Air Bound (Sea Haven/Sisters of the Heart 3)

"What is it, honey?" he asked gently.

"You're hurt. In a hundred places." She reached up to touch his arm just below where one of the bullets had kissed him.

"Nothing fatal. That's always what counts." He forced himself to sound cheerful. She looked battered--completely battered--with bruises coming up all over her body. "If someone saw you right now, I'd be arrested for domestic violence."

She glanced down at her body, looking a little shocked. "We both look terrible. I should have checked you out instead of feeling sorry for myself, Maxim. I'm sorry. I could have at least used your first aid kit to close some of the bigger wounds."

He used the shampoo on her hair to give himself something to do besides kiss her, because he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to frame her face with his hands and taste her lips, pouring everything he ever was or ever could be into her mouth. He wanted to crush her body close to his, hold her in his arms, feel her softness melting into him and protect her with a fierceness only he was capable of. Instead, he massaged her scalp and then rinsed suds and salt from her thick platinum hair.

"I've had worse, Airiana. I might look bad, but all the wounds are fairly superficial," he assured.

She leaned into him, seemingly oblivious to the fact that they were both naked. He hadn't considered that, as tired as he was, as exhausted as he knew she was, he'd become aroused. He had far too much discipline for that, so why the hell was his body not cooperating?

Her arms slipped around his waist and she clung to him as he rinsed her hair a second time, after using the resort's conditioner. She was short, far shorter than him, and he found his shaft resting between her small breasts. Her body was soft and warm, and the spray of water didn't help. She didn't seem to mind--or notice. Maybe she was just too damned tired, but he had one hell of a hard-on and he wasn't a small man.

"Airiana?" She was killing him. He scrubbed the salt from his own hair and body. She didn't move, but stayed wrapped tightly around him, holding him to her.

"Mmm?"

He closed his eyes briefly. She sounded drowsy. Sexy. The last thing he needed. He must be far more tired than he realized to have so little discipline.

"All right, baby," he said, gritting his teeth. "We need to get you in bed."

"I'll just sleep here, thank you," she replied.

He snapped off the water with a little more force than necessary. He didn't mind if she slept on him. His shaft was quite happy in its resting place, although his brain was filling with erotic images that would have shocked his partner.

"The bed will be more comfortable," he promised and grabbed a towel to hitch around his waist and a second one to dry her off. "Jorge is going to be here any time with our meal. Let's get you on the bed. We'll drop the mosquito netting and wrap air around the bed. He knows me as Max Walberg. If someone comes by asking questions, he won't be able to describe you and he won't even consider we're the couple everyone is looking for."

She didn't answer him, and he swept her into his arms, cradling her close to his chest--to his heart. He might not be able to say sweet words to her aloud without feeling foolish, but he could feel them when she was this close to him. They had two days to recoup before the honeymoon cabana would be claimed by another couple. There was no way he was going to be able to keep his hands off of her for two days. Not and lie beside her in that bed.

She turned to the pillows the moment he set her down. Maxim took his time examining her feet before wrapping them again. He swept a cover over her body and dropped the heavy netting. Even from the bed the view was fantastic, the waves looking close as they rose and fell, white foam curling invitingly. He glanced toward the main resort to see Jorge coming.

He hadn't taken the time to stash a few weapons around the rooms--very unlike him. The sight of her body so bruised and battered really bothered him. He dragged on a shirt to hide the wounds on his own body and opened the door, towel drying his hair as he greeted the owner.

"Thank you, Jorge. We're starving." Maxim stepped back to allow Jorge to enter and put the tray on the table. He kept his hands free, although he felt fairly safe with the owner. There had never been any indication that the man was anything than what he appeared. Still, Maxim wasn't a trusting man and less so now that Airiana was with him.

Jorge looked past him to spot the clothes on the floor. "Let me take your clothes. Maria will launder those for you," he offered.

Maxim managed to look surprised, as if he hadn't noticed the wet clothes--or deliberately left them on the floor to command Jorge's attention. "Oh. Thanks." He wanted the man looking at the wet clothes on the floor of his most prized cabana and not at his woman curled up in the bed.

Jorge took the clothes, and with his happy, knowing smile left them to do what honeymooners do.

Maxim took the plate of food to the bed. He stood for a moment looking down at her. She looked far too small there in the large bed, hardly making a ripple beneath the sheet. The bruises stood out starkly on her pale skin, looking obscene to him. He sank down beside her.

"I know you're exhausted, honey, but I need you to sit up just for a minute or two and try to eat something."

Her long lashes fluttered. She opened her eyes without lifting her head. Need punched him low and wicked. Hard. And it was need. He sighed and pushed back her hair with gentle fingers. "You know I'm not going to be able to do without you. Not ever. We're bound together, you and me, for all time."

A soft smile curved her mouth--that mouth that was giving him far too many fantasies. Her blue eyes lit up. "That's so sad for you. I know you aren't thrilled."

"I've decided there might be a few perks I hadn't considered."

She laughed softly and turned over to stretch. He winced when she did, but she didn't complain. Instead she sat up, pulling the sheet up under her arms.

"I can't imagine what perks you're thinking of."

"Sex." He said it bluntly.

"I don't know a thing about sex. Not one single thing. You're the first man I've ever kissed. I don't think you're going to be all that thrilled with me as a lover."

He laughed softly. "You really don't know a thing about men, do you? Especially a man like me. I'm quite happy teaching you how to be my lover."

He didn't want much more discussion on the matter as his body was already as hard as a rock in anticipation. Thinking about burying himself inside her hot, slick channel, surrounded by her soft body, was doing things to his own body he'd never experienced before.

Every seduction had been calculated and planned for a specific reason. The women were targets--or he had been one. Either way, the act of sex had been just that. He had a certain

expertise, taught, and used when necessary, but his emotions had never been involved. In his own way, he supposed he was as much a virgin as she was--which was laughable.

"I'm going to marry you, Airiana." He set the plate between them and handed her a fork. "Jorge's wife, Maria, is an excellent cook. Eat."

She pressed her lips together, taking the fork slowly, her blue eyes regarding him steadily. "That's it? You declare you're going to marry me and then tell me to eat."

He shrugged. There wasn't really much more to say. Clearly she wanted more, but that was all he had. As far as he was concerned, it was all there was.

She sighed. "I feel like kicking you again, Maxim. I fear you're going to have bruised shins for the first twenty years or so that we're together."

Relief flooded him. He hadn't even known he'd been holding his breath. It was strange to him how he was absolutely confident in every area of his life aside from with her. Airiana shook him up inside. Caused chaos in his well-ordered mind.

"Eat," he ordered again. His voice came out gruff, maybe even a little harsh, and that earned him another look from under her long lashes.

She took a bite of the burrito. A very small bite. One couldn't even consider it an actual bite, more like a delicate nibble. He had the sudden urge to shake her.

"You might consider that I'm a lot bigger than you are, honey, when you decide to defy me over something so ridiculous as eating."

Her fork stopped midway to her mouth. "Defying you? Seriously? Maxim, I feel sick to my stomach, but I'm eating because you asked me to and I wanted to please you. I'm taking small bites to make certain I don't throw up. Stop being an arrogant jackass. I'm not really in the mood for it. Sometimes it's cute and funny and even appealing. Right now, when my stomach is lurching and I hurt like hell, it isn't at all attractive."

He didn't get past that she was eating because she wanted to please him. There was something about loving another person that eluded him, and it was right there in front of him. Airiana did things for him that she wouldn't normally do--and she did them to please him.