Her Moonlit Gamble (3 page)

"Wait up."
 

Together they joined the line, and she cursed the ball of tension forming beneath her ribs. Finally, she turned to him.

"Look, if you want to bring those girls back to the room, it's fine with me." But wow, that tone sent a completely different message, and she winced at the snappishness of it.
 

He grinned. "You think that's what I do? That I fuck three women?"

Heat poured through her at his question. She'd never heard him say "fuck" when referring to the action, and hearing it now made her nipples hard.

The woman in front of them, mid-forties, maybe, turned around with a frown on her face. Her gaze dragged over Andrew's chest, then she shrugged and turned back around. Joslyn swallowed a giggle.

"I don't think about it," she said stiffly.

"Liar. You've been thinking about it all night."

"I have not." She couldn't meet his gaze because she knew he'd see the lie in her eyes.

He braced his hand on the post behind her head, the one she wanted to hide behind. "I'll tell you, so you don't wonder. I like one woman, so I can concentrate on her, one inch of skin at a time, usually starting right here."
 

He tapped the sensitive skin below her ear and she damn near melted into the patio. The woman in front of them started fanning herself with her hand, but didn't look back again.

"I don't care what you do," Joslyn retorted, though every hormone in her body thrummed, insisting they would only be satisfied if she rubbed herself against him. She risked lifting her eyes to his. The heat she saw there was alien, and sent a stab of lust through her that settled between her legs. She barely trusted her voice. "I just wanted you to know it won't bother me if you want to bring someone back to the room. I know it's been awhile for you."

"It has been." His feet didn't move, but he eased closer, and her nipples hardened in anticipation of pressing against that body. "A long while."

She shoved at his chest and he took a laughing step back. When they reached the bar, she ordered the strongest drink she could think of. When she pulled out a twenty to pay, the bartender shook his head.
 

"That lady there paid for your drinks. Said you were the highlight of her vacation."

***

Joslyn's nerves skittered when she resumed her seat on the edge of the pool and Andrew sat beside her, his foot touching hers beneath the water. The three women across the pool had clearly been waiting for his return, but when they saw him with Joslyn, they gave up with a huff. Josyln should not have felt victorious but she did, only when she wasn't losing her mind as his toes trailed along the top of her foot, the caress surprisingly sensual, his long toes trailing along nerves that apparently led straight between her legs. She should pull away. She should move away. She should, she should. But all she wanted was to move closer, to keep this buzz on her skin that had her nipples hard and her bikini bottoms wet.
 

He took a swill of beer and she watched his throat work. Sweet Lord, why was that suddenly the sexiest thing he could have done? He hadn't shaved and a reddish blond stubble had sprouted, stubble she suddenly wanted to feel against her skin. She took a deep draw of her mojito and pretended that was the cause of the warmth beneath her skin.
 

She shoved the drink at him and slipped into the water, hoping to cool off. She ducked beneath the surface and stayed under for a bit, before a big splash washed over her. She rose to see Andrew emerge, shaking water from his short hair. She looked at the side to see he'd drained both their drinks.
 

"You owe me a drink."

"Didn't pay for those," he reminded her.
 

"Doesn't matter. You're getting the next round."

"'Kay." He grabbed the side of the pool next to her head and heaved himself out, muscles rippling in his shoulders and arms, water sluicing down his muscular back to the dimples just above his ass, making interesting patterns she wanted to follow with her mouth.

No.
That
was the sexiest thing she'd ever seen.

***

It was way after midnight when they finally made their way back to the room after sitting poolside for awhile. Joslyn wasn't sure if it was the mojitos or exhaustion or desire that had her floating along behind him when he opened the door. She slipped into the bathroom and expected him to be in his room when she emerged. But he wasn't. He was standing a few feet away, and he stepped forward, giving her plenty of time to move away. He was so big, standing there, so strong and tall, but that wasn't what made him sexy. No, it was his focus on her that had her skin aching for his touch. Where would he touch her? When? Everything in her was controlled by the need to taste him, the need to be in his arms, to feel him against her. She trembled as he slipped his hand beneath her hair, angling her face up for his kiss.

Just like their first kiss, his lips were dry, but cool this time from the pool and the night breeze. Then he slanted his mouth over hers, she felt the moisture from his mouth, felt his breath hot against her skin. She parted her lips for him with a small moan, and he slipped his tongue inside, just a little, just a tease against her top lip, sending heat plunging through her body, settling between her legs. She longed to have him pull her close to ease the ache in her breasts by pressing them against his chest.
 

And then his tongue touched hers, slid along hers, sending sparks of lust spiraling through her body, energizing her, encouraging her act, to move, to savor. She wanted, God she wanted, to touch him, to slide her hands over his shoulders and chest, but that would be dangerous, that would mean she was taking part in this instead of just receiving his delicious kiss. Another shudder went through her when his thumb touched the very spot below her ear he'd mentioned earlier as his starting place.

He straightened, looked into her eyes, and said, "Good night." Then he ducked into his room.

CHAPTER THREE

Joslyn was pretty sure she was going to push Andrew out of the open door of the helicopter. First, he'd given her the best kiss of her life last night, then walked away and closed the door. Then, she hadn't been able to sleep thinking about the kiss, reliving it over and over, and wondering why he walked away. Okay, it was best that he had, but why kiss her in the first place? Had he been drunk? He'd only had a few beers so she didn't think that was it, so then, why?

And worst? This morning he was acting as if nothing had happened. Which made her doubt her own sanity. Had it happened? Had she dreamed it? Because when she'd finally worked up the courage to walk out of her room this morning, all he'd done was inspect her clothes to make sure they were suitable for a hike, then ushered her out the door.

Only one thing could cause that. Regret.
 

She wished knowing that didn't hurt. Thus the urge to push him out of the helicopter.
 

She was too tired and too churned up to make conversation in the taxi to the airport where they would meet the helicopter tour. She focused on the scenery outside the window and not the scenery beside her.
 

"You sure you don't want the seat by the door?" he asked as they approached the helicopter.
 

"Very, very sure." There were no doors on the thing. She wasn't crazy about him sitting by the open area, either, but he was excited about it.
 

The pilot came around the small aircraft to greet them, and to introduce them to the other couple who would be joining them, Mark and Vivian.
 

"Honeymooners?" Vivian asked Joslyn.

"No, just friends. We came out for a wedding but we're staying another week."

Vivian looked skeptically from her to Andrew. "We're celebrating our twenty-fifth anniversary, and Mark has always been fascinated with volcanoes. I'm more looking forward to the hike."
 

"Ready to get going?" their pilot, Kekoa, asked. "Let's load up!"
 

Joslyn sat securely between Andrew and their guide, Nahele. They all set ear protectors in place. Without looking, Andrew reached over and folded his hand--warm, strong, reassuring--around hers as Kekoa lifted off. The casualness of the gesture after the kiss last night put her off balance, and she couldn't look at him.
 

Joslyn and Andrew faced forward, Vivian and Mark backwards. Andrew leaned a bit out of the aircraft, closing his eyes against the wind. But the expression on his face was peaceful. She wondered if he'd ridden in a helicopter with no sides in Afghanistan. She'd seen war movies, but that just seemed so--unsecure. He didn't talk about his time over there, at least not beyond mentioning this buddy or that. Even when he'd been over there and they'd called or video chatted, he'd avoided talking about missions, about the dangers. She'd thought maybe because of security, but now she wondered how much danger he'd faced.
 

She looked past him, out over the surprisingly flat landscape below, the sunlight glinting off the lava flows that left everything monochromatic. Andrew glanced back and grinned, then pointed to the steam rising in the distance. As they approached, she saw it seemed to be rising from different places on the gray mountain.
 

They flew over the caldera, uneven jutting black rock in semi-circles, which seemed filled with solid rock, except for those vents where steam escaped, vents that looked like tiny volcanoes inside the big one. She admitted to a little disappointment, not to see a bubbling red pool of lava beneath. Nonetheless, the heat rose from the surface, and as Kekoa circled the caldera, she caught glimpses of orange lava through the rising steam. Andrew lifted the camera from its strap and started taking pictures, focusing, zooming.
 

The helicopter hit a pocket of turbulence and dropped, ripping a scream from Joslyn's throat as Andrew's foot slipped out the open doorway. She wrapped an arm around Andrew's chest, even though he was buckled in securely. She felt him chuckle, then he covered her hand with his, but damned if his heart wasn't racing.
 

"Sorry about that," Kekoa shouted over his shoulder.
 

"No problem," Andrew called back with a laugh, but didn't let go of her hand as he continued to take pictures.

They circled the caldera several times before flying across more lava fields toward the ocean, following a trail of steam where magma punched through the thin crust to meander down the side of the mountain in rivers of red and black that at times seemed to defy gravity as it flowed toward the ocean, meeting the water in a cloud of steam. Kekoa circled low enough that they could watch the crust of black form over the red as it cooled quickly, and they could see a small jetty of rock beneath the surface of the water.
 

She leaned against Andrew's back, her cheek against his shoulder as she looked past him. He was warm and strong, at once familiar and new. Even though she was conflicted, she'd had a buzz since that kiss, one she wasn't sure she wanted to lose. He twisted his head to smile, then returned his attention to the scene below them. Just beyond the lava flow, boats bobbed, tourists taking pictures of the lava spilling into the water. She nudged Andrew and pointed. The view from those boats had to be amazing. He nodded and circled his finger in the air, mouthing, "Maybe tomorrow." She nodded, nestled against him, and forgot all about the kiss as she stared at the wonders of nature.

***

"Okay, no more hiking." Joslyn ripped her athletic shoes off and left them in the middle of the hotel room floor as she staggered toward the bedroom. Her feet throbbed, her calves, her ass, her back. Even her skin hurt. And she was covered with a fine dust, everywhere. "No more jungles, no more mountains. Water and beach, that's what I want."

Andrew chuckled as he leaned over to pick up her shoes. "Dinner on the beach then?"

She scowled. "Dinner in a nice seafood restaurant. You're buying."

"I paid for the tour," he reminded her.

She didn't know how much it was but knew it wasn't cheap. "Fine. I'll pay. But I get the shower first." Which meant she had to stand up longer, but oh, well. She had to get the sweat and bug spray off of her. The day had started so nice, with the tour, and ended up so crappy. At least she hadn't twisted her ankle like poor Vivian. Andrew had to help their guide Nahele practically carry her down the mountain. Andrew was, as always, good-natured about it, but it couldn't have been fun for him.
 

But...she'd seen something new. She'd always known he was a caregiver--look how he treated her after her parents died. On the hike, when Vivian had hurt herself, Andrew had been the first to act, assessing the injury, working through possible scenarios of getting her down before volunteering to act. He'd probably learned that quick action in the military, and it had given him a confidence he hadn't had before.
 

A confidence that was really fucking sexy.

She grabbed a change of underwear and her maxi dress and headed to the shower. When she walked through the living room, Andrew was on the couch, his head back, snoring. God, she hadn't even been out of the room that long. But maybe he, like her, hadn't gotten much sleep after that kiss last night. She didn't know if that made her happy, or worried.

***

Andrew was awake when she emerged. He edged past her into the bathroom, sleepy-eyed.

"We don't have to go anywhere," she said. "We can order room service and sit on the balcony." Suddenly that seemed like the most romantic thing in the world--and the worst idea. The less time they spent in the room alone together, the better.

"Nah, we're in Hawaii. We're not going to hole up in some hotel room and watch it from a distance."

She wanted to argue that was hardly what they'd been doing, but she didn't want to stay in and risk another kiss. Really, she didn't.

But she couldn't erase the image of him, carrying Vivian down the side of the mountain, how strong and sure he'd looked, how her heart had turned over at the sight. Why did he have to be so heroic on top of everything else?