Secret Guardian (6 page)

“We’re clear.” He smiled when he saw the nervous look on her face.

“I don’t like creepy-crawling things. Are you sure?”

He smiled and then ran his light around again. “Yes, we’re clear.”

She relaxed a little and set her bag down, then sat in the dry dirt, happy to be off her feet.

E
than watched Ann across the small space as she slept. He’d sat across from her last night at Javan’s and watched her, much like he was doing now. She slept like he’d dreamed of doing for years, like the whole world had dropped off and she had no cares.

He knew the hike had been hard on her. Hell, it had been hard on him, but he was used to being uncomfortable and tired. He’d done it all his adult life and had no plans of letting up any time soon. He liked his job and the travel. He liked helping people out and working with his buddies from his time in the corps. He was very glad that he and Javan had patched up their relationship. He’d been his best friend for so many years. Ethan had hated knowing the man was not around to call when he got in a tight spot.

But above everything else about the job, Ethan liked the danger and the thrills he got when he outmaneuvered his opponents. It was like a game to him. He’d always been good at it. When he was a kid, he’d played paintball wars with all his friends. He’d always won. His high school buddies hadn’t realized the game wasn’t about shooting but about strategy, something he was really good at.

Ethan tried to close his eyes while keeping on alert. He felt his muscles relax one at a time until finally he could focus on the sounds around him, listening for anything out of the ordinary. But he could hear only the gentle rain hitting the stones, the rushing sounds of the waterfall, and Ann’s light breathing.

Listening to Ann breathe made his mind switch from protection mode to thinking of Ann. As he slept,
he dreamed about how soft her skin would feel, how her lips had felt against his. He remembered the softness of her hair in his hands and thought about holding her close as he rained kisses up and down her neck.

In his mind, she wrapped her legs around his hips and her breasts pushed against his chest. His hands came to her hips and held her tight against his desire until suddenly they were skin to skin. Her legs were still wrapped around his hips, and he was buried deep inside her and she was moaning with delight and just when he was on the verge of coming, her moans turned to screams.

He woke with a jolt and was on his knees quickly with his knife in his hands. The cave was still dark but he could just make out her form on the ground next to him. She was thrashing around and moaning with the nightmare.

Sheathing his knife, he sat back down and pulled her up halfway onto his lap. Then he gently rocked her as she woke from the nightmare.

“Shhh, you’re safe.” He put his hands into her hair and pulled her face to his, kissing her temple.

He felt the second she was fully awake. She tensed, and then when she realized where she was and who she was with, she relaxed and wrapped her arms around his waist.

The rain had stopped and he could already hear life in the jungle coming awake. He knew sunrise was coming soon and they probably should get up and start the day early. But he sat there holding her, kissing her hair and forehead.

“I dreamed you left me here to run off with two dancers, then men came after me and…”

“Shhh, it won’t happen,” he said against her skin. “I’m not going anywhere. Although, what did the dancers look like?”

She chuckled into his chest, a sound he was happy to hear. Then she pulled back and looked at him through the dark. He could just make out her face. He leaned down and put his lips to hers in a gentle kiss meant to soothe her. Instead it lit fires deep within him and made him aware of how uncomfortable it was to have her leaning across his crotch. He realized how much he wanted to pull her down on top of him so he could take her slowly as the sun rose.

“Mmm, Ethan?” She pulled back a little, looking at him.

“Ann, we’d better get ready.”

He felt her huff out a breath and smiled. “Trust me, there is nothing more that I want to be doing than making love to you now. But now is not the time or place. Besides, I’m starved and we could both use a shower.”

She pulled back and he saw mortification cross her face as she realized they both stank of day old sweat. He wanted to laugh. She actually smelled wonderful; he had been more concerned about himself.

She moved from his lap and he instantly missed the feel of her body next to his. Standing, he tried to work out the kinks from sleeping in the same position on the hard ground.

The cave was getting lighter, which told him the sun was rising. In the dim light, he watched her shake her blanket out and start to roll it up. He walked to the mouth of the cave and decided a quick shower would be worth the chill he’d feel.

Taking the small path of rocks, he climbed down to the base of the waterfall and removed his clothes. He shook them free of dust and hung them on a low branch. He walked into the shallow end until he was in waist deep, then dove into the crystal clear water, enjoying the freezing water as it woke his body very quickly.

A few minutes later he stood under the waterfall, allowing the water to rinse away the dirt and sweat. He was shocked to look up and see a very naked Ann jumping into the pool in front of him.

He would have laughed, but his mouth had gone dry. She was exquisite. Her long legs and arms pushed her through the water quickly as she moved to climb the stones towards the fall. He watched her as she came to stand right in front of him.

“You didn’t think you were going to be the only one to enjoy such a wonderful waterfall did you?” she yelled over the rushing water and smiled at him. “You can shut your mouth now, Ethan.” She laughed and then closed her eyes and let the water fall over her head.

He stood there and watched her, and even though the water was cold enough to have any man shivering, he felt himself getting hot. She ran her hands over her hair and down her neck towards her breast, and he licked his lips seeing her nipples pucker in the icy water.

She moved her hands over her chest and down her tight stomach, and he closed his eyes when she stopped just above the dark patch of curly hair covering her sex. How could she do this to him? Did she not get that they were totally exposed here?

He opened his eyes and saw that she was watching him with hunger in her eyes. He watched as she ran her eyes over him slowly, feeling her stare burn into him everywhere she looked: his arms, down his chest towards his light happy trial of hair that traveled to his very large, very erect sex. When she saw him, she licked her lips and he lost control.

He pushed her against the rock face just to the side of the rushing water, and then his mouth was on hers as her legs wrapped around his hips. He pushed her legs farther around his hips, lifting her higher so their sexes touched, and before she could say anything, he was imbedded deep into her heat.

Her head rolled back, and he watched her eyes go from fiery to cloudy as she moaned his name. He dipped his head and licked her exposed neck, tasting the fresh water and the sweet taste of her heated skin. He drove her deeper and harder, pushing her faster, building them both up.

Her back was pressed against the rock and he used one hand to brace them against the nature-built wall, holding them steady as he pleased her. Her hips moved, her hands gripped his wet shoulders, and when he dipped his head to take her nipple into his mouth, she screamed his name.

He pushed her faster and harder and felt himself ready to explode as he gripped her soft butt in his hands. He leaned his forehead against the cool stone and cried out her name as she arched and tensed with her release.

Ann felt the cold stone on her back and Ethan’s breath on her neck. She wouldn’t regret this move. She’d always taken what she’d wanted and she’d wanted him. Especially after walking out of the cave and seeing him standing naked under the water. She would have had to be a saint not to want to jump him. His muscles were impressive in clothes, but bare, she just wanted to lick him up and down.

As she felt his breathing slow, she knew he was going to be pissed at her for maneuvering him so easily. She’d never seduced someone like that before and she felt liberated in doing so. Actually, she wanted to do it again, but doubted they had the time or could spare the energy.

Her hands felt a few small scars on his back that she’d seen the other night when she’d been following him. Reaching down, she ran her hand over the larger one along the lower part of his spine.

“How did you get this?” she asked as he held himself still.

“Hmm. I should have been looking behind me instead of in front.”

She didn’t like that he was vague, but supposed it was a tender subject taking in account what all his past jobs must have included.

She closed her eyes for another second and enjoyed the feeling of being alive. She supposed all this had to do with what had happened yesterday. Seeing death so close, she had wanted to verify her own life, and sex had been just the tool.

“Damn!” He pulled back and frowned down at her as she unwrapped her legs from his hips.

She chuckled. “I’ve never really gotten that kind of reaction after hot sex
before.”

“Uh?” He looked at her. “No, it’s not… It’s just that I went so fast, we didn’t use protection.”

She laughed harder. “It’s okay, big boy. I’m clean and on the patch.” She rubbed the patch on her stomach and noticed the relief flood his face.

“I’m clean, too. I was more concerned about the protection against pregnancy part.”

“Don’t you want kids?” she asked as she walked back under the freezing water and began rinsing herself again.

“What?” He looked up from her hands as they ran over her breast and she smiled. He was so easy. “Oh, yeah, of course. But not until later. I’m not even thirty yet.”

“Oh?”

He smiled slowly as he quickly walked towards her and pulled her with him as he jumped back into the deep, cold water of the pool.

When they surfaced again, he was still smiling. He dipped his head for a fast kiss. “We need to be moving. The sun’s already up. We need to travel twice as far as we did yesterday.”

She tried not to, but she groaned when she heard this.

“I know, I know. But think of it this way; from here on out, it’s all downhill.”

Less than an hour later, she wanted to kill him again. Her thighs were screaming at her and her hands had cuts and scrapes from all the branches she’d grabbed hold of as they made their way down the very steep incline. He hadn’t been joking; it had been all downhill since they’d left the cave and the waterfall.