Riding the Storm

by Joanne Rock

  And thanks to her telling reactions to his erotic suggestions last night, he knew exactly where to begin.

  5

  IT DIDN’T MATTER that Josie made intelligent, pleasant conversation with Keith the whole way back to the sailboat. It also didn’t matter that she was genuinely intrigued by his business, an innovative company that made her want to investigate more green options for decorating.

  Because just under the respectable, ladylike surface, thoughts of sex seethed inside her.

  Who knew she harbored such deep, earthy hungers?

  Once Keith had the Vesta speeding into the wind, Josie tipped her face toward the light sea spray kicked up from the water, to cool off her skin. Actually, they were sideways to the wind, she thought. While she’d been watching him move around the boat to prepare it for sailing, Keith had talked her through the physics of how to set the sheets to maximize speed. She remembered something about not traveling directly downwind, but having the breeze come from an angle—though, admittedly, she had been mostly thinking about how soon she would taste his mouth on hers again.

  “This is wonderful,” she observed, holding her arms up to feel the breeze through her fingers. “It’s like I’m airing out my mind.”

  Her ponytail, and the ribbon she’d tied around it, blew against her neck. She felt freer out on the water with no need to worry about anyone spotting them together. It wasn’t as if she and Keith were celebrities. But in Nantucket she’d been nervous that he might see someone he knew, and the rumor mill would start churning. On the open water, all alone, those worries melted away.

  “Have you sailed before?” he asked, his white shirt stretching along his shoulders as he tugged on a line to tighten one of the sheets—a jib, maybe? She hoped there wouldn’t be a quiz on all the things he’d showed her. She could secure beams and lines just fine as long as he pointed her in the right direction.

  “A few times with my parents when I was very young,” she admitted. “But they were usually too busy mixing cocktails on the deck to pay any attention to how the crew operated the boat.”

  Securing the line in its new position, Keith looked her way and grinned. “Then it’s a good thing they hired someone else to captain the vessel.”

  “I guess.” She’d grown so accustomed to seeing the darker side of her upbringing that she’d gotten out of the habit of justifying her parents’ decisions. “But I would have enjoyed learning the ropes instead of worrying about one of them going overboard.”

  Sunlight slanted across the water, a fiery trail of wavering orange. Beside them, the ocean surface had smoothed until the hull chased one lone wave as it cut through the sea. For a moment, Josie worried she’d revealed too much, spoiled the unspoken pact that a two-day fling meant keeping things light and simple between them.

  But Keith’s gaze traveled the main mast, his faraway expression suggesting he hadn’t noticed.

  “My father made certain we could all sail—me and my four brothers. Later, when our foster brother came to live with us, we taught him, too.”

  “I’m sure that was wise, since you grew up on the water.”

  His eyes turned back to her, questioning.

  “I saw pictures of your house in a decorating magazine once,” she explained. “I remember it’s perched on a hill overlooking the ocean. I know if I had kids in a house like that, I’d want to be sure they could swim and operate a boat safely.”

  “I’m not sure safety was Robert Murphy’s number-one concern.” Keith shook his head. “The point was to make us as competitive as possible.”

  “He must have spent a lot of time with you.” Peering up at the broad white sheets snapping in the breeze, she admired the simple beauty of the boat. “Sailing takes a while to master.”

  Leaving his sails and his lines, Keith sauntered toward her, his polo shirt plastered to his body, over the white tee underneath. Josie wanted to wrestle both garments off him and absorb the texture of his skin with her palms. She could anticipate the response of all that hard muscle at her fingertips, and she liked the vision her imagination supplied.

  “He did.” Her dark-haired Adonis paused mere inches from her, close enough for her to feel the heat of his body close to hers. “And I suppose that should count for something.”

  “It’s flattering when someone wants to spend time with you,” she observed lightly. Not even thoughts of her parents’ lack of interest in her could distract her from the desire to drag Keith down to the built-in seat on the aft deck.

  No one would see them if a boat happened by and they were lying down.

  “Hell, yes, it’s flattering.” He tipped her chin up so their gazes met, and she realized she’d been staring at the seat cushions. “And wouldn’t I love to know where your thoughts go when you get this color in your cheeks.”

  Her fingers flew to her face, where she could sense the heat. The flush deepened with his eyes so firmly on her.

  “I was just—” she glanced from the seat cushions to him “—wondering how long you were going to be busy with your captain duties.”

  He scanned the horizon quickly, something she noticed he did often while the boat was under way.

  “There’s a warm front brewing behind us and a cold front to the south, which means storms could develop. We want to keep an eye out for any changes in the weather, but until then, we should take advantage of the wind. Besides, I didn’t think it was right to tell you I’d take you on a trip and then use it as an excuse just to get you aboard. Alone.” The rich rumble of his voice sent a shiver of pleasure through her.

  “Then how about this?” She closed the gap between them, her fingers alighting on his chest to explore the broad expanse of muscle there. “I told you I would take this trip as an excuse to get you on board. Away from the rest of the world.”

  She waited, knowing she didn’t have the sexual assertiveness to do more than hint. Her heartbeat sped, her breathing as ragged as if she’d run an hour on the treadmill. For one long moment, Keith studied her, his green eyes turning dark as a shaded forest despite the sun casting a burnished hue over everything around them.

  His hands bracketed her waist, his fingers straying onto her hips as he pulled her fully against him.

  “I’m going to drop anchor in a minute,” he told her, his voice a rough whisper against her ear while his hips pressed a rigid erection into her belly. “I’ll find a spot to spend the night.”

  Wordless from the sweet sensations curling through her, she merely nodded, her cheek brushing the skin-warmed fabric of his shirt.

  “Would you like that?” He moved his mouth lower, toward her neck, pausing to gently clamp his teeth around the gold hoop in her earlobe.

  “Yes,” she managed to answer, tipping her head to one side to give him more access.

  He nipped her ear lightly, sending another shiver through her, this one so blatant it might have been embarrassing if she wasn’t so completely turned on.

  His teeth, she realized, as he placed a kiss on the column of her throat. That’s what had her all breathless and hungry inside. He’d made her think about him undressing her again.

  “In fact,” she added, her voice hoarse with restrained passion, “the sooner you can put the brakes on this thing, the sooner you’ll see the surprise I’ve got in store for you downstairs.”

  “You’re incentive enough.” He cupped his hands on her hips, squeezing gently. “Although I’m curious now.”

  “I’ll give you a hint.” She extricated herself from his arms in the hopes of enticing him below deck as soon as possible. “It’s teeth-friendly.”

  AN HOUR FELT LIKE three days.

  Keith raced through the process of securing the Vesta, taking the extra time to steer toward an out-cropping of rocks that could hardly be called an island, just so he’d have a shallow place to set the anchor. Yet every minute he spent preparing the boat for the night felt interminable when he knew Josie was close by, waiting for him.

  His head ached, pos
sibly from grinding his teeth for the last hour, the delay turning downright painful. He couldn’t remember ever wanting a woman like this. To distract himself, he thought briefly about their conversation earlier, when she’d rerouted the talk from family to the attraction between them. The way she’d admired his father’s investment in his kids made Keith think that one or both of her parents hadn’t made much of an investment in her. Just a hunch, but he was pretty good at reading people.

  Obviously, Josie didn’t want to spend time talking about her family. And while he was curious about her background, he had no reason to press. Right now, he just wanted to be with her.

  Finally, he flipped on the lights to ensure they would be visible to oncoming vessels even after the sun set—which would happen momentarily. With the sails furled and the lines tied, Keith shut off everything else except the radio.

  It took an effort not to sprint across the deck and leap down the companionway like a freaking superhero. But somehow he managed to restrain himself to a jog—past the aft deck seating, down the few stairs that led to the galley and main salon, where he’d first discovered her the night before.

  Where she’d taken up residence once again.

  “Hello, Keith.” Josie’s throaty greeting drifted from inside a ring of candles.

  Golden light flickered warmly, transforming the utilitarian boat interior into something out of a dream. Josie sat at the center, her silky dark hair falling to the shoulders of an equally dark robe, the shimmering liquid fabric of which pooled around her. Rising, she took a step toward him, and he realized she was taller than usual.

  Platform heels with elaborate straps covered her feet.

  “I think I’m underdressed for whatever you’ve got in mind.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her, knowing she’d gone to all this trouble for him. The clothes. The candles.

  “On the contrary, you’ve been overdressed virtually every time I’ve seen you.” A wicked gleam in her eye reminded him that beneath this glamorous exterior lurked an earthy, sensual woman.

  “You think?” He scrubbed a hand over his chest, where his unbuttoned polo shirt met his T-shirt. “I know.” She reached for the hem of the polo, all business. “But I’m going to fix that problem for you now.”

  Her fingers skimmed up his abs, the fabric bunching in her hands as she gathered it. He lifted his arms, helping her pull the shirt up and off.

  “Nice.” She ran her palms over the T-shirt, where the outline of his every muscle was obvious. “Very nice.”

  Peering up at him in the candlelight, she looked like some otherworldly goddess with her ankle-length silk robe and her pale, perfect skin. He wasn’t a man given to fanciful thinking. But she was a walking, talking fantasy.

  “Thank you.” He slid one knuckle over her cheek, absorbing the smooth feel of her skin, amazed he’d lucked into meeting her at all.

  She lowered her head to place a kiss on his chest. “No need to thank me. It’s not a compliment. It’s a fact.”

  His skin twitched where her lips had been. The need to get naked with her was a flame licking through him.

  “No. I meant I’m grateful that you’re here. For this.” He gestured toward the candles.

  “Don’t thank me yet. You haven’t even seen your surprise.” Her hand went to the robe tie.

  He held his breath.

  At a deft flick of her fingers, the ribbon at her waist fell away. The lapels of the robe drifted apart. And the outfit that came into view robbed him of speech.

  Draped in silver sequins, she wore some kind of costume that would have suited a burlesque queen. Meant to tantalize without revealing too much, the metallic bustier glittered as she moved, her breasts thrust upward so high it seemed an architectural feat that the fabric hid her nipples. Rhinestone straps on her shoulders held the garment in place, each tiny gem winking at him in the candlelight as she pushed the robe the rest of the way off.

  Speechless, he could only gaze in amazement at the way the fabric hugged her waist and turned into silver lace around her hips. Barely there lace panties met the hem of the corset, but were trapped behind more glittery straps that held transparent stockings in place.

  “I know it’s not the usual boating attire, but sometimes it’s tough to ignore my penchant for decorating.” She spoke in a rush, possibly battling a moment’s unease, since he hadn’t managed to unglue his tongue from the roof of his mouth to say anything yet.

  He swallowed hard. Licked his lips.

  “It’s fantastic.” He didn’t just want her. He was damn well humbled that she’d gone to so much effort for him. “Will you stay here for just a second?”

  She nodded, her dark hair sliding along that pale skin, covering some of the rhinestones on those tantalizing straps.

  He brushed past her and charged through the galley to the berth, where a queen-size bed had been made up neatly with new sheets by the cleaning service. Bypassing that, he yanked out a trundle from underneath and wrestled its smaller mattress through the door, back out into the main salon, where Josie waited.

  “Oh!” She hurried to move a few candles, probably because, trailing blankets as he was, he posed a fire hazard. “Let me help.”

  Distracted by the jiggle of mouthwatering breasts as she came close, he would have probably torched the whole boat if she hadn’t been there to steer him into the middle of the space.

  “I want you to stay right here, in the center of all the candles,” he explained belatedly, knowing his brain wasn’t communicating well with his mouth. “You look so damn incredible.”

  He tossed the mattress on the floor near the built-in table, then dragged the fallen blankets closer.

  “Want to know the best part?” She edged closer, her sky-high heel brushing his calf as he knelt to arrange the bedding.

  His gaze moved to her legs. “It’s going to be tough to name any one best part.” He hooked a hand around her ankle and skimmed it up the back of her silk stocking, pausing at the soft hollow behind her knee.

  He watched her expression shift, her eyelids fluttering at the touch.

  “No. I meant—” She gasped as he leaned near to plant a kiss on the side of her thigh, just above where he touched her.

  Beneath the finely spun threads of her stocking, he could feel her skin against his lips. The scent of her was sweet and fragrant.

  “Tea rose,” he guessed, peering up the gorgeous length of her body to her face.

  “You know your perfumes,” she murmured, tangling her fingers in his hair.

  “Actually, I know my teas. Green Principles consults with a tea company and they send me cool stuff every Christmas. The rose tea smells the best.” He parted his lips for another kiss, licking that same small patch of her skin. “Tastes good, too.”

  The sound Josie made in the back of her throat was a turn-on unlike any other.

  The need to possess her flared hot, and he palmed the backs of her thighs to draw her closer. His heart slammed hard against his chest, his whole body poised and throbbing with a hunger damn near all-consuming.

  “You said something about this outfit being teeth-friendly.” He nipped the satin bow that rested over one garter clasp. “Did you mean these?”

  Not waiting for an answer, he hooked his teeth around the tab and raised it enough to slide free of the slot, loosening the strap’s hold on the silvery silk encasing her thigh. He covered the newly bared skin with his mouth, drawing on her gently until she half tumbled forward into him, her knees giving out in a way that sent a fierce spear of satisfaction through his chest.

  “I…” She tried to steady herself with her hands on his shoulders, but he guided her down to the mattress instead. “No. That is, I meant the ribbons up the back were easy to…you know…undo.”

  With her pupils dilated and her breathing fast and uneven, she seemed too distracted to talk. Which was just fine with him. He’d done enough talking today, trying to convince her to take this trip with him. Now it was up to him to prove she’d m
ade the right choice.

  But if she’d gone to so much trouble to choose an outfit that would drive him out of his ever-loving mind, he wanted to at least take it in from all sides before he peeled it off her. So, curious to see the ties, he levered himself higher on the mattress to peer over her shoulder.

  The black ribbon threaded through tiny eyes up the back of the corset, the whole getup held together with that fragile satin and just waiting for him to tug it free.

  Trouble was, there were so many places on her that demanded his attention, he hardly knew where to begin.

  She ended his dilemma by wrapping a hand around his neck and drawing him close. Softly, she brushed her lips over his, claiming his mouth in a kiss so achingly sweet he could have blissed out on it for at least a week.

  The woman was a silver flame, hotter than he could handle, sizzling him from the outside in. He palmed her spine and yanked the tie loose. The garment she wore slipped down enough that he could slide the rhinestone straps away. Free her full, sexy breasts.

  He cupped them and molded them in his hands, fascinated by the upward tilt of the dark pink nipples. Lowering his mouth to first one, than the other, he laved the tight buds with hungry swipes of his tongue.

  His body throbbed with the urge to be inside her, every inch of him hard and wanting. She seemed wise to that need, her hands coming to life on his abs and smoothing his T-shirt away from his shorts. Gently, she steered the zipper on his fly over his erection until he was free.

  Keith felt heat searing his back as his skin—his whole being—caught fire. His hands were unsteady by the time he got around to popping the tabs on the other garter straps, enabling him to rake away the corset completely.

  Naked but for the silvery panties, Josie’s body was even more mind-blowing than the garment she’d been wearing. Candlelight warmed her pale skin to the color of a golden peach, the flickering glow reflected in her dark eyes as she slipped her palm inside his boxers to trail up the rigid length of him. The sensation knocked the breath out of him, holding him motionless for several long moments. Pleasure washed over him, threatening to pull him under.