Feel the Heat: A Contemporary Romance Anthology (4 page)

She winked and Claire laughed, following her out into the sun.

“
I
S THIS IT
?” CLAIRE ASKED as Luke reconsidered the wisdom of his plan. Booking the small fishing boat instead of a more extravagant cruise seemed like something his adventurous wife would enjoy, but looking at the beat-up trucks in the lot at the marina had him rethinking. Maybe it wasn’t too late to find someplace else.

“We’re here, sir,” said the driver, answering Claire’s question.

Luke opened his mouth to tell her he’d get Colin to find them a different charter, but before he could say anything, she threw her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Grabbing the beach bag, she jumped out of the car before the driver had a chance to open her door. More relieved than he wanted to admit, he hurried to catch up to her and snag the bag from her hand.

“Which boat is it?” She scanned the boats docked in the slips.

“That one, I think.” Luke pointed to a small Boston whaler headed across the horizon line toward them.

Beside him, Claire bounced on her toes like an excited child, and he grinned. Pleasing her was still one of his favorite things in the world, second only to losing himself inside her. Combine the two things and there was no contest.

She’d changed from the skirt and blouse she’d been wearing to look at the property into a swimsuit, shorts, and sandals. With her hair pulled back into a ponytail and her face turned toward the sun, she was so beautiful; she stole his breath. He ought to be used to it. He’d been with dozens of beautiful women before he met her, but something about Claire cut straight through everything he’d ever known and laid his heart bare.

She was a gorgeous woman with a kick-ass body. Any man could see that, a fact that had set his teeth on edge on more than one occasion. But it was the way she loved him and the way he loved her that transcended anything he’d ever thought possible. He’d made it his mission in life to ensure she and their daughter got everything they needed and every happiness he could imagine.

“Do we have time to see what they have there?” She glanced from the approaching boat to a small shack at the point of the marina.

“Sweetheart, we have time to do anything you want.”

Her answering smile lit her face, and he pulled her into his arms for a kiss. Cupping the nape of her neck, he held her in place while his lips teased hers, catching her sigh with his mouth. Taking the kiss deeper, he breathed her in, teasing and tasting her as her body melted against his. He pressed his palm to the sun-warmed skin at the small of her back, fitting her body against his rapidly hardening cock. He stopped himself before he hooked a hand behind her knee and wrapped her leg around his waist.

“Come on.” He forced himself to pull back before he mauled his wife in the parking lot of the marina. “Let’s go check it out.”

Ten minutes later, he balanced fried ahi tacos in one hand while he handed Claire into the boat with the other. She smiled at the captain, who’d introduced himself as Hale before reaching out to take the paper cartons from Luke.

“Let me,” said the captain, hurrying to help and then moving to the side to let Luke climb onto the softly bobbing boat. “You can sit there if you’d like.” He motioned Claire to the padded seat on the bow of the boat before turning to shake Luke’s hand. “If it’s all right with you, I thought we could head over to Chinaman’s Hat and a small private beach I know of. That should put us back at the sand bar a little past low tide.”

“That sounds perfect,” said Claire, and Luke nodded his agreement.

“Great,” said Hale. “The weather’s discouraged some of the tour boats, but I don’t think it’s going to rain. There’s a stocked cooler up front. Why don’t you all relax and I’ll take us across the cove. Let me know if you have questions or want me to stop.”

“Thanks,” said Luke, making his way to the front of the boat.

He sat on the padded mat at the bow, keeping one foot on the deck of the boat and the other bent at an angle on the seat. The position let him pull Claire into his arms so her back rested along his chest and she could relax against him. Hale took off, cruising across the remnants of the crater that made the cove, and Luke braced his hand on the railing. Unlike the yachts he’d been on with friends or when he was being courted by business acquaintances, Hale’s boat was tiny and not nearly as smooth a ride. But it also sat close enough to the water for them to catch glimpses of the reef below.

He couldn’t see Claire’s eyes behind her sunglasses, and it was hard to talk over the rush of the wind, but he could tell by the way she straightened that she’d seen something. He felt her gasp and her arm shot out, pointing to something ahead and to the right of them. Hale must have seen it too because he slowed the boat to a crawl, approaching carefully.

“Sea turtles,” he said just loud enough for Luke to hear him.

Claire scrambled to her knees and leaned over the railing to get a closer look. Luke grabbed her hips to steady her and keep her from toppling into the water. Overkill turned into prudence when the giant turtle surfaced in front of them and Claire gasped, hanging over the front of the boat in her excitement.

“Look at him!” She glanced over her shoulder at Luke, her eyes so lit up and happy that he shifted his gaze from the turtle to her, determined to do whatever it took to put that look on her face as often as possible.

“Keep watching,” said Hale. “Where there’s one, there are usually several.”

Obviously unamused by the strangers in the boat, the turtle lifted its head one more time before it slid under the surface and disappeared from sight. Luke scanned the water, searching for any ripple or a disturbance that might signal another turtle. His gaze caught on the sunlight as it glinted off the surface and then he saw it: a dark knot bigger than the palm of his hand.

“There!” He pointed to the spot and Hale steered the boat in that direction.

In a few moments, a pair of turtles appeared just under the surface of the water, each of their oblong green shells over three feet long. They were odd-looking creatures, but magic even to a mostly jaded guy like him. He glanced from the creatures to Claire, and he could see the wonder in her face. Seeing her reaction tugged at his heart. She made it possible for him to feel things he hadn’t been able to feel before she loved him. They watched, mesmerized, as the turtles moved under the water as if they were dancing. When they swam away, Luke pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her, letting the magic of what he was feeling slip from his lips to hers.

“That was amazing,” she said after she caught her breath.

“Yes, it was,” he said not sure if she meant the kiss or the turtles and not caring because he knew he’d never forget either one.

C
LAIRE FINISHED
THE last bit of her fish taco, washing it down with a swallow of cold beer. The crisp bite of the pale ale was the perfect complement to the spicy ahi. Between the baby stuff and being so tired she could barely keep her eyes open, it had been a long time since she’d had a beer or even a glass of wine. It was nice to relax in the sand with the sun on her face and a drink in her hand.

After their adventure with the turtles—she still couldn’t believe how close they’d gotten to the surprisingly majestic creatures—Hale had pulled the boat into a quiet cove with a sandy beach for their picnic. Growing up, she’d heard dozens of times about Hawaii being a paradise, but until they’d cut across the water shadowed by the vegetation-covered cliffs, she hadn’t understood what it meant. Sitting on the empty beach with Luke beside her, she got it.

The natural beauty was staggering. Everything was green and she’d never seen so many real flowers in her life. They grew everywhere: alongside the road, in crevices, anywhere their roots could grab hold. But it was the people who put it over the top. Everyone she’d met had been genuine and open and so welcoming. Their friendliness added to the magic of the place. She couldn’t imagine Luke’s project as anything other than a huge success. Who wouldn’t want to spend time on the island? Pushing aside the niggling feeling she got when she thought about work, she tucked her bottle in the sand, shimmied out of her shorts and stretched out on the blanket. She reached for Luke’s hand, twining her fingers with his, and let the sun beat down on her.

She must have dozed off, because before she realized what was happening, she found herself being hoisted into the air and turned unceremoniously over Luke’s shoulder.

“Neanderthal,” she squeezed out when she managed to catch her breath. She straightened her arms so she could smack the hard ass upside-down in front of her. It stung her hands and made a satisfying thwacking sound, but it didn’t slow her husband at all. “What are you doing?”

She didn’t have to wait for an answer. In two long strides, he was in the ocean and in two more, he’d taken them deep enough to dump her in the water. The cold shocked her sun-toasted skin and she let out a girlie squeal, the kind she’d tried to avoid making growing up around construction sites.

“What was that for?” she said between splutters.

“I thought you might be getting sunburned,” he said, appearing completely unrepentant.

“And you thought dumping me in the ocean would help?”

She got her feet under her and stood, grateful that the water was only chest high and the bottom was covered with soft sand. Ducking down so the water almost reached his shoulders, Luke moved toward her, looking like the predator she knew he could be. Something tightened deep in her body, and a heat that had nothing to do with the sun wound through her.

“Not with the sunburn, no.” When he reached her, he pulled her down into the water with him. “But I thought it might stop me from peeling that suit off you and fucking you on the beach in front of God and everyone. I don’t think Hale’s paying attention to us, but I didn’t think you’d want to take that chance.”

Her gaze followed his to the boat anchored a fair distance away but still very much within sight. She swallowed hard. Knowing that Luke wanting her frayed his unbreakable control was one of the world’s greatest aphrodisiacs. Her body responded like he’d called her. She licked her lips, tasting the salt on them, and he grabbed her hips; his fingertips dug into her flesh in a way that made it clear exactly how hard he was fighting for control. Wedging his knees between her legs, he settled her onto his thighs. She felt the long, hard length of him fitted against the vee of her body and rocked into him, eager to get closer. Grateful for the camouflage of the water, she wrapped her legs around his waist and twined her arms around his neck, playing with the wet curls at the base of his head.

“Was I wrong?” he asked, his lips a breath away from hers.

“No, you were right.”

“I fucking love hearing you say that.” He grinned the perfect cocky grin that simultaneously drove her mad and made her want to kiss the turned-up corner of his perfect lips.

“Don’t get used to it.”

“Let’s see what else I can make you say.” Sliding one arm around her waist, anchoring her in place, he wove his hand between them and into the bottoms of her tankini. He didn’t waste time, slipping his fingers over her aching clit and into her eager sex.

“Luke,” she pleaded, not sure whether she meant for him to stop or take her there faster.

“Shhh,” he said, his lips against hers. “If you don’t make too much noise and thrash about, no one will know what we’re doing. Of course, I’m going to do my damnedest to make you scream.”

He hooked his fingers inside her, curling them until he found the place he knew would take her over the edge. Keeping up a steady pressure with his fingers, he used his thumb to rub circles over her clit. She bit her lip to keep from making a sound, changing her mind at the last minute and biting his instead. She scraped her teeth over the plump flesh while he caught her helpless whimpers with his mouth. In moments, he had her hanging on the edge, taking her right up to the start of her climax before spiraling her down again. He knew her body better than she knew it herself and she had no doubt he could hold her on the line between pleasure and pain for hours if he wanted.

“Please,” she said, against his mouth.

She rocked into his fingers, trying to take what she needed, and his hand stilled, denying her the way she knew he would. They’d done this dance so many times she knew all the steps. It didn’t stop her from trying to rush him and it sure as hell didn’t stop her from wanting him to demand her surrender. She’d made an art form out of controlling everything in her life. Surrendering her body to her husband took their lovemaking to a place she hadn’t known existed before him. A hotter, needier, screaming orgasm kind of place.

“Shouldn’t have done that, sweetheart,” he said, looking like he was glad she had. “Don’t move.”

He slipped his fingers from her body, and she was so close to coming; she had to concentrate hard to keep from following his touch. Keeping her gaze locked on his face, she felt his hands tug at the straps holding up her swimsuit and she flinched.

“I mean it, Claire.” The clear command in his voice sent a ribbon of desire through her. “The water covers everything.” He pulled the straps off her shoulder and peeled down the top of her suit, baring her heavy breasts. Without the thin layer of nylon, the temperature of the water was a few degrees colder, and her nipples pebbled tight. “Stay still and I’ll keep you below the surface. Try to rush me, and I’m going to stand up and take you with me.”

The implication of his words hit her and she inched down a little bit lower before freezing in place. She wasn’t an exhibitionist—not exactly. They’d made love in public, but it had been in a club designed for that purpose and no one could have seen what they were doing even if they’d been paying attention. It wasn’t someone seeing her that turned her on; it was more the idea of doing something taboo. Of getting so carried away in his arms that she cared more about her orgasm than following the rules that governed every other aspect of her life.

“Good girl.” He skimmed his hands over the sides of her breasts.

His touch was light, but the water amplified everything, the wake of his fingers following with its own caress. Cupping her breasts, he ran his thumbs over the tight peaks of her nipples and her breath went out in a rush. Watching her, gauging her response the way he always did when he pushed her, he pinched. Hard. Her head fell back and she arched her back, offering herself to him. It had been a long time since he used his hands to demand her body’s response, and she’d missed it.