Sea of Love (Love in Bloom: The Bradens, Book 4) Contemporary Romance (20 page)

“Dane,” she whispered through a smile.

He dragged his tongue along her neck. “I’ve waited all day,” he said.

He spun her around so she was facing him and pressed his hips into hers, then backed her up against the door. With his hands on either side of her head, he pushed her hair to the side.

“God, I love your face,” he said, then settled his lips over hers.

Lacy dropped the keys and wrapped her hands around him, pulling him even closer. He smelled like ocean air and tasted like wine. The combination was intoxicating. Well…that and the bottle of wine they’d shared. He moved his hands up her rib cage and fondled her breasts, then kissed his way down her neck, sucking at the area just above her collarbone. Lacy felt a rush of heat between her thighs.

“We should go inside,” she managed.

He moved his hands to her hips. “Okay,” he whispered, but he made no move toward the door. Dane took her in another deep kiss as he slid his hand beneath the waist of her shorts. The tip of his finger touched her hair, then slipped deeper.

Lacy gasped as he slid a finger inside of her and teased her while his other hand explored the curve of her breast and his mouth found hers again. His kisses alone were enough to send her into fits of heart-quaking lust. She moaned against his mouth, which spurred him on, and he pushed his hand deeper, sending Lacy up on her tiptoes with a little mewl of want.

“Come for me,” he whispered against her neck.

Lacy couldn’t think past the feeling that was rushing up her center as he sucked on her neck and flicked the spot that made her toes curl. She gripped his shoulders, tightening the muscles in her thighs and clenching her teeth against the fast and furious orgasm as it gripped her, and her body was overtaken by a shiver of tiny tremors and pulsing sensations around his hand.

“That’s it, baby,” he said in a deep voice that nearly sent her over the edge again. He withdrew his fingers from her pants and put them in his mouth, then closed his eyes as he drew them out slowly.

Lacy practically lunged for the keys. She fumbled through them as fast as she was able, breathing hard and not wanting to waste a second. She shoved the key into the lock and pulled Dane inside, kicking the door shut behind them. The cottage was dark as night, save for the moonlight coming through the glass doors in the living room. Dane knew just how to make her body sing, and now it was her turn to learn to do the same. She pushed him back against the front door—not so playfully.

“My turn,” she said in a husky voice. Her eyes adjusted to the light, and she saw the whites of his eyes grow big and then disappear altogether.

He reached for her, and she stepped back, then grabbed his fly at the waist and ripped it to the side, sending the button flying across the room.

“Lacy,” Dane said in a deep whisper. When he pulled her close, she felt every inch of his heat against her thigh, and when he kissed her again, she nearly melted into a submissive kitten. She drew back from that delicious kiss, and with one palm on his chest, she pinned him against the door, using the other hand to draw down his zipper and push his shorts and boxers down to his ankles. He stepped out of them, and she kicked them to the side.

“You know what I like,” she said. “Now teach me.” She unbuttoned his shirt and ran her hands along his chest, then used her mouth to bring his nipples to hard peaks, feeling her own gratification in the wetness in her underwear.

“Lace,” he whispered. “Come here. Let me love you.”

She moved back up his body, but when she was close enough to kiss him, his hot breath on her lips, the smell of wine mingling between them, she reached down and cupped his balls.

“I’m an eager student,” she whispered, not recognizing the raspy sound of her own voice. She dropped to her knees and licked him from base to tip, lingering there until a groan escaped his lips. She wrapped her slender hand around his shaft, feeling the thick vein that ran up the underside like a snake, and she stroked him.

“Tell me what you like,” she said, enjoying the feeling of control that swept through her as she watched him writhe against the door.

She took him in her mouth, the head of him touching the back of her throat, then drew him out slowly, feeling the pull of her cheeks as she sucked. She released him and kissed her way up his torso to her full height, then grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. His hands found her then and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her to the living room. She drew back, shaking her head.

“No. No, Dane. This is my turn. I want to learn to touch you the way you like it.” She could hardly believe she was saying it, but the desire to master his pleasure was stronger than the need to be taken by him. The control she’d felt for that few seconds still had her body captivated and left her wanting to claim him as much as he’d claimed her.

“You don’t need to. I like every way you touch me,” he said, lowering her to the couch.

She scrambled off the cushion and grabbed his hips—hard. “Teach me,” she insisted. She dropped to her knees with a smile and licked him from base to tip, then wrapped her hand around his formidable erection and stroked him. He closed his eyes, and she took his hand and put it on his cock, then wrapped her hand over the top of it.

“You lead; I’ll follow,” she said.

His eyes flew open.

“Come on,” she said, dropping to her knees. He was so beautiful, standing with his shirt hanging open, his ripped abs splayed before her, naked from the waist down. She urged him by moving his hand with hers, then licked the tip. He moaned, and she buried him in her mouth, squeezing her hand around his. He moved his large hand over hers.

“Squeeze,” he said. She did, and he sucked in a breath. “Now stroke.”

She did as he asked, and he guided her with his strong, capable hand on top of hers, helping her strokes and the pressure of each movement, showing her just what he liked by the sexy little sounds coming from his mouth. She sank to the floor and licked his balls.

“Lacy,” he said in a sharp breath.

“No?” She moved back, worried she’d done something wrong.
I’m so bad at this
. She felt her cheeks flush.

“Yes,” he said with a grin. She moved closer and licked him again while he guided her in tighter, faster strokes. Every stroke pulled at her center as she swelled in anticipation.

“Squeeze harder at the top,” he said.

Lacy smiled to herself. She had always been a perfect student, and with Dane she was no different. She did as he asked, and he sucked in another breath. She ran her tongue up the base of his heat. “Show me how to suck you,” she said.

He took her hand and steadied it at the base of his shaft as she settled her mouth over him and took him in, stroking him with her tongue. Each time she drew him out of her mouth, his hand rode hers in a tight grip up and then down, following the trail of saliva she’d left. He tangled his hands in her hair and helped her efforts, guiding her in just the right rhythm as her tongue swirled the head and then ran down the length of that plump vein. The sensation of the pull on her hair and having him in her mouth had her squirming for more of him. She felt him swell beneath her palm, and she tried to speed up her motions. He groaned, then yanked her back by her hair. His massive arms picked her up around the waist and laid her on the couch. In the next breath, he was above her, his broad, muscular chest heaving with each breath as he thrust into her. He buried his tongue in her mouth, riding her fast and hard, swallowing her moans as he plunged deeper, harder, causing every muscle in her body to tighten and burn. Lacy felt the sensitive tangle of nerves inside of her reaching for more, screaming to liberate her pent-up sexual ache as he arched his back and called out her name. His shaft throbbed inside of her swollen center, and she dug her fingernails into his back, raising her hips to meet each pump, never wanting the exquisite palpitations that stole her mind and silenced her voice to stop.

Dane’s body shivered with aftershocks. His biceps trembled as he looked down at her with a scorching mix of primal lust and gratitude.

“Jesus, Lace. Where did that come from?”

She bit her lower lip and smiled. Knowing she’d caused those little shivers of heat that were making his body rock every few seconds filled her with confidence.

“I wanted to make you feel as good as you make me feel,” she said.

Another shock ran through him, and he shook his head as he sucked in a fast breath.

“You’re a good teacher,” she said.

“You’re a fast study,” he said, lowering his sweet mouth to hers.

ROB HAD THE boat ready to go when Dane and Lacy arrived at the marina the next morning. Dane handed Rob a warm to-go cup of coffee, noticing his eyes were clear and his skin color looked healthy. He was relieved to see that Rob’s strength and confidence had returned, but he’d be sure to keep an eye on him just in case. He helped Lacy aboard, then pulled her into a hug. Today they were going to troll for sharks so Lacy could see one in the water.

Dane whispered in her ear, “You sure you want to do this? It might be ten times harder than the aquarium, and you had a hard time there.”

“I know. I do. I really, really do,” Lacy said.

He knew this was going to be difficult for her, but Danica had stressed the importance of Lacy facing her fears, and apparently, she’d told Lacy the same thing. He felt the fast pace of her heart against his chest, and Dane wondered if he was doing the right thing.

“You two must have had a hell of a night. I almost never beat Dane to the boat,” Rob teased.

“Yeah, about beating me to the boat. You look pretty chipper,” Dane said. “I take it things are better with Sheila?”

“Much. You were right. We needed to talk, and now that we have, we’ve got it all under control. That was three days of hell that I never want to go back to. Hey, why don’t we all have dinner tonight? Sheila and the kids would love to see you, Dane, and she’s heard about Lacy for so long she feels like she knows her already.”

“Lace?” Dane and Lacy had spent the night in each other’s arms, and now, looking at Lacy’s gratified grin, he knew the worst was behind them.

“Sure. Sounds great,” she said. Lacy zipped her sweatshirt over her bikini and stretched out in one of the deck chairs. They were taking Treat’s boat out today instead of the work vessel. Dane had wanted Lacy to be comfortable, and if she had a difficult time, she could escape to the cabin belowdecks.

“I guess it’s a date,” Dane said to Rob. “You had me worried, Rob. I want you to know that if you need me, I’m here. I’ll go to meetings. I’ll let you stay on the boat. I’ll stay at your motel. Whatever you need. I’m here for you.”

“I know, Dane, and I appreciate it. I went to a meeting yesterday morning and another last night. I figured
immersion therapy
might be a good thing.” Rob winked. “I did fine last night. I had them move me to another room. I didn’t want any reminders of how far I’d fallen.”

Dane glanced at Lacy. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, Rob, it’s that we can always change. We make mistakes and we learn from them; then we move on. There is no hard-and-fast point of no return.”

THE AFTERNOON SUN beat down on them as they sailed through Chatham Harbor. He was relieved to see Rob back to his old self again. His energy was high and the camaraderie they’d shared for so many years fell right back into place. Dane silently vowed to keep a better eye on Rob. What kind of a friend was he if he didn’t notice when his best friend’s life was upended?

Dane laughed at a joke Rob made and cast a glance back at Lacy, stretched out on the deck cushions with only those tiny triangular patches of cloth covering the parts of her body that were so fresh on his mind. Beneath her head was the sweatshirt she’d had on earlier. Her curls fell away from her face like heavy twine. The evening before, he’d wrapped his fingers deep in those curls when she’d been on her knees, and he’d guided her to touch him in ways he never would have if she hadn’t begged to be shown how to pleasure him. He’d never met a woman whose desire to please was as strong as her desire to be pleasured. Then again, Lacy was like no other woman he’d ever met, and he knew she’d be the last woman he invited into his bed.

Now, looking at her lying in the sun, the curve of her belly moving up and down with each peaceful breath, all he wanted to do was love her.
Need
felt too shallow for the emotions that were burying themselves deeper in his mind with every thought. His feelings for Lacy encompassed love, adoration, inspiration, respect, gratification, and yes,
need
was a part of those feelings, but they were not the driving force of his emotions toward her.

“What’s the plan for tomorrow?” Rob asked.

“Tomorrow?” Dane pulled his attention back to his friend.

“We’re supposed to go free diving, remember? You delayed the tagging, but I got a message from Carl today, and he said our equipment would be ready for the dive,” Rob said.

Damn
. He looked at Lacy. She might be fine lying out in the sun on a luxury boat, but he doubted she’d be okay on a dive boat while he was underwater looking for sharks.

“Yeah, I did forget, but I’ll be there,” Dane assured him.

“Great. So, what’s the deal with Lacy? Fifteen months is a long time. Is she everything you hoped for? She seems like a really nice girl,” Rob said.

“The deal?” Dane looked at Rob’s expectant stare and shook his head. “Every time I think I have her figured out, she throws me for a loop.”

“That’s women for you,” Rob said.

“I think it’s more than that,” he said. “I don’t know.”

Lacy came up behind the men. “Are you talking about me?” she asked. She put her arm around Dane’s shoulder and kissed his cheek.

“Not you—all women,” Rob said.

“That’s worse,” she said with a feigned pout.

Dane pulled her onto his lap. “Did you enjoy the sun?”

“Mmm. It was glorious, and I’m not the least bit anxious,” she said.

“There are no s-h-a-r-k-s here either.” Dane kissed her cheek.

“Rob, I’m glad things are going better for you and Sheila,” Lacy said. “I look forward to meeting her.”

 “And you’ll meet my kids, too. They’re so damn cute, but they’ll pester you. Katie loves anything girlie—hair, nails, makeup—and Charlie is pretty quiet, but if you get onto a subject he likes, he’ll talk forever.”

“I love kids. I’m sure we’ll get along just fine,” Lacy said.

“So you work for World Geographic? You think you can help us get people to fund our research? It’s a tough job,” Rob said. “It’s like asking Hansel and Gretel’s parents to fund the wicked witch’s cooking classes.”

In addition to Dane and his siblings having very successful careers, they each had trust funds. Their father would never have allowed them to grow up acting as if they’d had silver spoons in their mouths. He’d instilled in them solid morals and work ethics, and to this day, Dane tried not to dip into his trust fund to subsidize the Brave research. He was emotionally and physically invested, but he knew the only way to get the public to care about the oceans, and the sharks that lived within them, was to educate them and enlighten them to the value of protecting the sharks and, in turn, the oceans.

“I think we’ll find a way to make it appealing. I’ve actually got a few ideas up my sleeve.”

“Have you?” Dane arched a brow.
You’ve thought of something other than me?

“That is what I’m here for,” she said, leaning in to his chest.

“That’s great. I don’t know if Dane told you, but there’s some question about whether the Cape has become a shark breeding ground the last few years, so we’re also looking for residency hot spots, which we hope will give us enough information to help keep the sharks and the public safer,” Rob said.

 “I think you can use that angle with your marketing, too,” Lacy said.

They talked about Brave and marketing strategies for the next hour. Rob pulled Dane aside and said, “She’s a bright woman. I thought you said she was afraid of sharks. She seems comfortable talking about them.”

“She is afraid. Talking and seeing are two different things,” Dane said with a smile.

Rob looked at his watch. “You wanna bag the sighting then and go back in?”

“I’ll leave that up to Lacy,” Dane said. They went back to the seating in the rear of the boat, where Lacy was sitting in the sun. Dane sat beside her. He put his hand on her knee and looked her in the eye.

“Lace, we can take this next step toward helping you overcome sharks if you are ready, but if you’re not, we can go back in.” Dane searched her eyes, recognizing the flash of fear that she was trying to hide with her rapidly blinking lashes. Her leg went rigid beneath his palm.

Lacy nodded. “I think I want to try. I just need to remember that I’m not going in the water with them.”

“You control your safety when you’re in the boat, and I’m right here. I’ll be holding you tight, but we don’t have to do this. There’s no gun to your head, Lace. I’m so proud of everything about you. That won’t change at all if you decide we should head in. I don’t want you to feel any pressure,” Dane assured her.

“I know. Thank you.”

Dane took her hands in his. “Let’s go over again what to expect.” He couldn’t shake the worry that this would be too difficult for her. She couldn’t go near the sharks in tanks. How the hell would she handle seeing them over the side of the boat? He took a deep breath and continued. “Rob will throw chum into the water, and you’ll see it. You’ll see fish, blood, and a trail as we go, okay?”

Lacy swallowed and set her lips in a tight line. Her eyebrows drew together and Dane felt tension stiffen her arms.

“We may or may not see a shark, Lace. I don’t know if we will. Sometimes it takes hours, and other times…” He shrugged. “It could happen really quickly.”

She nodded again.

Rob put a hand on Lacy’s shoulder. “Dane and I are right here, Lacy. We would never let anything happen to you.”

Now, that’s the Rob I know and love
.

She smiled, and Dane knew it was forced. “I know. Thank you,” she said. “Let’s do it.”

Dane’s heart thumped against his chest so hard he was sure he was more nervous than she was. He moved closer, pressing Lacy’s body tight against his side, one arm around her shoulder, the other covering both of her hands in her lap. He nodded to Rob, and Rob went to work chumming the water. Lacy sat rigidly beside him. He kissed the side of her head. “I’m right here. Nothing is going to happen to you.”

She stared straight ahead as she nodded, but it was her silence that worried him.

“Lace, look at me, babe.” When he saw the fear in her eyes, it was all he could do not to turn the damn boat around and head for shore, but this was Lacy’s choice, and he respected her decision. “I just want you to know that even if you are never comfortable on a boat when I’m working, we can make this relationship work. That doesn’t worry me one bit.”

Lacy let out a breath. She lifted her lips into a nervous smile, and an ounce of fear disappeared from her eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered. “But I want to do this anyway.”

“Okay.” He nodded. “Okay. I just wanted you to know.”

Forty-five minutes later, Rob gave Dane a silent signal, indicating that he’d spotted a shark. Dane looked over the side of the boat and spotted a five- or six-foot shark just below the surface in the chum trail.

“Babe, do you still want to do this?” Dane asked.

She nodded, her eyes wide. “Is there a shark?” She grabbed his hand.

“There is. It’s a small one.”

She licked her lips, then pressed them tightly together and nodded.

Dane helped her stand, his arm wrapped around her shoulder, her body pressed to his side. Rob came to her other side and put a hand on the small of her back. Then he and Dane both took a half step forward, so Lacy was tucked safely between and slightly behind them.

“We’ve got you, Lacy,” Rob said.

Lacy stared straight out into the water, but Dane knew her eyes were riding the surface.

“Lace, to your right about fifteen feet from the boat is where the shark is,” Dane said. “I’ve got you, and the shark can’t hurt you. You’re safe in the boat.”

She nodded and dropped her eyes to the water. Dane watched as she dragged her eyes in a slow line toward the chum trail. She sucked in a breath and pushed her body closer to him.

“You’re okay,” he said. “He’s a small one, Lace. He’s too far away to hurt you. You’re safe.”

She nodded. Her fingers dug into the waist of his pants.

“You did great, Lacy. I think that’s enough. You saw it. Now let’s sit back down and head in,” Dane said. He nodded toward Rob.

“Wait,” Lacy said, grabbing Rob’s arm. “Wait. I want to look again. I need to do this.” She whispered, “
I’m okay. I’m okay. I’m okay
. I’m safe. I’m in control. One, two, three…”

Her shoulders were pinched tight and high, just below her ears. A deep vee had formed between her eyebrows. Dane held his breath as she stared at the shark, whispering her mantra and counting to ten into the breeze. Her heart thundered against his side.

“Ten. Okay,” Lacy said. Clutching Dane’s side, she walked backward two steps. The words tumbled from her mouth. “Okay. Can you please get me to the seats? And can we leave?”

Dane led her to the seats as Rob took them toward shore. Dane didn’t let out his breath until Lacy was settled safely on the aft seating. He knelt before her and rested his hands on her thighs.

“You okay?” he asked.

She nodded, and let out several loud breaths through puckered lips. “I’m good. I did it. I’m okay.”

The trembling began in her legs and wound its way up her body until she was shaking like a leaf in the breeze. Dane wrapped a blanket around her and pulled her into his lap.

“You’re safe, baby. I’m right here, and I’m so proud of you.”

She clutched the ends of the blanket and turned damp eyes toward Dane. “I’m not sure I will ever be able to be on a boat when you’re down underwater with a shark. I’m not just afraid for me, Dane. The risks…I’m afraid for you. But I can be on a boat when you’re not actively seeking sharks. Then I’m fine.”

“Lacy, I’ll take you with me any way you’ll let me. We can make this work.” He kissed her forehead and held her against him, with one hand buried in her curls and the other around her back, until her body stopped trembling and his own breathing calmed.

By the time the marina was in sight, Lacy was back to her normal self. She’d shed the blanket and stood in the middle of the deck with her shoulders back and a gleaming smile across her lips.

She placed her hands on her chest and proclaimed, “I did it. I didn’t freak out.”