by Sarah Morgan
CHAPTER SEVEN
SAM stood on the beach and tried to concentrate on what he was supposed to be saying.
James, the sound man, was making various adjustments and Polly was talking to the cameraman. In a moment he was going to have to start talking about holiday health and all he could think about was Anna.
He ran a hand over the back of his neck and the make-up girl sprinted forward with her box of tricks.
‘Standing in the sun for too long is making you sweat.’
Sam surrendered to her ministrations and chose not to enlighten her. It wasn’t the sun that was making him sweat. It was thoughts of Anna. Her fabulous legs. Her amazing hair. The way her mouth and skin tasted. It came as a considerable shock to discover that Anna had the ability to seriously disturb his equilibrium. Who would have thought it?
‘OK, Sam, we’re ready.’ Polly walked towards him. ‘We’re going to use some shots of families on the beach doing normal things and then we’ll have you talking about sun protection. Are you ready?’
Sam nodded. As ready as he’d ever be.
The afternoon passed quickly while they filmed various shots and they were just finishing for the day, Polly finally satisfied, when there were shouts from the cliffs behind them.
John swung his camera round. ‘Someone in trouble up there?’
‘Not up there.’ Polly caught Sam’s arm and pointed. ‘Out there.’
He followed her gaze and saw a small rubber dinghy that had floated out past the rocks. There was one little girl in it and she was crying and waving. The sea was rough, the waves crashing around her and threatening to swamp the tiny dinghy. ‘Oh, hell, this beach is covered in warnings about the currents and the waves. Why do people ignore them?’
Even as he started sprinting towards the sea, he could hear the screaming, see the sudden surge of people as they sensed drama and danger and moved in to watch.
‘Get the people away, Poll,’ he yelled, ‘and call the coastguard.’
He dragged off his shirt as he ran, trying to identify the family of the little girl in the dinghy. ‘Do you know her?’ He sprinted past people, barking the question until finally he found the parents at the edge of the waves.
The father was frantically wading into the water towards his daughter.
‘I’ll get her.’ Sam pulled him back and the man gripped his arm hard, panic visible in his eyes as he explained what had happened.
‘It’s not just her. My teenage son was in that dinghy. He’s fallen into the water—he’s not that great a swimmer.’
‘Stay here.’ Sam waded into the water and then turned as someone sprinted up beside him.
It was Anna. Slender and poised in a black swimsuit, her gaze grimly determined. She didn’t waste time with words, just handed him a buoyancy aid and kept one for herself. He noticed that she was also carrying a life-jacket.
‘Let’s go.’
He didn’t argue, pleased to have her help. Anna was a first-class swimmer and he knew she had a life-saving certificate.
She dived into the waves with the skill of a dolphin, her strong overarm stroke powering her through the water towards the stricken dinghy. He followed swiftly, overtook her and reached the little girl first.
‘He fell in.’ The girl was hysterical, clinging to the edges of the tiny inflatable boat, which rocked precariously in the rough sea. It seemed ridiculously insubstantial. ‘He was being stupid, playing around, and then he fell in.’
Anna surfaced next to Sam and swam around to the girl, one hand on the dinghy. ‘Try not to panic. We’ll find your brother. What’s your name?’
The girl choked on a sob. ‘Lottie—’
‘Well, Lottie—’ Anna broke off and gave a gasp and a splutter as a wave broke over her head, almost swamping her and the tiny boat. Relieved that she was such a strong swimmer, Sam watched as she surfaced immediately and shook her head clear of the water. ‘Lottie, we’re going to get you somewhere safe.’ Her lashes were clumped together with seawater and she swept a hand across her face to clear her vision. ‘I want you to sit still in that boat of yours and hold on very tightly while we work out the best way to do this.’
Her dark hair plastered to her head, as sleek as an otter, she kicked her legs fiercely and looked at Sam.
‘This thing is going to capsize,’ he said, scraping the water out of his eyes and treading water himself while he marshalled his thoughts. The sea was becoming rougher by the minute and he knew that the dinghy wasn’t going to offer protection for long. ‘Get a life-jacket on her while I see if I can find her brother.’
She didn’t argue with him.
‘Lottie, I want you to put your arms in this and then we’re going to zip it up.’ Anna struggled as another huge wave hit them. She paused for a moment, waited for a lull and then helped the girl into the life-jacket. When she’d finished she turned and looked around her and realised Sam was gone.
For a moment her heart jerked with panic and then she realised that he must have dived down under the water.
Another wave crashed down on her and this time the dinghy was totally submerged. Relieved that she’d got the life-jacket on the girl in time, Anna kicked strongly and held the child above the water, trying to calm her each time a wave swamped them, her eyes flitting around frantically for signs of Sam.
He’d been under too long.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw the lifeboat arrive, but all she cared about now was Sam. Damn, he shouldn’t have dived. It was too much of a risk. The waves were too rough, the tide was too strong…
And then he surfaced, right next to her, gasping for air, struggling to keep another body afloat.
‘You got him.’
‘He must have hit his head on a rock. But he’s been under for a while.’ Sam’s breathing was jerky as he gasped for air. Water clung to his lashes and the rough stubble of his jaw as he carefully held the teenage boy’s face above the water. ‘We need to get him out of here, fast.’
The lifeboat crew, practised in rescues such as these, swung into action and Anna gladly relinquished the little girl into their capable hands before turning her attention to helping Sam.
‘We need to keep him flat—you know that. He has to be lifted out of the water in a prone position or we risk circulatory collapse.’
‘I know.’
‘And we need to watch his neck.’ Sam yelled instructions to the lifeboat crew, who were preparing to lift the teenager out of the water.
Through her watery vision, Anna spotted John Craddock at the helm.
There was a clack-clacking sound overhead and the rescue helicopter arrived.
‘Thank goodness,’ Anna shouted, gasping as another wave broke over her head. ‘They can fly him straight to hospital. Are you OK?’
‘Never better.’ Sam managed a wry grin. ‘Apart from the gallon of seawater I’ve swallowed.’
Finally the rescue was completed and Sam and Anna swam back to the shore, both of them cold and exhausted.
‘Have the parents gone?’ Sam accepted a towel gratefully from a bystander and wiped his face.
‘Someone gave them a lift to the hospital.’ Polly was standing next to him with the rest of the crew. ‘Well, I have to say, you two, you know how to give the viewers something exciting to watch. That was amazing.’
Anna twisted her long hair round her hand and squeezed until water dripped onto the sand. ‘You were filming that?’
‘Every minute.’ Polly smiled and shielded her eyes against the sun. ‘Not just for our documentary—although for holiday health I think that was a pretty powerful message—but for the news as well.’
Anna rubbed her hand over her face to clear her vision. ‘I can’t believe you filmed it.’
‘It’s my job.’ Polly handed her another towel. ‘Just as this is your job. Sort of.’ She pulled a face. ‘Actually, I don’t think it is your job to plunge into crashing waves and a cold sea to rescue someone who shouldn’t have been out in a dinghy anywa
y. People should think before they act. Now do you see the point of our programme?’
Anna shivered despite the towel and the warmth of the sun. ‘I suppose if it stops someone taking blow-up craft into rough waves, yes.’ She rubbed her skin with the towel but her teeth continued to chatter.
‘For the record, the two of you were amazing.’ Polly glanced at the cameraman. ‘We got it all, didn’t we? Every adrenaline-pumping minute?’
‘Oh, yes.’ He grinned and tapped the camera. ‘I wasn’t missing that. I even got the frantic look on Anna’s face when she thought Sam wasn’t coming up again.’
Oh, hell.
Anna huddled inside the towel. ‘I was just worried about running the practice single-handed,’ she muttered, and Polly smiled.
‘Of course you were. The funny thing about you two is that you disagree violently on everything that doesn’t matter, but when it comes to something important you don’t even have to communicate. You just anticipate the other’s needs. Just like that time in the surgery with little Lucy. Maybe when you see the footage, you’ll see what I mean.’
‘Something’s making me feel sick, Polly,’ Anna said, her teeth still chattering, ‘and it’s either the seawater I’ve swallowed or it could possibly be the rubbish you’re spouting.’
‘Deny it all you like,’ Polly said airily, ‘but the two of you work well together. And on camera you make magic. This programme is going to be a hit. And you’re going to be a hit, Anna. You’d better get yourself an agent.’
She turned away to say something to the sound man and Sam stepped forward with a wicked grin.
‘Any time you want to make magic with me, Riggs, just say the word.’
Anna glared at him and opened her mouth to say something sharp, but Polly turned her attention back to them before she could speak.
‘Can the two of you explain a little bit about what you were trying to do in that rescue? In relatively simple language, of course.’
Anna smiled helpfully. ‘Save someone from drowning?’
Polly ignored her and looked at Sam. ‘I thought the two of you could have a conversation about it—you know, something natural but informative.’
He nodded, instantly professional. ‘Sure, Polly. Let’s just ad lib and see what we get.’ He dropped the towel and turned to Anna, water still clinging to his lashes, like some sort of god who had just emerged from the sea. ‘Of course, there have been some extraordinary examples of survival after long periods of submersion in ice-cold water—’
‘We could experiment if you like.’ Anna tilted her head to one side and smiled at him, her wet hair sliding over her bare shoulders. ‘I could hold you under ice-cold water and we could see what happens.’
There was a snort of laughter from the sound man.
‘Cut!’ Polly shook her head and laughed. ‘That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, Anna!’
Anna’s gaze was locked on Sam’s.
Something dangerous gleamed in his eyes. ‘On reflection, holding me under ice-cold water isn’t a bad idea,’ he muttered, taking a step towards her. ‘It might be the only solution if we carry on with your plan.’
Aware that the crew was listening, Anna felt her cheeks heat and backed away from him.
‘OK, let’s try this thoroughly staged and unnatural conversation you want,’ she said quickly, suddenly wanting to distract Sam from coming towards her. Had he forgotten that they were being filmed, for goodness’ sake? ‘Dr McKenna…’ She kept her voice brisk and professional. ‘It’s important to remember that cold can protect lives as well as endanger them.’
This time she played it straight, as they’d requested, talking with Sam about the management of near drowning, using terms that a layman would understand.
Finally Polly was satisfied. ‘Fantastic. You two are going to be our star turn. And, Anna, I love your swimming costume.’
Anna stared down at herself in amazement. ‘It’s just a costume.’
‘It looks great.’ The sound man scratched the side of his nose and gave her a cheeky grin. ‘I think we can guarantee a male audience for this particular series.’
Anna’s mouth fell open. ‘You’re saying that people are going to watch this because they like my swimming costume?’
‘No, although that helps. They’ll watch because you’re beautiful and full of guts,’ Polly said bluntly, ‘and because there’s enough spark between the two of you to start a forest fire.’
‘Oh, not that again,’ Anna snapped, scooping her damp hair over one shoulder and deciding that enough was enough. ‘If we’ve finished here, I’m off. I need to warm up after my impromptu dip.’
She sprinted back along the sand towards the house, trying to outrun her feelings. It didn’t work.
She slowed to a walk and gave a groan.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop thinking about Sam. And it was getting worse by the minute.
Damn.
She took the steps that led from the beach to the deck of the house and padded round to the hot tub.
She flicked the switch, slid into the bubbling water with a moan of pleasure and closed her eyes. This was one of her favourite places. She waited for the tension to seep out of her, but this time she couldn’t relax. Couldn’t get him out of her mind. And when she heard footsteps on the deck, she knew it was him.
Her eyes flew open and she moved in the water. ‘I was just getting out.’
‘You only just got in.’ He was still dressed in his surf shorts and nothing else. He had an amazing body, strong, powerfully built and immensely fit, and he stood there, legs planted firmly apart, totally unselfconscious.
She, on the other hand, was aware of every male inch of him.
Her throat dried. ‘I just wanted to warm up.’
‘And how warm are you?’ He sat down, swung his legs over the side and slid in next to her, his gaze meshing with hers as he moved in close. ‘How warm are you, Riggs?’
She swallowed, trapped by his gaze. ‘I’m warming up fast.’
His blue eyes flickered to her mouth. ‘Need any help?’
‘I think I might,’ she managed huskily before his mouth found hers and they both gave in to the greed that had been consuming them both for days.
‘Hell, Riggs.’ His mouth devoured hers hungrily. ‘I love your body.’
‘Same here.’ She felt their legs tangle, felt his arm haul her close and felt his other hand at her breast. ‘Oh, help, we shouldn’t do this.’
‘Stop saying that.’ He groaned the words into her neck. ‘We’re doing it and that’s final.’
‘No.’ She tilted her head and gasped for air. ‘I mean, we shouldn’t be doing this here, in public.’
‘It’s not public.’ His tongue tasted her skin. ‘This is a private deck. The only way anyone can see is if they’re up here with us.’
Her whole body was on fire, her heart leaping in her chest.
‘We agreed it was a mistake…’
‘We never agree on anything.’ His hand cupped her face and his mouth came down on hers again, stifling her cry.
He felt so good. Hard. Strong. Male.
And she wanted him.
She broke away, her breath coming in tiny pants, her fingers digging into his biceps. ‘We really ought to discuss this.’ She was trying to concentrate but all she could think about was the play of muscle under her fingers and how much she wanted him. ‘We shouldn’t do this on impulse.’ She gasped as his mouth found her throat again. ‘We should talk.’
‘Talking isn’t going to warm either of us up.’
Her eyes closed as she felt the erotic touch of his mouth on hers. She’d thought she’d been kissed before. Dozens of times. But maybe she was wrong because it had never felt like this. No one kissed like Sam McKenna.
She knew that what they were doing wasn’t sensible, but it felt too right to even contemplate stopping.
His arm curved around her waist and he pulled her onto his lap. ‘Body heat is an
important source of warmth in these circumstances, Riggs,’ he murmured, his voice deep and unreasonably sexy. ‘Important to share what we have.’
Her whole body ached and throbbed and she twisted under the water, bringing herself into closer contact with him, hearing his groan, feeling his immediate response.
‘It’s time you lost the swimming costume.’ His hands skimmed her shoulders, sliding it down, and she gave a strangled moan as she felt his clever, seeking fingers graze her taut nipples.
‘McKenna. Sam!’
He tugged the costume lower still, his hands sliding over her belly and downwards till she shifted her hips against him, desperate to ease the blinding, greedy ache.
Bringing his mouth back to hers, he kissed her savagely, stoking the fire that flared between them.
It took all her will-power to stop it from going all the way. ‘Sam…’ She groaned his name, her eyes closed. ‘We can’t do this. Not here. We should stop now…’
She felt the rise and fall of his chest as he struggled to breathe normally. ‘You’re probably right. Not here. Are you warmer now? Because that’s all I was doing, of course, warming you up.’
She looked at him, her breathing unsteady. ‘Just a little warmer. Thanks.’
‘My pleasure.’
She was still on his lap, still aware of every masculine inch of him. ‘Well… I, er, that was…interesting.’
He ran a hand over his face and made a visible effort to pull himself together. ‘It certainly proved a point.’
She could still feel the brush of his hard thigh against hers and her brain was refusing to function. ‘What point?’
‘That it was nothing to do with the dark, the champagne and the atmosphere.’
She slid her arms back into her costume and moved off his lap. ‘We don’t like each other, McKenna.’
His eyes followed her every movement. ‘We could work on that.’
‘We never agree on anything.’
‘I’m willing to say yes to you the minute you ask me the right question.’
She stood up, breathlessly aware of his gaze on her body. ‘We’re going to take a step backwards, McKenna, and try and get a grip on ourselves. We need to stop putting ourselves in the position where this happens. I still think this isn’t a good idea.’
