by KaLyn Cooper
“Down, boy.” She placed her palm over his heart and gently pushed him back onto the bed. “I’m just getting started.”
“You’re gonna kill me.”
“Nobody ever died of too much pleasure.” She bent and laved his sensitized nipple then gave the other side equal attention. Caught up in the sensations, he felt bereft when she left them to nip and kiss her way down to the waistband of his shorts.
Caroline stroked him through the cloth, starting at the base and running her fingertips up his length. “I think he wants to come out and play.” She curled her fingers around the front of his shorts and tugged down enough to expose the tip. “Oh, yes.” With the pad of her index finger, she circled its rim then traced the small slit.
A droplet popped out.
She looked up at him and licked her lips before she bent. He watched her pink tongue repeat the path of her finger then lick him clean. He’d never seen anything sexier in his life. Sure, he’d had lots of blowjobs in the past four years, but none compared to what his Caroline was doing to him.
“Let’s get these off you.” She tugged on the shorts.
“Anything you want, sweetheart.” He lifted his hips, and the shorts hit the floor in a nanosecond. The satin sheets were cool on his bare ass, but his body was so overheated it felt good. Maybe it would help him slow down the impending eruption.
She wrapped her fist around the base of his cock and gently squeezed. Lowering her head, she took the tip into her mouth and sucked while pumping him. Her dark brown hair fell to the sides of her face and tickled his thighs, igniting every nerve ending from hip to hip.
Removing her hand, she replaced it with her searing mouth as she took him deep. She pressed her tongue up against the underside of his cock, sucking hard as she pulled up his length.
Oh, Christ, this is perfect. He wove his fingers through her silky hair but didn’t force her bobbing motions. She was doing an excellent job on her own and needed no direction.
Her warm hand cupped his balls, and he almost lost it. His legs tightened every time she took all of him. But then she moaned, escalating every nerve in his entire body.
“Caroline. Enough.” His words were little more than a gasp.
He wouldn’t come in her mouth. No way in hell. He was going to be inside her, feel her wet heat as he slid into her tight channel and bounce off the bottom a few times until her walls grabbed him and squeezed every drop out of his balls.
He grabbed her under the arms and dragged her the length of his body. It was then he realized that she still wore low-riding shorts. His hand dove for the zipper.
“I’ve got this.” She rolled off the bed. “You take care of that.” She nodded to his wet cock.
Rolling to reach the bed stand drawer, he grabbed several condoms and threw all but one packet next to the lamp.
Now naked and standing next to him beside the bed, Caroline grabbed the packet from his hand. “On second thought, let me.”
Luke wasn’t sure he’d last through the torture of Caroline’s long fingers deftly rolling the latex down his oh-so-ready cock. When she ripped open the foil with her teeth then slipped the disk into her mouth, he knew he’d come all too fast.
He started running emergency procedures through his brain. Turn into the wind. Check gauges to identify the source of the problem. Lower collective pitch control to full down position.
Down. Why the hell did he have to think of that word as he looked at the top of Caroline’s head lowering to his cock. Shit. He would not let go. Not yet.
He closed his eyes.
Crash. I’m going to crash. He resumed his checklist. Maintain rotor speed. Adjust for air density. Watch anti-torque pedal trim. Decrease throttle—
He felt Caroline’s mouth encase his entire cock…then leave.
No. Where is she going?
Flashing his eyes open, he watched as she climbed from between his legs to straddle his hips. The black hair at the apex of her legs glistened in the bedroom lights. Oh, yes. She was wet. For him. And he hadn’t even touched her yet. Next time. He was far too close right then.
He was smiling as they both watched her take him in, inch by inch, excruciatingly slow. The pure pleasure on Caroline’s face proved that she liked to be in control. The fumbling, shy girl was gone. At least in bed.
Leaning forward, she placed a hand on each side of his head and dropped her face to within an inch of his. “I love that first slide in.” She rocked. “You have such control. It’s amazing.” She pressed a small, tender kiss to his lips. “I’m going to make you to lose it.”
That wouldn’t take much, given Luke’s present condition. “Then you’d better get moving.”
Sliding only her hips, she rose up several inches and clamped her inner muscles around the tip. “Like this?” she teased as she took all of him into her. If she did that twice more, he’d be finished.
Then she rocked forward and back a few times. “Or like this?”
Christ, that is just as good. “Yes.” He gripped her slender hips then slid his hands around to fill both with her astounding ass.
She repeated both movements. “Well, which is it?”
“Both. Either.” He turned the tables. “Which is better for you?”
“Oh”—she pulled her hips up and back down—“I like it when you go all the way to the bottom and knock on the door to my womb.”
She was still playing with him. Turnabout was only fair. He reached between them, tracing a line from between her breasts to where they were so intimately joined. She was so wet his thumb slicked over and around her swollen clit. She jumped and clamped around his cock buried deep inside her.
“Again?” Luke asked.
“Oh, yes. Please.” She was panting as she rose again and slammed down to his hips. He rewarded her with another flick of her clit.
They immediately established a rhythm, and it took only a few more strokes before he felt her clasp him hilt to tip and quiver. Thank God. He’d been ready to let go for what seemed like forever
“Luke.”
“Right there with you, sweetheart.”
He pressed her clit, and her whole body shook with release. He gave up any hope of helping her ride out the waves and gave in to the pleasure, arching up to go as deep as he could while her internal muscles grabbed and released. As he’d hoped, she drained him of every ounce.
She collapsed on him, totally lost in her own oblivion. Spent, but still inside her, he let himself drift away on a sea of bliss in a boat called Caroline. Too bad it was only a week-long cruise.
Chapter Eight
Caroline felt Luke crawl out of bed and heard the adjoining bathroom door close. More than sated, totally exhausted, she lay in Luke’s bed and watched the pale yellow glow of sunrise illuminate the edges of the drapes that covered the balcony doors.
They had reached for each other several times during the night and had eaten cold pizza at two in the morning to regain strength. She hadn’t gotten much sleep, but it didn’t matter. She had all day on the beach to sleep. And study.
Oh. My. God. I’m learning to dive today.
The idea energized her. The poster-sized, underwater photographs seemed almost real as daylight seeped into the room. Soon she’d see those violet sea fans, orange-striped clown fish, and black coral whips up close and personal. All because of the man in the other room. He was so good to her, on so many levels. Especially as a lover. She’d quit counting orgasms at five, but there had been more.
She heard the shower turn on and glanced at the clock. If she joined him there, he might be late for his first tourists. She could make him breakfast, though. It seemed the right thing to do. She leaped from the bed, grabbed his discarded T-shirt from the floor, and headed to the kitchen.
Ten minutes later, Luke stood in the doorway wearing a tan towel draped low on his hips and a smile on his cleanly shaven face. God, he radiated man. He’d always been cut—defined muscles on a lean body—but standing there in front of her no
w…wow. Just wow.
“Bacon is going to burn.” He nodded at the stove where several strips spattered at her in warning.
“Oh, yeah.” She flipped the slices and reduced the heat on the eggs. “Hungry?”
He’d moved behind her and kissed her neck right below the ear. Shuddering, she said, “Hope you like your eggs scrambled. I’ve never mastered them any other way.”
Luke ran his hand up the back of her leg. “I like the look of this. You. Cooking in my kitchen. Wearing my shirt.” His hand smoothed over her bare ass. “Oh, Christ, Caroline, you’re naked.”
She wiggled her butt, leaning back into him. Oh, yes. He was hard.
“I want nothing more than to bend you over the counter and slide into you once again from right here.” Luke stepped back, removing his hand from her pantiless backside. He straddled a bar stool, putting distance between them. “Sorry, but I have to hurry as it is. I left the chopper at the airport for some routine maintenance since I didn’t have to work yesterday. I have to drive up there and get it.”
“Want me to go with you? I can bring your car back and leave it at your landing pad down on the Hotel Zone.” Caroline plated their breakfast and set them on the bar then crawled onto a barstool.
“That would be wonderful. Do you mind?” Luke dove into the food with gusto.
“No problem. I’d like to shower first, but I’ll be quick.”
He leaned over and kissed her. “I like having you here. In my home.”
The sincerity in his expression, the depth in those sky-blue eyes of his, asked for more than she was willing to give. She would share her body with this man, but she’d never give a man her heart again. Problem was…he’d already captured part of it.
She couldn’t give him the words he wanted. She wouldn’t tell him the truth…she liked being there with him. She glanced away from his expectant look, fearing he’d see the truth in her eyes.
Returning her attention to the last bits of her food, she asked, “Can you give me five minutes?”
“Sure.” The word was clipped as he picked up their plates and carried them to the sink.
***
Luke hadn’t said a word. When she’d emerged from the bedroom in a short white sundress filled with red and yellow flowers and cork, wedged sandals—looking damn hot showing off her tanned skin—he’d only glanced at her. Grabbing his keys, he exited the door, expecting her to follow.
He’d been quiet as he drove down the palm-lined boulevard. Staring out the windshield, she caught glimpses between the tall hotels of the salt pond that separated the Hotel Zone from the mainland to her right. The ocean, to her left, was hidden by resort upon resort or high dunes.
She’d had enough. This was a temporary hookup. They both knew it. If he was upset that she wasn’t going to gush over playing house with him, then so be it. He’d have to get over it, or she’d be gone. She had paid for a room at the condo shared by her friends, and she could just as easily sleep there.
But that wasn’t what she wanted. She liked what they had going. She glanced over at Luke who seemed off in his own world. He’d pushed her this morning, and in her usual way, she’d shoved back. It was up to her to make amends.
Breaking the tense silence between them as they drove to the airport, Caroline asked, “So how’s your Uncle Mark? Been to see him lately?”
Luke was quiet so long she wasn’t sure he’d answer. “Uncle Mark passed away two years ago. Pneumonia, complicated by his war injury.”
She laid a hand on his thigh, close to his scar. “I’m so sorry.” And she was. His uncle had been his only living relative, his surrogate father and mother after he’d been abandoned by both at nine. “What was his war injury?”
“During Vietnam, he’d been shot in the lung,” Luke explained. “It had a tendency to collapse when it was stressed, like from a cold. He’d always been careful around people, which was easy since he ran that whole farm by himself. Unless he went to the co-op or the VA hospital, he had little contact with others.”
“Were you able to—”
“I had no idea he’d been sick.” Luke drew in a long deep breath. “We were in the Med. I was running SEALs in and out of Iraq. When I got the call…it was too late.”
“Oh, Luke.” She leaned over the center console and hugged him. With one hand, he rubbed her back then patted it. It was a signal to return to her seat. She wanted to hold him and allow him to take comfort from her. But he was driving.
“I made it to the funeral. His buddies at the VA had made all the arrangements, full military honors.” The muscle in the side of his jaw worked. This was hard for him. “The farmer next door had taken over the chores until I got there, but I couldn’t run the farm. They’d given me ten days leave, but travel to Tennessee ate up nearly a day and a half of that time.”
She gave his thigh a gentle squeeze. “So, what did you do?”
“I sold everything to that farmer.” Luke tore his gaze from the road and glanced her way. “It’s what he wanted.” He swallowed hard. “Before I left on tour, I spent a week with him. It was as if he knew.” His voice broke. He cleared it then continued. “He went over his will, page by page. I got everything. But he knew raising Angus cattle in the shadows of the Smokies wasn’t what I wanted. Flying and the Navy was my life, and Uncle Mark was proud of me.”
His forced grin didn’t fool her. He was fighting a plethora of emotions. “At least I still have one of those dreams.”
Her heart broke for this wonderful man and the pain he’d endured. She wondered if there had been a woman to comfort him through all this, or if he’d been forced to face it alone. Alone. She was sure of it. He’d never been good at sharing his feelings, even with her. But that seemed to have changed, too. Another piece of her heart fell into his hands.
As they pulled into a parking slot in front of the angular white block FBO building, he turned off the engine. They sat there in silence for a minute. “I invested the money. I didn’t need it at the time. When I got shot, I spent weeks in the hospital then almost two months in rehab while the Navy decided I’d never be the man I was before.”
Luke stared straight ahead, but Caroline knew it wasn’t the modern-looking, private aircraft terminal he saw. She’d let him decide the next move. Talk or go in.
He looked at her then. “When they decided to discharge me, I came down here to hang out with Jack. I swam. Got scuba certified. Dove almost every day. Worked out with Jack and his crew. Played in the sun for a few weeks and drank a boatload of beer. Hung out at Kuk’s club most nights. It was fun.”
Glancing away, he shook his head. “But it wasn’t enough. I was empty inside. I missed flying so goddamned much. One day I found myself right here.” He nodded toward the two-story wall of doors and windows. “Met Van, Clarence Dunnavan, who runs a charter service. He put me in the co-pilot seat of some awesome planes hopping around the Caribbean. One night, while drinking beer in his office, we got to talking about helicopters. Next thing I knew, I owned one and had created this great little company I named Jurikan.”
“Why Jurikan?”
“He was the Mayan god of wind and storms.” Luke grinned. “Kuk helped me name the company.”
“Kuk?”
“Yeah, he’s the owner of Mayan Nites Club where we met. He’s also Doctor Kukulcan Chel, a professor of Mayan studies at the University of the Yucatan where Jillian teaches…and he’s Jack’s cousin.”
“Small world, but a very fitting name.” Caroline cocked her head and ventured, “So your helicopter business has filled you?”
Luke smiled at her, but his eyes said more than his words. “Not completely. I love flying. Like Jack says, ‘I work for myself, and my boss is a demanding bastard.’ I like being in control of my life, my future. Running a company is hard work. But to answer your question, no. My life is not full yet. I want more.”
He captured her hand in both of his. “I want what Jack has found in Jillian. I want children, like Addison. I want
a real home. With someone who loves me as much as I love them.”
Damn him! His light blue eyes were like a laser into her soul, searching for something she wasn’t sure was there…or was scared it was, and he’d find it.
“Sounds like a wonderful plan.” She forced a smile. “I hope you find a woman to fill that slot.” No, she didn’t. The thought of Luke making a home, raising children with another woman poked at the oversized ball of jealousy she’d felt the last time he’d abandoned her for other women.
“I’m working on it.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
No. The pain she’d endured in the months following her shipboard humiliation was more than she’d ever allow again. If she gave into him—and she easily could because, damn, his dream was so close to hers—he could hurt her even more than Robert had. She wasn’t sure any man was worth that risk.
To remind them both, she said, “You know I’m only here for a few more days.”
“I also know you can extend it the full two weeks.”
He pressed his lips to hers, and the rest of the world disappeared. It was just the two of them. Together. The way it should be. It felt…right. He broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers.
“Planes fly every day from San Diego to Cancun. Speaking of flying…” Luke leaned back and glanced at his watch. He sighed. “I gotta go.”
She didn’t want to leave things the way they were. “Got time to show me your bird?” She worked to make her smile convincing.
He studied her face, searching for something she hoped was there for him. “Come on.”
Inside the contemporary terminal for travelers who could afford their own jets and pilots, the soft red curves of modern chairs stood out against stark white walls. Potted palms separated seating areas of gold couches and deep-slung chairs.
