Emotional Waves

by Miller, Maureen A.

  “Does it hurt?” Brent was immediately concerned.

  “No, it’s just habit at this point.” She did not look up.

  He crossed over and sat beside her, but kept his hands on his own knees. “Go lay down on the bed. I’m fine here. Or, I’ll understand if you want me to leave.”

  “No.” Jill’s head shot up and he could see the panic flash in her eyes. It was wrong of him to feel relief at that brief glimpse into her thoughts.

  Composing herself, Jill tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing the curve of her high cheekbone. He could see the turmoil broiling inside her and hated himself for being the factor.

  Jill stood. “Alright,” she said, brushing the front of her dress self-consciously. “You get some sleep.” She turned around and gave him a tender smile.

  Then she stooped over and cupped his face in both her hands, leaning in to dust her lips across his cheek and whisper, “Happy dreams, Brent.”

  Chapter Nine

  Jill rose before her poise fled her. She turned to face the bed, but a hand caught her arm, preventing her from moving.

  “Brent?” She looked back over her shoulder. He had risen and moved in behind her, his arms slipping around her so that she could not look back. She felt the hard length of his body, similar to that first introduction to him. Brawny muscles cosseted her in an embrace that made her feel safe and feminine.

  He whispered her name in the crook of her neck and it sent shock waves of lust ricocheting through her body, making her fingertips and toes go instantly numb. She faltered, her legs failing her, but Brent had a hold of her and now she could feel his lips on her shoulder, brushing the skin and moving leisurely back to her throat. His hips nudged her from behind and she could feel the full extent of his passion.

  “Tell me to stop,” he commanded in a husky voice.

  One of his hands had dropped from her waist to the top of her thigh, stroking it and applying pressure to drive her tight against him.

  “No.” Her voice was nothing more than a hoarse croak. She tried to turn in his arms, but he had her locked to him. She reacted on instinct and slid against him, stroking with her body the part of him that was most ardent.

  “Oh baby, I was hoping you would be stronger than me.”

  Without warning, he whirled her around and hooked an arm around her back, securing her when she thought she might have fainted. Seeking stability, she held onto his shoulders, but clarity was taken from her when his lips descended to claim hers. Her head tipped back from the impetus and then she moved with equal force. The kiss was flamed by hunger−a need for gratification that went far beyond physical. If it was one night−just one night, she would brand her image in his soul.

  Brent’s hand dropped to the swell of her rear and at first he stroked his fingers up and down it, and then he grabbed the arc and hauled her in tight against his hips. Jill groaned at the sensation. She felt his hard length pressed up against her and she cradled it, moving her body to heighten the pleasure. When his hips withdrew she whimpered her protest.

  Brent stepped back and clipped the back of his leg against the coffee table. He caught his balance and grabbed his forehead, muttering before she could make out anything intelligible.

  “Honey, we can’t do this.”

  The endearment wrenched at her heart, mostly because it was uttered with such pain. Her breathing was erratic, but she managed to steady herself and watch the man locked in conflict. He had removed his jacket and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his white shirt earlier. She wanted to work on the rest of them. She wanted to run her hands across the rugged plain of his chest. It had beguiled her with the few glimpses she had.

  Brent would not meet her eyes. He still had his head clutched in his palm as if it ached. She stepped up to him and gently retracted that hand, taking it down to her heart and covering it with her own. Gold eyes which had turned molten watched that connection with fascination.

  “We can,” she whispered with resolve. “We can do this. I know you want to spare me pain because this will only be one night. You have made your disclaimer, and I am an adult and I have made my decision.” She paused and the words tore out of her. “I want you.”

  His eyes rose to meet hers and Jill accepted that her bravado was staged. When she looked into those eyes, she realized that she was falling in love with this man.

  “Two inches,” he muttered.

  “Excuse me?” Jill cleared her throat and glanced down. “Ummm, I think not.”

  Brent shook his head. “Two inches and I would have missed you.”

  “And you would have gone overboard. So you can thank me now for saving your life.”

  His grin was slow to surface, as if it started in the bottom corner of his lip and the nerves sent the message to the other side. “Did I ever tell you that you’re a pain in the ass?”

  Her smile was so profound, a tear formed in the corner of her eye. She blinked it back inside. “Every day, Mr. Coales. Every day.”

  “I can’t make love to you, Jill. We talked about this. I didn’t bring anything with me, and I’m not going to get you pregnant and leave you like this.”

  Her smile fell. “Would you think less of me if I confessed to picking something up for us today…” she hesitated, “−just in case.”

  “Dammit.” His oath secreted another grin. “Aren’t you just the prepared little girl scout,” he teased as the hand that she had clutched to her heart opened and slid inside the rim of her dress, his pointer finger toying with the lacy edge of her bra, slipping just inside that border.

  His smile evaporated and his eyes were focused on hers again. They were so intense she hadn’t even realized she was holding her breath.

  “Are you sure?” His tone was grave.

  “I want you.” The air poured out. “I want this. I−” There was too much to add. She tried to fill in the blanks by reaching up on her toes to dust her lips against his, returning to brush them again and again until they opened and let her in.

  Brent stooped and hoisted her into his arms, carrying her to the side of the bed, but instead of setting her down, he stood there with her curled up against his abdomen and kissed her until she started making a mewling sound deep down in her throat. Instead of laying her down on the bed, he released her legs, supporting her upper body until they unfurled and she could stand on them. Jill felt the mattress against the back of her thighs, but Brent was holding her upright. He reached behind her back and she felt the shock of his knuckles sliding down her spine as he took her zipper with it. Next, he touched her shoulders and slipped the silky fabric off of both until the dress was beyond the point of balance and fell into a puddle at her feet.

  She never did opt for the pantyhose so she stood only in a white lace bra and panties. The caress of his eyes over those garments was as ardent as a physical touch. Again he reached up and traced the back of his finger just inside the lacy border of her bra. The touch was electrifying and cascaded a spell of goose bumps across her body.

  “Are you cold?” he murmured.

  Incapable of speech, she shook her head.

  Brent let go of her and reached for the buttons of his shirt. She watched rapt as each one was unfastened until she was left to feast on the broad vista of his chest. A sprinkling of dark hair dusted across it as she could not deny herself the temptation of touch. Her palms slid across the swollen peaks above his rib cage and down the muscular valley of his abdomen. She mimicked his motion by scraping the tip of her finger just inside the waistband of his pants. He inhaled sharply and seized her hand.

  “Little temptress. You must wait.”

  “Bah.” she pouted.

  Brent smiled and picked her up again, this time settling her down atop the mattress, his body quick to follow as he looped one long leg in between hers.

  “Pants!” she cried.

  “Yes, dear.” He nipped at her neck while reaching for the zipper on his pants.

  Jill brushed his hand out of the way and co
mmandeered the task. In two attempts she unfastened the snap, unzipped the trousers and started to drag the garment down. Her hand touched a powerful thigh and she gasped.

  “You think that’s hard?” he chuckled.

  “I think all of you is hard.” She retracted her hand as he hauled off his pants.

  Jill felt like a kid in a candy store, not knowing where to begin. There was so much she wanted but she was distracted by the sensation of his lips tracing the rim of her bra. He reached up and hooked his finger through the strap, peeling it off her shoulder. He used that leeway to pull the fabric down, exposing her breast. Looking down, she could see him smile just before his mouth descended to claim the peak.

  Jill’s back arched. The pleasure was so intense she thought she would shatter. Brent did not relent so she gripped his shoulders with a ferocious strength−not sure if she was pulling him away, encouraging him, or holding on for dear life. Mercifully he returned to claim her mouth and that sent her spiraling into another pleasure zone.

  To level the playing field, Jill reached down and hooked her finger inside his boxers, dragging them down, distracted by the solid curve beneath her hand. She abandoned the garment in favor of exploring that tempting landscape. Excitement made her bold as her palm slipped over his hip bone and started to dip down into a new, more beguiling territory.

  “Not yet,” he murmured, positioning his body so that her curious fingers were deprived.

  Kissing her exposed nipple again, Brent took advantage when she arched her back and unhooked the bra, tearing it off in one confident move. With his other hand he dragged her panties down and for a moment lay propped on his elbow, tracing her body with his eyes. The lighting was dim, but not dim enough to conceal her flaws. He seemed to target on the discolored patch of skin above her bellybutton as his head stooped. Next she experienced the exotic touch of his lips on her aging bruise. As if that sensation wasn’t enough to make her vibrate, he began to brush down her stomach with his mouth. She thought she would scream out her pleasure when he hovered over the most fevered part of her, but he kept going until she felt his lips dither in the most implausible of locations…on her knee. That precious impression charged straight to her heart as she cried out his name.

  He covered her with his body and whispered against her mouth. “Now might be a good time to show me what you picked up for us today…” he kissed her, “−because Jill, so help me God, I want to be inside you.”

  Jill flailed her free arm towards the bedside table and tore at the drawer handle. She fumbled until she reached the square plastic packet and then bleated her frustration at not being able to open it.

  “Easy.” Brent’s hand covered hers and he took the packet, rolling onto his side so that he could peel it open and apply the condom.

  “Okay,” he said. “Now you’re mine.”

  He toyed with her, rubbing his tip over her fevered core, dipping into ecstasy and pulling out until she moaned and thrust her head from side to side on the pillow.

  “Brent,” she implored.

  With a cry of satisfaction, she felt him thrust inside her.

  ***

  A shrill beep woke Jill.

  She felt the weight of a body draped across her as the invasive sound was terminated by a husky, “Yeah, I’m up.”

  Jill blinked and saw the soft light filtering through the cabin window. She tipped her head to the right and stared at the clock, which read 5:59am. The weight on top of her shifted and the voice continued.

  “Okay. Yeah.” A slight pause. “I’ll call as soon as I can.”

  The weight shifted off of her and she was able to bring into the focus the man propped on his elbow by her side. Solemn, dark eyes watched her, his mouth a grave line etched on a taut face.

  Jill swallowed a lump down her throat, and managed to croak out the word, “Hi.”

  Brent didn’t answer and she felt tears begin to fill in behind her eyes.

  He reached over and touched her hair, running the strands between his fingers. “I−” He cleared his throat. “I don’t want this moment to come.” His fingers moved to brush her cheek. “I want it to be last night forever, Jill.”

  She muffled her sound of anguish against his bare shoulder. Brent pulled her in tight against him. “I wanted to spare us both that, baby. Last night was something so perfect…so beautiful. It wasn’t mine to have, Jill. I didn’t deserve to have that time with you.”

  “Do you regret it?” she whispered inside that warm nook.

  “I regret the pain we’re both going to suffer, but I would never regret what we shared. Never.”

  Jill drew back to look at him. His face was a sculpture of angst. “You regret the pain that we’re both going to have. That means you’ll miss me?”

  His laugh was soft as he nodded, never leaving her eyes. “It means that I will miss you a lot.”

  “Then when this is over−”

  “That was Al,” he touched a finger to her lips. “He has not spoken to his parents. We have no way of knowing if−what situation they’re in.”

  “You have no way of knowing what situation you’re going into.” Her fingertips clawed into his chest in desperation.

  “No, not really. But I put myself in this position. In retrospect, it was not one of my more thought-out plans.”

  Her fingers flattened. “You thought with your heart and not your head.”

  Brent lifted that hand to his lips and dusted a kiss there, whispering. “I seem to be doing that lately.”

  “When this is over−”

  “I don’t want you to wait for that.” He clutched her hand in earnest. “Because if you wait for that, and the call doesn’t come−” He set her hand back down on the mattress. “No,” he uttered. “No.”

  Before she could argue further, Brent was up and out of bed. She wanted to roll over and thrust her face into the pillow and cry her heart out, but she had been the one to claim that she was an adult. That she could handle the situation. Closing her eyes she hoped to lock out the world.

  “Hey.” A soft voice said beside her ear.

  Jill opened her eyes and he was standing beside the bed, leaning over so that he could look into her one exposed eye. There was the slightest trace of a sad smile on his lips. “Listen to me.” He whispered in a hoarse tone. “If this ends and everyone is safe…I mean truly safe…with no chance of a threat to be found,” he leaned closer and touched his lips to her forehead. “I will do everything I can to find you−and if you have someone in your life, then I am going to be happy for you.”

  “And if I don’t?” she choked, rolling her head to look up at him.

  His mouth moved to cover hers. “I can’t let myself hope.”

  He stood up and tried to smile. “Come on, my little Chihuahua. It’s time.”

  “Can I at least come see you off…at the pier?” She heard the desperation in her voice and hated it.

  Brent’s eyes sliced to the clock. He shook his head, but said, “I shouldn’t say yes, and yet I’m going to.” He held up a finger for conviction. “Just to where the guaguas are waiting.”

  “The whats?”

  “Local transportation. Kind of like shuttles.”

  “Okay.” She swung her legs off the bed and held the blue spread over her chest.

  Brent looked at the bunched up fabric in her hand and smiled. “They are beautiful and I would give anything to kiss them one more time.”

  Jill felt the blush surge down to her toes. “Yes, well,” she looked around to see where her dress had landed and realized it must have been the other side of the bed. “Umm. I would give anything for that too.”

  To her credit she kept her head high and managed a smile as she said that. There was no sense falling apart just yet. Brent needed to focus now. She wanted him to focus. She wanted him to find her when this was all over, and none of that would happen if she fell into a dribbling pile of goo at the foot of the bed.

  Their eyes connected for a moment and she co
uld hear the blood pumping in her ears.

  “I have to run back to my cabin and change−and grab my bag−”

  “You’ll come back here, right?” She rose with only a portion of the spread covering her. She didn’t really care. “You won’t leave?”

  Brent stepped up, careful to avoid the cascading bedspread. He cupped her arms in his hands and she felt the warmth immediately. “I’ll be back here in a half hour. The ramp should be up by then.”

  He stopped, and he looked at her for a long time−a span in which she never broke that glance. He lowered his head and touched his lips to hers. Soft. The kiss was tender until he parted her lips for a brief spell inside. The sensation made her hands go numb and the spread fell to the floor. Brent wrapped her in his arms and drew her close against him for another heated kiss. He whispered against her swollen lips. “Only to the pier, and then I have to go.”

  “I know,” she nodded and kissed him back, trying to keep the tears from pouring out.

  ***

  It was the one day in his life that he needed the most concentration, and it was the day that he had the least. This was bad. Very bad. She was in his mind. She was in everything he touched. When he took a hasty shower, no amount of water could wash away the sense of her. At this stage he needed to be cool and cunning. Those were the traits that put him here, whereas Al wore his emotions on his sleeve.

  Focus on the Petris, Brent reminded himself. There was only one gangway for Luis to disembark from, and Brent intended to be on it as soon as it opened to the public. Regardless if Luis somehow slipped by him, their destination was unanimous. Brent had to take his mission down to the most elemental level. Get off the ship. Get to Juan Dolio−to the Petris’ house, and bring them to the states. Luis and his men could keep the 3 million dollars. Once the Petris were safe, then the Feds could go after the extortionist ring.

  Simple. Such a simple plan.

  But his mind kept straying to the woman wrapped around his body as she slept. He needed strength for today and yet he wouldn’t dare miss a second of watching that sight. She scratched her nose in her sleep and her foot twitched all the time. She was beautiful, but she was not his to keep.