“Thanks for coming.”  Ian set down the wicker basket and spread his towel on the sand by the water.

“Even considering the extenuating circumstances, it was rude to run out on you like that this morning.  I don’t usually panic, but…”

“It’s okay, Abby explained that you ran into Kevin, literally, in the hallway.  I’m sorry.  I should have explained before you spent the night.”

“Yep.”  Val tossed her towel beside his and sat on the cool sand.  The tide was out, and with the water as still as glass, the moon cast an unbroken reflection.

“I’m listening.”  Damned if she was going to make this easy for him.  She’d never been so frightened.  Despite the connection she’d felt with Ian in bed last night, she was pissed as all hell that he hadn’t warned her the resident ghost liked to check out the guests.

Ian took a bottle of wine from the basket, found a couple of plastic cups, and poured.  “I’m sorry.”  With a heavy sigh, he handed her a cup of wine.  “Kevin died years ago.  We were in a car accident together.  I lived.  Kev didn’t.”  He tilted his cup back and forth, staring at the wine as it sloshed toward the edge.

“I can’t explain how or why he can visit.  I’m not religious, never used to believe in an afterlife.  But…”  He shrugged.  “He visits Jon, too.  That’s my other brother.  But as far as we know, he’s never dropped in on our parents.  Best we can figure, it would be too tough on Mom and Dad.  They’ve never gotten over his death.”

And neither had he, judging from the pain in his voice.  Unsure what to say, Val reached out and stroked his arm.  Ian sipped his wine, and in need of fortification, she downed a few gulps of hers.

“So, is the ghost a deal breaker, or are you still game for the ‘one day at a time’ deal?”

Oh hell, she’d worked with the criminally insane and come out unscathed, who was she to balk at a friendly spirit?  “No, he’s not a deal breaker.  I’m sorry, Ian.  About your brother.”

 Ian moved closer and rested his hand on her knees.  “There’s more.  I won’t pretend I’m an easy person to be with.”

“One step at a time, remember?  I think I’ve heard enough for tonight.”  Half afraid he’d launch into an explanation concerning the weirdness she’d sensed between him and his friends, she placed her cup on the sand and got to her feet.  “You invited me for a moonlight swim, still game?”

“Sure.”  As he tossed his cup into the picnic hamper, he hesitated.  “I don’t suppose you’ve ever made love in the ocean?

“What?”  As in let’s get naked outdoors and fuck like dolphins?  Hell no.  “Um, is this one of those risky behaviors you were referring to last night?”

She knew she was stalling for time, but wasn’t sure how to answer.  Haven’t tried it yet, but I’d love to?  No way in hell?

“Only if we run into a horny shark.”  Chuckling, Ian traced his fingers along her thigh.  “Come on, open yourself to new experiences.”

Why the hell not?  Trying not to answer her own question, Val stripped off her swimsuit and tugged off Ian’s trunks.  The beach was deserted at this time of night.  At least there was no one around to report them for indecent exposure.

Good lord, Ian was beautiful.  His pale gold hair seemed to glow with a light of its own, and in the shadowy moonlight there was nothing to distract her from the strong lines of his body.  As she watched, his erection seemed to gain another inch.

“Hang on a minute.”  He rummaged in the basket.  “I know from experience it’s next to impossible to do this in the water.” With a grin, he handed her a foil packet.

Enjoying the absolute delinquency of the situation, she ripped open the packet and smoothed the condom over the head of his penis.  “So you’ve done this before?”

“You’re surprised?  I’m a swimmer, and I own a beach house. Seems to me it’d be a waste not to take full advantage.”  He hissed as she slid the condom down the length of his cock, then tugged playfully at his balls.

If only Dean could see her now.  Realizing she hadn’t thought of her ex all day, she decided Ian might not be so bad for her after all.  Nothing like a new fling to ease a shattered heart.

“Come on.  Let’s see if we can stir up some sex-starved sharks.”  Despite her attempt at levity, Val’s heart was racing. If she didn’t get into the water soon, she felt like she might experience spontaneous combustion.  Or at least spontaneous orgasm.

Laughing, he followed as she raced toward the water.  The June night was muggy enough that Val enjoyed the shock of the ocean chill on her over-heated skin.  When the water was past their hips, Ian lifted her and pressed her close.  Instinctively, she brought her legs up and locked them around his waist.

He found her lips, his mouth hot and demanding, almost bruising.  She knew enough about people to understand that talking about his brother had drained him.  She suspected he’d use the fierceness of sex to cover feelings too painful to bear. Leaning into his kisses, she nipped his upper lip, then snaked her tongue under his, probing and caressing.

“I hope,” Ian pulled away, his breathing quick and uneven, “you weren’t expecting a lot of foreplay tonight.”

“Come back here." 

With Dean, foreplay had been just about the only good part. But Christ, she couldn’t wait to feel Ian inside of her.  Former therapist turned sex-starved nympho.  Maybe it was the shock of seeing the ghost earlier.  Or maybe it was the risk that someone would wander along the beach and discover them, but the rush of adrenalin was channeling itself as pure lust.

He kissed her, harder than before, and she moaned against his lips.  Moaning, for Christ’s sake—with Dean she’d never so much as whimpered, and Ian had her moaning with a mere kiss.  He brushed his cheek against her face, the friction of razor stubble burning her skin, then captured her mouth in a kiss that had her on the edge of climax in less than three seconds.

“Now.  Please, if you have any mercy, now!”  Impatient past all tolerance, she squirmed, thrashing in the water.

“Easy, I’ve got you.”  Grabbing her hips, he maneuvered her till he was poised to enter.  With a single, graceful movement, he buried himself to the hilt.

“Let me move.  I want to move.”  Val hissed in frustration. Ian held her hips so tightly she couldn’t do more than wiggle in his arms.  With her legs wrapped around him and the water turning their bodies slick and slippery, it was hard to gain any leverage.

“Slow down.  We’ve got all night.”  With that, he used his hands to lift and lower her on his cock, setting a slow, torturous rhythm. “Think you’re ready to behave if I let go of your hips?  I want this to last.  No frantic lunges.”

“Promise.”  The water coursed around her, and her nipples felt like painful little diamonds in the chill.  She needed to move, desperately.  If he wanted it slow, she’d cooperate, so long as she was able to escape the frustrating limitation of his hands holding her hips in place.

“I’m going to let go of you, so hold on to my shoulders.” 

She gripped him harder with her legs and locked her arms around his neck.  Hungry for contact with his warm skin, she latched onto his collar bone and nibbled her way to his neck. As he released her hips, she rocked against him, trying to maintain the damnably slow rhythm he’d set.

Everything in her wanted to thrash against him, grab his shoulders and use her arms to raise herself, then thrust down so his cock slid hard and fast against burning folds of skin.  But she settled for small, tantalizing movements, rocking against him with the ebb and flow of the water.

“No one can see us out here, but sound carries across the water, so whatever you do, don’t scream.”

“I am so not a screamer.”

“Hmmph.”  With a swift movement, Ian captured her nipple and pressed it between his thumb and forefinger.

At the stab of fiery sensation, Val bit down on his shoulder.  As he rolled the puckered tip between his fingers, she forgot to move, letting waves of sensation roll over her.

“Like that?”

“Mmm.  More.”  Be careful what you ask for, Val. 

When he raised his other hand, captured the second ice-hard tip of flesh, and pinched, her breath escaped in a whoosh. Only the fear of being discovered kept her quiet.  Just when she thought she couldn’t stand the icy hot darts radiating out from her breasts to every nerve fiber in her body, he soothed his hands along her belly, then pressed them at the small of her back.

At his gentle urging, she began to move again, sliding up and down the length of his shaft.  She felt weightless in the salt water, all sensation and urgency.  He tilted against her, driving deeper as he massaged her ass.

“So good.”

“What about this?  Is this good, too?”  He traced his thumb over her tailbone, then between the cheeks of her ass. 

Continued...