No Tan Lines (27 page)

Hoping he wouldn’t regret it, he headed over to Shaye and tapped her on the shoulder. “Take a walk?” he asked.

And Shaye agreed. She seemed content to stroll the boardwalk and pier. The fireworks lit up the sky and cast a sparkle over the waves. Shouts and laughter echoed from the beach.

Couples had paired up, and Barefoot William was breathing heavily. He glanced at his watch for the tenth time and saw Shaye smile. “What’s so funny?” he asked.

She leaned against the railing on the boardwalk and looked out over the sand. “You’re babysitting me when you’d rather be with Nicole.”

Shit.
“It was that obvious?” he asked.

“You don’t wear cologne for me,” she said softly, sounding tired. “Trust me, Kai, I won’t be seeing Trace tonight or any other night for that matter. Our lives are complicated, and we’re giving each other space. You can leave in good conscience.”

“Dune will kill me if I leave you alone.”

“I’ll stand right here until he shows up.”

“Promise?” he asked. Dune would be angry should Kai desert her. But, damn, ever since Shaye had told him that Trace and Nicole were no longer a couple, his desire to see her stole his common sense.

They’d both missed the cocktail party. Her shop had been overrun with customers, and he’d been called to Molly Malone’s Diner to repair a refrigeration coil. Tonight they were hoping to make up for lost time.

Shaye nudged him. “Go be with Nicole.”

He did so, but not without second thoughts. He’d taken twenty steps when he glanced over his shoulder in hopes she’d kept her word.

There was no sign of Shaye.

The space she’d occupied stood empty. He quickly scanned the boardwalk, looking for a blonde in a yellow tank top. Nothing. What did catch his eye was a tall, broad-shouldered man with dark hair stepping from the shadows and almost instantly blending with the crowd. Son of a bitch.

Trace Saunders, possibly, but Kai couldn’t be sure.

If it was, Shaye had put one over on him to be with Trace. His cousin was sneaky, but it had been a long time since she’d played him. He’d forgotten how good she was.

He took out his cell phone and sent Dune a text.

Dune would have strong words for Kai tomorrow.

Kai didn’t much care. Tonight it was all about him and Nicole. His stride was purposeful as he dodged townies and rowdies along with street musicians, jugglers, and pedicabs. The carousel spun, and the line for the Ferris wheel wound like a maze.

He wished Barefoot William saw this much action year-round. This weekend was one in a million. The Cateses were grateful to Shaye and Dune. Kai would soon be celebrating their good fortune with Nicole.

Nicole saw Kai a moment before he noticed her. He looked so handsome, her heart quickened. His hair was brushed back, and his cheekbones cut sharp. She liked her men lean. He wore clean-cut slacks, an open-collar shirt, and loafers without socks.

Her eyes moved lower, and she grinned when he reached her. “No tool belt?” she teased.

“No work tonight. I’m here to play.”

Nicole was ready to fool around, too.

“Have you been waiting long?” he asked.

“Only a few minutes,” she said, when in actuality she’d arrived thirty minutes early, so as not to be late. “The fireworks inspired me to design a collection of rings with lots of flare.”

He took her hand. “Rings are good.”

“You’re better,” she said.

He shot her a sexy look that said he liked her honesty. She was not one for games. Directness worked best. She went after what she wanted, and she desired Kai.

A subtle breeze kicked up, billowing her white halter-top dress. Kai watched the material flutter wide like angel wings; his eyes were on her thighs. She felt an instant warmth between her legs, and her thong went damp. Just from his look. She heated even more.

“Where to?” he asked. “You name it, we’ll claim it.”

They stood in the neutral zone, Nicole knew. Barefoot William stretched north, and Saunders Shores ran south. The Cates boardwalk rocked, loud and wild, while the Saunders side was subdued.

She gave Kai his choice. “Do you prefer the money crowd or free and easy?” she asked.

“You decide, wherever you’re the most comfortable.”

The man was tough to pin down. The only time she’d moved in the big-money set was when she worked the classy trade conventions as a model. She’d met Trace at a car show. She was posing on a revolving turntable in a tight black silk dress next to a silver Porsche Carrera GT, a big smile and bright lights in her eyes when he spotted her.

By the end of the convention, Trace had opted to buy the car—but only if she came with it. Dinner turned into a whirlwind affair that left them both breathless. When it ended, Trace insisted that she continue living in a suite at The Sandcastle until she got on her feet.

“How about a walk on the beach followed by a drink in my room at the hotel?” she suggested.

“Works for me,” he agreed.

Kai knew she lived at The Sandcastle rent free while she was house hunting. She needed a place of her own. She’d narrowed her choices to two homes, both in Barefoot William.

She wanted to live near her shop and her sandlot baseball team. She had big plans for the Topaz Tarpon, a name she and Kai had debated to death. He’d finally given in, but only after they’d argued nose to nose and she’d kissed him to get her way. She wanted more than a kiss tonight.

She could still picture him renovating her shop, his bare chest, low-slung jeans, and all those rippling muscles. He’d look amazing naked.

He took her hand then, as casually as if they’d been a lifelong couple. They walked along the shore. She slipped off her high-heeled white sandals and looped the ties over one wrist while Kai waded through the foamy crest in his loafers. He didn’t mind getting damp.

Nicole breathed in and sighed deeply. She never tired of the beach. The last of the fireworks shot across the night sky, and the darkened Gulf shimmered orange, red, and gold. The torches along the Saunders boardwalk cast minimal light. They walked slowly, encased in deep shadows.

This was true intimacy, she thought. Two people wrapped in darkness, comfortable with their silence, their bodies brushing, sidestepping the bigger waves.

Beside her, Kai cut his gaze toward the designer boutiques, upscale and pricey. He kicked some sand, then slowed. “Do you miss Trace?” he asked.

“You know our history,” she said. “We were friends with benefits. He helped me escape Las Vegas, and I will always be grateful. We didn’t have much in common. He’s Champagne and caviar, and I’m peanut butter and jelly.”

She smiled at him. “I’m here with you and have never been happier. I own The Jewelry Box, enjoy psychic readings by Madame Aleta, I’m sponsoring a sandlot team, and I—”

He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to finish.

“Have a few close friends.”

“What if one of those friends wanted to be more?”

“How much more?”

“Heat-your-sheets more.”

“I’d have to give it some thought.”

“You have three blocks to make up your mind.”

“Then what?”

“I’ll make it up for you.”

He kissed her then, capturing her surprise on his lips. He feathered her mouth with soft kisses that made her sigh. Her breath caught in her throat when he held her around the waist with his strong hands, rubbing his palms up and down her back with long, light strokes.

Her heart raced when he pressed his lips harder against hers. She dropped her high-heeled sandals onto the wet shore and arched her body toward his, pressing her breasts against his hard chest.

The Gulf swirled around their feet as she stood on tiptoe, flushed and aroused. He was all male. She responded to his strength, his scent, his body. The bulge beneath his zipper gave him away. He wanted her.

He deepened the kiss, his tongue mating with hers. He tasted of lemon and raspberry and a hint of mint. She slid her arms around his neck, and he squeezed her waist. A heady warmth flowed through her.

She wanted his kiss to go on and on—

Splash!

A surge of water rushed over her feet and up her bare legs. She broke the kiss first, jumping from side to side as a second wave crashed around them. Horrified, she looked down at the puffy circle of her white silk dress holding her captive until the wave rolled back out to sea. Standing on the wet shore, she tugged at her skirt, now hugging her hips and bare legs like silken seaweed.

“Where did those waves come from?” she asked, scouring the soggy sand for her sandals. Gone. Snatched by the tide.

“A lucky break for me,” Kai said. Paying no attention to his pants soaked up to the knees, he wasted no time in making his move. He scooped her up in his arms.

“Put me down,” she said halfheartedly. “I can walk.”

“The hotel is only two blocks,” he said, cutting across the sand toward the boardwalk. “What’s your room number?”

Kai Cates was one happy man.

Nothing turned him on more than having a beautiful woman in his arms, all slick and wet. Nicole clutched him tightly, and every curve of her luscious body pressed into him. She made his groin ache. He was so hard, he could barely walk. The hotel seemed a mile away.

He noticed several stares from the valets when he stomped his loafers outside the main doors, but he didn’t want to track sand onto the terra-cotta tiles and Persian rugs. Nicole wiggled her bare feet, and he found her violet-painted toes sexy.

The doorman let them in, and the raised-eyebrow look from the concierge followed them to the elevator, but no one said a word. Discretion was key to a guest’s privacy at The Sandcastle.

They kissed until they were both out of breath on the ride to the tenth floor. Kai felt her up and smiled against her mouth when he located her card key in her ample cleavage. She had beautiful breasts, high and creamy with lush brown nipples that he caught a glimpse of. Their fullness spilled over his palm.

They left the elevator, and his loafers sank into the beige carpet as he carried her down the hallway. He shoved the key card into the lock. The door buzzed, and the green light lit up. He kicked the door open wide.

Silence invited them in. The suite was large—a sitting room and bedroom were separated by a frosted sliding door. Expensive leather furniture formed a crescent around an entertainment center. A bouquet of tea roses and assorted glossy magazines decorated a low coffee table. The lighting was subdued.

A glance toward the bedroom, and he noticed the queen-size bed was turned down. A gift box of Godiva chocolates sat on her pillow. Two bottles of Perrier were available on her nightstand.

He dropped a light kiss onto her brow, then brushed his cheek against her hair. It smelled like the sea air with just enough jasmine to make him moan.

His moan made her shiver. Her breath warmed his neck when she said, “We need to get out of these wet clothes.”

He set her down slowly, not wanting to let her go.

She bit down on her bottom lip, then asked, “Towel or bathrobe?”

“Shower and skin.”

He put his arms around her and lowered her halter top, cupping full breasts enclosed in filmy lace. The dreamy look on her face told him she liked his touch, and that pleased him immensely.

Kai was as aware of Nicole’s hands sliding down the zipper on his trousers as he was of his eager fingers unhooking her bra. Off came the see-through lace, and out spilled her breasts as fast as his erection made an appearance through the opening in his pants.

A slight shift of her hips, and her silk dress shimmied to the floor. Damn, she was beautiful. She did justice to her thong. The white lace curved and cut in all the right places. It exposed and enticed and made his fingers itch. His palms began to sweat.

In one quick movement, he slid her silky thong down her thighs, then worked his hands back up her long, shapely legs. His fingers lingered over her Brazilian wax. She sighed, aroused. Her hips swayed, and her heat enticed.

He savored her beauty. She stood before him in only her jewelry. A rhinestone floating heart pendant rested between her breasts, sparkling against her pale, smooth skin. Her wavy silver bracelets complemented her narrow wrists, and her long, slender fingers glistened with stacked rings.

He toed off his loafers and removed his shirt, pants, and Calvin’s in record time. He grabbed a condom out of his wallet and clutched it in his fist. He kicked his clothes aside and returned his full attention to Nicole.

The lighting cast a romantic glow on her voluptuous body; her naked silhouette was outlined on the walls painted in ocean colors. Her eyes dilated, and her lips parted. “Ready to scrub my back?” she asked.

He didn’t believe in making a lady wait. He picked her up in his arms and carried her into the luxurious bathroom with its gold and marble fixtures. Frosted double glass doors inlaid with an artful seashell design opened into a shower built big enough for two. Nicole shot him a look that told him he was to leave no seashell unturned.

They stepped inside, and he set the condom in a soap dish. He turned the fancy knob engraved with
The Sandcastle
logo. Warm water sprayed down on their nude bodies from directly overhead. Tiny but powerful built-in water jets covered the ceiling, splattering them with a refreshing waterfall shower. An outdoor paradise indoors.

The hand-held shower massager would also add to their pleasure. He had plans for that shortly.

He went on to cup her breasts, pulling on her nipples, then licking them. His tongue played with the hard buds until she could stand it no longer. She threw her head back, and her whole body trembled.

Kai knew she was his for the taking, but he wanted more than release. He wanted to appreciate every inch of her. He did so, slowly, and with great dedication.

He filled his palms with rain-forest liquid soap and worked his hands all over her body. He lathered her breasts and gently dotted her hard nipples with clusters of translucent bubbles.

She soaped his chest and ran her fingers through his chest hair, tracing her way down to his groin. She thumbed his navel, teased the hollow on one hip.