“You’re so beautiful,” he said again, gently touching her shoulders. His breathing became ragged and harsh, as if an electrical current ran through the air. She half expected him to pounce on her, to toss her down on the bed and take her hard and rough. He moved slowly, teasing her with time. One hand slid down her back and cupped her rear end. The other worked its way down her front, massaging her breasts before sliding down toward her belly. She breathed in his warm, musky scent as a current ran through her.
As he moved behind her, he placed a hand over her breast, gently encouraging her to relax against him. They were in front of the open window. “Look at the sun,” he said as his right hand continued to explore. She forced herself to look outside. She felt the warm breeze against her bare body, felt the crispness of his linen shirt pressed against her back and his warm breath against her neck.
He caressed her gently, his fingers working their way down her belly. She inhaled sharply as he touched the delicate skin inside her thighs, making his way toward her most sensitive spot. Her thoughts fragmented as his fingers ran up the delicate arch and back down through the soft folds, giving her the most intimate of massages.
She raised her arms and wrapped them around the back of his head as she reveled in the pleasure that came from being rubbed and touched so sensuously.
Finally, she had no choice but to surrender. He held her tight as her body released, causing her to shudder in his arms. When she finished he turned her toward him and touched her hair. “Cassie,” he said softly.
But she did not want him to speak. Not yet.
She began unbuttoning his shirt. She wanted to do for him what he had done for her. After his shirt she concentrated on his pants. She reached for him, taking him in her hands before bringing him to her lips.
She heard him moan slightly and felt his fingers run through her hair as if encouraging her to continue.
When she paused, he took the opportunity to lift her off her feet and carry her to the bed. As he stared into her eyes, she felt as if he were looking into her soul.
Their lovemaking was passionate, almost desperate. He held her hands as he moved deeper and deeper.
As the pleasure once again began to build, she arched her hips, bringing him deeper. She closed her eyes only when she felt her body begin to release. Hunter let go at the same time, joining her in a deep climax.
Afterward he pulled her to him, holding her close.
They lay there, their naked bodies wrapped around each other, quietly watching the sun sink into the sea.
When just a fringe of orange appeared above the water, he touched her hair. “You’re warm.”
“A little.”
“Do you want to go for a swim?”
“I didn’t bring a suit.” It hadn’t occurred to her. After all, technically she was here on business, not pleasure. But Demion Mills seemed worlds away.
“You don’t need a suit,” he said. “There’s no one around.”
He stood up and handed her a towel. It was a dare. And she accepted. But the brazenness she had experienced only moments earlier was gone. She felt vulnerable from their emotionally charged intimacy. She was too modest to walk around the house naked, people or no people. She wrapped the towel around her. “All right.” He laughed, following suit and tying a towel around his waist.
He led her back down the grand staircase and through the open French doors. She paused before walking outside.
“No one will know,” he said, kissing her shoulder. “We’re alone.”
He led her to the pool. Once again she felt as though she were at an exotic resort. The only light came from the moon, the blue-and-gold spotlights framing the palm trees and the lit, black-bottomed pool. Flashing her a mischievous grin, he dropped his towel and dove in. She watched him glide underwater, his form that of an experienced swimmer.
She dropped her towel as well and stood there for a moment, enjoying the tropical breeze. He reached the end of the pool and glanced back toward her, motioning for her to join him.
She held her nose and jumped. But she didn’t hit bottom. In the flash of a second he was there. He caught her in the water and swung her up in his arms. “Do you do this often?” she asked as he lifted her above the water.
“Do what?”
“Skinny-dipping.”
“Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever even been in this pool.”
“What? How long have you lived here?”
“Years. But I’m fairly certain I’ve never used the pool.”
“Why not?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I’m always working.”
“I know you have time to date,” she said. “Even the women of Shanville know that.”
“Really?” he said. “Well, I’m flattered the women of Shanville care so much about my personal life.”
“So none of your women ever wanted to go swimming?”
“My women?”
“You know what I mean.”
“None of them was invited.”
She didn’t know whether to believe him or not, but it didn’t matter. She was there with him right then, and he made her feel as if she was the only one.
“Thank you,” she said.
“For what?”
“For making me feel special.”
“You are special.” He kissed her again. And then he tossed her into the water.
They splashed around the pool like children. After a while, he pulled himself out and grabbed a towel. “I’m going to order dinner,” he said. “I’ll be back.”
She floated on her back, staring up at the stars. She felt as if she was having a dream, a beautiful hazy dream. When he came back outside he was wearing swim trunks and carrying a robe.
“Is the pizza already here?” she asked.
He grinned and shook his head. “I would be surprised if it arrived at all. I didn’t order pizza. But if that’s what you’d like…”
“No,” she said, resting her arms on the side of the pool. “Whatever you ordered is fine. I like everything. Chinese…”
“How about lobster?”
“What’s that dish called again?” she asked. “That one with the lobster sauce.”
“No, no. I meant cooked lobsters.”
“Lobster? For carryout?”
“The Four Seasons is delivering.”
“The Four Seasons?” When she had been in the Bahamas before, she had wandered into the hotel, impressed by the spectacular view and surroundings. But she had nearly passed out when she saw the menu. A simple cocktail had been fifteen dollars.
She nodded toward his swim trunks and said, “Is that why you’re so dressed up?”
“Exactly.” He knelt close to her and said, “I’m glad you’re here.”
She smiled back up at him. “I am, too.”
She kicked back from the edge of the pool and floated toward the middle. When she glanced back toward him, she realized that he hadn’t moved. He was still kneeling at the edge of the pool, staring at her. He smiled. She swam back toward him. “What’s so funny?” she asked.
“Not funny,” he said. “I’m enjoying watching a beautiful mermaid swim naked in my pool.”
She grinned. “If the people of Shanville could see me now, they’d never believe it.”
“I’m having a hard enough time believing it myself,” he said. He leaned over and kissed her.
They were interrupted by the doorbell. She gasped in horror and started to pull herself out of the pool. She had no desire to have anyone but Hunter see her naked. “Don’t worry,” he said. “Take your time. I’ll have them set it up on the veranda.”
As Hunter disappeared inside the house, Cassie wrapped the robe around her. She ran her fingers through her hair and sat down on the edge of a cushioned lounge chair. A few minutes later Hunter appeared at the door. He held out his hand to her and said, “It’s ready.”
The veranda was on the highest part of the property, with a sweeping view of the Atlantic.
In the distance she could see the tour boats docked in the harbor, twinkling with lights.
He pulled out her chair and she sat down. He handed her a glass of champagne.
“To you,” he said, sitting down and raising his glass. She took a sip.
The lobster had been cracked open, but still Cassie was unsure of how to eat it.
Hunter must have noticed because he leaned forward and stabbed a piece from the tail. He dipped it in butter and held it to her lips. She took a bite. “This is wonderful,” she said, tasting the delicious, tender white meat.
They ate in silence, content to be together. It was comfortable and relaxed, as if they had been a couple for years. She felt herself wishing that they could prolong the night forever. That she would never have to leave Hunter’s side.
But it was ridiculous. After all, she barely knew him. And chances were slim that their evening together would ever be repeated. A relationship was out of the question. After all, according to Hunter’s father, only one woman had ever captured his heart. Cassie couldn’t help but feel another twinge of jealousy as she thought of her. What had she been like? What kind of special qualities had she possessed? Before she could stop herself she said, “Your father mentioned a woman in your past.”
“Sounds mysterious,” he said. “What woman?”
“Your…” She hesitated. She knew she was getting into sensitive territory, and she knew it was none of her business. But she couldn’t help herself. She wanted to know more about this mysterious woman. “Your fiancée,” she said. She continued to chew as if she had asked him nothing more significant than the time.
“My fiancée?”
She nodded and swallowed. “Your father said you were engaged.”
He shook his head. “No. I may have thought for a time that I wanted to marry her, but it was never official.”
“Why not?”
He put down his fork.
She said, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
“It was a long time ago,” he said. “I met her when I was in college, struggling to pay the bills. We both had similar backgrounds, wanted similar things.”
“You fell in love.” There. She said it.
He looked at her. “I thought so.”
“So what happened?”
He sighed.
“Let me guess. You became rich and famous. You changed. And she couldn’t handle it.”
“No. As a matter of fact, she’s married to an extremely wealthy man. A man who was at one time my boss.”
She glanced at him. His fiancée had married his boss?
“She broke up with me so that she could be with him,” he said.
It was her turn to put down her fork.
He continued. “She told me that she could never marry a poor man.”
Hunter’s old girlfriend had broken his heart? “So that explains it.”
“What?”
“Your drive and ambition.”
“I’m not following,” he said.
“Revenge.”
He shook his head. “I’ve always been driven. And she had little effect on my ambition. But unfortunately, she did affect my relationships.”
“How so?”
He shrugged. “I learned that it’s impossible to really know someone.”
She had to ask one more question. “What does that mean?”
“It means that for me, relationships have been at best a distraction.”
He could not have inflicted more pain if he had slapped her. She was a distraction. But what did she think? Did she honestly think she would leave the Bahamas with a husband in tow? What made her think she would be any different from the rest of the women he’d slept with?
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she said, focusing on her empty plate. “I should thank you for your honesty. I mean, most men would lead a woman on, telling her all sorts of things she wanted to hear.”
“You misunderstood.” He shook his head. “I was speaking in the past tense. I thought you were looking for an explanation as to why I’ve never married.”
She glanced up.
He stood, walked over to her and held out his hand. She accepted it, standing to face him. He said, “You’re much more than a simple distraction.” He cupped her face. “What about you? What happened to your marriage plans?”
She pulled away. “I don’t really want to discuss that.”
“Why not?”
She did not want to talk about Oliver. Not now or ever. “Because I prefer to discuss you.”
“But how can I get to know you if you don’t tell me more about yourself?”
She looked away. He was saying and doing all the right things. It was enough to make her believe in the future, believe that there might be a chance of a future. But how could there be?
“What’s wrong?” he said. “I lost you again.”
“No.” She smiled sadly. “I’m just enjoying our time together.”
“I am, too,” he said, touching her cheek. “I am, too.”
Ten
Cassie opened her eyes. Sunlight flooded the room. She was in Hunter’s bedroom, a huge room with massive doors that opened to a deck.
She lay in bed as her mind replayed the wonderful scenes from the previous evening.
After dinner she and Hunter had gone back to the pool, where they had sat and held hands for what seemed like hours. Neither wanted the evening to end. Finally she had fallen asleep resting her head against Hunter’s shoulder.
She awoke to him carrying her up the stairs and gently setting her down on his bed. Though half-asleep, she was still happy to realize that Hunter had brought her into his very own bedroom, his private sanctuary. He had crawled in beside her and wrapped his arms around her. They had fallen asleep with their bodies melded together.
She stretched lazily, glancing around the room for a sign of Hunter. She could hear him talking in the other room. With a burst of energy, she pulled the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around her. She followed the sound of his voice to a room down the hall. Unlike the bright, tropical tones of the other rooms, this room was done in deep, rich colors. The walls were lined with books.
Hunter stood with his back toward her. He was naked with the exception of his drawstring pajama bottoms. “Dammit!” she heard him say. She could see his back muscles flex with tension.
“I understand, Willa. But that doesn’t change my mind. Had I known there was going to be a groundswell of activity, we never would’ve gone in there, anyway.”
He turned around and smiled when he saw Cassie. His voice and appearance seemed to soften at the sight of her. “I have to go,” he said into the receiver. He snapped the phone shut without saying goodbye.
He went over to Cassie and kissed her smack on the lips. “How did you sleep?”
“Great,” she said. She glanced toward his phone and said, “I overheard you talking to Willa.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Not a very pleasant way to wake up.”
“Is there a problem?”
“No,” he said. “No problem.”
He nodded toward the tray beside her. “Breakfast?” There were croissants, bagels, cream cheese and butter.
“Wow,” she said. “The royal treatment.”
He grasped her shoulders and said, “I was thinking…”
“What?”
“I have to attend a fund-raiser this afternoon.”
Of course, she thought, her heart stopping. He wanted her to leave. Their night of passion was over. He was once again Hunter Axon, womanizer extraordinaire.
This was what she had expected, right? She should be grateful for their evening together and leave with as much dignity as possible. “That’s okay,” she said. “I should get going anyway….”
“No,” he said with a smile. “I’d like you to come with me.”
He wanted her to stay? With him?
She found herself suddenly hesitating.
&nb
sp; The heart that had been so wounded only seconds before suddenly filled with fear. She was already more attached than she would like. Could she handle another day…and night with him? Or would that be enough to cause her to fall hopelessly in love? “I should get back,” she said quickly. “Everyone is going to be wondering what happened.”
“Call them and tell them it’s taking longer than you thought.”
What difference could one more day make? After all, hadn’t she already passed the point of no return? No matter how hard she tried, she would never forget Hunter. The damage had already been done. “Okay,” she said.
He smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She kissed him and said, “Do I need a special outfit, because all I have is what you saw yesterday.”
She suddenly realized that he was looking at her like a hungry lion watching its prey. “I like what you’re wearing today much better,” he said, moving toward her.
She pulled the sheet up around her neck as she smiled and backed up, moving toward his bedroom. “I think it’s too…summery.”
“Hmm,” he said. He ran his hands down her sides. “I see what you mean.”
“What kind of fund-raiser is this?” She was almost in the bedroom.
“A typical one. Politicians looking for rich people. Rich people looking for politicians.”
“Is it supposed to benefit anyone beside rich people and politicians?”
“Children in need.”
“Where is it?” Her foot hit the bed.
“It’s at the racetrack,” he said, gently pushing her back on the bed.
“What racetrack?”
He began unpeeling the sheet from her body. “The horse racetrack.”
“The outfit I had on yesterday is dirty.”
He slid his hand inside the sheet, caressing her breasts. The feeling was intoxicating. “I’ll buy you a new one.”
Focus. “I don’t want a new one. Is there a dry cleaners on the island?” He kissed her neck.
“I think so.”
“You think so?”
“I don’t usually deal with laundry.”
“Of course,” she said sarcastically. She playfully pushed him away.
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