn’t want platonic. Not from him. Not anymore. The only thing she wanted was for him to get back on the lounger, lean over her again and fuck her. Hard, deep and slow. For a
very
long time.
Obviously he wasn’t going to do that. She took a deep, steadying breath and got up. Much to her annoyance, her hands shook.
“Now who’s the sore loser?” He stood behind her and whispered in her ear. His breath tickled her skin, sending a shiver down her spine.
Bastard.
He was toying with her.
Fine.
Two could play the same game. At her feet was the towel she dropped earlier. She leaned over to pick it up, deliberately keeping her legs straight, pushing her ass back in the process and pressing it into his groin.
Her mood perked up. A smirk curving her lips, she straightened and then handed him her towel. “I think you need this more than I do. Remember, there were children running around here. We have to keep things decent.”
“Decent?” His smile was gone and the gleam in his eyes bordered on dangerous. Her heart began to pound. “Is that really what you want? To keep things decent?”
Hunger swept through her. Did she want to keep things decent? Good God, no. Kissing him was no longer enough. She wanted to lie down and do downright indecent things with him. Now.
It was obvious he wanted the same thing. His cock wasn’t just hard, it had felt like a baseball bat nestling into her buttocks.
Her heart hammered and her breathing became labored. The time for games was over. Their relationship had reached a changing point and there was no going back. Only forward. But until she had some answers, she wasn’t going anywhere.
“Daniel…?” Amy grabbed his arms, feeling tiny jolts of electricity pulsing from his skin. “That day at Tamarama, you said you’d discovered something about yourself, something you weren’t ready to talk about. What was it?”
“You know what it was.” His mouth was so close his breath fanned her face. “I can see it in your eyes.”
She shook her head. “Spell it out for me.”
“There’s no need.” His eyes were dark, his look heated. “You’ve worked it out.”
“I have?”
“You have.”
Her blood smoldered. The look on his face was the same glazed expression he had that day at the beach. Initially she thought he’d been worried about his situation. Now she knew better. The look on his face was desire, plain and simple. Naked desire. And it was aimed at her.
Daniel was right. She had worked it out. Finally, his secret dawned upon her. He wanted her—and had for a long time. He repeatedly told her for weeks but she refused to listen. Well, she listened now. Every cell in her body listened.
However, he couldn’t have told a ten-year-old that he wanted to fuck his best friend. There had to be more to it than just desire.
“Stop screwing around, Tanner.” She shook his arms as she whispered fiercely. “I think I’ve worked it out, but I’m not entirely sure. Clarify it for me—just so there are no misunderstandings. What exactly did you tell Vicky?”
He stared at her for the longest time, his eyes now a stormy gray. Emotion played across his face but she couldn’t read it, couldn’t work it out. “Daniel, please.”
After a while he nodded. “I told her I don’t treat you the way I should, that I take advantage of you. Of our friendship.”
“And…?”
“She said I should change my behavior, my attitude. She said life’s too short to mess around with the people you…care about. She told me to do whatever it took to show you how much you mean to me.”
“I, uh…” Amy swallowed. Breathing became difficult. “You’re my best friend. I know how much I mean to you, Dan.”
“Morgan…” His whisper was seductive. “You don’t have a clue.”
Her heart lurched. “Then tell me.” She gave his arms a weak shake. “Please, tell me.”
“How specific do you want me to be?” It looked and sounded like he had difficulty breathing. His chest was so close the fine hairs sprinkled on it scraped her nipples every time he inhaled.
“Very specific.” Her breasts ached from the contact.
“Then listen close, Morgan, because I’ll only say it once.”
When he leaned in and kissed her, she heard what he had to say. For the first time she ignored her body’s response to his touch and listened to his.
He wanted her. His mouth told her as it worked hungrily on hers, teasing, licking, sucking and tasting. His arms told her as they trembled beneath her grasp. His physical reaction told her—his nipples hardened against her own tender breasts, his hips ground into hers, pressing his erection firmly into her stomach.
Most of all, the low, throaty groan that emanated from deep inside him as he kissed her told her he wanted her. She wanted him too.
Not ready to break the kiss but knowing it was necessary, she pulled her mouth from his. “Now I know.”
His eyes closed, he shook his head. “You don’t know the half of it.” His voice was tormented.
“Then show me.” She twirled out of his arms. “Come back to your apartment and show me everything.”
Without waiting for an answer, Amy wheeled around and walked off. She reached his door and opened it without a backward glance, heading straight for the kitchen. The bottle of water she pulled out of the fridge was icy cold, unlike her. She was burning hot, engulfed by need. A fire raged inside her that even the long, cooling drink from the bottle couldn’t dampen. She burned for Daniel. Wanted him with a desperation that shook her to her core. The desire to make love to him, hold him, lose herself in his kisses and make him a part of her, raged inside her like a towering inferno. She wanted to undress him and have wild, wicked sex with him.
Her breath came in short gasps and her heart slammed against her ribs. Thoughts of him, of their last hour together, echoed through her belly, reverberating in a warm heat between her legs.
The front door closed. He was there, in the apartment. Should she go to him? Should she wrap herself around his beautiful body and run her hands over his flat stomach? Relish the strength below the devastating contours of his chest? God help her, she wanted to. Wanted to strip his shorts off and render him bare and hard. In front of her, on top of her, inside her.
“Oh!” Images like that stoked the fire burning inside her. Lord, she wanted him so bad she could taste it. Taste his hot, salty skin as she kissed her way along his square jaw, taste his come as he squirted it in her mouth.
The phone rang. And rang and rang. She heard Daniel’s familiar message as the machine picked up and then a blurred voice. Daniel swore before answering with a throaty hello.
Must be important.
She listened to him speak, to the low, rumbling of his voice. Images of that voice rasping in her ear, telling her of his need for her, what he wanted to do to her, flashed across her mind.
Blindly she made her way out of the kitchen, clutching the cold water bottle like a lifeline. Wanton fantasies that had nothing on the real life man roared through her head.
Daniel’s attention was focused on his conversation. He didn’t see her hunger as she studied him. Muscles bunched in his arm as he jotted something down, carelessly shaking his wet hair as he ran his other hand through the short curls.