by Toby Neal
Very carefully, she lowered her head to rest on his firm, meaty shoulder, too. She shut her eyes. She breathed with him, enjoying the friction of his hardness against her panties, the length of their touching skins, the perfect alignment of their hearts and breath.
She was still in her body.
The victory of it flushed her with a swirl of delicious feeling. His scent filled her nostrils, drugging and delicious. His heart rate jumped in response to hers, and their pulses thundered against each other—but there was no other movement.
She had to taste him.
Lei lifted her head just the slightest bit to lick the lobe of his ear. He shuddered beneath her as if struck by lightning.
He tasted so good: salty and nourishing, as if tasting him fed her.
She wanted more but restrained herself as he lifted his head and slowly, so slowly, licked the tiny wound Joao had made on her neck.
A thrill zipped through her and the feeling between her legs seemed to heat and pulse with her pounding heartbeat. She was burning, on fire, and only he could put it out. She wriggled impatiently and reached for the button on his pants.
“Settle,” he breathed against her throat. “Stay in the moment. This is not like anything you’ve ever done before or will do again. This is all there is.”
Was he telling her they wouldn’t have sex?
Disappointment and frustration warred with a tiny flicker of relief—but regardless, Cruz was in charge. She struggled to accept his words, to restrain herself, to relax.
Gradually, she settled back into his embrace, and laid her head on his shoulder again. Their faces almost touched as they breathed each other’s air. She was melting, spreading across his hard chest, over his shoulders, her body going boneless, a spill of warm honey puddling in his lap.
At last he moved—stroking his hands up her back, from her buttocks, up the base of her spine to her shoulders and back down again, kneading, pressing, and molding her against him. Slow, deliberate, deep, the sensation was exquisite, a seated massage. She could feel the edges of herself: under his hands she was slender, firm, and supple, as if he were creating her as he shaped her. Lei sighed, a deep sound of fulfillment, as he cupped her bottom in his hands.
Wanting to give back, Lei touched his head. She ran her hands and fingertips again and again through the soft tight curls of his hair, from the roots to the ends. His head fell back, his eyes shutting in pleasure, as, using only her fingertips, she massaged the precious sphere of his skull. She ran her hands over the smooth hard planes of his face, fingers brushing the sculpted mouth she longed to kiss—and back up into his scalp she went, digging her fingers into the pressure points on his head that an EMT friend of hers had shown her could bring relief from pain.
Goosebumps erupted all over him at her touch, and finally a groan of ecstasy escaped him. He wrapped both arms around her and crushed her close. That sound made her arch her back, pressing ever closer, his face almost between her breasts.
She couldn’t help moving her hips against his hardness, craving more of that friction.
Cruz grasped her by the waist and pushed her back and away. Their bodies weren’t touching at all now, but for her hands stabilizing herself at his shoulders and her legs over his. Lei whimpered at the loss of contact.
“Perhaps this is enough for tonight,” he whispered.
Suddenly, Lei understood the violent response Lucky had had when denied. Lei wanted to bite Cruz—throw him down, work him over, to assault him and ride him until she found her release.
She wanted to rape him.
Lei settled deep in the well of his legs and looked him in the eyes again. “It’s in me too,” she whispered. “Rape. Violence.”
“It’s in all of us.”
“Oh, Cruz. I’m sorry.” Grief and shame swamped her, surging up from her toes in a wave of tears that broke over her and wrung a sob from her lips—and he kissed her on that sob, capturing the sound and tears in his mouth, transmuting them into something shared, an acknowledgement of their mere humanity.
He pulled her back into his lap and settled into kissing her. And it wasn’t like any kiss she’d ever had—it began as a thorough exploration, curious and tender, almost clinical, as their lips and tongues ignited sensations that went off in their joined bodies in cascades of feeling that they shared and observed . . . And then, it was an extension of their matched conversation, something rising and falling with the sound of the waves behind them, gradually building, soaring, and taking different forms.
Cruz’s arms swirled around her on his lap, and hers moved around his shoulders, back, and neck. Their mouths never parted.
Without warning, Lei felt something suddenly uncoiling within her, a spiraling delight. She froze in his arms, lifting her head in astonishment—stiffening, transfixed, suffused with the sensation of an exquisite pleasure.
The fierce feeling roared like a freight train up her spine and blew off the top of her head, shattering her in his arms.
Cruz held her tight. He captured her mouth and took her cries into his kiss and swallowed them, and she could feel them become fuel in the furnace of his passion. A second later she felt the full power of his detonation in her arms, and she held on for dear life, riding it out with him.
A long breathless moment passed. Spangles and darkness swirled behind her eyes.
Lei sagged, and so did he. Very slowly, they tipped over, still clasped in each other’s arms, into the cool sand.
Lei rested her head on his chest. His thundering heart calmed beneath her ear and so did hers. Their heaving breaths slowed.
“Wow. What was that?” she whispered.
“The kundalini,” he whispered back. “It’s a coiled energy stored at the base of the spine. Only sometimes is it released in sex.”
“Oh.” Lei shut her eyes and floated on physical bliss.
Finally, Cruz sat up. “Let’s go for a swim.”
There was no embarrassment between them as they stripped out of their remaining clothing, never letting go of each other’s hands, and walked down into the ocean.
The green and blue glitter of bioluminescence foamed in the gentle surf. Lei smiled as the water, so warm it reminded her of her childhood in Hawaii, swirled and rose around her body in a new set of exquisite sensations. She dove under the dark surface, opening her eyes in spite of the stinging to see the sparkles, still holding Cruz’s hand. He followed, and they swam as long as they could underwater.
Out deeper, they let go, but continued their game of follow-and-lead as they swam, dove, and splashed in the glowing water. Cruz caught her hand and they moved in closer to shore, walking into waist-deep water. Their bodies touched, but there was none of the sexual fire of before—his presence felt friendly, companionable, like a trusted friend.
Gratitude rose up in Lei. “Cruz. Thank you.” She tugged his hand and he turned to her. She touched wet, salty lips to his in a brief kiss. “You did something. A magic spell. I can be with someone now. I can love someone now. I’m different because of this.”
“It was my honor,” Cruz said formally. “He will be a very lucky man.” He bowed to her in the same way he had when they finished their tai chi.
Chapter Eleven
Lei woke gently to the sound of doves in the citrus tree outside her room, and the smell of orange blossoms. She stretched out on the hotel’s luxurious sheets, sliding her naked body along the silky fabric. All of her nerve endings felt pleasantly abuzz with sensation, and she sighed, remembering Cruz walking her to her door, the soft kiss goodbye on her lips, the finger he then held to them as he winked one of those remarkable eyes.
Good. She didn’t want to tell anyone about their encounter, either.
Getting up, Lei padded over to her laptop and turned it on. While that was booting up, she took a shower. She’d taken one last night too, just a brief rinse to get the salt off, but sleeping on her curly hair wet was never a good idea, and today was no exception.
A few minute
s later, wearing one of the hotel’s pristine terry cloth robes, she sat down in front of the computer and typed in ‘kundalini.’ Webster’s defined the word as “the yogic life force that is held to lie coiled at the base of the spine until it is aroused and sent to the head to trigger enlightenment.”
Lei smiled. She’d been enlightened, all right. She had a sense that everything they’d done had been part of some spiritual discipline that Cruz was well-versed in.
Lei surfed through the local news, looking for anything about the bodies and the burned building. Eventually she found a small article and dragged the main paragraph into a translation program: “Three trespassers in the abandoned El Central Copper Mine were found burned in a kerosene accident involving alcohol. The public is reminded to stay away from private property.”
“Ha,” Lei said aloud. “Yes.” The day was getting better and better.
The phone rang by her bed and she picked it up. “Hello?”
“It’s Harry. Come have coffee with me. Cruz has taken Kelly out for a crash course in self-defense, so the baby and I want company.”
“Sure. Meet you by the pool?”
“Perfect.” The woman hung up.
Lei looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were bright, her cheeks flushed, and with a little gel in her hair, her curls were behaving. She’d never looked better.
Something inside her had shifted—she was ready.
Ready to open her heart to someone—perhaps a dog. She smiled at that idea.
Lei dressed in the bikini Kelly had bought her when she purchased Harry’s dress yesterday. She liked the sporty two-piece, cut high on the hip but more modest than the skimpy triangles Kelly was fond of. The bronzy color splashed with flowers complemented Lei’s olive skin tone and brown locks. She tied the matching pareo around her hips, slid her feet into slippers, and left the room.
Harry was already in the pool, swimming laps with that fluid way she had of moving, and no one else was around yet. The baby lay peacefully in her carrier, gazing up at the tree overhead, a tiny fist that had escaped from her blanket waving. Kona, vigilant beside the carrier, got up to greet Lei with a nose to the crotch and a bump to her hand, asking for scritches.
A waiter came by, and Lei ordered a pot of coffee and some fruit for their table and made herself comfortable beside the child and the dog.
Why hadn’t Harry done something about finding a placement for the baby? She frowned, concerned—surely someone was alive who knew about this child and would want her back!
She gazed down into the little girl’s face. So sweet—the baby’s eyes were round and brown under the tracery of her tiny brows, and her round cheeks seemed to press in on the plump rosebud of her mouth. She had straight black hair, a lot of it.
Lei glanced over at Harry’s sleek dark head. Harry could easily pass as her mother, in looks at least.
No one else had joined them at the pool yet, so Lei stood up and began doing some of the slow, graceful movements she’d learned from Cruz last night. Kona, watching, lolled his tongue at her in a happy grin.
Harry swam to the side of the pool and grinned up at Lei. “Cruz taught you a few moves, I see.”
A blush heated Lei’s cheeks. She bent over to touch her toes, hiding it. “I’m sure I’m getting this whole tai chi thing wrong, but I want to learn. It seems like a great stress reliever, a moving meditation.” She straightened up when she was fairly sure that her face had cooled. “I checked the news. Looks like the cops bought the cover story of an accidental fire.”
Harry hoisted herself out of the pool with an easy boost of her toned arms. She shook her hair, spraying Lei playfully with droplets. “Told you they would. Lazy and corrupt can be a good thing at times. Let’s have some coffee, then I’ll show you a simple tai chi routine for daily use.” Harry led Lei back to their loungers, where a thermal carafe had arrived and rested on a small table between cups, saucers, and bowls of fruit. “Man. It’s going to be tough to go back to the RV after this.”
“Kinda enjoying living like the one percent, myself. My aunt and I aren’t anywhere in Kelly’s economic bracket.” Lei accepted the cup of coffee Harry handed her.
“So, how’d you girls meet?”
Lei filled her in. “I know we seem like an odd couple, but Kelly’s good for me—and I think I’m good for her, too.”
“After our recent adventure, I’d agree. What did you think of him? Cruz?”
Lei splashed hot coffee on her hand and muttered a curse. “He was fine. Very helpful.” She slurped the beverage, gathering her composure. Harry was sure to know something was up if she kept getting flustered at every mention of his name. Truth was, she had no romantic interest in Cruz, nor he in her from what she could tell. What they’d shared was simply a healing experience, if an extremely enjoyable one. She clung to that thought as she sorted through what to tell her new friend. “I actually had a bad situation going on with that blond guy I was dancing with. He was getting overly friendly, and Cruz helped me get rid of him. We took a walk on the beach after, and he showed me some moves to help me relax.”
“I gotta say, Lei, you’re a magnet for trouble.” Harry eyed Lei over the rim of her coffee cup. “It’s weird how that kind of perp seems to be drawn to you.”
Lei sighed. “My therapist in San Rafael told me that research shows that, for some reason, women who are sexually abused as children often end up being victimized later, too.”
“So that’s what’s wrong.” Harry set her cup down. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Lei. That sucks.” The baby began fussing, and Harry leaned over to pluck the infant out of the carrier with a movement that seemed entirely natural. She cuddled the tiny girl against her towel-clad body, cooing to her, then removed a full bottle from a thermal bag and fed the infant.
Lei watched in fascination. Harry seemed to be handling the child like a natural. “I’m done with all that stuff from my past. If this road trip showed me anything, it’s that I want to be in control of my body. No one’s going to mess with me ever again.” She said it like a vow, each word a statement. “I wish I had more time to work with you and Cruz, learn more techniques. But I’m hoping my application to the police academy is accepted, and I can get those skills another way.”
“Well, you look better, today. All bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.” Harry rocked the baby gently as she fed her. “That’s Cruz’s specialty. He’s all about being in the now and using your mind to control your reactions.”
“I definitely need work on that. It feels good to have some things to try.” Lei waved her coffee cup toward Harry and the baby. “What are you going to do about her?”
Harry gazed into the child’s face. “I think I’ll keep her.”
Lei frowned. “Is that legal?”
Harry glanced up and her light brown eyes blazed. “Who’s going to stop me?” With her chiseled shoulders, fierce gaze, and the looming, protective bulk of Kona at her side, she was intimidating.
“I’m sure there are procedures to adopt a baby,” Lei mumbled. “Not that I have a clue what they’d be.”
“Less is more sometimes,” Harry said enigmatically. “I’m going to call her Malia. It means ‘Still Waters’ in Hawaiian, and she’s a very calm baby.”
“Yes, she is.” Lei could only agree; Malia’s mellow temperament made her easy to love, and clearly, Harry’s heart had been lost to her.
The women finished their breakfast and Harry put the sleeping Malia back in her carrier and stood up. “Let me show you a simple tai chi routine you can use whenever you need to center yourself.”
Harry was leading Lei through it, naming each of the moves and having her repeat it, when Kelly and Cruz returned to the pool area.
Lei had never seen Kelly so bedraggled. Her gym outfit was filthy, her ponytailed hair filled with sand and bits of grass, her face dripping sweat and red with exertion. Cruz, in contrast, looked cool and composed, only a tiny shine on his nose showing he’d been up to anything more tha
n a stroll.
“Oh yes! Coffee!” Kelly exclaimed, pouncing on the carafe and splashing dark liquid into Lei’s empty mug. “You two have been lounging over here while this dude was kicking my ass!”
“Just a few self-defense moves that I hope you never have to use,” Cruz said. “After your recent situation, Harry and I wanted to be sure you two had a few more moves to help you get out of trouble.”
Lei sneaked a glance at him as he picked up a grape from Harry’s fruit bowl and tossed it into his mouth, showing a flash of those pearly teeth. He looked delicious, all chiseled muscles in a ninja-black outfit. He caught Lei’s eye and smiled, and while there was mischief in his expression, there was also kindly regard. “You look well-rested, Lei.”
“Yeah, I got a good night’s sleep, thanks to you,” Lei said, dimpling a little. “Your instruction was super helpful.” She meant it sincerely.
“Happy to help. This was all we have time to do with you two, though. Harry and I need to get on the road.”
Harry frowned. “I was hoping for another couple of days in the lap of luxury.”
“Afraid not. We have a new job, and it’s time to move on.”
“Well, thanks, Cruz. Let me give you two something for your expenses. I’ll run back and get my purse.” Kelly trotted off, clearly invigorated by her lesson.
“We don’t need her money. Got plenty of everything we need.” Harry embraced Lei with the stiffness of someone who seldom touches others—Lei recognized it because she seldom did either.
“I’m so glad we met. I can’t imagine what would have happened to us if you hadn’t decided to help me go after those men,” Lei told her.
“I hope our paths cross again someday,” Harry said. “I’ll just run to my room and pack. Would you keep an eye on Kona and Malia?”
Cruz seemed unsurprised about the development of a baby joining their little cadre, so Lei didn’t think it was her place to comment. “Of course,” Lei said. She turned back to Cruz as Harry sped off. “You’re a talented teacher. I wish I had more time to train with you.”