Relentless Desire (Relentless Romances Book 1) Read online

  I steadied my paddles and brought us to a slow stop. I craned my neck back to where she was pointing. A bird was skipping away from its feathered companion. Its thin legs hopped over the water, and its wings flapped wildly.

  “Some kind of waterfowl obviously… A loon?” I hazarded a less than educated guess. “Looks like it’s got a red throat, but that doesn’t narrow it down much.”

  “It’s coming this way.”

  Vanna’s observation was not entirely wrong. The bird turned and flapped in our direction, kicking up water along the way. It stopped a few feet from us, settled into the water and then steered itself back towards its quietly floating pal.

  “That’s too bad,” Vanna said.

  His subsequent pout drove me to say, “I can bring us closer. Can’t promise they will stay put though.”

  I was already navigating us towards the birds, loons, whatever. My paddles whooshed over the water, sluicing it over the sides and raining cascades over the soft, red plastic fronts. The plastic handles became drenched in the back splash.

  “They do have red throats,” she confirmed.

  “Good eyes,” I complimented then threw her a quick smirk. “I have no clue what they’re called. I’ll leave that to bird watchers.” A thought occurred to me hardly before I completed the last one. “Hey, is bird watching a hobby of yours?”

  “No. I like to cook, bake, catalog, and journal sometimes.”

  She was sharing pretty easily, if not absentmindedly. I wasn’t going to push her for details, especially with the possibility of being stone-walled. Regardless, it was another good sign that we were making progress.

  “Oh, and yoga,” she added. “But I’m new to it.”

  I was about to inquire about that last hobby and say something smart like ‘guess that makes you flexible’ when my girl shrieked and lunged back into her seat.

  The boat swayed violently at her movement and triggered my reflexes to dig the paddles against the side of the boat, securing traction for us. I really wanted to avoid fulfilling that old guide’s premonition of us taking a swim.

  It took a few stomach-roiling, muscle-tensing dips to-and-fro before we were level.

  “Are you all right?” I asked once I determined the situation was under control.

  She nodded. “Fine…”

  It was a meek response, but I attributed it to the shock and let it go.

  “I thought you did yoga. Isn’t that all about balance?”

  “Yes, but I wasn’t expecting that fish.” Vanna frowned.

  “That’s what freaked you out?” I followed her finger to see the school of mid-size brown trout swimming by the boat. “Man, I should have brought my Pops’ pole. Can we even fish here? I’ll have to ask the front desk for next time.”

  11

  Vanna leaned back on her end. Her hands, which were previously gripping the edge of the canoe, moved down and folded together in her lap; her gaze moved down with the action.

  Shit. She’s shutting me out again.

  “Can’t believe it’s getting dark already,” I said and tilted my head up to the sky.

  I watched the clouds roll one after another, giving an illusion of knocking into each other. Once I had a handle on my emotions, and I was sure I wouldn’t say something I’d regret the second it was out of my mouth, I faced her.

  She was still playing a diligent student and wordlessly studied her hands.

  “Let’s head back.” I controlled the urge to spit the words.

  I got the canoe going, forgetting our feathered companions until cold water sprinkled around the back of my head and over to the side of my face. Both of the loons, birds… whatever, had kicked off a gust of water and then skittered over the surface to safety.

  “Ah!” The splash jolted Vanna to yelp, which startled me into loosening my grip.

  “Fuck, the paddle,” I cursed and reached for the lost paddle in the same breath. Its handle was nearly within my grasp, but my fingers slipped just short and brushed the surface of the cold lake instead.

  It floated further and further from my grasp and I was left slowly chasing it down using a two handed grip on the one remaining paddle. At the snail’s pace, I finally caught the lost paddle and then reined it in.

  Shaking off the water, I righted my grip and got the boat going again. I completed the turn and stroked in the direction of the shore.

  I noted, a little belatedly since the shore was now nearly in reach, that our shoes were sloshing in lake water that had leaked over the edge and into the boat. I also found that Vanna was soaked. My sweater was also soggy, and my jeans heavy, but I wasn’t bothered by a bit of cold lake water seeping into my clothes. My girl, however, looked miserable.

  Covering her nose, she sneezed. And sneezed and sneezed.

  “Crap,” I muttered and rowed harder. I hoped to buy back the time I spent hounding and retrieving the runaway paddle. The last thing I wanted was Vanna sick. That was a sure way to shit on any plan to woo her.

  Finally, we hit ground. I hopped out earlier than I normally would, since I was already hardened against the chilly lake, and I splashed through the water that lapped about calf-high. I waded to the shore and started to drag the boat up so it could get a good purchase on the beach.

  “Hold on,” I called back, making sure Vanna was still safely of the boat. Although at this point she was about as wet as could be, and I couldn’t see a swim in the lake doing much more. “Hold on, baby,” I said again.

  Once the canoe was far enough up onto the beach for it to stay and not float backwards into the lake, I went back for Vanna. She was already about to step out of the boat all on her own, but I caught her in time to save her from the mistake of setting both feet on the edge of the canoe. It had leaned as her feet desperately tried to regain her balance, and she fell into my ready arms with a short yelp.

  “You okay, sweetheart?”

  I pulled her from my chest just far enough to study her. Her dark hair was matted to her scalp, curling from the combination of water and the low fortyish temperature.

  “It’s c-c-cold!” she clenched out the affirmation past dry lips. Her teeth were loudly clattering as her body sunk into my embrace. Her dark lashes fluttered and closed. I was still for all but a minute before I realized that I had to get her inside.

  The walk up the sloping trail from the beach to the higher level where the Lodge was seated took much longer than it should have. I had to haul Vanna into my arms and carry her into the chalet-inspired hotel over her weak protests.

  “A-Amos, I’m f-f-fine. You d-don’t h-have to c-c-carry me.”

  “Try to say that sparing the teeth, and I’ll believe you.” I sounded cold, but it was all about tough love. Or, I might have been irked me to know that she would rather suffer alone than have my helping hands… and arms.

  To punctuate my demand, I hoisted her up and renewed my grip under her soft, fleshy thighs and around her middle. Vanna responded by squeezing her own hold about my neck, and her face dropped into the crook of my neck, implying her defeat on this one.

  Suddenly, we were the hot commodity in the building. The staff at the front desk scrambled over to assess us. I kept my explanation short and quick and assured them that all we needed was a shower and a warm bed.

  “We’ll send hot towels right away!” the concierge called after us as I trekked back to our room to utilize the promised shower and bed.

  After performing some acrobatics to retrieve and press the keycard into the slot on the door, I bumped the door open with my hip and then turn to find housekeeping had been by while we were away. The bed had been re-made, complete with two packages of chocolate mints over each pillow.

  I realized that settling Vanna on the bed in her wet clothes was probably not a smart plan. I’d have to start by getting her in the shower to get her warmed up a bit before getting her dry.

  “Amos?” she sounded groggy.

  “What is it, babe?”

  “Can you take me to
my purse? I have painkillers in there.” Vanna lifted a hand from around my neck and dug the heel of her palm to the side of her head. “Headache.”

  “First, let’s get you clean and dry. Then the pain medication, then bed. Okay?”

  She said nothing in reply, and instead let her head gently drop back on my shoulder. I toed the bathroom door open and managed to close the toilet seat with some acrobatics from my shoe. Now with somewhere safe to place her, I lowered Vanna to her feet and steered her in the direction of the toilet.

  “Sit, wait,” I instructed.

  I got the bath running, having decided a shower would mean further complications, like maybe having to strip down and join her just to get her clean. Whatever lust-freeing spell the lake had cast was wearing off, and fast. Thoughts of Vanna naked and wet had me growing hard once more. Images of her stuck between me and the tiled wall of the shower fared no better than the vision of Vanna sitting between my legs in a perfumed bath. I could already see my hands washing her tits then soaping down her soft belly to her clit and beyond.

  I was leaning against the wall by the corner tub, trying to adjust the knobs to get the temperature right while I waited it to fill halfway. Once I was satisfied it was warm enough, I added the hotel-labeled scented gel stuff women ate up.

  “I think I did that right,” I mumbled while glancing back to check on Vanna.

  She was using the glass sink as a makeshift pillow. Her head was in her folded arms, and her eyes were closed.

  “Vanna?”

  “Hm?” She stirred awake, and her head wavering up. A yawn and sneeze not too far behind. Her palms went up to her temples again, and she was squeezing her eyes while softly groaning, “What is it?”

  “You can’t sleep yet.” I crouched down in front of her and placed my hands on her knees. Even that simple contact was forcing me to acknowledge my erection. “Take a bath, you’ll feel better. Call me when you’re done.”

  Vanna nodded and stood. She pushed one shoe off with her foot, then did the same with the other. As her arms crossed, and she grasped the hem of her shirt to pull up over her head, I turned, left the bathroom, and closed the door behind me.

  I left because I knew I wouldn’t be able to control myself from helping, and then my ‘Good Samaritan’ deed would slap me in the dick in more ways than one.

  I released the knob of the bathroom grudgingly and then found myself at a loss as to what to do next. I figured that getting the bed ready might keep me busy, and it did, for all of two minutes.

  “Now what, Fuller?”

  The question came out muffled around a chocolate mint. As I sucked the dark chocolate off the mint center, I unlatched the sliding doors and stepping out into the patio balcony.

  I let out a long, low whistle, which is harder than it looks with a mint in your mouth. The sight of the quiet lake, the darkening sky, and the lights and laughter floating from the lounge below lifted me. I closing my eyes and sniffed, confirming the scent of smoked meat. The scent had me ravenous, and I couldn’t stop my watering mouth. I spent nearly 30 minutes staring out across the lake and taking in the sounds and smell of the bustling nightlife happening at the lodge, but my surprise didn’t end there.

  Moving from the rail, I explored what turned out to be a connected deck. I took the two steps down to the Jacuzzi and carefully peered at the identical sliding doors to the suite next to ours.

  The curtains were drawn, and when no one peeked out to warn me away, I covered the last few steps to the hot tub. I explored the controls and swished my hand through the warm, but currently calm, water. I imagined brining Vanna down here and spending hours in the swirling, gushing jets of hot water.

  Figuring I’d killed enough time waiting for my girl to finish her bath, and having given myself one more reason to wish Vanna and I could have sex in any form tonight, I retraced my steps to our deck.

  Vanna’s unmistakable shape was on the far side of the bed. She was facing me, but the covers were blocking all save her forehead and the halo of her dark, wet hair spread across the towel covering her pillow. She had to be the only girl I knew who could pass up an opportunity to sit in the tub for hours if she could.

  I closed the sliding door with as minimal sound as possible, stooped to unlace my sneakers, and slipped them off by the door. I then approached the bed with measured steps.

  “Vanna,” I whispered, trying to confirm if she was asleep.

  She didn’t respond, and both concern and curiosity had me gently tugging the cover down to reveal her face. I was stretched out across the bed, one knee dug into the empty side - my side - of the bed.

  Each time that I looked at her, really looked at her, I fell a little more for her. I longed to give her a piece of me and let her use that to either satisfy my thirst for marriage and a family… or to utterly break my spirit.

  “Morning,” she breathed out to me. Her eyes fluttered open suddenly while a small smile tugged at her lips. It made me wonder if she was sleeping at all.

  “You’re several hours off.” I dropped to her level, my head near the corner of my pillow that was the closest to Vanna. I resisted the natural inclination to close the gap with a kiss. “Did you take the painkillers for the headache?”

  “Mhm.”

  “And you feel better?”

  She bobbed her head a couple times, that tug of a smile returned to her tantalizing lips and I really want that kiss now. My thoughts and emotions were at war.

  She’s right freaking there, and all I have to do is…

  Don’t go there, Fuller. Look the fuck away.

  But what kind of man passes up this opportunity? I argued with myself.

  A decent man who has a backbone to wait until his girl is wide-awake, alert and begging for it.

  I sighed, knowing that I couldn’t put my horniness and hope for sex in front of her health. Even if we ended up checking out without getting one more taste, it would still be worth it to know Vanna was happy and healthy.

  So I did the moral, good-guy thing. I pulled myself up out of the bed and said, “I’m going to take a shower.”

  My shirt and jeans had dried off significantly since the test-dip in the lake, so I wasn’t freezing anymore. The shower was more to keep me occupied until Vanna was asleep again.

  “Night,” she mumbled.

  Just as easily as they had fluttered open a few moments ago, her eyes shut and her features relaxed as she sank into another round of light sleep. As soon as I was sure her breathing was light and even, I tucked her in, cocooning her away from the world. With my girl safe and sound, I grabbed my PJ’s from my bag and headed to the bathroom for that cold shower.

  It was bliss to pull down my jeans and free my dick from its partially wet confines. I peeled my underwear down my legs and kicked them atop the pile with my shirt and pants.

  Despite my plans for a cold shower, I kept it lukewarm. I drug my hand down to my shaft, having decided on an alternative method to control my lust. My hand moved faster and faster over my length and I splayed my other palm across the cool tiles to steady myself. I squeezed my eyes closed and pulled up a highlight reel of Vanna. I drew from every memory I could, imagining her under me, over me, around me.

  I settled on an image of my girl lying beneath me, her tits bouncing wildly with each thrust while her rosy nipples were hard and pointed. The sound of our slapping thighs rose in pitch and pace as we ascend to our nearing climaxes. Her lips were frozen on my name, which was really nothing but a long wailing signal to match her grasping internal muscles. Her orgasm milked my cock, pulling ropes of warm cum from me and signaling my release as I gathered her into my arms.

  “Ah, fuck,” I groaned through a jerky release.

  My eyes snapped open to find white, stringy cum shots splattering the wall. I seized with the aftermath of the pleasure, then dropped my flaccid cock only when I knew I was done.

  For now.

  I cleaned myself, showered, and then stepped out into the cooler air of th
e bathroom. I quickly toweled myself dry and changed into my PJ’s. Having cooled myself off, I was ready to settle down for the evening, but that was shattered when I emerged from the bathroom and met an empty bed.

  My eyes darted around the room, searching for my girl, but she was nowhere to be found. My mind started to race with possibilities when I noticed the sliding door to the deck was slightly open. While I wasn’t a hundred percent certain I had closed it behind me, I had a hunch Vanna had ventured out to explore, much as I had.

  Before I could make it out to the deck to find her, I spotted Vanna racing up the short flight from the hot tub-side of the outdoor balcony deck. Her head was down until she was about an arm’s length away. She was looking delectable and tempting, making my jaunt in the shower seem useless as another erection began to tighten my underwear.