But he kept her from her release. When she got too close, he stopped, letting her body cool down. She reached for him, wanting to taunt him the way he taunted her, but his shorts prevented her.
“Take these off,” she ordered.
“Yes, ma’am. That’s what I like—a woman who knows what she wants.” He stood up and pushed them off with one quick thrust.
“Wait,” she said before he could get back on the bed. “I want to—”
She flushed. She couldn’t say it, but she wanted to look at him. He read her mind. Instead of joining her, he spread his feet slightly and placed his fists on his hips.
He was beautiful the way wild animals are beautiful. Hard muscles, power and need sleekly wrapped in golden skin. His blond chest hair caught the light. She reached toward him and placed her palms on the center of his belly. He didn’t move. She got to her knees on the edge of the bed. Slowly she worked her hands up his chest to his shoulders, then down, lower and lower to the darker blond hair that surrounded his need.
She touched him then. She held him firmly and stroked back and forth. His breath hissed from between clenched teeth. She lowered her head and, holding him still, licked the smooth sensitive tip.
He flinched. She circled him, then drew him into her mouth. His audible groan made her smile. Before she could find a rhythm, he drew back.
“You’ll make me embarrass myself,” he muttered.
“Maybe you need a little embarrassing.”
“Later.”
He knelt in front of the bed. While his hands cupped and kneaded her breasts, he trailed kisses down her belly. She knew what was coming and braced herself for the sensual assault. His tongue slipped between her curls to lightly caress her most sensitive place. She cried out his name. He moved there until she knew she was close to her peak. Then he stopped and wrapped his arms around her.
And so it went. Tender embrace to tender touch, they each brought the other closer and closer to their moment of mutual release. With hands and mouth, he traced every inch of her body, whispering against her skin, promising paradise with his fingers. Then she explored him. The hard and soft places, the shape of his muscles, the different textures. She found what made him grow still, what made him pant, what made him not breathe at all. She wasn’t sure how long they continued their tender exploration. She didn’t know if they were trying to pretend if they had forever, or were just clinging to their last moments together. She didn’t want to know.
He moved over her humming body. She was so close, her muscles quivered in frustration. There was one place he hadn’t touched yet, one part of her hungry and ready for him. She parted her thighs and he moved closer. His hardness swept over her tiny sensitive spot. She fought against exploding right then. When she was under control, he moved inside of her.
She stretched around him. She could feel the slickness that welcomed him. He whispered her name. She opened her eyes.
He watched her. This time there was no accusation, no hatred. This time his expression tightened only with need. She drew her legs back, forcing him deeper inside of her.
She felt the first spiraling promise of her release. She tried to hold back. She wanted the moment to go on longer between them. She wanted it to last forever. But her body could not be denied. He pushed in again, then withdrew slowly, so slowly she almost cried out loud. It felt too good, too perfect. She couldn’t survive.
He thrust into her, deeper, and touched some sacred place. She climaxed without warning, her muscles contracting, her hips arching, her eyelids drifting closed. She felt him withdraw once more, then bury himself in her and shudder.
It was as if the fire consumed them whole, leaving nothing behind but the essence of their mutual pleasure.
When she stopped quivering and he was still, he settled next to her and pulled her close. She liked the feel of his arms around her, his legs tangling with hers. He brushed her hair away from her face.
“I love you, Jeff,” she said quietly.
For a long time he didn’t answer. She thought he might get angry, or not want to hear about her feelings. There were still so many questions between them. He might think she was trying to take Jeanne’s place. She wasn’t. She didn’t even want him to say anything back. He had too much to resolve for her to believe he returned her feelings. She didn’t expect saying the words to change anything, but just wanted him to know.
He drew in a breath. “I needed to hear that.”
She raised her head slightly and looked at him. “You’re not mad?”
“Never.” He kissed her briefly. “I don’t care if it’s the dangerous situation, or the fact that you think I’m some kind of hero. I don’t even care that three months from now you won’t remember my name.”
“After all we’ve been through, I think I might remember your name.”
“You know what I mean.”
“You think it’s not real?”
He settled down and rested his hand on her bare shoulder. “It’s real tonight, Andie, and that’s all that matters. I need you to stay with me.”
“Good.” She snuggled closer to him. “I wasn’t planning on leaving.”
His eyes closed and his breathing became more regular. As she stared into the dark night she thought that sad goodbyes might make for great country music, but they hurt like hell in real life. They had less than twelve hours together. Then she would be gone and Jeff would once again stalk his prey.
A sharp pain cut through her heart. He was lost to her. That was the worst of it. If he killed Kray, he was gone. It didn’t matter if Kray’s men caught him or not, if he lived or died. Once he pulled the trigger and crossed the line to the other side, the man she loved would be gone.
Chapter 14
It was the middle of the afternoon and Andie felt as vulnerable and exposed as a duck sitting in a very small pond. She fought against the need to twist around in her seat and check the road behind them. The last time she’d done it, Jeff had threatened to tie her in place.
She brushed her damp hair from her face. Sometime in the night a storm had rolled in. The clouds produced more mist than actual rain, but it was hot and muggy. In the middle of the day, there was no point in trying to hide in dark clothing so both she and Bobby were dressed in shorts and T-shirts. Once again she’d packed everything in her soft-sided bag. A pistol rested at the small of her back.
“Is it going to be a big boat, Mommy?” Bobby asked.
“I’m not sure. Big enough to get us to Florida.”
“You’ll like Cort,” Jeff said, glancing at the boy over his shoulder. “His wife, Faith, runs a breeding center for snow leopards.”
Bobby looked puzzled.
“They’re big cats, like tigers or lions,” Andie explained. “They have thick fur coats and live in a very cold part of the world. They’re endangered. Do you remember what that means?”
Bobby nodded. “There’s not enough left so we gotta protect ‘em,” he said proudly.
“That’s what Faith does,” Jeff said. “She has several breeding pairs. After the cubs are all grown up and know how to survive, some of them will be introduced back into the wild.”
“Can you pet them?”
“Not the snow leopards. But she does have a black leopard named Sparky. You can pet him.”
“Can we go see him, Mommy?”
Andie smiled. “Not on this trip. We’re going to Florida, first, then we have to fly somewhere else.”
Fortunately Bobby didn’t ask where. He saw a colorful bird dart around a tree and that distracted him. Andie didn’t know where they would go when they left Florida. Whichever plane left first to a large city would determine their destination.
She was scared. Her damp palms and rapidly beating heart didn’t let her pretend any longer. She was afraid of Kray, of leaving the island, of staying on the island, of losing Jeff, of the future and the past. Except for Bobby, there wasn’t anything in her life that didn’t frighten her.
She glanced o
ver at Jeff. He drove competently, constantly checking the mirrors and the road and staying at the speed limit. They’d spent the night together, making love, talking and sleeping some. In the morning they’d made breakfast with Bobby and played outside. Like a family on vacation. It was all pretend, but she hadn’t wanted it to stop. Apparently neither had Jeff. He’d stayed until the last possible minute. Now they’d begun their journey and there was no turning back.
Jeff’s profile was familiar to her. Dark sunglasses hid his thoughts, but she didn’t mind. She’d touched every part of his body, had loved him to exhaustion, had held and been held, had told him she loved him. She had no regrets save one.
That she would lose him. She’d spent her whole life waiting for the right man to come along. She’d been too young when she’d met Kray. She hadn’t had the experience to see him for what he was. The next six years had passed in a blur, with her looking over her shoulder wondering when he would come and destroy her fragile happiness. Instead of taking responsibility for her own life, she’d been waiting. Reacting instead of acting. For the first time she was ready to act and it was too late.
In a few hours Jeff would be dead. Or a killer on the run.
She couldn’t even come up with a decent wish. If only they’d what? Met sooner? Met under different circumstances? She wasn’t sure Jeff was over Jeanne enough to be in a relationship, but it didn’t matter. Even if he got away with it, the second he pulled the trigger, he would be destroyed inside. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself. She believed that with her entire being. He was too honorable to survive crossing the line.
A faint lazy breeze stirred the afternoon’s heat. She wiped the perspiration from her forehead. Once again St. Lucas had changed her life.
“If something happens, get away from the dock as quickly as possible,” Jeff said. She started to interrupt, but he silenced her with a quick shake of his head. “Listen to me. This is important.”
He glanced over his shoulder at Bobby. Her son was staring at Jeff, his eyes wide. “Mommy, are we in trouble?”
“No, honey.” She reached back and patted his hand. “We’re fine. Jeff is telling me what to do in case there’s a problem, but everything is going to be fine.”
“Am I going to be with Daddy?” She could hear the fear in his voice.
She turned in her seat and stared at her son. “I promise you won’t have to go back with him, ever.”
Bobby stared at her for a long time. His mouth twisted in confusion. Finally he gave her a slight smile. “Will I have my toys on the boat?”
“Of course you will, honey. We’ll play all the way to Florida.”
She settled back in her seat and returned her attention to Jeff. “What else?”
“You’ll be safe back at the house for no more than three days, so don’t stay there longer than two. The cruise ships will come in the day after tomorrow. Go down by the port when it’s crowded and use a pay phone to call this number.” He reached in his shorts pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper. “Call collect. Tell them who you are and that you need help getting off the island. Tell them you’re with me.”
“Won’t they ask any questions?”
“No. Use my name and everything will be fine.”
She took the paper and studied the number.
“You have to memorize it,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if anyone else has the number, but you can’t afford to lose it.”
“Anything else?” she asked.
“No.”
She stared at the phone number and repeated it silently several times. Then she closed her eyes and tested herself. When she could recite it perfectly without hesitation, she tucked it away in her shorts. With a little bit of luck, she wouldn’t have to use the number. Jeff’s plan had to work. If it didn’t, he would likely end up dead.
They continued to drive along the coast. They passed several cars but no one seemed to notice them. She was grateful. She didn’t think she would be able to fake her way through anything right now. If the police stopped her, she would probably just blurt out the truth.
They drove around a small village then came out onto a road that paralleled the shore. She could see the ocean stretching out to the horizon. It was gray, like the clouds, but smooth. At least their journey wouldn’t be a bouncy one.
She could see the small marina up ahead. Several boats were tied up, with more scattered out at sea. Jeff pulled off the side of the road. He grabbed his binoculars and scanned the moored boats. A man stood on the front deck of one of the larger cabin cruisers tied at the end. He bent over something, then straightened. A flash of light caught her attention. She saw that he’d dropped some kind of reflective buoy over the side of the craft.
“That’s him,” Jeff said. “Let’s go.”
He parked the Jeep and got their suitcase out of the back. Bobby clutched his bag of toys. Jeff left them by the vehicle for a couple of minutes while he checked out the path.
Andie tried to catch her breath. She felt as if she’d been running for hours. It was nerves. Her stomach fluttered and her palms were damp. They were really getting out of here.
She supposed she should be happy. Once they were in Florida, they had a chance of escaping Kray. Yet she didn’t want to go. It wasn’t just because she was going to miss Jeff. Of course she was; he’d become a big part of her life. But the worst part of leaving was what he was going to do when she was gone. Whether Kray’s men killed him instantly or he found his way back to the States, he was dead to her. The man she loved, the man she’d spent the night with, would be gone forever.
She wanted to sit down and cry, but there was no time for tears. Besides, she didn’t want to scare Bobby.
As Jeff walked down the dock, she placed her hand on her son’s shoulder. Bobby glanced up at her. His face was solemn. She gave him a half smile. “It’s going to be okay.”
He nodded. “Jeff told me I have to be brave for you, Mommy.”
“You’re very brave. I’m proud of you.”
She squeezed his shoulder, then bent down and took his hand. When Jeff turned back toward her and waved for them to come toward him, she bent down and pulled Bobby against her, then started toward the boat.
The morning was steamy. As she hurried along the wooden dock she felt perspiration break out on her forehead and back. Jeff moved toward her and met her halfway. He took Bobby from her and led the way to the boat. The closer they got to the vessel, the larger it appeared. It had to be at least forty feet long.
Jeff stepped into the boat and set Bobby down, then turned and assisted her. The deck shifted beneath her feet. She had to hold on to him to keep her balance. Jeff wrapped his arm around her waist.
A man stepped onto the deck from below. Andie stared at him. He was tall and muscled like Jeff, with blond hair. But the stranger’s hair was more golden and hung just past the collar of his polo shirt.
“You’ll get your sea legs soon enough,” the man said, then grinned. He was handsome, although not as good-looking as Jeff. His eyes were brown instead of blue and there was a scar on his face, from the corner of his mouth down across his chin. “I’m Cort.” He held out his hand.
“Andie.” She glanced at Jeff. When he nodded she shook the other man’s hand. “This is my son, Bobby.”
Cort squatted down in front of the boy. “Hey, kid, how’s it going?”
Bobby straightened. “I’m brave.”
“Good for you.” He glanced at the bag the child held. “Are those your toys?”
Bobby nodded.
“Why don’t I show you where to store them, then we’ll leave. Okay?”
He was asking the question of Bobby, but looking at Jeff.
Bobby hesitated.
“It’s all right, honey,” Andie said. “Go explore the boat, then come back and tell me what it’s like. We’re going to be on board for a couple of days.”
Cort stood up and took the bag, then led the way down to the main cabin. Andie could see thr
ough the open door and the large windows flanking either side. There were two small sofas in the salon, a television and even a narrow coffee table. Beyond that, she saw part of a kitchen.
“Cort’s a good man,” Jeff said. “You’ll be safe with him. The boat is large enough to be comfortable.”
She didn’t want to hear about being comfortable. She stared into his familiar face, then leaned against him. Instantly his arms wrapped around her. “Don’t go,” she pleaded. She touched his shoulders, his back, his sides, then felt the pistol tucked in the waistband of his shorts. “Come with us.”
“I can’t.”
“You won’t.” She pushed away from him and folded her arms over her chest. “There’s a difference.” His blue eyes met hers unflinchingly. “Why do you have to be the one to do this?” she asked.
“There’s no one else.”
“Entire governments are looking for Kray. They’ll catch him. Don’t you see? If you kill him, he wins. He’ll make a mistake eventually. He has to. Everybody runs out of luck. Don’t destroy your life over this. Don’t destroy us. Or me.”
He touched her face. She wanted to duck away, but she couldn’t. His fingers stroked her cheek. “I know how hard this is for you.”
“You don’t know anything about what I’m feeling. I’ve spent the last six years living in hell. I finally find a little peace and comfort and you want to destroy it.” The anger gave her strength and she did step back then. “I won’t wait for you. If you get away, if your government forgives you, don’t bother coming to find me. What you’re going to do is wrong and once you do it, you won’t be a man I can love anymore.”
He didn’t move, but she saw his muscles tense at her words. A flash of pain lit his eyes; then he blinked and all emotion was gone. “I understand.”
She flew at him and started hitting his chest. “Don’t understand, damn you. Get angry, change your mind, stay with me.”
The Only Way Out Page 22
