Meant for Love (6 page)

Yeah
, Alex thought, as he went out to the barn where he kept the Harley he’d brought home from DC with him,
the Martinez brothers made for very attractive marriage material.

He’d expected to be married by now, maybe even have a couple of kids, too. But life hadn’t worked out the way he’d planned, and who knew when he’d have time to think about a family of his own? He’d probably be too old and too bitter by the time he was able to go there.

Doctors had told them their mother could live for decades in her current condition. After losing his father so young, Alex was in no rush to live without his mom, but he couldn’t visualize a future that didn’t involve her daily care. What woman in her right mind would want to be a part of that?

“You’re so fucking depressing to be around,” he said to himself, taking advantage of the opportunity to swear to his heart’s content. “Who’d want you anyway?”
 

Jenny had wanted him. The thought popped into his head so suddenly it nearly took his breath away and made his cock surge inside his shorts. He hadn’t felt anything close to desire in so long he’d wondered if the old guy still worked. Today he’d discovered that everything worked perfectly, and God help him, but he wanted more of her.
 

He had no good reason to return to the lighthouse, and yet he could think of no good reason not to. Leaving the driveway, he pulled onto the main road, traveling in the opposite direction from the Southeast Light. The roar of the bike beneath him and the rush of the air through his hair made him glad he’d left the helmet at home. While he’d never ridden the bike without one in DC, he rarely bothered with the helmet here. Maybe that was stupid, but he felt safe here in a way he didn’t anywhere else.

And it was too damned hot for the helmet. He rode out to the bluffs and back through town, making two complete circles of the island that took him past the Southeast Light twice. On the third circle, he turned the bike into the dirt road that led to the light and drove the bike around the locked gate. As he did that, he wondered if the roar of the bike would make her mad enough to throw something at him.

He chuckled, remembering her outrage and the splatter of a tomato connecting with his back. That had definitely been a first. He’d never made a woman mad enough to throw things at him, but he’d also never behaved quite so spontaneously with a woman before either. The last time he’d kissed a woman he barely knew had to have been in college, but that didn’t count, did it?

Still pondering that question, he roared to a stop outside the lighthouse, which was dark and sealed up for the night. The only light was provided by the full moon that gave the entire place a yellow glow.
 

Great… Would he get the one-day award for waking the same woman twice? He was about to turn the bike around and get the hell out of there when the sound of activity above had him looking up.

She poked her head out the window to look down at him.

“Don’t tell me I woke you up again.”

“Okay, I won’t. What’re you doing here?”

What was he doing there? Alex had no idea. Well, he had
some
idea… “I’m going swimming. You wanna come?”

“Now?”

“What’s wrong with now?”

“It’s dark.”

“So?”

“Are you riding that thing without a helmet?”

“Yeah. So?”

“That’s kind of stupid and so is swimming in the dark.”

“Too hot for a helmet, and who says swimming in the dark is stupid?”

“Everyone.”
 

“You wanna fight with me or go swimming?”

“Can I do both?”

Alex smiled at her saucy reply. “Sure, knock yourself out and grab a couple of towels while you’re at it.”

“Give me a minute.”

“I’ve got all night.”
Sure
, he thought.
I’ve got all night to
sleep
, which is what I should be doing right now
. But sleep wasn’t on his mind when Jenny stepped out of the lighthouse a few minutes later, wearing a short dress and flip-flops and carrying two beach towels. He could see her bathing suit tied around her neck and was suddenly very interested in whether it was a bikini.

If there is a God in heaven, please let it be a bikini
.
And PS, you owe me one.
 

She eyed the bike with trepidation. “Where is this swimming going to take place?”

“Here.” He swung his left leg over the bike and stood, dwarfing her. How had he failed to notice earlier that he had a foot on her? Probably because he’d been too busy stuffing his tongue down her throat to pay attention to such trivial matters as height. “Come on.” Gripping her hand, he led her around the lighthouse to the steps that led to the sand below.
 

“I don’t think it’s safe to swim down there at night,” she said, pulling back. “There’re rocks and stuff.”

“Do you always do what’s safe?”

“Yes. Don’t you?”

“Not always. Safe is boring.”
 

Apparently, she had nothing to say to that, which he took to mean she was considering whether or not she was safe in the dark with him. They navigated the stairs, aided by the light of the moon, and landed in the sand, where Alex kicked off his shoes and waited for her to do the same. At the water’s edge, he dropped her hand to remove his shirt and then waited for her to pull the dress over her head, revealing what looked to be a pink bikini.

Thank you, God. We’re almost paid up
.

He spread the towels on the sand and held out a hand to her. “Ready?”

“I don’t know if this is a good idea. What if we get caught in a rip current or something? No one even knows where we are.”

“That’s what makes it fun. It’s you and me and the moon and the sea.”

“All right, Dr. Seuss.”

He turned his back to her and looked over his shoulder. “Hop on Pop. I’ll keep you safe.”

She laughed—hard—and then surprised him when she took him up on his offer, climbing onto his back and wrapping her arms around his neck. “Don’t drop me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Why in the world would he drop her when having her thighs pressed against his ribs felt so damned good? With his arms hooked under her legs, he walked into the water and eased them in slowly, staying close to the shore because he wasn’t completely foolish about the risks of swimming at night.

“Ahhh, that feels good,” she said as the cool water washed over them.

Was it his imagination or did she tighten her hold on him? No, definitely not his imagination. “Sure does. I thought I was going to burn up today.”

“I couldn’t deal with being outside all day in this heat.”

“You do what ya gotta do.” He held on tight as he lifted her up and over the gentle roll of the waves. The water was as calm as it ever was on the south side of the island, perfect conditions for a nighttime swim. “Could I let go for one second if I promise to come right back?”

“Sure.” She released her tight hold on him and slid down his back.

Alex waited until she was standing before he let go of her and turned around to face her. “That’s better.” He drew her into his arms, arranging her legs around his hips. “Much, much better.”

Her arms curled around his neck, infusing him with a strange sense of comfort, which was odd, considering he knew nothing about her other than her first name and where she lived. Maybe the comfort came from the anonymity and the relief of leaving his troubles behind for however long this latest interlude lasted.

“Did you think about what happened this morning after I left?”

“Not at all. Did you?”

“Nope. Just another day at the office. My female customers can’t restrain themselves when I’m around.”

Jenny snorted with laughter, which pleased him. That had been his goal. “They are only human, after all.”

“Right? That’s what I say, too. Although I’ve never had any of them throw stuff at me before.”

“I refuse to apologize for that. You woke me up at an ungodly hour!”

Alex smiled at her indignation. Enough with the talking, he decided, tipping his head and going in slowly to kiss her. At first, he simply laid his lips over hers, waiting to see what she would do. Would it be like before, when the passion between them flared like fire finding dry brush, or would it simmer more slowly this time?

He quickly had his answer when her tongue dabbed at his bottom lip, setting off a chain reaction that made him groan and pull her in tighter against him. Her arms gripped his neck, and her breasts flattened against his chest.
 

This whole thing was insanity, and he hadn’t done anything like it since he was in high school, when girls came on to him endlessly. Once in a while, he let one of them catch him—albeit briefly—but he’d always known everything there was to know about them. Even as he told himself this was insanity, he cupped her backside and squeezed.

Alex lost himself in the moment, allowing the sweet taste of her lips and the lush curves of her body to take him away from all his troubles and worries. Her hand on his face soothed and calmed him even if he felt anything but calm. He wanted more. He
needed
more.

Without breaking the kiss, he maintained his tight hold on her bottom and stood up to walk them to the shore.

Chapter 4

I’ve completely lost my mind
, Jenny thought as she clung to Alex’s muscular shoulders. Even as she questioned her sanity, she knew she wasn’t about to send him away. The guy was like sex on a stick, and for the first time in her life, it didn’t matter that she didn’t know him. Nothing mattered but the way it felt to be held and kissed by someone who didn’t know about her terrible tragedy, who didn’t pity her from the word hello. He hadn’t the first clue who she was, and she liked it that way.

As they emerged from the water, the heavy, sultry air only added to the erotically charged atmosphere. And when he laid them down on the towels, Jenny felt his muscles bulge and strain under her hands. He never missed a beat with the kiss, turning his head to deepen the angle, his tongue teasing and tempting her and making her forget the values she’d remained true to her entire life.

It felt too damned good to be held by a strong, sexy, confident man to think about values or future trips to the loony bin. She’d cross that bridge when she got to it. In the meantime, she was fully enjoying the protective way he held her, the sensual way he kissed her, the enticing strokes of his tongue, which were never too much but rather just right.
 

But suddenly it wasn’t enough to be close to him. It wasn’t enough to kiss him and touch him. She wanted more. Shifting onto her back, she tugged at him, encouraging him to move on top of her. She hadn’t done anything like this in such a long time that she’d almost forgotten how to use her body to send the proper signals.

Jenny curled her leg around his hips, hoping he’d take the hint.

He did, and the pleasure flooded her. Almost of their own volition, her legs parted to welcome him into her embrace. The groan that rumbled from his chest only added to the heated desire that thrummed through her bloodstream. And then he shifted his hips and pushed the hard ridge of his erection against her, making her cry out from the punch of desire that slammed into her.

Alex broke the kiss, turning his attention to her neck, kissing from her ear to her throat and along her collarbone. He tugged at the bow behind her neck that anchored her bikini top. “Can I?” he asked gruffly.

The word “no” hovered on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it. She couldn’t bring herself to say anything at all, so she only nodded and then held her breath as he eased the top away from her straining breasts. For the longest time he only looked at what he’d uncovered as the warm breeze had her nipples tightening unbearably.

Jenny squirmed under him, seeking relief of some kind or another.

“Easy,” he whispered. “I’m not going anywhere.”

It was the perfect thing for him to say. They had no time limit, no one waiting for either of them.
 

He bent his head over her chest.

“Wait.”

His forehead landed on her sternum. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re not married or anything, are you?”

“Hell no. I wouldn’t be here doing this with you if I had someone else. What about you?”
 

“Not married. Or anything.”

“Now that we’ve got that cleared up, can we get back to what we were doing?”

Though she wanted nothing more than to get back to what they’d been doing—because it was about to get even more interesting—she felt the need to clarify one thing. “That’s not exactly true.”

“Which part?”

“The ‘or anything’ part. I’ve been dating. Some. Here and there. Nothing serious, though.”

“Great. Glad we cleared that up. Green light to proceed?” As he spoke, his lips left a trail of fire over the tops of her breasts.
 

“One more thing.”

His deep sigh relayed a world of frustration. “I’m listening.”

She was almost afraid to say it because she didn’t want him to leave. Not yet anyway. “I won’t have sex with you.”