by Victoria Zak
“Like condos?” she asked with a laugh. “Then Aragon Island would be like all the others, crowded and choked with busy streets and all of its natural resources depleted.”
“But what if they were built with care to preserve those qualities, much like Antonio has done with the resort?”
“Are you considering asking Antonio to let you develop Aragon Island?” she asked bluntly.
Dario took a sip of wine and nodded. “It’s why I’m here.”
“You mean you’re not just here to fulfil your grandest fantasies?” she asked with a playful roll of her eyes.
Dario smiled, glancing up at her. “I consider the time we’re spending together a bonus.”
Cat laughed shyly, blushing as she looked out over the water to the shore. “He’ll never do it,” she said, her voice laced with more hope than conviction.
“I hope you’re wrong,” he said, feeling a surprising stab of regret. “The addition of a few condos on this side of the island would bring a considerable amount of stability to the resort and provide a consistent stream of returning guests.”
“And add a considerable amount to your fortune?”
A string of rebuttals gathered on the tip of Dario’s tongue, but he was saved from deploying them by the familiar echo of low, guttural howls.
“Oh, look!” Cat pointed at a cluster of trees where a group of howler monkeys jumped from limb-to-limb. “They’re coming out to say hello.”
“We’ve already met,” Dario grumbled, but thankful for the reprieve. He shifted on the blanket to sit beside Catalina to watch, his attention easily redirected to the nape of her neck and the short wisps of baby-fine hair that curled at her hairline.
The breeze shifted and he inhaled the brief whiff of the perfume that had driven him to distraction the night before. He watched as she pressed her lips to the rim of the glass and took a sip of the fine wine, remembering how soft they felt. How long could he restrain from kissing her?
“Some things are worth more than money.” Cat pointed to the lush jungle in front of them. “The view alone is priceless.”
He couldn’t agree more. The view was indeed priceless.
“Dario,” she admonished when she caught him staring at her. “I’m serious. This part of the island is rich in history. Panama’s first people lived here, fishing in the mangrove swamps and coral reefs. They made a living trading fish as far out as Peru and Mexico.”
Tearing his eyes from her lips, Dario looked up into the rainforest. There was a sense of peacefulness here. The way the surf collided with the sandy beach and the warm breeze blowing through the treetops. “What ever happened to the early island settlers?”
Cat shrugged her shoulders. “No one really knows. It was like the civilization just disappeared into the jungle, leaving behind only small clues to their way of life.”
“I see.”
“Some say you can still hear their whispering spirits.”
“Can you?” he asked.
Cat smiled. “I can.”
“Are you sure it isn’t a monkey screaming.”
Cat playfully shouldered him in the chest. “You make me laugh.”
“I could make you do more than laugh.” He pulled her close. Her body tensed as he brushed her hair to the side to get a better view of her neck. “You are a treasure.”
Cat looked over her shoulder at him. “And you promised not to kiss me.”
He rolled a strand of her soft hair between his fingers. “I intend to keep my promise,” he assured her with a grin.
“Are you always this forward with your women?”
Her words unsettled him, but he couldn’t understand why. “I like to consider myself ambitious.” He trailed his finger down the back of her neck, peppering her with soft kisses. The helpless sigh that rolled from her lips encouraged him to move lower.
“You’re breaking your promise,” she said.
Dario smiled against her golden skin. Seducing her was fun. He slid the thin strap of her top off her shoulder. “I promised not to kiss your lips,” he reminded her, gliding the tip of his tongue along her skin, the wild, salty taste fueling his hunger.
“Dario, I—”
“Shh. Don’t think,” he whispered in her ear. “Close your eyes.” She turned and gave him a protesting glare. “Trust me,” he urged and she reluctantly capitulated.
A warm gust blew across the water, whipping her hair. He gathered it in his hand and held it off her neck, nipping the hollow beneath her ear. “Feel the wind on your skin, Catalina. Breathe it inside you,” he murmured.
She drew in a long, deep breath and her shoulders rolled forward, the tension slipping from her muscles.
He held her arm out to the side. “Embrace the wildness floating on the breeze.” He kissed her shoulder, trailing his lips along the soft flesh of her arm to the tender place inside the bend of her elbow. “Do you feel it?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, her answer heavy with desire.
“Don’t hold it captive inside you, Catalina. Let the wildness take you where it wants to go.”
She released a dreamy breath and leaned back against him, her lips parted in a sigh. He’d never been so tempted to break a promise. He shifted from behind her, gently urging her back on the blanket, delighting in the feel of her body beside his as he leaned in and kissed the side of her neck. A rush of raw male satisfaction quickened his desire when she threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer.
“More,” she said on a gasp, guiding him lower.
He opened his mouth and kissed her breast, flicking his tongue over her nipple through the material of her dress. She arched beneath him with a groan, pressing herself against his mouth. Desperate to see and touch her, he slid his hand beneath the hem of her dress and pushed it up, revealing a sexy, white thong, exposing her plump breasts to the rays of the afternoon sun.
Fuck, she was beautiful. Her skin was flawless, her nipples like chocolate pearls, just waiting to be tasted.
“Oh, tesoro mio,” he hummed as he lowered his head and kissed one of her pebble-hard nipples, drawing it into his mouth, eliciting another cry. His cock throbbed in response and he flexed his hips, searching out a moment of delicious friction against her body to ease his need.
She tensed, and he moved to the other breast, sucking it between his teeth.
“Dario.”
At the sound of his name on her lips he doubled his efforts, determined to hear it again. Her head fell back on another sigh and he grinned, teasing her wet nipple with a puff of cool air. He’d never been this reserved with a woman. He’d never fucked a woman like Catalina, now that he thought about it. He hadn’t intended on taking their afternoon tryst this far, and he knew if he didn’t slow down, he could risk the chance of ruining his plans for later, but cazzo he was losing it. Unable to resist, he slid his hand between her thighs and stole a touch. The heat and wetness of her arousal intensified his need, but she reached down to stop his hand.
“Dario, please.”
The uncertainty in her eyes when he looked up and caught her gaze told him she wasn’t begging for more this time. Her responses to his touch were so natural, so passionate, he was certain he could persuade her to go further, but he didn’t push it. The moment was lost, but there would be another.
“Of course, tesoro mio.” Resigned, he righted her dress and moved to help her sit up, but not before stealing one last taste of her glowing flesh. “My heart is yours to command,” he whispered against her neck as he held himself above her. When he pulled back to look at her, passion had diluted some of the uncertainty in her eyes. It would be so easy to lower himself atop her and take her in his arms, to kiss her the way he wanted to. But he’d given his word and intended to keep it.
“Come.” He stood and held out his hand, pulling her to her feet. Instead of letting her go, he turned her around to face the sunset and sidled up behind her. She leaned back against him as he wrapped his arms around her waist, their bod
ies connecting once again with a perfection he’d felt with no other woman. “Watch with me?” he asked, and looked out at the sun as it dipped below the horizon. “It is a sight I so rarely get to see.”
She placed her hands over his and relaxed in his arms. A strange feeling of completeness washed over him, stilling the restlessness inside that had been his constant companion of late. He didn’t know what it meant, if anything, but he did know he would never see another sunset and not think of her.
6
The mattress dipped beside Cat, jostling her from her nap. Warmth cocooned her from behind before a hand cupped her shoulder and turned her onto her back. She reached up and ran her hands along the bare chest and sculpted flesh hovering above her, not bothering to open her eyes. His scent and touch was unmistakable. No one had ever touched her the way Dario had.
Eyes still closed, she lifted her arms above her head as he peeled off her shirt, arching beneath the pleasure of his hot mouth on her breasts. Her nipples hardened with every masterful flick of his tongue.
“It feels so good,” she moaned when he kneed her legs apart, settling himself between her thighs.
Sharp-winged butterflies took flight in her chest as he pressed her deeper into the mattress. It’d been so long since she’d shared her body with anyone. She’d missed this, the basic instinctual need for human contact and pleasure.
She spread her legs wide, yearning to hold him inside her, wanting him to take her to that place where only they existed. Eager and greedy for more, she reached for his firm shaft and guided him inside her, lifting her hips, already throbbing with ecstasy when he drove inside her.
“Tesoro mio,” he whispered as he trailed his lips along her neck, kissing her between each breath he took. Every moan, every pant brought her that much closer to the edge. She didn’t understand his mumbled words, but the desperation in his voice brought her that much closer to climax, until the throbbing between her legs spread throughout her body with uncontrollable force.
“Dario!”
Cat bolted upright in bed, her chest heaving with her efforts to breathe. Lost in the seductive fog of her dream, she struggled to recognize her surroundings. “My bungalow.” She dropped her head into her hands, then kicked the tangle of sheets that had shackled her feet.
For the past two days, she’d been ruthlessly wined and dined, falling deeper into her fantasy with Dario. After their outing on the boat, he’d turned up the charm, offering her long walks on the beach, intimate dinners, and poolside-cocktails as they basked in the hot sun. Learning from his scrupulous negotiation skills, she’d even managed to convince him to agree to hike one of the trails into the jungle yesterday. In return, she’d agreed to a scandalous midnight swim the night before, where he’d wasted no time in divesting her of her swimsuit.
Until that moment, she’d managed to hold on to her resolve not to be seduced by her fantasy, but under the clear starry night, immersed in passion, she’d lost herself in the sensation of their bodies sliding together beneath the warm water. Reality had turned into fantasy so easily, too easily. Before she knew it, she’d been writhing in Dario’s arms, the plea for him to kiss her ripe on her tongue when a chorus of intoxicated giggles from the beach broke the spell.
Reality had crashed in around her, sending her running from the water. She’d gathered her towel, ignoring Dario’s pleas not to go, and sprinted past the cabanas to the private staff quarters. She’d overreacted, she knew, but she just couldn’t let this go on. She was falling for him and was certain only heartache waited if she gave herself to him.
Well, that and a dozen or more orgasms.
Cat flopped back onto the mattress with a huff, potent need from her dream still fresh in her veins, making her body crave his touch. She ignored it and closed her eyes, but Dario’s handsome face was the only thing she saw. He’d been so kind, enchanting, and romantic, everything she once believed in, everything she wished she could believe in again.
Groaning, she pushed from the bed and made her way into the small bathroom, only just realizing that all her things were back in the cabana. The cabana right next to Dario’s.
“Great.”
I’m doing the right thing. I know I am. She flipped on the faucet and splashed some water on her face. In two days, he would return to his glamourous life, leaving her behind like the fairytale peasant girl with one glass slipper, a rotting pumpkin carriage, and a broken heart. Thanks, but no thanks. She didn’t even know why she wanted anything more from him. It wasn’t like she could jet off to Milan with him, even if he asked her to. She could never leave her family behind, her son or her dying father.
A heavy knock at the door startled her. Her heart raced as she rushed to answer it, the thought of Dario on the other side sending an unwanted spontaneous, drug-like high rushing through her veins.
“Cat, if you don’t open this door, so help me, sweet baby Jesus, I’ll—”
Cat opened the door, greeting Mario with her hand perched on her hip. “What...you’ll huff and puff and blow it down.”
Mario pushed past her, wearing a sparkling shirt and full of attitude. “Where have you been? I called and called and nothing! You know it’s rude to ignore your friends.”
“I’m sorry, but I need some me time. Please don’t take it personally.”
“Me time?” he exclaimed. “It looks like a crypt in here.” He walked over to the sliding door and yanked open the curtain.
Cat rushed over and pulled it closed again. “What are you doing? He’ll know where I am.”
“Who? The sun?”
Cat rolled her eyes. “No. Dario.”
Shock spread across Mario’s face, his voice a few octaves higher when he finally spoke. “You’re hiding from Mr. Dicola? Honey, are you ill?”
Cat darted out of reach when he tried to feel her forehead. “I’m perfectly well, thank you.”
“He didn’t hurt you, did he? Because I’ll have to get real.” He snapped his fingers and narrowed his eyes. “You know I will.”
“Mario, he didn’t hurt me.” Cat retreated to the couch. “I just don’t want to see him.”
Mario sat down next to her, piling a handful of pillows in his lap. “Tell me everything, Kitty Cat.”
“I can’t do this.” She huffed. “I can’t be something I’m not. He’s a billionaire who has everything, wealth, power, and women. What could I possibly bring into the relationship? That is if he even wants one. I just don’t have it in me to be a week-long play toy. I can’t.”
“Honey, you need to give yourself more credit. You’re beautiful, smart, and down to earth. You bring him balance. Trust me. I see the way he looks at you. Besides, Kenderly’s intuition is never wrong.”
Cat shot Mario a suspicious look. “What do you mean?”
“Oh dear, would you look at the time.” Mario bolted from the couch, making his way to the door with Cat hot on his heels.
“Let me get this straight. This entire time Kenderly has been playing matchmaker?” Cat exclaimed. “I should have known. The vacation, ball gown, paid expenses, and you—your Mario spa special. How could you?”
Mario spun around, pinning her with an irritated glare. “How could I? God forbid if somebody actually cared about you and wanted to see you happy for once.” Mario softened his tone. “Kitty Cat, you work so hard for your family, all we wanted was for you to have your fantasy.”
Cat shook her head. “You don’t understand. There is no room in my life for a fantasy.
“Do you truly believe that?”
“I do,” she said with a little more conviction than she really meant.
“Well, I don’t. You’re just too damn stubborn to see your fantasy is right in front of you waiting to be taken. Dario Dicola is the real deal, honey. Don’t blow it.”
How dare he? Stubborn? Before she could utter her irritated rebuttal, her cellphone vibrated. “Don’t move,” she scolded Mario. “We’re not done here.”
Fuming from a cold dose of tr
uth, she strode to her nightstand and snatched up her phone. Her mother’s name popped up on the screen and her heart dived into her stomach. “Mama,” she answered. “Dios mio, Mama! Slow down! You’re talking too fast.”
Cat stiffened as her mother’s words became clear. “Fever? One hundred and four? I’m on my way.” She pocketed her phone and raced to the bedroom with Mario following her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked in a panicked rush.
“It’s my son.” She pulled an overnight bag out from under the bed. “He has a high fever. Mama has been trying to bring it down for over three hours. Nothing is working. I have to go.”
“Oh, honey, you go and take care of Emilio. Is there anything I can do?”
Cat stuffed a handful of random clothes in the bag and zipped it closed. “Just tell Kenderly I’ll call her later and check in.” She flung the bag over her shoulder, leaving Mario behind as she raced out the door.
Just in time, she caught the last ferry to the mainland before the crew shut down operations because of the approaching late afternoon storm. Once off the boat, she flagged down a taxi and was finally on the coastal beltway ahead of the evening traffic delays, heading to the historic district where her family lived in Casco Viejo. Anxious, she stared out the passenger window as the rain pelted the glass, praying there were no accidents. She couldn't afford to waste another second. Her son needed her.
The taxi rolled to a stop in front of a colorful, three-story building with an iron railing balcony overflowing with potted flowers. Too rushed to count, Cat handed the taxi driver a wad of bills. “Keep the change.”
“Muchas gracias. Bless you.”
Cat raced up the stairs, careful not to slip on the wet concrete. She swung the door open, throwing her bag and purse on the couch. “Mama!”
