Love in Hiding

by Diane Holiday

  “I’ll be up top if you want to change and leave your clothes down here. Remember what I said about kissing you in every part of this boat?” He leaned down, bringing his mouth close to hers.

  She held her breath and parted her lips in anticipation, but he moved to whisper in her ear, “Later. That’s a promise.” He climbed the steps. “Don’t linger.”

  She took a deep breath. Time to dive in.

  Chapter 31

  Bruce stood on the swim platform when Sarah came out of the cabin. His gaze raked up and down her body, and he found it hard to swallow. The all-black string bikini covered little. Nothing connected the front and back of the bottoms but a small tie. Her nipples poked through the thin material on top. One tug of a string and he could have at that gorgeous body.

  She cocked her head. “What?”

  He blew out a breath and stepped from the platform to run a hand down her side. Curves. Sexy as hell. “You’re a goddess in that bathing suit.”

  She fidgeted with one of the ties. “I bought the cheapest one.”

  “It paid off.” Blood rushed to his loins as he stroked her soft, smooth skin. He had to get in the water or he’d burn up. Grabbing her hand, he led her to the swim platform. “Come on.”

  She dipped a toe in and made a face. “That’s cold.”

  “Yup.” He jumped in.

  When he surfaced, she stood above him, hands on her hips. “Hey, you splashed me.”

  “It’s water. Get in, wimp.” That should do it.

  Fire lit in her eyes, and he laughed.

  She opened her mouth, shut it, then took the plunge. “Cold. Cold. Cold,” she sputtered when she surfaced and swam toward the front of the boat.

  “What did you expect?” In a few quick strokes, he caught up to her.

  “Not this cold.” She swam away again.

  He smiled. A challenge. Good. He went around the back of the boat to meet her on the other side. The water reached his shoulders, which meant he could touch, but she couldn’t. He stopped a few feet in front of her. She must have had her eyes closed because she swam right into him. He grinned at her shocked expression and picked her up. She grabbed hold of his shoulders as her legs wrapped around him.

  The contact of her body sent shock waves through him. “I think I know how to warm you up.”

  Her gaze went to his lips, and he brought his head close for a kiss. She opened her mouth for him. Cool and salty. He deepened the kiss. His tongue explored the inside of her mouth, causing her nipples to harden.

  Floating in the water, with her legs wrapped around him, she bounced against his arousal. She moaned and tightened her thighs. God, she made him hot. Too damn hot. He could make love to her right there in the water, but he didn’t want to rush things. She needed to know he wasn’t in it just for sex. He forced himself to break the kiss. “Warmer?”

  “Mmm…” She wiggled against him, and he groaned.

  “Okay. Me too.” He spun and pulled her arms around the front of his neck to carry her piggyback style to the boat. She didn’t protest, but her breasts bouncing against his back did nothing to improve his current situation. “Up you go.”

  He hoisted her onto the platform and climbed up the ladder. From under the seat, he grabbed a couple of towels and handed her one. As she dried off, her gaze flitted to the bulge in his bathing suit.

  “You have that effect on me.” He shook his head, and she blushed. “You ready for some grub?”

  “Sure. I wish you would have let me bring something.”

  “Nope. You make meals for everyone all the time. I got this one.”

  He pulled a cooler out from under the sink and set two sandwiches on the table along with a couple of iced teas. Sarah wrapped the towel around her waist and sat on the lounge.

  “Maddie would love this.” She waved a hand toward the shore. “Lots of places to dig and explore. Anne says that girl will never settle down. Always traveling from one place to another. My parents are starting to give up on ever having grandkids to spoil.”

  “Do you think about that? Having a family?”

  “Sure. I mean, I used to.” She toyed with her napkin. “Dancers retire pretty young. I had it all planned out. Open my own studio, get married, have kids.” Her face fell. “That’s all changed now.”

  Bruce placed a hand over hers. No one had the right to take her dreams away. “It’s not going to be like this forever. He’s going to make a mistake and get caught.”

  “Let’s not talk about him anymore. I don’t want to ruin a perfect day.”

  “Fair enough.” When they finished their lunch, he put the trash in a bag. “You wanna soak up some rays on a float?”

  “Sounds like fun.”

  “Wait here.” He grabbed a raft from the cabin and brought it up. “Come on.”

  “Okay. You’re the program director.” She followed him out to the swim platform. He jumped into the water with the float and held it out for her.

  “Climb aboard.”

  She scooted onto it and lay down on her back. “Where’s yours?”

  “Don’t need one. I’ll take you for a ride.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I’m—”

  “Just enjoy it.”

  He towed her around the cove to where the water became shallower. His gaze traveled over her body. Her perfect, creamy-white skin contrasted with the black bikini. Tiny scraps that barely covered her, but hid the secret parts he ached to touch. To caress. To drive her to the brink with his tongue and teeth. Already hard, his cock throbbed and chipped away at his control.

  He couldn’t stop his hand from skimming down the length of her. Starting at the outer curve of her breast, to the flare of her slender hips, along her lean thighs.

  She shivered and took in a shaky breath.

  Satisfaction rocketed through him at her response. Nothing mattered but bringing her to orgasm. He’d waited so long and fought so hard against the attraction. He intended to savor every second, teasing and taunting her until her beautiful body climaxed.

  Lowering his head, he brought his lips to hers. He drew the kiss out, gentle at first, and then sucked on her lower lip until she opened her mouth. Their tongues tangled, and he slid his along the side of hers, eliciting a small moan from deep in her throat. His cock grew harder.

  Her cool hands flattened against his pecs, graceful fingers digging in as she kneaded the muscles, sending ripples of awareness across his flesh.

  He broke the kiss and gazed into her eyes. Cobalt, dark, and glossy with desire. His swim trunks tightened to the point of bursting the seams.

  “I wondered what you would feel like.” She continued to roam her fingers along the contours of his pecs.

  An electric current buzzed under her splayed palms. The tentative, shy way she explored him ignited something hot and primal. He had to keep the focus on her before the inferno inside took over.

  With his finger, he traced from her stomach to the dip of her belly button, then followed the path with his mouth. He feasted on her smooth, soft skin, licking his way lower and lower. Like an exotic, tropical island, she smelled of coconut and sunshine. An all-consuming hunger for more caused blood to pound in his head.

  When he dipped his tongue into the hollow of her navel, her abs tensed, and she whimpered, tilting her hips up. The demand for release warred with his longing to taste and feel every inch of her.

  Sarah wallowed in sensations. The cold water lapping onto the raft, and Bruce’s mouth, hotter than the sun, inches from her sweet spot. The bristle of his whiskers teased the sensitive flesh of her stomach. Pressure built between her legs until she ached.

  He rested his hand on her hip bone and glided his thumb under her bikini bottom. With the lightest touch, he slid his finger over her sensitive nub. She jolted and caught her lip with her teeth.

  Still working magic with his fingers, he raised his head and swooped in for a kiss. His tongue probed her open mouth as his damp hair dripped on her collarbone. She sn
aked her arms around his neck and dove deeper into the kiss, mating her tongue with his. He tasted of salt, sex, and everything she’d denied herself for too long. She dug her fingers into the thick muscles of his back, and a thrill spiked low in her belly.

  Crests of pleasure rose from where he stroked her. Closer and closer, he brought her to the edge. Her thighs quivered, and her breath caught. She squeezed her eyes shut, prepared to ride the next wave.

  But he drew his hand away. “Oh no. Not yet.”

  She gasped, but he covered her mouth with his, swallowing her protest. This kiss, demanding and urgent, stole her breath. When he pulled back, she panted, and her pulse jumped at the heat and lust in his eyes.

  His broad shoulders blocked the sun. Outlined by the bright background, he loomed large. Buff and ripped, his sheer size should intimidate her, but he’d never been anything but gentle. The wild part of her craved the challenge of making love to such a man. God knew he had her wet enough.

  “So much to explore…” The rasp in his voice and the anticipation of what might come next shot excitement through her.

  He scooped water with his hand and held it above her to drip the cool liquid onto her already-hard nipple. She trembled as he slid aside the triangle covering her breast.

  Keeping his gaze on hers, he brought his mouth to her breast and sucked the peak, tugging with his teeth. She dug her nails into his biceps and arched her back. He freed her other breast and filled his hand, squeezing and toying with the nipple. She’d never experienced anything so erotic. Bright sun, floating on a raft, every fiber of her body aflame. Each time he touched her, a coil of passion wound tighter.

  He nuzzled the inside of her breast and worked his way up to her neck while he untied her bikini bottom and yanked the fabric off. God, she was naked outside and too far gone to care.

  “I wasn’t quite finished here.” He drifted his hand up her inner thigh. Higher and higher until she eased her legs apart, silently begging him to touch her there.

  His words, whispered against the tender skin of her throat, vibrated in her chest.

  He slipped a finger inside her. “Now you’re ready.”

  That was an understatement. Desperate to feel him, she reached out her hand and fondled the bulge in his swim trunks. He had to be close to exploding, his erection huge and hard.

  He sucked in a sharp breath and slipped another finger inside her, using his thumb to stroke her clit.

  In and out, he thrust his fingers and continued to stroke her. Liquid fire burned through her veins. He dragged his mouth up the length of her throat and kissed under her ear. With his teeth, he caught the lobe and nibbled, unleashing something feral and primitive in her. His hot breath scorched the side of her face. She turned her head to offer her mouth, and he claimed her lips.

  Every muscle in her body shook, begging for sweet release. She slid a hand down into his bathing suit and fisted his swollen cock. “I need you inside me.”

  Face flushed, the corded muscles in his neck taut, his eyes burned with his thirst for her.

  “The condoms are on the boat,” he said, his breath ragged.

  She couldn’t hold out much longer, the friction of his fingers driving her to the precipice. “I’m on the pill. Please, now.”

  For a gut-wrenching second, she feared he’d say no, but he yanked his swimsuit down and hoisted her off the raft. Yes. Sweet Jesus, yes.

  Cupping her ass, he crushed her against him. She hooked her legs around his waist and pressed herself down on his arousal. Wanting, needing, yearning, she gripped his shoulders. Inch by inch, she stretched to accommodate his thickness.

  A growl reverberated in his chest as he pushed the last of his length into her. He held her still. Fully connected, she gazed into his eyes, and the incredible emotion in them stopped her heart. Bruce, deep inside her. Holding nothing back.

  She loved him. The realization filled her as much as he did. She could never ask for more. He’d given her all of him.

  Heat blasted upward, and she nodded to his unasked question. Yes, she was ready for more. He eased out and thrust back in. She moaned and clenched her insides around him.

  “God, Sarah.” His hoarse voice made her half-crazed with need.

  He pumped faster, water splashing around their bodies, driving her out of her mind. The lines blurred between where she started and he ended. She threw her head back and closed her eyes. A final wave of ecstasy unlike any she’d ever known rolled through her, and she cried out, letting go. Her body rhythmically squeezed him as he thrust one last time, stiffened, and groaned in his own release.

  She melted against him.

  His heartbeat thumped under her cheek, and she locked her arms around him. Her swollen nipples still tingled, and sensations continued to shimmer, lighter and lighter. As her pulse slowed, she breathed in the salt air and clung to him, brimming with emotions.

  When he slid out of her, she whimpered at the absence created.

  He leaned back to look at her. “I’m sorry it didn’t last longer but—”

  “My brain would have short-circuited if it did.” She sighed and buried her head in his chest.

  He stroked her back and held her. Content, she relaxed against him. Whatever might happen down the road, her memories of this one magical day would last forever. He’d given her the gift of freedom. Her first taste since the stalker entered her life, and she loved him for it.

  She loved him.

  No point in fighting it anymore. She could fill a book with the list of reasons why. His care and concern for the vets, the way his eyes steeled when he was in protective mode, everything he’d done to get Maddie to and from the farm. And now, the mind-blowing sex.

  A seagull called out overhead, and awareness of her naked state crept back. She shifted. “We should get dressed.”

  “If you insist.” He let go of her and pulled up his swim trunks.

  She snatched her bikini bottoms from the raft and retied them. If only she had the rest of her life to share with Bruce. A heaviness sank from her stomach to her feet.

  “Hey. Why so sad?” He framed her face with his hands.

  She leaned her cheek into his palm. “I don’t want it to end.”

  “Oh, it’s not over.” He brushed his lips across hers. “I have plans for the V-berth.”

  Chapter 32

  Sarah climbed the ladder to the swim platform on legs still a bit shaky from their close encounter.

  “I like the view here.” Bruce said from behind her.

  She grinned and called over her shoulder, “Down, boy.”

  “Boy?” Water splashed her ass, and she whipped around.

  He hitched an eyebrow. “Do I need to drag you back out here and prove something?”

  Her belly flipped, and she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Thank you, sir, may I have another?”

  The sound of his laughter tickled her ribs. She liked this playful and fun side of him.

  “Grab a towel, and I’ll meet you up top.” He pointed to the deck in front of the windshield. “We can catch some rays.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I have to find the raft.”

  She snatched a towel from the seat and wrapped herself in it, scanning the water behind him. “What happened to it?”

  He shrugged. “Dunno. Wasn’t exactly paying attention once I, uh…got you off.”

  Someone was proud of himself. She waved a hand at him. “Shoo. I’ll be on the top.”

  A roguish smile formed on his face. “I think I’d like that.”

  And her knees wobbled.

  He pivoted, heading toward the shoreline.

  She couldn’t drag her gaze away from his upper body, all tanned skin and brawny muscles, flexing as he moved through the water. Saliva pooled in her mouth.

  Raising her hand, she shaded her eyes. Like hell she’d wait up top and miss the view of him coming back. If he never wore a shirt again, she wouldn’t mind. And damn if he didn’t look
like a god as he waded back, dark hair gleaming, his strong thighs contracting with each step. Okay, maybe more like the devil because the thoughts he evoked were downright sinful.

  When he reached the boat, he tossed the raft next to her on the swim platform and hoisted himself up. Rivulets of water streamed down the hard contours of his pecs.

  And lower.

  She swallowed hard, her gaze stuck on the path to—

  “Hello? My eyes are up here,” he said in a caught-you-looking tone as he reached for a towel.

  God, she had no control around him. She needed to get a grip.

  “I thought you were going up top.” He rubbed the towel over his stomach, and she developed a case of towel-envy.

  “I was…waiting for you.”

  “You didn’t have to.”

  Oh yes, she most certainly did. Heat rose to her face.

  He grabbed her hand along with a couple of dry towels. “Come on. Let’s chill.”

  Yeah. That’s what they should do. Not go down to that mysterious V-berth, the name alone full of sexual innuendo.

  They climbed up top, and he spread the towels on the deck. She stretched out on one and shoved her libido to the side. The sun warmed her as a slight, cooler breeze blew, rocking the boat.

  “Hmm, this is nice.” She closed her eyes.

  He twined his fingers through hers, and she sighed. A sleepy, warm feeling took over.

  Bruce holding her hand.

  This man was a keeper.

  Sarah opened her eyes and blinked at the bright light.

  “Have a nice nap?” Bruce leaned over, blocking the sun.

  Still on the boat. Hot sex in the water. It hadn’t been a dream. She smiled up at him. “Yes.”

  He lowered his mouth to hers. Soft and gentle, he kissed her.

  “Mmm. This is a nice way to wake up.” She wriggled closer to him.

  He stared down at her for a long moment, then cleared his throat. “You’ve gotta be thirsty.”

  Before she could ask what he’d been thinking about, he yanked her to her feet. “Let’s get something to drink.”