She smiled and crooked a finger at him. “Then what are you waiting for? Here, let me help.”
Her hands dropped to the waistband of her shorts. He swallowed hard when she popped the button and eased down the zipper. Soon he’d know if her undergarments came in sets. And...the shorts landed on the floor and Jack groaned. He couldn’t look away from the tiny scrap of lace that matched her eyes. Blue was his new favorite color.
Darci stood in front of him in nothing but two pieces of blue lace, tanned skin begging to be stroked. Restraint carefully in check, he let his eyes roam over her, taking in the proud tilt of her chin, the desire burning in her eyes, making them glow like blue fire and her slightly parted lips. Her chest rose and fell in uneven breaths and, God help him, her nipples were hard, jutting through the thin fabric. He couldn’t wait to cup her and take a sensitive bud into his mouth.
But he did wait, forced himself to take his time. His gaze lingered on her flat stomach and drifted over the small piece of lace covering her womanhood. He knew how long her legs were, but couldn’t have prepared for the full length of them. Damn, the woman was every man’s fantasy. Slender, long legs and sexy as hell. Only one thing wrong.
Jack reached out let her hair out of its ponytail, watching it fall in dark, silky waves down her back. Perfect. No matter what happened he would always remember her this way.
“Your turn,” Darci said and reached for him.
****
She wanted Jack naked. Now.
Darci touched a hand to Jack’s chest, flattening her palm over his heart and feeling the steady beat. Not racing like hers. He had amazing control and she so wanted to break it.
He watched as she unbuttoned his shirt and slid her hands over his shoulders, letting it fall to his elbows. Jack pulled it the rest of the way off. Then he stepped back and kicked off his shorts. She didn’t know when he’d disposed of his gun and she didn’t care. She wanted him too much to worry about small details like dangerous weapons. Darci smiled. A boxers kind of guy. She could handle that.
She met his eyes and shuddered when she saw fire burning in them. No man had ever looked at her like Jack did. As if she was the most beautiful woman in the world. It made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. She’d never been very shy, but standing half-naked in front of a man she’d only met twenty-four hours ago should be reason to be. Darci felt lots of things, but shy wasn’t one of them. Sexy, turned on, weak-kneed and ready to jump Jack’s bones, maybe, but not shy.
“You’re beautiful.” Jack’s gaze caressed her.
“Then what are you doing clear over there?” she asked, even though he stood a foot away.
“Just admiring.”
No man had ever really taken the time to look at her before, and she found it very enticing. She hoped he didn’t admire too long because she needed him more than her next breath.
Darci shivered beneath the weight of his stare and grinned when their eyes met. A slow, sensual smile tilted Jack’s lips and they moved at the same time. She laughed when Jack circled her waist and lifted her off the ground, spinning her in a half circle into the room.
Hands on his shoulders, she lowered her head and met his lips halfway, aware that Jack walked toward the bed. She had no idea what the room looked like and didn’t care. Right now only Jack mattered.
“Bed,” he murmured against her lips.
Darci licked the corner of his mouth, loving the taste of him. “Yes,” she replied, sinking her teeth into his bottom lip. He groaned and hiked her up higher on his hips, then gave her backside a squeeze.
He grinned, pressed a hard kiss to her lips and said, “No, honey, the bed is right behind you.”
Darci glanced over her shoulder and saw that there was indeed a bed behind her. “Yep,” she said, wrapping her arms tighter around Jack’s neck.
Jack leaned back and quirked a brow. “Would you prefer the wall? Or the dresser top?”
The dark, husky quality to his voice sent shivers down her spine. “Yes and yes,” she said on a breathless whisper.
Jack growled low in his throat. She melted. He dropped his head and nuzzled the hollow in her throat, his lips hot and wet against her skin. Her head fell back, giving him better access, and her eyes drifted shut. Any of the aforementioned surfaces would suit her just fine as long as he kept kissing her. Her legs wrapped tighter around his thighs, a moan escaping her throat.
“I want you,” Jack said against her neck before nipping gently and drawing a gasp from Darci.
She smiled. “I’m yours.”
Chapter Nine
Jack grinned. “Bed first?”
Her smile turned sultry. “Bed first,” she agreed, then shuddered when he kissed the pulse beating wildly in her neck.
The ache in his groin grew even more painful at her husky agreement. He had meant it as a joke, not wanting to put any pressure on her, but she came back and knocked him for a loop with her agreement. The prospect of having Darci more than once had him lowering her to the bed and trying to restrain himself from taking her hard and fast. He wanted to take it slow, cherish her and show her how beautiful she was.
He trailed his hands down her arms, feeling goose flesh rise beneath his touch. Her response fueled his need for her. With a shaking hand he lowered one bra strap down to expose the creamy skin of her shoulder. His lips followed, skimming the surface of her silky skin, marveling in the softness. He had enjoyed his share of women, but none of them were as soft as Darci. He didn’t remember ever being as attracted to a woman. He had never wanted to the point of physical pain.
As much as he loved the aqua lace, he had to have it off. He tried to take it slow, but it got harder with each taste of her spicy skin. When he reached behind her to remove it, she lifted up, tore it off herself and tossed it aside, her eyes dark as sapphires. He covered her mouth with his, sliding his hands down her ribcage and lower to grip her hips. She curled into him and he drove her into the mattress with his hips, giving them both a taste of the pleasures to come.
Darci moaned beneath him, her hands sliding down his back, kneading and rubbing while pulling him closer. Her soft whimpers drove him closer to the edge he barely stood on.
Dipping his head, he closed his mouth around one of her nipples, drawing it into his mouth until she arched off the bed, bowing beneath him as she panted. Her hands burrowed through his hair, pressing him closer at the same time she pushed him away, the pleasure too much.
Jack feasted on her other breast, loving the weight and texture. Perfect. Moving lower he used his tongue to lick a path from her ribs to her navel, dipping his tongue in and watching her stomach quiver. She moved restlessly beneath him now, her fingers digging into his shoulders. Her response urged him lower until he met the barrier of lace. He glanced up and found Darci staring down at him, her eyes glazed and a smile on her face.
Grinning, Jack ran his tongue over the lace edge. Enjoyed watching her eyes close and her lips part. The sight of her like that almost undid him. With a growl he fisted the lace and tore them off. Darci gasped then laughed, her eyes sparkling. Not at all upset about the loss of her panties.
The skin of her inner thigh tasted like silk. Jack took a minute to simply explore the softness. Her legs were so long and shapely he almost wrapped them around his waist and drove into her. He barely held onto his control as it was. Being in this intimate position tested those boundaries.
Needing to taste her, he lowered his head and traced her softness with the tip of his tongue. Darci bucked beneath him, gasped and dug her nails into his shoulders. He delved deeper, losing himself in her exquisiteness.
He never wanted to leave.
****
Oh, God, what Jack did with his tongue should be illegal. She wanted to explode. The first time he’d kissed her she thought she’d go up in flames. She barely hung on by a thread. She’d never felt this out of control and reckless. A heady sensation she would never forget.
Jack brought her to the edge
once again and just when she started to go over, he backed off and denied her. Her passion blinded her.
“Jack…” she pleaded, tugging on his biceps. “Now. Please.”
Obliging her, he moved and covered her with his strong, hard body. Her hero. So brave, so strong. She wanted him like no other and she feared that once she had him she would never let him go.
Somehow he’d managed to slip out of his boxers. The feel of him against her tantalized. Time’s up, Jack Taggart. She brought her legs up to circle his waist. Jack groaned and brought his lips down on hers. With a small shimmy, she positioned herself just right and watched Jack’s pupils dilate. But she underestimated the power she had when he suddenly pulled her up into a sitting position. She straddled his lap as he sat on the edge of the bed. She didn’t know when he’d retrieved his wallet or the condom inside, but she was glad he had. She couldn’t wait any longer.
Then, as he looked her in the eye, he began to torture her, slowly entering her inch by inch until she pleaded with him to give her what she wanted. But every time she started to move her hips and take him in, he tightened his grip on her shoulders and stilled her movements. He took his own sweet time, drawing out the pleasure and driving her crazy. She wanted it hard and fast and now. They could go slow later, when she wasn’t so hot for him.
His hand cupped the back of her neck while he slowly moved inside her.
“Jack…” she moaned. “Hurry. Slow…later.”
Jack groaned and claimed her lips while he thrust inside her with one powerful stroke. She gasped in pleasure and threw her head back, letting him hold her up while she enjoyed the sensation of having him fully inside her. She had never been filled so completely. Where had Jack been all her life? She’d had no idea making love could feel this good.
She’d found the half she never knew she was missing.
****
Heaven. No other way to describe what it felt like to be fully sheathed inside Darci. Like she’d been made for him, she fit so well. He held onto her, moving in slow circles until they were both breathing hard. He wanted to drive into her with the force pounding through his veins, but he didn’t want to hurt her, so he kept it slow and easy, sweat breaking out on his brow from effort.
“Jack,” Darci said, meeting his thrust. “I can’t take much more of this. Hard and fast is good for me. Now. Please.”
Jack carefully maneuvered them onto the bed so she lay beneath him. He hadn’t planned on letting go of that last thread of restraint, but when Darci bit down on his shoulder and wrapped her legs around his waist, he couldn’t hold back. He let out a ragged groan and thrust deep inside her. She gasped and cried out in pleasure.
His restraint snapped. He increased the tempo with Darci rocking against him, her soft moans driving him into oblivion. Hot and wet, her body wrapped around him. He couldn’t take much more. His body tightened with need. When Darci cried out and constricted around him, he let go and thrust deep, driving them both over the edge. She convulsed around him, drawing him deeper, her nails scoring his back as she cried his name. His body clenched, he threw back his head and drove one last time into her softness, her name escaping his lips in a raw shout as little gray dots blurred his vision.
Spent, he collapsed on top of her, supporting his weight on his elbows with his forehead resting against hers. They were both breathing heavily. When he finally lifted his head he saw Darci smiling like the cat that drank the cream. He’d never seen anything so beautiful in his life. Her hair spread out in a wild mass of curls across the pillow, her cheeks flushed and lips swollen from his kisses. She looked sated and sexy.
Her fingers lightly stroked his back, careful to avoid his wound. He caressed her cheek with the pad of his thumb.
“That,” Darci said, “was incredible.”
Jack grinned, swallowing a surge of male pride.
“Did you feel it too?” she asked, kissing his neck.
Instead of admitting he felt something he couldn’t explain, he captured her lips for a long, breathless kiss that left them both panting. Something had happened when they made love. He couldn’t explain it, but he’d sensed it and so did Darci. Neither of them wanted to analyze it and spoil the mood. There would be time for that later.
Was he ready for that change?
Darci saved him from having to look any deeper into his feelings when she slid out from beneath him and rolled on top of him. Her eyes sparkled as she stared down at him. Her eyes widened when she felt him growing inside her.
“Again?” she asked, wiggling her eyebrows.
Jack grinned. “Honey, that was only the appetizer. We have six courses to go.”
She laughed and they started on the first course while another storm built outside their doors.
****
Darci opened her eyes slowly, stretching and smiling as she rolled onto her back. She’d never felt this sated in her life, nor had she ever spent the entire day in bed. Jack hadn’t been kidding when he said the first time would be an appetizer. After an emergency trip to the store for condoms, he had made love to her three more times and each time had been different. Slow and lazy, fast and furious, and something in between and each time had been in a different place. They’d made love on the bed, counter and against the wall. One of her personal favorites.
If she’d thought she’d fallen for Jack before, it didn’t compare to now. She felt like a princess, well-loved and happy.
Reaching out a hand, she patted Jack’s side of the bed only to find it empty and cool to her touch. He had been gone for a while. Sitting up, she glanced out the balcony doors. Night had fallen and a warm, humid tropical breeze blew gently inside the room. A nice room with its white walls and blue hues. They hadn’t been too choosy when they picked one.
She slipped out of bed and wandered toward the bathroom, wondering where Jack had gone, and groaning as muscles protested. She had never had sore muscles after sex. A reminder of her skillful lover.
Her bag sat inside the door. She’d forgotten all about it. But her flowers were gone. She mentally berated herself for dropping them in the street, but she’d been so consumed by Jack she’d lost all ability to think clearly.
With a smile she remembered he hadn’t been thinking too clearly either when they got all hot and bothered the second time, only to discover he only had one condom in his wallet. He’d had to make a mad dash for the store and almost ran out of the room in his boxers and with his shirt inside out.
A loud crack of thunder followed her into the shower. A moment of panic skittered down her spine. Sounded like the storm had moved in sooner than they expected. She’d check it out after her shower.
Letting the shower pulse away her soreness, Darci used the time to freshen up. Her stomach rumbled as she got out, reminding her she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. She quickly dried her hair, slipped into the white robe hanging on a hook beside the shower and pushed through the doors onto the balcony.
Two white Adirondack chairs sat side by side, but instead of sitting down she walked to the railing. A strong breeze lifted her hair off her shoulders. Storm had definitely picked up since her shower. The humidity made her lungs hurt. The beach stretched in front of her with a turbulent Caribbean Sea behind it. She could see waves crashing onto the beach.
The door opened and she turned to see Jack walk into the room, arms loaded with bags. He spotted her immediately and grinned, holding up two of the sacks.
“Hungry?”
Smiling, Darci closed the balcony doors. “Is the storm moving in sooner than expected? Should I be worried?” She met him on the bed, where they set out the smorgasbord of food. Her mouth watered as she looked at all Jack had bought. It covered half of the bed and ranged from cucumber soup and garden salad to curried chicken and shrimp.
“I didn’t know what you liked.” Jack set the bags on the floor. “And, yes, the storm is only a few miles off shore.”
Not what she wanted to hear. “Well, this is perfect. Thank you.” She h
anded him a plate and plastic silverware and started heaping food on her plate.
Jack must have realized she didn’t want to talk about it. “The cop recommended this restaurant, said it was the best in town.”
Darci popped a piece of shrimp into her mouth. “He’s right.” She picked up her fork and scooped a bit of rice. “You sure know how to spoil a girl.”
Jack grinned. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”
Darci met the smoldering heat in his eyes and swallowed hard. The man was going to kill her. But at least she would die happy.
They polished off almost all of the food, leaving only a few pieces of chicken and a half bowl of soup. Jack waited until they had cleaned up the mess to bring out the big guns: coconut cream pie with real cream and fresh toasted coconut.
“Oh, this is good. Fresh coconut on top of real cream. Yum.”
Beside her Jack groaned as he took the bite that had been suspended midair.
She glanced over to see his eyes dark with hunger. Her stomach tightened when he set his pie aside, then hers.
Jack pulled her flush with his body and cupped her cheek. “I want to taste you,” he murmured and brought his lips down on hers. Every kiss with Jack was like the first, magical, heady and toe-curling. It made her knees weak and dissolved her fears, allowing her a respite from her thoughts.
“Mmm, coconut,” Jack said against her lips, lightly licking the corners.
Darci wrapped her arms around his neck. “My turn.” She kissed him so he had no doubt about what she wanted.
Jack guided her down on the bed and for the next few hours proceeded to make her forget about the impending storm.
****
Not many things in this world scared Jack, but his feelings right at this moment did. They scared the hell out of him.
He stared down at the woman sleeping next to him with her hand resting over his heart. Her cheeks were still flushed from their lovemaking, her hair falling in tangles down her back. More than once during the last couple hours, he had wrapped the silky strands around his hand and held tight as they made love.
A SEAL's Song Page 10