His To Protect

“You ready to cut out of here?” he asked, his voice low and his restraint disappearing.

He wanted nothing more than to drive her wild and fill her head with enough sexy dreams to satisfy her for the rest of the night. He tossed bills on the table, never taking his eyes off her.

She squeezed his hand. “I thought you’d never ask.”

2

LIVE A LITTLE?

Cassie cursed herself as she followed the tall, gorgeous stranger through the bar and out a side door that led onto the beach. Surely this was going too far, playing teasing games with a man she hardly knew after inviting herself to share his table. “Live a little” didn’t mean she should allow some alien consciousness to inhabit her body and make her say crazy, sexually charged things. Where the hell was her sense? Her reliable Midwestern restraint? The second-guessing?

But as she gripped Mark’s hand and allowed the warmth of his touch to seep into her skin, she couldn’t deny that he inspired something hot and raw inside her. An edgy, hungry feeling she’d never experienced before. What was it about him that made her take risks? Flirt wildly? Follow him out onto the beach...alone.

The funny part was, she trusted him more than she trusted herself. He hadn’t consumed any alcohol, for one thing, so she was certain he had his head screwed on straight. For another, she knew he had to be a military guy and that inspired a certain level of confidence. Especially here, in a town full of his peers. Plus, he hadn’t dragged her out onto the dance floor for the obvious bump and grind that some couples engaged in. All they’d done was talk, even when she’d been thinking wickedly explicit things about him back in that bar...

“It’s beautiful here,” Mark observed suddenly, face turned up to stargaze. They passed sweat-slicked men engrossed in a volleyball game under a flickering fluorescent lamp.

“And so warm.” She shivered as she said it, savoring the kiss of the Gulf breeze on her skin.

“You want to go for a walk?” He dropped his gaze back to her and she appreciated that he hadn’t simply shuttled her off to a hotel room after their suggestive game.

She needed to catch her breath.

“I’d like that.” Her heart beat a strange tempo when he slid his fingers from her chin and along her cheek, tracing the sensitive skin there, his gaze never leaving hers.

There was a brief silence, interrupted by the cry of gulls hovering over them. Mark looked at her for a few drawn-out seconds, the heat in his eyes making her shiver. Then he reached out a hand. “Let’s go this way.”

His fingers twined with hers and goose bumps rose on her arms as they strolled to the water.

Ahead of them the surf pulsed, rushing and foaming on the sand. Beach roses lined their path down to the shore, the smell faint and sweet in the salty air. She looked up at the sky. So many stars, it seemed like a celebration, a fireworks display just for them.

She slid a sideways glance at him, taking in his chiseled profile. Noted the firm set of his jaw, his straight nose and strong brow. Features that exuded authority. Confidence. Security. The kind of face you’d want to see if you needed rescuing.

Her grief for Jeff fell away under the solid presence of Mark walking beside her. And she needed that tonight. Something about him made her feel different. Stronger. Sexier.

If she scurried back to her hotel room, she knew exactly what to expect. Nothing. Yet out here, with the wind gusting off the water, seabirds calling, salt water misting her face, a deep hunger stirred inside her. A wild thirst for the unknown.

Crazy or not, this was what her brother had wanted for her. To experience life on a large scale, well beyond the neat world she’d organized for herself back in Idaho.

Suddenly, warm water rushed across her feet and over her ankles. She gasped and stepped closer to shore then stopped when Mark’s arm came around her. He turned her toward him. Her hands landed on his lean waist, her fingers grazing his contracting stomach muscles beneath the crisp cotton of his T-shirt.

“I didn’t think the water came up this far.”

“The tide’s rising.” His voice was thick, distracted, as heat flared in his eyes.

“Oh,” she mumbled, her mouth dry, her body warm.

He reached out and stroked her hair, his gaze full of promise and something more. “Are you sure you want to keep going?”

She understood what he was asking her. Appreciated that he’d given her some time to think. To be certain about the attraction and where it was headed.

But even with the fresh air to clear her thoughts, she still wanted him. Still craved the chance to feel all that warm male strength around her before she embarked on the most dangerous adventure of her life.

“Absolutely.” She slid her hand up his abdomen, teasing the hard ridges that moved and shifted beneath her touch. His chest rose sharply when her fingers rested on his pecs. Exhilaration forked through her.

“Cassie,” he groaned, stepping closer so that her feet brushed his in the shifting sand.

She rose on her toes and cupped her hands around the base of his neck, pulling his mouth to hers.

Bodies fusing at the same moment as their lips, nerve endings fired faster than the incoming tide. Hip to hip, breast to chest, her body curved into his, molding around all that hard, hot muscle. Pleasure tingled along her nerve endings, making her wriggle closer and sigh into his kiss.

She felt a low groan vibrate through his chest, but she didn’t hear it, the rush of waves drowning out everything else. Her breath caught at the back of her throat, her senses heightened. Every facet of the kiss imprinted itself on her consciousness, burrowing into her memory as if it would never leave.

He placed his hands on either side of her temples and kissed her gently, easing back ever so slightly. He traced her lips slowly with his tongue, then sucked on her lower lip in a way that made tension coil between her thighs. She wanted him. Wanted this.

But they were still too close to the bar.

Breaking the kiss, she whispered against his mouth, “Should we find somewhere more private?” Her dress rode up where she leaned into him, the denim on his thighs caressing her bare legs in a way that made her ache.

“Definitely.” Turning, he peered into the dark and pointed toward a sandy mound covered in sea oats with a shadowed area at the base.

There were no buildings. No lights.

“Let’s check it out.” She was already pulling him across the beach, calculating how fast she could have him all to herself. And then another thought occurred to her.

“Wait.” She stopped, kicking up sand as she spun. Her hand caught him midchest, halting him, too.

“I’m going to honor your wishes, no matter.” He sucked in a deep breath. “But I gotta say, I’d hoped we passed the ‘wait’ stage a while ago.”

“Me, too.” She licked her lips. “But I don’t have anything—that is, protectionwise—with me.”

“No worries.” His teeth flashed white in the darkness. “I’ve got that covered.”

Giddy relief lit her up inside and her smile matched his. A laugh bubbled up and she dragged him toward the sandy dunes. They reached the privacy of the sheltered area, where he stifled her laughter with hungry kisses, his hands entwined in her hair, his mouth warm on her lips. She kissed him back hard, not hesitating even when they heard voices from a boat out on the water, the dunes and sea oats hiding them from view. The space provided a private, intimate hideaway.

Closing her eyes, she tunneled her hands under his shirt, giving in to the insistent rush of pleasure that had started with the first accidental brush of their bodies. Now she could touch him. Taste him.

Their kisses grew deeper, more urgent. She wanted to feel his bare skin against hers, so she dragged his shirt up and off his broad shoulders. She opened her eyes to see what she’d unveiled.

So. Fine.

Her hands moved to his waist, resting on the band of his jeans, ready for more. But then he stepped into her, his kiss hotter. Harder. She could feel how much he wanted her and she shifted her hips to cradle that hard length against her softness. Things were escalating fast and that’s just what she wanted. More. Faster.

Mark.

* * *

THE FEEL OF Cassie’s hips pressed to his wiped his brain of any last remnant of thought. There was only him, her and the heat of this longing.

If he didn’t take her soon, he would explode. He broke off, his hands on her face, and saw her eyes, heavy with longing. Her lips parted, her chest rising and falling rapidly. He cupped the back of her head, wrapping an arm around her shoulders before easing her down onto the warm sand.

“Mark,” she gasped, reaching for him. But he knew having her hands on him would only drive him faster. And she deserved better than a tumble in the dark.

He lay on his side instead and undid the button at the top of her dress. He worked his way down that trail of fastenings, forcing himself to take his time. His fingers fumbled, unsteady, when he reached the final enclosure at her hem and parted the material. He drew it off her shoulders and down her arms, tugging her hands free so that she lay on top of the dress, naked except for a lace bra and panties.

His muscles twisted. Pulsed.

She was incredible.

The lush curves of her breasts rose and fell beneath her bra, her nipples straining against the fabric. Electricity sparked through his veins as he traced one nipple, then the other, a sigh whispering in the air as she arched into his hand. His mouth went dry then flooded with moisture. Desire ran rampant through his body, filming it in a light sheen.

He flicked open the front clasp of her bra and the sight of her full, round breasts knocked the air from his lungs. Made his chest burn. Need and craving pounded through him. He groaned as he palmed their satisfying weight and filled his large hands with their petal-soft flesh. When he lowered his mouth and circled her nipples with his tongue, tugging lightly on the hard buds, Cassie whimpered. She tasted of spun sugar, and her honey-and-vanilla scent, combined with the fresh sea air, scrambled his thoughts.

There was no denying she was as turned on as he was. He could read it in the hungry glow of her eyes, the flush of her skin and the way she squirmed beneath his touch. She undulated her hips, ribs and spine as if urging him to explore. And he didn’t need the encouragement. The grip on his control slipped further still, her effect on him devastating and bone deep. He kissed her with greater urgency, murmuring her name.

He traced her slender rib cage hungrily, the inward turn of her waist and the delicate flare of her hips before drawing an invisible line down her quivering abdomen. At the lacy top of her panties he paused, then slid his hand slowly beneath the material.

Her head tipped back and her eyes closed as she groaned again, her response jolting him with pleasure. His hand cupped her sex, lingering over its wet warmth. Dampness flooded his fingers as he stroked her hot, silken flesh. The metal teeth of his zipper bit into his straining erection. Blood rushed to his groin and made him light-headed.

Her moans deepened, and she gasped when he circled her clit with his thumb. He thrust a finger inside her and stroked gently in and out. Her tight flesh clamped around him, making him imagine how it’d feel around his cock... Yet he held himself in check. Wanted to pleasure her first. Chase away the last of those shadows that’d lingered in her eyes.

He delved deeper and she shuddered, back arching and hips thrusting forward, her chest rising and falling fast. She cried out and convulsed as she pressed against his hand. Hard. Then she collapsed, limp in the sand. With her face damp and flushed, her glittering eyes unfocused, she looked every bit as sated as he wanted her to be. As he wanted to be. He blinked down at her, the pressure of his desire licking through his blood.

Her burning cheek rested against Mark’s rigid shoulder and her ragged breathing gradually slowed. Not wanting to rush her, he held himself in check—barely. Kept his balled hands at his sides. Waited. And waited. When he felt her fingers slowly lower his bulging zipper, he shuddered.

Her cool fingers wrapped around his aching erection, gently skimming the length. It took every ounce of focus not to explode in her hands like a teenager. Jesus. She drove him crazy. His guttural moan seemed to encourage her mind-blowing quest. Her fingers circled his damp tip, teasing, before trailing down his rigid shaft to cup the swelling sack below.

Time to end this torture. He yanked off his jeans and shirt, removed the condom he kept in his wallet, ripped open the foil package and rolled the sheath down his cock.

“You feel so good,” he groaned as he slid over her. Her legs lifted around his waist as he nudged her satin opening with his tip.

“Yes,” she breathed as he thrust home, filling her up, drowning her in sensation.

They came together slowly then faster and faster, her hold on him tightening, his lips grazing her skin, her breath ragged in his ear. As her movements grew more violent, he returned them, pulling out then burying himself in her again and again. His hips thrust powerfully and she tightened around him with every stroke.

Incredible. Mind-blowing. Sensational.

He leaned back on his heels and leveraged her up onto his lap, their bodies remaining joined. Her thighs straddled him as she rocked back and forth against his near-bursting hardness. He cupped her ass and kneaded its firm flesh, pressing her even closer, his cock buried to the hilt.

When she rose up and plunged down, he slipped to the edge, about to lose control. He wanted to prolong this moment. Savor it. Draw out each mouth-watering sensation, but it was beyond him. Instead, he held her tight, lifting and lowering her, over and over, faster and faster, their hips meeting frantically.

Their synchronized motion increased to a frenzied, heart-stopping tempo. Her breath came in fast, urgent pants that intensified until he heard the cry build at the back of her throat. When her head tipped back, he stopped her shriek with his mouth, absorbing the sound, her pleasure, so surely that it became his own. Her bouncing breasts, tight spasms and the surf pounding the beach in unison with his thrusts were suddenly too much. He exploded within her, the darkness inside him evaporating at this incredible release.

They fell back to the ground, limbs tangling, chests heaving, his arm around her shoulders as he pressed her close. She shivered, limp in his arms as they held each other.

When their breathing returned to normal, she raised herself on her elbow and looked down at him. Something in her had altered: her features had lifted, the strain had vanished from around her eyes.

An unnamed emotion rolled through him, more satisfying, even, than this mind-blowing physical release. He’d eased her troubles as surely as she’d made him forget his own. He enclosed her in his arms again, pulling her to him so tightly that their bodies molded to one another, her soft curves fitting into his rough edges.

Just hours ago, she’d been a stranger but now...now...well, he couldn’t put a label on it. Just knew that he’d seek her out after the mission. See where this amazing thing between them might lead.

His train of thought was broken by her kissing his chest, his shoulder, his neck, with intense concentration. “You realize,” he said, rolling her over so that her legs were entwined with his, her mouth inches away, “that we’re going to have to do that again.”

“God. I hope so,” she sighed, her lids closing, a dimple appearing as her mouth curled up.

“Want to go for a swim first? I’ll wash you off.”

A wicked light appeared when her eyes snapped open, the color silver in the moonlight. “I’ll give you extra points if you can get the sand out of my hair.”

At the vision of his hands all over her naked body in the water, he hardened again. Before he let himself get too distracted, he got to his feet and held out a hand.

“I’m still waiting for my scores on sexual prowess,” he murmured, gathering her close.

“Are you kidding me?” She skimmed a hand along his hip and pressed her lips to his bare chest. “That number was off the charts.”

Just like that, he was ready for her all over again. He didn’t know how he was going to walk away from her before the sun rose, but he’d sure as hell make the most of every minute before then.

3

CASSIE SNAPPED AN elastic band around her damp hair the next morning as she rode the transport bus to the Coast Guard base. Outside, the dark sky had barely lightened to charcoal and humid air moved sluggishly through the vents. Not the most promising of sunrises. The day looked stormy already.

Yesterday, she might have worried about the bad omen of those clouds overhead. Now, with her limbs pleasantly sore from an overdose of pleasure last night, she felt too languid and satisfied to panic. Amazing what a night of mind-blowing sex would do for a woman. After their swim, they’d headed back to Mark’s hotel, where they’d made love until an hour ago. They’d parted ways in the parking lot, kissing right up until the moment when she’d turned her key in her ignition.

There hadn’t been any promises to call. And not until she’d reached her room did she realize she hadn’t even gotten his last name. They’d agreed to keep an eye out for each other next time they were at Mayday’s.

She’d known even then that she would probably never be there again. And she’d bet he suspected as much, too. But last night had been like a time-out from her regular life. A magical moment when her stars had aligned with those of the hottest guy imaginable. And while it was okay to live a little, the way her brother had told her to, she wasn’t going to suddenly stop being Cassie Rowe from Idaho.

Last night, she’d felt free to demand what she wanted and give it in return. No compromising. No holding back. Just pure, unadulterated passion that’d fired her up and kept her from worrying about today’s flight.

A shiver snaked along her spine. Not much anyway. As the transport bus bounced over a pothole, bringing her closer to her crazy decision to fly into a hurricane-ravaged country, the first buzz of nerves returned.

She pulled the top off her coffee and breathed in the fragrant steam. Definitely a two-cup morning.

Tan, beige and black stone half walls appeared after a few minutes, one with a sign that read United States Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater.

Cassie’s mood plummeted as she glimpsed the orange-and-white Jayhawk helicopters in the distance. Guilt bit hard as she remembered how gratefully she’d shaken off her grief last night for those hours of forgetting.

Raeanne, a fellow nurse seated next to her, squeezed her arm.

“I always get such an adrenaline rush at this point.”

Cassie nodded, though the only rushing going on inside her was from memories of her brother.

“I was nervous on my first flight, too.” Raeanne sipped from her own cup of coffee, her bright Red Cross T-shirt reminding Cassie of their mission. “But everything’s done. Our medical supplies are loaded. All we have to do is get on the helicopter.”

“Right.” Cassie pressed on the corners of her closed eyes with her index fingers. The thought of boarding one—as Jeff had—created a vacuum inside of her, sucking till her chest caved in on itself. She’d wanted closure, but now, confronted with this reality, her wounds all threatened to split open, painful and raw as ever.

At last the bus jerked to a halt and they slumped outside just as the clouds started to drizzle. The members of her emergency team hurried across the dappled tarmac to a white hangar that resembled an Idaho barn, pitched roof and all. The main building had wings, one stretching out to the rear from each end. Surrounding it were orange-and-white planes and helicopters. Uniformed men and women loaded and checked equipment while others saluted before slapping each other on the back.

Their booming laughter did nothing to offset Cassie’s rising anxiety. She couldn’t help seeing things through Jeff’s eyes, remembering how much he’d loved the same kind of close-knit community on his old base. The ground rumbled under her feet as a plane took off. Wind gusted over the slate ocean ruffled with rising waves.

Once this had been Jeff’s world. Now it was hers. And as much as that might hurt, where else could she find the understanding that eluded her? The replies she’d gotten to the letters she’d fired off to his commanding officer had lacked the detail she needed.

She worked to school her expression as she followed Raeanne to a group of about ten people—Red Cross volunteers and Coast Guard servicemen and servicewomen—standing by a flight line, a Jayhawk behind them.

When they reached the circle, she stood by one of the military helicopter’s wheels and studied her shoes. The uniforms and aircraft all added to the twist of pain in her chest. For a second, she wished she could run back to that beach where she’d left Mark. But she’d known that living in the moment wasn’t always going to be fun.

This day was going to hurt.

“Not everyone’s here, but since we’re wheels up in ten, we’ll go ahead with introductions. I’m Chief Petty Officer Ian McClaughlin, a rescue swimmer and trainer.”

Cassie breathed in and out. Focused on steadying herself before she lifted her gaze to the military man still speaking. After Ian McClaughlin shook hands with the leader of Cassie’s Red Cross group, a few others in the Jayhawk crew introduced themselves. She strained to focus, but their words swirled around her like the storm outside—background noise for all the other thoughts cramming her head.

Forcing herself to join the conversation, she was preparing to introduce herself when the sound of footsteps penetrated her consciousness.

“Sorry for the holdup, folks.” The familiar male voice was like a warm arm around her shoulders, steadying her.

Confused, she turned to see her dark-haired lover from the night before. Except he wasn’t naked and whispering sweet words in her ear. He wore a Coast Guard uniform.

And while she’d guessed that Mark was military, she sure never expected he might be part of her transport to Saint Thomas. The shock stole her breath.

“I’m Lieutenant Commander Mark Sampson, pilot with Elizabeth City Air Station.” He hadn’t spotted her yet as he tipped the black brim of his white hat.

Elizabeth City? That was Jeff’s former base.

Suddenly, the air was white around her, burning things away from the edges in. When she took an involuntary sideways step, the nurse next to her murmured some kind of generic encouragement. The woman had no clue that Cassie’s brain was short-circuiting, struggling to make sense of Mark being here.

Of Mark being a Jayhawk pilot from Jeff’s last station.

“I’m Petty Officer Second Class Larry Volk, flight mechanic with Elizabeth City,” continued the introductions.

Cassie couldn’t breathe. Fear weighted her shoulders. Dread compounded it.

“Lieutenant Robert Fillmore, copilot with Elizabeth City,” spoke up another man.

The whole crew was from North Carolina. What were the odds that this was a group Jeff had known? Jeff had flown with?

Mark was a common enough name. She hadn’t thought twice about it last night. But in the context of the Jayhawk and the Elizabeth City connection, she made sense of all the clues. Heard Mark’s full name and rank and recalled it listed on the flower arrangement card Jeff’s crew had sent when they couldn’t attend the memorial. Mark Sampson. The pilot who’d flown her brother’s final mission.

The man she’d spent the night with was the same man who had left her brother to drown.

At her strangled exclamation, the pilot’s eyes swerved her way, widening in recognition.

But did he really recognize her? Of course not. He had no idea who she was or how deeply she’d betrayed her brother’s memory. The thought of it knocked her breath out, like ice water.