Chapter Eleven
Jess held him
close, savoring the aftershocks rippling through them both. When his tremors
subsided, he slipped her legs to the side and separated their bodies. A soft
whimper escaped her throat at the loss.
Sean rolled
to his back and tugged her into his arms. She snuggled on his broad shoulder,
palm pressed over his heartbeat as it slowly returned to normal. “That was
worth the wait.”
He didn’t say
anything merely hugged her tighter.
She slapped
his chest playfully. “This where you tell me how fantastic making love to me
was.”
He shrugged. “Eh,
it was all right.”
All right?
Really?
Tears burned unexpectedly in her eyes, but she blinked them away before they
could fall. She had heard the laughter in his voice, knew he joked, but touching
and being touched by him had destroyed hard earned barriers. He slashed through
them and proved beyond doubt that no man had ever really held her before.
Irrational or not, he shouldn’t be able to joke about it. She sat up and
grabbed the nearest piece of clothing. She jerked his damp T-shirt over her
head and rolled to her knees to pull it down her hips.
Sean sat up
beside her. “Hey, what’s that for?”
“I don’t want
to burn. The sun’s hotter than what I’m used to.”
“Florida is
not much different than the Caribbean.”
“I fry
easily. Better safe than sorry.”
“Awe, shit. I
hurt your feelings, didn’t I? I was kidding, Jess.”
Sean tried to
pull her into his arms, but she stood with a laugh and looked over the quiet
ocean. Clear turquoise waters washed the pink tinged sand in a whispered song
that drew tears she could not blink away. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
She heard the
rustle of his backpack then the swish of his swim trunks. His arms circled her
from behind pinning her elbows to her sides as he bent to nuzzle her neck. “Lay
back down with me. I didn’t mean to be a dick.”
She shook her
head, praying he would not see the moisture on her face. Why couldn’t she
control the rollercoaster of emotion that swept through her whenever he came
near? Being in the same vicinity with him was trouble enough. Letting him close
equaled a disaster from which she’d never recover. She’d never settle for
ordinary again. “This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have come.”
He stiffened
then released her only to turn her around and back into his embrace. He pressed
her flush to him, wrapping his arms around her and pressing her cheek to his
warm chest with a big hand on the back of her head. She allowed his control
though her fight instinct flared.
“I’m sorry I
ruined this, Jess. I never expected being with you, with any woman, to be so incredible.
You threw me for a loop.”
“It’s fine.”
“No, it’s
not.” He tugged on her braid until she had to look up at him. He groaned as he
saw her tears and his gentle thumbs wiped her cheeks. “I knew sex with you
would either get this thing out of our system or ignite something more than I
could walk away from. I never expected to feel reborn.” His self-conscious chuckle
whispered over her and released the tight band that had formed around her
heart. “See what you’ve done? I sound like an idiot.”
A wicked
smile spread across her face before she could stop it. “No argument here.”
He loosened
his hold on her and allowed her to ease back. “Now who’s the brat?”
She pretended
to study his beautiful face, his laughing eyes, the shallow creases near their
corners that said he smiled more often than he frowned, his long straight nose,
his full mouth always ready to quirk into a grin. “Yep, still you.”
“In that case…”
Before she
could think, he swept her off her feet and ran toward the water. She screamed
and tried to kick free of his strong arms. “Sean McCloud, don’t you dare.”
He ignored
her protests until he stood waist deep in the rolling waves. “Did you want me
to put you down?”
“Go ahead.
But if you drop me instead of letting me find my feet, I’ll make you pay.”
“How about if
I throw you then?”
He tossed her
into the ocean with a laugh that disappeared as she plunged below the water.
When she finally surfaced, he stood a dozen or so yards away, hands on hips,
grinning.
“Not funny.”
She acted like she intended to say more but jerked and threw herself back into
the waves instead. She resurfaced gasping for air and flailing as if the
current held her captive.
The grin left
his handsome face, but he didn’t look worried. “Faker.”
She dropped
beneath the surface again. As soon as she was deep enough to swim undetected,
she stroked toward shore until her knees brushed the sand. She found her feet
and turned to grin at him, anxious to coax him to admit that he lied, that his
body enjoyed hers as much as she craved him. She lunged to attack as he dove.
He remained
under water longer than seemed humanly possible. Long enough to send her
swimming toward him. His head broke the surface only a couple yards away, but he
looked over the deeper water, unaware of her presence.
“Jess! Answer
me, damn it!”
She launched
herself at his back and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Looking for me?”
He jerked her
in front of him with a scowl. “I thought you were dead.” He shoved her away and
struck out for shore without a backward glance.
“Oh, no, you
don’t.” She dove after him, but he still reached the beach before she caught
up. “It was a joke.”
“Not a funny
one.”
His comment
reminded her why she was wet to the core in the first place. It had all started
with his horrible so called joke. “You would know all about that, wouldn’t you?”
“Grow up,
Jess. I hurt your feelings. I didn’t intentionally scare you half to death.”
He spun away
and stormed toward the blanket while her conscience kicked her in the ass. He
jerked a towel from his pack and rubbed at his hair and shoulders. She slipped
her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his wet spine. “I’m
sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
He dropped
his arms to his sides but didn’t turn or say anything.
“Sean?”
“Give me a
minute. I’m still pissed off.”
She bit her
lip to hold back a smile. “Okay, but you’re burning our free time pretty fast.
Do you really want to waste it on anger?”
He sighed and
stepped out of her embrace. “You started it.”
“Then I’ll
end it.” She rose on her toes and brushed a kiss over his mouth. “Let’s eat.”
****
Damned
infuriating woman.
He couldn’t resist smiling as she flopped on the blanket and pulled the cooler
to her. She dug in the food hamper. His wet T-shirt clung to her curves. Her
nipples puckered in the slight breeze, and he could see the dark rosy areole
through the cotton. His cock reared back to life.
She grinned
at him and patted the blanket beside her before she started to haul things out
of the picnic basket. “Quit being mad and come eat. There’s crab salad and
multi grain crackers, smoked cheese, wine, and oooh, chocolate-dipped
strawberries.”
He dug the
cork screw out and opened the wine. She held up the glasses but he only filled
one before nestling the open bottle into the basket so it wouldn’t spill.
“Don’t you
want any wine?” She crossed her legs and tucked the glass in the center then
loaded a plate with a bit of everything.
“Yep. He sat
behind her and wrapped his legs around hers. He reached over her shoulder,
stole a loaded cracker and popped it in his mouth.
She laughed. “We’re
sharing then?”
He nodded but
resisted the urge to kiss her. “Here try this. It’s really good.”
She nibbled
off the slice of smoked Gouda he held to her lips. He popped the rest in his
mouth.
“Hey. That
wasn’t a fair share.”
“Don’t be so
mamby pamby then. Take what you want.”
“You can’t
always have what you want in life, Sean.”
“I disagree.
The world is wide open. Grab what you need with both hands and hang on.”
She shook her
head with a sigh and bit a strawberry in half, automatically handing the other
half over her shoulder to him.
He took it, impressed
by her sense of fairness. Any other woman he’d ever been with would have eaten
the whole thing to punish him for being greedy. He snuggled her closer. He
loved her, everything about her. The feeling sparked by their first meeting had
built over the past days until he knew without doubt. All that remained was
convincing her of that fact.
Unfortunately,
her ex might as well have been on the beach with them. Sean could feel him in her
every move. Every time she held back or took the safe route, Kurt appeared
between them. If Sean could understand how her first husband had screwed with
her mind, maybe they could move on to the next step.
She tipped
her head back against his shoulder. “Where did you go?”
“Sorry,
thinking about the guy here between us.”
She scowled
and reached for another cracker without comment.
He took it
from her and offered her a bite before popping the rest in his own mouth,
silently waiting for her to respond.
She sighed
and sat straighter. “Don’t start this, Sean.”
“If not now,
when?”
“Never.”
Tension radiated from her.
He smoothed
his hand over her shoulder and tugged lightly on her braid. “Just give me the
background so I can understand you better.”
“Why? I
thought we were having a good day.”
“We are, so
talk to me and make it even better.”
Jess tried to
move away, but he wrapped his arm tighter around her waist. “Don’t run, Jess.
Talk to me.”
“You’re the
one who walks or runs whenever you’re upset.”
“I always
make sure you catch me though.” He slid his other arm around her waist and held
her tight, knowing he could easily drive her away with his questions. “I can’t
follow you into your head, sweetheart.”
She huffed
but quit fighting. “Fine. What do you want to know?”
“How did you
meet him?”
“He worked
for my father.”
He chuckled
at the little girl pout on her lips. “How old were you?”
“I’m not
sure. Sixteen or seventeen, I guess.”
“So did you
go to school together?”
“No. He must
have been twenty-five at the time.”
Anger swelled
to overcome frustration. “And you were sixteen? What the hell were your parents
thinking?”
She relaxed
against him but her sad smile broke his heart. “There are fewer years between Kurt
and me than between you and me.”
“There’s a
difference. I’m an adult. You were a kid manipulated by a twenty-five year old
man. Your parents had to have seen the problem.”
“They saw him
as a good guy. He seemed responsible, and I needed someone to settle me down.”
“Why? You
were a kid. You should have been irresponsible.”
“I wanted to
be what Kurt expected of me. I thought he hung the moon.”
“Well, there’s
our problem.”
She chuckled.
“Who says I have a problem?”
She tried to
sound sassy but hurt still shimmered in her eyes. “You don’t. We do. But it’s
also the reason you should relax and let this develop between us.”
“Oh, yeah?”
She tipped her head back again. Her green gaze demanded a straightforward
answer. “Okay, Mr. Wise One, enlighten me.”
“You got into
a relationship with a grown man and forced yourself to become an adult before
you had a chance to be a kid.”
“I chose my
life.”
He squeezed
her tight, hoping to reassure her that she could tell him anything. “That doesn’t
mean you didn’t miss out.”
“I didn’t
miss anything. I didn’t get married until after high school.”
He snorted at
everything wrong in that simple statement. “Did you go to prom with him?”
“I didn’t go
to prom because the school wouldn’t let anyone over twenty-one attend.”
“So neither
junior nor senior year?”
“No.” She
brushed nonexistent crumbs from her lap and didn’t look up.
“So what did
you do in school?”
“I studied so
I could graduate a semester early.”
He wanted to
smack her parents. “What about activities?”
“I didn’t
have time for such foolishness.”
“Then you
missed out.” He nuzzled the tiny hollow beneath her ear and tucked her farther
into his arms. “Lucky for you, I am the perfect man to help you relive your
missed youth.”
She took a
sip of wine and offered it to him before she spoke again. “What do you have to
offer that I can’t live without?”
“Me.” When
she grinned, he dropped a wine-laced kiss on her full mouth. “I am the perfect
guy for you. I know exactly how to be a kid. I make my living at it.”
“So what
would you get out of this? You have a perfectly lovely mother.”
He arched an
eyebrow at her stupid comment. “I’d have an incredibly sexy bed partner for
starters. Beyond that though, I need someone to keep me sharp. You can level me
with a word or a single move, but you also make me high with a smile.”
“What happens
when you get sick of my sarcasm?”
He chuckled. “Won’t
happen. I want you in my life, Jess. Accept that.”
****
Jess set the
empty wine glass aside and turned in Sean’s embrace. She pressed him to the
blanket then sat back to admire the view. His words rang in her head and pushed
at the doubts that had returned with vengeance. The sharp taper from broad
shoulders to lean hips renewed a hunger the past hour should have dulled if not
eradicated, but the sentiment echoing in her head affected her more. A few
blond hairs curled across his chest then disappeared only to reappear in a
darker, fine line that led to his semi-aroused cock beneath his navy blue
swimsuit. Hard muscles emphasized the sheer breadth of him. Longing curled
lovely and eager in her stomach before spreading lower. “You’re perfect.”
His husky
laugh aroused more than passion. If they could stay on the island forever, she
could pretend that no one else existed, that no one would judge or try to
destroy the budding relationship. No one would ridicule him for loving her.
She trailed
her fingernails from his shoulders, down his sides, and over his lower belly,
teasing, tempting. His muscles tightened in erotic response. She wandered
downward, fingertips barely brushing the finely woven fabric of his swim trunks.
He groaned as she grazed the length of his cock, his beautiful, fabulous,
talented cock. “I want you again. What does that say?”
“That women
over thirty-five are at their sexual peak and horny all the time?”
Warm blood
rushed her already heated skin. She sat up and turned away from the temptation
his body offered. “Sorry.”
Sean laughed
and tugged her off balance, forcing her to lie on his chest. He caught her hand
and brought her fingers to his lips, kissing them one by one. “Stop taking
everything I say the wrong way. I love that you want me.”
When she didn’t
say anything, he shifted to the side. His forearm pillowed her head as he
studied her face. “No wasted time on misplaced anger, remember? You make me hot
as hell whenever you’re in sight so we’re in the same boat, but I’m not
complaining.”
She closed
her eyes against the lure of his hypnotic gaze. “That’s still weird.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re
a kid.” She tried to slip from his arms but he threw a firm thigh across her legs,
effectively pinning her in place. His arousal nudged her hip despite the scowl
which darkened his gaze. Desperate for some sort of balance, she studied his
naked chest, focusing on the small black mole on his collarbone and the flutter
of his pulse in his strong throat, anywhere except his unsettling gaze. “This
was a mistake. We should go back.”
“No.”
I can’t take
this.
“Look at me.”
He waited until she met his gorgeous storm tossed eyes before he spoke again. “There
are only twelve years between us. I’m too old to be your son so get past it
already.” He pressed closer. “Did I feel like a kid when your fingernails dug
into my back as you screamed my name? How about when your heels were over my
shoulders and you lifted your gorgeous ass to take me deeper, grinding and
pleading, ‘Don’t stop. Please, baby’? Was I a boy then?”
She shifted,
determined to escape, but he wrapped her braid around his wrist, forcing her to
stay put. Desire, raw and feral, ripped through her. She squeezed her eyes shut,
willing tears away. Her chest tightened. Spasms of embarrassing lust surged to
her core in a moisture-laden rush. Where the hell had self-respect gone? “You
have no right to talk to me this way.”
“You keep
telling me that, but I have a hard time believing it when you’re nearly naked
in my arms.” He tugged on her hair lifting her to his kiss. His tongue slipped
between her open lips to explore her mouth as his free hand found and cupped
her breast through his T-shirt. His thumb rubbed over the tender nipple in
delicious circles.
His magnetism
lured her to give in to his control. Aching need shimmered through her limbs. It
will never work. People will ridicule him for being with you.
He broke the
kiss with a groan. “Damn it, I can feel you fighting me. Why can’t you enjoy
our time together? I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, and right now I don’t
give a shit. When you’re in my arms, the world feels right for the first time
in years.” He cradled the side of her face in his large palm stroking her
cheekbone with his thumb. “Maybe you’ll wake tomorrow satisfied that whatever
this is has run its course. Maybe I’ll admit I can’t live without you. Or you’ll
meet that elusive someone who can give you everything that I lack.”
“You don’t
lack anything except experience.”
He drew a
deep breath. “Exactly. I can’t make promises because I don’t know what will
happen. But right now, this second, you want me and I want you.” He snuggled
closer, his arousal hard evidence of his desire. “Allow that to be enough, Jess.
Let me be what you need.”
Could she? Did
she have a choice? For once she didn’t want to play it safe. She wanted Sean,
his body, his laugh, his unbending confidence, his smile, every last delicious
bit of him. She pushed against his shoulders but he didn’t budge. “Let me up. I
won’t run.”
Still he
hesitated before he released her.
She sat up
and folded her legs beneath her as she studied him. Let me be what you need.
Could she? “I don’t understand why I’m an emotional basket case around you. I
want to let go, but—”
A flash of
red skipped over the water. Was that a boat storming straight toward the yacht?
She stood and walked down the beach, shading her eyes against the tropical sun.
Sean appeared
at her side. “What’s wrong?”
“Probably
nothing, but we should go.”
He moved to
gather their things, but she could not look away from the boat streaming full
bore across the water. The strange craft turned sideways. A black patch broke
the broad white stripe where the boat’s license should have been. Son of a
bitch. She took off toward the Jet Ski.
“Jess! Wait!”
Could she
beat them to the yacht? Her feet dug into the soft sand as she shoved the lightweight
craft off the beach. The waves caught and floated it free. She swung onto the
seat and fired the engine while calculating the distance between the unknown
boat and the yacht. Her heart hammered behind her ribs. She never should have
left Dale and the crew alone. Taking care of Sean might technically be her job,
but he didn’t know that. He’d never forgive her if something happened to his
mother.
Sean leaped
on behind her as she twisted the throttle and the Jet Ski leaped forward. “You
were going to leave me.”
It wasn’t a
question. It was an accusation. One she didn’t have time to deal with. “Damned
right.” She let up on the gas and turned to look over her shoulder at him. “If
you’re here, they can’t hurt you. That makes one less person to worry about. Get
off.”
His brows
drew down and he shook his head. “I’m not letting you face this alone.”
She glanced
toward the two boats and the narrowing space between them. “I don’t have time to
argue. Get off.”
She waited
refusing to look again at the gorgeous man behind her. If he got on that boat,
he’d be an easy target, probably the main one. He stood too tall, looked too
strong, acted too arrogant to be anything but a threat. Her chest squeezed
impossibly tight. Please, baby, stay here. Time was running out. The
smaller craft had almost reached the yacht. She had to go, but she needed him somewhere
safe.
“I’m going
with you so deal.” Sean reached around her and grabbed the handlebars. The watercraft
screamed across the open waves. Spray bit at her face and arms while they
crossed the expanse in moments that felt like hours. The unknown boat had
disappeared on the other side of the yacht. Had they already boarded? Where was
the crew?
She hit the
kill switch and jumped off the Jet Ski. Sean surfaced beside her. She put a
finger to her lips and dug her bag of weapons out from under the seat. She
glanced at him once more then took off toward the ladder at the yacht’s stern. A
plan of action ran through her head, but there were too many unanswerable
questions for comfort. Dale would be in her room. Jess needed get to her without
being detected then ensure everyone else’s safety.
She caught
the first rung and pulled herself up, but Sean grabbed her around the waist and
jerked her against his chest, his lips soft on her ear. “Be careful, love. I can’t
lose you.”
He didn’t
give her an opportunity to respond or ponder the unexpected endearment. His
strong arms lifted her from the water and she found solid footing on the ladder.
She glanced over her shoulder. He should have remained on the island. Her heart
constricted in her chest. “Stay here.”
He shook his
head no.
Damn it! “Please?”
He glared.
“At least let
me handle things.”
He pushed her
up the steps with a hand on her ass. “You’re the expert.”