“Where did you get that?” he managed through gritted teeth, holding on with all his power. He was going to be inside her when he came. Fuck, the anticipation of her wet heat was almost enough to make him come. He needed distraction.
“Are you kidding?” Riley shimmied away enough to shuck her jeans, then slid back under him and curved her hands over his shoulders. “I’ve carried condoms since they handed them out in health class. It’s ‘part of being a responsible adult.’” She sounded like she was quoting someone, but Sam could barely hear what she was saying. Her bare thighs glided up his and cradled his hips.
His body cramped, but a tiny warning went off and he held himself still. “You’ve had this since health class?”
Her laugh purred through him. “No. I’ve had a condom since health class. This one is within expiration date.” She dug into his shoulders, her voice deepening, going huskier. “Come on, Sam. I want you inside me.”
God. He couldn’t hold back anymore. He rolled them over so she was on top, and Riley threw her head back and arched her body. Her skin glowed in the faint light of the rising moon, her nipples dark and hard. She shifted to position herself over him, and he slid right in, a long, slow stroke that took him deeper than he thought he could go on the first thrust. It was incredible, so hot and wet and close and good.
Energy thrummed in his body, as if doing this made the power happy. Sam thrust as slowly as he could, out, in, then a deeper, upward press that made Riley gasp. Sam absorbed everything—every moan of pleasure, each shift of her body, the silken heat of her skin where they touched, her softness, her tight wetness, the unbearably gorgeous smell of her. He coaxed her down to his chest, cradling her head and holding her tight.
She closed her mouth on his neck and bit. His eyes rolled back, and he lost all sense of rhythm, pumped into her harder and harder, as pleasure coalesced, sharpened. It built, built, and burst, punching a shout out of him accompanied by a brilliant burst of light, a flash of intensity that seemed to draw him deeper into her. Her heartbeat was his heartbeat, the blood rushed through her veins at the same speed as his, her heaving lungs expanded his own chest.
Riley shuddered, her body convulsing, closing around him as she came again. His orgasm continued, pulsing downward and drawing out every ounce of tension until he was a giant, boneless mass.
Riley’s fingers stroked through his hair, soft, sweet, soothing. He inhaled her, registering the silky tickle of her hair against his cheek, her gentle pants past his ear, the slowing thump of her heartbeat and occasional spasm around him.
Words crowded into Sam’s head. Words he’d only ever considered saying to one person in his entire life. He swallowed them back with considerable effort. Riley deserved better than heat of the moment. She deserved better than him, actually, but Sam wasn’t going to make decisions for her. He’d been on her side of that, and it sucked.
When had anyone ever taken care of him like this? It was supposed to be his job to watch over everyone else. He’d made it his job, back when he enrolled in college and again when meeting Riley forced him out of limbo. But everything had gotten twisted around, and it was…nice. It felt good to share a burden, instead of taking on someone else’s. To have a person care about him so much she’d make sacrifices for him.
Like sex on a scratchy, hard balcony.
With that thought, reality restored itself. Sam had been so lost in Riley he’d stopped hearing the waves and feeling the floor. Sound and sensation rushed back now, along with the chill breeze. She had to be freezing. And they’d been gone a while. Nick might come looking for them.
“Thank you,” he murmured.
“Mmm.”
Purely male pride made him smirk at the satisfaction in her hum. “Are you okay? I hope I didn’t crush you.”
“No, but…” She leaned upward, and their bodies separated. “Sorry, I—” She froze, like a bunny on a lawn or a deer at the edge of the road.
“Wha—”
“Wait.”
Sam waited. Riley stared into the dark, down toward the beach.
“Someone’s here.” She barely whispered it, but a sharp edge came through anyway.
Sam jerked as a buzz split the air. He didn’t clue in that it was his phone in his pocket, halfway down his thigh, until it buzzed again. He cursed and sat up, helping Riley to her feet. Her movements were frantic as she dragged her clothes back on.
“Where?” Sam asked as he automatically checked the text.
Where the hell are you guys? Nick.
“Close,” she whispered back.
Sam shoved the phone in his pocket and fastened his jeans. He grabbed her hand and they dashed around the corner to the back of the house. Sam headed for the bedroom he’d come out through, but something about the rail at the far end of the balcony caught his eye. He halted and stiffened his arm, keeping Riley behind him.
“What is it?”
Sam pointed at the odd shape in the darkness and eased them closer. He strained to hear any movement or other sounds, but the ocean surge was too loud.
When they were several feet away, he saw that the shape was a grappling hook caught around the top of the rail. A rope dangled down the side. He stiffened and let go of Riley, urging her back. But she stuck close, her fist with the screw-ring upraised.
All the doors were closed and the rest of the balcony empty, so Sam knew if someone had climbed up here, they must be around the far side of the house. He braced himself as he reached the corner, but even prepared, he couldn’t stop the blow. The heel of a hand whacked him under his chin—the move of a smaller attacker on a bigger target. Sam’s teeth snapped together. He tasted blood, saw stars, and then pain radiated through his jaw and up over the top of his skull.
But the attacker was an amateur. He’d only landed the blow because it was a sucker punch in the dark. Sam sent two quick punches where he estimated the other guy’s head to be. The first missed, but the second cut off the guy’s laugh. Something crunched under Sam’s knuckles, and a howl filled the air.
Sam’s vision cleared, and despite the faintness of the moonlight, he recognized Anson on his knees, clutching his nose.
“You son of a bitch!” Sam hauled him up by his collar. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
But Anson was in no shape to answer. Dark blood stained half his face and trickled over his fingers. He’d stopped howling but hung in Sam’s grip, clearly dazed.
“Crap. Let’s go.” Sam motioned Riley to walk in front of him while he dragged Anson’s stumbling form. He couldn’t believe this guy used to be so fearsome.
“Do you sense anyone else?” he asked Riley.
“No, just him. But I don’t know my range.” She hurried ahead to pull the hall door open all the way.
“Wait.” He shoved Anson into the hall and peered out past him, double checking. Light filtering up the stairs pushed back most of the shadows. The hallway was clear. He shoved Anson down, and the loser crumpled into a heap on the floor.
Riley moved to his side. “What do we do?” she whispered.
He turned to put his mouth against her ear for maximum silence and hesitated. Her shampoo was different, he noticed. But buried beneath the surface floweriness was Riley and, more importantly, Riley and him. His hand tightened possessively around her upper arm, and he had to close his eyes against the emotions rushing through him. He swallowed and remembered what was happening. They couldn’t assume Anson was alone.
“Find some metal,” he whispered. She disappeared back into the bedroom and came back clutching a pair of silver candlesticks. Sam used hand motions to convey that she should stay up here with Anson. He didn’t want to leave them alone, but the guy hadn’t moved, and Riley loomed over him, gripping her fancy weapons. She nodded.