UP In Flames: Body Heat / Caught in the Act

She lifted one hand to her tangled curls. That’s all he wanted to do? He leaned against a palm tree, looking utterly relaxed, but she could feel his tension washing over her in waves. Her heartbeat doubled. “I...I can do it.”

“I want to do it for you.” When she started to protest, he said, “It’s the price for using the comb. Now come here.”

On legs that felt much too wobbly, she stood and walked to him until only a foot was between them. Adam took her hand, turned her around, then tugged her down between his thighs. Taking his time, he situated her just so. Melanie stared straight ahead at the silhouette of a palm tree against the dark gray sky. Adam’s breath touched her neck when he whispered, “Relax, Mel. I won’t hurt you. Ever.”

She had no response to that. Her senses rioted, her mind numb against everything but the feel of his fingers in her hair, gently untangling every curl.

“I like your hair short.”

Conversation. Innocuous, innocent conversation. She grasped it like a lifeline, trying to hide the mixed jumble of emotions she suffered. “I cut it after college. Jerry didn’t like it. He thought it looked too unruly.”

The comb stilled for the slightest moment, then Adam laid it aside. “You always had beautiful hair. I remember when you went from braids to barrettes to those pretty combs. I used to imagine your hair trailing over my chest.”

“Adam...”

“And my stomach.”

She bit her lip, the imagery crystal clear in her mind.

“Jerry must have been a damn fool.”

Her heart was already racing when the weight of Adam’s hands settled on her shoulders. “It’s getting late.”

Not knowing what to say to that, she simply nodded.

“No one’s coming tonight to rescue us, honey.”

She nodded again. Even if a rescue crew tried, finding them in the darkness would be nearly impossible.

“We had a deal.”

There it was—the thing she had dreaded most, and yet strangely hungered for. At least it was dark enough that he wouldn’t be able to see her clearly. She knew what she looked like, knew she was too thin, too gangly. A man like Adam, who’d had more than his fair share of feminine attention, might very well be disappointed. The thought made her stomach churn.

He stood and pulled her up with him, then stepped in front of her. Heat seemed to pour off him in waves, bringing with it his heady scent—not of the now familiar cologne, but of the man. Breathing deeply, she drew that scent into herself. She felt drunk with the pleasure and nervousness of the moment.

“Mel?” He touched her cheek, smoothed his hand over her skin. “It’s okay, honey.”

She nearly collapsed. He wasn’t going to pressure her. It was still her choice, and for that reason more than any other, she wanted to prove herself. She’d made a deal and she would stick to it. But when her fingers went to the tie at her skirt, he brushed her hands away and did the unwrapping himself, gently easing the knot apart and revealing her with slow anticipation as if she were a long-awaited gift.

Holding the skirt open with clenched fists, Adam simply looked. Melanie was grateful for the added shadows of the trees behind them, but then Adam dropped the skirt and took her hand, easing her into the moonlight. She held her breath, keeping her head high, refusing to show her uncertainty. She locked her thighs and waited.

For long, agonizing moments, he stood there, saying nothing, barely breathing. When she saw the beginning of his slow smile, she almost crumbled inside. “Don’t...don’t you dare laugh at me, Adam Stone.”

His eyes glittered in the darkness, and his hands cupped her hips, gently squeezing. “Honey, I’m so far from laughing right now, I couldn’t even work up a chuckle.” He gave her a light, barely there kiss on her lips, then dropped to his knees in front of her.

Alarmed, she started to step back, but he held onto her.

“This has been coming a long time, Mel.” His fingers on her hips flexed, caressing her. “Damn, I’ve wanted you so long, I can’t remember when I haven’t wanted you.”

“You...you didn’t even like me.”

“I liked you too much.”

Not giving her time to mull that stark confession over, he slid his hot palms up and down the backs of her thighs. He made her knees weak, her stomach jumpy. “You’re perfect, Mel. Sleek and sexy.” He glanced up at her, his expression fixed. “How the hell did you disguise yourself so well?”

He evidently didn’t want an answer. He leaned forward and placed a warm, damp kiss on her navel. Stunned, she braced her hands on his shoulders and drew in a shaky breath. “Adam, I feel...funny.” She could barely get the words out around the tightness in her throat.

“It’s the coconut,” he whispered, nibbling on her belly with his lips and rubbing his cheek against her. “It’s an aphrodisiac.”

“Don’t...don’t be ridiculous.” She moaned when his hands glided higher, coasting over her bottom, then gripping her tight, pulling her closer to his kiss. His tongue dipped into her navel.

“True,” he countered, concentrating his kisses over the low-riding waistband of her silky tap pants, “it’s in the guidebook.”

“Adam...”

“Aren’t you turned on just a little, Mel?”

Oh, yes. But what she felt had nothing to do with coconut and everything to do with Adam Stone. It seemed he knew exactly how to touch her, where to kiss her, how to make her frantic with need. She’d pictured being with Adam many times, but she’d never imagined anything quite this intense.

Grasping her waist, he lowered her slowly, trailing kisses up her body as she sank onto her knees in the sand. His mouth lingered at her midriff; his tongue licked a hot path from rib to rib. He nudged aside the halter and placed damp, openmouthed kisses on one tingling breast, only inches away from her painfully tight nipple. He nuzzled into her cleavage. “I’d like to eat you up from head to toe, Mel. You taste so damn good.”

This time she couldn’t stop the groan. Embarrassed by her unrestrained response, she tried to add a bit of jest to the moment. “Did...did you feed me the coconut on purpose?”

He drew the tender skin of her throat against his teeth, leaving his mark behind and eliciting another raw moan. “Right now, I’d do whatever it takes. God knows we’ll never have another opportunity like this one.”

He didn’t say it, but she knew that once they were rescued, he’d consider their time at an end. If this was all she would ever have, she didn’t want to waste it.

Both his hands cupped her head, and he gently touched his mouth to hers. “Tell me you want me, too, sweetheart.”

She gasped out a resounding, “Yes.”

Before the agreement had finished leaving her mouth, Adam devoured it, sucking it from her, his tongue searching for and finding hers. This wasn’t to be a slow interlude, evidently, given his feverish pace. But she didn’t mind. She felt ready to fracture with need. With each new touch, each deeper kiss, she wanted him more.

He pulled away to shake out her skirt across the sand. Then, staring into her eyes, he shoved down his boxers. Mel swayed on her knees, he was so perfect, so sexy.

Blindly, she reached out to cup him in her palms. He made a deep sound of pleasure and pain, fisted his hands on his thighs and tilted his head back. His eyes were tightly closed.

She wrapped her fingers around his throbbing erection and stroked. When her thumb glided over the tip of him, she found a drop of moisture. Fascinated, she gently spread it around and around, until his entire body trembled.

“Enough.” He gripped her wrists and pulled her away. “I can’t take it, Mel. Not yet. Maybe after...”

She started to protest, but he didn’t give her time. His hands cupped her breasts; his thumbs brushed her nipples. When she groaned, he said, “You’re wearing too many clothes, honey. I want to see you naked. I want to kiss you everywhere.”

Everywhere? It took him mere seconds to untie her halter and bare her breasts. She felt another stab of vulnerability, until he bent to greedily suck one nipple. There were no preliminaries, no forewarnings. Just the hot, moist pull of his mouth and the rough stroke of his tongue. It was so intense she tried to draw away with a short, startled exclamation. But he held her close, his callused hands spread wide on her back, gently refusing to let her retreat.

After long minutes he released her, only to switch to her other nipple.

“Adam...”