day on the beach. Later, after ordering takeout for dinner from Arness, they were back at her place.
No matter how tempting Swan was making it for him to stay longer at her place, he would leave when it got dark. The information about Rafe Duggers’s sealed records bothered him and he’d decided to poke around in the tattoo parlor later that night to see what he could find.
He glanced over at Swan as she sat across the table from him eating dinner. Earlier today, when he had returned to take her to breakfast, she had opened the door looking fresh and perky and dressed simply in a pair of shorts and a tank top. Seeing her dressed that way reminded him of just what a gorgeous pair of legs she had, as well as how those same legs had wrapped around him while they’d made love that morning and the night before.
When they had gone swimming, she’d worn one of the sexiest two-piece bathing suits he’d ever seen. He had totally and completely enjoyed his day with her. They would be attending the Memorial Day festivities together tomorrow in town, which included a parade.
Because he needed some investigative time, he’d come up with an excuse for why he couldn’t see her a couple of days this week. Time was moving quickly and he had yet to find anything to clear her of wrongdoing.
Because of Nick’s warning, Flipper hadn’t told Admiral Martin everything when he’d called him back yesterday. Namely, he’d left out the discrepancies between what Nick had found out and the actual reports from naval intelligence. Until Flipper discovered what was going on, he would follow Nick’s advice and keep that information to himself for now.
“Although I won’t be seeing you for a few days because of work, will you still be on the island?” Swan asked.
It was hard not to be totally truthful about why she wouldn’t be seeing him. She was the last person he wanted to be dishonest with but he had no choice. His goal had always been to prove her innocence and now that was doubly true. He would check out the tattoo shop tonight and look around in both Rafe’s and Jamila’s homes this week while they were here at work. Although it had been established that Jamila was Swan’s relative, as far as Flipper was concerned, she was still a suspect.
“Yes, I’ll still be on the island but I have to concentrate on this project I was sent here to do.” No need to tell her that the project involved her.
“I understand how things are when work calls.”
He reached up and caressed the side of her face. “We still have a date for the parade tomorrow, right?”
“Yes.”
“What about dinner on Friday evening?” he asked her.
Her smile touched something deep within him. “I’d love that, David.”
“Good. I’ll swing by your shop at closing time Friday and we can go to dinner directly from there. You pick the place.”
“All right.”
“What time do you want me to come get you for the parade tomorrow?”
“It starts at ten in the morning and we need to get there early to get a good spot. How about if I prepare pancakes for us in the morning around eight?”
“You sure? I wouldn’t want you to go to any trouble.”
She waved off his words. “No problem. I told you I enjoy cooking.”
After they finished dinner, he told her he needed to leave to read some reports for work, which wasn’t a lie. She walked him to the door. He leaned down to kiss her, intending for it to be a light touch of their lips.
But the moment his mouth touched hers and she released a breathless sigh, it seemed the most natural thing to slide his tongue inside her mouth and deepen the kiss. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her tight against him and knew the exact moment the kiss had changed to something more.
It was no longer a goodbye and I’ll see you later kiss. Instead it was one of those I need to have you before I go kind. And Swan seemed to be reciprocating those feelings as she returned the kiss with equal fervor.
The next thing Flipper knew, he was sweeping her off her feet and moving quickly toward her bedroom. When he placed her on the bed, they began stripping off their clothes.
For him, she’d become an itch he couldn’t scratch and a craving that wouldn’t go away. There was something about making love to her that made every part of his body ache with need. She had imprinted herself on his soul and in every bone in his body and there was nothing he could do about it but savor what they had for as long as he could.
When she was completely naked, his pulse kicked up a notch and his breathing was forced from his lungs when he looked at her. She was beautiful and perfectly made.
He pulled a condom from his wallet in the shorts she’d helped him remove and toss aside. Knowing she was watching his every move, he rolled it over his aroused manhood.
“I want to do that for you the next time.”
He looked at Swan. “All right.” So she was letting him know she intended there to be a next time for them. He was glad because he wanted a next time, too.
There was a big chance when she found out the truth about why he was here on the island that she wouldn’t want to have anything to do with him again. But he forced the thought from his mind.
“You don’t have all evening, you know,” she teased.
She was right, he didn’t and it was a good thing she didn’t know why. He moved toward her. “Impatient?”
She smiled up at him. “Yes, you could say that.”
“In that case, I can help you with that problem.” He leaned in. “I’ve got to taste you again,” was all he said just seconds before his mouth came down on hers.
Swan automatically lifted her arms around his neck the moment his lips touched hers.
* * *
Capturing her tongue, David drew it into his mouth. Blood rushed fast and furious to Swan’s head, making her feel both light-headed and dazed as his tongue began mating with hers. His technique was rousing her passion to a level that electrified every part of her. Insistent need rushed up her spine, spinning her senses and mesmerizing her with his delectable taste.
He suddenly broke off the kiss and they both panted furiously, drawing deep gulps of air into their lungs.
She rested her head against his chest and inhaled his scent as she continued to catch her breath. She knew she was losing herself to passion again when she felt the hardness of his erection brushing against her thigh, energizing the area between her legs.
Then she heard him whispering erotic details of what he wanted to do to her. His words spread fire through her body and when he gently cupped the area between her legs, she moaned.
“You’re torturing me, David,” she said, before twisting to push him down on his back so she could straddle him. Before he could react, she lowered her head between his masculine thighs and eased his erection into her mouth.
“Ah, Swan,” he growled huskily, gripping her hair. She
