Shattered. That's what he felt like when sanity returned. He was lying on the rough boards of the porch beside Mac, but he had no idea how they'd gotten there. He couldn't move, could barely think.
And he was trembling. A small shiver of fear moved through him. Shame came next. He'd never before taken a woman with so little care. He wasn't even sure that she'd reached her climax. His own had been so quick, so consuming, and he'd been so totally lost in it.
Had he hurt her? He'd been close to violent, definitely out of control when he'd pushed into her. When he turned to look at her, he found wide amber eyes studying him intently. He had the uncomfortable feeling that he'd been smeared on a slide. He opened his mouth, but she spoke first. "That didn't go exactly as I'd planned."
The words were such a clear echo of the thoughts in his head that he blinked.
"I'm sorry."
She'd even stolen his apology. Suddenly, he frowned. "You don't have anything to be sorry about."
"I lost control. It wasn't supposed to end that quickly."
"No, it wasn't. But that was my fault."
"We were supposed to make it at least to the beach. I really wanted to get you in the water. Kissing underwater is supposed to be very erotic."
She was talking about the fantasy. Had she been kissing him or the sailor? And who had he just made love to?
She rubbed her fingers across her lips. "The way I react to your kiss is going to present a challenge that I didn't quite foresee." A fine line appeared on her forehead. "I'm going to have to make some adjustments to my plan."
It was the last thing he'd expected her to say. Whoever it was who'd been kissing him, it was definitely the doc who was talking to him now. And he wanted her even more than he had before.
"That is…" The frown line deepened. "I hope you're going to let me go ahead with my research."
Her lips were still swollen from his kisses. A pulse was still jackhammering at her throat, and yet he could hear the wheels turning in her head. "You're hard on a man's ego, Doc."
The corners of her mouth turned down slightly. "I don't mean to be. Next time I'll try to stay more focused on the fantasy."
"You do that, Doc." Next time he was going to make sure that she couldn't stay focused at all. With a quick grin he said, "I may have to make some adjustments of my own."
For some, perverse reason, derailing that one-track mind of hers was becoming his number-one desire. Perhaps it was the challenge she offered that was drawing him. He could swear that he was dealing with more than one woman – there was the doc and the island girl, Lania. And which one was the real MacKenzie Lloyd? One way or the other, he was going to figure her out.
"Before we go any further with this little experiment, I think we need a change of scene." He rose, then drew her to her feet. "Let's pack."
"Where are we going?" she asked as he ushered her into the cabin.
"Wainright Enterprises owns a resort hotel on Key West. It will provide us with a more romantic atmosphere."
"I don't need romance."
Lucas threw back his head and laughed. "I think I do. You'll just have to indulge me." Then, throwing an arm around her shoulders, he gave her a quick hug. "And you better start figuring out what to do when I kiss you again. I plan to do it again very soon."
Chapter 6
«
Tracker swore softly as he lowered his binoculars. The North Carolina mountains had too many damn trees, and he'd lost track of how many he'd climbed trying to get a good view of the guests at the Serenity Spa.
One problem was that the compound was spread out over a couple of square miles. A large building sat in the center on a hill. Fanning out from there were tennis courts, a glassed-in, Olympic-size swimming pool and acres of lawn set up for volleyball, badminton, croquet. One unpaved road connected the grounds to the highway a mile away. In the more than four hours since he'd had the place under surveillance, only two vehicles had used that road. One had been the spa van, the other a truck delivering fresh produce and bottled water to the main building.
Raising the binoculars, he focused them on the group of women who were gathering on one of the playing fields, watching to see if any of them walked with the confident, distinctive gait of the Princess. He'd dubbed Lucas's pampered and temperamental sister that the first time he'd seen her. His view was being hampered, not only by the branches of several trees, but also by the fact that the women were wearing what seemed to be the spa uniform – sweatpants and hooded jackets.
Huge gray clouds had settled like a lid over the mountains, and thunder growled overhead. As the hooded figures began to disperse, he shifted his gaze to the individual cabins, most of which were tucked away beneath the trees. The information he'd downloaded from the Serenity Spa Web site emphasized complete privacy. It promised clients a totally female environment, free from the "intrusion of any male vibrations."
Tracker couldn't prevent a grin. In the very near future, he was going to break their promise. He just hadn't figured out the best way to do it. If he forced his way in, the Princess would be furious. When the lady got all fired up, she reminded him of some warrior goddess about to wreak her vengeance on mere mortals.
She'd been mad as hell when she'd read the file he'd gathered on Bradley Davis. The heat of her anger had been aimed at her brother. And she'd taken him completely by surprise when she'd landed that right cross to her brother's chin. Just the memory had him grinning. Oh, she'd been quick as lightning. He couldn't help but admire her for it. And she was strong too. She might look as slender as a wand, but when he'd grabbed her, he'd had to put some effort into subduing her.
The Princess was smart too. No one he'd tailed had ever spotted him before. But she had. He could still recall the cold fury in her eyes when they'd met his in that Georgetown pub. He'd felt it like a blow in his gut.
He'd underestimated her. That had been his mistake – a moment of carelessness that he was paying for now, he thought as he shifted carefully on the branch to ease the sharp impressions the bark was leaving on his backside.
If she hadn't become aware that she was being tailed, she wouldn't have pulled that switch yesterday, and he'd know for sure if she was indeed escaping from "male vibrations" in one of those damn cabins.
A bird landed on a nearby branch, gave him a startled look and flew off.
"Good idea," he muttered as he started to lower himself to the ground. He'd hoped to study the women as they made their way to the main building for lunch, but the steady and insistent slap of rain meant that umbrellas would be out in full force.
After hitting the ground, he ran toward the main road. Time for plan B.
*
The moment Lucas turned his attention to uncorking the champagne that had been waiting for them in the suite, Mac drew in a deep breath and slipped out onto the balcony. What she needed was a moment to plan and get back on track. He hadn't allowed her much time to do that on the boat trip to Key West. Instead, he'd seemed determined to distract her in any way be could.
Not that he'd kissed her again. He'd just taken every opportunity he could to touch her. A hand at her back as they'd walked down the dock, a firm grasp on her fingers as he'd helped her onto and off the boat, the brush of his body against hers as they'd stepped into the same slot of the revolving door that had spun them into the hotel lobby.
Each time he'd come in contact with her, her heart had made what felt like a somersault in her chest, and each and every nerve in her body had responded. So many images had filled her mind when the bellhop had given them a quick tour of the hotel suite. Every time he'd gestured to a different feature – from the oversize hot tub in the bathroom to the grand piano tucked into a corner of the sunken living room – she'd pictured Lucas making love to her in each spot.
Clearly, her ability to create sexual fantasies for herself was growing by leaps and bounds, and they all centered on Lucas Wainright. No other man had ever made love to her that way, with such intensity – as if he couldn't help himself. And she wanted him to do it again. And he would, just as soon as he followed her out onto the balcony. Just thinking about it was enough to make the muscles in her legs turn to water.
She had to get a grip. It would be so tempting to just give in to the spell that he seemed to weave around her. To enjoy it for however long it lasted.
As soon as he poured the champagne and followed her out here, she'd probably dissolve into a puddle at his feet.
No. if she allowed herself to give in to the temptation of what Lucas was offering, how could she fully field-test her research?
She had to focus on the fantasies. Resolutely, she walked to the railing of the balcony. A glance down at the manmade lagoon twisting like a turquoise snake around the hotel triggered a quick spurt of dizziness. The moment it passed, her gaze fixed on a waterfall tumbling over a small cave at the side of the lagoon. That definitely had possibilities. It would work for both the mermaid and the island-girl fantasies. The cave would also provide the perfect setting for making love in a semipublic place – another very popular male fantasy.
All she had to do was…
When the second wave of dizziness hit, Mac raised her eyes and concentrated on the view of the ocean stretching to the horizon. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled, then drew in another one. Her stomach settled, and her head cleared again.