Taming Him Read online

  “You feel way too good. At this rate, I’m not sure I’ll ever get enough,” I tell her honestly, which also scares the shit out of me. I’ve never felt like that before, but I don’t allow myself to dwell on it now.

  “You have seven days to give me your best, cowboy,” she teases, licking her swollen lips. “Let’s not put them to waste.”

  I all but haul River up to my room and text Dylan to stay the fuck out tonight before I’m slamming back into her sweet body. This time, she’s bent over the chair that overlooks the beach. My hand is wrapped in her hair while I pound into her over and over again until she screams out my name. I know I’ll have dreams of her voice when I’m back home, but for now, I’m bottling it all up.

  We fall asleep a tangle of arms and legs and wake the next morning when a loud knock disrupts us.

  “I think Dylan wants his bed back,” River says in a sleepy voice, laughing.

  “Yeah, he’s gonna be pissed knowing we fucked on it.” I chuckle, tilting her chin up so I can give her a quick kiss before I look for my clothes.

  “Hold the fuck on,” I shout at his persistent knocking. I slip on my jeans before opening the door for him. “Are you on fire or something?”

  He barges in within seconds, looking like he’s just escaped prison.

  “Jessica,” he offers as I close the door. “She’s like a vulture, yet I can’t stop sleeping with her.” He turns toward me, his face all flushed. “What the fuck is wrong with me?”

  He starts undressing, but I clear my throat and nod my head over to River.

  “Oh, shit.” He pulls his jeans back up. “Hey, River.”

  She tightens her grip on the sheets pulled against her chest. “Hey, Dylan.”

  He turns toward me with a wicked grin plastered on his face. “Guess you had a good night after all.”

  “Sure the hell did.” I slap a hand on his shoulder, giving him an obvious signal to get the hell out. “Go back to Jessica’s room.”

  He shrugs my hand off and winces. “I swear to God, that girl has no off button.”

  “You like her,” I tell him, knowing it’s obvious. Dylan wouldn’t screw around with a chick he didn’t at least like a little. He’s just not willing to admit it.

  “I’m getting in the shower,” he says, walking to the bathroom, dismissing my statement. He looks over his shoulder and adds, “And get the hell out of my bed, you motherfucker.”

  Grabbing some clothes, River and I head out and walk to her room where we can shower and get ready. Since we were so rudely awakened, we take advantage and mark another bucket item off her list—morning shower sex.

  “Want to go parasailing today?” I ask over breakfast. Her friend, Natalie, is spending the day with her boyfriend, so I finally get River all to myself.

  Her eyes light up as she talks around a mouthful of food. “Yes! I’ve been wanting to try it!”

  Over the weekend, River and I do a handful of water activities as well as lounge on the beach and find new and fun places to have sex.

  I can’t deny how happy I am being around her and being able to experience all this new stuff with her. Not only is she willing to be spontaneous and adventurous with me, but she’s also fun as hell. I love hearing her laugh and squeal with excitement when we try something different. She’s also in great shape and keeps up with everything I throw at her.

  By Tuesday morning, the strong realization that we only have days left haunts me. I push those thoughts away, not wanting to ruin the time we do have. We spent all morning in my bed, ordered room service and showered, then spent all afternoon in her bed. Dylan’s still pretending he can’t stand Jessica, yet we still switch rooms so they can have their privacy.

  “We’ve successfully checked eleven things off the vacation bucket list,” River tells me over dessert. We finally left her room and went to dinner.

  “Oh yeah? What’s left?” I ask, taking a bite of our strawberry cheesecake.

  She looks up at me and grins mischievously. “Skinny-dipping.”

  Taking the final bite, I leave some cash on the table and grab her hand.

  “What are you doing?” she whisper-shouts as I lead her through the restaurant and out the door.

  “Condoms,” I say, smiling at her over my shoulder.

  Once we’ve restocked, I lead us to the beach. The sun has just set, and there’s only a handful of people left lounging on the sand.

  “Take off your clothes,” I order.

  She looks around, a blush rising to her cheeks. “Are you sure we won’t get caught?”

  I kick off my shoes, pull off my shirt then my shorts. “No.” I smirk. “Hurry.”

  Quickly, she removes her sandals and sundress, standing in only her panties and bra.

  “I’m nervous.” She bites her lip, contemplating on removing the rest.

  “It looks like you’re wearing a swimsuit,” I tell her, appreciating the way her undergarments hug the curves of her body. “But it’s called skinny-dipping, not swimsuit-dipping.”

  She chuckles, looking over her shoulder once more.

  “Want me to help?” I arch a brow.

  I’m on my knees before she can respond and slide my fingers into her lacy panties. Luckily, we’re near a palm tree and can use it as a shield for now.

  “What are you doing?” she squeals when I slide a finger inside her.

  “Helping you relax.” Once her panties are removed, I spread her legs and press a flat tongue along her slit. She whimpers, fisting her hands in my hair as I coax an orgasm out of her. She doesn’t disappoint and gives me exactly what I want. “That’s it, baby.”

  I stand, wrapping an arm around her waist and pressing her to my chest. My hand cups her cheek, and I kiss her. “Ready now?”

  Sated, she nods. I step back, giving her room to remove her bra. I remove the last of my clothing, my hat and boxers, and soon we’re both standing naked.

  “On three,” I say, grabbing her hand and facing her. I start counting, and on three, we run from the edge of the beach all the way into the cool water. Hearing her laugh as we make our way is music to my ears. I love hearing her sweet laugh.

  I wrap my arms around her waist, so we’re chest to chest. Pressing my lips down to hers, I hold her face as I kiss the fuck out of her. My tongue slides inside, and when we walk deeper into the water, she wraps her legs around my waist making it easy to carry her.

  “I’m going to miss this,” she admits as our lips part briefly.

  “What’s that?” I coax, hoping she’ll say what I’m thinking.

  “The ocean and beach.” She smiles looking up at me. “And you.”

  My lips twist up into a smirk, happy that she’s enjoying our time together as much as I am. I bend down and kiss her once more. “Me too.”

  We swim farther into the water until it’s to our chests and no one can tell we’re naked.

  “So how was your first skinny-dipping experience?”

  “I’d give it an eight out of ten,” she teases. After every new adventure we’ve done, I’ve asked her, and she’d rank it.

  “What’d make it a ten?” I ask, moving us closer together.

  She purses her lips as if she’s thinking about it. I watch as she looks around, eyeing the beach to see if we’re still alone.

  I feel her hand slide down my stomach until she firmly grips my length in her palm. “River,” I warn, knowing we don’t have a condom way out here. She’s going to get me all worked up without being able to do anything about it.

  “Shh…” She shushes me with a devil grin. She steps closer before giving me a wink and sinking down into the water.

  “What the hell?” I ask, though she can’t hear me now. But it doesn’t matter because the moment I feel her mouth wrapped around my cock, I know exactly what she’s doing. The water is usually clear, but without the sunlight, I can only see the top of her head.

  “Oh my God,” I groan, arching my back and hips. “Fuck, River.” I fist her hair in the
water and help control her movements. She bobs her head up and down, sliding her tongue along the vein of my shaft. Who knew a blow job could feel this fucking good under water?

  She stands up, slicking her hair back and catches her breath. Before I can say anything, she sinks back into the water, and I feel her stroke my dick between her breasts. Oh, fucking hell. The girl has great fucking tits, too. I only wish I could see the way she looks right now.

  Switching between her mouth and breasts, she works me up so goddamn good, I know I can’t hold back much longer. When she stands up to take another deep breath, I stop her and plant her back on her feet.

  “We have to go. Right now.” I grab her hand and lead us to our clothes.

  “Why?”

  I look at her over my shoulder, and she laughs as soon as she sees my pained expression.

  “Got it,” she says.

  Once we’re dressed, we waste no time and head straight to her room. Within seconds of entering, I have her flat on her back on the bed. I devour her pussy as she wraps her thighs around my neck. Fuck, I love the way she tastes. So damn sweet.

  “Alex,” she pleads, kneading her fingers into my arms as I insert two fingers inside her tight body. “More.”

  I love the way she begs for me. It encourages me to increase the pace until I feel her climax on my tongue, and when she does—I fucking lose it. Ripping off my jeans, I grab her ankles and place them on top of my shoulders as I slam into her. She cries out as I thrust deeper and harder, and when I feel my own release building, I quickly pull out and stroke my cock till I come on her stomach.

  “Shit,” I mutter, as I collapse on the bed next to her.

  “What?” She’s panting, trying to catch her breath.

  “I forgot to put on a condom.” I face her, brushing my hand along her cheek. “I lose all control around you, River.” Which is the damn truth. I know the deal we made and how this isn’t anything more than a vacation fling, but that doesn’t stop the swelling in my chest anytime I think about her.

  She gives me a small smile, completely sated and relaxed. “Well, I’m on the pill and take it religiously,” she tells me, easing my nerves “And after my last boyfriend cheated on me, I got myself checked out and was clean.”

  “I’ve always used a condom,” I tell her. “I’m clean.”

  “Good, then we don’t have anything to worry about.” She smiles, looking up at the ceiling as her eyes flutter closed.

  Once we’re cleaned up and dressed, we lie in bed. “So what kind of dumbass would cheat on you?” We talked about some personal stuff, but mostly, we’ve treaded carefully. I think both knowing this is only a short-term thing, we’ve been trying to prevent getting too close. However, I can’t imagine any guy stupid enough to cheat on a girl like River.

  She groans, biting her lip. “Technically, I was the mistress.”

  My brows shoot up. “Wow.”

  “Yeah, I know. Then once I left him, he banged my roommate.”

  “You’re kidding.” I couldn’t believe the audacity.

  “I wish. He completely blindsided me. Split personalities or something, because I didn’t see it coming.”

  “Which I bet made it that much harder when you found out, huh?” I hold her tighter, pissed that any guy would put her through that much pain.

  “Oh, yeah. Hence this trip.” She sighs.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It’s not your fault.” Shrugging, she snuggles closer to my chest and wraps her arm around me.

  “Well, I’m sorry it happened to you. Send him my way, and I’ll give him a genuine Texas ass kicking.” I grin, though I’m serious. Assholes like him deserve it.

  “He’s not worth it,” she says, confidently. Her strength is admirable, but I hate to think how he made her feel.

  “I’m going to think of it as a blessing,” I tell her, matter-of-factly. She looks up at me puzzled. “His stupidity led you to me.” I tuck a piece of wild hair behind her ear. “You wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him.”

  She nods. “You’re right.” Smiling, she holds her fist up as if she’s making a pretend toast. “To Asshole: for being a cheating dirtbag and putting me in the arms of the sweetest and sexiest cowboy I’ve ever laid eyes on!” I hold a fist up to hers, and we bump them together.

  “Good riddance, Asshole!” I wrap my arm around her body and press my weight on top of her.

  Giggling, she gazes up into my eyes. “I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate.”

  Chapter Twelve

  RIVER

  Natalie and I are having mimosas at the hotel restaurant Friday morning when Alex approaches our table. He presses a kiss to my cheek before taking the chair next to me.

  “Good mornin’, ladies,” he says, taking off his ball cap and setting it down. I have a feeling he does that a lot back home with his cowboy hats. He’s always a proper gentleman, making sure my needs are met before his, and being super polite—yet not too polite in the bedroom.

  Too bad there’s none of that Southern charm in Wisconsin.

  “Morning!” Natalie beams, the smile on her face gives away what she’s thinking. We’ve barely seen each other since the weekend, but as she’s said over and over, she more than understands.

  “Where’s Dylan?” I ask when he doesn’t take the other chair like I expected.

  “Buried in Jessica probably.”

  I laugh, knowing he’s more than likely right. We’ve hardly seen Dylan either, not that Alex seems to even mind.

  The waitress comes over and takes our orders. Adam left early for one last fishing trip since he and Natalie fly out tomorrow night. My flight isn’t until Sunday, giving me only one more night with Alex since he and Dylan leave Saturday afternoon.

  The past few days, we’ve explored more of Key West, checking more items off my vacation bucket list—or rather adding items so we could check them off—and the more time we spend together, the harder it’s going to be to leave him.

  “I can’t believe I have to go back to work on Monday,” Natalie whines. “Maybe I could convince Adam to move down here instead. I’m sure they could use a radiologist at the hospital or something.” Her tone is serious, though I know she’d never leave her family.

  “Doubtful.” I chuckle. “He’s too much a country boy. He’d miss his ice fishing and snowboarding.”

  Her shoulders fall. “Damn. A girl could get used to this beach lifestyle.”

  I grin, agreeing. “It’s definitely going to be hard going back to twelve-hour shifts after this.”

  “Damn, you work long hours,” Alex states. “I’m usually up around four or five a.m. to feed the animals before starting on the day’s chores, but Dylan and I fuck around most of the time.” He chuckles, and I have a feeling he’s being humble about how hard he actually works.

  “Twelve hours minimum,” I add. “Then sometimes I don’t even get a break until the end of my shift, which means my feet are swollen and I look like I’ve just ran a marathon.”

  “That’s intense,” he says, studying my features.

  “I’m sure you’re used to those long hours, too,” I say. “Don’t ranchers work till the late afternoon or something?”

  “Oh, yeah. It just depends. Every week can be different, especially at the Bishop ranch. My older brothers, Jackson and John, live on the ranch, too, so we’re supposed to split up the duties.”

  “I can’t even imagine living on a ranch,” Natalie blurts out. “Being constantly dirty and smelly and oh my God, the heat. That’s a double hell no from me.”

  Alex chuckles. “You city girls.”

  I grin, not denying he’s right. I love my job, and at least I get to work indoors.

  Moments later, our food arrives, and we dig in. Alex talks more about the family ranch and his brothers. It’s very family-oriented, which actually sounds nice. But there’s no denying we’re from two completely different worlds.

  “So you’ve talked about different as
pects of your job, but I don’t think you told me what made you want to become a nurse in the first place,” Alex says, curiously, and though his question isn’t out of line, it does come a little unexpected.

  Natalie lifts her face right away to watch my expression and waits to see if I need an out. I don’t let her give me one, and even though talking about Rylie never gets easier, I don’t avoid it either. Hiding what happened to my baby sister won’t change the past.

  “I ended up spending a lot of time in hospitals when I was eleven or twelve. As sad as it sounds, it became my second home for a few years. I met a lot of nurses and doctors and started learning more and more about it as I got older,” I begin.

  “Were you sick?” His brows squeeze together.

  “No, I wasn’t.” I swallow, lowering my eyes before looking back up. “My baby sister, Rylie, had leukemia, and after she was diagnosed, I didn’t leave her side. Every doctor appointment, ER visit, or chemo treatment—I stood next to her because I didn’t want her to be alone.”

  “Oh my God, River. I’m so sorry.” He reaches over and squeezes my hand. The tears surface, but I blink them away.

  “It was horrible,” I admit. “I watched her deteriorate and become a lifeless version of herself.”

  “Is she okay now?” he asks, and even though I anticipated that question, it does nothing to my aching heart.

  I try to find the right words as I respond. “No. When I was fourteen, she ended up in the ER for the millionth time and contracted an infection that took a turn for the worst. She became septic, and her organs rapidly shut down.”

  “She didn’t make it,” he says softly, his voice somber. He closes his eyes.

  I cover his hand and squeeze three times. He couldn’t have known, and I know he feels bad now for bringing it up.

  “Alex,” I whisper, and he opens his eyes.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” I tell him. “I like talking about Rylie, even when it’s sad.”

  He wraps his arms around my shoulders and pulls me close. “You became a pediatric nurse because of her.”