Deceptively Yours (Wanton Weston Women, Book Two) (8 page)

He tried to concentrate on what she was saying but it was tough with her beauty illuminated by candlelight. It caressed her features—the gentle slope of her nose, the sleek line of her jaw, her plump, pink lips. “I think I’d prefer actual books I could hold and feel the smooth paper. I want to open the cover and explore what’s inside.”

“Yes, it is nice to actually touch…pages.” Big doe eyes met his stare and his pulse kicked up several notches. “But you can read in the dark with the e-book readers. The dark is nice.” Had her voice grown more husky?

“The dark
is
nice, but so is the light.” He stroked his knuckles along her cheek. Her skin was like satin. To his relief, she didn’t withdraw. He slid his fingers down her neck to her shoulder and inwardly grinned when she quivered. He scooted his chair closer to the table and took advantage of the long drape of the tablecloth to hide the growing tent in the front of his trousers.

She took a sip of wine then slid her tongue over her lips, which were glossy from the drink. “You can take hundreds of books with you anywhere on an electronic reader.”

He played with a stray blonde tendril, tucked it behind her ear. “All I need is one.”

She dropped her gaze to his lips for a moment. The desire he caught in her stare mirrored his. He flashed on that kiss in his room and suspected it was on her mind too. It had taken all his restraint not to slide his hand all the way up her long leg when he’d cradled her heel on his knee.

If she’d have given him a modicum of encouragement, he’d have kneeled in front of her, spread her thighs wide and licked her sex until he tasted the thick cream of her arousal.

The waiter came with their salads, breaking the spell between them. But all through dinner, he caught glimpses of that spark of interest in her eyes. Carnal curiosity hung heavy in the air.

When the waiter returned with a dessert tray loaded full of sinful sweets, Laura pressed a hand to her stomach. “Nothing for me. I’ve already overindulged.”

Guy scanned the selections and smiled. “I’ll have the chocolate mousse with two spoons, to go.”

After the waiter left, Laura shifted in her seat and lifted a blonde eyebrow. “Two spoons?”

“I thought we could head down to the beach. We might be hungry again after that relaxing.” He covered her hand but she withdrew from his touch. He shrugged off the disappointment. “You do like chocolate, don’t you? I don’t think I could get through a day without it.”

“Well, yes, I do, but—”

“I promise I won’t force any mousse on you. I wouldn’t mind eating every bit of it.” He pictured himself licking the confection from her finger…and other parts of her anatomy. His cock pressed uncomfortably against his fly.

“I think I should just go back to my villa. I’ll give you cash for my share of the check. The conference will reimburse me.”

“I don’t care
who’s
reimbursing you. When I take a lady to dinner, I pay. Period. All I ask is that you come to the beach with me, unless you want me to cry in my dessert.” He leaned back in his chair and waited for the protests she was already launching.

She huffed. “Fine, you can pay.”

The waiter returned with the bill and a small box similar to a Chinese food takeout container. “Would you like to charge everything to your room?”

“Yes, thanks.” He signed the slip, jotted down his room number and picked up the to-go box. Then he stood—thankful not to be folded into his seat another moment—and offered Laura his free hand.

Hesitating only a few seconds, she mated her fingers with his and tracked her gaze down his body.

The heat of awareness flooded through him. He led her out of the hotel along the tropically landscaped grounds then stopped at the beginning of the path when he recalled that Laura had a rough time on the trail in her shoes. He couldn’t bear the thought of ending their evening yet. “I have an idea. We don’t have to walk on the beach. We can just sit and listen to the waves. It’ll calm your nerves about giving that speech.”

She shook her head. “I think I should go home.”

He faced her, blocking her from going any farther. Why was she so damn reluctant to give him a shot? “I didn’t take you for a cruel woman.” He lifted a hopeful eyebrow. “Come on.”

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth for a few seconds. “Fine, but only for a little while.”

He handed her the container of mousse. “Ready for another ride?”

She backed away. “No way. You will not carry me all the way to the beach.”

“Oh yes I will.” He gestured at her feet. “You can’t do it in those flimsy shoes, especially after you twisted your ankle.”

Although Laura had enjoyed the ride Guy had given her up the last part of the path on the way to the hotel, she’d never admit it. Besides, she was trying not to encourage his advances, which was growing more and more difficult by the minute.

If he wasn’t so damn charming and if she didn’t genuinely like him so much, a vacation affair would be wonderful. Her body certainly craved that, but she knew better, especially since they lived in the same general vicinity in their real lives.

Familiar fear wrapped around her. Why couldn’t she just relax? Have fun with the most attractive man she’d met in ages and take it for what it was—a vacation fling. “I can walk if you’ll hold on to me. That worked pretty well on the way here.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. “Not well enough. I won’t take a chance on you getting hurt even worse.”

She should tell him to bring her straight to her villa but Suzanne’s advice barged into her thoughts.

Let go and have fun.

“I have an idea.” She hiked her purse strap higher on her shoulder and took a step toward him. “How about a piggyback ride?”

He chuckled then froze when the realization that she was serious hit him. He rubbed his chin for a long moment then shrugged. “Yeah, okay. Why not?”

A flood of excitement bubbled inside her. Until she glanced down at her dress—her
tight-fitting
dress.

Guy must have understood her dilemma because he gave her a wicked grin. “Hike it up.”

Heat suffused her face. “No, that won’t—”

“Wasn’t this
your
idea?” He crouched. “Come on, hop on. It’s dark out, no one will notice if your bum’s exposed.”

She rolled her eyes. “My
bum
will
not
be exposed, thank you.”

“If you say so.” He stood up, raked his gaze over her and shook his head appreciatively. “A guy can hope, can’t he?”

Tendrils of long-denied arousal spread through her. No man had ever made her feel more desirable. What could it hurt to indulge in a kiss or two on a romantic beach? She’d just make sure it didn’t go any further.

“Fine. Get back down there.” She motioned toward the ground. She felt a little foolish but they were surrounded by hedonists. None of the convention-goers would look twice at a couple having silly fun.

“Awfully bossy, aren’t you?” He handed her the dessert container then turned his back to her and squatted.

“You want to see bossy?” she teased.

He glanced over his shoulder at her and grinned. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”

She hadn’t stretched her flirting muscle in several years but it seemed to work just fine. “Never mind.” She lifted the hem of her dress up to the top of her thighs then climbed onto him and hooked her hands around his neck.

He stood with a groan and slid his forearms under the bend of her knees. “This is better, huh?”

“I suppose.” Burying her face against the back of his neck, she breathed in his scent as he started down the trail. She tightened her arms around him for the bumpy ride. Her skin tingled at the places Guy’s arms met her legs.

He stopped for a second and hoisted her up a little. Only the thin fabric of her panties covered her as she rubbed over Guy’s back with every step he took. Torrid need heated her core and made the prospect of being alone on a moonlit beach with him all the more worrisome.

About halfway down the trail he stopped and held very still. “Look.” He motioned to the left and she noticed a white bunny just off the trail.

They stayed still for at least a minute, watching the animal eat wild clover. Something about the big macho man enjoying the scene touched her deep inside. Sharing the moment with him both excited and frightened her. She didn’t want to like him so much. But her sex drive was already on board. Her breasts pressed against his back. Her nipples grew hard and tingled from the friction. She wondered if he could feel the pebbled peaks. The notion set off sparks inside her.

A middle-aged couple strode toward them from the beach, laughing and talking, and the rabbit bolted into the brush. The pair moved past them and Guy started down the path again.

Feeling his muscles press against her thighs was doing nothing to lessen her arousal. She imagined her legs wrapped around him in a more sensual pursuit but she tried to block the salacious thoughts from her mind. “You must be an animal lover.”

“I guess. I never had a pet growing up so animals were always a curiosity to me. What about you?”

“I have a cat, Penelope. When I was little we had a kitten…for a few weeks.” She gritted her teeth at the memory. Would she ever let go of her anger toward her father?

“I’m sorry. Was someone in the family allergic?”

“Something like that.”

Guy remained silent. The steady cadence of waves rolling to shore grew louder, lulling her to relax.

He set her down and her heels sank into the sand. “Here we are.” Taking her hand, he led her a few steps closer to the water. “Want to sit?”

“Mm hmm.” She slipped off her shoes and curled her toes in the cool sand. Breathing in the salty air, she sighed. “I’m glad you strong-armed me into coming here.”

He slapped a hand over his chest. “Strong-armed you? That hurts.”

When he draped his arm over her shoulders, she leaned against him, more content than she could remember being in a long while. But she hardly knew anything about him other than the fact that he inspired the wickedly erotic thoughts running through her head. “You never told me what you do for a living.”

“Me? I’m…a headhunter.” He sat on the ground then patted the sand next to him.

Handing him the box of mousse, she tried to get down there as gracefully as she could in her dress. “So you must deal with some interesting, sought-after people.”

“You could definitely say that.” He glanced toward the water and she got the impression he didn’t want to discuss his job.

She could relate. She had to be careful not to say anything that would make him suspect she wasn’t Dear Annie. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked him to come hear her speech, but if she made a fool of herself at least there’d be one friendly face in the crowd.

No, she’d pull it off. She had to.

Guy opened his dessert box and offered her a spoon. “You can’t refuse me after I carried you all the way down the trail.”

Reluctantly, she grabbed the utensil. “That is so not fair. We hardly know each other and you’re already using guilt against me.”

“Deal with it.” He threw her a playful wink then dipped into the container. Slipping a spoonful of mousse into his mouth, he shut his eyes and moaned.

His expression was one of pure bliss and she couldn’t help but wonder if that was what he looked like when he… No, she refused to go there. But she was having such a good time with him.

“Now your turn.” He dipped into the box again then held the spoon to her lips. “Open up.”

She backed away, keeping her mouth tightly sealed.

“Come on. I promise it’s the best ever.” He tilted his head to the side and lifted his brow. “You’ll love it. One bite then I won’t pester you anymore.”

“Promise?”

“You have my word.”

Huffing, she smiled. It was the least she could do after he’d carried her to and from dinner. “Okay.”

He fed her the creamy chocolate whip and she had to agree with him—it was the best she’d ever had.

His gaze was transfixed by her mouth and there was no mistaking the lust in his eyes. She swallowed the dessert and had an overwhelming urge to kiss him again. She could stop at that, if she forced herself. It wasn’t as if she were a wild heathen who didn’t know how to control herself.

So what that her nipples were positively aching for his touch. It didn’t matter that her very core pulsed with longing. She didn’t have to give in to his hypnotic pull. The air between them grew thick with possibilities but she could resist.

Guy twirled a lock of her hair around his finger and she clenched her fists, hanging on to her resolve by a thread.

“What’s going on in that gorgeous head?” His smile was warm and genuine, but his stare lit a fuse deep inside her that she feared would be her undoing.

“N-nothing.” If she wasn’t careful, she could get herself into trouble with him—big, wonderful trouble.

He grazed his knuckle over her cheek. “Tell me. Nervous about your speech?”

She nodded mutely.

“You’ll wow them…like you’re wowing me.” His expression grew serious, dangerous even. He threaded his fingers through her hair and gently tugged her head back.

She shut her eyes as he brushed his lips over hers, soft as the sea breeze. All her objections melted into the night as he slipped his chocolate-flavored tongue into her mouth and continued the exploration he’d begun hours earlier in his room.

Weak with desire, she let him lay her back on the sand. She hooked her arms around his neck and shoved the apprehension from her mind. Had anything ever felt so good? Her pussy pulsed with primal need.

He let out a deep growl to match her moan. It seemed as if the ground beneath them actually shifted. Then it happened again.

A woman screamed somewhere in the distance, shattering the quiet.

Oh God.

The earth really had moved.

Earthquake!

Chapter Four

Guy helped Laura get to her feet as he scanned the beach. A few couples headed toward the path from the opposite direction. “Everyone okay?” he called to the group.