How To Flirt (Bernard Frankenheimer Center Book 2) Page 10

  “Damn,” I whisper.

  “What’s wrong?” Cliff asks, glancing worriedly at me.

  Damn, again. “Uh, nothing. I just realized I don’t have any water,” I say, lying through my teeth.

  “I’ve got a bunch in the back. When we stop, I’ll get you a bottle,” Cliff says.

  “And are we almost there?” I ask, peering through the window.

  We’ve almost reached the top of the incline but I can’t see anything beyond. Cliff doesn’t answer, instead reaching across the seats to slip his hand in mine. Suddenly, we drive over the crest of the hill and I gasp as Cliff pauses the truck so I can take in the view.

  Below us, a sapphire blue lake sprawls through the forest, at the foot of the mountain we’ve just climbed. The landscape is so dense with pine trees, the green appears almost black. The sky is dotted with puffy white clouds and the lake is so still I can see their reflections even from here.

  “It’s beautiful,” I breathe.

  He squeezes my hand and starts the truck down the slope, toward the lake. When we stop, it’s in a grassy strip that leads to the beach. He parks the truck beneath a copse of trees just off the road. I leap out. Quickly, I slip the ARF earpiece out of my ear and the device from my pocket, and stuff it into his glove compartment. There’s a nervous tension in my belly that something could happen between us tonight. Something that involves our clothes being strewn along the beach.

  “Where are we?” I ask, joining Cliff on the sand.

  “Lake Bold Rock,” he says. “One of my favorite places in the world.”

  I look around at the landscape, empty of all signs of human life. “Why aren’t there more people here?”

  “It’s not a tourist hot spot, and most locals don’t even know it exists,” he explains. “It’s too far off the beaten track.”

  “Take the road less traveled,” I murmur.

  “Exactly.” Cliff smiles. “I figured I’d take you camping, since it’s been so long for you.”

  “What?” I gape at him. I haven’t packed anything for camping, but more importantly, that means I won’t be able to use the ARF device until tomorrow. Cliff is going to wonder what happened to the charming man he brought out here and why he was suddenly replaced with a stiff, boring programmer.

  A memory from high school slips through my mind. The time I spent eating lunch in the computer lab because I was too shy to join anyone in the cafeteria. Especially not after hearing some of the boys complain about how boring my interests were.

  “Relax,” Cliff laughs. “I have everything we need for camping in the back of the truck. Here, come check it out.”

  I follow him and he opens the bed of the truck, which is protected by a flat cover. He reaches inside and drags out a tent, grunting, followed by a propane tank and a small stove. I lift the objects off the back of the truck, giving him more space to drag out the supplies. Finally, he finishes up with two camping chairs and a sleeping bag. I eye it nervously.

  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to have sex with Cliff, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. Without the ARF device, how will I read his cues to determine what he wants? I sigh through my nose and carry some of the supplies away. Cliff leads me to the beach where he picks out a flat bit of ground.

  “We can set up here,” he says.

  I nod and help him slip the tent from its packaging. We don’t bother staking it—the weather is clear and the stakes likely wouldn’t stay in the sand anyway. I haven’t set up a tent in a long time, so I follow Cliff’s lead. Clumsily, I try to shove the poles through the sleeves, cursing internally all the while.

  Cliff notices my struggles, but he makes no move to help and he doesn’t comment. He waits for me to finish, watching me with an expression that tells me has confidence in me. It might just be setting up a tent, but I feel a rush of pride when we stand back and survey our work. It’s a small tent, more appropriate for two much smaller men. Cliff and I are both tall. If we’re going to sleep in there together, we’ll be snuggled up very close. No escape.

  Cliff tosses the sleeping bag inside, and again, I consider that there’s only one. In a few more minutes, we’ve got the propane tank connected to the portable stove and the camp chairs set up around it.

  “You didn’t happen to bring any food, did you?” I ask nervously as my stomach growls.

  He smirks. “In fact, I did.”

  “Bless you,” I sigh, following him back to the truck.

  He drags a cooler from the truck bed and heaves it back to camp. Inside, I find MREs, cans of soup, and all the fixings for s’mores. I snatch the marshmallows from the cooler and clutch them to my chest. “Now this is a camp out,” I say, grinning.

  Suddenly, Cliff’s arms are wrapped around me, his nose nuzzling my neck. The marshmallows between us are getting squished, but I hardly register that fact as he breathes in the scent of my neck. He sighs and I feel his lips brush against my skin.

  “Dale, I’m so glad you came out here with me,” he murmurs.

  I shiver as his lips graze my neck when he speaks. “Me too,” I breathe. If the ARF device were working, it would have some clever remark or perhaps a more meaningful suggestion, but it’s not here. It’s just me and I can only hope that’s enough.

  He releases me, taking the smashed marshmallows from my hands. “What do you say we have dinner?”

  “What’s on the menu?” I ask, wishing I had the marshmallows again as a barrier.

  He rummages through our options. “I have vegetable and rice soup, and cheddar broccoli pasta MREs. I wouldn’t recommend that tonight,” he says, laughing a little. “And meatless chili.”

  “Hmm.” I mull over the choices. “I think I’ll have to go with vegetable and rice soup.”

  “Good choice,” Cliff says, starting the propane stove.

  As the soup warms, the sun begins to set over the tree line. The lake turns to molten gold as the sunset reflects off the pristine water. It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, and it instantly sets me at ease. I feel myself calming down quickly as the last rays of the sun wash over me.

  “I should get a fire going,” Cliff says rising with a grunt. “Watch the soup?”

  I nod as he disappears into the forest. In a few moments, he’s back, carrying a load of wood in his arms. I stir the soup absentmindedly as I watch his muscles flexing. I’m pulled from my reverie when he drops the wood unceremoniously in the sand. Immediately, he sets to work creating a fire and I soon feel the warmth of the blaze against my legs.

  We fall into a companionable silence together as we eat, listening to the sounds of nature. Grasshoppers chirp in the background, leaves rustle faintly, and the waves lap at the beach. It’s picturesque, and I can’t imagine returning to Silicon Valley when I’m surrounded by such beauty.

  “Rethinking Silicon Valley, right?” Cliff asks knowingly.

  I raise my brows at him. “How did you know? Are you a mind-reader?”

  He chuckles. “How could you not, with all this?” He gestures around us.

  “I was thinking the same thing,” I say, listening to the crackling of the fire.

  “I feel like we’re really compatible,” Cliff says slowly, as if chewing on the words. “You always know exactly what to say to draw me in or to reassure me.”

  Thanks to the ARF device, I think. Instead, I say, “I feel the same.”

  He sighs with relief. “This is just all new to me.”

  “Dating?” I don’t have much experience either—I’ve been married to my work.

  “No, well, yeah. But I mean having feelings for someone else, good ones.” He meets my eyes and I suddenly feel light-headed.

  I inhale sharply and feel my cock stiffen with desire under his gaze. I haven’t wanted anyone the way I desperately want Cliff. And I realize now that I’ve never been able to escape this feeling. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, Cliff was always there. Even when I was at Cal-Tech, my thoughts always drifted back
to him, filling me with melancholy.

  Dinner forgotten and done, Cliff stands and stares pensively at the lake. “Want to go for a swim?” he asks, and I can see his cock is as erect as mine.

  I clear my throat nervously. “I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”

  “Who says we need one?” Cliff smirks.

  A thrill courses through me at the prospect of skinny dipping with Cliff. Not only have I never been skinny dipping, but this is the first time Cliff and I will be naked and vulnerable in front of each other. I can’t imagine a better setting.

  I join Cliff on the wet sand, kicking my shoes to the side. He turns to me and tilts my chin up with a gentle finger. Then, his lips are on mine, claiming them with an intense kiss. I melt against him, my arms wrapping around his body to draw closer to him. He nudges my lips with his tongue and I open willingly for him.

  There’s something intoxicating about Cliff, an edge to his kisses that hints at danger. But it’s a danger I willingly fall into because my heart feels connected to his. His tongue sweeps through my mouth, dancing with mine. I feel his hard cock against my own and grind lightly against it. His hands are on my ass, squeezing, stroking, and sending shivers up my spine.

  I moan as he bites my bottom lip. I’ve never been comfortable being vocal during intimacy, but Cliff rewards even the softest of noises with a deeper kiss. He leaves a trail of kisses along my jaw until he reaches my neck. He bites my jugular and I gasp at the pain. To ease it, he drags his tongue along my neck. Cliff makes no apology for nipping at me so roughly, but I don’t want him to. It’s indicative of his fierce nature, something wild and untamable about him. It’s something I love.

  He pulls back, breathing raggedly, and stares intensely into my eyes. I try to catch my breath but can’t look away from his gaze. Suddenly, his hands are beneath my shirt, running along my abs toward my chest. He eases my shirt up and over my head, tossing it to the sand. Then his hands are on my jeans, slipping them off my hips and down to my feet. Wordlessly, without breaking eye contact, I step lightly out of them.

  My bare feet dig into the sand as I stand almost naked in front of him. A growl rips from his throat as I unbutton his shirt, exposing his broad, muscled chest to the moonlight. I drop my gaze from his eyes to his chest to take him in. My mouth is practically watering as my eyes rove over his torso. Cliff doesn’t wait for me to take his pants off, ripping them off himself, followed by his underwear.

  There’s a deep rumbling in his chest, and without warning, Cliff’s fingers find their way around my hard cock beneath my underwear. He holds it firmly in his hand, gaze locked with mine. My breath catches in my throat at the sudden move. I ease my underwear down and around my ankles, receiving an approving smirk.

  Together, we slip into the water, walking until we can’t touch the bottom anymore. The water is cool but not frigid. After the heat of the day, it’s a welcome relief. Cliff is magnificent in the water, taking long, elegant strokes as he swims.

  He turns to me, treading water. “I hope you’re a good swimmer.”

  I chuckle nervously. “Why?”

  His answer is a kiss to my lips and his arms wrapping around me with a surge of water. We tangle together in the lake, my arms wrapping around his body as I cling to him. He’s tall enough that his toes graze the bottom, giving us more support. I’m already panting as he deepens our kiss. I want more of him.

  He sucks on my bottom lip, sweeping his tongue across it with teasing strokes. I imagine that tongue on my cock again and can’t help the tremble that courses through me.

  “Cliff,” I pant, as I feel his bare cock rub against mine.

  He growls, but it’s not a sound of pleasure. It’s a sound of need.

  CLIFF

  Dale’s body is wrapped around mine as we kiss. He clings to me tightly, with a desperation that incites me. My wolf is growling, eager to take Dale and make him ours. But I hold myself back, losing myself in his embrace.

  He’s more eager, more loving than I imagined. Slowly, I rake my tongue across his neck and collarbone, tasting him. Beyond the fresh taste of the lake water, I taste the salty musk of his sweat and desire. He shivers as I swirl my tongue over his jugular. His pulse is wild, fast and deep. My wolf wants to bite him, to pierce his flesh and mark our territory. Instead, I nip him gently, barely resisting the urge to clamp my jaws down.

  Dale nudges my face up to his and sears a kiss to my lips. I nudge his lips apart with my tongue, tangling with his. He groans as I slow my kiss to a tantalizing pace, driving him into a frenzy. Dale tries to pick up the pace, panting, but I tease him. Gently, I trail my tongue along his lips and dart into his mouth in short, hesitant strokes. Small kisses, short, sweet sweeps of my tongue. A light keening slips from his lips as my tongue grazes his.

  I chuckle, the sound rumbling from my chest. It causes Dale to blink slowly at me, dazed. Fiercely, I press my hand to the back of his head and bring his lips to mine. I take him in a fiery kiss, fast and wild. Dale responds like a dying man in the desert who just found an oasis. He needs me. And I need him.

  I don’t know how I went all these years without him. With Dale in my life now, I feel more elevated, more at ease than I have in a long time. Here, in this lake, as the stars shine above us, we are completely ourselves. Wholly together. I want to give him all of me. He needs to know everything about me.

  I want to tell him about my wolf. But not yet. No, Dale is too far gone, too wild for me. With a grin I maneuver us further into the shallows so we can both stand. He barely registers the change, his lips drifting from my lips to my ear. I growl with pleasure as his tongue flicks over my lobe.

  At the look in my eyes, Dale turns his body, twisting around until his perfect, tight ass comes into view. I almost sigh at the sight of him, half out of the water and glistening. My cock is harder than it ever has been and already leaking precum. I want Dale. I want him now. I position myself behind him, right at the entrance, my dick throbbing with need.

  He gasps sharply as my cock rests against him. He doesn’t need much preparation so I ease into him, taking my time so he can stretch around my cock. I drag my tongue down the nape of his neck and down his spine, which starts him shuddering and whimpering. When I’m fully inside him, we rest for a moment, rocking gently against each other. He’s tight and perfect and all for me. I pump into him slowly at first, taking my time, easing him into it. It isn’t until he’s grinding against me, moaning, that I take him deeper and faster.

  I thrust into him over and over, until we’re both roaring. The sound of our pleasure echoes through the glen, singing over the lake. It’s beautiful. The two of us are so at one with nature, I feel more myself than I ever have.

  And I’m close. I want to hold back, to make this last forever, but he makes me feel so fucking good that I’m already at the cusp. Suddenly, Dale cries out and he shudders against me. I catch sight of the white stream of cum spilling from his hard cock into the lake. He looks at me over his shoulder. The sight of his half-hooded eyes and his parted lips does me in.

  I release myself, relaxing into Dale, and with a final thrust, I come harder than I’ve ever come before. He grinds his ass on my cock as I pump into him, filling him with my cum. I groan as ecstasy floods through my body. I shudder into him once, twice, three times before my orgasm fades.

  We part and the two of us collapse back into the gentle waves of the lake. I float beside him, staring wide-eyed at the sky. His fingers find mine in the water and I clasp his hand tightly. We lay in silence together, letting the last of our ebbing orgasms ease away.

  “Dale,” I say, my voice is quiet. “You’re amazing.”

  “What?” He laughs nervously.

  I grin at him. Under the stars, wrapped in the lake, he’s practically glowing. “I need to show you something.”

  “Okay,” he says.

  He seems relaxed, perfectly at ease with me. Perfect. Because he needs to be. Or I might lose him when I confide in him my deepest secret. I rise t
o my feet, the water dripping off my body as I step further into the shallows. He watches curiously as I pause and take a deep breath.

  “Just…don’t panic,” I say. My stomach is twisting. I hope I’m doing the right thing.

  “Cliff.” His voice is laced with anxiety.

  I raise my hand to silence him. Then, I let the shift take me. The wolf within me howls at the freedom I afford him. I double over, ducking my face to my chin. It’s the most disturbing part of the shift, and I don’t want Dale to see my face in the midst of my transformation. I feel my bones stretching and folding as I take the form of my wolf. The cool rush of air over my naked skin disappears as fur sprouts over my body.

  I can hear Dale’s heart rate increase, smell the fear on his skin. The shift is complete, I’m standing in the water, soaking, staring nervously up at him. He’s on his feet now, staring wide-eyed at me.

  “Cliff?” he asks breathlessly.

  I duck my head in a nod and raise my deep brown eyes to his. All I can hope is that he accepts me. I have no tricks up my sleeve, only myself. Completely bare before him in the most meaningful sense.

  “Cliff, this is you?” Dale is stepping closer to me.

  He stops a foot in front of me and my heart is racing. He reaches a tentative hand toward me and I freeze. I need to let him take the lead. I don’t want to scare him with any sudden movements. So I stand perfectly still as his hand grazes the fur on my head.

  “How is this possible?” he breathes. “How do you do this?”

  I don’t even know. And if I did, I couldn’t explain it to him in this form. So I simply wait while he circles me, musing. He’s a scientist, through and through. And immediately he’s slipped back into that persona, studying a new discovery. His hands rubbing mindlessly at his beard, his intelligent eyes roving over my body.

  “Can you change back? Can you even understand me?”

  In response, I trigger the shift, taking the reins from the wolf. In seconds, I’m kneeling before him in my human form. I’m desperately hoping he can accept me like this.