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  “Don’t call me that!”

  Her venomous tone pushed him back a step. “It was your name. Why’d you change it?”

  “Because I never liked it.” She cradled her arm to herself. He hadn’t grabbed her hard, but from the faraway look in her eye, the action only symbolized the upheaval in her mind. Then she slanted him a look. “Crazy J, really?”

  He chuckled. “You sounded a little wacky when you had your jaw wired shut.” She made a choking sound and he grew somber. “It’s okay, Tilly. We’re all awkward as kids.”

  “Awkward doesn’t describe braces as a teenager.”

  “You did pick neon pink and yellow.”

  She shifted her gaze to look out the window and lifted a shoulder. “Go big or go home, right?”

  Her tone was flat. He’d expected her to own her jaw surgery and brilliant braces; they’d fit her whole look back then. What else would her motivation have been?

  She was staring out the window. Blue glittered in the distance. He didn’t want to leave, but he’d get the supply run over with so he could…what? Watch her? Hang with her?

  “Do you know how to swim?” Yeah, that was why he was in a hurry to get back. Didn’t want Tilly drowning while he was perusing prime cuts of steak. His heart rate kicked up at the thought.

  “No. Why? I won’t go out far.”

  “Then wait until I get back from town.” She was about to argue but he shushed her with a finger on her lips. Bad decision. Too soft, too plump, too tempting. He snatched his hand away. “Test the jets on this tub and I’ll get the hot tub running tonight after you check out the lake.”

  Her pink tongue darted out to lick where his finger had been. She was going to kill him.

  “Fine,” she grumbled, but the Tilly light was back in her eyes.

  For a second, he thought of hanging around to see if she’d strip out of her bikini in front of him like she had with her shorts.

  He turned on his heel and made a beeline for the front door. How was he going to survive a week without touching her?

  ***

  Tilly laid her laptop next to her on the seat. It was useless. A blond-haired, green-eyed bachelor was clogging too many of her thought processes. Her lesson plans would have to wait. She was on vacation.

  When would Flynn get back? Would he take his time?

  The kiss had made him so skittish. She’d had no clue why, but he’d certainly filled her in.

  Crazy J.

  They had called her that? She couldn’t argue. As an adult, she was nothing but honest with herself, but she’d sugarcoated some parts of growing up. Tears pricked her eyes. Nope, every minute of it had sucked.

  At least Flynn hadn’t shunned her outright. She might not have survived the humiliation.

  Hadn’t there been any part of him that had been just a teeny bit interested?

  Jaw wired shut.

  Nope. She could see that clearly now. No wonder she hadn’t dated until college—and she’d even started college a year later than normal.

  She rubbed her eyes and stretched. Flynn had suggested a bath, but she wasn’t wasting the water if she was going in the lake. She’d luxuriate in the jets afterward.

  But that didn’t mean she had to sit around and wait for a guy, even if that guy was her dream man. She rubbed her wrist. When he’d grabbed it, adrenaline had flooded her veins. Lingering survival instincts. But his expression had been more panicked, nothing close to the rage she’d seen in her dad’s eyes.

  She tucked her computer away. Yes, a walk was a good idea. Waiting for Flynn to get back before she did anything was something her mom would’ve done. Probably still did. She wouldn’t know, hadn’t talked to them for over twelve years and didn’t want to.

  Taking the stairs, Tilly evaluated her outfit. She’d thrown the shorts back on and a pair of flip-flops, but she only planned a walk, not a hike. This should be fine. The yellow bat wings across her breasts lifted her mood. She would’ve never walked around home with just a swim top, but once Flynn had seen her in it, why bother to be embarrassed? Just because she never showed off her body didn’t mean she was ashamed of it. Clothes were a necessity; she’d never had the money for them to be fashionable.

  She’d love to wear more clothing that would incite Flynn’s reaction. He’d always acted stunned around her, unsure of what to say or do, but today had been different. The look in his eye when she’d caught him staring at her breasts or her stomach…

  She grinned. Day one of this vacation had started out awesome.

  Warm air enveloped her as soon as she stepped outside. She toed along the stone path that ended at a narrow trail down to the lake.

  A low laugh of delight escaped. A dock! Walk first, soak the toesies later.

  Leaves rustled around her as a gentle breeze blew off the lake. The air cooled her off. In a couple of months, it’d be hot and muggy, but at the beginning of June, the wind was perfect.

  A girl could get used to this. She closed her eyes and inhaled a slow breath. Stress rolled off her in waves as she imagined it dripping off her fingertips. How had she not realized how tense she’d been? For so many years. She couldn’t remember a time she hadn’t lived under a mountain of stress and anxiety. Meals were no longer an uncertain event, but she had to work hard to provide them and she only had herself to worry about.

  Not true. She fretted terribly over her kids, both those in her class and the ones she tutored. Anxious thoughts plagued her constantly about being able to maintain the level of clients she needed for tutoring. She adored teaching, but her dream was to open her own business, one designed solely for one-on-one tutoring, and she wanted to fund-raise and develop grants to make it affordable for all families.

  She’d been so busy worrying about her hopes and dreams tanking—and watching where she stepped on the rough sandy shore with only her sandals—that when she looked up, she was already on another cabin’s property.

  Oops. She turned around. Flynn’s cabin and even his dock weren’t visible from where she stood. On the way back, she closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sun. Spending her vacation worrying wasn’t going to help anything. She had to relax and table her thoughts for a few days, but her lifelong habit of planning for the future was more a survival instinct and harder to set aside.

  A man’s voice drifted on the wind. She hoped she hadn’t intruded on another couple’s lake getaway.

  She opened her eyes before she veered into the water. Flynn came jogging around the bend, his gait relaxed but his face tense.

  “Tilly. Fuck, you scared me.” He stopped in front of her.

  “Why in the world were you scared about me?” No one cared about her.

  Her throat grew thick as that statement echoed in her head. Sometimes, no matter how hard she tried to maintain her optimism, her true feelings emerged.

  “I got back and the cabin was empty. You said you didn’t know how to swim but I couldn’t find you outside, either.” He glanced around. The water was to her right, trees to her left, and another plush cabin at her back. “What were you doing?”

  He really had been worried about her. Best vacation ever. “I ran out of sugar and thought I’d ask these nice folks if they could loan me some.” She grinned and playfully punched him on the shoulder. “I was just going for a walk before I sat on the dock and hung my feet in. But now that you’re here, I can go wading.”

  She continued on her path and he fell into step beside her. She peppered him with questions about what he’d bought, what she should cook with it, if they could go fishing. He muttered that he didn’t have a boat and glowered at the path in front of them.

  He went from relieved to sullen. Had she done something wrong? Had the sandwich worn off? Was he hangry now?

  She brushed it off. The lake beckoned. She shed her sandals and shorts. Small rocks bit into her feet and she jumped and danced into the water.

  “Oh my god, it’s cold,” she squealed but kept plowing in. Giggles escaped as the waves
lapped higher on her legs, sending shivers rippling over her body. She threw her head back and laughed with pure delight.

  The lake bottom wasn’t any more comfortable on her feet than the shore, but she managed to wobble around.

  Flynn was staring at her, his hands shoved in his pockets, as still as a statue.

  “Are you coming in?” She glided her hands around, letting cool water slide through her fingers. She was only halfway down the length of the dock, the water to the tops of her thighs. Her feet were visible.

  His throat worked like he was going to speak, but he just shook his head.

  “What’s wrong?”

  His gaze dipped to her belly. “Nothing. I need to start the grill.”

  Then why didn’t he? He didn’t move. “Oh, but you’re acting as my lifeguard and can’t until I’m done.” She held up two fingers. “Two more minutes.”

  He gave her a curt nod.

  She might’ve pushed it to five minutes, even ten, as she frolicked in the water. The only thing warding off a chill from the cool water was the heat of his gaze licking across her. He was either taking his lifeguarding duties seriously, or she was getting to him. She waded back to shore and grinned to herself. The mighty Flynn might just find her attractive.

  Chapter Five

  Flynn watched as much as he could stand of Tilly exiting the water like a nymph in the sexiest Batman bikini ever made. His cock was weeping for just one touch of her skin, and every giggle she let loose banged around his body until he could barely stop himself from stripping down and charging in after her.

  How the hell had Crazy J with the neon braces become that damn sexy?

  How the hell could he be lusting after her that badly? He’d been with a lot of women. In high school, he’d slept with girls who were cheerleaders, on the dance team, fucking gymnasts. And he’d fucked them all as adults. Picked them up wearing clothing that could just as well be see-through, stripped it off, had sex, and walked away.

  Tilly should just be another girl. No, she wasn’t. She was Tulip “Crazy J” Johnson. He should not lose one drop of blood to his cock for her. But he couldn’t argue with how appealing she was. Without the wacky wear, she was sweet in a magnetizing way. Without the odd choice in fashion, she was sexy as hell, but it was her uninhibited joy that was as addicting as an eight ball.

  Was it the whole reverse-psychology thing? He couldn’t have her and that made her so damn irresistible?

  Yeah. Yeah, that made sense. And she wanted him, too, but she wasn’t coy or using her body as a lure to hook him. He was used to the game, the one played in the clubs to pick up ladies. They’d give him “the look” and he’d strike up a conversation. He’d tell them only enough to keep them interested. Business owner was usually enough. He always made sure to say nothing that resembled a promise for the future. Then it was his place or theirs, and he always opted for theirs if at all possible. Sometimes they had a roommate and he’d just grin wickedly. Deal, done. The next morning, he might go for another round before he walked out.

  But Tilly wasn’t playing any games. She was herself, she liked him, and they were stuck together all week. He couldn’t handle another full day of her prancing around half dressed and giggling, much less suffer through seven more days. Well, there was Monday—he’d have to run in and meet with John.

  He strode up the deck, past the grill, toward the sliding glass door into the kitchen, and froze. Behind him, visible in the reflected glass, Tilly crested the stairs, her breasts swaying in their top, her long legs sparkling with droplets. Her sandals and shorts were in one arm and her eyes glowed with elation.

  So. Damn. Beautiful.

  He couldn’t do this. It wasn’t like him to ignore his body’s needs and it thought it needed Tilly hard and fast. But she was a teacher. Of special-needs kids. He couldn’t start a relationship.

  While he was stuck in the mental dilemma between touching her or tying his hands to his sides, she passed, opened the door, and slipped into the house, calling back that she’d shower and help with supper.

  So now he had to cook while she was naked upstairs. He vibrated with the urge to stalk her and slake his lust.

  She wanted him, had for years. He’d wanted her all of one fucking day and could barely stand it.

  What if he gave them what they both wanted…and made sure it sucked?

  He’d take the edge off, she’d be disappointed and lose the mystery of him, and he’d know she was just another lay.

  His body screamed “yes” at the excuse to touch her and before his mind could point out how wrong it was, he blew in through the door, barely remembering to close it to keep the bugs out.

  He sped up the stairs. Her door wasn’t completely shut and he pushed it open—and nearly came to a full halt. His steps slowed as he approached her.

  Naked. In all her glory. She’d stripped off the suit. Her eyes went wide in shock and she covered her bare, spectacular breasts, but her breath hitched at his expression.

  “Flynn.”

  “We need to do this.” His voice was guttural. If she said no, he’d throw himself out the window to keep from touching her. His gaze dropped to her sex. His erection throbbed so hard he feared he’d lose his load just putting the condom on.

  “Okay.” She dropped her hands.

  “Get on the bed.” Make it bad. Make it bad. At least for her. Once he stroked through her folds, his intuition told him he’d be lost. He dug his wallet out and grabbed a condom. There was a whole box in the other room.

  So, really, he could make it really good, take her all week, and then make the sex lousy.

  No! He had to do this wrong the first time.

  She crawled back onto the bed, her legs splayed, opening herself to him.

  Yesss. She wasn’t completely bare like some women he’d been with, and honestly, he didn’t care. Tilly was perfect, her curls glistening for him.

  Her gaze wandered over him, from the fly of his shorts to the condom in his hand. Now that he had her right where he’d fantasized about her since that damn auction, it was hard to go fast. Her body was ripe for savoring, for pleasuring until she begged, licking and caressing for hours while he brought her to climax over and over again.

  The condom shook in his fingers.

  Make it bad. Break the spell between them. This was for her more than him.

  He ripped it open. Damn. He was fully dressed. The shorts were opened and shoved down in seconds and he was caught in her stormy gaze as he rolled the condom on.

  Her eyes went wide again as she eyed his length. He liked her attention on him way too much.

  The condom was settled, and he kneeled on the bed in between her legs. She propped herself on her elbows, her knees up, her expression wondrous.

  She was going to kill him.

  He should kiss her first or something. Then her lush breasts would smash against his chest. If he kissed her mouth, he’d have to tongue those nipples. How sweet would her creamy center be?

  It wouldn’t be making things bad for her if he got lost in pleasuring her. No more touching than necessary. Hands on her knees, he shoved them wide. “Ready?”

  She bit her lip. Her hips rolled toward him, but she glanced from his cock to his mouth. Was she going to insist they be more intimate? Would he be able to deny her?

  Like him, she seemed ready to go from zero to sixty. She nodded.

  He placed himself at her entrance. Her sex surrounded the tip of his shaft, her flesh greedy, but he wasn’t a complete bastard. He was after shitty sex, but she wasn’t as wet and ready as he would normally ensure, so there would be no rabid thrusting.

  He pushed forward, just enough to push in the tip. She groaned and rocked her pelvis and he couldn’t stop until he was buried.

  His thoughts faltered. Her body was heaven. A hot furnace gripped his dick and her muscles massaged his length. He could climax just seated inside of her.

  “Flynn, you can’t imagine how long I’ve wanted this.”
r />   Her words were a cold splash of reality. He couldn’t encourage this thing between them, had to crush her crush. She was too…everything. Too good, too sweet, too innocent. He wasn’t worthy.

  He rocked out and back in. His climax was almost at the peak, her tight sex and soft moans the most erotic thing he’d experienced, and he just let it happen. Allowed his body to get carried away faster than ever before without seeing to her orgasm. Even a weak orgasm was still an orgasm. Make it bad.

  He threw his head back and as much as his body screamed at him not to, he withdrew and shook his release outside of her.

  She let out a gasp when he slid out and he was afraid to open his eyes and face her. His first time hadn’t even been as epically terrible as this.

  But he looked at her. She seemed disoriented and confused as she contemplated the space between her legs. He pushed off the bed. She closed her knees and let them fall to the side.

  He slapped the side of her ass. “Good game.”

  Covering his disdain at his own actions, he gave her his back and left her room.

  After he shut the door to the master bath, he leaned his forehead against the wood. His body shook, all the adrenaline and self-loathing draining out. Simmering lust he feared would never go away stayed with him, leaving him half hard.

  That was supposed to have been the worst sex of his life. Instead, the wet heat of her body had gotten him off in less than a minute and they hadn’t so much as kissed. But his lips remembered how supple she’d been when he’d kissed her earlier. Or when she’d kissed him.

  Tilly worked him up tighter than Crazy J. This was so much worse than high school.

  ***

  Tilly’s sex throbbed, plainly stating she hadn’t been brought to completion.

  Warm water bubbled around her in the jetted tub. Funny, she’d assumed she’d be more thrilled to use it. Instead, she soaked and debated whether to make herself come or hope that Flynn would do it later. If there was a later.

  A little swirl of excitement snaked through her. She’d had sex with Flynn Halstengard.