‘Here.’ Discarding his jeans, he reached into a pocket, unwrapped the condom and sheathed himself in a matter of seconds, though it felt long enough to drive her crazy with longing. Then he lifted her to sit on a rail she hadn’t even noticed was there, cupping her bottom with strong hands. ‘You sure about this?’
‘Yes, but space is limited.’ She felt his back ripple with what she imagined must be anticipation, but she wasn’t so sure. ‘Now’s the time for the show and tell acrobatics.’ She curled her leg round his waist and tugged him closer. His erection was tantalisingly close, nudging against her opening. ‘I want you to know I don’t usually do this.’
His forehead was against hers. ‘Neither do I. Never.’
‘It’s just... I want you. I don’t even understand why. I just do.’ She couldn’t explain it, didn’t want to understand why she’d been attracted to him the second she’d seen him. Lust at first sight. And more...there was a lot about him that intrigued her. She just knew she wanted him. Now. She took his hand and encouraged him to lift her other leg around his hips. ‘Please.’
He nudged into her, pausing briefly for her to open for him. His words were like a balm on her throat. ‘To freedom.’
‘Yes. More.’ Her mind misted with him. His smell, his touch. This stranger. This man. She wanted his hands and his kisses all over her skin. She wanted him deep inside her.
He palmed her breast, stoking hot need. ‘Excitement.’
‘Amen to that,’ she sighed. ‘More. More.’
He thrust again and again. ‘Adventure.’
‘God, yes.’ And, heck, what an adventure this was. She had never felt so alive, so carefree, so beautiful.
His rhythm kicked up and as he pushed inside her over and over he kissed her thoroughly until she was moaning for more, feeling him pulse higher and faster, then lose control, taking her with him.
* * *
A distant rumbling had her coming to her senses. Breathless and satiated, she lowered herself to the floor.
A bump and a shudder. She grasped his arm, her limbs limp. ‘What was that?’
What the hell had she just done?
He wrapped her close and held her steady, pressing soft kisses over her mouth, her nose, her throat. ‘Electricity.’
‘And then some.’ She breathed out, tried to slow her raging heartbeat.
A thump. Another bump. The whirr of electricity. A jolt and they were on the move again. He pressed his forehead against hers and laughed. ‘Did the earth move or was that just the lift starting up?’
‘Both?’ She laughed with him. The fun was in the risk, not just in the man. At least she hoped it was, because there was something about him that called to her. Something that connected with her on a deeper level than random elevator sex.
Floor Seven
Her heart thumped hard as she retrieved her panties and stuffed them in her bag. Ask him to stay the night.
But then she might want him to stay for longer. He’d said no promises.
He had skin that had been kissed long and thoroughly by sunshine. He smelt of exotic lands and he would return there, she knew. A man like him couldn’t be caged by a relationship. She’d lose him to the heat and the sun and the swirl of sand.
He quickly dressed as she straightened down her skirt, ran her hand over her hair...but he was there too, running a palm over her cheek, distracting her, mesmerising her. Caring for her. She ignored the clutch in her throat. ‘Perfect timing all round, I think.’
Floor Eight
Ask me to stay the night.
‘Perfect.’ He tilted her chin and slid his mouth over hers again. He tasted so sweet and hot, of brandy and kisses and a fantasy, and a small part of her wished...
No wishes. Freedom. Excitement. Adventure.
Floor Nine
The doors pinged open and she jumped away from Ethan. The hotel manager dragged the gate open then made a show of bowing and clasping his hands. ‘Je suis désolé. So sorry for the inconvenience. Electric. Thunder. Kaput.’
‘Merci beaucoup. Ce n’est rien.’ It’s nothing. She chanced a glance at Ethan, who was trying hard not to laugh. ‘No inconvenience at all.’
What had they just done?
How had they gone from a simple conversation to the most sensual sex in her life? It was as if there had been some sort of weird inexplicable force pushing them together. Or it might just have been the Aperol.
She sneaked a look at him and her heart slipped into tachycardia. He really was the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen, all mysterious and a little pent up. How interesting it would be if she could spend more time peeling those emotional layers away, but it had been fun to help him unwind; he certainly looked a lot more relaxed now. Smiling, she tried to get rid of the hotel manager as quickly as possible.
A million apologies and handshakes later she was alone once more with Ethan.
Floor Ten
Say something.
Floor Eleven
The gates rattled closed behind them and he slipped an arm around her shoulder. ‘You want a nightcap?’
Yes. And whatever that led to. Every part of her craved more of his touch and it would be so easy to take him up on his offer, but she couldn’t let herself do this. No more. It was over before it had begun. It had to be. She was starting a new life of independence and the last thing she needed or wanted was to fall for a man who could take that away from her and then leave her with nothing but a smashed heart. She’d been there before and there was no way she was going back.
Claire was going forward.
She took a deep breath and gave the only possible answer. ‘No, thank you. I’ve got a big day tomorrow.’
‘We could just sleep.’
‘Somehow I doubt that.’ Images of waking up to that mouth and that body had more heat swirling round her veins. She tugged out from under his arm but tiptoed back to kiss his cheek. ‘I want this to be my perfect memory. Just this. I don’t want morning breath or regret. I don’t want things to be awkward over breakfast or to sneak out in the early hours as if what we’d done was somehow shameful. I don’t want to ruin this with mundanities or disappointment.’
‘That would never happen. Not after one night. I don’t think you and disappointment could be in the same sentence, Claire.’
You don’t know my ex. ‘I’m not taking that chance. But thank you, that was amazing. I have a very nice memory to take away with me to sea.’ Her smile spread through her body. God, this take-charge thing was a really positive boost to her confidence. Tonight she was amazing Claire. Tomorrow she was going to try to emulate that in her new job, in her new life, where she knew there’d be no chance of losing her heart. ‘Goodnight, good knight.’
‘I never thought I’d enjoy being stuck in a lift but I certainly did.’ Ethan grinned, although the smile looked as if he wanted more too. More sex, more of her. More of her. She liked the way that made her feel, that there were men out there who wanted her. Sexy men. Strangers. Ethan... Who was he really? Who was the man who could melt her with one look? Her heart contracted and she wondered...another time, another life? No. Don’t spoil it with wishes. One last smile from his sexy mouth. ‘Goodnight, Claire. Have a good adventure.’
‘I intend to.’ I just did.
Mentally fist pumping, Claire smiled to herself as she slid her key card into the slot and crept into her dark hotel room.
Day one of her new life. Freedom, excitement. Adventure.
Mission accomplished.
CHAPTER THREE
HAVING CLEARED PORT SECURITY, Ethan swung his bag onto his shoulder, stepped onto the dock and breathed in fresh sea air. The SOS Poseidon loomed in front of him and he put a hand on the cold steel gangway.
Six weeks and counting.
Even though he knew this assignment had an end date he felt his heart pound hard
against his ribcage, and for the briefest moment he contemplated running back to the hotel and finding Claire.
And then what? She was adventure bound and he couldn’t take that away from her. He didn’t know her surname, he knew nothing about her except how she felt in his arms and how she tasted. The sound of her laugh.
He smiled to himself. Hell, last night was one memory he’d tuck away to help him through the endless nights on board ship.
Right. Do it.
He put a foot on the gangway but hearing voices behind him he turned, and faced a ghost from sixteen years ago. Chase Barrington.
His blood pounded in his veins as memories whipped him back to a place he never wanted to revisit. Cold. Snow. Death.
‘I’d have known you anywhere.’ Chase stepped forward, bridging the gap. Same old smile—fleeting, then gone. The intervening years had been good to him. He’d grown into himself: tall and strident, standing on the dock as if he owned the damned ship. Typical Chase. But, then, as SARCO for this medical rescue mission, he certainly held a lot of responsibility.
‘Same.’ Ethan wasn’t sure what to do next. Shake his hand? Thank him for giving him his life? God knew, he owed him everything, but at the same time he knew how much Chase had regretted that choice in the end.
Standing with his arms loose by his sides Chase wasn’t giving out any clues on what next either, so Ethan did what he’d do to any old friend and gave him one of those tight guy handshake-hug things. Then sprang back. Unsure. After all, they weren’t exactly old friends.
Chase glanced at the woman he’d been strolling along with and gave her the backpack he’d been carrying. His eyes were misted and that hit Ethan hard in the chest. Was that a reaction to seeing him or to the woman?
But maybe he was reading too much into all of this, because when Chase turned his focus back to him he was all business. ‘Come on up to the galley. With a bit of luck there’ll be coffee. And I should thank you for saving our bacon—we were let down at the last minute and were desperate to find a replacement. Paediatricians with refugee experience are thin on the ground this season.’
‘No problem, I go where I’m needed.’ Desperate. Of course Chase would only have asked him as a very last resort. And Ethan had only responded because he owed Chase his life. Owed him two.
How to be good enough for a life lost? Could you ever be? How many lives did you have to save to make up for the one you stole? He’d spent the last decade and a half working on it and it still didn’t feel adequate.
He wondered whether he should say something about their shared past, but decided against it. He was here to do a job, pay a debt, and then he was going. There was a reason they hadn’t been in touch for sixteen years.
Ethan took in his surroundings. As ships went, it wasn’t exactly luxurious, but it had been a safe haven for so many he imagined beauty was in the eye of the refugee.
‘You’ve just been in Sudan, right?’ Up in the galley Chase poured coffee from a battered metal pot and handed it to him, indicating a sugar bowl and a plastic bottle of milk on a tray atop a pile of papers.
Ethan added milk and wrapped his palms around the cup. It might have been April but the early mornings were still cool. That, and the fact he hadn’t acclimatised from the desert heat yet. ‘Sudan, Darfur, Ethiopia. Anywhere the earth is baked I’ll go.’
He didn’t add that he avoided all things cold and wet and snowy... He didn’t need to. Chase was the only person who would understand why. He’d also, no doubt, think him weak for letting what had happened all those years ago still affect him now. Chase was the kind of guy who moved on.
Like the woman last night.
The memories bombarding him now were of warm eyes, a hot body and a feeling of regret that things had ended so abruptly. Which was all kinds of weird given that connections weren’t usually things he coveted. So why he felt he’d missed a chance last night he couldn’t say. It had been a long time—probably never—since he’d felt such an immediate attraction to a woman.
He blinked and brought himself back to today. He had enough to deal with, working alongside Chase, without adding into the mix pining for a woman he was never going to see again.
‘You haven’t worked out of a ship before?’ Chase asked, but his voice sounded over-polite.
Okay, Ethan could do that too. Maybe it was better if they never cracked open the wound that bound them. But on the other hand maybe it was better if they got it all over and done with now. He tested a little and smiled. ‘These days I prefer being on firm ground.’
There was a flicker of understanding in Chase’s sharp nod but he appeared not to want to go back there either. ‘Right, well, you’ll soon get used to it. The first couple of days are the worst but we have plenty of anti-nausea meds to get you through the seasickness. It’s easy to pick up the routine, you’ll learn it as we go. First, I’ll show you to your quarters...shared, unfortunately. You’re in with Akil, one of the crew. I’ll introduce you later.’
‘I’m used to living in a tent or a lean-to, so communal’s not a worry.’
‘Good, because it’s all we’ve got.’ Chase gave him a brief tour of the ship and the sparse medical space he’d be working in. Ethan ducked his head as he descended steep metal steps and opened the door to what looked like a cupboard but which was, in fact, his cabin. There was just about enough space to turn around between the bunks and the door. No porthole. Ethan tugged at his throat and hoped Chase wouldn’t notice.
Seemingly oblivious to Ethan’s unease Chase pointed to a small cubbyhole that looked as if it had once had a door on it. ‘There’s a couple of T-shirts with our logo on hanging there in the closet—you’ve to wear them all times when you’re on duty. Wet-weather gear on the right-hand side. The shared bathroom and toilet are down the corridor. We’ll go through all the safety stuff at the briefing, but use the rope to get around the deck when there’s a heavy swell. Sorry it’s not the QE2, but we save as much space as we can for the refugees. We need safe, private spaces for pregnant women, nursing mums and anyone that needs isolation. All the men we rescue and anyone else well enough has to live and sleep on deck—depending on how many we have on here at a time.’
‘It’s all good.’ Six weeks. That was all. The ship lurched. Ethan grabbed the wall as his stomach roiled.
‘Looks like we’re under way. If you need anything just ask. And...’ Chase frowned. He looked as if he was about to say something but changed his mind with a quick shake of his head. ‘See you on deck in ten minutes for the safety meeting. You can meet the gang then.’
Ethan threw his bag onto the bunk that looked the least slept in and inhaled. This was fast turning into a trip from hell. An old adversary, moving on from the past, the smallest cabin in the history of tiny cabins. Water. Cold. Could it get any worse?
Oh, yes. It was a dry ship too. He laughed to himself. That was a tautology if ever he’d heard one, but there was no alcohol allowed, for anyone. Not that he was desperate for a drink, but sometimes it helped to chase the demons away.
Like last night; the hip flask. A flash of sparkling eyes. And the rest...
He blew out a breath. Scrubbed his hand over his hair and went to meet the team. With a bit of luck he’d be too busy to care about anything other than saving lives.
When he arrived on deck he found a group of around ten people, all wearing the same logoed white T-shirts, chatting and laughing. They seemed completely at ease and there was a sense of camaraderie he knew well and had seen often in groups of volunteers. No one vied for power, everyone made the mission their priority and aimed to carry their weight as a team member. Seemed that was just the same on a ship as it was on dry land.
Chase introduced him to the captain, an American surgeon, some of the ship’s crew, a Danish midwife called Freja and Akil, Ethan’s Egyptian cabinmate.
‘Hope you don’t snore, man. Good to ha
ve you here.’ Akil shook Ethan’s hand firmly and a smile formed between an impressive dark moustache and beard.
Ethan doubted he’d be in the cabin much anyway. At least, he hoped not. ‘No promises, mate, I’m sorry.’
‘This is Kristina, a GP on her first mission.’ There was a softening in Chase’s voice as he introduced the woman Ethan recognised from the dock.
Interesting.
Or maybe it had been his imagination, because Chase walked away then and didn’t give her a second look.
But two red spots flamed on Kristina’s cheeks as she smiled and Ethan knew they were nothing to do with him. ‘Hello, Ethan. I hope you’re remembering all our names, we’re going to test you in a minute.’
‘And I’m probably going to fail, but don’t hold it against me—’ He was cut off in mid-sentence as a door swung open and a breathless woman ran onto the deck wearing a regulation white T-shirt and dark blue shorts, honey-coloured hair whipping round her face and large brown eyes glittering with smiles. ‘Hello, everyone, sorry I’m late. I was just helping one of the crew with a nasty abrasion on his hand.’
The scents of coconut and hibiscus filled the salty air and Ethan did a double take as his heart damn near thumped out of his chest. He remembered the way she’d moaned, the way she’d kissed, and his whole body strained for her. What the hell...? ‘Claire?’
‘Ethan?’ She took a step back, mouth open. Her eyes widened and the only emotion Ethan could read on that pretty face was horror.
This was her adventure? This was freedom and excitement? A refugee boat with no luxuries, no personal space and little comfort? He’d pegged her to be choosing something else entirely. And not with him.
Chase’s eyebrows rose as he watched their interaction. ‘You know each other?’
We had sex in a lift then walked away.
Ethan eventually found words. ‘We’ve met.’
Judging by the way his body was reacting with heat and muscle memory at last night’s escapade, and her stiff body language telling him to back right off, it seemed that things could definitely get a whole lot worse.
Saved by Their One-Night Baby Page 4
