Vivian Arend - High Passion

The rest of the challenges passed with a great deal of splashing and shouting, and by the time they dragged themselves up on the deck at the far side, Devon hit the bell a half second behind Alisha.

Her brilliant smile was worth losing to see.

Colin lay flat on his back on the pool deck, chest heaving as he gasped for air. Becki stood over him and tsked. “So sad to see that young people these days have absolutely no stamina.”

Colin lifted his hand and flipped her the bird.

Becki laughed. She dropped Colin’s towel on his face. “Six for six, brat. Anytime you want a challenge, let me know. I love having new fodder to boast about when I Skype with Mom and Dad.”

Colin shot up onto his elbows. “You wouldn’t . . .”

She grabbed her towel and waved evilly. She nodded at Alisha and Devon. “Nice job. Thanks for the fun. Unfortunately, I have a meeting to get to. I’ll see you later.”

She strolled from the deck, Colin dragging himself upright after she’d vanished. “You won’t tell anyone she beat me, will you?”

Devon held in his amusement. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Alisha nodded. “Of course not. I mean, I’d never boast about that kind of thing, or make an announcement in the middle of the cafeteria or anything, but Becki . . .”

Colin’s eyes widened. “Shit. She totally would, wouldn’t she?”

“Sorry.”

Colin grimaced. “Well, it was fun. We’ll do it again sometime.”

He grabbed his gear and raced from the deck, no doubt in the hopes of cutting off Becki before she broadcast his humiliation. Alisha and Devon waited until he’d left the deck before they let their laughter ring over the water.

“I love family. They’re so cutthroat.” Devon hit the overhead lights to half power before tipping his head toward the hot tub. “Come on, let’s relax before I buy you lunch.”

Alisha sighed contentedly. Slipping into the water was like immersing in liquid relaxation. “God, that feels good.”

“I envy Marcus his hot tub every single day. For that matter, I envy the current SAR class, who can use this every single damn day.” Devon slid lower and rested his head on the pool edge. He’d closed his eyes, and Alisha didn’t fight the urge to look him over closer. To admire his smooth facial features. With the lights dimmed she didn’t need to hide that she was staring. He’d probably had more than enough women tell him he was good looking over the years. While she’d thought he was attractive when they were in school, he’d begun to mature in the past couple of years, the movie-star looks shifting into something she found very attractive. At least that much she’d admit.

“You did well in the challenge.” Devon spoke without opening his eyes, stretching his legs across the small pool they were sharing. His shin bumped hers, and she resisted jerking away. She also stopped herself from rubbing back. Bonus.

“I’d say I did great. Notice we beat you?”

He lifted a hand from the water, water droplets splashing them both. “I meant in terms of being afraid. I didn’t see a thing.”

“It’s a pool, Devon. It’s no big deal.”

He cracked one eye open. “Yeah, well, excuse me for being happy with a little proof. You didn’t see yourself freak down in that cavern when the water covered us.”

His words caused an instant response. No matter that the water surrounding her was hot enough to make her sweat, she had goose bumps.

Devon shot upright. “You shivered.”

Oh hell. “So what?”

He narrowed his gaze. “Does thinking about the water crashing in on you make you nervous?”

Picturing it brought another shudder, but she wasn’t about to apologize. “Come on, Devon. You telling me you can think of being totally covered with water, tied to a wall, and it doesn’t upset you the least little bit? Because I call bullshit.”

He placed one hand on the pool deck to the side of her head and the other on her shoulder. “Hey, I love the water. And tying up people is what I do for a living.”

“Being tied up. Not the same thing.” His gaze burned a path over her, his fingers red-hot on her shoulder. “What are you doing?”

His gaze moved as he trailed his fingers down her arm. “Making sure all your vitals are good.”

Then she was lifted across the short distance separating them and rested in his lap. She barely had time to lift her gaze from the water’s surface to his face before his lips met hers, and she really couldn’t breathe.

He was kissing her. Hot mouth over hers, lips moving with a demand for her to respond. She opened her mouth to protest, and he slipped his tongue past her teeth, and another set of shivers took her, this time for far better reasons than fear.

He was kissing her.

He had one hand wrapped around the back of her neck, his palm wide and warm as he controlled her position. The other hand rested on the hip he’d used to tug her into his lap. His fingers were spread wide over her bare skin, his thumb stroking the edge of her swimsuit.

Under her palms she discovered she was fondling his muscular chest, fingertips exploring him as if she’d been waiting for this opportunity for years. Which she had, but damn. All the casual touches and fully clothed contact hadn’t prepared her for this. She’d found carved living marble, his heartbeat registering hard enough she felt it through her fingertips.

He was kissing her . . .

She leaned into him, slipping her hands around his body and pressing their torsos together. She wasn’t sure which was hotter—the hot tub water or his skin. Not to mention her skin, her breasts, and between her legs. She’d caught on fire and he wasn’t putting out the inferno, but feeding the flames.

And his mouth. God, after one hit she was addicted. Slow and languid caresses, yet commanding enough she couldn’t stop. Didn’t want to stop. He thrust his fingers into her hair and pulled her head back slightly, stretching her neck. Then he kissed his way to the spot at the base of her throat.

When he put his teeth to her skin she gasped.

And came to her senses.

Alisha jerked upright, dragging her hands from where she’d had her fingernails dug into his back. She straightened, all too aware she was in his lap and he had a hard-on. There was no ignoring it, she was all but sitting on it, the rigid length pressed against her butt cheek.

He held her trapped as she met his gaze, his desire clear in the blue depths.

“What . . . what are you doing?”

It was his turn to take a deep breath, his chest rubbing hers until he slowly released his grasp and she squirmed away. “Do I really need to explain what a kiss is?”

If her mind hadn’t been whirling with confusion, she’d have made a snarky crack in response. As it was, all she seemed capable of was staring in shock. “But you kissed me.”

He smiled. Not the full-out cocky grin she’d seen so often when they competed with each other. This one was different. More sensual. Teasing in a way that made her ache inside.

“I want to kiss you again.”

A zing shot through her, like catching hold of a live wire.

He leaned forward and crowded her. “If I’m being honest, I want to do more than kiss you.”

Honest made her heart pound. “Devon. Stop.”

He did, instantly pulling away and reseating himself opposite her.

Fleeing seemed over the top and unnecessary, even though her heart rate was higher now than when they’d been racing. “I don’t understand. I mean . . .”

His expression grew darker, not in a frightening way but as if he wanted to consume her. “What’s so difficult about this, Alisha? It’s been hanging over us for years. Maybe now, while we have to spend a bunch of time together, would be a good opportunity to stop fighting what we’ve known all along. We’re attracted to each other.”

“But you kissed me.”

This time he cracked, amusement spreading across his face. “Yes, Alisha. I did. And you kissed me back.”

“I didn’t want to kiss you.” Lie. Total lie, but the words spilt out from habit if nothing else. Denying their chemistry was too ingrained for her to toss it away this quickly.

“Bullshit.” Devon leaned away and rested his arms on the pool edge, his biceps flexing. “You weren’t complaining a moment ago. And right now, I’d bet what you’d really like, if you were honest, would be for me to start all over again and not stop.”

She caught herself with her mouth gaping open, and quickly closed it. “You are one arrogant, cocky bastard, aren’t you?”

“Stopped you from hyperventilating.”

Shit.

Alisha pressed on the hard tiles under her fingers, curling her fingers around the edge. “You kissed me to distract me.”

He nodded, then briefly shook his head. “Your pulse was rising and your breathing was accelerating, but I kissed you because it distracted you and because I wanted to like crazy. I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first day of our first class together when you walked in late and we got stuck as partners using the oldest mats in the gym.”

The memory returned far too quickly. “Gee, I’d have never have known it. I seem to recall you being the center of some kind of Devon in the middle huddle, with all the girls using you as the football.”

He pushed himself up to sit on the edge of the poolside, water running down his torso and leaving a glistening layer shining on his skin. “You remember that day far different than I do, then. I remember partnering with you for stretching. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to hide a hard-on in climbing gear?”

She couldn’t stop it. Her gaze involuntarily fell to his lap, where evidence of his erection formed a mound in his board shorts.

She slipped out of the water, suddenly far too heated to stay in one place anymore.

“Alisha.”

She wanted to hide, but . . . Lifting her head to meet his gaze was nearly impossible, but she’d done far more frightening things over the years. Far more frightening than to acknowledge she knew he was hot for her.

That she was hot for him?

But there was a huge deal breaker between them in spite of her raging libido. Her chin rose until they were eye to eye. “You’ve always had a ton of girls in your pocket, Devon. I’ve never been interested in being simply another toy you play with.”

He nodded slowly. “I don’t blame you.”

“What would Lana think of us fooling around?”

His shock seemed genuine, replacing the lust. “Lana who?”

She bit back a laugh. “I saw her in your truck the other day.”

Comprehension lit his eyes and the familiar, teasing Devon was back. “Oh, when I drove her to the grocery store because her car was busted. Were you jealous?”

Embarrassed was more like it. “Don’t make me regret this, Devon.”

“Regret what?”

They were on opposite sides of the circular hot tub, feet dangling in the water. The entire width of the pool separated them and yet she swore she still felt his touch. Bubbling and splashing carried on around them. Everything else had vanished in the wake of this new challenge.

A bit of defiance stiffened her resolve, only this time in Devon’s favour. Vincent had shown up in her new backyard, so to speak. Unannounced and uninvited.

He was the last person she wanted to be involved with.

Devon had already proved he was a fine distraction. Maybe seeing him wouldn’t be the worst mistake she could make. If she was careful, and didn’t get her heart involved. Would it really be so bad if she let loose a little and satisfied the ache he created inside?

* * *

Devon examined her, top to bottom. Her smooth stomach, the skin showing between the expanse of her swimsuit bottom and the sports bra top she wore. She’d climbed in a top like that. He’d touched her while climbing, but this was much different. This wasn’t about a professional work relationship, this was the two of them finally dealing with the itch that had been driving him crazy forever.

Her, too, if she’d admit it.

Right now, right here, all he needed was for her to agree they would be together. Time was of the essence, especially with that Vincent showing up.

Maybe there was a better way to do this, but he’d expended all his patience in the years leading up to now. “I promise I don’t consider you a toy, but I do want to play with you.”

Her eyes widened, and that pink tongue of hers snuck over her bottom lip.