by Lily Hayden
“I’ve been lucky to have some amazing opportunities.” She said. “I just hope that I can make a career in this field.”
“Oh, you will.” Noah leaned forward towards her, resting his elbows on his knees. “You really care about conservation, don’t you?”
“It’s the only thing that I’ve ever truly cared about.” She admitted bashfully.
Even though she knew Noah shared some of her passion, she still felt self-conscious about how much she cared about her intended professional field. She knew she even held back a little with her best friends. Probably because her own family had never taken it seriously.
“Can I be honest with you?” He extended a hand to Taylor.
For a moment, she sat dumbly staring at the proffered hand, unsure whether he meant for her to take it, not wanting to look foolish. Her own hesitation confused her. She was seasoned in the art of seduction; it was came as naturally as breathing to her. Yet why did she feel so nervous around him? Taylor wasn’t the kind of woman who waited for guys to make the first move. Hell, she had already hooked up with him. She had had no intention to hit on him when she had agreed to come along, and that hadn’t changed, but she was suddenly very aware of the way her heart was beating a little harder than usual, pumping her blood a little faster and closer to the surface.
Oh my God. She realised. I like him. I actually care what this guy thinks of me.
His eyes crinkled at the corners, sparkling with amusement at her hesitation.
“I love how you’re here because you care. At first, I thought you were another little rich girl looking for a filler on your CV.” He admitted, taking control and folding her slender hand into his so she was forced to look him in the eye. “But you are one talented, passionate woman. You’re exactly what the world needs more of.”
Taylor felt her heart swell as his words pierced the shell of doubt that she had wrapped around her own dreams and found their way into the very core of her.
“I hope so.” She said honestly.
“You should apply.” He was still holding her hand and it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
“I would love to.” She replied, meaning it.
“I’ll send you the link.” He said, his voice animated. “You would be an asset to the programme.”
She felt her smile widening. His enthusiasm was infectious and, God, she would love to work in Costa Rica.
A little voice in the back of her mind added. “And see more of this man.”
But she ignored that. She had already made up her mind to steer clear of relationships.
His thumb had worked its way down to the tender part of her wrist now and was drawing slow circles on the exposed skin. It was almost hypnotic, and she glanced down at his rough fingers.
“Is this ok?” He asked hesitantly.
His gentle tone made her look up, meeting his eyes. Noah was that rare combination; so raw and masculine, yet so sensitive and thoughtful. She felt tiny butterflies in the depth of her abdomen that were impossible to ignore.
She didn’t trust her voice to answer and so she nodded her head, still looking deep into his perfect blue eyes.
“How about this?” He pulled gently on her arm and she allowed herself to be pulled closer.
He bridged the space between them, releasing her. She felt the imprint of his thumb on her wrist, instantly missing his touch, but he moved his hand, gently cupping her chin. This time, his thumb traced the contour of her jaw and she held her breath expectantly.
His full lips turned up at the corners and she could see the naked desire in his eyes as they moved over her features, drinking in her beauty. He took his time and she felt almost desperate with longing. He tucked her braid back behind her shoulder, letting his fingers travel lazily down the delicate flesh of her neck. She felt herself leaning into his touch as he came to a stop at her exposed collar bone. From there, he tilted her chin up gently and she saw a tiny flicker of nervousness in his eyes.
Please, kiss me. Her body silently begged, and she didn’t have to wait much longer until he obliged.
She had kissed him before, but this time, when his lips found hers, fireworks exploded within her. The chemistry between them was sizzling and her hands snaked involuntarily to his broad chest. His kiss was slow and tantalising, sending sparks racing through every nerve in her body. Her fingers crept to the hem of his shirt, desperate to feel the hard muscles beneath, needing his hot skin on hers. He pulled away, his thumbs still gently holding her face close to his and regarded her with eyes blazing with desire.
“You’re a pretty amazing woman, Taylor Mitchell.”
Her heart turned a slow somersault at the intensity of his gaze. He pulled her closer again, finding her lips with his. His kisses were delicious, building up slowly until she was quivering with desire. She was the one that pushed the slow kiss to the next level, sliding her hands below his shirt and pushing up against the hard planes of his body. She trailed her full, swollen lips over the rough stubble covering his chin and his throat, intoxicated by the clean, masculine taste of his skin. It was her turn now to pull back and let her eyes drink him all in. His body was sculpted and golden. The sight of him sent searing waves of hot desire through her body. Reluctantly, she pulled away for a moment, wanting to unzip the hooded jacket that stood between her and her goal of his flesh on hers. He blinked, surprised that she had pulled back, but then instantly recognising her need, he covered her hands with his own, deftly removing the garment. He dropped it gently beside him and pulled her closer again.
This time, they kissed with more urgency. His hands were all over the curves of her body and, in her passion, she pulled him backwards, craving his body against hers. The boat rocked in response to the movement, startling Taylor, but Noah laughed, burying his face in her hair as they lay in a tangle on the floor of the vessel.
“It’s ok.” He murmured into her ear. “It won’t capsize.”
“You sure?” She asked, distracted by the vibrations of his breath against her sensitive earlobes.
“Well,” Taylor could hear the smile in his voice. “I don’t think it will.”
She gave in to the sensation and groaned as his lips started up again on the sensitive flesh of her neck. Her audible enjoyment spurred him on and he explored every exposed inch of her lean, dark body before he turned his attention to the parts that were still clothed. She kissed him hungrily; their desire for one another only punctuated by brief pauses to peel away another layer of clothes, until they were both naked, skin against skin in the little hardy boat.
His hands were skilled and generous on her body. Every touch had her yearning for more. She pressed up against his hardness, wrapping her fingers around the smooth skin of his long, thick shaft and pressing it greedily against her hot wetness. He responded, slipping his fingers easily into her, making her buck against his palm in her need for him. He withdrew, gasping at her tangible excitement. She bit down, grazing her teeth against his tanned, bare shoulder, anticipating the thrill of him entering her completely. His hand was between her legs, but he paused, looking down at her from underneath a sun-kissed lock of hair that had fallen over his eyes.
Taylor felt her hand release his erection and reach up, sweeping the hair from his eyes with her fingertips. He held her gaze; his eyes soulful and yearning, and she felt her insides melt at the way he looked at her.
“I really fucking like you.” He growled, his voice husky and low. “If this is just a one-time thing, be straight with me?”
His words were like him: honest, sweet and deliciously at odds with his raw masculinity. All her usual defensive mechanisms, tried and tested over the years, failed her. She didn’t want to protect herself from this man. She could see her own eyes reflected in his, yet she felt, with startling clarity, that Noah Anderson could see into her soul.
“I really like you.” She heard her own voice promise him and his lips met hers once again.
She lost herself in his kiss, really
lost herself, and when he entered her finally, waves of something more than pleasure shot through her. Taylor had slept with many men. She had had sex with them, she had fucked them, and she always enjoyed it, but this felt different. Every nerve in her body felt alive. She let herself go completely, not premeditating her next move or conscious of her sexuality. With Noah, she just was. Her whole being felt radiant and she came quickly and violently. He gave in to his own desire and she felt a secondary orgasm crash over her at the sheer eroticism of feeling him come deep inside her. Her body trembled as they lay, tangled and spent, and it was only as her racing heart started to calm that she recognised the strange and wonderful feeling. Noah’s own heart was beating against hers and he kissed her face gently.
She felt her heart skip a beat at the tenderness in his eyes and the word that had, up until then, escaped her sprang to her mind.
Complete.
No Regrets
No expense had been spared at the glittering evening do and, despite her inner turmoil over Sylvie’s earlier revelations and her anxiety at the thought of seeing Armand here, Shauna still felt her jaw drop when she walked into the reception of the hotel.
A glittering chandelier was the centrepiece in the grand marble lobby. A lavish staircase, carpeted in red for the occasion, coiled regally down from the galleried landing. Shauna could see the crowds of tuxedoed men and glamourous women already gathered on the floor above. Even from down here, she could sense the wealth and importance of the gathering. Gathered here were the crème-de-la-crème of Louisiana’s business elite.
Shauna, naturally introverted, would normally have broken into a cold sweat at the thought of having to hold her own amongst so many self-assured people, but ironically, Armand’s betrayal meant she would happily talk to anyone so long as she was guaranteed to avoid coming face-to-face with him. Her eyes swept the crowd, estimating that the gallery was already brimming with a few hundred people.
Rebecca, sensing her hesitation, took her arm and gently guided her towards the staircase. Shauna alternated between shooting glances at the faces above and watching her steps carefully. The last thing she wanted was to take a tumble. Although a hospital trip would be a great excuse to leave.
She smiled wryly at that thought.
As sick as she felt at seeing Armand tonight, the alternative of lying to Rebecca and turning down her generous invitation was not an option to Shauna’s courteous nature. Initially, she had felt too shell-shocked and had been functioning on auto-pilot. By the time it had all started to sink in, she was already dressed in Rebecca’s sister’s gorgeous gown and being whisked here. In the quiet darkness of the car, she had formulated a plan: she would stay for an hour out of politeness and slip away, feigning a migraine. That way she didn’t have to feel guilty at letting Rebecca down.
She reached the landing, letting the shimmering, luxurious fabric slide from her fingers and gratefully accepted a flute of champagne from a uniformed waitress. Almost immediately, a group nearby called out to Rebecca. Shauna felt Rebecca’s hand on her arm and allowed herself to be steered over to the gathering who she immediately recognised as some of the Marin Hotel clients.
“Ah!” Orla, a coquettish brunette in an elegant, off-the-shoulder gown smiled welcomingly. “The lovely Shauna!”
Shauna smiled shyly in response. She had really enjoyed being part of MLB Designs’s bid for their business. It had been exciting and exhilarating contributing to the process that would transform Rebecca’s ingenious ideas into a world-class hotel. She only wished she was staying long enough to actually see Rebecca’s vision become a reality, but it would be years in the making.
The group fell into easy conversation, all work-related, and Shauna found herself tuning out; her eyes scanning every tuxedoed man that entered the building. She moved listlessly from group to group, feeling a little like Rebecca’s shadow, exchanging banal pleasantries and downing glass after glass of complimentary bubbles. After what seemed an eternity, the champagne reception moved into a vast gallery where banquet tables lined the walls, waiting for the guests to take their seats ready for the speeches to begin before the grand ball.
Shauna was pleased to see there was no seating plan and she used the distraction of the swarming crowds to nip off to the restroom. She sat alone in a cubicle and idled away five minutes, scrolling through her phone before sneaking back across the landing. Since she’d arrived, despite all her best efforts to remain professional, she couldn’t shake the claustrophobic feeling that hung tightly around her throat and her chest. She had purposely hung back from entering the ballroom, not wanting to be trapped if she did see Armand. She sank back against a pillar, sweeping her eyes across the crowded room.
“Hiding already?”
A deep drawl made her jump, but when she turned, heart in mouth, the voice belonged to a stranger. An older man, distinguished-looking with grey hair cropped closely to his head smiled down at her. His eyes, dark and wrinkled at the corners behind wire-framed glasses, were kind and she couldn’t help but smile back at him.
“No!” She shook her head, fumbling in her clutch for her phone. “I was just, uh, waiting for a call.”
“Well, I am.” He winked, holding up a cigar. “These events can go on a little.”
He reached behind Shauna, pulling open a mirrored door that she had failed to notice. Shauna looked over his shoulder at the terrace beyond. Despite the air-conditioning, the suite was hot and stuffy, and the breeze that floated in was cool and welcoming. Without thinking, Shauna followed the man out onto the balcony.
Not wanting to intrude upon his evening’s little indulgence, she floated across to the stone pillars and gazed out at the city lit up around them. She liked New Orleans. Really liked everything about the place. She realised, with a pang, that she would miss it when she went home. A little part of her had been dreading leaving. She tried to bury her thoughts, annoyed at herself for being naïve enough to think that she’d not only found a company that she would have loved to work for, but a man that seemed to like her as much as she liked him. She scoffed at her own foolishness.
You thought you were so grown up. The voice in her head ridiculed her cruelly. Bagging a coveted internship straight from college. Bagging a gorgeous man. You got here because of someone’s admin error and you stayed here because some horny married asshole has a thing for big, shy redheads.
The softer side of her flinched at her own brutality. In High School, she had regularly battled her low self-esteem and feelings of low self-worth. She hadn’t heard that nasty inner voice for years. When she’d successfully achieved a place on her first-choice degree course and instantly hit it off with kind-hearted and beautiful friends like Ella and Taylor, she’d honestly thought she’d finally conquered her demons, yet here it was, back again.
“Everything ok?”
She realised she’d made a noise, something between a huff and a sigh out loud, and she silently cursed herself before turning to face him.
He puffed on the cigar and she squinted, suddenly seeing something familiar in his features that she couldn’t quite place.
“I’m fine.” She assured him.
He exhaled, disappearing behind a cloud of musky smoke, and when it cleared Shauna could see him crinkling his brow as if deep in thought. She racked her brain, trying to remember if she recognised him as a client of MLB Designs. Before he could say anything more, his phone rang interrupting any further conversation. She moved hesitantly towards the door, wanting to afford him some privacy. She pulled at the ornate handle, but as she did, she noticed Aaron stood by the pillar where she had been lurking, phone pressed to his ear. He looked stressed and she drew back into the shadow, not wanting him to see her. The fresh air had helped her to make her mind up. She was going to leave and text Rebecca an apology once she was home.
She waited, hoping he would walk away and give her chance to slip out unnoticed, but he was pacing back and forth behind the pillar, shoulders hunched. She could hear the old
er man, talking quietly and with purpose into his own phone.
What was it with these executive types and their twenty-four-seven need to be conducting business? She wondered idly, one hand still on the door.
“Look.” The older man’s gruff, deep voice startled her.
His thick Southern accent had been gentle and charming when he had spoken to her, but he sounded annoyed and on edge as he barked into the cell phone.
“If you’ve got something to back it up, by all means show me, but until then, I don’t want to hear another word about it!” He boomed. “I’ll be instructing an auditor next week, but we all know how long that’ll take. Until then, no more!”
Shauna watched, transfixed, as the gentle-mannered man stuffed his top-of-the-range phone back into his tuxedo pocket. He puffed on the last inch of his cigar before stubbing it out in a plant pot. Embarrassed that he’d think she’d been eavesdropping, she quickly turned back to the door. Through the glass, she could see luck was on her side and Aaron had gone. Without pausing, she darted back into the landing and straight down the stairs, head ducked hoping to be outside before anybody could see her.
In her haste to leave, the handful of fabric, from the long skirts she’d gathered in her curled fists, slipped their way free from her grasp and she felt herself stumble as she navigated the last few steps. Her heart jumped into her mouth, but she managed to catch herself, turning her foot over sharply in the process. A shooting pain rocketed from her ankle and her borrowed sandal slipped uselessly from her foot. She reached out to the polished bannister, steadying herself, tears of pain stinging her eyes.
“Woah, there, Cinders!”
A man’s voice called down to here and she quickly fumbled to slide the flimsy shoe back on, ignoring the pain that was radiating from her ankle. She turned reluctantly to face Aaron, who was striding down the staircase behind her. He fell into step with her as she tentatively descended into the hotel lobby.
