Someone Like Her(85)

 Ahead of him, a sea turtle lumbered out of the Gulf and made her way across the sand to a place she deemed perfect to lay her eggs. He stopped to witness the marvel of a mother starting new life. By tomorrow night, the Turtle Patrol would have the area taped off with signs warning against molesting the nest.

 For a few magical minutes, he watched her dig a hole and then back her tail up to it. He tried to count each egg and thought she’d laid at least a hundred. Somewhere he’d read only one in a thousand made it to adulthood. If he had any luck in him, he’d wish that all these did.

 But he was the wrong man to be wishing for anything—or to be asking God to answer any prayers of his. He had no right to ask for any favors, especially for the love of a woman he didn’t deserve.

 The mama turtle scooped sand over her nest hole with her back flippers, then plodded her way back into the water, leaving her babies alone to survive—or not. After she was long out of sight, Jake walked to the disturbed sand and dug a crater around the area with the toes of one foot to make it easy for the Turtle Patrol to find the nest.

 Sometimes, life just kept tripping on, whatever one wished, but maybe he’d saved a hundred or so little turtle lives tonight. It was far from making up for the mistakes he’d made, though. Too bad a circle in the sand wouldn’t bring his teammate back.

 He turned and headed back to camp where he planned to test his theory that scotch could keep the nightmares at bay. But first, he had to make a phone call and accept the job offer from Grayson Services International, based in San Diego. It was about as far away as he could get from Maria without leaving the country.



     Jake wasn’t drunk enough to believe he was dreaming when the soft, warm body nestled alongside his. He didn’t have to open his eyes to know who it was. Even blindfolded, he’d know the scent of her, the touch of her.

 “Maria,” he whispered.

 “Hush,” she said, and pressed her naked body against his.

 Although he knew he should, he couldn’t bring himself to say the words that would send her away. If he opened his eyes, her being there would be all too real and he’d say something to hurt her, to make her leave. He needed her too much, and even though he thought it the most selfish thing he’d ever done, he pulled her close and pretended to himself that she was only a dream.

 Delicate fingers traced over his chest, across his ribs, made their way down to his ass. And then—oh, Jesus—and then a shudder passed through him when she cupped his balls, kneading them as if she wanted to imprint the feel of her fingers on them. After playing with them for a few minutes, she danced her talented fingers up his shaft, wrapped them around his erection, and rubbed the tip over her clit.

 Holy God. Jake clinched his balls, his cock, and his stomach to keep from coming right then and there. He’d once been a man who took his pleasure when and where he found it, as often as he could find it.

 Until Maria.

 “You’re holding back,” she whispered, then covered his mouth with hers. “Don’t.” Her last word vibrated over their joined lips.

 He came.

 He came in her hand, couldn’t have stopped it even if he’d put every ounce of his SEAL training to the effort. Surprising him, she scooted down and covered his cock with her mouth, sucking him dry.

 Jesus. Oh, Jesus.

 Amazingly, even drained, he was still as hard as a rock. “Maria.” There were so many things he wanted to say, but only her name seemed to matter.

 She slithered back up his body. “I know. I know, Jake.”

 “I want you so bad, need to be in you . . . I don’t have any condoms.”

 “Then it’s a good thing I do.” She reached over, dragged her purse next to the air mattress, and pulled out a foil package.

 Somewhere in his drunk brain he thought he should stop, make her go, but the man that needed to be inside Maria—needed her this one last time—allowed her to set the rules. Her slick, hot heat drove all thoughts of anything but her from his mind. As he slid in her and out and back in, he wondered if he might be dreaming after all. This couldn’t be real, this slice of heaven not meant for him.

 Those fingers he’d already admired for the things they could do to him slid down the crack of his ass and again grabbed hold of his balls. Where the hell had she learned how to do that?

 Jake wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her into him, wishing the time wouldn’t come when he’d have to let her go. He thrust deep into her, touched her core, and tried to draw her heat into him.