Too Tempting, Page 3

  I’d spent those three hours typing away on my laptop, then backspacing to erase everything I’d written.

  I was writing a book about teens, magic, and destiny, and all that kept flowing out of me were hot, sweaty sex scenes, with a hero that looked a helluva lot like Superman.

  I needed therapy … Or a really good bout of sex.

  The knock at my door had me whipping my head away from my computer, and my heart literally flipped in my chest when I saw Gabe standing on the other side of the screen door.

  He was still shirtless!

  All I could think was, the man had better be single, as I pushed my chair back and walked over to open the door.

  “Hey,” I managed softly.

  “You ready?” he asked with a handsome grin, his eyes roaming over my excuse for a bathing suit cover-up.

  It was a lacy number that really didn’t cover the bikini underneath at all. I’d noticed him checking me out, in between the moments that I was checking him out. I didn’t jog, do yoga, and torture myself with workout DVDs for nothing. It was time for me to step up my game and take matters into my own hands.

  We were now less than a week away from the camp being taken over by teens, so my window of opportunity was dwindling.

  “Yes,” I replied with what I hoped was a seductive smile. “Do I need anything?”

  “Nope, you’re perfect as you are,” Gabe replied, holding the door for me as I joined him outside. “My cousin Serena called and is almost here, so the others are going to hang back and wait for her. We’ll go ahead and they’ll meet us in a little bit.”

  I searched his eyes, wondering if this meant he wanted some alone time with me, and it felt like a marching band had taken up residence in my stomach.

  “Sounds great.”

  We walked down the steps and I paused when I noticed the four-wheeler parked there.

  “I figured we’d ride over, if that works…” Gabe said, holding out his hand. I placed mine in his, cognizant of the heat I felt whenever we happened to touch, and let him help me onto the seat.

  I scooted back to give him space, and held my breath as he hopped on and settled in front of me.

  He turned his head and said, “Hold on,” then turned back to start up the machine.

  I gingerly placed my arms around his middle, still not breathing as my arms touched his bare skin.

  Good lord, he felt smooth.

  His hand grasped mine and he pulled, bringing me flush against his back and causing me to hold on tighter.

  My head got light as the spicy, woodsy smell of him drifted up, and the heat of his back warmed my front.

  This man was potent … One hundred proof.

  The four-wheeler rumbled beneath us as we took off, my arms tightening even more at the sudden movement.

  We arrived by the dock at the lake much too quickly, and I had to make myself remove my arms from around his waist before things got awkward.

  Gabe got off first and helped me down.

  I could really get used to this gentlemanly stuff he kept doing.

  “I’m going to go in the shed and check over the paddle boats, kayaks, and canoes real quick, but if you want, you can head into the water.”

  “Okay,” I replied. I could already feel the heat of the sun beating down on me, and the lake looked very inviting with the rays glimmering off the surface. Plus, after being fused up against Gabe, I needed to cool down before I did something crazy, like run my hands over his naked torso.

  Chapter Seven ~ Gabe

  I was having the hardest time not jacking off in the damn shed.

  Just one little stroke, my inner demon urged.

  Zoey’s lush tits pressed against my back as we rode to the lake had been pure torture, and then I’d made the mistake of pausing before going into the shed to do inventory like I’d said I was going to. Instead, I watched as she sauntered down the dock, pulled the flimsy cover-up over her head, and revealed her body on perfect display in a little white bikini.

  Damn … First the sweaty jog, then the four-wheeler ride, and then … I watched as she dove off the dock into the water and held my breath until she surfaced and ran her hands over her slicked-back hair. That was when I disappeared into the shed.

  This girl was driving me to the brink of crazy.

  That long, dark hair, those big eyes, and that body … Shit!

  Get it together, Gabe. You’re a man in your damn thirties, for Christ sake. You’ve had plenty of beautiful women. The sight of another one shouldn’t have you on the brink of masturbating in the shed like a horny boy.

  I closed my eyes and thought of getting tackled by a three-hundred-pound linebacker, then did a quick check of the equipment, before saying fuck it and strolling out and down the dock.

  When I got to the edge I looked out at Zoey treading water and asked, “How is it?”

  “Perfect,” she replied with a happy smile. “Just the right amount of chill to make it refreshing.”

  Like a man possessed, I kicked off my sandals and dove in, gasping slightly when my body registered the temperature of the water, then swam back up to the surface. I wiped the water out of my eyes and saw that Zoey was only a few feet away, her face cautious but curious, and a little bit of something else.

  Drawn to that look, I swam slowly toward her. Not saying a word, I reached my hand out and gently wiped a droplet of water off of her cheek.

  I saw her shiver and, hoping it was from my touch rather than the water, I eased closer. Slowly, I drifted closer, to give her time and space to stop me if I was crowding her, or offering something she didn’t want.

  When she stayed in place, those big eyes watching me, I put my other hand around her waist and drew her closer. Zoey gasped slightly, her plump lips parting, causing the heat of her breath to caress my neck. I looked down, and she looked up, and I saw the invitation in her eyes, so I took it.

  Dipping low, I brushed my lips against hers. Softly at first, then I pulled her lower lip between my teeth and sucked at it gently. Doing so ignited something in her, because one second she was soft and pliant in my arms and the next she attacked, pulling me tightly against her as she locked her lips fully on mine and swept her tongue through my mouth.

  Her enthusiasm would have been sexy as hell, but since we’d both been trying to tread water, her exuberance threw us off track, and we were both suddenly going under.

  I placed my hands under her arms and kicked my feet, rocketing us both back up and out of the water. Gasping, I kept her in my arms and swam toward the shore, stopping once we were in water shallow enough to stand in.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, stunned. She swiped the hair out of her face as she muttered something about being out of her mind, and I couldn’t stop the laughter from billowing out of me.

  Zoey’s eyes shot up, and she looked briefly offended, before her wide mouth slanted up, and she began to laugh along with me.

  I was still chuckling when I took a step closer and put my finger under her chin to tip her head up.

  “Let’s try that again, now that we have our feet on the ground,” I murmured.

  “Wait!” she yelled, causing me to still. “You’re single, right?”

  I grinned, relieved that this was what had stopped her, and answered, “Yeah. You?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good,” I replied, then swept down and slanted my head, groaning when the taste of her filled me. Her arms came around my neck and I felt her straining toward me, so I lifted her easily, my blood raging when she wrapped her legs around my waist and shoved her hands in my hair, pulling me closer and deepening the kiss.

  I’m not sure how long we stood there, the water lapping at my waist as we made out under the summer sun.

  She felt amazing, and tasted even better, and I would have loved to be there, in that moment, for the rest of the day.

  My cousins, however, had other plans.

  “Whew!” I heard Jasmine call, as someone let out a shrill whistle.
<
br />   “Fuck,” I muttered as I pulled back and turned my gaze toward the shore, where my cousins stood with various expressions.

  Reardon was removing his fingers from his lips, so I knew he’d been the whistler, while Dillon grinned as he clapped his hands together slowly and loudly. Jasmine was grinning ear to ear, and Serena, who’d yet to meet Zoey, was looking at the two of us curiously.

  “Um,” Zoey said, tapping my shoulder and drawing my attention back to her. “Can you put me down?”

  Her voice was soft, and embarrassment flushed her cheeks, which only made me want to throw her down and give my family a real show. Instead, I did as she requested and placed her back down into the water.

  “Are we checking the equipment, or do you two want some privacy?” Reardon asked with a smirk.

  Jasmine reached over and punched him, likely defending her new friend, causing Rear to yell an exaggerated, “Ow!”

  “Just give us a minute!” I yelled back, then waited until they all started walking toward the shed to turn to Zoey and ask, “You okay?”

  “Yes, really good actually,” she said with a coy grin.

  I leaned closer and nipped her earlobe gently before saying gruffly, “You’re too tempting … You’d better stay close to me for the rest of the day and keep me in line, otherwise I’m not sure what I’ll do.”

  “Okay,” she whispered again, this time shyly, but I could see her pleasure at my words.

  “Okay,” I repeated, casually threw my arm over her shoulder, and led her out of the water.

  Chapter Eight ~ Zoey

  I can’t remember the last time I had a really good make-out session. Outside. With a gorgeous, ripped guy. And almost drown him in the process…

  If Gabe hadn’t put me so at ease by laughing at the situation, then proceeding to kiss me breathless, I would have died of mortification. I’d been so turned on, so eager, that I’d basically leapt on him in the deep end of the lake. What a boob!

  Luckily, Gabe didn’t seem turned off by my obvious exuberance, he rather seemed to like it.

  He kissed like it was his job, and I’d been so swept up in all his delicious goodness, that I hadn’t even heard his cousins approach. The fact that they’d been heckling us didn’t even penetrate until Gabe had broken the kiss and I’d followed his gaze in a total daze.

  When he’d said I was tempting and that he wanted me to stick with him the rest of the day, I was unabashedly pleased. The thought was thrilling, and I was hoping for tons of stolen kisses. Now that I’d had a taste, I knew I’d be craving those lips all day long.

  I’d been a little embarrassed when we got to shore and I saw that Gabe’s other cousin, Serena, had arrived, and the first impression she’d gotten of me was sucking her eldest cousin’s face. It didn’t seem to alter her opinion of me, though, because she was just as nice as could be.

  “Hey, Serena,” Gabe had said, pulling her in for a hug. “Good to see you again. This is Zoey.”

  “Hello, Gabriel,” she’d responded, her delicate features conveying her pleasure at being with her cousins again. Then she turned to me with a genuine smile and said, “Nice to meet you, Zoey. I hope this isn’t too forward, but I love your face. Would you be open to sitting for me while we’re here?”

  At her request I remembered what Jasmine had said about her being an artist, and although it seemed a bit of a strange thing to ask right out of the gate, I was honored that she’d asked. “Um, sure, I guess so … It’s nice to meet you too.”

  Serena gave a small smile and a nod, and I wondered how long sitting for a painting lasted.

  Now, we were pulling stuff out of the shed. Kayaks, tubes, canoes, etc., and pulling them over to the launch.

  “Everything looks good so far. Let’s take them out and make sure there aren’t any issues we can’t see,” Gabe said.

  Reardon and Dillon grabbed a couple kayaks, while Serena and Jasmine started pulling a canoe toward the water.

  “Care to paddle with me?” Gabe asked, gesturing to one of the paddleboats.

  “Sure,” I answered. Honestly, I would have said yes to just about anything he wanted to do with me at this point. Paddle boating, necking, going back into the shed and shutting the door so he could have his wicked way with me…

  I cleared my throat, and my dirty mind, and waited as he got the boat into the water, then held it in place so I could get in. Once we were both in, we started paddling out into the lake.

  The men were already way ahead. It looked like they were racing, while the women were taking more of a leisurely trip.

  “So,” Gabe began, “tell me all about Zoey.”

  I was enjoying the easy camaraderie we shared, but wanted to be as truthful as possible with him. I wasn’t sure if what we were starting was a fling or could possibly lead to more, but the idea of lying didn’t sit well with me either way. I still wanted my anonymity, at least for a while longer, so I decided to focus on telling him about my personal life, rather than my professional one.

  “Well … I have a sister, which you already know, and a nephew, Christopher. I grew up in Michigan, and went to school in Boston, which is where I was planning on staying, but when my sister found out she was pregnant, I moved to North Carolina to help her out. I’ve been there ever since.”

  “What about your parents?”

  I bit back a groan when my thighs began to burn.

  Who knew paddle boating was so hard?

  “They’re around … off and on. Once Chloe and I were both out of the house, they moved down to Florida and spend a lot of their time either golfing or traveling. Chloe was too embarrassed at first, being alone and pregnant, to say anything to them, so she called me.” I shrugged as I remembered how easy it was to pack up and move when my sister needed me. Being a writer meant I could work anywhere, and even though I didn’t make as much money when I first started out, I’d had no problem packing up my meager belongings and being there for my sister. “I lived with her after she had him, but as time went on, they didn’t need me as much, so I got my own place. My parents roll through town once and a while, and we’ll go there to visit them when they’re in town, for holidays and stuff, but now, we’re all pretty much caught up in our own lives. Chris is twelve, going on twenty, and he’s always busy with sports and his friends, and both Chloe and I work a lot, but we get together when we can.”

  “They sound lucky to have you.”

  “I don’t know about that…”

  Gabe placed his hand on my thigh and squeezed it gently.

  “Not a lot of people would have packed up their lives and moved to a different state in order to help their sister. Then you stayed and helped raise your nephew. You sound pretty amazing to me.”

  I flushed, pleased at his compliment, and placed my hand over his.

  “I think the relationship you have with your cousins is pretty great too. I love that you all grew up together, and you take the time to get together like this every year. You’ve got a pretty amazing family.”

  Gabe looked out over the lake at his cousins and laughed as Reardon shouted out in glee that he’d won.

  “Yeah, they’re pretty terrific. Reardon and Dillon were always like brothers to me, and Jasmine and Serena … sisters. I guess I was pretty fortunate that our parents all stayed in the same small town when they started their families, so that we had the chance to grow up together. It sucked when Serena moved, but they came back a few times a year to visit.”

  “It makes a difference,” I said softly.

  “What?” he asked, his chocolaty eyes searching my face.

  “Having strong family ties,” I replied. “I think it really helps to shape a person.”

  Gabe nodded, and opened his mouth to reply, but the sounds of laughter and water splashing pulled his attention back to his cousins, who were heading toward us at rapid speeds.

  “My kayak works perfectly,” Reardon yelled out with a cocky grin, then tilted his head and added, “But I think Dillon’s m
ight be broken … It’s so slow.”

  Dillon laughed good-naturedly at the ribbing, then asked, “What’s for food? I’m starved.”

  “Looks like we need to head back and feed the beasts,” Gabe said, and I nodded in understanding. “Would it be okay if I came by tonight, after dinner? We could take some time to get to know each other, without interruptions…”

  I paused, thinking about all of the things we could do without interruptions, and he must have taken my silence as uncertainty, because he added, “Just to talk.”

  I smiled then, warmth filling me at the knowledge that he was trying to assure me that he wanted more than a hook-up, that he wanted to take the time to get to know me.

  “I’d love that,” I replied, then proceeded to think about all the ways I could make him change his mind about the just talking part.

  Chapter Nine ~ Gabe

  “So … this seems kind of sudden.”

  I turned from the grill to see Serena walking toward me, a couple of cold beers in her hands. She offered me one and I took it gratefully.

  “Thanks,” I said, turning back to flip the burgers. “I assume you’re talking about Zoey, and not the brats.”

  “Yeah,” she said, stopping beside me, a worried expression on her face. “She seems nice and all, but what do you know about her?”

  “I know that she’s funny, quirky … a writer. I know she dropped everything and moved to help her sister when she needed her, so she has a strong sense of family. Of loyalty. I know she came here to be there for her nephew, but is a little scatterbrained and got the dates mixed up. I know that everything I’ve learned about her so far, I really like.”

  “Hmmmm,” Serena muttered, tipping her head back to take a sip of her beer. “Are you sure she’s who she says?”

  “Rena,” I began, putting the tongs down and turning to my overprotective cousin.