She broke the kiss and took his hand. “Follow me.” In her free hand were her wet clothes, and it reminded him to grab his shorts. He pulled them on hastily.
They walked along the sand dune in front of his home to a small stone wall. His body was taut with need.
With the tide out, the beach stretched farther. It would be an hour or two before the tide came in and they would need to climb to safety. For now, the rocks gave them some privacy. Plenty of time for what he wanted to do…
He reached for her hand, so tiny, yet capable. It tucked into his large one, and he curled his fingers over hers, protecting her delicate digits. His instincts told him he was getting too close too fast. He didn’t care. Kerry was worth the risk, and besides, his name was Leaper. Sometimes you have to live the true meaning of your name.
* * *
The sound was as unique as a thumbprint.
She laughed seductively, her voice low and throaty, as she broke away from Leaper’s touch. “My turn. Lie down.”
Playing in the sand on the rocks was incredible. Being in nature took on a whole new meaning for him. He obeyed, lying with his butt toward the sky and his privates hidden in the sand. He looked over his shoulder and winked. “How’s this?” He laughed. He’d had enough sugar-cookie drills to make sure his shorts were over him before he pulled that “dick in the sand” move. No one wanted a sandpaper ride, not him and especially not her.
“Leaper!” She smacked his ass, sending a reverberation of pleasure through him. “You like it. I can see it on your face. Damn. What have I started?”
Slowly, he rolled over…so his cock was directly below her pleasure zone, and then he lifted himself to her. “I like a lot of things. Let’s explore that. But…ladies first.”
“Chivalry. Hmm, that’s nice. Manners are not lost on you, Mr. Lefton. You’re earning brownie points.”
“Points, huh? I have several ‘points’ I’d like to make. Like this.” His hands reached, caressing the tops of her thighs and her hips, fingertips brushing lightly. Then he cupped her breasts as his thumbs played over her nipples, making her breathing quicken and her body move. His cock was trapped beneath her movements, and it was an exquisite torture.
He moved his hands with long, gentle sweeps between her legs, teasing her. Then he cupped one of her favorite spots and stroked the smooth skin of her nether lips. She purred with delight.
Kerry pulled her T-shirt over her head and stared down at him, no longer the siren. Now she was like the radiant Celtic war queen Boudicca, about to quell her chattel.
And Leaper was ready to do her bidding. His eyes were locked on hers.
Parting that glorious entrance with his fingers, he touched the top of her clitoris. She lifted her hips upward, giving him better access. This was what he loved…her deep-rooted sexiness, this glorious self-comfort, and the confidence it gave her to open up and enjoy a beautifully hedonistic experience. This was the greatest aphrodisiac on the planet.
The two fingers of his free hand gradually slid into her, reaching into heaven one centimeter at a time. The inside of her body was supple and slick.
Her muscles moved, locking tight on him. They pulled, wanting more.
Slowly he pulsed his fingers in and out. He let her set the rhythm, feeling the exquisiteness of her juices as they wet his hand. With his other hand he could feel the pulse of her against his thumb. “Yes, sweetness. My Kerry. That’s it.”
He turned his fingers slowly, creating an erotic rhythm to take her higher. She responded immediately to the intensity.
“Oh God! Leaper!” Her thighs clutched the sides of his hips with incredible strength.
“Go, darling. Go. Enjoy the freedom.”
She tossed her head back, her hair flying in the wind like a sensuous queen’s, and she rode his fingers until she cried out in pleasure.
Still he did not stop. His hands played over her nether regions again and again until at last she cried out for a final time and wept with the power of her release.
As the tears fell on his chest, he withdrew. He lifted the discarded T-shirt, wrapped it around her, and opened his arms to warm her further.
She snuggled tighter, wrapping her body tightly against his. So sweet.
He held her close. His cock was thick, pulsing, and hard. He wanted her so much. He could have rolled her underneath him and made love to her for another hour or two.
Being inside of her was beyond description, indefinable on the pleasure scale. Yet, as her breathing settled into a rhythm and her body relaxed, this moment was full of such intense emotional bliss, he didn’t dare move. As a SEAL he was used to physically “toughing it out.” Holding her like this—well, he wanted to cement it into his brain so he could draw on it again. This would be a golden moment he’d drag out when he was waiting in the woods somewhere. In the movies and media, they never talk about those long, boring moments when you’re shitting in a bag and rationing your water until the call to move out comes through.
Kerry moved restlessly as she slept, pushing the T-shirt onto the sand. The final barrier was gone. They were heart to heart. Her bare breasts were on his naked chest. She purred sweetly, sounding content.
He willed his warmth to envelop her. He knew he was a furnace on most nights. He hoped it was enough to keep her comfortable until she woke naturally and he could take her inside and tuck her into his bed. Having her in his home made the place…better. Was it strange to enjoy the sight of her panties on his chair or her hair band on his countertop—and best of all, of her at his kitchen table and in his bed?
Her breathing came out in soft steady puffs, a darling purr.
Kerry, he thought as he wrapped his arms more tightly around her. I’ll hold you, dear lady, lost in pleasure—yours and mine. For you, I can wait forever.
* * *
Kerry smiled at him. “This is like…instant transport.”
“Really? Are you clicking your heels and arriving at your destination by the third beat?” asked Leaper as he avoided an eager paddleboarder who was inexperienced and veering dangerously toward the shipping lane. Waves radiated from the boat, forcing the paddleboarder to lie down on the board and head back toward shore.
“Close enough. Being taken to work by boat is pretty snazzy treatment,” said Kerry as the wind blew her hair in swirls around her. She could feel the eyes of her man watching her. “A lady could get used to this white-glove taxi service.” She shook her rear teasingly. “By the by, I can’t believe Glorietta Bay has so much morning traffic. San Diego definitely has a busy port.” She looked over her shoulder at him.
His eyes moved upward to meet hers. “Hey, sexy lady, do you think this trip is free? I’m planning to take my wages out in sexual favors.” Leaper’s grin was alight with pleasure.
She wanted to see what other parts of him could salute too. She knew she was being bad, but he brought out the vixen in her, and she loved it. Coming around to the back of the boat, she snuggled up beside him and teased her fingertips along the inside of his thighs.
“A little to left,” requested Leaper. “To quote Beyoncé, ‘To the left, to the left…’”
She smacked his back. “Leaper!”
“Oh yeah, that’s the spot. Do it again.” He wiggled his back against her without losing control of the boat. She could attest to the fact that the man had many, many skills in both the boating and bedroom department.
“You’re incorrigible,” she teased.
“The engine’s loud.” He pointed to his ears. “Encourage you, you say? Absolutely! I’m happy to. Just say when.”
She shook her head and stood as they neared the dock. “When.” She stuck her tongue out at him and jumped onto the dock. Her landing shook the boards with a slight vibration, but she didn’t fall on her butt. Success.
“Don’t tease me, or I’ll take that as an invitation to French
kiss you in front of all your colleagues.” Leaper cut the engine.
She squeaked, “Don’t you dare.”
“As you wish. I won’t take it as a knock on my abilities or my manhood, rather that you’d prefer to pillage me in private.”
Kerry laughed. “I adore you.”
“Have a wonderful day, dear lady.” He bowed to her.
“And to you, handsome man.” She blew him a kiss.
As the engine fired up, she couldn’t resist looking back at him and waving. He returned the gesture, and a wave of butterflies fluttered around her heart.
Kerry took a deep breath. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so happy and relaxed. Having a sex life was doing wonders for her, especially in her off-hours. Considering she was a die-hard workaholic, this change of pace was unexpected and wonderful. She was even considering canceling her standard massage appointment. Why did having the right person in her life make her world seem bigger?
She hummed as she walked down the dock, adding a skip in her step now and then. As she walked up the gangplank and went through the security door heading toward the office, it took her a few seconds to realize she was humming Village People’s “In the Navy.”
She smiled. How appropriate!
She waved to the security guard posted near the double doors and let herself into the main office. Taking a hair band from around her wrist, she wound her hair into a bun and secured it in place. Time to switch into doctor mode.
There was a stack of mail for her in her postal slot. She sorted through it, looking for a particular packet of information. She’d sent a blood sample of Merry’s to a secondary laboratory for verification, and the results were bound to be here. Sure enough, she spotted an envelope from the lab.
Stuffing the rest of the mail back into her cubbyhole, she took the packet back down to the docks and sat next to Merry’s pen. She ripped open the envelope and read the numbers. Then read them again. Staring at them wasn’t changing the reality. There were several high and low values, and none of it matched their current lab results. This wasn’t just bad—it was a nightmare.
Her happiness washed away. This news frightened her, and at the same time, it completely frustrated her. How long had the lab been giving false results? Heads were going to roll for sure, but that wasn’t her main concern. It was the dolphins. They were the ones at risk and the creatures she promised to watch over.
Her eyes traveled down the length of the dock and marked all the dolphins housed there. She wondered if any of them were in danger.
Her stomach twisted. Dear Lord, please don’t let any of them have the virus the wild dolphins have. Please, please, please.
She tucked the results back into the envelope and secured it in her waistband. She needed to think, come up with some kind of plan. But first she had to calm down.
Lying on her belly on the dock, she stared into the water. Her reflection showed a miserable and distraught woman with eyes full of fear. She dangled fingers over the side of Merry’s pen and gently wiggled them in the water.
Merry arrived in record time. Her skin slid against Kerry’s fingertips. The dolphin rolled onto her side, giving Kerry her fin and waiting for loving strokes.
“You’re so precious, Merry.” Emotions clogged her throat. She choked out the words, “All of you are,” before her eyes flooded with tears that fell into the pen below her.
Merry nudged Kerry’s hand with her snout. She rubbed several times, and it was as if the peace of the marine mammal was being transmitted into Kerry’s very core. Worry was replaced by determination as if at the flip of a switch. “I understand. You’re right, Merry. Time for action.” She stroked the dolphin one last time, and then she steeled herself for the battle ahead.
Pulling out her kit, she took samples from Merry and worked her way down the line of dolphins, gathering skin, saliva, and blood. Kerry was going to use her skills to solve this problem.
* * *
Nobody likes fights or confrontations. People react to accusations with “fight or flight.” Not that any of the lab techs were interested in exerting even an ounce of energy. Their “hang loose” attitude made her want to stuff them onto ecofriendly scooters and toss them off the base, but that would probably be a reward, especially with a good surf report today.
“What happened to integrity in the workplace? Doesn’t anyone give a rat’s ass about doing a job well?” Kerry spoke the thoughts aloud, but she could have been screaming them from the top of the building for all anyone cared. The lab was empty. At first attack, the techs had scattered, and she was left with an empty room. Their supervisor was conveniently on vacation for two more weeks.
Putting the samples from the marine mammals into safe storage and locking the cooler, Kerry decided to do something that she hadn’t done since she was a child. She walked over to the recycling bin and kicked the shit out of it, screaming, “Fuck you!” at the top of her lungs and tossing the few papers onto the floor. When her energy was somewhat spent, she cleaned up her mess and sat down on a stool and waited. Surely someone who knew how to work some of this equipment would come in.
It seemed like an eternity until the door opened and sunlight streamed in. She saw one of the vet interns, Dilly, who had an armful of extra sample kits. “Hi, Dr. Hamilton.”
“Hey, Dilly. You can store the sample kits in the far shelving unit.”
“Sure.” Dilly put away the extra kits and then took the stool next to Kerry. “What’s up? How can I help?”
“Can you refresh my memory on how I access the digital readouts on the lab equipment versus the reports generated on the computer? They are separate, right?”
Dilly nodded. “Yeah. They’ve changed the system, and they’re supposed to be linked, but there was a problem about six months back, before that big display of dolphins in Georgia.” She walked over to the machine. Picking up the manual next to the machine, she paged through the text until she found the right code. She punched it into the keypad, and thousands of numbers sped by. “Wait.” Picking up the portable printer, she hooked it into the back and then entered the code again, followed by a print order. The machine spat out page after page of readings.
Kerry was relieved. It was one thing to follow her gut and shout to get a response, but when it fell on uninterested souls…she knew she was sunk. At least until Dilly came along and produced the exact data she needed.
“Doc, this is going to take at least six reams of paper. I’m going to run up to the office and grab a case.”
“That’s great. It’ll be a lot to sort, but it’ll be worth it.” Kerry nodded. “Thanks, Dilly.”
“Oh, and if you find yourself taking a dolphin out, I’d like to go sometime. If that’s cool.” She waited, biting her lower lip. What a sweet, brilliant soul. Dilly had a full ride to Stanford and was taking a semester off to be at the Marine Mammal Program, helping out wherever it was needed. She was a trooper.
“Consider it done,” replied Kerry. Unless I get fired for stirring up all of this crap.
Gathering the first batch of numbers, Kerry accessed the information she had for each of her patients, starting six months ago. Her heart sank as she confirmed the facts: the lab had been changing the numbers to clear the dolphins. Someone high up had had to approve this action, because the techs wouldn’t have done it for a lark. As much as she’d had a tantrum five minutes ago about their lack of assistance, she had known many of the techs for years, and they were basically decent souls. Except for this. But if their jobs had been threatened, could she understand their position? Work in the marine mammal field was tough to find, though she knew she’d rather quit than hurt any creature.
Kerry was sick to her stomach. “Morals just aren’t in vogue anymore. How am I going to fight an unknown enemy?” She shook her head. “I have to try.”
After spending the entire morning running from th
e lab to the office and talking with over twenty staffers, techs, and trustees, Kerry was on the verge of blowing another gasket. She was stressed beyond her capacity for keeping it in check, and she wasn’t leaving this fight until there was an action plan in motion.
“Can you repeat the course of events?” asked the Chairman of the Trustees. “I have Admiral Walter Dale on the line.”
Kerry pursed her lips to stop the string of curses bubbling inside her. She took several calming breaths and launched into a shortened rendition. “I am Dr. Kerry Hamilton. During a routine examination, one of our dolphins exhibited unusual symptoms, and I took a blood sample. Our lab said everything was normal, but my gut disagreed. So I took a second sample and submitted one sample to our lab and the same sample to a secondary facility. The results do not match. When I questioned our lab techs, they would not give me a straight answer and claimed I’m bullying them. I took the decision to our Director, and we’ve been on the phone with all parties involved ever since.
“There’s something going on. I don’t know if someone decided to ignore the unusual values so our dolphins could travel, or who made that call, but someone in a position of authority had to do it. Before I went on my own hunt, I took new samples from all of our dolphins, and I have submitted them to two different laboratories to confirm what I believe is the problem.” Kerry couldn’t keep the frustration out of her voice. It practically screamed. “Do something! Anything!”
There was a buzz of muted conversation on the other line. Kerry tapped her foot impatiently. “Listen, I have been on a roller coaster of bureaucratic red tape this morning, and while all of you might feel perfectly fine twiddling your thumbs and waiting for the dolphins’ deaths, I’m not! I’m concerned! Our entire dolphin population might be infected with a virulent disease. The time to act is now.” Kerry slammed her hands on the desk, and the painful sting made her fingers and forearms vibrate. The conference phone jiggled before it settled on the wooden surface. “What are you going to do?”
“Miss—”
“Doctor,” she corrected through gritted teeth. “Doctor Kerry Hamilton. Would you like me to come to wherever you are and explain in more detail?”
The Power of a SEAL Page 17
