She sighed. “Did you really mean it when we arrived at the beach? What you said about the past staying in the past?”
“If that’s what it takes.”
“Then, yes. I can do one day at a time. It’s about all I’m capable of right now.”
Jack put out his hand. “It’s a deal then. One day at a time.”
Lily tentatively put her hand in his. He maintained eye contact as he firmed his grip and drew her hand to his lips, pressing them to her knuckles.
Lily heaved a massive sigh of relief when he let her hand go again. Her heart pounded in her chest and her body still hummed with the build up of repressed sexual energy. The come-down from this was going to leave her shattered, both mentally and physically. She lacked the stamina to withstand such an assault on her senses.
To her surprise, though, the rest of the day passed in comfortable companionship. The earlier tension between them dissolved by Jack’s concerted effort to keep the focus between them lighthearted and fun. Before lunch, they’d gone for a walk around the rocks and had even swum again in the giant rock pool without so much as a touch between them. Her awareness of him, however, increased with every minute that passed.
She found herself constantly looking for similarities and differences between the man he was now and the boy he’d been. There was a vein of steel running through him now, she recognised. A hardness about him that had never been there before. No doubt it had come about after his father had died and he’d stepped into his father’s role as head of the household. Lily remembered Bradley Dolan as a quiet, gentle man. He’d been brilliant at his job, her father had often said so, but Charles’s praise of Bradley Dolan had ceased when she and Jack had started going out. Her father had never fully approved and had gone to great lengths to prove the differences between them.
It had been a futile attempt to control a teenage girl. The harder he’d tried to push her away from Jack the stronger she’d held on. She’d sometimes wondered, if her father had condoned their relationship, whether it would have run its course and died a natural death. Once the forbidden became accepted, would they both have lost interest?
She knew she shouldn’t have touched him so intimately but she couldn’t help herself. Couldn’t hold herself back. And that was how it had always been with her and Jack. She’d been helpless to say no.
Eight
It was late afternoon when they packed up their things and moved from the beach back to the boat. As Jack held the dinghy steady at the back of the boat she clambered aboard and then helped him to stow their things away before he pulled the dinghy up and secured it to the transom again.
“I thought we’d have fresh scallops for dinner before we head back. What do you reckon?”
“Really? That would be great. They’re my favourite seafood.”
“I remember.” Jack gave her a smile that sent sizzling heat all the way to the pit of her belly.
Obviously that wasn’t all he remembered. Lily thought back to the time they’d gone with masks and snorkels and gathered scallops off the sea bed near the beach where they lived. They’d opened them and barbecued them on the beach, before falling to their blanket and making love with wild abandon on the darkened shore.
“So are you up for it? There’s a bed not far from here, it’s not too deep so we won’t need scuba. Snorkelling will be okay. Just like old times.”
“I don’t know about my stamina, but I’m prepared to give it a go,” Lily answered.
“That’s my girl.”
He scaled the stairs to the flybridge and started up the motors before winching up the anchor. Once they were under way he gestured to her to take the wheel.
“Come on, have a go. You’ll love it.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Sure, I’ll be right behind you. You can drive a car, why not the boat?”
Lily stepped in front of him, feeling the hard, hot heat of his body down her back as she put her hands on the wheel. Jack leaned forward to murmur in her ear.
“Turn gently and get the feel of her. She’s highly responsive so don’t try anything too crazy.”
She shivered, a sensation that had nothing to do with cold, as the warm air from his breath caressed her neck. After a while she began to relax, leaning back against him and following his commands as she steered the boat toward the scallop bed. She felt almost bereft when he pulled away from her when they reached their destination and anchored. She wanted nothing more than to turn and face him and press herself against his body and into his arms. To tell him she didn’t want to take things slowly anymore. She turned, the words on her lips, but he was on the main deck already, a rear hatch open, and reaching inside for the snorkelling gear and a catch bag.
“Are you coming, or are you going to stay up there all day?” His teasing voice galvanised her into action.
She’d be totally and utterly foolish to give in to her feelings right now. Everything in her life was in a state of flux. To enter into a relationship that promised to be highly volatile would be emotional suicide.
By the time they’d gathered their quota and brought the shellfish on board, Lily was exhausted. Jack took one look at her and sent her below to shower and change while he prepared the shellfish. On the lower deck Lily used the guest bathroom. She took from her tote the change of clothes she’d packed, a light cotton sweater with elbow-length sleeves in the same cool blue as her eyes, and a pair of white jeans. After her shower, she lathered on moisturising lotion. Despite her care in the sun, the tops of her shoulders were a little pink and she didn’t look forward to putting on her bra, no matter how fine and silky the fabric.
She wasn’t the most heavily endowed woman and the top was finely woven enough to wear without a bra so Lily stuffed her bra back inside her bag and quickly pulled on her clothing. She slicked back her wet hair, in the warm evening it wouldn’t take long to air dry and she knew after the sea bath it had had today that it would be a riot of soft curls as it dried. For once, the untamed and uncontrolled style suited her right down to the ground.
Lily gathered all her things together, made sure she hadn’t left a mess in the compact bathroom, then went back upstairs. While she’d been showering Jack had obviously also been below decks to freshen up. His hair gleamed dark and wet against his scalp, and a fresh hint of cologne teased her nostrils as she joined him at the back of the boat. He’d dressed in a white polo shirt, which emphasised his tan, and a pair of well-worn denims hugged his hips and thighs.
He stood over a small gas barbecue, which shimmered with heat. As she got closer Jack drizzled some olive oil on the hot plate then tossed the freshly caught and shelled scallops on the surface.
“You amaze me,” Lily said as she watched him, mesmerised by the play of muscles in his forearm as he flipped the spatula again.
“Amaze you? Why?”
“You’re so capable. Is there anything you can’t do? I mean, look a this.” She swept her arm across to encompass the boat. “You have this boat, you have an amazing home, a successful business—and you cook!” She finished on a bright laugh.
“Reserve judgement on the cooking until you taste this lot.” Jack smiled in return.
Jack scooped the scallops off the plate and shared them over two bowls of mesculun salad greens, then leaned over to pick up a small bowl in which Lily spied oil infused with finely chopped dill, which he poured lightly over the sea food. The aroma made Lily’s mouth water. He finished off the meals with a twist of lemon pepper and handed Lily the bowls, gesturing to her to take a seat on the white leather banquette at the back of the boat. He’d put up a narrow wooden folding table, set side by side for the two of them, and a bottle of champagne settled on a bed of ice in a bucket with two champagne flutes beside it.
After he’d turned off the barbecue he lifted the bottle and poured off two glasses. Handing one to Lily, he raised his in a toast.
“To a great day.”
Lily raised her glass to his and smiled
. “Yes, a great day. Thank you.” She took a sip of the wine and the liquid slid down her throat like nectar.
They settled at the table. Jack’s leg brushed against hers, its solid presence a comfort and a torment. Only two layers of fabric separated them. Lily took another cooling sip of wine before lifting her fork, determined to distract herself from his proximity and her reaction to it. Her sensory neurons slipped into overdrive as she tasted a scallop. She couldn’t stop the moan of sheer pleasure that evolved.
“God, this is so good. I’d forgotten how delicious fresh scallops could be.” She lifted a napkin to her lips and dabbed at them, her hand suddenly arrested by the flare of heat in Jack’s gaze as he watched her actions.
Instantly her body leaped to life, every cell attuned to the glow of passion in his eyes. Her breath hitched in her throat and an intense pull of longing centred deep within her womb. Her internal muscles contracted, sending a spasm of desire in a sharp pulse through her body. A tiny shudder rippled through her. If he reached for her now, just the merest touch, she feared she’d melt straight into his arms.
He was like a drug, intoxicating and addictive, and somehow today he’d woven a cloak of need around her she’d been in denial of for years.
Lily forced herself to look away, to focus on her meal, but every morsel, every mouthful, only served to underline the fine wire of tension that bound them together. Her hand shook slightly as she took another sip of her wine and turned to watch the sun drift into the sea in a blazing orange ball of fire. The sky around them radiated colour—reds, pinks and oranges in varying hues—the clouds on the horizon kissed with a deep purple that faded into grey.
She wished she could capture this moment in time forever. Remain suspended in animation. Everything—the sensations that coursed through her body, the taste of the food on her tongue, the company she kept. A pang of loss struck deep at her core in the knowledge that such a dream was ephemeral. If she’d learned nothing else in the past ten years it was to take moments like this and lock them away to treasure them. Nothing stood still. Not joy. Not pain. Time marched on.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Lily commented on the innumerable colours marking the sky.
“Yeah, beautiful.”
Something in the tone of Jack’s voice forced Lily to turn her head to face him. He wasn’t looking at the sunset, he was looking only at her.
He put down his wineglass and lifted the bottle to top her glass up again. She pressed her fingers on his arm when the glass was half full.
“No more, please.”
“I can see you home tonight, Lily, or we could stay aboard. The choice is yours.” His voice vibrated across her senses, stroking her nerve endings, enticing her to agree.
“I need to take this slowly, Jack. You’re overwhelming me. I feel like I’m losing control and I promised myself I wouldn’t do that again.” She felt his withdrawal. “It’s not that I don’t want to stay. I do. But I’d be doing us both a disservice if I didn’t find a sense of me, of myself, before I get involved with anyone again. I’d just be in over my head again.”
Jack stroked a forefinger across her cheekbone and down along her jawline before tapping it gently against her lips.
“Shh, there’s no pressure, Lily. We agreed on the beach, yes? Just two old friends rediscovering each other. We have plenty of time to do that.”
He cupped the back of her neck and leaned forward, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead that was in total contrast to the raging hormones that spun chaotically through Lily’s body.
“C’mon. Let’s sort these dishes out and we’ll head back. You look like you’ve had enough for one day.”
Lily hesitated a moment before following Jack to the galley. He’d accepted her plea to hold off so quickly, so easily. In the past he’d have cajoled her, secure in the knowledge she’d capitulate eventually, and more recently her companions were as likely to have sulked if she’d spurned their advances, no matter how tactfully she’d done so. She had no idea how to deal with it, with Jack, anymore. He constantly surprised her.
The journey back to the marina was all too short and it was dark as they drew into the berth. Jack leaped lightly to the jetty to tie off the boat’s lines. When he came back aboard Lily found herself wishing she’d taken him up on his offer to stay out overnight. It seemed almost criminal to draw their day to an end.
“Can I help with taking anything off the boat? Towels, rubbish?” she offered, realising she was at the point of doing almost anything to prolong the moment where she’d head off on her own in her car.
“No, it’s okay. I have a man who’ll take care of all of that in the morning,” Jack explained.
“You have a guy just to clean the boat? Isn’t that a bit pretentious?” she teased.
Jack laughed. “No, he crews for me sometimes, when I take business associates out on the boat for a day’s fishing or things like that.”
“I see.” Lily chewed her lower lip for a moment. The time had come to say good night. “Well, thanks again for a really neat day. I haven’t enjoyed myself so much in ages.”
“It was my pleasure.”
Jack took a step toward her and Lily’s body tightened in anticipation. She wasn’t disappointed. She felt the flash of heat between their bodies as he came closer, then that glorious heat was pressed up against her. Her tote slipped unheeded to the deck as her arms wound around his neck and she lifted her face to his. Jack placed one hand at the small of her back, urging her body against him, the other reaching up, his fingers taking her chin and tilting it as he bent to kiss her.
She strained ever so slightly upward as he hesitated for the briefest moment, and then finally, mercifully, his lips were on hers. Lily sank against his hard strength, imprinting him against the soft lines of her body as his lips seared hers. She parted her lips, meeting his tongue halfway with her own and engaging him in a duel of seduction. She felt him shake slightly at the contact, the sensation giving her a sense of power. In comparison to their last kiss on the beach the other night, now she felt as though she had the upper hand.
To know she had the power to affect him physically, to make him tremble with her kiss, sent a surge of feminine supremacy through her psyche. Lily pulled her arms from his neck and hooked them around his waist, sliding her hands under his shirt and across the warm skin of his back. She felt goose bumps rise on his skin as she trailed her fingertips back and forth, tracing the lower line of his rib cage, relishing the feel of him, the texture of his skin, his warmth.
His lips were hard and demanding and she gave back with everything inside her—with everything she was and more. The feel of him impressed upon her, denuding her of memories of past lovers, filling her senses with only him.
Blood pulsed through her veins, she felt more alive, hungrier than ever before. And only Jack could assuage the hunger. His hand, which had held her jaw so softly, stroked a gentle line down her throat, across her breasts and down to her waistband. She felt the slight change in temperature as the night air caressed her bare skin before it was replaced with the heat of his palm as he skimmed across her belly, then up higher until his large hand cupped her breast, gently squeezing the aching flesh with a tenderness that sent a spear of longing from her chest all the way to her core.
She pressed her hips hard against him to assuage the longing that built with increasing demand at the apex of her thighs and heard him groan at the contact. His fingers pulled lightly at her nipple and an answering cry broke from her mouth only to be consumed by his as he deepened their kiss—their sounds, their taste, their breath mingling as one.
There was no thought in her head but for the moment, for the rightness of how it felt to be in Jack’s arms. Time stood still, the past slid into a netherworld where it no longer had the power to influence the here and now. Here and now was made up solely of the knowing they fit together, belonged together.
Lily traced her tongue along Jack’s top lip, before drawing it slowly into her mout
h, sucking at its softness before repeating the motion with his lower one. That he allowed her to do so, that he didn’t overpower her with his masculinity or ever-increasing demand, only served to make her feel more feminine, more precious, in his arms.
The hand Jack had at her back slid down her spine, cupping her buttocks through the lightweight denim of her jeans and drawing her more firmly into the cradle of his hips. He broke away from their kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, his breathing fast.
“Lily, if we don’t stop now, I won’t let you walk away tonight. You’d better go. But we will revisit this. Next Thursday. My place, six-thirty. Dinner.”
There was a tremor in his voice that gave truth to his words. Lily nodded silently, pressed one last farewell to the corner of his grimly tightened lips, then turned to collect her tote bag and leave the boat.
On the dock she turned to look back at him. A shiver of desire rippled through her at the expression on his face. It was still there between them, that connection, but if anything it seemed bigger, stronger, than before. The knowledge both empowered and frightened her. If they took this further, would she ever be able to walk away whole again? Her earlier belief that she could get Jack out of her system had been foolishly optimistic. He was as firmly entrenched in her as DNA was a part of her makeup.
“Sleep well, Lily.” His voice drifted across the pier.
She nodded in acknowledgement, lifted one hand in a brief wave, then headed for her car. Next Thursday was an age away. Could she stand to wait that long? With painful clarity Lily acknowledged she wanted to see Jack again with a craving that would take some work to relieve. His reaction to her gave her hope, a belief that maybe they could make this work this time. Their love for one another had been torn apart before and they’d both made mistakes as young adults, mistakes they wouldn’t make again.
Was it possible that they had an honest chance to make a new relationship work between them? A warm glow of hope radiated from deep in the pit of her chest.
Tycoon's Valentine Vendetta Page 7
