Alicia's Folly (12 page)

Understanding sparked in Alicia’s eyes as well. She gasped and wrapped herself completely around him. Then they were kissing, devouring each other hungrily. His entire body shook with the effort to remain in control and keep the pace he’d set.
 

“Please!” Alicia begged against his mouth. He pulled back, almost leaving her body completely.
 

“Just let go, babe,” Nate answered, starting the slow glide into her slick heat. “Feel me going all the way in, filling you. You’re so tight around me, so wet.” He continued to whisper to her, telling her what he was feeling, both physically and emotionally. As he spoke, her breathing changed. When it started to come out in short little gasps interspersed with whimpers and moans, he knew she was close. The muscles of her sheath began to clench and release around him, confirming what he already knew.
 

“That’s it, baby. Let go. Come for me,” he breathed, giving one final, slow push and burying himself deep. They came together, their gazes locked together as their bodies were. The feeling of rightness intensified, consuming him. Nate groaned Alicia’s name, crushing her to him as he gave her everything he had. She clung to him just as completely in silent agreement and he knew that somehow, he would find a way to make it work between them.
 

Alicia almost moaned out loud at the sight of Nate’s muscled, bikini-clad body coming toward her.
Sex on a stick
, she thought, remembering the sweet, slow, sexy love they’d made earlier. Just the memory of how he’d known she couldn’t quite get there and then coaxed her so effortlessly over the edge made her ache. She kept her face half-buried in her crossed arms, watching him watch her. His pace slowed. A small, satisfied smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she saw the spandex of his suit stretch.
 

“You are in trouble,” he whispered into her ear after he closed the distance between them. Before she could think to move away, he was on his knees beside her head and was purposely reaching across her for an unopened bottle of water. This put his spandex-covered erection right in her face. All she had to do was turn her head to the side slightly…
 

Unable to resist, Alicia did just that. Then she flicked her tongue out and licked the bulge. Nate was obviously not expecting her to be so bold in public, especially since she still wouldn’t let him kiss her to climax on the beach. He sucked in a harsh breath and froze.
 

Wow. He needs it as bad as I do,
she thought as his cock jerked and pulsed. She debated what to do next. Should she go for broke or should she suggest they go for a swim out by the safety markers. With an evil little grin, she decided to go for broke.
 

“Mmmm… A yummy treat. Is it for me?” she asked, pitching her voice low and speaking right against the fabric of his suit. His hand, now resting lightly on her hip, started to knead and massage. She half-moaned, half-chuckled. Then, just as she thought to wonder where his other hand might be, she was flipped her onto her back, scooped into his arms and he took off at a run.
 

Alicia shrieked and flailed initially, strictly from the surprise of it all. But by the time they reached the water, she was laughing and raining kisses all over Nate’s jaw and neck. Then they were in the water and it was all she could do to keep from arching her back and purring. It was so warm and being carried into it by Nate felt so damn good. She really wished he would stop walking so she could kiss his mouth.
 

“Nate,” she whispered. She tried to turn in his arms but he held on tight.
 

“Not yet,” he said. His voice was strained. Alicia blushed, wondering suddenly if she might be too heavy for him. But no, he wasn’t panting. And he wasn’t struggling at all to keep her pinned in place against him. She frowned. Worried, she stopped kissing him and simply rested her head against his shoulder.
 

He finally stopped just before the safety markers. Before she could ask him what was wrong, he released her legs and turned her to face him. Alicia sighed as the full length of her body came up against his. Nate captured her sigh in a hungry, soul-searing kiss.
 

“My God, Alicia. What you do to me. I didn’t think I was going to make it out here,” he rasped. His five o’clock shadow abraded her skin as he moved to kiss and suck on her neck. Too late, he remembered her sunscreen. “Aargh! Yuck. That does not taste like coconut. Oh man, my tongue is numb. I can’t even rinse with water, cause it’s salt water. Screw it. I’m rinsing anyway.”
 

Alicia couldn’t help herself. Nate was so disgusted and yet his reaction was so comical, she started giggling. The giggles became chortles, then became full-on laughter as he tried to rid himself of the taste of sunscreen. She moved in to cuddle up and kiss his mouth better, but couldn’t control her mirth. Every time she started to say, “Oh my baby. Let me kiss it better,” she ended up laughing all the harder. She stepped away. Maybe putting some distance between them would help her get a handle on her raging giggle fit. Nate snagged her hand and pulled her back.
 

“Where do you think you’re going?” he growled. The words didn’t sound quite as sexy as they should so she looked into his face. What she saw made her blood run cold.
 

“Out of the water, Nate. Now. We have to get to a pharmacy.” He dug in his heels and pulled her up close and she panicked. “You’re allergic. We have to go. You’re puffing up like a blowfish.” She tried again to pull away. Seeing the worry in her face, this time he let her.
 

* *
 

Nate opened his eyes to the sight of the half empty bottle of Benadryl on the bedside table. He became disoriented. Then the bed shifted beside him and he remembered.
 

“Let me see your face,” Alicia mumbled sleepily beside him. Her beautiful, rounded, rosy-peaked breasts pressed against his arm and – nothing. No reaction. Panic welled up inside him rather than passion. He turned onto his back and pulled her onto him, his muscles straining. His forehead creased. She was light as a feather. There was no reason why moving her should be so tiring. To make matters worse, his arms felt like rubber. “Tired?” she asked, planting a soft kiss on his mouth. Apparently he passed inspection.
 

“Yeah,” he mumbled. And he meant it. He felt so drowsy and disconnected, like he could sleep the entire day away.
 

“I’m not surprised. The way you chugged the Benadryl down. A teaspoon knocks me out. You sleep. I’m going to go have another shower. I’m not taking any chances of there being sunblock residue on me. You were – I was so scared, Nate. I thought – ”
 

“Ssshhh!” he whispered. He wanted to say more but his brain appeared to be disconnected from his vocal chords, as it was from everything else in his body. With a sigh, and the feel of Alicia’s lips on his chest, he fell back to sleep.
 

* *
 

“He’s sleeping now, and the worst seems to be over. I’ll get him to call you when he wakes up.” Nate heard Alicia’s voice and smiled. So the dreams of being chased by a giant, living, breathing amoeba weren’t real. Thank God. Plus he was still in Trinidad with a beautiful blonde bomb whose body he would love to sink into, as soon as other, more pressing needs were taken care of.
 

Nate turned to roll out of bed and saw the Benadryl on the bedside table.
Did I really drink half of that in one go?
he thought, suddenly worried. He remembered Alicia’s panic, then saw his face in the mirror beside the television. His lips were enormous and his tongue – He shuddered.
 

“Holy – ” he whispered. “I should be dead.”
 

“But you aren’t. Thank you, God,” Alicia answered. She made a quick sign of the cross and tilted her face upward. Nate watched as she mouthed a prayer then repeated the sign of the cross. When she looked at him again, her eyes were filled with tears. And fool that he was, all he could think was how his very devout mother would love her to pieces.
 

He even wanted to tell her as much, but they’d not had a chance to reaffirm the intense connection he’d felt. And even though she was still here with him, taking care of him after an incredibly nasty scare, he needed that kind of proof before he started talking about meeting parents. It was selfish of him to want a deep physical connection, as well as an emotional one, but he had his reasons.
 

“You’re looking – mulish – all of a sudden. What’s wrong?” Alicia asked. She was blinking her tears away and walking toward him, her own worries and fears forgotten in favor of helping him with his. Guilt jabbed hard at his conscience.
 

“I’m brooding. All my life I’m fit and healthy. Then, whammo. I have to wonder why the hell I’ve never reacted to it before,” Nate answered. He reached for her hand and she gave it to him, albeit very tentatively. He frowned. She saw his reaction and the tears came back.
 

“I might still have some on me, Nate. I almost killed you,” she cried, dropping to the edge of the bed. She rained a shower of kisses all over his face and it was all he could do to capture her mouth with his.
 

Nate could taste the fear and anxiety in her kiss. It was weird, but he could actually taste it. In an effort to banish it, he took her face in his hands and caressed her cheekbones with the pads of his thumbs. Then he deepened the kiss, his tongue dancing with hers. Slowly, the taste and tone of the contact started to shift. When they came up for air several minutes later, he could barely remember the questions he wanted to ask her.
 

“Hey,” he breathed. “How many showers have you had since we got back?” Alicia blushed and refused to look him in the eyes. “Answer me please.”
 

“S-Seven,” she whispered. “I was so scared. The stuff was all over me!”
 

“Sshhh. I understand. And by the way, the answer to my first question answers my second,” he said, pulling the bedding off of himself. He climbed slowly from the bed, expecting to feel some residual dizziness. When he felt none, he stood and headed for the bathroom.
 

“And what is your second question?” Alicia asked, following him as far as the coat closet.
 

Nate got a peek at her face, just before he stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind himself. Too late, he realized she likely wouldn’t appreciate the humor of his second question. Not after her fear-filled remark about almost killing him. How did he get out of it though, now he’d opened his big, fat mouth. He snorted as he saw his reflection.
 

‘Big fat mouth’ for real,
he thought, seeing his big lips and puffed out lower jaw. He finished taking care of business, washed his hands, then stepped out into the main part of the room.
 

“Were you going to ask me if I’d poisoned you on purpose?” she asked, catching him completely by surprise.
 

* *
 

Judging by the uncomfortable expression on Nate’s face, she’d guessed right. Alicia eyed him up and down, debating whether to be angry or go with the joking tone he likely meant. Obviously he was feeling better if he was making light of the situation. She, on the other hand, was still worried. The swelling, though drastically reduced, wasn’t completely gone. Then there was the fact that every time she remembered his face all swollen and puffed out, she literally felt as though she was saturated in sunscreen.
 

“I want to joke with you. I really do. I’m still – ”
 

Alicia didn’t get to finish her sentence because he pulled her up hard against him and held her there, one arm like a steel band across her mid back and the other part way across her shoulders and folded upward. He cupped the back of her head, burying his hands in her hair and just held her like that.
 

She wrapped her arms around his waist and let herself be held. She needed to hear his heart beating strong and steady, to feel the strength and vitality of
Nate.
Being in his arms like this gave that to her and helped her to release all of the fear and anxiety she was keeping bottled up. The unfortunate side effect of letting go of pent up emotions, however, was bawling like a baby. Surprisingly, he held her through that too.
 

“Thank you,” she whispered, many, many minutes later. His chest was soaked with her tears and she was sure snot was dripping from her nose, but Nate didn’t seem to care. In fact, he had the oddest expression on his face, like he was surprised and tentatively pleased with himself. It made her want to grin, something that wasn’t necessarily safe to do until she blew her nose, so she scooted around him into the bathroom.
 

“I don’t suppose you’d be up for another shower?” he asked hopefully. Memories of their last shower together made her tingle from her head to her feet. Unfortunately, the doctor said he needed to take it easy. She sighed and hung her head.
 

“The doctor said you have to rest,” she answered, pulling a pout. He grinned wide, taking her breath away. Feeling light-headed, she dropped onto the toilet seat and propped her chin up with the palm of her hand.
 

“That’s easy. I’ll lean against the wall and you can wash me,” he said. “I won’t lift a finger.”
 

Alicia swallowed a whimper. His last remark was said in a tone of voice  which clearly said he would probably lift every last finger, and then some. Torn, she bit her bottom lip and looked deep into his eyes. She let out small gasp of surprise because, for the briefest moment, she saw right into his soul.
 

Guilt stabbed at her conscience as she realized the ordeal had to have been equally, if not more terrifying for Nate than it had been for her. Just like she’d needed affirmation he was all right, so did he. Understanding this, she decided to give it to him in spades.