Destination Wedding (12 page)

“I’d better call my father,” she said.

“We already did. And told him you were safe.”

“That’s good, but I need to talk to him, too.”

She took the cell phone from the holder near the helm and called her father’s private line. He answered on the first ring.

“Dad.”

“Camille. Are you all right?” he asked, his voice filled with relief.

“Yes. Thanks to Nick. He got me out of there when nobody else could.”

“Frank Decorah said he was the best man for the job of getting you back.”

“He was.”

“I’m very grateful to him.”

“So am I.”

She walked away from the two men who were probably tuning in on the conversation and stepped out on the wide deck.

“I don’t know how long it will take to get back to Florida, but when we get there, I want some time alone with Nick.”

“You do?” he asked, his surprise evident.

“Yes. I do. After we dock, I’m going to tell the crew to clear off. And you’ll confirm that, if they call you.”

He hesitated for a moment. “Why?”

“Because after what we’ve been through together, Nick and I need some time together.”

When he said nothing, she continued, “You heard that?”

“Yes.” He cleared his throat. “Something I’ve been waiting to say to you. Camille I’m sorry. I didn’t read Zanov correctly. I knew he was dangerous, but I was still trying to do business with him.”

“Apparently that was a mistake.”

Her father made a low sound as he processed the frank assessment.

“They told you he’s dead?” she asked.

“Yes.”

And while she had his attention, she added, “And it didn’t work out so well to keep me and Eden under guard. She found a way around your security.”

He winced. “I can see that now.”

“We can have a long talk later—about how things are going to change from now on.”

“Camille.”

“A serious discussion with you will have to wait until I get some things straight with Nick.”

“What?”

“I’ll tell you about it—later.”

Before he could ask any more questions, she clicked off and brought the phone back to the helm. Feeling the two men watching her, she walked to the galley, where she took out a couple of the sandwiches the crew had brought along and carried them down to the owner’s cabin, along with some bottles of water.

Nick was still sleeping, and she didn’t wake him. Instead she went into the head and dried her hair. Then she changed back into the robe she’d been wearing and sat down in the comfortable easy chair across from the bunk where she could eat a sandwich, drink some water and watch Nick sleep.

She had never seen him more peaceful, and she liked the change that sleep brought to the harsh lines of his face. He’d always looked like he was ready for any emergency. Now his features were relaxed, and she let her gaze slide over the sexy curve of his lips, the blade of his nose, the hard line of his jaw. She took in the way his dark lashes lay against the tanned skin of his cheek, pretty sure he hadn’t gotten any sleep the whole time she was gone. And then at the end, he’d almost gotten killed trying to save her. The image of him standing on the beach with his automatic rifle, firing at Zanov’s men, made her insides clench and at the same time brought a surge of deep emotion. Sure, he’d been doing his job, but it was a lot more than that. He’d faced almost certain death so she could get off of Zanov’s island.

She sat in the chair for a long time, watching him sleep, feeling peaceful for the first time in ages. She’d been at the estate, wondering if she was going to be confined for the rest of her life. Then the worst had happened, and she’d felt like she’d been hit in the chest with a wrecking ball when she realized Zanov had captured her.

The only thing that had saved her sanity was knowing Nick Cassidy would get her out of there. She’d felt it on a bone-deep level, even when the conviction wasn’t quite rational.

Against all odds, he’d done it. She was safe. But she was exhausted too, and finally she dozed off.

A change in the engine noise woke her. She got up, pulled aside one of the curtains and looked out a window to see that they had slowed and were docking at the Norland estate. A few minutes later, she saw Bobby and the big shambling guy named Teddy Granada get off and take the path to the house. He wasn’t very impressive looking, but she got the feeling he’d played a key part in her rescue.

When she turned back to Nick, he was looking at her.

“Where are we?”

“Back in Norland country.”

“I have to talk to Teddy.”

“He’s gotten off the yacht.”

“Why?”

“Because I said I wanted to be alone with you.”

The words hung in the air between them. After a long moment, Camille reached for the belt of her robe and untied it. She let the garment drop to the deck, her gaze challenging Nick as she stood naked before him.

Nick couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Her body was perfect with high breasts crested by rosy nipples, a narrow waist, hips that flared invitingly and a triangle of blond hair at the juncture of her legs.

As he watched, she crossed the cabin. When she paused beside the bed, his breath caught. Then she quickly pulled back the covers and slipped into the bunk with him.

“You shouldn’t be in bed with me.”

“You don’t want me?” she asked.

He heard the raw need in his own voice. “Christ. You know I do.”

“Then stop fighting what you want.”

“All the reasons why I stayed away from you are still valid. I work for your father. I’m not the right man for you.”

She pressed two fingers to his lips. “A lot of guys thought they knew what was best for me. My father. Zanov. Guys who wanted to marry me for my money. Maybe you should let me be the judge of what’s best for me.”

Under the covers she reached for the tie of his robe, loosening it and spreading the front apart.

“Don’t.”

He heard a laugh in her voice as she answered, “Okay,” and settled down beside him, pressing her arms to her sides.

He should get out of the damn bed, but he couldn’t make himself do it. He wanted her, had wanted her for eons, and this might be his only chance to make love with her—before she came to her senses.

Wordlessly, he reached to brush back her hair so his lips could find the tender place where her jawline met her neck.

“Nice,” she murmured, then, “More.”

His finger moved to her mouth, where he touched her with a feather-light stroke.

He felt her smile. Then her lips parted, and she nibbled at his fingers, sending darts of sensation along his nerve endings.

He played with the line of her teeth, then moved his finger so that he could stroke the sensitive tissue of her inner lips.

She raised up, looking down at him, her heated gaze robbing him of breath.

Moving over him, she pressed her breasts to his chest. When he felt the hard points of her nipples stab into him, his own body tightened.

Then her back arched up in invitation, and he was helpless to do anything besides circle her nipples with his fingers, before shifting her position so that he could suck one hardened peak into his mouth.

He did the same with the other crest, savoring her as he sucked her into his mouth, drawing on her while he used his thumb and finger on its mate, pulling and twisting, bringing little cries to her lips.

He was still thinking he should stop this while he could, and perhaps she saw his conviction in his face.

“You saved me from Zanov. Now I need you to wipe him out of my mind. Don’t deny me that, Nick.”

The words and the plea in her voice tore at him.

“Oh Lord, Camille.” Gathering her close, he rocked her in his arms, and she sobbed out his name.

“You are so sweet. So beautiful,” he whispered words that he had longed to say to her.

“So are you.”

“I’m sweet?”

“Beautiful.”

She reached to touch his chest, then slid her hand farther down his body until she reached his erection.

Her gaze locked with his, she closed her hand around him.

When she tightened her grip, he let himself enjoy her caress for a few moments, then lifted her hand away.

“You’re going to push me over the edge,” he managed to say before bringing her hand to his lips, folding her fingers inward so he could kiss her knuckles and nibble at them.

His other hand slid down her body, pausing to play with the springy hair at the top of her legs before slipping lower into her feminine folds.

She was wet and slippery for him, and the knowledge of her arousal was like a drug. He bent his head, nipping at her breasts, then soothing her with his tongue.

Hot currents surged through him as he stoked her pleasure, sucking on one of her nipples while he glided two fingers from her clit to just inside her vagina, circling there before making a return trip.

He was rewarded with the frantic movement of her hips.

“I’m going to come if you keep doing that,” she gasped.

“Oh, yeah.”

“I want you inside me.” As she spoke, she levered her body over his, taking his cock in her hand and guiding him inside her.

For a long moment, she remained still, as she gazed down at him, the intense passion on her face robbing him of breath.

“Thank God I’m with you,” she said in a rough voice.

She didn’t say the rest of it, but he knew what she meant. With him and not the man who had kidnapped her.

Leaning forward, she pressed her clit against him as she began to move. She started slowly, and watching her was as arousing as the feel of her tight sheath clasping him.

Her movements became frantic as she pushed toward orgasm. Somehow, he held back, waiting for her to reach the peak of her pleasure, and when he felt her inner muscles clench around him, he let himself go, shouting his satisfaction as he poured himself into her.

She collapsed against him, and he held her close, shocked by the depth of his response to her. He had known that making love with her would be good. He hadn’t known it would mean more to him than mere pleasure.

Camille settled beside him, her hand stroking over his shoulder and down his arm.

He could hear the teasing in her voice when she murmured, “Was that good for you?”

“You know damn well it was.”

“Yes. More than sex.”

“What does that mean?”

“I think you know.” She reached for his hand and knit her fingers with his. “Nick, meeting you was a blessing, and I don’t just mean your risking your life to rescue me. We both know it’s more than that, I’m not going to let you walk away from me.”

“You don’t need me. You have so much.”

“And you know what my life has been like lately. I mean at the estate. Maybe I’ve been in a comfortable environment, but I haven’t had any freedom.”

She felt him nod in acknowledgment.

“I’ve been missing what would make my life worthwhile—starting with a meaningful relationship. In this case, with you, because you’re absolutely right for me. But if you need time to realize that, okay.”

“I told you what I was.”

“You mean the thief part or the invisible part?”

“Both.”

“The thief part is in the past. You’ve come a long way from when you were that boy. And I’ve already gotten used to the invisible part.”

“And you think I could fit into your life?”

The way he said it told her he still wasn’t sure.

“Nick, I told myself I hated you because you were so good at your job. But really I was falling in love with you while you were playing hard to get.”

“Oh Christ.”

“You don’t want to hear that?”

“I shouldn’t be listening to it.”

“I want you in my life—not as a bodyguard, although I know you’d always keep me safe. I want more with you. If you can’t wrap your head around that, I’ll be . . . sad, but I hope you’re not afraid to give it a try.”

“You’re calling me a coward?”

“No. I’m hoping you can be open-minded.”

He swallowed hard, hating to argue with her but knowing he had to. “Let’s think this through. Are you asking me to give up my job?”

“I’m asking you to explore your options. You decided you couldn’t be close to me because you worked for my father. I’m thinking just the opposite is true. If you and I were together, my life would open up in ways it hasn’t in years. I mean, I wouldn’t have to be a prisoner at the estate. I could go back to school and get a masters degree in psychology.”

“That’s what you’d want to do?”

“For a long time, I’ve dreamed about having a job where I could help people—not just hang around the Norland estate feeling useless.”

“So
my
job would be guarding you?”

She dragged in a breath and let it out. “Would you consider being head of security for Norland Limited?”

He scoffed. “Now you’re doing the hiring for your father?”

She gave him a fierce look. “Actually, you snatched his daughter away from a madman and brought her back alive, when no one else could have done that. I think you’ve proved yourself to him.” She saw he wanted to speak but kept talking. “Plus I watched you standing on the beach, shooting at those men and throwing grenades, risking your life so I could get away. And I’m not the only one who saw it—right? If that satellite was still in place above the island, everybody knows what you did.

Ignoring the last part, he said, “And you didn’t run for the water. You stayed on the beach.”

“Yes, because no way was I going to leave you there. We hadn’t talked about how we felt, but I think both of us had made an unspoken commitment to the other.”

When he didn’t answer, she asked, “I think our behavior under extreme pressure means something, don’t you?”

He conceded the point with a small nod.

Still, she knew she had to give him choices.

“I’m not going to push you. But I’m hoping that you want me enough to . . . stay with me.”

He made a low sound and reached for her, pulling her tightly against himself. For a few moments, she closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder. She knew he was a man who had been fulfilled in his work. But he’d never dared to let himself go beyond that. Could he make the leap to a different way of thinking?