“Raise your hips.” The huskiness of her own voice surprised her. Great stars, this man affected her.
Leo raised his hips and she tugged his shorts down his legs, over his feet and tossed them aside.
Leo grabbed a spare pillow and jammed it behind his head. Just then he felt her tongue run along the length of his cock. He couldn’t stop his body from jerking slightly when she took the head into her mouth and circled it with her tongue, flicking at the sensitive tip and small opening.
One small hand fisted the base of his cock, squeezing in a steady rhythm as her mouth worked, teasing the head and inching slowly down, taking more of it into her mouth.
It felt good. Too good. He pressed his hips up, wanting to sink fully into her warm, wet mouth, but she obviously wanted control because she stopped. “Not yet.”
The soft command sent a thrill sizzling straight to his balls. She knelt so that her tight little ass was tilted up in the air and started with his right ankle, kissing and licking her way up the inner side of his leg. When she reached the junction of his thighs, his cock jumped in anticipation. She pushed his legs further apart and ran her tongue along the crease of his thigh then down, beneath his balls and up the other side.
Leo actually heard himself groan when her wet tongue circled his testicles, stroking one then the other, before taking one gently into her mouth to suck and pull. She might look like something out of a fairy tale, but her touch and technique were something straight from a wet dream.
Calli used one hand to grasp his cock as she continued to tease his balls. At first her stroke was light and slow, but when his testicles started to tighten with mounting need, her strokes became firmer and faster. Within minutes, his body was taut and quivering. Each time he would come close to release, she would slow, work her way up or down his body, leaving a trail of longing wherever her lips touched and left.
It was an entirely new experience for him, this tempting. He lost track of time, aware only of the delicious sensations she pulled from him. On and on the torment continued. Twilight turned into night and the room darkened, lit only by the warm glow of lights from the landscaped resort beyond the window.
She teased him until his body ached with want and then she took him into her mouth. Leo fisted his hands in her long hair, wanting to drive into her mouth yet not wanting it to end.
Calli stretched it out until it was evident that he wasn’t going to last much longer. His body was covered in a sheen of perspiration, tense and nearly vibrating. She closed her mouth on him, sucking him deep, over and over until she felt the pulse of his climax crescendo. He groaned and gripped her hair and she eased off him, replacing her mouth with her hand, letting the hot stream serve as lubricant as she continued to stroke him.
Leo went limp and she rose up to look at him. He was so incredibly handsome and sexy. Such a fantasy. How marvelous it would be to call him her own. But that wasn’t part of the game plan. She had only tonight. Chances were he wouldn’t find her of interest tomorrow. She hoped that wasn’t the case. She had a few more nights in paradise. She’d like nothing better than to spend them with him.
Careful not to drip on the bed, she rose and went into the bathroom to wash her hands. She wet a washcloth with warm water and carried it and a dry towel into the bedroom.
Leo’s eyes opened as she started to clean him. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to.”
He lay still until she’d cleaned and dried him, and then pulled her down beside him, working into position so that her head was on his chest and he had one arm securely beneath her, holding her close.
Neither of them spoke and after a few minutes his breath began to slow. Calli cautiously raised her head. He was asleep. She snuggled up against him, pulling the sheet over them. As she closed her eyes, she imagined what it would be like to have this be the norm of her life, to go to sleep every night listening to the steady thrum of his heart with his strong arms around her.
Smiling at the fanciful idea, she drifted to sleep.
Chapter Three
The smell of coffee had Calli sniffing then cracking open one eye. Leo sat beside her with a steaming mug in his hand. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” she said around a yawn. She stretched then pushed herself up, grabbed her hair and wound it into a knot on the top of her head and reached for the cup.
“Ummm, thank you.”
“I wasn’t sure how you liked your coffee so I took a chance and fixed it the way I like it.”
Calli sipped then smiled. “French vanilla and a generous helping of sugar. Perfect.”
He returned the smile. “I have to get to the spa. I’m booked solid today. Want to get together when I’m done?”
“I’d love to.”
“You coming in to work-out today?”
“I’d like to.”
“Great.” He leaned over and kissed her lightly. “See you later.”
“Later,” she said with a smile.
The moment she heard the door to the villa close, she sprang from the bed. It took less than five minutes to complete the morning bathroom rituals. Then she was back on the bed with her cell phone and coffee, dialing her sister’s number.
“Crap!” Stella wasn’t answering. Probably on her way to work and she always turned her cell phone off when she was driving.
Calli dialed Dee’s number. It rang three times before Dee picked up. “This better be important,” her sleepy and decidedly grumpy voice came over the line.
“Hey, it’s Calli. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“Hey, Cal. No worries. What’s up, babe?”
“I-I met this guy.”
“Hey now. Hold on.”
Calli could hear the sounds of rustling, a soft masculine grunt and a door closing. She continued to hold and heard the unmistakable sound of a toilet flushing then water running. Finally, Dee came back on the line.
“Sorry. Call of nature, ya know. And I needed to get out of the bedroom. Cam’s still sawing logs. So…you met this guy.”
“Yeah.”
“And?”
Calli suddenly realized she didn’t know where to begin. How could she tell Dee that she’d gone down on Leo on their first date?
“Cal?”
“I’m here.”
“You okay?”
“Yes. It’s just… Oh, I don’t want you to think I’m some kind of slut or something.”
“I doubt I will unless you tell me you did the entire mariachi band then moved on to the serving staff.”
Calli laughed. “Nothing quite that dramatic. But I did sort of have this…oral experience with someone.”
“You’ve got my attention. You dig this guy?”
“Very much.”
“And he digs you?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“Then what’s the problem? Remember what you said last week? This trip is like a fantasy thing. You get to go somewhere you’d never see if you had to pay for it. And you can be anyone you want for a whole week. Kick up your heels. Party or relax or have a…a sexploration with a hunky stranger. He is hunky isn’t he?”
“The hunkiest. And sexploration?”
Dee laughed. “Seemed fitting—you being there in a hedonistic paradise, exploring new things and hunky men.”
“I guess.”
There was a moment of silence before Dee spoke again. “Did this guy make you feel cheap about what happened?”
“No, not at all. In fact, he brought me coffee in bed this morning and asked me on another date.”
“Well then, there you go. Sounds like the fire is mutual. And hey, you’re a grown woman, Cal. No one’s gonna slam you for kicking up your heels and enjoying yourself. So go have fun.”
“You’re right. And I will. Thanks, Dee.”
“Any time, babe. Keep me posted on the haps.”
“I will. Talk to you soon.”
She put the phone down on the bed then flopped back and stretched,
feeling a smile take shape on her face. This really was a fantasy. Here she was in a tropical paradise with a handsome man who wanted to spend time with her and it didn’t matter what she did or didn’t do. When she left, he’d forget all about her and no one would ever know what happened.
Which meant she could live out the fantasy to its fullest. That prompted her to bolt up and search for the guest services binder. Flipping through the pages, she found the extension for the spa.
She snatched up the phone and placed the call. After making an appointment for the works—facial, massage, pedicure and waxing—she headed for the shower, eager to start her day.
* * * * *
Leo found himself distracted all morning, watching for Calli. When lunchtime rolled around and she hadn’t shown he found himself disappointed.
Last night had come as a surprise—at himself as much as what had transpired between them. He hadn’t expected to be so attracted to her and had thought the initial attraction he’d felt when they met in the gym would vanish. That’s normally what happened. There’d be an initial rush and then he’d spend an hour with the woman and discover that he wasn’t at all attracted to her.
Such was not the case with Calli. The longer he was with her, the more attracted he was to her. And the more intrigued. For the most part she seemed like a shy little woodland fairy, very soft-spoken and quiet. But there was a hint of steel inside that small frame and behind those guileless blue eyes. The dichotomy fascinated him. As did her completely uninhibited sensuality when they were intimate. He’d not expected that. Not from a woman who was loath to show even her belly button in a clothing-optional resort.
Then there was the whole fantasy thing. That had him completely baffled. That sort of thing might have seemed plausible coming from an ugly woman with no personality or brains, but she was none of that. So what did it mean? That she wasn’t interested in anything other than a sexual flirtation or fling while she was on vacation? Did she have someone waiting for her at home, wherever that was?
He wasn’t about to believe that she saw him as the embodiment of some fantasy come to life. Sure, he was easy enough on the eyes and he worked to say in shape, but he sure as hell wasn’t some Prince Charming.
So what the heck was up? And why had he spent the entire damn morning obsessed with Calli Howard and her mysterious fantasy? Damn, he was getting to be an old woman. Men didn’t have all this damn internal dialogue crowding their minds. They were supposed to be strong and silent. Think with their dicks and act with their brawn.
He chuckled to himself, earning a curious look from the middle-aged man he was finishing up a session with. Leo waved it off. Maybe he’d never quite escaped being the skinny geek who made straight A’s and got an engineering scholarship to Northwestern University.
Whatever the case, he was determined to put what brains he had to work and figure out the mystery of Calli Howard. And he’d have to do it fast. According to her reservation, she only had five more nights before she’d head back to where she came from.
And? What if you do figure it out? She’ll just go back to her life, you’ll go back to yours, and that will be it. So what’s the big deal?
Leo didn’t have the answers. That annoyed him. Along with the fact that he was even asking. Forcing those thoughts from his mind, he turned his attention to his client. He’d deal with figuring out Calli later.
* * * * *
Whoever had invented waxing had to be a sadist. Calli was firmly convinced of that. After she’d talked with Dee, she’d showered and summoned enough courage to go for a morning run.
That had been interesting. It seemed to her that most of the guests at the resort viewed the “clothing optional” as an invitation to get naked. As far as she could tell, the only clothed people she saw were employees of the resort. She rather hoped the other guests would think she was just another employee, out for a morning run before her shift.
It was a beautiful place. She’d run down the beach looking at the sparkling water of the Atlantic and enjoyed the odd sensation of running on sand. By the time she got back to her villa she had less than twenty minutes to shower and make her appointment at the spa.
It was actually pretty wonderful. After the facial, the chocolate-mint body scrub and chocolate-mud body wrap, she’d been treated to a hydrotherapy soak and a chocolate-oil massage. She’d felt like she was floating a couple of inches off the floor when it was time for the waxing.
Then all semblance of comfort disappeared and there was nothing but pain. It was horrible. Not to mention rather embarrassing. The technician had to do “extensive trimming” as she called it before she could even begin the waxing.
Had she not been so embarrassed, Calli would have bolted. So she endured it. And when it was finally over, she literally ran back to her villa, stripped off her clothes and ran a bath of cold water.
Her skin was bright pink and looked inflamed. God, what had possessed her to do such a thing? Here she wanted to get all sexy for Leo and now she’d probably scream if he even touched her. What a nightmare.
She sat in the cold water for a long time, adding more when it started to feel warm. Finally when her toes were pruned and her butt was sore from sitting, she got out. It felt a little better but not much. She slathered on some of the lotion she’d purchased and threw on an oversized t-shirt.
She hadn’t eaten all day and was starved. Taking advantage of room service, she ordered and then climbed on the bed and turned on the television. She’d just rest and watch until her food arrived.
At least that’s what she intended to do. Instead she fell asleep.
* * * * *
Leo drew up short before he reached Calli’s door. There was a room-service tray sitting beside the door. He walked over and lifted the lid on one of the dishes. Nothing had been touched. That was odd.
He tapped on the door and waited. And waited. He tapped again, this time louder. No response. Had she gone out? He hadn’t seen her anywhere on his way over. Maybe he’d go back to his room and call. Just as he turned to walk away the door opened.
Looking like a waif awakened from slumber, Calli smiled at him. “Hey. Sorry. I guess I fell asleep.”
“And missed lunch from the looks of it.”
She looked around the corner of the door at the room service tray. “Damn. Oh well. Come on in. I’ll go get dressed.”
“Not on my account.” He entered and set his laptop case by the door. “I kinda like the outfit.”
She laughed and looked down at the baggy t-shirt that read I’m not short. I’m vertically challenged. “Yep, a real fashion statement. Okay, make yourself at home. I have to make a bathroom run. Be back.”
Leo grinned as she took off. She was like a breath of fresh air. Most women were either all over you the moment you walked in, or whining about where you were going to take them, if their outfit made them look fat, and every other superficial thing they could come up with to drag a compliment out of a guy—and get him to spend more money on them.
He set up his laptop on the coffee table in the sitting area then walked out onto the balcony. His eyes moved over the lush grounds to the strip of white beach that separated the resort from the blue water of the Atlantic. It was beautiful here, but not a place he’d want to be permanently.
Maybe he was just too conventional. He still hadn’t been able to bring himself to shuck all his clothes. There’d been a number of requests from female guests to get naked and nasty, but he’d not been tempted. Was he old-fashioned? Maybe. He found it far sexier to see a woman clothed and imagine what delights were hidden beneath the fabric. When it was all out in the open it took away the mystery and made it…commonplace. As far as he was concerned that was a shame.
But then who was he to make a judgment? Before he’d graduated from college he’d spent his entire life as a skinny nerd. Not one girl had ever noticed or been interested in him. He received his degree before he was relieved of his virginity.
Had it not been
for the fact that he couldn’t find a job in his field when he graduated and had been forced to take a job at a local gym to make ends meet, he might still be a virgin.
The job had been simple. Check in members and answer the phone. There was a lot of time to be bored, particularly when things were slow. So, he’d started working out. Surprisingly, his body had responded like a plant starved for water. In a year’s time he went from skinny to ripped. Since he couldn’t afford a haircut, he let his hair grow.
Suddenly women were not only noticing but also hitting on him left and right. The first year after his transformation had been a non-stop fuck-fest. It wasn’t until he overheard two women at the gym he’d slept with talking about him that he was jerked back to reality. Leo the trained lion, they called him. Tell him what to do and he’d fall all over himself to do it. The perfect date when you want to show up with a hunk. The perfect fuck—he delivers and then you send him home.
That woke him up. He swore off women completely. Fortunately the timing was right. The owner of the gym was looking to sell out. Leo had managed to save a bit of money and was able to get a loan for enough to buy in. From that moment on, his attention was on building the business.
It had paid off. In five years time he’d not only bought out his partner, but had a string of gyms, a nice home and money in the bank. The only thing missing was someone to share his life with.
So he’d tried again and gotten involved with a woman who appeared to be genuinely interested in him. When he found out, six months later, that she wouldn’t give him the time of day if it were not for his success, he broke it off and decided he was destined to be alone.
Then the call from Ray, a guy who’d worked for him as a trainer, came in. He was going on his honeymoon and desperately needed someone to fill in for him as a trainer at a luxury resort in the Caribbean. Leo jumped at the chance to get out of town.
Working up a Sweat Page 3
