Making a Splash

by Joanne Rock

  A man who could scald her skin with one sizzling touch.

  Swallowing hard, she unzipped her hoodie and slid it off. Mostly, she wanted to peel off layers to feel even closer to Jack when she touched him. But seeing the way his eyes widened at the sight of her in a couple of thin, layered tank tops, she was even more gratified with her decision to start undressing.

  “Like what you see, Murphy?” She couldn’t help asking the question. Her heart had ached over him long enough that she would gladly rake in all the affirmation—verbal and otherwise—that he wanted her now.

  “I’ll tell you when I see a little more.” He tucked two fingers beneath the straps on her shoulder and nudged them off.

  The heat of his gaze stroked the tops of her breasts as surely as a caress, causing the tips to pebble. Her breath hitching, she reached for the drawstring on the lounge pants she’d worn around the galley for cooking, letting the bright, printed flannel fall into a heap at her feet. As the night breeze hit her bare thighs and wound around her cotton bikini panties, she flattened a palm to his chest.

  Beneath the gray T-shirt he wore, his skin radiated heat like a furnace. The flames practically danced up her fingers as she touched him.

  “I like what I see,” he finally admitted. “A whole lot.” He returned his touch to her other shoulder, pulling the straps down on that side. “So much that I can’t wait to see everything. Feel everything. Taste everything.”

  He wrapped his hands around her waist and drew her to him until she fit snug against him, then he dropped a kiss to her bare shoulder and peeled her shirts down, exposing her breasts to his questing mouth.

  Nerve endings fired to life all over. Alicia’s head lolled back as she gave up command of her body to his touch. His tongue.

  He licked at the taut peak of one nipple, sending her into a paroxysm of sensual shivers. A hungry moan ripped from her throat and she threaded her fingers through his hair, holding him there as he feasted on one breast and then the other.

  Sweet warmth curled in her belly, melting the place between her thighs. Unsure how to communicate the new ache requiring his attention, she rolled her hips against the rock-hard length behind the fly of his cargo shorts. His thigh was between her legs in an instant, pressing right where she needed. Right where she wanted.

  But that relief was fleeting, too, driving a deeper hunger.

  “Maybe I should be the one to offer up sexual favors now.” His voice rumbled in her ear.

  “Okay.” She nodded helplessly, trembling so badly her fingers shook and her temples tingled. She was all sensation and reaction. “Although it seems I like to give them as much as receive them.”

  Her last favor had taught her plenty about what he liked, and she couldn’t wait to deploy that particular sensual weapon again. But now, waiting to see what he had in mind, she wanted nothing more than to have him inside her. He surprised her by picking her up and carrying her down the steps into the cabin below.

  “You’re dragging me back to your cave,” she mused as her eyes adjusted to the dark, wondering what he had in mind. “I thought men were visual creatures who like to see what’s happening.”

  “I do.” He switched on a night-light near the door that glowed red, a color that would help a sailor maintain his night vision if he had to go back on deck. “But I can see well enough now.”

  Depositing her in the middle of the dark blue bedspread, he stood over her. He remained fully dressed, while she’d kept on only a pair of panties and a tank top that drifted down around her waist.

  “I can’t give you much of a striptease, if that’s what you’re looking for.” She skimmed a hand along her bare breasts. “I’m mostly naked, anyhow. But I can think of another favor you might like…?.”

  She reached out to palm the bulge in his shorts. To stroke him.

  His eyelids drifted closed for an instant before he appeared to force them back open.

  “No.” He gripped her wrist, imprisoning her gently. “The favor I want requires you to shut your eyes.”

  Feeling highly compliant with whatever he requested, she did as he asked, plunging herself into darkness while he hovered over her at the foot of the bed.

  Cool night air blew in through the cabin window, whispering over her fevered skin while he made shuffling sounds that suggested he was removing his clothes. She debated taking a peek, but before she acted on the impulse, he knelt between her thighs.

  Her eyes flew open as his fingers curved around her hips, holding her still.

  “That’s my favor to you?” She couldn’t deny a surge of arousal at the sight of his broad, tanned hands on her skin, his shoulder sliding beneath her thigh.

  Slowly, deliberately, he rubbed his jaw along the soft cotton of her panties, just above the place that throbbed for his touch.

  “Maybe it’s a favor for both of us. But what I need from you right now is for you to lie still and let me do whatever I please.” He nipped at her hip with his teeth, then clamped down on the lace hem of her underwear, drawing the bikini bottoms down.

  Down.

  Lying still wouldn’t have been an option as he worked the fabric lower, except that he held her tight, pinning her hips to the mattress. Her toes curled and her fingers twisted in the bedspread. His touch and his presence between her thighs would have been devastating enough all on their own.

  But the memory of his words smoked through her consciousness, calling to mind the last time he’d said them to her. That was the night he’d taken her virginity, which she’d been coming out of her skin to give to him…?.

  “WHAT I WANT IS FOR YOU to lie still and let me do whatever I please.” Jack’s tone brooked no argument.

  Another woman might have been put out by the caveman tactics in bed, but Alicia loved it. Loved him. She fought with him and competed with him in every other facet of their relationship, but didn’t mind giving up her power in the bedroom. The thought of him doing whatever he pleased to her sent the early-warning tremors of an orgasm rippling through her.

  He’d taken her out on his new sailboat to christen it. He’d called it the Vesta after her, since she joked about being a Vestal virgin. Being a twenty-year-old virgin hadn’t bothered her before meeting Jack, since she’d never been in a relationship that seemed worthy of getting physical. But Jack Murphy was more than a hot guy. He was smart. Principled. Funny. Completely unintimidated by her swimming prowess and her strength. In fact, Jack encouraged her to be as competitive and opinionated as she pleased.

  Except for right now, when he was finally going to initiate her into the mysteries of womanhood.

  “I’m dying,” she said, twisting beneath him as he stroked the slick center of her. “I’m so ready for this.”

  She could feel his grin against her stomach when he kissed her navel.

  “Who did we decide was in charge?” The hot whisper along her skin made her whimper in frustration.

  They’d stripped off their clothes at least ten minutes ago, after they had anchored near an uninhabited island off the coast of Chatham. The secluded cove offered plenty of privacy, allowing them to roll around on a blanket on deck, under the stars.

  “I just don’t want to miss this orgasm that’s so close if you would—”

  Stretching up to cover her body, he silenced her with a kiss. She couldn’t think when he kissed her. No doubt that’s why he did it. His hand covered her sex, one finger stirring the molten core…?.

  She flew apart instantly, seeing far more stars behind her eyes than they’d spotted over the sea that night.

  “There’s more where that came from,” he promised, his words breaking through the sensual haze that held her spellbound. “But you have to behave…?.”

  “JACK.” Alicia’s hips stirred against his grip as she strained to get closer to him. “Please.”

  He eased back enough to remove her panties before he took his place between her thighs again.

  “So impatient.” He stroked a finger down the center
of her sex. “So beautiful.”

  She couldn’t find her voice to say anything either way. Her whole body tensed, every fiber of her being keenly attuned to his touch. His warmth. His powerful shoulders under her thighs, holding her steady for the slow circling of his thumb.

  Her breath came fast, and her breasts were tight and aching, as if they’d never get enough of him. When his tongue replaced his thumb between her legs, the pleasure was so exquisite she had to fight off the release that threatened then and there. Desire flooded her veins in a dark, delicious tide. She twisted against the mattress and managed to hang on a little longer, to savor the feel of delectable tension inside her.

  She wanted him everywhere at once. The velvet stroke of his mouth on her made her mindless. She gripped his shoulders, his body the only steady thing in a world threatening to splinter apart at any moment.

  When release came, the waves of sensation convulsed through her. He held her tighter, closer, urging her on until every last shattering tremor had quieted. Only then did he relinquish his grip on her hips, placing one last kiss on her sex before he arched over her.

  Dazed and hungry for him, she blinked up into his eyes. He studied her in the red glow from the night-light as he tugged open the nightstand drawer and retrieved the condom stash. Two left. One of which he’d already freed to sheathe himself.

  She levered up on an elbow to kiss him, tasting her own desire on his tongue. He positioned himself between her legs, never breaking the kiss.

  He entered her in a thrust that brought one final aftershock pulsing through her muscles, which clenched him tight. Glancing up, she found his green eyes on her, watching her with a heated intensity that threatened to burn deep into her heart.

  The look—the moment—hit her hard. Closing her eyes, she fought to untangle the past from the present, to steal only pleasure from their joining.

  “Ally.” He broke the kiss to breathe her name over her lips and wrap her in his arms.

  With his chest pressed to hers, his hard, muscular thighs stretched beside her legs, he was suddenly everywhere at once, just like she’d wanted. He cupped her cheek with one hand, her hip with the other, and initiated a deep, slow rhythm as he moved inside her. Each thrust took her higher. Every withdrawal left her gasping for more.

  She speared her fingers through his dark hair, anchoring herself to him as he moved. He answered by cupping her breast and tweaking the taut nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Her heartbeat sped as she climbed toward the peak of pleasure all over again. Faster, higher.

  Deeper.

  “Ally,” he whispered again, calling her to be present in the moment with him.

  She understood what he wanted, and she couldn’t resist the invitation any more than she’d been able to hold back from him four years ago. Or yesterday.

  Opening her eyes, she sank into his gaze as surely as if she’d dived headfirst. He was all around her. Inside her.

  In her heart.

  And as the first gorgeous wave of fulfillment broke over her, Alicia had to acknowledge that he’d never really left.

  9

  “WHAT TIME IS YOUR meeting with the property owner?” Jack asked when he spotted Alicia glancing at her watch for the third time the next day.

  They’d taken shifts at the helm starting shortly before dawn, making steady headway toward Bar Harbor. He would rather have stayed anchored there, enjoying every second of being with Alicia. But just like the previous day, she’d pulled away in the aftermath of what they’d shared during the long, heated night. Yesterday, she’d spent time sketching the bed-and-breakfast, losing herself in the silence of drawing. Today, she moved around the boat in a flurry of activity, cleaning the galley, packing her bag, folding and storing the curtain he’d put up to keep the rain off the helm in the storm.

  Obviously, she was dead set on not getting any more involved than their blow-your-mind sex required. The realization forced him to see that he would need to take more drastic measures if he wanted a second chance with her. Alicia had no intention of returning to Chatham—or him—if she could help it.

  Maybe he’d underestimated how much his detour into the navy had hurt her. Maybe her leaving his ass today would be well-deserved payback.

  He’d be haunted by memories of this time together for the rest of his days. No other woman would ever bring him to the kind of mind-blowing precipice she could.

  “One o’clock.” She tapped her watch with a fingernail as he steered closer to the coastline. “My appointment was originally for four this afternoon, but I asked if I could move it up once I knew we’d arrive early.”

  “Can’t wait to get rid of me?” Jack rechecked his heading to be sure they were still on course, the engine humming steadily as they cut through the gentle waves.

  Along the coast, stands of pines were interspersed with houses and rocky outcroppings. Even in its most developed spots, Maine bore little resemblance to the crowded tumble of mansions and cottages that stood side by side on most of Cape Cod. The cooler weather and rougher waters welcomed a hardier tourist. Sapphire-blue waves sparkled in the sunlight, crashing in frothy spray on jagged rocks along the shore. The day had dawned clear and bright, too damn cheery for saying goodbye to a woman he’d only just welcomed back into his life.

  “No.” She grinned at him over her shoulder. Hair tied in a low ponytail, she wore a burgundy sweatshirt with Boston College on the front. In khaki shorts despite the cooler weather, she looked every inch the college coed he’d fallen for the first time around. “But I’m really eager to spend as much time as I can scouting the property before it gets dark. I’m glad I’ll have a few more hours to check things out.”

  Her words reminded him she was far from a college coed. She was a woman who’d saved enough to purchase her dream property far away from him. No matter that she had opportunities back at home; Alicia was striking out on her own to create a special retreat that would be a unique reflection of her. He’d seen as much in the notes she’d made.

  His chest ached to realize how little time he had left.

  “Alicia…” He searched for words, unsure what he wanted to ask. He didn’t really have the right to ask anything.

  “There it is!” Her voice lifted an octave or two. She pointed toward the shore with one hand. “It’s beautiful!”

  Cutting the power on the engine, Jack slowed the boat and moved toward the rail on the foredeck beside her. He followed her gaze to the rambling three-story structure that had probably been some wealthy family’s summer cottage at one time. A turn-of-the-century home built on two levels, it was about the same size as Jack’s parents’ home back in Chatham, which was ten thousand square feet. The resemblance ended there, however. Because the bed-and-breakfast property, while a definite diamond in the rough, needed a great deal of work. Overgrown gardens obscured porches that appeared slightly crooked. The yellow clapboard siding needed power washing and possible replacing, the edges dark with wear or rot.

  He was about to say she had her work cut out for her when she clutched his arm with both hands.

  “I’m so excited.” She stared up at him with a warm glow in her dark brown eyes. Her cheeks were flushed pink like a kid’s at Christmas. “Thank you for bringing me up here.”

  He couldn’t help but remember the last time he’d seen high color in her cheeks. It hadn’t been that many hours ago and she’d been underneath him, lavishing a litany of praise on the talent of his hands. With an effort, he blinked away the memory.

  “You’re welcome.” He didn’t know what else to say. Telling her she was crazy to invest in something that couldn’t be profitable without some serious restoration would hardly be appreciated.

  “I know you’re seeing all the flaws right now.” Relinquishing his arm, she gripped the rail and studied the looming property perched on a prime piece of real estate that nudged out into the water so that the house would have ocean views on three sides. “But I’ve crunched a lot of numbers on what I can affor
d and it’s going to work.”

  Something about the way she emphasized the words made him wonder if she’d based part of those calculations on the fact that she was incredibly stubborn and persistent. Those qualities had made her a champion swimmer and a successful apprentice in his father’s company. But no amount of personal grit would make up for the fact that she needed to pour in a lot of capital to get her dream off the ground.

  How would she manage all this on her own?

  “Hey, you don’t have to convince me. You could tackle Everest if you set your mind to it.” He cupped her shoulder and squeezed it, hoping she knew that he believed in her. “I know you’ll make it work if you want it to.”

  “Thank you.” She tipped her chin to smooth her cheek over his fingers where he touched her, rubbing against him like a cat. “That means a lot to me.”

  Surprised at the warmth in her voice, he was grateful he’d chosen that approach instead of listing all the potential pitfalls of the place. Still, he didn’t want to see her get in over her head when he could help her make a better decision.

  “You know, I don’t have a strict time frame for dropping off the boat to Keith’s colleague. I’d love to walk around the property with you if you don’t mind the company.”

  The original plan had been to drop her off at the inn while he cruised farther north to deliver the boat to Keith’s colleague.

  “Yeah?” She lifted an eyebrow as if to size up the offer. “I guess that would be okay as long as you don’t try to burst my bubble.”

  “I’ll make you a deal.”

  “Our bets have a way of working out well for me even when I lose.”

  The fishing contest had been a pleasure for them both.

  “This one isn’t a bet, exactly. Can we agree that I’ll give my honest input on everything I see—just as I would with one of my brothers? But only if you want to hear it. It’ll be up to you.”