“If you were all that ruthless, you wouldn’t be having qualms about fucking me and leaving.”
Clint didn’t like the confidence in her tone. “I’d take you willing or not, and it wouldn’t bother me in the least.”
“The man on the island would have been able to do that, but not the man in front of me now. You’ve changed, Clint. You’re different somehow.”
He didn’t like hearing that. “Don’t fucking count on that.”
“Can you love me tonight and just walk away, Clint? Can you?” she asked instead, breathing the words against his lips.
He didn’t hesitate. “Yes. Say the word and I’ll turn around and walk out of your life, before it’s too late.”
“Walk out of my life? Haven’t you already done that once?”
And he’d never look back, Clint lied to himself. They wanted each other. There was no denying that, yet he also felt Sarah’s hesitation. The man she’d come to know on the island would have already pushed her back against the porch wall and started fucking her.
So what am I waiting for?
Because he wanted more, only he didn’t know what that something was, and he wanted Sarah willing. As they stared into each other’s eyes, he realized what the answer was. Only before he had a chance to comprehend it completely, Sarah offered him her lips.
Clint didn’t hesitate to accept her surrender. His mouth moved over hers roughly, before reining in his passion to kiss her tenderly. Mutual sounds of desire floated like music on the ocean breeze, drifting out to the water and beyond as Clint’s tongue meshed with hers. He gently ushered them further into her house, reaching behind him to swing the door shut. He didn’t know the layout of the room, but his instincts guided him as far as the leather sofa.
He sank down onto the soft cushion, pulling Sarah upon his lap while their tongues continued to explore each other’s mouths in wild abandon. A crazy thought crossed his mind that he liked kissing her. He could kiss her all night, but her eager little hands revealed she had other, more intimate designs on where their evening was going to end.
Her hands ran over him, giving pleasure as well as taking it. She pulled his shirt up, running her palms over his flesh, scraping her nails down his chest before raking over his nipples. A feline hum of satisfaction exploded through the silence of the room.
Clint groaned, shuddering in response. He unbuttoned the gauzy blouse she had on, slipping inside and caressing the silken flesh of her naked tits with callused palms. He thrust his hips beneath her in a move to change their positions, wanting to feel her beneath him.
Sensing the direction of his thoughts, Sarah broke the searing kiss. “No, I want to make love with you in bed this time.” She rose, pulling him by the hand.
Clint wasn’t sure he could make it to her bedroom. No sooner had they entered the small airy room then he grabbed Sarah bringing her down upon the bed with him. A ceiling fan whirled overhead creating a welcoming man-made breeze and the curtains at the open window blew wildly with the gust of wind blowing in. The moon cast a romantic glow throughout the room. A perfect setting for lovers.
“You should send me away,” he mouthed the words against her belly where he’d moved her thin blouse away. Teeth lightly grazing the skin he exposed, his fingers impatiently tugged at the snap and zipper to her cutoffs, the material parting easily. He slid his hand inside, cupping the wet heat of her, sliding a finger over the little button of her desire.
“Oh!” The breath caught in her throat. She arched into his intimate caress, moaning. “Do you want me to send you away?” She tugged at his shirt until the buttons popped off, and she could slip it over his shoulders.
Clint in turn lifted her enough to pull her blouse over her head. He tossed it to the floor, feasting his eyes on the moonlit tits left exposed, their dark little tips beckoning him to kiss them. A fire uncurled in his gut and he slowly lowered his head.
“Hell no,” was all he managed, before closing his mouth over her breast and tugging at the nipple. He flicked his tongue over them tenderly, swirling it around until Sarah bowed like a taut string beneath him, silently revealing her pleasure.
He felt her hands go to the belt at his waist, working frantically at the buckle, crying with impatience. Clint left the bed, their gazes clinging as he removed his jeans. It hit him then, in those few brief seconds, that there would never be another woman for him like Sarah. If he had it in him to love anyone, what he was feeling for her at that moment was the closest he’d ever come to it.
He knelt on the bed and slowly began to peel her shorts off. She assisted by lifting her hips, sucking in air when he purposely let his fingers dip and explore the naked skin he exposed. And if that wasn’t enough, once he dropped her shorts to the floor he replaced his hands with his mouth.
“Oh!”
Her hands went to his head trying to push him away, but almost instantly, her fingers curled in his hair to hold him against her instead. Her hips gently rotated against his mouth and stabbing tongue, the sweet taste of her nearly driving Clint mad.
“Clint…” she gasped, as tiny tremors took control of her body. A sure sign that signified release was near. When he took her swollen clit into his mouth and tugged on it hard it was all over for her and she exploded in bliss.
He slid up her body to lie full-length against her, kissing her with a hunger she returned. Then Clint felt her hand move between them, reaching for his cock and guiding him to her. A little scream escaped her when he thrust forward, filling her.
His restraint was about to snap. Sarah’s hands were everywhere, touching him and urging him into a fevered pitch, burning a path over his shoulders and down his back, trailing liquid fire over his hips and buttocks. Suddenly, she seemed to be the one in control, flexing her muscles around him, digging her nails into his buttocks to hold him into her. She leaned forward and attacked his nipples with her little tongue.
The pleasure that gave him shot straight through his body, to the part of him that was joined to her. His dick was swollen and hard as a rock. Moving in slow, deep strokes, the fire she ignited within him needed to be quenched. His hands traveled a sensuous path down her body to her hips, holding her tightly against him as he began to thrust harder and faster. Taking them both on a roller coaster ride of fast dips and sharp turns that took their breath away.
“Clint…”
As their joined bodies moved in exquisite harmony with one another, Clint watched the tears fall from Sarah’s eyes to the pillow beneath her head, damning himself for hurting her.
At the moment of release, he knew he loved her and would come back for her.
****
It didn’t surprise Sarah when she woke the next morning to find Clint gone. He’d warned her, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. Pulling on a short robe, she walked to the living room and opened the French doors to look at the water, wondering where he was. The sun was just coming up, and there wasn’t a more beautiful sight on earth than seeing it rise over the ocean.
Inhaling deeply, she walked out to the porch, raising her face toward the salty breeze. Her long blonde hair whipped about her neck and shoulders as the water held her captivated with thoughts of Clint, wondering if that had been his boat out there the night before.
She turned to go in to fix her morning coffee when her eyes landed on something on top of the small wicker table—a note held down by a large seashell. Frowning, she reached for it, surprised to see her fingers shaking as she slowly unfolded it.
Our paths will cross again some day soon, angel. That I promise you.
It said so little yet promised so much. What did it mean? Was that his way of telling her he loved her? She was never very good at reading between the lines. She sank into one of the chairs, reading it over and over, trying to interpret what it meant. Almost angrily, she clutched the paper into a ball and brought it to her heart. Damn him! What was she supposed to do, wait the rest of her life for him to decide he loved her? Gazing out at the horizon
, a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach warned her she’d do exactly that.
She would wait for however long it took, because she loved him too.
Chapter Fifteen
Five months later…
Sarah stood in the doorway to her tiny spare bedroom, observing the changes with a critical eye. A smile played upon her lips, her hand going to her slightly protruding belly and automatically smoothing over it. The nursery was done! Now all she had to do was patiently wait out the next four months for her daughter to make her debut.
Her daughter was the only thing that had kept her going the last few months. When she first found out she was pregnant, she did the arithmetic and realized she must have conceived Clint’s child the first time they’d made love on the island. After the shock wore off, happiness had filled her, and there’d never been any doubt she was keeping the baby. If she never saw Clint again, she would always have a part of him.
Her eyes moved about the room she and Susan had painstakingly transformed. They’d painted the walls a soft buttercup yellow, painting the woodwork around the doors, windows and baseboards a glossy white. The theme they’d finally decided on, after much debate, was teddy bears. And they were everywhere.
She walked over to the antique nursing rocker she’d found at a yard sale, sat down and looked at the crib with its umbrella mobile of colorful teddy bears. She couldn’t help the little swell of sadness whenever she allowed herself the luxury of thinking about Clint. She tried not to dwell on him, but he was never very far from her thoughts.
She still loved the impossible man; there was no doubt about that. She’d finally come to the conclusion she would always love him. That he’d apparently never come to the same understanding was something she would not acknowledge, because deep down inside, she still waited for the day when he’d show up on her doorstep.
“Hello, honey!”
She smiled as Susan walked through the doorway. “Oh, oh! I know that look.” Susan placed a big panda in the crib next to the pillow. “You’re thinking about Clint again.” The smile on her face seemed strained and out of place, considering her last comment.
“That’s not a teddy bear,” Sarah pointed out, ignoring Susan’s observation.
Susan shrugged good-naturedly. “I just couldn’t resist. Isn’t it cute?” She crossed her arms, turning from the crib to face Sarah. “And don’t try changing the subject,” she scolded.
“I’m not talking about Clint,” Sarah said stubbornly, rubbing her belly.
Clint had come between them more than once during the last few months. They’d had awful arguments about whether he should be told about the baby. Susan had been insistent that he deserved to know, while Sarah had been just as adamant he not be informed. Her reasoning? She didn’t want him showing up and professing his undying love just because he knew she was pregnant.
If he came back, it had to be for her. Sarah wouldn’t take him on any other terms. Moreover, she was holding on to the fact she did mean something to him. The stubborn man just had to figure out for himself that he loved her too.
“The nursery came out beautiful,” she said, changing the subject and surprising Sarah. She walked to the window facing the ocean and opened it, focusing her worried gaze on the shimmering water.
Sarah’s eyes followed Susan, recognizing the signs. She was fretting about something. “Thanks to you.”
“I only helped, like you did when I was expecting the boys,” she commented. “Remember?”
“I remember.”
Susan took a deep breath. “It’s a lovely day out. I’m glad you decided to take off today. Have you been for your walk?”
“Yes, mother.” Sarah smiled. “And before you ask…I’ve had a nice healthy breakfast plus I had two bananas for a snack just a little while ago.” She rolled her eyes and got to her feet, stretching. The action extended the gentle swell of her stomach.
“Come on, let’s go out on the porch.” Sarah figured the fresh ocean breeze was good for the baby and spent as much time as she could outdoors.
“I’ll get us something to drink and meet you there.”
The smile on Susan’s face was forced. Something was definitely wrong, Sarah sensed it. She was putting on a false facade of her usual cheery self, but they were too close for her to get away with it. A feeling of impending doom started to wash over Sarah as she made her way to the porch. God, she hoped it didn’t have anything to do with Clint.
“Here we go.”
Sarah made a face at the tall glass of milk Susan handed her. She’d been hoping for something more refreshing, like lemonade. She waited until Susan was sitting in one of the loungers before deciding to question her.
“I have something to tell you.”
“I want to ask you something.”
They spoke simultaneously, glancing at each other before smiling. “You first. I have a feeling what you have to tell me has something to do with Clint. Which might answer the question I have.” Sarah was sure that once Susan told her what was on her mind her own question would be answered.
Susan glanced away, avoiding Sarah’s eyes. Sarah’s gaze followed hers but there was nothing on the water to hold anyone’s interest. When she returned her gaze to Susan, fear made her question the reason she was biting down on her lower lip.
“It’s Clint, isn’t it?” Sarah said reluctantly, holding her breath.
Only then did Susan meet her eyes, her own filled with regret. “You don’t know how much I hate telling you this, honey. Promise me you’ll stay calm.”
Sarah’s hand went to her belly. “For the baby’s sake, I promise,” she murmured, knowing it was the only thing she could say that would set Susan’s mind at ease.
Susan took a deep breath before continuing with reluctance. “Clint disappeared about a month ago.”
“A month!” Sarah felt panic sweep over her before forcing it down, recalling her pledge to Susan. “I don’t understand. How can someone just disappear? Did anyone know what his destination was?”
“Aunt Lois just found out. He’d apparently been away on some secret job for the government. He’s actually been gone longer, but when he failed to make a scheduled rendezvous, they realized something was wrong.”
Oh God, he’d been on one of his missions. “What about Stan…” It suddenly occurred to Sarah that she didn’t know his last name.
“If you mean Stan Rivers, he’s been in contact with Aunt Lois. Apparently, he and Clint have been friends for years and work together sometimes.”
“Yes, he must be the same Stan. I only met him once briefly, when he flew us off the island. What’s he saying about this?”
“Not much. Just enough to give us hope that he’s looking for Clint and will let us know what he turns up. From what I gather, Clint was somewhere down in South America.”
Sarah digested the information and tried to remain calm. A month was a long time to be missing these days. She closed her eyes, seeing his hard face. Recalling his rough ways, and his tenderness, how he’d always made her feel so much like a woman in his arms. Tears trickled down her cheeks, and she opened her eyes, refusing to start thinking about him in the past tense. He was alive, she knew it.
She wouldn't accept anything else.
“Oh honey, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to tell you, but I felt you should know. Stan will find him, I just know it.” There seemed to be nothing more Susan could say.
Sarah looked out at the water reaching for her glass, taking a drink of the now lukewarm milk. She didn’t care. Nothing mattered. A sob escaped her in spite of her efforts to hold it back. She waved Susan away when she made a move toward her. Her hand smoothed over her belly.
Would she ever see Clint again?
****
Angel.
Sarah’s sleep-dazed mind refused to believe what she was hearing. She must be dreaming again. She’d cried herself to sleep that night thinking about Clint, and now she was hearing his voice calling out to her. It wasn’t fair! S
he’d gone to sleep hoping to escape the memory of him. But since finding out about his disappearance a week ago, he’d haunted her day and night.
She burrowed deeper into her pillow, fighting the urge to bring the covers up over her head. It was already too hot. And she hated turning the air conditioner on because she loved the sound of the surf pounding on the shoreline during the night, lulling her to sleep. The ceiling fan overhead was as high as it would go and offered little relief.
Kicking back the covers, she lay there more asleep than awake, wishing the little breeze blowing in through the windows would cool off her body. She felt like stripping off her T-shirt and panties but couldn’t bring herself to sleep naked now that she was showing. She gradually drifted off again.
It was seven o’clock when Sarah woke for the second time. Instead of the early morning sunlight usually streaming through the windows, she awoke to a storm that had blown in during the early morning hours. An overcast gloom filled her bedroom, followed by a rain-induced wind that caused the curtains to flap.
The cool air was a wonderful change from the humid heat of the night, and she left her bed, going to the window and letting the mist blow over her body. She closed her eyes. Sarah loved the rain, and the thunder and lightning didn’t keep her from standing there for a few minutes more.
When she opened her eyes, Sarah saw an angry ocean churning. Large waves crashed against the empty beach, and she pitied the soul brave enough to test Mother Nature by being out in it. The pounding rain and fog prevented her from seeing if there were any vessels further out.
Taking another deep breath, she turned to go to the kitchen, coming up short when she stepped outside her bedroom. To get to the kitchen, she had to cross through the back of the living room. She gasped, taking in several things at once. The French doors were open, and there was a man standing out on her porch, at the very edge by the steps. He was just staring out at the ocean, letting the pounding rain beat against his body.
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