Something moved to her right, and she turned to look that way, but before she could focus through the blinding rain, a two-by-four slammed into the side of Thad’s head.
He grunted and went down with a thud. Maren screamed, a shadow moved, and then the two-by-four swung out again. She ducked at the last second and missed being nailed. The shadow growled and swung out once more. Maren jumped back and, in an instant, realized it wasn’t just a shadow, it was a person.
A woman.
She was dressed all in black, in heavy boots, cargo pants, and a long-sleeved black shirt, and her hair was piled on top of her head. And she swung that two-by-four like Babe Ruth.
“You are not welcome here,” the woman growled in a thick accent, swinging the board again.
“We’re just trying to get out of the storm.” She ducked behind a palm tree and shook water from her eyes. “Stop! Oh my God. Why the hell are you swinging that at me?”
“Because you covet something that does not belong to you.”
The woman stepped to the side, and Maren darted to her right, behind the shelter of another tree. “I’m sorry. We’ll leave. We didn’t know this was your place—”
“Not the place,” the woman said, advancing on her. “La Malinche.”
In a flash, Maren recognized her. The woman from the market. The one she thought she’d seen at the docks when they’d left for their first dive. Her heart rate shot up. “I’m not—”
“Do not lie!” the woman hollered in a thick accent. “Las Hermanas de Protección safeguards the location of La Malinche. You will not find her!”
She swung out with the beam again. Maren looked right and left and realized she’d backed herself into a corner. Thick brush stood at her back. Tall trees blocked her path to the right and left. Her adrenaline surged.
“I don’t care about La Malinche!” she yelled. “I’m just trying to protect my daughter. You’re a woman. You have to understand that!”
Wind howled and whipped Maren’s hair in front of her face. The woman stopped her swing in midair and stared at Maren. Slowly, her dark eyes narrowed.
Yes, yes… Maybe she’d gotten through to her.
“Doña Marina had one daughter. She had to give her up, for her own safety. She—”
Silver flashed in the corner of Maren’s vision, then slammed into the back of the woman’s head. The woman grunted and went down. The two-by-four flew out of her hand and landed against the base of a tree. Through the raging wind and rain, Maren caught sight of Thad, swaying as he braced a hand against the trunk of a nearby palm.
“Oh my God.” Blood ran in rivulets down the side of his face, mixing with the rain sliding across his skin. She stepped over the woman’s still body and rushed up to him, catching him before he went down. “You’re bleeding.”
“That’s how you use a dive tank, bitch,” he said, looking down at the woman’s unmoving body.
Maren tugged him toward another building. He moved slowly, as if half out of it. Wind slapped in their faces, and wet hair whipped across her eyes. She pulled him up the two small steps and helped him lean against the building. “Stay here!” she called through the storm.
She ran back down the steps toward the tanks. She didn’t know if they’d need the water or not, but it was better to be prepared. A chill rushed down her spine when she realized the woman was gone. She looked right and left. Didn’t see anyone. But the storm had kicked up even more since they’d arrived, and it was nearly impossible to see more than a few feet in front of her now. Realizing there was nothing else she could do, she grabbed the tanks and ran back to where she’d left Thad. Blood dripped down onto his bare chest, and his eyes were closed, his head tipped back against the wall.
Fear caused her heart rate to soar. She had to get him out of the storm. She tried the door, but it was locked. Realizing she’d never be strong enough to knock it in on her own, she grabbed the tank and slammed the base against the lock.
The door cracked. She did it again, this time putting her weight behind it. The door gave with a crash, and she stumbled into the room.
She didn’t waste time looking around. She dropped the tank, ran back out, and helped Thad to his feet, then brought him inside. After helping him sit on the bed, she ran into the small bathroom, grabbed a towel, and brought it back to him. Then she shoved a small dresser in front of the door to keep it closed.
In the shelter of the room, she could finally breathe. She turned and looked over the small space. A bed, a couple of lamps, and windows that looked out toward the beach. A basic beach motel, if you wanted something rustic in the southern Yucatan. But the howling wind and sideways rain slamming into the casita kept her from relaxing. And all that glass set her nerves right back to vibrating.
She crossed to Thad, who’d flopped back on the bed, and tugged him to his feet. “Come on. Into the bathroom.”
“Just want to sleep.”
“Not until I make sure you’re okay. And I’m afraid if this storm gets any stronger, this room might be a death trap.”
“Lots of things a person can do in a bathroom,” he mumbled. “Sleep isn’t one of them.”
She smiled, because at least the teasing tone was back in his voice. That was a good sign. “As long as you don’t have a concussion, you can sleep. Even in a bathroom.”
She helped him sit on the edge of the tub, had him hold a towel against his bleeding forehead, then went back into the bedroom and ripped the sheet off the bed. She dropped it and all the pillows she could find on the floor in the bathroom, then went back out and dragged the mattress in with her.
“Sweetheart,” he slurred, “if you wanted to roll across the sheets, we could have done it out there. This room’s not big enough for my acrobatics.”
“Cute.” She leaned the mattress against the sink and toilet, then lifted the sheet from the floor and ripped it into strips. Stepping in front of him, she reached for the towel at his forehead. “Let me see.”
The towel was soaked in blood, and she cringed when she pulled it away and saw the gash at the end of his eyebrow. The wound was red and angry, and a bruise was already forming around the spot. Head wounds bled a lot, she reminded herself. He was okay; they were okay. So long as this storm didn’t kill them, they’d be fine.
She dabbed at the spot and knew by the way he hissed in a breath that it had to hurt like hell. Trying to be gentle, she folded the cotton strip lengthwise, then tied it around his head. “This is the best I can do for a bandage right now. At least you won’t have to hold the towel up.”
He closed his eyes and gripped the side of the tub. “Call me Mr. Miyagi.”
She laughed at the Karate Kid reference. “You’re dating yourself, Leighton.”
“What can I say? I’m a child of the eighties.”
She remembered. She remembered a lot of things.
Shaking off the memories trying to seep in, she tossed the pillows into the tub so they cushioned the basin. Then she lifted his feet over the side and said, “Get in.”
He shot her a look. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Have you ever been in a hurricane? Trust me, when broken glass starts flying, you’ll be thanking me.”
He studied her a minute with that silly bandage on his head, the red seeping through and his eyes only half-open. And though they were still a little dazed, they were also heated, and so damn sexy she started to wonder if maybe this wasn’t the smartest idea she’d ever come up with.
“You’re coming in too, I take it?”
Yeah, that was the plan, but Maren was suddenly second-guessing herself.
A slow smile spread across his lips, and he eased down onto the pillows in the tub and held out his hand. “Come on, Blondie.”
Wind howled. The little casita shook. But when glass shattered in the other room, she didn’t even hesitate.
She climbed in with him, lay on her side against his, and pulled the mattress over the top of them, creating a padded shelter on one side.
/>
“Now this,” he said on a sigh, “is what I call cozy.”
Thad wrapped his arm around her, bringing her tight against his body, and his heat immediately seeped into Maren, warming her from the outside in. Yeah, okay, this definitely wasn’t the brightest idea, because pressed up against him like this, with his hard body plastered to hers and the mattress cocooning them in safety, all she could suddenly think about was sliding her body over his and letting him ease the fear still teasing the edges of her mind.
He breathed deep, rested his head back against the tub, and rubbed his hand down her arm. “Who was that crazy bitch outside?”
“I-I don’t know.” She tried to focus on his question, and not on how good he felt, but it was futile. She’d always loved snuggling in with him like this. Loved the way he smelled and the soft caress of his fingers and the way when she was with him, it was as if the rest of the world didn’t exist. “I saw her in the market. And again at the marina when we set sail for that first dive. And I’m not certain, but I’m pretty sure she was the one in the cenote who set off that explosion. She’s trying to keep us from finding La Malinche.”
“She said that?”
“Pretty much. She said ‘Las Hermanas protects the location of La Malinche.’”
“Hmm.” Thad was silent for a moment, but his hand against Maren’s arm kept moving, kept sending tiny arcs of electricity all along her skin. “We’ll have to mention it to Patrick when we see him.”
Her father was the last person she wanted to talk about. She rested her hand against Thad’s chest and marveled at the muscles hidden beneath his tanned skin. He thought she was sexy? He had no idea. While he’d been attractive in his twenties, in his midthirties he was more confident, more muscular, and just downright hot. He probably had women falling for him all the time.
That thought was more depressing than she liked, so she pushed it aside and looked up. His eyes were closed, his head tipped back, but there was the slightest smile on his lips. One that made her think he was enjoying this as much as she was. “How’s your head?”
“Better,” he answered without opening his eyes. “I think I’m gonna have to call you my hero from now on.”
“I’m not the one who knocked her out.”
His smile faded. “I hope she’s still out. And that the storm carries her away.”
“She was gone when I went back for the tanks. I think we’re safe until this weather blows over.”
“Or until she—whoever she is—brings back reinforcements.”
Yeah, Maren had considered that too, but for whatever reason, she had a feeling the woman wouldn’t. There’d been a look in her eyes when Maren had mentioned Isabel—a connection between them, as if the woman suddenly understood. And though it was crazy, Maren sensed that woman wasn’t going to come after her again. At least not tonight.
She shook off the strange feeling and studied his bandage. “We’ll just make sure we’re gone when she comes back. In the meantime…let me check your head.”
She shifted up, but there was very little room to move side to side in the tub. Finally realizing the easiest way to reach his forehead was to kneel, she lifted her leg and straddled his hips, careful to keep her weight on her knees so she wouldn’t sink into him.
Her fingers grazed his forehead as she lifted the bandage and checked the wound. The bleeding had slowed considerably. After changing the bandage, she tightened it around his head and was just about to climb off him when his hands landed at her waist, holding her in place.
“Thad,” she warned.
A sexy, one-sided smile spread across his face. “I’m cold, Blondie. I have a head injury. You don’t want me to go into shock now, do you?”
He was playing her. He wasn’t going into shock. And she needed to get off him right this minute. But oh, he felt good between her legs. And when he tugged her weight down until her hips were pressing against his and his growing erection was nestled right between her thighs, her brain short-circuited.
So thick. So aroused. So hers for the taking.
Her hands landed against his shoulders. She made a feeble attempt to get away, but he held her close and didn’t let go, and truly, she didn’t want to leave.
“God, you feel good,” he mumbled. One hand slid around to the small of her back. The other slinked into her wet hair. “Mm…warm.”
She wasn’t warm. She was on fire. And if he lifted his hips like that again, so close to where she wanted him to rub against her, she might not be able to stop herself.
“Thad,” she warned again.
“See how good it can be, Blondie?” He rocked his hips slightly. Tugged her tighter to him with the hand at her back. The rigid length of his erection brushed the sensitive skin between her legs, and she couldn’t help herself. She groaned. “Yeah,” he mumbled. “Not just good. Amazing.”
Maren’s eyes slid closed, and she arched into him, forcing her hips into closer contact with his. Oh yes, he felt good. So good. She was running on too little sleep, not enough food, and way too much adrenaline. And everything else—the reasons she couldn’t have him, the things left unsaid between them, her purpose for being here in the first place, seemed to fade into the background.
“Thad,” she whispered.
“I know.” He lifted his shoulders from the back of the tub and pressed his lips against the column of her throat. “This isn’t sex, though. Think of this as…nursing me back to health.”
She laughed but didn’t pull away. God, she should pull away. “Nice try.”
His lips curled into a smile against her skin. “No? Then how about celebrating the fact we’re alive.”
Her hands landed on his shoulders while his lips trailed a line of hot, wet kisses from her throat to her ear and finally to her jaw. Tingles raced down her neck, into her breasts, and across the tips of her nipples. A moan slipped from her lips. His muscular chest grazed her oversensitive breasts while the hard length of his cock pressed against her throbbing sex, right where she wanted him most.
“Maren…” He kissed her jaw, her cheek, nipped his way to the corner of her mouth. Then slid his tongue along her bottom lip and lifted his hips again. “I want you.”
Sparks ricocheted through her lower body. Oh, God… She wanted him too. She pressed down against him, groaned at the wicked sensation, and gave up the fight.
His mouth closed over hers in a possessive kiss. His tongue instantly found hers. She framed his face with her hands and kissed him back, stroking his tongue with hers in the way she wanted him to stroke her body. With his fingers. With his cock. For just a second…for a few minutes…she wanted to let go of the hows and whys and everything that could have happened to them. She just wanted to feel.
He changed the angle of the kiss, tasted her deeper, lifted his hips once more, rubbing against her clit again and again. She moaned, dragged her mouth from his, offered her throat. Loved the way he could still drive her crazy with his lips, his tongue, with those wicked hands against her breasts.
At some point, he’d untied her bikini top. She was so lost in him she didn’t know when. All she knew was his warm, rough fingers were twisting her nipple, sending sharp currents of arousal straight to her sex, and his lips…moving down her throat, across her chest, heading for her breasts.
“Oh, Thad…” She arched her back, groaned when he squeezed her breast, when he brought it to his lips. And nearly came out of her skin when he licked around her nipple and finally drew her into his mouth.
She rubbed against him again and again, saw sparks when he suckled, when he bit down gently on her nipple. Frantic hands pulled at her bikini bottom and tossed it aside. And then his mouth was at her throat, her jaw, her lips again as he wiggled his hips out of his shorts.
“Maren…” His mouth claimed hers once more. Hot, wet, needy kisses that only supercharged her more. And then she felt his fingers against her sex, pressing into her wetness and drawing a slick line up around her clit.
She shiv
ered, lifted her hips to give him more access. Knew nothing but the exquisite feel of his touch. Her body trembled as he pressed inside her and stroked deep, and she kissed him again, thrusting her tongue into his mouth the way he was thrusting his fingers inside her body.
“You’re so wet,” he mumbled against her lips, “and tight. Just like I remember.” He captured her hand and brought it to his cock. “I’m dying here, Blondie.”
He was hard in her hand. Long and thick, and she knew he’d feel even better inside her body. She stroked him from base to tip as he kissed her again. As he groaned into her mouth and circled her clit with his thumb.
He arched his hips so the tip of his cock brushed against her swollen clit. Maren shivered and groaned. He captured it on his lips and moved again.
His hand left her sex, settled at her waist. The other fell against her other side. He lifted her easily so the head of his cock was lodged at the entrance to her body. Then pulled away from her mouth, looked down, and groaned.
He was watching. The idea sent a naughty thrill through her, and the lust she saw burning in his eyes only made her hotter. “Thad…”
“Hmm…?” Eyes still locked where he touched her, he lifted his hips. Pressed inside one tiny inch. And oh…that felt so good. Her eyes slid closed.
He drew out, trailed his cock up to her clit, and circled again until she saw stars, then slid back to her opening.
She groaned. Felt herself slipping. Felt every wall start to crumble.
“God, Blondie. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted you this much.”
She wanted him too. But his words brought reality back to the forefront of her mind. And as crazy as she was for him at the moment, there were still some things she wasn’t willing to risk. “Thad…we can’t.”
“Yeah, we can,” he said in a low voice. A sexy voice. An I-need-you-now voice. “We definitely can.”
She lifted her hips and backed slightly away, preventing him from sinking inside her again. If he did that—even a fraction of an inch—her resistance would fail. Hand still wrapped around the base of his cock, she leaned her forehead against his. “We can’t. No condoms.”