by Angela Evans
“Why do you want to know about…” She swallowed. “Daniel?”
“You’ve been alone for a long time, and I can guarantee you that unless every man on this island is blind, that was your choice, not theirs.” He slid closer to her, until their hips almost touched, and pulled their hands apart due to the awkward angle. He braced a hand on either side of her hips and leaned forward so she couldn’t avoid his gaze. He could have kissed her, he was so close. “And I am curious what happened that made you decide you were better off alone.”
She hesitated and thought about the deal he was offering her. “Does that mean that the reason you became a bodyguard is a bigger story than you made it out to be?”
He laughed and leaned his forehead against hers. “I’m asking you to tell me your deepest darkest secrets and you’re worried about finding out mine?”
“The reason you became a bodyguard is your deepest darkest secret?”
He laughed again. “You are something else.”
He pressed a soft kiss to her mouth, almost as if he couldn’t move away without tasting her once more. That idea made her stomach flutter.
“I became a bodyguard because when I was in high school, the girl who lived next door to me was a little different. Kids picked on her a lot, and I always stood up for her. She was nice, just a little strange. I realized that I enjoyed sticking up for her and making the bullies back down, and I was good at it. That planted the seed in my mind, and it played on my natural instinct to protect people.”
“That’s it?” she asked, disappointed.
“Then later, in college, I worked security to help pay my tuition. I did things like walked people home from the library late at night or convinced jilted boyfriends that it was really over and they needed to leave the girl alone. Nothing too exciting, but it got to the point where people would request me. One night I was walking this girl back to her dorm from the library—I’d walked her back every night for over a month and we’d talked a lot in all those nights—and she told me that her ex-boyfriend had been harassing her and had her pretty freaked out.”
Leslie waited quietly, sensing that the story didn’t have a happy ending.
“One night she called me to walk her home from the library, like every night, but another guy who worked security with me took the call instead. I didn’t know about it until later. Her ex-boyfriend was waiting for them somewhere along the path, hiding in the bushes like the coward he was, and jumped them. He knocked out the security guard, and while he was unconscious, the boyfriend hurt the girl pretty bad. She was in the hospital for a long time and ended up dropping out of school. They caught the boyfriend and he confessed, but it was too late.”
“Wow. That’s terrible. You have to know that wasn’t your fault though, right? If you didn’t even know she called, how could you have protected her?” Leslie touched his arm and felt the tension in the muscles.
“I should have checked. If I had walked her, then she would have been safe just like she’d been every other night. We found out during the trial he’d been watching for weeks and didn’t do anything while I was with her. He waited until she wasn’t with me.”
“What happened to your friend, the other security guard?”
“He finished school but didn’t work security anymore. He felt bad about it, but he just wasn’t prepared that night. That’s why I make sure my guys are always prepared for everything that might happen, even if there’s only a slight chance of it.” His expression was no longer relaxed and comfortable. His jaw was tense, and his features looked chiseled.
Oh, he was still just as good-looking, maybe even more so, but he was no longer the relaxed and easy-going man she’d spent the afternoon with. Now she was getting a glimpse of the man who took the idea of protecting people seriously.
She rested her hand on his chest, and feeling his heart thrumming steadily was comforting. He looked tense, but his heartbeat was still slow and steady. She realized he wasn’t the kind of guy to fly off the handle or lose his cool. He was steady. Just like his heartbeat. He was reliable. He laughed with her and made her laugh, instead of picking a fight or blowing up at her. His steadfastness made her question her decision to remain alone. Had she been painting all men with the brush of her husband? Was she doing more harm than good to her boys by not giving them a solid male influence in their life?
“Well, it sounds like you’ve turned something you were good at into a successful business. That’s pretty impressive at your age.” She was stalling—she didn’t want to talk about Daniel now. She wanted to kiss Michael. She wanted him to hold her and make her forget about the responsibilities of life and parenthood.
Michael smiled at her in a way that made her insides as warm as the Florida sunshine. Outside the cabana, a group passed, laughing and talking. They startled Leslie for a moment, and she pulled back like a guilty teenager caught making out with her boyfriend. Which was just silly, since they weren’t making out, or teenagers, or anything else that should make her feel guilty.
He pulled her back toward him, and her hand landed on his chest as naturally as if it were meant to rest there. “No one is going to come inside this cabana. And even if they do, they won’t see anything but two adults talking.”
His reminder made her blush. He probably thought she was acting like some silly blushing virgin. He would probably be surprised to realize he wasn’t too far off the mark.
“I know. They just surprised me.”
* * *
She was more and more a puzzle he couldn’t solve. She was as drawn to him as he was to her. She wanted to be kissed—he could tell just by watching her—but the passersby had her springing back as though she’d been shocked. The contradictions were as appealing as the warmth of her smile and the taste of her lips. Although at the moment, he ached to have more of one than the other.
“Your turn.” He tried to keep his tone light and teasing.
“There’s nothing exciting to tell. I got married way too young, and only one of us was interested in growing up. Connor and Lucas are the only good things to come out of my marriage.” Her pained expression indicated there was a lot more to that story, but he wasn’t going to push her to share what she wasn’t ready to tell. “Well, that and a whole lot more common sense on my part.”
“You’re a study in contradictions,” he said before he brought her lips back to his for another taste.
The sound of the beach outside the cabana disappeared. The sounds of passersby and waves drifting into the shore all ceased to exist. The world outside the canvas walls floated away. The only sense he was aware of on any level was the feeling of touching her. He felt her warmth seeping into his bones. The tentative touch of her tongue on his lips made him growl as he gripped her head and pulled her closer for an even deeper kiss. Their tongues intertwined and he heard her whimper. He wasn’t sure if it was a sound of surrender or a sound of discomfort, and it took all his self-control to pull back far enough to find out. As soon as he moved back, even a small amount, she pulled him forward, threading her fingers into his hair and holding him in place as he did the same with her.
He sensed she was reluctant to let herself go completely. She fought to stay in control of herself, and he wanted nothing more than to push her over that edge. He tipped them back, one hand behind her head, holding her where he wanted her, and the other at her waist. Her sundress was a barrier, but not a serious one. It was loose and stopped just above her knee. He didn’t want to rush—this or her—so he took his time letting his hand slide up her slender waist to brush the edge of her breast, and he was rewarded with a repeat of that sexy sound from her throat and an arch of her back.
Oh yes, she wanted this as much as he did, but for whatever reason, she was afraid of that desire.
He released her head, which freed up his hand, and released her mouth to free up his own. He lifted his head enough to look at her and damn near lost whatever shreds of self-control he was holding on to. Her lips were pink and slig
htly swollen from his kiss. Her cheeks were flushed with desire, and her eyes were pressed tightly closed, which afforded him the chance to watch her undetected. His gaze wandered over her, taking in each detail and cataloging it so he could remember it later. Her heaving chest, her peaked nipples, her flat stomach, and her slender hips were all committed to his memory, and he had a feeling they would haunt him longer after they left this cabana.
“Michael.”
Her voice surprised him, and his eyes rushed back to meet hers. Her glossy chestnut hair was fanned out all around her on the small pillow resting on the chaise. Her eyes were heavy with desire, and her hands pulled at his shoulders, bringing him back to her.
He was a goner. All his good intentions of seducing her slowly in the privacy of his luxurious hotel room went out the window.
With one hand, he slowly edged up the skirt on her dress, first over her hips, then past her waist, until it bunched just below her breasts. Her eyes were watching him.
“Lift up,” he ordered softly, waiting to see if she would comply or resist.
He saw the inner battle wage within her. She wanted to resist, but she also wanted to give in to her own desire. After a heartbeat or two, she lifted so he could raise the dress over her head and toss it onto the opposite chaise. She lay back wearing basic cotton for a bra and panties. They weren’t black or designed to attract a man’s eyes. They were functional and the sexiest damn things he’d ever laid eyes on.
Not for the first time today, he felt like a horny teenager about to touch a woman for the first time. He reined himself in, brought his control back firmly in place before he could let himself lay a single finger on her smooth, sun-kissed skin. A shudder rushed through her slender body.
“Cold?” he asked.
“No, I’m not cold.” Her fingers grazed his wrist where he supported his weight beside her hip. She ran her fingertips around the inside of his wrist and up the inside of his arm as far as her reach would allow.
In turn, he ran a fingertip up the inside of her thigh, watching as the muscles contracted and her eyes drifted closed. He went only so far up before he transferred his finger to the other thigh, not giving her the touch she wasn’t yet able to admit she craved. He let his eyes follow his hand’s journey, taking in the beauty of her legs, their form and their shape, the fullness of her hips as they twisted and rolled under his caress. His eyes drifted over the taut stomach that was hollowed out as she seemed to hold her breath in anticipation.
Confident his control was firmly back in place, he stretched out beside her and pulled her against him so he had free use of both hands to explore. Her arms immediately twined around his neck, pulling him in for another kiss. Her leg lifted up over his hip, and his dick definitely noticed the heat. Her breasts pressed against his chest even though he was still fully clothed.
“Slow down,” he whispered against her neck before nibbling her earlobe and feeling her shiver. Her groan of frustration made him chuckle. “We’re going to go slow.”
“Why?” she demanded with another groan.
“Because slow is better.” Then he set out to make sure she didn’t have any doubt in her mind.
* * *
She felt his hardness pressed so close to where she wanted it. She wanted to rock her hips against him, but he kept trying to slow her down, which was driving her mad. There she was almost naked, and he was still completely clothed. She slipped a hand under his T-shirt and marveled at the chiseled abs she encountered. He was obviously fit, his frame covered in lean muscles, but this went beyond what she’d expected. Curious, she slipped her hand farther under his shirt and her fingers encountered muscle after muscle.
She was so focused on her own exploration, she was surprised to realize that her bra was now unfastened and hanging loose. So much for going slow, she thought with a smile. Then his hand moved to her breast and her smile disappeared, taking all reasonable thought with it. Each touch was tortuously slow yet brought her exquisite pleasure. He didn’t rush a single action. He made her wait for each ounce of pleasure, but once he delivered it, there was no logic, no thinking, only sensations that drove her higher and higher toward an impossible peak.
“Slow down,” he whispered again. “So fast, so sensitive.”
She felt his breath on her nipple as he spoke, and somehow even that became an erotic act. Her hand slipped out from under his shirt and found his belt buckle. As she slipped the warm, worn leather through the clasp, she felt his abdomen contract just before his hands stopped hers from unbuckling the belt. She pulled back to stare at him, her breath coming as fast as if she’d run a mile on the wet sand of Barefoot Bay. Her legs were wrapped around him and her underwear was the only thing that stopped her from being completely naked, but he wouldn’t let her unfasten his pants.
“Don’t worry, I fully intend to get naked, but not until I’ve enjoyed every inch of your luscious body.”
His words brought a mixture of heightened awareness and bashfulness at the same time. She tried to cover herself with her hands, but he wouldn’t have it. He pulled her hands away and gently held her wrists captive above her head as he let his eyes roam over all of her.
“Do you have any idea how fucking hot you are?” He used one hand to lift a breast to his mouth.
Hot—not exactly the word she had been hoping for. She mentally chastised herself. Hot was good. Hot was good enough for a fling on the beach—she wasn’t looking for a confession of love or someone to tell her she was beautiful. She was realistic; she knew she was a single mother with more years on her than the average bikini babe. Her body had borne two children and showed the signs of both. She wasn’t ashamed of her body, but she was realistic.
Michael was more than hot. He was beautiful in a completely masculine way. He was tender and thoughtful and someone she could absolutely get her heart into trouble with if she didn’t watch it, so she’d better do just that and keep her emotions as far from this as possible. This was no more than sex, and so far it had been really good sex, so it was time to stop thinking.
Which was great, since Michael’s hands stole her breath and her ability to think as they brushed aside her lace-and-cotton underwear. They moved with deliberate care to find her most sensitive flesh and brought her closer and closer to the edge. Some of his determination to move slowly seemed to have slipped away as he slipped first one finger then two inside her until she gasped at the exquisite pressure and pleasure. She heard a moan fill the cabana but couldn’t even process it enough to realize it came from her own throat.
His hands, his mouth, and his whole body moved as one, driving her higher until she could do nothing but grip his shoulders and hold on as Michael took her on the wildest ride of her life.
They were both breathing fast and her skin was damp with a thin sheen of perspiration, but all she could think about was getting his clothes off as she frantically pulled at his T-shirt.
“Leslie.” He said her name again, and she realized it wasn’t the first time he’d tried to get her attention.
“What?” she asked in confusion and frustration.
“I think your phone is ringing.”
He grabbed her dress off the other chaise and fished her cell phone out of the pocket. There was no missing his erection in his loose-fitting shorts, but he didn’t seem to care. She, on the other hand, couldn’t seem to focus on anything else as she swallowed hard and tried to clear her mind.
She took her phone and saw more than one missed call on the screen and a notification for a voicemail. She swiped open the screen and played the voicemail.
Immediately, the mood in the tent was broken and she was scrambling to find her clothes and get them on. One word echoed around and around in her mind. “Missing.”
“Oh my god, oh my god,” she mumbled as she tried and failed to fasten her bra for the third time.
Michael’s hands brushed hers aside, and he did in an instant what she’d been attempting. Then he lifted her chin so he could see her e
yes and planted a gentle kiss on her mouth. “Everything will be okay. We’ll find him.”
“You don’t know that, you don’t know anything. My son is missing and I’ve been here…” She couldn’t even finish the thought. The only time in years she’d acted irresponsibly and look what had happened!
* * *
“He’s done this before?” Michael asked, holding her hand in a firm grip to keep her from pulling away.
The instant she’d heard her mother’s voice on her phone, she’d shut down and completely withdrawn. He understood, or at least he thought he did. Her boys came first, but he needed to show her that didn’t mean she always had to put herself last. They hadn’t done anything wrong, and in fact, he hoped to do a whole lot more of it very soon. Now wasn’t the time though. First, they would find Lucas, then he would convince her that they needed an entire night together. That way he could get her out of his system and go back to New York with a clear head.
“Once or twice. He gets upset and runs off.”
“Gets upset over what?” Michael asked.
“I don’t leave them very often, and if he doesn’t know where I am, he sometimes has these meltdowns. I thought he’d be okay today because he was with my mother.” She was clearly distraught, as evidenced by the tears streaking her cheeks.
“It’s going to be okay, we’ll find him.” He had no idea how they would do that though. He just knew he wouldn’t stop looking until they found the boy.
