Chapter Seven

Mitch tumbled from the Q40 into the water, diving downward to get a vantage point for where Liz would land. He tapped the button to the mini-light attached to his jacket, and a hundred or so yards in front of him lit up like a movie screen. The sides and back were still dark as hell, but if he felt the outward ripple of water from the point she fell in, he’d be able to gauge her distance. See the bubbles of entry.

As if on cue, the small pod of dolphins blocked his view. He kicked toward the general direction, gently pushing his way through the pod, straining to see around them.

He didn’t have long to find her. Even less time, if she kept sinking once she hit the water.

She’d said she couldn’t swim. What did that mean? A little? Some? None?

Would she even know to watch her bubbles to find which way was up?

The pod separated, and there was Liz. Fighting the water. Losing the battle. The mini-light lit the expression on her face, the fear in her eyes.

Kicking as hard as he could, he propelled himself in her direction. Grabbed her waist and shot them both upward. Breaking the surface of the water, they both sucked in air. Hers filled with coughing and gagging, her arms fighting to climb an invisible ladder out of the water. He grabbed one of her arms then reached out to keep her head above water. She turned onto him, grappling to tighten her hold on his shoulder, pushing him downward.

Wrapping his arms around hers, he leaned her back against him, eased her into a float. “Stop, Liz. Stop fighting me.”

She shook with fear, clawing at his arm. Still gasping for air, her chest heaved with rapid breaths of fear. Shock would start soon. That’s all he needed.

“Shhhhh…,” he whispered against her ear. “I’ve got you, Elizabeth…I’ve got you.” He brushed his lips against her temple, kissed her lightly. “I’ve got you. Shhhhh…”

The more he talked to her, the more he brushed his cheek against the side of her head, the calmer she became. Her breathing steadied, and her fingers rested on his arms instead of digging in for dear life.

“Tell me what to do,” she said, panting with exhaustion.

“You let me worry about that. First I get us to our ride.” He loosened one of his arms from around her and started a side crawl stroke, heading them in the direction of the Q40. “Try to stay calm. Don’t fight me.”

As planned, the Q40 had stopped running the moment she fell off, the moment the lanyard attached to her shirt had pulled the key from the ignition. And OPAQUE’s specially enhanced levelers would have automatically activated, allowing the riders to remount the Q40 from either side or the back.

He could hear the spray from the dolphins in the pod, but they were heading in the other direction. Only a few more strokes till he’d have Liz to safety.

He positioned her near the Q40. “Grab hold of the rail. Once you do, I’m going to let go.”

“I’ll sink.”

“Not if you hold on.” He wrapped her fingers around a hold point then slowly released his hands. “See? Breathe easy. Pedal your legs every so often.”

Gradually, her expression changed from panic to acceptance, and finally a tiny smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I’m okay.”

“Try to keep doing what you’re doing.”

She nodded. “Can we get back on the Q40?”

“Soon. When you get out of the water, you’re going to be cold. Especially once we get going again. So, we’ve got to get you out of your shoes. And your shorts.”

Her eyes rounded. “No way.”

He’d used the same technique on other assignments. And right now his goal was to keep her warm any way possible. “Look, wet shoes are another base for extra cold to creep into your body. And the shorts will be like an extra layer of wet cold against your groin, which is one of the areas you want to keep warm for body heat. Understand?”

She slowly nodded. “What about my top?”

“Once you’re out of the water, you’ll take that off. Don’t worry, you’ll still have your bikini on. That’s when I’ll wrap you in a solar vest from my emergency compartment.” Time was wasting, but he knew she’d fight him all the way if he didn’t explain.

Huffing out a loud breath, she shook her head. “I don’t think I can let go enough to take them off.”

“Got it.” He slid beneath the waterline, tugging her shorts downward as he went. They caught on her shoes, so he pulled to get them off also. She’d double-tied them…tight… He pulled hard from her heel and one slipped loose, and accidently his finger slid across her arch.

She jerked her foot back then kicked him in the head. Hard. Painful. And, again.

He popped to the surface, raking his palm down his face. “Don’t kick me, lady.”

“Don’t tickle my foot.”

“I didn’t.”

“You did.”

Exasperated, he dipped downward again and removed the other shoe, along with her shorts. Then, he swam back up and hoisted himself onto the Q40. He pulled her out of the water, stood her on the foot platforms facing him, and had the solar blanket vest out of the compartment by the time she had her T-shirt off.

Shivering, she shoved her arms through the armholes. He realized the vest was meant for one of the men—the Q40 hadn’t been packed for a rescue, it had been packed for a protector. A man with broad shoulders and muscles and around six feet tall. At maybe five-five and a hundred thirty pounds, she was lost in the vest. Without the snugness against her body, the heat would rapidly escape. The Gulf of Mexico wasn’t freezing, but it was cooler than people thought. Especially once you were wet and got out into the night air. Even worse with the ride they still had to make.

Her shivers intensified.

With both of them still standing, he took off his Neoprene top and shoved it into the Q40 side compartment. Quickly, he removed the solar vest from Liz and slid it on himself. She looked like a lost waif, watching him for a sign—any sign—of what he would do to help her. In that moment, something in the way she looked told him he’d do whatever it took to keep her alive.

Anything.

He pulled her against his chest, and she leaned in to his warmth, her hands clutching at his sides to get even closer. He wrapped the vest around them both, clicked the buckle in place, and tightened the belt. He pulled her closer, cupping her body nearer, laying his cheek against her hair.

She was his to save, and he would.

For the next few minutes they stood there, arms wrapped around each other, waiting. Waiting for her to stop shivering.

Finally she looked up at him. “I’m warm. Thank you.”

He stroked the side of his finger down her cheek. There was no way he could tell her how warm she felt to him. No reason to tell her. He was the protector. She was the client.

“Good. We need to get going.” He sat down, awkwardly pulling her with him. “Did you at least go to the bathroom when you fell in the water?”

“Must have, because I don’t need to go now.”

Her knees bumped his knees, their legs tangling with who should be where. Didn’t take long for him to realize he couldn’t get a good grip on the handles or see the dash screen or sit in this position for more than a short time.

“Why can’t I get on the back again?” she asked.

“No. The only way this will work is for both of us to face each other in this solar vest. So…um…” God help him, this was going to be tough. “Stand back up.”

Together they stood. He cupped her bottom. Pulled her legs up around him. Then sat back down. He tugged her even closer, draping her legs over the top of his thighs. Their bodies were so close there was no way her groin would lose any heat.

He blew out a deep sigh, relieved he could now grip the throttle. Monitor the dash screen. Ride for hours. Unless his body killed him somewhere along the way.

She looked up. “Alrighty then.”

“Yeah.” He shook his head, grinned. “Sorry about this.”

“I lost the earbud piece.”

“Don’t worry about it. That’s the least of our worries.”

Slipping her fingers out of the vest then up to his jawline, she smiled. “Just in case I fall off again, I don’t plan to die without a proper thank you.”

She covered his lips with her own, tender and gentle. Then covered fuller, more open, pulsing her kiss with need. As she pulled away, her teeth scraped his bottom lip.

His insides tightened, but he controlled his urge. Damn-it-to-hell, this woman was going to be the death of him.

“Alrighty then,” she whispered to herself.

“That was a crazy thing to do, Liz.”

“Yeah, but you know what Drake used to say”—she brushed her fingertips across Mitch’s lower lip—”enjoy life while you can. What if tomorrow never comes?”

His body stirred again. Fast and hard as hell.

She glanced up at him. “Going to be a long painful trip at this rate.”

“No kidding!”

What was it about this woman? What kind of chemistry was his body picking up from her? Craving?

“I don’t want you to think I’m usually that forward.” She snuggled against him beneath the solar vest. “But…I’m really kind of worried right now.”

“Don’t worry about tomorrow. I’ll make sure we’re still breathing when the sun comes up.” But she was right about the pain, and there was only one way to stop his hunger. Besides, she’d kissed him first. “But just in case…”

He clutched the back of her head, twisting his fingers through her hair, and tilted her face toward his, lowering his mouth. Her lips parted, and she let him in. He went slow…gentle. Then, like a man gasping for oxygen, he wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her. She tasted so good. Good he didn’t deserve. Good he couldn’t have.

He regained control and pulled his mouth away then clicked the Q40’s throttle into high gear. The Q40 jolted forward, faster and faster and faster.

He’d just made one giant size mistake. One he hadn’t made before. One he wouldn’t make again.

Still, what was it about her? What?