“Fuck,” he murmured, burying his face in the crook of her neck, lips moving against her skin, sending shivers of pleasure creeping down her spine. “What spell have you cast on me, Khaleesi? I’m so damn hard for you, it hurts.”
In that moment, Brooke felt as powerful as the queen she was pretending to be. She’d never have guessed Jack liked to talk dirty, but hell yes, she could get behind it. She wanted to hear more, particularly as he stripped the clothes from her body, kissed every inch of exposed skin, and thrust into her. She’d bet all of him was big and solid. When she wriggled her butt against him, he shuddered, his fingers clenching fistfuls of her hair.
“You tease,” he hissed from between gritted teeth.
She started to grin, but then he flicked his wrist and spanked the side of her ass. Her core throbbed in response, and her underwear dampened with her arousal. Oh, boy. Her lips parted in shock. She’d never have guessed she liked to be spanked, but she suspected that wasn’t the only thing Jack could teach her about herself.
Her head fell back, and he latched onto her neck, kissing the length of it, sucking her pulse point, nipping it with his teeth. Then he raised his head to study his work, his lips curling in a smirk. “Yeah, that’s more like it.”
“Did you leave a hickey?” she demanded, far less annoyed than she ought to be—secretly thrilled that he’d want to mark her in such a way.
“Mmhmm.” He kissed the spot tenderly. “You don’t have a problem with that, do you?”
His tongue darted out to lap her skin, and she gasped. “I’ll only have a problem if you stop.”
He made his way back to her mouth, and their gazes clashed, his dark with intent. “I don’t plan to stop until you’re screaming, honey.”
Hearing that remark, her mind whirred frantically, chaotic thoughts buzzing through it. Did she want that? How far was she prepared to go before she slowed things down?
Her body begged her to go however far Jack wanted, because she’d been craving him for so long, but her brain suggested they get to know each other better before progressing to the bedroom.
Their lips reconnected, and she sighed again. He was kissing her boneless, which didn’t help her clarity of thought, nor did his fingers venturing beneath her dress. Their lips clung, then separated, tongues tasting, breath coming in pants. She fisted her hands in his t-shirt and fully committed to the kiss.
Crash!
The door flew open, and a couple stumbled into the room. Brooke and Jack jerked apart, staring at the intruders.
A scruffy blond head lifted, and Logan winked at them. “Sorry guys, the owner needs this room now.”
The woman accompanying him hid her face in his chest and giggled. Brooke’s sense flooded back. She was sitting on a man’s lap, her dress hitched up around her thighs, love bites marring her neck, completely prepared to go to bed with someone who’d never given any indication he even knew she existed before today.
What was she thinking?
Shooting to her feet, she yanked her dress down, stumbled, then righted herself, and raced out of the room. Jack’s voice echoed after her, but she didn’t stop, and the absence of footsteps behind her indicated he hadn’t given chase. Perhaps he didn’t want to cause a scene. She was beyond caring.
On the way out, she passed her friend, Kyle, who took in her red face and stricken expression and immediately ushered her into the square.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, concern evident in his gray eyes.
“Nothing. Just get me out of here—fast.”
Kyle led her to his car, which was parked outside the library where he worked. When they reached her place, he escorted her as far as the bedroom door, where he gave her a hug and promised to call to check on her. Fifteen minutes later, she was in her pajamas, her face scrubbed clean, lying in bed, and replaying the scene in her mind over and over as she stared at the ceiling, wondering if her stolen moments with Jack had been a one-off, or the start of something special. Only time would tell.
1
One Month Later
Jack Farrelly’s four-wheel drive rattled along the road toward Sanctuary, a bed-and-breakfast-style lodge sandwiched between the sea and the national park on the fringes of Haven Bay. He hadn’t been sure what to make of it when the owner, Kat, asked him to conduct regular outdoor tours, and the intervening time hadn’t clarified his thinking at all. The extra money would be a boon, particularly since his new business adviser, Sterling Knight, had been giving him a hard time about needing equipment and repairs. That said, Kat’s guests tended to be an eccentric bunch, and he wasn’t sure what to expect.
He parked in the gravel parking lot and paused, afraid to venture inside and see who was amongst his first tour group. Usually, his administrator, Erica, vetted people before he took them out. This time, he was operating in the dark. Mustering his courage, he got out of his four-wheel drive. If this gig didn’t suit him, he’d find another way to get the funds for new equipment. That simple.
“Hey, Jack,” Kat greeted him, hurrying down the stairs wearing a massive grin. As usual, the sight of her brought an answering smile to his face.
“Hey, Kitty-Kat,” he said, kissing her cheek, which was marred by a pink-white scar that snaked downward disappeared beneath the neck of her shirt—a souvenir from the crash that had killed her husband. “Good to see you.”
“You too.” She stepped back and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Where do you want your group? Out here? Inside? In the garden?”
The rapid-fire questions had him raising a brow. “Are you nervous?” His lips twisted into a smirk. “Don’t you trust me?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re the same Jack Farrelly who got people stranded in a cave on the side of a mountain overnight. What do you think?”
His smirk turned into a grimace. Okay, that was a fair comment. “I’d like to remind you that we were well-prepared and they certainly had an authentic experience.”
She snorted. “You can say that again. So, what’s it going to be?”
“Bring them out here. I’ll need to fit each of them with a helmet and a head torch.”
“You’re going into the caves?”
“Yeah.” She didn’t move, so he waved her off. “Go get them. Let me see what I’m working with.” Then he turned back to the four-wheel drive and checked that the helmets were arranged by size. He’d already inspected them to make sure the clasps were solid and the headlights were in working order before he left his base in the town center. Now he leaned against the side of the vehicle and crossed his arms to wait.
When Kat emerged with a small group in tow, he eyed them one at a time. There were two older ladies he recognized from around town, a middle-aged couple wearing brand new outfits from the Kathmandu chain store, and a young east-Asian couple. Newlyweds, by his guess. He smiled. The trip might not be as frustrating as he’d feared. Everyone seemed to be walking under their own steam and, with the possible exception of the two elderly ladies, no one appeared as though they might struggle in the caves.
“Hi everyone,” he said, straightening. “I’m Jack, of Seafaring Adventures, and I’ll be taking you caving this afternoon.”