by KaLyn Cooper
All the heat shot south to between her legs.
Oh. Yes. What a fantasy.
“We’re done here.” Luke stood, blew out the small candle in the middle of the table, and gathered everything from the table, carrying it in one trip to the kitchen.
Dazed, Caroline just sat until he lifted her out of the patio chair and plastered her body to the wall. That was when she noticed he’d left them in total darkness.
Her body against the sun-warmed blocks of the building, he pressed into her from shoulders to feet.
All gentleness gone, he took her mouth with the force of a hurricane. He swept in and around. His hands went to her breasts and massaged before pinching her nipples with just the right amount of pressure.
She gasped as pleasure shot to her clit.
“This is what you want, isn’t it, Caroline?” Luke rocked against her, his erection pushing against her belly.
“Yes,” she whispered into his ear then nipped it.
“Hard and fast, sweetheart…and a little bit dangerous.” Luke unfastened her shorts and shucked them down with her panties.
She kicked them away. “Hurry.” She sounded breathless even to her own ears.
Stepping out of his shorts, he quickly sheathed himself. “Back up against the wall.”
Damn, she liked it when he went all dominant on her.
When he stepped to her, one hand went to her slick heat, the other to a breast. He parted her wet lips and skimmed a long finger over her clit, pressing against it the entire time.
“Oh, Christ, I love how much you want me.” Then he glided two fingers inside her and grazed her clit with his thumb.
Her legs had stiffened, and she fisted her inner walls around his fingers. She was ready to explode.
“Not yet. You wait for me,” he commanded and pulled his hands away. “Jump up here and wrap your legs around my waist.” He grabbed her butt cheeks and gave them a not-so-gentle squeeze before he lifted her.
Legs folded above his narrow hips, she lowered herself onto him in one smooth stroke. She loved that first invasion of her body as she stretched around him.
He shuddered and pinned her against the wall, leaning in hard. His forehead was against the concrete just over her shoulder. “Bound and determined to kill me, aren’t you?”
She loved what she did to him. The power she had over Luke intoxicated her. He deserved a little teasing. “But, Luke, I’m not bound to anything. You haven’t even tied me up.”
He lifted his head inch by slow inch. When she met his gaze, the light blue was gone, replaced by the deep blue found only in the middle of the ocean. She’d swear he grew within her, stretching her channel.
He’d liked that idea. So had she.
“Hold on for the ride of your life.” He pounded into her with a ferocity she’d never seen in him. She clung to his shoulders as he slammed his hips into hers, his cock so deep she wasn’t able to catch her breath.
“Luke,” was all she could get out. She was close.
“Not yet. Not until I tell you,” he warned.
Her legs tightened around him as her body threatened to release.
“This feels so good I want it to last forever,” Luke panted into her ear.
“I know.” Caroline hoped words had come out, but it may have been no more than huffs of air. “Please,” she begged.
Luke shifted her bottom and grunted on his next thrust. “Now, Caroline. Now.”
She tried so hard to keep her release quiet, not knowing who was watching or listening, but in that instant, she couldn’t give a flying fuck who saw them. Her man had flown her higher than she’d ever been before. She was bumping that magical limit of one thousand kilometers where the earth’s atmosphere ends and space begins. For her, climaxing wasn’t like falling over an edge. She was reaching the void of outer space.
With an uncontrollable, full-body shudder and a feminine scream of ecstasy, she left the confines of the planet and floated amongst the stars.
*
The smell of food brought Caroline out of the orgasmic bliss. She shifted in the sheets and debated on rolling over for some extra shut-eye or rising to investigate breakfast. Peeping through one eye, she noted it was still night. She was in Luke’s bed.
She bolted upright, and the sheet fell to her waist. She was naked. Her last memory was of a warm wall to her back and Luke deep inside her.
Luke.
What that man could do to her. Not just what he’d done to her body, but to her heart. Every time they were together, bit by bit, he was tearing through her defenses, conquering her—body, heart, and soul.
At the moment, she was fine with that. But only for now. It had to be short term. She couldn’t give him any more than the next few days. She was expected back on base…well…actually she had two weeks POM leave. But she and her girlfriends were flying home on Saturday.
And then she had to face the captain in a few weeks. He had the authority to throw her out of the Navy or into the brig. That thought made her shudder. All because of Robert’s lies. A man who had deceived her.
Luke wouldn’t do that to her. She had forgiven him for his actions in flight school because she’d actually given him permission to move on when setting their initial boundaries of sex only. She had done it again this time, promising nothing more than a week of fun.
She refused to think about her tenuous future and wanted some more of the promised fun.
She threw off the covers and went to find him.
At the kitchen entrance, she stopped short. He wore nothing, like her. His butt was toned and stark white compared to the rest of his golden body. Back and shoulder muscles rippled under tanned skin as he switched the plates in the microwave. Magnificent. She wanted to kiss every inch of him then start all over again.
“Keep staring at my ass like that, and I’ll throw you on this counter and be deep inside you before you know what hit you.” Luke’s erection stood straight and tall as he nudged the plate from the microwave onto a hot pad. “We need to eat to keep up our energy.”
He set both plates on the bar and reached into the fridge for two beers.
“I can’t drink that. Twelve hours bottle to throttle,” she reminded him of the rule for flying.
“First of all, it’s one beer.” He popped the tops off the Heinekens and set one in front of her plate. “Second, I guarantee you Van doesn’t give a shit as long as you never fly drunk. Third, U.S. flight rules are loosely adhered to here in the Caribbean, especially in the islands.”
“When in the Caribbean…” She shrugged. It was just one beer, and a damn good beer at that.
Until she bit into the spicy chicken, she hadn’t realized just how hungry she was. Actually, she was famished.
“So, you’re growing to like it here,” Luke said between bites, more as a statement than a question.
Chicken halfway to her mouth, she admitted, “Yeah. I am.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the brief, satisfied smile before Luke stuffed in risotto.
He took his time chewing before he swallowed. “Why don’t you stay the extra week You said you have the leave time.” His eyes scanned her face as if looking for something. He must have found it because the corners of his mouth twitched up before he suggested, “You’re welcome to stay here. With me.”
His words suggested a week, but his eyes begged for more. Longer.
She buckled under his intense gaze and looked down at her plate. She wanted to say yes. Wanted to agree to be his lover for another week. Wanted to explore the ocean bottom with him, walk on the beach, cook together…make love for hours. Or hot and fast as they’d done an hour ago.
But the more time she spent with Luke, the more she lost herself in him.
Or was she discovering herself?
She’d always done what was expected of her. She’d been the good little officer’s daughter, walking the straight and narrow so as never to embarrass her parents, especially her father. She’d graduat
ed near the top of her class at the Naval Academy and in the top five percent at flight school. She flew the fastest badass jets in the Navy.
The Navy had been her choice, but as a backhanded volley since her father had all but committed her to West Point. Then she had to out-distance him by flying jets rather than helicopters.
Learning to dive had solely been her choice. She had made it without considering anything…or anyone…except herself. And, damn, if that didn’t feel great.
For the first time in her life, she felt as though she was in control. She’d taken orders all her life, from her father then senior officers in the Navy. No one was giving her orders now.
Luke was asking her. Not telling her. He was offering her the chance to stay in this beautiful place where whether she slept on the beach all day or flew a really cool Cessna…the choice was hers, and hers alone.
It was all so empowering.
When she looked into eyes the color of a morning sky, the hopeful face of man she was falling for inch by inch, she refused to deny herself the pleasure of another week in Cancun…with Luke.
The thought of more nights like the one that wasn’t over yet made her smile. “Yeah. I think I will stay. Here. With you.”
Chapter Eleven
Caroline stretched out her darkening legs, leaned back on stiffened arms, and let the slight ocean breeze lift the hair from her face. Her hands sank into the soft sand under the condo’s huge beach towel.
“I am so fucking jealous I don’t want to talk to you.” Lisa rolled onto her stomach and fluffed a towel into a pillow. “I let you put this off while we shopped, but we’re all here now. Tell us absolutely everything, or we’re going to gang up on you and not let you dive with Luke and Jack.”
“The Cessna was…unbelievably awesome.” Caroline searched the miles of sea for a speedboat and the sky for Luke’s helicopter. Neither was expected for another fifteen minutes. “Our Navy jets are so utilitarian compared to that one. Pure luxury the whole way.”
“Did the pilot let you take the stick?” Sarah leaned up on her elbow to sip her mango margarita.
“Yeah. On the way back. For almost an hour. He was really nice. Jerry Sanchez. Fact is, all Van’s pilots were nice. I got to meet them for coffee in his office.” Caroline smiled ear to ear. They had welcomed her as one of their own, swapping war stories for almost fifteen minutes before their boss reminded them that his airline ran on real time, not vacation time.
“The plane handled like a dream. Van said, if I wanted, I could fly to St. Thomas in a few days. He’s the pilot, but I’d need to practice touch-and-goes before he’d let me land and take off.”
Chloe sat up and stretched. “Are you going to go? We haven’t seen much of you, and we’ve only got a few more days here.”
A twinge of guilt shot through Caroline. Tell them. Quick. Like tearing off a bandage. “I’m staying an extra week.”
Three pairs of eyes hidden behind sunglasses turned toward her. A chorus of “What?” accompanied the quizzical looks.
“I like it here,” she explained. “And Luke has offered…asked me to stay with him.” She quickly added, “I plan to fly some for Van and dive my ass off.”
All three women spoke at once.
“How wonderful!” Sarah exclaimed.
“What the fuck? You’re moving in with Luke?” Lisa accused.
“Are you going to fly some of the other planes?” Chloe wondered.
“Whoa. Wait. One…” Caroline glared at Lisa. “I’m not ‘moving in’ with Luke. He asked me to stay with him since we have to be out of the condo on Saturday.”
“Right.” Lisa’s eyes rolled behind the designer sunglasses. Caroline was sure. She knew her roommate very well. “He just wanted to save you money.” Then she shrugged. “I’m just glad you are moving on from the douchebag. Have fun with Luke. He’s a nice guy.” She settled back onto the towel.
“I think Luke’s a fine piece of man. Is he as good in bed as his rep?” Chloe’s question brought back the fact that Luke had a well-earned reputation as being a player. Lots of women.
Caroline wondered if she would be sexually skilled enough to satisfy him. Then she remembered the previous night. They had returned to bed after the late supper and made love once again before dawn. She’d put a smile on his face twice before he insisted that they sleep since they both had to fly within hours.
Besides, Luke was nothing more than a friend with delicious—and temporary—benefits. When she left this dream vacation, she’d be back in the world of reality where the men around her were all charter members of the self-consumed-assholes club.
She wondered why she put herself through that torture. She could put in her paperwork and get out of the Navy in six months. Five given her backlog of thirty days leave. But if she did, Robert and friends would win. They would have succeeded in shoving her away from the only life she’d ever known. She’d never give them that satisfaction. Flying was her life.
She suddenly remembered Chloe’s question about flying other planes while there. “I’d love to fly every one of Van’s planes, but there’s not enough time. I’m sure I’ll get into the air for a few flights, at least.”
Maybe I’ll take another week.
She could use some of her banked vacation time since she’d taken only a few to visit her parents before leaving for the Middle East. These two weeks didn’t count against that since it was POM leave. She was supposed to be decompressing after being in a war zone for nearly a year. Well, she was certainly de-stressing with Luke.
The low rumble of a rotor pulled Caroline from her thoughts. Excited children’s voices and pointing arms helped her find his sleek black helicopter as he flew a few hundred feet above the beach. She watched as he disappeared behind their twenty-story condo.
He’d meet her on the beach in about ten minutes. She scanned the ocean for Jack’s speedboat and saw it headed her way. Textbook operation.
Running a hand over her duffel bag, she could hardly hold in her excitement. Inside was all new gear—a mask that flawlessly fit her face, a buoyancy compensator made for women and adjusted to her body, two rash guard shirts, and fins in size eight and a half. Not a trace of pink anywhere, but she did go for the blue and gray trim. After all, she was female and preferred a splash of color.
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Luke headed her way with a duffel slung casually over one shoulder. She rose to greet him with a smile, but he had a much better greeting for her. He dropped the bag and wrapped both arms around her. His kiss said so much more than hello. It was a thank-you for last night and a promise of more tonight. When their lips parted, he held her close. Tight.
“I’ve thought about you all day.” Luke pressed his lips just below her ear.
He had filled her thoughts as well…off and on. But her focus had been on flying all morning then purchasing the correct gear when she and Lisa had visited the scuba shop suggested by Jack. Caroline admitted to herself that he’d crept into her brain more often than any other man ever had. And she liked it.
The roar of an approaching boat engine tore their gazes to the shore.
“Jack’s here. Let’s go.” Luke grabbed both their bags, slid his hand into hers, and headed to the water’s edge. “Afternoon, ladies,” he called to the others.
“Have fun,” Chloe suggested.
“See you later,” Sarah called out.
“Be careful out there,” Lisa ordered.
Caroline answered all three with two words, “I will.” She waved her free hand and tried to keep up with Luke’s long stride in the shifting sand.
Who knew diving would be so exhausting?
Caroline felt as though she was back in Plebe training at the Naval Academy. Every muscle in her body felt rubbery, yet the ache of lactic acid buildup had already started. She’d thought she was in good shape. She ran regularly, mostly so she could pass the semi-annual physical fitness test with ease. While on the ship, she’d worked out a lot. There wasn’t much
else to do between missions.
Trudging through the lobby of Luke’s condo, carrying her bag filled with diving gear and a change of clothes, she wondered how many more steps till she could collapse on his couch.
And damn him. He didn’t seem a bit affected. When they stepped into the elevator, he looked down at her and grinned. “Hard day?” He kissed her forehead.
“No. Just long. It started early if you remember.” She’d been at the airport at five, after a very short night. But she wouldn’t trade the last twenty-four hours for anything. Especially the time she’d spent in bed with Luke. It had been beautiful. Special. Then she’d been so charged about flying the corporate Cessna. Running on excitement, she’d gone shopping with Lisa before returning to their condo. She was too filled with anticipation to sleep on the beach like the rest, so she tossed and turned to match the reeling in her head. Finally, there was her first dive.
So much to remember until it became second nature like it was with Jack and Luke. The time underwater had flown. She had specific requirements to check off the list—like buddy breathing, clear the mask, clear her regulator and regulator recovery—she barely had time to enjoy the sensation of breathing in water.
“Jack was hard on you,” Luke admitted. “But that’s why he’s the best. He wants you to be safe and enjoy the experience. Carelessness underwater can get you killed.” His eyes turned serious. “I want you to always be cautious, whether you’re thirty-five feet underwater or thirty-five thousand feet in the air.”
He slid his free hand around her and pulled her into him. No more words were said. None were needed.
He cared for her.
Once in his apartment, he took the bag from her shoulder. “Sit. I’ll make supper.” He gestured to the barstools. “Wine or beer?”
“Wine, please.” Although she drank a lot of beer—most pilots seemed to—she actually preferred a nice Chardonnay.
He handed her the bottle from the fridge and a wine glass then reached back in and stacked food on the counter. “Are you flying for Van tomorrow?”
