by Ann Mcintosh
She chuckled. “Eat, but in this context, more like gobble.”
He went around to the other side of the counter and sat on one of the stools so he could see her face while they talked.
“Ah... I have to remember that. Micah had a couple of Jamaican friends when he was in high school, and he used to complain that sometimes they’d be talking and he could hardly understand them.”
Regina glanced up, amusement making her eyes glitter. “I only ever spoke patois when I was with my grandparents, since my father didn’t like to hear it at home. It was fun to sit around with my cousin and her family the other day and hear everybody. Even I had to ask, every now and again, what they were saying. I’m out of practice.”
This was a different Regina, he thought. More relaxed and open, and he couldn’t help wondering what had changed.
After they’d eaten and put away the leftovers, he said, “How about a boat ride?”
“Sounds like a great idea,” she replied, glancing out the window at the bright sunlight. “It looks perfect out there.”
“Although it isn’t cold, once we get out on the water, the windchill will kick in. Did you bring a windbreaker?”
“I did,” she replied, slanting him a sideways glance. “I’ll get it as soon as I wash up these dishes.”
“Let me do that.” He used his hip to gently bump her away from the sink. “You go and get ready.”
He couldn’t help watching her as she walked away, the delectable sway of her hips a siren’s call it took all his strength not to answer.
She hadn’t come back by the time he was finished with the dishes, and as he dried his hands, Mateo debated whether to change into his swim trunks or not. The water was too cold to swim in, in his opinion, but you never could tell what could happen when you were out in the ocean. Should an engine fail, or something fall overboard, it would be better to be in his trunks than in jeans.
Heading to his room, he grabbed his bag on the way, idly wondering which of the other four bedrooms Regina had decided on. Which, of course, led to wondering whether he’d be sharing her bed that night.
God, he hoped so. Being around her was driving him a little crazy.
He was three steps into his room, and in the process of putting down his bag on the low bench at the foot of the bed, before his brain caught up to what his eyes had seen.
There was a bag already there.
A gossamer-thin confection of a nightgown lay across the bedspread, and the sandals Regina had been wearing were placed neatly together just in front of the wardrobe.
Frozen where he stood, Mateo looked toward the door of the en suite bathroom, just as Regina strolled out and stopped, five feet away.
She was wearing a bikini, and had her arms raised as she put her hair up into a knot on the top of her head. Meeting his gaze, she raised one eyebrow but didn’t try to speak, since she had a hair clip held between her lips.
Mateo couldn’t stop his gaze from falling to devour her exposed body, from full breasts, along her toned, curvy body, wide hips, and down her long, strong legs.
In a distant, foggy sort of way, certain other things registered: the silky sheen of her skin, the glint of a diamond in her belly button, the curl of her toes into the rug she was standing on.
Those toes, and the rapid pulse he could clearly see at the base of her throat, were the only indications that Regina was as affected by the moment as he was.
Holding her hair with one hand, she took the clip out of her mouth with the other.
“I hope you don’t mind sharing.”
Oh, she was trying to sound amused, but the huskiness of her tone gave her away.
“I certainly don’t,” he replied, not even trying to disguise the desire in his voice. The blood in his veins flowed hot as lava, and he itched to get his hands on her. “In fact, I definitely prefer it this way.”
He hadn’t consciously made the decision to move but found himself circling her, watching her watch him as he stepped closer, but she didn’t move as he stepped behind her. He couldn’t get over how sexy she was, how much he wanted to touch her, although he didn’t.
Not yet.
“You’re so gorgeous it almost hurts to look at you.”
The sound she made was one he couldn’t recognize.
“I’m glad you think so,” she replied.
She seemed to be fumbling a little with the clip, and he realized it was because her hands were shaking. There was a full-length mirror on the other side of the room, and now he looked at her reflection.
“I want to see all of you.”
He heard her indrawn breath, saw the way her breasts rose and fell. Letting go of the clip caused her hair to come down, and Mateo gently detangled it from the strands before tossing the clip onto the nearby table.
When he looked back up, she was watching in the mirror, too, and for an instant, he couldn’t breathe, ensnared by her gaze. No longer golden, it gleamed dark: a night sky of passion.
She reached behind and untied her top. When it dropped to the floor, Mateo thought he might follow it, felled by the beauty of her naked torso.
Slowly she hooked her fingers into the sides of her bottoms and slid them south, bending to push them past her knees.
Then, as she straightened, euphoria rushed to tighten every muscle in Mateo’s body, and for a second, as he stepped closer and ran his finger along her spine, he wondered if he were dreaming.
If so, he hoped he never awoke.
CHAPTER NINE
REGINA TREMBLED AS though about to vibrate right out of her skin. The sensation of Mateo’s finger down her spine lingered, a line of fire sending waves of heat cascading out over her entire body, tightening her nipples and making her thighs tremble.
He was standing behind her, watching her reflection in the mirror, and the effect of his gaze on her was electric, sharpening her every sense.
The rush of their breathing was like the wind in a storm.
His scent enveloped her, filling her head like an intoxicant.
Her skin was supersensitized, so that even the slightest movement of the air became a caress.
But what held her totally in thrall was the sight of him, looking at her as though she were the most beautiful woman in the world, his gaze intense and hungry.
Ravenous.
She wanted to see him naked, too, wanted to tell him to strip down and to kiss her—touch her, alleviate the need building to an explosive pitch inside. To hurry, before she spontaneously combusted. Yet, she was unable to form the words, mute and rooted in place by his eyes.
When he finally touched her again—a light brush of his palms along her arms—she shuddered, closing her eyes to savor the sensation.
“Open your eyes, Regina.” The harsh timbre of his voice should have shaken her from her arousal, but instead it pulled her deeper. “I need to see your eyes.”
She obeyed, and the clash of their gazes made a moan rise in her throat.
Then it was the sight of his hands sliding around to cup her breasts, coupled with the slip of flesh on flesh, that brought her up onto her toes.
It was torture of the most erotic kind, and Regina watched it play out as Mateo skillfully, masterfully took her higher in excruciating increments.
He touched her as though he were learning every inch of her skin through his fingertips. As his thumbs circled her nipples, he set his lips to her neck, and the flick of his tongue echoed across her system, setting off tremors with each pass.
Lower those wicked hands went, and she watched, hardly blinking, as they inched closer to that aching, needy space between her thighs. One touch would send her over the edge. She was sure of it, and craved that contact in a way she’d never desired anything in her life before.
But he withheld that intimacy, caressing her belly, the top of her thighs, her hips a
nd buttocks.
Why didn’t she grab his hand and take it to where she wanted it to be? That was what she’d usually do. But somehow with Mateo, as desperately as she wanted culmination, she couldn’t bring herself to demand it.
There was something so erotic about his total concentration on her body, and the sight of them together, that all she could do was keep watching.
And feeling.
The slide of hands, and the slip of his mouth across her nape.
The brush of his fingers on her mound, and the scrape of his teeth on her neck.
Tender circles around her tingling nipples.
Just when she thought she couldn’t take a moment more, he turned her a quarter turn, stepping around to kiss her, and the passion between them became a flashover.
Where before he’d been slow, each touch filled with intent, now they strained against each other, the wanting driving them to rush.
But although the pace had increased, Mateo never relinquished control. When she tried to undress him, he ignored her efforts, dipping his head to take one straining nipple between his lips.
Regina arched back over the arm he banded around her waist, and it was probably the only thing keeping her upright on her quaking legs. Tunneling her fingers into his hair, she drowned in the moment.
Then his lips were sliding down her body, his hands hard and tight on her ass, keeping her on her feet even as he sank to his knees. When he lifted her leg and put it over his shoulder, Regina was already just a breath away from orgasm.
And the first touch of his tongue was all she needed to achieve it.
She cried out, a sound she’d never heard herself make before in her life, and held his head there, although he’d made no effort to shift away.
She rode out the crashing waves, feeling him still as the final tremors shook her to the core. But before she could catch her breath, he did something wicked-sweet with his mouth, and she was tumbling into another, even harder release.
How had she gotten onto the bed? she wondered, when she finally recovered enough to open her eyes, and found herself lying on the smooth, cool comforter.
Mateo was taking off his clothes, and her body—which had seemed draped in lethargy a second before—tingled back to life at the sight.
Bronze skin stretched over the hard, well-defined muscles of his chest and abdomen, making her want to dig her nails into them and test their strength. A trail of dark hairs led down toward the top of his jeans, and she resolved, there and then, to follow it as soon as possible, with her mouth.
Her breath caught in her throat when he stood up from shucking his pants.
He was, she thought in a distant, stupefied sort of way, ridiculously beautiful.
“You’re so sexy,” she said, the words falling unbidden from her lips.
Mateo paused, his eyebrows going up as though in surprise, before he replied, “I was just thinking the same thing about you.”
She held out her arms, ravenous for him, and when he lowered himself to the bed, there was no need for further conversation.
Their bodies did the talking for them.
And boy, did his have a lot to say.
Hers responded with a series of mind-blowing orgasms. More than should be legal, she thought through the fog of endorphins rampaging in her system. By the time he finally rolled on a condom, she was almost desperate for his possession.
But once again, Mateo surprised her.
He’d been in complete control of her body up until that point, but now he yielded to Regina, pulling her to straddle his hips. Letting her set the pace, and take over.
It was a powerful and somehow empowering moment.
To kneel above him and watch his face tighten with pleasure as she took him deep energized her all over again.
She wanted to make him as crazy as he’d made her, but the moment was too sublime to prolong, and her need was too great. And it didn’t take long for her to find release again, but this time she pulled him along with her, and her ecstasy was heightened by his.
Lying beside him, tucked under his arm, Regina yawned, cataloging all the yummy little aches popping up all over her body. Having sex with Mateo had turned out to be better than any cardio workout she’d ever done.
“Tired?”
She shook her head. “No. Although I feel as though I should be, after what we just did.”
He chuckled. His arm, which was around her shoulders, tightening just a little. Regina couldn’t help wondering if now that they’d slept together, he’d expect them to spend the rest of the trip in bed.
Not that she’d complain. After this first taste, she was more than willing to gorge herself on Mateo’s brand of loving. Night shift be damned. The day shift had turned out to be more than satisfactory, and she suspected any shift at all in his bed would be equally mind blowing, if not more so.
But at the same time, it would be nice to see more than just the inside of his house.
As though reading her mind, Mateo said, “I thought we could go to Key West tomorrow. If we leave in the morning, we could stop and get breakfast on the way there, and then explore to your heart’s content for the rest of the day.”
“Sounds good.” Well, that answered her question. “How long does it take to get there?”
“About two hours.”
His hand was gently rubbing up and down her arm, and Regina found herself deliciously distracted. Maybe staying all afternoon in his bed wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
“Do you want to go out on the boat? There’s enough light left for us to go out into the Gulf for a quick run.”
His hand was on her shoulder now, just in line to slip down and cup her breast, if he wanted to. She wanted him to, but somehow also didn’t want to admit it and appear as though she was getting addicted to him.
“Sounds good,” she said, but neither of them moved. Not for a couple of long, drugged beats.
And then he rolled over and kissed her, and she knew it would be a while before they went out on the water.
* * *
Mateo went down to the dock while Regina got ready to go for their boat ride. As he checked the gas gauges, he found himself whistling, and abruptly stopped, trying to figure out what it was he was feeling.
Satiated? Sure.
He couldn’t tell when last he’d experienced that level of arousal and satisfaction—if he ever had before.
But there was something else making him grin to himself and start whistling once more.
Recognizing it as happiness didn’t feel right, so he pushed the sensation to the back of his mind.
When she came down, she was wearing a windbreaker and had put a scarf over her hair. Since he was finished checking the boat, they set off right away.
As he navigated out through the narrow channel, Regina stood beside him, taking in the changing vistas as they moved farther from shore. Normally, he’d have one or more of the kids with him, or be alone, but having her there felt good. Natural.
Once out into the wider channel, he said, “Hold on tight,” then opened up the throttle to put the boat up on a plane. As they flew across the water, cutting through the waves, Regina let out a whoop, making Mateo check to see if it was an expression of fear or one of enjoyment.
With her head thrown back, she was holding on to her scarf and laughing, clearly thrilled. He’d never seen her like that before, exhibiting such unfettered emotion, and the sight of it set something free inside him, too. Something hot and wild and possessive.
He had to force himself to turn away, to concentrate on what he was doing and where he was steering the boat.
He passed one of the mangrove islands, and ahead was open water, so he upped the speed a bit more, until the wave heights began to increase, causing the boat to bounce more than he considered comfortable. Throttling back, he brought the boat down to
idle, letting it drift and rock.
Turning to face Regina, he found himself the focus of her attention, and even behind her dark glasses, he could tell her eyes were sparkling.
“That was amazing,” she said with a wide grin. “I haven’t been on a boat in ages. I’d forgotten how much fun it can be.”
The flash of jealousy firing through him was insane and ridiculous, but it took all of Mateo’s control not to ask her who else she’d been boating with. He wanted to take hold of her and kiss her, and make sure she remembered no other boat ride than the one she was on with him.
But he said and did neither, just smiled at her and said, “We could stay here for a little while, or we can go farther out. It’s up to you.”
She walked out from beneath the T-top to the rear deck and stood there looking out across the water. She unzipped her windbreaker and shrugged it off, lifting her face to the sun.
“Let’s stay here,” she said finally. “It’s so peaceful.”
They were the only vessel in sight, and the tide was pushing them away from the nearest land, so Mateo didn’t bother to drop anchor. Stepping to the side, away from the wheel, he leaned back against the console, watching Regina.
She had on a pair of form-fitting terry cloth yoga pants and a loose knit shirt, all of which showed off her luscious figure to perfection. When she bent over to look down into the water, Mateo’s body tightened, and his hands itched to cup her gorgeous butt and squeeze.
When she straightened and turned, Mateo tightened his grip on the console, to restrain himself from beckoning her near and begging for more of the closeness he craved so badly.
She froze, and time seemed to waver and stretch as they stared at each other. Then she strode across the deck to him, and she was where he so desperately wanted her to be.
Back in his arms.
She was irresistible, setting off a fire in his blood as soon as those lioness eyes turned on him. The memories of her responses as they made love had him desperate to do it all over again, just so he could see her shatter in his arms.
