by Cathryn Fox
Beginning with his mussed, windblown black hair, her eyes traveled down his long torso toward his finely toned body parts and came to rest on his knee-length swimsuit. Even from a distance she could see his hard pecs, hard abs, and even harder leg muscles. For a brief moment she wondered what they’d feel like wrapped around her.
Arms folded, she leaned against her doorjamb, her body registering every delicious inch of the stranger who piqued her interest. And by the looks of things, he had a lot of inches to keep her interest piqued.
His bronzed skin glistened with perspiration as he made his way down toward the water. She noted that his walk seemed rather rigid, stiff. He favored his right leg as if it caused him great pain to move.
When Mr. Hardbody reached the water’s edge he stopped and spread his feet to shoulder width. He crossed his hands behind his back, palms facing out. Since Danielle’s uncle was a military man, she’d recognize that at-ease stance anywhere.
She watched him a while longer, studying his body language. It occurred to her that he looked like he should be addressing the troops, not staring out over a sunlit ocean. But, hey, even soldiers needed vacations, too, right?
Lucky for her.
Without warning he turned around. As though he felt her eyes on him, his gaze strayed toward her cabana, toward her. When their eyes met and locked, she faltered backwards, jolted by the ribbons of need rushing through her veins. Heat bombarded her body and her skin moistened right down to the tips of her toes, but she knew it had nothing to do with the tropical sun.
What was it about him that made her thighs tingle even as he stood thirty feet away? As lust exploded inside her, her thoughts careened off track. Her lascivious mind took her in an erotic direction.
She closed her eyes, imagining what it would be like if she offered herself to a trained soldier, a guy who seemed worlds away from the men in her social circle. Judging by his commanding presence, his disciplined body language and his piercing gaze, she’d hazard a guess that he’d be more than capable, and more than willing, to play out all her secret fetishes with her. Warmth flooded her pussy and dampened her panties as she visualized herself bound to his bed, restrained and subdued while he disciplined her body in the most delicious, most scandalous ways.
Truthfully, it amazed her that one captivating look from a stranger had her hormones squawking louder than the native wildlife.
Danielle drew in air, determined to make every moment of this vacation count. She decided to forgo a nap, slip into her bikini and head out to meet the locals, or rather, that tall, brooding, mysterious man lingering at the water’s edge. When she opened her eyes again, he was gone. Gone! Vanished. AWOL. MIA.
She blinked and glanced up and down the beach for Mr. Hardbody, but dammit, he was nowhere to be found. She suddenly wondered whether she’d imagined him. Had this magical island caused her salacious mind to conjure up the perfect fantasy man for her?
Either way, she needed a swim to cool herself down before her body spontaneously combusted. She peeled off her clothes, pulled on her new itsy-bitsy peach bikini, and strolled lazily to the shore, squishing the warm white sand between her toes along the way. She spent a few moments walking the beach line, absorbing the sun’s warmth. Stopping to stare out over the ocean, she gave a little heavenly sigh and noted that even though she’d been out on the beach for only a few minutes, her pale skin had already begun to burn.
She planted her hands on her hips, and her gaze skimmed the aquamarine water as she tested the temperature with the tip of her big toe. It was actually warm, far different from the cool lake waters she was used to. With these tepid temperatures, there was no need to psych herself up to jump in.
Feeling adventurous and bold, Danielle rushed forward and waded out until she was submerged up to her neck. The water felt glorious against her scorching skin and was so crystal clear, she could see right down to the tips of her toes.
At the same time, she saw something swim by those toes. Holy hell, what was that? That same something brushed against her leg. Oh, damn. Her pulse skyrocketed. She opened her mouth to scream, but no words formed. Arms and legs flailing, she began to tread water. What had she been thinking, venturing into unknown waters by herself? Lord only knew what kind of deadly sea creatures swam in the Pacific Ocean. Heck, she might be a streetwise city girl, but that certainly wasn’t helping her in this situation. She was completely out of her element here. She should have at least invited Abby to join her since her friend had spent her college days teaching water aerobics at their local health club.
She decided to change tactics and stilled her movements. Steeling herself, she scanned the ocean floor for whatever was down there, waiting for it to pounce. After a good thirty seconds, her racing heart began to slow.
Maybe it had swum away.
Taking her by surprise, that same something brushed against her thigh and slipped between her open legs.
“Jesus,” she cried out as she lost her footing. “What the fu—” Her words came out garbled, drowned in a mouthful of water as she sank to the sandy bottom. Body now completely submerged, she opened her eyes and came face to face with a snake.
A. Great. Big. Frigging. Snake. An anaconda, really.
And if there was one thing she hated more than flying… Sputtering and gasping for air, she tried to regain her footing as the reptile swam closer.
Something tugged her arm. A moment later she found herself upright, staring into the most gorgeous pair of baby blues she’d ever had the pleasure of setting eyes on.
“I’ve got you.”
Oh, God. It was him. Mr. Hardbody. In the flesh.
“I—” She suddenly remembered the anaconda. Her gaze flew to the water as she practically crawled into his arms. “We need to get out of here before we’re bitten.”
“They rarely bite.”
“‘Rarely’ being the operative word here,” she said, snuggling against him while her body quivered all over. Strong arms slipped around her waist and lifted her clear out of the water.
“Better?” His face was expressionless and she couldn’t tell whether he was amused or annoyed with her.
“I will be once we get the hell out of the ocean.”
With long, strides he carried her to the shore, except he didn’t stop there. With an air of command about him, he took control of the situation and continued right on up the beach toward her cabana.
“It was an anaconda,” she whispered, eyes blinking away the salty water. “It had to be at least ten feet long.”
“It was a banded sea snake.”
“Did you see it?”
“I saw it.”
“It was so big.”
“It was two feet, tops.”
“I don’t know about that,” she blurted out. “It swam between my thighs, and I think I’d know the difference between two feet and ten feet between my legs.”
Mr. Hardbody cleared his throat and said, “I would think so.” When she heard the inflection in his tone, she tipped her head to look into his eyes.
Real smooth, Danielle. Real smooth.
Just then she began coughing, the last of the water leaving her lungs. When his forward motion stopped, she angled her head to see him. Protective blue eyes looked down at her with genuine concern.
“Are you okay?” His rich, sensual baritone aroused all her senses and did the most amazing things to her nerve endings.
Was this guy for real? She resisted the urge to pinch herself to see if she was dreaming. Instead, she pinched him. Right on the nipple. It hardened.
Okeydokey then…
“I’m okay,” she squeaked out, pressing against him, loving how good it felt to be in his arms and thinking about how much better this gorgeous hunk of man would feel between her legs.
His striated muscles bunched and his brow furrowed as he glanced down at his reddening nipple, but he didn’t question her action. He just shifted her in his arms and trekked onward. Danielle’s body continued to quiver, but f
or entirely different reasons now.
As she melted into him, her flesh soaked in his warmth. She inhaled his fresh scent. He smelled like sun, sand, ocean...and man.
She took that moment to peruse the Greek god who had appeared out of nowhere and come to her rescue. His short hair was damp and slicked back, his face was tanned, cleanly shaven. Water clung to his dark lashes and dripped from his even darker hair. Danielle moistened her already wet lips and bit back a moan of pleasure as she continued her leisurely inspection.
His hand slid closer to her ass, repositioning her in his oh-so-capable arms. As his fingers neared the swell of her backside, heat prowled through her.
Packaged against his rock-hard body as she was, it was easy to tell he kept himself fit and finely tuned. She had to admit that she liked a man who took good care of himself.
His brow was furrowed and his gorgeous lips were compressed, set in a grim line. Did the man ever smile? She guessed him to be in his late twenties or early thirties, which was far too young to be jaded.
Although she took him for a well-disciplined military man, she sensed a darker side to him. Underneath that cool exterior, he seemed restless, troubled somehow. Before she could stop it, a strange gurgle crawled out of her throat and she burped.
“Sure you’re okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, just waterlogged.” Nothing a little mouth-to-mouth couldn’t fix, she mused.
With his lips positioned close to her ear, he said, “I could call for the doctor.”
She had a better idea, maybe they could play doctor. “No, I’m fine, really.”
Alpha that he was, he continued to take charge of the situation and carried her through the door of her cabana. He glanced around and then deposited her in a wicker chair. Strange how she felt absurdly safe in his arms. Back in Chicago she wouldn’t dream of letting a stranger into her place, no matter how much he resembled a Greek god. But there was something about this man. Something trustworthy and fiercely protective that put her at ease.
As he inched back, his gaze left her face and skated over her barely clad body. She watched his nostrils flare as his eyes roamed over her mouth, neck, and chest, and lower. Her nipples swelled under his probing gaze. Dayum…the guy was blatantly checking her out.
“You’re burnt.” Or not.
She threw her arms up in the air and told him, “I was cursed with strawberry blond hair and delicate skin.”
His jaw muscle twitched. “Not cursed.”
Danielle wasn’t sure whether he meant it as a compliment or not but decided to take it as one just the same. She held her hand out, realizing she didn’t even know her rescuer’s name. “I’m Danielle Carrigan. It’s nice to meet you, Mr…” She caught herself before she added “Hardbody.”
He squared his broad shoulders, nodded his head in acknowledgment and met her handshake. “Ethan Sharpe.”
Oh, he of so few words.
She motioned for him to sit. He didn’t.
Once again his eyes narrowed on her skin and she could feel her flesh tighten and tingle although she wasn’t sure if it was from his gaze or the impending sun blisters.
“You need after-burn lotion.” Before she could tell him that she hadn’t brought any, he disappeared into her bathroom and came out with a bottle of green aloe vera gel. Now, how did he know that was there?
He flipped open the cap. “A bottle in every cabana,” he said as though reading her mind. She reached for the bottle, but he ignored her. Clearly used to taking charge, he leaned forward, poured a generous amount onto the front of her arms and rubbed it in with the utmost care. She let out a sigh as he tended to every inch of her exposed skin.
Oh how she loved his attention to detail.
The cool gel felt heavenly against her heated flesh, but not nearly as heavenly as his calloused hands felt. As he rubbed she noticed that his palms were rough around the edges, just like him. Unrefined. Rugged. Bold.
Scrumptious.
She shivered under his invasive touch, enjoying his take charge attitude. As he worked the gel in, ripples of sensual pleasure danced over her skin and brought on a quiver. She wondered if he felt her body’s reactions. She bit back a heated moan as desire twisted her insides.
As she reveled in the feel of his hands on her, her head fell forward. She worked to keep her passion-rattled brain focused on conversation before she ripped off his swimming trunks and forced him to have sex with her. Wild, crazy, earth-shattering monkey sex, that is.
Her gazed roamed to his hard abs and lower, lingering at the juncture between his legs.
Wait…was that what she thought it was? Her pulse raced with pleasure. Okay, so maybe she wouldn’t have to force him, exactly.
He walked behind her, moving with confidence and self assurance. She had to admit, there was nothing sexier than a guy who knew how to take charge.
When his hands touched her back, her body started to tremble almost uncontrollably. Every nerve ending came alive. He began rubbing the gel onto the backs of her shoulders, slowly, methodically. As his thumbs made small circles, her mind took her on an erotic adventure, imagining him stroking another sensitive body part in just such a seductive manner.
As her hair began to dry, it fell into her eyes. Danielle blew a wispy bang off her forehead and shook her head to uncloud it of its delicious meanderings. She cleared her throat, curious about her mysterious rescuer, curious to know what brought him to the exotic island.
“So, tell me, Ethan, what brings you here?” Her voice came out raspy, edgy.
His sweet-scented breath whispered across her neck and made her quake. “My job.” Once her back was sufficiently coated, he circled her again, coming to rest in front of her, giving her a perfect, unobstructed view of his crotch. Nice…
After a good hard look, she glanced upward.
“Military?” she asked. She knew the spa catered to singles looking for escapism from the everyday, as well as those seeking pleasure.
She wondered which one had brought him here.
Surprise registered on his face, and then he nodded. He snapped the bottle closed. “That should keep the blisters at bay.”
With her mind still contemplating that delicious bulge in his swim trunks, she blurted out, “You sure know a lot about burns.”
“I’ve spent a lot of time in the desert.”
She examined his bronzed skin, wondering whether his tan had come from his time on the island or his time on active duty. “Have you been here long?”
His gaze shifted, camouflaging his emotions. “Long enough.” It occurred to her how little he seemed to like talking about himself.
She clicked her lips. “You’re a real talker, aren’t you? I guess you’re a man of action and not words.” Exactly the kind of guy she was looking for.
That brought a smile to his face. “Guess so,” he murmured.
She rolled her aloe-vera-covered shoulders. “Then again, I guess I make up for both of us.”
“Guess so,” he said again, amusement pulling at the corners of his mouth. His gorgeous blue eyes narrowed. “What brings you here?”
“My friends and I needed a little vacation.”
He cocked his head and glanced around her cabana. “Friends?”
“Lauren and Abby. They have their own cabanas,” she added. “We’re here for a girls only vacation where all your deepest desires are fulfilled, just like the brochure promised.”
He made a noise low in his throat. “And I suppose you’ve heard about the magic elixir.”
She nodded. “Have you tried it?”
“No.”
She leaned forward. “Is it true? Does it work?”
Skepticism flashed in his expression. “Some would think so.”
“Don’t you want to know for sure?”
A storm brewed in his eyes and he gave a quick side-to-side shake of his head. Once again he turned the conversation away from himself and back to her. “So, tell me, what desires are you looking to have fulfi
lled?” He took a moment to peruse her, his dark gaze caressing her barely clad body with pleasure. “You look like a girl who has everything she’s ever wanted.”
She moistened her parched lips and shifted restlessly in her chair. If only she had the nerve to tell him the truth. “Not everything,” she murmured. When she glanced up at him, she noted that his gaze was locked on her mouth. His tongue snaked out and made a slow pass over his bottom lip. The hungry look in his eyes sent a plethora of sensations rippling through her.
She swallowed. Dayum…
Something in her gut told her this take-charge soldier, this skilled warrior, a man who would serve and protect to the bitter end, could give her everything she needed, everything she craved.
Probing for information, she asked, “I’m sure you must have secret desires you’d like to have fulfilled.”
Naturally, he redirected the conversation.
“Where are you from?”
“Chicago. You?”
She took in the tension in his posture. “All over. What do you do in Chicago, Danielle?”
“I’m an interior designer. My friends and I own our own shop.”
One brow rose. “Impressive.” He toyed with the bottle of after-burn lotion, tossing it between his hands. Wow, he had big, fabulous hands.
The better to spank her with.
Her body shivered with longing when she thought about how he could take matters into those large, capable hands. She wondered whether he worked with them. “What do you do in the military?”
His eyes darkened, and after a moment he said, “Commander, weapons expert.”
Danielle sensed a “but” at the end of that sentence. She paused, giving him a moment to elaborate. He didn’t.
In need of a cold drink, she climbed from the chair, but Ethan was standing so close she bumped into him. Her hard nipples scraped across his chest. Ethan’s body stiffened, his head lowered and she heard him draw a quick breath. When smoldering blue eyes latched onto hers, sexual energy arced between them. Lust started at her core and traveled onward and outward until coherent speech was nearly impossible.
She saw need, desire and turbulence in his eyes, but before either of them could act on it he stepped back and said, “My fault. I should be going. I have an appointment.”