by Stark, Cindy
Elena leaned her head back, brushing her hair against his chin. "No. You said there was only ocean."
"I lied."
"What?"
"I didn't want you to be afraid." He continued before she could chastise him. "Don't worry. I had my eye on you and on the GPS."
"Right." She turned from him and studied the horizon. "Wait. I think I see something." She could make out the faint outline of a landform ahead.
"I'm going to take us right into that bay." He kissed the top of her head.
A few moments later, he killed the engine and let the boat float closer to shore. She followed him out onto the deck and watched, impressed, as he lowered the anchor.
Then he was back, pulling her into his arms. "What do you think?" The boat swayed back and forth, rocking them, accompanied by the sound of water splashing against the sides.
"It's wonderful." Darkness surrounded them, with only the bright moon to light their way. "There are so many stars." Without the ambient lighting of Cabo, she could see thousands upon thousands of tiny lights in the sky. She laughed. "It makes my head spin."
"You make my head spin."
She smiled as he lowered his lips to hers in a tender kiss. She savored the taste of him, the way his body felt next to hers, their moment under the Mexican sky. It was something she'd remember and cherish forever.
Then he pulled away. "Let's go swimming."
"What? Now?" She stalled, waiting for her thought process to catch up with his actions after that mind-blowing kiss. "I didn't bring a swimsuit."
He reached up and slid the other strap of her tank top off her shoulder. "You afraid to skinny-dip?"
Yes. "No, I'm not afraid. It's just—"
She halted as he unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it on a nearby bench. She'd never skinny-dipped in her life, never been brave enough to do something so uninhibited. "Is it safe?" Her earlier encounter with the jellyfish left her feeling a bit vulnerable, especially in that black, bottomless water.
She stared dumbfounded as he undid his shorts and let them fall to the deck. Next came his boxers. The man had no shame. Her gaze automatically flicked to his thick erection. And definitely no reason to be ashamed.
"The only thing that will attack you out there is me." He walked behind her and slipped his hands beneath her tank top, tugging it over her head. She gasped as he nipped her shoulder and then realized he'd unhooked her bra while he'd distracted her. "Mmm… Hurry, so we can play." He removed his hands and walked to the edge of the boat.
Elena opened her mouth to protest just as he dove into the water. She hesitated a moment and then rushed to the side, her bra slack against her breasts.
She gazed down into the dark water, waiting for him to reappear. Several moments went by and then a sliver of panic crept in. Where was he? If he was teasing her, it wasn't—
He surfaced, splashing a hundred feet away. "Come on. What are you waiting for? I'll race you to the shore."
Energy built inside her. She should do it. She shouldn't think about it. Just dive in. She shimmied out of her skirt and panties, the sudden energy a building frenzy inside her. At the edge of the boat, she hesitated. An inner voice urged her on. Do it. She may never get a chance to experience this kind of freedom again.
Ignoring her logical impulses, she sucked in a breath of air…and jumped.
Cold water and darkness enveloped her, but she'd learned from her many years on her high school swim team and from summers spent playing in the ocean not to panic in water. A moment later, she surfaced, and found Joe swimming toward her.
When they met, he gave her a big sloppy kiss. They bobbed in the ocean, only a few inches of salt water separating her naked skin from his.
He grinned. "Come on, I'll race ya."
The wild Elena inside her that ached to be free responded. "Loser has to buy breakfast in the morning."
He laughed. "It's going to be you, sweetheart. Better get used to that idea right now."
"You don't know who you're messing with." She splashed water at him. She should probably mention she'd received several awards for swimming, but he was the one begging for the race.
"Maybe you don't know who you're messing with. You forget, I'm a diving guide. For the past six weeks, I've been in the water almost every day." He grinned. "If I lose, you can order whatever you want off the menu."
She laughed. "Cocky, aren't you? But you forget, diving and swimming are too different things. I hope you have a lot of money, because I don't eat cheap." Before he could answer, she dove under the water.
Cold water sluiced over her naked body while her arms cut a path through the ocean. She surfaced for air, but couldn't see Joe anywhere. Back under water, she continued on. Damn if this wasn't a lot harder than it used to be, but she enjoyed it. Enjoyed the feel of blood pumping through her body and oxygen energizing her. More than that, she loved the way the water stroked her skin, validating her life-affirming freedom.
She came up out of the ocean when it became too shallow to swim. Joe was nowhere to be seen. She was about to celebrate her victory when he emerged behind her, with a loud splash. Several feet of water stood between her and dry land.
She screamed with delight and began to run as fast as the water would allow. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see him closing in quickly. Although she'd embraced her freedom from life's rules and responsibilities, she was grateful for the cover of night.
Joe raced as fast as he could to beat her to the shore, but she'd had too much of a lead on him. He managed to get his arm around her just a she reached the sand. Her wet skin allowed her to slip from his grasp. "I won." She laughed as she ran down the shoreline.
He chased after her. His heart pounded in his chest, and he wondered if it was from the exertion or the fact that he had the perfect woman within his reach. "It was a tie."
"I don't think so," she called back in a singsong voice, dodging his grasp. "You're buying breakfast."
He reached for her again and caught her. She leaned in to him, both of them breathless from the chase. "Fine." He kissed her hard. He hadn't planned on sticking around for breakfast, but what was another hour in her company? He enjoyed being with her, and she'd promised no attachments.
He kissed her again, and the mood quickly shifted from light-hearted to intense. He reached down and cupped her bottom. Firm yet soft flesh greeted his fingertips, and he throbbed hard against her. The need to bury himself inside her consumed him.
"Oh, Joe," she whispered, her breasts pushing against his chest with each breath. "I want you. I don't know if it's you or Mexico, but I want you so much."
Damn, he wanted her, too. It had been a long time since he'd found someone that captured him the way she did. Lucky ass bastard, he was, that he'd get another night with her. He held the back of her head as he crushed his lips against hers.
When he could no longer breathe, he tugged her down to the ground with him. He rolled on his back, the firm sand scratchy against his skin. He didn't care. He pulled her on top of him. Her breasts pressed tight against his chest as she straddled his belly, the heat of her core searing him. He steadied his hand as he slipped his fingers between them, searching for and finding her center. It blew his mind how hot and wet she was for him.
He stroked her, softly, slowly, trying to control his need for her. Then he gave up with a groan. "I can't wait, Elena."
"Then don't."
He didn't require any further encouragement. He positioned himself against her, but stopped her before she could slide over him.
"What's wrong?"
He couldn't believe his cursed luck. "Condom. I forgot a condom," he ground out between his teeth. And they'd left the boat bare-assed naked. So much for spontaneity.
"Oh…" Elena sighed, obviously as disappointed as he was.
"Would you trust me if I told you that I'd been tested and I'm clean? Dr. Markey in Santa Cruz. Two months ago. Plus, I haven’t had unprotected sex since I was a teenager." Not that he'd had
that many women, and he'd always used condoms. Except now. He prayed to God he wasn't a fool.
"I think so. Yes, I trust your word."
Man, he was glad to hear that. Not because he ached to bury himself inside her, but, for some reason, her trust mattered greatly to him.
"I got myself tested right after my divorce, and I haven't had sex with anyone since then. Plus, I'm taking the pill to keep my periods regular."
"Really?" His heart resumed its rapid pace. "Do we dare?"
She answered by sliding over him, and he nearly came undone by the exquisite feeling of her surrounding him in her unbelievable heat. Any thoughts or questions disappeared.
"Oh. Oh. This is good." He moved his hips, and she kept rhythm, their pace increasing with each motion. She leaned forward to kiss him, her lips soft, her nipples brushing his chest. He needed one of the enticing little buds in his mouth. Now.
He ended the kiss and lifted her, straining to reach her breast. Heaven rewarded his efforts as he reached her with his tongue, and he pulled the hard nub into his mouth. He sucked, enjoying the way it made her tighten around him.
Her sighs of pleasure added fuel to his fire. He'd never wanted to please a woman as much as he did her.
She leaned back, sitting up, allowing him to plunge deeper inside her. Her eyes widened, as a little gasp escaped her lips. "Joe…"
He pushed her, harder and harder, burying himself again and again into her softness. He loved the way her breath came in gasps, loved the way her full breasts bounced as she rode him, fierce and intense. Loved the way she held nothing back while he made love to her.
Made love? The foreign thought tripped his mind, distracting him.
No, this was just sex.
Then she tightened again and shuddered, and his mind went blank. He smiled as she collapsed forward on his chest. He'd made her come.
But he wasn't finished yet.
He rolled her onto her back, and she received him with open arms. The moonlight showcased her face, her eyes bright with heat, her lips swollen from his forceful kisses. He slid into her again, slower this time, enjoying every inch of space he conquered. He fit her perfectly, and her body welcomed him home.
Burning need morphed his slow strokes into something more primal, more demanding. He wanted her, all of her. He wanted to take what he had and slam it deep inside her where it could hide forever.
More of her. He needed more.
Her fingers dug into his arms as she arched her back and climaxed again.
"God. Yes." He couldn't have asked for a better lover.
Fighting for breath, he pushed on, feeling the heat blind him, hearing his heart crash against his chest like the waves on the shore. White. Hot. Oh, God.
He savored the sweet release as he poured into her, holding her tight to him, fighting to regain control.
His body shuddered again before it relaxed. Damn. He'd completely lost himself inside her, like he'd never done with a woman before.
That shook him more than he cared to admit. With his ragged breathing matching hers, he rolled over, pulling her on top of him. "You're amazing."
She curled into him, resting her cheek against his chest. As much as he didn't want to acknowledge his thoughts, he couldn't ignore them.
Something about her was so right.
"You're pretty amazing, too."
It was pure bliss, lying under the heavens, holding a woman who made his blood hotter than the Cabo sun. The fact that he made her happy, too, left him feeling supremely complete at the moment. With the other women in his life, he hadn't cared so much. Sure, he'd made certain he'd satisfied them, but that was more for his own pride than for their gratification. Did that make him an insensitive jerk?
He nearly chuckled at the direction his thoughts had taken. The other women he'd slept with had nothing to complain about. But with Elena, maybe because of the way her ex had treated her when they'd been married, Joe wanted to make sure he treated her special. He wanted to erase that prick from her mind and let her know she deserved absolute happiness.
He tugged her closer, as a huge yawn overtook him. "Do you care if we hang out here for a while? After our quick ascension earlier today combined with tangling with you tonight, I'm not sure I have it in me to swim back to the boat quite yet."
She snuggled her thigh between his. "Me, either. If the sand's not bothering you too much, I'd like to lay here and watch the stars."
"Mmm..." He felt her relax against him, listening to her breathing grow more even, feeling sated and a bit sleepy himself.
CHAPTER NINE
Joe woke with a start. Elena lay naked, her exquisite body curled against him. The waves continued to move in and roll out in a lazy fashion, and he had no idea how long they'd been asleep. His back hurt from being stretched out against the hard sand, and suddenly, the feel of grit on his body was no longer welcome.
He nudged Elena, who seemed content to doze. "Hey. Wake up." He shifted until her face was close to his, enjoying the feel of her skin moving against him. He ran a hand over her breast, cupping her and circling her nipple with his thumb. Even in her sleep, her body responded to him, tempting him to take her again. "Wake up."
She woke, her gaze moving from him to their surroundings. "Did I fall asleep?"
"We both did." He wrestled his arm around her head and pushed the light on his watch. "Wow. We've been here for a couple of hours. Probably ought to head back." The full moon had moved farther across the sky and no longer provided as much light.
He shifted up on his elbows, looking at the water. The tide was out, and they'd gained a lot of beach. "On the bright side, it looks like we won't have to swim far to the boat."
She swiveled her head and sucked in a breath. "Oh, oops. I guess it's a good thing the tide didn't come in on us instead." She rolled off him, brushing sand from her hip. "Is the low tide going to cause any problems with your boat?"
He stood and held out a hand to her. "Nah. It's still far enough out there. Should be fine."
It took them very little time to make it back to the boat and climb aboard. Joe pulled towels out of a locker and handed one to Elena. It was a shame to cover up such a beautiful body, he thought as she wrapped it around her.
He led the way below deck and allowed himself a measure of pride as he watched her glance around the room. He'd taken considerable time, invested a chunk of money to get his boat exactly how he wanted it. Granted, there wasn't a lot he could do about the limited space, except buy a bigger vessel, but he liked the creamy leather seats surrounding the small cherry wood table with a state-of-the-art kitchenette off to the side. It might be cramped, but it was well-appointed.
"This is very nice." She turned a circle, checking out the room.
Agreed. He admired her curves as she circled, remembering how she'd felt under him, on top of him. It would be even nicer when he had her in his bed.
"Head's in the back, there." He nodded to the doorway between the table and kitchen area as he headed for the fridge. The Baja Desert had to have more moisture than his throat after all the swimming and sex.
"Excuse me? Head?"
He turned to find Elena staring at him with a puzzled look. "Uh, sorry. I meant shower. It's there in the back."
"A shower sounds wonderful." Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she lowered her gaze and gave him a heated perusal. "Like I said, nice." She left him grinning as she walked through the door.
His high-class lady with questionable family roots intrigued the hell out of him. One minute she was prim and proper, and then with a flash of her bright green eyes, she turned seductress.
Now that he'd learned he didn't need to fear her wanting an eventual commitment from him, he could relax and appreciate what a catch he'd made when he'd met her. He hadn't had this good of a time in…forever.
Sure, he'd decided tonight would be all he'd need of her, and maybe by the time the morning rolled around, he'd still think that way. If so, he could easily walk away. He'd do
ne it with every woman before her. Granted, he might have had a few fleeting thoughts about Elena being different from the other women who'd passed through his life, but now he understood that she was different. She was a free spirit, just like him.
Besides, he hadn't left home to come to Cabo to be bored. He'd come for the pleasure and the excitement. He'd be a fool if he didn't take advantage of what had conveniently landed in his lap.
Another passionate night with Elena wouldn't change his goals for the coming year. He'd worked damned hard, pleasing everyone else in his life, especially his family. Now, he intended to please himself.
He slugged down a bottle of water, happy with the recent turn of events.
* * *
Elena grinned as she walked into Joe's cozy bedroom, liking the comfortable feel it emanated. With a red and blue quilt gracing the bed and light wood paneling warming the room, it was welcoming, if small. Her overnight bag sat on the bed, waiting for her. He must have put it there when he'd left her piloting the boat.
She pulled out her necessities and headed for the bathroom. The hot water warmed her chilled body. There was a significant difference between diving in a wetsuit and swimming naked in the Sea of Cortez, although the cool water had certainly helped to take her mind off her itchy arm. So had making love with Joe.
A smile took up residence on her lips as she lathered jasmine-scented shampoo into her hair. She had actually skinny-dipped with a virtual stranger. Her. The girl who'd been so timid in high school that she'd run off when a boy had tried to ask her out.
Here she was on the coast of Mexico, escaping her inhibitions and responsibilities. Obviously being on a boat with a man she barely knew had its risks, but she'd needed a little danger in her life to remind her she was alive.
Everyone should be allowed a complete getaway vacation at least once in his or her life, she decided. A time to escape from their everyday stresses. It would be hard for her to go home, back to the realities of life, after living so carefree.
She would be happy to see Cassie, though. Her earlier conversation made her miss her daughter's sweet smile. Tomorrow morning meant another phone call with Cassie targeted toward covering her clandestine actions.
