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Alex rolled over onto his back, taking her with him as their mouths remained locked together. She ran her hand down his chest and hip once again, the mass of scar tissue not surprising her this time and letting him know it didn’t bother her. Feeling the soft breeze cooling the hot skin on the back of her body, Hope moved her hips from side to side, grinding against him.
He rumbled deep in his chest and rolled them back over. They were both breathing hard now, sharing the same air between them as their mouths devoured each other.
“Alex, I want you. Now,” she breathed into his ear.
He moved on top of her, and she inhaled deeply as he entered her, every nerve calling out. His eyes were full and brilliant, and he looked at her as if she were the only thing in his world.
They maintained eye contact as they began moving together, first very slowly, and then faster. Alex grasped both her arms and lifted them above her head as their fingers intertwined. She was immobilized by his body. Lost in his eyes, full of desire and trust, she was safe with him.
Alex gasped, closing his eyes and burying his face in her neck as their movement increased. “Oh God, Hope.”
Everywhere their bodies touched became slick with sweat. Glancing at the blue sky, Hope tightened her grip on his hands, breathing ever faster as the sensations within her built, wave after wave, as she closed her eyes and locked her mouth onto his shoulder. Alex gripped her hands tighter in return, crying out with her.
* * *
Hope stretched on the blanket, the breeze cooling the sweat on her body as a bead ran down her side. Alex languidly kissed her, then rolled onto his back, pulling her with him so she lay alongside, her head nestled on his chest. Feeling the comforting beating of his heart beneath her ear, Hope slowly stroked his chest, enjoying the feel of it beneath her fingers.
Continuing downward, she softly caressed his side, slowing the pace when she reached his area of scar tissue. She lightly drew her hand down the massive wound, closing her eyes as she silently asked the question.
His heart raced next to her ear.
After hesitating, Alex began in a flat, emotionless voice. His entire body was coiled tension, contrasting his soft, clipped words. “It was an IED. In Syria. We ran right into an ambush. Sixteen of us went out that night. Eight were killed in action, four badly injured, and four made it back ok. I was airlifted to Germany after they stabilized me somewhat. The doctors told me later I coded twice on the way. They rebuilt my hip there. It’s pretty much a mass of metal. After a few months of that, I came back stateside and did my rehab at Walter Reed in Bethesda.”
He took a deep breath. “But it was the end of my Navy career. That was when I became a full-time dive instructor and moved here five years ago.”
Hope was dizzy and short of breath, stunned at his revelation. Under her ear, Alex’s heart beat even faster than before. His chest moved with each deep, rapid inhalation.
A tear slipped from her eye and ran down his chest as his entire body became even more rigid.
“Don’t feel sorry for me, Hope. I don’t need your pity.” He spat the words out like brittle ice chips.
She raised on her elbow, meeting his eyes. “I don’t pity you, Alex. I’ve seen who you are. I know who you are. But that doesn’t mean I can’t cry at a sad story. It only means I wish I’d met you sooner. That I could have been there to help you.”
Eyes glittering with unshed tears, he pulled her back down tightly to his chest. “You’re helping me now, baby. More than you’ll ever know.”
CHAPTER 39
Alex pulled Hope tight against him, entwining his legs further with hers. His heartbeat gradually receded to its normal, steady rhythm as he relaxed. A lightness spread through his chest. It had definitely been worth the wait.
He’d done it—finally told what happened—and the world hadn’t ended.
Quite the opposite.
Hope didn’t show any signs of running away. He smirked at the sky. We’re on a tiny island. Where’s she going to run?
He’d tried to think of a way to bring up his wound while they were eating, but couldn’t do it, deciding instead to let things play out. He doubted they were done with the conversation, anyway. That was a huge surprise he’d dropped on her. And he had his own reckoning to begin.
She brought his hand up to her mouth and kissed it. “Why? Why have you kept this so deeply hidden?”
He sighed as his mind clouded once more. “I had to. It was the only way I could deal with it. Eight of my best friends died. Horribly. Throwing myself into work kept me from thinking too much. And the last thing I want is anyone feeling sorry for me. The only time I felt alive was in the water.” Alex tipped her face toward his. “Until you came into my life.”
Hope reached up, kissing him deeply, then brushed her lips over his closed eyelids, and the dam he’d built began to crumble at last. She lifted onto her elbow, tracing a finger down his chest and abdomen as her gaze sharpened. Her eyes examined the scars scattered across his lower abdomen, her face showing only tender concern.
Then she found the other one.
She traced her finger across the three-inch angry gash near his groin, nearly hidden in the thatch of hair.
Alex exhaled, his eyes closed. “That’s the one that almost killed me. The hip was bad, but only needed a series of operations to rebuild. Shrapnel hit me there and severed some blood vessels. I didn’t ask the details, didn’t want to know.”
