forced her back a little. Taking a shaky breath, he muttered, "I want you to weigh our options, Alyse. If you don't help me, who will? I'm losing time." With what she was doing to him, he could easily lose control here.
Alyse threw her head back and met his passion-darkened gaze. "Tell me something, Jake."
"What's that?" Jake was damn hot. A trickle of perspiration rolled down one temple.
"Why are you growing the beard?"
"Oh. Just, uh, for a change." Another lie. Everything he said to her now was a lie. Although he knew it was necessary, he felt it was keeping them apart. And he hated it. Hated every lie. He wanted to melt in her softness and tell her everything. Admit the truth about himself and his dangerous mission and cruise away in the sunset with her by his side. But that was a dream, not reality.
"I really like the beard, Jake." Her gentle, innocent laughter fell like feathers against his cheek. "Makes you look like a pirate. Redbeard, my pirate."
Jake closed his eyes and tried to tell himself he was a fool, reacting this way to this woman. She was young and naive and had no idea what he was really doing in Mexico. She would probably be appalled. And he was sure she would refuse his request. Oh, God, he had no right to get her mixed up in this, to put her in danger.
"Kiss me, Redbeard." She moved close again. With her tongue, she teased his lips. And he succumbed to the temptation. The deck swayed gently beneath them as small waves rocked the boat. Their bodies moved with the natural motions of the small yacht, and the intensity of their kiss increased rapidly.
His lips forged hers apart. His tongue dipped into her sweet mouth, giving her erotic expectations of further invasions.
Alyse relished every sensation, especially the hardness of his male body rippling against her. His arousal was brash and unhidden, and the knowledge excited her. This man, whom she barely knew, whom she suspected of being some kind of modern-day pirate, thrilled her as no other man ever had. She was ready to relinquish any reservations and be carried away in his arms.
She longed for the adventure of being swept up to ecstasy by this handsome pirate, longed to feel his body naked and strong next to hers. Oh, how she wanted to tantalize and satisfy him with her body. She'd never felt quite like this before, wanting only to please the man who desired her.
But he pushed her away again. This time roughly.
"Jake?"
"No. Don't say it, Alyse. Don't say another thing or I'll – God, I must be crazy!" He paused, breathing heavily. "Tomorrow I'll come and get you. We'll spend the day at the villa."
"But, Jake – "
"Look, Alyse, I don't want to mess up the business we have together."
"Business! It seems to me we're beyond business! We've gone beyond the first move, Jake. And I've made it."
He gripped her arms. "I told you, Alyse, I want only one thing out of this: a quiet ride back home. There are things about me you don't know and – "
"I don't care, Jake. Can't you see that?"
"Don't let your fantasy rule your head. There are things about me you would abhor." With more willpower than he'd ever exhibited, Jake wheeled around and walked away. He told himself there was a life at stake here. His! In the back of his mind he couldn't help wondering if he was risking hers now.
Yet another voice, the self-serving devil in him, rose to say he was absolutely crazy to leave her. She certainly wasn't afraid of any risks with him.
Alyse watched him stride purposefully down the pier. Then she swept inside the cabin and flung herself on the narrow bunk. Dammit! What had happened between them? What had gone wrong? He'd been strange all day. Coming on to her, then reacting coldly. Then the roughness. Why had he rejected her tonight when she had changed her mind? When she was ready.
As she calmed down, Alyse began to question her own actions, her own motives. What was wrong with her, throwing herself at this stranger as she had tonight? Her
Alyse threw her head back and met his passion-darkened gaze. "Tell me something, Jake."
"What's that?" Jake was damn hot. A trickle of perspiration rolled down one temple.
"Why are you growing the beard?"
"Oh. Just, uh, for a change." Another lie. Everything he said to her now was a lie. Although he knew it was necessary, he felt it was keeping them apart. And he hated it. Hated every lie. He wanted to melt in her softness and tell her everything. Admit the truth about himself and his dangerous mission and cruise away in the sunset with her by his side. But that was a dream, not reality.
"I really like the beard, Jake." Her gentle, innocent laughter fell like feathers against his cheek. "Makes you look like a pirate. Redbeard, my pirate."
Jake closed his eyes and tried to tell himself he was a fool, reacting this way to this woman. She was young and naive and had no idea what he was really doing in Mexico. She would probably be appalled. And he was sure she would refuse his request. Oh, God, he had no right to get her mixed up in this, to put her in danger.
"Kiss me, Redbeard." She moved close again. With her tongue, she teased his lips. And he succumbed to the temptation. The deck swayed gently beneath them as small waves rocked the boat. Their bodies moved with the natural motions of the small yacht, and the intensity of their kiss increased rapidly.
His lips forged hers apart. His tongue dipped into her sweet mouth, giving her erotic expectations of further invasions.
Alyse relished every sensation, especially the hardness of his male body rippling against her. His arousal was brash and unhidden, and the knowledge excited her. This man, whom she barely knew, whom she suspected of being some kind of modern-day pirate, thrilled her as no other man ever had. She was ready to relinquish any reservations and be carried away in his arms.
She longed for the adventure of being swept up to ecstasy by this handsome pirate, longed to feel his body naked and strong next to hers. Oh, how she wanted to tantalize and satisfy him with her body. She'd never felt quite like this before, wanting only to please the man who desired her.
But he pushed her away again. This time roughly.
"Jake?"
"No. Don't say it, Alyse. Don't say another thing or I'll – God, I must be crazy!" He paused, breathing heavily. "Tomorrow I'll come and get you. We'll spend the day at the villa."
"But, Jake – "
"Look, Alyse, I don't want to mess up the business we have together."
"Business! It seems to me we're beyond business! We've gone beyond the first move, Jake. And I've made it."
He gripped her arms. "I told you, Alyse, I want only one thing out of this: a quiet ride back home. There are things about me you don't know and – "
"I don't care, Jake. Can't you see that?"
"Don't let your fantasy rule your head. There are things about me you would abhor." With more willpower than he'd ever exhibited, Jake wheeled around and walked away. He told himself there was a life at stake here. His! In the back of his mind he couldn't help wondering if he was risking hers now.
Yet another voice, the self-serving devil in him, rose to say he was absolutely crazy to leave her. She certainly wasn't afraid of any risks with him.
Alyse watched him stride purposefully down the pier. Then she swept inside the cabin and flung herself on the narrow bunk. Dammit! What had happened between them? What had gone wrong? He'd been strange all day. Coming on to her, then reacting coldly. Then the roughness. Why had he rejected her tonight when she had changed her mind? When she was ready.
As she calmed down, Alyse began to question her own actions, her own motives. What was wrong with her, throwing herself at this stranger as she had tonight? Her
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