I swept my hands down over the bulging muscles of his arms and reached down to the ends of my shirt. We parted from our kiss long enough for me to pull it off and then I reached for his shirt. He helped me remove it. We lay there on our sides, with my head against his arm. The Boys hunted only in buckskins and boots so I'd seen Maximus shirtless many times, but I had never been tucked against him. My fingers smoothed over the collage of tattoos that covered his pecs. I leaned forward and ran the tip of my tongue along the hollow that led up to his throat.
I pushed on his shoulder and he rolled onto his back. I swung my leg over and straddled him. He gazed up at me. The feral gleam had returned. It sent a shiver down my spine.
I gazed down at him as I reached up, unhooked my bra and tossed it aside.
Maximus's arms circled around me, and he pulled me forward so that my breast settled against his mouth. With the same skill that he'd kissed my mouth, he kissed my breast, teasing my nipple in such a way that it felt as if his tongue, once again, was stroking my pussy. The ache between my legs grew stronger.
I scooted back and brought my throbbing pussy down over the bulge pressing against the worn fabric of his buckskins. I gasped at the size of it as it pumped against the fabric and caused more wetness to pool in my panties.
I pushed to my feet and hunched beneath the canvas as I pulled off my pants. He never took his eyes off me, even as he fished a condom package from his pocket and untied his pants. He pushed the buckskins down, and his cock sprang free.
"Holy shit, Maximus."
He laughed and reached for my hand to pull me back down to him. I straddled over him, but before I could settle over his cock, his hands took hold of my waist. He lifted me up and positioned my pussy over his face. I grabbed hold of the edge of the canvas. My whimper of pleasure seemed to get lost in the sound of the ocean outside the tent.
His hot trail of kisses continued and the tongue and mouth I'd imagined pressed against my pussy were now nestled erotically against the hot folds. I cried out as his tongue flicked against my clit, bringing me close to orgasm with just the simple teasing motion. His hands wrapped around my ass, and he held me strategically over his mouth, so that his tongue had clear access to every intimate part.
His magical kisses were now bringing my pussy to climax. I held the edge of the canvas for fear of falling over. He held me against him with one hand and penetrated me with the fingers of his free hand. I sat back against the intrusion, wanting more of it. Wanting more of him.
His mouth devoured me as his fingers explored every inch of my pussy. I cried out as it tightened against his mouth. My thighs squeezed against his head, and I sat down harder to feel the pressure of his mouth and touch as my pussy throbbed in ecstasy.
"Oh, Max, yes, Max!" My body trembled, and I gripped the canvas to keep from collapsing. The wild sensations had barely subsided when he took hold of my waist. Just as he had lifted me over his mouth, he positioned me over his cock. I cried out as I slid down over him, absorbing the impossible length of him as my tender pussy still pulsed in waves of pleasure.
"Fuck, you are so tight," he growled as he pumped his hips up to fill me more.
I braced my hands against his chest and held myself against him. He easily brought me back to orgasm. I felt lightheaded from it all. I collapsed down over him, and he held me against his body as he thrust his cock into me.
"Maximus," I said breathlessly.
My body still quivered from the double orgasm, and I could barely sit up. Maximus took hold of me. We spun around without him leaving me. He rested on his arms and took care not to crush me. He gazed down at me as he rocked against me, filling me so sweetly that each movement ushered a mewling sound from my lips. With one last long sweeping thrust his body hardened and he groaned with release.
All these weeks I'd imagined what it would be like to be with Maximus, naked and in his powerful arms and now I knew. And it was far better than I'd imagined.
Eighteen
Maximus
Even after the long night, dragging myself out of bed to wade out into the frigid waves with my board was nothing compared to how hard it was to pull myself away from Rikki. I could have stayed all damn night with her under the canvas tarp. But she worried her dad might wake up and look for her. So, I gave her a ride home and then headed back to the beach to fall into bed.
Stryker had been the first one up, and he pounded hard on my window to tell me the surf was up. I had been in such a deep sleep, I shot up and nearly fell of the fucking bed. It gave him a good laugh.
He was still grinning about it two hours later as we sat on our boards waiting for the next set.
"Just wish I'd had my phone ready to film it," Stryker quipped as he leaned his hands back on his board and lifted his face to the breaking sun. "I just couldn't do it justice when I told Flint and Wilder about it. I needed video. You can be sure next time I will have my phone poised and ready for action."
"You should. That way when I torpedo out of bed and come crashing through the window to throttle you, you can get the whole damn thing recorded. Then I can watch it again and again."
"Wow, someone is grumpy after being startled awake. Where were you last night after work anyhow? Flint said you dragged your ass into the Seven Sins just before closing with no real explanation of where you'd been."
I glanced back and saw a swell rolling toward us. "Oh, I have an explanation. I just don't choose to explain it." I leaned down and started paddling. The board rose up and I pulled my arms through the water to get ahead of the wave. I braced my hands against the board and pushed to my feet. The rush of riding a wave and the salty sea air had helped wash some of the sleep from my head.
I rode in close to shore and then dropped back down on the board. Flint was just heading out to the break line with his board.
I spun the nose around and paddled back out alongside of Flint. "Wilder said he had shit to do. He's done surfing for the morning," Flint said as he lowered himself down over his board
A wave went over us as we paddled out toward Stryker, who was still relaxing back on his board soaking up sun.
He straightened when he heard us swim up. "I think I'm going to head in. I've got to pick Willow up from her veterinarian technician class in an hour."
"How is she liking it?" Flint asked.
Stryker laughed. "Let's just say she's a little advanced for a beginner's vet tech class. I think the teachers are learning from her. Still, she needs that certificate to get a job, and she's determined to get one."
"Good for her." I sat up and straddled my board.
"Hey, isn't that the pretty girl from the Seven Sins that you swept right out from under my charming smile?" Flint asked.
I spun my board around to face the sand. Rikki stood on the shore, her hands stuffed in the pockets of her sweatshirt. The sun reflected off her shiny hair. She pushed a fluttering strand back behind her ear. There was a hint of a smile on her lips.
I lowered myself down over my board to paddle to shore.
"Whoa there, big guy," Flint said. "Is that who you were with last night? Who is she?"
I glanced back. Both Stryker and Flint were waiting for an answer, which of course I couldn't give. Or at least not most of it. "She's a local girl," I blurted but knew exactly what would follow. I brought my arm around to paddle to shore, but Flint reached forward and grabbed the tail of my board.
"Wait, Max. What the hell is going on?"
I looked pointedly at the hold Flint had on my board, and he released it.
"Max," Stryker spoke up sharply. "You know local girls are off-limits unless they are Wynter Fare. We don't need people in the area asking questions about us."
I sat up and turned my body so hard the board spun around with it. "So only you get to have a real relationship, and the rest of us are stuck with casual fucking?"
The words spit out fast, without thought, and as they fell out, I wished I'd taken the time to edit them. Flint's mouth dropped open a
s he looked at Stryker. "Well fuck, some cutie has finally landed the biggest fish of all."
Stryker shook his head at Flint. "Yeah, cocky asshole, just wait until it happens to you." He turned my direction. "You know with Willow it's different. She already knew everything about the underworld and what we do for a living. A human girl—" He glanced toward shore. "No matter how adorable, she can't know anything. There's no way to make it work."
"That's where you're wrong, buddy." I lowered my chest down to the board. "This is different too."
"Wait," Flint said but thought better about grabbing my board this time. "What do you mean different?" he called to me, but my focus was now on the woman standing on the beach.
I rode in on the next wave and coasted into shallow water before stepping off the board. I picked it up and wedged it under my arm. Rikki walked through the wet sand to meet me. I wanted badly to kiss her, but even without looking back, I knew we had an audience out on the water.
"Hope you don't mind I showed up here," she spoke quickly as I took hold of her hand and led her up toward the houses.
"Why would I mind? But the nosy bunch of crows sitting out on the waves are asking questions, so let's go inside."
She had to run to keep up with my long stride. "I needed to talk to you. My dad told me some things, and I think you should hear what he has to say." She stumbled on a dry mound of sand and pulled her hand free of mine. She was breathing hard. "If you're waiting for me to float up into the air like a kite, it's not going to happen."
"I'm sorry. I'm just fucking dying to kiss you, and I don't want to do it out here in front of Flint and Stryker."
"Oh, well then, what are you waiting for?" She dashed ahead toward the houses but then stopped and looked back at me. "I don't know which one is yours."
"Second one from the right." I reached the house at the same time as her. I drove my board into the sand and leaned it against the side of the house. Rikki and I rushed inside.
I yanked shut the sliding glass door and the curtains.
"Oh, I guess we're going to do something more than kiss." Rikki stepped back and squealed with laughter as I lunged for her.
I pulled her into my arms so hard, she bounced off my chest.
"Am I going too fast?" I didn't give her time to answer before my mouth covered hers. "Sorry, darlin'," I said between kisses. "It's been too long."
"It's only been seven hours, but who's counting?" she said breathlessly as she let her head lull back, exposing her long throat to my roaming mouth. I pushed down my swim trunks and stepped out of them without taking my mouth from her skin. "Fuck, you taste sweet," I muttered against her neck.
She gripped my arms to keep from falling backward. "And you taste salty like the sea," she moaned.
I unzipped her sweatshirt and pushed it off her shoulders. My tongue swept along the hollow at the base of her throat as my hands quickly pushed her jeans down.
"I'm sorry that I'm acting like a damn maniac, but I'm so fucking hard right now. Should I slow down?" I asked through gritted teeth.
"No, please don't stop, Max."
I spun her around and took hold of her wrists. I placed her hands against the kitchen counter. I stooped down, slipped her sandals off, one by one, and was a little more impatient as I yanked her legs free from her jeans.
I used my foot to spread her feet wider and stood back to admire the hot fucking scene in front of me. Her pert round bottom looked as bitable as a ripe apple. "For an underworld ferryman, you have an amazing ass, darlin'."
She gave it a little wiggle. "Glad you approve."
"Oh, I fucking approve. I heartily fucking approve. Don't move." I took two steps to the end table by the couch and pulled out a condom.
Rikki turned back to see what I was up to. "Oh my, how convenient. Do you have those things all over the house in easy to reach locations?"
I shrugged. "Better than not having them."
"Good point."
I crossed the floor in two steps. I bent my knees and nestled my cock against her. She responded by, once again, wiggling her ass. I was already about to fucking explode. I held her hip with one hand and slipped my free hand around and between her legs. She instinctively spread her feet wider.
"That's it, darlin'. Let me feel just how fucking hot and wet you are for me."
She moaned softly as my fingers slid through the moisture pooling in her pussy.
"Fuuuck," I groaned. "That's it. One touch of that satin pussy, and I'm fucking done." I pushed my hand against her to tilt her ass out farther. My cock pressed urgently at her pussy.
"Are you ready, baby?"
"Yes, please," she cried softly.
She sucked in a sharp breath as I jammed my cock into her. Her knuckles were white as she grasped the counter and braced herself against my thrusts. She moved her legs closer together, squeezing my hand between her legs and tightening her pussy around my cock.
She jutted her ass against me, taking in more of me, each time bring me closer to coming.
My thumb stroked against her clit as she absorbed the impact of my blows.
"Oh, Max, yes!" she cried as her pussy clamped even tighter around me, milking me straight to an orgasm. Shuddering waves rolled through both of us as we came together. I held her tightly against my cock, feeling every inch of her around me as my cock exploded inside of her.
Her arms vibrated beneath her from the strain of my weight and the movement against her. I pulled out slowly and picked her up into my arms. She threw her fatigued arms around my neck and kissed my face as I carried her down the hallway.
"I think we should continue this in my bedroom."
She sighed dreamily as she rested her head against my shoulder. "Wish I could stay but I've got to go to work."
I stopped after one step into my bedroom. "Work?"
She lifted her head and looked at me. "Yeah, that ferry won't run itself, and you know how those souls get when they starting piling up in the river."
"No fucking way, Rikki. Now that we know Vapour is up to something, it's too dangerous."
Nineteen
Rikki
I hurried around the small front room sweeping up my clothes and shoes. Maximus filled the hall doorway with his massive shoulders. He crossed his arms and his smooth brows dropped into glower position. Considering his size and the fact that he was naked, I had to work hard to pretend not to notice him standing there in all his angry magnificence.
"You can't go, Rikki. It's too dangerous for you to go anywhere near the underworld."
I wriggled into my jeans and lifted my chin up to look at him. "Just ten minutes ago you had me naked against that kitchen counter and now you're treating me like a kid again. I have to go. It's the family business."
"What about fishing?"
"Oh come on, Max. You know that income from fishing is sporadic. There are good years and very bad years. Besides, it's not just about the money. It's about a legacy."
I leaned against that same kitchen counter, silently squashing the erotic memories from just a few minutes before, and pulled on my sandals.
Maximus stepped toward me, but I scooted away, pushing the edge of the counter into my back. I figured it would only take one good kiss or touch, and I'd be listening to his commands. But I was an adult, and I had a huge responsibility to my family. I wasn't going to ignore it just because of some slimy underworld leader and his nefarious scheme.
"Rikki, just listen. By now Vapour has discovered that your dad escaped. Whatever the hell Vapour's up to, he'll be looking for your dad. And he's going to assume that the ferryman under the cloak and veil is his lost prey. I was putting together some things in my head, and I'm sure that Vapour sent that wraith to unmask you. He knew he had your dad in the cave and yet the ferry kept running. It's possible he was planning to stick one of his ghouls on the ferry so that he could keep the ferry income for himself. It might even be as simple as that. Vapour's a greedy scumbag. Always has been. Either way, you can't go
back there."
I slipped past him and plucked my sweatshirt up from the arm of the couch. The sleeves were inside out, and I had a small war with the damn thing as I tried, three times, to punch my fist through. "Argh! Damn sleeve."
Maximus walked over and helped me pull on the sweatshirt. "Let the ferry stand without a captain for a few days. Feenix will take notice. Then he'll know something is up."
"And he'll fire my dad, and that will be the end of it." My voice trailed off as my throat bound up around the words. As badly as I didn't want to cry, the darn tears pooled in my eyes. I used the same annoying sweatshirt sleeve I'd just fought with to wipe them away. "Max, I'm going to go to work on the ferry. I have to. I just need you to understand that. I'm not new to any of this, and I'm well aware of the dangers. After all, who told you about the ghouls' fear of fire?"
Maximus looked only ten percent convinced. But he didn't have a choice in this, and he slowly seemed to come to that reluctant conclusion.
I tapped the side of my head with my hand. "Oh my gosh, I'm such a knucklehead. Although, I can't blame it all on myself because you are just a bit too impossible to resist. I came here to tell you that my dad has some theories about what he thinks Vapour is up to. It seems like a big deal. Can you go see my dad? He promised me he'd stay home and rest today. He insists he'll take my place on the ferry just as soon as he has the strength. But I know he wants to talk to you."
Maximus nodded. "I'll get dressed and go see him."
"Stop looking like the kid who just got the final out in the championship game." I smiled weakly and hopped up to my toes for a quick kiss. "Besides, I've got Steemer just across the way, and there's always Catch. He'll step in if I'm in trouble."
His dark lashes blinked over his eyes a few times. "You don't actually think that a tubby, peg legged accountant and a wormy goblin are making me feel better about this?"