by Sherie Keys
His motions grew quicker. She felt him hit her in a way she hadn’t experienced yet, but she loved it. Her delicate hands were splayed against the countertop, and the front of her body slid back and forth with the rhythm against the sleek black rock. His hands hadn’t moved from her hips as he guided her with each motion. He was enjoying every moment of the control.
She felt the swell of the orgasm begin, then he landed with precision on her g-spot, and her body gave in to the exquisite sensation. Her eyes rolled back, and she gasped. It was more than she could bear.
“Right fucking there, damn….” He pushed harder as she talked to him. “You feel so… so good.” She could hardly get the words past her lips, her mind now buzzing with bliss as he continued to pop her just right.
“Oh, you love that, don’t you? You dirty, dirty girl…” he growled as the rhythm became almost frantic, his thighs and ass tense as his athletic body worked the pumping motion to appease her needs.
She nodded and moaned, no longer able to translate her thoughts to words as her mind focused on the growing thrill within her. She sucked in a quick breath. Then her eyes fluttered, and she felt the spasm hit her hard and deep.
“Fuck!” she yelled at the top of her lungs as it hit her, the release amplified as his hands pushed her down harder onto his cock.
Impulsive movements seized her as the utter bliss ripped through her body. Her lips curled in a smile as she screamed for him, his cock completely satisfying her wet, quivering center. She felt him tense and then release himself with a deep, loud roar. Each twinge was a pulse of pleasure that swept through them as they came again and again on the messy kitchen counter. He gave one last final thrust as she moaned in defeat, and then collapsed on her back, skin slick with sweat and breathless sighs escaping their lips.
They lay on the cool marble for a few moments, the surface a relief to their hot skin. His weight felt good against her, his cock still nestled hard and twitching deep inside of her as the post pangs of fruition passed. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, little pecks making her giggle as he nuzzled her affectionately. He slowly withdrew, and she pushed herself up and off the counter. They looked at one another lovingly. He leaned back into her and wrapped those big arms around her waist, then kissed her forehead as she sighed in complete contentment.
****
The near full moon hung lazily in the cloudless night sky. The pale moonlight washed over the beach in a chalky blue and brought a completely different feel to the island. The lovers sat on the balcony, hands held tightly as they watched the otherworldly scene dance below. The water now appeared to be a dark, navy blue that shimmered and rippled beneath the glowing orb. The sands still seemed to glow and light the night almost as bright as day. A chortle of a dolphin could be heard in the distance, and Catherine gasped and pointed as the iconic silhouettes passed by the beach in a large group.
“Look at them,” she whispered, as if her voice would scare them if too loud.
“We’ll have to go watch them one of these days, they’re gorgeous to see in the sun.”
“I bet.” She gently and affectionately stroked his thumb between her fingers, while his eyes locked on her form in the moonlight.
“You’re gorgeous, too.” A smirk crossed his face.
“So, you’re comparing me to dolphins?” she asked with a laugh.
“No, that just… came out wrong.”
She reached over and ruffled his hair in jest. “You’re not too bad looking yourself, handsome.”
The sound of the lapping water and rustling leaves returned as they sat silently watching the night. In this moment, sitting next to the man she had fallen in love with, Catherine felt absolutely content, more alive than she ever thought possible. It had been almost two months at this point, and she didn’t know if she could ever return to her home without him.
“Do you want to take a trip?” his question pierced the still air and startled her from her thoughts.
“I mean, I’m kinda on one still…” she trailed off, and he shook his head in response.
“No, to get away from the chaos back at the estate for a bit? The team has off, Lucas is doing well but nearby if he needs anything. We’ve been going nonstop for weeks, I think we could use an adventure somewhere else, Spain, maybe? Or Ireland? What do you think?”
She pondered the suggestion. Work was caught up, the team was enjoying some time off, and while this had been somewhat of a vacation, she had still put in a lot of hours. She could use a break from it all.
“I think I’d like that, what are you thinking?”
He stood up and leaned against the railing, his arms crossed as he looked down at her. “I’m thinking we take the boat to the airport in the morning and get the hell outta dodge for a while.”
“What about everyone at home?” she asked with a curious glance.
“I can give Lucas a call in the morning, let him know the plan. He’ll hold down the fort. What do you say? One call to my pilot and we can go anywhere… minus the States, anywhere but there.” He chuckled.
She paused, then stood up and threw her arms wide. “What the hell, let’s do it.”
“Yeah?” he raised a brow at her.
She nodded with a grin. “Hell, yeah.”
Before he could continue, the radio crackled to life, and they heard Lucas’ voice come through.
“Speak of the devil…” Michael trailed off as he grabbed the device and turned up the volume to hear his brother more clearly.
“Hey Lucas, go ahead.”
“Michael, we’ve got an issue here…” the feedback cut in and out, the voice fading.
“What’s that? You’re cutting out? What’s the problem?” Michael straightened up, his shoulders squared as he grew tense and the radio echoed a faint voice.
“Barber, he’s on…” the radio cut out again.
“Damn it…” Michael grunted as he adjusted the signal.
“He’s got a…” The hiss of static strained in the night.
“Lucas, we can’t hear you. Start over, what about Barber? Is here there? What’s going on?”
They strained to listen, but the signal was weak and the noise was a sharp, white feedback. Then suddenly the radio waves went silent. Their hearts raced as they waited with bated breath to hear something, to know what was happening back at home.
“He’s inside… we need… get out… send… help” The words came in and out, the crackle of static so loud, Catherine thought she’d have to cover her ears.
She watched Michael’s face narrow in concern. “Lucas, I can’t hear you. I need to know what’s going on.”
A moment passed. Inaudible noises continued to filter in and out of the little speaker, and she watched his knuckles grow white as he anxiously clutched the receiver. His face was contorted in worry, and she reached out to rest a hand on his. He shook his head in bewilderment.
“We need to know what’s going on there, I don’t like this.”
“Me either,” she agreed with a quick nod. They both stared at the old, bright radio as though it were a lifeline between them and everyone back home.
“We need you…”
Before Lucas could finish, a loud bang echoed over the radio. The sound was convoluted but recognizable nonetheless. Catherine held a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide in shock and worry. It was a gunshot.
“Lucas! Lucas! Can you hear me?! Lucas!” Michael slammed a fist into the rail so hard it snapped under the pressure, wood splinters spraying. In abject defeat, he threw the silenced radio to the ground.
“Son of a bitch!” His yell echoed on in the silence of the island, bounced off the palm trees and over the soft, white sands but fell on only Catherine’s ears as they stood in horrifying silence.
“What the hell was that?” she asked, her heart racing and her senses on fire as reality hit.
Had that man breached security? Was he taking hostages? They had no way on knowing. The radio seemed to be defective, and they hadn�
�t been able to pull much from the few words they could hear.
“I don’t know, but we need to get back there. Now.”
Chapter14
The night was calm and still with skies that opened up to a shimmering blanket of stars. The waters were gentle and gave no resistance to the speeding boat as it dashed back to the estate. As the hull raced amongst the lapping waves, Catherine had to shout over the roar of the motor to try and figure out a plan.
“What are we going to do when we get there?” she looked at him with narrowed eyes as the wind whipped her hair across her face, and she brushed it back with a quick hand.
“I don’t know, we just need to get there first!” he replied, eyes not moving from the water as he pushed the small motor boat faster.
The water was inky black, the sky lit in pale moonlight that spilled blue across the shimmering surface with tiny dots of flickering stars. The wind was cool but still carried the heat of the day. Catherine had no idea how he knew where they were going, but he seemed to have it figured out. To her, it was all an expanse of open, quiet waters with only the sky watching them from above.
“What if you get arrested?” she asked as her mind raced as fast at the boat.
“Don’t care, we need to make sure everyone is okay!” he replied with a glance, strands of black hair falling into dark eyes as he drove.
“Michael, we need a plan!” she shouted, her look of exasperation clear.
He shook his head. “Can’t always have a plan, beautiful. We’ll figure it out when we get there!”
She gave him a look of concern, and he slowed the boat down a bit to quiet the motor. With a sigh, he rested his hand on the wheel and looked out to the empty sea.
“If anything else, I’ll turn myself in. If it means saving everyone else, I’ll go to prison for the rest of my life.”
“What? But how can they do that?” her eyes grew in panic.
“If he’s a fed on some kind of mission, he’ll get his way. He’ll threaten everyone I love until I admit I did it.”
“But you didn’t!” She shot up from her seat.
In desperation, she grabbed his face and looked into his eyes. “You can’t do that, you’re innocent.”
He caressed her hand that held his cheek; her fingers were cold from the night, but his warmed them with ease.
“If he has Lucas, I’m doing it. I can’t risk his life, or yours, because of a botched case.”
She felt the tears well in her eyes, and she pulled him in for a kiss. They held together for a moment, their bodies swaying as the boat lightly rocked on the calm waves. Tears fell down her cheeks, but he reached up and wiped them away, then kissed her forehead. She sucked in a deep breath and wiped away the remaining streams on her cheeks. Their eyes met, and she nodded.
“I trust you, but I’ll be damned if I let some bastard storm in and ruin everything. Let’s get over there and settle this.” She gritted her teeth and gestured for him to hit the gas. Without hesitation, he pushed it to full speed and carried on over the waters and into the night.
The journey was longer than Catherine remembered, but she realized that in the dark of night with the sense of dread in their minds, it wouldn’t seem short even if it were. She thought of Lucas, Alberto, Rascal, and the rest of the team back at the clinic, and her gut twisted in the worry of the unknown. She had no idea what this man was capable of, what his motive was, or how they could stop him. She had never felt so out of control. She felt her hand tremble at the thought, but she took a quick breath and tried to pull herself together.
As if sensing her anxiousness, Michael took a hand from the steering wheel and rested it on her shoulder as he drove. He glanced down at her and nodded, giving her confidence. She straightened up and squared her shoulders—they could do this. Whoever this man was, whatever he wanted, they were a team, and they could figure it out.
The estate began to appear in the distance, the flickering lights small dots in the distance. Michael focused on them and pushed the boat faster. He didn’t know where this man was., but he didn’t want to lose his cover. His hands guided the steering wheel to a sharp left, suddenly veering away from the lights and causing Catherine to look at him in confusion.
“We’re going to have to sneak in from the back of the property. It will be a bit of a walk, but he won’t see us coming!” he yelled over the hum of the engine and whirling winds.
She gave a nod of understanding and peered out at the beach. They still had the cover of night for a few hours, and both of them knew the layout of the estate better than this stranger. She mulled over the advantages and tried to formulate some sort of plan. She remembered the gunshot, and the memory made her heart jump. Running in unarmed seemed downright dangerous, especially since they knew he had a firearm and was dead set on bringing Michael in. They needed to scare him off, but she had no idea how to do that.
“Are there any guns on the property?” she asked with narrowed eyes.
He thought for a moment. “Yeah. There are two rifles in the golf supply cabin. We keep them around to scare off the occasional crocodile that wanders on the course.”
His expression changed to surprise, and she smiled back at him. “I think we need to head for the golf course first.”
***
Michael brought the boat down to a quiet hum as they approached the back of the property. Multiple docks decorated the shore of his estate, and he was sure to pick the one furthest from the house. He gently guided the craft up to the wooden planks, dropped the anchor, and killed the motor. They both hopped off, and he quickly grabbed the dock rope to tie up the bobbing machine for added security. Catherine watched him nervously as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
“Where’s the golf supply cabin?” she asked as her eyes scanned the dark beach. The moonlight was bright, and she could see the outlines of the trees, sandy dunes, and knolls that made up the eighteen-hole course.
He nodded straight ahead. “We cut south through the course, and it’s right there. Then we can sweep up west and that will put us in the back of the house, allowing us to take a lookout to see where the action is.”
“Okay, fuck. Are we really doing this?” She ran a hand over her face and glanced nervously toward him, feeling like her chest was about to explode.
With a strong tug, he tied the last knot, stood up, and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders.
“Catherine, you’re a brain surgeon. You hold people’s life in your hands daily. Consider this a surgery, and right now, that guy is the cancer we need to remove. You can do this, got it?”
He gave her an encouraging smirk. She let out a deep breath and nodded in confirmation, “Okay, you’re right. We’ve got this.”
Without another word, they took off toward the shore at a quick run. The sand was damp from the receded tides, and Catherine sighed in relief as they quickly made their way across the dunes and hit the grassy course. Michael ran ahead of her, his large frame carrying him quickly with quiet, soft footsteps. She watched him ahead of her, noting those broad, sculpted shoulders, that big, barrel chest, and tight waist. His ass looked perfect in those rugged jeans. She smiled to herself as she took in the view.
His pace slowed for a moment as he looked across the long field. The house could now be seen in the distance. Many of the lights were on, but otherwise it was silent. He glanced at her. “Not much further.”
They picked up their run, and Catherine felt the itchy beads of sweat pour down her back. She was breathing harder, and she felt her legs burn from the long sprint. Michael looked back and gave her a nod. He seemed to be barely sweating, and his breathing was normal. She narrowed her eyes at him.
“I never see you work out, how the hell is this so easy for you?” she puffed as they neared the small, wooden shack in front of a small lot of woods.
He slowed his pace to a quick walk to let her catch her breath and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “Good genetics?” he snickered to himself.
She rolled her eyes and stopped as they stood in front of the small cabin door. Michael walked up and typed in the security code. The light turned green, a chime alerted them it was correct, then the door clicked open. She followed him into the dark building; he didn’t bother to turn on a light, wanting to avoid any attention, and instead pulled out one of the high-powered flashlights he had grabbed. The beam blazed through the darkness, lighting up the stacks of equipment, mowers, nets, lawn treatment cans, and piles of other mismatched items.
He headed down the row of equipment. At the end was a large, red metal trunk that was locked with a security code box. He punched in the numbers and the lid popped open, revealing a few shotguns that looked like they hadn’t been used in a long while.