Caught in the Crossfire Read online

  They both deserved this time away from their real lives. A fantasy week with a handsome, virile man began to have more and more appeal for her.

  * * *

  Jared stirred about an hour before landing. He glanced over at Lindsey and she smiled. Oh, yes. Definitely a man she wanted to know better, in bed and out. With her decision made, Lindsey allowed herself to appreciate his good looks, his great body and his unforgettable smile.

  "What are you looking at?" he asked, a slight crease appearing between his brows.

  "Oh, I've been going through the packet Dad gave us. There's quite a brochure about the hotel. I'm impressed."

  "What does it say?"

  In the chirpy voice of an eager travel agent, Lindsey read, "A perfect getaway for adults only. Private beaches, several restaurants, honeymoon suites."

  His frown increased. "Honeymoon suites?" He closed his eyes. "Great."

  She continued reading in her own voice. "Honeymooners receive a complimentary candlelight dinner their first evening. Champagne, a flower arrangement and a fruit basket are part of the hotel's welcome."

  He opened his eyes. "Champagne, huh?"

  "Mmm. I don't drink very often, but this sounds like a nice offer."

  Jared stretched. "I'll be right back," he said, and walked to the back of the plane.

  Once inside the tiny restroom he stared at himself in the mirror. Why don't they shoot me now and put me out of my misery? Candlelight dinner, champagne, honeymoon suite. Everything a man could want or need to set up a great seduction scene.

  What a waste.

  He pictured Lindsey wearing one of those see-through gowns, holding a flute of champagne, and his mouth grew dry.

  "Stiff upper lip, old chap," he told himself. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing that would remain stiff for the rest of their stay.

  Once they landed and cleared customs, Jared carried their bags to a taxi stand where they got a ride to the resort.

  When they turned into the private drive of the hotel where they would be staying, Lindsey gasped in awe. "Just look, Jared. This place looks like a tropical paradise."

  "Yeah, I noticed." He felt like ramming his fists into a punching bag a few dozen times. In an effort to appear civil, he added, "Really nice."

  He was surprised when she reached for his hand and said, "This is going to be so much fun, Jared. Let's enjoy every minute of it!"

  Her enthusiasm left him speechless. Maybe she didn't enjoy sex. Maybe she—naw, don't go there. She'd been quite responsive whenever he'd kissed her. Who knew what her problem was? He was too busy dealing with his.

  Once they checked in, they received several brochures describing activities they might enjoy.

  Jared glanced through them while they rode the elevator to the top floor. When the door opened, the porter led them down a long hallway to the last door. With a flourish, the porter opened the door and carried the luggage inside. Jared pulled out a couple of bills and handed them to him, nodding when the man thanked him.

  He wasn't surprised, when he looked around the room, to discover the suite looked like something from a Hollywood movie.

  There was only one, rather massive, bed. After all, it was a room for honeymooners. There was a sitting area and a fully equipped bathroom nearby. He opened doors and discovered a nice-size closet and yet another bathroom. At least they could have some privacy some of the time. This one had a huge tub with water jets. He could think of all kinds of things to do.

  Don't go there.

  When he finished his exploring, he walked over to Lindsey who stood at one of the windows, looking out. He stopped beside her and put his hands into his back pockets.

  "Nice view," he said, determined to be polite even if it killed him.

  She glanced around at him, a huge grin on her face. "Nice? More like absolutely gorgeous."

  "True," he agreed, although his gaze was on her. Her dress blew him away. Shorter than her usual style and much more colorful, the dress swirled around her knees when she walked and drew the eye to her shapely legs and ankles.

  She'd chosen to leave her hair down this morning and the combination of the dress and casual hairdo, along with her sexy good looks, kept him aroused.

  "So what would you like to do now?" he finally asked.

  She thought for a moment. "Let's change clothes and go to the beach. I can hardly wait to play in the water. What do you say?"

  He shrugged. "Fine."

  "This is going to be fun, Jared. Let's enjoy our time here, okay?"

  "Not a problem." If he kept saying that often enough, maybe he'd be able to convince himself.

  Nine

  Lindsey went into one of the bathrooms to change while Jared went into the other one.

  After holding up the three swimsuits, she made a note to herself to go shopping immediately. She finally settled on the one-piece. It had a halter top with a V-neck that plunged between her breasts. The back was practically non-existent, barely covering her bottom.

  She quickly pulled on a pair of shorts and a scoop-neck T-shirt.

  She gathered lotion and towels into a beach bag and returned to the bedroom.

  Jared had changed into a pair of shorts that revealed his firm butt and muscular legs. He'd pulled a shirt on but left it open. With some grumbling, he put on a pair of sandals, muttering something about hoping he didn't run into anyone he knew in this getup.

  The first thing Lindsey noticed when they walked out onto the beach was the number of women who were alone. Each of them appeared to be eyeing Jared as though he were alone, as well.

  Lindsey found their gazes to be irritating. Not that it really mattered. She had no reason to feel in the least possessive. Whatever happened here in Cancun wouldn't change anything. As long as she went into an affair—with her own husband, yet!—with her eyes wide open, she wouldn't get hurt.

  * * *

  Jared spread out a large beach towel, provided by the resort, beneath one of the umbrellas. "Ready?" he asked, and she nodded. He stripped down to his suit and she did the same.

  They eyed each other speculatively.

  As though in silent agreement not to comment on one another's appearance, they walked toward the water. The water felt like satin against Lindsey's skin.

  "Do you plan to swim?" Jared asked.

  "No, I'm going to stay here and paddle around some, then stretch out in the sun."

  She watched the muscles of his back and shoulders flex as he continued into deeper water. He did a surface dive and disappeared from her view.

  Lindsey was now faced with how to tell Jared that she wanted to make love with him. It wasn't something she could casually blurt out. Maybe she could figure out a way to show him.

  Eventually she returned to their umbrella and sat down. After she'd dried off, Lindsey rubbed suntan lotion on most of her exposed areas, put on her sunglasses and looked for Jared.

  His blond hair made him easy to spot. When he finally left the water and walked toward her, he was breathing hard. Quite a workout. He probably needed it after sitting for a large part of the day.

  She handed him a towel after he dropped down next to her. Once he was dry, she said, "Let me put some suntan lotion on your back and shoulders so you don't burn. The reflection off the water is just as potent as direct sunlight."

  He gave her a long, steady look and she returned it with an innocent smile. "Okay," he finally said. He stretched out on his stomach and rested his head on his folded arms.

  She dribbled lotion along the indentation of his spine. He tensed.

  "Is it cold?"

  "No."

  She smoothed her hands over his back, from the nape of his neck to the waistband of his swimsuit. Next, she poured lotion into her palm, rubbed her hands together and began to knead his neck and shoulders, eliciting a pleasured groan from him. She continued to work on the muscles of his back and was dismayed to realize that the mere act of touching him aroused her. How embarrassing. All-girl schools unt
il college, together with her father's watchful eye, had given her little experience in an intimate setting with a man. Now she could touch him with impunity, explore the curves and contours of his broad back. She was fascinated by the way his wide shoulders tapered into a narrow waist.

  Now she could sleep with him for a week—with all that implied—without guilt. If she had the nerve.

  Her problem was how to let him know that she wanted to make love with him.

  When she'd finished Jared's massage, he was sound asleep and her body quivered with need. On impulse, she decided to get in the water and swim a little, hoping to get control of herself.

  When she left, he didn't stir.

  * * *

  The sun neared the western horizon when Jared opened his eyes. He immediately sat up and looked around. Foot traffic on the beach had lightened considerably since he fell asleep.

  He glanced at Lindsey, who was curled on her side, asleep. He reached to wake her when he recalled his new rule—no touching.

  "Lindsey?"

  "Mmm?"

  "It's getting late. We need to go back to the hotel."

  As soon as she opened her eyes she sat up. "I didn't mean to go to sleep."

  "Neither did I, but it doesn't matter. We're here to rest and relax and, so far, our first day here has been a success."

  They put on the clothes they'd worn, gathered up towels and her beach bag and walked to the path that led to the hotel.

  On the way to the elevators Lindsey paused in front of a large display of colorful brochures. "Look, Jared, Dad's packet didn't have all of this."

  He picked up one of them and studied it. "You want to go swim with the dolphins?" he asked, handing her the brochure.

  "Might be fun."

  "There's a boat excursion going to Islas Mujeres where they offer all kinds of things, including seeing the dolphins." He flipped through a couple more. "We can also rent a car for the day and explore some of the Mayan ruins, if you'd like."

  "I really don't care what we do," she said. She stared out at the large swimming pool where several couples were lounging, a waiter moving among them with exotic drinks. Finally, she turned back and looked at Jared. "I just realized something—I've never taken a real vacation before. My travels have been carefully planned and supervised. I love the idea of having so much free time to spend doing whatever we choose."

  Maybe this marriage was exactly what Lindsey needed to escape her father's heavy-handed protection. From something the senator had said at the wedding reception, Jared got the impression that he expected Lindsey to continue to live with him while Jared was overseas.

  Boy, was he in for a surprise.

  * * *

  Once in their room, Jared ordered dinner. Then each of them gathered up fresh clothing and went into the bathrooms.

  While Jared showered, he reviewed the rules he'd come up with while he'd exhausted himself swimming.

  Rule number one—no touching and, especially, no kissing.

  Number two—no sleeping in the same bed with Lindsey. The sofa was too short for his long legs. Maybe he'd rig up a couple of the chairs, or as a last resort, the floor would work.

  He reminded himself that he'd been in much tougher positions than this in his life. Dangerous ones. Even life-threatening, physically daunting situations. He'd handled them because he was a survivor.

  He could certainly survive a week without touching his new bride.

  Once dressed, he felt better about their situation. The massage and nap had been just what he'd needed to get into a better frame of mind.

  He'd survive whatever came his way by being adaptable. They'd plan a week full of sightseeing and swimming that would tire them. They'd spend minimum time in the room. He could do this.

  When Jared walked out of the bathroom, he knew he could handle his situation. That is, until he saw Lindsey.

  * * *

  Lindsey was nervous. She wanted to be subtle with her message that she wanted to make love to him. She wasn't certain that her choice of apparel was particularly subtle.

  What if he laughed? Or worse, ignored her hint. She couldn't see herself telling him outright.

  She stood looking out at the lights on the beach and the way the surf glowed white in the darkness. When she heard the door open, she turned and looked at him.

  He'd stopped abruptly when he saw her, his face growing grim.

  She swallowed. "I believe our dinner should be here any minute now. I hope you're hungry."

  He cleared his throat. "You have no idea," he said gruffly. He stuck his hands into the pockets of his khaki pants and walked to another window, seemingly fascinated by the view.

  When a knock sounded on the door, he said, "You might not want the waiter ogling you, which I can assure you, he will."

  Her face grew hot. Without a word she returned to the bathroom and closed the door, weakly leaning against it and staring into the mirrored wall in front of her.

  Well, he'd definitely noticed that she'd worn one of the nightgown-and-robe sets she'd brought with her, a decision she'd made while they were at the beach. And he was right—she wouldn't want anyone but Jared to see her in this. He'd studiously looked away from her after the first shock of seeing her dressed so provocatively.

  Did he understand what she was attempting to convey?

  If he did, he hadn't let on.

  She sighed. Let's face it. You're just not the femme fatale type.

  Jared tapped on the door. "You can come out now," he said.

  Lindsey felt a moment of panic. Should she change into something else? Ignore the fact that her wardrobe hid very little from the imagination?

  She lifted her chin. No. She'd carry this out, no matter what.

  Lindsey opened the door and walked into the room.

  Flickering flames from candles were reflected in the windows that sunset had turned into mirrors.

  A table by the windows had been set with plates and votives. Indirect lighting was the only other illumination in the room. A bottle of champagne, nestled in a tub of ice, sat on a small stand nearby. Music played from hidden speakers and the savory scent of dinner wafted across the room to her.

  The scene was set for seduction. Well, she was doing her best.

  Jared pulled out a chair for her. Once she sat down, he moved her closer to the table. "Everything looks delicious. This is so romantic."

  "Oh, yeah, I'll definitely agree with that." He opened the champagne and filled two of the glasses. He held his out, "Happy honeymoon, Lindsey."

  She wished he looked happier saying that than he did. She touched the rim of her glass to his. "Thank you." She sipped and smiled. The champagne tasted delicious.

  Lindsey continued to sip on her champagne while they ate, mostly in silence. Jared kept her glass filled and she was grateful. It helped to settle her nerves and give her more of a sense of freedom.

  While they ate dessert and had coffee, she said, "You're probably wondering why I chose to wear this tonight."

  He glanced up and his eyes mirrored the flames of the candles. "You look very—uh—very nice. That color looks good on you."

  "It's peach."

  "Uh-huh." He reached for his glass of champagne and finished it in one swallow.

  "I feel so awkward. I've never owned anything remotely like this, but it's appropriate for the occasion, don't you think?"

  He stared at her as though she'd lost her mind.

  "What I'm trying to say is that, well, we're married and, uh, we're going to be here a week, so I don't—" she stopped and coughed "—see why we shouldn't treat it as a real honeymoon."

  There. She'd said it.

  His eyes narrowed. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

  She nodded.

  "You want us to make love," he said slowly.

  She nodded.

  He slowly leaned back in his chair, a smile forming on his lips. "No kidding?"

  "I don't kid about a thing like that."

&n
bsp; His smile turned into a grin. "So your gown is to get me in the mood."

  She nodded.

  "Just so you know, you could have worn a nun's habit and I would still be in the mood." In a moment, he added, "Wow."

  She watched him nervously. "Then you're agreeable to the idea? It won't change our agreement?"

  "Yes. No."

  They laughed and he reached for her hand. "I think you're absolutely right. We'll do all the things that honeymooners do, enjoy the sights, go home and continue with our agreement."

  "So," she said slowly, "what do we do next?"

  He gave her a wicked grin. "Well, it seems to me that we've had a really long day and that we should probably go to bed soon. Like now."

  "Now?" she repeated faintly. "Oh. Okay."

  They stood. "Just so you know," he added, "if you decide to change your mind about this, I'll stop at any time. I don't want any misunderstandings here."

  She took a deep breath. "Thank you."

  He walked around the table and slipped his arms around her. "Since this is my first honeymoon, I don't know what we do next, either. So I think we should wing it. What would you like to do next?"

  "A kiss would be nice," she said, sounding breathless. The next thing she knew, he was kissing her as if all of his restraints had been removed. That's when she knew everything would be okay.

  * * *

  Jared picked her up and carried her to the enormous bed. Talk about being adaptable—he was more than ready to forget his carefully made rules.

  Did she have any idea how delectable she looked in that outfit? He'd had trouble keeping his eyes off her during dinner and had already been planning another shower when they finished. A long one. A very cold one.

  He placed her on the bed and straightened up, breaking the record for shedding his clothes, then stretched out beside her.

  "Do you want me to take this off now?"

  Ah. The tremor in her voice gave her away. "Lindsey?"

  "Yes."

  "I need to ask you something."

  She looked alarmed. "Okay."

  "Is this going to be your first time?"

  She frowned. "Is that going to be a problem?"

  He couldn't help smiling. She was always so serious. "Not at all. It just tells me what I need to know to make it as pleasant as possible."