His Kind of Trouble (10 page)

* * *

A
NA
WAS
HAPPY
TO
GET
AWAY
from the house. She lifted her face to the sunshine filtering down through the thick vegetation as she paused to take in the sky. The spot where she was leading Chance had to be approached on foot, and they’d left his Jeep back near the road.

“I love this,” she said on a sigh, reaching out to touch a vibrant, hot-pink bloom at the end of a bushy plant. “I’ve forgotten, especially in recent years, how fecund everything is here. How dense and lovely.”

A cool bit of air reached them through the trees. The coast was less than a mile away, and Ana had a very special treat for Chance. She knew it would appeal to his adventurous spirit.

“It is gorgeous. I’ve spent some time in the jungles farther south, in Argentina and Brazil, but not as much here. This is different,” he observed.

“You’ll love where we’re going. The entire Yucatán has rugged landscapes, more so than you might guess from the cities and villages. There are a lot of surprises in the jungles and along the coast,” she said, wanting to entice him.

And wanting to be alone with him. The place they were going would be secluded—special and used only by locals—not swarmed with holiday tourists.

“I’ve read a bit about it. About cenotes, in particular. And caves. I wouldn’t have thought there would be so many caves, but I suppose it makes sense, given the water surrounding the peninsula and the areas. Like Florida, with all of the sinkholes.”

“Except that ancient Mayan civilizations often were located on ours,” she said with a smile. “And people tend not to build their houses on them.”

Chance laughed. “So where are you taking me? To a famous cenote?”

“You’ll see,” Ana said mischievously. “Catch me if you can,” she added and took off running.

Chance was startled for a second, and she laughed as she heard him yell her name behind her, but she knew these paths and lands like the back of her hand, even after all of these years. The jungle, the ocean...they were still in her blood, and her pulse raced as she sped away, looking back to see Chance in close pursuit.

She was almost there, and for fun, she ducked behind the thick trunk of a wide old mahogany tree. Ana held her breath, staying still as she heard Chance approach and then stop.

“Ana?”

She heard him step forward, slowly, cautiously. He was only feet from where she hid.

“Ana?”

This time his voice was more worried, and he walked faster.

Ana jumped out in front of him, making a face and a noise as she did so, and laughed hysterically as he jumped back, completely taken off guard.

As she laughed, he regarded her with his hands on his hips, trying to look stern. She could see, however, that he was having a difficult time of it.

“Not funny, Ana. I thought you might have been hurt or lost. Or something bad.”

She shook her head, still laughing. “Oh, please. Lost? I played in these jungles when I was a girl. You would be the one to get lost, not me,” she charged, catching her breath. “You should have seen your face. Did you think I was something dangerous? A wildcat? A jaguar?” She teased, making a purring noise low in her throat that finally cracked him up.

They both stood laughing for a few more minutes and then stopped. Chance came forward, drawing her into his arms.

“It’s not often someone can surprise me, but you seem to do it every other moment,” he said, kissing the top of her head in an endearing way that made her gasp. Passion, she understood with him; but affection, that hit a different note in her heart.

“I have more surprises for you,” she said, tilting her face up and planting a light kiss on his lips. “Come on, you’ll see,” she said, grasping his hand and pulling him forward.

He let her tug him along, and minutes later, as they found themselves standing on the edge of a high bluff, she heard his whispered exclamation as he looked out over the view.

“This is amazing. It’s like a...like another world.”

She felt a surge of pleasure at his response and the excited light in his eyes.

“This is a sacred place to our village. Our ancestors worshipped and conducted much of their ceremonial life among these ruins,” she explained. “Once, it was a place we came as children to play and explore, but now, as we grow older, it’s also a way of connecting with our past. Real people who shared our bloodlines lived here. It still leaves me in awe to think that they built all of this, even when only these broken parts remain,” she said reverently.

Chance put his hands on her shoulders as they stood taking it in. A lush waterfall burst through the jungle on the other side of the glen, pouring down into a dark green pool formed by the cenote. It was surrounded by steep walls and worn-down ruins blanketed by lush vegetation.

“Can we get down there?” he asked. “Or do we just look from here?”

“We can definitely go. We can walk around to the other side and take the steps down through the ruins. Or...there is one more way,” she said, turning to him.

He seemed to tower over her out here, big and masculine, looking as wild as the landscape around him. He wasn’t native, but somehow, she thought, he fit.

“What’s the other way?”

She smiled, stepping back and slipping her shirt over her head, then undoing the button of her jeans. She wore her bathing suit underneath but felt his eyes move over her as hungrily as if she didn’t.

“Ana? What’s the other way down?”

Her grin widened. “We dive. Or jump. Your choice.”

Chance peered down over the side. “That has to be about thirty feet.”

“Twenty-eight or so. The water is deep, and there are no rocks. We’ve dived from this spot ever since we were young. Used to start back there—” she pointed to the tree where she had hidden “—and run and fly off the side. It was magical, flying through the air and then down into that water,” she said.

Chance was already peeling his shirt off. “You said we might go diving, but I thought you meant more like scuba,” he said, revealing that he had worn a pair of trunks, as well.

“Are you afraid of the jump?” she asked innocently but had to smother a grin.

He sent her a “get real” look. “I dived from platforms twice this height or higher, I’ll have you know, in Acapulco.”

“Impressive,” she said, though she wasn’t completely commenting on his diving experience.

He was wearing tight, short black trunks that hid very little, including the fact that he was somewhat excited. Ana couldn’t help but look. In the light of day, so close to her, he was even more magnificent.

“Let’s jump,” she suggested, her tone a bit more husky. “Together. We can dive later.”

Chance reached out, took her hand, and they both walked back about eight feet or so and paused, looking at each other with a big smile.

“Now!” Ana yelled, and they rushed forward together, leaping out into the air and splashing into the cool water seconds later.

Ana let go of Chance’s hand under the surface of the water and came to the top gasping.

“It’s colder than I remember,” she said, laughing.

He swam up close, wrapping his arms around her, and her legs around his hips.

“Let me warm you up.”

Their bodies pressed close, her breasts crushed against his chest in the most delightful way as he kissed her, and she twined her arms around his shoulders.

It was like being in another world, one that left everything else behind, even time itself. Ana lost herself in the kiss, in touching Chance, and forgot to worry about anything as his tongue rubbed along hers, his hands on her back, massaging, cupping her backside and pressing her against his hardness.

“Chance, you tempt me, but there’s so much more here,” she said, wanting him, but wanting to share this place with him even more. There was time for the rest. “And more private places,” she added.

“I like the sound of that. Lead on.”

Ana smiled, floating back out of his arms, beckoning him to come with her, as if she were some kind of sea nymph.

She’d been here often and always visited when she was home, but as she watched Chance’s powerful arms cut through the water as he swam after her, no other moment in her life compared. Ana had the scary suspicion that after knowing Chance Berringer, no other man would compare, either.

9

C
HANCE
WAS
INTRIGUED
,
and here, in this sacred spot so far away from the rest of the world—or so it seemed—he let himself think only of this time and the woman he was with.

Ana led him behind the waterfall into a room that was carved in the rock—not a cave, but an actual cavern that was part of the ruin built above. The waterfall crashed outside the entrance, barring any view inside. Ana pulled herself up gracefully from the water onto the stone platform, worn smooth by time and water. Chance followed.

“This is incredible,” he said, feeling as if he was repeating himself, but he couldn’t help being wowed by this spot. He’d seen ruins before, had climbed through Machu Picchu, even, but this was even more special. Maybe because he was here with Ana, and it was a glimpse into her world, her past. He loved the look of reverence and joy on her face—the only other time he had seen her as happy was when she was cooking on her old TV show. And when he was inside of her.

The trunks he wore were a tad uncomfortable given his sort of perpetually aroused state. The cool water had helped some, but there was no doubt that he wanted Ana again, as soon as he could have her.

“Follow me,” she called and headed deeper into the recesses of the cave.

“Anywhere,” Chance murmured with a smile and set off after her.

They entered a wide, much lower tunnel that seemed to squeeze the light from the spot where they had emerged, and for a moment, Chance wondered if this was safe. But Ana walked ahead at a steady, confident rate, obviously knowing where she was going.

It got very dark before they turned a corner toward light again and emerged in a smaller cave that was lit only with dappled sunshine from far above. There were markings on the walls, and ornate statues and carvings surrounded the area, almost like unfound treasure.

“What is this?” he asked.

Ana knelt by the side of the rock shelf, dipped her hand down and scooped up a handful of mud.

Chance smiled. “I’ve heard of this. Terra-cotta mud pools.”

“Mud baths, yes. This one is used only by the people of our village, guarded closely, as it is believed to have healing and even magical properties.”

“What are all the carvings and the markings?”

“Some are millennia old. Some are from last week, offered at the seasonal changes, connections to the old ones, ancestors and gods. Many people in our village still follow old ways.”

Chance nodded. “Is it okay for me to be here?”

Ana laughed lightly. “Of course. You are with me, and I wanted to share this with you. And on a workday, no one else is likely to come by. Evenings, more people will come, and weekends.”

Chance watched as she reached behind her, undoing the strap that held the top of her bathing suit on. He sucked in a breath as the scrap of bright blue fell to the ground, and Ana stood there mostly naked before him.

She was like one of the ancient goddesses, he thought, with her dark hair and fiery eyes, and that magnificent body. Lush curves contrasted with firm muscle, and her full breasts pouted at him, nipples hard and dark.

Ana didn’t break eye contact as she slid her bottoms off, too, and Chance was mesmerized. He’d had women do much more elaborate stripteases for him, but he couldn’t recall anything sexier than Ana taking off her bathing suit.

“Your turn,” she said with a mischievous smile.

Chance wasted no time shucking his trunks and followed as she sat on the side of the rock and dipped her legs into the mud.

“It’s good to ease inside, take your time. It’s very warm, though it won’t burn. But it can be a lot if you aren’t used to it,” she explained.

“How deep is it?” he asked, sliding one foot in, then the other, and finding the thick mud to be pleasantly soft, not slimy, and nicely warm in the coolness of the cave.

“Only waist deep. When you feel ready, you can go all the way in, and it’s all one depth. On that end, there are ledges carved from the rock where you can stretch out.”

“Luxurious,” he commented, slowly lowering into the warm mud, making sure sensitive spots were okay with taking the plunge.

But once he was in, he sighed. “This is wonderful. I’ve heard people rave about mud baths, and always thought it was some kind of silly spa thing.”

“The earth is sacred to my people, and even now, the baths are supposed to have healing effects. Elders use the mud in some rituals and in medicines. Not ones recognized by some people, of course,” she said, moving slowly to the far side, where she stretched out on one of the ledges, up to her shoulders in mud.

Chance missed the view of her luscious body but went with her, enjoying the way his muscles were loosening, his mind lulled by the warmth and the weight of the mud. It was almost hypnotizing, and he commented as much as he slid up onto the ledge next to Ana, also sliding down so that he was mostly covered.

He lay there, covered in ancient mud, deep in the earth, surrounded by Mayan carvings, markings, and took it all in. Looking up, he stared at what had to be a seventy-foot drop from the jungle floor to this spot.

“Seems dangerous—do people, animals, fall in?”

She shook her head. “There is a brick wall, like a well, that protects the opening and bans anyone from entering. Through the waterfall is the only access. If someone looks down from above, all they see is dark. Very forbidding.”

“I bet. So no one can see us down here?”

“No.”

Chance was shaken from his ruminations when he felt Ana’s hand slide along his thigh, a strange sensation in the warm mud, and even more so when she found his cock and closed her hand over him.

“Ana.” He sighed, letting his head fall back as she stroked him to hardness, the warmth and the slippery sensations of her skin and the silky mud creating a sensual combination that had him ready to explode in seconds. “Stop, or I’m going to...” he said, his breath coming short.

“Okay, we should wait until we wash the mud off,” she agreed, taking her hand from him and coming up along next to him, laying her head on his shoulder.

“Mmm-hmm.” He turned his head, finding her mouth and kissing her in deep, drugging kisses as his fingers did to her breasts what she had done to him under the surface. She whimpered into his mouth, arching against him.

“Maybe time to go wash off now?” he suggested, and she nodded eagerly.

They grabbed their suits and made their way gingerly back to the falls, laughing as they stopped to kiss, caress and stroke each other to an even higher level of arousal. Their muddy bodies stuck together, creating noises that collapsed them in laughter as well as turning them on.

Peeping out from the fall to make sure they were still alone, Chance waved to her to join him, and once more, they plunged into the cool water.

“Wow, I’ve never felt anything like this,” Chance said as he dived under, washing the mud from his body, invigorated and feeling a vibration of energy that he’d never quite experienced before. He was also achingly hard—not even the cool water could ease that after all of the foreplay.

Ana was floating on her back, her breasts bobbing up from the water, her face serene. But when she turned her face to look at him, he saw the same raw desire in her eyes.

“Now” was all he said, and she nodded, swimming back to the fall, to the privacy it provided.

Chance didn’t want to play any more when he took her in his arms again, too hungry and too desperate for her to wait any longer. But...

“Damn.” He bit out a curse. “I left any protection I have back in the truck.”

Ana’s hand stroked him lightly as she kissed him.

“I told you, I’m safe. Protected. I assume you are healthy,” she said, biting his neck. “I don’t want to wait, Chance.”

“Yes,” he said roughly, sitting down on the cool rock and pulling her onto his lap, facing him.

Her legs wrapped around his hips as she sat, taking him deep in one motion, making them both shudder with the sheer intensity of it.

She looked at him with sooty eyes, smudged with need as she sat facing him, his cock buried deep inside.

“I told you I couldn’t wait,” she said before she kissed him.

Chance was lost. Her nails dug into his shoulders, and he grabbed her bottom, moving her on him in short, tight moves that had him at the edge, but he needed more.

“Ana, I’ve never needed anyone like this, like you,” he said, feeling vulnerable at the admission but needing to share it.

“I know. It’s how I feel with you, too. Nothing has ever been like this. Only with you,” she said softly, making his heart beat even harder. He could see the truth in her eyes.

What was happening between them? More than sex, he thought. More than the job. He worried about Ana where he had never really done that with previous clients. He wanted her, but want had developed into something stronger—he needed her. That was something he had never quite felt before, with anyone.

“Come here,” she said, leading him over to the smooth wall of the inside of the cave. She faced the wall, planted her hands and looked back over her shoulder at him. She was temptation itself.

But as much as Chance was happy to give her anything she wanted—anything she desired—he wanted her close this time. He wanted to feel her heat, her breath on his skin, and be able to see her as they made love.

Love? No, he thought. Just an expression, but still... Now was not the time for thinking so much, so he turned her back around to face him. He could give them both what they wanted, and pulled her up, close to him, face-to-face, and pressed her into the cool rock wall.

She sighed in happiness, smiling, and he smiled back.

Taking her hips in his hands, he surged into her, their sighs and moans mingling as the connection between them eased some of the ache. But it wasn’t nearly enough.

He moved, and her nails dug into his shoulders as he kissed her, losing himself in everything that was Ana. He was close and snuck a hand down between them.

“So ready, so hot,” he panted, stroking her clit to the rhythm of his thrusts. “Come with me, Ana, please,” he almost begged, knowing he wouldn’t last much longer.

Everything primal and masculine within him was let loose, feeling her tense, how her inner muscles gripped him and then loosened, bathing him in hot honey as she came and came, her head falling forward as she chanted his name.

He took hold of her hips with both hands again, pressing deep, watching the beautiful arch of her back, the slope of her neck when his body finally released into hers, the climax so strong he was left shaking from it.

“Damn, Ana. I can’t feel my legs,” he said, half laughing but sliding down the wall to the cool floor, taking her with him.

“It’s the mud.”

“No, I don’t think so.”

It was her. She astounded him in ways he’d never imagined a woman could. And it was more than the sex, though the sex was outstanding. Her sense of mystery, adventure, and her love for her work and her family shone through her. Her adamant independence and the passion that she threw into everything she did.

Most of the women he dated were the ones who watched when he did something daring, but he had a feeling Ana would be the kind to jump in right beside him, like she did at the cliff.

“This is nice.” She sighed. “Being away from everything, everyone. Leaving it all back there.”

Chance murmured his agreement. It was nice. To be with Ana and not have to worry or be on guard, to have a moment just to enjoy her.

It was also dangerous. He wanted more, but if his attention was on her, he could miss something else. Like something that could bring her harm.

Suddenly, he had new respect for the conflicts his brothers must have dealt with when they had been protecting women they loved.

Not that Chance was in love. He wasn’t even sure he’d know it if he was.

“We should head back,” she said. “I told Mama I would help her with party preparations later today, and after this, I think I need a nap first.” She yawned. “I can’t remember the last time I took a nap. Never any time back in New York.”

“Success has its price,” Chance joked, offering her his hand as he pulled her up from sitting. Between the mud bath and the sex, his muscles were loose and warm, and he wanted to extend this just a little longer.

“Let’s take a swim first? Just a quick one, and then we can go,” he said.

“Sure,” she agreed and reached for her suit.

“Maybe we can leave that here.”

“But...someone might see. People do come to this spot,” she said.

He smiled. “That’s what makes it so fun. But no one will see us beneath the water. C’mon,” he urged, holding out his hand.

Ana took it, and they ran out from the cover of the falls and straight into the water, laughing like a couple of kids. For all of the excitement Chance experienced on a regular basis, he’d forgotten what it was like just to act like a kid again.

Splashing and diving, they played like a couple of sea otters for a few minutes, until Chance swam down deep, coming up from under where she treaded water, and grabbed her leg, pulling her down, too.

Ana’s eyes were wide with surprise when they met his, and he captured her mouth under the surface for a hot kiss. He couldn’t get enough of how she captivated him. She kissed with her whole body, putting everything she was into it.

Something popped by his ear, and Chance didn’t think anything of it at first, but then it happened again, and he felt Ana jerk away from him.

Opening his eyes, there was a crimson ribbon floating in the water, and his heart slammed in his chest as several more pops—bullets—broke the surface of the water.

And Ana, drifting away from him in the clear blue water, was bleeding.

* * *

A
NA
WASN
’
T
SURE
WHAT
was happening.

She’d been diving into the most delicious underwater kiss with Chance when something tore at her arm, making her jerk back.

She thought something had attacked her, biting her. A wild animal of some sort or some biting fish, but the sight of her own blood streaming into the water had erased her thoughts and panic overtook her.