Hed have been wrong.
As his hands skimmed down her back, sliding over the gentle curves of her butt, he realized just how wrong.
She was the perfect fit.
* * *
OH, YEAH.
Darbys heart stuttered a little, almost tripping over itself in the shock of feeling Dominics body wrapped around hers.
Music drifted up from the beach, the bands rendition of Iris wrapping around them like a soft breeze off the moonlit ocean. A lesser woman might have called it romantic, especially with the heady scent of plumeria and candle wax filling the air.
But Darby Raye was a hard-ass. Everyone said so.
So she knew this wasnt about romance.
Nope, like Dominic had said, it was all about the fantasy.
And the fantasy was sex.
Sex, and, she could admit only to herself, a chance to simply let go. To enjoy herself without worrying about stepping on a mans ego. To make her own demands.
It was a heady feeling, she thought as she let her body ease against Dominics and, eyes closed, rested her head on his shoulder and let herself enjoy it.
From the breadth of his rock-hard chest to the strength of his thighs to the gentle power of the arms wrapped around her waist, the man felt amazing.
Mmm, itd feel so good to snuggle in, to tuck her head beneath that firm jaw and sigh her pleasure.
Even as the thought crossed her mind, Darby slapped it right back out again. Snuggling was romantic, like cuddling. It was soft and trusting and sweet.
She was so not the snuggling type.
But as her dress pressed between her thighs, the fabric rustling as it brushed his legs with every easy step, she had to admit that she just might be the sex-at-first-sight type.
Shed never met a guy before whod made her want to strip him naked and lick caramel sauce off his body. Maybe it was time to give it a try.
Youve got some sweet moves.
Lifting her head to stare into his dark eyes, she debated pointing out that Dominic was the one with the moves. She was only following along.
Before she could, he lowered his head, just those few inches, and rubbed his lips over hers.
Soft, a mere whisper.
Her knees went to water, her body flashing hot and needy in response to the instant inferno that touch set off.
God, was all she could think.
Then, still swaying to the beat of the music, he did it again.
Like grabbing for a lifeline, Darbys hands linked behind his neck, her fingers delving into the short, thick strands of silky hair.
She tried to swallow her soft breathy moan of pleasure. No point making him think that all it took was a simple kiss and she was his for the taking. Why fool the man into thinking anything about her was that easy?
But, oh, baby. Darby melted. She actually felt herself melting into a puddle of lust.
She knew she should take a step back and think this through. Consider the consequences, weigh her options and devise the most logical scenario to work this situation in her favor.
Then his tongue swept over her lower lip, and she was done. She simply couldnt think. And she didnt care that her brain wouldnt function. Not while she was reveling in her lusty puddle.
When he lifted his head to stare into her eyes with that midnight gaze of his, she was ready. The agreement was poised on the tip of her tongue, just waiting for the question.
Would you like to take a walk?
Not her hotel room? Darbys tongue almost tripped over itself adjusting.
A what?
Walk. He tilted his head toward the spiral staircase. On the beach.
Was his bed on the beach? Because hers was only two floors up. Before she could point that out, he shifted away. Stepped back. Gave her space, she realized. Space and plenty of time to decide what she wanted. Something Paul had never liked, probably because what she wanted rarely coincided with what he wanted.
But Dominic seemed perfectly content to let her decide.
So she considered the options.
Upstairs, where they could immediately quench the heat stirring and blowing through her. Or a walk on the beach, letting the heat build, hotter and stronger.
She wanted him. Wanted to see if the feelings he stirred were just a tease, a fluke, or the simple result of celibacy.
But he wanted to walk on the beach.
Before the bitter taste of insult could overwhelm the delicious flavor of his kiss, she looked into his eyes again. And realized this wasnt disinterest. Oh, he was plenty interested and not hesitant to let it show.
He was simply being a gentleman.
God, that was sweet.
But she wanted sex, not sweetness. And the sooner they found privacy, aka her hotel room, the sooner she figured shed get him naked.
Then he smiled. A flash of white against dusky cheeks.
And her heart yearned.
Id like to walk, she heard herself say.
Perfect. Still holding her hand, he lifted it to his mouth, brushing a soft kiss over her knuckles before leading her toward the spiral staircase. She saw him signal to the waiter, settling the dinner bill with a simple head tilt and nod.
Why that should be almost as sexy as kissing her hand, she couldnt say. But it got her even hotter.
They silently walked hand in hand down the shell-encrusted path bisecting the sand. To the left was a row of bungalows, each one set farther away from each other than the last. To the right was the ocean, the waves dancing in time to the beat of the bands cover of Poisons Something to Believe In.
He bypassed the as-advertised crowded lanai filled with celebratory sounds and gyrating dancers. The path he chose was well lit, with tall tiki torches spearing from the ground every ten feet and strings of twinkling fairy lights strung between. The juxtaposition of the primitive and the whimsical only added to the fantasy feel.
About halfway down the beach, far enough that the resort crowd was shadowed specks, he stopped.
Stepping off the path, he pulled her into his arms. His gaze held hers as he lowered his mouth, the kiss a soft whisper that filled her with a heady need even as it asked, and waited.
Still the gentleman, she realized.
She bit his lower lip, sucking the flesh between her teeth to lave it with her tongue.
He gave a low growl of approval and, obviously reading her answer correctly, took the kiss from sweet to incendiary. Tongues thrusted, teeth scraped, lips melded in a hot dance of intense pleasure.
She skimmed her hand under the hem of his T-shirt, her palm smoothing the hot planes of his abs. The rock-hard muscles were a vivid contrast against the soft fabric of his shirt as her fingers climbed higher, smoothing and circling their way up to his chest.
God.
There had to be another exclamation that would do justice to his awesomeness. But she couldnt think of it. Bottom line, the man had the body of a god.
I have to say, this fantasy is even better than Id expected.
Darling, you havent seen anything yet, Dominic promised.
That cocky assurance was almost as much a turn-on as the feel of his bare chest beneath her fingers. She shivered a little as desire grabbed hard and strong.
He untied the straps of her dress, stepping back so the fabric fell, unimpeded, to her waist. Darby stood in the moonlight, shoulders, back and chest bare, as turned on by the look on his face as shed ever been by anything else in her life.
His eyes caressed, his expression admired.
His eyes caressed, his expression admired.
Then he touched.
And she damn near came.
His fingers swirled, skimmed, teased her nipples into new heights of aching pleasure. She dug her hands into his shoulders, wanting more, needing everything.
Privacy?
Thats my bungalow, he murmured. His mouth slid soft kisses over the aching curve of her breast.
Inside?
I will be.
Darbys laugh was a breathless puff of air.
The logical, analytical, cautious voice in her head that was usually in charge of her every choice screamed at her to stop. This was insane. She didnt even know the guys last name, had met him less than four hours ago, and was getting naked on the beach when there were perfectly private walls to get naked behind only a few feet away.
She needed to stop.
She gasped when his fingers skimmed inside the elastic band of her thong, sliding over the throbbing wet heat between her legs.
Or at least slow down. Yeah, slow down long enough to eliminate one of those issues from the list. The last name. Or knowing each other longer. Or even walls.
Walls were good.
Here?
Now.
Her breath coming in pants, Darby knew very little oxygen was making it to her brain. But there was enoughjust barely enoughto spur her to ask... Sand?
A little rough stuff could be fun. Exciting, even. But she didnt think sex and exfoliation should go hand in hand. Or, in this case, thigh-to-thigh.
Leave it to me, he promised, the words hot and moist against her flesh as he slid nibbling kisses over her throat.
He lowered them both to the sand, shifting so she was sitting on his lap. His hands moved faster now, racing over her bare flesh, teasing and tempting. As she tugged off his T-shirt, he sent her dress flying.
Clothes disappeared, bodies heated. His hands were everywhere, his mouth hot and wet as he lifted her high over his body. His fingers delved deep into her wet heat, stirring her hotter and higher as she poised above him.
He took care of protection in a swift, easy move before pulling her back into his arms, then positioned her over the impressive power of his erection.
Give yourself to me, he demanded, his husky words melding with the sound of the surf.
Watching his face, reveling in the appreciative pleasure she saw there, Darby slowly took him inside her. Her breath shuddered out, body quaking with the first orgasm as he filled her.
He let her set the pace, watched her like a hawk to gauge her pleasure, taking his own as he intensified the moves that she liked best.
Need tightened, coiling hot and hard.
He reached between their bodies, his fingers sliding over her wet, throbbing folds.
She exploded.
The roar of pleasure surged through her, ripping her to pieces. The feel of his climax, the grip of his hands on her hips, only sent her flying higher.
Holy freaking hell, was all she could think as she tried to reconnect her mind and her body.
Darby didnt know how long it was before she melted into his arms, the sound of the oceans waves playing a soft backdrop to the feel of her body slowly floating down from passions crest.
Damn, she thought as she tucked her head under Dominics chin.
This fantasy thing was amazing.
* * *
NIC WAS GOOD. Damn good.
Hed never had to think much about it. He considered that a simple reality. And given the amount of verification hed had over the years, hed never had reason to doubt that reality.
But with Darby, damn...
Hed met his match.
Hed figured she was hot. He wouldnt have introduced himself to her otherwise. Hed felt a connectionhe wouldnt have hit on her otherwise. Hed figured theyd rock the sex. But he hadnt expected her to make him pant with need, then blow his mind. For a man known for his skill in seeing probable outcomes, it was one hell of a nice surprise.
Theyd hit it on the beach, then theyd followed up with round two on his bungalow floor. He was pretty sure shed have slipped out the minute they found their clothes again, so hed snagged her underwear and carried her into his bed.
He called that strategy.
He called their third round of hot sex incredible.
Now, his body hummed with bone-deep satisfaction, the kind that could only be had from mind-blowingly intense sex. He counted the beats of his heart, waiting for it to return to normal. But even as Darbys breath warmed his chest, his body stirred for another round. She burrowed closer as the night air drifted over their entangled bodies, her thigh sliding over his already hardening erection. Desire shot through him like an electric current, energizing even as it demanded satisfaction.
Figuring she needed sleepor at least a little time to recover from that last sweaty bout of passion, Nic carefully slid out of her arms. Snagging the comforter from where theyd kicked it to the floor, he carefully draped it over her, tucking the ends to keep in the warmth.
For a second, a long delicious second, he watched her sleep. She didnt look any less wicked with her eyes closed, and now that he knew what her body was capable of? Hed never think of her as cute again. Nope, this woman was all heat. All power. All temptation.
Nic turned away before he could give in to the lure.
He crossed the bedroom, his steps silent on the sisal rug. Pushing aside one section of the walls sheer panels, he pulled open the glass door and stepped onto the patio. The wooden slats ran the length of the bungalow, a low railing open at one end for easy access to the beach.
Nic ignored the deeply cushioned chairs, instead hooking one knee over the rail as he breathed in the damp, salty air.
He stared out over the black waves, letting the power of the ocean fill him, wishing it would soothe the unrelenting pain lodged in his heart.
But now that the sex was done, the memories that haunted him every night flooded back in.
His team was under attack.
He was one man down.
And he couldnt even see the enemy. Hed tried. Hed put his best manhimselfon it, but while hed identified the frontline attack, whoever was masterminding the operation was still off his radar.
Team Poseidon was good. Damn good.
Thats why theyd formed. Because they were the best.
Although Nic had known a few of them since his petty officer days, the twelve men had become a team in BUD/S training. Itd been over a decade, but all he had to do was close his eyes and he was right back there in the Grinder. Theyd bonded over the challenge, over the pain, over the intense demands on their bodies. One minute they were competing for the best time in the thousand-meter swim, the next they were working together to cart a 150-pound log down the beach. The records theyd set still hadnt been surpassed. Theyd worked together as a team, each one pushing the other to be the best, then better than the best.
So impressed with the way the twelve of them had come together, had teamed up and had balanced each other in those six months, Admiral Cree had wondered just how good they could be.
Under his auspices, Poseidon was born. In return for their promise to pursue his mandate, hed guaranteed theyd deploy and serve together.
In the decade since Team Poseidon was created, they had become the best. Their reputation was on par with SEAL Team Six. Except unlike SEAL Team Six, whose members switched out regularly, Team Poseidon was exclusive. Each man on the team trained in multiple ratings, each man served under a variety of officers and each one was sent on the most dangerous missions. Together and apart, they upheld the reputation of Poseidon, the god of the sea.