His Last Defense by Karen Rock

Author:Karen Rock
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Chick-Lit, Contemporary, Fiction, Love Stories, Man-Woman Relationships, Military, Romance, Women's Fiction
ISBN: 9781488010972
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-03-31T23:00:00+00:00

11

NOLEE SLOWLY SWAM to consciousness, moored in Dylan’s arms. A thick quilt enveloped them. It kept out the cool, damp air that flowed through the cracked-open porthole and protected the body heat that glowed inside their love nest.

Nestled against Dylan’s steely contours, Nolee replayed last night’s sensational sex. She squirmed backward and fitted her bottom snugly into the curve of his muscular side. Rock-hard arms tightened around her reflexively.

They’d vowed to make the most of their time together, enjoy one another physically while keeping things from getting emotional. She’d hoped that by taking charge last night, she wouldn’t be as vulnerable. But the tenderness that now seized her, the sense of completeness she felt lying in his arms, as though a part of her, long missing, had just been returned to her, called into question all of her assumptions.

She might be older, wiser, but her heart had stayed constant, still opening for Dylan as easily as ever. It terrified her.

Returning to sleep was definitely out of the question.

A long, low ship horn reverberated across the sea. The Pacific Dawn answered. Nolee slit open her eyes, hoping the day hadn’t yet dawned. She wasn’t ready to face last night’s impulsive actions.

She took a fortifying breath of briny ocean air and peered around her. The world was gray and shadowed. Darn. Sunrise and reality were only moments away.

She thought about waking Dylan, leading him outside to share this sunrise the way they always used to, then stopped. She was getting way ahead of herself. They had less than two weeks until the opilio season ended and they went their separate ways.

How foolish to imagine, even for one unguarded moment, that they could have a second chance. They’d agreed that this could only be a physical affair. A time-limited, no-holds-barred, no-strings-attached sexual adventure, which should make her happy, but left her unsettled instead.

Dylan’s deep breathing rumbled in his chest and vibrated against her back. She hated to wake him from such a peaceful sleep. They had another hard day ahead of them setting pots, and he needed this rest.

Hopefully, he’d keep sleeping so she could sort out her feelings. She inhaled his musky, masculine scent. The longer she lingered, the less clearly she could think.

A lonely rush of chilled air wafted over her as she emerged from his arms. Quickly she tightened the blanket around him. He stirred slightly, his arms reaching out into her now-empty space. A sigh escaped his parted lips, but he didn’t wake. The hard planes of his face relaxed back into an impossibly handsome visage.

After dressing, she hurried outside to her favorite spot on the bow. Behind her, stacked steel pots rose twenty-five feet. They blotted out the wheelhouse, kept her from Stu’s watchful gaze and gave her the privacy she craved to settle herself before she took the wheel for another fifteen-hour shift.

She took a fortifying breath of the briny ocean. In the distance, she spotted a large black ship with a distinctive motorcycle figurehead. Captain Bill’s Easy Rider.

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