A Perfect Storm
Page 106
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Knowing better than to disagree, Quin nodded—and he prayed for the food. He needed his strength to get through this.
His survival depended on it. His sister’s well-being depended on it.
Candy…well, she would hopefully fend for herself, because he had nothing more to give.
* * *
THE SECOND ARIZONA’S HEAD cleared the water, Spencer drew her in close, their bodies touching at the waist, his legs moving to keep them afloat. “Okay?”
Water spiked her dark lashes and left her hair slicked back to show off high cheekbones. He could see the fear in her eyes and the resolve to ignore it.
She gave a jerky nod. “I’m fine.”
“You’re beautiful. And amazing.” He kissed her, soft and quick, feeling the chill in her full lips. “Sexy.” He kissed her again, lingering a little this time. “Incredible.” One more kiss, longer, deeper. “Hot…”
“You’re nuts.” She snickered while treading water, and her feet bumped against his.
Her laugh felt like the greatest gift ever given to him. “You really are okay?”
“I promise I won’t freak out and drown us both.”
“I’m glad.”
Voices carried as Jackson and Alani walked onto the dock. Trace dove in, followed by Priss. Molly sat on the end and let her feet dangle. Dare tossed in a float and then jumped in next to it.
“They actually think this is fun,” she whispered, and her fingers dug into his shoulders.
“Let’s go over this way.” Holding her waist with one hand, Spencer used his free arm and his legs to move them to the other side of the dock. It wasn’t really private, but it kept her from getting splashed.
Someone turned on a radio; conversation and laughter filled the air around them.
Once his feet touched bottom, Spencer stopped. He smoothed back her hair, brushed her cheekbone with his thumb. “Feel good?”
Surprised, Arizona nodded again. “It isn’t too bad.”
“No?”
“Not with you.” She draped her forearms over his shoulders, leaning into him. “Did the others…you know. Ask questions?”
He knew exactly what she meant. “They’re concerned for you, that’s all.”
Her nose touched his chest, and she nuzzled against him. “What did you tell them?”
“That you were the strongest woman I know.”
She gave a strangled laugh before she tipped back her head to smile at him. “You know what I mean.”
“I do. And that’s what I said.” Without really meaning to, he let his hand drop to her behind. “They’re not stupid, honey. More than most, they understand what you went through, and why some things will be difficult for you.”
“I guess.” She glanced over at Jackson when he did a cannonball into the water, making the women screech and Chris laugh. “That’s what they think? That it’s just…difficult?”
Actually, they’d recognized more than Arizona did herself. “Like me, they think you’re pretty amazing.” He kissed her temple. “I gather you impressed them with your ability.”
She shrugged. “Compared to them—”
“That’s not a fair way to judge, and you know it.” He waded farther to the side of the dock, opposite of the boathouse. The others couldn’t see them now, but they had no real privacy, not for what he wanted, what he needed. “They’re in a skill set unlike any I’ve ever seen.”
Arizona looked around at the quiet cove. “Know what I’m thinking?”
“I know what I’m thinking.” He softly kissed her neck, her shoulder. If he could distract her from her nervousness about the water, that’d have to be good enough.
“I’m thinking that you’ve helped me conquer a lot of stuff.”
If only that were true, maybe he wouldn’t feel so damn tortured now. He caught her face, and, after a hungry kiss, he leaned her back in his arms. God, he wished he’d been there with her when she’d needed him the most. But he couldn’t give himself too much credit. “You faced all the hardest battles alone—and that says a lot about you, Arizona.”
“Maybe.” Tightening her hold, she again tucked her face in close to his neck. “Some stuff, though…it’s harder.”
“I know, and I’m sorry I wasn’t out there with you.” He hugged her tighter. “I’m sorry that I walked off and left you alone.”
“Because Jackson played around and I panicked?” He felt her smile against his skin. “Not your doing, Spence. But, hey, thanks for covering for me with the caveman routine.”
No reason to explain that it wasn’t all feigned. Though he knew it was irrational, he didn’t like seeing other men touch her. “You liked that, did you?”
“Yeah, I kind of did.” She looked up at him, her gaze too serious, too solemn.
“We could work on that, you know.” Spencer breathed in the scent of her sun-warmed skin, felt the way her firm body aligned with his own, and he concentrated on not reacting physically. “With me getting on top of you, I mean.”
For a second or two, she looked incredibly sad—before she forced a smile. “Are you trying to dodge my turn at controlling you?”
Oh, hell. The water wasn’t cold enough to keep his erection at bay. With sizzling visuals in his mind, he looked at her mouth, leaned down—and icy water doused his head.
His survival depended on it. His sister’s well-being depended on it.
Candy…well, she would hopefully fend for herself, because he had nothing more to give.
* * *
THE SECOND ARIZONA’S HEAD cleared the water, Spencer drew her in close, their bodies touching at the waist, his legs moving to keep them afloat. “Okay?”
Water spiked her dark lashes and left her hair slicked back to show off high cheekbones. He could see the fear in her eyes and the resolve to ignore it.
She gave a jerky nod. “I’m fine.”
“You’re beautiful. And amazing.” He kissed her, soft and quick, feeling the chill in her full lips. “Sexy.” He kissed her again, lingering a little this time. “Incredible.” One more kiss, longer, deeper. “Hot…”
“You’re nuts.” She snickered while treading water, and her feet bumped against his.
Her laugh felt like the greatest gift ever given to him. “You really are okay?”
“I promise I won’t freak out and drown us both.”
“I’m glad.”
Voices carried as Jackson and Alani walked onto the dock. Trace dove in, followed by Priss. Molly sat on the end and let her feet dangle. Dare tossed in a float and then jumped in next to it.
“They actually think this is fun,” she whispered, and her fingers dug into his shoulders.
“Let’s go over this way.” Holding her waist with one hand, Spencer used his free arm and his legs to move them to the other side of the dock. It wasn’t really private, but it kept her from getting splashed.
Someone turned on a radio; conversation and laughter filled the air around them.
Once his feet touched bottom, Spencer stopped. He smoothed back her hair, brushed her cheekbone with his thumb. “Feel good?”
Surprised, Arizona nodded again. “It isn’t too bad.”
“No?”
“Not with you.” She draped her forearms over his shoulders, leaning into him. “Did the others…you know. Ask questions?”
He knew exactly what she meant. “They’re concerned for you, that’s all.”
Her nose touched his chest, and she nuzzled against him. “What did you tell them?”
“That you were the strongest woman I know.”
She gave a strangled laugh before she tipped back her head to smile at him. “You know what I mean.”
“I do. And that’s what I said.” Without really meaning to, he let his hand drop to her behind. “They’re not stupid, honey. More than most, they understand what you went through, and why some things will be difficult for you.”
“I guess.” She glanced over at Jackson when he did a cannonball into the water, making the women screech and Chris laugh. “That’s what they think? That it’s just…difficult?”
Actually, they’d recognized more than Arizona did herself. “Like me, they think you’re pretty amazing.” He kissed her temple. “I gather you impressed them with your ability.”
She shrugged. “Compared to them—”
“That’s not a fair way to judge, and you know it.” He waded farther to the side of the dock, opposite of the boathouse. The others couldn’t see them now, but they had no real privacy, not for what he wanted, what he needed. “They’re in a skill set unlike any I’ve ever seen.”
Arizona looked around at the quiet cove. “Know what I’m thinking?”
“I know what I’m thinking.” He softly kissed her neck, her shoulder. If he could distract her from her nervousness about the water, that’d have to be good enough.
“I’m thinking that you’ve helped me conquer a lot of stuff.”
If only that were true, maybe he wouldn’t feel so damn tortured now. He caught her face, and, after a hungry kiss, he leaned her back in his arms. God, he wished he’d been there with her when she’d needed him the most. But he couldn’t give himself too much credit. “You faced all the hardest battles alone—and that says a lot about you, Arizona.”
“Maybe.” Tightening her hold, she again tucked her face in close to his neck. “Some stuff, though…it’s harder.”
“I know, and I’m sorry I wasn’t out there with you.” He hugged her tighter. “I’m sorry that I walked off and left you alone.”
“Because Jackson played around and I panicked?” He felt her smile against his skin. “Not your doing, Spence. But, hey, thanks for covering for me with the caveman routine.”
No reason to explain that it wasn’t all feigned. Though he knew it was irrational, he didn’t like seeing other men touch her. “You liked that, did you?”
“Yeah, I kind of did.” She looked up at him, her gaze too serious, too solemn.
“We could work on that, you know.” Spencer breathed in the scent of her sun-warmed skin, felt the way her firm body aligned with his own, and he concentrated on not reacting physically. “With me getting on top of you, I mean.”
For a second or two, she looked incredibly sad—before she forced a smile. “Are you trying to dodge my turn at controlling you?”
Oh, hell. The water wasn’t cold enough to keep his erection at bay. With sizzling visuals in his mind, he looked at her mouth, leaned down—and icy water doused his head.
