by Tina Beckett
His smile this time was a bit tight, but he stepped into the huge tub and slid beneath the water in a single quick motion. Too quick to see if the thought of them in this tank together was affecting him as much as it was her.
Oh, lord, she was an idiot. But as the water licked the curve of his biceps with the slightest movement of their bodies, she couldn’t bring herself to be sorry she’d given the invitation.
“Nice?” she asked, making sure her bra-covered breasts were well below the waterline. Since it was almost up to her neck, they were nowhere to be seen.
He responded by sinking down further until his head ducked beneath the surface then rose again. A stream of bubble-laden water sluiced down his face, his neck…that strong chest of his… She only realized her eyes were tracking its progress when his voice drew her attention back up.
“Wish I’d thought of doing this days ago.”
“Huh?”
He shook his head with a smile. “Nothing. Yeah. It’s nice.” He stretched his arms out along either side of the tub and watched her. “So, how was your day?”
Maybe this wasn’t going to be so weird after all. “Tiring. Yours?”
“Interesting.”
“Did General Gutierrez call another meeting?” If Ben had left her out of the loop again, she was going to be seriously miffed. Those were her patients as well. And she’d been first on the scene when the distress call had gone out.
“No, still the same game plan in place, from what I understand.” He lowered his hands into the tub and cupped them, carrying the water to his face and splashing it. If he’d been trying to rinse away the remaining bubbles he’d failed because now they’d gathered like a thin goatee on his chin.
“Um…” She motioned to her own chin to let him know.
He scrubbed the offending body part with his shoulder, transferring the bubbles, then took up his position again, arms spread along the curved blue rim. She tried to make herself as small as possible.
“So, you said your day has been interesting. How so?” She kept her hands braced on the bottom of the tub to keep from slipping even further down into the water. Besides, the less of herself she exposed, the less…well, exposed she felt.
He shrugged. “Just doing some research.”
“On our cases?”
“Our cases. That’s exactly it.”
She narrowed her eyes. Why did she get the feeling that the word “cases” was being thrown around rather loosely—at least on his side.
“Did you come to any conclusions?”
“Not yet. But I’m hoping to soon.”
The look in his eyes was intense, as if he was expecting to see something reflected back at him.
She cleared her throat. “Daniel is almost better. A few more days and he should be able to be released. Cleo is still complaining of a slight headache, though, and she isn’t progressing as quickly as she was earlier.”
“Hmm…I’ll check her when I get back.” His lips pursed. “I’ve been thinking about those two—Daniel and his sister, I mean. You’re good with them.”
Something in her stomach tightened. “Like I said earlier, I try to care for all my patients.”
“I know you do.”
“I feel terrible that their mother didn’t…” The tightening spread to her throat, choking off the rest of her words.
“I know, Trace. I’m sorry.” He shifted and one of his legs touched hers, his foot lying alongside her knee. She got the feeling the gesture was meant to comfort her because she was too far away for him to reach any other way. The tub was narrower at the bottom than it was at the top, and even though she knew why he’d done it, it still jolted her system to feel the heat of his skin against hers. She returned the pressure, though, to acknowledge what he’d done.
“Thanks,” she said. “That means a lot to me.”
She licked her lips, expecting him to move his leg away as soon as she said the words, but he didn’t. Instead his gaze held hers. What he was expecting her to do, she wasn’t quite sure. A shiver went over her when his foot slid along the side of her calf, as if he’d bent his knee beneath the water. Had he done that on purpose?
There was nothing in his expression to indicate he had.
Not only did he not move away, a second later she felt something slide against her other leg. She gulped. Now, that hadn’t been an accident. Had it?
And the bubbles were starting to dissipate, popping at an alarming rate. Soon she’d be able to see beneath the water’s surface. And so would Ben. So she either needed to wash her hair and get out fast or she needed to stay in and…
That was the question. Just how brave was she?
And exactly how far was she willing to let him go?
CHAPTER TEN
SHE DIDN’T KNOW what to do.
Ben watched the quicksilver shift of expressions cross her face the second his other leg touched hers—puzzlement, realization, concern and finally uncertainty.
“Tracy.” He leaned forward and held out his hand to her, keeping his voice low and coaxing. “I know it hasn’t been easy coming here—working with me. And I wasn’t even sure I wanted you here. But it was the right thing to do.”
The right thing to do.
And what about what he was doing now?
He had no idea if it was the right thing or not. But the second she’d invited him into the tub he’d wondered if this was where she’d been heading the whole time. Especially when he’d started shucking his clothes and he’d seen the slightest glimmer of hunger flash through her eyes. She’d quickly doused it, but not before it had registered for what it was. He’d seen that look many a time back when they’d been a couple.
The question was, should he push the boundaries? She was vulnerable. Tired—she’d admitted it herself. Wasn’t he taking advantage of that?
He started to pull his hand back when she startled him by reaching out and placing hers within it, saying, “I know it was. So is this.”
Without a word she held on tight and tugged, a movement that sent her sliding across the tub towards him. Her feet went up and over his thighs, hitting the curved plastic on either side of his hips. Her forward momentum came to a halt, and his libido took up where momentum left off.
Raw need raced through his system, replacing any ethical questions he’d had a few seconds ago. With a single gesture she’d admitted she wanted him. At least, he hoped that’s what it meant.
“When do you need to be back to work?” he asked.
“I’m off until tomorrow.” Still two feet away from each other, her gaze swept down his face, lingering on his mouth.
Until tomorrow. That meant he had all night. He forced himself to take a long, slow breath.
He smiled. “You know, we should have thought of putting a tub like this in our back yard. It’s almost as big as a pool. The only problem with it is you’re still much too far away.”
“Am I?” Her thumb swept across the back of his hand beneath the water. “I’ve come halfway. Maybe it’s your turn now.”
“Maybe it is.” He pushed himself across the space until, instead of being separated by feet, they were now inches apart. “Better?”
She smiled. “Yes, definitely.” She released his hand and propped her fingers on his shoulders, smoothing across them and sending fire licking through his gut in the process.
He curled his legs around her backside and reeled her in the rest of the way, until they were breast to chest and she had to tip her head back to look at him.
“So, here we are,” he murmured. “What do we do now?”
“Do you have to ask?”
His lips curved in a slow smile. “No, but I thought I should check to make sure we were on the same page.”
“Same page of the very same book.”
That was all the confirmation he needed. He cupped the back of her head and stared into her eyes before doing as she’d asked: meeting her halfway. More than halfway.
He swore, even as he kissed he
r, that he was still working on his plan. Still analyzing every piece of information. But that lasted all of two seconds before his baser instincts kicked in and robbed him of any type of higher brain function. He’d hoped to get an inkling of whether or not the old attractions were still there.
They were.
And at the moment that attraction was groveling and begging him not to screw this up by thinking too hard.
So he didn’t. The fingers in her hair tightened, the silky strands growing taut between them. A tiny sound exited her throat that Ben definitely recognized. Tracy had always been turned on by control.
His over her. Or at least that’s what she let herself believe.
In reality, though, she’d always wanted to control every aspect of her life, whereas he was happy to take things as they came. But in the bedroom it was a different story. Handing him the reins got her motor running, and right now Ben was more than happy to oblige.
Using his grip on her hair to hold her in place, he kissed along one of her gorgeous cheekbones, taking his time as he headed towards her ear.
“Ben.”
His eyes closed at the sound of his name on her lips. Oh, yeah. It had been four long years since he’d heard that husky whisper—half plea, half groan. And it drove him just as crazy today as it had back then.
His teeth closed over her earlobe, while his free hand trailed slowly down the curve of her neck, continuing down her spine in long feathery strokes, until the line of her bra interrupted him. He circled the clasp a time or two, his finger gliding over the lacy strap that transected her back. One snap and he had it undone.
A whimper escaped her throat, but she couldn’t move, still held fast by his hand in her hair. He tugged her head back a bit further, exposing the line of her throat, and the vein beating madly beneath her ear. He licked it, pressed his tongue tight against that throbbing pulse point, glorying in the way those rhythmic waves traveled straight to his groin, making him harder than he ever remembered being. Unable to contain his need, he whispered, “I want you. Right here. Right now. Say yes.”
She moistened her lips, but didn’t keep him waiting long before responding. “Yes.”
“Yes.” He breathed in the word and released her hair, his hands going to the straps on her shoulders, peeling them down her arms and letting the piece of clothing sink to the bottom of the tank. He parted the bubbles on the surface of the water until her breasts came into full view.
“Beautiful.” He cupped them. “Get up on your knees, honey.”
She did as he asked, a water droplet clinging to the hard tip of her left nipple. Who could blame it? Certainly not him, because that was right where he wanted to be.
Lowering his head, he licked the drop off, her quick intake of breath telling him she liked the way he lingered, her fingers on the back of his head emphasizing her point.
He pulled away slightly, and looked up at her with hooded eyes. “Ask for it, Tracy.”
Her lips parted, but she didn’t utter a word, already knowing that wasn’t what he was looking for. Instead, she kept her hands braced against his nape, and arched her back until the breast he’d been courting was back against his mouth. She slowly drew the erect nipple along his lower lip.
“That’s it,” he whispered against her skin. “I love it when you do that.”
He opened his mouth, and she shifted closer. When his lips closed around her and sucked, her body went rigid, and she cried out softly. He gave her what she wanted, using his teeth, his tongue to give her the same pleasure she’d just given him. God, he loved knowing what she wanted and making her reach for it. His arms went around her back, his hands sliding beneath the band of her panties and cupping her butt. He slipped his fingers lower and encountered a slick moisture that had nothing to do with the water all around them. Raw need roared through him.
Knowing he was coming close to the edge of his own limits, he found her center and slid a finger deep inside her, then another, reveling in the way she lowered herself until they were fully embedded. He held her steady with one hand while his mouth and fingers swept her along remembered paths, her breathing picking up in time with his movements.
Not long now.
And he was ready for her. More than ready. He ached to be where his fingers were.
He clamped down with his teeth and at the same time applied steady pressure in the depths of her body, and just like in days past, she moaned loudly, her body stiffening as she trembled on the precipice before exploding around his fingers in a series of spasms that rocked his world. Within seconds he’d freed himself and lifted her onto his erection, sweeping aside the crotch of her panties as he thrust hard and deep.
Hell. His breath left his lungs as memories flooded back. Except everything was even better than he remembered, her still pulsing body exquisitely tight, her head thrown back, dark, glossy hair tumbling free around her bare shoulders as she rode him. Over and over, squeezing and releasing, until he could hold back no longer and with a sharp groan he joined her, falling right over the edge into paradise.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
A DISASTER. THAT’S what yesterday’s session in the water tank had been.
Tracy stood in front of the tiny mirror in the bathroom and examined her bare breasts. Really looked at them for the first time in a long time. She’d spent the last several years avoiding everything they represented.
And yet they’d brought her such pleasure yesterday.
It was a paradox. One she’d tried to blank out by pretending they didn’t exist. Only Ben had forced an awareness that was as uncomfortable as it was real. How much longer was she going to keep running away?
I’m not!
Tracy continued to stare at her reflection, her lips giving a wry twist. She’d believed those two words once, even as she’d scurried from one place to another. Now…? Well, now she wasn’t so sure.
She should tell him. Now that the anger was gone, he should know the truth of what she’d been facing back then.
Why? What good could possibly come of it now that they were no longer together? Did she want him to feel guilty for what he’d done? For touching her there?
No. She wanted him to remember it the same way she did—as a pleasurable interlude that shouldn’t be repeated.
She raised her hands and cupped herself, remembering the way Ben’s fingers had done the same—the way he’d brought his mouth slowly down…
Shaking her head, she let her arms fall back to her sides.
As great as their time together had been, retracing her steps and venturing back into an unhappy past was not a wise move. Ben had been miserable with her by the end of their marriage.
But how much of that had been her doing? Had been because of what she’d become? A phantom, too scared to sit in any one spot for too long—who had felt the walls of their house closing in around her any time she’d spent more than a couple of weeks there.
So how could she have let yesterday happen?
She had no idea.
Even though she could freely admit it had been a mistake, could even recite each and every reason it had been the wrong thing to do, she couldn’t force herself to be sorry for those stolen moments. She’d always known what she’d felt for Ben was powerful—that she’d never feel the same way about another man—and being with him again had just driven that point home.
Which meant she couldn’t let it happen again.
Reaching for her clothes, she hurriedly pulled them on, turning her back to the mirror like she always did and feeling like a fraud. It was one thing to admit her reasons for doing something. It was another thing entirely to change her behavior. Especially when that behavior had served her perfectly well for the past four years.
At least…until now.
By the time she made it to the makeshift hospital, Daniel was sitting in a chair next to his bed, his chin on his chest. His eyes were dry, but his arms were wrapped around his waist as if he was in pain.
She squatted next to h
im. “Daniel, what’s wrong? Does something hurt?”
He shook his head, but didn’t move from his slumped position.
“Then what is it?”
Several seconds went by before he answered her. “Where will we go?”
The question was so soft she had to lean forward to hear it, and even then she wasn’t sure she’d caught his words.
“I’m sorry?”
Lifting his head, he glanced around the space. She twisted to do the same and noted several of the beds were newly empty—fresh sheets neatly pulled up and tucked in as if ready for new patients. Only there probably wouldn’t be any.
There’d been no deaths in the last day or so, and the people who’d become ill after the teams had arrived had ended up with much less severe versions of the illness. It definitely made a case for early intervention.
“This is…was our living room…before my mom—before she…” He stopped and took a deep breath. “Once Cleo and I are well enough to leave here, where will we stay?”
Tracy’s heart broke all over again. She’d been worrying over her little tryst with Ben when Daniel and Cleo were now facing life without the only parent they’d ever known. And because the two had no relatives that anyone knew of, and as their home was now being used as a temporary hospital, there was literally nowhere for the siblings to go once they were cleared of infection. Oh, the military would probably take them to a state-run orphanage once the quarantine period was lifted. But until then? No one was allowed in or out of the village.
Surely they could stay here in what had once been their home. But where? Every room was being used, whether to house soldiers or medical personnel. It was full. More than full. Even Pedro—whom she’d barely had a chance to speak to in recent days—had moved from where he’d been staying and was now bunking with members of the military unit assigned to Sao Joao dos Rios.
She thought for a minute. Ben kept talking about how much he cared about these kids. Maybe it was time to put that to the test. “We can ask to have two more hammocks put up in the room where Dr. Almeida and I sleep. At least until we figure something else out.”