Strictly Business [Stud Service 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) (16 page)

“Both ingredients are local and therefore cheaper.” Colt looked down at the banana on his plate and grinned. It looked good enough to melt in his mouth.

“Yes, and if we can control costs, you should be able to have a higher profit margin and your customers will have a better experience on the island.”

Susannah chewed her first bite and then groaned as if it was melt-in-the-mouth good. “I like it.”

Colt followed with a bite of his own. The banana was still warm, but the bouquet of flavors sang a symphony in his mouth. His eyes widened in surprise. “Excellent. This can definitely stay on the menu. What else do you have for us to try?”

“Ginger chicken, and we have quite a selection of fish, including a fish called wahoo and grilled swordfish, soft-shell crab, string beans, and a black bean sauce. Lots of good food, and nothing but the wine list will have to be imported from Miami.”

“If you’ve done as good a job on the other recipes, I think we have a nice start to the menu. Good job Jasper.” Jasper beamed. His position as head chef was reinforced tonight. It was an impulsive decision to hire the local man, but he had experience that was paying off.

“This is so good! I can’t believe you brought me to taste test all this food. I may gain ten pounds tonight.” Susannah laughed, and it made him happy to see her smile so enthusiastically. She was beautiful when she let her emotions show freely on her face.

“I like your curves.” He never felt so naughty as when she was around. “But I have an idea to help you work it off later.”

She laughed freely. “Does it involve a bed?”

“I think you are getting to know me pretty well.”

“I like the way you think, Colt.” She giggled, and then he felt her featherlight touch on his thigh. He would definitely be taking advantage of her proposition later tonight. It was hard to be a patient man, but Susannah was worth the wait.

* * * *

Colt’s arm was falling asleep, but he didn’t want to move. Susannah looked so peaceful resting in his arms. He stroked her mocha-colored hair away from her forehead and placed a gentle kiss on her neck.

It brought back memories of their lovemaking. He could tell she enjoyed their sensual encounters as much as he did, but she always seemed to grow piqued when he brought out protection.

He asked about it last night, and she answered he just seemed too prepared. As if he could ever be too prepared.

Then they argued. One of their first arguments, but she seemed to understand after he explained his view point to her.

There was no way in hell he would ever end up like his brother who got the first girl he fucked in high school pregnant. She dropped out of school and blamed all her troubles on him. While Brian was not always perfect, he wasn’t the one who got his wife hooked on drugs or alcohol, and it wasn’t in his car that the child had died because of drunk driving.

Losing his niece was the hardest thing he had ever gone through, and he vowed he wasn’t going to see it happen in his life. He didn’t want to shackle himself to a party girl just because of the sex. He needed someone responsible and just as sexy to be his forever girl.

Forever. He wouldn’t mind keeping someone like Susannah in his life. She seemed to be responsible and smart, and they shared some of the same values, and the best thing about her was he couldn’t imagine growing tired of having her in his bed.

She stirred in his arms and moaned. He could tell she was beginning to wake up from her slumber.

“Hello, handsome.”

“Morning, sunshine.” He grinned at her mussed hair and lazy reply. She was beautiful now as she was done up in her makeup and high heels. He couldn’t imagine growing tired of her.

“What are you doing today?” A sexy smiled graced her lips, and her eyes were half slit and half open. She looked like she was still half in dreams and half awake.

“I don’t know yet. I’d love to spend the rest of my day with you here in bed.” She giggled when he licked her bared breast, and then he sighed when he remembered his promise to Sam. “But I do have a meeting with my assistant this morning.”

“Again?” He didn’t miss the disappointment in her voice.

“Well, Sam is usually with me all the time and is like my right hand. She keeps me informed as to everything that is going on in my little world. If it wasn’t for her…” He felt her stiffen in his arms. “I don’t know what I would do.”

“I understand. I guess I can keep myself busy this morning and the rest of the day.”

“Just until this afternoon, and then we’ll make a pact to spend the day relaxing in the sun. I want to enjoy every second I can with you before you have to go.”

“Oh, yeah…” She said it as if she forgot she was going to get on a boat for the next six months.

“You could always forget it and spend the next six months with me instead,” he said hopefully.

She laughed. “As much fun as that might be, I have had these plans for years. I can’t just…”

“I understand. You have to be responsible.”

“Yeah.”

“But you’ll join me this afternoon, right?” he asked again after he realized she had not really answered his earlier question.

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
 

Ethan had been waiting for Susannah to suddenly make an appearance for most the week. He was getting annoyed that she hadn’t made an attempt to call him or keep him informed as to her whereabouts.

This agreement was making him sick. If her father found out she was doing whatever the hell she wanted on the island without anyone looking out after her, he could lose his job.

He was sitting outside the guest cottage waiting for her to come out when he saw her coming back from somewhere. Her hair was disheveled, and she looked like she hadn’t spent the entire night sleeping.

“Where the hell have you been all night? I’ve been calling and no one’s answered.” To say he was pissed would have been an understatement. She was seeing someone, and he intended on finding out who.

“None of your business. Why do you always insist on being so nasty every time you see me?”

“Because no one else knows what you are up to out here, and if your parents don’t know who you are sleeping with, I think at least someone should know what kind of trouble you are getting yourself into.”

“If you must know, Colt and I have been getting along just fine without you. I am sure my parents would be happy to know I was that much closer to finding a man to have a baby with.”

“How do you know he’s the one?” Ethan asked with a very serious look on his face. It shocked him to hear how quickly this little fling was developing. Susannah wasn’t a woman to throw her body around and didn’t sleep with just anyone. He profiled her before he followed her to the islands.

“I don’t. I just know you’re not.” Her lips twisted up in a wry grimace.

Her voice cut him just as it intended. He had not made any moves on her, but she would turn him down flat. It made him curious if she had found the right man at all for her. If she had nothing to compare it to, a fling would seem exciting. “Oh, that’s cold, ice princess.”

She flinched when she hear the term ice princess and asked, “Why do you keep calling me that?”

He wanted to pierce that emotional veil she seemed to drop down on everyone around her. She always carried an aloof attitude, and he felt distanced. “Because you pretend to not feel anything—continue to act with the coldest of hearts toward me.”

“I can’t help it if I don’t feel anything, and with us there is nothing to feel. No sparks—nothing.” She shrugged.

“I can’t help but wonder if this guy you found is enough to keep your interest longer than five minutes. You probably don’t even know what it means to have a spark between a man and woman.”

She gasped. “I do, too, and what Colt and I have is special.”

“Prove it.” He stepped into her private space, less than a foot separated them, but she refused to back away.

“How do you expect me to do that?” She looked piqued and quite confused by what he was asking from her. Her face flushed bright red.

“Kiss me like you don’t care.” He wanted to goad her into action.

“No.” She licked her lips, enticing him, but he pressed again. He wanted her to make the first move, but he was prepared to act even if she wouldn’t.

“Scared I might be right?” He quirked an eyebrow.

“No, you don’t scare me.” But he heard the nervous catch in her voice. It was clear she was scared from the way her pink tongue darted out again to moisten those pretty, red lips.

He felt hot, and he’d be damned if she could sit there and pretend there was no chemistry between them.

Before she could protest, he kissed her, locking lips with hers. She resisted him, but he pressed for an advantage, attempting to search out any hidden emotion.

Her body went rigid, and then suddenly she pushed him away almost violently. Her eyes were wide in shock, and her chest was heaving.

“Was it good for you?”

She answered him with a palm to his cheek, slapping his face as hard as she could. The tingling pain lasted much longer than her touch. “I didn’t have to kiss you to know you aren’t the man who I want to love forever, and if you ever do that again I will make sure you pay dearly.”

She was furious as he watched her stomp away, and Ethan knew he made a mistake instantly, but he recognized the look in her eyes even if it wasn’t meant for him.

Susannah may not admit to herself it, but she was definitely a woman in love.

He rubbed his cheek with his fist, trying to regain some of the feeling in his face.

Colt Vance better be a man worth loving.

* * * *

Susannah was so angry she could spit. She felt trapped and frustrated and just wanted to scream when she was around Ethan.

All she wanted to do was go back and spend the day in her lover’s arms, but she knew what a busy life he led. She couldn’t just barge in, and she certainly didn’t want him to think she was clingy, but Ethan had a way of getting under skin that she hated.

She was bound and determined to take advantage of being on the island and in paradise. Far away from Ethan.

She hoped he got the message when she slapped him. She would hate to have to seriously injure him despite how much he irritated her.

She took a cab downtown, and she was happy when she didn’t see anyone try to find her. Somewhere past the swaying palm trees she got out at the harbor of the local village. It would suit her mood to spend the day on the ocean escaping all of her troubles, but it was the one place she knew Ethan would have trouble finding her.

If only a fisherman would rent out his boat to her for the day. She could begin her research early and spend the day swimming along the reefs looking at the aquatic water life. She decided it was worth the effort and began going from boat to boat and spent the morning wandering the docks.

It was busier than normal, and none of the local fishing boats seemed willing to give up their spot on the docks. There was also a ton of other boats, mostly ritzy-looking racing boats, with streamlined bodies and powerful sails.

The harbor was packed tighter than a sardine can. She realized it was probably futile to go anywhere today.

After spending an hour trying to get out of the harbor, Susannah finally gave up and headed down to the local snack shack on the beach. The locals visited it, and the food was cheaper than at the resort. Fewer tourists came here, and they didn’t serve fancy French cuisine Colt seemed to like eating. The fare was simple, and the menu only had three main dish selections. Lobster, chicken, and fish of the day were scribbled on the chalkboard with a small line underneath, marking that everything on the menu was seven dollars.

Choices were made easy.

Susannah walked up to the bar past a few curious locals and ordered. It wasn’t even noon, and she had not done any research in the reefs, but she wasn’t likely to get there with all the visiting yachts. The man behind the counter asked her in a thick accent, “What I get for you?”

Her mouth watered when she thought of the succulent, tender, sweet flesh of a freshly cooked lobster. “I’ll take a lobster.”

“And to drink?” he asked her.

“Surprise me, but make it something strong.” She didn’t usually drink, but it was frustrating not being able to move forward, and she wanted something this morning.

“We got you a ginger beer.” The man gave her a friendly smile before pouring a drink out for her.

She took a sip cautiously before making a sour face. The powerful flavor that met her taste buds was strong and full of ginger. Not the hint of it she expected. It was good, but it was so strong it nearly knocked her out of her seat.

“You okay? You never try ginger beer before?”

“No. What is that made of?” she asked in self defense. She could barely breathe. It took her breath away.

“We soak the ginger in water, with a little sugar, vanilla, and few drops of lime juice. It’s good, no?” he asked curiously.

Recovered, she took another sip. “Yes, it’s good. Thanks. Hey, you don’t know why all these ships are in port do you? It’s crazy out there this morning. It’s worse than New York traffic at rush hour.”