by Karen Ward
Just before they reach the drop area they receive an emergency alert calling off the mission and the helicopter turns around and heads back toward the mainland. Dylan is furious. Upon landing he purposefully approaches the command post and demands an explanation.
Bear puts his arm around his shoulders and directs him away from the other men and says, "Easy Dylan. They know what they're doing. A yacht was spotted headed for the island with at least four armed men on board. Skye's not in immediate danger and they are monitoring the island and the yacht closely. Be patient."
******
I am awakened by voices coming from the main room of the cottage. Frightened I continue to lie still, feigning sleep while I listen to their words. I hear at least five different voices. The longer I listen to them the more frightened I become. I dig in my purse and pull out my phone. I dial Dylan's number. As soon as he picks up I whisper, "They're going to take me out to sea and throw me overboard. Help me!" I quickly disconnect when I hear my captors walking toward the bedroom door.
******
When his cell phone rings and he sees Skye's caller ID he answers on speaker phone so everyone can hear. Everyone in the command post hears her frightened plea. Looking desperately toward Detective Long he is relieved when the detective says, "You guys take the helicopter and head back to the island. I'll send the police boats to follow the yacht."
By the time the helicopter is airborne and nearing the island they see the yacht pulling away from the dock. Through binoculars Dylan can see Skye sitting in a deck chair being closely guarded by two armed men. He makes a decision that he prays is the right one. He tells the pilot to follow at a distance. As soon as he sees the two men grab her arms and head toward the side he tells the pilot to close the distance and get lower. He is going to wait until they throw her overboard and then drop down to her. He just prays she can stay afloat long enough for him to get to her. The water is very rough with huge swells and the water temperature is very chilly.
Everyone is watching and pinpoints her location as soon as she hits the water. Flying low overhead Dylan jumps out of the helicopter and swims to her. He quickly places a flotation device around her and they wait for the police boat to come to their rescue.
The remaining team members in the helicopter chase the yacht. The two snipers, Pinky and Barry Farrady have anchored themselves to the helicopter's frame and lean out the sides, take aim and disable the yacht's engine. Then they immediately pick off all the armed men that are visible. The other police boat quickly overtakes and boards the yacht and takes the remaining men into custody.
******
I am so scared and my heart is pounding with terror. When I hit the water, all of my strength is needed just to stay afloat. When I look up and see the helicopter approaching, hope blooms deep in my soul. I pray they are able to see me and I am relieved to see Dylan jumping out of the helicopter and swimming to me. When he reaches me and places the flotation device around me I say, "Oh thank God Dylan. I was so scared!"
We are soon pulled into the safety of the police boat and wrapped in warm blankets. Dylan can finally relax. He pulls me into his arms and kisses me warmly.
"Are you all right Skye? They didn't hurt you did they?" he asks.
"I'm fine. They didn't hurt me. I'm so glad you're here," I answer snuggling deeper into his arms.
When we return to the mainland, Detective Long takes us to the hotel where my things are. Of course, the trial had to be postponed again but will resume tomorrow. After changing into dry clothes we join the detective and the other team members in the restaurant for lunch and an update.
The detective begins, "Well, hopefully Ms. Reynolds, this will be the last excitement for a while."
Dylan interrupts, "It's Mrs. Drake now Detective."
Embarrassed he says, "Well, congratulations! I hadn't heard. Anyway, the mastermind behind your latest ordeal was Raymond Rasmussen. Have you ever heard of him?"
Shaking my head, I say, "No, it doesn't ring a bell. Should I know him?"
The detective continues, "Rasmussen is one of the kingpins of the mob that your father was targeting with his documentary. Evidently he hasn't heard about the federal investigation in which he is named. He must still think you have the files in which he is implicated and thought by eliminating you they would remain secret. I intend to make very sure that the federal investigation becomes public knowledge immediately. After that, you shouldn't have any more problems."
Smiling Pinky, Goose, and Stump exchange smug looks.
The detective continues, "Rasmussen will be facing kidnapping and attempted murder charges for this latest incident. Then when the Feds complete their investigation, they can have him for their charges. He should be behind bars for an extremely long time.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your assistance in the recent months. Your help has been invaluable in solving the mystery surrounding the restaurant explosion as well as the killing of a notorious hit man and now bringing down a king pin of the mob. I understand that you don't want any publicity because it would interfere in your ability to work undercover. Please let me know if I can ever assist you in any way and I hope I can call on you for assistance in the future."
After their conversation with the detective, Barry, Pinky, Goose, and Bear head to their rooms in the hotel to rest. Since Barry and I still have to testify in the rape trial tomorrow they all are staying in LA overnight. Dylan and I retire to my room upstairs to spend some much needed time alone.
As soon as we walk into the room, Dylan pulls me into his arms and kisses me deeply. He says, "Oh Skye, I have missed you so much. When I got that call from you last night I was so happy. Then I realized you were in trouble and I thought I was going to have a heart attack when I heard that man tell you to shut up. We were still sitting on the tarmac in DC and I didn't have a clue where you were. After Melanie told us you were in LA for the trial, I was so afraid we wouldn't get here in time."
I say, "When I pushed the button on my phone to call you I prayed that you would get the call. At the time I wasn't sure if you were alive or dead. Those idiot reporters on the television didn't tell us anything about what was going on with you guys in DC. When I saw you jump out of that helicopter I was so relieved to know you were safe and coming to get me."
"You're all right aren't you? Do we need to go to the hospital and get you checked out?" asks Dylan.
"No, I'm fine. All I need is you," I answer softly.
With that invitation Dylan pulls me into his arms and kisses me again. He picks me up and carries me across the room and lays me gently on the king size bed. He removes my shoes and then his own before he stretches out beside me and pulls me partially beneath his body. He starts by kissing my forehead, my eyes, and my cheeks. He nibbles on my ears and then brushes his lips across mine teasing me. Frustrated, I moan and reach for his head, tangling my fingers in his hair, and pulling him down to me for a deep breathtaking kiss.
I reach for the buttons on his shirt and begin to open them one by one craving the feel of his skin against my fingers. Dylan raises his head and stares into my sky blue eyes as he slowly unbuttons my blouse. We remove our tops then move down to the fastenings on our pants. Becoming impatient he rises and strips off his remaining garments then pulls me up and helps me finish striping.
He pulls back the spread on the bed, picks me up, and gently lays me back against the cool snow white sheets. He stands beside the bed and lets his eyes feast on my luscious body. Starting with my beautiful eyes, moving down to my luscious lips swollen from his kisses and then down the graceful curve of my neck to my plump breasts. He watches as my nipples pucker invitingly from the heat of his gaze. Then moving his gaze down past my stomach to my sex, he smiles and licks his lips causing a fluttering deep in my abdomen.
He slowly covers my nakedness with his body and gazes into my blue eyes. He whispers, "Oh Skye, I need you so much."
I answer with a shy smile and wrap my arms
around his neck.
He slowly strokes a finger down my cheek, across my lower lip. I grab his hand and force his finger into my mouth sucking on it hard causing him to inhale sharply.
Then he moves that hand down to my breast where he gently massages then rolls the puckered peak between his thumb and finger. Lowering his head he suckles hungrily on my nipple. Streaks of electrical energy flow from my breast directly to the center of my sensation coiling tightly and I clasp his head tightly to my breast and begin to move restlessly on the bed. Dylan turns his attention to my other breast again suckling hard as he moves his hand down over my midriff to my stomach and then runs his hands through the curls at my apex. He parts my folds and inserts two fingers into my warmth mimicking the act of making love. He finds me hot, wet, and waiting.
He says amazed, "Oh Skye, you are always ready for me." He moves between my legs then gazing deeply into my eyes, he slowly impales me with his turgid shaft.
He watches the expressions reflected in my eyes as he slowly withdraws almost completely, then just as I think he is leaving me he slowly reverses and impales me again. The friction is heavenly and I wrap my legs tightly around his waist and begin to move with him
Pleasure is coiled tightly in my abdomen and I moan each time he pushes into my body. I run my hands over the ridges of his muscular shoulders and down over his chest lightly brushing over his male nipples. I hear him inhale sharply and a thrill shivers down my spine. Just to know my touch gives him pleasure is very empowering. Feeling my power I lightly scrape my fingernails down his chest past his waist to just above where our bodies are joined. Then I move my hands to his back where I feel the ridges of the scars from his ordeal in the jungles of Central America and tears cloud my eyes. I came so close to losing him then.
Dylan pauses and asks, "Skye?"
I shake my head pushing the memory to the back of my mind. I smooth my hands down over the muscles of his back then pull his head down to mine for a deep kiss.
"Oh Dylan, I love you so much!"
Copying the movement of their bodies, he delves deeply into the warmth of my mouth and then withdraws. Holding his head tightly to mine I suck hard on his tongue and feel my female muscles contract in the same manner around his shaft.
Dylan's heart is slamming against the wall of his chest and he picks up the pace of our joining making a slight adjustment to apply more pressure to my sensitive nub. Still kissing me deeply he plunges in faster and faster.
I quickly crash over the edge crying out my release and with one more thrust he follows me, flying out into our special world of ecstasy. As he plunges over he gasps, "I love you Skye!"
He leans his forehead against mine as we float back to earth and our breathing returns to normal. He is exhausted from lack of sleep and worry and he moves to my side and pulls me close against his body. He covers our nakedness with the blankets and we drift into a dreamless sleep.
A few hours later I am awakened by tender nibbles around the shell of my ear. I open my eyes and smile up into the loving warmth emanating from Dylan's dark green eyes. I pull his head down to mine and kiss him deeply. When he raises his head he says, "I love you Skye."
"I know and I love you too Dylan."
He raises my naked body up into his arms and carries me into the bathroom where he steps into the shower that is already running and perfectly adjusted. Gazing into my eyes, he slowly lets me slide down his body.
He reaches for the bottle of shampoo squirting a generous dollop in his hand. He rubs his hands together and applies shampoo to my golden tresses massaging my scalp before rinsing the long mass thoroughly.
Then he squirts a generous amount of a delicious smelling body wash on a washrag and applies it every inch of my body. When I am thoroughly lathered, he grabs the hand held shower head and rinses me. As he rinses the lather from my body he follows the stream of the warm water with kisses.
He starts with my neck and moves down my arm, kissing, nipping, licking, and nibbling down to my fingertips, sucking on each finger, and then back up to my neck. Then he moves to the other side repeating the process. He swirls the warm stream around each breast, tickling my nipples. He watches as they pucker invitingly and he lowers his head suckling each puckered nipple before he moves down my stomach where he dips his tongue into my navel swishing it round and round.
Then he turns me around and rinses the lather from my back. He slowly moves downward, kissing, licking, and nibbling. When he reaches my buttocks he drops to his knees and playfully bites each one while he runs his finger up and down between my butt cheeks. I throw my head back and moan in pleasure.
Then he turns me back facing him and buries his face in the curls of my sex, inhaling deeply. He parts the folds and lets the warm water thoroughly rinse away any remaining suds.
Then he rinses each leg kissing his way down to my feet. He massages each foot, sucking on each toe and nipping at the pads causing delicious shivers to course through my body.
Then he moves the warm spray of water back up my body to my sex. Parting the folds he again lets the warm water flow over my folds warming me. He spreads my legs slightly and inserts two fingers into my warmth moving them in a circle stretching me.
He says, "Oh Skye, you are always so ready for me." Then he leans in and suckles my sensitive nub. Feeling the tremors in my legs, he moves me back against the wall of the shower and again begins to suckle my nub. Moving his fingers in and out of my warmth he suckles then laves my nub circling it with his tongue. When I cross over the edge into ecstasy he supports me with his body. He moves quickly back up to my mouth and kisses me deeply as he raises my legs around his waist and impales me while I am still floating in the world of ecstasy. Moving in and out of my warmth quickly he rebuilds the tension and pushes my sensitized body to new heights. As we crash through the barrier into the world only shared by lovers he smothers my cries with a deep kiss.
As we drift back to reality, he smiles down at me and brushes his lips across mine. He says, "Oh God, Skye, I can't get enough of you. As soon as I float back to earth I am craving another trip to ecstasy in your arms."
I smile shyly in response.
He turns off the water and wraps a soft, fluffy towel around my body. He carries me back to the dressing area, sits me on the stool in front of the mirror, where he combs the tangles out of my long hair and dries it with the hair dryer. Then he carries me back to the bed where he gently lays me down.
He kisses me deeply and tenderly strokes my body beginning the climb to the heights of ecstasy again. He rolls to his back and pulls me on top of his body with my golden tresses hanging like a veil around us. He raises his hands to my luscious mounds and gently plucks at my nipples.
He rolls them between his fingers. He sees my pupils dilate as he gazes into my eyes, and says, "Oh Skye, I love you so much. You are so sweet, so responsive to my touch. How did I ever get lucky enough for you to fall in love with me?"
He is surprised when I lower my head and plunge my tongue into his mouth drinking deeply of his warmth. He groans and says, "Oh Sweetheart, the things you do to me!" He lifts my hips, guiding me onto his throbbing member. He shows me the rhythm and we move as one. Both of our bodies so sensitized they climax almost immediately. I collapse on top of him and we drift into sleep.
When Dylan next wakes darkness is creeping across the landscape. He orders a light supper of cold cuts and fruit from room service. When the order arrives he gently wakes me with a kiss. He hands me a fluffy robe from the bathroom. Smiling he says, "I suggest you cover up or we may never get to eat."
Grinning I say, "That's what you think. This baby is starving!"
After satisfying our hunger for food we lay entwined together in the big bed and talk about the time we have been apart. Dylan tells me about the mission in DC and I tell him about how I was kidnapped here in LA. We talk about my testimony in the trial tomorrow and then we discuss our new home that is currently under construction at the ranch.
&nbs
p; When I start to yawn, Dylan turns out the lamp, wraps me in his arms and we drift into a dreamless sleep.
CHAPTER 14
When we arrive at the courthouse the next morning, we are greeted in the witness waiting room by Barry and Bear. Barry has shaved his head to remove the dyed black hair and has removed the dark beard to maintain the integrity of his disguise. The prosecutor tells them that I am first on the schedule, followed by Barry. Unexpectedly, Bear is going to also testify.
I am extremely nervous. Dylan clasps my hands in his and is surprised that my hands are ice cold. Bringing them to his lips he blows his warm breath over them then rubs them between his hands. Smiling warmly at me he whispers, "You're going to do great. All you have to do is tell what you remember."
Smiling tremulously, I say, "Knowing you are here means a lot to me. Thank you."
Smiling warmly Dylan says, "Wherever you are is where I want to be. I've told you before but I'll tell you again, Skye, you are the reason I live."
******
The bailiff comes to the door and signals for me to accompany him to the courtroom. Dylan steps into the hall and enters the back of the courtroom where I can see him. Sitting in the witness chair, I answer each question the prosecutor asks in a clear, steady voice. When the defense team begins their cross examination, Dylan sees me glance at him and he smiles warmly. They grill me about why I waited ten years to file the complaint and I calmly tell them about my emotional state following the attack and how it had taken me all the ensuing ten years to find my way back to reality.
When they ask me if I recognize any of the five defendants I look carefully over at the five of them all dressed in business suits. I calmly respond, "When I was given the spiked drink by Richard Thomas, I was alone with him in the van. The other men didn't come in until I was drugged. I cannot positively identify them."
