QUINN LEANED AGAINST the wall of the boat's cabin, wearing nothing but that canary-yellow bikini and flashing eyes that begged me to take it off.

Fuck, I wanted to. I'd never wanted someone the way I wanted her, and I didn't have the words to explain why. All I knew was that she made my body ache in undeniable ways. She made my heart race with so much as a fucking smile. And she unleashed a desperation in me that made me lose all goddamn control.

I took a tentative step toward her, unable to stay away.

Her breath hitched visibly.

I wondered if she could feel the pull the way that I could.

Or maybe she saw the intent in my eyes.

Because she was right.

We had time.

We had time, and neither of us was going anywhere.

I couldn't walk away even if I wanted to.

"How much?" she asked, her voice wispy. Breathless. "How much time?"

I took another step. "We have as long as you want."

"I want?" she repeated, a brow lifting. "What about what you want?"

I closed the remaining distance between us, cupping her cheek in my palm and pressing my body close enough to hers that she would probably feel the evidence of exactly what I fucking wanted.

Her.

"I want you, Castle," I said, wanting to make it undeniably clear. "Don't you feel that? Fuck, I want you for however long you let me have you. You're in control here. So yeah, it's as long as you want. It's whatever you want."

Quinn had to tip her head back to look up at me, her pretty eyes tracing my face while her lips parted in awe and disbelief.

I was struggling to believe this was happening, too, but I wasn't sure why she was surprised. I hadn't exactly made my attraction toward her a secret, even though I sure as hell tried. For a bit, anyway.

And then it became too fucking hard.

Quinn arched her body toward mine, clearly seeking to feel exactly how hard it was for me. She put her hand on my bare chest, burning my skin with her touch. She dragged it down, like she had while she was straddling me earlier, and I had to swallow a moan.

This woman had no fucking clue the extent of what she did to me. I was so close to throwing her over my shoulder like a goddamn caveman if she wasn't careful. The way she now traced the waistband of my board shorts was going to put me over the edge.

But I'd hold on just a little longer. Just long enough for her to say what I needed to hear.

Grabbing her wrist, I stilled her movements and caught her burning eyes with mine.

"What do you want, Castle?"

She blinked up at me right as another boom of thunder shook the boat. Quinn was unfazed by it, though. She didn't seem to notice the rain assaulting the window behind her or the storm brewing beyond the cabin. She didn't seem to notice anything but me.

I'd grown used to having attention on me over the years, but it never, ever felt as good as when this one woman looked at me.

"You," she whispered.

My blood pumped faster from the confession, but it wasn't enough.

"I need more than that, Castle," I murmured, my hand sliding down to her jaw so my thumb could graze the corners of her mouth. What a pretty fucking mouth. "Because I know I shouldn't want you. I know I shouldn't cross this line. I know I shouldn't be doing this."

"I thought we weren't talking about what we should or shouldn't be doing," she replied breathlessly as her body continued to seek mine. Now that we were this close, it seemed impossible not to give in. Her hips tipped up, grinding against mine–just hard enough that a throaty noise escaped my lips.

Somehow, I managed not to kiss her senseless and instead insisted, "Then tell me what you want."

I couldn't risk guessing with her. Not after how long I've wanted this and how long I've told myself I shouldn't.

"August." The sound of my first name, so firm and sure on her lips, nearly sent me into overdrive. Quinn wiggled her hand out of my grasp and reached up to cup my cheek instead, pulling me closer. Our lips were just inches apart, and I felt every word she said deep in my bones. "I want it all, okay? I want your lips on mine, and I want your hands on me. And I want it...I want it now. I need it now."

Her words trailed away as I leaned forward, letting my lips whisper over hers as she sucked in. I couldn't help but relish every little reaction, couldn't help but soak up every signal she was putting out that she was just as aroused as I was. I needed that reassurance. I needed to feel her shallow breathing, the way her chest rose and fell against mine rapidly. She was hanging onto my next words, my next move.

"Where do you want my hands?" I asked.

She groaned, clearly impatient. I smiled against her lips as we exchanged breaths. Ragged, desperate breaths that quickened–the only sound in the cabin beyond the rain pinging against the side of the boat.

"Between my legs," she answered. "I want you to feel how wet I am for you. I think you need to, August."

I swore under my breath, knowing I wouldn't be able to deny her. But that also meant that I was seconds away from touching her, and God, the anticipation flowing through my veins was going to wreck me.

"I do need to," I murmured before dropping my hand between us, trailing my fingers down her body until they reached the hem of her bikini bottoms.

"Please," she whimpered when I paused, and fuck, that little whimper did things to me. I couldn't wait for the sounds she was about to make. I couldn't wait to see what I could do to her.

"I knew you'd beg," I murmured before slipping my fingers beneath the fabric of her bottoms and smoothing them down between her legs. She gasped as I roughly cupped her in my palm, and I could feel the arousal coating her skin. God, she was wet, wasn't she? And I hadn't even parted her enough to fully touch her yet.

"Spread those pretty legs and let me in," I whispered against her lips.

She obeyed, widening her stance as she wound her arms around my neck, holding on for support.

"That's it. You're so good for me," I praised before slipping one of my fingers deeper, skimming it over her clit. There was no resistance. None at all. She was a wet mess, and I groaned at feeling how badly she wanted me. It was unbelievable. "God, you're fucking drenched."

"What can I say?" She licked her lips, her tongue darting out to tease the corner of my mouth. I instinctively pressed closer, needing to extinguish any lingering space between us. I needed to feel her. I needed to taste her, taste that sweet mouth of hers. "Watching you man-handle this boat really turned me on."

"Oh yeah?" I nipped at her bottom lip, tugging it between my teeth. "And what should I man-handle next? Your pussy? Would you like that, Castle?"

"Yes," she groaned.

And that did it.

That needy yes—the one I couldn't deny.

I fucking gave in, taking everything she was offering. Starting with that pretty little mouth. Those soft, sweet lips. Fuck. Capturing them with mine, I kissed her. Really kissed her. Not a ghost of a kiss or a tease of the lips, but a deep, gut-wrenching kiss.

Quinn immediately responded, parting her lips to let me in. Her tongue readily stroked mine as her fingers wound their way into my wet hair, and I moaned loudly.

Shit, she tasted good. Better than I ever could have imagined, and I immediately worried that I'd never, ever get enough of this. How could I when she kissed me back like I was her fucking lifeline? When she made these sweet little sounds that I devoured like they were my lifeline?

"August," she gasped when our lips parted for a split second, and I knew I'd never forget the way she just said my name.

"I'm here," I murmured before refocusing my attention between her legs and playing with her clit, skimming my fingertip over it repeatedly. Her body jolted, her hands tightening their grip on my hair, and I knew I found the right spot.

I kissed her again, softer this time, appreciating every brush of her lips against mine as I continued to tease her pussy. I soaked in every twitch of Quinn's body until I couldn't wait any longer and slid my finger deeper, plunging it into her tight, hot cunt.

Quinn cried out–a glorious sound that only got louder when my thumb found her clit again and stroked it at the same time I worked my finger in and out, in and out.

"Oh my god." Her eyes fluttered shut as she tipped her head back. My lips trailed away from her mouth until they found her neck, drinking in the vibrations of her cries and moans. "That's–oh–oh my god, August."

She was killing me. This–this whole experience–was destroying me. Nothing would ever be as satisfying as hearing her cry my name while I got to feel her like this. Nothing.

"Baby, if you keep saying my name like that, I'm going to fucking lose it too soon and come in my goddamn shorts," I growled into the crook of her neck.

Quinn didn't reply, and I pulled back to realize she was dancing on the edge of something. Her eyes were glazed, her body taut, her head tipped back, leaning against the window that had fogged up behind her.

It was the hottest thing I'd ever seen, and I knew it was about to get even better. Because Quinn Castle was about to come for me. And I was going to get to watch it.

"God, you should see yourself," I muttered. "I've got you all wound up around my fingers, Castle, and you look so fucking pretty like this."

Her eyes squeezed shut, and a couple breathy words escaped from her lips. But I struggled to make out what they actually were.

"Louder for me," I encouraged, picking up my pace slightly between her legs.

"Don't stop," she groaned, still soft but loud enough for me to hear. "Please don't stop."

"Never," I promised. "Not while you're begging me like that. Not when your pussy is gripping me so good."

She was about to lose it; I could tell by the tension coiled tight in her body, the fluttering walls around my fingers, the needy sounds slipping through her lips, and the desperate hold she had on me–like she thought I'd let her fall when she broke apart.

Never. I never would.

As soon as she started crumbling, crying her release, I slipped my arm around her back, supporting her from behind. I could feel her melt against me, letting me take her weight as my fingers worked her through her climax.

"Such a good girl," I breathed, brushing my lips over her temple as she crested and started to come down from her high. It wasn't until she was a whimpering soft mess in my arms that I slid my fingers from her body and cleaned them off one at a time, sucking them between my lips and groaning from the fucking taste of her.

Christ, it was unimaginable how good she tasted.

It was also unimaginable that I would let this moment end. Not yet, not like this.

So I hoisted Quinn up, cradling her limp body in my arms in the same way I did when the lights turned off in the athletic complex the other day. Life seemed to spring back into her limbs as she curled around me, hanging on as I walked us through the cabin of the boat to the stateroom in the front.

"What are you doing?" she asked breathlessly, her lips brushing my ear.

I shivered, my body relishing in every little touch of her. I'd never been so turned on in my fucking life, and I wasn't sure how I'd manage not to come instantly if she touched me. But I also wasn't sure how much I even cared at this point.

"I'm doing what I've wanted to do every single time you've shown up wearing that yellow goddamn bikini, Castle," I grunted as I kicked the door open and walked us into the living quarters.

"And what's that?" she asked before I dropped her onto the plush mattress behind her. Quinn squealed, but I didn't miss the curve of her lips as she blinked up at me.

I reciprocated her look, my lips tilting in a smirk.

"Taking you to fucking bed."

☀️

a/n:

keep the popcorn handy, okay? 🍿

thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!
xoxo amelie