Chief Distraction (19 page)

She couldn’t take it anymore. Something had to happen.
Walking toward a destination was better than this waiting. “I can’t stand not
knowing what’s going to happen. I need answers.”

“Easy, Blythe. We’ll get through this,” Mak said
as he grabbed a few more rocks and piled them around the edge. He’d moved away
again and the void between them felt wide. Could he sense her needs? He must.

Her senses heightened to a fever pitch as their
eyes met briefly across the fire. He held her gaze, never wavering. She knew
then that he felt the same. He was fighting it too, for his own reasons. Mak
closed their gap again, making Blythe’s heart pick up it’s pace. Her legs felt
weak and she was instantly light headed. There was nothing more but right here,
right now. Her stomach quivered as he stood in front of her, his face knowing.
He was so close.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently
kneaded. “Relax, Blythe,” he said softly, “I need you calm and alert, ready to
move quickly. This could get ugly really fast so we have to be ready.”

She closed her eyes and her breath caught. His
touch was tantalizing and she wanted nothing more than to be as far away from
Kahoolawe as possible…with Mak. His fingers felt like magic as they rubbed her
fears away. He stopped and brought his hands away, but not before catching a strand
of her hair between his fingers and rubbing it as if it were silk.

Part of her couldn’t believe this was happening.
It was all too much to bear. One little kiss would make it all disappear. She
swiveled to face him. Blythe brought her hands up with purpose, running them
over his broad chest, realizing in the act that she’d longed to do this since
the moment he’d bared his chest on Big Beach when her sister was visiting. She
could feel Mak’s adrenaline pulse, as if he were holding himself back with everything
he had. It was up to her to initiate and she had nothing to lose.

On tiptoe she leaned up, her lips matching his.
Energy pulsed between them, the act making time stand still. Mak remained
steadfast, like a rock statue, not kissing back as he had earlier. She pulled
away then, reeling in the fallout of desire.

“Sorry, did I cross a line again?” Blythe
quickly walked back toward the fire, poking it with a stick and feeling
completely foolish. Had she read the vibe wrong? Why wasn’t he saying anything
to save her misgivings?

Peering sideways, she watched as he sat back on
a boulder with hands on his knees. He leaned forward and let out a long breath.
She tore her eyes away from him, letting out a slow breath of her own. Seeing
Mak at a distance was painful, her blatant need for him pulsing out of control
yet he seemed to be denying her. The rejection stung.

“If you’d crossed a line, you’d know it,” he
said huskily. “Come here, please.”

She faced him then, still a little unsure. With
a few quick strides, she was in front of him again, closing the gap. “Remember
how you said you’d never take advantage of me?”

Mak met her eyes with intensity. “Yes, I
remember.”

“What if I said I wanted you to take advantage
of me? What if I said we have nothing to lose?” Leaning down toward him, she
kissed his forehead gently, sensuously. “I’ve never wanted someone so badly,”
she whispered.

His stubble tickled her fingers as she traced
her hand down his jaw line, down his neck, before pressing her hand against his
firm chest. He was solid – a grounding force amidst the chaos. He felt
safe and secure and right now, all that mattered. Reaching around, Mak brought
her body closer. Hovering face to face, Blythe’s pulse throbbed and those
million little warning flags she’d been waving disintegrated into thin air.

Curse be damned.

She was willing to live with the fallout. With
heavy eyelids and mouth parted, she took his forceful kiss willingly,
invitingly. If the sky fell on her or worse, she wouldn’t notice. When he said
he was experienced earlier, he wasn’t kidding. She instantly became putty in
his hands, letting it happen and enjoying the uncertainty. How much time did
she have left? It was now or never. The one thing she was certain of –
Mak was a gifted kisser. He tasted like salt and heat and good things to come.
Her mind wandered to what other parts of her body she’d like to feel those
talented lips.

Mak stood in one fluid motion, broke their kiss
and took her hand. He led her toward the overhanging rock. “Over here,” he instructed.
“I’ll keep you warm.”

He gently guided her down onto the soft grass
before following. He kissed her gently, playfully, and then he lay back beneath
the inclined rock-face. Blythe watched as he stretched out his long legs, his
hiking boots crossing at the ankles. “Come closer.”

She crawled up beside him, burrowing in as he
wrapped her in a strong embrace. The earth beneath them was still warm from the
sun’s earlier rays and felt soft and comforting.

“Are you tired?” he asked.

“A little, but I don’t think I can sleep knowing
they’re out there hunting us down.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” Mak turned onto his
side, propped on an elbow with head in hand. “I’ll make sure nothing happens to
you, promise.”

“I believe you,” she whispered. Mak brought his
mouth to hers, deepening the kiss. Blythe moaned and moved in closer,
prolonging the kiss until Mak let the intensity mount. If one of them didn’t
pull away now, would they ever?

To her disappointment, Mak did pull away, surprising
her. In the dim light she could see desire etched on his handsome face, his
eyes hooded and lips parted. He was totally involved in their shared moment,
but concern crossed his face. He traced a finger over her lips as they both
breathed deeply, caught in the moment. His hands were rough and callused,
capable. She liked the feel of them on her skin, their efficiency. Though she
was never one for a one-night stand, Blythe felt the danger and wanted nothing
more than to be physical on every level.

She reached in to kiss him again but he
hesitated. “Wait.”

“What? I want you so badly, Mak.”

“Trust me, Blythe,” he brought his forehead
against hers, holding it there as he breathed in deeply. “Stopping this is the
hardest thing I’ve ever done. You feel amazing, but you should get some sleep,”
he whispered.

Her heart sank. Was he being a gentleman or a
tease? She couldn’t’ tell. “I guess you’re right, but I don’t really want to.”

“This may be your only chance. We need to be as
alert as possible when the sun rises.”

Mak brought his arm up and around her. She
inhaled his manly scent, acutely aware of his larger-than-life presence. His
strong grip engulfed her and added a temporary feeling of security. She
snuggled closer, the immediacy of the moment making her forget her
apprehension.

                 
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Of
course Mak wanted nothing more than to rip her clothes off and ravage her here
on the top of the world, but he resisted the urge with a superhero’s strength.
“Here, get comfortable,” he said and turned her away from him so they spooned.
He pulled her closer and held her tight with a strong arm, their bodies joining
in perfect unison.

Blythe snuggled against him lightly, sending
firecracker-sized sparks to his groin. Her snuggle intensified as she ground
herself into him, the friction of her backside against his upper thighs
bringing him right up to the edge of all reason. If she didn’t lean away soon,
he’d go over the edge and fall without stopping. He wrapped his strong arms
around her tighter, drawing her even closer – playing with fire. He was
sure she must sense his growing desire, along with his growing manhood. It was
inescapable, right there. As if to drive him wild deliberately, Blythe leaned
back again, the curve of her backside making direct contact with his erection.
 
She moved her hips slowly,
methodically, aligning their bodies in just the right way and arching slightly
into him with more force than before.

“You’re driving me wild,” he moaned.

His entire body reacted at touching her,
smelling her hair as she leaned back farther still, grinding her back into him,
fully aware of the overpowering presence between his legs. His thighs tingled,
his stomach was tight, and his breath quickened until he couldn’t take it
anymore. He released his hold on her and lay on his back. Blythe soon followed,
rolling over to face him.

She placed her cheek on his shoulder and nuzzled
his neck. He put his head back against the grass, closing his eyes. He thought
it was over, that she’d try to sleep. That is, until he felt her breath on his
skin. Mak’s body reacted as any man’s would, blood rushing from his head to his
groin, his erection straining now. He held as still as he could, boiling
internal turmoil. He fought both the urge to push her away warningly and the
urge to roll her onto her back and indulge his fantasies. Instead, he remained
statue-still.

Was he dreaming or were her lips actually
caressing his earlobe? Yes, Blythe’s kisses became more forceful, obvious,
until their lips met once more. There was nothing Mak wouldn’t do for her now.
Nothing. His hands clasped her cheeks as he brought her mouth to his with
reckless abandon. Oh how he’d waited to kiss her again. His tongue claimed
ownership and the experience was totally hot. He physically felt her panic
dissipate as her body relaxed in their union. Embracing her, he suddenly felt
the urgent need to hold on tight and never let go. As if his lips and hands
could protect her from anything.

Her hand traced down his strong stomach, inching
lower and lower until it met it’s mark. Mak flinched slightly at her touch
before relaxing into the sensation. She felt him through his cargo pants,
stroking him through the fabric until he begged for more. A guttural growl
escaped his throat, his yearnings peaking. He broke the kiss and sat up a
little, his stomach muscles in top form. Swiveling sideways, he brought his
hands around her waist and pulled her onto him in a straddle.

The motion seemed to thrill her as her breath
quickened and she smiled in anticipation. Their eyes locked with a relenting
need. Leaning up more, he peeled off his tee shirt and tossed it aside.
Blythe’s hooded eyes widened in the moonlight at the sight before her. Her
hands, as if by instinct, reached out to feel his muscles. She dragged her
fingertips lightly down his pecs as if to bring him to the brink. He returned
the favor, reaching up and palming her breasts with care. He squeezed gently as
she arched, the firelight casting her silhouette into an otherworldly spectacle
– like a Pele goddess. Mak realized then that the city girl he’d arrived
with was no longer present. Their harrowing experience on Kahoolawe had
transformed her into the vivacious, sexy siren he’d caught a glimpse of at the
cane burn. Fear had burned her inhibitions away.

Mak kneaded her firm flesh, her nipples beading
beneath her cotton blouse. She squared her hips above his, gravity working it’s
magic as she pressed down into him, the hot burning ache mutual. As she bent
forward, their lips joined in a passionate lock and tongues soon joined the
exploration of desire. His muscles tightened, flexing on instinct. As tight as
a line, his nerves were about to snap if he couldn’t have her. Every move of
her hand across his bare flesh made Mak want to show her how much he cared.
Very deeply, very inch deep. She looked like every guy’s fantasy with her
knee-length skirt riding up around her hips – the most impractical thing
to have worn to the island, aside from those damn shoes that were now long
gone.

“This probably shouldn’t be happening, but I’ll
take my chances,” Mak said.

“We may die anyways, right?” Blythe whispered in
his ear, bringing his earlobe into her mouth. She sucked it slowly before
kissing her way over to his jaw. She sat back on his groin and brought her
hands up to slowly unbutton her shirt. Mak devoured every deliberate move she
made. She was driving him mad. She peeled back the blouse and fluidly brought
her camisole over her head, revealing a thin gauzy bra that left nothing to the
imagination. Mak could see her exquisite dusky nipples underneath, taut and at
attention for his benefit alone.

He placed a hand on her thigh, the other he
brought up to her ribcage, skimming his fingers along her silky skin until
cupping her breast again. He teased her nipple with a feather-light stroke from
his thumb. It felt like supple heat. “You’re my island goddess,” he smiled as
he stared her down. Her hair was wild around her face and a million stars
twinkled in the black expanse above. “A goddess with fiery hair.” Mak pushed
back the auburn mass as Blythe bent to kiss him deeply, tenderly. With a
finger, he pulled back her bra to expose a beaded nipple. Blythe arched and
offered it to his mouth, which he accepted gladly, his tongue teasing her to
the core. He was painfully hard and wanting as she arched more. She moaned a
little, enjoying his tongue’s attention as he worked his way to her other
breast, pulling the fabric down and claiming it with his lips.

Curse be damned, this was heaven on earth.

Sitting back, Blythe ran her hands over his
smooth chest, hot to the touch. “I want you, Mak, but I...”

Fully entranced in the moment, her words sang in
his ears. He half sat up, kissing her shoulder and up her neck as his finger
hooked the bra strap and pulled it down her arm. He brought the other hand down
to rest on the apex of her sex, his fingers strumming back and forth as his
breathing increased to match hers. “Wait Mak, there’s something I have to tell
you,” she said, barely audible in her desperate desire. “I haven’t been totally
hon…”