They'd both almost died. The thought tore through her—that they might never have shared this moment. That she could have lost him before she'd ever had the chance to really know him.
She would know him now, if only on this superficial level. A meeting and mating of their bodies to affirm life.
Darcy molded herself closer to the hard wall of his chest and struggled to will away somber thoughts. Some things in life were beyond her control. Finding a way to hold on to the special bond with Max might well be beyond her control. She gripped him tighter, locked him closer, not nearly close enough.
Max buried his face in her hair, his hands low, guiding her h*ps against his. "I wish I could take you somewhere special, memorable, out under the sun. For weeks, I've wanted to peel that bathing suit off you, make love to you on a sandbar." He stroked the back of one finger down her neck, lower, dipping into the collar of her flight suit and hooking around her chain. "See you wearing nothing but the sun and these."
Her dog tags dangled from the crook of his finger.
Darcy glided her hand along his cheek. "Seems to me we've already had the wide-open-spaces experience, and it didn't end very well for us."
His hand clenched around the chain. "No baggage from that day."
She totally agreed. They'd earned this time together, damn it. She arched up on her toes. "Here is good." Perfect. "Any military brat worth his salt should know it's not where you are but who you're with that counts."
"Touche. And now you're about to be with me."
Darcy stared into his eyes, deeper, and saw him because finally he opened himself up enough to let her inside. This man who was too well versed in keeping his identity hidden.
But not now.
He wasn't the moody doctor of the weeks prior or the driven operative of recent days. But Max, a man who wanted her. No games here. She might not have a clue about what made him tick, but there was no mistaking his desire for her—a heady aphrodisiac.
A thrill of anticipation tripped along her adrenaline-heightened nerves. She waited, wanted...
His lips found the throbbing pulse at the base of her neck. Who'd have thought anyone could have so many nerve endings in one patch of skin? Her head lolled back and she sighed. She inhaled the warm sunshine scent of his hair as Max inched the zipper down on her flight suit, following the revealing path with his mouth.
If only she wasn't so aware of how long it had been since she'd put on that flight suit. How damned unfair that he smelled like coconut oil, sunshine and a hint of musk while she likely reeked of sweat and smoke.
She clasped his hand. "Max, wait."
Groaning, he dropped his head to her breasts. "You're gonna make me be honorable, aren't you?"
"No." Definitely not. "I need to shower first. I know it's probably unromantic of me to want to delay, but man, Max. A girl only has one first time and—''
He hooked an arm behind her knees and swung her up against his chest.
"Max!"
"You want a shower, lady, you're going to have a shower."
Why hadn't she just suggested they shower together rather than admitting she smelled like a crewdog? Alicia's voice mocked her as they crossed the room.
Way to go, kiddo.
As much as she and Max might be equals in the work world, his experience in the sexual arena left her in the dust. His past included women who likely wore lace or silk and not a green flight bag with white athletic socks.
She hated encroaching insecurities, especially when she prided herself on conquering in any field she chose. Hang tough and be bold. She wanted this. She wanted Max.
He turned sideways through the bathroom door. He set her on her feet in front of the shower stall and reached to turn on the water.
Darcy looped her finger in the drawstring of his flowered swim trunks. "Maybe I should get a tropical shirt so we'll match."
He cupped her face between both broad palms. "Darcy, there's so much light and life in your eyes, in you, clothes couldn't compete." His sea-green gaze devoured every inch of her. "And there's something so damned sexy about the way you're completely covered in that uniform. Makes me want to..."
He grasped the tab on her zipper and tugged farther. Slowly. Link by link he pulled until he unveiled the hem of her black T-shirt and a hint of underwear.
The combination of his words with his stare hotter than any jet engine swept away insecurities.