Page 33 of Pure Temptation

Kendall was trying to digest this story. She tried to picture a younger Daxon, living out of his truck and looking for the next big thrill. His mother’s illness could have made him reconsider high-risk stunts, but apparently he didn’t. Instead, he started filming them.

Daxon looked at her, his expression serious. “We had to face the fact that there would be a time when she would no longer be able to work, maybe soon. And then what? Disability doesn’t get you far. With my dad long out of the picture, well, I needed to figure something out. I’m a college dropout with a shaky work history, and I really don’t like to follow orders. I liked to push myself, test the limits. Not many people’s ideal job candidate.”

“Depends on what kind of job you’re looking for.” Kendall gave him a salacious wink. “I think Las Vegas is always looking for hot, fit men pushing limits with their endless endurance.”

Daxon chuckled. “I never considered that angle.”

She smiled. “And so you got creative.”

“And soCalvingot creative,” he said wryly. “He came up with the idea, he filmed it and got everyone in the community to boost it. I owe him a lot, though he has certainly made out well in all of this, too.”

“And now you have money,” said Kendall. “And the world is graced with videos of Daxon Miles doing half-naked stunts.”

He leaned over her and tickled her side. “Which you watched.”

She shrieked and scooted away. “I sure did.”

He scooped her up by her waist and put her down on her back, underneath him. He rested on his elbows, his bare torso pressed against her. His muscles flexed under his weight, seductively. Was he distracting her now, steering them away from the more serious territory they had treaded into?

Daxon leaned down and brushed his mouth over hers. “Pure Adrenaline has been a wild ride, and I’m incredibly grateful for it. Calvin has a great plan for making it more sustainable, long term...”

He pulled off his sunglasses and set them aside, then stared down at her. His eyes were so serious now. What kind of future was he planning? One with fewer risks, with lower consequences?

“We’re going to use my free solo of Moonlight Buttress to make the El Capitan climb bigger, far beyond YouTube.”

The words shattered that crystal of hope into shards, tearing at her in new places inside. Of course he wasn’t going to stop doing high-consequence stunts. No matter what happened between them this week, she knew how this worked long term. Her parents had fought about her father’s job for years, but he didn’t stop until his arm was crushed...and he was lucky that he got out of it alive. She had known all this when she said yes to this whole slippery slope of intimacy with Daxon.

Stop worrying and just enjoy the goddamn day.

Daxon looked lost in his own thoughts, too, but then he lowered his head for a warm kiss. “Fuck. I really like this position.”

She untangled her hands from his hair. “It’s hot. I think we need a swim to cool off.”

His eyes widened, hazy with lust, as she wriggled out from under him and stood up, brushing off the sand. They had a few more days for sex, but this was probably her only chance to skinny-dip with him. Kendall tugged off her tank top and shimmied out of her shorts, dropping them on the blanket next to Daxon. Next, she slipped the straps of her swimsuit off, and her breasts bounced out. She didn’t have to look to know he was watching her as she pulled it down her thighs. She bent over, giving Daxon a show, then headed for the water.

“You coming?” she called over her shoulder.

After a moment, his voice came, rough and full of humor. “Hell, yes.”

So she took off, her feet digging into the sand. The water was clear, the bottom sandy, so she ran in, splashing everywhere. It got deep quickly, so she dived under the cool water, closing her eyes. Hawaii was amazing. After living her life next to the foggy, frigid Northern California beaches, the warmth was a pleasure she couldn’t get enough of.

Kendall took another long stroke underwater and then came up for air. She found the bottom with her feet and turned around. Daxon was heading straight for her. He was a powerful swimmer, because of course he was. Mastering some stunt had probably required him to hone his skills from good to impressive. Was there anything this man wasn’t good at?

He caught up to her and stood, his body against hers. His hands came to her waist, and he pulled her against him, trapping his cock between them.

“I thought it would take a lot more convincing before you skinny-dipped,” he said, his mouth next to her ear. His lips closed around her earlobe.

Kendall laughed. “I’m not the famous YouTube phenomenon. No one cares if I’m caught naked on camera. You should be worrying about yourself.”

“Calvin would have a heart attack if he knew I was doing this.” He pressed his lips against her neck. “But right now, I don’t care.”

Her heart stuttered in her chest as his words sank in. The water was shoulder-deep, and she wrapped her legs around him, the waves lapping between them.

She brushed her lips against his. “You taste good.”

Her body slid against his, and his hands moved down, one on her back and the other on her ass, holding her against him. The water was warm, but his body was warmer. Every time the water slipped between them, she pressed herself against him again, trying to get closer. Their kisses were slow and deep as the thrill of the jump and the pull of their nearness turned into something more intense. Her breaths and his groans all mingled with the sounds of the water. It was incredible just to touch, just to feel every part of him. It was just the two of them, so light, so free, unattached to anything that existed on land.

A larger wave hit them from the side, splashing everywhere, and she pulled away, laughing, but he guided her back against him. He took his cock in his hand and lined it up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Slowly, he pushed in. Oh, Lord, the feeling of him inside her was like nothing else. She couldn’t get close enough to him, the water winding between their bodies, keeping her away from that sweet friction of his skin against hers.