Time For Pleasure
Authors: Angie Daniels
Time For Pleasure
~
A Sheraton Beach Brief
~
by Angie Daniels
Caramel Kisses Ink
Copyright
© 2014 by Angie Daniels
ISBN-13: 978-1-941342-07-7
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now know or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. For questions and comments please contact [email protected] or visit
www.angiedaniels.com
.
DEDICATION
To all of my loyal readers, especially Theresa Lewis,
who made sure I didn’t forget my promise, this book is for you.
Table of Contents
Time For Pleasure
~
A Sheraton Beach Brief
~
by Angie Daniels
Caramel Kisses Ink
Leaning back against the bar with his feet resting on the bottom rung of the stool, Ashton Ray Kilmer stared at the woman on stage.
Ever since the beauty stepped in front of the microphone she’d had his full attention, from the fine hairs at the back of his neck, to his cock responding immediately to the sway of her succulent hips. He tried to simmer the fire stirring at his loins, but so far his efforts had been a big waste of time.
She was singing some song he’d heard way too often over the radio. Every time she tipped her head, long dark hair obscured her profile from his view. Ashton scowled wishing he had found a table at the other end of the bar where he would have had a much better look at the beauty. Unfortunately, moving wasn’t an option because there wasn’t an empty seat in the crowded bar and grill. There never was on a Friday evening in Sheraton Beach, Delaware.
It was the usual crowd, mostly locals out having a good time. Men still in business suits and several women were sitting at small tables scattered throughout the establishment, dressed to entice. One particular redhead had been trying to get his attention since he’d arrived. However, the only woman in the packed room Ashton had eyes for was the one caressing the microphone, singing karaoke.
As far as he was considered, she was singing the best rendition of the song he’d ever heard, but it wasn’t her sultry sound that had her audience captivated. Oh no! It was her beautiful oval face, and tantalizing mouth. The way her tongue darted out to lick her red painted lips was enough to bring a man to his knees. And then, there were all those curves. The impact shot right down his body and lodged into a tight knot at his loins.
“Tell me what it is you like, baby, baby, don't be shy.”
If she only knew, Ashton thought and groaned as he shifted on the stool in an attempt to alleviate the strain at his groin. He would like nothing better than to tell her exactly what he liked, and in return, he enjoyed a confident woman who had no problem expressing what brought her pleasure. He believed in giving just as much as receiving and none of his exes were complaining. Well, at least not about the sex.
“You want another?”
Swinging around on the barstool, Ashton glanced briefly over his shoulder at the barmaid with brown hair cut too short to be caught by the wind and shook his head. Two beers were his limit and he was still nursing the second. “Nah, you can close out my tab,” Ashton replied, then brought the bottle to his lips and took another thirsty swig. “Mackenzie, let me ask you a question,” he began and leaned in close so she could hear him. “Who’s that female?”
Ashton noticed the way her eyes flicked over to the stage, then back down to the rag she was using to clean the mahogany countertop.
“Who is that?” he asked again and this time swiveled on the seat so he had Mackenzie’s full attention.
“Her?” she asked, and as if she needed clarification she pointed a finger in the beauty’s direction. Mackenzie waited until he nodded before saying, “That’s Lynn, a good friend of mine. She moved here from Chicago.”
Ashton gave Mackenzie a long look, his curiosity growing leaps and bounds by the second. Both born and raised in Sheraton Beach, he and Mackenzie went way back to his preschool days. They were thick as thieves, but apparently not as close as he’d thought since his good friend had been holding out on him.
“How come you’ve never mentioned her before?”
Mackenzie popped the cap off a bottle and looked up long enough to glare her catlike, amber-colored eyes in his direction. “Because there was no reason. You’re not her type,” she answered then passed the beer to a man sitting to his left.
Finding her response odd, Ashton was prepared to drill her for answers when Mackenzie scurried off to assist another customer.
With a heavy sigh, he swiveled around on the seat, returning his attention to the stage. Lynn was singing her second song and was clearly in her element, clapping her hands, swaying her hips, enticing the crowd to participate in singing Pharrell’s Happy. Lowering the half empty bottle to the bar, Ashton joined in on the fun while admiring the way Lynn engaged her audience, as if she had been an entertainer all her life. He watched as her gaze searched the crowd like she were looking for someone in particular, and when her eyes landed on his, Ashton swore she fumbled over a few verses before shifting her eyes to the other side of the room.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” he mumbled under his breath. He wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t witnessed it himself.
Attraction
. She’d felt it too.
“Mackenzie!” he called and motioned with a sweep of his hand for her to come over again. “You gotta introduce us,” he insisted.
“No way,” she replied with a frown as she began pouring beer from a tap. “You remember what happened the last time I hooked you up with one of my friends. Lexi’s still not speaking to me.”
Ashton scowled at the reminder. Her friend Lexi had done nothing but bat her eyelashes and they ended up in the sack. It wasn’t until the next morning when they bothered to try to hold a conversation that Ashton realized they had nothing in common. Only, this beauty was different. He could feel it in his gut and several other parts of his body.
“That was then. This is now. And that cutie seems more my type.”
There was a hearty chuckle. “Exactly what is your type?” Mackenzie asked as she added a shot of vodka followed by soda water to a frosted glass.
Ashton shrugged. He didn’t have a clue since so far he’d had almost no luck with women.
Ask my ex-wife
. According to her, he didn’t have a romantic bone in his body. Not that he agreed. Ashton was sure things would be different when he found the right one. Because he and his wife had been totally wrong for each other.
As he took another swallow, he allowed his mind to quickly travel down memory lane. Sophia was beautiful and smart, a regional sales director for a popular swimsuit chain. She had been down at the coast, visiting stores in her territory when Ashton spotted her strutting across the parking lot of a coffee shop. The two ended up standing in line together, talking, and by evening discovered they had a sexual connection. His gut tightened at the memories. Sophia had been so wrong for him and the warning signs had always been there, but he listened to the wrong head and before he knew it the two were married. Sophia wanted to return to California even though he’d made it clear he’d never leave Sheraton Beach. She tried to make it work traveling from the west to the east coast every Thursday for the weekend. But eventually the distance took a toll on their relationship. There was anger, resentment, and even when he made trips out west the relationship started to feel strained. Ashton wasn’t at all surprised when Sophia decided she wanted out.
Brushing aside memories of his failed marriage, Ashton looked up at the stage, and allowed his eyes to focus on something more pleasant. His eyes slid from her oval-shaped face down to linger at a blouse that showcased a generous cleavage. Ashton curled his fingers into fists as he imagined his hands cupping her perfect breasts.
“I’m not sure what my type is but I have a good feeling about that one,” he said and realized he’d said it aloud when he heard Mackenzie laugh.
Ashton tore his eyes from the stage and turned on the stool. “So tell me… what’s her story?” he asked, curiosity crinkling his brow.
She met his gaze head on. “She doesn’t have a story. Lynn needed a change in scenery so she moved here. End of story.”
Something in Mackenzie’s eyes said there was more than what she was telling him, but Ashton had known her long enough to know when not to push.
“Trust me. You’re the last person she wants to meet.”
“What’s wrong with me?” Ashton barked and realized he sounded insulted. He glanced down at his black slacks and white button shirt he had complemented with a green and black striped tie. He would have rather dropped by his condo and changed into faded jeans and a t-shirt, but if he’d gone home first and saw his favorite chair, he wouldn’t have come back out until morning. Stopping by Spanky’s Bar & Grill for a beer was the best way to unwind after a long week. And after seeing the entertainment, one beauty in particular, Ashton was glad he’d decided to come.
His eyes traveled back to the stage, and again he felt this overwhelming need to get to know her. It was this twist at the pit of his stomach that just wouldn’t go away. And he hadn’t felt anything close to that feeling since Sophia.
“Quit staring.”
Ashton’s head whipped around with a frown. “She’d like me if she’d got a chance to know me,” he said and picked up his beer again for another swallow.
Mackenzie was laughing. “I doubt that.”
His brow rose. “You mean to tell me she prefers—”
Her gaze darkened. “Hell no. She’s strictly dickly.”
Ashton released a long sigh of relief, then nodded his head as he tipped back the bottle, finishing the beer with one last gulp. “So then what’s the problem?” he asked, growing annoyed because Mackenzie wasn’t telling him what he wanted to hear—
was she single
?
“The problem is…” Mackenzie began, then her voice trailed off. “Never mind. I’ll let you find out on your own.” With that she swiftly moved down to the other end of the bar and started pouring drinks.
“Thanks for the help!” Ashton called after her. Feeling annoyed, he turned around, resting his back against the bar and his elbow on the counter. It was obvious his dear friend was going to be of very little help. He would just have to meet the songbird on his own.
By the time the last song ended and the crowd applauded, Ashton’s heart was slamming beneath his chest. He watched as Lynn stepped down off the stage in a pair of fire engine red pumps.
Damn
! Nothing was sexier than a beautiful woman in pumps… except for a naked woman in pumps.
He looked at her, tracing the sway of her hips, his throat drying and cock aching. He slid off the barstool prepared to go and meet the beauty who had moved toward the rear, probably heading to the ladies room.
Ashton pushed through the crowd hoping to catch her on her way back to the floor. He was confident meeting at the rear of the building would give them a chance to talk in private without the loud music drowning out their conversation. If things went as planned, he’d ask her to step outside to sit and talk underneath the gazebo.
He turned down the hall, leaving the noise behind and watched as Lynn stepped inside the ladies room. Ashton leaned his hip against the wall and waited. As soon as she came out, he would start by introducing himself as a friend of Mackenzie.
For the life of him he couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t just tell him everything he needed to know about Lynn and then even go as far as making the introductions. Mackenzie had always been a no-nonsense kinda girl. They never had secrets before, so what was she hiding? he wondered.
While waiting for the beauty to emerge, his phone vibrated. Ashton cursed under his breath at the interruption, then removed the phone from his waist and looked down at the screen before answering. Private. He hesitated momentarily, then tapped the green button, accepting the call, and brought the phone to his ear. “Ashton Kilmer speaking.”
“Ashton…”
His brow bunched. “Lacey is that you?” Her voice was so low he almost hadn’t heard her.
“Yes, it’s me. I’m at the hospital.” She paused long enough to draw in a breath. “I’m in labor!”
Ashton released a soft chuckle and then muttered, “About damn time.” His sister-in-law was five days overdue.
“No it’s
not
time! I can’t find your brother anywhere and there’s no way I am having this baby
alone
.” There was fear in her voice followed by heavy panting.
