by Lori Wilde
“C’mere,” he murmured in a husky, dusky voice as ripe as the orchid scent. His expression said he knew her right down to the depths of her soul.
Jake held out his hand.
In a dreamlike state, she moved toward him, pulled by a force she didn’t understand but could not resist.
Languidly, he removed her glasses and tucked them into his backpack for safekeeping. He dug around for a condom, and when he found it, he held it up like a great prize.
He stalked back to her, slipped his arms around her, and tugged her down onto the grass in the clearing, kissing her tenderly as if she were as rare and precious as the orchids.
They finished undressing each other. Shoes flying, pants sliding, chastity belt unlocking, until they were totally naked before each other.
Madison’s cell phone rang, the sound echoing in the forest.
“Your friends,” he said.
She crawled across the grass, fumbling for the phone in her backpack. She answered it by gasping, “I’m out.”
“Wh—” Bianca’s voice said on the other end, but Madison never heard the rest because Jake took the phone from her, tossed it over his shoulder, and pulled her down again.
He kissed her hard and long and hot. They lay on the slick, wet grass, the sleepy sun filtering through the tree branches. All around them the orchids, heavy and sweet, glowed in that dying light. Under his deft fingers, her aching body bloomed, as spectacular as the flowering plants, and she shivered against his rousing touch.
Lust swamped her. She had to have him. Had to have him or she would surely die. She pulled his bottom lip up between her teeth, and he made a noise of pure enjoyment.
He cupped her face in his palms, then dipped his head and kissed her with a soul-stealing, grade-A, world-class kiss that curled Madison’s toes. The moment was brilliant. He was brilliant. It was her most brilliant fantasy come to life.
She burrowed into him, her breasts pressed flush against his muscled chest. He ran his palms up and down her arms. She threw back her head, and he tracked kisses over the tender areas of her throat, nestling and nibbling.
Experimentally, he rubbed his thumbs over her nipples, and they beaded up tight. “Ah,” he said. “You like that?”
“Uh-huh.” A hazy hotness draped over her, thick with sexual urgency. She wanted him so badly she couldn’t speak.
“What about this?” He flicked his tongue along her collarbone.
She shuddered against him.
“And this?” Lightly, he stroked circles on the inside of her arm.
“Beast,” she gasped.
“Exactly.” He grinned.
The force of his desire caused her to tremble and sweat. Her knees quivered. Her heart pounded.
He tunneled his fingers through her hair. She felt his presence in every cell of her body.
He loved her with his mouth, tonguing her with amazing tenderness, a slow glide from the sensitive spot behind her knee, around to her kneecap, and up her inner thigh until she was rolling in ecstasy.
She floated, bodiless. She was total awareness, her entire being a giant throb of sexual energy.
He kissed lazy circles of heat, and she was transfixed. Finally, he edged to the spot where she wanted him to be, at the sweet V between her legs.
His wet tongue teased, slowly licking her outer lips. Inhaled her. Then caressed her with the sensuous sweep of his tongue.
He sucked at every fold, lapped at her ridges, and lifted her buttocks to devour his meal. An electric flash of brilliant energy lit the inside of her head, and all the air was drained from her lungs.
She surfed his tongue, owned it. She hovered on the brink of orgasm, but he would not let her fall over. A steady strumming vibration began deep in her throat, emerging as a wild moan.
She thrust herself against his mouth, gripping the sides of his head with her thighs, letting her juices flow.
He released her but didn’t remove his tongue from her twitching clit. His tongue danced with it, wriggling nimbly.
Her skin was incredibly sensitive, her body tingling and tender. She tried to push him away—it was simply too much pleasure—but he stayed put, pushing his tongue deep inside her. Then out and down to the region beyond.
This new sensation drove her into a frenzy. Her muscles flexed. Blinding flashes of light. A rushing sound like ocean waves in her head. Uncontrollable spasms rattled her body.
Her world quaked.
His fingers touched and tickled and tingled. Her butt and her inner thigh. He slid one finger deep inside her wetness, while his tongue continued to strum the feminine head of her.
She didn’t know where she was or who she was with. Who was she? Woman or creature?
His hands were broad and warm. His mouth an instrument of exquisite torture. Time spun, morphed, as elusive as space.
She was spellbound, mesmerized, entranced. Embraced by a longing so precious and severe she couldn’t breathe. In delicious anguish, she cried out her delight.
He rocked back on his heels, clasped her to his chest, and held her tight, his hands threaded in her hair, until her crazy thudding heart calmed.
Then when she had rested, he made love to her again, sinking his flesh into hers. He wanted her as desperately as she wanted him, with the same high-octane intensity.
As their bodies joined and hotly fused in the moonlight—at some point the sun had gone down, and the moon had appeared—orchid pollen traveled on the air, floating on the night breeze. The petals rustled, their minute fluttering as primal as the heavy breathing Madison and Jake shared.
Scent drenched the air—orchids and mating—combining, fusing, part of an ancient dance as old as the sun and the moon and the stars.
The entire time he was buried inside her, he stared into her eyes as if he were lost in her gaze and could not find his way out. Did not even want to find his way out.
Two became one.
A single being.
Trembling and clinging.
His cock filled her up, pushing far inside her until he could go no farther.
Then he pulled back. In and out, he moved in an even tempo that rocked her soul. He rode her, and she rode him until they both came in a blazing, blinding light.
A while later, Jake awoke and listened to Maddie’s soft breathing. Her head was resting on his chest, and it felt so good he smiled into the darkness.
And then he remembered why he was in Costa Rica in the first place.
He had a secret to confess to her. Something he should have told her before he made love to her, but he’d been so caught up in the moment, so under her spell, so excited for her over the discovery of the amore orchids that he’d followed his instincts and not his head.
Like always.
Except everything else was different here, and his usual behavior no longer applied. Not with Maddie. With her, he wouldn’t have to look for adventure or scout out the next thrill. She was the adventure, being with her the thrill. He just prayed she’d forgive him when he told her the truth.
“Jake?” she whispered into the sultry darkness.
“Uh-huh.”
“Do you have any more condoms?”
“Yes.”
She walked her fingers up his chest. “Could we um... go again?”
Now’s the time, speak!
He was going to. He intended to, but then she was touching her hot, sweet tongue to his nipple, and all conscious thought flew right out of his brain. He searched for the condom, found it, got it on somehow, then rolled over, taking her with him, cradling Madison in his arms.
She let out a soft little moan and opened her legs.
He held his weight on his forearms and slid into her welcoming wetness. Overhead, the moon shone down on her face. He stared into her bright, trusting eyes and moved his body over hers, fitting perfectly against the curved hollow of her hips.
Maddie caressed his face with her tender hands and murmured endearments in a lyrical tone. But soon the hushed whispe
rs turned to gritty groans and heated gasps. She made him feel like the best lover on earth.
He loved hearing her sexy sounds. In fact, he was pretty sure he could listen to them for the rest of his life and die a happy, happy man.
And when her release came, he twined their hands together above her head and rocked into her with one fierce thrust. She arched her back, eager to meet him, and wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him in as deep as he could go. Their fingers were locked, their gazes welded as they came in one shattering shudder.
“Wow,” she breathed a few minutes after they’d come spiraling down. “Just wow.”
“That doesn’t begin to cover it.” They were lying on their backs, their eyes directed up at the vast field of stars, wrapped in a cocoon of amore-orchid scent.
“That was the best ever,” she whispered.
“For me, too,” he confessed.
“It was...you were...you make me feel so...”
He waited for her to finish, wondering how he made her feel, when the steady sounds of her breathing told him she’d fallen asleep. He smiled. He’d worn her out.
He marveled at how he could be so connected to someone he’d only known for four days. It made no sense, but he couldn’t deny it.
Could he be...was he possibly...falling in love?
10
Madison woke just after dawn. Jake lay next to her, snoring lightly. She propped herself up on one elbow and stared down at him.
His tousled hair curled across his forehead. In repose, his firm jaw seemed softer. The man was fricking gorgeous. How had she managed to snag a guy like him?
You didn’t snag him. This was just a fantasy come true for one night. Don’t read any more into it than that.
It sounded good as a theory, but she greedily wanted more.
Be real. You’re working on your doctorate. You live in New York. And he...
Suddenly she realized she didn’t even know what he did for a living. He’d told her about his extensive travel. That he worked for various companies, but when she’d pressed for details, he had glibly changed the subject in that smooth way of his.
Uneasiness skittered over her. Another ne’er-do-well. Boy, could she pick ’em or what?
Well, he’d distracted her long enough; she had an orchid to catalogue. Where were her glasses? Oh, yeah, he’d put them in his backpack. She eased to her feet, gathered up her clothes, hurriedly dressed, and then went to retrieve her spectacles.
She dug around on top and didn’t see them. She pushed aside his change of clothes and the last of their food supplies, and that’s when she found it.
The six-inch harvesting knife. A pair of stainless-steel scissors. A bottle of root stimulator and an instruction book on how to transplant and transport orchids.
Her blood ran icy. She stared at the items, praying she wasn’t seeing what she was seeing. Hoping there was a perfectly innocent explanation for why he was toting these things around with him but knowing in her heart of hearts there wasn’t.
“Maddie.”
She spun around, the treacherous items in her hands.
Jake was on his feet, standing naked, completely exposed, a guilty expression on his face. “I can explain.”
Madison felt sick to her stomach. “We never dreamed someone would be low enough to use our expedition. Follow us, yes, but to hire a soldier of fortune to masquerade as a conservationist and then betray us... It all makes sense now.
“The nerd disguise—which by the way was pretty transparent. The way you flit from country to country, how you never would explain what it was you really did for a living.”
She had to give him credit for looking totally miserable.
“You’re an orchid thief. A smuggler.”
He raised a finger. “Small point, I’m not an orchid thief or a smuggler. At least not yet. I came here to become one, yes, but mostly I’m just a jack-of-all-trades for hire.”
“Mercenary!”
He nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been called that, too.”
She threw her head back and yelled at the sky. “I can’t believe this is happening to me again. This one is the ne’er- do-well to end all ne’er-do-wells. What is it?” She threw out her arms. “Am I a ne’er-do-well magnet?”
He grabbed his jeans and jammed his legs into them. “Maddie, you gotta listen to me. I did have bad intentions when I initially came on this trip, but after meeting you, getting to know you and the way you love those flowers... I’ve never seen anyone as passionate about anything as you are about those things. I changed my mind. I wasn’t going to steal your precious orchids.”
“How could you even consider doing it in the first place?” She sank her hands on her hips. “It’s illegal.”
“I wasn’t doing it for me. I needed the money to help Joe keep his bar and grill.”
“You expect me to believe that cock-and-bull story?”
“I can’t control what you believe, but it’s the truth.” He came toward her and reached out a hand. “I realize now that it’s wrong, and I’m sorry.”
“Oh, do not touch me. Don’t you dare touch me.”
“Last night was—”
“A huge mistake. Huge.” She was so angry that she couldn’t begin to express it. “You used me.”
“Only at first. Once I got to know you, things changed.”
The pain in her heart was so acute she could barely catch her breath. She’d been hurt before, but she’d never felt as utterly betrayed as she did right now.
“This looks really bad, I know, but we can get past this. I can change. I want to change. You make me want to be a better man. Madison, please—”
She cut him off. “You don’t care about these precious orchids, and you don’t care about me. You’re a thief and a smuggler.”
He deserved it. Jake understood that. But it killed him that she thought he’d intentionally set out to hurt her.
“I can’t believe I lost my chastity bet over the likes of you,” she said.
The anger in her eyes tore at his heart. She hated him. Madison wasn’t interested in hearing a single word he had to say.
He felt as if he were shrinking, growing smaller every second, losing any self-respect he might have possessed. His loosey-goosey values had led him here. He’d allowed his need for fun and excitement and adventure and the thrill of the chase to override his common sense. Sure, he’d done it to raise money for Joe, but there were other ways to get money.
If he was being honest with himself, he’d admit he’d accepted the job from Liu for the challenge. Madison was right. He was all the things she’d called him. A soldier of fortune, a thief, a smuggler, a mercenary, and a liar.
“I want you to pack up your things and leave this instant,” she said, her voice as cold as an arctic breeze. She pointed in the direction of base camp. “If you go now, I won’t tell the authorities you were here. It’s a better deal than you deserve.”
“I can’t leave you in the jungle alone,” he protested.
“She’s not alone,” a male voice said from behind them.
Jake spun around to see Professor Hampton, Bunk, Lucinda, and all the other volunteers glaring at him as if he was scum of the earth.
“She might not turn you over to the authorities,” Hampton said. “But I sure as hell will.”
Since Jake hadn’t actually stolen the orchids or tried to smuggle them, the authorities couldn’t really hold him, although they indicated he was no longer welcome in Costa Rica. As a show of good will, he gave them Liu’s name as a collector to watch out for. Now he could add rat fink to his long list of sins.
With a heavy heart, he flew home to L.A.
He’d brought this on himself. He’d been glib and cavalier. He’d taken life too lightly. He hadn’t considered the consequences of his actions.
But he was sure considering them now. He’d been so close to something truly wonderful, and by being deceptive, he’d let it all slip through his fingers. It was a wake-up call. He
thought of the amore orchid, almost the color of Madison’s hair. Dark and soulful. Growing deep in the jungle. A rare and unique beauty nearly impossible to find.
Once he was on American soil, Jake called Mr. Liu and told him not only was the deal off, but that the amore orchid was probably going on the endangered species list soon.
Liu cursed both in English and Taiwanese, throwing around empty threats.
Jake didn’t care. He had bigger fish to fry. Like helping Joe keep his bar and grill. And coming up with a plan to win Madison back, although deep inside he feared he was beyond redemption in her eyes.
Jake arrived at Joe’s place feeling lighter just from having told off Liu. He hadn’t warned Joe that he was coming home, and he was surprised to see the bar and grill closed. What was going on? He turned to climb back on his Harley when Joe came around the side of the building, whistling happily.
“Jake!” Joe exclaimed, and his eyes lit up. He clasped him in a warm embrace. “When did you get back?”
“Just now.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
Jake shrugged. “I guess I was too embarrassed.”
“Embarrassed about what?”
“Can we go inside and talk?” Jake drank in the sight of the man who was the only family he’d ever known. Stocky, balding, but still in good shape for a man his age. He had a lot of years left in him.
Joe shook his head. “She’s not mine anymore.”
“The bank foreclosed?”
“Nope, I sold her.”
“Joe!”
“Don’t look so distraught, Jake. It’s just a building.”
“The bar and grill is your life. You’ve been in business for twenty-five years.”
“And tied down twenty-four seven for twenty-five years.”
“But...but...I thought you loved the place.”
“I do. Did. It got old, though. Especially once you were grown up. I kept her for as long as I did because you enjoyed coming back here from your adventures. But when the economy turned and customers started staying home to drink beer and barbecue in their backyard, it was a sign for me. I’m not getting any younger, kid, and if I want to have a few adventures of my own before I die, I realized the time is now.”
