Walker: Lighthouse Security Investigations

by Maryann Jordan

  23

  Walker had slept fitfully in the back of the Jeep. He knew that one of the Keepers would have been on duty all night long, monitoring the movements on the roads around, and his spidey senses never set off an alarm that made him feel like they were in danger. While the old Jeep bed was certainly not comfortable, as a SEAL he had slept on much worse.

  Feeling Julie shift slightly, he looked down as she lay sleeping in his arms. This was what kept him awake. Her warm body. Her delicate scent. The soft puff of her breath on his arm. One leg laying across his, her knee hitched perilously close to his cock.

  The jungle surrounding the Jeep kept them in the dark, but he was now able to see the barest hint of dawn peeking through the leaves.

  Turning his attention back to Julie, it was hard not to focus on the soul-altering orgasm she had given him the evening before on top of the pyramid. It was as though the ancient gods had come together and sent him the perfect woman. And there’s no fuckin’ way this’ll be anything more than just passing sex between two people caught in extreme circumstances. She had a life to get back to in Florida, and he had his life in Maine.

  He had never been opposed to casual sex when on a vacation, but there was nothing about what he felt for Julie that seemed casual. Blowing out his breath, he could imagine Drew asking if he gave up his man card with all the agonizing thoughts flying through his mind.

  She stirred again, this time her eyes fluttering open before they focused on his face. Her lips curved into a smile, and his heart squeezed at the sight, wishing he could see that every morning.

  “G’ morning,” he greeted, kissing her lightly.

  Her eyes widened, and she slapped her hand over her mouth. “I’ve got morning breath,” she complained.

  “Not with that mint gum you were chewing last night,” he said, laughing. “Anyway, I’ve been laying here wanting to kiss you good morning for at least an hour, and nothing’s gonna put a damper on that.”

  This time he took the kiss deeper, sweeping his tongue into her mouth, still tasting a bit of the mint. The urge to lie on top of her pressing his aching cock against her soft stomach was overwhelming, but he did not want her back against the hard surface.

  Lifting his head with reluctance, he stared down at her kiss-swollen lips, seeing her pout, and she looped her hands around his neck and tried to pull his lips back to hers. Shaking his head, he explained, “I can’t explain what’s going on here between us, but you deserve someone to make love to you on a soft bed.”

  She nibbled on her bottom lip, her brows lowering slightly. “Oh…sure…um…yeah…”

  His fingers curled around her neck, his thumb sweeping across the soft apple of her cheek while his fingers tangled in her silky tresses. “That doesn’t sound good, Julie. That sounds like you just thought I gave you a brushoff, and babe, that’s the last thing in the world I gave you.” Her forehead creased deeper, and he said, “What I mean is that I want to make love to you. I’d do it right now, right here, if I thought that was the best thing. But what I want to do with you and for you is make it good and make it right. And for that, I want you comfortable.”

  Her smile widened as his words sank in, and he gave her a squeeze before sitting up. “I’m going to step outside and check things out. As soon as I can tell that things are okay, I’ll let you know so that you can go to the bathroom. We’ll have some breakfast and then as soon as I’m sure it’s clear, we’ll get back out on the road and get to Tulum. If Hernando can give us a break in our trip, we’ll spend a few hours with him, giving Drew a chance to get the girls to the States and then back to us.”

  “Aye aye, Captain,” she quipped, pretending to salute.

  “Smartass," he laughed, popping her on her ass as she rolled over to grab her bag. Climbing outside, he pushed his way through some of the jungle, finding a place to relieve himself. Returning to the Jeep, he found her sitting in the front seat, nibbling on a granola bar, running a brush through her hair. "Don’t go too far,” he instructed. “I promise not to peek.”

  Rolling her eyes, she put her hand in his as he assisted her down from the seat. Not wanting to make her self-conscious, he nonetheless wanted to keep her close by. Satisfied that she just went behind a tree, he was still relieved when she popped back up, ready to go.

  “Nice to see that it doesn’t take you long to get ready in the mornings,” he said.

  Cocking her hip, she said, “Now who’s being a smartass?”

  She climbed into the passenger seat and pulled out a granola bar, handing it to him. Munching on it as he started the Jeep, they pulled out of their hiding place, his heart warm once more at the ease he felt around her. God this is dangerous…I could get so used to this.

  "The road seems better today,” Julie commented, looking at traffic passing them by. “Yesterday it seemed so deserted.”

  Nodding, Walker agreed. “According to my coworkers who are monitoring the situation, the worst-hit areas are near Mérida, and that’s where so much of the police, military, and government assistance went to. Of course, that’s left this side of the Yucatán with less police, so we still need to be vigilant."

  “I texted Hernando, and he said that he lives north of the town of Tulum, not too far from the archaeological ruins there." She glanced sideways and worried her lip. “I don’t know if we’ll have time, but if we get a chance, I’d love for us to visit the Tulum ruins.”

  He smiled and said, “Drew won’t be able to get us right away, so Ms. Baxter, it looks like you get to play tour guide with me again today.”

  He wiggled his eyebrows, and she burst out laughing. “I played tour guide yesterday, and you know how that ended up once we got to the top of the pyramid.”

  “I love it when you play tour guide,” he joked, eliciting another giggle from her.

  They had passed a little shop that served Starbucks coffee just north of Cobá, and she had clapped and waved her hands in excitement as he ran in to get some. Now, sipping her coffee, she watched as the miles passed by. The paved road was only two lanes but much wider than the roads they had been on yesterday. The jungle still grew right to the edge giving no shoulder, but what little traffic was out flowed steadily. The small towns were slightly more modern than the small villages on the back roads.

  Taking another sip, she asked, “How old are you?”

  Brows lowered, his head gave a quick shake in surprise, and he replied, “How old am I? Where did that come from?”

  “I thought it would be nice to get to know each other more. Well, a little bit better than just carnal knowledge.”

  He had just taken a sip and choked at her words. Sputtering on hot coffee for a moment, he repeated, “Carnal knowledge? I’m not sure I’ve heard it put that way before.”

  Shrugging, she said, “Well, I am a lady.”

  He grinned, catching her eye, and nodded. “That, Ms. Baxter, you are.”

  “So, your age?”

  “I’m thirty-one. My dad is retired from the Navy, and my mom is a second-grade teacher, getting close to retirement."

  “Are you an only child?”

  “Nope. Got a sister named Sarah. She’s married and has a couple of kids.”

  She continued, “Have you ever been married?”

  “Not me. You?”

  She sighed, drawing his attention over to her. Nodding, she said, “Yes. A long time ago.”

  His surprise sounded in his voice as he asked, “What happened?”

  “I think it was probably a very typical story,” she confessed. “We met in college, got married just as we graduated before we had really gone out into the world and tried life. There really wasn’t any big problem other than we just shouldn’t have gotten married. He was a musician, and while his band never made it big, he wanted to travel, be a gypsy, live a nomadic life, and go from bar to bar, venue to venue. I, on the other hand, was teaching and then got my master’s degree in counseling and got a job at the prep school in Florida." Shaking her head, s
he added, “You know how they say opposites attract?" Gaining his nod, she continued, “I don’t always think that’s a good thing. Todd was a free spirit, and I was a planner. Todd wanted to go with the flow, and I liked knowing what was going to happen. Todd didn’t mind traveling and waking up in a different place every day, and I had a job where I knew exactly what I was going to be doing the next day."

  “How long were you married?” he asked.

  “It’s embarrassing to say, but we were only married for two years. I knew we had grown apart, but divorce never entered my mind. One weekend he came home, gave me a kiss, and declared that he was going to file for divorce." Twisting her body so that she was facing Walker, she said, “You know what’s crazy? I wasn’t expecting it, but I didn’t fall apart. I was sad because we’d been friends, and I knew we were never going to stay very close after the divorce. But I wasn’t devastated. We actually divorced amicably. So, by the time I was twenty-five, I had been married and divorced. I’ll be thirty on my next birthday and have discovered that I’d rather be on my own than be with the wrong person.”

  He reached across the bench seat and placed his hand on her leg, giving a little squeeze. “I’m impressed, Julie,” he admitted. “I’m impressed that the two of you decided to not stay in a marriage that wasn’t working.”

  “When I’m counseling teenagers who are devastated with a breakup, I always tell them that we can learn something from every relationship that we’re in. I truly believe that,” she said, placing her hand on his, linking their fingers together.

  He glanced away from the road again, holding her gaze for a few seconds, and asked, “And what are you learning from us?”

  Laughing, she said, “I’m learning that not everything has to be perfectly planned. Some things are just better surprises.”

  “Surprises, huh?” With a grin, he jerked on the steering wheel, pulling them off the main road into what looked like an empty parking lot. No one was around, and just like with Cobá, he drove past the gate that would normally have kept vehicles out. Parking just behind a tall wall, he looked over and winked. “Come on. Let’s go find another surprise.”

  24

  Julie had been right, Walker thought. This whole trip had been one big surprise. From thinking it was a simple in and out rescue, to having to improvise every step of the way. And the biggest surprise of all was discovering how much he liked being with her.

  Grabbing her hand, he pulled her from the Jeep, and they followed the wooden board walkway into the jungle. Glad that she was not protesting, she continued to pepper him with questions.

  “What is this place? It’s not open. Should we be here?”

  The drive from Cobá to Tulum was less than forty miles, and since they had left so early in the morning, they were almost to Tulum before anything was open. They would soon be at Hernando’s house, and he wanted more time with her alone. And the opportunity to see a cenote was too great to pass up.

  Tall trees and thick, lush ferns dominated the area with the wooden pathway cutting in between. Suddenly the space opened up, and the morning sunlight beamed down on a pool of water bordered by the jungle and a limestone wall.

  Clapping her hands in excitement, Julie cried out, “A cenote!”

  Staring down at her obvious delight, Walker felt that same squeeze in his chest and lifted his hand to gently rub over his heart. He could not remember the last time he had been around a woman who took such delight in simple pleasures and beautiful sights. It had been over a month since his last date, set up by a mutual friend. He had taken her to an expensive restaurant, and the woman was dissatisfied with everything from the food, to the service, to the way the bartender mixed her drink.

  A grab on his arm jerked his attention back to the beauty in front of him, and he grinned.

  “Oh, my God, Walker. It’s like a little secret paradise. Isn’t this the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?”

  She had asked the same thing last night at the pyramid, and he gave her the same answer, referring to her each time. “Yeah, it is.”

  Moving to the end of the walkway, she sat down, dipping her toes into the water. She leaned back with her hands propping her up and tilted her head to the sun. “These are made when there’s a collapse of the limestone and it exposes groundwater underneath,” she explained. “There are so many of them in the Yucatán, some like this one that have been built up around it so that visitors can easily find them. There are also others that are just small swimming holes that haven’t been commercialized.”

  While she had been talking, he had reached back, grabbed hold of his T-shirt, and jerked it over his head. Shucking his boots and cargo pants, he took a running leap off the edge and cannon-balled into the water. Rising to the surface, he slung his head around, sending water droplets in all directions. Immediately refreshed, he opened his eyes and swam toward the wooden platform, Julie’s delighted laughter ringing out.

  Lifting an eyebrow, he teased, “You comin’ in or am I coming to get you?”

  She moved her head back and forth, throwing her hands up to the side. “I don’t have a bathing suit with me!”

  “You can always go skinny-dipping. That won’t bother me at all.”

  “Walker! I can’t go skinny-dipping in case somebody comes around.”

  “Seriously, babe? Your bra and panties cover more than what most women wear to the beach.”

  He was only going to give her a moment before he pulled her in, but he watched as she nibbled on her bottom lip before finally standing, still looking around. As she must have determined that they were quite alone, she slid her pants and shirt off, walking to the edge in her underwear.

  “Is it cold?”

  Shaking his head, he said, “Come on, babe. It’s so refreshing, it’ll be worth it to feel like you’re washing off all the dust from the trip.”

  Those words must have done the trick, because she grinned, gave a small running hop, and jumped in.

  As she rose to the surface he was right there, his arms encircling her. Her hair was slicked back away from her face, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. Her sun-kissed face glowed with health, and a smattering of pale freckles dotted her cheeks. As he stared at her delighted smile, he knew he had told her the truth. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

  He reluctantly let his arms loosen so that she could swim about freely. They circled each other, splashed and played, teased and tempted in their little, private corner of paradise.

  Swimming closer, she wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck, and they floated toward the bedrock cave wall. Lush, green jungle ferns were hanging down over the edge, creating a curtain around them.

  “Can you keep us afloat?” she asked.

  Chuckling, the sound rumbling from deep in his chest, he replied, “Babe, I was a SEAL. I could do this all day in full uniform with a fuckin’ heavy pack. Believe me, I got you.”

  Her eyes were wide, and her mouth formed an ‘o’ just before she leaned in and kissed the underside of his jaw. Allowing her to take the lead, she left no doubt as to where she wanted them to go as she rubbed her panty-clad core against his already-eager cock. With her arms about his neck, his hands were free to roam. Sliding one underneath the waistband of her panties, he cupped her ass, pressing her even tighter against his hips. The other hand moved to the front, pulling her bra cups down to expose her rosy-tipped breasts.

  Shifting her upward, he kissed his way from her jaw to her neck and downward over her full mounds. Latching onto a wet nipple, he suckled and teased, drawing her deeply into his mouth, eliciting moans from deep within her. He was barely aware of her fingernails digging into his back as he moved from one breast to the other.

  His hand cupping her ass slid lower, his forefinger moving through her slit, delving inside, eliciting another gasp from her lips. His cock swelled even more. Sliding another finger inside, he scissored them, crooking his forefinger until he found the spot that had her screamin
g his name.

  Slick and tight, her inner muscles clenched against his fingers, and his body shuddered with want. As she came down from her orgasmic rush, her head flopped forward onto his shoulder, her face tucked into his neck, where she began to pepper his skin with soft kisses.

  Knowing he did not have a ready condom, he groaned in frustration but told himself it was enough that she had come. His cock had a different idea, though, as it pressed against her stomach.

  With her arm still encircling his neck, she leaned back and peered deeply into his eyes. Nibbling on her bottom lip, she whispered, “It’s okay, you know. I mean, if we do it without a condom.”

  His eyes jerked wide at the thought, but he shook his head. “No, no. I don’t want you to do anything that would make you uncomfortable.”

  Her face softened into a sweet smile. “I’m on the pill, and I’m clean. I haven’t been with anybody in…” she blushed, admitting, “a really long time.”

  “It’s been a while for me, too,” he confessed. “I’m clean and get tested all the time for my job.”

  Tilting her head slightly to the side, she said, “Then I guess we trust each other, right?”

  They had only known each other for twenty-four hours, but in that time with all they had been through, he knew trust was something they absolutely had. And something he would not break with her. “Oh, yeah.”

  Cupping the back of her head, he pulled her in for a kiss, their mouths meeting in a wild tangle of lips, tongues, and teeth. This was no gentle good morning kiss, but one of heat and passion, want and need. Her soft breasts rubbed against the hard planes of his chest.

  With one hand, he jerked his boxers down and tossed them to the wooden deck where they landed with a splat next to his clothes. Her panties quickly followed. Wanting her ready, he slid his fingers deep inside of her core, eliciting more moans. Sliding his fingers back out, he held open her sex and placed his cock at her entrance.