Kincade's Rose (Megalodon Team) (5 page)

Her shirt was removed, baring her full
chest to his gaze.  His eyes darkened with warm heat as he licked his lips,
“You are a work of art,” he whispered.  Tyson’s shirt soon followed and he
closed his eyes as her hands touched his bare chest.

“You are so strong,” she breathed as her
fingers traced his defined abdominal muscles, all eight of them.  There was a
puckered scar across the lower part of his ribcage that she touched gently. 
“Where did you get this?”

“At work.”  He reached in and kissed her
again, effectively silencing her except for the purr that grew from the back of
her throat.

Tyson drew her back against the warmth of
his body before scooping her up, his hands under her butt and walking forward
until she was sitting on the edge of the sink.  He kept her legs spread around
his lean hips, allowing her to feel just how much he desired her.

He felt the wetness between her legs as she
tightened her grip around his waist.  It was a wonderful feeling.  Everywhere
she touched him he felt a burning.  Although he knew she wanted to go through
that metaphoric gate, she still hesitated.

But it wasn’t meant to be anyway, at least
not right now. The sound of a cell phone broke through their heated state.

Both of them drew back and looked at each
other with smoldering eyes.  Tyson winced as he heard the sound again but
leaned down and placed a long lingering kiss on her swollen lips.

“This will be continued,” he vowed as he
backed slowly out of the room before turning and answering his phone.

Jayde shut the door behind him and climbed
into the shower, still breathing hard and wanting something that seemed out of
reach for her.  She stayed in there for a good half-hour until her skin began
to prune.

Getting out, she immediately began to apply
baby oil.  After that was done, she slid into her robe and walked out into the
main part of the room.  Sitting there on her bed, freshly shaved and with a
faint smell of Aqua Velva, was Tyson.  Immediately all those intense feelings
returned and wreaked havoc in her lower body.

His bags were by the dresser; she noticed
he only had two, so he either traveled light or hadn’t planned on staying down
here very long.  He’d changed into fresh jeans and a clean shirt.  His eyes
were clear and possessive as he looked at her.

“Hello,” he greeted.

“Hey.  Just give me a minute to get some
clothes.”  Jayde was a little unsure of how to act.

“Don’t hurry on my account; I am thoroughly
enjoying the view.”  Tyson smiled and she blushed.  “I got the tickets for the
ride to the sanctuary.  So we are all set for that.”

Jayde nodded and returned to the bathroom,
dressing quickly in hiking clothes.  For so long she’d wanted to go to this
preserve and look at the wildlife.  She tossed up her hair into a ponytail and
then she walked out to meet Tyson with a huge smile on her face.  “Ready.”

“Let’s do it, then.”  He waited as she tied
on her hiking boots.  The glint off her ring made him smile.  His SEAL team
would never believe that he’d gotten married, especially considering the way
his ex had treated him.  He glanced down at his finger and felt comfort in
seeing the metal band.

Together they gathered their things and
headed down to the lobby where they boarded a tour bus that took them to the
sanctuary.  Tyson had taken her hand in his and entwined their fingers.  She’d
given him an encouraging squeeze in return.

She sat by the window totally absorbed by
the lush greens of the landscape.  Jayde loved Tyson’s frequent touches and
kisses, but for once, she was totally sucked in by the terrain, her artist’s
mind was working overtime.  When he finally stopped trying to compete with the
scenery for her attention and lightly caressed her hand, she looked away from
the window and smiled softly at him.

Jayde had been so excited she hadn’t
noticed the man who’d boarded after them, watching intently. Tyson had, but
acted otherwise.  He’d pretended as if it were just a trip between husband and
wife.  Every now and then he would brush his hand along her face or kiss her
ring hand.  Now, hours later, Tyson sat in awe of the woman sleeping in the
crook of his shoulder as the bus drove them back to the hotel.  They’d hiked for
over eight hours at the preserve, climbing over terrain that would’ve given
trouble to a lot of men he knew.  She’d moved like a pro over the rocks,
navigating her way as if she’d grown up there. The day had been amazing.

While they hadn’t seen any of the elusive
jaguars, the time had been full of beauty and wonder.  Jayde had been impressed
by everything she’d seen.  Her recently acquired
husband
had willingly
followed her lead as she went off the beaten path.  Tyson had only given her
one warning and that was about the bushmaster.

“Just watch where you step; I don’t want to
have to tell your family that I married and lost their daughter within the
space of a single day.  That snake is deadly,” he’d said.

“I know.  I’ll be fine.  Now quit worrying
and let’s go,” she’d said right before she’d taken off, leaving him to follow
in her wake, not even acknowledging his mention of marriage or her family.

His new wife had moves that would make his
SEAL team proud.  She was very sure-footed; but for now, she rested against his
body snoring softly.  He smiled as he slid strands of her hair through his
fingers, so soft, so silky.  Her light citrus smell combined with baby powder
made him peaceful.  Unable to resist, he kissed the top of her head, loving the
way she nestled closer to him.

As the bus began a slow stop in front of
the hotel he decided not to wake her.  She was so serene sleeping there, so he
scooped her up in his arms and carried her off the bus.

As he walked into the hotel lobby, many
gazes met him.  When Jayde looked up at him, he smiled as she blinked a few
times and snuggled back into his chest. The couple received envious glances
from other men’s wives and even from some of the men themselves.  The staff was
awed and astonished as they hurried to open the elevator for him.  He adjusted
Jayde’s relaxed body in the elevator as it headed up to the fifth floor.

He got off and went to the room, sliding
the card key in the door and entering.  Tyson set her on the bed and began to
undress her.  After her hiking boots had been removed, the phone rang in the
room, grabbing her attention immediately.

Jayde sat up with a start. “Don’t,” she
protested as she moved off the bed towards the phone.  ”My feet must stink…”
Her head dropped back as she sat down on the chair. “Hello?”  There was a brief
pause.  “Hello, Father.”

Tyson watched her entire posture changed. 
He didn’t like the instant submissiveness she projected.  Now he understood
what she’d meant by her family being overbearing.  He walked up behind her and started
to rub her neck.

“I was out of cell phone range today,”
Jayde said, unconsciously melting into Tyson.  He smiled.  “I went to the
preserve.  I was not in any danger.  Father, I was very well protected.  No, I
never went off on my own; there was always at least one person with me.  I was
very safe.  I have to go now, Father, I need to eat dinner.  Give my love to—”
Jayde sighed and set the phone down.

“Everything okay?” Tyson’s concerned voice
asked.

“He just hung up on me.  They are never
going to be proud of me.  Today, it was that I was stupid for going off to a
preserve.  I have been away from home long enough and I need to get back to the
States and begin my career.”  She leaned back further into his touch, eagerly
accepting his silent support. “I must be such a disappointment to them.”

Tyson felt a blinding anger at her family. 
How could they treat her like this?  Like her opinion about her own life didn’t
matter?  “I’m sure they are just worried about their baby.  I know if my
youngest child was out of the country, alone, I would be concerned.”

Jayde tensed.  “You have children?”

He caressed the back of her neck.  “None
that I’m aware of.  And I have always been
very
aware of my activities.”
His breath teased the hairs at her nape.

She stood and turned to look at him with a
semi-humorous glint in her eyes.  “And I suppose you have had a lot of
activities to keep track of?”

“In my younger days, I had my fair share. 
Not so much as of late.”  His eyes ran up and down her body in a blatant,
red-blooded, masculine perusal.  “But now that I am married, we will have to
see.”

“You’re not that old; and if you are, then
you are in awesome shape.  Who are you kidding?  We both know this whole
marriage thing is a sham.” Jayde smiled as she bent to peel off her socks.

“Jayde,” he began.  “About that…” The phone
rang; this time it was his cell phone.

She waved him off.  “I am going to order
some dinner.  I’ll get you some as well.”

He just smiled and answered his phone. 
Going over to the window, he began his conversation keeping, one eye on his
wife.  Someday he was really going to have to tell her they were legally
married.

Dinner was delicious.  Jayde had ordered
him the surf-n-turf.  The steak was perfect, done medium rare, just the way he
liked it.

“I want to ask you something,” he said as
he dipped his lobster into the melted butter.

“Shoot,” she said easily as she ate her
grilled salmon with baby asparagus.

“How did you know my middle name?  You
know, when the priest asked for it at the ceremony?”

Jayde nodded.  “When you opened your
wallet. That first night…listen to me, as if it were so long ago…I saw your
identification.”

“What made you decide to go along with me? 
I mean, like you said, we have only now known each other for little more than a
full day.”

She put down her utensils and met his
gaze.  “I trusted you, and I still do.”

He smiled as he began to eat again.  “That
phone call I just got…”

“Yes.  What about it?”

“I’ve been cleared to return to work.”

“Congratulations!” She raised her glass in
a toast.  “I bet that makes you very happy.”

“Well, I’d be happier if I knew I was also
cleared to go back to my original position, but this is a start.”  But at the
same time, he was sickened by the thought of leaving her.

“Well, then, let’s celebrate.  Let’s go
dancing,” she said with a grin.

“I’m not much of a dancer,” he protested.

“You did fine last night; what’s changed
since then?”

“Nothing, it’s just that…”

“Well, good.  If this is our last night, I
want to go dancing,” Jayde insisted.

“I can think of something else I would like
to do.”  His eyes darkened with memories of her body pressed against his.

She teased him with that adorable blush
again.  “I want to dance, but I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.  So will
you take me for a walk on the beach?”

“Of course.  I will even take you dancing
if you want.”  How could he not? She fit so perfectly in his arms, and to hold
her was akin to holding perfection.

A thought occurred to her.  “When do you
leave?” she wondered.

“I go back to the States in two days.  When
is your vacation over?” Tyson didn’t want to leave her.

“Same.  I am nearing the end of my
‘freedom’,” Jayde said with a roll of her eyes.

“Good, then I will see you home.”  He stood
and held his hand out to her.  “Let’s go woman,” he teased.  “I want to walk on
the beach.”

His smile was infectious.  She took his
hand and walked over to where her sandals sat by the door.  Sliding them on her
feet, she looked back at her cell phone and hesitated.

Tyson saw where she was looking and shook
his head.  “No, not tonight.  Tonight is for us.”  He guided her out the door,
pulling it shut just as the intrusive ringing of her phone began.

“They are going to kill me for this,” she
said.

“They will have to get through me, and I
promise they won’t.”  He gave her hand an encouraging squeeze and they
continued down the hall.

“You don’t know my family.  Or what they
are capable of.”

And you don’t know all that I am capable
of.
  “I’m sure I could hold my own.” Tyson managed to put in the right
amount of offense in his voice as they boarded the elevator.

Immediately contrite she said, “I’m sure
you could.”

He smiled as she attempted to make him feel
better.  The elevator reached the lobby and the doors opened. They walked out
of the hotel and back towards where they first met, hand in hand, like they’d
been doing this for a long time.

They strolled on the boardwalk along with
the other couples.  Tyson’s hand, once again on the small of her back, guided
her to the safest spots for her to walk.  He staked his claim to all around who
might dare to look twice at his woman.

Jayde leaned along the railing of the
boardwalk and looked over the darkening ocean. The wind had picked up and she
shivered slightly.  A warm feeling of security and contentment filled her as
Tyson stood behind her, offering his body heat to her.  At that moment, Jayde
knew she’d fallen in love.

This man whom she’d known for less than
forty-eight hours made her feel things she hadn’t ever felt before.  She would
love for it to feel like this forever, but she knew it wasn’t possible.  He was
an enigma to her.

Since her father worked with international
law, many of her father’s clients were ex-military men.  They carried
themselves with the same quiet dignity and strength she saw in Tyson.  Yet as
much as she wanted to know more about him, she wasn’t going to ask.  That was
something else her family had taught her.

Her body got tight and tense.  Sensing her
distress, Tyson put one arm around her chest and pulled her tighter against his
body.  “Calm down, my little rose, calm down,” he said as he put his chin on
the top of her head.  His other hand ran up and down her free arm.

“I know we don’t have much time left
together, but I would really like to thank you for making my trip one I will
never forget.  I mean, I stood up to the local cops; I married a man I really
don’t know to help him out of a jam.  I don’t think I will ever have this much
excitement in my life ever again.  So thanks,” Jayde spoke quietly and turned
her head around to meet his gaze.

“You are one hell of a woman Jayde Kincade,
one hell of a woman.”  Then he kissed her.

And I’m all yours.
 Jayde
repositioned her body to face his as the kiss intensified.  Hearing his name
after hers brought about feelings she hadn’t even realized existed in the
world.  She knew there would never be another man for her after this one.

The kiss continued until they were both hot
and breathing heavily with desire.  “It’s time to go back,” Tyson said in a gravelly
voice.

“I agree,” she panted.  They both knew what
was going to happen once they returned to the hotel room.

Grabbing her hand, Tyson set off at a fast
pace.  Stopping at the hotel entrance, Tyson grabbed her back into his arms and
kissed her again.  He sucked her soul into his body and put some of his back
into hers, tying them together.  Forever.

Flushed, hot and horny, they got in the
elevator with one other young couple, an older couple, and a grandfather with a
young boy who sent them amused and knowing glances as Tyson kissed her the
whole ride up.  As they got off on the fifth floor, Tyson swept her up in his
arms and carried her to the door, unlocked it, and maneuvered them inside,
kicking the door shut behind him.