Escape (16 page)

Lucy saw the reason for the design. Glass made up the whole of the front wall, from floor to ceiling, allowing uninterrupted views over the island. The back of the house was nestled in the trees, but the front had views over the rest of the island and out to the ocean.

In the midst of the storm, the view was breathtaking.

Rudy banged open the front door, dragging her from her thoughts and making her jump. The storm blasted in with him, carrying a swirl of leaves and debris, and he pushed his body weight against the door, forcing it shut.

“I had to get the bike covered,” he said, shaking water out of his hair. “If I left it out, it would be wrecked by tomorrow.”

“Is that how long the storm is supposed to last?” she asked.
“Until tomorrow?”

He shrugged. “They said three days, and that was yesterday, but you never really know. These hurricanes have a mind of their own, that’s why we give them names.”

Soaking wet and still in shock, she shivered.

Rudy noticed.
“T
he bathroom is in the back and there should still be some hot water. Go and have a shower and I’ll find you something to wear.”

They had abandoned her suitcase on the side of the road. They didn’t stand a chance of getting
the huge bag on
the bike. Rudy promised her they would go back and get it as soon as the storm subsided, but Lucy didn’t like to think what sort of shape her stuff would be in by then.

Rudy grinned. “Promise to ignore the wet towels on the floor and the toothpaste in the sink. I wasn’t expecting guests.”

She hugged these facts to herself. If he wasn’t expecting gues
ts, he obviously hadn’t been readying himself
for a pick-up. Maybe that girl hadn’t come back here after all.

The
bathroom wasn’t as bad as he’
d made out and she stripped off her wet clothes and stepped under the shower. The hot water washed away the remains of her tears and dissipated her earlier fear of the storm. Now her wishes to be back in London seemed trite and dishonest; she only wanted to be here.

But she was still confused. Nothing changed the fact that Rudy sto
od her up last night, and she’
d seen him drinking with another girl. Just because he had rescued her, didn’t change anything. He said he’d been running late, but she had
seen
him with someone else. What possible excuse could he have?

As she stepped out of the shower, she realized how hungry she was. It must be close to lunch time now and she hadn’t eaten breakfast. She hoped Rudy had some food in the house. It wouldn’t be much fun being trapped here with nothing to eat.

Trapped here, with Rudy.

She bit her lower lip in excitement. The stubborn part of her still wanted to be mad at him, still wanted him to pay for what he had put her through, but she knew she wasn’t going to make him. She
wanted
this.

She wanted him.

Lucy reached out to pull the clean towel around her and noticed a t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants sitting on top of the folded towel.

Rudy must have snuck them in while I was in the shower,
she thought with a thrill. Had he seen her in the shower? Had he watched her?

She was sure he hadn’t—he seemed too much of a gentleman—but she wondered if she really would have minded if he had.

The clothes hung off of her slender frame and she found she needed to hold up the pants with one hand to stop them from falling down. She walked out into the main part of the house to find Rudy in the kitchen and the scent of bacon and eggs wafting over to her.

“Smells good.”

At the sound of her voice, he turned around. He saw her in his clothes and smiled, “They’re a good fit,” he laughed. “You look adorable.”

She smiled shyly and for the first time in her life she
felt
adorable.

Still holding the pants in one hand she walked up to the breakfast bar and climbed up onto one of the stools. Rudy slid a cup of steaming coffee in front of her.

She saw the mug and nearly
fainted with pleasure. “Oh my G
od, I could practically kiss you right now!”

The words were out of her mouth before she even thought about them, and their eyes connected. Lucy glanced away, heat coloring her cheeks.

They ate in near silence, smiling at each other shyly, listening to the sounds of the storm as it raged outside,
doing
its best to tear up the island.

“Thank you so much,” she said, clearing her plate. “I needed that.”

She took a gulp from her cooling coffee and chased it down with a glass of water. She felt like a new person and even the sound of the storm couldn’t bring her down. The only thing bothering her was the constant worry that Rudy was not who he made out to be, and this whole thing was a ploy to get her into bed. She didn’t have any right to question him—she was hardly being honest with him herself—but her big mouth just couldn’t help itself.

“I saw you with a girl from the dive last night,” she blurted. “You were drinking with her.”

He frowned in genuine confusion and then his face cleared as he remembered. “She bought me a beer to say thank you for getting them back safely. She just got married out here and most of her wedding
party was
on that boat.”

“If that’s true, why didn’t you come up to the room and find me?”

He frowned. “I did, Lucy. I came up the first chance I got—first thing this morning—but you had already gone.”

“You could have come up last night.” She didn’t like the annoying whine affecting her voice, but somehow she couldn’t get herself to stop.

His eyes narrowed and she could see she had pushed him too far.

“I didn’t have time.
I had more important things to deal with.” He realized something. “Anyway, if you saw me in the bar, then you were there, but you never came over to see me. I was late, but
you
were the one who stood
me
up.”

“I didn’t stand you up! I was there waiting for you like an idiot for an hour.”

“But I asked Rachel and she said she hadn’t seen you.”

“Of course she saw me. I even asked her if she knew where you were. She told me you were around somewhere and never said anything about the storm.

“That’s strange,” he said. “She must have forgotten.”

Lucy snorted her disbelief.

“For God’s sake, Lucy.
What more do you want? Don’t you think you need to start trusting people?”

She looked at him, astonished. “I trust people!”

“Sure you do.”

They stared at each other, the atmosphere as charged as the ai
r outside. Suddenly, he stood
, his stool clattering to the ground, and took two long strides over to her. He pulled her off her stool and kissed her.

His mouth crushed hers with a passion that was almost fierce. This time she couldn’t stop herself kissing him back, tasting the faint hint of coffee on his lips, wanting to drown in him. His tongue brushed her lips, seeking permission to enter. She opened her mouth to him, melting against the solid muscle of his body, feeling the heat of his skin through her thin t-shirt. His hand slipped beneath her shirt, his fingers radiating the base of her spine, pressing her against him. His other hand was in her hair and she gasped as his lips left her mouth and he gently pulled her head to one side, his mouth tracing kisses down her throat.

But still his words rang in her ears;
don’t
you think you need to start trusting people...

“I have a boyfriend,” she gasped as he kissed her.

Rudy pulled away, his eyes seeking hers. “Do you love him?”

She wanted to cry. “I can’t love him anymore. Not now that I’ve met you.”

He pressed his hot lips against her forehead, holding her against him.

“Oh Lucy,” he said, his voice breathy
. “Let me show you how I feel about you.”

Rudy scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed, gently laying her down on top of its soft duvet. Kneeling above her, he reached down and pulled the oversized t-shirt up over her head, exposing her naked breasts. Rudy stared at her, as if trying to memorize the moment. Then he bent his head, taking her puckered nipple in his mouth, s
ucking it gently as she gasped beneath
him, her hand against the back of his head.

He was hard with want, pressing up against her thigh, and now it was her turn to tug his t-shirt off, pulling the material over his head. His stomach was ridged with muscle, and she stroked the swell of his biceps as he held himself above her. She traced the lines of his muscles, the tanned skin, feeling him hard against her.

“You’re perfect,” she whispered.

He bent down and kissed her, long and deep. His hand ran down the length of her body, his need still pressed up against her.

“Is this okay?” he asked, his fingers paused at the waistband of the oversized sweatpants.

“Absolutely.”
For a moment she wished she wore a slightly sexier outfit, but Rudy pulled the sweats off so quickly, leaving her wearing only her
panties,
and she realized it didn’t matter what the hell she was wearing. Rudy clearly didn’t have any intention of keeping her clothed for very long.

His kisses trailed down her body, his lips soft and firm against her flesh. He traced his way across the shallow dip of her belly. Then his mouth was on her, his breath hot through the flimsy material of her panties. She groaned as his tongue probed against her sex, and he pulled the wisp of material away, and pushed his tongue deep insid
e her. Her fists balled the bed
sheets either side of her head, lost in the flow of pleasure coursing through her body.

Just as she was on the brink, he pulled away and rose up her body. His mouth found hers again and she taste
d
herself on his lips. Now it was his hand he used to work her, slicking her moisture up over her most sensitive nub and she gasped again. Gently, he pushed a finger insider her and she clung to his shoulders, her mind swimming with pleasure.

Rudy kicked off the remainder of his own clothes and her hand found his hard length, her fingers circling him.

“Wait,” she whispered. “I don’t...
have anything.”

He grinned down at her and quickly leaned across the bed, pulling open the drawer on his bedside table and pulling out a condom. He ripped the wrapper with his teeth and deftly sheathed himself.

“There,” he said, kissing her again. “All better.”

He slipped his hand back up her body, pinning her wrists to the bed, and shifted his position, probing her. There was just the briefest moment of resistance before he pushed inside her and her head swam. Her fingers laced with his as he thrust inside her, both their orgasms close now. She held onto him as though he could save her, as though he could anchor her in the wave of pleasure in which she was drowning.

He jerked inside of her, losing his rhythm as he came, and she clung to him, her own o
rgasm powering through her body, shattering her into pieces.

Exhausted and panting, they curled up within each other’s arms, certain the comfort of each other was enough to protect them from the storm.

The storm continued to
rage
for the rest of the day.

Outside, the wind battered against the glass, shaking the huge floor to ceiling windows in their frames. In the distance, something crashed, and there was a strange skittering sound as the wind dragged whatever it was along the ground.