Before the Jeep finished pulling to a complete stop in front of the beach house, Emily threw the door open and hopped out barefooted, dance shoes dangling from her fingertips. She was eager to dig her toes in the sand and relieve the cramping from performing the Tango in overly tight heels and a borrowed dress that was far too snug.

"I've got to get out of this costume," she flung over her shoulder, pulling pins from her hair, allowing the soft ocean breeze to whip copper tendrils about her freckled face and shoulders. Standing stock still, she dug her toes into the soggy grains of white stardust, glistening under the full moon that cooled and soothed the balls of her feet.

She tried to take a deep breath of the muggy night air, but the bodice of the gown was too constricting. Glancing up at the moon then at the rippled water, reflecting its brilliance, she sang out, "I see the moon and the moon sees me," knowing instinctively that Jackson had slipped up behind her.

"Do you know how many full moons we've shared together over the years?" he whispered, his lips inches from her ear.

She felt a tingle as if a butterfly had briefly brushed against her neck and she gave a little shiver, but didn't turn around. "I haven't forgotten."

"I remember there were times we were so close that if we were in different parts of the world, we'd send each other pictures of the full moon. One time I asked you if that was the same moon I was seeing and you said, 'Well, that's the one I see in Dallas.' I started laughing so hard, I could barely get out that there was only one moon."

Stifling a giggle, she lightly jabbed her elbow into his side then leaned back into him. "Asshole, I believe that was after I'd had a wee bit of wine. If I remember correctly, my feelings had gone haywire and I was confused about what to do about—"

"Stop it!" he ordered, his arms coming up to engulf her and pull her tightly against him.

"Stop what?"

"You were getting ready to say something about Greg and we're not going there."

She felt his erection digging into her back and asked, "Oh, where is it that we are going?" Breaking away from his grasp, she turned to face him, a smug grin plastered across her moonlit face, eyes sparkling with mischief.

He smiled back as if answering a challenge and the look in his eyes almost took her breath away. His head slowly lowered, and she could feel his breath against her cheeks before his mouth came down in the faintest of kisses that sent a shock wave all the way to her womb. Her eyes closed briefly, savoring the moment and when she opened them, he was staring down at her with an amused look.

"Don't do it, Jacks."

"Don't do what, Em?"

"You know what."

"I do?"

"The three kiss rule. Damn it, you've always been able to do that to me, and you know it."

"Oh, yes, the three kiss rule. Now how does that go again? Let's see, I give you the tiniest of kisses like I just did." He held her eyes with his, as his lips came down on hers again.

Her heart stopped and her mouth parted as the tip of his tongue barely flicked over hers and she had the sensation of the air being sucked out of her lungs and then it was over.

"Jacks, I...I—"

"No, Em, we're not through. The third kiss...if I remember correctly goes something like this."

His lips were hard and possessive and her mouth opened to accept his exploring tongue, her body growing hot, covering her in a thin veil of sweat. Her legs went weak and she moaned, throwing her arms around his neck for support. A tremor ran through her and a spasm started in her womb just before she felt the familiar twitch, and she was lost to everything but the sensations of his all-consuming kiss.

The next instant, his face lifted, hands going firmly around her waist and she realized she was panting so hard she couldn't catch her breath.

"Em, slow down. You're going to hyperventilate."

She opened her eyes and Jackson was a blur. The world started to spin, and he swooped her up in his arms just as everything went black.

*

Waking up on one of the chaises on the deck overlooking the ocean, Emily took a deep breath, smiled and stretched. The crispness of the clean salty air tickled and enveloped her nude body. Nude? She sat up straight and realized there wasn't a stitch of clothing on her.

"You couldn't breathe in that outfit, Beautiful." Jacks' voice startled her and she twisted to see him sitting in a chair behind her.

"What happened?"

"You passed out, I caught you, carried you up here, took that corset contraption off of you so you could breathe...the usual." He shrugged and a smug smile spread across his face. "Do you own any undergarments, you know, things like panties, bras? You never seem to be wearing any. Or are you just prepared in case things get romantic?"

She could feel her whole body flush. Spying the tango skirt at the foot of the chaise, she grabbed it and covered her nakedness.

"Modesty? Really, Em, it looks kind of odd on you. And I did, by the way, cover you with that very skirt but you kicked it off."

She looked down at her toes. "Why are you being so mean to me?"

He sighed, got up, took a few steps and stood over her, a hand going to her chin, tilting it up until she locked eyes with his. "Because you have the most infuriating timing. It's become a habit, you know, me carrying you into or out of something. We were having the most incredibly delightful make out session when I realized you were panting so hard you were having trouble breathing then poof, you were out."

"It's the third kiss. That's what I was trying to tell you b0076." She was slightly embarrassed and looked out across the ocean. "The bodice was so tight and I-"

"And you were very, very turned on."

He sat next to her, blocking her view and she sat paralyzed as his face came closer and closer. Her heart began to race and there was pounding in her ears. His warm breath, the smell of him, the anticipation of his lips on hers again. She didn't care anymore. She couldn't pretend anymore and was sick of this game they kept playing. Putting a hand on his head, she drew his mouth down against hers in the lightest of kisses then pulled away, her eyes staring into his, and they held her answer.

She leaned back in for a longer kiss and felt the familiar knot in her womb that was reserved only for Jackson Clayborn. Standing, she let the skirt fall to her feet and held out her hand. "I need to wash this sand off. Care to help me?"

He locked his fingers through hers, stood and allowed her to lead him to the outdoor shower. She let go of his hand, stepped in and started adjusting the water temperature as he shucked out of his tango getup.

Letting the water rush over her, she felt him behind her and turned to face him. "The three kiss rule—" He reached out and pulled her to him, the feel of his erection, stopping her short and before she could react, his mouth was on hers, forcing it open, his hands gliding over her wet buttocks, fingertips teasing and prying along the soft slit of her vagina and then around her anus.

She stood on tiptoe, wanting his lips, his tongue...all of him deeper inside her, his dick pressed harder against her. She thought she'd go mad if she didn't have him and was ready to beg for him to take her right there, when she felt a finger on her swollen clit. The floodgates opened and her scream was muffled by his mouth as one finger found its way into her vagina, another into her ass and she was riddled with a deliciously fierce orgasm that resonated like shockwaves through her entire being, up to her brain, exploding like fireworks that caused her body to convulse in uncontrollable tremors.

When she came somewhat to her senses, the kiss was over but Jackson was staring down at her with an expression on his face that she could swear was disbelief. "What?" she purred.

"I didn't...I've never been with...I mean...you just had an orgasm and I barely...you had such spasms I thought you were going to break my hand, and—"

"Shhh," she ordered, her fingertips going to his shaft and encircling it, relishing the hardness as well as the softness of the delicate skin. He became quiet and she could feel him watching her as she slowly went down on her knees, her hand gliding up and down his erection, water from the shower pounding against it and along her shoulders and back.

Her mouth hovered over the tip and she knew he could feel the warmth of her breath. This time it was his turn to moan and she rewarded him with her tongue tracing light circles around its head. His hands went to the sides of her face, and he started to push into her. She stopped, pulled away then removed his hands, looking up into his glazed green eyes. Standing, she finished rinsing off, grabbed a towel and headed for the house.

In seconds, Jackson's senses came back to him and he caught up to her, swinging her around to face him. "You're not going to finish?"

Emily glanced down and saw that his erection was going down fast. "Not if you're going to try to shove it down my throat."

"I don't understand what you're saying. I thought that's what you wanted."

"Jacks, this isn't a bondage game...it's not me being your sub. I want us to make love. I want us to be tender and take our time. I want you in every way possible. I want us to explore each other. What you did with your fingers...I've never had that happen to me before...not like that. Maybe if you trust me enough there are ways I have of doing things that might excite you just as much."

She couldn't figure out the look on his face. Was he turned off by the idea of making love? Was she confusing him with her desire to be his sub but not be his sub? His head tilted to the side and there was a slight narrowing of his eyes, somehow reminding her of a faithful puppy not sure if he was supposed to sit and stay or come and go, and she couldn't help the loving smile that briefly lifted the corners of her mouth.

"Jacks, what is it? Have I ruined everything? Have I said some—"

He put his index finger to her lips, stopping her from going on. "No, it's just I never thought you'd want that between us."

She gave a small shake of her head. "I don't understand...or maybe I do. Be honest with me, that's all I ask." She shivered, no longer warmed by the heat of their passion only moments before.

Seeing the movement, Jackson engulfed her in his arms, kissed the top of her head, lifted her in his arms, carried her to her room and gently placed her on the bed. He watched as she gratefully snuggled up in the blanket then looked back up at him questioningly.

"Damn it, Em, I've thought about it so many times...making love to you...slow, mind-blowing sex, taking all the time in the world, discovering and exploring every inch of you, but..."

"But what?"

"But I thought you were only interested in the damn game. That all you wanted was for us to keep on the way we have been."

She was sitting up now and was really confused. "You, Jackson Clayborn, you were the one who started this so called game. And I was there waiting, willing...fucking opening up to you. And every time we started getting a little bit close, it got too damn risky for you, and you put up a wall between us. You've ghosted me for weeks at a time, for no apparent reason then I've gotten pulled back in. Then you ghost me for months, Jacks, and I stupidly trust you yet again, and now I'm here...nude...wrapped in a fucking blanket when I should have your buck ass naked body against me for warmth and you're talking about a Game?"

Her eyes left his and wandered down his torso and there was no doubt her words were turning him on, when he reached down, jerked the blanket away from her, sat on the mattress next to her and gave her a butterfly kiss on her mouth. She was about to tell him that wasn't going to work this time, when he silenced her with lips against hers again.

Her breathing was getting heavier and she pulled away. "Jacks, I...I don't know what-"

The third kiss...and words were impossible as he leaned her back against the pillows, his body pressing into her, stretching the length of her, a hand going possessively around her throat, and she could imagine how it would feel to wear a collar as his sub. Slowly, his hand left her neck and trailed over the roundness of a breast, the fingertips drawing circles around the areola then on to the other one, gently but not too gently.

Emily had closed her eyes relishing the sensation of his hands but when he pinched a nipple, she gasped and her body jerked involuntarily. She opened her eyes when the tug on the other nipple caused her breath to come in uncontrollable pants and saw that Jackson was watching her faces for reactions. She didn't think it was possible, but looking into his eyes, watching him watching her made her even more aroused and she felt sweat start to dust her body in an effort to cool her down.

Jackson reached up and smoothed a damp coil of hair from her cheek. "Shh, Em, you need to come down a bit. I don't want you hyperventilating again." He rolled on top of her, resting his arms on either side of her head, keeping upright on his elbows then bent his head and kissed her again.

The feel of him pressed into her, his erection digging into her mound, made her body take on a life of its own and she couldn't have stopped the undulations if she'd had to, and she moaned.

"Do you want me, Em?"

She tried nodding, but he was holding her face between his hands.

"Don't nod. Look at me. Do you want me? I need to hear it."

She opened her eyes again and met his. "Yes."

"Say it."

"I want you, Jacks."

"Do you love me?"

She felt her hips thrust upwards of their own accord in a silent plea for him to fill her.

"I didn't hear you, Em."

"I hate you, Jacks!"

He sighed and hung his head. "You hate that you love me. Show me, Em, show me how much you hate me."

With that her hips arched up again and she managed to pant, "Please," as he lowered himself into her...slowly, ever so slowly... She heard her own scream, as if from somewhere far away, as her body caught fire and her breath became even more erratic. The feel of him penetrating her, going deeper inside, filling, claiming and possessing her, sent her into a realm she'd never been, where the sensations of touch and love were so overwhelming nothing else existed except for that...for them...and she never wanted to leave.

From the place where her soul resided, she heard, "I'm in love with you, Jackson Clayborn." And in that instant, she knew it was true and nothing in her life would ever be the same again.

To be continued...Chapter 10/Turbulence