by Cyndi Raye
"Zach," she moaned.
Her hands moved over his shoulders and back. One came around to slide over his pec and found his tiny hard nipple.
He jolted at the contact and released a growl that shot straight into her panties.
An amazing feeling of power coursed through, feeling him tremble beneath her touch.
Zach was immensely strong and capable. He persistently built himself back together, recovering from injuries that would have completely destroyed someone else. He took down an armed criminal with his bare hands.
Yet...
Yet he shuddered under her touch.
He cupped her breast and moved his hips faster. She danced with him.
"Let me love you," he said, the words coming out as a breathy plea.
She knew he was talking about more than this carnal act and still she answered, "Yes, please."
He placed his mouth back at that spot where he had nipped and the two moved together.
Their clothes melted away and revealed scars and imperfections that were beautiful in that moment. Hands and mouths soothed away any lingering pain and turned the traumas into erogenous zones.
He was cradled by her body, poised to conquer her softness.
“Are you sure?” he asked even though his breath came in pants and his body strained with the effort of holding back.
She pulled him forward and joined their bodies in response.
There were no more words. Their bodies did the talking.
Sighs and groans filled the room. They swelled in volume then settled into satisfied whispers.
After the fever passed, Zach confessed, “I love you.”
Caroline’s heart skipped a beat then ran away like a speeding freight train.
She had deep feelings for Zach. She had finally admitted that to herself.
Was she in love though?
She was afraid of the answer to that question. The last time she told a man she loved him, it ended in disaster.
She opened her mouth, unsure how to reply.
Zach placed his finger against her lips. “You don’t have to say anything. I did not tell you for you to feel pressured into anything. I just want you to know. I love you, Caroline Nash, with all my heart. Maybe you don’t feel the same way yet but some day you will. I’m sure of it. I'll wait as long as it takes for you to realize it. Besides, you won’t be able to hold out against my charm for long. Let’s face it – I’m irresistible.”
He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she laughed.
The mood lightened and she decided to give this thing with Zach a shot.
As light from the rising sun bathed the bedroom, Caroline felt change in the air.
It was a new day.
Chapter 6
The thrill of romance.
Sexual tension.
Caroline did not know what those things were until Zach Cody entered her life.
After the life she led, Caroline had thought herself indifferent to the hype portrayed in romance novels and movies. Now she walked around on a cloud anticipating what Zach would do next. Flowers, chocolate, dinner and dancing, every cliché romantic gesture known to man, Zach had done it in the last three weeks.
He had even pulled a few unexpected tricks out of his sleeve like a surprise birthday party for her. She had never told him the date but he found out and made the day special. His family had been there and his mom had welcomed her to the family as his father looked on indulgently. Everyone had gushed about what a cute couple they made.
And there were the touches. He could not seem to keep his hands off. Dale had been like that but where Dale's touches had left her feeling caged, Zach made her feel desired - like she was the only woman in the world.
They made love every chance they could and when they could not his heated gaze followed her. She had returned to her house two days after Dale had shown up but she and Zach may as well be living together since he spent so much time there. He slept over most nights although they were careful to keep his presence low key to protect Jasmine’s delicate sensibilities.
It was not all about sex. They did simple stuff like watch movies on her couch and have breakfast together most mornings before going their separate ways for the day.
Not only was he sweet to Caroline but he and Jasmine were like two peas in a pod. Her daughter already loved him.
Caroline was lapping it up despite her best efforts not to. Her heart was getting more and more involved and she was helpless to stop it.
But she was waiting for the next shoe to drop. Nothing this good lasted forever.
She recognized her view of life was jaded. After some reflection, she decided she did not want to be this cynical. She was teaching her daughter to go at life with an open heart yet she had closed herself off so much in the last few years, it was now second nature to push people away emotionally.
Being a hypocrite did not seat well with her.
She was tired of living in the past.
And that was why she was visiting Dale at his home for the next few years – a prison in Miami.
She was sitting in a hard, plastic chair, facing him through a window of glass. He still looked banged up from the altercation with Zach. She always thought of him as an unstoppable force. Today, dressed in the orange suit marked inmate, he looked small and weak - defeated.
He picked up the other end of the phone she had at her ear. He smirked and opened his mouth but she was ahead of him.
“No, you’re not allowed to speak today because nothing you say matters. Not any more. I hated you for a long time. I also feared you. Even though you were not near me, I carried the memory of you and the things you did to me in my heart. And that affected my actions. I allowed you to control me but that ends today.
You no longer have any power over me because I won’t allow it. I forgive you. For everything. I hope you get the help you need someday. Good bye, Dale.”
She put the phone down. His face was tight with anger but she was unaffected by the sight.
She smiled at him and walked away.
She stepped out into the sunlight, feeling not like a changed woman but like a better version of herself.
Caroline 2.0
She smiled at the thought then stopped in her tracks when she spotted Zach there.
He was leaning against the brick building, looking all kinds of sexy.
She had not told him where she was headed when they talked this morning. She knew he would not like it and could not take the chance of him dissuading her.
He did not look angry though as he came to her.
She did not know how he knew where she was but it did not matter because she was glad to see him. There were some things she wanted to say to him and they suddenly could not wait.
Zach loved her. He told her every day. He showed her every day.
Dale’s abuse shook her confidence in her ability to trust her instincts.
No longer.
Right now, those instincts were screaming that this was a man she could entrust her heart to and she listened to them.
She was not sure what she intended to say when she opened her mouth but four words came out and they were just right.
“I love you, too.”
Zach smiled, eyes lighting up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet box.
Inside was a simple diamond ring.
He got down on one knee. In front of an ambling police officer he said, "I have been carrying this around, waiting for the right moment to give it to you and this is it. I love you. Will you be my wife? The mother of my children? The keeper of my heart? My everything?"
She embraced the future, not scared of the past any more and said, "Yes."
Ring on her finger, she pulled him to his feet and jumped into his arms as a lone voice cheered from the street.
“You won’t regret this,” he whispered against her ear. “I’ll make you the happiest woman alive.”
She kissed him and said, “I know.”
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Keep reading for Luke’s story...
Luke
Chapter 1
Vanessa Hughes was bored out of her mind.
And everyone knew boredom-plus-Vanessa equaled trouble. That would explain why she was currently hanging off the stern line that helped keep the huge yacht docked like a giant spider.
Taking the front door, so to speak, would have been perfectly fine but where was the fun of that?
Okay, believe it or not, Vanessa was not a complete loon.
There was a logical explanation as to why she was inching her way across the rope. See, Vanessa was a romance author. In the novel she was currently working on, her heroine was kidnapped by a madman and locked away on a pristine, white yacht similar to this one. The criminal was using the poor woman as bait to lure the dashing hero who was head over heels – even though he did not know it yet – to his demise.
The heroine was not one to sit around and wait to be rescued. She was going to save herself. At least, try to anyway.
Vanessa’s current position was simply a test to see if this was a viable escape route for her heroine.
Almost thirty minutes later and almost having lost a shoe, Vanessa landed on the wooden deck, sweating and out of breath. She hoped her heroine was in better shape than she because she was sure going to feel that little work out in her arms and legs tomorrow.
Whoever said writing romance was easy had no idea what they were talking about.
Still, a satisfied grin crossed her cheeks at the accomplishment. Especially after the terrible writing day she had. That scene was going to be magnificent when she finished creating it.
Vanessa started phase two of her plan for beating her boredom for the evening – having a drink and mingling with the locals of Boot Key Harbor at Lenny’s Bar and Grill. She could see the flashing neon sign that pointed to the establishment. Even without the sign, the music and laughter gave away its location.
The bar was the place to be according to all the staff aboard the yacht. She would probably find a few of them there since they had been given the night off. The owner of the sea craft, Greyson London, was playing hooky tonight and decided everyone else should as well.
Before he had left that morning, his instructions to Vanessa were, “Get your behind off this boat. Stop writing about love and sex and go find some. There’s nothing better than the real thing.”
With that cryptic piece of advice and a wiggle of his eyebrow, he had left with a step lighter than she was used to seeing. He had always been a great friend, even back in those early days.
After a day where the hero and heroine refused to talk to her, she decided to partially heed his advice. She was not going to look for love but she could use a break. If she had to look at another blink of the cursor on her laptop for one more minute she would have probably smashed the device in frustration.
She needed a break from the world of fiction. A night of fun and relaxation was definitely in order.
A short walk later, she entered the wooden structure and hummed her approval.
The bar was right on the harbor and there was a magnificent view of the water, where several more expensive yachts were docked. The moon was full and cast a magical glow over everything. The space was divided into the bar area, a dance floor with connecting stage where a live band was performing and an eating space furnished with tables and chairs.
Vanessa immediately spotted some of the crew and went over to say hi. She was greeted with smiles. “Is Sally with you guys?”
“Nah,” mumbled her lifelong friend’s personal chef. Drinks were being served in abundance and he had the rosy cheeks and twinkling eyes to prove it. “She told me she has some family around here and went to visit. Personally, I think she got herself a guy friend around these parts, if you know what I mean.”
He leaned forward as if confiding super-secret information but he was loud enough to be heard at least two tables away.
After a few more moments of chatting, Vanessa went up to the bar and ordered a drink and a burger and fries with all the trimmings.
Drink in hand, she turned around, intending to go find a table while she waited for her food to be delivered. She took one step then promptly ran into what felt like a wall.
“Oomph.”
She bounced off and would have landed flat on her behind if a pair of strong arms had not caught her.
The heat from the large hands seemed to scorch where they touched her upper arms. She gasped from the shock of it.
Her eyes jumped up… and up to meet a pair of blue eyes that sparkled like jewels.
When she was able to tear her own eyes from their hypnotism, she perused the rest of him.
She hadn’t realized she licked her lips.
Barely contained sex appeal in a tall package. That’s what this man was.
Short, dark hair that was a little longer on the top and stuck out like he had just rolled out of bed. A light stubble of a beard that said he had not shaved for a day or two. Vanessa never particularly cared for facial hair on a guy but she found herself reassessing that preference just then. It looked soft and rough at once and she had the oddest urge to run her fingers through it.
It framed lips made for kissing. He had a pouty lower lip that should look feminine but instead made her want to nibble on it.
Tattoos ran up both arms and disappeared underneath a white tee that highlighted broad shoulders and flat tummy.
This man belonged in some kind of sex god hall of fame for all women to admire.
“Whoa, that’s cold!”
Even his voice was gorgeous.
Stunned by the force of this attraction to the stranger, Vanessa had to clear her throat to find her voice.
“What is?” She asked, eyes going back up to get lost in the endless, clear blue lake that was his.
A smile tipped his lips and revealed a dimple on his right cheek. “Uh, you kind of spilled your drink on me.”
He gestured at the front of his top and it was then she registered the spot that made his shirt transparent. The slab of muscle there was on display and she was sure she was not the only female in the vicinity to notice.
Oh. Oh.
“I’m so sorry.” Flustered and embarrassed, she reached for a napkin on the bar and began to pat his shirt.
“It’s not too bad. It will dry in a few minutes. No biggie,” he reassured her.
Her hand froze when the innocent gesture seemed more like she was tracing the lines of his defined abs. “Oh geez. I spilled my drink on you and now I’m feeling you up.”
He laughed, a wonderful sound that sent tingles down her spine and had goose bumps breaking out across her neck.
She thought stuff like that - this instant attraction - only happened in her romance novels.
He took the clean napkin she thrust at him and dabbed at the wet spot, smile wider now. “It’s a lot more satisfying when you do it.”
She blushed, for once words failing her as she watched him wipe at his chest.
A few seconds later, he proclaimed, “There, now that’s all fixed, you’ve got to let me buy you another drink. It’s the least I can do. I’m Luke Bennett, by the way.”
He held out a large hand for her to shake and it swallowed her smaller one in its grip. Another thing she thought only happened in her books occurred then. An electrical shock zapped where their hands touched. She gasped from it, eyes jumping to his.
Did he feel that, too? Surely she could not be the only one to feel something so strong.
The way his eyes heated said he did indeed.
The two just looked at each other for a few seconds before Vanessa found her tongue.
“I’m Vanessa Hughes and I think I’m supposed to be the one trying to make it up to you since I threw my drink on you. I’ll do the buying.”
“A gentleman never lets a lady buy on the first date.”
Vanessa’s eyebrow rose as they both reluctantly broke the physical connection. �
��First date? Isn’t it customary to ask a girl out first?”
His smile turned wicked. “Sure. But I can’t take the chance that you’ll say no.”
Saying no never entered her mind - if he had asked that is. Still, she could not let him off the hook too easy. “You don’t even know me. And I don't know you - why should I agree to this? I can already have a significant other for all you know.”
“Do you?”
“Well, no.”
“Then it’s settled. You’re single. So am I. We’re attracted to each other and there is no perfect time like the present to have our first date.”
“You’re pushy. I find that a terrible quality in a man.”
“Don’t worry, love. I have numerous great qualities that will make up for my flaws. You’ll learn all about them soon enough.” He looked her up and down, sending her thoughts into the gutter.
She blushed. Again.
She seemed to be doing that a lot around this man.
“I wonder how far down that color goes,” he mused, seemingly to himself as his eyes followed the line from her face and neck, down to her chest. That only made her skin burn hotter.
He laughed, a low, rasping sound.
Oh, this man was aggravating.
And sexy. Oh so sexy.
Since when are you fazed by a pretty face? asked Vanessa’s inner feminist. Since I met Luke Bennett the romantic in her shot back, sighing as she took in all his stunning manliness again.
His eyes came back to hers. “Grab us a table, please. I’ll get us the drinks. We’re going to have a great evening.”
Chapter 2
Luke’s day started at three thirty AM.
It started horribly.
He had woken up from a nightmare that left the sound of gunfire and screams loud in his ears. So loud that he had almost been convinced he was back in a war zone even though his vision had told him he was in his bedroom in his apartment near the harbor.
As a former armed forces soldier, Luke was no stranger to PTSD. Before he left the military, he watched his own father battle the mental illness and lose. He watched other soldiers who served with him succumb to the anxiety disorder, a few even taking their lives to escape the mental torture.