by Low, Gennita
He read her desperation to hold on in the widening of her eyes, and leaned down, kissing her cheek. “It’s okay, baby. Now. Let me watch.”
Her gaze locked with his, and then she bit her lip, making a humming sound.
He stroked harder, deeper, pumping his hips, jostling her body now, waiting as she let go.
At last, her mouth opened. “Oh, oh, oh…” A whining whimper stretched out. She was there, her pussy clenching down on him, her orgasm exploding, releasing moisture that eased his thrusts.
Dex repositioned his knees and thrust harder, faster, the friction causing his own pleasure to grow and grow. Her cries grew louder, and he was determined to draw out her orgasm as his own consumed him. He slipped a hand between their bodies and found her clit, plucking and rubbing it while he pounded against her. “That’s it. Ride it out, baby. I’m there, too. Fuck.”
He jerked back his head and shouted, fucking her harder. Shoving her up the bed, and following her, unrelenting until his balls tightened and released, and come jetted, spilling out in hot bursts.
When the storm passed, he continued rocking, sliding his hand from between them, and reaching down to frame her face to kiss her. His mouth rubbed hers. She opened to him, and he swept his tongue inside, sharing tastes of her and him.
Finally, he stopped moving and eased down her legs. He spread his thighs and clamped them around hers, trapping his cock inside her. “I’d like to stay like this a while.”
Her smile was tired but happy. “You won’t smother me.” Her arms came around and hugged him.
He rested his face against the corner of her shoulder, inhaling the sweet floral scent of her perfume and shampoo, and the stronger scent of her musk. A perfect blending of sex and woman. “I have to leave,” he whispered.
“So you already said. Don’t talk about it now.”
He felt a pinch in his chest. She was reluctant to break their embrace, too. He came up on his elbows and traced the curve of her cheek, then moved down to her mouth. “No bad moments?”
Her smile stretched wide. “You were perfect. I was only a little afraid.”
“Do me a favor, for my peace of mind.”
“Anything. You’ve earned the privilege.” Her fingers trailed over his shoulders.
“Don’t ever ask another man to do that.”
Lace swallowed, her smile fading. “I’ve never trusted anyone enough to ask. Thank you, by the way.”
“I mean it. When you give away that kind of power, you can’t ever really know what you might unleash. I wouldn’t trust another guy like that.”
Lace breathed deeply and laid her palm against his cheek. “Not that you’ll have any say in what I do in the future, but I do hear you. I’m not stupid. There’s a reason that was one unfulfilled fantasy of mine. Something like this, but not as wonderful, happened a long time ago.”
Anger flushed through him. Since she’d revealed that so casually, he’d let it go and trust that she didn’t really want him to hunt down someone who might have hurt her. If she asked though, he would.
He closed his eyes. She was absolutely correct. He hadn’t a right to demand anything. For her to share her past or her future plans. But she could have lied to appease him. Then he looked at her again. “I’m glad you asked me.”
*
The following morning, Dex wasn’t in the best of moods when Halloran pulled him aside on the dock. He’d been hanging back, waiting for a glimpse of Lace, but she was late. She might not make the sailing, something that disappointed him in a way that didn’t bear examination.
The guests were boarding, arriving in a leisurely manner. His skiff crew stood by, ready to board so they could take a quick trip around the lagoon and beyond to check for anything out of the ordinary.
One last glance around the beach assured him that the men tucked behind palm trees and the two guarding the docks were where they should be. Halloran’s two guards were already aboard the yacht.
He turned his attention to his employer, trying not to wince at the mostly pink Hawaiian shirt Halloran wore atop white knee-length pants.
“Dexter, I’d like you to sail aboard the Clementine today.”
He gave the older man a closer look, wondering what the glint in his eyes meant. “You have two men aboard already. Are you worried that’s not enough?”
“Of course not. You planned well. And my men blend in, making the guests feel secure. I thought you might like to take a day off. Be my guest today.”
Dex stopped his automatic frown. “It’s kind of you to offer, but—”
“Agreeing would please me.”
“I’m not exactly dressed…” He waved a hand at his dark shirt, cargo pants, and combat boots.
A shaggy gray brow arched. “Spare swimsuits are in the cabins. We’ll be using the shark cages today.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “I noticed Ms. McElhannon was pretty frightened yesterday. She might need a hand to hold when we drop her over the side.”
Something Dex had worried about, too. He and Lace had talked about the dive last night as he’d dressed, but the issue had been left annoyingly unresolved.
“You don’t have to get into the cage, Lace.”
Her chin had shot up. “You’re not really the boss of me.”
That gesture was one he was coming to adore. The way she said it, slowly and very precisely, told him she was testing. Perhaps she was waiting to see whether he thought her surrender in the bedroom meant she ought to accept his control outside of it. “Lace, I’m not telling you what to do. The choice is yours. But consider what happened today. You were panicked.”
“I’ll have steel bars between me and the fish.”
“Not just fish, sweetheart—Great Whites. They’re huge, and they’ll be much closer this time.”
Her chin lifted another inch. “Troy’s been doing this a long time. He’s never lost a client.”
“Troy’s an overgrown surfer who’s doing what he does because he can’t hold down a grownup job.”
Her lips twitched. “That was kind of harsh. He seems…nice.”
He shot her glare meant to singe.
She only wrinkled her nose. “I’ll think about it, and see how it goes with a few of the others before I go into the cage.”
He drew a deep breath, hands on his hips, but in the end let it go in a long sigh. “Just be careful.”
And then she strode toward him, still nude, her body flushed, her skin red from whisker burn in several interesting places. She came up on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his mouth, leaning into him until he placed his arms around her and gave her a hard squeeze.
“Promise,” he growled.
“I’ll be careful.”
But her wide smile hadn’t reassured him.
He tapped his earpiece. “Anyone see her?” he barked, then winced. Not the most professional thing he’d ever said over the comm channel.
Laughter sounded from the skiff. He glanced over and gave his team a deadly glare, but it didn’t stop their chuckling.
“I see her,” came an amused voice in his ear—one of the guards patrolling the beach. “She’s holding her sandals and running like hell. Must have woken up late.”
At the thought of potential injury, Dex cursed. “Give her a shout. Tell her she doesn’t have to run. We won’t sail without her.”
A throat cleared behind him, and he glanced back.
Eyebrows raised, Halloran grinned. “Guess you’ll be with us today.”
Dexter shook his head but returned the grin, feeling suddenly lighter, happier because she was on her way. “Yes, sir.”
And then there she was, wearing a sheer red knee-length cover over another of her minuscule bikinis, a large beach bag slung over one shoulder and her sandals held in her hand. Her hair was a wild, curly mess. She was impossibly beautiful.
He noted the catch in his breath as he watched her slow her steps as she approached him, a shy grin tilting up the corners of her mouth.
&nb
sp; “Good morning, Mr. Haygood.”
He arched a brow. Really? She was going with “Mr. Haygood” when there wasn’t a soul surrounding them who didn’t know what they’d been doing last night? “You’re late. Thought you’d decided to give the cage a skip,” he said, narrowing his eyes.
“Not a chance. It’s why I’m here.” She looked around him to Halloran. “Hi there, Mr. Halloran. Looks like we have a nice, sunny day for the dive.”
“The ocean’s calm. I’d say we’re in for a perfect day, Ms. McElhannon.”
Blowing out a breath, Dex offered her his arm.
She blushed as she slipped her hand into the corner of his crooked elbow and leaned close. “I forgot to set an alarm.”
“Must have had something on your mind last night,” he murmured.
“I had something very large in my bed.”
He shook his head, but didn’t miss the shaking of Halloran’s shoulders as he strode away. So much for conducting his affairs in private. He paused beside the skiff. “Looks like you’ll be short a man today.”
Hank shook his head. “We’ve got this covered, man.”
Justin opened his mouth to say something, but Dex killed the thought with a warning glance. Instead, the blonde man smiled and waved at Lace. “Keep him out of trouble.”
Lace laughed beside him, and he strode away before his friends could manage to say anything too blue. If the blush pinking her cheeks was any indication, she was embarrassed enough. “You pack sunscreen?”
“Loads. You need some?” She batted her eyes. “I can help you with all those hard-to-reach places.”
“Halloran said I could borrow a suit.”
“I have a cabin assigned to me. I’m sure he’s already got something waiting there for your use. He seems to think of everything.”
A cabin. “Should take an hour to get to the dive spot near the reef.”
“Long enough.” She bumped the side of her hip against his, then reached up to tap his earpiece. “Hey guys, mind if he loses this for a while?” she said, leaning up and talking right into it.
Laughter sounded behind him, but rather than any of the crew responding over the air, the skiff’s motor roared into life. As it sped past them, his men gave him broad smiles. Maybe they were a little jealous of his good fortune, but they’d never begrudge him the chance to be with her. Besides, they had plenty of juicy fodder to haze him about in the months to come. Especially after he’d learned that Justin had been lucky enough to pass a certain window at dusk the previous night. And SEALs, even ex-SEALs, loved nothing better than a little good-natured razzing.
They strode aboard the ship, heading up a flight of steps to the middle deck. She led him straight to a cabin door and pushed down the door handle. Inside was a perfectly appointed bedroom, a far cry from any digs he’d ever had aboard a ship. A king-sized bed covered in a purple-and-cream cover dominated the room. A shower stall tiled with river rock and sporting clear glass doors filled one side of the room. A loveseat and two armchairs sat opposite, next to a balcony. The curtains were pulled back, flooding the bed with sunlight.
His gaze went to the artwork on the wall, recessed lighting providing a perfect spotlight. He’d bet money the piece was worth more than ten years of his salary, and that every single stateroom aboard the yacht sported something just as precious.
“Our host doesn’t skimp on the luxuries,” Lace said, bringing two wine glasses and a chilled bottle of the red stuff from a sideboard table.
“If he plans to outfit his new luxury boats with masterpieces like that, he’ll have to run background checks on every one of his passengers.”
“I imagine the boats will be smaller, more scaled back, and will have prints on the walls instead of the real thing.” She handed him a glass.
He sat on the edge of the bed and patted each side of the mattress. It was soft, made for lingering. When Lace crawled over his lap, her knees sliding to either side of his hips, he smiled. “Now, how are we going to manage through all these layers?”
She grinned and handed him her glass. “Hold this.” Her smile widened as she rose on her knees and pulled his belt open, unbuttoned his waistband, and slowly slid down his zipper. Without any help from him, she soon held his cock in her hand. She caressed his length, pulling on it, encouraging it to lengthen and fill. When she was satisfied, she arched a brow. “Don’t spill anything.”
Feigning nonchalance, he took a gulp from his glass, but only smiled.
Lifting her sheer cover, she tossed it away, then pulled aside the slim triangle that covered her sex.
“Does he have more of those teeny suits in the closet?”
“Just my size. I tried them all on yesterday.”
“Hold these. And don’t spill a drop.” He transferred the glasses to her, then fingered the thin elastic bands at either side of her hip. He grunted. Too thick and stretchy to tear. So he reached behind him to the knife sheathed on his belt and unsnapped it. With a single flick of a button, the blade sprang out.
Lace gasped and her eyes shot wide.
“Don’t worry; the sharp edge won’t touch your skin.” He slid the blade under the elastic and sliced through it. He did the same to the other side, and then slowly dragged the scrap between her legs. The wine in the glasses sloshed.
“Careful there,” he whispered.
She was breathing harder and came down on him, her folds aligned with his sex. She handed him a glass. “Want to toast something?”
He shook his head. “You really want to take that much time to think?”
In a single gulp, she poured the contents of her glass down her throat.
The faraway hum of the boat’s engine rumbled through the room, providing a gentle vibration.
Her nostrils flared. “I think I’m going to like doing this at sea.”
“We haven’t pulled away from the dock yet.”
“Whatever. You haven’t finished your wine,” she said, giving him a sexy glide of her hips.
He felt her moist response. Felt her shiver. Glad she’d only put a small amount of wine in their glasses, he finished his then reached toward the floor to set down his glass, followed by hers. Then he wrapped his arms around her body and held her snug against him. “An hour,” he said softly.
“Should be long enough, don’t you think?”
“We’ll have to shower and change.”
Her auburn eyebrows drew together into an adorable frown. “Better hurry, then.”
“Condom,” he growled. “Wallet, left pocket.” When she dug into his pants, he growled again. “Your other left.”
“Geez, you’re grumpy.” One side of her mouth kicked up in a smirk, but her hands shook as she took care of business.
When she rolled down the condom, Dex cupped the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss. Electricity sparked. The engine hummed, the boat beginning a gentle sway. They’d left the dock.
The chatter in his ear confirmed it. His crew gave the all clear to the captain on the bridge.
Shutting out the sounds, he concentrated instead on the thud of the heartbeat he detected at the side of her throat as he smoothed his lips over her soft, creamy skin.
When she pushed up, he didn’t stop her, smiling as she reached between them and guided him inside her body. Only when she’d lowered herself, and their coupling was assured, did he move, rolling them both, shoving her body upward, crowding her with his knees to keep the connection as he settled them in the center of the bed.
Her hands glided up his chest to his shoulders. “You have on too many clothes.”
“But you don’t,” he said. “We’ll be fine.”
She reached down and shoved at his pants, but he was already moving. His clothing was trapped beneath him, but he didn’t care. He was naked where it counted, surrounded by her wet, slippery depths.
“You didn’t take out your earpiece.”
“Don’t worry about it. They can’t hear us.”
“Maybe I’d li
ke it if they did.” The lift of her brows revealed a wicked twinkle in her eyes.
Dex shook his head. “No, you wouldn’t. I’m not the one who’ll be making all the noise.”
Chapter Five
‡
A little while later, Dex rolled away, settling beside her on the sumptuous mattress. He stripped off the condom and tossed it into the wastebasket beside the bed.
“Wow,” Lace whispered.
He was tempted to echo the sentiment, but didn’t have the breath. Dex lay beside her, holding her hand until the riot in his chest grew quiet. “We should join the others. You’ve got a safety briefing to attend.” He turned to look at Lace, who lay sprawled beside him, and tugged a lock of hair to get her attention.
Her eyelids blinked dreamily open. “Mmm…I have to shower first.”
“In less than an hour, you’ll be jumping into the ocean.”
She wrinkled her nose. “So?” But her smile was sweet as she stared back at him. “You have to find a suit.”
“Why’s that? I’m not the one getting into a cage.”
“Seriously? You’d let me go alone?” Her hand waved in the air. “What if I panic?”
“Think you won’t if I’m there?”
Her mouth pouted. “I trust you to keep me safe.”
Dex came closer, his face right beside hers on the pillow. “Then don’t go.”
“I have to.”
He shook his head. “Stubborn. Guess you’ll have a dive partner.” Something he’d planned to do all along, but she didn’t have to know he’d been worried about her. The cages were relatively safe—he’d checked out their construction himself—but she’d be pulling in air through a long plastic tube and having to remember to exhale through her nose. Since she could barely swim, he worried she’d forget the technique.
Not that they’d be very far beneath the surface. The dive cage would be barely submerged, just deep enough to dangle a chum basket beside it and wait for the sharks to search out their meal.