Soldier Boy Read online

  Her legs wobbled as she rose, and she reached for his broad shoulders to steady herself.

  He clamped his hands around her waist and lifted her high enough her breasts were even with his mouth. As his lips closed around one turgid peak, her head fell back, and she moaned.

  Suki slid her fingers through his short hair as he suckled one breast then the other, and then he shifted and bit out a curse.

  His leg. “Should you be holding me up?” she moaned as he tongued her nipple.

  He turned his head, breathing hard against her skin. “We need protection.”

  “In my pocket,” she said, sliding her arms around his shoulders.

  His mouth rooted against her breast again, his tongue swirling on the tip, and then he lowered her to her feet.

  Suki knelt quickly, her hands shaking as she turned her pocket inside out and plucked up one of the foil packets that spilled onto the wood deck. She tore it open and held it up to him, knowing her hands shook too badly to apply it.

  Blowing out a deep breath, he cupped the rubber, curved his hand around the crown of his cock, and rolled it down his length. The rubber was nearly transparent it was stretched so thin.

  As soon as he had it in place, she rose in front of him, not sure how she wanted him to take her, not sure what he could manage with his damaged leg. All she knew was she was desperate for him to be inside her.

  His glance cut from her to the end of the pier with its peaked roof. “There,” he bit out.

  With an electric hum buzzing through her body, she walked unsteadily toward the covered end with him following close behind.

  Mac followed close behind her, his gaze glued to the sway of her slim hips, still not believing how quickly things had progressed between them.

  Before stepping beneath the covering, he cut a quick glance around the water’s edge.

  This was a bad idea. But the urgent heat building in his body was a distraction. One he had to ease before he could get his mind wrapped around what he needed to do.

  He’d take her quickly, get them both off in minutes, then he’d sit at the edge of the pier while she swam to keep watch.

  Suki stood beneath the peaked, shingled roof. The sides were open, but long planks, which served as part of the frame, stretched the length of both sides.

  Mac noted her tension and wondered if she might be having second thoughts. Her hands curled tightly at her sides. “We don’t have to do this, you know. You’ve already given me more pleasure than I had the right to expect.”

  “I’m not hesitating…not really,” she said, her breaths coming fast. “I’m just…tense. So excited, I can hardly breathe.”

  He closed the distance between them and lifted his hands to frame her small face. Bending low, he swept his mouth over hers once, giving her a tentative kiss.

  Her soft sigh drifted across his lips, and a deep rumbling growl broke from between his. “I’m afraid I’m gonna get a little rough.”

  One corner of her mouth quirked up. “Having trouble holding it together?”

  “Uh huh.”

  “You’re tall. Will I be high enough here if I bend over?”

  She was too damn short for that to work. Mac closed his eyes. A year ago, he would just have lifted her in his arms and slid her body down until she engulfed him. “The water. Let’s do it in the water.”

  She nodded quickly. “Yeah, I won’t be as heavy. Will the temperature be a problem?”

  They talked as calmly as though he didn’t have a raging hard-on and her thighs weren’t slippery with her cream. “Babe, I’m so hard, nothing’s gonna wilt me.”

  She turned and took two steps toward the end of the covered pier and dove into the water, surfacing several feet away.

  With her hair slicked back, she looked very small and feminine. Completely edible to a hungry “grunt.”

  Not nearly as agile, he walked toward the edge and lowered himself carefully to sit with his legs dangling over the side. Then he pushed off, and water closed over his head.

  When he came up for air, he found her treading water beside him, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “It’s not too deep just around the side. Follow me.”

  Anywhere you want, kitten. You’ve got the catnip.

  Around the side of the pier, she paused, and then sank below the water before bouncing back up. “Should be just about right, here.”

  Mac treaded closer and let his legs drift to the bottom. He planted his feet in soft sand and stood. “Not bad. I’m surprised the doctors didn’t recommend this for therapy.”

  Her grin stretched, and she swam closer and reached for his shoulders. “This work for you?”

  He nodded, afraid he’d sound like a caveman with all her soft “parts” snuggling closer to his. He placed his hands gently around her waist and brought her flush against his body. “We should have done this in a bed. I would have given you as much attention as you gave to me.”

  With her wet lashes sticking together like the points of a star, she searched his gaze. “Don’t worry about me not being ready for this,” she said softly. “I have the feeling I’m going to go off like a rocket as soon as you slide up inside me.”

  “You’re built kind of tiny,” he said gruffly.

  She leaned close and nipped his chin with her teeth. “Might take a little wiggling to get you all the way up,” she whispered, “but I sure want to try it.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You shouldn’t say things like that to a man.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Am I being too slutty?”

  “Fuck no. Soon as you said it though, my dick got harder just imagining it…the wiggling.”

  Her mouth twitched. “Afraid you’re gonna pop right through that latex?”

  “It’s a little snug.”

  One dark eyebrow arched. “I noticed.”

  Mac’s hands roamed over her smooth back then slid lower over the slight curves of her buttocks. His fingers tightened. “Wrap your legs around my waist.”

  Her arms tightened around his shoulders, and she drifted closer, slowly winding her legs over the tops of his hips. “Sure this isn’t hurting you?”

  “It’s all good,” he breathed, his cock sliding under her open sex. “Can you reach between us? Guide me inside?”

  As one arm tightened around his neck, her hand snuck between them, smoothing down his belly, which tensed and rippled as she passed.

  Her growing smile said she knew exactly what she was about. Her fingers spread, spearing through the hair at his groin to tug, then bypassed his cock altogether to heft his balls in her palm.

  “Feeling a little chilled?” she drawled.

  Mac shook his head. “You know you’re playing with fire, right?” he asked, his voice rasping like sandpaper.

  She rubbed her tits against his chest. “Are you nearly at the end of your tether?”

  He gritted his teeth. “You’ll find out if you don’t wrap your hand around my dick fast.”

  Her lips pursed. “I like it when you talk dirty.”

  “Is that what I’ve been doing wrong?”

  “You haven’t made a single misstep where I’m concerned.” Her smile slid away. “I didn’t want to feel this way, you know?”

  Mac fought the urge to take control and ram deep inside her. Instead, he rested his forehead against hers. “What way is that?”

  With her lips just beneath his, she whispered. “Hot, trembling inside. I want this just as bad as you do.”

  “Then why are you playing games, now?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe I want to see you when you’re pushed past politeness.”

  Mac couldn’t resist the invitation of that natural pout and pressed a kiss to her lush lips. “I don’t want to scare you.”

  “I think I need a little shaking up. ’Sides, fucking in a lake isn’t exactly scary.”

  He raised one eyebrow. “Haven’t had me comin’ up inside you yet, have you? If the condom I have squeezing my dick is any indication of what you�
�re used to, I might be a little too much for you to handle.”

  With her gaze narrowing, she released his balls and closed her fingers around his shaft. He gently raised her bottom, and she slid his cock between her legs, pushing the tip against her folds.

  “Water’s not going to be as good a lubricant,” he groaned, rutting to push the head into her entrance, then lifting her hips up and down to force himself deeper inside her. “Not as slick, not as warm.”

  “I don’t care. I don’t want it easy.”

  Mac watched her face as he shoved her down his cock.

  Her full upper lip pushed outward as she slowly blew out a deep breath. Her nostrils flared. Her eyes blinked then slid halfway closed as he tunneled deeper inside her.

  Her cunt clasped around his cock in a tight grip that eased as he began to pump her hips, sliding her up and down his length, sinking her deeper with each downward thrust.

  “Oh, Mac!” she breathed, leaning back to change the angle of the strokes. Her fingernails bit into his shoulders.

  Mac couldn’t push words past his tight throat to reassure her. His arms began to burn as he thrust her harder, up and down, faster and faster, working her tight cunt gradually down his dick, until she swallowed all of him.

  At the end of one long stroke, he ground the base of his cock against the top of her folds, trying to excite her clit, wanting her to come apart before he exploded.

  His entire body felt tight, muscles tense and burning.

  Suki’s breaths rasped, low guttural moans breaking past her lips as he quickened the strokes.

  Her eyes squeezed shut, and her head fell back. Her body slackened inside his embrace. “God, oh God!” she chanted. Then her back arched suddenly, and her thighs clutched him close.

  Mac gripped her ass harder and shoved her up and down in shallow, grinding thrusts, churning the water trapped between them, until at last, a thin, keening cry ripped from her throat.

  Her fingers slid down his chest and trailed into the water. Her tight, straining features relaxed while her shuddering breaths shook her tiny breasts.

  Mac let go of her ass and hugged her close, holding her tight until her arms came around him, and she bent her head to rest it against his shoulder.

  As her breaths evened, he detected a soft, ragged edge of a sob, and his belly tensed. “It’s okay, Suki. It’s okay, baby.”

  Her face nuzzled the corner of his neck, and she hugged him. Then she sniffed and raised her head. The smile trembling on her lips twisted. “I promise I don’t get weepy every time I climax. You were right. You…it was a bit much.”

  “We should get you back to the cabin,” he said quietly, although inside he wanted to howl with frustration.

  “But, what about you?”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  She shook her head. “No way.”

  “We’ve been out here a while. It’s not safe in the open.”

  “Come back to the cabin with me. I’ll finish it. I promise.”

  Mac hugged her close, pressing her face against his shoulder. “Maybe later. Right now, I need you to get dressed, okay?”

  Her nod was slow in coming, but she unwound her legs, gave him a look filled with regret, then swam to the pier and climbed easily over the edge.

  Mac followed more slowly, embarrassed with how difficult it was to maneuver his body out of the water. He had the strength to pull himself up, got his good knee over, but struggled not to bump his leg too badly.

  To top it all off, getting vertical proved another trial.

  By the time he got to his feet, she was walking toward him, fully dressed, his clothing clutched in her arms.

  “Get back to the house,” he said, damning himself to hell when her expression fell.

  “I’ll hel—”

  “I’ll manage on my own,” he ground out, more harshly than he’d intended, but after all the time in the water, his weak leg trembled, and he didn’t want her to notice.

  She passed the clothing to his hands and walked away, not looking back even once.

  Mac sighed. He’d wanted a willing woman, but not one he actually might want to see again. He definitely hadn’t planned on caring about her.

  By the time he’d wrestled his body back into his clothing, he’d found what was left of his sense of humor. Stuffing his cock behind the metal zipper, he caught himself cussing and started to chuckle. He’d had high hopes a short while ago that this particular problem would be solved.

  Considering his luck lately, he was fortunate he hadn’t scraped it raw hauling himself over the deck.

  But his losing streak was doomed to bite him in the ass one last time.

  As he entered the clearing, he spotted a black pickup and the cursing started again.

  Chapter Five

  ‡

  When he pushed open the door, he found Lyssa and Brand sitting across from Suki, whose expression seemed relieved when he entered.

  Lyssa sprang from the sofa and rushed over to him, giving him a hug he couldn’t stop himself from returning. He closed his eyes as he held his sister close. The last time he’d seen her, he’d shouted her out of his hospital room.

  “You look amazing,” she said, her voice thick with tears as she leaned back inside his embrace.

  “You look…happy,” he returned with a crooked smile.

  Brand cleared his throat. The glance he shot him said he wasn’t feelin’ the love. Probably still held a grudge for how badly he’d treated Lyssa.

  Mac lifted his chin. “Brand.”

  Brand didn’t reply, but his eyes narrowed as he raised a hand along the back of the sofa as though he intended to stay a while.

  Mac was more than ready to disabuse him of that thought.

  “Mac,” Lyssa said, drawing his attention away from her grumpy fiancé. “We were just extending an invitation to Suki to come back to the ranch with us.”

  Mac stiffened. What they proposed made sense. She’d be safer there, surrounded by acres of private property and staff.

  “I appreciate it,” Suki said quickly, sounding a little panicked, “but I’m doing just fine here. Of course, I understand if you need to head home, Mac.”

  Anger swept through him, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. Did she have to get snippy just because he’d cut their tryst a little short? He’d been right after all. Brand and Lyssa might have walked right up on them when they were still going at it in the water.

  “As long as you decide to hole up here,” he said, keeping his voice even, “I’m staying. So, get that thought out of your head now.”

  Her eyes widened innocently. “I wasn’t trying to push you out the door.”

  “Sure, you weren’t,” he bit out. “But there’s no way in hell I’m leaving you here alone.”

  Her eyes narrowed just a fraction. “Yesterday, you were just fine with a ‘fly-by’.”

  “Yesterday, I didn’t fully understand the danger you’re flirting with here.”

  Suki’s chin came up.

  Brand coughed behind his hand, no doubt to hide a smile.

  There weren’t many people who’d ever dared thwarting his authority. Mac aimed a deadly glare his way.

  Lyssa’s curious gaze trailed over Suki’s damp hair and Mac’s T-shirt, which still clung to his wet skin. When her eyes rose to meet his gaze, they gleamed with wicked humor. “Brought you some clothes, although it doesn’t look like you’ll have much need for them.”

  “Lyssa…”

  “I’m not judging.”

  He narrowed his gaze in warning. “You’re in no position to pass judgment.”

  “Exactly,” she said, a blush beginning to bloom on her cheeks. She took a deep breath, and raised her eyebrows high. “I suppose we’d be overextending our welcome if we stayed for dinner?”

  Mac gave her a thin-lipped smile. “Wouldn’t want to you on the road past dark.”

  Lyssa leaned close for another hug. “She’s cute,” she whispered in his ear. “Tiny thing
, but she doesn’t look like a pushover.”

  “She can stand up for herself,” he muttered.

  “Tara said sparks were flyin’.”

  He glanced down into her sparkling eyes. “You tell Tara I’ll spank her ass good if she meddles again.”

  Lyssa blushed clear to her roots and backed up quick. “Brand?” she said in a squeaky voice.

  Brand reached over to shake Suki’s hand. “Don’t get up; we’ll let ourselves out.”

  After their footsteps faded, Mac walked slowly to the vacated sofa and sank against the cushions. “So, you met the family. They’re a bit overwhelming.”

  “You’re lucky.”

  He lifted an eyebrow in question.

  “They love you.”

  He snorted. “Guess that’s what that was all about.”

  “What else would it be?”

  “Them coming over to check you out.”

  Her eyes widened. “How would they know?”

  “Tara’s been match-making. Something she can’t resist when her own love life’s in the shitter. Pardon my French.”

  Suki smiled. “Think they knew?”

  Mac snorted. “Oh yeah.”

  “What gave it away?”

  “Besides the fact we’re both soaking wet? And your lips are a little swollen?”

  Her hand shot up to her mouth, and fingers slid across her lips. “Anything else?” she murmured.

  “My pleasant disposition.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “Or more the point, the lack of…?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Great,” she huffed. “They think they interrupted something.”

  He opened his mouth to deliver another biting comment, but realized he’d been enjoying their exchange a little too much. “I’m hitting the shower.”

  She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and nodded.

  Schooling his face not to wince when he swung his leg off the couch, he stood and walked carefully to the bathroom.

  Once inside, he stripped, turned the water to a scalding temperature and braced his hands on either side of the narrow stall as water sluiced down his front.

  The stall door clicked, and he glanced behind him.

  Suki stood in the opening. “I figured ‘shower’ was just another word for jerking off,” she said, her chin lifting high.