One-Click Buy: September 2010 Harlequin Blaze

by Lori Wilde

  A wave slapped her in the face, making her gasp at the sting. Breathing and walking upright were better common ground than this, she decided with a low growl.

  “Here’s good,” Alex called to her over his shoulder. He shifted, pushing up into a sitting position to straddle the board. “C’mon up.”

  Abandoning any semblance of grace or even strength, Dru wiggled until she was straddling her board, too.

  “You’re like those people who run marathons for entertainment, aren’t you?” she accused.

  His grin flashed, but Alex shook his head. “Nah. I’ve never been much into group events. The idea of someone slapping a number on my chest and telling me what direction to aim my feet holds no appeal.”

  Now that she wasn’t paddling her ass off, Dru was able to catch her breath and look around. Her chest was still heaving from the exertion, but she was blown away at the beauty of the view. Water, everywhere. Brilliant blue, fading to pale white where it washed up on the deep gold sand of the beach. All around, the water seemed to blend into the sky. It felt as if she were being held on the edge of heaven. Despite her labored breath and screaming muscles, a sense of peace washed over her.

  “It’s amazing out here,” she said softly.

  “You get it,” he said, his tone low but delighted. As if talking too loudly would desecrate the serenity of the moment. “No matter what is going on in my life, when I come out here, I know I can deal with it.”

  Dru tilted her head, blinking against the sun reflecting off the water. “The sea gives you strength?”

  “In a way.” His tone was contemplative, and he looked out at the water as he might a lover. “More like I realize out here that so much is beyond my control. It lets me see how unimportant some things are, and how vital others might be.”

  Then, as if he were shaking the water out of his hair, he tossed off the philosophical mantle that was starting to fascinate Dru and glanced over his shoulder.

  “And then there’s the whole man versus nature thing, too,” he said with a grin, nodding to indicate the wave building behind them. “Once you get the hang of being one with the ocean, you know how strong you are.”

  Dru followed his gaze, her eyes going huge and her stomach diving down to Davy Jones’s locker. She gulped, wondering if she could ride the wave belly down. It was bound to hurt less.

  “Remember what I taught you,” Alex said, already flattening his body on the board. His toes were tucked under, his hands gripping the sides of the board. “Paddle with the wave until you feel it build, then push up to your feet and squat. Keep your knees loose, focus on your core.”

  Ever the good student, Dru followed his directions. As if her biceps and shoulders weren’t still aching from her earlier abuse, she paddled like hell, feeling the water swell beneath the board.

  Half terrified, half numb, she watched Alex and mimicked his moves. As the wave built, she grabbed the sides of her board. Her heart pounding, she pushed up and tugged her feet beneath her as if she was doing a jumping-jack push-up. She pried her fingers from the board and stood, knees bent, arms outstretched for balance.

  Already riding the wave, Alex glanced over to make sure she was okay. He shot her a huge smile and a thumbs-up.

  A satisfied kind of lust settled in Dru’s churning stomach. Yes. She’d done it. In that moment, for one brief second, she knew she could handle anything life threw her way.

  Thirty minutes later, Dru followed Alex’s directions and headed for the beach. She reached the shore and unhooked the tether from her ankle before rolling off the board.

  The most incredible energy coursed through her body, filling her with an excitement and freedom like she’d never felt before. Unable to lift the board in her quivering arms, she dragged it out of the water with her. Breathless, she clambered up the beach. She only made it about ten steps toward the Surf Shack and couldn’t resist any longer. She plunged the board into the sand. Then she threw her arms out as if to embrace the magic of the experience and turned in a circle with a laugh.

  “Oh, my God,” she breathed. “That’s like heaven.”

  Talk about exhilarating. It was the best sex she’d ever had, a chocolate binge and the view from the top of the Grand Canyon all rolled into one fabulous surge of delight. She watched Alex stride out of the sea, looking once again like a modern-day water god.

  The laughter still dancing on her lips, her breath hitched at the intensity in his eyes. He wasn’t laughing with her. He was staring at her as if she was the most incredible sight he’d ever seen. The edible kind, as if he was starving and had to take a bite. Her smile fell away, her chest rising and falling with her quick breaths.

  He didn’t even bother to stick his board in the sand. He just tossed it aside and strode forward. Dru’s heart tumbled over itself, it was racing so fast. Heat flared deep in her belly, so hot she wondered why her wet swimsuit wasn’t steaming.

  He stopped a few inches away. Close enough for her to smell the sea overlaying his own rich, masculine scent. His hair hung in wet curls around his face, droplets of water trailing down his throat. Over his collarbone. Onto his chest. Her mouth watered. She wanted to trace that water with her tongue. Would it taste salty like the sea? Or would she taste him?

  She had to know.

  Just as she took a step forward, Alex reached out and cupped his hands on either side of her head. Dru’s body melted at the powerful move, her nipples beading in supplication against the tight, wet fabric of her swimsuit. He tilted her head back. His body pressed into hers, his arousal hard and obvious behind the wet cotton of his trunks as it pushed against her belly.

  Before she could do more than register a surprised oh of pleasure at how hard and long he felt, his mouth took hers.

  It was like surfing. Exhilarating, dangerous, addictive. His lips slid, soft and sweet, over hers. He molded her mouth gently before his tongue traced her bottom lip. She gave a sigh at how perfect it all felt.

  Then he shifted. She had no idea how, but the kiss went from mellow to incendiary with just the brush of his tongue. Everything changed. She felt her world tilt, a sideways slide into a dark, intense well of pleasure. Her arms hung useless at her sides, her head dropping back in his hands, giving over total control. Helpless to do anything but enjoy, she let the passion engulf her.

  ALEX HAD NEVER BELIEVED he’d find anything that enthralled him as much as the sea. Until Drucilla. Sexy, sweet and oh, God, he thought as he deepened the kiss, so freaking delicious.

  Fingers tunneled through her hair, all loose and wet where it escaped its tidy braid, he held her head captive for his mouth. Teeth, tongue and breath tangled together in a wild dance of passion. His heart beat as if he was riding the highest wave; his body responded as if the touch of her mouth had flipped his switch, turning him on at full power.

  Her lips tasted like salt, sun and something indefinable. Something that reached into his heart and tugged. A lesser man might have hesitated, worried that a woman he’d known less than twenty-four hours could capture him so tightly, so quickly. But Alex knew better—there was no such thing as love. Appreciation, enjoyment, respect, definitely. And sexual connection? His body’s reaction to Drucilla proved how intense those could be. But love? Pretty words was all.

  Positive his heart was safe, Alex gave over to the delight he was discovering in this fascinating woman.

  Her arms twined around his neck, a low purr of pleasure husky in her throat. She moved tight against his body, her smooth thighs sliding along his. Alex hummed in appreciation. Drucilla hadn’t lied when she’d said she wasn’t into games. No, this woman went for what she wanted. And from the way her hands were skimming over his arms, gripping his biceps, she wanted him.

  Their mouths moved together, each slide of their lips sending him into a deeper chasm of gratification. He shifted his weight, sinking to the sand and bringing Dru with him.

  She made a sound of approval, then scraped her nails lightly over his chest. Alex groaned, pleasu
re shooting through his body, sending his senses to high alert. Propping himself on one elbow, he deepened the kiss as he used the other hand to trace her swimsuit strap. His fingers trailed down the silken skin of her shoulder, across the delicate curve of her collarbone. Unable to resist the temptation, he cupped his palm over the swell of her breast, which was straining against the slick, wet nylon of her swimsuit.

  She gasped, her back arching to press herself tighter into his hand. Alex moaned, the feel of her nipple swelling beneath making him crazy.

  Dimly, the far-off voice of reason reminded him that for all their seeming seclusion, they were on a public beach. And from the feel of the sun against his shoulder blades, siesta was probably over. Which meant this beach was about to get even more public.

  Definitely not how or where he wanted to enjoy his first sight of Drucilla’s naked body. Oh, no, when he got her naked he wanted all the time in the world to enjoy every nuance of her body, to revel in the colors and textures and tastes of her.

  A part of him wanted to haul her to her feet and drag her off to the nearest private spot and give in to his body’s demands. But he couldn’t. Well, he acknowledged as his erection throbbed in painful protest, he could. But he wouldn’t.

  Forcing himself to be patient was about the hardest thing Alex had ever done. Almost as hard as his dick, pressing in supplication against Drucilla’s thigh. But he wanted more than a hot dance in the sand with her. He wanted as much as he could get.

  “How about we clean up, go to dinner?” he asked, his words husky and rough. “Maybe some dancing later?”

  She blinked up at him, her indigo eyes shifting from blurry to contemplative. She was shaded from the glare of the late-afternoon sun by his shadow, but the light still glinted off the water sparkling on her lush eyelashes.

  She opened her mouth to respond, then pursed her lips, scanning his face as if looking for the answer to the mysteries of the universe. Then she gave a deep sigh. Alex almost groaned as the move pressed her breasts, with their rock-hard nipples, against his chest.

  “How about we skip the dinner and dancing and just go back to my bungalow?” she invited softly. Her words were breathless, nervous. But the assurance in her eyes told him she meant what she said.

  Alex’s mind exploded with the image of the two of them, naked beneath a shower’s spray, sliding their soapy hands over each other’s bodies to wash away the salt and sand.

  His dick, already straining and impatient, jumped a little at the mental picture. His mind, already formulating an acceptance, thrilled at the invitation.

  But his mouth, dammit, was operating on its own.

  “Let’s do both,” he said before he could stop the words. His mind immediately scrambled to find a way to retract the words.

  Drucilla’s eyes went soft, something sweet and humbling flashing in their depths. It was that look that instantly put an end to any attempted retraction.

  Alex gave a soft laugh and rested his forehead against hers, briefly closing his eyes and sucking in a deep, fortifying breath. God, he was known for his mental acuity, his brilliance, some even said. And here he was turning his back on loose-and-wild sex in exchange for a more meaningful connection. Insane.

  “Let’s do dinner,” he suggested, reluctantly pulling away from her warmth. Instantly chilled now that his still-wet body was exposed to the air, he shivered a little as he pushed himself to his feet. Reaching down, he took her hand to help her up.

  The momentum of the move had the exact effect he’d hoped. She landed against him. Alex’s arms wrapped around her, his erection tight against her belly. He grinned down into her inquiring face.

  “We’ll save the dancing for private.”

  4

  DRU WATCHED HERSELF in the mirror as she tied the satin strings of her halter behind her neck. The teal-and-amethyst-patterned fabric made her skin glow. Or maybe that was the sun she’d gotten that afternoon. The smooth material cupped her breasts, making it clear she wasn’t wearing a bra.

  She stepped back to get a full-length view, turning this way and that to see if her panty line showed. Barely. That was good, wasn’t it? She knew the underwear rules at home. Wear it. Simple enough. But vacation-underwear rules? And what about the wanting-to-have-sex-tonight rule modification?

  She expected the lack of a bra would clearly indicate her interest in sex. But she wasn’t quite brave enough to go commando, so she hoped her barely there panty line wouldn’t be a turnoff.

  This, she realized, was why she sucked at the flirtation thing. She obsessed over trivial details. She didn’t know the rules, the right way to play the game. She smoothed her hand over her hip and gave a ragged sigh. What she wouldn’t give to discuss interstellar gases and dust clouds at this point.

  It wasn’t until she went to twist her hair into a knot that she noticed her hands were shaking. Dru looked at her reflection, noting the dilated eyes beneath her smoky shadow, the bare lower lip where she’d already chewed off her lipstick and the rapid pulse fluttering at her throat.

  She dropped her hands, letting her hair fall like a pale curtain over her shoulders. She’d leave it down. The better to hide behind, she hoped.

  She glanced at the clock: 5:55. Alex would be here in five minutes. Resorting to her test-anxiety cure, she picked up her brush and started running it through her hair. She closed her eyes and focused on the sensation of the bristles, on her breath moving gently in and out. She let her mind empty. Drew in relaxation and a sense of peace.

  The tension seeped out of her shoulders. The butterflies in her stomach landed. Ahhh, there it was. That sweet sense of tranquillity. Perfect.

  There was a knock at the door. Dru gave a loud gasp. The brush flew out of her hands, ricocheted off the mirror and slid across the bureau with a loud bang.

  Apparently she couldn’t have both inner peace and a wild vacation fling. She sucked in a shaky breath before quickly slicking color back over her lower lip with a quivering hand. With a smacking motion, she blew her reflection a kiss for luck and headed for the door.

  She pressed a hand to her stomach. Then, with a deep breath, she pasted a smile on her face and pulled open the door.

  “Hi,” she said breathlessly.

  “Hi back.”

  Oh, baby. Alex was gorgeous. So far she’d only seen his hair in wet curls or casual waves falling around his face. Tonight it was swept back in a way that accented his cheekbones and emphasized his melt-her-insides midnight-dark eyes.

  His white shirt was open at the collar and buttoned at the cuffs, paired with black slacks and dress shoes. Typical date attire, evening casual. The look should have been staid, maybe a little cookie-cutter.

  Maybe it was the intense, edgy lust clawing at her belly that had her wondering how the crisp white cotton would feel under her hands if she stroked his chest. How the zipper would feel as she tugged it down. If his clothes carried the same delicious scent she’d smelled on his skin when they’d kissed that afternoon.

  Whether he wore boxers or briefs.

  Her anxiety melted away in the heat of pure lust.

  “Wow,” he said, his tone husky as he leaned his shoulder against the door frame and gave her a slow, seductive smile. The kind of smile that promised that he could deliver on her every fantasy. “You look gorgeous.”

  “Come in,” she invited, her mind racing with possibilities. Her brain was disengaged, all her earlier concerns over common ground disintegrated. Who needed similar interests to talk about? All she could think about now was sex. With Alex. To have that, she just needed a simple plan. Entice him, entertain him, engage him.

  In other words, get him naked as quickly as possible.

  He stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. As he did, he handed her a single bloom. Brilliant red, it was huge and fragrant. And so, so sweet.

  “Thank you,” she murmured softly.

  Dru took the lily, her hands brushing Alex’s as her eyes met his. Her heart stuttered. No guy ha
d ever brought her flowers. Once in a while one would bring her a science journal, but only if they had an article featured in it.

  “I love flowers,” she blurted out as she held the fragrant blossom to her nose with a smile. “My mom does a lot of container gardening, but she’s always grown herbs and vegetables, never flowers.”

  Alex followed her to the small living room and, at her gesture, sat on the cushioned rattan settee while Dru found a glass at the wet bar and filled it with water for the flower.

  “Wine?” she asked, lifting the bottle she’d put on ice. Just in case.

  “Sure.”

  She pulled the cork and poured them both a glass, and was proud to see her hand was steady.

  “Does your mom live in an apartment?” he asked with a friendly smile.

  Dru almost dropped her wine. Olympia Robichoux, in an apartment? With all those other people around, sharing walls and noise? Hardly. Olympia had always insisted on a house, no matter what their financial situation. A house was more regal, she said. That they were easier to sneak out of went without saying. Shrugging off the tension that thoughts of her mother always induced, Dru handed Alex his wine before taking a fortifying sip of her own.

  “No. My parents just moved a lot,” she told him as she settled next to him on the settee. It sounded better than sharing her family’s eviction records. As always, she stuffed the childhood anger, resentment and dregs of loneliness away in a tidy little box in her mind labeled “off-limits.” “My mother kept everything she needed portable. But my dad wanted his fresh tomatoes, so he had to lug those huge clay pots with them from house to house.”

  “Is he still lugging them?”

  “My dad’s gone,” she said with a smile to acknowledge the sympathetic way he rubbed her knee. “Mom bought a house three years ago, so her gypsy days are over.”

  Well, technically, she’d helped her mom buy the house. It’d been crazy, given that she’d just bought her own condo. But her mom had needed a home. One she could actually settle in and trust would never be torn out from under her. The choice had been to buy one or move Olympia into the condo.