He drank deep and long, savoring every drop.
After a long time he broke away, separating their bodies.
“Lay back,” he murmured. “And enjoy.”
Kenneth licked his way down her abdomen, his tongue tracing one of the thick black lines marking her skin. They wound round her body from shoulders to ankle, forming an elaborate pattern. “These are so damn sexy.”
He kissed his way down her abdomen. Unlike some women who were all skin and bone, Tessa had a sexy, full belly. Then he moved lower. His hand parted her thighs.
But before he went farther, he stood up, leaving Tessa with a pleading look on her face. Claiming one of their empty glasses, he walked to the bar and filled the glass with two fingers’ worth of apricot brandy. Coming back to his place, he tipped the glass over, letting a bit of the fragrant alcohol trickle into her belly button.
Tessa squealed, then dissolved into a fit of giggles. “Oh, I don’t believe you’re doing this.”
Kenneth dipped his tongue into her navel. “Tastes like the nectar of the gods.” He dripped more of the sweet brandy onto her skin, then lapped it up. “I could get used to a diet like this.”
Eyes smoldering with heat, Tessa rolled her hips. “Feast away.”
Feast, he did.
She gave a primitive cry when he parted her legs again. Adding a splash of brandy, his tongue immediately followed.
Tessa released a strangled cry. “Oh, heavens!” she gasped. “That’s so wonderful.” Her moans and deep sighs mingled with the soft hum emanating from the swamp cooler.
Kenneth’s hand replaced his mouth. In moments, Tessa voiced a lusty moan of pleasure. Limp in the aftermath of rapture, it took her a few moments to catch her breath. But it wasn’t long before Tessa’s fingers plucked at the top button of his jeans. “I want more.”
He pulled back, trying to ignore the bulge in his pants straining for freedom beneath the tight denim. “Damn.” Stomach twisting with disappointment, he swallowed hard. “I haven’t got a condom.” As much as he wanted her, there was no reason to take risky chances.
A soft voice cut through his frustration. “It’s okay. Mers don’t carry disease, and we can’t catch anything from humans.”
Kenneth’s jaw tightened. Holding himself back was a misery within itself. “What about . . . ?”
He held his breath, waiting for her answer. Backing off now wasn’t going to be easy, but he’d find some other way to relieve his fierce need if he had to. Neither one of them needed an unexpected complication.
Tessa’s fingers worked into the top of his jeans, tugging his hips toward hers. She tilted her chin up. Her touch was intimate, her gaze even more so. “A Mer can’t get pregnant unless she’s breed-mated.”
He caressed her cheek. The bulge in his pants swelled, pulsing even harder. The pressure had gone from uncomfortable to out-and-out unbearable. “I don’t know what that is, but it sounds serious.”
Tessa deftly undid the single button. “It means we choose only a single male to sire our offspring.” His zipper crunched down, delivering welcome freedom. “But until that time comes, I can’t conceive.”
Kenneth drew a sharp breath as she pushed his jeans down. The sheer intensity of waiting was beginning to shred him to pieces. His hands slid into her long hair, sending a mass of curls tumbling down around her neck and shoulders. Tilting back her head, he sought her mouth. Their lips came together in a hungry crush.
Somehow their bodies came together, all the separate parts meshing with perfect synchronicity. Tessa curled her legs around his waist. “I want you inside me.” It was all he needed to hear.
Kenneth’s self-control snapped. He plunged deep, savoring the silken glide into her depth. Bracing his hands against the cushions, he began to thrust. Blood pounded in his temples, spurring him on. Pleasure built with every excruciating second. Waves of liquid heat shimmered through his veins. A long groan of surrender broke from his throat. His hips moved with a rhythm all their own.
All gentleness was lost between them as Tessa welcomed thrust after thrust. Gripping his shoulders, she dug her nails deep into his skin. Their bodies weren’t just joined.
They were one.
Chapter 6
S
unlight was flooding the room when Kenneth forced himself to wake up. His muscles ached, and the temptation to succumb to two or three additional hours of sleep was difficult to resist. Punching his pillow, he rolled over on his side and snuggled deeper under the blanket. He immediately felt a naked female body pressing against the length of his.
As visions of the previous night unspooled across his mind’s eye, Kenneth opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a luxurious length of red hair covering the pillow next to his. Tessa lay beside him, sleeping peacefully.
He shook his head in disbelief.
I can’t believe I’m really with her.
Kenneth eased himself up on an elbow. Aftershocks still rippled through his system. Muscles he hadn’t used in a long time ached, reminding him just how long it had been since he’d spent the night with a woman. He doubted he’d ever walk normally again.
A grin split his lips. He had to admit he liked those feelings. A lot. It felt good waking up next to another warm body. He’d like to do it more often. Every day, if he could arrange it.
At first he’d been afraid of making a move on her, afraid he’d make a fool of himself with a woman he’d known barely a day. But when she’d accepted his kiss and gave him the chance to keep going, he’d grabbed on with both hands.
Everything since last night had felt like a dream.
After making love to her in the living room, he’d been so damn wasted he barely remembered making the move to her bedroom. His head had barely touched the pillow before he’d fallen asleep, vaguely aware of Tessa curling into him for warmth. Good sex had put him out like a candle in a hurricane-force wind.
Last night there hadn’t been time for regrets or second thoughts. He had plenty of opportunity now. Much to his surprise, he couldn’t find a single reason why they shouldn’t have made love last night. They’d both needed someone, and they’d both satisfied each other. Completely.
On every level, lying beside Tessa felt right.
He didn’t know why. It just did.
Kenneth glanced around Tessa’s bedroom. You could tell a lot about a woman by the way she kept her private space. Seaside blues and sandy creams dominated the color scheme. The furniture was basic with a slight French flair and many of the pieces had a worn yet comfortable look. Though a little battered by years of use, everything was neatly arranged, clean, the seascapes hanging on the walls painted with a lively hand. Beneath the combat boots and cutoffs beat the heart of a woman grounded in the traditional style of the place she grew up.
As for lace and other frills, there wasn’t a single one to be found. What you saw was what you got.
Kenneth had to admit there was something sexy about a naked woman wrapped in a patchwork quilt and plain cotton sheets scented with a barest hint of sandalwood and spicy cinnamon.
He reached out, caressing her cheek. A pair of vibrant green eyes blinked, and then looked into his.
Kenneth smiled. “Morning.” He leaned over and tried to brush a warm kiss over her cheek.
Neatly avoiding contact, Tessa rolled over onto her back. Throwing her arms wide, she stretched and sat up. The bedding slipped down, revealing her nudity.
Making a quick attempt to cover herself, she regarded him through half-lidded eyes. “Hi.” The expression flitting across her face said everything.
She hadn’t expected to wake up to company.
Ah, damn. The morning after was always awkward. As comfortable as he felt, he had to consider that Tessa might be having postsex regrets. He had to wonder how she felt, having a naked man sprawled in her bed. “You okay?”
Tessa bit down on her lower lip. “Yeah, I think so.” Her voice was husky, like gravel rolling over silk. She hesitated a moment. “You?”
Kenneth pressed his fingers to his temple. A slight thud be-bopped behind his eyes, accompanied by the achy feeling one usually felt the morning after imbibing too much booze on an empty stomach. He hadn’t eaten a bite since yesterday’s breakfast, and that meal was long gone. Too keyed up and nervous about coming to the island, he’d missed lunch. Dinner, too, had gotten a pass in favor of those tempting beers.
“I’m a little beat, but I’ll survive.” He mentally pictured a nice, hearty breakfast, one that included heaps of bacon and lots of buttered toast.
Dragging her fingers through her tangled hair, Tessa yawned again. “Oh, me, too.” She plopped back onto the mattress. Rolling onto her side, she pulled the covers up to her chin before drawing her knees up to her chest. “I’m definitely sleeping in.” She scrunched her eyes shut. Her body language was stiff, and the message was clear: Do not touch.
She might as well have put up a brick wall between them.
Kenneth glanced at the clock on her bed table: 8:40. Early enough to sleep a little longer and still get up before noon.
Except that Tessa didn’t seem to want any company.
“I guess this is the part where I have to make the walk of shame?” At least he’d managed to make it upstairs with half his clothes on. His jeans were tossed across a nearby chair, his boots and socks nearby. Getting up was the problem. He didn’t want to go.
Tessa cracked an eye. “If I had any energy I’d put my foot on your ass and boot you out of my bed so I could get my beauty rest.”
His stomach tightened. “I get the hint.” He started to slide out of bed. Right about now he could use a shower and a hot cup of extrastrong coffee. Several cups. And some aspirin, to chase away that headachy feeling. “I’ll think about trying to make nice with you later. You sure are grouchy in the morning.”
The creases in her forehead deepened. “Grouch smouch,” she grumbled. “All I want to do is snatch a little more snooze.”
He grinned and leaned over her. “And all I want to do is snatch a little more snuggle.” His lips brushed hers.
She didn’t uncurl. “You’re a pain in the ass,” she whispered against his mouth.
He didn’t pull back. “Then let me kiss it and make it all better.”
Tessa’s throat worked. “Right now I’m not sure about letting you anywhere near me.”
Kenneth froze. His stomach balled into tight, hard knots. “Did I do something wrong?”
He heard her suck in a ragged breath. “This is usually the time when we part company.”
Caught short by her statement, Kenneth sifted through his brain cells, attempting to pull all the various elements together. Through the haze of his hangover and just plain excitement, he was aware he’d said some mighty sweet-sounding words.
Kenneth reached out, tracing the tense line of her jaw. “And this is my cue to tell you I meant it when I said I wasn’t a one- night-stand kind of man. Anything I do, I’m in for the long haul.”
Her gaze met his, honing in. “So you’re telling me you’ve never slept with a woman you’ve just met? Never did it just for the sex?”
He shook his head. “Honestly? No. I never have. You’re my first.”
Tessa appeared to believe him. She uncurled, stretching out and propping herself up on an elbow. “So I popped your
one-nighter
cherry?”
At least she was thawing out a bit. How did the old saying go? Women traded sex for intimacy and men swapped intimacy for sex.
Not that he minded. If it bought him a few more minutes in her company, he’d gladly welcome the bedroom confidences.
“I’m not saying I haven’t wanted to. It’s just something I haven’t made a practice of.”
Tessa’s mouth drew down. “I’ve done it before.”
His brows rose. That was something he never would have guessed. “Oh?”
She blew out a frustrated huff of breath. “Mers are very sexual. We need a lot.”
Kenneth considered her confession. Though he wouldn’t have asked, he thought it generous of her to volunteer the information. When it came to tallying numbers, he’d always believed discretion to be the better part of valor. Unlike some men he’d worked with, he never kissed and then shared the dirty details.
“I appreciate your honesty.”
She flashed him a skeptical look. “In case you’re wondering, I’ve had a lot of men.”
He shook his head. “I wasn’t wondering. But thanks for telling me I was just another notch in your bedpost.”
“A warm male body with a hard-on always does it for me.” She shrugged. “Sorry. I couldn’t control my hormones.”
His jaw tightened. “So you’re telling me last night meant nothing.”
Her gaze skittered. She wouldn’t look him in the eyes. “I just used you,” she confirmed. “It’s what Mers do. You humans mean nothing to us.”
Kenneth’s stomach did a cartwheel. What the hell was her game? This definitely wasn’t the woman he’d made love to last night. Something had changed. “Glad I could accommodate your need for an orgasm.”
She snorted. “Oh, come on. Get real and grow up. You didn’t go to bed with me. You went to bed with the fantasy mermaid who kissed you crazy under the water.” Her eyes narrowed. “Hard waking up with the real bitch, isn’t it?”
Hearing her words, a light immediately came on in his head. It occurred to him Tessa was afraid he’d wanted her because she was exotic.
A curiosity.
Now that the passion of the night was over, things probably appeared a lot different to her in the bright light of day. She most likely suspected he’d said a lot of persuasive words so he could work his way into her panties.
Something in his gut told him she wasn’t being truthful. It was easier for her to push him away first. She believed she was being a big girl, too smart to put her heart on the line for a single night of sex.
“I don’t believe you’re a bitch, Tessa,” he replied calmly. “I just think you don’t trust men. Is that it? Men don’t play straight, or fair, so why should you?”