Temptation Island (28 page)

He loved seeing her like this, unihibited and playful as a child.  Nothing made his chest swell with happiness quite like the sight of Carmen laughing with pure joy.  His knees had about buckled when she’d innocently commented how much she loved his island.  It had been on the tip of his tongue to tell her she’d better like it because it was going to be her new home, but he managed keep it from slipping out.  Barely.

Marek was becoming used to how well she fit into his life, how easily she meshed.  He wasn’t completely comfortable with it, but he was getting used to it.  Women had a way of doing that.  Wiggling their way into a guy’s life and getting comfortable before a man knew what hit him. 

He wasn’t so sure he didn’t like.  Waking to her warm and soft in his arms this morning was like nothing he’d experienced before.  The urge to cradle her hard against him until he’d soaked her in had scared him from the sheer force of it.

Folding his powerful legs beneath him, Marek sunk into the sand and let the water drift over his steely thighs.  His swim trunks lifted away from him, pocketing air as the water swirled lazily around him.  Keeping his eye on Carm in case she needed him, Marek dug his hands into the wet sand and let his mind drift to last night.

Lust slammed unrelenting into his gut when he thought about the way Carm had given herself to him, so open and free.  She held nothing back.  Though she had known some things, her innocence was still there mingling with her need for him.  Like a heady concoction she’d gone straight to his head. 

It had taken everything he had last night to hold back and take it easy when he’d discovered she was still a virgin.  The significance of that wasn’t lost on him and he knew what it meant that she offered herself to him.  Never one to seek out inexperienced women, Marek usually preferred women that knew the ropes and how to give and receive pleasure.

But as soon as he’d pushed into her and discovered her innocence some primal, animalistic rage had come over him.  He couldn’t stop it, couldn’t control it.  Some primitive beast had roared victoriously in him as he became the first man to mate with her.  All he’d known then was that she was his and the need to fuck her, ride her hard had taken over until nothing remained but the raw hunger to take her.  And he’d claimed her, branded her his with every thrust, every plunge, until they’d both screamed for mercy.

It had taken all his control this morning not to jump the table and take her again when she’d admitted that she’d known before she climbed into the shower with him.  Even now thinking about it made something base and primitive in him stir to life.

One thing was for damn sure: he was going to be the one and only man to know what it was like to be inside her.  He’d never considered himself a possessive man, but the thought of another man touching Carmen made his blood run cold. 

Uncertainty still nagged at him, along with a healthy dose of fear.  Love and commitment were two things he’d sworn never to fall in to.  Watching the way his mother had suffered from his father’s cruel treatment had taught him well to steer clear of love. 

Only fools fell in love, gave up control of their very soul to another.  Or at least that’s what he’d believed until recently.  Now looking at Carm as she kicked lazily around the cove on a postcard perfect day he didn’t know what to believe.  Part of him wanted to trust her with everything, take a chance on them.

But part of him held back, refused to give everything to her, terrified of the potiential consequences.  Damned annoying, but that part of him refused to budge.  It held tight to the belief that loving Carm would ultimately destroy him.  Like it had almost destroyed his mother.

In the tepid Caribbean water Carm twitched her black and blue flippers, sending her further out over the coral reef.  Her long, curvy body glided slowly across the water, her shapely legs kicking every so often.

She’d said he was in love with her.  Thinking about the confident way she’d said it now squeezed his lungs, made his breath come in short gasps.  If she believed him in love with her so, and believed with such assurance, how long would it be before it were true?

Could a man ever hold out against a beautiful woman for long in the first place?  Hell, did he really want to?

Tilting his face toward the sun, Marek closed his eyes and soaked in the hot rays.  He didn’t know.  Between the mild panic, the conflicting emotions, and the overwhelming need for her, he didn’t know.  Couldn’t think straight enough to figure it out.

All he knew was that he wanted her with him. 
Merde
, he the thought of ending their brief marriage left a bad taste in his mouth.  It didn’t matter that they’d married each other on a lark, some foolish fluke.  Marek couldn’t help but agree that maybe Fate had known what she was doing that crazy night.

So, if he didn’t want to end the marriage, didn’t want her to leave, what did that tell him?  It told him he needed to suck it up and be a man.  He had some decisions to make and maybe it was time to be completely, totally honest with Carmen.

Merde
, he’d still rather have his balls clamped in a vise.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Carm smoothed her hands down the thighs of her dress and straightened her shoulders.  Swiveling in front of the mirror she critiqued her appearance.  The vivid red hibiscus flowers stood out against the moss green background of the dress and complemented her coloring. 

Her shoulders had received some sun this morning while snorkeling and had developed a nice soft gold hue.  She liked the way the halter sundress bared her shoulders and back and flowed down to a loose skirt that fluttered at her ankles.  Maria had picked a fantastic dress.

Carm had applied her make-up soft and sultry, bringing out the blue in her eyes and shading her lips a soft berry red.  Her hair hung loose and fell straight to her shoulers in an off-center part.  Bracelets jangled at her wrists and an oyster shell necklace dotted with green and brown beads circled her neck. 

The effect was seductive, soft, and feminine. 

Carm studied her shape in the mirror and grinned at her reflection.  She wasn’t skinny, didn’t have bones jarring out from every angle.  Her tall frame packed a punch, from her large chest, over her ripe hips, down to the tips of her delicate toes.  She was healthy, voluptuous and fit.  And she loved her curves, was proud of every dip and flare of her hourglass figure. 

Running her hands over the flair of her hips, Carm eyed her deep cleavage and did a little shimmy.  Her full breasts jiggled put held in place.  Satisfied they wouldn’t fall out of the plunging vee of the halter at some inopportune time, Carm reached for her tan, strappy sandals and slipped them on.

Marek was taking her dancing.

As Carm passed Sunny sleeping on top of a bombe chest in the hall, her fuzzy orange tail hanging off the side, she slipped her purse strap over her shoulder and grinned.  She had a date.

Before she’d gone upstairs to change Carm had made her nightly call to Kate.  It had surprised her and made her feel a bit guilty to realize the rush and urgency to get back to Kate had faded a little.  Not that she didn’t want to get back, because she did.  Carm loved Kate and wanted to be there for her.  But she was beginning to wish that she could stay longer as everything progressed between her and Marek.  She didn’t want to run back home while they were in the thick of discovering their feelings for each other.  She needed to stay for a while longer yet. 

Actually, Carm was beginning to feel almost grateful to the ingrates who’d stolen her passport and raided her room.  They’d paved the way for her to find the love of her life.  Maybe she should be thanking them.

No, wait.  They stole her Victoria’s Secret lingerie.  For that atrocity they’d never hear those words from her.  Sickos. 

She’d come to the conclusion that it had been some stupid kids playing tricks on the local tourist population.  Some kids not much different that Marek had once been looking to make a few bucks selling passports.

Whatever it was, she wasn’t worried about it any longer.

Thinking about passports, Carm frowned over the information Kate had given her earlier.  Oh, she knew Kate had her best intentions at heart and didn’t have the first clue what was really happening down here so she’d listened and hid her disappointment.

Apparentley all she needed to get off the B.V.I’s and back into the country was a valid copy of her birth certificate and her driver’s license.  She had her license on her and Kate had scrounged around in her filing cabinet in her computer desk until she’d found her birth certificate.  As soon as Carm gave her the address she was going to have it overnighted to her.

That was all great and good, but Carm wasn’t ready to leave.  There was still too much left unsaid between her and Marek.  She was still getting up the nerve to tell him she loved him, for goodness sake.  No way was she going to bail now.  Huh-uh, she was riding this pony all the way to the barn.

The heels of her sandals clicked against the hardwood floors as she walked down the hall to Marek’s office.  It amazed her how in such a short time his plantation house had started to feel like home to her.  Every nook and cranny charmed her and had her wishing quietly that it would soon be her home as well.

She was holding on to her patience, trying not to corner Marek into confessing his feelings.  No doubt if she did that he’d run away as fast as he could.  But she decided there was no harm in testing him a little.  Just enough to see if his feelings for her were close to the surface.

Marek’s low, rich voice carried through the French doors.  The bamboo shades were drawn down but he hadn’t latched the doors and his deep voice spilled out into the hallway.  “
Oui
.  Why don’t you go ahead and pull up the documents and have them ready.”

What documents
?  Carm tipped her head to the side and listened.  She had a feeling in the pit of her stomach she knew what documents he was talking about.

“Carmen and I really haven’t had much time to talk about it, Albert.  I don’t know what she wants to do.  She hasn’t mentioned an annulment or divorce, but like I said, we haven’t had much of a chance to talk about it.”  A thick pause and a long sigh.  “I don’t know what I want, Albert.  Just draw up the documents, please.  I’ll let you know in a few days what I decide. 
Merci. Au revoir,
Albert.”

Well, at least he didn’t say he wanted out.  That was something.  Logically she knew he was doing the right thing, having the documents in place and ready in case they need them.  But another part of her, the part of her that loved him was hurt and saddened by the fact he wanted them typed up in the first place.  It just went to show her she really didn’t know him all that well.

Self pity tried to climb its way into her mind and Carm shook it off.  “I will not feel sorry for myself simply because the man I love is unsure about his feelings for me.  I’ll just have to help him become sure.  He loves me he just doesn’t know it yet.”  Her stomach clenched as disappointment tried to grab hold.  “Stop sniveling, girl.  Get a hold of yourself.  You hate whiny, insecure women, remember?”

Yeah, she remembered.  That did the trick too.  Carm felt her spine stiffen and her resolve settle back in place.  She absolutely would not turn into a clinging, weak-minded, simpering mess. And just because she’d been a virgin until last night most definitely did not mean she was needy and unsure.

Being in love and vulnerable did not mean she had to be stupid as well.  She was an intelligent, confident, self-assured woman.  She could certainly figure out a way to accomplish what she set out to do with having her I.Q. and her dignity crumble to the ground.

And she was going to do it, starting now.  Reaching under the skirt of her dress and pulling down her panties, Carm slid them off over her sandals and tossed them in the planter behind her.  Let’s see how Marek handles her now.

Carm pushed open the double doors and strutted into the office, a sultry smile on her face and her hips swaying in a seductive dance.  She took great delight in seeing Marek’s eyes go wide with surprise and the breath he sucked in hitch in his chest. 

She’d caught him off-guard and before he could regain his balance Carm sashayed around the large mahogany desk and spun his chair around to face her.  Marek was going to have his world rocked.  Right now.

He started to say something but it got muffled as her lips came down hot on his and her hands got busy undoing his fly.  Pushing the worn denim away, Carm streaked a hand inside the waistband of his underwear.  “Mmm, you’re hard, Marek.”  She whispered against his mouth. 

Before he could respond, Carm gripped his large, thick shaft in her hand and squeezed.  His eyes went glassy at that and a groan tore from his lips.  Watching his eyes glaze over, Carm stroked the hot length of his erection and freed him from his underwear.  When his plump head and thick shaft sprang free, Carm licked the seam of his lips and flicked her thumb over his head.