Caribbean Heat (3 page)

“Yeah, I know, I just love to see the looks on their faces every time.”

“Henry is out fishing, but he’ll be back in a few hours if you came to visit with him.” The boys ran circles around their mother’s legs making loud vrooming noises as Rosa spoke, but she didn’t seem bothered by it at all.

“I was actually wondering if I could rent your kayak for the day?”

“You don’t need to rent it. You know you can borrow it anytime. It’s up by the house. The boys and I were just going back to the garden.” She motioned with one hand in the direction of the first path Sierra had spotted. “Will you stop in for supper tonight? Your friend is welcome as well.”

Jack looked at Sierra questioningly. As much as she wanted to say yes, to spend all day and night with Jack relaxing on this island, Sierra had responsibilities she couldn’t just shrug off.

“I can’t. I have a paper due tomorrow and a test in a couple days that I need to study for. I’m sorry. I won’t be offended if you want to stay, Jack. I’m sure I could make it back to the boat on my own this afternoon.” She didn’t want to take away his opportunity to spend time with this family just because she needed to study.

“No. I have a phone call to make and some work to do on the boat. Maybe we can take a rain check, come back another time.” Jack’s smile spread all the way to his eyes as he spoke to Rosa.

“That’s just fine.” She patted him on the arm. “You are always welcome here. We have extra orders for food at the resort tonight, so I thought you might be showing up. I have to get busy in the garden, but we’ll talk more later.” Rosa adjusted the basket in her arms. “Come on, boys. It’s time to go.”

“Thank you,” Jack said as Rosa walked away from the beach with the boys following close behind.

“Anytime, Jack. Anytime.” She waved over her head and then disappeared down a path that led into the thick growth of bushes and trees.

Sierra followed Jack down a different path, to a small grass hut sitting not far from the shoreline of the bay.

She enjoyed watching Jack from behind just a little too much. His movements were strong and determined, legs thick and muscular. Unfortunately his shorts were baggy enough she couldn’t check out his ass. She
shouldn’t
be checking him out anyway, but the sweet way he treated those kids made Jack even more desirable. It must have been some human instinct telling her that Jack was a good mate, seeing he could be a good father someday triggering some kind of innate response. It sure as hell wasn’t common sense.

“She seems very nice,” Sierra commented, hoping Jack would divulge more about how he came to know the family. The psychologist in her wanted to know all about him. At least she tried to convince herself that that was the case, that it wasn’t because she was developing a stupid schoolgirl crush on the man.

“They are a great family. I stumbled onto this cove a few months ago when Doug and Alexis were off doing business and I didn’t have anything better to do but take a walk along the beach.” He stopped talking, but she sensed there was more to the story. She didn’t have the right to pry. No matter how badly she wanted to.

A bright yellow kayak leaned up against the simple wooden shack with a thatched roof. These people definitely didn’t live in the lap of luxury, but they were surviving and seemed happy. That was all that really mattered in life.

“Hold the other end and we’ll carry it down to the ocean.” Jack grabbed onto the front of the kayak, lifting it up with ease, and waited for Sierra to get the back.

She picked it up and struggled down the path. The kayak was heavier than it looked. When they got to the water she was panting. Jack took off his shirt, and it did nothing to help her breathing situation. Solid muscles rippled in his arms and chest and a trident tattoo on one shoulder gave him bad boy appeal. His muscles flexed and Sierra had to work to keep herself from drooling over the man.

“Climb in the front.” Jack held the kayak steady with his paddle shoved against the shallow sand and motioned for her to climb in.

Sierra was a little shaky but made it in without toppling the kayak. She grabbed her paddle and after a few awkward tries got the grasp of maneuvering the thing. In a smooth couple of seconds Jack guided them out of the little bay. Just around the corner was a river that snaked away inland, into the trees and bushes and seclusion. Sierra did her best to help paddle up the river but he was definitely doing a majority of the work. She wasn’t good at this. She’d never paddled a kayak before, only seen it done on TV, and it wasn’t nearly as easy as it looked.

They moved along the river for about an hour upstream. She used the tips Jack gave her to become a better paddler as they went. Her arms burned and she couldn’t imagine moving this thing very far on her own.

There wasn’t much of a current. In fact, it seemed as if the water practically stood still, which was probably why it was so clear. She could see fish underneath them sometimes and up ahead was a large group of flamingos. It was like something out of a movie, something she only dreamed of seeing.

Jack guided them onto a sandy shore bordered closely by lush bushes and flowers. “I need to cool off and this looks like a good place for a picnic. Is it okay with you?”

“Yes. Definitely. It’s gorgeous here.” The only thing more gorgeous than the scenery was the man she was lucky enough to be enjoying it with.

“Are you up for a swim?” He was already wading into the water.

“Yes.” Like there was any chance she would say no to that. The water was clear and cool and she stripped off her shorts and tank top and waded in. The shore dropped off quickly and just a few feet out the water was over her head. Sierra swam over to where Jack was treading water.

“It’s good to see you can swim. I guess I should have asked you earlier.”

“What would you have done if I fell overboard and started to drown?”

“Rescued you, of course,” he grinned.

“So you think you’re a good swimmer then?” She was a good swimmer herself, had worked her way through high school and her first couple years of college as a lifeguard and swimming lesson teacher.

He chuckled. “Yeah, I’m a pretty good swimmer.”

“Why is that funny?” It seemed a reasonable thing to ask a person.

“I was a Navy SEAL. Being a pretty good swimmer is a bit of an understatement.”

“A Navy SEAL. Wow.” Of course he was. Could this guy get any more desirable? Hell, she should fuck him just to show her appreciation for the sacrifice he gave to protect her freedom. Sierra knew too much about the conditions in other countries to take that freedom for granted, and it was men like Jack who went all in, fighting the bad guys without concern for their own safety, their own comfort. Knowing Jack had been a Navy SEAL was definitely not going to help the inappropriate growing attraction she had for the man.

“The movies make it seem a lot more glamorous than it really is. Smelling like crap because you haven’t showered for a week or having to piss on your own hand because you got into some poison ivy…that’s what it’s really like out there.” He looked like he was going to say more, like his mind was somewhere else, but Jack changed the subject. “Are you hungry yet?”

“Starving.” But food wasn’t top on her mind.

They waded out of the river. Water beaded off his tanned muscles as Jack spread out a towel from his bag for them to sit on.

Sitting so close to him made it hard to swallow, hard to think. When they had both finished their sandwiches and she had taken her first bites of apple, Jack leaned closer. She held her breath, wanting him to touch her. Instead he reached into the bush behind Sierra and pulled out a big pink flower and put it behind her ear. “Now you look like a real island girl.”

His face was inches from hers, eyes intent, studying. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think about anything other than how badly she wanted him. She wanted to know how good his lips pressed against hers could feel. If it was going to happen, this was a perfect place, no one could see, no one would know.

“Ummhmm.” Sierra swallowed hard and moved closer, inviting him, needing him, not knowing if he had any interest in her, but hoping like hell he did.

Jack answered that question quickly, closed the distance between them and pressed his lips against hers softly.

Sierra parted her lips, inviting him in, wanting him to taste her. He didn’t hesitate, his tongue teasing, tasting, twirling with hers. Heat pooled between her legs. Damn, the man could kiss.

It seemed so natural, so easy, kissing Jack like this.

Sierra let her own tongue explore the heat of his mouth, tangle with his, and the pulsing need between her legs amplified. God, she wanted this man.

Jack’s hands ran down the bare skin of Sierra’s back, pulling her closer. She wrapped a hand around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair and held on tightly as the lust coursed through her.

She’d heard women talk about kissing a man and it making their toes curl, but she hadn’t experienced it until this moment. It was like some kind of drug and she couldn’t get enough.

Jack pressed his lips to hers again and again and wetness rushed to her opening. She wanted him, needed his cock inside her so damn bad.

“Sierra.” The one word was growled as he pulled her on top of him. Her sex pressed against his hard-on and another surge of wetness dampened her cunt. She pulsed herself against him, searching for relief from the surging need but finding higher levels of torment instead. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think straight, couldn’t focus on anything but the pleasure his touch gave her.

His hand moved up to her breast, brushed along the sensitive skin, and a shiver of lust shot through her. He grasped her whole breast in one hand and pinched the nipple between two fingers. and a shock of lust shot through her.

Something flicked against her foot but Sierra ignored it. She wanted only to focus on the sensations Jack caused, but the annoying thing flicked against her foot again and she looked back.

Hol-y shit.

Chapter Three

“Oh my God!” Sierra screamed and jumped off Jack.

Every muscle in his body tensed, immediately ready for battle. But he knew there was no battle here. What the hell was going on?

He followed Sierra’s horrified stare to a huge iguana near their feet. A few more came out of the bushes and her eyes darted around, full of fear. The one closest to them found a cracker he or Sierra had dropped on the sand and gulped it down.

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.” Sierra high-stepped to the water’s edge and climbed into the kayak, looking as if she might take off without him if he didn’t hurry up and follow.

Was this a sign sent down to stop what he was doing with the girl? Probably, but his cock was still in full denial of the interruption.

“It’s all right, they won’t hurt you.” The huge green creatures did look a little scary, but they were herbivores and pretty much harmless. Even the biggest one that ate the cracker was backing away at the sound of her screeches, but they were all still watching, not moving far from the edge of the sand. Their beady little eyes studied the humans with curiosity and caution.

“You want to get out of here?” He gathered up the bag, towel and remnants of lunch before she had a chance to answer. No matter how badly his cock ached for Sierra, leaving now was the right thing to do. Fortunately the iguanas knew that and came out to make him see how much of a dumb ass he was being.

“Yes.” She nodded vigorously.

He set the bag in the center area and turned the kayak around so it was ready to push off. “Climb into the front again.”

She did as he asked and sat stiffly watching the crowd of iguanas on the shore move closer again. Her fear of the iguanas was pretty funny. She didn’t seem the squeamish type. The woman’s demeanor was controlled and thoughtful most of the time.

Jack picked up the paddle and started to move them downstream. Sierra picked up her paddle and started to stroke too.

Just watching her paddle the damn kayak was a turn-on. Her arms and back were strong, so she obviously wasn’t afraid of hard work, and that usually meant getting dirty or at least getting sweaty. He liked the thought of seeing her sweaty just a little too much.

Jack watched as the tension left her shoulders the farther they moved away from the iguanas. “Haven’t you ever seen an iguana before?” They were common creatures on the islands and were becoming more and more prominent in southern Florida.

“These animals you have in the warm southern areas freak me out. I know I shouldn’t be afraid of them all, but I haven’t lived here long enough to know what’s safe and what’s not, so pretty much everything makes me nervous.”

“You’re going to school in Miami, aren’t you?”

“Yes, but I took as many classes as I could online before I moved down there. And I don’t get out much.” She looked a little embarrassed at the admission. “I’m originally from North Dakota. We don’t have iguanas there.”

A North Dakota girl? She was way out of her comfort zone then.

“What are you going to school for?” Jack asked even though he knew the answer. He was just trying to keep things platonic and hoping like hell that the intense blood flow to his cock would subside. Watching her paddle in that bikini didn’t help his situation. And her long, dark ponytail floating down her back made him want to grab onto it while he pounded his cock into her from behind.

“I’m working on my masters in psychology.”

“Psychology, huh?” Jack wondered how Sierra could analyze him and still want to come anywhere near. He was a mess. Most of the PTSD symptoms were disappearing, thank God, but he still had the dreams. Too many nights he relived the day he got shot, the day most of his buddies were killed, over and over in his mind.

There was some extreme guilt hovering over him still. He wanted to have been able to save them, even though he’d lain paralyzed from the gunshots, unable to help any of them. But he survived, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to take that for granted when so many others didn’t. His body and mind took some time to heal, and from the surface most people wouldn’t know any difference between him and any other guy on the street. But war had changed him in ways that could never be reversed.

“Yeah, I want to be a school psychologist.”

That meant she would need to live somewhere stable, that she had more of a future than a cocktail waitress on a yacht.

It was just another reason he had to keep his distance from this woman.

“What made you want to go into that field?” Knowing he had to stay away from Sierra didn’t make her any less interesting.

“A friend in high school committed suicide a few months after my family moved to a different town. She didn’t feel like she had anyone to talk to after I left. The psychologist at that school sat behind his desk, ate doughnuts all day and rarely went out to mingle with the students. I want to make sure that doesn’t happen in the school where I work, that I’m approachable and there for every student who needs someone to talk to.”

“That’s a very noble ambition.” And shitty for any chance of a relationship working out between them. He couldn’t take away her dream and he couldn’t be a part of it. His life was on a boat, at sea most of the time. He couldn’t be the man she came home to every night, or the man she deserved.

They paddled down the stream and back to the little house that was still vacant. Henry and Rosa worked long, hard days. Jack left some money on the table, glad there was no one there to argue against him leaving the rent for the kayak. They had more use for the money than him but he knew neither Rosa nor Henry would take it willingly. They were proud and didn’t want handouts.

Jack walked back down the beach toward the yacht with Sierra, hating that his time with her had to end but knowing it was the right thing to do. He had to work hard to resist touching her the whole damn walk, she was so sexy, so tempting.

“Thank you for a fun day.” She grinned up at him and he fought the urge to kiss her again. Luckily they were at the boat.

“Anytime.” He shouldn’t have said that. He should stay far away from the girl, lock himself in the control room and only come out when absolutely necessary. He couldn’t go out on any more romantic island explorations with the sexy Sierra and expect to keep his hands to himself.

“Well, I better get to my studying.” The disappointment was obvious in her voice but that was better than the alternative, she just didn’t know it yet.

“Yeah. I better get to work too.” It was an awkward moment. He knew she wanted more from him and hell, he wanted more too, but he had to do the honorable thing, he had to stay away from her.

Jack walked up the stairs, shut the door to the control room and grabbed his phone. He needed to call Blake and see if there was any new information, any new places he wanted Jack to scope out on his way back to Sol Cay and then Miami.

Jack punched the number into his phone and listened to it ring twice before Blake picked up.

“Hey, it’s Jack.”

“I was expecting your call a little later. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine. I just happened to be free right now.” Because he ended the best date he’d been on in a long damn time. Maybe there was a way he and Sierra would be able to work things out. He couldn’t give her a commitment but they could have some fun. His cock sure as hell wanted that option, the problem was that it wasn’t just his cock that wanted her. She was fun and smart and everything he would look for in a girl. Even a fling with her could be dangerous.

“I have some information for you. First, it looks like there’s going to be some action on the island again soon, but still no hints as to where the island might be. Second, there’s intelligence that points to someone on your boat being involved. Have you taken on any new workers or passengers in the last couple days?”

“We have two brand new servers on board. You think one of them might be involved?” It couldn’t be Sierra. He was a good judge of character. She wasn’t the type.

“I’m not a hundred percent sure on this, but it could definitely be one of them. The answer to this may have just fallen into our laps. Keep tabs on both the new girls, plus any passengers you pick up.”

“We had several passengers on this trip. Two men who are repeat visitors and three new women.” Jack wanted to make sure Blake had all the information.

“It could be any of them. Keep your eyes open and keep me updated.”

“Will do.” Jack liked the mystery, liked being a part of crime prevention, even if it was just a small part right now.

“I’ll see you when you get back to Miami? We can go out for a beer, catch up,” Blake suggested.

Jack didn’t like to go out much anymore, didn’t like to socialize, didn’t like to be around all the “normal” people, but he wouldn’t turn down Blake. They were like brothers.

“Sounds good, man. I’ll see you in a couple days.” Jack shut the phone and turned on the boat’s cameras.

Sierra was sitting on the deck, her long legs stretched out sexily on a table, a book in her hands, flipping through the pages slowly. He liked the fact that he would have to keep tabs on her now just a little too much. It was only going to cause him torment and distraction.

Crystal was on the island somewhere, as were Doug and Alexis’ guests. The excitement Jack felt from being given a reason to spy on them was somewhat pathetic. He missed his old life, missed putting his ass on the line to catch the bad guys, and missed making a difference. This was as close as he’d been to that in a long time.

He moved to a different camera, one down in the kitchen to see the cook working on stocking the refrigerator. She wasn’t a very likely candidate. She was fifty-something, a relative of Doug’s who didn’t have to worry about being canned because of Alexis’ whims, since she was family. She had been working on the boat for as long as Doug had owned it. If Blake’s info was right, it had to be one of the new girls or last night’s visitors.

Jack turned the camera back to the deck to see Sierra tucked around a corner, talking on her cell phone. He had to go down to check to see whom she was having a private conversation with. He didn’t think there was much chance that she was involved in the drug running, but it wouldn’t be appropriate of him to write her off just because he wanted her.

Jack had to do his due diligence. It would be easy for him to sneak within a few feet of her, close enough to overhear the conversation but around the corner so she couldn’t see him.

Jack tiptoed down the stairs, walked silently to the corner of the main deck area and listened. He felt a little guilty about spying on the girl he’d just spent the afternoon with but he couldn’t let his personal feelings get in the way of business.

“I know you love him and I know it hurts, but there’ll be other guys. If he didn’t have the integrity to be faithful to you now, things were only going to get worse in the future. It’s better you found out what kind of man he was before you married him or had kids together. Give yourself time to see that you’re better off without him. You deserve more than a guy who runs around with other girls behind your back. You’re young and beautiful and smart and he’s a fool for not doing everything in his power to keep you.”

There was a minute of silence while Sierra listened to whoever was on the other end of the phone.

“Give yourself time to think, time to get over him, and you know you can call me anytime you need someone to talk to.”

A girl willing to dole out good advice like that couldn’t be mixed up in drug running. Sierra was too smart for something like that.

Jack tiptoed away, not wanting to be caught spying on her. She didn’t deserve to be spied on in the first place.