No Strings... (4 page)

“On a scale of one to ten, I’d rate it a nine. I have a healthy sexual appetite and I’d like my partner to match that. You?”

She’d always pegged him for a man who went the distance, in
everything
he did. Including sex, it seemed, and that enticing thought had her nipples tightening against the confines of her lace bra. “Oh, definitely a nine for me, too,” she murmured, even knowing they were playing with fire with this particular conversation.

“And what about foreplay?” he asked before she could formulate another question, so effortlessly turning the tables so that
she
was now sitting in the hot seat. And clearly, he liked having the upper hand.

There was no mistaking the wicked grin curving his lips, or the shameless look in his eyes that dared her to be just as bold and brazen. She’d never shied away from a little risk and adventure, and this discussion was much too entertaining to pass up.

“Well, that all depends on the situation,” she said as she took another small bite of her cinnamon pastry and oh-so-slowly sucked the sweet icing off her index finger, which he watched with avid heat and interest. “I love being caressed and stroked and having a man’s hands and mouth all over my body, and vice versa. I could indulge in foreplay for hours before the main act, if there’s time and we both want to take it slow and tease one another.”

Just the thought of Aiden’s fingers and lips skimming intimate places made her pulse race a bit faster. “However, there’s something to be said for a hard, fast quickie, when you’re already so hot for each other that touching isn’t even necessary to climax.”

“Agreed,” he said, the gruff, husky pitch of his voice brimming with a low, heady thrum of arousal.

She swallowed hard. He’d subtly shifted closer, his upper body now turned toward her seat. Their gazes were locked, his intense stare so hot and dark and hypnotic it seemed to singe right through her.

The sizzling arc of energy between them was palpable, and in the depth of Aiden’s gaze she glimpsed all the forbidden places he could take her, the carnal pleasure he could give her, and knew an affair with a man like him would be like riding a runaway roller coaster that ended in a wild free fall.

Her stomach fluttered, the sensation spiraling south, and Chloe knew she ought to put an end to their provocative banter—they were sitting in an airplane, for God’s sake—but she was much too intrigued by his responses, and very curious to know more.

“Biggest fantasy?” she asked, the question rushing past her lips in a breathy whisper before she thought better of it.

“Watching a woman pleasuring herself.” His tone was soft and bone-meltingly seductive, the kind of voice she imagined he’d use when coaxing a woman to do his biding. “You?”

Chloe crossed one leg over the other, because there was a sudden throbbing, insistent ache between her thighs that was getting increasingly more difficult to ignore. “Being taken by a man. Aggressively. Passionately.” A part of her was shocked that she’d truly revealed her biggest turn-on, instead of opting for a more watered down reply. But the lust reflecting in Aiden’s gaze made her honesty all the more worth it.

The truth was, after her last serious relationship she had a difficult time relinquishing any kind of control, even when it came to sex. She knew her previous partners had found her intimidating in the bedroom, and she had to admit that her direct approach to sex helped to keep their affair from getting emotionally complicated. But secretly, the thought of a man being confident and aggressive enough to take charge of her pleasure was a fantasy that made her weak in the knees.

His gaze dropped to her mouth, adding to the chaotic hunger taking up residence within her. “You have icing on your bottom lip,” he murmured.

The muscles in her stomach tightened, and she swiped her tongue across the plump surface, tasting the remnants of cinnamon and vanilla. He tracked the movement with his gaze and gave his head a slight shake.

“No, right
here.
” Lifting his hand, he skimmed his thumb just below the corner of her mouth, the same time she licked the exact spot.

Her tongue accidentally touched the pad of his finger, and he sucked in a harsh breath but didn’t move his hand away from her face. Instead, his fingers slowly slid around to the nape of her neck and his thumb pressed gently against her jawline, holding her steady in his grasp. She watched and waited, utterly spellbound by the fascination and desire etching his gorgeous features and illuminating the brilliant blue of his eyes.

Their attraction was certainly nothing new, but this blatant hunger, well, this was exciting and potent and irresistible on so many levels. Her gaze dropped to his mouth, and her lips parted of their own accord, while her heart began a heavy, wild beat in her chest.

Had she ever wanted a kiss so badly? Not that she could ever remember. But it was
Aiden’s
kiss she craved, to the extent that nothing else mattered but feeling the heat and pressure of his mouth on hers.

He must have felt the same way, because he uttered a coarse, resigned,
“screw it,”
and gave in to the same temptation she was battling.

His lips claimed hers, as confident and persuasive as the man himself. Without preamble, his tongue slipped inside her mouth with a direct challenge, one she accepted just as eagerly. Long fingers tangled in her hair as he angled her head to the side and took her to a deeper, darker place, where two years of verbal foreplay and daring flirtations culminated into an explosive kiss that was nothing short of incendiary.

Chloe certainly felt as though she was about to go up in flames, and she moaned in the back of her throat as her body melted from all the heat they’d generated. A needful ache spiraled straight between her thighs. For all the times she’d fantasized about kissing Aiden, she had to admit that reality was far more erotic and twice as exhilarating.

With her head held in place by his big, strong hand, he controlled everything about the kiss—the rhythm, the depth, the thrust and parry of tongues—providing her with a glimpse of what a dominant lover he could be, how he’d wield that same power over her body, given the chance. The arousing thought made her purr like a cat being stroked in all the right places...until the plane hit a patch of turbulence, jarring them both back to the present.

He quickly pulled his mouth from hers and swore beneath his breath, as if belatedly realizing what he’d done and how it might affect their working relationship. She stared into his enigmatic blue eyes, just as stunned by her own reckless behavior, but she couldn’t deny that his kiss had rocked her world in a major way.

She licked her bottom lip, tasting the remnants of Aiden in her mouth—a dark, delicious flavor she knew could become highly addictive, if she let it. “Why did you do that?” she asked, because he’d clearly been the one to instigate the kiss.

He withdrew his fingers from her hair and settled back into his own seat, though his gaze never left hers. “Because I have impulse control issues?” he offered as an excuse, a playful half smile curving his lips.

“Liar,” she accused softly. The man was controlled at all times, and she shivered as she recalled how he’d oh-so-skillfully, and much too easily, commanded her during that intimate lip-lock.

He released a long breath and shook his head. “Honestly, it just happened. And I’d
really
be lying if I said I was sorry.”

Surprisingly, she had no regrets, either. “I get it. We’ve been flirting with one another for the past two years, and since we’re being so candid, I have to admit I’ve always wondered what it would be like to kiss you.” Okay, she’d imagined more than just
that,
but she wasn’t about to confess all the down and dirty things she’d thought about doing with him. “It’s nice to know that the attraction is mutual.”

“No kidding.” He scrubbed a hand along his jaw and groaned. “Shit. This is bad.”

“You started it,” she said, and laughed, trying to make light of the situation.

He gave her an impish grin. “Yeah, and we both know it would be career suicide to see where that spontaneous kiss might take us.”

It was a statement they both were very familiar with. A company edict that had served as a reminder of why there were certain personal lines they’d never crossed...until now.

“Don’t worry, Aiden,” she reassured him with a pat on his knee. “I don’t kiss and tell, so no one at the office will ever find out.”

However, having just shattered the one sacred, fundamental rule that had once stood between them, Chloe wondered how they were going to revert back to professional colleagues. Especially when their brief encounter had left her wanting much, much more.

4

H
OURS
AFTER
ARRIVING
at the St. Raphael resort, Aiden was still wondering what the hell he’d been thinking to kiss Chloe on the plane.

The truth was, he hadn’t been thinking, not with the head on his shoulders, anyways. If his brain had been functioning properly, it would have brought him to a screeching halt the moment she’d accidentally licked his finger as he’d wiped away the icing from the corner of her mouth. But years of wanting to take a bite of forbidden fruit had beckoned to him, and giving in to the temptation that was Chloe Reiss had been incredibly easy to do—especially when she’d done absolutely nothing to stop him.

That kiss had changed everything between them, because now he possessed carnal knowledge of just how sinful and decadent Chloe tasted. Now, when he glanced at her, he saw more than just an attractive business associate. Instead, he found himself looking at a hot, lush, passionate woman who made him all too aware of how long it had been since he’d indulged in steamy, mind-bending sex for nothing more than the sake of pure pleasure and satisfaction. And there was no doubt in Aiden’s mind that he and Chloe had merely ignited a spark that would burn them both up in flames if one of them dared to strike that match.

Putting his attraction to Chloe out of his mind should have been easy enough to accomplish, considering they’d both shifted right into work mode after checking into the hotel. And for a few hours, anyways, he’d managed to keep his thoughts on gathering information for his campaign.

He and Chloe had spent the entire afternoon with a resort representative who’d given them a private tour of the island and amenities, and answered any questions they had about the planned curriculum. The island itself was tropical and mystical, a true paradise getaway designed for relaxation and romance. The resort’s hotel was a sprawling masterpiece set along an endless white sand beach, with lagoons and waterfalls amidst a lush landscape of foliage and fragrant, exotic flowers.

They met their photographer, Ricardo, who would be taking random pictures of the resort and activities for them to use for their presentations. The man would also be on hand to do private sessions if either one of them wanted specific shots and would also provide professional models to use during the photography session.

At the end of the tour, Aiden and Chloe were given the same orientation package as all the other registrants, which included a schedule of activities, a daily itinerary and all the enhanced services the resort had to offer singles looking to make a love connection.

He’d spent the rest of the afternoon outlining a basic PowerPoint presentation based on the information he’d gleaned about the resort, as did Chloe. Tonight was the initial meet-and-greet mixer, a cocktail reception designed to kick-start the next five days of fun, sun and matchmaking events. While he needed to attend the festivities in order to evaluate the resort’s quality of service and assess their current marketing strategies, Aiden wasn’t looking forward to mingling with a bunch of women who were searching for a committed relationship.

Fashionably late, he walked into the large, spacious ballroom that had been set up with an elaborate buffet and an open bar. Fun reggae music native to the island played in the background for those wanting to take advantage of the dance floor.

Already, groups were forming based on the color-coded silicone wristband everyone was required to wear—a simple and effective system that let other participants know that anyone with a matching wristband was in their pool of compatible picks, based on the questionnaire they’d filled out prior to arriving on the island. Once a couple made a connection, they could then exchange their initial bracelets for matching red ones that signaled to others that they were paired off and no longer available.

First things first. He needed a drink, and he headed to the bar and ordered a Glenlivit Scotch neat. Just as he walked away, he caught sight of Chloe, surrounded by three men who wore the same bright yellow band encircling her wrist. Aiden’s neon green wristband was a much needed reminder that while he and Chloe might share a hot sexual chemistry, there was the proof that they weren’t compatible on other levels.

That should have been enough to put a huge damper on his desire for Chloe, but as he well knew, sometimes wanting someone had nothing to do with sharing the same ideas and values. Sometimes it was just all about pure lust and passion. And those were two things he and Chloe had in common, as they’d proved with that kiss they’d shared.

She laughed at something one of the men said, her eyes alight with amusement as she responded with a retort that had the guys chuckling, too. The spikey-haired blond dude to her left placed a possessive hand low on her back and leaned close to whisper something in her ear that made her raise a flirtatious brow.

Aiden read her lips as she said, “you’re so bad,” and felt a strange burning sensation in the pit of his stomach, along with the urge to join their group and stake a claim he had no right to.

He frowned to himself. Jealousy was not a feeling he was familiar with, and he wasn’t happy that Chloe was the one to rouse the emotion.

Shit.
He took a deep drink of his scotch, hoping the alcohol would help soothe his irritation.

“I see you’re wearing a green wristband, too.”

The soft, feminine voice pulled Aiden from his unpleasant thoughts and forced him to shift mental gears. Grateful for the diversion, he smiled at the petite brunette who’d approached him, noticing that her bracelet did match his. She was wearing a simple white blouse and navy blue skirt, along with a pair of flats—a very conservative choice when he compared it to the more formfitting bandage-style red dress and killer black heels Chloe had worn tonight.

This woman was plain but pretty, with kind blue eyes and a nervous smile, and he quickly tried to put her at ease.

“Hi. I’m Aiden,” he said, and extended his hand toward her in greeting.

Her hand slipped into his, soft and delicate, lacking the kind of confidence he was used to in a handshake. “I’m Joy. It’s nice to meet you, Aiden.”

“Likewise,” he replied.

She shifted anxiously on her feet, her discomfort obvious. “I’m finding this mixer so overwhelming, so I’m glad that everyone is wearing a color-coded wristband, which makes it easier to find someone who I’m compatible with, like you.”

Her assumption that they were a perfect match when she didn’t even know him was unnerving. Deciding she could use a bit of alcohol to loosen up, he guided her toward the bar.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

“Umm, sure.” She thought for a minute. “I’ll take a Roy Rogers.”

He bit back a groan at her choice of mocktail—cola mixed with grenadine syrup and garnished with a maraschino cherry. He ordered her beverage, handed her the drink, and when he gravitated toward the buffet, she followed him. She was quiet and shy, and in order to fill up the awkward silence between them, he tried to keep the conversation flowing.

“So, Joy, where do you live?” he asked as he scooped some pasta salad onto his plate.

“In a small town just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio.”

He was a big city kind of guy and couldn’t imagine being confined to a small community. He added a chicken breast drenched in a savory sauce onto his dish, along with a warm roll and butter. “And what do you do for work?”

She selected some raw vegetables and cubes of cheese, her appetite not nearly as hearty as his own. “I’m a first grade teacher.”

Interesting, and very fitting, he thought. “So you like kids?”

“I love kids.” Her voice reflected her enthusiasm. “I can’t wait to get married and have a big family of my own. The sooner, the better. How about you?”

She returned the question with way too much eagerness and hope in her gaze, and warning bells went off in his head. Yes, he wanted those things, too, but the way she was looking at him, as if he’d make the perfect baby daddy, sparked a bit of panic deep inside Aiden.

For the next hour, Joy stuck by his side, and he learned more about her than he ever wanted to. She loved to cook and bake, she sewed her own clothes and enjoyed gardening. She admitted to being a homebody, and had all those traditional, domestic qualities Aiden thought he wanted in a future wife.

This was the type of woman who’d been deemed a match based on the compatibility questionnaire he’d filled out, Aiden realized. On paper, she fit what he believed were non-negotiable requirements for the next woman he allowed himself to get serious with. But in reality, there was no doubt in his mind that she was way too passive and would bore the hell out of him if he had to spend more than a few hours in her company.

It was a very sobering thought.

When another guy with a green wristband started talking to Joy, Aiden used the interruption to quietly slip away and continue mingling. Unfortunately, he found himself bombarded by a steady stream of women with the same matching bracelets, and similar traits to Joy.

He smiled and nodded as the women talked and vied for his attention, but as his gaze spotted Chloe standing a few feet away, surrounded by her own male fan club, she was the one who captured his interest. He wasn’t surprised to see that men with all different colored wristbands had flocked to her. Not only was she beautiful and alluring, but she was charming, intelligent and had a great sense of humor. What guy wouldn’t be drawn to such a vibrant personality?

“Do you have a time frame of when you want to be married and start a family?”

The personal question from one of the women made him feel as though he was starting to suffocate, and he didn’t know how much more of this charade he could take.

The problem was, he really wasn’t here to find a spouse, and it wasn’t fair to all these ladies to even pretend that he was. He didn’t want to be continually pursued by women who believed they were a match when he had no intentions of following through, and he saw that as a potential problem as the week went on.

His reasons for being at St. Raphael were to assess the resort’s current program so he could create a strong marketing campaign, and he knew he could accomplish that without all this other pretense. He had an idea in mind, and if he could get Chloe to agree, then they’d both be better able to concentrate on the business side of this trip.

Without answering the woman’s question, he politely excused himself from the group and walked straight to Chloe. He came up beside her, touched her arm, and she glanced at him in surprise.

“Care to dance?” He grinned at her, hoping like hell she took pity on him.

She didn’t even hesitate with her reply. “I’d love to.”

He guided her toward the dance floor just as a lively reggae tune gave way to a slower melody. Stealing Chloe away earned him some serious glares from her avid suitors, but Aiden didn’t care. The relief on her face told him that she appreciated the break—so maybe she wasn’t cut out for this whole matchmaking scenario, either.

There were only a few other couples enjoying the music, leaving them plenty of room on the dance floor. Pulling Chloe into his embrace, Aiden tucked one of her hands in his and wrapped his other arm around her waist, bringing their bodies flush. The scent of her perfume—exotic, floral and seductive—instantly inundated his senses. She was like a femme fatale, and he desperately wanted to bury his face in her neck and inhale the intoxicating fragrance lingering on her skin.

He’d never had the pleasure of having her pressed so intimately against him, and he was instantly conscious of how perfectly her soft curves complemented his harder, masculine frame—not to mention how well the snug bodice of her dress displayed the provocative swell of her breasts.

Desire stirred deep and low, and when he met her gaze, there was no mistaking the same level of heated awareness glimmering in her hazel eyes. Absently, he stroked his palm down her spine and let his hand come to rest just above her toned bottom.

“Do you see those two men standing over there by the bar?” Chloe asked as she casually draped one of her arms around his neck.

Aiden glanced in the direction she’d indicated and frowned, something he seemed to be doing a lot of tonight when it came to her. “You mean the guys that are staring at you like hungry vultures?” He all but growled the question.

She lifted a brow, amusement glimmering in her eyes, but didn’t call him on his possessive behavior. “They’re staring at me because they’re sizing up their competition. Those two men are from the other rival ad agency Perry told us about.”

“Really?” he asked, surprised by the certainty in her voice. “How do you know that?”

“The dark-haired guy is wearing a yellow wristband like mine and he started talking to me when I first arrived,” she said. “He introduced himself as Brad, and I thought he was just another single guy making the rounds. He asked me what I did for a living, so I told him I was an ad executive, and his whole demeanor changed because he must have realized who I was. He said he worked for an ad agency, too, and came right out and asked if I was here for the St. Raphael account.”

Ahh, now he knew why the duo was keeping an eye on her. “I take it you told them yes?”

“I’m not going to lie about it,” she said and shrugged, seemingly unthreatened by their rival’s presence. “I’d rather it be out in the open so we’re sure to keep our distance.”

He preferred to know who their opponent was, too, so he and Chloe could watch their backs and keep any advertising strategies to themselves. “At least now we won’t be constantly wondering who the competition is.”

“Exactly. I’m sure they feel the same way.”

Undoubtedly. “By the way, thanks for saving me from having to deal with all those women,” he said, nodding back toward were he’d left the group of ladies to dance with Chloe. They were all still clustered together—probably plotting their revenge for the way he’d abandoned them.

She followed his gaze. “They look nice enough, and they’re all wearing the same colored wristband as yours. Surely you all have plenty in common based on the questionnaire you filled out.”