by KaLyn Cooper
“Karma’s a bitch, and I’m so glad she’s my mother.” Lisa repeated the phrase they’d often used before pulling the trigger on their plane’s missiles.
Oh fuck! The bottom dropped out of Caroline’s stomach. “What have you done?”
“We girls need to stick together.” Sarah’s gotcha smile said they were getting Robert back, in spades.
With what might look like a reassuring smile to some, but Caroline knew better, Lisa slid her phone back into the tiny strap of her bikini bottom. “We were just making new friends. On Facebook.”
“It wasn’t that difficult to find Robert’s fiancée and ‘friend’ her,” Sarah noted.
“And what kind of friends would we be if we didn’t warn her about the dick cheese she’s about to marry?” Lisa asked with fake innocence. At least she had the good grace to look repentant when she admitted, “I posted his texts to you.”
Caroline was too stunned to say, or do, anything. She loved these women and was so thankful they were on her side, and not against her. The deed was done, and there was no taking any of it back.
The phones of all three of her friends started pinging.
“Oh. My. God.” Sarah’s mouth didn’t shut after the last word. It simply hung open.
“She’s pissed.” Lisa’s devilish laugh rumbled through the small room. “Damn, I wish we had a picture of the two of you together.”
“We weren’t that stupid.” Caroline and Robert had been very careful about public displays of affection. PDA was the first red flag senior officers looked for when rumors of their affair had started to fly amongst the pilots. She was sure Robert had bragged about some of their non-missionary sex, especially after he’d brought back a bag of toys from Dubai.
“She’ll either believe us, or she won’t,” Sarah concluded. “Not my problem.” She glanced back through the open door toward the stern where Terry sat talking with Jack. “Later, girlfriends.” She made a beeline for the empty space beside Terry and threw her arms around him.
Chloe looked longingly out the large front window at Jeff who stood beside Craig at the bow. “It’ll be all right. She needed to know what kind of cheating son of a bitch she’s supposed to marry.” She hugged Caroline before she joined the men.
“Color me gone. I need more tan.” Lisa hugged Caroline and rocked her side to side. “You know I’ll do everything in my power to protect you. We all know you got shafted because you have a vagina and not a dick. He’ll pay for what he did to you. One way or the other.” She stepped back and grinned. “Still wish you had let me fill his computer with child porn.” On that note, she left Caroline and Luke alone.
“I can see Lisa doing that, too,” Luke admitted as he pulled Caroline between his legs and wrapped his powerful arms around her.
It felt good to be surrounded by him. Safe.
“If he calls again, let me talk to him.” Luke’s offer was tempting, but this was her battle to fight. Her friends had struck a low blow at Robert, but she didn’t doubt the golden-tongued cheater would talk his way out of any trouble.
“Thanks, but I’ve got this.” She tilted her head up and gazed into determined eyes. “I don’t want to talk about him anymore. He’s history. You are my present and the only man I want to think about for the next six days.”
She pressed her lips to his and ran her fingers through his long, silky hair. The wave of lust that washed over her rinsed away all thoughts of her past troubles. Luke filled every crevice of her being.
He dove into her mouth as his hand splayed over her ass, pulling her into his erection. Her hips automatically rocked into him, seeking what she needed. Luke swept his hands up her ribs and nuzzled his thumbs under the bikini top to outline the bottoms of her breasts in a dual assault.
The needy shudder that overtook her robbed her of breath. What this man could do to her body. He worked his long fingers under her top and slid it over her peaked nipples. The satiny cloth of the bathing suit caressed them like a warm lick. Her clit swelled in hope that it would receive the same treatment. Soon. Very soon.
“Oh, Caroline.”
Luke’s hot breath on her neck heated her desire as he kissed his way down to her collarbone then, with the tip of his tongue, traced that path back to her lips. His kiss was filled with barely controlled craving.
He rolled her hypersensitive nipples between his thumbs and forefingers then pinched them as he thrust his tongue deep inside her mouth.
She whimpered and arched into his hands, shoving her mound against his rock-hard cock.
He pulled back and grinned. “Like that, do you?”
“You know I do,” she gasped out.
“No. I didn’t before, but I do now.”
He lowered his head to one exposed nipple and drew it between his soft lips, sucking gently before scraping teeth over its elongated length. When he nipped the very tip, she thought she’d come. Right then. Right there. He repeated the assault on the other side as he dipped his hand into her suit bottom.
“Spread your legs,” Luke ordered as he slid his finger the length of her wet slit.
Caroline shuffled her feet wider and pressed into his hand.
“I’ll take care of you. I promise.” He gently kissed her but didn’t linger. “You have to be very quiet, though.” He kissed her again, a little longer this time. “I’ll let you scream all you want, tonight, but right now, you need this.” He pressed his middle finger against her swollen clit, and she rode that edge of ecstasy.
“Don’t tease me like this.”
Caroline reached for the waistband of his board shorts. He grabbed her hand just as she was about to delve in and grab his cock.
“No, babe. This is all for you.” He slid his finger between her folds and stroked.
“But—” She couldn’t finish her words, or her thoughts, as he ran the length of his rough finger across her nub then crooked it at the end to catch the underside.
“I’ll get mine tonight.” Luke repeated the movement and cupped her breast in the other hand.
Tonight. Yes. She would give him anything he wanted tonight, and more than he expected. Every muscle in her legs tightened, but she kept them apart, allowing him access to her very core.
When he clipped the bottom of her clit again, he pinched her nipple.
Her cry was masked by his mouth on hers. He thrust two fingers into her and rubbed across her clit with his thumb. Then he curled the fingers inside her.
Caroline exploded.
She had never come so hard in all her life. She actually saw stars before she collapsed into Luke’s arms, gasping for breath. Her hips continued to rock into his hand as they both rode out the remainder of her orgasm…and the series of aftershocks that seemed to last for long minutes.
As her brain resurfaced, Caroline thought she might have fallen asleep. Standing up. Still breathing hard, she leaned back to find Luke staring at her with an I-did-that-to-you grin. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to kiss him or slap that macho-man look right off his face. He took the decision away from her when he bent and sweetly pressed his lips to hers.
She leaned into him and noticed that he was still hard. “Turnabout is fair play.” She started to kneel.
He grabbed her under her arms and pulled her up. “There’s nothing I’d like more than that.” Luke’s gaze went to their friends chatting at the bow. “But that’s not a good idea.”
His gaze fell to her naked breasts. He cupped them both and ran his thumb over the soft nipples. They instantly responded to his touch, pebbling. “Tonight.” His tone sounded resolute and promising. He smiled at her and then pulled her top down over her breasts.
Oh, yes. The things she’d do to him tonight.
Chapter Seven
As Luke opened the door to his condo, his gaze swept the living room, trying to see it through Caroline’s eyes. Good. No take-out boxes on the coffee table, all the beer cans were in the recycling bin, and his clothes had been tossed on top of the washer. He was thankf
ul he’d taken those extra ten minutes this morning to straighten up a little while grabbing his diving gear and changing clothes.
When she stepped in and smiled, he let out the breath of relief.
“Looks like a man’s place.” Caroline’s head turned, taking in the space he called home. “It suits you.”
He liked it. He’d gone to one of those whole-room furniture stores offering everything right down to the coordinating lamps and rugs for a single price. The woman who had helped him select each room had made it even easier when she’d volunteered to help him shop for drapes and linens. Luke did a mental shudder when he remembered how difficult it had been to extricate her from his condo after a weekend of breaking in every new piece of furniture together. She’d been ready to move in and set up house with him, especially after seeing his black credit card.
Shaking away those memories, he offered, “Here, let me take that.” Luke slipped the duffel bag off Caroline’s shoulder and headed toward the master bedroom. “Make yourself comfortable. There’s beer in the fridge.” He pointed to the kitchen, separated from the great room by a breakfast bar with four bar stools. He hoped that bought him a few minutes to double-check the bedroom.
He was fastidious about making his bed, a habit from his years with Uncle Mark then reinforced in the Navy. He’d taken the time to change the sheets that morning, hoping he’d be able to talk Caroline into joining him there. He really didn’t want to spend the night in the same condo as their friends. Although it certainly wouldn’t be the first time they’d shared roommates, he wanted Caroline all to himself.
He set the bag down and glanced around. The place looked fine to him.
Caroline appeared in the doorway, two beers in hand. “I wondered if you’d gotten lost.” She stepped into the room and handed him an open bottle before she walked to the photographs that covered every inch of wall space. “These are magnificent.”
“It’s the camera.” He took a long pull on the cold beer.
Luke had become fascinated by undersea life the day he’d taken his first open-water scuba dive. When he’d surfaced, he felt as though he’d left something special behind. Jack had taken a picture of him underwater with the BACats camera, and it was good, just not great. It didn’t show the wondrous colors that Luke had experienced down there.
About a week later, as he walked clients through a new, high-end resort, he saw mural-sized photos of the brilliantly colored reef and iridescent fish. A little research to find and chat with the photographer, and a lot of Internet searches later, Luke finally purchased a professional-grade, underwater digital camera. He’d never regretted it.
“Luke, you’re so talented.” Caroline sighed and sipped her beer. “I wish I knew how to dive. I’d love to see this in person.”
“Really?” He could make that happen for her. “If you’re serious, we can get you qualified while you’re here.”
She peered at him over her shoulder before returning to examine the next framed photo of yellowish-green elkhorn coral. “You can do that here?”
“I can’t, but Jack can.” Luke moved to stand behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “He’s a certified NAUI instructor.”
Caroline twisted to look at him. Her questioning face at the industry jargon forced him to translate. “Only a qualified professional like an instructor or a dive master can take groups out into the open water, and Jack is a member of the National Association of Underwater Instructors. Most of the other BACats guys are too, but I’d want you to learn from Jack.” The other men were all single, and he didn’t want any of them adjusting her equipment. Tightening the BCD right next to her perfectly rounded breasts or worse, the chest and waist straps would be too great a temptation. That was why he’d be there.
Understanding crossed her pretty face, kissed pink by the day’s sun. It was chased by hope. “Really?”
“Yes.” Jack would go through the training with her and be there for her first four open dives. Then, they could dive together, just the two of them.
She moved on to the next wall covered in pictures from Isla Mujeres’ reef, where they had been hours earlier. He, too, became absorbed in the photographs that showed newborn fish hiding within the tight waves of brain coral, but his observations were critical in nature. Should I have slipped that f-stop one more click? Is that really in focus or a bad enlargement? My lights may not have been pointed where they should—
“Is there a book I’d have to read first or an online course?” Caroline’s question broke into his technique analysis.
“Uh…” His brain caught up with the conversation. “Yes. You can take the classwork online and take all the tests before you start. There are some videos, too, but Jack will go over all that with you again in the pool.”
“Pool?” Caroline took another drink.
“Yeah. You’ll suit up and learn the diving basics in the pool at Jack’s place before we take you out into the ocean.” Luke slipped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a reassuring half-hug.
“You sound confident that Jack will take me on as a student.” Her teasing smile was filed with optimism.
“I’ll text him right now.” He pulled his phone from his side pocket and saw two dozen emails for Jurikan. Most had “guest list” in the subject line from different cruise ships. He finished off his beer and set the bottle on the dresser.
Damn. He’d hoped for at least one more day of playing with Caroline before he had to go back to work. He’d still have time with her in the morning since cruise passengers never made it to the chopper until nine o’clock, and his last flight was at four.
“Is there a problem?” Caroline glanced from his face to the phone in his hands then back again before tilting her bottle up to capture the last drop.
He looked into eyes the color of good bourbon and admitted, “I have flights scheduled tomorrow, now that the whole Ebola scare is over.”
“All that loss of income for you and Jack because some stupid woman got sea sick and didn’t know she was pregnant.” Caroline actually rolled her eyes. “Scared the whole country into panic mode for nothing.”
Luke pulled her into his arms and told her the truth. “If she hadn’t gotten sick, I wouldn’t have been able to spend the whole day with you…and it was the best day of my life.” He lowered his head to hers and gently brushed her lips with his.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her whole body to his, as if she needed to touch every inch of him. She opened her mouth. When he thrust in his tongue, she wrapped hers around it then sucked. Hard. Even through the layers of clothing, he felt the heat of her core. This was not the shy Caroline she’d been years ago. He liked this woman who knew what she wanted and asked for it.
She broke the kiss. “I really enjoyed today, too.” She glanced away then brought those big brown eyes back to meet his. “Especially this afternoon in the office. I know I owe you, but do you think you could ask Jack if he’d teach me to dive before we get busy? I’m only here for a few days, and I’d really like to leave scuba certified.”
Never letting her go, he typed in a text to Jack. Almost immediately he got a response.
Sure. Bring her to the compound @ 5. Have her do the online work. Dive skills tomorrow in pool. Next 2 days open water certification dives.
He showed her the reply. “See. You’re all set. So, tomorrow while you are lying on the beach, turning this gorgeous body of yours to a golden brown, you can take the class online. Use my tablet.”
Excitement lit her whole face. He liked giving this to her. Making her happy had become important to him. He placed a brief kiss on her smiling lips. “When I drop off the last tourists, we’ll fly down to Playa del Carmen to the Girard compound to get your pools skills out of the way.”
“You’d do that for me?”
He’d do anything for her. “Of course.”
Caroline leaped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. “You are so going to enjoy the way I thank you.�
�� She kissed him with an enthusiasm that no other woman had ever shown him. As they tumbled onto the bed, she straddled his hips and ground her heat into his raging hard-on. If she continued rocking, he’d come all too soon.
She stopped kissing him only long enough to lift his shirt over his head. She ran her tongue from his collarbone to his zipper then stroked him through the shorts. “Keep that up and it’ll be over before I can get you naked.”
“I happen to know that you’re good for more than one.” Her Cheshire cat smile promised a long night ahead.
He rolled her over, forcing her knees apart and cuffing both her wrists in one hand above her head. He needed time to get his body under control. With the other hand, he unbuttoned her blouse, kissing each revealed inch of skin before moving on to the next.
“Let me take this off.”
Caroline arched up, breasts first. He took what was offered. Through the bra, he licked each nipple before taking it into his mouth and sucking. The rasp of lace across his tongue shot bullets of pleasure directly to his cock, which pumped with each heartbeat.
“Please, Luke, let me get out of this.”
He freed her hands, and she wiggled out of the blouse and bra. While he was mesmerized by her shaking breasts, she flipped him onto his back. “Now, I promised you that I’d reciprocate for this afternoon, and I always keep my promises.”
Straddling his hips, her knees firmly planted, she slowly pressed her hot center against his throbbing erection. Then she leaned forward. Her reddened lips swollen from their previous kisses felt soft on his. Closing his eyes, he let the sensation of her kiss fill him. She seeped into the empty places he’d ignored most of his life.
She left his lips and began a trail of kisses that started at his chin, down his throat to his collarbone. She ran the tip of her tongue from one side to the other, paying special attention to the dip in the middle. As she kissed her way across his chest, her hand mirrored the path to the other side. When she scraped her teeth across one flat nipple and ran nails over the other, his whole body jerked. If the jolt of desire that blew through his body was anywhere near the same when he played with her breasts, he understood why she moaned.
