by Leanne Banks
Keeping her eyes closed, she felt him lower his head, felt his warm breath, got dizzy over his heat and strength. The melody began again, so sweetly it hurt. She waited, dreaded, wished.
His mouth barely whispered against hers in an openly erotic touch that coaxed and threatened and sent her pulse into triple time. She saw herself falling down deep into a well that never ended. No safety net. No coming back.
It scared her spitless. Katherine jerked back, her eyes flying open. “No!”
“No?” he repeated, as if he were unfamiliar with the meaning of the word.
“N-o-o.” She drew it out so he wouldn’t miss it, and she was beginning to think she needed some practice with that word herself. She was going to need ice for the burn marks where he’d touched her. “This weird feeling will go away,” she insisted. “It’s not real, and we don’t need to act on it.”
“Not real.”
Her insides still felt like a five-alarm fire. “Exactly. It’s good that we both understand. It’s perfectly clear.” Clear as mud, she thought. Without a hint of conversational finesse, she forced the conversation back to business. “Is there a problem somewhere on the campground? Or did you have a question?”
He paused, studying her, and she knew she hadn’t fooled him. Such dark, perceptive eyes Al Sanders had. She waited out the uncomfortable silence, hoping he’d relent.
“Do you know anything about a balloon battle?” he finally asked.
Katherine laughed in relief and nodded at his quizzical expression. “Yes.” She checked her watch. “Oops, we’d better hurry or we’ll be late. Wednesdays at two o’clock sharp, all the kids and some adults engage in a water-balloon battle.”
Grateful for something to break the spell, she grabbed some bags of balloons from a drawer and led the way out of the office.
“A game,” Al concluded.
“Sort of.”
“And what is the objective?”
Katherine came to a stop on the wooden front porch of the rec building and looked at him. “You’ve never been in a water-balloon battle?” When he shook his head, she made a tsking sound. “The objective of a water-balloon battle is to get everyone wet and to laugh a lot.”
“But who wins?”
“No one.”
“Then why?”
“For fun,” she said, wondering why the concept seemed foreign to him. “Like making mud pies when you were three.”
Alex looked at her blankly. Mud pies?
“Seeing who can do the worst belly flopper off the side of the pool?”
His German swimming instructor had allowed only perfect dives. He shook his head.
Katherine was determined to find common ground. “Who can blow the biggest bubble-gum bubble?”
Alex’s lips twitched at that. He could just imagine the appalled expression on his etiquette instructor’s face if the future ruler of Moreno had suggested a bubble-blowing contest. “Try again.”
“Okay. Last one. Little boys are famous for this. Who can spit the farthest?”
He laughed out loud. “You’re joking.”
Katherine smiled, liking the rare sound of his deep chuckle. “No. And if you’ve never done any of those things, you’re either an alien or you were raised in a bubble.”
He felt his grin fall, remembering the scandal that had rocked his childhood. “You could be right.”
The turbulence in his dark eyes tugged at her. Al obviously knew how to have the adult brand of fun. He was an expert at everything from sailing and charming conversation to seducing a woman. But he seemed lost when it came to carefree, silly, childlike fun. It made her wonder what he’d missed. It made her care. She deliberately kept her tone light. “An extraterrestrial. The kids’ll love it. Well, get ready for a new experience.”
About thirty kids, some of them over thirty years old, stood in the grassy area set aside for outside recreational games. They wore bathing suits and were screaming for blood.
In between filling the balloons with water, Chad was inciting the crowd to all kinds of watery violence. When they saw Katherine with more balloons, they cheered. Katherine and Al filled the rest of the balloons while Chad divided the group into teams.
“That should be enough,” Katherine said, and began to put the balloons into two separate piles. “If you don’t want to play, you’d better—”
Splat.
Alex jumped as the balloon burst against his back, cold water seeping into his shirt and pants. He looked over his shoulder at the culprit, a pigtailed little girl. He was so shocked, it must have shown on his face. Her eyes grew huge with fright, and she began to run away.
“Stacy!” Katherine caught her and handed the little girl another balloon. Uncertain, Stacy looked from Katherine to Alex. Katherine gave her a nudge of encouragement, and little Stacy heaved the balloon smack into the side of his head.
Alex took it like a man. With water dripping off his nose and eyelashes, he even managed a smile for the little feminine warrior. “This is fun?” he asked Katherine when Stacy ran off yelling in victory. “Am I supposed to thank you?”
Katherine didn’t bother hiding her laughter. “Well, I bet you’re cooler now.”
There was another splat. Katherine shrieked, snatched up a balloon from the rapidly depleting supply and threw it at her attacker.
Catching the spirit of the event, he took a balloon, testing its weight in his hand. Katherine turned, laughing, then shaking her head when she saw the balloon in his hand.
“No,” she said, backing away.
“I owe you.” Going against every rule he’d ever learned about how to treat a woman, he threw it and scored a direct hit.
“Al Sanders!” she yelled, clearly torn between laughter and indignation. “You’ll pay!”
But the balloon she tossed back barely fazed him. He was too busy looking at Katherine. Her eyes were full of laughter. Her wet shirt stretched like a second skin across her breasts. Her nipples strained against the drenched cloth, begging for a man’s hands and mouth, he thought, and felt a corresponding thickness in his loins. Suddenly he understood the appeal of a water-balloon battle.
Katherine sat on the beach at midnight wearing a flowing blue dress that dropped off one shoulder. She was waiting for something, somebody, as she dug her bare toes into the cool sand and lifted her head to the breeze.
She closed her eyes until something soft brushed her cheek, and the scent of a rose reached her nostrils. She looked up, and he was there.
He smiled and drew her to her feet. “Where have you been hiding?”
Her heart sped up. “I haven’t been hiding. I’ve been waiting.”
“For me,” he said with customary arrogance.
“Maybe.”
He pulled her close. “Who knows you like I do? Who knows what pleases you?”
She felt a wave of uncertainty. “Sometimes I don’t even know me.”
“Yes, you do.” He rubbed his thumb over her lower lip. “And what you don’t know, I’ll teach you.”
She shivered at the intensity in his dark eyes. What if he tried and found her lacking?
He must have read her mind. “Never.”
Holding her gaze, he continued to rub her lip. Hesitantly, Katherine stroked his thumb with the tip of her tongue. He tasted warm and a little salty and male. Something dipped and swayed within her at the small intimacy.
“Good,” he said. He glazed his thumb over the edge of her lower teeth, and she bit down gently. She saw the approval in his eyes and felt a rush of pleasure. She’d pleased him. Then she pleased herself and suckled. The heaviness in her abdomen surprised her.
“You make it difficult to wait, Katherine,” he muttered in a strained voice. He pulled his hand away and brought hers to his mouth. “But turnabout is fair play, no?”
He kissed the palm of her hand. Then he sucked a finger into his mouth. The sensation drew her nipples tight. Embarrassed, she wondered how to hide it.
“There’s no need
to hide your desire, chérie. It pleases me.” He gave her finger a playful nip and placed her hand on his shoulder. Then he touched one of her nipples.
She gasped. The gentle caress stung. She was too needy, too soon. It made her feel weak and vulnerable.
He seemed to understand. “How long have you been this way?”
“Too long,” she breathed. “Much too long.”
Anger flashed in his eyes, then passed. He pulled her into a comforting hug. She sighed against his white shirt. Beneath her cheek, she felt the beat of his heart, the hard, warm muscle of his chest.
“I’m not like other men. Are you ready for me, Katherine?”
She wasn’t sure, but was it a matter of choice? It felt inevitable. She lifted her head. “I don’t know what to tell you.”
“What do you want?”
She swallowed and somehow found the courage. “I want to feel your mouth against mine. I want to taste you. I want you to taste me. I want you to want me,” she whispered, realizing she’d made herself completely vulnerable.
“If it’s in my power, I will always give you what you want,” he said in a deep, rough voice.
He lowered his mouth, and she waited and wanted. The music began. She felt the first brush of his lips and melted. The wanting got worse.
She reached for him, but her fingers were suddenly empty. He was fading.
She panicked. “No!” she cried, but he’d turned into mist. “Don’t go.”
The dampness from her eyes woke her. Her breath backed up in her chest, and she blinked hard, staring at her ceiling. “Oh, God.” She threw an arm up over her eyes. “It was just a dream.”
Katherine rolled onto her side and curled into a ball. The anguish still flowed through her. It was worse than a nightmare. Her subconscious had played the most cruel of jokes on her this time. That she could please a man was impossible. God knows, she’d tried every trick in the book with her ex-husband. Making love had been the most awkward, humiliating experience of her life.
Twice now, she’d dreamed of Al and heard that damned music in the background. It was because of that kiss this afternoon. Her lips tingled even now at the memory. She touched them.
Unsettled, she kicked off the covers. She was too warm, yet goose bumps stood up on her skin. Why was this happening to her? What did it mean? She took a deep breath, fighting and accepting the crazy truth. It meant she was vulnerable to Al Sanders, and she’d best watch her step if she didn’t want heart trouble.
After a busy Saturday spent checking in the new week’s campers, Katherine was glad to escape for a late-night swim. She took a little extra time in the ocean, knowing she’d pay for it tomorrow morning. Finally, she reluctantly left the warm, caressing waves.
There was Al standing on the sand, next to her T-shirt. The crazy dream flashed through her mind, and her heart tightened in her chest. Willing herself to relax, she made her way to his side and reached for her balled-up T-shirt. She’d forgotten a towel again.
Al’s gaze lingered on her wet, scantily clad body for a long moment, then he draped a towel over her shoulders. “I brought this for you.”
His kindness made her contrite for being so guarded. “Thank you. It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Al sat down and patted the sand beside him. “Join me.”
Katherine paused in the act of rubbing herself dry. He’d done it again. Was that a request or an order? Then again, after midnight, who cared?
“I love the ocean,” she said, watching the pulse of the whitecaps against the sand. “During the school year I live in Greensboro. So I really miss it then.”
“You’re going to miss it even more when Pirate Island is sold.”
Katherine stiffened. “How—”
“You got a call from Mr. James Logan. He’d heard from someone in Charles City, and he wants to tour the campground with you tomorrow morning at ten o’clock.”
“Tomorrow!” The news hit her like a brick. Even though she knew selling Pirate Island was for the best, taking this next step hurt. She wasn’t ready emotionally or logistically.
“Oh, this is just great.” She stood and struggled with her T-shirt. “We’ve got a ton of children’s activities planned tomorrow morning. It’s supposed to rain, so all the parents will be dumping their kids on us.” Trying to pull the armhole of the shirt over her head, she made a muffled sound of frustration. “What is wrong with this shirt?”
“I’m sure Chad and the others will cooperate with you once you tell them your plan,” Al said, deftly righting the shirt for her.
She jerked the shirt on and glared at him. “I don’t want Chad and the others to know. For that matter I don’t want you to know. But I guess it’s too late for that.”
“And your uncle Jasper?”
Katherine gripped his arm. “Swear you won’t tell him.”
“I won’t. But you shouldn’t have to do this alone. You care too much about this place. You can trust me.”
Katherine stared at him. She almost believed him. He stood there so tall, so sure, so strong. She could feel muscles like steel beneath her fingers. She dropped her hands, but he caught them.
He was getting too close. She felt crowded. She’d always felt more comfortable helping others than being helped. Katherine tried to pull her hands away, but he wouldn’t allow it. She pulled her gaze from his instead.
“Let me help you,” Al said in a low murmur that sent goose bumps down her arms. “Call it payback,” he offered. “You took me in when I needed help.”
“I didn’t want to.”
“But you did.”
Katherine finally succeeded in pulling away. “I don’t know you.”
Al shook his head. “You know me. You told me so yourself. You’re not following your instincts.”
Her stomach fluttered, but she held her ground. “My instincts with men haven’t been very reliable.”
“Then you must follow my instincts.”
Katherine blinked and checked the hard planes of his face. He was serious. “Has anyone ever told you you’re the teeniest bit autocratic?”
Alex considered that. “No. People are grateful for my advice.”
“Or maybe they’re just too intimidated to point out your arrogance,” she muttered.
Alex was just about to firmly address her breach of protocol when he remembered that Al Sanders wasn’t due any special treatment. He stared down at the woman who got under his skin more than any other had and reined in his consternation. “I prefer to call it confidence.”
“Well, I can’t argue with that,” she said in a dry tone.
“Are you so frightened of me?”
He watched her face and realized he’d hit a nerve. His quick surge of triumph gave way to something less comfortable. He took her hands again.
“Can’t you just leave me alone?” she whispered, hoping to appeal to his mile-wide chivalrous streak.
Alex shook his head.
A lump of dread formed in her throat. The sheer power of his personality overwhelmed her. He was so sure of himself. His hands, she noticed irrelevantly, were warm and firm, just as they’d been in her dream.
He pulled her closer.
Katherine’s heart raced. Oh, no. Not on the beach. Not when she felt weak and confused.
Not tonight.
Not any time.
Chapter Three
It was inevitable, Katherine realized. She braced herself, stiffening her body, closing her eyes and tightly pursing her lips. Then she waited.
For a moment nothing happened. His hands still held hers, his breath mingled with the night breeze against her cheek, and his body emanated heat and power, but he didn’t move any closer to her.
Then he rubbed his lips across her cheek and chuckled next to her ear. The tickling vibration of his voice had her curling her head toward her shoulder. She opened her eyes and glared at him for laughing at her.
“You look like you’re preparing yourself for a vile-tasti
ng medicine,” he said. “Am I so bad, chérie?”
“Very bad,” Katherine shot back. When she realized how tightly she clutched his hands, she struggled to release them.
He ignored her struggles. “Ah, but how can you know when you haven’t learned my flavor?”
“I don’t wa—”
The rest of her words and breath were lost as his mouth came down on hers. She tried to purse her mouth again, but he sucked her lower lip and darted his tongue across her upper one.
He gave her a moment’s respite, and she grabbed it as if it were a lifeline. “Cheater,” she hissed, breathless and angry because of it. “You’ve got my hands.”
In an instant he released them, but before she could do anything, Al slid his hands through her hair, cradling her head. “It’s a sin to see a frown on such a beautiful mouth,” he chided in a velvet tone that sent shivers down her spine.
“I’m sure you’re an expert on sin.”
At his soft laughter she balled her fists and thought about bopping him on his hard head. Her ability to move, however, evaporated when he nibbled, then pressed his mouth against hers first one way, then another, and another, until she grew soft beneath him.
He was sipping her like nectar. His tongue explored the tenderness just inside her lips. She felt like a rare delicacy he was savoring to the fullest. Her heart thundered against her chest, and she sighed, dropping her fists in mute surrender.
One of his hands slid down her hair to her bare back, pressing her closer so that she felt the muscles of his chest, the tightness of his abdomen, the power of his thighs and the hard ridge between. And she knew he really wanted her. He wasn’t putting on an act that would end up making her feel foolish and humiliated.
“Taste me, Katherine,” he murmured. His voice was needy, irresistibly needy.
She couldn’t find the reserves to fight him. Rubbing her tongue against his, she tested the texture of his teeth and the roof of his mouth. He made a gruff, masculine sound of approval.
Needing something to hold on to, she clung to his shoulders, her fingers squeezing restlessly. Her breasts were heavy, and she ached in secret places.
