Seek and Destroy (17 page)

    By the time he had them out of danger, she wanted to collapse from exhaustion. His exhaustion had to be twice that of hers since he did most of the work to get them back to shore. Her knees started to wobble and she wanted to fall to the ground, knowing her legs wouldn't be able to hold her.

    Instead, he pulled her into his arms and held her tighter than she'd been holding him. She felt the pace of his heart, beating as fast, if not faster, than hers. He fought for air, wheezing and dragging the oxygen into his lungs.
Lung
.

    Oh, David.

    She'd forgotten about his disability. He only had one and a half lungs, and a piece of plastic for a shoulder blade. Oh no. She felt terrible he had to swim out in choppy, stormy waters to save her, but grateful he did.

    
Disability, my ass.

    "Charis." David whispered into her ear, and it was the most incredible and welcome sound she'd ever heard. His voice reverberated through her system, and she started to shake again.

    Her throat closed, her breath hitched. Without warning she burst into tears, giving in to the all-consuming emotion of nearly dying out there in the water. Burying her face into his neck, she sobbed uncontrollably. Huge, un-Charis-like sobs that tore at her chest and robbed her of any breath she had in her lungs.

    He stroked her hair, kissed the top of her head and temple over and over. The gentleness in his voice had an undertone of desperation. "Don't ever do that again."

    
Not a problem
. She hated the water now, and would probably have a hard time drinking a glass of water after this. She cried harder, the painful sobs too much for her to control. "I-I've never b-been s-so s-scared."

    He kissed her temple. "That makes two of us."

    This proved it. She'd go back to Seattle and tell NASSD to keep their field assignments. She didn't know how the NASSD agents risked their lives day in and day out. She had a newfound respect for them. The thought of what almost happened out there turned her into a blubbering idiot.
NASSD Rule #53: A NASSD agent never breaks under pressure.

    Yeah, sure. Easy for a stupid rulebook to say. She felt like throwing the rulebook into the ocean and seeing how well it held up against the undertow.

    David stroked her hair and kept her head tucked safely into the crook of his neck. After she brought her heaving sobs back under control, he asked, "Are you all right?"

    She nodded. Changing her mind, she then shook her head, the tears streaming down her face. She didn't think she'd ever be all right.

    He chuckled softly, the sound causing his chest to hum. They stayed there, him holding her and comforting her with his words, his touch. She thought she might finally be able to stand under her own power and pushed away.

    She was wrong. He let her go and she melted to Earth with an unceremonious plop on the sand, dissolving into a puddle of ruined silk and blubbering tears.

    "Charis?" He knelt down, tilted his head as he eyed her.

    Closing her eyes, she felt the warmth of her tears streaming down her face, mixing with the rain and seawater. Now that God had given her a second chance at life, she didn't have any strength to do anything more than just sit there, wallowing in self-pity. Not only did she nearly die tonight, she missed out on what would have been the best sex of her life.

    The whole night came crashing down. More tears burned her eyes, melted down her cheeks. She didn't even want to look at him, knowing it would only remind her of where the night wouldn't lead. "Just go."

    "No," he answered and pulled her up, his hands rough and unforgiving as they grasped her shoulders. "Look at me."

    She stubbornly refused, holding her chin down, her eyes squeezed shut.

    "Charis, look at me."

    "No."

    "Goddamn it, woman." His grip tightened.

    He started to scare her, as if she hadn't had enough terror tonight to last two lifetimes. Opening her eyes, she squinted to try and bring him into focus. "What?"

    "Don't you dare," he ordered her. "I did not just risk my ass to save yours only for you to go all depressed on me about it. Life is too fucking short to feel sorry for yourself."

    And then he kissed her. Oh, he didn't just kiss her. He
consumed
her. His tongue plunged deep into her mouth, exploring the recesses, tasting her. A fire ignited in her womb and she let everything go, liquefying her arousal, heating up the folds of her pussy. His hands pulled her to him, possessing her. Ravishing her into oblivion, his kiss successfully rendered her incapable of conscious thought. Hell, she couldn't even breathe. This time, she was just fine with that.

    The undeniable wetness spread to her outer lips, tingling her, teasing her. Her clit throbbed against her panties, the dewy stimulation not only mixing her juices with the already soaked material, it reached her aching nerves and drew a moan out of her.

    His hot kiss set her on fire, every sensitive ending of her crux begging for more friction. So much more. Leaving her mouth, he trailed his tongue along the soft flesh of her neck, pulling a trail of searing heat with every inch he licked.

    "Charis," he rasped, whispering her name across her tantalized skin. Goose bumps peppered across her body. Her nipples peaked, puckered in response to his enticing kiss.

    He broke their kiss, nipping at her lips as he pulled back. Looking down at her, his eyes danced in the faint light-well, at least it looked like they were. Without her glasses, she couldn't be sure.

    "I want to see that light back in your eyes. Those beautiful eyes," he murmured and went for her lips again. "They haunt me. I can't close mine without seeing them."

    She kissed him back, matching his passion with equal fury, not understanding what he meant but loving his words anyway. "I'm yours, David. Take me."

    Her plea increased the fervor of his kiss. His hands caressed the small of her back, pulling her in to meet his engorged cock. Feeling his want for her, she pushed up against him, trying desperately to create friction against her swollen clit.

    Oh dear Lord. She was ready to come right here on the beach. If they didn't take this back up to a room, they'd both be arrested. "David," she started, throwing her head back in a hum as he nibbled at her sensitive spot behind her ear. "Maybe we should take this elsewhere."

    He pulled back, panting. With a squeeze of his hands, pulling her even closer to him, he drew in several breaths as he nodded. "Right. We are...
You
are... We
aren't
... Right."

    She brushed her hands across her face, pushing her hair out of her eyes, trying to clear her head. Ignoring the undeniable wetness gripping her sex, the incredible ache between her legs tried to control her otherwise sensible senses. Looking down at her appearance, she let out a slight giggle. "I must look wonderful."

    "You do," he responded in a gruff tone. He glanced at her and shifted from one foot to the other, scratching the back of his neck and shaking his head. "Really wonderful."

    She didn't know whether to take that as a joke or not, so she let it go, even though the way his voice, thick with lust, had her nipples hard and poking at the wet fabric. Turning his gaze away from her, he blew out a long breath. "Agent. Agent. Agent."

    "Excuse me?"

    "I can do this."

    "Do what?"

    He turned back and clearly did everything possible to avoid looking at her. Swallowing visibly, he finally gave her a sideways glance. The smile that curled his lips just about curled her toes. "Let's get you back inside and out of those clothes."

    She lifted her brow.

    "Stop that. You know what I mean."

    Knowing when to raise the white flag, she conceded. Even though he'd just kissed her like he'd die without her touch. Her short run of recklessness had come to an end. And that really sucked.

    She thought about her pact with God. Did running away with her tail firmly between her legs fall within her living her own life?

    Uh,
not
. She racked her brain trying to think of something to say to talk him into spending the night with her. "Oh all right. But will you at least take me to my room? I can't see past my nose without my contacts and I feel like an idiot looking like this."

    "Looking like what? You said so yourself. You look wonderful. I've never seen a more tempting sight." He grinned again and gave her a wink, sending her insides into a jig.

    Charis looked down at herself. The blue dress had turned into wet tissue paper, clinging to her skin and leaving nothing to the imagination. Even without her glasses she spotted the dark circles of her nipples spiked against the material. The crisp air, the fact she was sopping wet, and having David a mere foot away, kissing her with such furious passion made her body clearly respond, making her even wetter, lubricating her cleft for his entry. Crossing her arms to give herself a little modesty, she looked away.

    She didn't want to think about the growing need to have him deep inside her, to be able to feel his hard cock sliding in and out of her quivering channel. She even spotted the dark mound of curls through her dress, felt the moisture tickle the inside of her swollen lips, mocking her. The embarrassment smacked her cheeks and she closed her eyes to regroup.

    The feeling of something on her shoulders caught her attention. He'd removed his shirt and covered her with it. It sheltered enough of her to not faint from humiliation when they faced the public. His arm lingered, his thumb gently caressing her shoulder through the shirt. "No need to get everyone's attention any more than you already do."

    Twisting in his arms, she faced him. They stood close enough she didn't need her contacts to see the look of yearning darkening his features. A hunger, deep and potent, started to take control. Pushing up against him, he did exactly what she hoped he'd do and wrapped her in the warmth of his embrace. "I'm cold," she purred.

    "
You
are? You've got my shirt." The way he chuckled reverberated through the hardness of his chest. She nudged closer, resting her head on his shoulder, loving the feel of his wiry chest hair rubbing up against her cheek. A coil of tension tightened deep in her core when he rubbed his steely cock up against her hip.

    She rubbed back, making sure to turn so that she felt the inflamed flesh push against her swollen lips. Rolling her hips, she tried to rub again, to give her friction against her slick, wet heat.

    He cupped the roundness of her ass and pulled her closer, giving her the exact pressure against her clit she yearned for.

    Abruptly he pushed her back. "We can't."

    "Why not?" The ache between her thighs grew into a full blown spasmodic panic.

    "Goddamn it," he muttered and shifted, his gaze carefully hidden.

    "Don't you want me?"

    His gaze darted to hers. There was no question how much he wanted her. She knew, from the way he looked like a lion ready to take its prey, to the way his enormous hard-on strained against his shorts.

    "Let's go." Grabbing her hand, he led her through the lobby of the resort and over to the elevators. His hand squeezed hers like a vise, cutting off her circulation. She tried to wiggle free, but he wouldn't allow it and even tightened his grip in response.

    Her lust mixed with fear as the doors whooshed open and he practically threw her inside the elevator. Finally, after the doors closed, he let go of her hand.

    She shook it to get the blood flowing. "What was that all about?"

    The look he gave her made her wish she never asked.

    Fine. If he wanted to be an ass, then let him. Ignoring the tension seeding within her, she turned toward him and wrung her hair out onto the elevator floor. By the glance he threw her, the growl she heard vibrating in his throat, the shirt apparently didn't cover much still open in the front. His eyes narrowed as he gave her a slow, sexy look. The obvious bulge of his hard flesh in his wet shorts made her breath quicken as she widened her eyes.

    Oh dear God. That couldn't all be him. She wanted to reason that it was a good thing they weren't going to have sex. The size of his straining erection would never fit inside her. Her clit throbbed as her opening tingled, her folds softened. Apparently her body thought differently.

    "What floor?" he asked.

    Did she just see his dick jerk? She studied it closer, taking a step toward him to get a better look. Her vision sucked and she only saw a blur, but the blur looked
huge
.

    Yep! There! It just did it again! "How are you doing that?"

    "Doing what?"

    He jerked his swollen cock again. This time he moved his pelvis as well. "That! Right there! You made it move."

    He made a guttural growl. "Is this how women feel when men stare at their chest?"

    She blinked and looked up at him. "Huh?"

    He gave her a crooked grin. "Never mind. Floor?"

    "Oh. Um, eleven." Men had the ability to make their penis move on command? Fascinating. She wanted to see more. Her gaze lowered back down to his hard cock trying to escape. "Wow."

    He laughed. "What are you doing?"

    "Huh?"

    "Quit staring at my crotch," he stated without an ounce of firmness. "We are not having sex." He backed into the corner and studied the ceiling, the ground, even the numbers as they lit up. Anything to avoid looking at her. His jaw clenched and relaxed over and over as he fought his internal battle.

    To keep her sense of bravado as well as his attention, she removed his shirt and handed it back to him. "I'm good."

    "Yeah," he chuckled and accepted his shirt, shrugging it back on and taking his time with the buttons, no doubt to keep his eyes away from her.