Chapter 5

She was fascinating in the way her body flowed with the water as if she were part of it. Each graceful stroke of her soft arms propelled her along the surface, in harmony with the nature that surrounded her as well as the fiery sunrise catching on her wet skin. Then she disappeared under the surface, sliding beneath the water as her blond hair followed, ebbing away slowly until it became one with the water.

Her head broke the surface, leading her body up into the sweet air of the new day as the flames of the sunrise glistened in her wet hair. One arm extended seductively as she turned on her back, exposing the delicate curves of her breasts to the burning light. Each taut nipple stood proudly over the water, guarding the gentle swell of her belly and the soft tangle of golden curls below it.

The minute she had stepped into the murky water, he'd had the impression he was seeing a goddess. Her golden skin glimmering in the faint light of the awakening day had been like an apparition. With a toss of her wheat-colored hair she had taken possession of his mind, leaving no room for the anger he had been harboring.

The secretive smile on her face alone was enough to remind him that he was a man. With all that she'd been through over the past two days, he couldn't imagine how she could find enough pleasure to create that smile. He wished he'd been the one to make her lips curve so deliciously, to make her feel even a moment of joy. As it was, he was held spellbound by the magic of her expression, quickening the pace of his heart.

A painful swelling prodded against the unforgiving zipper of his jeans as he watched her breasts rise and fall with each breath. His hands itched to touch her, to grab her hips so that he could impale her, take possession of her flesh and her being.

The throbbing in his groin became more insistent when she suddenly rolled back over and glided toward the edge of the pond. She stood slowly, the surface of the water settling around her hips when she reached the log where she had earlier placed the items she'd been carrying. As she reached for one of the items that turned out to be a bar of soap, he could only watch in fascination as she worked up a lather to run over her shimmering flesh.

He crawled under the brush, working his way toward her in virtual silence as she continued to bathe. He stopped only ten feet from where she stood with her back to the bank. Her back seemed to stiffen slightly as she set the soap down on the log before ducking into the water and swimming toward the middle, leaving a trail of foamy bubbles in her wake.

She stopped several yards out, turning to face the bank, standing straight with the water coming to her shoulders. "Come out of there, " she barked, looking directly at his hiding spot.

Niko froze, not wanting the spell to be broken or to be caught spying on his wife. Then he watched in amazement as one of her hands broke slowly to the surface, a pistol clutched there and trained on him. With a low whistle, he cautiously raised his head, smiling at the deadly beauty in the water.

"No wonder you can't break the case," Camille flared, "if that's what you call 'covert activity.' Jesus Christ. Why are you skulking around in the bushes, peeping at me? Can't a girl get some fucking privacy?"

The grin on his face told the story well. He'd been enjoying the erotic show she'd been putting on, enjoying it more than even he realized. "Do you always take a bath with a gun?"

"Smart ass," she snorted as she lowered the gun. Watching as he kicked off his shoes and reached for the belt at his waist, she added, "What do you think you're doing?"

"I thought I'd join you. How's the water?"

"Hey, who invited you? Get out of here."

"Don't test me, agapi mou. I'm pissed as hell that you wandered off," he growled softly as he finished peeling off his clothing. "You need to set your happy ass down and think about this. It's no party. You could've gotten yourself killed pulling a stunt like that."

She watched in frustration as he waded into the water, noting the beauty of his naked physique as he set his own gun on the log next to her shampoo and soap. "I told you not to call me that. You have no right."

His back stiffened at her words, his face turning angry — but only briefly. That irritatingly easy smile returned, flashing at her from across the water. She wanted to hurl the cold steel, still gripped in her fingers, at him.

"Of course," he said smoothly as he picked up the small bottle of shampoo. "I should know better than to call my wife by names of adoration. How foolish of me."

He walked through the water, moving toward her, his eyes glittering with amusement. Stopping just inches from her, he raised his empty hand, cupping her shoulder, running the palm down her arm. His fingers felt the muscles under her skin tense, drawing tight as a shiver ambled through her body.

His hand settled over the unyielding hardness of the gun, still gripped in her hand under the water. "You gonna use that on me, Baby?"

"I might," she offered suggestively, her grip tightening under his hand.

He chuckled, the warm, rich sound rumbling deep in his chest and tumbling from his lips. Still holding her hand, cocking his eyebrow, he whispered, "I believe you would."

He released the gun and the hand that held it, running the pads of his fingers up her arm, over the curve of her shoulder to her nape. The skin under his touch drew taut, a reaction he remembered so well from that life they had before. Stepping around her, sliding his palm under her drenched hair, he positioned himself behind her — close enough that she could feel his heat, but not pressing his body against hers.

"What are you doing, Niko?" She tried to sound stern but the question came out sounding like an invitation.

His lips brushed against the curve of her neck, causing the water around her to flow in tiny ripples as she shuddered. "I'm going to wash your hair, my Camille," he breathed against the shell of her ear. His touch left her briefly, opening the bottle and pouring a liberal measure into his palm. "Hold this for me."

Camille felt the cool bottle, as it slid over her shoulder to rest just above her breast, felt the heat of the flesh that held it to her. She reached up, shaking, to take it from him, letting her arm drop back into the water once she had it. His lips nuzzled her ear, tasting the water on her skin, sending another quiver dancing through her.

His hands cupped the top of her head, his fingers diving into the thick, wet tresses, massaging her scalp. He stopped only long enough to pull the ends out of the water and work them into the lather on her head. A soft moan escaped her lips as she leaned into him, feeling the muscles of his chest against her shoulder blades.

His movements were seductive, deliberate, designed to entice her senses, each stroke of his fingers sending delicious sensations through her. He pressed himself against her, pulling her head back onto his shoulder as his fingers continued to work. She found herself forced to concentrate that she wouldn't drop the gun in her hand and lose it in the soft bed of the pond.

The sensations he created were made of smoke and dreams, weaving in and around her, consuming her mind, dominating her body. She sagged against him, moaning softly when his fingers left her scalp to stroke down the sides of her neck, splaying over her collarbone and further. He wove a seductive spell that would soon have her whimpering like a newborn kitten if she didn't get hold of herself.

Memories of the way he'd once played her body like a maestro, strumming all the right nerves came back. He'd always had the ability to rob her of her senses, send her to unbelievable heights of pleasure. That was before — before the pain of loss and loneliness after he went off on his great adventure. He'd abandoned her without a word, left her to her struggle for her own survival. Now, he was back, expecting her to forget the commitments she'd made, the fight she'd endured to rebuild her life without him. And she was letting him!

She stiffened, her body solidifying as her pride and her anger seized control. Stepping forward, she whirled around in the water, glaring at the passion that glazed his dark eyes.

"God damn it!" she snarled, pushing away from him hard enough to knock him back in the water. "Changing tactics, I see."

Camille stomped through the water, her arms swinging furiously in her haste to get away. Slamming the gun onto the log, tossing the bottle of shampoo at the bank, she whirled around to scowl at him from across the water. Lather dribbled down the sides of her face, tumbling onto her neck and shoulders as the piles of hair cascaded from her head.

"Do you ever give up?" she sneered, raising her voice to be sure he would hear her. "Face it, Niko. What we once had is gone. I've moved on. When I needed you, you weren't there, but someone else was. I am going to marry him. Do you understand that?"

She dove under, swimming out into the water and away from him, leaving a trail of creamy soap froth in her wake. Running her hands through her hair, she stayed under the surface just long enough to ensure she got all the shampoo out. When she came up for air she found Niko standing nearby, an unreadable expression on his face.

Camille turned, wanting to put distance between them, only to feel his iron grip as he seized her arm. Drawing her to his body, his arm snaked around her waist, holding her fast. "Why?"

She snorted, pushing at his chest. "Why? Because he loves me. Because he'll always be there for me. That's why."

"You didn't say you love him, though, agapi," he whispered, capturing one of her struggling hands in his, holding it to his chest. "No one ever loved like we did. Your... What's his name? Doug? Your Doug will never be able to show you the passion and fire that we have, even now."

His voice was soothing, his black eyes catching the flames of the sunrise, heating her with his glances. She felt her body reacting, the warmth flooding her senses as her hard nipples pressed against the smooth skin of his chest. Turning her head, she tried to twist in his arms, to pull away before it was too late.

"Niko, please. You called me a whore before. Remember? That's exactly what you're trying to turn me into now. Don't make me unfaithful to him. Let me go."

The urgency of her plea caught in his heart, tugging at what was left of his compassionate side. He released her slowly, hesitantly, allowing her to step away. A stabbing pain in his chest, near where that first bullet had struck him all those years ago, stole his breath, almost staggering him. By the time she took her second step, he was nearly choking on bitterness.

"No!" His hand shot out, dragging her back. Clasping both her upper arms, he held her to him, his face only inches from hers. "I'm your husband, not that guy you're trying so hard to remember. I'm the one you're being unfaithful to."

"Take your hands off me, Niko," she demanded calmly. "You're not my husband anymore. I don't even know who you are."

He felt the pain in his chest again, spreading through his limbs at her words. "I'm the man who loves you, Camille," he ground out. "The same man who loved you all those years ago. I never stopped, unlike you."

It was Camille's turn to be hurt, her brows drawing together in an anguish frown. She wanted to lash out at him, to make him suffer what she'd known after his disappearance, but she kept her voice soft, chose to be honest with her words. "I never stopped loving you, Niko. I just had to learn to live without my heart."

Her whispered confession caught him by surprise. His grip relaxed as his fingers crawled over her arms and around her back. He pulled her into a gentle embrace, held her against his warmth, her head cradled on his shoulder.

"No woman lives without her heart, Camille. You have my heart; can't you give me yours? Poso mou eleipses moro mou — how I've missed you, Baby."

She lifted her head, pushing back to look into his eyes. "You're not playing fair, Niko."

"I know, agapi mou," he rasped, lowering his head slowly.

His lips tenderly brushed her forehead, moving along the line of her brow to her cheek. He curled a finger under her chin, lifting her face higher as his lips caressed her skin. When his mouth finally claimed hers, the rest of the world receded, leaving only the two lovers, basking in each other and the water that surrounded them. A soft moan floated up from her throat, mingling with the sounds of the new day.

"Thee mou, " he gasped, lifting his head to look at her face. "Eisai toso omorfi."

Camille returned his gaze, her eyes hazy and glazed. "Hmm?"

"My God, Camille," he translated. "You're so beautiful."

He bent to kiss her again, the fingers of one hand moving between them to trace the curve of her breast. Camille pushed back again, trying hard to keep him at arm's length. It wasn't working so well.

"Niko, please," she begged. "Let me go."

The finger trailing around her nipple became more insistent. "I've seen the way you look at me, Baby. I know you feel what I do."

"Feeling it doesn't make it right," she whispered against his mouth. "I can't do this."

"I've loved you my whole life. You loved me, too. I have a ring on my finger that says it's right."

"And I have a death certificate that says it isn't." She turned her head, trying one more time to get him to let her loose.

"Do I feel dead to you?" he demanded, his voice harsh, full of emotion. He pressed her open palm to the flesh of his chest again. "Can't you feel my heart beating? I'm warm and alive and I need you. You need me. Does he make you feel like this? Does he know how to set you on fire?" He stopped for a moment to study her face. "I've been to hell and back trying to get to you. I would give up my life just to make love to you one more time. Don't turn me away."

Something in his eyes — a memory perhaps, or the spark of a flame long gone dormant — caught her by surprise, draining away what little was left of her resistance. She lost the battle she fought with her body, her arms curving upward to encircle his neck. This time when his lips found hers, she returned his kiss with eagerness. A shudder of pure delight traveled through her while his hands stroked the length of her spine.

The kiss ended when Niko lifted her, sliding an arm around her back and the other under her knees. His mouth descended again, taking hers, his tongue forcing its way between her teeth. It seemed to Camille that the water on her skin had turned to steam by the time he laid her down on the cool grass.

He lay beside her, propped on one elbow as his eyes took in every soft curve of her body. "Do you remember the last time we made love outdoors?"

Camille nodded, not trusting her voice as his hand slid over her wet skin.

"We'd sneaked away from camp, found a spot by the lake. You were quite the wild woman, as I recall."

"You always did have that affect on me, Niko." Her voice was husky, her words ending on a gasp as his fingers settled over her soft mound.

He watched with fascination when she licked her lips, bending to capture the lower one between his teeth and suck it into his mouth. Her shaking fingers tangled in his hair, holding his head fast while his hand continued to explore the remembered secrets of her body. Then he pulled himself free of the kiss, rolled on top of her, and pried her thighs open with his knees.

He nestled there as she arched her back, the velvety head of his engorged shaft sliding along the opening of her slick, wet sex. Pulling back when she tried to grind against him, he smiled knowingly, acutely aware of the need that drove her. He felt it too, with each breath that flooded the scent of her into his nostrils, with each soft gasp and whimpering moan that sounded in his ears.