Marriage Prey

by Annette Broadrick

  She hadn't made out in the back seat of somebody's car. She really hated the fact that she had so little experience to draw on. As well as she knew her brothers, they had made certain that she didn't understand what turned a guy on, what made him want to make love. To hear them tell it, it didn't take much, which was why they never let her be alone with a date, always making certain that any double date she was on was properly supervised. How ironic that she now had not only the perfect opportunity but the perfect dreamboat of a male, as well, and after kissing him and letting him know she was interested, he chose to go to bed early!

  She propped her chin on her knees and stared out to sea. Slowly the majestic expanse of water and the soft sighs of the waves soothed her troubled mind and she allowed her thoughts to drift in the peace of the moment. When she finally roused herself to go inside, she was ready for sleep.

  She'd also decided what she had to do to give Steve back his solitude.

  Robin woke early the next morning—long before dawn—dressed and slipped into the kitchen for some food supplies. She left a note for Steve on the kitchen table, telling him that she would be gone for the day exploring the tide pools and sunbathing, and that she would see him that night.

  By the time the sun appeared, she had walked the length of the island to the area where the tide pools were abundant. She spread her towel in the shade of one of the trees and stretched out to rest. She'd had another restless night and now the warm rays of the sun were soothing. She might take a short nap, then eat something before going exploring. She refused to feel sorry for herself. She'd had a wonderful time on the island.

  As she drifted off to sleep, Robin smiled. She knew that she would never forget getting marooned on a tropical island and the man she had come to know there.

  Steve took his usual swim that morning and was disappointed when it became clear that Robin wasn't going to join him as she had each morning since she'd arrived on the island. By the time he returned to the house, he was already eager to find her and share some of his ideas for the day's entertainment.

  But first he showered and dressed in his usual uniform—shorts and swimsuit—before he wandered into the kitchen for something to eat. Carmela had coffee made as well as breakfast pastries and fruit sitting out.

  She turned when he walked in and smiled at him. "You have a message," she said, pointing to the table.

  Puzzled, Steve picked up a handwritten note and silently read:

  Steve, you've been a wonderful host these past few days. I don't want to wear out my welcome. I've gone to the other end of the island for the day to give you back your solitude. I'll see you at sunset. Enjoy your day! Robin.

  "Did you talk to her this morning?" he asked Carmela after reading the note.

  “No, sir. I never saw her. She must have been up early. She made some sandwiches, took some bottled water and fruit, so I figure she's planning to be away for a while." He poured himself a cup of coffee and munched on a lighter-than-air pastry. So. She was gone. He wondered what he'd done to offend her that she would choose to be gone her last full day on the island.

  The only thing that came to mind was his retiring so early last night. She must have taken that to mean that he didn't want to spend any more time with her. Now that was almost amusing, given his actual state of mind. Steve sighed, poured himself another cup of coffee and looked at his options. The safest thing he could do would be to leave her at the other end of the island. After all, she'd chosen to spend the day away from him. They'd managed to keep it light and fairly platonic, if he ignored that heated kiss yesterday, and being separated today made a great deal of sense.

  She would leave the island tomorrow as planned, after which he'd never see her again.

  No big deal, really. He'd forget all about her when his life returned to normal after his vacation ended.

  No doubt that was the best resolution of their situation for all concerned.

  The only problem with that was he didn't think his life would ever be the way it was before she'd shown up on the island. In her particular case, out of sight did not necessarily mean out of mind.

  He'd never believed in long-distance romances, but he was willing to make an exception in this case. And he didn't want to waste this last day with an island between them. What he needed to do was to go find her, apologize for his moodiness and make certain that she understood he wanted to consider a long-term relationship with her. As soon as he finished eating, Steve set off to the other end of the island. He noticed clouds forming on the horizon, a sure sign that they were going to have rain squalls later in the day. He felt confident that Robin would not want to be out in that kind of weather, so he was actually doing her a favor, warning her of a change in the weather.

  He had a proprietary feeling toward her that made him uneasy, as though she were his to look after and care for. That certainly wasn't the politically correct attitude for a male to have in this day and time. At least he had sense enough not to let on that he felt that way. He'd already heard enough about her attitude toward her brothers to know she'd be less than pleased with him.

  He spotted her near where she'd been the first day. He'd forgotten how far it was and had become concerned that he may have missed her somehow when he rounded a curve of the beach and saw her.

  She lay near the trees that formed a dividing line between the lush vegetation and white sands. When he approached her he saw that she was sound asleep, her head resting on her arm.

  He felt like the prince discovering Sleeping Beauty.

  He sank to his knees beside her and softly stroked her cheek. "Robin?" he whispered, not wanting to startle her.

  She stirred, her long lashes fluttering before they revealed the soft-green of her eyes, still dazed with sleep. She saw him and smiled sleepily up at him before her lashes fluttered closed, as though her eyelids were too heavy for her to hold open at the moment.

  He stretched out beside her, propping himself on his elbow, then leaned over and brushed her lips with his own. She tasted so good, and her lips were as delectably soft as he remembered them to be. He pulled back just as her eyes opened once again, so that they were inches away from each other.

  "That was nice," she whispered. "I do like the way you kiss."

  “That's good news because I thoroughly enjoy kissing you." To prove his point, he kissed her again, his mouth lingering on hers.

  She touched his face with her long, slender fingers. ' 'What are you doing here?'' she asked, when he forced himself to draw away.

  "I missed you," he replied simply. "Really?" She sounded surprised. "I'm sorry about last night," he said, pressing feath-erlight kisses on her cheek and the side of her neck. "I must have seemed very rude, leaving so early." As though unable to resist, he found her mouth once again. By the time they both paused for much-needed air, they were trembling.

  "I thought you were bored with me," she managed to say.

  "Actually, I was having a huge fight with my better nature, who kept reminding me that you are very young and inexperienced and you need to become involved with someone your own age."

  "I see." She traced the shape of his mouth with her fingertip. "You are so very old, of course." "Thirty-two."

  "Ah, of course. Ancient, in fact." "To a college student." "So there must be something really strange about me... that I'm so very attracted to such an ancient specimen."

  Her words hit Steve like a sledgehammer in his solar plexus. "You're attracted to me?" he finally repeated.

  "I thought kissing you at the pool was a strong indication, but you treated it so casually, I figured you weren't interested in me and you were just being gentle with my feelings. When you went to bed so early, I was even more convinced."

  "You don't have any idea the struggle I've had keeping my hands off you, Ms. McAlister. If I'd known that you wanted—'' He paused, searching for words.

  “That I wanted to make love to you?'' she asked.

  "That wasn't what I was going to say!"


  “But I do want to make love to you. I have for a long while, but I figured I wasn't your type. Of course, now that I know how ancient you are, I can better understand—''

  His mouth effectively stopped her as he set about showing her just how very much she was his type, ancient though he might be.

  He smoothed his hands over her body, tracing her spine, touching her breasts and thighs while he explored her mouth with increasing fervor.

  She responded to him with such sweet eagerness that he was humbled.

  He stroked her cheek and neck, resting his fingers on the rapid pulse at the base of her throat. She felt so fragile... delicate... and very precious to him.

  When he paused to look at her, she smiled at him with all the allure of Eve. Her mouth was rosy, moist and slightly swollen, luring him to continue to taste and explore.

  Steve caressed her neck and shoulder before cupping her breast, which was barely covered by the bikini top she wore. Her breath caught, and he paused, his hand still.

  "I can stop anytime you want, you know. All you have to do is tell me."

  "I don't want you to stop," she whispered.

  He closed his eyes, trying to gain some control over his reactions to her. He wanted this to be enjoyable for her.

  He lowered his head and nuzzled her breast, edging the thin material to the side until her nipple was exposed. He toyed with the tip, using his tongue, until her nipple beaded up into a tight ball, then stroked it soothingly. He could feel her respond to each touch with first a quick gasp of air, then a slow sigh of pleasure.

  He paused in his ministrations and kissed her mouth once again and discovered that she was a brilliant student—not only did she remember what they had done before but added a few variations of her own.

  In fact, she was learning too fast, he discovered when her hands slipped from his shoulders to nimbly glide across his bare chest, pausing to tease his nipples until they hardened. When she leaned toward him and flicked her tongue across first one, then the other, he bit down hard on his bottom lip to keep from taking her right then.

  With more haste than grace, he covered her breast and sat up, breathing heavily.

  "What's wrong?" she asked. "Did I hurt you?" He laughed, "Uh, not exactly. I'm trying to take this slow, but if you keep on like that, we'll be skipping a bunch of stages in this process."

  She tilted her head and smiled at him, a smile full of seduction. "Then you liked me touching you?"

  "Oh, yes," he said with a short nod. "Like doesn't begin to describe it. I just don't want to rush you." He studied her for a moment before saying, ' 'Correct me if I'm wrong, but I got the impression that you aren't very experienced in these matters."

  "I'm sorry that I don't know much. If you could just show me—"

  "Good grief, don't apologize for being innocent. I just want your first time to be a positive experience for you."

  He removed the wisps of her suit and allowed himself a moment to enjoy her beauty before quickly shucking his shorts and swimsuit.

  He waited for her to take in his unclothed form. If he wasn't so aroused he would have been amused at her absorbed interest in him. Without a hint of shyness, she ran her fingers down his chest until she reached his male member. When he reacted to her touch, she smiled with pleasure.

  She was too adorable for words and he couldn't wait any longer to have her. He leaned forward, his aroused flesh brushing against her. She sighed, bringing her knees up. He slipped his hand between them and was relieved to find she was ready for him. He reached into the pocket of his shorts and pulled out the foil package that he'd kept with him at all times since she'd shown up on the island.

  Once protected, he knelt between her legs and slowly eased himself inside her until he felt the barrier that confirmed her lack of experience.

  "Don't stop," she whispered, sounding desperate. "Oh, please...don't stop."

  "I don't want to hurt you."

  She took matters into her own hands by suddenly lifting her hips in a strong surge, forcing him to go deep inside her. He gave up trying to move carefully and began a rhythm that would rapidly take him to completion. She'd made him forget everything but how good she felt and how much he wanted her.

  He'd never felt like this with any woman before. It scared him to think how much he needed her. At that moment she began to whimper as she stiffened, holding him tightly to her. Her inner movements caused him to lose control, and he gave one final lunge before going over the edge and taking her with him.

  By the time he could think once again, Steve lay beside her, holding her to him with no intention of ever letting her go. When she eventually stirred, he let out a sigh of remorse. "I'm sorry love, but I lost it. I've never done that before and I—''

  She placed her fingers over his lips. "You were magnificent. Please don't apologize."

  He lay there a moment, dazed, before he grinned. "Magnificent? You think so? With all your vast experience, you think I'm the best, huh?"

  "Without a doubt. I had no idea what I've been missing."

  He laughed. She sounded so smug. "Too bad you're leaving tomorrow." She leaned on her elbow and looked at him, then trailed her fingers from his throat to his groin and back. "Well, we still have today, don't we?"

  He chuckled. "I may not survive the day, but what a way to go."

  Six

  They were a little more than halfway back to the house when the rain started. Steve grabbed Robin's hand, and they sprinted along the beach until they reached the path leading up to the house. By the time they dashed inside, pulling the sliding glass door behind them, they were winded and soaked, rivulets of water making puddles on the floor.

  Robin looked at Steve, still dazzled by the knowledge that she had actually made love with him—wonderfully fulfilling, intoxicating love. His curly hair was plastered around his head, and water was dripping down his face. She knew she must look just like him—a couple of drowned rats.

  She laughed out loud and threw her arms around him.

  He grabbed her and swung her up into his arms before striding down the hallway to the last door. She reached over and opened it for him, and he stepped inside. She got a vague sense of an oversize room that looked big enough for a basketball game before he walked into a bathroom that was close in size to the bedroom she'd been occupying. Obviously, whoever had designed this home wanted plenty of space.

  The shower had double heads and was large enough for a party. Steve peeled off his clothes, then turned and removed her top and tugged at her bikini bottoms. When she stepped out of them, he moved over to the shower and turned both nozzles on, adjusting the water temperature before turning and beckoning her with a wicked smile on his handsome face.

  She dreamed about that smile, so white in his darkly tanned face. She wasn't sure where her dreams left off and reality began. She couldn't get over the fact that all the time she was wishing that something would happen between them he'd been creating fantasies of his own.

  Robin was more than happy to indulge him in those fantasies.

  She stepped into the shower.

  He took a loofah and rubbed soap on it until there was a lather, then he turned with a very wicked gleam in his eye and began to lightly rub it over her, starting at her shoulders, then down around and over her breasts, leaving a trail of bubbles that felt like silk against her skin. She shivered at the sensuousness of the actions. He turned her around and rubbed her back, causing her to arch like a cat in response. When he turned her to face him once more, she was so relaxed she could hardly stand.

  He surprised her by kneeling in front of her before he once again rubbed the loofah over her, reaching around her to slide his hands across her buttocks. He leaned lightly toward her and kissed her nest of curls. Startled, she looked down at him in surprise.

  "Steve, what are you— Oh, Steve, I—" Then she lost the power of speech as her mind went blank. She could only feel, and the sensations he was arousing in her were like nothing she had ever
before experienced. He caressed her with his tongue and fingers, gently massaging her until her body seemed to explode with pleasure. He stood in time to grab her as her knees gave way. “You okay?'' he whispered, kissing her ear. She could only nod.

  He stepped back from her and began to rub the soapy loofah over his chest. She took it from him and carefully soaped his body, front and back, giving particular attention to that part of his body that seemed to have a mind of its own. By the time they rinsed off, he was fully aroused.

  She'd had no idea that the male body could look so good in its unadorned, aroused state. She touched him, delighted to see an immediate response and to hear his groan of pleasure. He placed his hands on her waist and walked her backward into the bedroom until they reached the bed. He tossed the spread off the bed before placing her in the middle of it.

  Robin lost track of time as her world narrowed to Steve and all that he taught her. There wasn't a part of her body that he didn't explore, stroke and caress. She quickly determined that he responded most enthusiastically when she explored him in the same way.

  He made her feel sexy and seductive and encouraged her to touch him wherever and however she wished. They played until their passion could no longer be ignored, then made love, rested and dozed until one or the other started caressing and arousing the other once again.

  At one time he teasingly told her that she had worn him completely out so that all he could do was just lie there and let her have her way with him. That's when he showed her how to sit astride him and control their coming together, laughingly pointing out that he had created a monster who was going to insist on being in control in the future.

  He made her weak with love and with laughter. By the time she fell asleep in his arms she knew that this man had branded her with a fire she'd never forget. .

  When she awoke early the next morning, Robin wasn't certain where she was and if all that had happened had been a dream, until she turned her head on the pillow and saw Steve sprawled next to her on his stomach, his head beneath his pillow.