Promises to Keep (17 page)

Surfing
that wave set me free,
Laura realized.

She'd
felt as if she’d been soaring, in complete control while on that board. It was
better than any drug. Laura could see why surfing became a way of life for some
people, rather than a mere sport.

The
last few months had been incredibly stressful. Bob’s death, her miscarriage,
ongoing debts, too much overtime, her mother and then her ex turning up at her
place.

Fucking
drugs.
Jonah had changed into an unstable crack-head. Looking
over her shoulder had become a way of life.

Ron's
handgun now resided in her underwear drawer, and she’d only just gotten over a
persistent head cold and a nagging case of sniffles that she'd had for weeks.
Once her ear began to pound with an ear infection, she’d had to see a doctor
and get a course of antibiotics.

It
probably took so long to recover because of her need for a break. There was no
rest for the weary—not when you're broke, anyway.

Swimming
through all of this shit was exhausting.

Laura
was grateful for the little slice of Heaven that was the beach behind her
apartment. The other thing she'd looked forward to, had been Jack's letters.
They always made her laugh and smile.

She'd
been living in survival mode, really—another thing she and Jack shared. They
were both stubborn survivors. Their correspondence had been healing.

Jack
was here, in the flesh, and he was even better than she could've imagined.
Beautiful both inside and out.

Jack's
presence had changed everything.

Laura
felt surrounded by love. Here at the beach, reveling in the beauty of it all
and the perfection of the moment.

She
wanted it all. She wanted him.

I
feel amazing.

Laura
hadn’t meant for this to happen—not here, not now. She hadn't planned to
seduce, kiss or even touch Jack—but she had no regrets.

The
attraction she had for this man started from the first no-bullshit letter that
he’d sent her. His innate goodness shone right through.

When
she first saw Jack standing on sand near her apartment, she instantly knew who
he was. Tall, strong and commanding, yet strangely vulnerable, too.

The
man was a combat veteran who'd served his country. As if
that
wasn’t
enough, he was also a doctor.

The
respect she had for him was huge. Greater than for anyone she’d ever known.

He
was extremely good-looking—sexy as hell, in fact—but his vulnerability was what
had really gotten to her. That exposed piece of himself. His hesitancy and
uncertainty that she could relate to.

When
Jack looked at her with his clear, steel-gray eyes, she’d just
known
who
he was.

Every
letter they'd exchanged was intimate and hand-written—all filled with hopes,
happy memories and personal inspiration. Every word he'd written seemed to make
Jack more vital, more
real
to her. It brought him that much deeper into
her heart
.

Laura
shared his love of the ocean and his doggedly positive attitude toward life.

He
was a handsome gentleman, well-mannered and quietly charismatic in his peaceful
way. He had a disarming smile and a likable face—a face one would trust.

Jack
oozed respect and yet was still funny and candid. She'd laughed more with him
in the few hours they'd shared than during the past several years. It was
healing to her heart and soul. It was freeing, as well.

Physically,
he was smoking hot. A true head-turner.

Yet,
sexual attraction wasn’t his only draw and it wasn't even the main one.

Laura
liked
him.

This
wasn’t some teenage crush or simply a moment of passion. Jack “got” her. He
melted something inside of her, touching her—heart and soul. She'd never felt
anything like it before.

Intuitively,
she’d ridden her first ocean wave to perfection.

Now,
she was going to ride
him
in exactly the same way.

Her
heart kicked up as a delicious heaviness spread throughout her, moving down low
in her gut and thighs as she arched against him. An exquisite ache settled
between her legs—it felt as if her entire body was pulsing.

These
erotic sensations she’d experienced before. But here with Jack, they were
beyond anything she’d known.

Firm-lipped,
his body tensed. His blue-grey eyes flared with lust as he met her gaze.

He
wanted her all right.

His
obvious need was primitive and overwhelming, yet she could tell that he was
holding back.
Why?

Then
it hit her—Jack wanted her to take control.

Oh
God, she longed to take control.

With
impulsive passion, she stood up and pulled off his shorts. A sigh escaped her
lips when she saw the size and the fully erect shape of him. Their eyes met and
they smiled, first-time lovers, sharing sexual secrets.

His
eyes widened and his pupils darkened as she pulled off her top and slipped out
of her bikini bottoms.

Deciding
not to think—to act instinctively, Laura let herself do exactly as she wanted.

Jack
groaned as her hands ran over the defined ridges of his abs, the hard, sleek
firm flesh, tanned from the heat of a faraway desert sun. His strong, masculine
body fascinated her, this fit, sexy soldier. Not just fit—
combat fit
.

The
feel and the sight of him made her hunger for him, increasing her already
powerful yearning.

Pressing
quick greedy kisses and licks over his chest, she traveled up to the muscular
arc of his pecs. She kissed, licked and nibbled on his tight, flat nipples,
evoking sharp intakes of breath and low, throaty groans from him.

His
breath became ragged, as did hers. She followed a trail to the hollow of his
throat, his neck and his face.

God,
she needed to see, touch, taste and lick every curve, every angle, and every
inch of him. She wanted to consume him with everything she had. Seeing and
feeling him under her was as exhilarating as riding that board.

“Mmmm.
You taste good—so damn good,” she gasped.

Using
her lips, her tongue and her teeth, she worshiped his body. Sliding along his
torso, she rubbed herself all over him in a skin-to-skin closeness that made
her feel they were almost one person.

His
erection was big and hard against the wetness between her legs.

“Laura.
Laura. Oh God, Laura,” Jack murmured her name over and over again while gently
stroking her back and her hair.

“Mmm?”
she murmured, aroused by how fully he responded to her every touch and stroke.

“You
have no idea of just how much I want you.”

“You’re
going to have me, Jack,” she whispered in a husky voice. “And I’m going to have
you, too.”

When
she arrived at his lips, her mouth met his, open and hungry as she pressed
herself against him. Jack groaned and arched toward her.

 All
logical thought disappeared as instinct took over.

Laura
kissed him hungrily, her tongue exploring his mouth possessively, as if she had
every right to do so. He met her stroke for stroke, passion to passion. They
drank each other in with desperation, as if they couldn't get enough.

All
sense of time vanished. The past and the future didn’t matter. Now was all she
had—and right now, Jack was hers.

He
tasted of salt, warm sun, sweat and man.

His
arms tightened upon her, crushing her to him. Breathing in a shaky breath, she
heard a small sound—a kind of needy sigh from deep in his throat.

It
was wonderful to see and feel how much she turned him on. To know he wanted her
as much as she wanted him.

She
sat up once more so they could see each other better. He looked
incredible—greedily, Laura drank him in. Like shots of fine, aged whiskey, the
sight of him intoxicated her.

Jack
held her hips as his eyes hungrily consumed her face and body. She took his
hands in hers and placed one each on each of her breasts. They hung heavily,
tender and tingling from arousal.

The
cords of his neck stood out as his head tipped back. “You’re so beautiful,” he
said, his voice low and hoarse with arousal.

Eagerly,
reverently, he scanned every inch of her. His eyes were heavy-lidded, partially
shaded from the sun by her shadow.

Laura
inhaled sharply when—with gentle precision—he traced her pink areolas with the
pads of his index fingers, as if awed by what he saw. Then he gripped her
gently but firmly with both large hands, stroking and messaging her breasts.

When
his gaze met hers, he lightly flicked both of her nipples simultaneously.

Lightning
shot straight from her breasts to between her thighs, causing her core to
clench. She moaned loudly as she threw her head back.

Sweet
baby Jesus. That feels exquisite.

Ever
the gentleman, she saw Jack's eyes flare, as he attentively noticed her
response. Smiling, he did it again, adding a tug and gentle pull. Her nipples
were already plump and taut. So sensitive and erect.

She
couldn’t get enough of him.

Being
tall enabled her to bend down, flexing over him so that her breasts were in his
face.

“Hell
yes,” he murmured like a whispered promise.

Jack
swirled his tongue around one, then the other, licking, suckling and
nibbling—making her writhe, gasp and whimper with pleasure. Laura’s entire body
heated, flushing pink with desire. Every cell and nerve ending was hyper-alert
and alive.

She’d
wanted this to be a drawn out seduction. To take it slow and easy and tease
him. Like with the young woman who'd taken his virginity, Laura considered
going down on him, making them both wild with desire. Maybe even making him
come.

That
wasn’t going to happen.

Oh
God, I need this.

She
had no will to resist.

Once
more, she pressed herself against him, stretching her whole body on top of his
—
needing
his closeness. The rigid length of his erection pressed against her sex and
they both moaned.

Breathless,
Laura’s chest rose and fell, rose and fell, as she raggedly gasped air. Her
face was in the curve of his neck; her lips were along his throat. Needing
more, she sucked his skin.

Jack’s
breathing sounded harsh in her ears while his calloused palms traveled over her
hips, flank, back and buttocks in a seductive caress.

Their
hearts thundered against each other’s chests.

For
so many months, Jack had filled her thoughts, her mind, her dreams and
fantasies. This man she’d never seen—yet felt as if she’d known forever.

Her
body was empty and aching—she needed him
badly.
Jack’s whole body tensed
when she reached down to grasp him, reveling in the silky scorching heat of him
while she put him inside of her.

It
was madness, it was crazy, but she had to have him inside of her
right now
.
As much as she was in charge, her longing was a raw, overwhelming animal
passion that robbed her of the control to wait any longer.

Mindless.
Liberated. All inhibitions left her.

Laura
lowered herself on to him, taking him in slowly, gasping in surprise. Inch by
inch, she took him all the way in. Wonderfully stretched, her eyes shut with
pleasure. It was such an incredible relief to have him inside of her.

He’d
seemed a normal size when she saw him, yet he
felt enormous
.

Jack
groaned long and guttural.

He
filled
all
of her senses and then, with him deep inside of her hungry,
aching sex, he filled her
there
, as well.

Wonderful.
Deep, throbbing, hard heat meeting thick, swollen, tight yet slippery softness.
These erotic sensations were all encompassing.

Lying
flat against him, flesh-to-flesh, she rode him, rode him and rode him with
wanton, aching need. Twisting, writhing and grinding, stimulating her swollen
sex. Her body shuddered, melding into one luscious, rhythmic feeling of exquisite
pressure and pleasure.

Jack
cupped her buttocks with strong firm hands, guiding her, steadying her.

A
tremor of blinding feeling went through her, shaking her whole body. It became
a sensual quake.

This
desperate, desperate need! This deep euphoric pleasure! The heat and feel of
him physically inside of her. The building erotic tension. The intimacy. The
joy.

It
was all too much.

“Yes!
Yes!” Laura shouted.

Never
had the act of sex been so fast and ferocious. Volatile. High-octane.
Explosive.

Thrashing
and moaning, she came
hard
within moments, bucking, arching and
convulsing against him.

Wave
upon wave of pleasure crested through her body while white stars flashed in her
eyes. Her molten core clamped down hard on him, gripping him again and again
until Jack called out her name.

With
a glance, she saw his face contort with passion and ecstasy matching her own.
She saw the savage intensity of his expression as he found his own release—their
bodies clinging to one another.

Long,
long moments passed with Laura in a coma-like daze.

A
seagull called while the ocean continued its ceaseless wash of waves against
the beach. All was quiet except for the sounds of their rapid heartbeats and
ragged breathing, beginning to slow.

They
lay entwined, tangled naturally together like seaweed cast upon the beach.
Laura’s thoughts drifted, lightly sailing upon an ocean of pleasure.

It was
some minutes before they fully returned to themselves and caught their breath.

Laura
looked down at the strong man beneath her. Witnessed the maleness and the
beauty of him, but she saw more than that. She saw
him.

“God,
I really wanted to do that,” she said.

“I
did, too.”

Laura
giggled. “I think we just barely made it over your thirty-second record.”

“No
way.” His smile was slow and mellow. Jack looked spent and happy—more relaxed
than she’d seen him before.

“No?”

“Trust
me
—
that was more like three
minutes.
Every sweet second of it is
etched into my brain permanently. Even if I live to be a hundred, on my
deathbed
—
I'll be remembering this perfect day on the beach with you.”

“Wow,
that’s some sweet talk.” She chuckled. “Just so you know? Flattery works for
me.”

“I’m
not exaggerating.”

Grinning,
she asked, “Just how long has it been for you, anyway?”

“Oh
Lord, it feels like years. Why?”

“‘cause
you’re still hard.”

He
laughed. “Yeah, well, my body’s in shock. That’s what long-term deprivation
will do for you. It’s too good to be true.”

“Really?”
Her eyes searched his speculatively. “Can you go again?”

One
hand moved to tuck her hair gently behind her ear. “Right now? Well, ma’am, I’m
not exactly sure.” A smirk curled his swollen, passionately kissed lips. “Can
you make me want to?”

He
was teasing her and she didn’t mind at all. In fact, she liked it.

“I
can do anything,” she said impulsively, because just then, she felt it was
true.

Here
on the beach in this glorious sun, after riding the perfect wave and the
perfect man? It seemed to Laura, that anything was possible.