"You don"t need it to look s.e.xy. You just are. All the time."
"Oh, right. You haven"t seen me when I have the flu."
He laughed. She reached up and shoved his shirt off his shoulders. It fell onto the floor behind him. Jeff kicked it aside and stepped back to the bed. He sat on the edge,then urged her to straddle him. Her knees and calves rested on the bedspread, his hands locked behind her back. She could feel his arousal pressing against her heated center. With a quick flick of her head, she shook her hair off her shoulders. It stretched down her spine, tickling her bare skin.
"You"re not so bad looking yourself," she said.
He shrugged. She leaned forward and nipped the end of his chin. "A little shy, are we?"
He cleared his throat. "Guys aren"t supposed to, well, you know."
"Guys aren"t supposed to do a lot of things, but being handsome isn"t one of them."
"Andie." His voice came out in a growl.
"What?" She moved lower, kissing his neck, licking the line where stubble gave way to smooth skin.
His hips arched against hers. She could feel the length of him, the hardness. He was ready.
"Undo your bra," he said.
She looked up, startled.
"The catch is in the front and if I let go-" he released her briefly and she started to slip back "-you"ll fall."
She glanced down at the white cotton bra. The fastener sat low between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. It gave with the slight flick of her finger. She did it every night without a second thought. But she"d never undressed for a man.
It was no big deal, she told herself. She squeezed the catch and it popped open. The cups slipped to the sides, but the edge of the lace caught on her nipples.
"Don"t move," he ordered, staring at her chest. His organ surged against her. The muscles in his arms tightened.
She couldn"t help herself. She wiggled slightly. The bra came loose and she shrugged it off.
"You leave me weak," he said, then fell back on the bed. He pulled her with him.
The action caught her off guard. She shrieked and braced herself with her arms. She straddled him. Her bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s were inches from his chest. Laughter and need darkened his eyes. He drew her up until her b.r.e.a.s.t.s were over his mouth; then he reached up and captured one hard nipple.
At the moment his lips closed over her, she felt the tingling start. It filled her chest,then moved to her feminine place, finally moving out to her arms and legs. Her hair spilled around them, over his neck and face. He didn"t brush it away. Instead, he shifted her so he could reach her other breast.
His tongue traced her nipple; then he licked her pale skin. He moistened her and blew on the dampness. Again and again, going from breast to breast, he suckled her until her arms refused to support her. Only then did he let her roll on her back.
Before he could move over her, she reached for him, pulling him close. She wanted to press against him, feel all of him near her, around her, in her.
His weight rested on her for a moment,then he slid down, trailing kisses along her belly. He pulled off her shorts and her panties and tossed them behind him. He kissed her knees, her thighs and her hipbones. While he dipped his tongue into her belly b.u.t.ton, his fingers found her waiting moistness. With one quick stroke, she was already near the moment of surrender.
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 embarra.s.s myself," he muttered.
"Maybe you need a little embarra.s.sing."
"Later."
He knelt in front of the bed. While his hands cupped and kneaded her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, he trailed kisses down her belly. She knew what was coming and braced herself for the sensual a.s.sault. 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 dangeroussituation, 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 beenthrough, 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 h.e.l.l 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 Bobbywere 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 toFlorida."
"You"ll likeCort ," 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 toFlorida, 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 leftFlorida. 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 over 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 sungla.s.ses 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 pa.s.sed 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 circ.u.mstances? 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 toFlorida."
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. "Callcollect . 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 pa.s.sed 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 sh.o.r.e. 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.