Sea Star Legacy Read online

  “The storm is getting closer. We should go in,” he suggested.

  “No, I want to make sure those people make it,” she stated as a raindrop splattered down her nose. Wiping it clear, she watched two men jump off the orange hulled catamaran and pull the vessel onto the sand. If she strained to listen, she could barely hear the flap of the mainsail over the wind and surf. Large random raindrops began to fall. The water trickled down her face and neck, yet she had to see the men take the boat down. She had to make sure they would be alright.

  She watched as they scrambled to drop the sail and pull the small boat further up the sandy incline. Turning toward Luke to tell him she was ready to go in, Sandra stared into his passion filled eyes. Her thoughts spun about like the swirls of rain now coming down. The jean jacket which had felt so comforting moments before felt steamy and confining as her clothes stuck to her body. A small wet curl fell loose on his forehead. An uncontrollable shiver over took her. Its source was not the cutting wind, but the innermost response he provoked in her. There was no escaping the feelings she held for this seafaring mariner.

  Luke watched her tremble from his touch and felt his body surge with desire. Cupping Sandra’s face between his hands, he tried to memorize her features.

  “Sandy, I don’t care if it’s right or wrong. I want you, all of you.” He bent down and kissed a droplet of rain from her forehead. It tasted sweet and exhilarating like a nectar made only for him.

  “Luke, I want you, too. I’ve had you on my mind,” she said and her voice cracked, “and my dreams since the night you rescued me.” Her eyes began to water.

  Luke’s heart swelled with longing, a longing he’d tried to deny too long. It didn’t matter that she had been his best friend’s daughter. She wanted him, too.

  His gaze drifted to her smooth parted lips as her hands glided onto his hips. Arching her long neck, she revealed a glimpse of her firm breasts through the V-neck of her dress. Without further thought, he claimed her mouth as his own, exploring the soft warmth of her mouth. She murmured a groan of pleasure and met his tongue with hers. Their kiss deepened as her body molded into his for support. Small voices of reason echoed in the back of Luke’s mind only to be smothered out by the scent of her skin and hair, the feel of her sultry body pressing against him. After all these years and all his resolutions not to become emotionally involved, nothing mattered but the woman in his arms.

  A flash of light ignited in the sky followed by a large boom of thunder. The rain was coming down in torrents as the wind whipped at their embraced bodies. Luke stroked back Sandra’s hair from her face.

  We’d better go in,” he said in a deep voice which vibrated in her ears.

  “Yes,” she agreed, looking up at him through wet, thick lashes. Her eyes told of her passion.

  Luke scooped Sandra into his arms. “You don’t feel as heavy tonight as you did the first time I carried you into this house,” he jested.

  “Perhaps, you’re getting stronger?”

  “Stronger, you say?” Luke tossed her in the air and pretended to drop her. She shrieked then giggled.

  “Okay, I surrender,” Sandra said, her voice softening as she accented the last word.

  “Good.” He stood next to her bed staring into her hungry eyes. Though he wasn’t sure what the next day would bring, he knew he was destined to love this woman.

  Still cradling her in his arms, he sat on the edge of the bed. Sandra met his generous lips with her own. In a fury of anxious heat, her tongue sought his. He answered her longing, mastering her tongue with long probing movements of his own. Her muscles shook and she emitted a whimper. The low primal sound gripped Luke’s being in a tumult of an uncontrollable appetite.

  Releasing her from his embrace, she slid onto the bed. With her features still damp from the rain and the unmistakable urgency burning in her eyes, she looked ethereal like a siren goddess lying bare to lure unwary sailors at sea.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, wanting to see her naked. He dared not breathe as he reached over and released the delicate buttons of her dress. The crisp fabric fell over her shoulders revealing her breasts.

  “You’re not too bad yourself.” She slid her hands underneath his shirt, teasing the wisps of hair around his nipples. He became aware of the serge of need building between his thighs.

  “Sandra, are you certain this is what you want?” he asked as he held his breath.

  “Yes.”

  He took his shirt off and lay down next to her. As he gazed into the emerald depths of her eyes, he sought out her feelings exposed there.

  “I don’t want you to regret anything.”

  “I’m old enough to make my own decisions, as well as my own mistakes, Luke Caldwell. She raised her eyebrows and smiled. A mischievous twinkle gleamed from her eyes like the stars on a clear moonlit night.

  “Besides, you’re not leaving here until I’ve ravaged your body.” Her confidence aroused him even more. He brought her dress down over her silken hips, revealing a pair of sheer panties. Admiring her subtle curves and ivory skin, he hesitated. Feeling a nudge against his waist, he realized she was unbuttoning his jeans. She stroked the area of his longing. The warmth of her caress seared through the material. A rough groan escaped his lips and he placed his hand against hers, enraging the flame further. His thumb stroked her hand telling of his approval.

  Leaning over her, he nibbled kisses across her throat, down the valley between her breasts and around her pink nipples which stood at attention under his caress. Her chest arched upward as her fingers played in his hair.

  “I’ll be back,” he whispered against her chest. He rolled to the side of the bed and stood. As he shrugged off his pants, his heart pounded against his chest. The urges that tempted his every movement would soon control him.

  “Let me get us some protection.” Luke reached down onto the floor for his wallet. Removing a foil packet, he handed it to Sandra. “Would you do the honors?”

  She slid the contents of the package over his sheath. With each gentle touch of her hand, he felt his manhood throb. He tried to calm the rage burning within him. He wanted their love making to be slow and sweet.

  “I want this to be special,” he told her as he guided her panties off her hips and sought the moist heat he desired with his hand. A soft touch brought her hips swaying up to meet his caress. He found the source of her longing, as her arms clung to his shoulders pulling him down upon her.

  At once, he was lost in his own hunger to quench an insatiable appetite. His hips descended onto hers with a churning of the most turbulent of seas, seeking release for their pent up furies. She was so hot, so wet, so inviting. He gave himself to her.

  “Oh yes,” she whimpered with each rhythmic thrust. “Yes. Yes.” Faster and deeper, harder with each pulse. “Yes, Luke, yes,” she yelled, bucking against his thrust until her body bowed taunt like a well-trimmed sail in heavy wind.

  Luke surrendered to his passion. His entire person pulsated to the cadence of their shared release as he plunged into the inviting folds of the woman below him. He shuddered as the final vestiges of his climax crashed over him in a wave of pure pleasure.

  “Sandra,” he murmured into her luscious neck. “You’re so good to love.” The words rolled off his lips before he had time to think. God help him, he was falling in love.

  “I bet you say that to all the girls,” she teased in a sultry tone as she snuggled closer into his arms.

  Luke felt a lump catch in his throat. Did she think this was just a romp in the hay for him?

  He pushed her out from his embrace and leaned against one elbow to examine her face. “I wouldn’t bed my best friend’s daughter without giving it a lot of thought.

  Her questioning eyes looked up at him, but she didn’t reply.

  “Sandra, you are very special to me.”

  “I know, Luke,” she acknowledged. A somber expression stole over her features. “Let’s not talk, now. Just hold me. I’ll sett
le with tomorrow when it knocks on my door.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  A crisp breeze fanned Sandra’s face as she snuggled deeper into the covers. Lying on her side, squinting through half opened eyelids, she watched the rays of the warm October sun filter over the ivory colored sheers on the window. Without thought, she reached out upon the still warm sheets where Luke had lain. His absence startled her awake.

  She searched the light and dark patterns of the room for him in vain. Then, she heard the steady rhythm of water splashing down on the tiles in her bathroom. Eyeing the digital clock’s red glow, she realized it was 6:00 a.m. Why was Luke up getting dressed so early on a Saturday? she wondered. If he was trying to sneak off before she woke up, surely he wouldn’t have stopped to take a shower.

  Rolling onto her back, Sandra stretched out and examined the simple brass ceiling fan whirling above her. Everything felt so perfect. Why had she fought her attraction to Luke for so long? she wondered. After all, he had been her father’s best friend, as well as a respected business man. Without warning, it hit her head on. Nothing had changed.

  She was trying to sweep her arguments under the rug when the water stopped and she heard the shower door slide open on its metal rudders. The bathroom door narrowly opened letting billows of white steam into the room. She could smell the sweet fragrance of soap and shampoo. The same shampoo and soap she used each morning yet, it took a different essence.

  Staring through the crack into the mirror, she found a pair of rakish eyes smiling back at her.

  “Still peeking in bathroom doors, are you?”

  Sandra felt her cheeks flush and looked down at the creased linens. “I only peep when there’s something worthwhile to see.” Lifting her gaze, she caught a full view of his masculine figure standing in the doorway. Her floral print towel, tied into a loose knot just below his waist. Wisps of dark curls ran the course of his abdomen, thickening as they approached the lower portion of his body.

  Luke stepped out of the bathroom and moved toward Sandra. Her pulse quickened with each silent step. As he stopped at the bed’s edge, he looked down upon her. His eyes were heavy and serious, but a gentle smile graced his rich lips.

  “I hope you don’t mind my using your shower. I didn’t mean to wake you.” His tone was casual and cool, however, Sandra could read the discomfort written in invisible ink. Things have already changed, she thought. The light of day often provided a new perspective, today it brought reality.

  “Where are you heading off to?” she asked with a feeble smile.

  The water bed sloshed its misgivings as Luke sat down next to her. Sandra rearranged her weight in reply.

  “I have to get going.” He arched his eyebrows into a plea of understanding.

  “Sure. It’s no big deal. We’re adults. You don’t owe me any explanations,” Sandra said and turned her head to hide her disappointment.

  “It’s not like that,” he said, in a hushed voice.

  “Luke.” Sandra turned around to address him, her voice trembled with emotion. “You don’t have to try and spare my feelings. I’m a grown woman. We had a good time last night.”

  She studied the scowl drawn tightly over his face. She couldn’t read his thoughts and it bothered her.

  Luke took in a deep breath. His eyes stared right through her.

  A loud steady knock from the shop sounded, interrupting Sandra’s thoughts.

  “Are you expecting company? Luke asked.

  “No. Just ignore it.”

  “Ignore it? It could be the sheriff or better yet a customer who’s desperate for a very expensive boat part.”

  “Okay, you sold me.” Sandra pulled the sheet up around her arm pits and slid down the bed to where her ankle length robe hung.

  “Feeling rather shy this morning?” Luke asked in a quizzical tone.

  Sandra wheeled around. “I don’t like parading around naked in front of strangers if that’s what you mean.”

  “I’m not a stranger.

  To her surprise, Sandra thought she saw hurt radiating from her sailor’s blue eyes. She turned to ignore his remark and tied the satin blue belt of her robe up tight against her waist.

  “Go answer the door,” he told her. I’ll get dressed and put us on some coffee. We need to talk.”

  Sandra swallowed down a lump in her throat. “Okay, I’ll go answer the door.”

  Sandra scaled the steps down to the shop with deliberate assurance. The closer she came to the door, the louder the pounding became. She heard a familiar voice from behind the door. “Sandra, Sandra, let me in. Sandra Anne Harris it’s your mother.”

  Sandra flung the door open in wide mouthed surprise. “Mother, what are you doing here?”

  “Checking on you. What’s going on Sandra?”

  “What do you mean? I talked to you last night.”

  “Yes, and you were going to call me right back.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, but couldn’t you have called first?” Sandra’s mind flashed back to the night before. It all seemed like a warped dream.”

  Carolyn Daniels used the lapse of conversation to push past Sandra and enter the shop. She examined the business in a single glance while she clutched her large leather suitcase in her hand.

  Sandra looked down at the size of the case and moaned silently to herself.

  “This is the rat trap which you left your home for? I can’t say it doesn’t look like a business your father would have owned.”

  “Mother, if you came here to criticize me, then turn your oversized suitcase around and leave.”

  “I came because I was worried about you. Sandy, come home with me. You know your dad would be happy for you to work for him.”

  “My dad?” Sandra’s voice rose in irritation as her face became flushed. “Charles is not my father. He is your husband. I don’t want a job given to me by good old Charles. I want to make it on my own, Mom. Why can’t you understand?”

  The older woman clenched her jaw tight and lifted her chin a degree. “I didn’t come here to fight with you.”

  “I’m glad you came, Mom,” Sandra said with a condescending smile. Her mother always had a way of popping up in her life without warning at the worst times, she thought. Well, for now, she had won the first round. She knew, however, it wouldn’t be the last time they’d face-off before her mother agreed to go home.

  Approaching her, Sandra gave her mother a conservative hug. Surprised, she jumped backwards, out of her daughter’s embrace, her face pale. Sandra followed her mother’s horrified stare only to find Luke leaning against the door jam with a roguish grin.

  “Good Lord, Sandra Ann, you have company.” Her mother’s glare dropped from Luke to examine her daughter’s obvious lack of apparel.

  “I’m sorry, Mother, this is Luke Caldwell. Luke, I’d like you to meet my mother, Carolyn Daniels.

  Setting the coffee mug in his hand onto the counter, he moved towards Mrs. Daniels and offered his hand. She hesitated. Their eyes locked in confrontation, the edges of her lips curled into a smirk of disapproval. After several uncomfortable seconds, she finally accepted his hand.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Should I call you Mrs. Daniels?” His voice sounded convincingly pleased, however, Sandra knew he had to be lying. What sane person would be happy to see their lover’s parent the morning after a night of love making?

  “Yes, Mrs. Daniels is fine, thank you,” her mother replied and clenched her jaws tighter together, emphasizing the hollow lines in her cheeks.

  “Sandy, I’m going to have to go. There’s a fresh pot of coffee in the kitchen. Why don’t you and your mother sit down and enjoy it.”

  “You’re leaving,” she stated, not looking forward to side stepping her mother’s questions.

  “Yeah, I better get going,” Luke told her and flashed her an amused smile. “I’ll give you a call. We’ll talk soon.”

  Sandra tried to ignore her mother’s smoldering stare as she focused her attention on her handsome s
ailor making for the door.

  I’ll go on in and make myself at home, while you see your guest out,” Mrs. Daniels stated as she lifted her eyebrows in a show of arrogance. Giving them her back, she exited up the stairway, suitcase in hand. Sandra started to tell her to leave the bag downstairs; she’d carry the case up, but stopped short.

  “She reminds me of you,” Luke said with a laugh.

  Sandra couldn’t help laughing, too. Her mother did have a way of over dramatizing a situation. Sandra doubled up her first and socked him good in the arm. Luke’s laughter subsided and a wishful gleam filled his eyes.

  “You carry a good punch,” he said while he pretended to rub the soreness out of his arm.

  “Then don’t mess with me.”

  “I didn’t notice any complaints last night,” Luke placed his hands around her thin waist and pulled her into him. His mouth came down on hers in a promise of much more to come.

  “I will call you and we will talk.” His gaze studied her from head to toe as a hungry grin formed on his lips.

  Sandra felt her emotions stir. Her mind searched for something to say to divert his attention to more practical matters.

  “Won’t we need to get together next week on the regatta? I’ve run into a couple of snags and I want your input.” Hearing the desperation in her voice, she cringed. Correcting her posture, she hid behind a plastic smile.

  “Whatever you think is best, will be fine.”

  Sandra wondered if Luke had even heard a word she’d said. His expression was so distant. Was he thinking about Dana or someone else? Why the sudden change in heart about the regatta finance?

  “Let me get this straight,” she began as her mind sorted out his words and put together a few conclusions. “In one night of lovemaking, I’ve talked you into a blank check on this regatta?”

  “I think I’m pretty safe letting you play with my money. After all, your footing half the bill too.”

  “Good point,” she said feeling a bit of relief. She’d met many a man who thought an evening out on the town entitled them to anything they wanted.