Wild Nights

by Tina Wainscott

  Malcolm sped to the door like a scolded kid. As soon as he reached it, though, he turned. “And you stay out of this. Go frolic with your girl, but keep your nose out of my business.” Then he darted away, apparently not as bolstered by having his gun back as he thought he was.

  Jennessy closed the door behind him. “That was crazy.”

  “Now we know why he’s been skulking around. But it doesn’t make him any less of a pain in the ass.”

  “At least he doesn’t know about tonight when—”

  Sax placed his hand over her mouth. Very quietly he whispered, “If he’s a PI, he may have planted a bug.”

  She nodded, her eyes wide. He lowered his hand but couldn’t seem to make himself go search for the thing. His thumb grazed her chin, and he left it lingering there.

  Dude might be listening. Look for a damned bug.

  That finally pushed him from this mushy stupor he’d found himself rooted in. Sax didn’t do mushy stupors. He went to work sweeping the place but found nothing. “It’s clear. Better to be safe than sorry.” And safe would be keeping his hands off Jennessy. She was doing strange things to him. Like sending this curling sensation through his belly whenever he looked at her.

  “I need to go back to the water-sports booth so I can get my bag,” she said. “That guy’s going to be rather unhappy with us.”

  “Let me pack up my laptop, and I’ll take the brunt of it. I’m the one who led you astray.” Before she could open her mouth to respond, he added, “But the next time I’m in an altercation situation, you have to back off. You could have been hurt. Shot. Remember, this gets dangerous and you go home. Getting you into trouble with Rules and Regs is one thing. Putting you in physical jeopardy is an entirely different matter.”

  She let out a sigh. “I know, I know, Mr. Overprotective,” she grumbled.

  “You bet your sweet bippy.”

  She giggled. “What, exactly, is a bippy?”

  “I don’t know, but my MaMere—grandma—used to say that. I would have said you bet your ass, but it seemed impolite.”

  They took the direct path to the beach and headed to the little hut. Rules and Regs was already getting his finger in position to do the pointing thing. Before the guy could say a thing, Sax said, “I’m sorry about ditching the Sea-Doos. My room alarm went off.”

  The guy’s irate attitude sagged. He shored it up again. “That doesn’t excuse you from taking the watercraft past the boundaries.”

  Sax shrugged, putting on his best boyish grin. “I couldn’t help showing off a little in front of my girl here.” His girl, the same way Malcolm had put it. The words felt sweet in Sax’s mouth, like one of those butterscotch candies as it slowly melted over his tongue.

  “I’m afraid you won’t be able to take out the watercraft anymore, Mr. Cole.” He gave Jennessy a contrite smile as he handed over her bag. “You either, Ms. Shaw.”

  Sax slung his arm over her shoulders. “Guess we’ll have to find other ways to entertain ourselves.”

  “The consequences of breaking the rules, eh?” she said as they walked back up the beach.

  He swung his gaze to her. “Consequences are a bitch, Ms. Shaw.” And the consequences of falling in love with this woman would be much harder to handle. It wasn’t much different than when his team had been invited to participate in that last mission. He knew the possibilities, felt this heavy sensation in his chest that things were going to get tricky. But he’d been too cocky to even consider failure.

  He couldn’t afford to be that cocky when it came to Jennessy. If she knew what he was feeling, she’d think they had a chance for a future. And when they parted, and he inevitably sank back into his life, she’d be hurt.

  “You just got all serious,” she said, studying him. “What were you thinking about?”

  Her fingers felt like feathers on his skin, soft and light. He pulled her hand to his mouth. Uh oh. He felt that pit-of-the-stomach thing she was talking about. He’d never felt this before, one second a soaring feeling, then, when he thought about never seeing her again, sucker punched.

  Her eyes were bright as they looked into his. “What do we do now?”

  I lean forward and kiss you. Then blubber on about how I’ve never felt this way about a woman, and yes, I know we only just met, but I don’t want to let you go.

  “We should probably head back to the room. Our rooms,” he amended. “I need to be ready for tonight. I’m going to attach a patch with a GPS tracker to the boat. And no,” he added when she was about to open her mouth. “I don’t think you should be there. These are drug dealers. They could kill any potential witnesses.”

  “You’re not shutting me out of this, Sax. I was a victim, and I’m darn well going to be part of closing it down. Remember, you need me.”

  Yeah, he did. “Not in a potentially dangerous situation.”

  “I’ll hide and make sure you’re okay. What if they shoot you? How will you get help if no one knows where you are?”

  “No.”

  “You’re not my father, Sax. I know where this place is, and I will be there, with your blessing or without. I’m not some kid just out of college with a Russian history degree. I majored in the law-enforcement arena. My father was a cop. I even solved a theft in high school. I’m going.”

  She had proven herself to be a strong, clever woman. A worthy partner in crime, as it were. And hell, it wasn’t as though he had a choice, other than tying her up in her room. “Only if you promise you’ll stay where I deem is safest.”

  She smiled. “I will.”

  Oh, boy. Jennessy was going to play havoc with him. In more ways than one.

  Chapter 13

  Sax had another of those flips in his stomach when he opened his door, and Jennessy sailed inside. The sight of her, eyes bright, shirt hanging off her shoulders, made the word no roll out of his mouth.

  She frowned. “Am I dressed wrong?”

  He wanted to smack his forehead. “No, it was just my latent good sense in letting you come along erupting.”

  She ruffled his hair. “Silly boy, you didn’t let me come. I insisted.” She’d dressed in dark colors, ready to blend into the night. “I was thinking of using your brown hair spray to darken my blond hair so it doesn’t show as much.”

  The woman was maddening. Yet, there he was, grabbing the can from his toiletry kit.

  She spun around to give him her back. “You should probably do it, since you’ve had practice.”

  He shook the can and fluffed her hair as he sprayed. Her curls slipped through his fingers, which were also turning brown. It brought back memories of gripping her hair, pulling her closer. Especially when she turned to face him. His gaze fell to her mouth, so soft and full, so damned tantalizing. His cock twitched as he remembered just how wonderful her tongue felt on him, gliding, sucking—

  “Sax?”

  He blinked, coming back to present. “Sorry. Got sidetracked by thoughts about tonight.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Saxby Cole, don’t you lie to me. You were thinking about kissing me. I saw you looking at my mouth, and you had this hazy gleam in your eyes.”

  Nope, couldn’t fool her. “Busted. But I should be thinking about tonight and not kissing your lovely mouth.”

  That luscious mouth curled into a smile. “I can’t stop thinking about earlier either.”

  The bed was right there, tantalizingly close. He allowed himself only a stroke of his thumb across her lower lip. “We better think about tonight or we’re both going to be in trouble.” In a lot of ways.

  “Is that the patch you were talking about?” she asked when he extracted it from his lockbox.

  He held it up. “It’s called the G-patch. Looks like a smoking-cessation patch, doesn’t it? And you can barely see the thickness of the transmitter. It works great, as long as, say, some motorcycle gangbanger doesn’t tear it off.”

  “Huh?”

  “Long story. That was another case I was involved in. Anyway, the t
hing sticks like a bad habit. Chase, my boss, claims his patches, which his company developed, can withstand both speed and water. He even tested it on the body of his Gulfstream jet.” He tucked it into his pocket. “Wish I had NVGs.”

  “Envee-whats?”

  “Sorry, military jargon. Night-vision goggles. I couldn’t pack anything that would look suspicious. It feels odd as hell to be going into a situation without a weapon. Ready?” She was tilting her head, studying him with an amused smile playing at the corners of her lips. “Whaaa?” he asked.

  “You are such a dichotomy, Sax Cole. I don’t know how to wrap my mind around you. You are the southern charmer, yet you’re a lethal soldier. You’re the sweet guy and the sexy Adonis. What do I do with you?”

  Several ideas jumped to mind, but the loudest said, Love me, darlin’. “You just keep remembering that I’m the wrong guy for your long-term plans.” Because he wanted to kiss her so bad, he forced himself to the door.

  They walked down the path like any other pair of guests. Sax had checked the satellite view of the island and found the best way to reach the Point via land. They needed to pass through the entrance to the employees’ area and break to the left. As they passed the tennis courts and approached the passage, two employees were coming out. Sax pulled Jennessy around and kissed her, as though they’d come this way to get out of the public eye.

  “Rock on,” the guy muttered with a stoned smile, and within a minute they were gone.

  “Rock on, back at ya,” Sax said as he swept the area, then led her through the passage from decadence and beauty to wild and raw. Long before they reached the employee housing, Sax veered off the path to the right. Here it smelled of earth and dampness as they traversed a more open area with scrub plants and ferns. He never liked being out in the open in nature, easily imagining some insurgent crouched in the bushes aiming an AK-47 at him. Sax quickly led them toward the trees where the terrain became elevated. As always, he kept an eye out for signs of others and his ears perked for any sounds. They should have plenty of time before anyone would make a drug drop, but Sax knew better than to assume anything.

  Her breath came heavier as the incline grew sharper. They broke out of the forest to the shoreline that rose above the water. The hill seemed to suddenly drop away into the ocean. No doubt the waves had eroded it over thousands of years.

  She inhaled as she took in the expanse of vivid blue water that grew darker as the depths increased in the distance. The setting sun splashed vivid oranges and pinks across the sky. “It’s beautiful.”

  He was too busy scanning the wide open vista for boats to notice. His eyes mapped the whitecaps dotting the ocean so that he would recognize the shape of a boat easier. No watercraft, no sound of an engine, and no sign of people anywhere. Then he took her in, skin warmed by the colors, sun lighting her eyelashes. “Yeah, beautiful.”

  The brisk breeze ruffled his hair and lifted his shirt, snapping it back against his stomach. He still had her hand in his, the fit so natural that he never realized he hadn’t let go. Just thinking about it made him involuntarily squeeze. And dayum but he felt a corresponding crush in his chest when she squeezed back.

  “I like your hair brown,” he said, because he needed to say something. “It’s a different look.”

  She pulled one of her curly strands straight, then released it to corkscrew back. “Maybe I’ll dye it like this for a change. To remind me of my island adventure.”

  How long would she remember him, he wondered. How long would she linger in his mind? In the cells of his body?

  He forced himself to turn away and move on. They followed the edge of the trees before they thinned out a few yards from the cliff’s edge. He didn’t want to stick out visually in case anyone was around. Once they reached the Point, they were out of view of the island’s population. He walked forward and surveyed the small beach area below, ascertaining by the landmarks he’d noted earlier that they were in the right place.

  He turned and scanned the forest. “Willie will probably come via some kind of watercraft to meet them.” He studied the ground as he walked, pointing to a faint trail that led through the trees. “But he could also approach from the employee housing area. Either way, we’ll need a good place for you to hide. I don’t trust having you crouched in the forest. Plus, you’re a lot farther away in case I need to get to you fast.”

  “Where are you going to be?”

  “Down there.” He pointed over the edge of the cliff. “When I see the boat, I’ll swim out and attach the patch. I’m hoping Willie’s accomplice will be with him, so we can solve that mystery.”

  She peered over the cliff’s edge. “I’ll hide down there, too. I see several places where I can tuck myself in.”

  “That’s what I was thinking, the lesser of two evils. Can you manage the climb?” He pointed to the wall. “It has plenty of hand- and footholds.”

  “My dad and I used to climb up those artificial rock-climbing walls they have at fairs. We’d race, see who could ring the bell first. He never let me win.” She turned to give him a smile. “Which made it sweeter when I did.”

  The trace of melancholy at the memories made him want to pat her back, pull her close and comfort her. Instead, he said, “You don’t have cables and slings here, darlin’. You slip, it’s not going to be pretty.” As casually as he said it, the thought of her hitting those sharp rocks twisted his gut.

  “I can do it.”

  “I’ll go first, so I can catch you if you fall. Follow my path.”

  Her expression changed on those words. “I’m glad you’ll be there to catch me if I fall, Sax. That makes me feel very safe.”

  He swore she was not talking about physically falling. He almost said, And who’s going to catch me if I fall? He was able to hold his tongue, but the thought skewered itself in his brain…not unlike that bullet he’d taken under the scalp. He tore his gaze away from her and found the best place from which to start. As he climbed, he glanced up to find her watching, clearly trying to memorize his positioning.

  In a minute, he was on the beach, his sneakers sinking into the soft sand. He kicked them off and readied to catch her as she began her descent. “Take your time.”

  “Believe me, I won’t be rushing.”

  She had the nicest ass he’d ever seen, and toned thighs that they stretched against the fabric. She methodically climbed down, careful to make sure she had solid footing before stepping to the next rock. As soon as she neared him, he slid his arms around her waist and lowered her to the sand.

  She turned within the confines of his arms. “See, easy peasy.”

  “Yeah, easy.” To fall for her. For the light of triumph in her eyes. And the smile that softened to an invitation.

  Hell, he didn’t need an invitation. He pulled her close and covered her mouth with his. She met his kiss, as eager as he was. Their mouths opened to each other and their tongues sparred in a sensual dance.

  “You make me forget there’s a drug dealer’s boat coming,” he murmured between kisses. Though it wouldn’t be there until dark most likely. “You make me forget…” all the reasons he couldn’t fall for her.

  “Forget what, Sax?” she whispered, cradling his face in her hands.

  “A lot,” he said, because he couldn’t find anything diplomatic to say.

  Her hands slid down his back, over his ass. “Our deal,” she said as she kissed him hungrily. “You helping me figure out what I want…does it extend to quick and dirty sex on the beach?” Now her hands slid beneath the waistband of his trunks, gripping his bare skin. “Because that’s what I want.”

  He groaned, from her touch and her words. He had a bad feeling that once his cock sunk into her sweet wetness, it was going to feel at home. “You’re not that kind of girl.”

  She tilted her head, giving him a smile that drove heat straight down to his belly. “But that’s what I’m doing, finding out what kind of girl I really am. And I think I am that kind of girl.” She pressed
her pelvis against his and rubbed back and forth. “With you.”

  He rocked his head back, because he was a goner. No way in hell was he going to say no. He dove into her mouth, feeling freer than he had in…months. Years. Maybe ever. His fingers found the bottom of her shirt, and he pulled it over her head, only breaking the kiss for seconds. He skimmed her back, squeezing her ass and pulling her harder against him. Dayum, even the feel of her stomach enveloping his cock felt heavenly. He leaned back and took her in, the creamy mounds of her flesh spilling out of the cups of her bra. “As good as you look in that lacy bra, I want it off you.”

  Before she’d even finished her eager nod, he’d snapped the clasp at the back, and it fell. He caught it before it hit the sand and tossed it to the rock where he’d sent her shirt. He took her in, the swells of her beautiful breasts, the dusky pebbles of her nipples. All the way down past her stomach, which was perfectly flat and firm, and her hips where those black pants rode low.

  “You are incredible,” he whispered, drawing his hands down her neck, cupping her breasts. She shivered even before he rubbed his thumb across her nipples. Then he circled her hips and tilted her back, his mouth coming down over one of those succulent peaks. She gasped softly as he gently sucked and scraped his teeth across her skin. Her fingers slid into his hair, tugging it as he moved to her other breast and loving it as equally as the first.

  He kissed his way down her stomach to the waistband of her pants, unbuttoning them and shoving both them and her panties down to her ankles. She stepped out of them, and he thought maybe he’d tossed them on the existing pile of clothing. Now kneeling, he kissed the silky hair at her apex, sliding his tongue between her folds and eliciting a breathy sigh that he thought was his name.

  Quick and dirty. Not only did he need to keep it to her wishes, he needed to be ready for incoming boats. This was about her exploring her naughty side. Not about leisurely loving on each other for hours, all night, into the morning…

  He snapped out of the thought and reached into the Velcro pocket of his trunks where he’d tucked a condom. She was working his waistband now, her fingers as urgent as his were. He pushed the trunks down, then the swim briefs he’d worn for better movement through the water. Using his teeth, he tore open the package and rolled the condom over his aching erection.