Heartbreaker

by Monica Robinson

  “I already ate, but I could go for a cup of coffee.”

  He offered her his hand and winked. “Coffee it is.”

  Once seated with their coffee at a bistro table nestled in the back of the café, Scott took that opportunity to study her. From what he remembered back in school, she hadn’t been big into makeup and looking at the minimal eye makeup she wore now, he would venture to say she was still the same way. He liked that. It allowed her natural beauty to shine through versus being hidden beneath six pounds of goop.

  “Tell me, what have you been up to? You obviously know what I do, but you haven’t mentioned anything about you.”

  Charity focused her attention on the steaming cup in front of her, running her finger around the white rim. “Other than being humiliated in front of all of San Diego County? Not much. I still live in San Rico, but I bought my first house about a year ago.”

  “Very nice. You must have a great job to be able to afford a house.”

  She let out a short laugh that sounded more sarcastic than amused. “I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s great, but it pays the bills and it’s what I majored in.”

  He picked up his cup, eyeing her. “Which would be?”

  “Journalism.”

  So she was a reporter. He should have figured as much. She’d been on the school paper the entire time they were in school, never going anywhere without a small notebook and a pen “just in case.” It was good to hear she’d followed her dreams, but something in the way she described her job made him think her plans hadn’t gone the way she’d hoped they would.

  “I take it being a reporter isn’t what you thought it would be?”

  She hesitated, lifting her gaze to meet his. “No, I like working for the paper. I just wish Tom, my editor, had a little more faith in my abilities. Five years of bubble gum assignments gets a bit old after a while.” She raised the cup to her lips. “By the way, if you ever get back to San Rico, I’d recommend staying clear of Captain Hook’s Bar and Grill. That is unless you enjoy being treated as though you’re part of the surf-and-turf platter.”

  He choked on his coffee and set his cup down. “Wow. I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” He placed his elbows on the table and leaned forward. “Out of curiosity, how did you end up with that jerk from the radio?”

  It was Charity’s turn to choke. With a violent cough, she set her cup down and covered her mouth with both hands. Okay, so maybe he was being blunt, but he’d been wondering ever since he’d caught the last bit of yesterday’s “Ask the Expert” segment. Then, when he’d seen her in the Cleopatra, he couldn’t fathom why any man in his right mind would pull such a sleazy stunt.

  “Excuse me?” Cough, cough. “What did you say?” Cough.

  Scott reached over to pat her back, a small grin tugging the corners of his lips as he repeated his question. Charity coughed once more before running the sides of her fingers beneath her eyes. Once calm, she offered him an indignant expression.

  “I really don’t think my relationship with Nick is any of your concern.”

  “You’re right, but I’m still curious.” His grin broadened when she huffed. “Come on, Cherry. At least tell me what he was carrying on about.”

  She rolled her eyes at his attempt at innocence. “You heard the show, so you already know.”

  “Not all of it. I came in at the tail end of the segment right before Joe said it was time to end the call.” When she didn’t appear convinced, he held up his hands in mock surrender. “Look, the last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable. So, if you’d rather not tell me—”

  “He called in for advice because he thought I was faking it during sex.” His eyes widened and she rushed on before he could comment. “What was I supposed to do? I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, so I pretended he was rocking my world.”

  “When in actuality…?”

  “I was wishing he’d move his head so I could see the television.”

  “Ouch,” he said with a laugh. “That’s harsh.”

  Charity laughed, her cheeks tinting an adorable shade of pink. “What? I hadn’t seen that episode of Love Sucks yet and my DVR wasn’t cooperating.”

  He shook his head. “If you’re more interested in the show than what’s going on in bed, then I dare say you are in a funk.”

  “You think?” She took another sip of her coffee. “Even if Nick hadn’t called in, we weren’t going to last much longer anyway.”

  “Given what you just said about his…abilities, I imagine not.”

  She reached across the table to smack his hand, but before she could withdraw, Scott grasped her fingers in his. She glanced at her hand in his and then into his eyes. There it was. The spark he’d seen when they’d been on the elevator.

  He held her gaze, fighting the urge to lean in those last few inches to press his lips to hers. It would be so easy, but this was her show. If she wanted him, then she would have to make the first move.

  “It’s not that,” she said and, to his delight, laced her fingers through his. “I don’t tend to date guys for longer than three months and yesterday was our three-month mark. I think I’m cursed.”

  “You’re not cursed. You just need to find a guy who keeps you entertained sexually. The rest will fall into place from there.”

  Charity blushed and withdrew. “You sound awfully sure of that. What if I’m sexually broken? I mean, after three failed relationships you would think I’d know what I want.”

  “I might be able to help you with that.” He continued when her eyes enlarged. “Remember what I said about inhibitions?”

  She nodded.

  “I think you’ll be surprised what happens when you just relax and go for it. You up for it, Cherry?”

  He studied her while waiting for her reply. A hint of uncertainty crept into her expression and, for a moment, he feared he might have pushed her too far. They hadn’t seen each other in so long and, with the hurt he’d caused her, it wouldn’t surprise him if he’d screwed this opportunity up as well. He was about to apologize for being so bold when she grinned.

  “When do we start?”

  He stood and offered her his hand. “Right now. I’ll walk you back to your cabin so you can change, and we’ll meet on the Helios deck.”

  She took his hand and rose, a look of panic crossing her face. “The sundeck? You’re not going to make me get in the pool, are you? I-I’m not ready for that kind of letting go.”

  The fear in her voice made his gut clench. Even if that had been his plan—which it wasn’t—the terror rolling off her in waves would have squelched that idea. He slipped a protective arm around her waist and shook his head.

  “Not unless you want to. This is about you and what you want. I’m just the means for you to reach your goal.”

  He felt her relax against him, her breathing visibly slowing. “Good. In that case, let the lesson begin.”

  Chapter Five

  Charity glanced down at her attire twenty minutes later and whimpered. She remembered a time not too long ago when she wouldn’t have been caught dead in a bathing suit, let alone a bikini held up by a total of four strings. Oh sure, she’d known women her size and larger who’d been comfortable enough with themselves to don such garments, but she hadn’t been one of them. She’d always been too self-conscious, too afraid people would whisper behind her back if she’d dared. Besides, with her aversion to water, what would she need a bathing suit for anyway?

  She wasn’t that woman anymore, as was evident by the smiles and winks she received from various men when she exited the elevator to the Helios deck. However, despite her outward transformation, she was still the same chubby, insecure girl who’d been stood up on prom night all those years ago.

  Lowering her sunglasses, she stepped out onto the sun-drenched deck. Everywhere she looked, scantily clad men and women roamed the pool area, their bodies sculpted to perfection, their skin bronzed—and in some cases, reddened—by the warm August sun.

 
She looked at her cover-up again and sighed. There wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell she would ever look like those rail-thin women and, in many ways, she was glad. She loved food, always had. She couldn’t imagine not having the occasional slice of strawberry cheesecake. Granted, she would have to spend an extra twenty minutes on the treadmill or go to an additional Pilates class to burn off the calories, but that wasn’t the point. The point was, she wouldn’t deprive herself.

  Still, it would be nice to have their confidence. She maneuvered toward the staircase leading to the second set of deck chairs. She passed several amorous couples until she found a string of empty loungers near the aft end of the deck. At least they would have a small semblance of privacy on the otherwise crowded deck.

  She shielded her eyes and peered around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Scott. He was nowhere to be found. A surge of panic gripped her as an image of prom night came back to her. No, Scott wouldn’t stand her up. She was early, that’s all. Pushing the disconcerting feeling aside, she spread her towel across the chair and eased herself down.

  Reaching into her canvas bag, she removed her sunscreen and paused. What would she do if he didn’t show up? She’d be angry, of course, but more than that, she also might be hurt. Okay, she would definitely be hurt, since it was Scott who had danced with her when she’d shown up alone all those years ago.

  She closed her eyes, memories of that night overcoming her. She didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to remember the feeling of humiliation upon walking into the darkened room and finding her date with his arms around another girl. She didn’t want to think about the way Scott had punched Chris Hanson in the jaw when he saw how badly she’d been hurt. Most of all, she didn’t want to rehash how amazing her first kiss had been or how much it meant that he’d been the one to give it to her.

  “Sorry I’m late.”

  Yanked from her reverie, Charity started, the bottle of sunscreen flying from her hands and landing in front of Scott’s feet. She swallowed against her pounding heart and glanced up to see him standing next to her, dressed in a pair of baggy khaki shorts and the same bright floral Hawaiian shirt from before.

  He lowered his sunglasses and glanced down at the sunscreen. “Jumpy?”

  Her cheeks warmed. She couldn’t tell him what she’d been thinking. He would think she was a loser, a woman so sad she still got her jollies from thinking about a kiss that happened over a decade ago.

  “You startled me.”

  He bent down to retrieve the bottle but, instead of giving it to her, he opened the cap and squeezed a small amount into his hand.

  “Take off your cover-up and lie back.” He nodded to the chair when she stared at him. “Go ahead.”

  “I, um, I can do this myself.” She sounded like an idiot, but she didn’t have time to worry about it when he knelt next to her chair.

  “I know you can, but I want to do it.” His voice was low, thick, and all too sexy for her fraying nerves to withstand. With trembling fingers, she reached for the knot at her waist. He caught her hand with his free one and she lifted her eyes.

  “No one’s seen me in a bathing suit since I was twelve,” she admitted.

  The last time she’d donned a bathing suit of any sort had been on a camping trip she’d gone on with hers and Scott’s families. That trip had been the single worst experience of her life, but she refused to think about that time when there were much more pleasant things to think about, such as him smoothing the sunscreen onto her body.

  “Are you saying I’m the last person to see you in a swimsuit?”

  Her body warmed as he massaged the lotion into her skin, his fingers kneading the tense flesh and milking a faint groan from her. His calloused fingers felt like heaven and she resisted the urge to close her eyes as she finished untying her cover-up.

  “Yes,” she murmured and giggled at the dreamy tone of her voice. “If you keep this up, I’ll be putty in your hands.”

  He glanced at her from over the top of his sunglasses and waggled an eyebrow. “That’s the idea.”

  Chapter Six

  Charity swallowed hard as Scott drizzled more of the cool lotion along the opposite leg. Using the same gentle strokes, he dug his fingers into the muscles but this time, he watched her reaction closely.

  He drew in a sharp breath when she dropped the flimsy garment on the deck. “You’re beautiful.”

  She stared at his fingers on her leg, heat flushing her cheeks. God, how many times had she imagined him saying those very words to her? Dozens? Hundreds?

  In her fantasies, he’d whispered it to her as he undressed her, his eyes flashing with hunger that sent shivers coursing down her spine. She never thought she would actually get the opportunity to hear him say it. Not until today, not until he put his hands on her, the heat of his palms scorching her skin while his fingers slid higher, rubbing the sun block into her knees and tops of her thighs.

  She closed her eyes, trying to ignore the little voice in the back of her mind telling her he wouldn’t be doing this if he knew the real reason why she was on the Hedonna. He wouldn’t be touching her as though he were memorizing the feel of her skin or urging her to take her clothes off. In fact, she’d be lucky if he didn’t tell her to go to hell.

  “Scott—”

  “I want to kiss you, Cherry.”

  Aye yai yai. If he kissed her, she would be lost, surrendering herself to the old Charity. She would once again be the girl standing in the middle of the gymnasium, ecstatic that her best friend was giving her her first honest to God kiss—complete with tongue.

  His palms moved higher. Gripping her hips, he raised himself so they were eye level. She bit her lower lip when she felt the hard muscles of his chest beneath his shirt press against hers, the soft cotton material brushing against the tops of her breasts and making her nipples tingle and ache with need. A pulse of arousal beat between her thighs and she squirmed in her seat.

  “K-kiss me?”

  He nodded slowly before grazing his lips along the curve of her jaw. “I want to kiss you here.” He shifted and kissed the other side. “And here, but most of all, I want to kiss you here.” His mouth lowered to capture hers in a long, intense kiss that curled her toes and made her stomach turn a crazy summersault.

  Sweet merciful lord in heaven, the man still kissed the way he did all of those years ago. His mouth was hot and sweet on hers, burning her lips and stirring sensations deep in her belly. She shoved her fingers into his thick hair, pulling him closer. He emitted a low growl when her tongue danced slow circles around his and she swore she’d come apart when his hands crept up over her ribcage and paused beneath her breasts.

  In the back of her fog-filled mind, she could hear the other passengers walking by, laughing and talking, but the notion of these people watching them didn’t unnerve her nearly as much as the feel of Scott’s thumbs brushing against her hardened nipples. She tore her mouth away from his and gasped at the bolts of pleasure shooting straight to the area between her legs that hadn’t seen this kind of excitement in far too long.

  Scott dipped his head, placing wet open-mouthed kisses along her neck, across her throat, and down to her collarbone. All the while, his thumbs rubbed and flicked the puckered buds beneath her bikini top. He nibbled at her skin and her breath hitched in her lungs when he added his forefingers and gave the tight peaks a light pinch.

  He smiled against her skin when she shivered and peered up at her. She needed to see his expression, to look into his eyes and see if she was truly living out her fantasy. With trembling fingers, she removed his sunglasses and a chill rippled along her spine.

  It was there.

  The look.

  That lustful hunger she’d dreamt about for so long was really there. He wanted her.

  Her.

  Suddenly, it didn’t matter that they were in public or that his feelings for her would disappear the minute he learned the truth. All that mattered was he wanted her and she wanted him—badly. She
would deal with the consequences later.

  “Do you like this?”

  She nodded, the sound of his husky voice making her dizzy.

  “What else do you want me to do?”

  “I want you to touch me.” She heard the words, but couldn’t believe she’d said them aloud.

  Judging by the flash of surprise in Scott’s eyes, he hadn’t expected it either. The look was fleeting as a devilish glint appeared. He licked his lips—was there anything sexier?—and placed his mouth next to her ear, the familiar scent of his cologne filling her nostrils.

  “I am touching you.” He squeezed her left nipple for emphasis.

  She sucked in a deep breath, her breasts pushing into his palms. “I don’t mean there,” she said, grasping his right hand.

  What are you doing? Her subconscious shouted. This isn’t like you. Nope. But then again, she hadn’t been herself since last night when she saw Scott for the first time at the Cleopatra. Without taking her eyes off his, she slid his hand between their bodies until his palm was covering her mound.

  “I want you to touch me here.”

  It was Scott’s turn to swallow and, though she knew it was cruel, she relished in the knowledge that she was enticing him at least a fraction of the amount he was her.

  “Unless you object,” she continued.

  As if coming out of a trance, he shook his head and ran his fingertips along the damp material of her bathing suit, outlining the folds of her pussy with frustrating accuracy.

  “Hmm.” He furrowed his eyebrows in thought. “A beautiful woman asks me to pleasure her and she wonders if I object?”

  He made a tsking noise with his tongue before reaching for the tie at her hip. “Baby, the better question to ask, is how many times am I going to make you come before someone notices us.”

  Oh. My. God. This was really happening. Every erotic fantasy she’d ever had involving Scott was coming to life and she wanted—no she needed—to make this moment count.

  He gave the knot a light tug and she dropped her head back against the chair, forcing air into her lungs. The strings of her bikini bottoms fell free and, for one insecure moment, she had the urge to grasp at them. No. She wouldn’t do it. The whole point of this exercise was to shed her inhibitions and release her inner sex kitten.