Page 72 of Spindrift

Emiliatoyed with the hunk of bread in her hand. “Are you going to makemesayit?”

“Yes.”

“Fine.”Emilia dropped the bread into her chowder and lowered her voice. “I can’t befriends with you, because when I look at you, all I can think about is how muchI wanted to fuck you against the boathouse wall. Happy?”

Morgan’ssmile threatened to split her face in two. “Yes.”

“Good.Now I want to try this chowder.”

Morganwatched in amazement as Emilia’s blush spread across her cheeks. Emilia’s wordsrepeated themselves in her mind.I wanted to fuck you against the boathouse wall.That was suddenly all she could think about, too.

“Ohmy god, this is good,” Emilia said as she took her first bite.

Morganwatched Emilia close her eyes as she tasted the chowder. Her head spun. Toomany thoughts flashed across her brain, but none found purchase save for one:Emilia wanted her.

Shetook a bite of her own chowder to prevent her mouth from hanging open in shock.The creamy base exploded on her tongue, warm and spiced and redolent ofpotatoes and fresh pepper, and yet she tasted these things like afterthoughts.Her heart seemed to be having trouble remembering its job, and a slow heat unfurledin her core—the kind of heat not even a plunge in Arctic waters could dispel.Emilia wanted her, and nothing in Morgan’s experience had prepared her for thestrength of her reaction to that confession. Emilia continued to praise Sally’skitchen and staff while she met Morgan’s gaze shyly across the table.

You,Morgan thought.You are goingto wreck me.

• • •

It wasdark when she led Emilia back down the ramp to the boat. High tide had receded,and the steepened slope of the ramp gave her a convenient excuse to put herhand on Emilia’s waist, though this made it challenging to concentrate on herown footing.

Onceonboard, she pulled two flannel jackets from the boat’s small storage cubby andhanded one to Emilia. It hung loosely around her shoulders. She would havekissed her right then if another group of diners had not chosen that moment tojoin them on the dock. At least her pager hadn’t gone off yet.

Moonlightilluminated their way across the bay toward South Bristol. Emilia stood behindher without speaking and wrapped her arms around Morgan’s waist, resting herchin on her shoulder. The rightness of it reverberated with the humming of theengine. She kept the boat at a lower throttle on the way back. Starlightspotted the surf, and the smooth water unfurled the moon’s path before them.

Emilia’slips brushed her neck. Morgan’s hands tightened on the wheel, and her breathhitched. She felt Emilia smile, and then her lips closed over the sensitiveskin above Morgan’s shoulder and it took all her concentration to keep them oncourse. She swore under her breath.

“Thisis cruel, you know that, right?” she said when Emilia untucked her shirt.

Emilia’snails trailed over her stomach in response. Her muscles tensed beneath them,and she willed Emilia not to stop as her hands traced the hem of her jeans.Then Emilia’s nails dragged up over the planes of her abs and across the fabricof her bra.

“Fuck,Emilia,” she said into the wind. She eased the throttle forward, and the boatpicked up speed. Emilia laughed in her ear.

Shegroaned when Emilia’s hands paused again at her belt. Half of her wanted tostop her, wanted to turn regardless of the speeding boat and pull Emilia to thedeck. The more assertive half stood rigid, her breath coming in gasps as Emiliaeased her belt buckle open, followed by the top button of her jeans, and thenslid back up her stomach and under the wire of her bra.

Ifwe crash before she touches me, I’ll never rest in peace.

Emilia’slips closed over her ear as her palms cupped Morgan’s breasts. Her thumbsbrushed over her nipples with excruciating slowness. Morgan saw the distantlights of the bridge and prayed no other boats were around.

Keepingone hand on Morgan’s left breast, Emilia’s right hand drew a line down Morgan’sstomach to the open front of her pants and toyed with the waistband of herbriefs. She took one hand off the wheel and reached behind her to grab hold ofany part of Emilia she could reach. The hem of Emilia’s dress met her fingers,and she slid her hand underneath just as Emilia eased one finger beneath thewaistband of her briefs and over the sensitive skin below. She gripped Emilia’sthigh to keep herself from falling.

“Please,”she begged.

Emilia’sfingers tightened on Morgan’s nipple as she trailed her other hand overMorgan’s aching clit. The shudder of pleasure made the water briefly vanishbehind her closed eyes, but she forced herself to pay attention to the oceanand not to the insistent, mirroring circles Emilia traced over her nipple andcenter.

Sheerwillpower kept her climax at bay. Emilia seemed to sense this as they passedbeneath the bridge and up the river, until at last they entered the no wakezone of Seal Cove and she stroked lower, teasing Morgan’s opening with everydip of her fingers.

“Wait,”Morgan said. “I can’t moor us if—oh fuck, Emilia.” Her hips bucked as Emilia’sfirst two fingers curled inside her, urging her closer, each stroke temporarilyblinding her. Emilia bit the skin below Morgan’s jaw and increased her tempo.Still half-blind, Morgan held on to the steering wheel as her knees gave out,and the only other thing keeping her upright was Emilia’s hand. She managed toavoid collision with other watercraft by instinct alone until, finally, theydrew even with the mooring. Emilia removed her hand to catch the line, leavingMorgan shaking against the wheel.

Theharbor lights barely reached them out here. As she switched off the ignition,she wondered if she would have even cared if they did. Emilia straightened fromsecuring the bowline. Her lips parted as Morgan caught her around the waist,and her hands fumbled at Morgan’s pants again.

“Nope.”She grabbed Emilia’s wrists. Emilia struggled against her grip and bit Morgan’slower lip in frustration. Then, abruptly, she stopped fighting. Morgan loosedher hold and buried her fingers in Emilia’s wind-snarled hair.

Shedidn’t realize she’d been outmaneuvered until the back of her knees hit thecaptain’s chair. Emilia’s tongue danced across hers, distracting her again, andshe sank onto the cushion.

Moonlightlit Emilia’s face as she gazed down at Morgan with a triumphant smirk. Shestraddled Morgan in a slow, fluid motion that hitched the fabric of her dressup her thighs.

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