Seeing a slight grimace cross her face as she bit her lip, he halted, terrified of hurting her. “Are you okay?”
Her eyes snapped open, and she nodded in jerks as her fingers dug into his shoulders once more. “I just need you. Now.”
He grinned, and with a shift in their bodies, plunged his cock deep inside. Jesus, she’s amazing! Having never gone ungloved before, the feeling of bareback sex had his thoughts go haywire as electricity zapped between them.
She threw her head back, her eyes closed, and her lips curved in a smile so sexy he almost came right then just from looking at her. The sun was now streaming through the jungle leaves, turning the water around them a brighter aqua. Not one for fanciful thoughts, he nonetheless realized that just like last night on the pyramid, they made love in a timeless place that would have certainly been used by ancient lovers.
She shifted on his hips slightly, and all thoughts flew from his mind other than the connection of their bodies. With his large hand spanning her narrow waist, he shifted her up and down on his shaft, hoping she would come again soon, knowing he was not going to last.
As the friction increased, he felt her walls tighten once again, and she cried out her release, her voice captured by the jungle. As she fell languidly forward, he continued to easily move her until with gritted teeth, his body strained, his orgasm pulsed deep inside of her.
They clung to each other, circling slowly in the buoyancy of the water, deep in the shadows of the cenote edge where the lush, green jungle dipped over the water. As rational thought returned, he knew they needed to be on their way before other visitors would come for a swim.
With a kick of his strong legs, he brought them back to the dock. Pulling her bra cups back over her breasts, he reached one hand out and snagged her panties. Hefting her ass up onto the dock, he slid her panties back over her feet and upper legs as far as he could. Ascertaining they were still in private, he nodded, and she stood, quickly jerking them up onto her hips.
With his palms pressed against the wooden dock, he hefted his body up out of the water and grabbed his cargo pants, pulling them on commando. Her blatant staring gave evidence to her appreciation of his body. Julie’s quiet, unabashed desire did more for his ego than the frog hogs of his SEAL days when they would hang in the bars, run their fingers over his muscles and talk about how big he was.
As her head popped through the T-shirt she pulled on, he grabbed her waist and bent to place a kiss on her lips. “Thank you,” he said softly.
Cocking her head to the side, she asked, “For what?”
He had no idea how to put into words everything he was feeling. The way she looked at him. The way she trusted him. The way she gave herself to him. So he answered the only way he knew how. Kissing her lightly again, he said, “For everything.”
25
“Are you peeking?”
Julie was in the back of the Jeep, peeling off her pants and dropping her wet panties into the floorboard. Grabbing a clean, dry pair from her bag, she shimmied them up her legs and then caught Walker’s gaze, hot on her through the rearview mirror.
His deep chuckle reverberated through the vehicle, and his white-toothed smile widened. “Of course, I’m peeking. But considering I’ve seen you naked and my cock has been buried deep inside of you, I’m not sure why that should surprise you.”
Rolling her eyes, she fastened her pants and slipped her sneakers onto her feet. Climbing back into the front seat, almost hitting him in the head again, she replied with a pretend haughtiness, “It’s one thing if I choose to display myself for you. It’s quite another for you to take liberties in peeking.”
“Ooooh, display yourself,” he repeated. “I like that, babe. You can display yourself for me anytime you want, and you can be damn sure I’ll love taking liberties.”
Laughing, she watched as their driving trip across the Yucatán peninsula of Mexico was almost over. After passing through several tiny villages, the coastal town of Tulum was much more modern. A four-lane highway ran through the city with a palm tree median in the middle. Two, three, and four-story buildings were not uncommon to see. Modern stores and restaurants lined the street, and looking down side roads at intersections, she could see subdivisions of modern homes and apartment buildings.
“Wow, it’s like we stepped back into modern times,” she said, looking around.
“Looking at the map, Tulum is right on the coast with beautiful beaches. There’s a coastal highway that runs along the Pacific all the way up to Cancún, so this area becomes much more populated.”
She knew he had spoken to his coworkers just before they arrived at Tulum, and with his calm demeanor assumed that there was no trouble lurking. As they continued down the main road, she turned to him and said, “It’s weird. I should be glad that we are safe, in a more populated area, and Drew will soon be able to pick us up to take us back to the States. And yet, seeing all this modernization, I miss the jungle and the ruins.”
Nodding, he sighed. “I know what you mean.”
She hoped he would elaborate more, but he remained quiet, and she did not want to ask about his thoughts further. Staring at his profile that she had now committed to memory, she thought back on the past day with him. She lived by her planner, taking pride and pleasure in lining up each day. But it was as though the earthquake had ripped that from her. Having to change plans quickly. Having to make snap decisions. Going off with a man she did not know and trusting him explicitly. Worrying her bottom lip with her teeth, she added another item to the list. Falling for that man and knowing it had nothing to do with their extreme circumstances, but simply who he was as a man.
She blinked as he slowed down and turned to the right, and she saw the sign for the Tulum ruins. Determined to enjoy the last ruins she would see on this trip, she climbed from the Jeep after he parked in the large lot. As he walked around the front, linking fingers with her, she looked up and quipped, “This is the first time you parked in the parking lot instead of just driving through all the barriers.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close, giving her ass a swat, once more mumbling, “Smartass.”
They walked down the long pathway toward the ruins, their arms around each other. The sky was blue with only a few white, fluffy clouds passing by. The jungle grew next to the pathway, but the vegetation seemed much more arid than it had been deeper in the center of the Yucatán. It was still early morning, but there were visitors already moving about. Closer to the ruins, her breath halted in her lungs as she spied the castle sitting on top of tall cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Pulling out her phone, she snapped several pictures before looking up some of the information.
“Because of the coastal and land routes meeting here, it was probably a huge city of trade at one time. It actually had a wall around it to protect it on all sides, with the cliffs protecting it next to the sea. Of all the buildings, the three major ones that everyone sees are the castle pyramid and two temples.”
They made their way over to the seaside, where they had a private, white sand beach surrounded by palm trees, and a view of the ancient ruins rising from the rock cliffs nearby. They stood, not speaking, Walker behind her with his arms wrapped around her front, tucking her in tightly. The breeze from the ocean blew gently over them, rustling the palm leaves above. The aqua water lapped with gentle waves upon the sand.
Suddenly overcome with emotion, her breath hitched, and a tear slid down her cheek. Hoping Walker had not noticed, she winced when he turned her in his arms, placed his hands on her cheeks and tilted her head back so that he could see the trail of tears.
Grateful he did not question her and simply bent and kissed the tears away, she leaned forward, pressing her cheek against his strong chest, the feel of his heartbeat comforting. “I know you must think I’m so silly—”
His deep voice rumbled against her cheek as he interrupted, “Nothing silly about any emotion you’re having.”
Her hands
flexed around his waist, her fingertips digging into his back muscles. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, she leaned back and peered up into his face, his eyes full of concern holding her gaze. “I know I’m just a mission…a rescue. But I have to tell you that the past day with you has meant more to me than you can realize. I…I just want to thank you for that.”
The rough pad of his thumb swept over her cheek again, and he shook his head. “I don’t know what we are, and I can’t even pretend to put a label on it now. But I know what you aren’t. You aren’t just a mission. You aren’t just a rescue. You aren’t just a woman I happened to cross paths with. Whatever you are, whatever we are…it’s a fuck of a lot more than that.”
His words washed over her as gentle as the breeze, soothing their way through her body. She loved his honesty. She loved that he would not pretend to just give her words. But, more than anything, she loved that his feelings were as wrapped up in her as hers were in him.
Sucking in a deep breath through her nose, she let it out slowly and twisted slightly in his embrace so that they were both facing out toward the sands, surf, and ruins. "I know we need to go, but I just want to soak this moment in, one last time."
He pulled his phone from his pocket and turned them so that their back was to the view. With his arm held out, they smiled for the camera as he took a selfie of them. With a few taps of his finger, he sent the picture to her.
Without sullying the moment with words, they slowly began the trek back to the Jeep.
"Hernando!” Julie cried out.
It had only taken them ten minutes to drive north to Chemuyil, the small town where Hernando lived. Following his directions, Walker had easily made it to the bright yellow, two-story concrete house.
Scrambling from the Jeep, she rushed to the open arms of the older man, his effusive greetings cut off by her exuberant hug. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she twisted around and spied a grin on Walker’s face.
“Give the man a chance to breathe,” he laughed.
Stepping back, she blushed, and said, “It’s so nice to see you again.”
“Oh, my dear Miss Baxter, you have no idea how pleased I was when you called to say you would be nearby. Please let me introduce my wife, Rosalita."
Standing slightly behind Hernando was a short, slightly plump woman, her dark hair streaked with bits of silver. She reached out and grabbed Julie’s hands, clasping them tightly, saying, “You are most welcome to our home, Ms. Baxter. My Hernando has told me so much about you and the wonderful girls he had on the tour. We are so sorry that your visit to our country has been marred with such difficulties.”
“Oh, please call me Julie. And this is Walker.”
She stepped to the side so that Walker and Hernando could greet each other before he shook hands with Rosalita. Uncertain how to act in front of the older couple, she tensed slightly as Walker placed his hand on her shoulder. Deciding she was fine with the slight display of affection, she relaxed and shot him a grin.
If Hernando and Rosalita thought the action was untoward, both were too polite to say anything as they ushered them into their home. They were immediately met with delicious smells coming from the kitchen, and several more people that they were introduced to as members of Hernando’s family.
Rosalita moved closer to Julie, and said, “If you would like to freshen up, it will be an hour before we eat.”
“I would love to, if it’s not too much trouble.”
Waving her hands dramatically in front of her, Rosalita said, “My house is your house, Miss Julie. Please, make yourself at home.” Rosalita led the way upstairs, through the master bedroom into a nicely appointed bathroom. As her hostess went back downstairs, Walker walked into the bedroom, carrying her bags.
“Figured you’d want these.”
Laughing, she said, “I promise to save some hot water for you.”
He stepped closer, and said, “It would save water if we took a shower together.”
“I will not scandalize our hosts!”
His chuckle rumbled forth. "No worries. I’ll just have to make do with my imagination.”
Still grinning, she disappeared into the bathroom, delighting in the floral scented soap Rosalita had provided. As she ran the soapy washcloth over her body, she could not help but remember the feel of Walker’s hands on her breasts and between her legs. Stifling a groan, she hurried through her shower, hoping the blush would be gone by the time she made her way back downstairs.
As she rounded the bottom of the stairs to head into the kitchen, Walker placed his hand on her stomach, bent, and stole a quick kiss.
Whispering, “I’ll think of your naked body sharing that space while I’m taking my shower.”
Now that he had managed to put the blush back on her cheeks, she watched his muscular ass as he headed up the stairs. Moving into the busy kitchen, she found Rosalita and asked if she could help. Twenty minutes later, they all sat around, the delicious aromas now emanating from the platters filling the table. The food was so much better than what she had had in the restaurants at the resorts, the flavors exploding on her tongue.
She noticed Hernando and Walker had their heads bent at the other end of the table as they talked quietly.
Rosalita touched her hand and whispered, “I would normally fuss that my husband is not being a good host, but I know he has concerns from some things he has seen in the area in the last day. I know he wants to make sure Mr. Walker can keep you safe.”
With a few of Hernando and Rosalita’s grandchildren at the table, Julie did not want to ask for any further explanation, but her eyes continued to dart over to the seriousness on Hernando’s face.
26
Walker said his goodbyes to Hernando’s family and stepped back to allow Julie to be enveloped into their hugs. He had stepped outside after lunch to find out the latest on Drew’s plans, a sense of urgency after having Hernando’s warnings during their meal.
He had hoped that Rosalita’s conversation would have kept Julie’s attention away from the other end of the table, but he should have known that with her sense of perception, she would have been aware of the undercurrents. As soon as the meal was over, she insisted on helping Rosalita with the dishes, and bending near him to take his plate, she had whispered, “What’s going on?”
Unable to let her know anything at that time, he managed to put her off but could feel nervousness rolling off of her in waves.
Drew had shocked him when he said that Babs had shown up in Cancún the evening before to act as chaperone for the girls. Drew was completely trustworthy, and from what Julie had said, the girls were trustworthy as well, but with Babs’ presence, it safeguarded everyone. Drew had flown Babs and the girls back to Florida, officially turning their care over to Senator Daniels. Babs had planned on staying in Florida, but Andrea and Jackie’s parents came with Tiffany’s to pick up their daughters. He was relieved to find out that Tiffany was better and the other two girls were fine, knowing that Julie would be concerned.
Now Drew was flying back to Mexico and should land in Cancún within a couple of hours. Because they had stayed a little longer with Hernando’s family, it would take them almost two hours to get to Cancún, but hopefully, with no problems, they would be able to meet with Drew easily, giving him a chance to check his plane and refuel.
Now, he just needed to get Julie in the car so that they could get on the road, hopefully staying ahead of any problems. With her last goodbye said, she trotted over to him, and he assisted her into the Jeep. She held his eyes for just a few seconds, but with a quick shake of his head, he silently indicated that he would talk to her when they were on the road.
Five minutes later, as they pulled onto the main road heading north toward Cancún, she turned to him and said, “Okay, I know something’s happening. Is it the girls? What was Hernando telling you? Are we facing problems?"
“Good God, babe. You’re firing off questions quicker than I can answer. First of all, I talked to Drew, a
nd he’s gotten the girls back to Florida—"
“Oh, thank God! How’s Tiffany?”
Softening his voice, knowing she was worried, he replied, “She’s going to be fine. Senator Daniels and his wife, along with Andrea’s and Jackie’s parents met them at the airport, so he and Babs were able to relinquish their care of the girls.”
“Babs? Who’s Babs?”
Lifting one hand from the steering wheel, he scrubbed it over his face before reaching over and placing it on her shoulder. Sliding it toward her neck, his thumb rubbed her tense muscles, and he said, “She’s part of our crew. I’m not sure why she came, because she never goes into the field. Ever since our boss hired her, she keeps us all straight but works in the office. I’m assuming she volunteered to come down, knowing that it would be best if the girls had a trusted female chaperone overnight and for the flight back.”
Nodding, Julie agreed. “Well, for whatever reason she came, I’m glad she did. That was really nice of your boss to think of that.” She leaned into his hand, and he continued to massage her neck, eliciting a slight moan from her which shot straight to his cock.
Forcing his thoughts to something less pleasant, he said, “And now for what Hernando was telling me.” He felt the tension immediately returned to her neck and longed for a time when they could be together and just enjoy each other’s company without any trouble hanging over their heads. Not knowing if that time would ever happen, he sighed heavily before saying, “Hernando says that much of the police and military have definitely left the coastal area and headed to the mid and northwestern part of the Yucatán to help with earthquake victims. He said that during the day he is not seeing much of a change, but everyone is hiding out in their homes at night. Cartel members have been roaming the streets at night, and everyone is afraid. His advice to us was to get to Cancún as soon as possible and get out of here.”
Walker: Lighthouse Security Investigations Page 14