by Kimberly Nee
Oh.
Dear.
Heat spiked through her.
No. She would not let this happen. At least, not if she could help it. And one way to do that was to put as much distance between herself and Diego as possible.
She stepped to the left. Unfortunately, what had been a gradual slope gave way to a sudden drop-off and she sank beneath the surface. Gasping, she surfaced, streaming hair in her eyes and water in her lungs. She coughed and sputtered, struggling to clear her lungs, reaching with one hand blindly for something to hold on to.
But there was nothing and she couldn’t reach the bottom, and that was the only reason she allowed Diego to catch her around the waist.
“You might wish to mind the drop-off.” His voice was low with teasing.
“You might have warned me, you know.” She shoved her hair from her face to glare at him.
“You said you’ve been here before.” He tightened his arm about her. “Figured you knew.”
Her belly leaped again. The hand splayed over her hip was warm, his fingers pressed into her. “I didn’t come out this far out. I thought it was best if I stayed close to the shore and my dagger.”
He glanced around. “I’d say we’re alone now. Whatever’s been growling at you isn’t anywhere here now. And it’s my dagger.”
“It was mine when you were unconscious.”
She bobbed against him and the contact sent another heat spike through her. His hand tightened on her hip, his thigh brushed hers to make her all too aware of her nakedness and proximity to him. A dangerous combination.
It was impossible to discern if the rushing in her ears was the roar of the waterfall or the scorch of her own blood. It grew louder as he moved them closer to the side of the spring near the falls, where smooth, shimmering black rock rose up from the water’s depths.
“We’re supposed to be bathing.” Warm, smooth stone pressed into her back as he maneuvered her against it.
She should resist, should shove him away and make a mad dash for the shore, for the safety of her clothes. Any bit of movement would break the spell, though, and she wasn’t at all certain she wanted it broken as he eased her up against him. Oh…hell… Was he always so solid?
“We are bathing.” His voice lowered.
“Diego, no…don’t…”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t…this…no…”
His other arm slid about her waist. She fought back a sigh as he closed the gap between them and her breasts grazed his chest. Her heart beat so wildly in her chest, he had to feel it as well. If he did, he gave no indication of it, but held her gaze as he bent forward until his lips were mere inches from hers.
“Diego, this is a bad idea.”
He nodded. “Agreed. It is a terrible idea.”
His lips were closer now, brushed hers. She braced her hands against his chest and regretted it at once. His chest was hot and hard, firm muscle layered beneath bronzed skin, and it burned the palms of her hands. “I mean it. We cannot do this.”
“I agree, Gabby. We certainly shouldn’t do this.” He nuzzled her, and pleasure rippled through her, slow at first but rapidly gaining momentum. His lips grazed her ear and he continued in a silky murmur, “Why, I should burn in hell for the thoughts I’m having right now. And you should most likely slap the skin from my cheek, Captain Markham.”
“Diego…” She couldn’t force her voice above a whisper, which he seemed to find amusing, for a soft chuckle caressed her ear. His lips brushed her neck, followed by a gentle nip. Then he moved upward, along her jaw. The scrape of unshaved skin against hers sent a tingling rush through her.
“Gabby…”
It was the softest of whispers, as airy as a breeze, and he gave her no chance to reply as his lips came down to capture hers in a long, lingering kiss.
That was it. It was as if someone had struck flint to steel and touched them at the same time. His arms tightened about her, his kiss going from soft and gentle to hungry and demanding. She didn’t care, though, for she tightened her arms about his neck and parted her lips to welcome the silken heat of his tongue as it thrust forth to sweep along hers.
Fire tore through her at his touch and every last desire she’d ever had for Diego screamed to life as she arched with the need to press hard against him. He caught her left leg behind the knee, and she didn’t protest as he guided it about his hips. In fact, not only did she not protest, but she groaned in delight as he did the same with her right leg and clasped her around the waist to bring her in direct contact with him. They bobbed together, arms and legs entwined, lips locked. Another shiver, sparkling and delicious, overtook her as he cradled her backside and held her firm against him.
He continued his assault on her senses, seizing her lips to devour them. Heat filled her, raged through her as she slid her fingers up into his hair, caught and twisted to hold on. His lips parted, and she couldn’t hold back a groan of pleasure as his tongue teased her with a hot, silken caress. Slow and sensual, it left her aching for more—much more. Oh, he’d always been a gifted kisser and in the years since they were last together, his skills only improved. His kiss left her breathless and hot, filled with a burning need to feel him, an overpowering ache of pent-up desire.
The curling hair on his chest tickled at first, but as her skin became so very sensitive, the tickles became caresses themselves, and her back bowed, her breasts pressing into those caresses. She had to have him, had to have that sensual, heady teasing. When it seemed he was about to pull away, she tugged him closer, reveling in the silken caress of his laughter as he managed to murmured, “Easy, love. I’m not going anywhere.”
“The devil take you, Diego, for making me want you this way,” she retorted, catching his earlobe between not-so-gentle teeth. A shudder rocked her as his hardness met her softness and fire tore through her. No man ever brought such passion, such need, to life as he did, and she was almost terrified he would come to his senses and realize just why they shouldn’t be doing what they were doing.
“For wanting me how?” A deep groan wove into his amused tone as she swirled the tip of her tongue along the shell of his ear, and his fingers pressed tighter into her hips. He lifted her easily, and her back bowed sharply as his lips smoked a path down over her breast, then closed over her nipple.
“Oh, you know.” Wicked delight bit into her at his first warm caress. She tightened her fingers in his hair, pulled him closer, reveled in the delicious pleasure winding its tentacles about her to squeeze her tight. Her eyelids were so heavy she couldn’t possibly keep them open, and yet she didn’t want them to close. She wanted to see him, needed to make certain she wasn’t dreaming.
But no, it was no dream. He continued along his fiery path, flaying her with those delectable sensations. Need pulsed through her. Oh, dear God, how she needed him to fill her, to ease that agonizingly sweet desire threatening to swallow her. She pulled him closer, tightening her legs about him as he ground into the apex of her thighs. Sparks burst, showering her at the sensual contact, and she moaned softly into his wet hair.
He pulled away. “Gabby…”
Oh, how she loved the sound of her name on his lips. Though he spoke perfect English, it wasn’t his native tongue and he retained a hint of an accent. It made everything he said lyrical and, when he was aroused, his voice grew husky and sensual.
His gaze locked with hers and she shivered at the sensual promise swirling in his dark eyes. Without a word, he guided her back to the shore, and when they emerged from the water, they toppled onto the sand, locked in a new embrace.
His kisses were feverish and demanding, and his hands wandered expertly over her body. They caressed the outer curves of her breasts, down over the slope of her waist, and she shuddered against him as he slid a hand between them. Her skin burned from his touch, and that fire smoked through her as he delved down to slide a finger inside her.
A sensual tightness twisted her insides with each teasing stroke, each expe
rt caress. Her eyes closed as he brought her to the very edge of bliss. Any moment, and she’d go soaring out, engulfed by a pleasure so delicious, so wickedly sweet, it couldn’t be real.
But he held back.
No! Every fiber in her body tensed in anticipation of sweet relief. It was so close! Surely she would go mad from it if he didn’t drive her over that edge.
Then, his thumb moved.
“Oh!”
Pleasure erupted inside her, burst outward through her veins, twisted and turned as it scorched her every nerve. Her hips rose, arched into him to draw out that sweet, sweet fire. It wasn’t enough. She needed to touch him, needed to brand him the same way he branded her, and she wasn’t at all shy about shoving him away.
“What the devil?” he protested as she pushed hard against his chest to topple him onto his back.
“Quiet, Spaniard,” she growled, dipping down to silence him with a deep kiss. Impatience screamed through her. The fire blazing within her needed quenching and needed it now. Waiting was impossible. She needed him. She wanted him. Now.
“Gabby!” His voice was a strangled cry as she shifted over his thighs and lowered herself to sheathe him in one fluid motion.
She couldn’t help but grin down at him as she went still, savoring the starburst of pleasure erupting within her. “Do you protest?” she growled, bracing her hands against his chest to rock back.
He groaned at the sensual motion. “Not a whit, love…”
“Good.” Taking care to mind his injured leg, she settled into a slow, teasing rhythm. The pleasure was exquisite—sweet and sinful at the same time. Diego’s smile was lazy and sensual as his hands swept up over her hips, over her ribs, and caught her breasts, one in each hand.
She shuddered at the bliss of his touch. His thumbs teasingly circled her nipples, tightened her insides and urged her on. It was heavenly, the fullness of him inside her. She’d forgotten what it had been like, making love with him. Forgot how much pleasure he gave, how he made her feel every bit as desirable and womanly as the finest lady alive, even when he surrendered total control to her.
He released her breasts. His hands skimmed down over her ribs, over her hips, where he caught and held her, then arched upward in a single motion to send fiery pleasure streaking through her.
She bent forward and he groaned as her breasts brushed his chest. Their lips met in a fiery kiss as bliss burned through her. She increased her pace, increased her pleasure, until the knots grew unbearably tight and her groan entwined with his.
“Oh…love…” he breathed as she pulled away. A muscle leapt in his jaw, his entire body tensed beneath her. It was a sensual tension, filling her as well, and she needed the relief he offered.
The knots exploded, spilling sweet ecstasy through her entire body. She threw her head back and surrendered to the delight threatening to sweep her from existence. Beneath her, Diego growled long and low and peaked with her with a fury rivaling her own climax.
She sank into him, fighting for air, and his arms came up to wrap around her. His lips swept along her temple as he breathlessly whispered, “Every bit as sweet as I remember…”
He didn’t wait for her response, but pressed a hand into her cheek and turned her head to meet his lips once more. There was no need to deny herself any longer, so she didn’t. Instead, she wrapped her arms about him and offered herself for surrender.
Chapter Ten
“Are you awake?”
Gabby yawned, snuggled in Diego’s arms as they lay entwined on the warm sand. “I am. Just very content.”
“As am I,” he murmured, his fingertip lightly stroking over the top of her head.
The sand was warm, the sun warmer still, and she would happily remain right there, as she was, with him. She curved up against him, her right leg thrown haphazardly over his, her head comfortably on his chest. It brought back memories that were much more sweet than bitter, and she was deliciously drowsy.
Diego shifted, rolling onto his side, to smile down at her. “We might want to think about making our way back to the cave.” He glanced skyward. “Those clouds look a bit ominous.”
She looked up. What had been puffy, white clouds were now angry, graying-into-black storm clouds. The palm fronds rustled as the winds picked up. Still, she didn’t want to believe the weather would spoil the moment for them. “Perhaps it will blow over.”
“I doubt it.” He bent over to brush her lips with a gentle kiss. It deepened, and she slid an arm about his neck to pull him against her.
His suggestion lay forgotten until the first cold drops pattered down upon them. He laughed softly into her mouth, then broke the kiss to whisper, “I don’t think it’s blowing over.”
Thunder rumbled. Reluctantly, she pulled free of his embrace. “No. I don’t suppose it is.”
He bent to kiss her nape, pressing her tunic into her hands at the same time. “Trust me, I have no desire to see you dress just yet. Although,” a softer kiss swept along her neck, “I’d also prefer not to be struck by lightning.”
His lips were warm and teasing on her skin, and she closed her eyes as she leaned into the caress. She’d forgotten just how sensual a simple kiss could be.
But the winds would not let her indulge, as it flung stinging sand at them. Diego pulled away to give her room to tug her tunic over her head. As soon as she emerged, though, he leaned in to close the gap again. He caught her face in both hands, his kiss innocent and scorching at the same time.
She wound her arms about his waist, her hands flat against the warm expanse of his smooth, bare back. He bent her back and time stood still as his mouth moved against hers.
The skies chose that moment to completely open up and icy sheets of water stung them. Gabby broke the kiss with a gasp that quickly melted into laughter at her foolishness. Diego caught her by the hand, and they made haste to leave the jungle, to get under cover as soon as possible.
Once inside the cave and out of the rain, Diego tugged her back into his arms and she offered no resistance as he wrapped her in his embrace for a fiery kiss. That they were both soaked to the skin mattered little, as the discomfort of wet fabric on skin faded. The heat between them was so powerful she wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised to see steam rise between them as he grabbed hold of her tunic to whisk it over her head.
The fire crackled softly, warm against Gabby's back as she lay in Diego's arms. Her eyelids were heavy, as was the rest of her body. It was a delicious heaviness, one that came with being absolutely spent in the most wonderful way. “Diego?”
“Yes, love?” he murmured, his voice thick with a drowsiness she also felt.
“I find I don’t mind being trapped here so much now,” she said slowly, carefully weighing each word to keep from spoiling the wonderful mood.
“We will find a way off. But I do not wish to return to reality just yet. I far prefer this fantasy. It has been a long time since I’ve felt the way I do now. A very long time.”
She stared at him, not so certain she believed him. “Is that so? I find that a bit incredible, myself.”
He rose up onto his forearms and smiled. “Jealous, are you?”
“Hardly.”
“Would it ease your mind to know that no other woman has ever made me feel the way you do?”
“I find that unbelievable as well.”
A soft chuckle bubbled to his lips. “You know me too well.”
She nodded, her glow fading a bit more. Reality returned, whether or not it was welcomed. “I do.”
“Ah, but I know you as well and you are not nearly as tough as you would have most believe.”
She glared at him. “And what is that supposed to mean?”
“It means you want the world to see you as steely, but I see you this way—soft. Vulnerable.” His hands curved against her cheeks, his thumbs brushing lightly back and forth. “You are quite the enigma, Gabby. Flirty and coy one moment, then cuffing a man for trying to steal a kiss the next.”
/> “A man who tries to steal a kiss in a crowded taproom deserves to be cuffed. And I do not flirt. Flirting is for simple-minded dolts who care about nothing but landing a husband. And,” she added as a smile crinkled the corners of his eyes, “even if I did flirt, it doesn’t mean I will lay with the first man who thinks to buy me a beer.” She wanted to wriggle out from beneath him, to put some space between them. The pleasant feelings faded and she sensed more than a little mockery beneath his words. Bracing both hands against the wide, solid plane of his chest, she pushed until he relented and slid off her. “I may be rough around the edges, but I am no whore.”
As she sat up, Diego’s hand came down onto her shoulder. “I never said that, you know. Nor would I. Ever.”
She didn’t want him touching her. It made rational thought nearly impossible. She scuttled forward, away from him. “You don’t have to say it, Diego, for it to be there.”
Her clothes lay in a ragged heap on the far side of the cave, where he’d tossed them after peeling them from her. Now, she felt as though he’d peeled off her skin as well. It was more than uncomfortable, and she couldn’t dress quickly enough.
He made no motion to halt her, but reclined onto his elbows, his unblinking gaze on her as she moved from one side of the cave to the other. “You are reading far more into my words than they truly mean, Gabby. And it is not how I see you. I never have.”
His words rumbled over her, low and growly but sincere, and she paused in tugging on her breeches to glance up at him. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” A slow, lazy stretch, and he reached for his breeches. They slid easily up his legs, and she waited to see if he’d flinch when he reached his wound. He paused briefly, but that was it, then drew them up to fasten. They were grimy and dirty, the bloodstains having gone from red to a rusty brown color and the once fawn-colored fabric was streaked with dirt, sweat and blood.
She tore her attention from his battered breeches and lifted her gaze to his. “So why say such a thing?”