Someone To Watch Over Her

by Margaret Watson

  “That sounds pretty complicated.”

  “It is. That’s what makes it so interesting.”

  He could have sat across the table from Jessica for hours, watching the animation in her face as she talked about reefs and her work. “Can you be more specific?” he asked. “What are you doing?”

  She hesitated, giving him a cautious look. “Stop me if I get carried away.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m not a scientist. If you start throwing big words at me, I’ll throw them right back.”

  “It’s a deal.”

  Her meal forgotten, she started talking. Her hands fluttered in the air as she talked, describing the shapes of the coral she loved. In spite of the fact that he was telling the truth, that he was no scientist, he was enthralled by what she said. Not only was she doing complicated work, but she had the knack of describing it so he could understand. And he was fascinated.

  Finally she faltered to a stop. “I warned you not to get me started,” she said with a sigh. “I’ve bored you.”

  “I wasn’t bored at all.” It was the truth. “I enjoyed listening to you.”

  “Well, you know more than you probably ever wanted to know about coral reefs.”

  “I’ve heard enough that I want to see one for myself.”

  “I’d love to take you out to a reef,” she said eagerly. “We can snorkel if you like. You won’t get as good a view, but you don’t need any special training.”

  “I’ve learned to scuba dive. I’ve just never used it.” It was one of the things they had to learn during their training as SPEAR agents.

  She frowned. “Why would anyone go to the trouble of learning to dive and then not use it?”

  “It goes with the territory,” he said dryly. “There are a lot of things I’ve had to learn, like how to deliver a baby, that I’ve never used.”

  “Of course. I had forgotten your job.”

  She had forgotten everything but her work, and it was fascinating to watch. He cursed when a shadow appeared in her eyes.

  “I had forgotten all about why I’m here,” she said in a small voice.

  “You can show me a reef when this is finished,” he said recklessly.

  “All right.”

  But he saw the doubt in her eyes and realized how perceptive she was. It shook him to realize how well she could read him already. When this job was finished, he needed to run as far and as fast as he could. He wasn’t ready to let anyone get that close to him. The last time he had, it had almost destroyed him.

  He wouldn’t think about that. He wanted to see the excitement in Jessica’s eyes again. “No wonder you didn’t have any trouble swimming from that boat to the shore. You must spend a lot of time swimming.”

  “I did.” She looked out the window as the sky darkened into dusk, and he couldn’t miss the longing in her eyes. “I love the water. I miss it already.”

  He couldn’t bear that look of longing in her eyes. “I have a solution for that. Do you want to go swimming tonight?”

  Chapter 6

  “How could we do that?” He saw the excitement she tried to hide.

  “Easy. We walk out the door of the cottage and into the water. The beach is right there.”

  “I thought it was important that no one see me.”

  “It is. But once we’re in the water, no one is going to be able to see who we are. And when we’re done swimming, we’ll come back into the cottage.”

  He was being foolish, taking a chance he shouldn’t take. But he always took chances. He ignored the fact that this one had nothing to do with his job. It would please Jessica, and suddenly, overwhelmingly, that was all that mattered.

  No one was watching the cottage. Devane was sure of it. And they needed some exercise. Swimming at night, in the ocean, was a relatively safe way of getting it.

  And a way to defuse the tension that still simmered between them. If he swam until he was exhausted, he wouldn’t be tempted to repeat the mistakes of the night before.

  “If you think it’s safe, I’d love to go for a swim.” She jumped up and looked out the window. “We have to wait until it’s completely dark, though, don’t we?”

  “That would be the safest.”

  Night fell quickly in the tropics during the winter months, and the sun had already set. Shadows lengthened, and the sky turned a deep, velvety blue. Finally it was dark enough to hide their escapade.

  “Ready to go?”

  “Yes.” She gave him a brilliant smile. “I can’t wait.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  Before opening the front door, he listened for a while. He heard nothing but the normal evening sounds of the resort. The soft murmur of voices drifted through the air. People were heading toward the restaurants and bars that stood in the center of the resort. No one was coming toward the cottage. It stood by itself, isolated and close to the beach.

  He opened the door and looked around, but didn’t see a soul. “Okay, let’s go,” he whispered.

  Jessica came up next to him clutching two towels, and he took her hand in his. She curled her fingers around his, a gesture of complete trust. If he were smart, he would have stayed in the cottage. But weighing the odds, he had decided it would be better for them to swim than to sit around inside all night, thinking about what had happened the night before. He glanced at Jessica, wondering what she was thinking.

  Jessica clutched Marcus’s hand as they stepped out the door and tried to rein in her excitement. She felt like a kid again, sneaking out of the house at night with her brother for some childish adventure. But her feelings for Marcus were anything but sisterly.

  She had a good idea why he’d wanted to go swimming. She’d been able to see it in his eyes. It had been hard to ignore the tension that tightened between them with every look. Marcus wanted to put some distance between them, and what better way to do it than by exercising?

  She didn’t care. She had been restless and edgy all day, and swimming was the perfect way to dissipate her energy.

  The sand was cool and smooth on the bottoms of her feet, and the air was warm and fragrant. The ocean was calm, the surface glinting in the light of the rising moon. She could already imagine how it would feel against her body, cool satin gliding against her skin.

  Marcus started to pull off his shirt, and she stopped dead. “I forgot that I don’t have a swimsuit.”

  He looked at her, and even in the dim light of the moon she could see his eyes gleaming. “Is that a problem?”

  She had never swum naked in front of a man, but there was a first time for everything. She could add it to her list of firsts with Marcus. As he watched her, she slowly shook her head. “I guess not.” Her breasts tingled, and a throbbing started low in her abdomen.

  “I’ll turn around.”

  “Thank you.” She swallowed a huge lump in her throat and slowly took off her clothes, folding them into a neat pile on the sand. The warm air caressed her skin, and she shivered, suddenly feeling far too vulnerable. “I’m ready,” she called, and fled into the water.

  She saw a flash of pale skin as Marcus raced to the water’s edge, then she turned and ducked under the water. When she emerged, she saw Marcus only a few feet away from her.

  “We need to stay close together,” he called. “I know you’re a strong swimmer, but this is the ocean and we have to be careful.”

  “I know.” She looked at the night sky, felt the waves gently lifting her and closed her eyes. “This is heaven.”

  All the fear and anxiety of the past twenty-four hours washed away in the rocking of the water, and she floated for a long time, watching the stars above her. When she finally turned over in the water, she saw Marcus treading water close by, watching her.

  “You love this, don’t you?” he asked quietly.

  “More than just about anything.” She glanced at his too-serious face again and slapped her hand on the water, sending a fine spray into the air. “I’ll race you out to the buoy.”

  She f
lipped over and started swimming, getting a head start. But before long, he was cutting through the water next to her, his powerful strokes pulling him ahead. She stroked harder, finally drawing even with him. They were side by side as they reached the buoy.

  “A tie,” she said breathlessly. “You’re pretty good, Marcus.”

  “I was about to say the same to you.” She could see the respect in his eyes. “You’re quite a swimmer.”

  “I get plenty of practice,” she said easily. She hooked one arm over the buoy and floated on the waves, being careful to stay under the water. In spite of what they had shared the night before, she was still too conscious of her lack of clothing.

  Marcus watched her steadily, and she wondered what he was thinking. The night shadowed his face and hid his eyes.

  A strange tension hummed between them, buzzing along her nerves and making her mouth dry. Finally she said, “I’m going to swim for a while.” She forced herself to smile. “But I’ll take it easy on you. No more races.”

  “Go ahead. I’ll keep an eye on the shore.”

  She swung her head around to scan the deserted beach, dark and shadowed in the moonlight. “Did you see something?”

  “No, and I’m not expecting to.” He finally moved, and she could see his face. It was all angles and planes, hard and unyielding. “It’s second nature to me.”

  She eased away from the buoy and studied him. “Is it hard to live like that?” she asked, her voice quiet. “Always watching, always prepared for trouble?”

  “It’s what I’ve chosen.” His voice was flat and final, but there was pain behind his words. She wondered why. Now wasn’t the time to ask, but she wanted desperately to know.

  As she watched him, she thought his face softened. “Go ahead and swim,” he said gruffly. “You may not get another chance.”

  She turned and dove under the water, gliding through the darkness as the water wrapped around her like ribbons of silk. She swam for a while then floated, staring at the stars in the velvety tropical sky. Marcus stayed close, but never came within touching distance. And she was careful to stay under the water.

  Finally her feet touched the sandy bottom. She felt around gingerly with her foot, wondering what she might find. “Marcus?” she called in a soft voice.

  He swam over to her immediately, although he kept at arms’ length. “What is it? Did you see something?”

  “No, just a question. Have you been swimming here before? Do I have to worry about stepping on a sea urchin or a clump of coral?”

  “No.” His low voice seemed to wrap around her, his deep, husky tones reaching out to caress her. “It’s just a sandy bottom. I think the resort keeps it cleared for swimming.”

  “Thanks.” She put both feet on the bottom and started to stand up before she realized that she would be half out of the water if she did. She stumbled backward and lost her balance.

  “What’s wrong?” He grabbed her upper arms to steady her.

  “Nothing. I just realized that the water is too shallow.”

  “Too shallow?”

  She tried to move around him and stay crouched below the water level at the same time. “Too shallow to stand up.”

  “Oh.” His hands tightened on her arms, and she stumbled backward, bumping into him.

  Heat seared her as she slid along the long, cool length of him. When she tried to move away, his hands tightened on her arms and drew her closer. “Just for a moment,” he whispered.

  He pulled her against him, nestling her back against his chest. His coarse chest hair tickled her skin, and the heat of his body warmed her in the cool water.

  Liquid fire raced through her veins, and she wanted to turn and press herself against him. But when she moved to do so, he crossed his arms beneath her breasts and held her still. “Don’t move,” he whispered.

  She leaned against him and realized that he was heavily aroused. She froze, not sure what to do. If she had more experience, she thought wistfully, she would know.

  Marcus seemed to read her mind. He bent, kissed her neck and whispered, “It’s all right, sweetheart. Let me show you what to do.”

  He eased himself between her legs, so it felt as if she was riding him. When she moved once, tentatively, he groaned in her ear. She moved again, and he tightened his grip on her. “Hold still,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I want to stand here with you for a while.”

  He nuzzled his face into her neck, then raised his head and searched for her mouth. She turned her head and kissed him eagerly, opening to him. He groaned again, and his hips jerked against her.

  She ached with the need to turn around, to feel her breasts pressed against him. He must have read her mind, because he reached up and cupped her breasts in his hand. When he brushed her nipples with his thumbs, she gasped into his mouth.

  She moaned when he moved his mouth to her neck. When he bent lower and took one of her nipples in his mouth, she cried out. He moved against her, sliding across her sensitive flesh like hot silk, and she sobbed, “Marcus!”

  He raised his head, kissed her neck again and slid one hand to her belly. She felt the imprint of every one of his fingers burning into her skin, then he moved against her again.

  She felt herself gathering, tightening, and she whimpered his name, mindless with need. He glided across her aching flesh again, and she exploded, spasm after spasm shaking her. She sagged limply against him, and he finally turned her to face him.

  “I didn’t mean to do that,” he whispered. “I only wanted to hold you. But I can’t resist you.”

  “I don’t want you to resist me,” she said fiercely. “And I don’t want this to be one-sided.” She reached down and touched the hard length of him. “It’s not nearly as much fun alone.”

  He jerked away from her touch. “I don’t have any protection with me,” he said. “And I won’t risk you that way.”

  “Then let’s go get some protection.” She leaned back until she could see his face, and she was startled at the pain she saw there.

  “I swore I wouldn’t touch you again, Jessica,” he said in a low voice. “What happened last night shouldn’t happen again.”

  “Why not?” Her voice was fierce.

  “Why not?” He ran his fingers through his hair and gave a short, disbelieving laugh. “Where do you want me to start?”

  “Wherever you like.” She leaned against him, comforted by the contact. He could argue all he wanted, but she could feel the evidence of his desire for her.

  “First of all, you barely know me. Hell, you don’t know me at all.”

  “I feel like I know a lot about you already.”

  He ignored her words. “And secondly, I’m far too old for you. You belong with someone closer to your own age, someone who’s not as cynical and hard as me.”

  She squirmed against him suggestively. “Maybe I like the fact that you’re hard.”

  She felt laughter rumbling in his chest, then he leaned back and framed her face with his hands. “I don’t deserve you, Jessica. And that’s the best reason of all.”

  “Why don’t you deserve me?” she asked quietly.

  At first, she didn’t think he would answer. Then he said with a sigh, “I’m fourteen years older than you. I’ve seen too much ugliness in my life and done too many things I’m not proud of. My soul is stained, Jessica.”

  “That’s your job.” She held his upper arms, as if to keep him close to her. “That’s not who you are.”

  “My job is exactly who I am.”

  “I don’t know why you’d say that, but it’s not true. I’ve seen the real Marcus in the last twenty-four hours.” She kissed him again and wound her arms around his neck. “Are you ready to go back to the cabin? It’s getting a little cold here in the water.”

  She wasn’t cold at all, but she knew that he would avoid going to the cabin for as long as he could. He’d keep as much distance as possible between them, then he’d hustle her into the house and into the bedroom, shutting the
door firmly between them.

  She was determined it wouldn’t happen that way.

  He bent and kissed her again, then he moved away from her. She smiled as her first prediction came true. “Let me take a look on the beach.”

  Marcus moved away from her, reluctant to break contact but determined to do the right thing. And the right thing was to stay away from Jessica.

  He’d gotten carried away this evening, but he hadn’t been able to resist her. She had been like a wild creature of the sea, swimming and diving, twisting and gliding through the water. He hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her. And the longer he watched her, the more he wanted her. Finally, when she had innocently bumped into him, he hadn’t been able to stop himself from reaching out for her.

  It shouldn’t happen again. And he would try to prevent it from happening again. He’d given everything he had to offer to Heather, all those years ago. He wasn’t sure he had anything more to give. But God help him, he didn’t know if he would be able to stop himself from touching her.

  When he was far enough away that she was out of reach, he turned his attention to the beach. It looked deserted. He stared toward the shore for a long time, watching the shadows, trying to see if any of them moved. When he was satisfied they were alone, he turned back to Jessica.

  “Let’s go,” he murmured.

  She nodded, apparently knowing they needed to be quiet. She waded out of the water, and he saw only a flash of naked skin as she ran to the towels and wrapped one around herself. He tightened again as he watched her graceful movements.

  He slung the other towel over his shoulder and took Jessica’s hand. Her skin felt cool to the touch and slick with salt from the sea. As they slipped around the cottage, he paused in the shadows next to the building and listened.

  She stood motionless next to him, barely breathing. He glanced at her with approval, then let his gaze travel over the trees close to the cottage.