She pushed herself up on one forearm as she shoved her hair back from her face with the other hand. “You can keep telling yourself that if it makes your pride feel better.”
“Let’s see.” LD gripped her hips with his hands and drew her up so his hips cradled hers. “There, that makes my pride feel much better.”
Marie’s heart skipped a beat as she stilled. Their lips were only inches apart. “So, your pride isn’t wounded too badly is it?”
He flashed a purely sensual grin. “My pride was never wounded.” He rotated his hips to emphasize his point.
Her mouth went dry and she wasn’t sure if the cause was the point he was making or the pure lustful look in his eyes. She saw his gaze drop from her eyes to her lips, while his hand ran up her spine, stopping when it reached the back of her neck where his featherlight caresses sent shivers through her body.
The hand still resting on her hips moved upward and under the shirt she wore. When his rough, warm palm came to rest in the small of her back, she closed her eyes and sighed. If the man was toying with her, she was going to have to really hurt him.
Slowly, his fingers traced a path up her spine and deftly unfastened her bra. The hand on her back was warm and tender as it rested between her shoulders. The other hand gently guided her lips to his and she felt his breath catch a moment before their mouths touched.
His body hardened beneath hers as their breaths mingled. Then hesitantly, he began to explore her lips as if he thought she would stop him. And she should, because this encounter would only complicate matters more.
She wanted to pull away, but these long, slow kisses seemed to last an eternity, distracting her from the direction of her thoughts and common sense.
The first time they’d been together, his hands, mouth and desire had been hot, hard and demanding. So unlike this. When he traced the seam of her lips with his tongue, she was unable to resist the lure. He didn’t hesitate to deepen the kiss, to take charge of the moment. Without breaking contact, he rolled them over, pinning her beneath him. She shivered as his weight pressed her into the cold, wood floor.
Releasing her mouth, he trailed kisses across her chin, down her throat. As air reentered her lungs, her brain started functioning. All the reasons why they shouldn’t be doing this came flooding back to her.
LD sighed against her neck then lifted his eyes to hers. “Stop thinking, Marie.”
“Thinking?”
He dropped his head and brushed a gentle kiss across her lips, then lifted his gaze back to hers. “Don’t think about the world outside this cabin.”
“It’s not that easy.”
His lips ravaged hers in a fast furious kiss that sent her senses spiraling out of control. Then the contact was gone and she felt as if she were in an uncontrolled fall.
“It’s that easy.”
His voice was low and husky with an underlying emotion she couldn’t identify. Opening her eyes, she searched his face for the answer. “LD.”
Placing his fingers over her lips, he cut off her protest. “Let me love you.”
He shifted, then his hands were on hers, his fingers laced with hers, his weight pushing her into the floor and she relished the feeling. His words touched her more deeply than she ever imagined possible. Even though it wasn’t a declaration of undying love, it was enough to give her the hope she needed that one day he might love her as much as she loved him. With that thought in mind, she relaxed and allowed him to do as he asked.
Slowly, he stripped away her clothing. As each piece was removed, he explored the newly exposed areas of her body. Caressing and kissing her skin until he was satisfied and she was left wanting him so desperately she begged him to hurry.
His laugh was deep and throaty. “The first night we were together was all about desire and lust.” He ran a hand down the length of her body as he knelt next to her and gazed down at her nearly naked body. “Tonight, is about passion and pleasure. We both know those are two things that can’t be rushed.”
She wondered exactly how much patience this man possessed and was afraid she was about to find out. Hooking one finger in the front of her panties, he gently tugged them down her legs and off. She watched his face as he trailed the fingers of one hand up her leg, stopping just short of touching her where she most wanted to be touched.
He turned and his gaze caught hers, he knew she’d been watching him. “You’re going to explode if I touch you, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” Her voice was deep and she couldn’t control the quick breaths she was taking.
Silently, he stood and gently pulled her to her feet, then scooped her into his arms. “Good, keep that feeling.”
Crossing to the bed, he deposited her in the middle, then stood back and stripped off his clothes as she watched. When he finished putting on protection, he smiled and her heart flipped over in her chest. She didn’t think she could stand not touching him another minute. Coming up on her elbows she met his hot gaze. “Please. I want you.”
Kneeling on the bed, he spread her legs and looked in wonder at her for several moments before speaking. “I didn’t think it was possible to want you more than I did the other night. But I do and it scares the hell out of me.”
She smiled as his hands moved across her body. “I feel the same way.”
“Good.”
He moved over her, gently forcing her down, then she felt him nudging her and instinctively she lifted her hips and closed her eyes. With an intensity that threatened to overwhelm her, she reached for him. “Please.”
Her fingers just brushed him as he moved away. “Open your eyes and keep them open for me. I promise you won’t be sorry.”
She did as he asked, focusing on his face. Then as he entered her and began to move, she slowly opened her senses to him as well, until she felt his desire, his passion. In that instant, her world exploded. Desire swept over her like rolling waves, each carrying a mixture of their combined feelings, lifting her higher, taking her to a place she’d never before dreamed of. She called out his name and knew he was right there with her and always would be.
* * * * *
He couldn’t ever remember feeling contentment down to the center of his soul as he did now, LD thought, as he leaned against the wall, gazing out the window. But he did now. He wasn’t sure if this new tranquility was due to Marie’s confession or the incredible experience he’d shared tonight with her.
Truthfully, he didn’t care how he’d reached this point, but now that he was here, he wasn’t about to let it slip away. They needed to return to New Orleans quickly. The sooner Black was found and dealt with, the better. He was in a hurry to get on with his life, which was going to be drastically different from the way he’d imagined it being, but that didn’t bother him anymore. Even the thought of living in New Orleans no longer made him feel ill. That realization alone confirmed the fact he was a goner when it came to Marie.
He turned and looked at the woman who wielded the power to get him to live in the one place he’d spent his entire adult life avoiding and suddenly couldn’t imagine his life any other way. This was his home, his family and it had taken an outsider to bring him back.
He was amazed he wasn’t running back to Virginia to get away from this mess. Staying meant that his days as a loner were over. He’d be attending every family function that came up because Marie would never allow him to make a simple phone call or mail a present. That was okay by him, because honestly, he was tired of being a stranger to his own family.
That thought brought him back to their current problem. He still couldn’t shake the feeling he was missing something vital, something he should know. Maybe, it was hearing Nate put so many of his own thoughts into words that put him on edge.
Marie shifted and sat up in bed, the sheet pooling around her waist. “LD?”
The faint moonlight only outlined her body, but he didn’t need light to know how magnificent she was. “I’m here.”
“Is everything okay?”
Apprehension and desire mixed together to make her voice sultry. His body responded immediately as he moved back toward the bed. Now that she was awake, it was impossible to deny his need. He craved her more than he had earlier. If it were possible to become addicted to a person, he was hooked.
Stretching out on the bed beside her, he pulled her into his arms and pushed that last thought from his mind. For now, he was going to give in to this newly formed habit and savor every second of it.
Threads of fog floated up over the edge of the deck, before creeping across the wooden planks like living vines, wrapping themselves around his ankles. The swamp disappeared into the cotton candy dense fog not fifty yards from the front porch, obstructing the world from his view. The weather would provide them with perfect cover for the short trip to his uncle’s boat dock. Despite this fact, he couldn’t shake the feeling that evil hid within the same camouflage.
They needed to return to town quickly, but at the same time, he needed to keep Marie safe. He decided they would wait a couple more hours and hope the fog burned off by then.
The sound of running footsteps caused him to turn in time to see the door fly open.
“We have to go.” The door slammed shut behind Marie as she stopped and pulled on her second hiking boot, straightening to face him.
He looked into her eyes and wondered if he were crazy, because he trusted her completely. “Run for the boat.”
She started forward then stopped, causing LD to bump into her. “Damn it, Marie—move.”
“No, this way.”
Before he could stop her, she turned and headed back toward the cabin. “Marie!”
She looked over her shoulder as she spoke. “Don’t just stand there, we haven’t much time!”
She disappeared into the cabin. He muttered a curse under his breath as he ran a hand through his hair. The woman was headed in the wrong direction.
Quickly he moved toward the door, needing to get her away from the cabin and to the boat. Reaching the door, he opened his mouth to order Marie back to the boat, then paused. Turning to face the swamp, he listened.
The morning breeze shifted and brought with it the barely audible sound of an approaching motor.
Moving quickly, he followed Marie into the cabin. He let the door fall shut as he crossed the room. “This way.”
As he opened the door to the back porch, he saw her hesitate. “Trust me.”
She walked past him and stood still in the middle of the deck. When she turned to him, he saw the fear in her eyes.
“Black’s coming,” she whispered.
He closed the door and moved to the far corner where two ice chests were stacked, one on top of the other. “I know, so get over here, we have to move fast.”
He didn’t hear her move because the sound from the approaching boat was now loud enough to drown out all other sounds. Obviously, whoever was coming wanted speed and maneuverability on their side. The increasing roar was unmistakably that of an airboat.
Sliding the chests out of the way, LD grabbed a handle in the floor and lifted. A hatch opened to reveal a ladder leading down to the water. The door was originally installed to allow easy access to the underside of the cabin for repairs, but today would be their escape route. Turning, he found Marie directly behind him. With one hand, he pushed her toward the opening and with the other, pointed to the ladder.
For a split second, he thought he would have to force her to move, but she took a deep breath, grabbed the top rung of the ladder and descended into the darkness.
The boat slowed and he knew he didn’t have time to waste. Sitting on the edge of the opening, as far from Marie as he could get, he grabbed the cord that allowed the door to be closed from below and slid off the edge.
He landed in the murky water and felt his feet sink into the soft bottom. Reaching down, he held the tops of his boots as he dislodged them from where they were stuck. As he straightened, a wave from the boat sloshed across his chest. Damn, they were closer than he thought.
He yelled for Marie to move, but the roar of the boat engine echoed in a deafening cadence beneath the cabin, making talk useless. Grabbing her by the waist, he pulled her from the ladder, until she stood next to him. He couldn’t see her face, but he felt the tremble of her hand in his as he pulled her along. He wished there was time to comfort her, but he needed to get her directly beneath the center of the cabin as quickly as possible before…
Shots from more than one automatic weapon cut through the engine noise. LD backed Marie against one of the support columns and covered her as best he could with his own body.
No doubt thinking they were inside, the men in the boat focused their gunfire on the cabin. Even so, the water around them was peppered with stray bullets. LD kept his attention focused on the boat’s location, constantly inching them around the pole to stay out of the line of fire.
Marie flinched as another volley of gunfire broke loose, but that was all she did. She didn’t cry, scream, or attempt to run. She would have made one hell of an agent, he thought as he moved another quarter inch around the pole. Her body moved with his, like a couple waltzing across a dance floor. He would take her dancing when this was over, he thought as he took her hand and pulled her through the water to the next pole.
The airboat was now at the back of the cabin and LD used the time to move them toward the flat-bottomed boat tied to the pier. The gunfire stopped and the airboat slowly circled the far end of the cabin before moving back toward the front. The driver dropped the engine to an idle, pulled next to the porch and cut the engine all together. Directly above them, two men stepped onto the decking. LD wrapped an arm around Marie’s waist and pulled her with him until they were safely hidden in the shadows.
Footsteps sounded across the deck and then the door to the cabin opened. The men didn’t try to soften their footsteps, so it was easy to follow their progress above. He knew it wouldn’t take them long to realize the place was empty.
LD gestured with a hand toward the boat. They had to get to it. She started forward and then stopped as a roar sounded from above.
“Sonofabitch.”
LD froze in place as the front door opened with such force he was sure it had been ripped from its hinges. It wasn’t the violence that stopped him—it was the voice.
“You two. Take the boat and search the surrounding swamp. You, go search the island. I’ll search the cabin for clues. If you find them, kill them. I want them both to be alligator bait before the sun sets today.”
The boat roared to life and the men dispersed. Black was alone up there. This was the opportunity he’d been waiting for. Reaching for his gun, he eased open the safety strap on the holster as he took a step toward the front of the pier.
Then he stopped, his thoughts turning to Marie. He was positive he could kill Black, but the noise would bring the others back and he wasn’t certain he could take them all. For years, his life revolved around Black. He’d spent hours tracking the man, searching for information both on and off the job, but no longer. Black no longer ruled his life, he did.
He turned back to Marie as he holstered his gun. The desire to live life with her was stronger than any death wish he’d ever harbored.
He closed in on her and with one hand on the back of her neck pulled her to him. He crushed her mouth under his, hoping to express his feelings in one quick hungry kiss. There wasn’t time for more. She responded as she always did, as if she was drowning and he was her lifeline. Breaking the kiss, he moved his mouth next to her ear and spoke in a soft voice. “We’re going to the boat. When we get there, I’ll hold it for you. I want you climb in quietly and lay down in the bottom. I’ll pull it out as far as possible before getting in.”
“Okay.”
Once again she didn’t question him as he took her hand and guided them to the boat. He held it away from the pier as she climbed in, then he untied it. He could still hear Black inside the cabin. From the sound of glass breaking and furniture splitting, th
e man was in a rage. With any luck, Black would be too distracted destroying the place to notice the boat was missing.
He waded into the bayou until he could no longer touch bottom, then he swam, towing the boat behind him. He was almost to the first stand of cypress trees when gunfire exploded from inside the house. Bullets hit the water like deadly raindrops. With great effort, he maneuvered the boat behind the trees.
In the distance, he heard the approaching boat. Gripping the edge of his boat with both hands, he hauled himself up and over the edge in time to see Marie pull the cord to start the motor. “No!”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Marie heard LD’s protest, but it was too late, the motor came to life and the boat shot forward. She turned in time to see him fall face first into the bottom of the boat. He righted himself as she swerved to miss a large stump sticking above the water. He grabbed the edge for balance as he half-crawled, half-walked his way back to her. Without a word he sat down beside her and took over the controls. Immediately, he steered them toward the trees and undergrowth away from the open water.
“Isn’t help that way?” She yelled to be heard above the noise as she pointed back the way they had been going.
“We can’t outrun them in open water. They’re too fast.”
She turned to look behind them and immediately wished she hadn’t. Despite the fact the other boat stopped to retrieve Black and the other man, they were closing the distance between them quickly. Too quickly.
Turning forward, she watched LD maneuver them around trees, stumps and other obstacles with only centimeters to spare. More than once, the boat lurched to the side or she heard the sound of metal against wood as he got too close to an object.
She held onto the seat’s edge with her right hand and wished she could use her left arm. A bullet had hit her upper arm while hiding under the cabin. At first, she’d thought she’d only been grazed, but now she was starting to wonder because it hurt like hell.
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to push the pain to the back of her mind. She didn’t want LD to know—he had enough on his mind at the moment. As long as she did nothing to draw his attention to her arm, he’d never notice. Her dark blue windbreaker didn’t show the blood, especially since she was soaked from head to toe.
Bayou Treasure Page 20