Falling for Her (12 page)

When they reached the car, Jamie backed her up against the passenger door, braced his arms on either side of her head, and lowered his mouth to hers. All morning she’d found herself touching her lips
and wondering if she’d only imagined how great he kissed. She hadn’t.

“Mmm. Nice,” he murmured, then stepped back. “I’ve been wanting to do that since I tiptoed out of your bedroom last night.”

“Really?” God, she sounded so juvenile. Why couldn’t she think of something sophisticated to say?

“Yes, Sugar, really. If you’ll move that beautiful ass of yours, I’ll open the door.”

“You just said
ass
,” she blurted.
Stop talking, Sugar, until you have something intelligent to say.

“Your fault, sweetheart. Entirely your fault.”

From his grin, she knew he was teasing her, and that in itself was a novelty. She liked it, but he was still a mystery to her, this man his friends called Saint. Like the hard rock music blaring out of the radio. She would’ve guessed he’d go for oldies, maybe country.

She did want him to kiss her and hold her hand again, and . . . and do that magical thing he’d done with his fingers the night before. It still astounded her she’d had her first orgasm, something she’d accepted would never happen for her.

“A penny,” he said and turned down the radio.

Caught at her thoughts, fire lit her cheeks, and she knew they’d turned bright red. “Ahem, I wasn’t really thinking anything, just listening to the music.”

“Little liar.” He took her hand and put it on his thigh. “You were thinking about last night. At least, I hope you were.”

“Some. A little. Maybe.” His leg muscle flexed under her palm, as if he were pleased with her answer. Unable to help herself, she circled her fingers over the material of his shorts, wishing she had the nerve to move her hand to his bare skin.

After crossing the bridge to Gulf Breeze, he turned onto a narrow lane leading to a marina on the bayside of the island. “I thought we were going to the beach.” She’d never been on a boat in her life, and wasn’t sure she wanted to be on one with him. If she got sick, she’d die of embarrassment, especially after barfing her guts out in front of him the night before.

He pulled into a space in front of the marina office and shifted in his seat to face her. “I have something much better in mind than sitting on the sand, surrounded by hot, sweaty, screaming kids. For what I have planned for us, we need privacy.”

The last was said in such an intimate, compelling voice that she could only nod her assent. Did more privacy mean he would do those things to her again?

“I’m on board.” She helplessly snorted.
Really, Sugar. On board?
Already, she was boat-talking. His lips curved into an amused smile, as if he knew her every thought. God forbid.

“Just remember, on a boat, the captain’s the boss. Whatever he
says goes.” He got out of the car and came to her side, opened the door
and leaned in. “The first mate’s job description is to obey the captain,
no questions or arguments. Got that?”

Sugar barely refrained from saluting. “Aye, aye, captain.”

“That’s my girl,” he said with a pleased, downright sexy grin.

That’s
my
girl. She was in deep shit, falling for a man who would never love her back. But what the hell! As long as he wanted her, she was his. She ignored how pathetic that sounded.

Well, she would be his for as long as he wanted her unless she had to run.

CHAPTER TWELVE

J
amie backed the twenty-three-foot Sea Ray away from the dock. Sugar sat on the padded seat next to him, her arms wrapped tightly around her own waist. He loved his boat and wanted her to love it, too. Why that mattered, he chose not to think about.

By the color of her face, however, he thought she was only minutes from hanging her head over the side. It hadn’t occurred to him to ask if she was prone to seasickness, but they were only a few yards from the marina, the water as smooth as glass.

To divert her attention, he slipped his arm around her and pulled her onto his lap. “You steer.”

“Shit, no.”

She tried to scramble away, but he held on to her. “Easy, sweetheart. Just put your hands here.” He brought up her unwilling hands and wrapped her fingers around the wheel. Her knuckles turned white. “I won’t let you run into anything.”

An annoyed breath huffed from her. “Shows what you know. If there’s anything within a hundred miles I shouldn’t run into, you probably won’t be able to stop me. Have you already forgotten the beer truck near miss?”

“I remember. Gave me nightmares.” Jamie pressed his mouth to the side of her neck and grinned, although the reminder should probably have had him quaking in his flip-flops and in fear for the life of his boat. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she liked having control. Already, her fingers were turning back to a healthy pink, and the green was fading from her cheeks.

As she darted alert glances left and right, he eased up the throttle, giving her a little more speed. Minutes later, she gave a delighted laugh as they bounced over the small waves coming in from the inlet.

“Where am I supposed to be going?” she called over the roar of the motors.

“Straight ahead.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, liking the feel of her against his body.

She peered back at him, her eyes as wide as saucers. “In the ocean?”

“You a scaredy cat?” Unless he missed his guess, the woman wouldn’t refuse a dare.

Her lips thinned into a determined line. “Hell, no.”

It took every bit of his control not to laugh when she tossed her straw hat aside, stood, and practically pressed her nose to the windshield. Any desire to laugh died at the sight of her eye-level bikini-clad bottom clearly visible through the gauzy cover-up. Unfortunately, the parrot painted on the back blocked out the enticing parts of her. Figuring more speed would keep her focused on her driving, he moved the throttle forward some more.

“Just keep going in the direction you are. You want to keep inside the red and green buoys.” He’d checked the weather before inviting her, and knew there’d only be slight swells on the gulf.

“Piece of cake,” she said, and he heard the excitement in her voice. “I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.”

Her steady stream of self-encouragement brought a grin to his face. “What are you, the little choo-choo that can?”

Laughter flowed from her. “Yep, that’s me.”

Giving in to the need to touch her, he placed his hands at her knees, then trailed his fingers up her legs, his thumbs stroking the soft flesh of the inside of her thighs. He slipped under the cover-up, and when he reached that lovely ass in front of his face, her rounded cheeks rippled as the pads of his fingers danced over her skin. So, she liked that.

And he liked the little yellow bikini. Very much. All he had to do to get it off was pull the bows dangling down the sides of her hips. To test her reaction, he gave one a light tug and got swatted.

“Stop it.” She brushed his hand away. “I can’t concentrate when you do that.”

He’d get her out of it before the afternoon was over. He hoped. For now, she was coming up on the inlet, and she didn’t have the experience to get them through the pass. Standing, he pressed against her and eased back on the throttle. With his hands on her shoulders, he talked her past the shoals and incoming waves.

“I did it!” she cried when the last of the rock wall was behind them.

“You certainly did.” The excitement dancing in her eyes when she looked back at him reminded him of a child on Christmas morning. Once into the Gulf of Mexico, the boat rode the gentle swells as easily as a bobbing cork. He reached his arms forward and put his hands over hers, turning the wheel to the left.

She laughed, then pushed his hands away. “This is so great. I’ve never been on a boat before, and I love it.”

Jamie sat back down, letting her have the wheel. His Sea Ray was his one true love, and his heart gave a little flip at her words. The October day was perfect, warm enough not to be chilled by the wind, but not so hot they were sweltering. A line of pelicans flew overhead, their fat bodies and long beaks outlined by the stark blue sky.

When they took the lead, Sugar bounced on her feet. “Can we go faster? Please. Oh, pretty please.”

“The throttle’s there at your right hand. Just remember, we’re not on a NASCAR racetrack and you’re not Earnhardt.”

She let out a shriek and pushed the throttle forward, catching up with the pelicans. “Y’all have nothing on me, ya beady-eyed bastards,” she yelled heavenward, shaking a fist at them.

Her enthusiasm was contagious, and laughter spilled out of him, coming from places he thought he’d closed and locked the doors to forever. He tried to imagine Jill—or any of the other women he’d dated the past ten years—racing a flock of birds and . . . giving them the finger?

“Sore losers,” she muttered.

Jamie glanced behind him to see the pelicans veer off toward shore. “Appears they are. Is this where I’m supposed to soak you with champagne?”

“A simple, ‘you’re awesome, Sugar,’ will suffice.” She glanced back and shot him a grin.

The woman
was
pure awesome, a fact he couldn’t deny. A funny thing happened then. As clear as day, he saw a fork in the road. One kept him going in the direction a scared, young man once decided was his destiny, a way to honor the parents he’d killed. The other might lead him to hell or heaven. There was no way to know which, only that a beautiful, vibrant woman with the unlikely name of Sugar Darling dared him to follow.

She’d put her hair up in a ponytail before they’d left the dock, and he tugged on it, pulling her down onto his lap. “You are awesome.” He put his hand under her chin, turned her face to the side and kissed her. “I surrender,” he whispered against her lips, knowing she couldn’t possibly understand.

The boat swerved crazily to the left when she wrapped her arms around his neck, and he grabbed the wheel. “Time for me to take over.”

“Ooops,” she said, then giggled. “You made me forget I was driving, so it’s your fault.”

“A good sea captain never forgets he’s at the wheel, no matter the circumstances,” he said, just to rile her.

Surprising him, she turned so her body faced his, her legs straddling him, and her eyes glittered with mischief. “Is that so? Makes me wonder. What if I did this?” After making a quick scan of her surroundings, she put her hands on the hem of her cover-up, lifted it over her head, and tossed it to the seat. Then she reached behind her and pulled the ties to her top, baring her breasts on a level with his mouth.

The boat swerved crazily to the right.

“Jumping junipers, Sugar.” He righted the Sea Ray. “I could’ve killed us.” Although he couldn’t argue it would be a good way to go out.

“A good sea captain never forgets he’s at the wheel, no matter the circumstances,” she mocked, her lips forming a smirk.

“Little witch.” He pulled the throttle back and cut the engine before covering her breasts with his hands. “Fair warning, I have plans for these.” When he flicked his thumbs over her nipples, they puckered. In anticipation, he hoped.

Something that looked a little like fear flickered in her eyes, and she buried her face against his neck, hiding before he could be certain. To say he was confused was an understatement. He caressed her back, rubbing his hand over skin that felt as soft as a baby’s.

“I’m not sure how to go on with you, Sugar. One minute, you yank off your top, displaying your girls in all their glory.” He kissed the side of her cheek. “And believe me, they are glorious. Then I think I see fear in your eyes. Talk to me. Tell me what you want.”

A shudder passed through her body, then she let out a long sigh. “I’m trying to be brave, okay? I want to be normal.”

“What makes you think you aren’t?” Was he about to find out what had happened to her?

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she said, her lips still pressed against his neck. “Was it wrong to take off my top? I should know these things, shouldn’t I?”

The woman was worming her way into his heart without even trying. Her vulnerability called to his need as a man to protect her, something he’d not planned for. He wasn’t sure how to deal with it, but for her he had to try.

“This is important, so listen to me, sweetheart.” He leaned away, forcing her to look at him. “If it feels right to you to take your top off, then it’s right. Here’s what you have to remember. I’ll never hurt you, okay? If I ever do something that makes you uncomfortable or scares you, all you have to do is say stop. Simple as that.” A strand of hair had come loose from her ponytail, and he curled it around his fingers. “You trust me?”

Her eyes shifted to the horizon a moment before returning to him. “I want to.”

Not the answer he wanted, but it would have to do for the time being.

As if suddenly remembering she was bare from the waist up, she crossed an arm over her breasts. “All I have to do is say stop?”

He nodded.

“Then I’ll trust you until you give me a reason not to.”

Humbled by her faith in him, he cradled her face with his hands. “Thank you.” He brushed his lips over hers, holding back from kissing her the way he wanted. Although he knew she liked his kisses—thank God for that much, anyway—he sensed it was not the time to thrust his tongue into her mouth and devour her the way he wanted.

He handed her the bikini top. “I need to anchor us before we end up in the Keys.” When she started to put it back on, he grabbed it. “Oh, no you don’t. No hiding that killer body from me.”

Going to the bow, he dropped the anchor, noting he could still
easily see bottom. Could he convince her to do a little skinny-dipping?
If he could, he’d consider the day a success. If what frightened her the most was the sight of a man’s penis, then if they were naked while in the water, maybe it would be easier for her to get used to him. He just wished he knew the reason for her fear. It would give him some idea on how to go forward.

He turned to make his way back to Sugar and stilled. She’d put her straw hat back on and a pair of sunglasses, but that was all. Sitting on the rear bench, her long legs stretched out in front of her and her face tilted up to the sun, was a goddess come to earth. Although she still wore her bikini bottom, her magnificent breasts were in full view. More aroused than he’d been in too many years, he headed for her.

Sugar forced her hands to stay at her sides and not cross them over her chest. What had possessed her to bare herself to him? The exhilaration of racing his boat, the wind on her face, and just being near him had stolen her sense of self-preservation. How could she want something and not want it at the same time?

The only reason she wasn’t swimming for shore was because he’d said she only had to say stop if he did something she didn’t want. Well that, and she couldn’t swim.

The marvel of it was: she believed him. The last time she’d trusted a man was her daddy before her mama had died. If Jamie knew how momentous her being able to trust him was, he’d probably freak. He’d see it as some kind of hero worship, and he wouldn’t want that from her.

If she did think of him as a hero, then that was something she’d just keep to herself. The boat rocked as he made his way back to her, nimbly traversing the narrow ledge just inside the railing. After he jumped to the deck, he whipped off his T-shirt, then came to stand over her.

He slipped his sunglasses down his nose and peered over the rims. “I might have said this before, but it bears repeating. Beautiful.”

It took effort, but she managed not to squirm under his leisurely perusal of her body. As determined as Rodney had been to have her, he’d never looked at her the way Jamie was doing, as if she really were beautiful. And desirable.

It had never occurred to her to wonder before now, but if she hadn’t been either beautiful or desirable—or both—to Rodney, why had he been so doggedly resolute to own her? Not wanting to ruin this afternoon with Jamie, she shelved the question for later consideration.

Deciding it was only fair to return the favor, she let her eyes roam over his body, starting with the broad shoulders toned to perfection by all the training exercises the guys practiced. A dusting of golden hair crossed the top of his chest, and a darker blond arrow of hair on his stomach pointed to parts below. A trim waist, narrow hips, and long, muscular legs combined with the rest of him made for a pretty spectacular package.

As her gaze traveled back up, she noticed the front of his boardshorts was tented, and as her eyes paused there, the material moved. He was hard and aroused. She jerked her gaze away. How had she missed that on her inspection down his body? Swallowing hard, she forced herself to look at his face. The puzzled but intense expression she saw there said he was trying to figure her out. Not gonna happen, she thought.