Ain't Misbehaving (18 page)

Charlotte cocked her head as if considering Ash’s choice. “You don’t think it will clash with my hair?”

“Oh, no, dear,” one of the ladies said. “Add a long string of pearls and wear your hair in a chignon. Paint your lips in a pale lipstick, highlight your eyes and you’ll look as if you belong in the thirties. And for you, sir, I think this white dinner jacket and these trousers. A white shirt and a black bow tie. Smooth your hair back with some styling cream, and you’ll make all the ladies’ hearts flutter.”

Ash reached for Charlotte’s hand and pressed a kiss to her inner wrist. “This is the only lady I want to impress.”

“You’re a lucky girl,” one woman said.

“I keep telling her that. Sweetheart, do we have everything we need for the party?”

“I think so.” Her stomach gurgled, and Charlotte clapped her hand over her belly, color flooding her cheeks. “Pardon me.”

“Did you have breakfast this morning?”

“Just coffee,” she said.

“That’s everything, thanks,” Ash said, producing a credit card from his wallet.

“I’ll pay—”

“No, this is my treat,” Ash said. “You’re doing me a favor going with me to meet my client.”

“But I—”

“Please,” Ash said.

Charlotte opened her mouth to argue, but he handed over the card to forestall further discussion. He took the packages from the woman serving them, snared Charlotte’s hand in his, tugging her out of the shop and back to the rental car.

People they passed stared at them both. He was used to everyone gaping at his scars, and mostly, he didn’t pay any attention to them unless they edged too far into rudeness. Today it seemed different. There were no members of the press jumping out at him, and Charlotte was holding his hand, arguing about paying her share. Most of his girlfriends would have pouted at the lack of press and prettily requested more expensive jewelry. More than ever Ash was convinced Ivy and his grandmother maneuvering them together was a stroke of genius and the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Throughout lunch and during their walk along the beach, he touched her constantly. He tugged on a lock of her silky red hair, admiring the way it glinted full of autumn colors under the summer sunshine. He kept his hand at the small of her back to guide her through doorways. Held her hand, his fingers laced with hers. And he kissed her whenever the urge struck him, savoring the softness of her lips beneath his, the way she responded to him, her eyes darkening with passion whenever he upped the ante and pushed into erotic territory.

But lust and desire were weapons capable of backfiring, and they created chaos in him. His skin tingled where they touched, blood pounded through his veins, tightening his dick while his heart sang with the promise flickering between them.

“I can’t remember the last time I walked along a beach,” Charlotte said. “It was when my father was still alive, I think.”

“How old were you when he remarried?”

“Thirteen,” Charlotte said, some of the life fading from her. “He died when I was sixteen.”

“And you stayed with your stepmother?”

“I had nowhere else to go. Dad was an only child, as was my mother. My sole remaining relation is a cousin who is still in Africa doing missionary work.”

“Has Elizabeth always been so cold?”

“She changed after my father died. Before then I remember lots of laughter.”

“Grief affects people in different ways.”

“Yes.” A shudder went through Charlotte. “It was a dark period for everyone. Things improved once Gran moved from Taupo to live with us.”

“But?”

Charlotte laughed and the sound held little humor. “Elizabeth made it clear I had to pull my weight since she needed to go back to work.”

“Why didn’t you leave once you left school?”

“Someone needed to look after Gran, and better me than a stranger, so I volunteered. It wasn’t a difficult decision because I loved her, and Gran made sure Elizabeth gave me a little money once I took full responsibility for the household.” Her eyes were glassy when she looked at him, but she didn’t cry.

“I understand.” And he did. His father was healthy and independent, but if there came a time when he needed help, Ash would be there. He owed his father a lot. If his father had coddled him after his burns, let him withdraw from his friends and new experiences, he’d be a very different man now. “Would you like to go to the hotel? I’ve stayed there before. They have beautiful gardens and a spa pool with a view.”

Only half an hour later, Charlotte padded from the en suite, dressed in a royal-blue bikini. His breath emerged in a whoosh. “You look stunning.”

“I haven’t seen you clearly without a shirt before,” she said. “Turn around.”

Bemused, he turned as she bid.

She reached out to place the palm of her hand on his scarred torso. “You were lucky with your burns. I mean they must have been painful, but they’re not disgusting.”

“They don’t bother you?”

“I’d prefer you didn’t have them, only because I know how painful it is burning my hand on a hot pan. I don’t like thinking about how much you must have suffered, but I suspect their presence helped shape the man you are today.”

“No one has ever said that to me before.” Except his father.

She let her hand fall away from his scarred shoulder. “You promised to take me swimming.”

His gaze roved the curves of her breasts, her trim waist and the flare of her hips. “You expect me to concentrate on swimming when you look like that?”

“I look even better wet.” Her sassy wink zapped straight to his cock.

Chapter Nine

Charlotte fought to restrain her laughter and almost managed, keeping her merriment to an abrupt gurgle. The arrested expression on his face. The instant heat in his eyes. It warmed her from the top of her head to the tips of her bare toes. She thrust her feet into a pair of sandals and grabbed her bag, checking her sunglasses were inside. “Do we need to take towels with us?”

He cocked his head as if he were trying to decipher her, to search the inner workings of her mind. “No, they have plenty down by the pool.” With a subtle caress at her hip, he ushered her from their room.

“When are you going to tell me about the new campaigns you have for me to work on?”

“We can talk about them on the flight home,” he said, his hooded eyes hinting at other ways of filling in their spare hours. “Relax and enjoy yourself. They’ll have activities at the house for guests, and hopefully the business discussions won’t take long. Your bikini is going to drive me crazy.”

“Why? It’s very staid as far as bikinis go.”

“I haven’t seen you in good light before either,” he said. “Very remiss of me. I don’t usually jump women in dark hotel rooms or make love to them in street alleys.”

“I’m sorry for their loss. I found it most memorable, although I am looking forward to a bed. Can’t wait to grope you,” she added impishly. “Ever since our late-night phone call I’ve fantasized about what I could do with my mouth.”

“Have mercy, woman.” His plea was a warm burst of air across her earlobe. “I don’t want to embarrass myself in public.”

Her gaze slid across his chest, down the contours of his hard abs to the growing bulge behind his black swim shorts. “Smile and exert your charm. If they’re a woman, they might not notice your wee problem.”

Ash snorted. “Not so much of the small. You’re a hard woman, Charlotte Dixon.”

“I think you’ll find you’re the hard one, Ash Marlborough.”

“I foresee a gigantic splash in your future.”

“You wouldn’t toss me in the pool.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Would you?”

“Minx, I should paddle your backside.” His gaze narrowed on her. “In fact I might just do that. Three, I think. Yes, I see three swats in your future.”

The threat should have scared her or at least dampened her ardor, but instead, liquid heat dampened her folds. Giggles tickled her throat, and she swallowed them down. Each of her senses sharpened, the sun, the heady scent of greenery and the balmy air making her feel the range of possibilities in the day. Ash’s presence drove away every scrap of loneliness.

Outside their private villa, they followed a hedge-lined path leading to the right. Gravel crunched beneath their feet and the musical tinkle of running water filled the air. The hedge came to an end, although the path continued. Mature trees, interspersed with tubs of purple and white flowers, provided cover from the sun.

“I can hear water, but I can’t see where the sound is coming from.”

“It’s a water feature,” he said, his hand at her back maintaining contact between them. “There’s another path on the other side of the hedge.”

The trees thinned out, giving way to a large open area, studded with loungers plus tables and chairs and a kidney-shaped pool sunk into the ground. A grin broke out as she paused to study the view of the valley beyond.

“Would you like to swim before relaxing in the spa pool?” he asked, indicating a spa pool and a small hut to their left. A pile of white-and-blue-striped towels were visible on shelves inside the hut.

“Swim, I think.”

“Good plan,” he said, glancing around for glimpses of other guests. “I need to deflate my erection before someone notices.”

“Oh, I noticed,” she said, letting her hand trail lower to rest on his hip. “I’m aquiver with anticipation. Should I grab some towels?”

“Please.” He dropped his phone and wallet on a sun bed, and she placed her bag on the lounger beside the one he’d chosen.

Before she was halfway to the tiny hut, he dived into the pool with the merest hint of a splash. She watched him cut through the water, his strokes strong and smooth. It was fun teasing him, and she was pleased he wasn’t reacting in a negative manner. She’d yet to hear him raise his voice or be anything less than charming to the people they met, and the tabloid press gave him enough provocation. After living with Elizabeth, his sunny mood was a pleasant change.

Back at the sun beds, she kicked off her shoes and strolled to the edge of the pool. Cool water lapped around her toes and she hurriedly withdrew her foot. “It’s cold.”

He swam over to her, his teeth a flash of white as he grinned up at her. “The water is the perfect temperature to cool libidos.”

She snorted and started to step away. “I’ll take your word for it.”

His hand curled around her ankle and he tugged. Her shriek and the mighty splash she made as she toppled into the pool combined with his uninhibited laughter. She came up spluttering.

“That was mean.”

“I intend to kiss it better.”

Before she could protest, he corralled her against the edge of the pool, his arms either side of her body. The determination and sheer need in his blue eyes held her still, then his mouth covered hers. It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t pretty. His kiss dominated her, made her aware of her femininity and his superior strength. It tossed her into a maelstrom of sensations—desire and desperate hunger. Charlotte melted against him, acknowledging the time for play was over. The steely length of Ash’s erection rubbed her lower stomach, propelling a tremor the length of her body.

“I want you inside me,” she whispered when their lips parted.

“Not yet,” he said. “You’ve teased me for the last hour. You will wait until we’ve warmed up in the spa.”

She pouted, running her fingers over his chest. Then she scraped her teeth along the tender skin of his neck. His soft gasp didn’t go unnoticed, and she took the next steps in their silent war to discover which of them would break first. She nibbled his earlobe and explored the shell of his ear with her tongue.

“Minx.”

He was on to her, delighting her with his quickness and the way he almost read her mind. She swiveled her hips, grinding against his erection, and he cursed softly.

“That’s it,” he said, dragging her toward the shallow end of the pool. “If we stay here much longer, I’m going to fuck you in public again. For a change, I want privacy and a massive, soft bed. Lots of naked skin.”

“Good idea,” she said, her tone serene, yet inside desire bubbled like a thermal mud pool—erratic and explosive. “Do you think it’s possible to die from sexual frustration?”

“Hell, yeah.”

She laughed at his heartfelt reply, exiting the pool with a swagger of hips. His touch on her arm burned, the inferno spreading to her breasts. Her nipples tingled, and a piercing ache sprang to life between her legs. Ash wrapped a towel around his waist, grabbed his possessions and hustled her back to their room.

Inside their villa, he locked the door, the clunk of the lock a statement of intent. She expected him to jump her then, manhandle her to the bed and take her in a frenzy of urgency.

Instead he unwrapped the towel from his waist and wiped her dry. He unclipped her bikini top, letting it drop to the floor while he dabbed the water from her breasts. Gently he toweled her hair, blotting the worst of the dampness from the long locks. She stood silently, quivering beneath his touch, swallowing as he tugged her bikini briefs down her legs. He dried her legs, her back, her bottom.

Once he was satisfied she was dry, he turned his attention to himself, roughly dragging a fresh towel across his skin. He dropped the towel on the floor with their swimsuits. Only then did he concentrate on her—a long look that sent her insides swirling. He kissed her gently, yet it was the caress of a lover—thorough and deep but way too brief.

His fingers curled around hers and he led her to the bed. One second she was standing and the next she was draped over his knee, staring at the thick creamy-beige carpet. She sucked in a breath, too startled to do anything except squeak. His large hand cupped her bottom, running his callused palm over the smooth skin. He rubbed her buttocks, his fingers smoothing back and forth.

Whack!

The crack of Ash’s hand across her ass took her by surprise. She jolted, but he held her fast with firm hands. Before she could catalogue the pain, the sensations that roared across her ass, two more smacks followed swiftly on the heels of the first. Heat bloomed on her skin, quickly merging with the burst of discomfort, the stroke of his fingers stirring unexpected pleasure. He leaned over and she felt a moist sensation.