Chain Lightning (18 page)

“I don’t need protecting,“ she murmured against his lips.

Sutter felt the warm triangle of bikini cloth give way, allowing him the absolute freedom of Mandy’s body. With aching slowness he caressed her taut hips and the sultry heat between her legs. Kneeling, she swayed with his touch, wholly lost.

“Are you sure?“ he asked huskily, nuzzling the soft, dark tangle of hair that lay revealed at the apex of her thighs.

“Yes,“ she whispered. “Oh, yes.“

The last words came from Mandy’s lips in a broken cry as Sutter’s hot tongue sought and found her in a caress that was utterly unexpected. Her eyes closed and lightning splintered delicately through her body, setting off tiny, satin contractions deep inside.

Slowly Sutter increased the pressure of his fingers within her, smiling at the sleek heat of her, wanting to feel all of that heat closing around him in the rhythms of ecstasy, wanting to catch her most sensitive flesh very gently between his teeth, holding her captive for an exquisite kind of loving. Yet even as he moved to follow his desire, Mandy sank bonelessly back onto his legs, too weak to support herself any longer and hungry to caress his masculine flesh once more.

Her hands slid from his shoulders down his back to his lean waist and then to his hips. Slender fingers eased inside the strip of black cloth that was all Sutter wore. Gently she freed him, smiling to see the instant, hard rise of his erect flesh above the water’s reach.

Seeing Mandy’s smile, Sutter felt as though he had been dipped in loving fire. His fingers sank luxuriantly into the creamy flesh of Mandy’s hips, urging her closer. Then his hands slid forward, caressing and pressing against her silky inner thighs, separating them until she was poised just above his rigid flesh, her feminine heat utterly open to him. He held her that way for long, shivering moments, brushing her with the same fiery flesh that ached to be within her. When he could stand no more of the sensual teasing, he gently began to part the soft, hot folds between her thighs.

Mandy moaned as she felt Sutter coming to her. She convulsed delicately around him while he moved slowly into her, so slowly, taking her by sensuous increments, savoring the sweet, repeated shivering of her climax at the satin penetration, hearing her breath catch again and again at the ecstasy pulsing through her.

Her response dragged a deep groan from Sutter. He wanted to drive hard and deep into her, but once he sheathed himself fully in her, he knew it would be impossible for him to hold back his own climax. He didn’t want it to end so soon, before he had even begun to plumb the depths of her response, or his own. He had never taken a woman like this before, never before felt so perfectly the shimmering pulses of feminine release, never felt himself so full and hard, so much a man, pressing into sultry heat and shivering ecstasy, sliding deeper and deeper and then deeper still, until finally he was fully sheathed and time stopped and his flesh pulsed with hers, he was joined to her, giving himself to her again and again until he thought he would die of the endless release he had found within her.

For a long time Mandy was aware of nothing but a silky lassitude claiming her in the aftermath of a pleasure so intense that she still trembled with almost every breath. Gradually small elements of reality condensed around her once more. She realized she was naked and Sutter was naked and their bodies were still joined beneath the silver glinting of the sea…a sea that was even now lapping gently higher up her bare hips. She knew the slowly deepening water should bother her, but she felt too supremely cherished at the moment to be frightened. With a contented sigh she closed her eyes.

Sutter felt the stirring of Mandy’s body over his and guessed that she must be uneasy about the increasing depth of the water lapping at the limestone ledge. For an instant his arms tightened around her, holding her in place. He didn’t want the moment of intimacy to end. It was too new, too unexpected. He felt renewed, reborn, everything utterly right…except for the tide, licking higher with each instant. He didn’t want the boneless relaxation of Mandy’s body to change into tight fear.

Reluctantly Sutter loosened his embrace. Even if Mandy wasn’t afraid of the water at the moment, there was another problem. No matter how warm the sea seemed in the heat of mutual passion, he knew the water was slowly but surely sapping their body heat. Gently he ran one hand down Mandy’s lovely back and nuzzled against her face, which was tucked against his chest.

“Wake up, golden eyes.“

Mandy murmured and kissed the corner of Sutter’s mouth. He smiled and brushed his lips over hers. From the distance came the sound of laughter, a door closing and someone calling across the velvet darkness. A moment later an answer came, sound without meaning.

“Time to get up, you lovely, lazy wench,“ Sutter whispered, caressing the warm curve of Mandy’s hip.

“After you,“ she said, kissing his neck.

He laughed softly. “That’s not how it works, darling. You’re on top. You have to get up first.“

“Oh.“ Then, “Sutter?“

“Mmm?“

“You haven’t encountered my bikini lately, by any chance?“

There was silence followed by tiny splashing sounds. After a few moments Sutter’s hand appeared above the water. Odds and ends of clothing hung limply from between his fingers, shedding thin streamers of water.

“This what you’re missing?“ he asked.

Mandy looked, looked again and said, “Actually, I think it’s what
you’re
missing.“

Sutter examined the fistful of cloth in the moonlight. “I think you’re right. Wait a sec.“ He fished around in the water for a few more moments before emerging triumphantly with other pieces of cloth. “Got it.“

Reluctantly Mandy began to separate herself from Sutter in order to get dressed. Before she could do more than register her intention with a slight shift in her weight, she felt his arms close snugly around her, holding her around him while he sat fully upright. He tied the neck strings of her bikini top in place, then began to pull the tiny triangles of cloth into place over her nipples. The temptation of her breasts was too great to entirely ignore. He nuzzled the cloth aside and kissed her slowly, tasting the sea on her skin, licking salt from her nipples. Finally, very reluctantly, he eased the two triangles into place.

“These things should be outlawed,“ Sutter said huskily, looking at Mandy’s tight, erect nipples pressing against the bits of cloth as he tied the strings behind her back.

“That would upset a lot of babies.“

“What?“ Then Sutter laughed softly, understanding. “Not these,“ he murmured, bending his head to bite her nipples lovingly. “The two little scraps of cloth. Makes a man want to run his tongue around the edges and then slide it underneath to sample the goodies.“

Mandy laughed but couldn’t conceal the shiver that went through her at the thought of Sutter’s tongue gliding beneath the bikini top to caress her nipples. He felt her telltale trembling and knew an instant, hot response that surprised him. He had just taken her, he was still inside her, he shouldn’t want her so urgently; and he knew it would be all he could do to withdraw from her body long enough to drag her to the tent before he buried himself deeply in her once more.

“You’re a witch,“ Sutter said thickly, closing his eyes in an involuntary reaction to the vital hardening of his body. His hands closed around Mandy’s waist, lifting her from him as slowly as he had entered her, then allowing her to slide back down, then lifting her slowly again. “If you sit in my lap for another instant I’m going to…ah, love, help me,“ he groaned, “you feel too damned good.“

Only the sound of voices coming closer up the beach permitted Mandy to move the final fraction of an inch that separated her completely from Sutter. Even so, she had to bite back a tiny cry as his hardening flesh caressed her in the act of leaving her. Blindly she took her bikini bottom from his hand and untangled the strings by feel alone. Her fingers were trembling so that by the time she worked over the second hip tie Sutter had already pulled his suit into place and stood up next to her. The realization that his swimsuit was fighting a losing battle to cover his burgeoning masculinity did nothing to calm Mandy.

Still kneeling, Mandy looked up and saw Sutter watching the small triangle fastened at the apex of her legs. She knew suddenly that he wanted to slide his tongue beneath the edges of the cloth until he found the secret, responsive flesh beneath. The thought of such intimacy sent a rush of fire through her that made her weak.

“Damon,“ she said, her voice shaking.

“Don’t say my name like that,“ he whispered.

“Like what?“

“Like you’re reading my mind…and loving it.“

“But I am…loving it.“

“God,“ he groaned, “I’m going to be lucky to get you back to the tent!“

Mandy looked at Sutter’s powerful body heightened by shadows, silvered by water and the moon and so very male it made anticipation tingle through her.

“We’d better not meet anyone on the way,“ she said in a throaty voice.

Sutter followed Mandy’s glance to his swimsuit. The contest had definitely been lost. Before he could rearrange himself in a semblance of modesty, Mandy was there. Gently, almost possessively, she eased his erect flesh back within the confines of the wet cloth. When he was covered to her satisfaction, she trailed a fingertip lightly along his hard length.

“There. All done,“ she murmured.

Torn between humor and raw desire, Sutter lifted Mandy to her feet, “What you need is a cold shower,“ he said thickly, biting her neck just hard enough to leave tiny marks.

“Is that what you call it?“ she whispered, boldly moving her hips against him, savoring the hard thrust of his arousal. “I thought that was called a – “

Sutter kissed her hard and deep, shutting off the teasing words. Finally he lifted his head. “You have a saucy mouth, woman.“

Mandy’s smile slipped. “Isn’t that – is that all right?“

For a moment Sutter thought she was still teasing him. Then he saw her stillness and realized that she was uncertain of his response. He caught her face between his hands, tilting it up to his lips.

“I love your saucy mouth,“ Sutter said, biting Mandy’s lips gently. “I love feeling your hands on me, and I love your smile when you see what you do to me. You’re the sweetest, sauciest, sexiest woman I’ve ever had the privilege of touching. And that’s just what I want to do right now. Touch you. All over. Everywhere. I feel like a boy with his first woman. Everything I do with you is new and I want to do everything at once and yet I want to do it all slowly, perfectly, because I’m afraid nothing will ever be this good again.“

Tears magnified Mandy’s eyes for a moment. Smiling, blinking, she clung to Sutter. “Yes,“ she whispered. “That’s how it is for me, too.“

For several long, electric moments they simply held each other in warm silence. Then Sutter moved his hips against Mandy once, very slowly, caressing her with his hard, aroused flesh.

“And for your information,“ he murmured, “that’s called a – “

“Sutter!“ Mandy said threateningly, covering his mouth with her hand.

His tongue probed between her fingers, tickling and teasing her until she couldn’t bear it and lifted her hand so that she could kiss him. The taste and heat and textures of her mouth tempted him into a long, intimate exploration that did nothing to improve the fit of his swimsuit. After too long a time, he lifted his head.

“Rooster,“ he murmured lovingly against her lips.

For an instant there was silence, then Mandy’s silvery laughter surrounded Sutter like another, richer color of moonlight His smile became a wicked grin and then he was laughing, too, enjoying the combination of passion and humor that was uniquely Mandy, the intelligence that made her as unpredictable and fascinating as the chain lightning pulsing across the far horizon.

Smiling, Sutter took Mandy’s hand and walked out of the warm lagoon. After a few steps she lagged behind noticeably. He turned questioningly and realized that her feet were bare. Instants later he lifted her into his arms.

“You should have said something,” Sutter whispered, brushing his mouth over Mandy’s hair.

“It’s not far enough to the tent to matter,“ she said.

“You’ve never had a coral cut, have you?“

Mandy shook her head.

“Come to think of it,“ Sutter said, smiling to himself in anticipation, “I’d better check you over completely. You might have picked up some scrapes in the Fish Pond.“

Mandy’s body stiffened at the memory of being helpless and then being tossed into the very sea she feared so much.

“I didn’t thank you for pulling me out,“ she said, turning her face into the strong, warm neck that was so close to her lips. “Thank you, D. M. Sutter. That’s one more rescue to your credit.“

“You would have found your feet without me,“ Sutter said, kissing her forehead.

Mandy’s arms tightened around his neck but she said nothing. She wanted to believe she wouldn’t have been too frightened to stand up and save herself from drowning in shallow water, but she wasn’t sure. When she had felt the ocean close over her face she had panicked in a way mat she hadn’t even during the horrible flight to the island.

Win some, lose some,
she told herself.

The thought didn’t cheer Mandy. Sutter had been quite right about her emotions. She was very tired of her prison of fears.

“Trees ahead. Hide your face,“ Sutter warned softly.

Mandy buried her face in Sutter’s neck and felt his shoulder muscles bunch as he bent and turned sideways, avoiding the graceful she-oak branches in the grove that surrounded their tent. A flap of canvas trailed over her back as Sutter ducked into the tent and carefully set her on her feet before he released her. It was much darker inside the tent than it had been on the beach.

Soft illumination bloomed suddenly, revealing Sutter bent over the flashlight. He wrapped the cloth one more time around the lens, muting the illumination to a golden glow that suffused everything it touched with riches. After he braced the flashlight in a corner, he shook out his beach towel, threw it over his bed and turned to Mandy.

“Lie down, darling. I want to check your feet.“

“My feet?“ she asked skeptically, giving him an amused, sideways kind of look.

Sutter smiled in a way that made Mandy’s knees weak. “Of course. What else?“

Mandy blushed, feeling suddenly shy. It had been one thing to make love with Sutter in the silver and shadow of a moonlit lagoon. It was quite another to see him in the clear, golden illumination mat filled the tent. The thought of her boldness in the lagoon was embarrassing to her now. She was more than happy to sink down on the mattress and turn her flushed face away from the too-revealing light.

Sutter noticed Mandy’s sudden shyness but said nothing. As soon as she was settled, he picked up her right foot matter-of-factly, brushed off a few particles of shell and crushed coral, touched every bit of suddenly sensitive skin and pronounced her whole. Mandy felt his long, strong, fingers pick up her other foot, hesitate and then probe gently.

“Hurt?“ he asked.

“No.“

Sutter made an approving sound and resumed checking her. Mandy’s curiosity overcame her embarrassment. Lying on her back, propped half-upright on her elbows, she looked down the length of her body at her foot held in Sutter’s large, strong hands. While she watched, he brushed every bit of her foot carefully, almost caressingly. She thought she saw a smile just beneath his calm expression as his finger rubbed tenderly between her toes, removing each particle of shell or coral no matter how small.

“Sutter?“

“Mmm?“

“I thought that a cut from living coral was the only kind you had to worry about.“

Absently Sutter nodded, only half-listening, caught up in tracing the high arch of Mandy’s foot with his index finger.

She didn’t really notice what Sutter had said or not said. She was too fascinated by the picture he made sitting nearly naked at her feet, touching her as though she were made of spun crystal and dreams. In the muted light his eyes were a green so intense it was nearly black. His hair was molten gold, catching and holding the light with every motion of his head. Dense, long eyelashes cast feathery shadows across his tanned skin. His wide, high cheekbones and blunt, masculine jawline fully suited the strong tendons in his neck and the muscular width of his shoulders. The damp, curling hair on his chest was a rich amber color. The dusky, wedge-shaped pelt emphasized the smoothness of Sutter’s skin and the supple male strength that was so much a part of him.