Mission: Seduction (6 page)

It could have happened to any of the surfers. As it turned out it wasn't Roni's day. Her friend was tough; although her limp was pronounced, she continued to surf. Not competitively, but she had her own surfing school in Newport Beach. Not far from where Kelly's parents lived.

Grabbing a basket from her closet, she collected a sheet and some extra towels. It might not be the romantic end to their date that she'd hoped for, but she could loosen those muscles so he could get at least a decent night's sleep.

7

R
AFE
FELL
ONTO
his bed a second time as the pain shot through his hip. Meds. He had to find a way to get to the bathroom for them. He tried to sit up, but a wave of discomfort made his stomach churn.

You're a marine, man. You've hurt far worse after a stupid bar fight.

But that wasn't true. This was different. This hurt came from deep within, and the tension didn't seem to be lessening any.

Sweat beaded on his forehead and he used his arms to push himself up. He rolled over and put all of his weight on his left leg.

“Crap,” he bit out as he crashed onto the covers. Forcing himself upright again, he tried to find his balance.

“Hey, what are you doing? Stay where you are,” Kelly ordered, entering the bungalow via his open sliding glass doors.

“I'm fine,” he grunted. No way in hell did she need to see him flopping around like a rabid dog.

Her eyebrows shot up. “Yes, you're fine, Mr. Macho. How cool. Now, let me help you get comfortable.” She did and soon he was propped up on several fat pillows.

“Men,” she said as she fixed the bedding and efficiently positioned his leg on more pillows.

“This isn't necessary,” he insisted before sucking in a breath.

“Of course not,” she replied as she handed him an empty ice bucket. “That's why your skin is green and your face is sweating—because everything is fine. Where are your painkillers?”

“Don't need them.”

“Rafe! You're a big tough marine. You fight in wars the rest of us are barely courageous enough to watch on television. Stop being hardheaded and tell me where your medication is. I know they didn't send you home without any. And why didn't you say your injuries were this bad?”

“Bossy.” It was the only word he could get out. Damn the woman. She ran around in her cutoff shorts and sexy top as if she weren't the most beautiful creature on earth. He grabbed a pillow and threw it over his crotch.

“Oh, you've got to be kidding me,” she said. She didn't miss a beat. “I can't believe you're thinking about sex when your body is seizing up in pain. I can see the muscles contracting. It's got to be horrendous what you're going through. If I could carry you to the hot tub I would, but we'll have to make do. Where are your pills?”

He liked her feisty and hot-tempered. She came across as so laid-back about everything else.

“Bathroom. In my shaving—” Before he could say the word
kit
she was back with the drugs and a glass of water. After reading the directions, she handed him two pills, one a muscle relaxer, the other for pain.

“I swallow these and I'm out for the night,” he warned. Didn't she see he needed relief of another kind?

She shook her head as if she'd lost all patience with him. “I am not having sex with you tonight, Marine. You're in too much pain. Maybe that's what you're into, but not me.” She paused as if she were considering something. “Hmm, fine. Every girl likes a little spanking now and then, and tying someone up can always be fun.”

Wicked, desirable...

“You're killing me,” he groaned. His erection was as painful as his leg.

She bit back a smile and winked at him.

“If you're a good boy and do what I say, nurse Kelly might see to your other needs. But first, you swallow the pills.”

There was hope. So at this point he'd do anything to see her sitting on top of him. To hell with the taking it slow.

“I see that look in your eyes, Marine,” she said as he took the pills. “I'm going to leave your pillow in place, so you feel as though your manhood is protected. But I'm rubbing this lotion, really more a liniment, on both legs. It will help those muscles relax faster than you could ever expect.”

Rafe almost said something rude about a part of his body she could massage that would bring instant relief but stopped himself. He was a gentleman and she was right. He wouldn't be up to par tonight, no matter how much he might wish it so. And when he did make love to her, he promised himself, it would be something she would never forget.

“I'll start with the front of your legs, but we need to get these boxers off so I can get this salve into your hip.”

He'd thrown on the underwear after peeling off his wet jeans.

She reached for the waistband, but he held up a hand.

“I can do it.” He waved her away.

The pain was far from gone, but the meds worked quickly enough that he could roll down his boxers and shove them off without assistance. Taking care of him was sweet, but Rafe didn't want a nursemaid.

“Talented. Now turn to the left.” She placed a couple of towels on the flat sheet.

He thought she was going to be far more impressed with him undressing himself, particularly given the aroused state of his cock and the amount of total pain he was in. He wanted to impress her. And getting laid up by a teeny-tiny wave definitely wasn't that impressive. A foggy dimness filled his brain.

No. He wanted to—

His eyes drooped and he forced them open. He didn't want to miss a moment of her touching him, as painful as that might be for him. He had learned earlier just how strong her gentle hands could be. “Two massages in one day,” he said drowsily. “I'm really starting to like this place. And I really like you and not just because you're so beautiful it makes my heart ache sometimes with wanting to touch you.”

She sucked in a breath.

“What's wrong?” he asked.

What did I say?

He couldn't remember. Confusion blurred his mind.

Thankfully, her magic hands kept easing the tension in his leg.

“I like you, too,” she said. “That's why I have to be honest about something.”

“You can tell me anything, baby.” As his eyes drifted closed, he tried to focus on her words.

8

S
ITTING
UP
ON
her bed in the early morning hours, Kelly listened to the ocean. Yawning, she slipped her bikini and flip-flops on and went to look outside. The sheer white curtains that kept people on the beach from watching her sleep were billowing. She saw the waves were at least five feet high.

A bolt of excitement ran through her like a runaway freight train. It'd been weeks since there'd been some decent waves.

Running upstairs, she knocked on Adrien's door. “Surf's up,” she announced.

The chef mumbled something, but by the time she went to grab her board outside, he was right beside her.

“Tempête,”
he said in French.

She nodded. “Until the storm blows in, let's have some fun.”

Concentrating on the waves would keep her from thinking about Rafe, something she'd done for most of the night. In fact, she'd only slept about an hour and a half.

He'd said he liked her.

While this thrilled her, she knew that whatever was between them was temporary. Once she told him the truth he wouldn't be too happy with her. In fact, she had told him the truth, but his light snores indicated he hadn't heard a word of it.

“Damn.” As she shifted the wrong way on the board, it flipped. Tumbling through the water, she tried to get her bearings, which was difficult since she couldn't tell up from down. The board hit the side of her head and she screamed in pain, inhaling seawater.

Smart.

When she finally broke through the waves she quickly sucked in some air before another wave could slam into her.

The pain was confusing her, but she pushed herself to swim for shore. A few seconds later, strong hands gripped her upper arms.

“Are you okay?” Rafe's voice penetrated the ache in her head.

“I'm good,” she answered, and he guided her up onto dry land. When her feet hit the sand, she sat down and rubbed at her temple.

Rafe knelt in front of her and stared into her eyes.

“Is there a doctor I can call?” he asked as he wrapped a towel around her shoulders.

“I'll be fine. That's the true definition of getting your bell rung,” Kelly joked. “Besides, when Adrien comes in he can always take me to the hospital, but I doubt that'll be necessary.”

“The cook?” Rafe asked in surprise.

“Chef,” she corrected. “He's like my big brother. He quit his old life to surf full-time.”

“Huh.” Rafe smiled and said, “I guess you really never know about people.”

She shrugged. “That's what I love about surfing. People from all walks of life enjoy the sport. Doctors, lawyers, artists and even chefs,” she said as Adrien walked up to them.

Her friend held her board and his. After sticking them in the sand, he knelt down.

“Vous avez pris une tête-bêche.”

“Not just a tumble, the board wacked the side of her head,” Rafe said.

Kelly and Adrien stared at Rafe, surprised that he understood French.

“Elle a la tête dure,”
Adrien said.

She playfully shoved at her friend. “It's not that hard.” They all laughed. “Though Dad did used to say my head was made of granite. A couple of acetaminophen and I'll be good as new.”

Rafe helped her to stand up.

She smiled and brushed the sand off her backside. Picking up her board, she began to walk back to the main house.

“Attendre, c'est mauvais.”
Adrien stopped her and lightly ran his fingertips along her scalp. When he showed his hand to her and Rafe, there was blood.

She sighed. It'd be another day or two before she could surf again. And it meant Adrien would be checking on her every few hours like a cautious mother hen.

His eyebrows rose, and he looked up at Rafe.
“Elle devrait prendre facile.”

“Nous sommes d'accord là-dessus.”
Rafe agreed with Adrien's diagnosis that she should rest.

She laughed. “Why does it feel like you guys are ganging up on me?” And she realized it had been a long time since a guy, other than a friend, had genuinely cared about her well-being.

The past few years, most of the men in her life had wanted something from her. Her manager wanted her safe because she made him money. A lot of the men she'd dated had wanted to meet the celebrities she hung out with while surfing. Now she assumed if someone asked her out, it had absolutely nothing to do with her as a person.

Except for Adrien and, now, Rafe. He'd been out of his mind the night before when he'd admitted he liked her. If he'd been the least bit clearheaded she wouldn't have been able to keep her hands off him.

“Why are the waves so big this morning?” Rafe asked as he sat on a stool in the kitchen and watched Adrien clean the small wound on her head.

“There's a tropical storm a few hundred miles away,” Kelly answered. “Will probably hit landfall in the next forty-eight hours or so. And Adrien, if you think I'm staying out of the water tomorrow, you're nuts. I don't get to practice that much and I'm not going to miss out on a chance like this.”

The chef gave her an evil eye.

“Hey, I forgot to ask. How is your leg doing?”

“About a hundred times better than it was yesterday, thanks to you. Sorry for passing out last night.”

“That was all part of my evil plan,” she said, “so I say it worked out just fine.”

Adrien pronounced her ready to go.

“What classes do you have to teach today?” Rafe asked.

“The guests have left, so we won't have any classes for a couple of days.” She scooted off the bar stool she'd been sitting on. “I let you sleep this morning, but I thought maybe a Pilates workout for you.”

She grinned when he flinched. “It's not that bad, although we could do something really fun instead. If your leg is up to it, there's somewhere I'd like to take you. It's a short hike, and a pretty easy one. But if you are in pain at all, we can do it another day.”

Rafe pushed a damp curl off her forehead. The intimate gesture sent a frisson of heat through her body. “I'm up for whatever you want to do, Kelly.” His voice was soft and seductive.

Excuse me while I melt here.

Kelly cleared her throat.

“You're in Fiji so you have to visit Colo-I-Suva park. It's a rain forest with beautiful pools and waterfalls. The wildlife is pretty spectacular.”

“Sounds good. I'll get cleaned up. What time do you want to leave?”

Though the park had been her suggestion, she was a bit disappointed. They could have just hung out on the beach all day, especially if his leg was sore. Still, she reminded herself of the main reason for this expedition. They would be in the middle of the forest when she told him about her deception—they'd at least have to share a ride home while she begged him to forgive her.

Rafe was a sweet guy. He'd understand.

She hoped.

9

“T
HIS
IS
PARADISE
,
Kelly.” Rafe tried to take in everything before him. A waterfall with some of the clearest water he'd ever seen poured into the pool next to where they stood. Surrounded by lush vegetation and a spectacular array of colorful birds and other sights and sounds, it was like something straight out of a movie.

She smiled knowingly. “I thought you might like it.” Dressed in a powder-blue bikini with her blond curls framing her face, she appeared to be a forest nymph prepared to do magic.

In truth, she had worked magic on Rafe in a mere few days. The muscles in his leg were improved and his depression had eased. He wanted to get out and move, which had been a real problem the past few months. The doctors said he had PTSD, but he hadn't believed them—at first. He did now. While he was in the hospital, his anger had become hard to control at times, and he wasn't himself. The nightmares that continued to plague him were proof that he'd been far from over his ordeal.

Yet, since he'd met Kelly, his nightmares had gone from causing him to jump up in the middle of the night to seeing the nightmares but only from a safe distance. He wasn't actively involved in them any longer. He bet his shrink at the hospital would have a field day with that one.

But Rafe was here. And he was with the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, in a place that a postcard couldn't do justice to. The greenery that surrounded the fast-running falls and pool they were now in was breathtaking.

“There are some who believe that this water has healing powers because of the minerals that make up the riverbed,” Kelly explained. “That being said, be careful not to swallow the water. I'm sort of paranoid about bacteria after getting really sick off Dungeons in South Africa.”

“Yep, in the Marines we talk about that a lot. Always clean your water. I won't lie, I'm surprised by how soft and clear the water is. You'd think with the runoff that the pool would be a little hazy but it isn't.”

“One of the many miracles of this place.” Her expression changed dramatically. “Oh, um, maybe you should stay very still,” she whispered.

Rafe did as she asked, wondering what was behind him. He'd read that there wasn't much in the way of mammals on the island. Fruit bats were about it. Although there were all types of spiders and snakes.

“Boa to your right,” she murmured. “They're usually frightened of humans and head the other way. But this one seems to be curious about you. Can't say I blame it—you are kind of delectable.”

While Rafe appreciated the compliment, he hated snakes. In fact, he'd rather face enemy fire than any reptile. When he was young, he'd been fascinated by the Discovery Channel. His mom and dad had worked two jobs each back then to keep food on the table, and Kerr, his brother, had been in charge when they were gone, even though Kerr was only two years older than Rafe.

One day during summer vacation when he and Kerr were home alone, Kerr thought it would be hilarious to tease Rafe unmercifully with a grass snake. Later that night, Kerr found a rattle, which sounded like the tail of a rattlesnake. Rafe ran and locked himself in the bathroom and slept in the tub. He figured he was safe there until he saw a show where snakes came up through the toilet. It was years before he stopped checking to make sure he didn't see any in the bowl.

“Rafe, you're going white. Are you in pain?”

Get it together, man. That thing might go after her.

As a marine it was his job to protect her.

“I'm fine. Not supercrazy about snakes,” he admitted. “Where is it now?”

She chewed on her lip. “Really close to your left side,” she said quietly.

Rafe kept his body still and craned his head around to see it.

Crap. He wished he hadn't done that. From what he could see, the thing was about ten feet long and huge. He'd seen them squeeze prey so tightly that they cut off their air supply, and then ate them whole.

“I'd rather deal with these guys than sharks,” she whispered. “We have a lot of reef sharks who feed around the coral, and they are aggressive beasts.”

She made a strange face.

“What is it?” Rafe asked through gritted teeth. Why hadn't he brought his knife? And why was it that beauty always had some kind of catch? He was in a gorgeous place with an amazing woman, and facing down one of the creatures he hated most.

Damn snakes. It took everything he had, every piece of the marine that he was, to keep from screaming like a girl and running from the jungle.

If his buddies could see him now, they'd be laughing their asses off. Except for his friend Will, who was the only man who hated snakes more than Rafe.

“There's another one,” she said as she motioned for him to move slowly to his right. “I'm afraid we may be interrupting some kind of mating ritual. As fascinating as that might be to some people, I think it would be a good idea for us to get out of here,” she said, increasing her pace a little.

He took her hand and they moved through the water away from the reptiles. But Rafe managed to keep an eye on the snakes, and he wasn't happy when one of them took notice of them. “How close are we to dry land?” he asked.

“About twenty feet,” she replied.

“Close enough,” he said as he scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder, running like he had enemy fire on his tail. When they reached the sandy bank, he didn't stop. Those snakes were just as fast on land.

“I'll grab our stuff,” he said as they made it to the tree line.

“You can put me down, Rafe. You're going to kill your leg again.” Before he could do so, she squeaked like a mouse being chased by a cat. “Uh, scratch that. Run as fast as you can. The biggest one is headed our way. Stupid snake, go away.” She made shushing noises. “It's probably trying to protect its territory.”

Adrenaline coursed through Rafe as he fast-jogged down the path to the Jeep and tossed her in along with their things. He didn't see the snake when he turned around, but he wasn't about to wait for it to show up.

Tires squealing, they sped down the trail.

They'd gotten more than half a mile away when Rafe let up on the gas.

Kelly's shoulders shook.

He touched her arm and she shifted toward him, laughing so hard that tears came to her eyes.

Rafe couldn't help but chuckle, too.

“Next time,” she said as she worked to catch her breath, “you plan the seduction. So far I'm zero for two. Or maybe we should simply stay out of the water. I mean, is it me? Or did the snakes coming after us almost seem biblical in a way?”

Rafe laughed until his stomach hurt.

“I don't know about biblical, but I do know I'll never go back to that place no matter how beautiful it is.”

He stopped himself from shuddering. Friggin' snakes. At least he hadn't screamed like a girl. Talk about a mood killer.

“I've been there hundreds of times and I swear I've never even seen a snake,” she promised. “An occasional spider or lizard, but never a snake.”

“Nice to know they came out just for me,” he joked. “So, you were going to seduce me?” Rafe changed the subject from reptiles.

“I keep trying, but I don't think I'm very good at it.”

Rafe held her hands and faced her. “Kelly, you seduce me every time I look at you.”

Her tanned cheeks burned pink. “Rafe, you can't say stuff like that.”

“Why not? It's true.”

She shook her head. “Because it makes it hard for me to keep my hands off you.”

“Really?” He was intrigued.

“Yes, and wanting your hands all over me. It makes me... I need— Oh, you know.” Seemingly embarrassed, she smiled.

“I think I may have a way to satisfy that need.” He smiled back.

Yes, he knew exactly how to help her.