by Kristi Gold
“Until I fell from the sky.”
Finally, he smiled all the way, stripping years off his handsome face. “Yeah, but them’s the breaks. Just as long as you know what you’re up against. The weather could get pretty rough.”
Living for years in Ohio, smack-dab in the middle of tornado alley, Lizzie had grown up with storms. She had overcome her fear and learned to respect their majesty, their power. Come to think of it, not much seemed to frighten her because long ago she’d learned you just have to have faith that things would work out.
However, Jack Dunlap did frighten her in a way, or maybe it was his sensual pull. Not that she would tell him that. She didn’t dare reveal her attraction to him. In fact, she was determined not to let him see that each time she was close to him, she entertained some really dubious thoughts.
Lizzie pulled her gaze away from his lest she give herself away. “I’m sure everything will work out fine.”
“Just so you know,” he added, “it might get rocky around here.” His eyes narrowed and he took on that look again. The one that said he meant business, she’d like to think the kind that involved undressing and caressing. “Can you handle it?”
Oh, yeah. “Oh, sure. What’s a little wind and rain?” A little bedtime adventure.
Halt, Lizzie.
“In the meantime,” he said, moving a bit closer, “I’ll have to show you what I need you to do in case the situation calls for it.”
Visions of him instructing her on the finer points of lovemaking leaped into her brain. What a way to weather a storm. She could consider that later. First, she needed food.
Her stomach rumbled loud enough to rouse the Loch Ness monster. “Maybe this is a really bad time to ask, but do you have anything to eat? I’m starving.”
His grin went wicked and a little wild. “So am I, Dorothy. So am I.”
Jack was very hungry, thanks to the woman busily raiding his cabinets. He should’ve thought twice, ten times before he walked in on her in the tub. He should’ve turned around and headed out the door. He should leave her to her own devices now, before he did something really ridiculous, like run his hands down her bare thighs, then up again, then down again….
He had to get his libido in a choke hold and put it to rest. Not necessarily an easy prospect, and only a momentary remedy. He had no idea how long this little liaison would last, or how he would control himself as he spent time with a woman who possessed a strong will, sassy mouth and a body that would be worth investigating. A really nice mouth that he’d wanted to kiss into silence several times today. Right now, even. But she was pregnant with another man’s child, and he didn’t want that hassle, no matter how tempting she could be. He had more than enough to worry about considering his disabled boat.
“Don’t you have anything besides canned meat?” she asked, slamming one cabinet door closed and moving on to the refrigerator.
“I like canned meat. It’s convenient, and it’s not half-bad once you get used to it.”
After closing the refrigerator door, she leaned back against it. “No salad?”
“Not at the moment.”
She threaded her bottom lip between her teeth. “This is not a good thing. I’m a vegetarian for the most part, although I will have poultry on occasion.”
“Maybe you should consider diving for seaweed.”
She rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “You are so amusing, Ahab.”
“Say what you will, but there’s nothing better than a big juicy rare steak.”
“Rare?”
“Yeah, the rarer the better.”
Lizzie’s hand suddenly went to her belly, her face as pale as the white galley counter. “Oh, gosh. I think I’m going to be sick.”
Jack rushed to her side and guided her up the companionway. She removed her hand from her mouth long enough to ask, “Where are we going?”
“To the deck,” he said. “I have a rule. Anyone who gets seasick has to do it over the side.”
“It’s probably morning sickness,” she muttered, her words muffled by her palm.
But it happened to be night, Jack thought. He guessed a little nausea was possible. After all, what did he know about pregnant women? Not a thing. He had a feeling he was about to learn more than he’d ever imagined.
When they reached the stern, he turned her toward the sea and held on to her from behind. “Go ahead.”
She glared over one shoulder. “I can’t do it with you watching.”
“You’re going to have to because I’m not letting you go. If you fall in, then I’ll have to go get you. And babe, I’m thinking that would be a bad idea. Rule one, stay on the boat.”
That brought her around in his arms. “I told you, I’m not a babe.”
“And I’m not Ahab.”
“It’s either that or Captain Hook since we seem to be following a fairy-tale theme.”
“Both my hands are intact.” Definitely so because they’d somehow made their way to her hips.
“I guess you’re right about that, so Ahab it is.”
He couldn’t hold back his smile. “Okay, Dorothy. Are you feeling better now, or do you still need to be sick?”
She drew in a deep breath, thrusting her breasts forward against his chest. Man, he didn’t need that.
“I’m not nauseated anymore, only hungry,” she said. “I just need something to eat.”
Jack needed to kiss her, badly. But he sure couldn’t do that at the moment, or anytime for that matter. He took a much-needed step back but kept his hands clasped loosely around her waist should she decide to pass out. “Look, I have some Oriental noodles with vegetables. Will that do?”
She grinned. “Perfectly.”
How little it seemed to take to please her. Jack wondered if that held true in all endeavors, including lovemaking. Slapping the thoughts from his brain, he released her completely. “Let’s get you something to eat.”
“And Hank,” she added.
Even though it was the last thing he wanted to do, Jack laughed. For the first time in months.
The man kept staring at her. Oh, he’d tried not to be too obvious about it, but four times now Lizzie had caught Jack watching her mouth.
Egad! She probably had a Chinese noodle hanging off her chin. Her fingertips immediately zipped to the area, but thankfully she found no strings. Just in case, she grabbed a napkin and swiped at her mouth to remove any latent residue.
He glanced up from his bowl again and this time his eyes homed in on her breasts. Lizzie immediately looked down at her chest, expecting to find a nice brown blob smeared on the borrowed T-shirt. She always seemed to miss her mouth, very odd since it was a more than adequate size.
Nope, no blob. Just cotton. Fairly transparent cotton that didn’t come close to hiding the fact she was still a bit chilled.
Sheesh. Is that what he’d noticed? Well, if so, she’d just have to cover the evidence.
Sitting back in the chair, Lizzie folded her arms across her breasts. “That hit the spot. Not exactly my favorite, but I feel much better now.”
“Good,” he muttered, dropping his gaze to his food.
“I’m really not that opposed to meat unless it’s beef. I love cows. My grandfather named his herd after the grandchildren. Then one day I learned we were having my cousin, Bernie, for Sunday dinner. Literally. Well, not literally. The cow named Bernie. That was the end of that. No more beef for me.”
Jack murmured something Lizzie couldn’t quite discern. Obviously he wasn’t too willing to join in the conversation. She wouldn’t let that stop her. “There are lots of replacements for beef, though. Take ground turkey, for instance. Have you had any?”
He glanced up for a moment then resumed pushing the last of his disgusting stew around in his bowl. “Not in a while.”
“Oh, so you have had some?”
“Of course.”
“Then I assume you’d agree that it’s not so different from having a regular hamburger.”
His gaze snapped up. “Huh?”
“You know, a big juicy hamburger with all the fixings. Yum, yum.”
He frowned. “That’s a weird comparison.”
“Why? When considering ground turkey versus ground beef, I’d say it was an accurate comparison.”
“Turkey? You were asking me about turkey?”
“Yes, what did you think I was…?” Reality dawned through Lizzie’s own confusion. This was so rich. “Wait a minute, you thought I was asking you if you’ve had any….” She couldn’t finish her sentence, or contain her laughter.
Jack didn’t laugh nor did he look at all amused. “I obviously misunderstood you.”
“Obviously. Did you really think I would ask you about your sex life?”
“My mistake.”
She leaned forward and propped a cheek on her palm. “Well, do you have one?”
He looked away but not before she saw discomfort in his eyes. “I don’t want to go there.”
Oh, but Lizzie wanted to. She wanted to know more about him since they would be sharing their time for a while, and whatever else they might decide to share. She was suddenly very warm. “I imagine a man like you has certain needs to fulfill. And I imagine there are plenty of women at your beck and call to take care of those needs. You know, a woman in every port.”
After pushing his bowl to one side, he clasped his hands in front of him and stared at her. “Think what you will, but I don’t care to discuss my love life.”
“Then you do have a love life.”
“Not anything to write home about.” He looked as if he’d regretted making that admission. Lizzie was glad he had. At least now she didn’t feel so alone in her celibacy.
“I can relate,” she said. “My love life is more or less nonexistent.”
That recaptured his attention. “Obviously you had one at some point since you’re pregnant.”
If he only knew the real circumstances behind the pregnancy. One couldn’t be wined and dined by a plastic catheter. “You’re right, let’s not go there.”
His crooked smile made a sudden showing. “Ah, come on now, Dorothy. You started this.”
She stood. “And it is now finished, Ahab.”
The lights flickered as Lizzie carried their plates to the sink. She stopped and stared at the ceiling. “What was that?”
Turning, she found Jack with his head lowered, the bridge of his nose pinched between two fingers as if he had one heck of a headache. Then came a long, frustrated sigh. “The batteries are going down. It’s only a matter of time before the lights go out completely.”
“Then we’re going to be completely in the dark?”
He looked up. “Yeah.”
“Do you have any candles?”
“Another rule. No candles on the boat, which means we need to conserve power.”
So much for creating a romantic ambience, Lizzie thought. “Flashlights?”
“A couple. But I’m out of extra batteries. I do have a kerosene lantern we can use until that fuel runs out.”
Just peachy. Lizzie leaned back against the counter. “Does this mean we’re going to have to eat cold food?”
“Yeah.”
“And take cold showers in the dark until we’re rescued?”
“Yeah. But I was planning on that anyway.” Coming to his feet, he headed toward the stairs. “Until the water runs out.”
“Where are you going?” Lizzie asked, following behind him in case he decided to shoot something else.
“To light some flares.”
“Can I help?”
He stopped and faced her. “You can watch.”
“That’s no fun,” she said with a grin. “I’d really rather participate.”
He inclined his head. “Would you?”
“Yes. Don’t you think it’s more productive when two people get in on the act?”
“That depends on the act.”
In a fit of feminine insanity, she brushed her bangs away from her forehead and attempted a coy look. “Did you have a particular act in mind?”
His silver eyes darkened with something mysterious and promising and overtly sensual. “Flares, Dorothy. We’re going to ignite some flares.”
Something else was igniting. Something new and different within Lizzie. Something combustible that had to do with chemistry, and not the kind one studied in high school. Combustion between a man and woman. Between Ahab and Dorothy.
Maybe Captain Jack didn’t want to acknowledge it now, but he would if Lizzie had any say-so in the matter. They were stranded and had to find some way to pass the time. Life was short, and no one could predict the future. She might as well go for it because this chance might never come again. The chance to experience what it would be like to have a strong, brooding sailor make love to her. A live, virile man. For the very first time.
Then once she returned to her life, she could take the experience with her. And on those lonely nights, she would bring out the memories to keep her company.
If Jackson Dunlap could be persuaded to cooperate.
Three
Jack sent up the flares, only two tonight. He’d save the other two for later if these didn’t happen to summon assistance.
“Oh, wow.”
He glanced at Lizzie who watched the cloudy sky with wonder, as if the display of light had been provided for entertainment.
“They’re so pretty,” she said, turning her amazing smile on him. “I remember thinking that very thing while watching Titanic.”
Good, God. “I don’t think we should go there, either, Dorothy.”
“Oh, pooh. It was a nice romantic movie, if you overlooked the ship sinking.”
“That’s my point. I’d rather not discuss sinking ships.”
“I guess you’re right.” As she backed up to the railing, her smile vanished but it didn’t detract from her wholesome looks. With her wispy layered blond hair framing her face, her wide, guileless blue-green eyes, she seemed almost childlike at times. Yet her body shouted woman. Jack’s gaze automatically drifted to her full breasts outlined against the thin fabric, confirming that fact.
Dragging his attention back to her face, Jack tried desperately to ignore her current state of undress, but with her wearing only his shirt and, he suspected, nothing else, his attempts at detachment were futile.
She didn’t seem to notice though, much to Jack’s relief. “Do you think someone will find us?” she asked evenly, but she couldn’t mask the concern in her voice.
“Eventually.”
She seemed doubly disturbed despite the reappearance of her smile. “Maybe in a day or two, right?”
He couldn’t bear to shatter her optimism, or to cause her more anxiety. “Probably.” If someone happened upon them. If the Coast Guard had been notified of their disappearance. If the storm didn’t hinder any kind of rescue. And if they were lucky, they had twenty-four hours left before they had to deal with that.
Determined to provide some hope, he said, “Look, we still have plenty to eat. Of course, you might have to give up your dietary requirements for the time being.”
Her hand came to rest with reverence on her abdomen. “I will do that for Hank’s sake. He needs food.” She wrinkled her nose. “Even if it is some kind of questionable goulash.”
Jack admired her commitment to her child. Admired her ability to look on the sunny side of the situation. If only he could be that sanguine, but unfortunately he was far too jaded in general, in spite of his financial success.
The waves picked up, jarring the boat. Lizzie lost her footing and luckily Jack was close enough to catch her, close enough to smell her feminine scent mixed with sea air as she looped her arms around his neck.
“Whoa there, Dorothy.”
“Sorry. Guess I don’t have my sea legs yet.”
She had great legs, Jack thought, and they were brushing against his at the moment. Even though he was wearing chinos, he could still imagine how her bare skin would feel against his. How
she would feel beneath him.
He really should let her go, but what if she fell again? She did, closer against him. “Isn’t good balance required when you’re in a balloon?” he asked, surprised at the grainy quality of his voice, at his body’s swift reaction to her nearness. At his resistance to turn her loose, which had absolutely nothing to do with courtesy.
“Not really,” she said in a wistful tone. “You have very little sense of movement in a hot air balloon. It’s as if you’re standing still, and the whole world is falling away from beneath you.”
Jack experienced that same sensation at the moment. He felt as if something inside him was falling away, namely his opposition to anything that threatened his solitary life, his emotional fortitude. “Sounds great.”
“It is great,” she said on a sigh, her eyes linked with his as solidly as her arms circled his neck. “It’s incredible.”
So was she, Jack decided. Incredible attitude. Incredible eyes, both wise and innocent. Incredible breasts pressed against his chest. And a very incredible mouth. Although it made no sense, he wanted to know that mouth intimately. Soon. Now.
There was no wisdom in his contemplation, no hesitation in the kiss. He simply took it, grabbed for the brass ring, as he’d done most of his life. Success had not come to him without risk, but the way Lizzie responded to his exploration—the slide of his tongue against hers, the way phenomenal heat coursed through his body—this attraction to her was more than risky.
As if he’d literally been burned, Jack pulled her arms from around his neck and placed her hands on the rail to steady her. Unfortunately, he wasn’t feeling all that grounded, and it wasn’t due to his lack of sea legs. “I don’t know why I did that.”
She touched her lips with long slender fingertips. “I know why.”
“Yeah? Mind explaining it to me?”
Her grin came with the force of a gale. “You’re a boy, and I’m a girl. It’s nighttime, and we just enjoyed some fireworks.”
He couldn’t deny that. He also couldn’t deny that he wanted her in a big way, but he couldn’t act on that need. He had to remember she was pregnant and needed much more than he could give, emotionally speaking. He had to remember that in a matter of days she would be gone, and he would be back to his old life, exactly the way he wanted it—alone, with no concerns beyond his own welfare. With no worries of letting anyone down.
