A Seacat's Love (Oceanan Trilogy Book 1) (17 page)

Rick wickedly smiled to himself.
Too bad I won’t be around to see his face
.

“Rick. Hmmm. Strong name. It goes well with that scar.” A customer called her attention. “I’ll be right back.”

Rick touched his scar. She was right. The scar did add something to his persona, which was why most women avoided him now. But not Nora. She had seemed unaffected by the mark. He took a swallow of his drink.

“Tell me, Rick. Where are you from?” Rebecca placed a bowl of nuts in front of him. “I’ve never seen you around here before.”

“Just passing through.”

Her face fell. “Just passing through. What a shame.” She reached for a nut. She sensually licked the salt from one side before she ate it. “Is that an English accent I detect?”

Rick gave her his killer smile. “That it is.”

“Well, I hope you decide to stay around for a while. I have this uncontrollable attraction for Englishmen. I can’t figure out why.”

“Is that a fact?”

She nodded.

“Well, I might do that.”

“Good.” She leaned toward him and whispered, “If you’re interested, I get off in an hour.”

Rick moved his head closer to hers. “I’m interested.”

“Great! I know of a cozy little place where we can get something light to eat.” She pouted and then added in a more seductive manner, “After that, well, who knows? Perhaps we can play it by ear.”

In respond to her innuendos, Rick’s smile joined Rebecca’s.
Oh, yes. This is exactly what the doctor ordered
.

After dinner, Rick went back to Rebecca’s apartment. She instructed him to make himself at home and feel free to fix a drink. She then excused herself. Left alone, Rick looked around. The apartment had a small white kitchen, no dining room, and a medium-size living room. There were neutral tones on the walls and only a handful of modern pieces of furniture and accessories.

Nothing to brag about
, he thought. He spotted a portable bar tucked away in one corner of the living room. He went there first. After mixing a drink, he sat down on the stiff sofa.
Not very comfortable
. He shifted in his seat. Giving up in getting comfortable, he sat back and sipped his drink.

His mind drifted off, as it had done all evening. Despite Rebecca’s pleasant company and easy conversations, Rick could
not stop thinking about a certain brunette with sweet-smelling skin. He still tasted her white-hot kisses on his lips. Her willing body had come alive under his touch. His mind relived the entire shower incident in such vivid splendor that by the time Rebecca reappeared Rick was in desperate need of help.

Rebecca posed at the entrance to her bedroom. She waited for him to notice her. Rick was beyond noticing. He had been without a woman for too long. All he could think of was of blessed release. And the sooner Rebecca reached hers, the sooner he would be pacified.

Staring hungrily across the room, he rose from his seat. He placed his drink on the small end table and stealthily made his way to Rebecca like a predator moving in for the kill. She waited under the doorframe.

Rick paused before her as if in thought. He then quickly grabbed Rebecca by her shoulders and pulled her against his extremely aroused body. His mouth slanted hard on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and groaned.

The kiss was fast and furious. Rick bent at his knees, clasped Rebecca around her waist, and lifted her a few inches off the ground. She was a tall woman, but it was enough to make it easier for Rick to carry her to the bed. He gently laid Rebecca down and covered her with his body, not once breaking their heated kiss. His hands explored her, causing her to wiggle and squirm underneath him. She unbuttoned his shirt.

Rick did his best to stop thinking and concentrate on the woman beneath him. His thoughts were invading this long-awaited moment of pleasure. This was not normal. Even after Mary’s death, he was able to place her out of his mind for a few hours of enjoyment. This time it was like his mind and body were in two different places at once.

His body with its pent-up passion called out for release, and beautiful Rebecca McLean was more than willing to comply. But his mind simply would not follow. For reasons beyond Rick’s understanding, his mind kept recalling a little kitten with well-formed breasts and a shapely derriere. Just the thought of her responses
to his touch made Rick nearly lose control. That was when it all started to fall apart for the young Don Juan.

No longer obeying his commands, his senses began a comparison of their own between the two women. They first recalled the traits more appealing to them. His body then began to seek these traits out. Unfortunately, one woman is a poor substitute for another, as they both found out.

Rick’s manhood, despite Rebecca’s constant stimulation, died. Rick was in shock when he felt his tool grow limp.
Dear God, what’s happening to me?
But he knew what the problem was.

He tried to arouse himself by fondling, tasting, and caressing Rebecca. He desperately pushed all thoughts of Leonora out of his mind. Rebecca undressed him. Rick situated himself between her thighs and pressed against her wetness. He sensed she was ready to explode, but Rick could not get hard enough to penetrate her.

Horrified and embarrassed, he apologized. “Rebecca, I’m so sorry. This has never happened to me before. I don’t know what’s going on?”

“Calm down. Don’t worry. Let me try.” Rebecca encouraged Rick to lie on his back and relax. She settled between his legs and placed his placid member into her wet mouth.

After only a few strokes, Rick felt the first stirrings of passion returning. His little soldier rose to attention, and he sighed. Leaning his head on the pillow, he began to enjoy the pleasures offered by Rebecca’s talented tongue.

His lids drifted closed. A pair of eerie glowing eyes floated across the back of the dual screens. Memories of Leonora’s skillful tongue entered his head. His senses compared it to the one he was now feeling. It did not matter that he felt Leonora’s tongue against his own and not anywhere else. It was enough to send his soldier back to the barracks.

Rick roared like an angry lion before yelling, “Enough!” He pulled Rebecca up and off him. Sitting up on the side of the bed, he placed his elbows onto his knees, his face into the palms of his hands. “This has never happened to me before. I don’t understand why it’s happening now!”

Rebecca tried to console him by softly rubbing his back. “It’s okay, Rick, it happens. Sometimes.”

“Not to me it doesn’t!” he hollered. “Never once have I had any problems satisfying a woman! Not once! Why now?” There was no need for her to answer. He already knew the reason.

Rebecca tried to point out another possibility. “Perhaps the problem isn’t you. Perhaps it’s me.”

Rick glanced up from his hands, narrowing his eyes at her. “What the bloody hell are you talking about, woman?”

“Perhaps you simply don’t find me attractive enough.”

Aghast, both of Rick’s eyebrows shot up this time. “Are you insane, woman?”

His expression made her laugh. “I’m just saying that it’s all right. I’m not pressuring you to perform.”

Somehow, her words did not soothe his damaged ego one bit. “I’d better go.”

“Are you sure? You don’t have to. It’s pretty late. Why don’t you stay here for tonight?”

“Thanks. But I think I better leave,” Rick grumbled.

Disappointed, Rebecca let out a sad, low whine. “She’s a very lucky woman.”

Rick froze in picking up his underwear. He viewed her sideways. “What?”

“The woman you haven’t been able to stop thinking about all evening. The real reason you can’t be with me. She’s very lucky to have you.”

Rick did not respond. He hated her accuracy and hurried with putting his clothes on.

Rebecca remained in bed watching the most beautiful man to ever grace her presence dress and walk out of her life without saying good-bye. On hearing the front door close, she whispered sadly, “Good-bye, Rick.”

Tuesday, the 6th of August

They were back on the road after two weeks of remaining in that mountain hut, as Rick decided to finally call it. There was nothing but cars, trucks, and mountains to look at.

Boring
, he thought. As a result, his mind was up to its tricks again. It brought up memories of what had happened with Rebecca and afterward with Leonora.

Rick had returned to the mountain home the following morning. He was in no mood to be trifled with. He refused to acknowledge Tigif or Leonora, but Leonora was not to be ignored.

She stood blocking the entranceway with her fists on her hips. “Well, it is about time you returned. Where in the blazes were you?”

Rick glared at her. He rudely brushed past her without answering. He noticed Leonora’s sights swept over him searching for something. She seemed relieved for a split second before she snatched a hold of his collar for a closer inspection. Rick nearly tipped over but regained his balance. That was when he glimpsed anger flaring in her eyes.

“Is this lip coloring?” She gasped. “Is that a love bite?”

Rick gritted his teeth. Since he had no one to answer to, he did not think to check for incriminating evidence of being with Rebecca. He never intended for Leonora to find out.

Leonora sniffed his body. Rick’s forehead wrinkled. Leaning away from her, he asked, “What the bloody hell are you doing, woman? Are you trying to smell me?”

Leonora stepped back and shot him an accusing look. “You were with a female,” she stated in a shaky voice. “The stench of her arousal is still on you.”

Rick’s blue eyes rounded. He had no idea that she could smell Rebecca on him. Even more surprising was the emotional display on her face and behavior.

“I don’t have to answer to you!” he snapped at her. “Get out of my way. I’m going to take a shower.”

He felt guilty and ashamed. He was in no relationship. He had no reason to feel this way. Yet, Rick felt like he had broken his code of ethics and cheated on Leonora. He felt dirty and needed a shower.

After a thirty-minute scalding shower, Rick exited the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his hips. His sights fleeted over the sofa. He saw Leonora injecting Tigif with the medication he had received from Dr. Ranger.

“Committing murder-suicide?” he sarcastically threw at them, arching his blond eyebrow. Leonora’s eyes met his, and his heart jumped in his chest. Guilt surged through him. He had made the wrong choice to go with Rebecca.

“Not really,” countered Leonora. She placed the empty syringe on the wooden side table. She held his gaze and walked over to where he stood.

Her movements were fluid and graceful. Her eyes pale as the moon. Her brown ringlets flowed to her small waist. Rick took a deep breath. She was more beautiful than he remembered.

“I want to take this opportunity to say that I—”

“Forget it.” Rick hurried to the nearest room and slammed the door to her bedroom. He snatched his backpack from the floor behind the door and threw it on the bed. He was furious at how his senses kept responding to her, especially when she stood near him. And definitely after last night.

He removed his towel and scowled down at his erection. “Where the bloody hell were
you
last night?"