stopped.
Thousands died in the bloody diamond trade and thousands more would die if the counterterrorist group didn’t put a stop to one of the largest smugglers of conflict diamonds in Africa. The same people who were selling weapons bought from the purchase of the diamonds to warring factions in Africa. Hence the name blood or conflict diamonds.
He hated to draw a comparison, even in his own mind, but the stakes were a hell of a lot higher for the diamonds than the itty-bitty country whose fallback was Italian sovereignty.
Bria’s breasts rose and fell against his arm as she sighed, the sound of resignation. “It was worth a shot,” she murmured, then fell silent.
Nick listened to her breathe, but he knew she wasn’t going back to sleep. He counted her breaths, counted the pulse of blood in his jeans, and bided his time.
Finally, she stirred. “Fine. I’ll go home and hope to God my cousin can help Draven work out the financial problems. I don’t want to take you away from your diving. I’ll just contact the charter company and have them send another pilot out to pick me up. Maybe they will be able to send someone tomorrow. Besides, I paid both ways. The pilot had no right to leave me stranded.”
“We can discuss it later.” She wasn’t going anywhere until he got the green light from Aries. “Maybe you’d like to hang around and see what a dive entails.”
No good deed goes unpunished. He was damned if he did, and damned if he didn’t.
“Yes. Maybe…”
His fingers absently combed through her damp hair, teasing the scent of sun-drenched peaches and his own mint soap from the silken strands, and he changed the absent to intentionally. Let’s see just how far you’ll run with this, Princess.
She licked her lips, more nerves than seduction, but it had the same effect on his already aroused body. He turned toward her, knowing he was playing a dangerous game, but here in the semidarkness, it didn’t seem like such a bad idea.
He touched his finger to her chin until she tilted her face up, and met his eyes. “Did you pleasure yourself in my shower, Princess?”
Her cheeks got sweetly flushed. “No.”
But he could see she’d thought about it. “Did you do the naughty in my bed?”
She looked him right in the eye, and murmured huskily, “Of course not.”
“Liar.”
She drew in a thin breath, and her lips parted to say … something.
Perfect.
Nick fisted her hair and crushed his mouth down on hers.
* * *
Bria closed her eyes and kissed him back with everything she had. The desire to taste him was all-encompassing, and she didn’t even think about resisting. She’d burned all day wanting to know if Nick Cutter melted, or stayed icy.
He went from frigid to a rolling boil between one swipe of his tongue and the next.
The hard ridge of his impressive erection nudged her hip. They were both fully clothed, and having him so near and yet so far was frustrating, maddingly so. Bria wanted to feel skin on skin. She wanted him to touch her intimately. She wanted her hands and mouth on his body—everywhere.
Lord. She wanted his mouth on her everywhere.
Maintaining the kiss, she rolled on top of him. He spread his legs, cradling her body hard against him, then curved his large hands around her jean-covered bottom to press her against the ridged length between them.
She kissed him ravenously, nothing held back—a first for her. In response, his fingers tightened on her butt. Heat swept through her at every point of contact. She jerked her lips from his, panting, gasping for air. He pulled her head back down to his.
Breathing was overrated.
She touched his face as his mouth slanted over hers. He used his teeth. She nibbled back. His tongue swept the roof of her mouth, she waited her turn impatiently. He pushed all her buttons and she reveled in it. His hard chest felt wonderful pressed against the softness of her breasts. Her nipples were painfully hard, and she rubbed
Thousands died in the bloody diamond trade and thousands more would die if the counterterrorist group didn’t put a stop to one of the largest smugglers of conflict diamonds in Africa. The same people who were selling weapons bought from the purchase of the diamonds to warring factions in Africa. Hence the name blood or conflict diamonds.
He hated to draw a comparison, even in his own mind, but the stakes were a hell of a lot higher for the diamonds than the itty-bitty country whose fallback was Italian sovereignty.
Bria’s breasts rose and fell against his arm as she sighed, the sound of resignation. “It was worth a shot,” she murmured, then fell silent.
Nick listened to her breathe, but he knew she wasn’t going back to sleep. He counted her breaths, counted the pulse of blood in his jeans, and bided his time.
Finally, she stirred. “Fine. I’ll go home and hope to God my cousin can help Draven work out the financial problems. I don’t want to take you away from your diving. I’ll just contact the charter company and have them send another pilot out to pick me up. Maybe they will be able to send someone tomorrow. Besides, I paid both ways. The pilot had no right to leave me stranded.”
“We can discuss it later.” She wasn’t going anywhere until he got the green light from Aries. “Maybe you’d like to hang around and see what a dive entails.”
No good deed goes unpunished. He was damned if he did, and damned if he didn’t.
“Yes. Maybe…”
His fingers absently combed through her damp hair, teasing the scent of sun-drenched peaches and his own mint soap from the silken strands, and he changed the absent to intentionally. Let’s see just how far you’ll run with this, Princess.
She licked her lips, more nerves than seduction, but it had the same effect on his already aroused body. He turned toward her, knowing he was playing a dangerous game, but here in the semidarkness, it didn’t seem like such a bad idea.
He touched his finger to her chin until she tilted her face up, and met his eyes. “Did you pleasure yourself in my shower, Princess?”
Her cheeks got sweetly flushed. “No.”
But he could see she’d thought about it. “Did you do the naughty in my bed?”
She looked him right in the eye, and murmured huskily, “Of course not.”
“Liar.”
She drew in a thin breath, and her lips parted to say … something.
Perfect.
Nick fisted her hair and crushed his mouth down on hers.
* * *
Bria closed her eyes and kissed him back with everything she had. The desire to taste him was all-encompassing, and she didn’t even think about resisting. She’d burned all day wanting to know if Nick Cutter melted, or stayed icy.
He went from frigid to a rolling boil between one swipe of his tongue and the next.
The hard ridge of his impressive erection nudged her hip. They were both fully clothed, and having him so near and yet so far was frustrating, maddingly so. Bria wanted to feel skin on skin. She wanted him to touch her intimately. She wanted her hands and mouth on his body—everywhere.
Lord. She wanted his mouth on her everywhere.
Maintaining the kiss, she rolled on top of him. He spread his legs, cradling her body hard against him, then curved his large hands around her jean-covered bottom to press her against the ridged length between them.
She kissed him ravenously, nothing held back—a first for her. In response, his fingers tightened on her butt. Heat swept through her at every point of contact. She jerked her lips from his, panting, gasping for air. He pulled her head back down to his.
Breathing was overrated.
She touched his face as his mouth slanted over hers. He used his teeth. She nibbled back. His tongue swept the roof of her mouth, she waited her turn impatiently. He pushed all her buttons and she reveled in it. His hard chest felt wonderful pressed against the softness of her breasts. Her nipples were painfully hard, and she rubbed
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