Love Me Carefully

by A. C. Arthur

  Terrell stood, caught her trembling hands in his.

  “I mean it, Terrell—”

  “Shhh.”

  “—you are not a cop. You don’t know the first thing about…tracking…criminals.”

  “Shhh. Leah, baby, listen to me.”

  “And if you think I’m just going to sit back—”

  To shut her up and because he couldn’t resist any longer, he kissed her, trapping her lips beneath his until she relaxed and opened her mouth. He wanted to wrap all his emotions around her so tightly and so securely he wouldn’t have to wonder about her safety.

  Breaking for air, he rested his forehead on hers. “I just don’t want you hurt, baby.”

  Leah sighed. “I don’t want you hurt either, you big idiot. That’s why I’m here.” She hiccupped.

  He was an idiot. He should have realized how upset she was, should have anticipated she’d worry about him, the same way he was worried about her. “I know, sweetie. I’m sorry. Sit down.”

  He eased her back onto the small couch, sat beside her, lifted her feet into his lap and began to rub them. “You’re here now. I can’t very well throw you overboard, now can I?”

  She rolled her eyes at him. “Not if you want to live yourself.”

  He grinned. “So what now?”

  Leah’s stomach growled. “Dinner.”

  * * *

  “Well, Starsky had a partner, and so did Clyde. I guess if they made it, we can make it too,” Terrell said after they’d finished their hamburgers.

  Leah let loose with wild laughter. “Starsky and Hutch and Bonnie and Clyde. Are they the best you could come up with?”

  He liked the sound of her laugh, so much so he joined her. “I was going to say Lois and Superman but thought you might take offense. Lois didn’t do much besides get herself into trouble.”

  She nodded. “I’m more of a Wonder Woman type of gal.”

  “Yeah, you’re a wonder, alright.” He gave a teasing grin.

  There was that boyish smile, that look that made her want to fight all his battles, then make mad passionate love to him through the night. “Besides, you can’t go to some tropical island looking for my client without me there to help. Donald’s still under contract, and he owes me his next installment.”

  “Yeah? Well, you let me handle Donald. I don’t want you near him. Understand?”

  Leah frowned. “Wonder Woman never took orders.”

  “Leah,” Terrell said in a dangerously calm tone.

  “Alright. Alright. Whatever you say, Shaft.”

  “Shaft and Wonder Woman. What a pair we make.” He looked at her. Her long braids rested on one shoulder, the curly tips just barely brushing her left breast.

  Leah watched as his eyes darkened. She was thinking the same thing. Now that one hunger was filled, she was ready to tackle the other. She rose and stood in front of him. “Funny, I’ve been thinking we’d make a pretty good pair.” She traced a finger along his jawline.

  Terrell sucked in a breath. The look in her eyes said they were no longer talking about superheroes.

  “Oh really? What else have you been thinking?” Spreading his legs, Terrell grabbed her hips and guided her between them. Her dress was paper thin, the tropical-colored material falling gracefully over her curves. He licked his lips as his eyes roved over her hungrily.

  Her hands went to the first button on his shirt, released it, then proceeded to the next. “I’ve been thinking that it was awfully unfair what you did to me in that basement.” She pushed the shirt open and marveled at his bare chest. She’d known he’d been hiding his goodies under all those shirts he liked to wear. Pectoral muscles bulged, nipples puckered as she pinched them. His honey-tone skin appeared glazed in the dimly lit room. Slowly, torturously, she let her fingers travel further, splaying over his tight abs.

  Terrell sucked in a breath. “I got the distinct impression you were enjoying it.” He dragged his hands up and down her sides, his thumbs brushing past her breasts.

  She gave him a sly smile, then let her hands fall to his belt buckle. “Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining.” She undid the belt, unclasped the button on his pants and slid his zipper down. “I was just thinking that I hadn’t held up my end of the bargain.”

  The moment she touched his zipper, his vision blurred. He swallowed, hard, even as his grip around her waist tightened. When she reached inside and claimed him, he almost lost all train of thought. “Leah.” Her name came out as a ragged moan.

  She smiled even as she stroked his ever growing length. “Yes, baby?”

  “Ahhh, you are not going to believe this,” he started but quickly stopped when her thumb grazed his tip. “I’m…ah…I wasn’t expecting…ahhhh. Leah, I’m not prepared for this,” he finally managed to say.

  Leah paused for the briefest second before leaning closer. She stroked her tongue over his partially open lips. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ve got this,” she whispered.

  When he would have spoken, her tongue entered his mouth in one swift intoxicating swoop before leaving him again. Her light eyes had darkened, and her slender hands still worked their magic between his legs. “Well, then.” He grinned and sat back.

  “That’s right, just let me do all the work.”

  She didn’t release him even as she lowered herself to her knees. Terrell fingered her braids, twirling a few between his fingers, as he marveled at the turn of events. Thoughts of throwing her overboard or even sending her back to the States were the farthest thing from his mind at this moment. He was thinking more of…

  “Mmmmm,” he moaned as her warm lips kissed the head of his penis. Then her tongue did some sort of swirly motion and he gave up all conscious thought.

  Leah took her time, taking him in slowly, inch by glorious inch. She gave herself completely to the task at hand, soliciting soft moans and ragged growls from Terrell as she mastered him. But it was when she took his entire length, sucking and twirling her tongue around his member until she felt her own moistness seeping between her legs that she received the reaction she wanted.

  “Ahhh, baby. Please, baby. I can’t take this, it’s too much.” Even though he said it, he still grabbed the back of her head, guiding her down again.

  A smile covered her face as she tasted him again and again until his control slipped and he gave her what she sought.

  * * *

  Hours later after they’d talked and enjoyed each other some more, Terrell escorted Leah to her room. There was no way he could sleep with her and not have her completely.

  They walked down the corridor hand in hand until they stopped in front of her door. He pressed her back against the door and covered her lips again, squeezing her breasts as his tongue plunged deeper and deeper into her mouth.

  “Mmmm,” Leah moaned as she held his butt in a death grip. “I’m so enjoying this cruise.”

  “Yeah?” Terrell fingered her nipples.

  She moaned. “That’s wonderful.”

  He agreed and reluctantly pulled away from her. “But now we have to get some rest.” She’d already given him her key card, so he swiped it and opened the door for her. “Goodnight, my love.”

  She ran her finger along his jaw one last time and winked at him. “Goodnight, baby.”

  The moment the door clicked shut, Terrell groaned, took a deep breath and then returned to his own room.

  He walked down the quiet corridor and was just about to turn the corner when he saw a flash of something out the corner of his eyes. He turned back but there was nothing there. Maybe somebody else was making a booty call.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  As the ship docked, Terrell stood at the railing, marveling at the clear blue waters and brilliant sunlight and thinking about all the time he and Leah had spent getting to know each other. At this point he felt as if they’d always been together. But the real purpose of this trip had never been far from his mind.

  Somewhere on this island was his mother with a man she
considered her fiancé, but Terrell considered him—at this point he didn’t know what he considered Donald. Was he really dangerous? If so, why hadn’t he killed him and Leah when he’d had the chance? Even if he was simply a drug dealer, he had to get his mother away from him. That was the bottom line. Fear and distress sat on his shoulders like dead weights. He prayed for the strength to do what had to be done.

  “Hey, you okay?” Leah came up behind him quietly. His long, lean legs were clad in khaki shorts and he wore leather sandals. A black shirt hung loosely over his muscled shoulders, exposing the light skin of his arms. From his posture she could almost tell what he was thinking, as she’d spent some time harboring those same thoughts herself.

  While the last couple of hours had passed almost blissfully, danger beckoned to them the moment they set foot on the island.

  “Yeah, I’m cool. Just thinking about how things are going to turn out.” He didn’t turn toward her, not yet ready for her to see him this vulnerable.

  She’d placed her hand lightly on his back when she spoke to him, and now he relished her touch. She was there, quietly offering her support. Wasn’t that what a wife did? She’d made herself at home in his heart, and the thought of her not being there permanently was too painful to conceive.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” A light breeze ruffled her shirt as she inhaled the fresh tropical air. When she caught the scent of his cologne, she resisted the urge to nuzzle closer.

  “It is. I was wondering.” He let his voice trail off, wondering if now was a good time.“You were wondering what?”

  He took a deep breath. “If when this mess is all behind us we could come back. I mean, would you like to come back here with me?” He turned toward her then, his eyes searching her face earnestly.

  She looked into his warm, sensitive eyes and smiled.

  “I think that would be really nice,” she answered.

  He smiled, happy with her response. Circling her waist, he pulled her closer, loving the feel of her soft curves against him, remembering the things they’d done to each other the night before. “I’m really happy you changed your mind.”

  “So am I.” He was going to kiss her, she knew it the way she knew her name. And she wanted it, needed it, needed it like a desert needed water. So instead of waiting for him, she brought her arms up behind his head and pulled his lips down on hers.

  The contact was soft and enticingly sweet at first. Then urgent need struggled to break free. Their tongues delved and clashed, stroked and massaged until moans of pure pleasure echoed in the air surrounding them.

  “Alright, can you two try to remember you’re here on official business and this kind of stuff can get you both killed?” Tobias approached, annoyance clear in his voice.

  “Yes, sir.” Leah smiled when she finally tore herself away from Terrell. Tobias wore dark glasses and a baseball cap, she suspected in an effort to appear inconspicuous. In his hand was a travel guide.

  Terrell was too pleased with Leah’s response to give the arrival of the FBI agent much attention. But as he looked beyond the boat, caught a glimpse of the tropical island, he remembered what his true mission was. “Where to now?” he asked Agent Tobias as the ramp was being assembled for persons to leave the ship.

  “My man said they rented a car and drove to Negril. They’re staying in a hotel down there, so we’ll charter a plane and go down. I’ve booked you two at a hotel a few miles from the one your mother is staying in, and I want you to stay out of sight tonight. I’ll meet with you first thing in the morning to go over what our first step is going to be.”

  “That sounds like a plan. Where will you be staying?” Leah asked.

  “Some of us are going to stay in the same hotel with your mother, and the others are going to spread out across the island, try to get a feel for what’s going on down here before we set up the operation.” He turned to walk toward the ramp. “Wait a few minutes after I get off, then meet me at the location on this paper and we’ll fly down.”

  “Aye aye, captain!” Leah made a mock salute and Tobias frowned before smiling. “You two are really something else.” He shook his head and walked away.

  * * *

  The Rockhouse Hotel stretched across the cliffs of what the natives called Pristine Cove in Negril. It was a sturdy three-story structure nestled amongst lush trees and bordered by white sand beach and blue water.

  Tobias had booked them connecting rooms. “Good ’ol Tobias.” Terrell smiled when the room clerk gave them their keys.

  Both rooms had a private sun deck, four-poster queen-sized bed, mini bar and a door connecting that she chose to unlock.

  Leah put her bags down and walked out onto the sun deck. The sun was setting over the beautiful island of Negril—brilliant hues of purple, orange and gold streaked the sky above the turquoise water. Finding a wicker chair on the deck, she sat down, relaxing, and inhaled the tropical scent. A sound at the door jolted her, and her eyes flew to the spot where Terrell stood on her deck.

  He watched her, silently wondering if and when he’d finally have her. She looked at peace, as if she hadn’t had a care in the world. With his hands stuffed in his pockets, he walked over to the railing of the deck. The water smelled fresh and beckoned to him. The hidden cove the hotel was situated in gave a secluded feeling, a romantic atmosphere no doubt a hit with tourists.

  But they weren’t here for romance.

  He reminded himself of that fact and let his mind drift back to their main purpose. “You should really keep that door locked. You never know who might walk in.” He turned to look at her with a grin.

  “Yeah, like you,” she retorted lightly. She’d seen his pensive gaze, noticed the slump in his shoulders as he’d walked across the deck. He was worried, and he had every right to be. “Yeah, like me.”

  He stared at her then, his lopsided grin sending shivers throughout her body. “Terrell?”

  “Mmmmm.”

  He never took his eyes off her, which made the question she was about to ask all the more disconcerting. There were things she wanted to know, things she needed to know.

  “Did you love her?” she blurted out. “Tanya, I mean. Did you love her?” she explained when he only blinked in response.

  “No, I didn’t. Like I told you before, she fit this image that I had for a wife. I met her, we clicked and it just seemed like the right thing to be with her.”

  “Oh.” Leah nodded her head as if she understood.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever loved anyone.” Taking his hands out of his pockets, he braced them on the railing and leaned back. “Until now.”

  Her head shot up and she stared at him blankly, wondering if she could really trust that he meant it. But this was Terrell. If nothing else, he was honest and loyal. She knew that if he was saying he loved her, he damn sure meant it. “And now?”

  They both remained quiet while water rippled and splashed against the shore beneath the deck. The sun completed its descent, taking with it the wonderfully color-streaked sky.

  He moved to sit on the lounge chair beside her, took her hand in his. “Now I’m so completely in love with you I can’t tell where I end and you begin.”

  Could a body physically melt? Could her heart beat only to the rhythm of this man’s words? Leah could only answer yes to them both. “I never thought I’d be in love. Never thought I’d find someone I trusted with my heart.”

  “You can trust me with your life, Leah. I would never do anything to hurt you.” He lifted her hand to his lips for a brief kiss.

  With her free hand she rubbed the back of his head. “I do trust you, Terrell. I trust that you will be everything you say you are.”

  She hadn’t said she loved him back, but that would come in time, he knew. Right now she needed assurance that he was sincere. She said she trusted him but he still felt compelled to show her that she could. “Let’s get some dinner. You haven’t eaten in a couple of hours so I know your stomach will be protesting soon.” Sta
nding, Terrell pulled her up with him.

  “Are you saying I’m greedy?”

  Terrell tweaked her nose. “No, of course not. You have a healthy appetite and I enjoy watching you cater to it. Now let’s go before the rumbling starts.”

  After a playful punch to his arm, Leah reached up and fixed his glasses.

  “I must have walked around for the last thirty years with my glasses lopsided on my face,” he laughed.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “ ’Cause nobody’s ever fixed them as much as you do.” His voice lost its laughter as he stared into her eyes, one of his hands still holding hers while the other snaked around her waist.

  “Maybe nobody ever noticed you the way I do,” she said, snuggling closer to him.

  “Then I’m flattered,” he whispered before his lips sought hers.

  “So am I,” she breathed as her eyes fluttered shut and her mouth opened to greet his. It was the sweetest kiss, slow and satisfying, his tongue sliding over hers in sinuous movements that made her wish they were closer to the bed.

  His hand fanned out over her bottom, pulling her closer as her fingers clenched at his shoulders urging him to deepen the kiss. His mouth opened wider as if to swallow her. She responded hungrily, wrapping both arms around his neck and pulling him closer to the brink.

  “So sweet,” he moaned into her mouth before lightly nipping at her bottom lip.

  “How much longer?” she asked, breathless from the assault and shaky from overwhelming desire.

  “How much longer for what?” He was kissing her chin, her jaw, her neck and moving towards her ear.

  She was melting in his arms, praying she wouldn’t fall onto the floor. Each time his lips grazed her skin, her knees weakened more. “How much longer before you go back to your room and grab those condoms?”

  His tongue dipped in and out of her ear while his hands groped and kneaded her bottom.

  His heart beat erratically and hers was thumping wildly in her chest. “Five seconds tops,” he said, then darted through the connecting door.

  When he returned she was standing beside the bed. “I think you broke your own record,” she grinned.