“Jesus, Harley,” he breathed, gripping her thighs, spreading them open further, pulling her hard against him. Breathing raggedly, he held her there, giving her a minute to get used to him.

When she shifted, he growled and tightened his grip. “Christ, don’t move.”

Unable to help it, she rocked her hips and he swore, holding her still. “Not a muscle,” he said roughly, and pressed his forehead to hers, gulping in air like a dying man. “I’m going to lose it.”

Yes, but that’s what she wanted, and she nipped his bottom lip, her br**sts brushing his chest.

A shudder racked through him, and then went through her as well. “Please,” she whispered again, and oscillated her hips.

With a groan, he brushed a kiss across her mouth, and eyes still locked on hers, he began to move. Just like on the river, he was in charge, letting her rock on him, but only as much as he allowed. He started off with glorious, agonizingly slow thrusts, but neither of them could hold to that for long, not while finally joined in the most intimate way possible. She’d never felt anything like it, and closed her eyes to savor the pleasure of having him fill her so completely.

When he said her name, she managed to open her eyes. His head was tipped down, watching as he thrust up hard into her. Then he looked up, and she was immediately lost in the dark pool of desire staring back at her. She felt like she was drowning in him, in the feel of him. She was reaching for something, needing…Sinking her hands in his hair, she kissed him, long and deep. With a groan, he ground his hips against hers, then stroked a thumb over where they were joined, murmuring hot, sexy things in her ear as he touched her. She burst and took him with her.

Spent, they collapsed to the ground in a pile of tangled, sweaty limbs. Either five minutes or five hours later, Harley sighed. “Okay, that was sooo much better than fine.”

By the soft light of the moon, TJ smiled and leaned over her, kissing her jaw, each eyelid, the tip of her nose, her mouth…Finally, he let out a long breath and lay flat on his back. “Christ, I’m done in.”

“Yes. That’s what happens when you turn into a sex fiend by night.”

He grinned. “It’s not my fault. You keep looking at me with the eyes.”

“The eyes?”

“The ‘please do me’ eyes. They’re very distracting.”

“So I should wear dark glasses, or better yet, keep my eyes closed?”

“It’s possible another part of your body would call to me.”

“Like?”

“Like your ass. You have a great ass, Harley.”

“My ass calls to you?”

“You have no idea.”

“What if I wore-”

“Let me save you some time. All of your parts call to me.” His voice lowered, and his smile went from teasing to something far more devastating. “Everything about you calls to me.”

Her heart pretty much turned over and exposed its underbelly. And that’s when she knew she was in big trouble.

As in unless he did something fast, it’d be too late to save herself.

CHAPTER 25

Nick picked them up as planned and drove back to Wilder Adventures. Harley was quiet on the ride home, and TJ wondered what she was thinking. Back at the lodge, she helped unload, promised the coeds a disk full of pictures from her camera, and hugged Nick good-bye.

Then turned to TJ.

He smiled and reached for her, but she backed up, whispered “good-bye,” and headed for her truck.

He barely caught up with her, playfully trapping her against her driver’s door, pinning her hands at her sides as he leaned in and nipped at her bottom lip. “So…”

Closing her eyes, she let out a shaky, aroused breath at his touch. He knew the feeling. A glutton for punishment, he ran a hand down her arm for the sheer pleasure of touching her and smiled. “How about dinner?”

“I can’t.”

His smile faded as he took in her solemn eyes. “Okay, then how about a game of pool later?”

“I have to catch up on my research work.” She shifted her gaze away. “Sorry.”

“Harley.”

She stared at his throat.

“Harley.” He accompanied the word with a finger beneath her chin, and she finally looked at him, the emotion in her eyes nearly cutting off his air supply. “I’m leaving in five days,” he whispered.

“I know,” she whispered back.

“That second trip is a distinct possibility as well. If I take them both you might be gone to Colorado when I get back.”

“I know that, too.”

“So let’s be together before I go, and say our good-bye.”

Pain flickered in her gaze. “Good-bye,” she whispered.

He stared at her, then closed his eyes for a beat. “Okay, now see, I meant a temporary good-bye. The kind where we get naked and sweaty, have a mutually good time, maybe multiple mutually good times, and then we say hello again the next time we see each other. But I’m thinking that you meant the kind of good-bye that doesn’t come with that eventual hello.”

“TJ.” She let out a long, shaky breath. “I thought I could do this.”

“This.”

“You know. Temporary. Casual. Turns out I’m not going to be so good at it.”

“Really? Because you’re better at it than you think. You go through life skimming the surface, not letting anything in too deep. Hell, that’s what you’re doing right now, cutting this off at the knees before you get in too deep. Isn’t that right, Harley?”