She emerged slowly, wringing her hands and dropping them into fists at her sides. Standing before him in a pair of dark slacks and a white button-down blouse, she didn’t seem to care much for the attire, but he liked it. It showed off her figure in the most flattering way. Her slim neck sloped daintily into graceful shoulders that seemed almost too small for her generous breasts. The belt around her waist defined its smallness. Curved hips tapered into long slender legs. The toe nails on her bare feet were painted red. His heart took a perilous leap, falling into a place he’d never been—commitment.
She shrugged. “This seems to be the current fashion in women’s casual wear.” She breezed toward him and stopped near the coffee table. “So, is there a market near here? Oh wait, what do they call them in the military—commissaries?”
Her odd choice of terms didn’t discourage him. He assumed it was an effect of the amnesia, something he didn’t know a whole lot about. “Let’s go down to the Piggly Wiggly. I think we can get what we need there, see.”
“The Piggly Wiggly?” She wrinkled her brow.
“It’s a brand new store. I haven’t been there yet, but from what I hear it’s pretty amazing.” He guided her toward the door, opened it and led her outside.
“Pretty amazing?”
“Well, compared to the mercantiles most of us are used to, a big store with all that merchandise has got to be a sight to see.”
“Good. Do you think we can get some gourmet coffee there?” Izzy sprinted down the steps and looked back. “I don’t suppose you’d know where to find a Starbucks, would you?”
Starbucks? Jack’s curiosity peaked and escaped in a slow headshake. He’d never heard of Starbucks, but guessed it had something to do with coffee. He didn’t dwell on the oddity of her inquiry. Instead, he focused on her stifling awkwardness.
She stiffened, following the path toward the driveway. Her discomfort suggested she didn’t understand her question anymore than Jack.
He quickened his pace, catching up to her. “Isabelle, are you okay?”
“No.” She shook her head, pausing long enough to expel an exasperated sigh. “Why do I keep mentioning things no one else is familiar with? Hell, when I think about it, even I’m not familiar with the crap that runs through my head sometimes.” She stopped and stared at him. Fear welled tears in her eyes and shaded them darker than usual. “What’s wrong with me, Jack?”
He pulled her closer, draping his arms around her out of instinct more than anything else. “You’re okay, Isabelle. It’s just the amnesia, see. I’m sure it’s affecting your memory somehow.”
Following his lead, she hugged him tightly and rested her face against his chest. He strengthened his embrace with one arm and tangled his free hand in her oddly colored hair. It smelled like coconuts. He got lost in the scent, forgetting about the strange blonde streaks in her otherwise brown hair.
She laughed and swabbed her tear-stained cheeks with the back of her hand. “You go to school for that?”
He took a step back, putting some space between them. “Go to school for what?” He teased her with a suggestive grin.
She stopped by the car door and waited. Good. At least she was learning to let him be the gentleman. He didn’t say anything, just opened the door. Instead, he opted for a silly smirk, knowing it’d drive her nuts.
He was right.
“You think you’re smooth, don’t you?” she asked, sliding into the car.
“Smooth?” Sometimes, he didn’t get her choice of words or the message she was trying to convey.
He trotted around the car and hopped inside. “So, are you a meat and potatoes kind of girl, or are you one of those maniacal vegetable types?” he asked, wrapping a hand around the steering wheel.
“Oh, I need food with sustenance.” Her tone hardened, making her preference known. “If we don’t put some meat on the table, I’ll be eating all night trying to get my fill.”
She laughed at herself. Jack chuckled and started the engine.
“What’s so funny?” She propped her elbow in the opened window.
“I’m thrilled that I may have found someone who likes to eat as much as I do, see.”
“Well, let’s not forget about dessert either.”
Jack got the feeling she wasn’t kidding and would expect to top off a hearty meal with some lavish after-dinner sweets, something she could sink her teeth into. He’d wager money that Isabelle wouldn’t settle for a couple of cookies.
Having dinner with her every night would be great. They’d stuff themselves, eating until their appetites were sated. And they’d never gain any weight because they’d spend all night working off the extra pounds with some phenomenal sex.
Seriously? Did that thought actually cross his mind? He’d spent very little time with her, yet here he was thinking about forever. With a woman he didn’t know. Not really.
You’re in trouble, Jack.
CHAPTER 8
CANDLELIGHT IMPROVED the bungalow’s dim lighting and enhanced the ambiance of the evening’s dinner, but thinking the atmosphere could provide assistance in wooing Isabelle was a long shot.
Of course the New York steaks, grilled to perfection and bathed in peppercorn, mushroom, and white wine sauce just might give him an edge. He liked her idea of twice baked potatoes and topping them with cheddar cheese, bacon bits and a handful of green onion. Jack and Isabelle were going to get along just fine.
Her eyes glistened in the dim reflection of the candle flame, enticing him. She cradled her fingers around the wine glass and pursed her lips into an inviting smile before drawing the goblet to her mouth.
Jack truly was in trouble. But she seemed as interested in him, so that made it okay.
She sipped the wine and paused a moment, as if assessing the situation. “So, Jack Baker, where are you from?”
“New Jersey.” He wanted to ask where she was from, but thought better of it given the circumstances.
“And your parents?” She paused, savoring the flavor of the steak.
“Yes. They’re alive and well, see, and due for parole soon.”
“Are you ever serious about anything?” she asked, giggling. She’d seen right through him but that hadn’t surprised him.
“Plenty.” He paused, pushing his near-empty plate away. “Seriously, my folks are back in Jersey. My father’s a doctor, and my mother spends her days running the town’s social calendar.”
Izzy laid her silverware across the plate and nudged it toward the center of the table. Where ever she was from, someone had taught her some table manners. A girl of society perhaps?
“And how do they feel about a flyer in the family?” She rested her forearms on the table and leaned in toward him.
When she’d changed earlier, she’d left the top couple of buttons undone on her blouse. Her cleavage peeked out, enticing him. Did she do that on purpose? Did she know what she was doing?
A soft moan charged up into his throat. He cleared it out and scooted the chair back, rising.
She followed his lead, matching him step-for-step across the room. “Did I say something wrong? I don’t mean to pry.” They stopped at the window overlooking the ocean. “Our conversational topics are limited to you,” she added, uneasiness creeping into her tone.
“No, Isabelle. You didn’t say anything wrong.” The desire to take her in his arms washed over Jack. He coached himself to behave and trapped his hands inside the front pockets of his Levi’s. “So, what is Tae Kwon Do, anyway?”
“I wish I knew.” She opened the door and sauntered out onto the deck. He followed and stopped beside her, leaning against the railing.
The moonlight glistened off the calm waters, casting her in a sensuous light. God, she was beautiful. His curiosity about Tae Kwon Do flew out the window with just about everything else. Everything but Izzy.
Izzy twiddled with her fingers and wrung her hands. What she wouldn’t give to feel Jack’s touch, the heat of his body burning hot against hers. Desire
quaked her calm reserve.
She avoided looking at him, knowing her expression would surely tell the tale. Instead, she concentrated on the waves rolling back and forth. She drew a deep breath, overwhelmed by the salt in the brisk sea air. The temperature was mild for a January evening, warm enough to frolic in the cool waters at the shoreline.
“Would you like to go for a walk along the beach?” he said, as if reading her mind.
“That’d be great.”
She slipped out of her shoes and left them lying at the edge of the bottom step. Jack did the same.
They strolled to the water’s edge. He intertwined her arm with his and wrapped a hand over hers. Such gentleman-like behavior, very appealing, but it felt odd, foreign, old-fashioned.
The cool of the ocean pebbled her skin with goose bumps. She shivered, partly chilled by the nippy waters and partly by the sinful thoughts lingering on her mind.
“Cold?” he asked, again as if reading her mind.
“No,” she lied, shaking her head. “I love wading in the ocean. It’s so exhilarating.” That much was true.
“It is.” He released her arm and draped his around her shoulders, nudging her closer. “I discovered a nice little hideaway out here a while back, see. Would you like to see it?” He slid his free hand inside the front pocket of his Levi’s.
“Sure.” She tried to contain her eagerness. “Can we take a couple of blankets with us?” She tried to read his stoic face, to capture what he might be thinking, but lost all thought-control under his steady gaze. She felt the heat blushing her cheeks. “I was thinking maybe we could do a little star-gazing. Don’t you think that’d be fun?”
“Hm, maybe so. Wait here.” He turned and sprinted back toward the house and, once there, took the steps up the wooden stairs two at a time.
Jack disappeared inside but returned seconds later, at least it seemed that way to Izzy, with a couple of blankets tucked under his arm.
She searched her slacks for pockets, finding none, and wondered where she could find herself a good pair of jeans. Letting her interest drift to him, she tucked her fingertips inside her waistband.
They strolled along the water’s edge, mostly in silence, until they reached the outer barrier of his secret spot.
Jack offered a hand and helped her climb over the giant rocks. The stones’ cold surfaces chilled Izzy’s bare feet and she wanted to get to the other side.
Nearing the secluded alcove, she jumped off the boulder closest to the ground, sinking her feet into the sand.
“Wow.” She wiggled her toes in the shoreline. “This place is way cool.”
“Way cool, huh?” He chuckled.
Izzy propped her hands on her hips and surveyed the landscape. That feeling of familiarity bombarded her again. Had she been here before? No. That wasn’t it. Still, something felt familiar about the site. Something sexy, sultry and sensuous. The perfect locale for an intimate encounter.
That’s it. “This place reminds me of From Here to Eternity.”
“From where?” Jack dropped the blankets and looked around.
“The movie. The scene where Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr are...” Her words trailed off as images from the film flashed in her mind. Teased by the prospect of replaying the beach scene with Jack, she blushed, hoping the darkness hid her embarrassment.
“I don’t believe I’ve seen that one.” He grabbed the blankets and laid them out at the base of the rock formation, away from the shoreline.
“It’s a classic.” Déjà vu poured over her. She strolled to the water’s edge, dipping her toes. It was warm. Good. “I feel like we’ve had this conversation before.”
“Not that I recall.” He stuck his hands in the front pockets of his jeans and ambled toward her. “Tell me more about the scene from that movie,” he urged with a devilish glint in his eyes.
“Hey, you want to go swimming?” she asked with all the eagerness of a kid on Christmas morning.
“Swimming?” His skepticism matched her enthusiasm.
“Sure. Come on, where’s your sense of adventure?” She shot him what she hoped was an enticing smile. Just in case that didn’t work out, she popped each button on her blouse slowly, seductively before tossing the garment aside, thinking her bra and panties should serve as adequate swimwear.
Shimmying out of the funky slacks, she almost lost it, staring down at her brief-styled underwear. What the hell? Confusion, strange yet curious, ran through her thoughts. What had possessed her to go with the granny-panties look?
Jack thought about backing out of Isabelle’s invite—for about two seconds. He tore at his shirt, buttons popping, and then slid out of his blue jeans with expertise. Wearing nothing but his boxers and a slight grin, he moved toward her, stopping a foot or two away.
Izzy kicked the water, splashing him with a brisk spray. Her laughter filled the air and he smiled at her playful carefree nature. He loved her spunk, her tenacity, and her ability to make him smile.
Jack lunged at her, half-teasing, half-serious, and she took off running. He caught up with her at a steep bluff on the far side. Invading from behind, he wrapped his arms around her waist.
Izzy wriggled flirtatiously in his embrace. Her behavior encouraged him to relax his hold a bit, and she twisted around to face him. When her arms slid around his neck, he didn’t see the sense in fighting it anymore.
He tasted her—something he’d been dying to do from the first moment he’d laid eyes on her. She tightened her embrace, and to his surprise, parted her lips with an open invitation.
He let her nudge him down to the wet sand, gladly obliging her unspoken request to tower over her. He dug his knees and his hands into the damp sand and their bodies melded together. The ocean’s waves surged up the beach, bathing them both in a warm, arousing elixir before rushing back out to sea.
Now he had a good idea about what took place in the scene from that movie she was talking about. Very risqué, he thought. He’d have to make it a point to find out where she’d been watching movies.
Jack slipped his fingertips beneath her bra straps and dragged them off her shoulders, one by one. She coiled around, encouraging him to loosen the hooks for easy removal. He popped the clasp in an expert move with just one hand, ridding her of the garment easily.
He took a brief moment to gaze at her naked breasts and then blazed a trail down her neck and over the mounds of her chest. Goosebumps crusted her skin. Her body shuddered when he touched her already hardened nipple. He massaged one breast and raked his tongue over the nipple of the other, hard and ripe for kissing.
Desire roused Jack’s loins awake. It’d been a long time since he’d wanted a woman so wholly and fully. For once, his thoughts were on her instead of himself and what pleased him. Each gasp, each sigh, each moan encouraged him more. For the first time, his gratification was derived solely in her satisfaction.
She arched her hips up and turned toward him, pushing him onto his back. Izzy rose above him and straddled his upper thighs, reaching for the waistband of his boxers. Tucking her fingertips under the edge, she wedged her fingers between his undergarments and his hips and began prying them off. Jack raised his bottom off the ground, making it easier for her to work what little clothing he had on down around his ankles.
Using his toes, he nudged his boxers over his feet and kicked them aside.
She rose on her knees and buried her hands underneath her panties, peeling them down over her legs. A craving, deep in his loins, importuned him to scoop her up and twist her around to the ground. When he finally towered above her, Jack tangled his hand around her undergarments and pulled them down her legs and over her feet, and then gladly tossed them aside.
He traced her belly with slow, deliberate strokes until her reception became so frenzied that he finally relented and buried his hand between her legs. She spread her long lean limbs, inviting him to do with her as he saw fit. Not wanting to disappoint, Jack intended to stimulate her into ecstasy.
&
nbsp; Izzy snuggled closer, grinding against him. His shaft reacted with pulsating desire and pushed against her legs, which she gladly parted even farther, draping one over his. Her velvet folds tempted him with a savory moisture.
He bounded on top of her and stalled, his shaft pounding, begging for release. “Are you sure?” He breathed against her ear, giving her one last chance to back out.
She threw her arms around his shoulders and arched toward him. “Do me, Jack.” Sheer insistence clouded her tone. She wanted it. She wanted him to give it to her. She wanted him to do it now.
Izzy’s frankness fueled his fire. He nudged his knee against her thigh and she wrapped her legs around his buttocks. Jack eased inside her and hesitated, getting a hold of his own urges.
She had other ideas, though. She wriggled and jerked beneath him, obviously trying to sate her own fires. Jack responded with a pounding desire. Who was he to deny her?
He started slowly at first, drawing in and out at a measured deliberate pace. She sighed and drew a breath, keeping his rate, but tempted him with soft moans to move faster.
Jack obliged and drove into her with a rock-hard force. A cry of elation escaped her lips. Her body trembled, begging for satisfaction. Encouraged, he pumped harder and faster. She tightened her embrace, both arms and legs, and their orgasms emerged together, binding them as one.
She melted into his arms. The heat of her body enticed him to snuggle her closer. He enjoyed the feel of her bare skin against his and soothed his pleasure by caressing the length of her shoulder and upper arm.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Never better.” She snuggled up against him. If a voice could smile, hers did.
“Me too.” Jack felt a tingling sensation spreading throughout him.
“How long have you been in the Air Force?” she asked, her words emerging from a lazy, vague tone.
Air Force? What an odd thing to say. “I joined the Air Corps after Pearl Harbor,” he said, instead of openly correcting her.
“Were you a pilot before you joined?” She turned to look at him, propping her chin in the base of her hands.
Incredible Dreams Page 8
