“I never stopped,” Will said between kisses, “loving you.”

He swallowed my surprised cry as arms and legs tangled around each other, like our bodies were finally aware that they were home, that it was okay to touch, to explore, to feel without fear of getting shoved away.

He pressed me against the pool wall, his lips on my neck, his heavy breathing our mood music as I matched him kiss for kiss, his hungry lips tasted like a mixture of the sunset and ice cold beer.

I’d always hated beer.

Until I tasted it on him.

And then a craving set in so intense that I whimpered, this, this was what I’d tried to numb myself against all those times I’d taken a hit, maybe I’d always known that Will would destroy me, and that it was smarter to destroy myself first, before he realized what a fraud I was.

Better to be numb and forget the taste of him.

Than feel it, remember, and suffer the rest of my life.

I clung to his shoulders as his hard length pressed against my stomach, yeah all man; he was all man now. His hand slid up my back, flinging my bra off before it dug into my hair and pulled, his heated kiss reminding me of all the reasons it hurt to not be with him. He hooked his free hand in my panties and drug them down until I felt them float away from my feet, body hot, the pool still wasn’t enough to cool me down, not when his hands were on me, not when his mouth was moving across my skin.

I greedily took him in my hand only to have him move me away. “You’ll kill me before this is over with and I’m just getting started.”

“I want to touch you,” I pleaded.

“Later,” he said gruffly as he teased my entrance. I cried out even though it was the softest touch, the gentlest graze.

My body arched into him, begging for more as pool water splashed around our frenzied bodies. My head pressed into the cement wall, my body chilled as he pulled me deeper into the pool, carrying me while we kissed, while our wet lips slid like silk, over and over again.

A thrilling shudder wracked my body as his hand moved to my core, I bit down on his shoulder to keep from crying out as heat enveloped me, building until it threatened to spill over.

His wild movements slowed before he started again. I squeezed my thighs in an effort to keep him there, to keep the feeling there so I didn’t lose control.

His dark laugh followed by another all-consuming flick of his wrist was my downfall, I wrapped my legs around his arm like a vise and struggled for breath as I fell apart in his arms.

Rain started to pour.

A hurricane couldn’t stop us.

Stop this.

“I’m so sorry,” I said between more heated kisses as he led me to the stairs at the shallow end and positioned himself over me, his muscled body dripped with droplets of water as they streamed off his chest.

He may as well be Poseidon, with the stormy look he gave me, like I was the only solution to the rain pounding around us, the lightning that suddenly flashed across the sky matching the intensity behind his gaze.

I was enraptured with the look on his face, the way he looked at me, not the way that the rest of world did, but the way I’d always dreamed.

Like I wasn’t tarnished.

Without warning, he entered me with one powerful thrust that had my head nearly colliding with the cement behind me. It was unbearable, feeling him inside me, filling me, knowing that at some point we’d have to leave the pool when I wanted to live on those stairs forever.

The ache in my body turned into a ravenous yearning for more as he slowed his pace then stopped altogether, gazing down at me and whispering. “I’m sorry too.”

His lips bit down on my neck and sucked, I clung to his shoulders digging my fingers into his wet skin only to lose my grip with each movement. Each kiss was another chink of my armor being stripped right along with broken pieces healing.

I squeezed my eyes shut as he drove into me, over and over again.

“Will!” I shouted his name as my eyes opened. And then locked onto his. I let him see me.

I saw him.

The controlling façade slipped, replaced with hunger.

Want.

Possession.

Our mouths met in plundering kisses. The world around us stormed, and we were the reason, his thick body heated me from the inside out as he retreated and looked at me one last time, wordlessly claiming me, owning me.

He groaned an inaudible curse as I gripped him and pulled him back where he belonged, where he’d always belonged. Our bodies trembled with the force we created together. My climax hit so hard and fast that I lost my breath, and when he kissed away the cry, I felt his body tighten and release as the rain pounded between us, pouring from his face down the valley of my breasts.

Chest heaving he kissed me again, and again, still inside me, as if he was proving that he wasn’t going to have sex and walk away.

But he was staying.

Would stay.

I imagine he would have stayed there longer had the lights not flicked on.

Had Zane not been standing there with his arms crossed and a look of worry on his face.

“Get the hell out!” Will barked without looking back, kissing me again.

“See I would…” It’s like our nakedness did nothing to the guy, he didn’t even flinch, “But, we’ve got a bit of a problem… or, I guess, you have a bit of a problem.”

Will hung his head, cursed, and shielded me with his body. “Can we do this later?”

“Don’t think you’re going to want to.” Zane hung his head, “I’ll get you guys towels. You know it’s suicide to have pool sex in a lightning storm right?”

I groaned against Will’s back, “Tell me he didn’t see me naked.”

“He… didn’t see you naked.”

“Are you lying?”

“Absolutely.”

“Thanks.”

“Ang,” Will turned and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Don’t close your door tonight. In fact, don’t go in your room.”

“So, I’m sleeping on the couch now?” I grinned. “Was I that bad?”

“You were so good that I’ve decided to upgrade you to the King bed…” his eyes flashed with desire. “No clothes allowed.”

“I’ll think about it,” I said honestly, because it seemed too good to be true, and after this last week I needed to see that he meant it.

“Good.” He kissed my forehead again just before Zane returned with towels. He deposited them on one of the chairs under the balcony and turned on his heel, walking back into the house without a word.

“THIS BETTER BE fast,” I said, towel wrapped around my waist as I paced in front of Zane. Ang was showering and whatever shit was about to fall, I wanted to protect her from it all. Even if it had nothing to do with her or us, I didn’t want her worrying about anything. Not so soon.

“Wow, look at that.” Zane crossed his arms. “Give a guy a little bit of food, and suddenly he remembers all the reasons for feasting.”

“Really?” I groaned, “We’re doing this now?”

“You texted. I texted back multiple times. There was a storm, I was worried.” Zane shrugged. “And then Jay was looking for you, and he couldn’t get ahold of you.” He tossed me my phone. “I think you should check your messages, unless you’d rather hear it from me first.”

“Hear what?” A sense of dread washed over me.

“You know what?” Zane looked skeptical, “I have a better idea, give me your phone. I’m going to put it away until you get fed some more, you can come grab it before you’re needed on set, before the storm.”

“The storm already hit.” I pointed outside.

“No.” Zane sighed. “But it’s about to.”

The shower turned off.

“Look.” He licked his lips. “She’s breakable, she’s frail. If you’re not in it right now for the long term, don’t walk into that bathroom, stay the hell away from the bedroom. If you can’t walk through the hurricane and come out on the other side the same as when you went through… then I need you to promise me you’ll send her back to her room and freaking lock the door behind you.”

I leaned against the wall. “See now you’re worrying me, because you never get that tone unless things are really serious.”