Recipe for Temptation Page 8

  The death trap…er, the mud buggy, was completely open—no doors, no windows, just a roll bar. Just great. Given her freakishly poor athletic skills, she’d definitely be the one person in her family to fall out.

  After hopping into the passenger seat, the attendant buckled her up. Seatbelts for the win! The two brown straps were secured over her shoulders and snapped into place between her legs. Her fears of falling out eased.

  Cole started the engine as the attendant ran over some last minute details, including where the GPS was hidden under the dash in case they got stuck.

  Rain water. Mud. A scratchy bandana tied around her mouth. A veritable picture of sexiness. She’d be damned if she’d pretend she was loving this. Nothing about it was who she was or ever wanted to be. Thankfully, she didn’t have to keep up a facade. Not with Cole.

  “Ready, scaredy-cat?”

  “I am not afraid.” She held on to the steel bar in front of her. Her words had come out muffled so she moved the bandana away from her mouth. “Why do you always have to be such a jerk? You know I—” She screamed when the buggy kicked forward, and he drove them to the starting line.

  “Good luck, Murphy.” Her brother, Dave, and Beth rode by. “Penn can’t read a map to save her life.”

  Dave was so wonderful. It took everything she had not to jump out of the buggy and clock him.

  Cole turned in his seat and let his arm rest across the back of the buggy. “You know…” He lifted up his bandana and exposed his lips. Damn, they were beautiful. Plump. Soft. So perfect and capable of bringing such pleasure.

  “Penn?”

  She shook her head. “Huh? What?”

  He smiled broadly. “Whatcha thinking about?” Damn him, how did he always know?

  She shook her head. “Nothing.” She squirmed in her seat. Shit. Now she was all hot and bothered. Sex should be the last thing on her mind right now.

  As if.

  The conditions weren’t exactly conducive to a quickie. “What were you going to say?”

  “That if you just once tried talking back to your brothers, I guarantee they’d dial down the insults.”

  Dave was the only one who openly insulted her. Pete never did. Ian… He was more subtle.

  “Is this really the conversation we’re having right now?” She didn’t appreciate the distraction. She needed all her focus on being miserable. “All of a sudden you’re the family whisperer?”

  Okay. Maybe he was right. Maybe if she returned their insults and innuendo, let them know she could hold her own, maybe then they’d get over themselves. But actions spoke louder than words. At the end of the week when she hoisted the trophy in victory, it would be all the sticking up for herself she needed.

  All four buggies were lined up at the mouth of the trail. Her father stood in front of them, ready to start the challenge.

  “You ready?” Cole asked.

  She looked over at him and nodded. “As ever.”

  “It’s time for us to kick some ass.”

  Her heart fluttered. Us. It warmed her deep inside that he thought of them as an us.

  She slammed down on the thought, locked her feelings away, and concentrated on the trail. She wasn’t here to lose her heart. And she definitely wasn’t here to win someone else’s. The only winning she’d be doing was in a scavenger hunt. She wasn’t looking to see her name on a marriage certificate. She only wanted it etched on that trophy.

  Her father pointed to each buggy, and they each nodded their readiness. He lifted both arms in the air and hesitated a moment before whipping them down. “Go!”

  The race was on.

  All three buggies raced forward. Cole battled Dave for the lead on the right side of the trail.

  Despite the speed, the dirt, and the white knuckles, the trail was beautiful. Wilderness lined each side of the asphalt path with tall trees and flowering bushes, and she could have sworn she saw a monkey. Did they have monkeys in Hawaii?

  In a bold, underhanded move, Cole veered to the left and smashed their buggy into Dave and Beth. Cole took the lead and stepped on it, trying to catch Pete—who had left his pregnant wife behind for safety reasons.

  “We have to go to the right.” She pointed up ahead where the road split in two. “And then another hard right.”

  The trail was damn confusing.

  “Got it.”

  Cole cut off Ian and Cathy, careening onto their exit. The new part of the trail was less traveled. Instead of asphalt, it was gravel. It twisted and turned, splashing mud on her goggles and coveralls.

  The sun shone through the trees ahead of them, and a breeze swept over her face, cooling the little strip of her cheeks that was exposed.

  “Just follow the trail as it is.” She lifted her bandana as she spoke, her heart thudding fast in her chest. “We don’t have to do anything until it splits again.”

  He nodded, but kept his eyes on the road. His hands squeezed the steering wheel tight, with power and skill. Her stomach fluttered at the sight. She knew just how much those hands could do, how strong yet gentle they were on her body.

  She gripped the map in her lap, focusing on the beautiful scenery instead of his hands. It really was gorgeous out here. If they weren’t in a race against time, she’d wish they had a picnic basket and champagne in the back of the buggy.

  “This is awesome,” he yelled over the roar of the engine.

  She pulled down her bandana. The scratchy thing was driving her nuts. “Not really.”

  “I wouldn’t do that,” he warned.

  “Stop telling me what to do.”

  Suddenly, he slammed on the breaks, and she jerked forward. A wave of muddy water cascaded up and splashed all over them.

  With a scream, she held her hands out, bracing herself against the dirty water. She gripped the metal bar above as he made a sharp turn. He overcorrected, almost tipping them over. Once again, mud splashed up from the ground and covered her.

  Wiping at her goggles, she tried to clean away some of the mud. She looked down at her body, then at Cole. She was much more dirty than he was. Not that he’d have cared if he was covered from head to toe.

  He hollered with excitement as they picked up speed and zoomed along the trail.

  She took another look at the map. They needed to veer left at the next fork. She saw it up ahead, just after a spot of uneven terrain.

  “Slow down!” She pointed at the map. “We need to make a sharp left.”

  Instead, he stepped onto the gas and bellowed a loud warrior cry.

  She squealed. “Cole!”

  The trail swerved a hard left, and when he turned the wheel, mud splashed up all around them. The buggy wrenched forward. Her ass went airborne. Thankfully, her seatbelt was tight under the arms and held her in securely. Instantly, the buggy came to a rocky halt.

  The front right tire had hit a ditch. They were stuck.

  “Nice driving, dude.”

  He looked over as he revved the gas, shifting from reverse to drive, trying his best to rock the buggy out of the gully.

  Finally, he gave up, smacking his gloved hands on the steering wheel.

  “Take the wheel,” he growled.

  She pulled down the bandana and let it settle against her neck. “There is no way I am driving this death trap.”

  “You have to. Unless you want to push.”

  She glared at him. “Fine.”

  He unstrapped his seatbelt, hopped out of the buggy, and came around to her side. He reached between her legs and unsnapped her seatbelt.

  “Slide over. I’ll push, you reverse.”

  She balked. “Why don’t we just call the attendant?” That’s what they had been instructed to do. “I’m sure they have some kind of pickup that can pull us out of the ditch.”

  “You want to win, don’t you?” He waited a beat as she hesitated. “How long do you think it’ll take for them to get here?”

  Valid point. Plus, she wasn’t keen on actually staying put in one place to
o long in this forest. Who knew what kind of animals and insects lived in here?

  She slid over and did as he’d instructed. He pushed with all his might, grunting and groaning as she pressed the gas pedal. But it was hopeless.

  “Fuck. I think we’re officially stuck.”

  He shook off the mud from his gloves as he came over to her side. In an unexpected gesture, he lifted her goggles to the top of her head, then ripped off his muddy gloves and tossed them to the floor of the buggy. After reaching across her body, he grabbed one of the bottles of water and opened it.

  “Put your head back.” She did, and he poured water over her face, gently rubbing with his fingers across her cheeks. “You have mud everywhere.” The water traveled down her cheeks and wet her coveralls.

  He then did the same to his own face.

  He leaned closer, ducking his head under the red frame of the buggy, and grabbed the white towel that was in their supply bag.

  This was the Cole Murphy she had come to love so much over the past couple days. The one who had forgotten the sadness and distance that plagued his everyday life. This Cole Murphy was just enjoying the moment.

  He reached for the two-way radio, but she stopped him. “I think that can wait a few minutes.”

  She tilted her head back and captured his lips. He tasted of sweat and sexy man. And she had a craving for just that.

  “What about your family?” He looked around at the woods on either side.

  “They won’t find us.”

  With a grin, Cole dove in and deepened the kiss, pressing her back against the seat of the buggy with his torso.

  “I want to kiss you all over,” he panted. “But I can’t.”

  She moaned, totally caught up. “Why not?” She needed his kisses. Needed them more than the very breath she needed to survive.

  “Because there is mud everywhere.”

  She choked out a laugh and let her head fall back against the seat. “Oh, yeah.” She filled her lungs, trying to regulate her breathing. She looked up at the sky. Bright blue. Not a cloud to be seen. And then she looked into Cole’s glittering eyes. They were dark chocolate. A nice contrast to the light reddish brown of the mud that was all over his neck and collar.

  “I want…” His lips grazed hers, a soft caress she knew would get molten hot if they let it.

  “Tell me.” Her head fell back, her words coming out on a breathy whisper.

  Nipping her bottom lip between his teeth, he made a throaty sound. But he was still mute.

  “Do you want me on my knees?” She’d yet to taste his cock. The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

  Their eyes met, and he nodded.

  He had no idea how much it turned her on, the fact that he was trying, albeit unsuccessfully. But it was all the more sexy.

  “Do you want me to touch you?” She urged him on with a tilt of her chin. “Taste you?”

  He let out a long breath, and then his shoulders rose as he inhaled, as if regrouping.

  “And you.” He looked down at her. “Touch yourself?” The flush in his face might be from the race or from whatever sexual hesitation he was working through, but since he’d asked, there was no way she’d say no.

  Although she didn’t respond right away, the seconds that followed his request were anything but silent. Sexual energy buzzed between them, lighting a fire inside her body that had been on a slow simmer since she’d first met him. But now that she’d had a taste, she had no idea how she was going to extinguish it. “I like the sound of that.”

  His shoulders fell, relief washing over him as he tightened his grip around her hips.

  She slid off the buggy seat and guided them to a dry patch of gravel near the tree line. With quick movements, she undid the buttons of his coveralls, then slid them off his shoulders so they pooled around his ankles. She made quick work of her own, leaving herself enough room to spread her thighs and give him his fantasy.

  On her knees in front of him, she removed her gloves and threw them to the dirt. There was nothing gentle about the way he looked at her in that moment, and with one graceful movement, his cock was out. He stroked his erection a few times, then smoothed the tip across her anxious lips. When she stuck out her tongue, he groaned.

  There were no lingering caresses, no tender touches. Just the thrust of his cock inside her mouth. With one hand she stroked him, alternating between taking him deep and fisting him. Her other hand found its way inside her coveralls and stroked her clit. She thrust two fingers inside, and when she moaned around his cock, he pushed in as far as she’d take him and stayed there. With wet fingers, she circled her hard bead in a perfect rhythm—the one that took no time to get her off. The one she had perfected over the years when she’d needed a quick and satisfying release—usually thinking of Cole as she did so.

  He wasn’t the only one fulfilling a fantasy.

  Her pleasure built, and so did his grunts.

  His hands grabbed her hair, and he guided her mouth down his cock with long steady movements. She did the same to her clit, but in double time. Within seconds she was shaking, her legs fighting to give out, the gravel pinching her knees. She moaned again, and he cursed as he fucked her mouth.

  Her panting grew as she tried to breathe around his substantial length and thickness. She couldn’t help it; she bit down when the first spasms of her clit vibrated under her fingers.

  She jerked forward.

  “Shit, shit,” he moaned.

  As the waves of pleasure spread through her body, she lost all concentration. She embraced her orgasm, let it wash over her like a hot summer wind.

  Next thing she knew, he had released his grip on her hair, pulled out, and turned his body. Her hand continued to jerk his cock off to the side, splashes of his pleasure shooting out and hitting the ground.

  She collapsed back on her heels, taking the pressure off her knees, and he stumbled back, resting against a tree. They stayed silent for a long moment, catching their breath.

  “Wow.” It was the only word that did any justice to how she was feeling.

  “Yeah,” he agreed, and smiled over at her.

  They returned their clothes to their rightful places, then made the call to the tour office.

  Cole leaned against the buggy on her side, crossing one foot over the other.

  She leaned forward and rested her chin on his arm. “That was out of this world.”

  His lips curved up in a smile, and he let his head fall to the side, catching her stare.

  The sex had been hot and messy. And so totally irresponsible. But she’d loved every minute of it. Just like she’d loved every other minute of the time they’d spent together since he’d shown up in Hawaii. Even the non-naked time.

  Her decision to have a tropical fling with him was getting more complicated by the second. She’d thought getting him out of her system would be enough to get their working relationship back on track.

  But what if she just couldn’t get enough?

  Chapter Eight

  Cole opened his eyes to the morning sun and felt completely at peace.

  The birds sang. The waves crashed. Families laughed and played on the beach. Even the air around him was lighter, and that heavy cloud of sadness had disappeared.

  Mother Nature was working her magic on this island, and somehow, Penn had worked her magic on him.

  It was easy to brush off her effect on him at home, but this trip had smeared the lines of their previously black and white relationship. He’d always chalked up his feelings to lust. She was smoking hot, and the fact that she was his coworker made it easy to believe there was no true connection between them. She was nice because she felt obligated, or she helped because she was paid to do it. But the more time they spent together without their predetermined roles, the harder it was to believe they were just friends.

  He was now floundering somewhere in the gray, and the gray was messy. It was dramatic and attention seeking. He’d spent way too long flying under the radar,
keeping his secrets hidden, but now, with one vacation and zero willpower, it could all come crashing down.

  He needed to focus on the task at hand.

  He’d come here to help her win a trophy. Instead, she was helping him work through his shit. He might never work through all of it. His childhood had been rough¸ and something he’d carry with him forever, but at least now he knew he wasn’t completely broken.

  He couldn’t wait to return home and launch the Boys and Girls Club. He was rested. He was ready. For the first time in his life, he was hopeful for the future.

  And that was some scary shit.

  They’d slept through breakfast. Even though they probably could have eaten before going to bed—considering it wasn’t until the sun peeked out over the horizon that they’d finally drifted off to sleep.

  He slipped his arm out from under Penn’s body and got out of bed. She sighed and rolled over, snuggling down into the mattress. The white sheet barely covered her naked body. If he stood staring any longer, he’d never be able to sneak out and make his purchase.

  They had the day off from the itinerary. And he needed it. A day to regroup. Between the mud buggy race yesterday afternoon and the Marco Polo game last night, they were tied two-two.

  He’d lost focus. He blamed it on that spectacular blow job she’d given him yesterday.

  She’d sucked his dick in the fucking woods and rubbed herself to orgasm. And he’d asked her to do it.

  He shook his head. Even this morning, it was unbelievable.

  The Penn who’d gotten on her knees in the woods was the Penn he wanted to see every day. The woman who put him at ease, surprised him and annoyed him equally. He’d seen far too little of her on this trip.

  He hurried down to the lobby and took the short hallway that lead to the shopping concourse. It was time for her family to embrace the same woman he did. The real Penn. Not some cowed figment of their imagination, but the wild, loud, cursing beauty that he’d fallen for the moment he’d laid eyes on her.

  He had something special in mind for her. He wanted nothing more than to see her as she truly was—happy, flirty, vibrant…and exposing a lot of skin. He missed that amazing cleavage.