Cassandra Pierce - Diamonds in the Sand [The Aquans 2] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Special Edition) Read online

  “One day and three are very different! What if a wave took him out to sea? He might be dead!”

  “No.” Daq shook his head. “The professor has done this sort of thing many times before, sometimes for even longer periods. Trust me, he isn’t lying somewhere injured or drowned. We checked…thoroughly.”

  “You checked in the water? How is that possible? The current could have swept him miles offshore.”

  “You’ll have to trust us on this,” Ivar said. “We know our way around the ocean, and so does Septimus. He wasn’t washed away.”

  “Ivar’s right,” Ejan said. “Septimus is more than capable of taking care of himself.”

  “Don’t worry,” Tagin said in a soothing voice. Maura couldn’t believe their casual attitude. Were these guys all dense or what? “He’ll be back to greet you as soon as he can get here.”

  She quickly realized the futility of arguing with them. Either they knew a lot more than they were telling, or every last one of them was totally nuts. Another unwelcome thought struck her then. Had the five of them conspired to rid themselves of Septimus and take over the house? After all, they had already acknowledged its material value. But if so, why had they made sure she would still arrive as scheduled and move in? They had nothing to gain from kidnapping her. For now, she’d play along and try to find out what she could out on her own.

  “Why don’t I take you up to your room?” Daq offered. “We can talk about all of this later.”

  “Well…all right,” she agreed, seeing little alternative. Maybe Septimus was hiding somewhere nearby, waiting to jump out and surprise her. The old man always did have an eccentric sense of humor.

  Daq went up the stairs alone with her, carrying the two suitcases himself. For some reason, his friends weren’t as eager to fight over them this time. Maura carried the shoulder bag herself, mindful of the passport and other valuables stashed inside.

  “It’s this one.” Daq showed her to a pleasant, neatly outfitted guest room with its own bathroom and shower. The bedclothes smelled fresh and inviting, and pink tropical flowers sat on the nightstand in a jar of water. On a whim, Maura picked one up and rolled the petals against the inside of her wrist. Its softness soothed her and sent a jolt of energy through her body. For some reason, the hot climate made her more attuned to every sensation.

  She turned to find him watching her. His eyes looked dark and heavy lidded, his lips parted slightly as though he were concentrating on her to the exclusion of every other thought.

  “Where did you say you and your friends stay?” she asked. The idea of him sleeping near her, probably in the nude considering the heat, made her quiver. She busied herself with pressing on the mattress as if to test its softness.

  Daq shrugged. “Outside, sometimes. Not in this house. You’ll have the place to yourself.”

  “Until Septimus gets back, you mean.”

  “Yes. Of course.”

  Once again, an unpleasant scenario flashed through her mind, involving Daq and his strange friends taking advantage of Septimus in some way. Almost as quickly, she dismissed the idea. Septimus might have been seventy years old, but his e-mails and letters to her, not to mention his scholarly work, betrayed no weakness of mind or even of body. Taking off in pursuit of a rare shell or sea creature seemed perfectly in character. And Daq appeared sincere in his concern. He had a sweet quality, even if he didn’t talk much.

  She looked up to see him beside the sliding glass door beside the bed, motioning to her. “Come on, I’ll show you the best part.”

  He pushed open the door, and she followed him onto a private verandah, positioned exactly above the one she’d admired from the living room. A wicker loveseat faced the sea. Daq held out his hand, indicating that she should sit. As she did, she stole a glance at Daq’s smooth, sinewy legs. Good grief, every inch of the man was gorgeous. She sure hoped he didn’t turn out to have some nefarious agenda against her and Septimus.

  “This is lovely,” she said, smiling up at him. Hopefully, she could lower his defenses and find out a bit more about his relationship with her—or maybe their—missing mentor. “I’m amazed that Septimus can keep the place up as well as he does at his age, considering he still spends twenty-three hours a day on his research. You and your friends are obviously a great help to him.”

  “We try to be. He’s been like a father to us…but without all the intrusive, judgmental stuff you get with a biological parent.”

  “Point taken. I don’t spend a lot of time with my parents, either. Septimus sort of took on that role for me, too. He understood my passion for academics in a way my own family never did. They couldn’t understand how science could possibly appeal to a woman more than chasing down a wealthy husband and popping out babies. With Septimus, I never had to justify my choices.”

  The ghost of a smile played around the corners of Daq’s mouth. “He’s very protective of you. Talks about you all the time. I know he looked forward to sharing some of his new discoveries with you.”

  “That’s why I can hardly believe he isn’t here to meet me. Still, as you say, he’s always had his own way of doing things. So do you guys assist him with his scientific work at all? Do you have any idea what he was so eager to show me?”

  Daq shrugged. “We help him with whatever he asks us to. We take care of the house, run errands, that sort of thing.”

  He spoke of Septimus in the present tense, she noted. That was good. “Does he pay you?”

  “Not exactly. I’d call it a barter system. We look after him and he lets us live on his property.” This time Daq did smile. “Island life is different than what you’re used to. We move at a slower, less modern pace, and we try not to worry too much. I’ll let you get settled. We stocked the kitchen for you, but if you need anything else, just let us know. We’re easy to find.”

  He left her alone with her thoughts and the heat. Grateful for the opportunity to shed her damp clothing, Maura shut the bedroom door, stripped, and rinsed off in the shower. When she returned, she lay down on the bed, still wrapped in a towel, and closed her eyes in total exhaustion. She expected to hear Septimus tap on the door or buzz her cell phone at any moment—but when she finally woke, it was dark outside and there was still no sign of him.

  Remembering what Daq had said about bugs, she got up and went to the sliding glass door, double-checking to make sure the screen was closed tightly. As she jiggled it in the frame, she glanced down at the beach. The huge tropical moon illuminated the white sand like a lamp, making the beach sparkle. Standing just at the edge of the water, silhouetted against the whispering night surf, stood two male figures—wrapped in each other’s arms and kissing.

  Wide-eyed, she stared in rapt fascination. She couldn’t be sure, but from this distance the pair looked like Tagin and Ejan—assuming she wasn’t mixing up their names. She’d never actually seen two men together…in that way…but she couldn’t deny that it was more of a turn-on than she expected. When one of them—Tagin?—knelt to nestle his face against his lover’s abdomen, she felt a tingle in the same part of her own body. Her pulse quickened and thundered urgently between her legs.

  Drawing out of sight behind the floor-length curtain, Maura loosened her grip on the front of her towel, letting it slide open, and glided the fingers of her free hand down her thigh. She murmured in pleasure as she stroked her own tender flesh, mimicking the movements of the men on the beach. Suddenly, a burst of excitement bloomed inside her, taking her breath away, along with her voice.

  In the same instant, she heard a light clicking noise behind her. The door. She hadn’t locked it.

  Yanking her towel back into place and letting the curtain fall, she turned. Daq stood in the hallway, his arms folded and his eyes burning in the near darkness. The force of his lust filled the room.

  “Come in,” she said huskily.

  He did.

  Chapter 2

  Daq crossed her darkened bedroom in three steps. Maura didn’t move as he reached tow
ard her, curled his fingers over the edge of the towel, and whisked it off her. Nor did she object when his muscular arms slid around her bare waist and crushed her against him.

  Her eyes searched his in the brief moment before he lowered his head and began to kiss her left shoulder. She registered a dark flash of passion and noticed a corresponding surge of need tenting his baggy cargo shorts.

  “I’m…not usually…like this,” she said, trying to process the fact that she was standing naked in the arms of a man she’d met only a few hours before.

  “I told you,” he growled against her skin, “things are different in the islands. Whatever and whoever you were before means nothing here. We make it a point to enjoy our lives…in any way that feels good to us.”

  Maura couldn’t help but laugh. “I noticed. I saw your friends out on the beach. They were certainly enjoying themselves.”

  “Yes. Why shouldn’t they? They are young and hungry, the beach is beautiful and warm, and their bodies are receptive to love. I would say yours is, too.” Abruptly his hand dipped between her thighs and spread her apart. Maura knew she was already moist and ready, and his murmur of appreciation told her he also knew it. Meanwhile, his other hand moved down the curve of her hip until it cupped her bare buttocks. A slight movement crushed her even tighter against him. His erection jabbed at her, threatening to punch a hole right through his pants.

  “Take these off,” she breathed, hastily unbuttoning the front and pushing down the waistband. “I want to feel you against me.”

  “I want the same thing.” Daq leaned away so she could push the shorts all the way down. He kicked them to one side, let go of her just long enough to peel off his shirt, and lowered his mouth to hers.

  His bruising kiss sapped her breath and made her legs buckle. Maura imagined her knees turning into transparent blobs, like the jellyfish she studied on the job. Luckily, Daq was more than strong enough to hold her up. He moved backward toward the bed, pulling her along with him. His lips never left hers until they were settled on the soft mattress. He lay back with his shoulders wedged against the pillows and Maura’s legs around his waist.

  His cock reared up from a nest of coarse, dark hair. It hovered between them, seeming alert and determined, reminding her of an exotic sea serpent seeking prey. Its size and girth fascinated her, and she was sure she could feel actual heat radiating against her thighs. She reached down and grasped him in both hands, stroking and molding. Daq bit back a moan that contained more than a note of frustration, but he made no attempt to stop her. Instead, he pressed his fingers into the soft flesh of her buttocks and pulled her forward until her pussy was parked directly against his erection.

  Maura readied herself, expecting him to go further, but he paused and exhaled sharply.

  “Should I…should I wait for you to get something…?” he managed to croak. It took her a moment to figure out what he was asking.

  “Oh,” she said, suddenly comprehending. “No. No need. I’m protected.” Never before had she been thankful for the irregular cycles that had put her on birth control pills for years. The inconvenience of taking one every day, without the usual pleasurable incentive, seemed well worth it now. She wanted to experience the raw power of his naked cock plunging into her. And in just a few moments, she would. The anticipation was almost enough to drive her mad. “Please,” she whispered hoarsely. “Get inside me.”

  Daq’s mouth thinned to a hard, determined line. Lifting his hands, he raised her hips and tilted her forward until she was positioned directly over his cock. Then, with a slow precision she found incredibly titillating, he lowered her onto himself.

  Maura sucked in a breath. His cock felt full, thick, and nothing less than awe inspiring. He instinctively knew how to buzz her nerves in just the right ways, entering her but never fully penetrating her, lifting her off him before she sank all the way down. The flared ridge of his cockhead teased her outer edges without mercy. Soon she imagined electrical charges, blue and hot, crackling around the outside of her pussy. Maura sensed that with only a minimal effort on her part, she could have come from that stimulation alone. Before she decided to test her theory, Daq picked up the pace. He began lifting her higher and slamming her down harder on him. At the same time, he arced his hips in order to thrust himself more fully into her.

  Up and down, up and down they rocked, keeping perfect rhythm with one another, until the first twinges of climax tugged at the insides of her thighs. A moment later, she came with such fury and force that she squeezed an instant orgasm off in him, too. She couldn’t make out the details of his face in the near darkness, but she could imagine his expression of pure abandon by the way he thrashed and moaned beneath her.

  After the last shudders were over, Maura slid onto Daq’s chest and lay still, panting and luxuriating in the warmth of his unusually silky skin. Her full breasts rubbed against his small, pebbly nipples as his now-soft cock slipped from her.

  “That felt…wonderful,” she said when she finally found her voice. Daq smiled and leaned up to kiss her.

  “See what I mean?” he asked as he sank back onto the pillows. “Life is about enjoying the connections we make with others. Some are purely physical…others are something more.”

  She considered his words. “So should we consider what just happened purely physical? I mean…we don’t even know each other.”

  “True. Yet somehow I sense there is a bond between us. Erotic attraction, surely, but something deeper as well.”

  “Our concern for Septimus, maybe?”

  “Perhaps.” Daq kissed her again before shifting her to one side and swinging his long legs off the bed. She watched him get up and retrieve his clothes, admiring the smooth lines of his body and the natural grace in his movements.

  He returned to kiss her on the forehead. Then he stepped away. “I will leave you to sleep,” he told her. “It’s true that Tagin and Ejan are…otherwise occupied, but Janko, Ivar, and I are nearby. You may consider yourself well protected.”

  “Is that necessary?” She sat up, covering herself with the light quilt. “I mean, you don’t think I’m in some sort of danger? Is there something you’re not telling me about Septimus?”

  “No, nothing like that. I simply want you to feel comfortable and safe in a place and under conditions unfamiliar to you. Sleep now.”

  He smoothed a palm over her forehead. She closed her eyes. She heard the rustle of him sliding his clothes on and leaving the room.

  Outside the window, a cloud slid over the full tropical moon. Then everything went dark.

  * * * *

  In the morning, she dressed in a white button-down shirt and demure wraparound skirt and came downstairs to find all five of the guys at the breakfast table. Somewhat to her relief, they were discussing Septimus’s absence and not her impromptu little interlude with Daq the night before.

  “I’ve been thinking about the situation,” she said as she joined them at the table and helped herself to fresh fruit and coffee. Daq’s gaze touched hers only briefly. None of the others seemed to notice the spark that passed between them. “I wasn’t quite clear on whether you had notified the authorities.”

  “Not yet. We hoped it wouldn’t be necessary,” Daq said. “You would have no way of knowing this, of course, but the police force on Bequia is not what you are used to in the States. They are trained only to write up reports of cameras and cell phones stolen from tourists. People disappearing for a few days isn’t uncommon here, for many reasons. The majority turn up safely, though perhaps a little hungover.”

  “I doubt Septimus is off on a bender,” Maura said. The words came out more primly than she’d intended.

  “No, but he tends to get caught up in his work and lose track of time,” Ivar observed. “Can you imagine how angry Septimus would be if he was accosted on some obscure little beach and detained by the police while he was trying to take field notes?”

  Maura sighed. “I guess you have a point. Still, I can’t help
worrying that a wave took him, or he’s lying hurt on the rocks someplace.”

  “In my opinion, he’s fine,” Janko spoke up. “The old man is an excellent swimmer, and he knows everyone who lives here year-round. It’s not uncommon for him to paddle over to the other side of the bay and have dinner with friends over there.”

  Ejan nodded. “He’s also been known to stop at the guest houses and take groups of tourists on an impromptu eco-tour, looking at shells and turtles. In return, they invite him for dinner or even an all-night party on the beach. Maybe he’s staying with a friend.”

  Yes, she thought, Septimus, a dedicated professor all his life, probably missed teaching. Maybe someone invited him to stay at a guest house or onboard a yacht in exchange for his expertise. Or maybe someone offered to show him a nesting site for a rare bird or reptile. He would spend days hiding in one spot, waiting for a clutch of eggs to hatch or documenting the movements of an unusual sea snail.

  Then again, maybe his powers of observation had gotten him into trouble. She’d heard tales of drug smuggling and poaching on islands like this one. Had he shown up at the wrong secluded spot at an inopportune time?

  She looked around the table. “You don’t think he stumbled on someone who was up to no good?” she asked. “You know…noticed something he shouldn’t have?”

  A glum silence settled over the group. “I guess anything’s possible,” Daq admitted.

  “Actually, I do have a theory of my own,” Janko said after a moment. “It’s true he was looking forward to Maura’s visit…but maybe there was another frequent guest he hoped to avoid.”

  To Maura’s surprise, all the guys except Daq shared a subdued laugh. She struggled to make sense of their reaction.

  “Daq’s sister has been sort of underfoot lately,” Tagin soon explained. “She’s been hanging around quite a bit—trying to recover from an unpleasant breakup.”