2
“Not only do I sleep naked,” she continued. “I enjoy being naked in the moonlight and when I do early morning yoga.”
Jake stood motionless, trying to process.
She wagged a finger and said, “Your mouth is open.”
“Sorry. Um, I wasn’t expecting that,” he said honestly.
“So, it’s better for me to stay where I am,” she said. “Unless . . .”
Jake swallowed hard, not sure how having a reasonable conversation included informing your host, whom you had just met, that you enjoy going naked. And God help him, the images that flashed through his mind . . .
“Unless?” he prompted.
She shrugged. “Unless you don’t mind.”
His discomfort made him clear his throat. “To each his own. We’ll figure it out tomorrow,” he offered, but his voice sounded strained even to his own ears.
“Thank you,” she said and came closer. With a hand on his chest, she went up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. Surprised, he grasped her arms and turned his head before he realized what she was going to do. Their lips collided. They both froze, staring at each other. Then instinct and hot desire kicked in, and he moved at the same time she did.
The kiss was soft, both of them with eyes open, gauging the other’s reaction. He tugged at her lower lip, then the upper. She kissed him back, but they both kept it to a tentative exploration, not taking it deeper. Then she got a determined look in her eyes and curved her hand behind his neck just before she teased the line of his lips with her tongue. Because he’d gone stupid, he dipped his tongue into her mouth, getting his first taste of her. She sighed her pleasure and closed her eyes. Her body melted into his and, well, hell . . . a first kiss only happened once, and he wanted to savor it.
She stroked his tongue, matching the rhythm he set. He angled his head and went deeper, and so did she, matching him move for move, but then she swirled her tongue around his and retreated, biting his lower lip. His body’s reaction was swift and strong. And damn, this was his M.O. He found a woman he had chemistry with and moved quickly. He’d never had time for more. But this wasn’t just any woman. She was here on his daughter’s invitation.
He broke the kiss and stepped back. “I’m sorry,” he said. “That shouldn’t have happened.”
Jake ran a hand over his head and sucked in a few breaths, trying to regain control. Soleil bit her finger, and he’d never seen anything so sexy in his life. This woman was a natural seductress. She pushed all his buttons, and he had no doubt she’d be explosive in bed.
“I can practically hear you thinking,” she said.
“This is . . . awkward.” He should never have touched her or kissed her that way.
“It seemed pretty natural to me,” she said.
He turned away because looking at her wasn’t helping him keep his hands to himself.
“We just met. We barely know each other,” he pointed out, trying to be sensible.
“Funny thing about that is I feel like I’ve known you for a long time because of my sister and her friendship with your daughter,” she said.
Damn if that didn’t make sense, except—
“I didn’t know about you, so you have me at a disadvantage.”
“Okay. That’s fair.”
She walked over to the house, leaned against it, and propped a leg behind her, uncovering her shapely leg, which wasn’t helpful at all.
“I’m thirty-two,” she began. “Single. Never been married, no children. I travel the world with my job, so not staying in any one place for long periods of time makes relationships difficult to impossible. So my relationships, if you want to call them that, are more short-term in nature.” She gave a nonchalant shrug. “My work is very important to me, so I’m willing to sacrifice relationships for now, but someday, I’d like to have a partner.”
Her lifestyle sounded all too familiar, but he keyed in on one word. “Partner?” he asked. He crossed his arms and propped a shoulder against the concrete wall of the house, facing her. It was warm from the heat of the day. Or maybe that was Soleil.
She turned her head and smiled. “Marriage seems so outdated and unnecessary, don’t you think?”
He shrugged. “Call me old-fashioned, but I think marriage is a sacred thing that celebrates the commitment between two people who love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives together.” It didn’t escape him that his own marriage hadn’t worked out that way, but he had hopes that maybe someday, he could have this with someone.
“Marriage is a legal contract that has nothing to do with love and commitment,” she countered.
He nodded. “That’s one view. One that probably has more to do with other issues.”
“Such as . . .”
He shrugged. “A bad experience.”
“You mean a bad breakup?” she stated.
“Was it?” He asked, enjoying the easy banter.
She laughed. “No. But, my parents were never married, yet they had a long, loving relationship.”
“Why didn’t they ever get married?”
“My mother is white and my father is black. They got together in a time when interracial marriage was not only taboo, but against the law in most states. I guess for that reason alone, it made me hate the notion of what two people feel for each other being illegal. It’s absurd.”
“I agree,” he said. “But without a marriage certificate, your family doesn’t share in your job’s benefits.”
“Not true. Your children would receive your benefits whether you’re legally married or not. As for your wife, most women have their own careers which have benefits.”
He supposed that was true enough.
“Anything else you’d like to know about me?”
Surprised, he found he’d like to know a lot more about her. “You said you were here taking pictures for the reserve and my daughter’s wedding. I take it that’s your profession and not just a hobby. Why photography?”
“I’m fascinated with finding ways to shoot more than just an image frozen in time. I’ve worked for years to learn to capture a subject’s feelings, mood, personality.”
“I’d love to see your work,” he said honestly.
“I’d love to shoot you,” she countered.
“I hate having my picture taken.” For twenty-three years, Jake had shied away from cameras on purpose. His work was extremely dangerous, and there were those who would hunt him down and kill him for the things he had done for the United States of America. The identities of all special operators—Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs, and Marine SpecOps—were scrubbed from public files to protect them and their families.
“Why? Afraid you’ll give too much away if people see you? Really see you?”
“That actually sounds terrifying,” he admitted.
“It doesn’t have to be,” she said softly. “Unless you’re hiding something.”
She pushed away from the wall, her innately sensual movements numbing his brain.
“Anything else you need to know before you kiss me again?”
“Did I say I was going to kiss you again?” he said.
“You want to.”
She got closer. Close enough to touch.
“Are you with someone?” she asked.
She stared up at him with her mesmerizing, huge blue eyes. Her heat, the scent of tropical flowers, everything about her sucked him right in.
“I thought I was asking the questions,” he said, noting the subtle shift of power she’d just executed.
“Ask away,” she said.
Her hand on his chest short-circuited his brain.
“Since you’re hesitant, I’ll just say what we’re both thinking,” she added. “I’m here. You’re here. If we want to enjoy each other while we’re both in the same place, where’s the harm?”
Temptation had a face—an exquisite face, a sexy body, and a voice like smooth caramel.
“Think about it,” she said.
She swept her mouth across his, then broke the contact, a smile on her lips that promised unspeakable pleasures.
Jake stood there, hands on hips, fully aroused as he watched her walk away, hips swaying, before she disappeared down a narrow path that led to the lagoon. Two things occurred to him: first, he didn’t like that he couldn’t see where she was so he could make sure she was safe, and second, he didn’t know how he could be on the same property with her for the next week or so and not make love to her.
* * *
Soleil stepped into her vintage red and white camper and grabbed an apple and a bottle of water. Outside, she turned on the radio that sat on a table, picked up a book she’d been reading, and got into the hammock she’d strung between two palm trees. She untied the sarong and let the edges fall away. The soft breeze from the ocean cooled her overheated skin.
Usually, the gentle rocking motion of the hammock, along with the soothing jazz from a local station, lulled her to sleep, but she knew sleep wouldn’t come quite so easily tonight. Kissing Jake had been a revelation. She didn’t normally kiss men she’d just met, but desperate times and all. She’d intended to just give him an innocent kiss on the cheek in thanks for his letting her stay on his property and then leave to let him consider her proposal. But then he’d turned his head, his lips had moved on hers, and plans changed.
She closed her eyes, tried to center, and focus on her breathing. Her hand moved across her stomach then lower to her belly, and she tuned into what she was feeling. The ache between her legs was there, unsatisfied, distracting. She could easily give herself release, but she didn’t want to. Not yet.
She opened her eyes and jumped. Jake stood there looking down at her.
He steadied the hammock and turned his back to her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
The man moved so quietly, she hadn’t heard him approach. She tied her sarong and covered the essentials, disappointed and frustrated at the same time. Not just with the situation, but with everything. Maybe she’d read him wrong, and he wasn’t really into her.
“I’m sorry,” he began and cleared his throat. “You did warn me that you’d be naked.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay. It’s pretty far from the house.”
“I’m decent, so you can turn around,” she said. “I’m also fine. Being near the water is peaceful.”
Jake turned, but didn’t look at her. Soleil watched him as he focused on the lagoon where the sun was setting, turning the sky to stunning shades of red and orange and violet.
“It is beautiful,” he said. “But there’s wildlife. Maybe snakes and gators.”
“The property’s fenced, so I doubt I’ll see any gators.” She put a hand under her head. God, he was easy on the eyes. “I’m good. I blessed the area just after I set up camp.”
“Excuse me, what?” he said.
“I burned sage and asked the land to accept me as its guest.”
“Okay . . .” he said, nodding once, slowly, because he probably thought she was nuts.
“I’ve been here a couple of days. No incidents. No intruders.”
The hammock swung gently as the sounds of night began to fall around them. A chorus of frogs, a duck call, the sound of fish jumping in the water—all welcomed the rhythm of the night for her, but this man had disturbed the serenity of the spot she’d claimed. He had an air about him that said he’d claimed the land first, and she was an intruder. And damn if that didn’t trigger a flashback she didn’t want.
Something between his fingers caught her eye, and she grasped at the distraction—his index finger, turning it to examine the spot. He had a tiny anchor tattooed on the side of his finger. She traced it with a fingertip.
“I thought you said you were in the Army,” she said. “Aren’t anchors Navy?”
“I was Army,” he confirmed. “The anchor was to remind me of home—this place. Remind me I had a peaceful place to come to no matter what hell I went through.”
“That’s nice,” she said. She hadn’t had an anchor for some time—maybe ever. She’d learned to embrace her nomadic lifestyle, the constant changes in location and experiencing new cultures. But her last assignment had changed her outlook and made her question those choices. Being afraid was a foreign notion to her. She felt out of place in her own skin.
“I’m not sure I’m going to be able to sleep, knowing you’re here alone,” he said.
“Stay.” That one word surprised her, but there it was, floating in the space between them.
“I shouldn’t.”
That’s when she realized he was considering it. “Afraid you won’t be able to resist me?” she bit into her apple, aware of the innuendo.
“I’m trying to do the noble thing.”
“Oh, God. Please. Don’t feel like you need to be noble on my account. I’m the least old-fashioned person you’ll ever want to meet. In fact, I’m impossible to offend.” She let the words trail off, knowing he had more to say.
“Nevertheless . . . I can’t leave you here alone,” he repeated.
“A dilemma, to be sure,” she said. “Since you’re unaccountably reluctant to sleep with me, I suppose I should tell you I have a sleeping bag.” She let her gaze slide down his long, lean, muscular body. “But I don’t think it’s long enough for all of you.”
“I’m a soldier—”
“Were,” she corrected.
“I can sleep anywhere.”
“You are determined to do the noble thing, aren’t you?”
“If no one has ever treated you with this kind of consideration, that’s unfortunate.”
That statement stirred her anger, and she rarely lost her temper. “Should I be offended?”
“With the men in your life? Yes. With me, no.”
He sounded so cocky and judgmental. She sat up. “If I wanted a bodyguard, I’d hire one,” she flatly. And then because she felt a need to test his convictions, she added, “But my other suggestion for how we spend our time stands.”
He smiled, but stepped away with a rueful look on his handsome face, like he had to move away to keep from doing something he thought he shouldn’t. Fascinating.
He smiled, looking at her set-up. “I haven’t seen a VW bus in years. What is it? From the Seventies or Sixties?”
“Sixties, I think. I’m not sure.”
“It’s, um, colorful,” he commented.
“It is,” she agreed. She loved the brightly colored flowers she’d painted on the van. They made her happy. “It needed painting, so I decided to customize it.”
“Kind of like your arm?” Jake said.
She held out her left arm and looked at her tattoos. “For me, these are kind of like your anchor. There’s a different flower from each place I’ve traveled, to remind me that there’s beauty, even in places where beauty is hard to find.” The last one she’d gotten, the rainbow flower—a long stem with pointy red leaves—like her heart, hadn’t completely healed.
“That’s nice,” he said quietly. “They’re beautiful.”
“Thanks,” she said, and just like that, a thread of connection joined them. They’d both seen terrible things through the work they did. Things that once seen could not be unseen.
“You said you sleep in the hammock?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yes. Naked,” she added.
“If you have a bed in the camper, I could sleep there,” he suggested, ignoring the naked part of her statement.
“As you suspected, it’s unbearably hot in there, even with the windows open.”
“I don’t mind the heat.”
She stood and he automatically stepped closer to steady her with a hand at her elbow. Her reaction to him was instant, stronger this time. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to resist joining you,” she said honestly.
“Soleil . . .” he began.
His hand on her arm made her shiver despite the heat. “But since you don’t seem to have the same problem, knock yourself out.”
He gripped her harder, then relaxed, but didn’t remove his hand. His thumb brushed her upper arm. “You think I’m not attracted to you?”
“Are you?”
“Hell, yes.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Like you, my work has made relationships impossible, and for me, you’re not the kind of woman I’d do short-term with.” Before she could get good and upset over that statement, he added, “With you, I’d want to take the time my time.”
“Oh.” Good Lord, the thought of him taking his time with her made her knees feel a little weak. Was she ready for that? Could she stop moving around and stay in one place?
But then he went alpha and added, “So, we’re both keeping our clothes on tonight.”
“I can see you’re used to having people do what you want.” She put her hand on his waist.
“Old habits,” he said with a lopsided grin.
“I’d like to amend my proposal,” she said.
“I’m almost afraid to ask,” he said cautiously.
“No one has ever taken their time with me.” For her, sex had always just been a distraction—a fulfillment of needs. If she needed to rethink her career, maybe she should rethink her lack of personal life, too. Tempting, but still, she resisted. She had to because she knew from experience, no one would ever really want her. No one ever had.
“Well, that’s a damn shame,” he said and moved his hands up her arms.
The damn shame was the temptation to find out what sticking around with Jake would be like. “What if I stayed long enough to give it a try? No guarantees.”
“I’d say I’m not interested unless you’re sure.”
His slow, deliberate kiss gave her a taste of what it could be like with someone who took his time with her. Even though she’d always been an instant gratification kind of girl, a counter-image of taking her time with Jake bloomed in her mind.
He broke the kiss but moved his mouth down to her neck. “Oh, shit . . .” She tipped her head up to give him better access.
He stopped kissing her. When she opened her eyes, he was staring at her. “What?” she said.
“You’re the one who spoke,” he pointed out.
Had she? “I was just thinking that if I agreed to stay for a while, you’d have to give me something in return.”
“What’s that?” he asked, returning his attention to her neck.
“Relax the rules along with your urge to tell me what to do.”
“I could give it a try,” he offered.
She smiled. What had he said? “I’m not interested unless you’re sure.”
He chuckled. “You drive a hard bargain.”
“Maybe you should sleep on it,” she said. “In the camper.”
He rested his forehead against hers. “Hmm. In the interest of taking our time, we should both sleep on it.”
Soleil was used to making quick decisions. She followed her gut. If she had to think about it, she didn’t do it. But given what had just happened, maybe she should give it some thought. She had to say, it did enhance the anticipation factor.
She held out her hand. “Deal.”
* * *
A few hundred yards away, a man with binoculars said, “We got company.”
The man beside him grabbed the binoculars and focused them. “She’s not alone?”
“No. Some damn mountain of a man is there with her,” he paused then added. “Shit. He looks badass. That’s damn inconvenient.”
The other guy grabbed the binoculars. “Yeah. Shit just got real.”
“Boss ain’t gonna like it.”
“Told you we should have let him know we had eyes on her.”
“She’s sweet to look at.”
“Looking at her’s not the job.” The man said and made a call.