Her skin prickled and her nipples tightened into hard little beads. Her breath lodged in her throat as she waited for some indication of his thoughts. About the time she believed he might have changed his mind, she heard him speak.
“You’re beautiful.” He cupped one of her breasts, lifting it with his palm.
She let go of the breath she’d been holding and laughed softly. “You’re not so bad yourself.” She smoothed a hand over his shoulders, loving the difference between his hard body and her soft one. “I was beginning to think you’d changed your mind.”
“Oh, hell no.” He squeezed the breast gently between his fingers and thumbed the nipple. “I could look at you all night long and not get enough.”
“Are you sure you’re not a poet?” Pulse racing, she wrapped her hands around his neck and drew him close. “Because you say the nicest things.”
“Nothing but the truth. You’re an amazing woman.” His lips touched hers briefly and then he dropped her legs to the ground and turned. “And, regrettably, I can’t do this. You deserve better.”
Disappointment hit her full in the chest. She stood behind him, the warm tropical air kissing her naked skin, arousing her even more as she stared at Jack’s broad shoulders. “Better what?”
“A soft bed, roses, respect and hours of foreplay.” He didn’t face her as he spoke, his hands clenched into tight fists.
Her heart fluttered. He was fighting himself not to touch her. That power surged inside her. Taking a step forward, she wrapped her hands around his middle, pressing her naked breasts to his equally naked back. God, he felt good. “What if I don’t want better? What if I want here and now?” She slid her hands down his flat belly and inside the elastic waistband of his shorts.
He sucked in a breath and his cock surged upward into her hands. “You have a chance to walk away. Take it,” he said, his voice harsh, his body so tense he was like a bowstring pulled too tight, ready to blast free.
“I don’t want to walk away.” She wrapped her fingers around his member and slid them lower to the base and back up again. “Can’t we pretend we’re alone in the middle of the ocean? Just you and me. Nothing else matters. Unless—” Her hands froze. “Oh hell. Unless you’re worried I’ll fire you. Damn. I’m sorry. For a moment I forgot, I’m your boss.” She started to pull away.
His hand captured hers on his member, holding her there. “I’m not worried about that. If the situation bothers you, I can fix that.”
“How?”
He turned and pulled her against him. “I quit.”
“But you can’t quit. We still need you to provide security.”
“You can hire me tomorrow. Tonight, I’m just a man, holding a beautiful woman in the moonlight.”
“But why did you hesitate if not because you were afraid of losing your job?”
A finger ran along her jaw as he stared down at her.
She rested her hands on his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart against her fingertips.
“You’ve lost enough,” he said at last. “Whatever happens between us will most likely be temporary. I don’t know where the wind will blow me next. I can’t make you any guarantees. And I like you enough that I couldn’t stand to bring you more pain than you’ve already experienced.”
She pressed a finger to his lips. “Shut up and let me talk.”
He kissed her finger and grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”
Natalie steeled herself to be open and honest. “I’ve been wallowing in the past for so long, I didn’t know how to think of a future. I’ve taken life one day at a time, doing what I know how to do, living but not really feeling alive. For the first time in years, I feel alive.” She smiled, her heart lighter than it had been in a long time. “I’ve learned one thing through it all—life gives us no guarantees. You take what you can, when you can, because the opportunity might not be there tomorrow.” She cupped his cheek in her palm, enjoying the rough prickle of beard stubble. “I choose to take what I can tonight. If you’re here tomorrow, I’ll count that as a blessing. If you aren’t, I’ll have tonight to remember.”
Determined to make a sizzling hot memory, she kissed his lips as she guided his hand up to her breast.
Jack fought for control, but his body overrode him. One hand curved around her breast, the other slid lower to the elastic waistband of her shorts. He hooked his fingers and dragged them down her legs and off, kissing his way back up.
She did the same to him, sliding his shorts down his legs, careful not to disturb his bandage, her hands gliding over his skin on the way down, her lips on the way back up.
He couldn’t get any harder.
In the shadow of the cabin, in a secluded corner of the deck, they stood naked, nothing but the tropical air between their bodies.
Of all the places he’d been, this was the one place he’d remember the most. Not because of the ocean lapping against the side of the ship or the moonlight streaming across the water, but because of this woman, whose heart had been broken. She’d found the courage to move on and give back to a world that had taken so much.
He gathered her in his arms, realizing what a special person she was and that what they were about to do would be extraordinary. When his skin touched hers, he lost all semblance of control. He backed her up to the wall and pressed his cock against her mound, eager to be inside her, to take her hard and fast. If he were a gentleman, he’d make the time to get her hot and slick.
Oh, hell, he wanted her as aroused as he was. He bent and took one of her breasts in his mouth and suckled, flicking the tip and rolling the nipple between his teeth.
Sucking in a breath, she curled her hand around the back of his head, her fingers twisting in his hair. She arched her back, giving him more. When he’d thoroughly teased that breast, she guided him to the other. “Please,” she begged, urging him to treat the other in the same arousing way.
He tasted, nibbled and teased the nipple into a tight little bud before he swept down her torso to the apex of her thighs. She spread her legs wider, giving him better access to part her folds and strum that center strip of sensitized flesh with the flick of his finger until she moaned.
Natalie rocked her hips, her fingers digging into his scalp, pulling him away one second and urging him to take more in the next.
Jack leaned in and tapped her clit with the tip of his tongue.
Her body froze, tensed, waiting.
With a slow stroke, he licked the length of it and sucked it into his mouth, the fresh, musky taste of her making him want to rise to his feet and plunge deep inside her body. But he played her, stroking her until her entire body trembled and she dragged at his hair to make him quit. He refused to let up, slowing his tongue strokes to long soothing swirls.
She moaned and rocked her hips, her fingers pulling at his hair as her body pulsed her climax, her legs trembling in his palms.
A surge of power rammed through Jack. He’d done this. He’d brought her to brink and pushed her over.
When she reached for his arms and pulled at him to rise, he came to his feet and lifted her, wrapping her legs around his waist.
He eased her down over him, entering her in on long, fluid thrust.
When she was fully seated, he froze, his hands digging into her hips. “Oh, God, we forgot protection.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “Unless you have some STDs.” She leaned her forehead against his, her breathing ragged. “Tell me you don’t.”
“I’m clean.”
“And I’m equipped with an IUD.”
“You’re sure you’re okay with this? I’ll stop, if you want.” He sucked in a shaky breath. “At least, I think I can stop.”
“For the love of Mike, don’t stop.” She raised herself up and lowered herself onto him again. “This feels entirely too good to stop now. Make me howl at the moon, Jack. I’m long overdue.”
Pressing her back against the wall of the cabin, he held her hips in his hands and pounded into her again and
again, the tension building inside until he burned all over. Just. One. Last. Thrust…and he catapulted into the stratosphere, burying himself as deep as he could go. He held her hips until his member quit throbbing, and he could take a deep breath.
Natalie smoothed her hands up over his arms and shoulders and captured his cheeks. “Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?”
Harder than she could imagine. When he’d started down this path, he had kept in mind that he was a SEAL, on missions more often than he was home and not good boyfriend or husband material.
Natalie was the type of woman who needed a man to keep her safe…and satisfied on a more regular basis.
He wasn’t that man. But, oh how he wanted to be.
Chapter Five
‡
Natalie woke early the next morning, her body energized from great sex and the best night’s sleep she’d had in a very long time. She hadn’t had any nightmares, in fact, she’d dreamed Jack had slept in the bed beside her, making love to her all night long. Alas, it was only a dream.
After they’d made passionate love on the deck of the Nightingale, he’d helped her dress and escorted her to her stateroom where he’d kissed her goodnight and walked away.
She could have kicked herself for not inviting him in to stay the night. But then again, he would have given her some indication that he wanted to, wouldn’t he? With the light of day streaming through the porthole of her stateroom, Natalie wondered how she would face the man, now that they’d made love. Would seeing him be awkward, especially because she couldn’t touch him? Would the rest of the crew figure out the truth by the crazy grin on her face when she stepped out into the sunshine?
Natalie crawled out of bed, her breasts sensitive to the touch, having been tongued, nibbled and sucked last night. She had a deliciously sexy ache between her legs from making love with Jack.
She glanced in the mirror at the color flying high like flags in her cheeks. Holy shit, had she really made love on the deck of the Nightingale? What if one of her crew had seen her? What if Jack quit for real and had left the boat that morning?
That thought made her dress in record time. She jerked a brush through her hair and slapped it up in a ponytail. Thank goodness, no time at all was needed to throw on a pair of scrubs. A quick toothbrush over her teeth and water splashed in her face and she was done with her usual morning ritual. Should she put on some mascara and lip gloss? She reached for the gloss and her hand froze in midair. “No. He kissed you without lip gloss both times. It wasn’t the lip gloss he was attracted to.”
Her body tingled and she shivered from top to toe.
He was attracted to her.
After slipping on her tennis shoes, she tied them and ran out the door to find Jack. In a quick flyby of the galley, she snatched a bagel and determined Jack wasn’t there or in the dining area. Out on deck, she ran into the entire team, preparing the skiff for the day’s clinic at the hospital in Trujillo.
“Craig, how are you feeling this morning?” she asked, her gaze shooting past everyone, searching for Jack.
“Much better, thank you.” He set the case of medications and bandages into the bottom of the boat and straightened. “We’ll need all hands on deck to handle the mob in Trujillo.”
“Especially since the annual festival happens today,” Hallie grinned. “We will have time to come back to the boat to change, won’t we?”
“Yes, Hallie, we’ll quit early enough to partake in the festivities.” Natalie smiled. “I’m looking forward to the music and dancing.”
Mac glowered. “We won’t have time to return here and take a nap before we have to turn around and head back into the town tonight.”
“That’s okay,” Hallie sang, her personality bubbling over. “All we need is to clean up and change into party clothes.”
“Some of us got more sleep than others,” Mac said, his gaze seeking Natalie’s.
She met his accusing stare straight on, her stomach knotting. “I got plenty of sleep. Did you, Mac?”
He pulled her to the side. “I know what happened last night out on the deck.”
Though heat rose up her neck into her cheeks, Natalie managed to keep her expression level, unaffected. “Is that so? And why is that? Was it because you couldn’t sleep? I can prescribe a sleep aid if you need one.”
“I don’t need a sleep aid.” Mac gripped her arms. “I don’t trust him and you shouldn’t either.”
“If you’re talking about Jack, you’ll have to be more specific as to why you don’t trust him.”
“Did you know he carries guns in his cargo pockets?”
“I certainly hope so. He’s in charge of security.”
“Well, while you two were up on deck getting it on, I checked through his duffle bag.”
Natalie’s teeth clenched. “This is a small boat, and one of the unwritten rules is that you have to respect each individual’s privacy. You had no right to go through his duffle.”
Mac’s gaze captured hers. “He’s also got a top-of-the-line, breakdown rifle with a high-powered scope tucked in amongst his skivvies.”
“So? Again, he’s our security.”
“Natalie, think about it. Where does a beach bum get a rifle like that? He either got it from a terrorist organization or he stole it.”
Natalie bit down hard on her tongue, wanting to refute everything Mac had to say. No, she wanted Jack to tell her where he’d gotten an expensive weapon like that. If she asked him, she’d show that she wasn’t firm in her trust in him. And if he had a reasonable explanation, that still wouldn’t negate her lack of trust.
Hell, she’d had hot sex on the deck with the man. That took a certain amount of trust. She glanced around, hoping to find Jack before they took off to set up the clinic in Trujillo.
“If you’re looking for him, you’ll have to look a lot harder. He’s already out on his jet ski. That’s another anomaly. How did he afford a jet ski if he’s a deckhand? The one he’s riding is also an expensive model. If you don’t believe me, look it up online.
“Mac, we don’t have time to go into this. We’re due on shore in twenty minutes, and I haven’t even loaded my bag.”
“I restocked and put it in the boat while you were sleeping in.”
“Thank you.” When she started to walk away, she felt Mac grab her arm again.
“Natalie, don’t get too deep with Fischer. He could be leading you down the garden path, setting you up for some real heartache, whether he’s who he says he is or not.”
“I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.” She shook off his hand and strode toward the skiff, irritation fueling her steps.
“You’re old enough to make your own decisions, but that doesn’t stop us from caring about what happens to you,” Mac called out after her.
Natalie checked what had been stowed in the boat. They’d need more supplies on this trip because they were close to a decent-sized town. Trujillo had a small but clean hospital with a dedicated staff of one surgeon and a doctor and half a dozen nurses who worked the day and night shifts.
The team from the Nightingale would augment the hospital staff and help them in any way possible without trying to take over. For the community to have faith in their own infrastructure was important.
From their reconnaissance mission earlier that year, they learned they would be set up in the hospital clinic, helping with vaccinations with supplies they’d brought for just that purpose. Additional medications to help stock the hospital’s meager stores would be distributed.
Satisfied they had what they needed, Natalie settled into the skiff and waited for a sullen Mac to shove off. This time, the entire team would be on hand to lend assistance. The little boat full of supplies and people left the Nightingale in the middle of Trujillo Bay and motored across to the tiny port town. Jack provided an escort, riding close, but not close enough for Natalie to see the expression on his face.
She would have liked to talk with him that morning to gauge his r
eaction to what they had shared the night before. But based on his distance and the fact he hadn’t been interested enough to face her that morning, he was probably having second thoughts.
Natalie couldn’t deny her disappointment, but she reminded herself she’d accepted the conditions. He wasn’t planning on staying forever and she knew life didn’t come with guarantees. So, why was she so depressed?
Hell. She’d just have to get over it and focus once again on what she did well.
As they neared the dock, Mac cut the engine and they drifted the rest of the way.
A group of children helped tie off the skiff, and Dr. Jimenez greeted them, extending a hand to help Natalie out of the boat onto the weathered wooden planking. “Dr. Rhoades, welcome.”
Natalie greeted the man with a smile and a hug. “How are you, Dr. Jimenez?” She would have liked to be less formal, but the good doctor insisted on formality as part of the culture of his little town. Natalie understood the importance of culture and norms and tried to instill the same values and lessons in her team. People, no matter how poor or wealthy, deserved to be treated with respect for whom they are, along with their beliefs and lifestyles.
Jack didn’t tie off his jet ski until Natalie and her crew were halfway across the dock. Once again, she would have liked to speak with him before she went to work that day. But then, maybe they’d done all their talking the night before.
Walking through the streets of Trujillo, Natalie smiled at the inhabitants, decorating the outsides of their houses with crepe paper. Colorful, fringed streamers stretched overhead between buildings, fluttering in the breeze. The festival was in honor of the town’s patron saint and the locals and tourists enjoyed the festivities for days.
Dr. Jimenez led them through the front door of the Trujillo Hospital and set them up in the tiny clinic and one of the hospital wards. The clinic would see patients needing vaccinations and minor wound care. The hospital ward would be for more extensive wound care and sicknesses. All treatment was advertised as free and, with the festival in town, they expected a large turnout.
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