But the diner had also been the place where she’d met her best friends Tony, Daisy, and Marilee. If she hadn’t worked there, they wouldn’t have bought that lottery ticket on Tony’s twenty-first birthday, they wouldn’t have won that enormous jackpot and she wouldn’t have more than two hundred million in the bank and investments. And she wouldn’t have been able to afford traveling to different countries, photographing the most amazing places.
Also, she wouldn’t be in this position, sweating in a stinking jungle after having escaped these idiot rebels.
Okay, so maybe she needed a break from the traveling. This was really getting old, she thought. Ivy frowned, realizing that she’d been having that thought a lot over the past several months. But after years of traveling, she was growing weary of anonymous hotel rooms and dining alone. She’d visited the most amazing places but…Ivy wanted a home. She wanted something more than her one bedroom loft over her gallery in LowPoint, Kentucky. She wanted a real home with kids and a husband. A husband that was NOT Gunner Marks! She munched on her plastic flavored protein bar and contemplated her future husband. He would be kind, sweet, and non-muscular. Probably a runner like her, but that wasn’t a requirement. Sure, it would be nice to have someone who could keep up with her, but…well yeah, Gunner could keep up, but he didn’t count. Not even a little!
Focusing on the task at hand, she considered her options. Her number one priority was to get her bag back. If she could do that, she could figure out where she was, and call for help. Barring that, she wanted to free those hostages. They were held in a hut and guarded by only one guy so far. The guard wasn’t overly attentive; he seemed to be snoozing at the moment.
Getting the hostages out would be a whole lot easier by truck than by foot. Ultimate priority, Ivy had to get out of here, even if she went on her own and sent help back for the hostages.
Maybe she could sneak up to the camp and get that one jeep by the edge of the compound, push it down the dirt road a ways so that the engine wouldn’t alert anyone. Or if they did hear it when she started it up, she’d be too far away for them to catch her.
Yeah, she liked that plan!
Looking up, she estimated that it was only a couple more hours until the sun set. Ivy figured she’d wait until the inevitable drinking and partying began, then sneak in when they passed out. The compound had guards, but she’d watch and learn, figure out which of the guards were lazy. She suspected that most of them would fall asleep at their posts.
Looking around, she carefully searched the area for bugs, reptiles, or other hidden icky things, and found a good spot to observe. Taking out another protein bar, she nibbled on the end, but put it away without finishing it. Since she had no idea where she was, she had no idea how long it would take her to get back to civilization. Ivy knew to eat sparingly; her stomach had given up groaning from hunger yesterday.
Oh, what she would do for a cold shower right about now. Settling in, she thought about what she would do as soon as she reached her hotel. She was staying in the penthouse suite, which had a huge bathtub. She’d shower away the jungle stench that was now clinging to every pore of her body and shampoo her hair three times then slide into the tub and stay there for hours! A bottle of wine, a huge meal, and afterward, Ivy would crawl between the clean, crisp, white sheets and sleep for days. Weeks!
After she sent a message to Daisy, Marilee, and Tony. Most likely, they would be worried sick by now. She was always careful about sending them daily messages, letting them know she was okay. It was one of the many security features of her daily life, thanks to the big lug whose name will not be spoken of at the moment.
And….that was the end of her Gunner-free moment. Ivy was tired, hungry and itchy, which meant that her self-control was…well, non-existent. So just the thought of the big guy and all of those amazing muscles popped into her mind and they weren’t leaving.
Not that she was trying very hard.
Settling back against the tree, she waited, allowing her mind to drift, entering a fantasy of Gunner walking towards her in…nothing at all. Yeah, if she had her way, the jerk would be naked and…oh, she would love it if he also had tape over his mouth so he couldn’t make fun of her.
As Ivy watched, she thought about all the things she’d love to do to Gunner’s body. And if he was tied down so he couldn’t take over, all the better.
Then again…
The hand covering her mouth startled her out of that particularly nice fantasy. Darn it! How many times had Gunner warned her not to lose her concentration?
Now she was going to learn the hard way what happened when she let her guard down.
The strong arm started to pull her back, but she struggled, digging her nails into the hand covering her mouth. No! She wasn’t going down! Not in this disgusting jungle while watching disgusting men! No way! Thinking back to all the techniques Gunner had taught her, she went slack. It was the hardest thing to do when someone was dragging her. Terror caused adrenaline to flow, increasing the fight response.
But it worked. The arms holding her loosened when she released all the tension in her body and she heard a deep, guttural growl that sounded vaguely familiar, but she didn’t take the time to dissect her reaction. Instead, she jerked upright and…
The strong arms caught her again, the hand tightening over her mouth. A scruffy cheek rested against hers and…the man’s smell wasn’t horrible. Yes, she smelled sweat and man but…it wasn’t reeking body odor.
“Calm down, Tiger,” Gunner’s voice whispered in her ear.
She stilled. Was her mind playing tricks on her?
“I’m here,” his voice was soothing, barely a whisper in her ear. “I’m going to release you, but I need you to be quiet, okay?”
Ivy nodded, her heart pounding so hard, she was pretty sure he could feel it. Especially since his muscular arm was pressed against her breasts.
Slowly, he released the tension over her mouth and she relaxed, but the moment her mouth was free, she twisted around, looking at him over her shoulder. When his arms loosened as well, she turned around and threw herself into his arms, just as she’d seen Daisy do so many times before, but now it was her arms around him! It was her chest against his hard, masculine one and she grabbed his head, kissing him like she’d done so many times in her dreams and fantasies.
When his lips covered hers, she knew that she’d died and gone to heaven. He tasted even better than she’d imagined! His hands were strong, demanding, and she loved every moment. No, she was no longer in a jungle. She was in Gunner’s arms and he was kissing her!
A bird chirping off in the distance broke through the haze of lust and Gunner pulled back. Both of them were breathing heavily as he looked down into Ivy’s beautiful green eyes. How many times had he seen those eyes? Angry, frustrated, determined…every emotion he could think of, but never had he seen the desire like this. It was like green fire that singed him from the inside out.
The chirping sounded again and he pulled back again. She started to open her mouth but he shook his head, silently telling her to remain silent.
Taking her hand, he led her away from the compound. Thankfully, Ivy understood the need for silence. The jungle noises were loud, but anything that wasn’t normal would be heard over the gentle sounds of birds chirping and wind blowing. So, she carefully stepped over the jungle leaves that littered the ground, stepping only where Gunner stepped and watching the surrounding areas for problems.
When they were sufficiently far enough away, he turned. Pinning her against the nearest tree, he bent to kiss her again; softer this time, but no less demanding. This time, he was in charge and he didn’t relent until she was just as fully engaged as he was.
When he lifted his head this time, her lips were soft and full, almost bruised from the kiss. “What the hell are you doing here, honey?” he demanded quietly, running rough fingers through her hair. She looked hot, exhausted and just as painfully beautiful as always. But now she also looked kissed. By him
! Hell, his body was on high alert, ready to take her right here in the rotting vegetation.
Thankfully, his team was around, although he wasn’t sure exactly where. They knew how to remain hidden when they needed to, which was good. He needed some sort of hold on his lust right now. When he made love to Ivy, he wanted absolute privacy. And a bed. Hell yeah!
Another chirping sound, indicating that one of his team members was close enough that he could see what was going on.
With a groan, he lifted her chin with a finger so that he could see into her pretty eyes.
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Excerpt from “Caught”, Now Available!
Marilee’s story in The Lottery Winners Series
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(Again – there’s a bit of a buildup in this story prior to this scene, but this is the first interaction between Emmerson and Marilee and I thought it was cute.)
Emmerson parked his brown, sheriff’s SUV right behind the small Miata, wondering where the owner was. Scanning the area, he didn’t see anyone, but this was a pretty isolated area of the woods. Why would anyone be out here?
Looking around again, he narrowed his eyes as he stepped out of the SUV. Something wasn’t right. He never knew how to define this instinct, but Emerson always got a feeling when something wasn’t quite right. The sensation had saved his life too many times in the past for him to ignore it, so he stood beside the vehicle and remained silent. Just listening. It was hard for humans to remain still for very long and eventually, they moved and he’d hear it.
No sound.
But…someone was out here. Emerson might not be able to see them, but he could feel their presence.
Eventually, he’d know these woods like the back of his hand. He needed to get out and start exploring the areas, the pathways, driving the dirt and gravel roads so that he knew where one ended and started. He’d need to drive them in all types of weather so he’d know when to check the roads for stranded vehicles or other, more nefarious activities. He’d walk around and explore off the pathways, know where the dips and caves might enable someone to hide, either themselves or their goods. He’d work with the forest rangers and get to know the terrain, how to spot things that shouldn’t be in the woods.
At the moment, however, he was blind to the possibilities and had to rely on his instincts. Not for the first time, he wondered if there was something more scientific to his instincts. Sharks and wild animals survived because of their ability to “feel” or “hear” a heartbeat. Emerson wondered if humans might also have that sense. Because he could often just “feel” the presence of another human being.
Like right now.
The woods were thick and he could hear the birds chirping. Something, probably a squirrel or rabbit, was burrowing through the dried leaves littering the ground. Since it was November, the leaves had already fallen, which made it easier to see through the trees. It should be colder right now, but the east coast was enjoying a warmer than normal autumn.
There! Off to his right, there was a flash of color where there should be just greys and browns. It almost seemed like an open area, like a small field.
For some reason, Emerson just knew that the flash of color was the woman! Adrenaline shot through his body and anticipation thrummed through his veins.
In his mind, he pictured the cute brunette he’d seen three weeks ago, but so far, he hadn’t found her.
After seeing her in that sandwich shop window, he’d flown back to New York and resigned his job, accepted all the ribbing from his team and packed up his condo, which, thank fully, sold quickly. A week ago, he’d driven everything out here to LowPoint, Kentucky and accepted the keys to the brand new Sheriff’s SUV and the keys to the sheriff’s office. His new office currently had nothing in it other than boxes filled with old files from the previous sheriff and some old, beaten up desks and chairs. No one had worked in this town as a law officer for about thirty years, ever since the coal company had closed up shop and most of the residents had moved out of town to greener pastures.
“It’s her.” he muttered, a sense of rightness soothing over him as he looked at the beautiful brunette sitting on a blanket with her eyes closed. She looked so peaceful, he was hesitant to disturb her, but he wasn’t going to release this opportunity.
Moving through the streets and buildings of New York quietly was one thing. So far, he hadn’t mastered the art of moving through dried leaves and broken branches yet. He noticed that she was sitting in the middle of a blanket with headphones in her ears. Whatever she was listening to must be intense, because the sound of his footsteps didn’t break through to her consciousness.
Bending down, he crouched right beside her just watching, waiting for her to realize that there was someone close to her. The pretty woman had her eyes closed and her face turned up towards the sunshine, but was unaware of him next to her. His irritation escalated when she continued to remain oblivious to his presence. Didn’t she know that she should be aware of her surroundings at all times? Was she waiting to be attacked?
He pulled the headphone connector out of her cell phone and heard the words, “Your weight does not define you,” the voice said, sounding louder than he would have expected.
The horrified expression on the curvy woman’s face caused a chuckle to burst from him. Unfortunately, that only seemed to amplify her anger.
“How dare you!” she snapped and grabbed the cell phone. But not before, “You are a beautiful, wonderful person!” was spoken from the same voice while her fingers scrambled to shut off the recording.
“Why the hell are you listening to this crap?” he asked, watching her carefully and trying to understand. She thought she was overweight? That was insane! Emmerson had only seen her from a distance, but up close, she was even more shockingly beautiful. Her blue eyes went perfectly with her pale skin…well, normally pale skin. It was quite pink at the moment. Still gorgeous, but…
The woman stood up and huffed a bit, her anger obvious. “You’re the new sheriff, aren’t you?” she asked, stepping back and shoving her cell phone into her purse. With jerky movements, she reached down and grabbed the blanket she’d spread out over the tall grass.
“Yes.”
“And you’ve come out here to disturb me because…?” she asked, leaving the question open since she obviously had no idea about the answer.
“I saw your car parked on the side of the road. I walked out here to make sure you were okay.”
Marilee snapped the blanket, trying to knock off the rest of the leaves. “As you can see, I’m perfectly fine. You may go now.”
He laughed softly, leaning one of those massive shoulders against a tree. “I can?” he teased. “You’ll allow me to go?”
Marilee ignored his sarcasm, wanting to shove him off of the tree so that he’d fall on his butt. Yeah, she’d love to see him as humiliated as she currently was. She came all the way out here to be alone, to listen to her positive thinking tapes by herself. She’d never told Daisy or Ivy about her latest effort to gain a bit more self-confidence. Her two friends had confidence in spades but Marilee struggled, wishing she could lose weight or just…less…of everything! She knew neither Daisy nor Ivy would ever laugh at her, but they’d tell her that she didn’t need any help, that she was pretty and blah blah blah.
She didn’t believe it, but she was trying! And if this…jerk would just leave her alone, she could get right back to it. Well, not here, of course. Her favorite spot in the woods was ruined now that he’d found her and…and that he’d heard the words that she’d prayed no one would ever know she needed to hear.
She’d never come back here. No way! Her sunshine filled spot in the woods was ruined and, as she looked up at the amusement in his eyes, she realized that he was laughing at her.
After stuffing the big blanket into her tote bag, she turned to glare up at him. Not that her furious expression was making an impact. The man seemed immune to her anger,
the amusement only increasing as he looked down at her.
“Why are you even here?” she demanded.
He shrugged. “Just doing my duty to protect and serve, ma’am,” he teased, tilting his sheriff’s hat ever so slightly. Marilee gritted her teeth at his mocking gesture, wanting to figure out how to wipe that smug smile off of his face. He was laughing at her and she hated him. His big, huge, muscular body was laughing at the wimpy, curvy woman and she hated him with an instant, intense hatred unlike anything she’d ever felt for any human being.
“No, what are you doing here in LowPoint? Aren’t you some big-shot police officer from New York City? Why are you here? What’s the allure of LowPoint to someone with your experience?” She challenged, daring him to make fun of her precious town and all of its residents. “Are you just here as a joke? To bring back funny stories to your SWAT team members back home?”
He shook his head. “I think you’re town is cute, Marilee.”
Her eyes narrowed at his use of her name. “How do you know who I am?” she demanded. The fact that he knew her name scared her. For years, she, Daisy, Ivy and Tony had hidden their wealth after winning the lottery. The danger of people knowing their net worth, which was up in the hundreds of millions of dollars, was scary. Their lawyer and manager, Jason Rayburn, had warned them never to reveal their wealth to anyone.
“I looked up most of the residents in town. You’re Marilee Markson, owner of ‘The Crystal Shoppe’ located in the middle of Main Street. You’re the owner of the store, but you also locate and buy all of the store’s merchandise. The manager, Mara Simmons, runs the day to day operations with several others who help out on a part time basis. You also have a warehouse over at the end of Church Street run by a guy by the name of Charlie who manages your online sales, ensuring that everything ordered through your website, which is fascinating, by the way, is shipped out expeditiously. You have a very good online presence with extremely high customer satisfaction.”
Craving Him (Sinful Nights Book 6) Page 14
