by Anne, Melody
As his hands reached around her, she felt her nipples instantly harden in anticipation of his touch. The heck with food. She was hungry for something else entirely.
Shane dropped to his knees, the water lapping at her feet and soaking his thin pants. Lifting his hands up, he cupped her breasts, holding them gently as he gazed upon her.
“You are so beautiful, Lia. Seeing you come out of the ocean completely bare is the most erotic sight I’ve ever witnessed — you are my Aphrodite, my goddess of love. No, don’t laugh, my lovely Lia. I don’t think I will ever tire of looking upon your perfection.” He leaned forward and ran his tongue over one of her nipples, making her stomach drop and her legs shake.
She gripped his head to keep herself from falling over.
Moving to her other side, he circled her nipple with his tongue before sucking it into his mouth and gently nipping the sensitive peak. Gasping with pleasure, Lia wobbled before him. No problem. She wasn’t going to remain on her feet for much longer.
Fire raced through her veins and her heart thundered behind her breasts. Fisting her hands in his hair, she tugged him closer, wanting more of what he was giving.
When he reached down and thrust two fingers inside of her wet heat, her body responded instantly, shooting her over the edge and making her shake with pleasure. As the last tremor died down, she sank into the sand in front of him, grasping his head and kissing him for all she was worth.
“Thank you,” she whispered as her tongue traced the edges of his lips.
“It was my pleasure,” he said with a sigh as he caressed her back, not in a hurry to find his own release.
“No, it was all mine. Now, it’s your turn,” she told him as she pushed him backward.
Catching him off guard, Shane fell against the sand, the gentle waves lapping at his legs. She grabbed the waistband of his pants and tugged. Shane lifted up, making the impossible chore easier, and soon she was looking upon his beautifully engorged erection.
“You are so breathtaking, Shane,” she said in awe.
With the sun shining down on his perfect body, she lifted her hand and circled it around his straining member, rubbing slowly up and down, delighted when he groaned his approval.
“Ah, Lia” was all he managed to say.
Kneeling before him, Lia bent down and ran her tongue along his stomach, enjoying the touch of salt on her taste buds. Shane quivered beneath her open kisses, his stomach flexing as her tongue followed the hard planes of his abs.
“I could taste you all day,” she sighed.
“Damn, Lia. I can’t even think when you are doing that. What you do to me should be a crime,” he groaned, his head thrown back as she continued rubbing her hand up and down his shaft, using its natural lubrication to help her glide more easily.
“We’ll see exactly how far I can take you,” she teased him as she moved further down his body, her head poised above his hardness.
“No, Lia,” he said, reaching for her head.
“It’s my turn, Shane. You just lie back and enjoy.”
She didn’t give him any more time to protest; her mouth descended and she covered the top of his erection with her warm mouth. His body jerked from the sand as her tongue ran along the sensitive head of his arousal.
He cried out when she dipped low, taking as much of him into her mouth as she could before retreating, then pushing back down again.
As the water lapped at their feet, she found her rhythm, gripping the bottom of his shaft tightly in her fist while her mouth moved quickly up and down him.
“Lia, you have to stop,” he cried out, but he wasn’t doing anything to stop her.
She quickened her pace, wanting to feel his pleasure explode on her tongue and slide down her throat. She’d never allowed another man to do that, somehow thinking it was too intimate, too much.
She pushed as far as she could, feeling his thick shaft enter her throat and fighting against her body’s desire to push it back out. Then she felt warmth rush against her throat as Shane tensed.
“Lia!” he cried as his body shook and he groaned deeply. She pushed against him, taking him in just a bit farther as he released his pleasure inside her mouth, his erection pulsing between her lips.
When she couldn’t breathe, she moved slowly back up his staff, taking just a moment to suck on the tip as he shuddered beneath her and she tasted his salty essence.
When she’d drained him of his release, she climbed up his glorious body and sat on his hips, sinking his arousal inside her folds. He was still hard, and she wanted to enjoy him until he wasn’t.
“I can’t…” he murmured as she began moving up and down his shaft, pressure and passion building inside her almost instantly. Feeling him let go so completely had turned her on beyond anything in her wildest imagination.
Knowing she’d been the reason that he lost control had made her feel powerful and sexy, and she needed to find release.
“Yes, you can,” she cried as she moved faster, hitting his hips as she moved her body, glorying in the way he filled her so completely.
Shane groaned and his eyes widened in shock. He gripped her hips to steady her as he began thrusting upward quickly, pounding hard against her backside as he sank deep inside her.
“Yes, Lia,” he growled, and his speed picked up. Sweat beaded on his chest and brow as he closed his eyes and thrust inside her. Pressure soared until she couldn’t take anymore. Then with a cry together, they both shook with their own powerful releases.
Lia collapsed against Shane’s slick chest, her breathing ragged, her body feeling torn in half from the pleasure.
“I can’t believe…” he began.
“You are one hell of a virile, sexy man. I can believe anything,” she said, kissing his damp neck.
“I hope to hell we never get saved,” he murmured as his hands slid along her back.
She agreed with him. If she had this island with Shane for the rest of her life, she would be a very happy woman.
When they both regained an ounce of energy, Shane stood, then lifted Lia and carried her into the warm ocean where they cooled down before coming in for some much needed food.
They didn’t know it, but their time was almost up.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Rafe
“Mr. Palazzo, it seems that Shane Grayson’s ship got caught in a storm four days ago and he hasn’t been heard from since. It appears that one of your sisters, Ms. Lia Palazzo, was onboard with him.”
“What? Why in the hell am I just finding out about this now? Has a search party been formed? What were their last coordinates?”
Rafe’s heart raced as he listened on the other end of the line. His sister and his best friend had been missing for four days and he was just now getting word. He barely contained his rage and fear as he tried to focus.
“We are just now receiving the information, sir. Apparently when the workers couldn’t find them, it took a while before someone had information that Mr. Grayson and Ms. Palazzo had left on the boat to pick up supplies. They never showed up. The day they left, a large storm hit the area.”
“Shane is extremely experienced on a boat. He would have seen the storm and gotten to shelter. I want a map of the islands, and I want search crews sent out immediately. I’m on my way.”
Rafe hung up the phone and glared at it. After taking a calming breath, he dialed his pilot, then told his secretary he was leaving and to cancel everything. There was only one quick stop to make before he boarded his jet.
Pulling up to Ari’s building, he sprinted to her apartment and hammered on the thick wooden door. He could have called, but he needed to see her for just a moment. She calmed him, and he didn’t know how long this might take. It might be weeks before she was in his arms again.
She hadn’t returned his calls since their night together at the library, and that was three days before — three very long and unsatisfying days.
Ari opened the door, and her eyes narrowed in irrita
tion, but one look at his face and she grew worried. If he thought he had it together, he was clearly mistaken.
“What’s wrong, Rafe?” Her tone filled with concern, she lifted her hand and placed it on his arm.
“Lia is missing. She and Shane were on his yacht when a storm hit. No one knows where they are. I’m leaving for Italy now, but I wanted to let you know what is happening. I may be gone for a while.”
Ari looked at him for several seconds in stunned disbelief. He knew how she felt. He was still in shock. Then, to his surprise, she grabbed his arm and pulled him inside her door.
“Give me ten minutes. I just need to grab a few clothes.”
“What are you talking about?” he asked.
“I’m coming with you. Lia is my friend, one of my best friends, and I won’t be able to stay behind. It would kill me, Rafe. I need to be out there searching for her.”
She left the room before he could respond. He didn’t know if he could handle the distraction of having Ari there, but on the other hand, she might be the only person alive who would also be able to keep him from melting down.
If they couldn’t find Lia... No! That wouldn’t happen. If something were terribly wrong, he would feel it in his gut. His sisters meant the world to him, and he would just know if something weren’t right.
Shane had gotten them to safety, and the two of them were just waiting to be rescued. He was sure of it. His best friend would never let something happen to his sister. He’d die first.
That thought made Rafe’s stomach clench. The world would be a much sadder place without his best friend in it. Shane was one of the few people who knew Rafe inside and out, who could talk him down when he was ready to explode, and whom Rafe could trust with his life.
Rafe couldn’t lose one of his sisters, but he couldn’t lose his best friend, either.
“I’m ready.”
Rafe didn’t say another word as he looked at Ari standing before him with determination, holding a duffel bag and her jacket. He simply took the bag from her and walked out her front door, waiting as she locked up.
He sat silently by in the back of the car as she made the necessary phone calls to have her class covered and her mail picked up. He could see her fright, but she was holding herself together well — much better than he was, it seemed.
Just having her there in the car with him was somehow giving him the strength not to completely lose it.
“She will be fine, Rafe. I can feel it. If she’s with Shane, he will protect her. There’s no way he’d ever let something happen to her. Shane can be a fool, but I have no doubt that he truly cares about Lia. He’s just not the wisest for ticking her off,” Ari said with a crooked smile.
“Yes, you and my sisters can certainly carry a grudge,” Rafe said, sending her a pointed look.
“Yes, we can. It’s best you remember that.”
“Believe me, I remember well,” Rafe replied as they pulled up to his private jet.
Rafe escorted Ari up the stairs, then spoke to his pilot for a few moments before the doors closed and the giant machine began slowly moving forward.
He should be thrilled to have Ari all to himself, but as he leaned back, all he could think about was his sister, who was most likely lost and frightened. He found himself near panic, which was a state he never thought he’d be in.
He accepted a stiff drink from his flight attendant when they reached cruising altitude, but it didn’t help much. There didn’t seem to be anything that could at this point. Refusing a meal, he couldn’t even muster up the energy to speak to Ari.
When he felt Ari climb into his lap and hold him, he didn’t say a word. He just clung on tight and let her be his strength. His hands automatically came up and began stroking her back. The feel of her resting in his arms did the trick.
He felt his heart begin to slow its frantic beat, and his muscles relax gradually. He’d been wrong — it seemed he could be comforted. He’d just needed his other half — Ari.
He knew that Ari and his sisters were close, but until now, he hadn’t quite realized how close. He was glad to have Ari with him, glad she was his rock in this moment. It just underlined what a fool he’d been to treat her so poorly.
Dammit, he would prove to her that they were meant to be together. Right now, he had to focus on his sister, but they would have a long flight back home — all alone — and then his focus would be solely on Ari, because Lia and Shane would be safe and Rafe would be able to breathe again.
“They’ll find them both, Rafe. I know it.”
He knew she was right.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Ari
Several hours into the flight, and more than a few drinks later, Ari looked up in surprise to find Rafe sending a glare her way. “Are you going to just pretend that what happened between us didn’t happen?”
She hadn’t really thought this trip through. All she knew was that Lia was missing and she had to be there to help find her. It never occurred to her that she’d be locking herself inside Rafe’s jet for the next ten hours.
Maybe after the library incident, he was just assuming that everything would go back to the way it had been before. That she would just be his very high-priced call girl. If he was, he was going to be severely disappointed.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” she said before turning away.
“That’s not a very mature attitude, Ari.”
“Rafe, with Lia and Shane not found yet, I don’t want to fight with you. I want us to be there for each other. Can we do this afterward, after my friend is found?” she asked in exasperation.
“I need to get my mind off this, Ari. It’s driving me insane to even think about it. I can’t just sit here in this jet with you and pretend I don’t still want you. I can’t continue playing in my head all the scenarios of what could have happened to Shane and Lia, either. So, the bottom line is that we are in this jet for the next six hours together, so we need to hash it out. We need to come to a solution about us.”
“There is no us, Rafe. Yes, I still want you. I’m human. I caved. That doesn’t mean I want to dive back into a dysfunctional relationship with you. It just means that I haven’t been laid in two years and my body went into meltdown mode.”
Rafe froze, and she wondered what he was thinking now. She thought over her words and hadn’t said anything too shocking. Yes, she enjoyed sex. Big deal!
“You haven’t been with another man since me?”
Oops, that’s what she’d admitted to. She hadn’t wanted to do that. No, she hadn’t been with another man, but not because she was in love with Rafe. Well, at least, she hoped that wasn’t why.
It was just that after being with someone like Rafe, someone who knew how to please a woman so fully, she hadn’t managed to find a man yet who could set off fireworks inside her. The men she’d kissed had stirred not a single atom of desire within her. Not even an electron.
If she could barely stand to kiss them, the thought of their hands touching her body was downright repulsive. There was no way she’d tell Rafe any of that, of course. He would have her on her back faster than she could blink. That wouldn’t get the two of them anywhere — well, nowhere but immensely satisfied.
She had to remind herself that the pleasure lasted for only so long before she had to deal with the repercussions of guilt and longing for a man she couldn’t keep.
“That’s none of your business, Rafe. I don’t ask you about your conquests, and I don’t expect you to ask me about mine,” she said sternly.
The grin spreading across his face took her breath away. Damn! When he smiled, he was spectacular.
“You haven’t gotten over us at all, have you, Ari? All of this is just your way of protecting yourself. You are smart. I understand what you’re doing. I treated you terribly. But I will admit that it pleases me that no other man has touched you.”
“I didn’t say that!”
Ari’s cheeks flushed in her frustration. S
he knew speaking to him was a bad idea. She should have just taken a commercial plane to Italy, and not subjected herself to ride with Rafe across the ocean. She’d rather have been sitting in economy between a drunken fat guy and the nonstop snorer, with a screaming baby right behind her, to boot. It would be less torturous.
“Why are you getting so upset, Ari?”
“I’m not upset!” she shouted. At the stupid grin on his face, she made herself calm down, taking a few deep breaths. “I’m not upset,” she repeated more calmly.
“Why don’t you join me over here so we can speak without calling across to each other?” he offered, patting the couch he was leaning back on. “I need for you to climb into my lap again,” he finished.
“I don’t think so,” she said with a huff.
“Don’t you trust yourself, Ari?”
“Of course I trust myself. It’s you I don’t trust, Rafe.”
“I can be a gentleman.”
“Ha!” That was a good one.
“I brought the journal,” he said as he pointed to his bag sitting next to him.
She should be worried about her friend. He should be worried about his sister. There shouldn’t be this tension between the two of them.
“Now isn’t the time,” she said, though her eyes strayed to the bag.
“I’ve had it on me since the library. I just never took it out,” he answered her unspoken question.
“Well, I’m worried about Lia. I couldn’t concentrate on it,” she told him.
“I’m worried about my sister, too, and my best friend. But, there’s nothing we can do from up here. I have well over fifty boats out searching the water for them now along with several helicopters. They will be found. I guarantee it.”
“What if you’re wrong? What if their boat crashed and they are gone?” Though she’d been the one offering him comfort when he’d first shown up on her doorstep, now it was her turn to panic. She didn’t want to voice the questions aloud, but her brain was firing on too many cylinders. Ari handled crisis excellently when it was first presented to her. But once she had time to think about it, she fell apart. It wasn’t a trait she was proud of.
