“Not in the bathrooms.” She ripped off her top, then leaned in to whisper in his ear. “You should know, I have plans for tonight.”
Her words didn’t register for several heart-stopping seconds due to the fact that she was wearing a bright pink bra edged in black silk, complete with a bow between her breasts, breasts that were full and creamy smooth, threatening to spill out with her every movement as she reached up to pin her hair on top of her head.
“It shouldn’t take long,” she added.
Since most of his brain cells had ceased to function, he was definitely working with less than a full deck. “What shouldn’t?”
Her hands went to the button on the waistband of her skirt. “I’ll show you later.”
“Now’s better.”
She looked at him as if he was a very stupid man, then put her mouth back to his ear. “I’m going to break into Rick’s office and try to get proof of his illegal activities to take with us in the morning.”
Christ, that was a spectacularly dangerous idea. He hated this. Well, he loved the stripping part, especially how that gorgeous, willowy, curvy bod was shimmying out of that skirt, but hated everything else. “Maddie.”
She dropped her skirt.
His jaw nearly fell as well. It made no sense-he’d already seen her naked. Hell, he’d kissed every inch of her naked, and yet here he stood, rooted to the spot, instantly galvanized by the sight of her in her underwear like he was a horny teenager who’d never gotten lucky except by his own fist.
Her panties were little boy-cut shorty shorts, matched the bra, and like everything else about her, just about did him in. Low on her hips and cut to a deep V in front, they dipped low enough to give him heart failure, and that was before she turned her back on him to check the water temperature, bending over the tub to do so, revealing the back, which rode up so high that half of that gorgeous, mouthwatering ass was revealed in all its perfection.
And she was perfection. His secret fantasy. Actually, maybe not so secret as he stood there probably drooling and most definitely hard enough to strain the button fly on his jeans. He pulled her in close under the guise of wanting to kiss her. “Let’s just get out of here in one piece.”
“There’s no boat until morning anyway. Now move. I have to get this off me.”
Nothing marred her skin except the surgery scar across her shoulder. Nothing but creamy, smooth skin and long, sleek toned muscles, all put together in the most feminine, sexy package he’d ever seen. “What off you?”
“The ickiness.” She reached up and unhooked her bra, letting it fall to the floor. Turning to face the water, she stuck her thumbs into the sides of her panties and slid them down as well.
And whatever brain cells he’d managed to retain went crack, snap, pop and promptly fried themselves.
Oblivious, she stepped into the shower and grabbed the soap, which she proceeded to rub between her hands and then briskly spread over her body. Up and down her legs, her arms, her belly, ribs, and those perfect breasts. Leaning in, he whispered, “Snooping could get us killed.”
“No.” She whispered, too, so low he had to stay close, getting wet. “He needs me. Well, me as Leena. He won’t kill her.”
Since he could think of several things-hundreds of things-that could be just as bad as not killed, this wasn’t exactly a comfort.
She was still vigorously rubbing that soap over herself as if she really could eradicate whatever memories were torturing her by skinning herself alive. Admittedly mesmerized by the sight of that gorgeous flesh all wet and soapy, he had to shake that off. “Your skin is getting red.”
She didn’t stop. The solution was simple enough. Kicking off his shoes, he tugged off his shirt and shucked his pants.
All for the cause.
She looked up again when he stepped into the shower with her, her gaze taking him in, slowing in the region of his chest, his abs, and then a little lower, which stroked his ego.
Water sluiced over the both of them, blessedly hot and hard enough to pound away some of the stress of the day. She scooted back to give him some room but that’s not what he wanted, not when she was shiny and slicked up, bubbles and water pouring over those breasts, down her belly, between her legs.
He wanted to be between those legs. Wanted to feel, wanted to look, wanted to taste-
“Not here,” she said, reminding him of where they were.
Yeah. He didn’t want to taint what they had with this place either. Instead, he drew her in, kissing her softly as he took the soap out of her hands.
Maddie looked into his eyes for a long moment, the water raining down over them, and Brody would have sworn he was looking right into her heart and soul, the moment so real and deep it was almost as good as sex would have been.
Brody came instantly awake in the dark when the warm, soft body wrapped in his arms tried to slip away all stealthlike. He had to give her credit-she was good, wriggling down his torso with hardly any movement at all, just a whisper of the sheets, but he was better than good.
He’d always slept extremely lightly, especially in places he hated, and Stone Cay with all its opulence and riches topped his list. He let her nearly make her escape and then tightened his arms on her.
She went still as stone.
He waited and was rewarded when she lifted her head and met his gaze in the dark.
“You’re up,” she said.
Instead of answering, he slid his hands down her back, cupped her extremely cuppable ass, then went for her thighs, pulling them up to his hips so that she straddled him. From there, he gave a slight rock of his pelvis.
Her gasp revealed that she understood he was indeed…up.
Very up.
“I have to go,” she said.
Right. Clearly, it was time for the breaking and entering portion of their evening. But it didn’t escape his notice that she didn’t move away.
“Really have to go-”
He kissed her, then pulled back. “We have to go,” he corrected, and with a fond sigh for the long life he might have lived if not for this stupid plan, he got out of bed with her.
Chapter 22
Leena and Ben were taken to the airport. Saul manhandled Leena onto Rick’s Cessna, then gave her a hard shove into her seat. When he left her there alone for the first time since she’d stepped foot into Ben’s gallery, she hurriedly reached into her pocket for Maddie’s phone and turned it on, quickly reading through the texts Maddie had sent until she understood exactly what was going on.
Maddie thought Leena had gone to Stone Cay, and believing that, she’d raced after her to protect her. Because that’s what Maddie did, protect Leena. Only now, because of it, her life was in jeopardy.
And so was Leena’s.
There was only one thing to do. Besides panic, that is. She somehow needed to make sure Ed and Saul continued to believe she was Maddie. It was the only way. Otherwise, Rick would hear about it from Saul and Ed, and he might hurt the real Maddie.
Head spinning, Leena put the cell phone back in her pocket. Wave after wave of guilt crashed over her, but before she could drown in it, Ben received the same treatment she’d gotten and fell into the seat next to her.
Then they were alone in the back of the plane. Just outside, she could hear Ed and Saul talking amongst themselves, waiting for their pilot.
And though she didn’t want to-God, she so didn’t want to see his hatred-she glanced over at Ben.
Eyes narrowed, jaw tight, he was looking out the window. Even furious and slightly roughed up as he was, he was still the best-looking man she’d ever met.
And soon, thanks to her, he was going to be the best-looking dead man she’d ever met. “Ben.”
His gaze slid her way. His mouth was bleeding, and he already had a bruise forming alongside his jaw. He hadn’t come easily, and she wanted to cry. This was her fault. All her fault…“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “So damn sorry to get you into this mess.”