Page 20 of Shark’s Rise

“Uhh…yes?”

“Jesus Christ, Sebastian Shark.” A laugh spilled from her. She rocked her head back. “You’re a fucking idiot. Do you know that?”

“Well, I do now.” I emulated her grin. “Come on.” I stepped over and pulled her to her feet. “I have the very sudden urge to fuck you senseless.”

“Is that so?” She went for coy with the smile now.

“Oh, it definitely is.”

“Hmmm.” She averted her sparkling gaze from my hooded one. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” I started tugging her along the path back to the house. When we got there, her giggles filled the terra cotta courtyard—and I rejoiced in the magical sound. A lost treasure unearthed.

“Well, you screwed up the easy part of boyfriending pretty monumentally,” she continued explaining. “Who’s to say you even know what you’re doing in the bedroom?”

I halted, making her do the same, while growling out, “Watch yourself, young lady.”

She only laughed harder. “Hey, I’m serious! Talking on the phone is Boyfriend 101!”

I hauled her back to me so swiftly, she thudded into my chest. I dipped her back and kissed the exposed valley between her breasts. She moaned out my name as I continued suckling up her neck—at least until I got to her lips. Those succulent pillows were shiny and ready, all but begging for the plunge of my tongue. Her eyes were glassy and mischievous, surely matching my own.

The recognition brought a brand-new grin to my own mouth.

She was back.

At least for now.

And to see this new life breathed back into her, to know I’d brought it, made my heart ache—and my soul agonize.

Please. Please whoever the fuck is listening to my hopeless soul…don’t let me destroy this perfect creature. I’m begging you, don’t let me ruin her.

“So at what grade level does the student get to learn about the fucking stuff?” I asked, grateful for the humor—and the lust beneath. Both were damn good smokescreens for the deeper emotions that vied for pole position on my tongue.

“Oh, that’s the senior thesis project, I’m afraid,” she answered, obviously trying to stifle her impending laughter. “You may have a lot of research to do before you’re ready for your final dissertation.”

“And that’s an interesting analogy, Ms. Gibson.”

“And why’s that, Mr. Shark?”

“I got straight As in every class I ever took, you know.” I set her down but didn’t let her get far. With my hands lowering around her ass, I ground my growing shaft against her warm, welcoming cleft. “I make an excellent teacher’s pet.”

“Well, then.” She traced a fingertip across my bottom lip. “We’d better hurry inside then, before the bell rings. You don’t want detention on your first day, do you?”

With that, she took off running. She squealed with laughter as I playfully growled, chasing hot on her heels. We ran through the house to her room, where I tackled her onto the bed. She was facedown, and I was instantly turned on. I pinned her there by sitting on top of her, holding her arms above her head. Her chest pumped heavily from the exertion of bolting away from me.

“I love you, Abbigail.” I rasped it into her ear before dipping down to drag her pants over her hips. Despite my tender declaration, I was feeling anything but soft and sensual. I needed her—in every way—and right now.

“I love you too,” she moaned, and the sound gained a notch of volume as I pulled her clothes all the way off. On my way back up, I caressed her round, luscious ass. As I swatted it, she giggled.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, turning her face to the side. “Just in case I haven’t told you in the past hour.” She bit her lip seductively. “It just feels so good…to laugh.”

Except that now, she wasn’t doing that. Just like that, her eyes brimmed with tears again. Not only one or two. The angst came in a full torrent, the huge drops coursing down her flushed cheeks.

“Fuck! Not again!” She buried her face in the blankets. Her whole body shook from the deluge. I moved with my sole instinctual reaction, immediately gathering her into my arms and holding her against my chest. My erection deflated with each sob that racked her alarmingly thin body. I could feel the sharp outline of her shoulder blades as she reached up and clung to me—resulting in me backtracking over the calendar, reminding myself it really had been only a week since I sent her here.

No. I had to be wrong. This had to be wrong. And if it wasn’t…

How was it physically possible?