The problem was this odd attraction she had to him. That was going to have to be tucked away and forgotten about.
Funny thing about attraction, though. It was there now, and she knew damn well it wasn't going away because she willed it to.
Chapter Six
After a fantastic breakfast, Victoria and Ben made their way back to the beach. Alex was out of the water and talking to some of the other competitors. He wore his board shorts and a wet suit on top. And looked incredible.
He spied them and made his way over.
He pulled Tori into his arms and gave her a hard kiss that stole her breath and made her pulse race in all the right ways, reaffirming everything she'd thought about at breakfast.
"Where'd you two run off to?" he asked.
"Breakfast," Ben said. "I took Victoria to Cafe Haleiwa."
Alex grinned. "Awesome place." He looked at her. "Did you like it?"
"I did." She turned to Ben. "Thank you again for breakfast. I was about to drop on the beach, I was so hungry."
"You're welcome. I need to go do some promotional work, so I'll catch you two later."
He walked away as if what had passed between them earlier had been nothing. And maybe it was nothing. Maybe she'd been the one who was making more of it than it was. Ben might be one of those guys who flirted with every woman, single, married or whatever. She decided to ignore it.
Alex put his arm around her. "Did you get a chance to watch me surf?"
She grinned. "I did. My heart was in my throat the entire time."
"Yeah? It's not that bad. Waves weren't charging this morning. Wait till they get big."
She laughed. "That's what Ben said. I think you surfers are crazy for taking those risks."
"We know what we're doing. Trust me. We might take risks, but we're not stupid. At least most of us."
"That's so comforting."
"Awww, you're worried about me. I like that."
She laid her hand on his stomach, still so awed by the rock-hard muscle she felt there. "So what's on your agenda the rest of the day?"
"I've got a break for a few hours while the rest of the group runs practice heats. I'll be up again later this afternoon. Then there's a get-together tonight on the beach for the official kickoff of the competition, which starts tomorrow. After that I'll be kind of busy."
She traced her finger over his wet suit. "Then we should take advantage of what little free time you have left."
"I like the way you think."
His eyes gleamed hot and desire shot through her. He took her hand and tugged her along the beach toward the hotel. Her mind was already awhirl in thoughts of what they would do once they got there.
When she was working, she was always knee-deep in deals and players and focusing on work. She rarely relaxed and she was always on, putting on the face of a hotshot sports agent. And while she made good money and lived a great life, she didn't get a lot of downtime. When she did, she liked to let go.
Alex was her let-go moment, and she was so glad they'd found each other, because he was young, hot and a year's worth of tension and anxiety dissolved when she was with him.
And when they got to her room, she'd no more than slipped her key card in the lock when he pulled it from her hand and shut the door, then swept her into his arms to put his mouth on hers. Need skyrocketed to nearly unbearable levels in an instant. She slid her hands in his hair and breathed him in--salty, like the ocean.
He moved his hands over her body, sliding them behind her to cup her butt and draw her against his erection. Her clit quivered. She already felt swollen, tight--needy and near the brink of exploding. It wouldn't take much to make her come.
Alex backed her up, leading her toward the living room, his mouth still latched onto hers. She cupped his hard-on, and he groaned, pulling her down on top of him on the sofa.
Stretched out on top of all that lean muscle was a treat. She lifted and stared down at him, rewarded with his killer grin. He clutched her hips and dragged her against his shaft, causing sparks of pleasure to heat her from the inside out.
"I like you on top of me, Tori."
She pulled her top off, then stood, wriggling out of her pants before climbing on top of him again. She undid her bikini top and tossed that away. "Touch me," she said, desperate to feel Alex's hands on her.
He obliged her greedily, grasping her breasts and rolling the nipples until she was nothing more than a puddle of aching, aroused flesh. She surged against him, her bikini-clad bottom rolling over his erection. She reached between them and palmed him, teasing his flesh until he let out a curse.
He lifted her and carried her to the bedroom. "I need to fuck you."
"Yes," she said, her pussy quivering in anticipation.
He dropped her onto the bed and grabbed one of the condoms she'd laid out on the nightstand. He dropped his board shorts and put on the condom while she shimmied out of her bikini bottoms. She started to scoot back, but Alex grabbed her ankle.
"Stay here," he said. "Just like this."
She planted her feet flat on the bed and widened her legs. Alex stepped to the edge of the bed and fit his cock at the entrance to her pussy, then leaned forward, bracing his hands on the bed as he eased inside her. He focused his gaze on her face and she held tight to his forearms and he pushed inside her, the look on his face telling her it felt as good to him as it did to her.
"Tell me what you feel," he said.
"I love the way you swell inside me, the way my pussy grabs onto your cock, like it never wants to let you go."
His lips curved. "Yeah. You have my cock in a stranglehold, squeezing me hard." He pulled partway out, then began a slow slide inside her again. "That feels so good, Tori."
She shuddered, lifting her hips to meet his thrusts. It didn't stay slow for long, and she didn't want it to. She could tell he was as pent up and eager as she was, and before long she had pulled him on top of her and he had fucked her halfway across the bed. He scooped his hand under her butt, raising her to meet every thrust. And when he rolled his hips, his body rubbing the sensitive tissue of her clit, she gritted her teeth.
"Come on me," he whispered, his words dark and promising as he moved inside her. "You know you want to come."
She dug her nails into his shoulders and wrapped her legs around him, her climax so close she felt suspended. It was right there. "Yes. Yes, make me come."
He levered his hips, and rocked sideways again, giving her exactly what she needed.
"Oh, yes." Her orgasm was intense, and when she came, Alex began to pump in earnest, intensifying the relentless waves of pleasure that rolled over her. And when he groaned and kissed her deeply as he came, she held tight to him and lifted while he buried himself deep inside her.
Spent and satisfied, she reached up to push away the hair that had fallen over his brow. Alex rolled to his side, taking her with him.
"Now I might be too wiped out to surf today."
She smacked his arm. "Don't even say that. I'd feel terrible."
He laughed and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "I'm just kidding. Sex reenergizes me. I could fuck you six times and still handle a day's worth of waves."
The things he said made desire flame low in her belly. They were still connected, and the thought of doing it again sparked. "I have all the time in the world. You're the one on a schedule."
He pulled out, disposed of the condom, then reached for another one, tossing it next to them on the bed as he pulled Tori on top of him. "My schedule is embedded in my head like a clock lives in there, honey." He grasped her hips and she rolled against him, his cock hardening underneath her.
"So does that mean you want to do this again?"
She loved the way he looked at her, that surge of heat and desire and need that made her hot all over.
"Yeah. I want you to fuck me, Tori. Just like this."
That was one of the highlights of having sex with younger guys. They had a surplus of stamina, and they thought
about sex a lot. A man like Alex was perfect for a vacation fling. She wanted sex and a lot of it, and he was ideal for her needs right now.
Alex's eyes were on her breasts, and as he grasped them and held them in his hands, she grabbed the condom and tore it open. He watched her as she slid down to apply the condom, unable to resist taking a quick swipe of the head of his cock with her tongue.
"Fuck, yeah. I like that, Tori."
She lifted her head and smiled at him, then took his cockhead between her lips, rolling her tongue over it. He shuddered, his lids dropping half-closed, his breathing labored as she took him deep between her lips, then all the way into her mouth. His deep breaths told her he liked what she was doing, and tasting him turned her on as much as it did him. Her nipples were aching points, tightening as he pushed his cock deeper into her mouth.
He withdrew and pulled her up. "You can suck me later. I want you to ride me."
Always happy to oblige, she rolled the condom on, then seated herself over his shaft, teasing him by sliding down ever so slowly onto his cock. He grabbed her hips and held her as she lowered herself on him, then clenched his fingers as she buried him in her.
"God, you feel good, Tori."
She smoothed her hands over his chest and leaned forward. The feel of Alex's cock swelling inside her took her breath away. "I can come hard when I'm on top like this."
"Yeah?" He dragged her forward. "Let's find out how hard."
*
Alex shifted his hips upward, burying his cock deeper. Watching Tori's face, seeing that flush spread over her body, made his balls tighten. He could shoot inside her right now, but damn if he didn't want to prolong this. She was beautiful and lush and he could spend all day fucking this woman, watching the ecstasy on her face as she tilted her head back and rode him.
Her breasts thrust forward as she rocked her hips up. Alex gritted his teeth and held on for the ride, giving her all the control.
He loved older women. They were into sex for their pleasure, and they knew exactly what they wanted and how to get off. Young girls often were so concerned about how they looked and whether they were pleasing the guy, worried about whether or not they'd get dumped. It seemed sometimes--at least to him--that they couldn't concentrate on their own pleasure. So many of them just damn well didn't know how to let go, relax and have fun in the sack.
Tori knew. She took control of his cock and used him for her own pleasure, and watching her brought him right to the edge.
She was beautiful, her body flushed with sex, her nails digging into his arms as she dragged her sweet pussy over him. And when she reached between her legs to stroke her clit, and her pussy tightened around him, he knew she was ready to go off. He thrust into her and her eyes widened.
"Yes. I'm going to come."
He knew it, and he dug his fingers into her hips, lifting her, then impaling her onto his cock, pistoning into her with hard and fast strokes until she cried out and ground against him. Unable to hold back, he let go, the force of his orgasm making him shudder as he held tight to Tori, rolled her over onto her back and thrust deeply into her for those last few strokes.
Parts of him tingled. Damn, that had been good. He loved the feel of Tori, inside and out, from the way she looked to the way she laughed and the way she smelled. He enjoyed talking to her and he sure as hell liked her sweet mouth. He kissed the side of her neck and lifted his head to find her grinning up at him.
"Ready for round three?" she asked with a wicked smile.
His cock twitched and she arched a brow.
"If I had a free day, babe, I'd wear you out."
"I don't doubt it. Now get off me and let's clean up so you can catch a few breaths before you have to get back in the water."
They took a quick shower, and Tori ordered room service so he could grab a bite to eat. One of the other things he liked about her was that she wasn't clingy, and didn't ask when she'd see him again, which was another reason he tended to avoid entanglements. There were a lot of women who wanted to latch onto him because of his connections in the surfing industry, or simply because of who he was.
Tori seemed to enjoy being with him just because of him. And he really liked that. He really liked her. She relaxed him, and he was always so hyped up around competition time that he needed to be around people who would help him take it down a notch, not someone who'd ratchet up his tension level.
As he finished his sandwich and polished off his glass of water, she picked up her phone again, obviously to check the time.
He smiled. "You trying to get rid of me? Got another date?"
She laughed. "No. I'm worried you're not going to make it back in time for your next heat."
He tapped his temple. "Like I told you. It's burned into my head." He pulled her phone across the table and noted the time. "I've got forty-five minutes. But yeah, I hate to eat and run."
She pushed her chair back. "Don't be ridiculous. You have a job to do. That has to be your primary focus."
She walked him to the door and he pulled her against him, burying his face in her vanilla-scented hair. "You make this way too easy on me."
"You don't need some woman holding you down. Concentrate on the waves."
He inhaled, sighed, then tipped her chin back to take a taste of her. Sweet, sensual, he could get lost in her. He could lose the whole day in her. But she was right. It was time to get in the water. "I had fun."
She smiled. "Me, too. I'll be on the beach cheering for you."
"Thanks."
After she shut the door, he made his way to the elevator, more relaxed than he'd been when he first hit the waves this morning.
Tori was exactly what he needed throughout this competition. A woman who knew what she wanted, who enjoyed sex, and who put no strings on him.
Damn, he was a lucky guy.
He hit the beach, watching the waves as he made the walk to the competition area. Adrenaline started flowing as he spotted the boards in the water. He stopped just as Matt rolled onto a wave and dropped down under it.
Whether it was him or someone else, watching someone shoot a tube never failed to spark him up and make him crave being out there. At thirty-five, he was a veteran rider. He wondered how many more years of competition he'd have before he'd have to yield to some of the younger boarders. He was already starting to feel the effects of years of surfing. You didn't do what he did without suffering some injuries, and the body started to notice after a while.
He was wavering between thinking about what the next step in his career would be to still feeling that longing to be out in the water every day. It still surged in his blood and gave him a reason to get up in the morning. He couldn't think of anything he loved more--or what the hell he was going to do when he didn't have surfing in his life anymore.
But he knew that time was winding down, and he had to be realistic about it. A smart surfer didn't push his limits forever.
And he'd always been smart about his career.
He saw Ben at the ropes to the competition tents, so he went over.
"Where've you been?" Ben asked.
"I had some free time between heats, so I took advantage of it."
Ben nodded. The one thing he liked about his friend, manager and promoter was that he never asked questions.
"Okay. Time to get set, though. Your gear is stowed in my tent."
"Great. I'll get ready."
Ben clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You prepared for this? You feel good?"
Alex grinned at him. "It's in the bag. We're going to win."
"That's what I like to hear. I feel good about this one. These are your kind of waves."
Alex looked out over the water, the surge of excitement so strong he could barely contain the desire to dive headfirst into the water right now. "You're right. They are."
Chapter Seven
Victoria hung out on the beach with Ben and the rest of his team all afternoon to watch Alex and the others during the practice rounds. She was le
arning a lot about surfing competitions. It was fascinating. She'd always thought of surfing as rather laid-back, except of course when she did it. Then it was hard. The learning curve for her had been difficult, but she had chalked it up to being a skill that had not come naturally to her. After all, she was a city girl, not born and bred to the ocean.
She was realizing it was hard for everyone, and it took an awesome amount of skill, strength and practice to perfect. The waves she surfed were miniscule compared to the monsters these professionals rode.
After spending hours watching every one of the competitors, it was obvious how good Alex was. No wonder he was a champion. He caught the top of many of the waves, dropped down underneath them, which made her breath catch, and rode it out until the wave disappeared. There was only one occasion when the wave seemed to swallow him up, and her heart lodged in her throat when that happened. She'd seen that with several of the surfers, and feared for their safety each time, though they all swam out from under it, seemingly good-natured and ready to catch the next wave that came their way.
Ben told her none of the rides they took today counted anyway, and semifinals were tomorrow, which was when official scoring would begin.
She was already getting nervous for Alex, who didn't seem anxious at all as he hung out and laughed with the other competitors. She really liked his body language, the way he carried himself with such a laid-back demeanor, leaning on his sand-jammed board while he casually chatted with the other surfers.
He occasionally caught her eye and glanced her way. Ben had invited her to spend the afternoon in the shaded promoter's tent with him, a blissful relief from the baking sand and sun. It also meant Alex knew where to find her, though he'd stayed with the crowd of other surfers. But he'd look over at her and smile, and she'd get these ridiculous butterflies in her stomach remembering the amazing sex they'd shared earlier in the day.
By the time the heats were over, she needed a nap.
"How about a drink?" Ben asked as he gathered up his paperwork.
He'd been an amazing host, explaining every part of the practice process to her.
"I'm exhausted. I need some rest."
His lips curved into a knowing smile. "Alex hard to keep up with?"
She lifted her chin. "I think I can manage, despite my advanced age."
He laughed. "I wasn't making a crack about you and Alex having sex. He's just pretty high energy and always on the go. He wears me the hell out. You should make a run for it now before he finds you and wants to drag you into the ocean for surfing. He could go all day. I'm thinking of disappearing myself before he wants to take me out to a bar, or surf with him."