Page 32 of Jordan
If she had said she was going to dance naked on the Lido deck, he would not have been more astounded.
"Excuse me?" He pulled her out of the line as they made their way towards the quaint little souvenir shops that led to an impressive-looking hotel. Stepping outside was like having the rays of the sun directly pouring over skin. A faint breeze stirred the air but did nothing to move the heat and humidity. Clamping his hand on her bare arm, he turned her to face him, eyes narrowing at the laughter lurking in her own eyes.
"Weed, is it? What would you do if I actually got us some?"
"Why, smoke it of course."
"Have you ever smoked at all?"
"In high school, I snuck out with a friend to experiment." Her eyes were dancing merrily. She was excited and wondering why this was her first visit to the beautiful island of Jamaica. They were near the beach and the water was so blue, it hurt the eyes. The sand so fine and soft, their feet practically sank right into it.
"Okay, let's see if we can score some." Tucking her hand through his arm, he led them towards the crowd. Her skin felt soft as satin against his and he could not help but feel superior having her on his arm. Her miniscule black swimsuit was showing through her pale pink wrap, and she had to clamp a hand on her straw hat. She had come armed with a huge tote bag she had bought in the Bahamas and had packed the camera, her iPod, phone, towels and a notebook and pens.
She had mentioned earlier that she was playing around with an idea to have her couple take a trip to the islands as they try and escape some men who were hunting them.
He had bought her some island goodies, a couple of t-shirts, some pretty handwoven earrings and leather bags with the names of the different islands they had stopped. She had insisted on buying him a leather wallet and belt. He knew he was going to treasure them as long as he lived.
He found a space for them beneath what he told her was a budding coconut tree. The beach was crowded, not only with the passengers from their cruise ship, but from another ship that had docked at the port. The smell of the sea, the wonderful heat and the breeze on their skin was perfect.
His mouth turned dry when she shrugged off the flimsy material to reveal two wedges of material that was barely decent.
Then she turned around and asked him to rub sunscreen on her back. Shoving her hair to one side, she unhooked the clasp of her bra and stretched on the towel, her chin propped on her folded hands.
Taking a deep, fortifying breath, he unscrewed the cap and squeezed a generous amount of the cream in his palm. Tellinghimself that it wasn't a big deal, he started at the neck and worked his way down to her shoulders and then the small of her back. But his body was not cooperating with his mind. In fact, his mind had gone sluggish on him. Suddenly, the noises around them, people frolicking in the deep blue water -- all of it had faded into the background and it was just them.
His hands were soothing, fingers kneading the flesh in a rhythmic motion that should have been lulling. But it was not drowsiness she was feeling. She had asked him to rub the sunscreen on her back in all innocence, because she could not reach the area herself. She had not thought it through clearly. What she felt was not heat from the brilliant sun, but a ball of fire unfurling and spreading to every area of her body. Her fingers curled into the soft towel as her nipples reacted violently. Closing her eyes, she tried to think of something else, anything else, to block out the effect of his hands on her body.
Jordan hesitated at the waistband of her bikini bottom. He was hard as iron, his body coated with a fine sheen of sweat and his heart was pumping. He spread his hands over her back, his body going still. When he did not move, Julesa lifted her head to look over her shoulder at him. Their eyes met and what she saw in his, had her drawing in a careful breath. The amber had turned to molten gold and his face was harsh, the bones more pronounced.
"Jordan--"
Snatching his hands from her back as if he had been burned, he surged to his feet.
"I'm going to take a swim." Wheeling around, he raced over the white-hot sand towards the cool, inviting water.
Julesa sat up shakily and reaching around, she secured the clasp of the top and drew her knees up. He was like a fish, she thought dully as she watched him dive cleanly, slicing the water and going under. She continued to stare until he became a dot on the horizon. Her heart was pounding inside her chest and her entire body felt weak and fluttery. Her nipples were rubbing against the thin material of her bathing suit top and causing a friction that was driving her crazy.
She had been avoiding this. Telling herself that being attracted to him was the worse thing she could ever do. She was on a mission. One that did not involve, could never involve them being with each other physically. But her body was saying something far different.
She had to concentrate on the plan and not lose focus. They had both entered into the arrangement with clear and concise goals. There was no way they could afford to muck things up by becoming intimately involved.
He stayed out in the sea for almost an hour. When he was tired of swimming, his limbs burning from the exertion, he simply turned on his back and floated, eyes squinted against the brilliance of the sun. The sky was a clear teal blue, with just a few puffy clouds drifting along lazily. The hectic physical activity had cleared his head, if not his body. He was still aroused. Still thinking of her, feeling the satiny texture of her skin on his hands.
She had a mole dead center in the middle of her back. And her skin was flawless. Her butt well-toned. He had caught a glimpse of the sides of her breasts, had seen the outlines of her nipples through the flimsy material. The rest was left up to his imagination and he did not have to be a writer to know that her body was compact and completely perfect.
And he wanted her more than he wanted to live. He wanted the taste of her settling on his lips. His hands all over her. He wanted to fuse his body to hers, until they were both spent.
Swearing ripely, he plunged back in and did a few strokes before heading back.
*****
He was aloof and distant for the rest of the day. Someone found a cookshop, completely rustic -- nothing more than a shanty that served delicious Jamaican food. She opted to order the spicy curried goat with rice and peas and was enchanted by the musical island accent and the friendliness of the rotund man and his smiling wife. They had drummed up quite a business, with several of the passengers stopping by to sample the delicious fare.
But her pleasure was dimmed by the fact that Jordan was barely speaking to her. Oh, she could not fault him for his attentiveness. He made sure she had her fill of the meal and suggested she sample the coconut water from the shell.
She gorged herself on the rich food and ended with the thick mango juice that was so delicious, she had to ask for a second glass.
Then it was time to head back to the ship. Whereas he had held her hand when they were disembarking, he kept a few inches away from her and discouraged any conversation with her by talking to the man next to him.
