Caught in the Crossfire

by Annette Broadrick

  "I'm not ignorant of the process, you know," she replied, sounding a little miffed.

  All he had to do was laugh and he'd be sleeping on the floor from now on. Very seriously, he said, "Of course you aren't. I just don't want to hurt you, that's all."

  "Oh."

  He placed his hand on her abdomen and it was the only thing that kept her from hitting the ceiling. "It's okay," he said soothingly. "We've got all night. All week, for that matter. I just want you to relax."

  "I am," she said, her eyes watching him closely.

  "Good. I'd like to touch you and to get to know you, to—"

  "We've already been introduced, Jared. Let's just do it, okay?"

  He was quiet for a moment. Finally, he said, "Why don't we get into the tub and turn the jet sprays on."

  "Now?" She sounded horrified.

  "It'll be fun, I promise." He got up and said, "I'll go start the water and be right back." When he returned he pulled her to him and then rolled onto his back so that she was on top of him. "Can you feel how very much I want you?"

  She nodded.

  "I've been in this condition since the first time we met. What I'm trying to say is, I want you too much and I don't want to hurt you. I think the hot tub will be relaxing for both of us."

  She moved her hips experimentally and smiled when he hissed. "If you insist," she said reluctantly, and slowly slid off him. Ah, so she was beginning to get a taste of her own power in this situation.

  Good. He went into the bathroom and turned off the water. "Care to join me?" he called. He turned on the jets and let the water cool his jets a little.

  Lindsey appeared in the doorway after having removed what little she'd had covering her. She was exquisite. Nothing showy and yet, he'd never seen a sexier woman. He wanted her so badly, he ached. Literally.

  She came in and hurriedly slid into the tub, sitting opposite him.

  "Isn't this nice?"

  She shrugged. "It's okay. It's not exactly what I was expecting, but it's okay."

  "See, this is where all the reading and listening to lectures doesn't really explain about making love. It can be done anywhere—not just in bed."

  "Like in the back seat of a car."

  "Exactly."

  "My roommate in high school got pregnant that way."

  "Believe me, the car wasn't to blame."

  She chuckled and he could see her beginning to relax a little. "So this is your idea of foreplay, I take it?"

  "One of them."

  "You have more?"

  He grinned. Damn, but she was fun to tease. "Stick with me kid, and you'll deserve a degree in higher learning after all the things I'll show you this week."

  "I see your ego made the trip all right."

  He laughed, feeling better than he had in a long, long while. He hadn't turned the overhead light on, thinking it would help her to relax. Instead, he'd lit a couple of pillar candles on the counter. They were reflected in all the mirrors in the room.

  The frothing water hid her high, round breasts from his view, but that was all right. He intended to do a great deal more than look, anyway.

  The warm, relaxing water eventually worked its magic and he watched her sink bonelessly down until she was chin deep.

  "We seem to have a small problem here, though."

  Her weighted eyelids slowly opened. "What's wrong?"

  "You're much too far away."

  She blushed, just as he knew she would. He straightened enough to reach her hand, then he gave a little tug that caused her to glide through the water toward him. He turned her so that she had her back pressed against his chest. "Ah, that's better."

  The mirrors reflected the contrasts between them—his blond hair, her dark hair. His height, her smallness. The gleam in his eyes, the wariness appearing in hers.

  "Just relax," he whispered near her ear.

  She caught his eye in the mirror and made a face at him. "How do I do that when a part of your anatomy is pushing against me?"

  "He's just being playful, that's all."

  "Of course he is."

  He lifted his hands off the side of the tub and cupped her breasts. "Mmm, very nice."

  She gave a start and then he could feel her forcing herself to relax.

  He stroked and massaged her, gently capturing her nipples between his fingers and tugging on them until they hardened into little pebbles. Her breathing changed into quick little gasps, which reassured him that she was being affected by what he was doing.

  Eventually, he began to massage her shoulders. "You deserve a massage after the wonderful one I received." Then he placed his hands on either side of her and followed the contours of her waist and hips. He stopped moving them—momentarily—once he reached her knees.

  Lindsey squirmed against him, pushing against his hard arousal.

  With a lazy motion he moved his hands to the insides of her knees and slowly stroked them, moving up to her inner thighs. She squeezed her knees together, trapping his hands at the tops of her thighs.

  He brushed his thumb back and forth across the hidden nub of flesh between her legs. She moaned and relaxed her legs, allowing him further access.

  Jared teased her, slipping a finger into her, then moving it away, until she pushed against his hand, silently signaling for more.

  He obliged her.

  When she finally turned to face him, he was more than ready for her. He slid forward to give her legs room and pulled them over his thighs. She reached for his solid length, her hands trembling as she explored. He reached for her and lifted her until he was directly below her. She reached for his shoulders as he ever so slowly lowered her onto him, his arms quivering with the effort.

  As soon as she felt him, her eyes flew open. "Oh!"

  He stopped. "Does that hurt?"

  Her glazed eyes stared sightlessly at him. "It feels so different from what I expected. It's huge."

  "Thank you for the compliment, ma'am, but the truth is you are very small."

  She dropped her head on his shoulder and rocked against him. How could he possibly ignore that?

  He carefully entered her, moving slightly, then pulled away slightly. She frowned. He continued to move in and out until he was finally and fully sheathed deep inside her. He could no longer muffle the groan of pleasure he felt now that he was, at long last, inside of her.

  She pressed against him, her arms wrapped around his neck.

  "Am I hurting you?" he asked.

  She shook her head.

  "Do you want to get back in bed now?"

  She raised her head, her face inches from his. "If you dare stop what you're doing, I won't be responsible for my actions," she said, panting. "But take my word for it, it won't be pretty."

  He laughed and kissed her. He lifted her hips slightly and moved her as he thrust into her, his movements as slow as he could possibly make them. He could feel beads of sweat collecting on his brow and running down the side of his face, no doubt due to the temperature of the water and having nothing to do with the intense rein he held against his body's need for completion.

  The kiss continued, his tongue in rhythm with his other movement until Lindsey let out a cry and started moving rapidly against him. He could hold back no longer. He held her tightly, moving her quickly against him until she froze, her body convulsing around him. He groaned and went over the edge with her.

  When Jared finally became aware of their surroundings once again, the only sound besides their harsh breathing was the water gently bubbling around them. He waited until he felt that his legs would hold them both, and stood. He stepped out of the tub, still holding Lindsey, flipped off the switch for the jets, opened the drain and blew out the candles.

  He loved the feel of her body draped loosely against him. He picked up the towel she'd used earlier and quickly wiped most of the water off them before he returned to the bedroom.

  Moonlight shone through the windows, lighting a path to the bed. He lowered her onto the bed an
d came down on top of her.

  "Wow," she said.

  He kept his weight on his forearms. "At the very least." He placed small kisses over her face, around her ears and along her graceful neck.

  "I had no idea," she finally said.

  "Frankly," he said, a little unnerved by the realization, "neither did I."

  His mouth sought hers and there was no more conversation. He was teaching her other communication skills. He was delighted with her interest in learning.

  * * *

  Late morning sun crept over them until the light hit Jared's face. He turned his head away, slowly coming awake enough to realize it was daylight. They'd made love most of the night, although he'd chosen other ways to love her that wouldn't make her any more sore.

  He'd shown her there were many ways for a man and a woman to pleasure each other, all equally satisfying.

  He lay on his side, with Lindsey curled up spoon fashion next to him. His hand cupped her breast and he smiled. Even in his sleep he hadn't let go of her.

  He trailed his fingers down her side, past her ribs, down to her waist and up the flare of her hips. She didn't stir.

  He felt quite primitively possessive this morning, and grinned. He'd better keep that particular thought to himself. Lindsey prized her independence now that she'd finally made a giant step away from her father.

  The marriage had worked out for both of them. She got what she wanted and he'd placated the senator for his family's sake.

  This morning, he didn't feel much like a sacrificial lamb. This whole thing was going to work out well for both of them.

  Jared eased out of bed and went to have a shower and shave. He'd be shaving twice a day this week to make certain he didn't hurt her delicate skin.

  * * *

  After a leisurely breakfast, they put on their swimsuits and went down to the beach. This time, Lindsey wore one of the bikinis and its matching beach cover. They weren't the only ones with the same idea. Jared spread out a large beach towel provided by the resort beneath one of the umbrellas.

  Lindsey stood watching the muscles of his back and shoulders flex as he knelt. She'd learned his body last night with her lips and fingertips but he was even more gorgeous in the sun, stripped down to his swimsuit.

  She knelt beside him and removed her beach cover. "You might as well not be wearing any clothes," he said, frowning at her suit. She liked that possessive look in his eyes but she would never admit it—he'd be even more arrogant and smug, if that were possible.

  She had a hunch that she was being taught by a master of bedroom arts. She'd known from the night they'd met that he could affect her like no other man ever had. Now that she'd made love with him, she couldn't help but wonder if she'd be able to make love with another man once they'd split up.

  Of course she would. Don't get all mushy at this point in your life. You're on your way to New York, with only a small detour that was proving to be quite wonderful. Ego or not, Jared had shown her a few things that none of the books she'd read had ever touched on.

  She smiled at the memory.

  Jared reached for the sunblock. "You're going to burn quickly with so much skin that's never been exposed to the sun before." He poured lotion into his palms, rubbed them together and rubbed his hands across her chest, his fingers slipping beneath the flimsy fabric that barely covered her breasts.

  "Jared!" She reached for his wrist. "We're in public!"

  "So?" he asked innocently. "I'm just putting lotion on. There's nothing wrong with that."

  She laughed. "Well, I think I can handle the front without your help." She turned her back to him. "How about you work back there?"

  "You're no fun at all."

  She peeked over her shoulder, grinning. "Really? Now that surprises me. You didn't say anything like that last night."

  "Has anyone mentioned that you have a smart mouth?"

  "No."

  "That's because you hide it so well beneath that regal air of yours."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "Lie down, so I can do your legs, as well." He stroked down her legs, from the high rise on the sides of her bikini bottom to her ankles. "You have this air about you that reminds me of a member of some royal family. You look quite aloof and self-contained. However, last night you proved that underneath that facade is a tiger-lady. I couldn't be happier with the discovery."

  He massaged her calves and worked his way up her thighs, gently rubbing as he slid his hands along her upper inner thigh, one of his fingers straying until he slipped it inside her. She jerked and glared at him over her shoulder. "I don't need lotion there!"

  He stood and pulled her up with him. "You might. Let's go try out the water." When they reached the shallows he picked her up and raced into the water, with her clinging to his neck and squealing. He didn't stop until he was chest high.

  She clung to his neck and looked around. "This is over my head, you know."

  He grinned, a wicked gleam in his eyes. "Don't worry, I won't let you drown. Here, let's get you a little more comfortable, shall we?" He turned her toward him and eased her legs around his hips.

  "You can't be," she said, blushing.

  "Ready to make love to you? Guess again."

  "But…but there's all these people around and…"

  "And no one can see a thing except that you have your arms around my shoulders." He pushed aside the thin scrap of material between her legs and eased into her.

  She closed her eyes and groaned. She seemed to stay embarrassingly wet inside whenever he was around.

  He cupped her bottom, holding her close to him. "Comfy?" he asked, his eyes dancing.

  "You're insatiable," she replied and kissed him.

  By the time the kiss ended, he was moving rapidly within her and she clung to him, feeling her body grow tighter and tighter until she gave a keening cry. He buried himself deeply inside of her and shook.

  Lindsey relaxed against him, loving the feel of him inside her. She closed her eyes and smiled. Nothing so healthy as a little sun, sea and sex to make a honeymoon complete.

  * * *

  "Oh, Jared, I've never experienced anything so exciting, so compelling, so…I can't find the words to express myself. All I know is that this morning has been the most memorable time of my life. I will never forget it."

  They were having lunch together at an outdoor café after a fun-filled morning on Islas Mujeres.

  "I can certainly see where you've placed me in the scheme of things. I'm not as memorable as swimming with the dolphins, huh?" He was on a high, too, but his was caused by the joy of seeing her bubbling over with enthusiasm. She'd metamorphosed into an enthusiastic woman eager to explore all the sights, unafraid to show her emotions. She laughed easily and had more than once initiated a session of heavy-duty lovemaking this week.

  The senator wouldn't recognize the woman seated across from him.

  She wrinkled her nose at him. "You know what I mean. How many people are given a chance to be so close to those marvelous creatures? The way they look at you with such intelligence and knowing, as though they already understand all the secrets of the universe."

  "I'm glad you enjoyed it," he replied, smiling at her. With her deepening tan, she was beginning to look like some of the natives. Almost Polynesian.

  "I will always have a special place in my heart for them," she said a few minutes later with a pleased sigh.

  They continued their meal.

  "The week's almost over," she said when they finished. "I'm amazed at how quickly the days have passed."

  "I hadn't realized how much I needed to get away from the real world until we got down here."

  "The real world. Yes, it's definitely at the other end of our flight home."

  "You've only got a few weeks now until you'll be heading North. Don't forget your parka and snowshoes."

  "The weather will be considerably different from here, that's a fact."

  "So, are you ready to go back to the mainland
?"

  She nodded. "I think so. If we're going to the Mayan ruins tomorrow, we're going to have a full day."

  "We don't have to go, you know."

  "Yes, we do. Tomorrow's our last full day here and I don't want to leave here without seeing some of them."

  They left the café and wandered toward the shore where they'd find a way across the water.

  "You're really tired, huh?" he asked, once they were on their way.

  She turned her head slowly and gave him a provocative look. "What did you have in mind, sailor?"

  He grabbed her and, despite the interested onlookers, gave her a rather passionate kiss that resolved the issue of how they would spend their afternoon.

  Ten

  Jared and Lindsey arrived back at Jared's home late Sunday evening. They were both tired from traveling and the normal letdown of having to return to their real lives. Lindsey had fallen asleep before they left Austin and didn't stir when he turned off the engine.

  He smiled and reached over, rubbing her cheek with the back of his knuckles.

  "Hey, sleepyhead, we're home."

  Lindsey's lashes fluttered and she slowly opened her eyes. As soon as she focused on him, she smiled. "Home? Already?" she asked.

  He chuckled. "Since you were asleep by the time we left the airport, I guess it did seem like a short drive."

  She sat up, stretched and looked around, yawning. "What time is it?"

  "A little after midnight."

  "I'll probably be awake for the rest of the night."

  "Can I count on that?" he asked, nibbling her ear. She turned her head, searching for his mouth. When they broke apart, Jared said, "We can unload the car tomorrow. Let's go to bed."

  When he opened his front door, Jared almost tripped over the boxes stacked nearby. He flipped on the switch and looked around.

  "Oh! Someone brought my things here while we've been gone. How nice."

  Jared frowned. "I wonder why they didn't stack them in a corner, out of the way."

  She turned and slipped her arms around him. "We can move them first thing in the morning."

  He swung her into his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. "Maybe not first thing," he said, striding across the living room and down the hall to his bedroom.