by Susie Cass
As she sat astride him, he reached up a hand and laid it gently against the soft swell of her belly. His thumb traced small circles on her skin, then headed downwards, ever so slowly. The heat between her legs turned to a flaming burst of need. That magic thumb of his slipped through even further down and a surprising moan sounded from between her lips. Did she just make that noise? He touched her again and her legs became weak, a shiver twisting through her abdomen, sending spikes of need right down to her toes. She wanted him inside her. Needed to feel him inside her.
‘Put it on,’ she demanded, and waited as he fumbled with the condom. Locking her gaze with his, her nimble fingers found his erection and stroked him through the latex. She loved to watch the heated thrum of desire that shot through his eyes as she ran her hand down the length of him. She raised up on her knees and then, ever so slowly, lowered herself onto him. Slowly, slowly. Feeling every inch of his thick erection. A deep moan erupted from his chest as she covered him, the sound involuntary and unbearable. A shot of pure pleasure zinged through her veins and her mind swirled in crazy circles, her focus purely on him now. Oh her. On this wonderful euphoria.
It was crazy, the speed at which her body and heart had given themselves to him. She didn’t believe in love at first sight. But then … What else explained what was happening here? They were so completely different, from two different worlds. This thing between them could never work. Not in the long term. Just for tonight, however, perhaps it could.
She surrendered to the rising ecstasy as his hips started to rock in a mesmerising rhythm. Letting him fill her completely and utterly.
* * *
JJ lay sprawled over the bed, the sheet down around his hips revealing his broad chest as he slept on his back, peaceful as a child. Rosa gave a soft, secret smile. Rolling onto her side, she leant up on her elbow so she could look at him. Even in the grey dimness of pre-dawn he was magnificent.
She’d leave soon. Sneak out before the early morning light got much stronger. He was right, she shouldn’t be seen here with him. But it wasn’t her own skin she was worried about. There was no way in hell she meant to jeopardise his position as host on the show.
Last night had been everything she’d dreamed it would be. He was everything she’d dreamed he would be. Everything else paled in comparison. Including the fact she was now a top three finalist. That little jewel of pleasure sat in a locked box in her mind, waiting to be unleashed and examined. Right now, however, it was all about her and JJ.
He’d been so tense, so highly sprung when she’d first come in the door. The power of a lion leashed, straining to escape. So determined and fearful for her, not wanting to risk her spot in the final three. That steely look in his eyes as he tried to persuade her to turn around and walk back out of his hut. Didn’t he realise that nothing else in this world mattered to her at that moment in time.
Then his self-control had crumbled with one touch of her hand, and her own heart melted.
A warm hand landed on her thigh, surprising her, breaking through her memories of last night. Dark chocolate eyes blinked back sleep as he studied her face, a small smile hovering in the corners of his mouth. Such a sensuous mouth it was too. The things that mouth was capable of made her shiver just thinking about it.
‘Morning,’ she whispered, and his smile grew larger.
‘Is it really morning?’ He stretched and Rosa enjoyed the spectacle of all those large muscles rippling under coffee coloured skin.
‘I have to go.’ Her words hung between them in the silence.
‘Yes you do.’ His gaze roamed over her body, telling her how much he really didn’t want her to go.
‘I don’t regret a moment of it.’
‘Funnily enough, neither do I.’ The warmth of his hand returned to her thigh, his thumb caressing circles on her skin. ’But we can’t do this again.’
‘Mmm hmm.’
‘I mean it, Rosa. There’s too much at stake for this to happen again.’
‘We’ll see about that.’
‘What does that mean?’ He leaned up on one elbow. She kissed him by way of an answer. His lips thawed beneath hers and he swallowed whatever retort he’d been about to say. Breaking the kiss, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. It was one of the hardest things she’d ever done in her life; leaving that bed.
Snagging her underwear from the crumpled bundle on the floor, she wiggled them up over her hips. JJ watched her every move, gaze drinking her in. She made a show of fastening her bra strap, taking her time, letting him consume his fill. Her dress lay in a black puddle on the floor near the coffee table. She picked it up and turned it over in her hands, trying to locate the straps for her shoulders.
A photo in a large wooden frame sitting right in the middle of the table snagged her attention. She eased her arms through the dress and walked over to the table. JJ was in the centre of the photo, with a small girl tucked beneath each arm. All three of them had huge grins on their faces and a large roller coaster climbed into the sky behind them.
Staring at it for long seconds, she finally said, ’Your daughters are gorgeous.’ He didn’t reply, instead sitting up in bed, he leaned against the headboard.
‘This one has your eyes,’ she said, pointing to the younger of the two girls in the photo.
‘That’s Anya.’ The hitch in his voice was tiny. She might not have noticed it before last night. But now it was obvious. ‘She’s ten. The other one is Tasheka, she’s thirteen.’
‘They look so happy in this photo. You all do. I can tell they love you a lot.’ In her peripheral vision she could see him squirming as if uncomfortable with her comment, but she wasn’t sorry she’d made it. Even if he was a man of few words, it never hurt to hear the truth. She’d heard a lot about his family breakdown through the media, but she also knew it was never as black and white as the paparazzi made it appear. He was a good father, she could see it in his eyes, in the way his girls clung to him, laughing until they were fit to burst. Just another piece of the puzzle that was JJ, that she was slowly but surely unlocking.
‘Yeah. I miss them when we’re out on a shoot.’ His voice was low, almost too low for her to hear. Fully dressed now, she flung herself back on the bed, landing in his lap.
‘Isn’t it great then, that you’ll be seeing them soon.’ Wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, she stared into his eyes. He nodded, those chocolate eyes filled with acceptance. What he didn’t realise was that photo gave her renewed hope. If he had room for that kind of love in his heart for his children, then he also had the capacity for sharing great love with her also.
Time to go. The ashy light of dawn was filling the room, and she couldn’t stay any longer. She let her lips linger for drawn out seconds, savouring the taste of him, imprinting him in her mind. Uncurling her legs from beneath her, she broke their kiss and got off the bed.
‘Gotta go.’
She grabbed her purse and put her hand on the doorknob.
‘Rosa.’ She turned to look at him. ‘I’ll see you at the finale.’ That was three months away. How she was going to get through those next three months was anyone’s guess. She couldn’t even envisage the next few minutes without him after she walked out of his door.
‘If you’re lucky,’ she said, mustering one of her cheeky smiles. Then closed the door behind her.
The smile fled from her lips and she bent nearly double, clutching her stomach. The pain of walking out of that room nearly overwhelming her. So much for her idea that one night with JJ would be enough. Now she knew an eternity would never be enough, if only she could spend it with him.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Studio lights blazed down from every angle and loud voices barked out commands. JJ waved away the makeup artist who was putting the finishing touches to his face. Controlled confusion reigned. A sea of faces scrutinised him from where the audience sat in neat rows of fold-out chairs arrayed around the front of the stage. It was always like this the night of the finale.
They were on a large outdoor set, open to the night sky. The TV crew tried their best to make the area look like an authentic beach scene straight from Ko Mae Ko Island. JJ stood on a raised wooden platform, where some of the large cast iron pots had been transported from the original conclave platform and now glowed with fires burning deep inside. Even some of the brightly coloured rugs, wooden treasure chests and Jolly Roger flags that’d been scattered around the platform on the island were now sitting in pride of place around the stage. There was also a large fire-pit right in front of a set of bleachers for all the contestants to sit around. Real trees, coconut palms and even a small tropical almond had been planted in the sand encircling the stage. But this facade wasn’t even close to the real thing.
Gone was the hum of cicadas singing in the background, replaced by the jabbering of excited studio patrons. Gone too, was the bright winking blanket of tropical stars overhead. Now the starkness of the spotlights hid all but the very brightest stars from view.
JJ turned his palms over to look at them. They were slick with sweat. This should all be passé to him by now, so why was tonight any different? He already knew the answer to that question. Rosa. Rosa was the difference.
She was here. Tonight. Somewhere in the crowd.
A light tap on his upper arm broke his musing and he turned around.
‘Hi there.’ It was Rosa. She stared up at him, face lit up with her wonderful smile. Jesus. His heart battered against his ribcage like a bird desperately trying to get free. Her angelic features were heightened with subtle hints of makeup, lips a pale glowing pink, large eyes made even more alluring by dusky mascara. Dark hair danced around her head. He almost lost himself in the depths of her nut-brown eyes.
‘Great to see you again, Rosa.’ He kept his tone formal and polite, while taking a discreet step back, to widen the distance between them. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, her only giveaway. ‘I’m sure you’re looking forward to tonight nearly as much as I am.’
‘Yep,’ she breathed out in a long exhalation. ‘Bit nervous though.’
‘Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. You look beautiful.’ He couldn’t help himself.
‘Thanks, JJ.’ There was a hidden spark in her eyes, just for him to see.
A crew member broke up their little tete a tete by saying, ‘It’s nearly time, sir.’
JJ was ushered to his stool in front of the set of bleachers, while Rosa took her seat in the front row, next to the two other finalists. Rosa gave one of her bubbly smiles to them both and then turned to chat animatedly to Hayden, sitting on her other side. JJ had to flex his fingers a few times at the sight of Rosa getting friendly with Hayden. He reminded himself that he knew the truth about their friendship, even if the rest of the world didn’t. So he shouldn’t let it rankle him like it did.
‘We’ve less than a minute before we go to air. Can everyone please be quiet,’ a voice boomed over a loudspeaker. The audience fell silent. People with clipboards and earpieces hovered in the shadows, all watching the director, Nigel, wave the contestants to silence and then point at JJ and start counting down the seconds before they went to air. Two very large cameras circled the stage and then zoomed in on him. He took a deep breath. Then another.
It was time.
He ran a hand over his smooth, shaved head. It was damp with perspiration. He wasn’t sure if he’d still have a job by the end of tonight. But he couldn’t let the worry show on his face. Not now when he was about to go live across the nation.
The hush was complete around the stage now, everyone waiting for the director’s signal. JJ risked one more glance in Rosa’s direction. Her beautiful brown eyes locked onto his, pupils dilating in response. A tiny sign that only he could read, and it told him all he needed to know. It hinted at the secret both of them shared. That today wasn’t the first time he’d seen her in the past three months. They had in fact spent the last week together, in each other’s beds, entwined in each other’s arms, entangling themselves in each other’s hearts.
She’d broken her promise to him and come looking for him before the three months was up. And Jesus help him, when he’d seen her on his front doorstep, he’d opened the door and let her in. No questions asked. There wasn’t a single cell in his body that could’ve forced his hand to shut that door in her face.
Nothing was the same now, after he’d let her in. His life was forever changed for the better. She loved him. And he loved her. And the rest of the world be damned.
Would the TV moguls believe him when he told them that he and Rosa didn’t conspire to become lovers, that there had been no collusion out there on the island?
He didn’t really care if they did or didn’t anymore. Everything he ever needed was sitting in front of him, contained in one pocket-rocket woman with a halo of dark hair and a pixie-smile.
The Island had worked its magic and brought two lost souls together.
The director pointed at him, counting down silently on his fingers the seconds before they were to go live. JJ took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. He loved this show, and he loved this game. After all, the game and the island had brought him Rosa. He hoped he wouldn’t have to give it all up. But he would in a heartbeat. For Rosa.
He could hardly believe it himself, how quickly his life had turned around.
They were going to have a late dinner with his two girls after the show. He hadn’t told them yet, about Rosa. But they would be okay with it. They were smart girls and they’d see how happy Rosa made him.
And she did. She made him ecstatically, stupidly, out-of-this-world happy. He gave an internal chuckle. If he didn’t watch out he was going to start sounding like her, spouting optimism and Pollyannish stuff. He needed to put a lid on it. He was an ex-SEAL. He had a reputation to keep up. But that dratted smile kept tugging his lips up, no matter how he tried to stay serious.
The director’s last finger lowered and he pointed directly at JJ and mouthed the word, ‘Go.’
‘Hello, everyone, welcome to the finale of Sea Quest,’ JJ said. He couldn’t help it, he sought out Rosa’s gaze and gave her a devilish grin meant only for her. Bugger it, he winked at her too.
* * *
It was about to begin. JJ was sitting in his chair looking all suave and sophisticated, not bothered by the fact his face was about to be beamed to millions of people all over the world. God, she loved that face. She loved the curve of his cheek, the square edges of his jaw, the way his nose flared slightly and how his full lips turned up at the corners. It made her want to go over and sit in his lap and kiss the corners of his mouth until he groaned out loud. How anyone could learn to love someone so much in just one week was quite beyond her capacity to understand. But it’d happened to her. To them.
Everything was hushed and quiet on set, even the studio audience had quit their murmurings. Everyone was waiting for the director to give the signal they were live, so JJ could start his introduction. She knew her stomach should’ve been a jumble of butterflies and knots. She was about to find out if she’d won a million dollars but for some reason she was as calm as a mill pond. Everything else going on around her was happening at a whirlwind pace, but her own mind was caught in a peaceful, tranquil little bubble. It was most probably because the outcome of this finale no longer affected her.
She’d made a deal with JJ.
Her mind leapt back to the evening, only a week ago, when she’d knocked on JJ’s door. His house in LA hadn’t been too hard to find, there were no security, no gates, not even an intercom, nothing to keep any wandering passer by out. It was just a normal looking Spanish style house, with a lovely white facade and a well-manicured garden. Okay, admittedly it was one block back from the beach in Santa Monica, so it was probably worth more than Rosa would ever earn in a lifetime. It didn’t really surprise her that he shunned the celebrity lifestyle.
When he opened the door he’d stared so hard at her she thought perhaps she’d sprouted horns or facial hair. He hadn’t
uttered a word, just ushered her in off the front doorstep with a wave of his hand.
‘I haven’t come at a bad time, have I?’ she asked.
He seemed to grasp her meaning, because he answered, ‘No, the kids aren’t here tonight, I’m alone.’ Her greedy eyes devoured him. He was dressed in a black t-shirt, which showed off his powerful arms, and loose slacks that looked comfortable but did nothing to hide his muscled legs, with feet left bare. Easy and relaxed, as if he’d just been kicking back doing nothing much before she arrived. If he’d had hair it probably would’ve been delightfully tousled and there was even a hint of a five-o’clock shadow on his chin. It felt intimate and clandestine, as if she were taking a peek into his secret world. Goosebumps ran over her flesh at the idea.
‘What are you doing here, Rosa?’ Was that resignation in his voice? Well, she’d soon change that. They stood in a dim corridor, mahogany floorboards beneath her feet with soft pastel coloured walls on either side. She craned her neck to see that the corridor led towards a bright living room.
‘I know, I know.’ One of her cheeky smiles erupted on her face. ‘But I didn’t make you a promise, I just said you’d be lucky if I waited till the finale.’
‘Rosa.’ His tone was deep and dangerous, but she ignored him and took a step closer. It was his eyes that gave him away, the pupils distending as she moved in, his dark chocolate irises turning almost black with desire and longing.
‘Well, I couldn’t wait. And anyway, I’ve made a decision I think you should know about.’ She took another step closer, so close now to that glorious chest, she could just reach out and … A low rumble emanated from his throat.
‘What am I going to do with you?’ He pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger for a second, before saying, ‘I guess you’d better come in and sit down.’ With one hand he waved her towards the living room and she paced in front of him. It was a beautiful room, high ceilings with wooden rafters soared above her, filled with plump, comfy looking cream sofas. Large French doors opened out onto an inviting patio with a pool that sparkled in the rays of the setting sun. It could’ve been a house out of Vogue Magazine, or something equally as elegant, but it still had that wonderful lived in feel, calling to something deep within Rosa.