She knew just the sort of celebration she’d like, but since they weren’t alone, she asked demurely, “What do you have in mind?”
“Dinner, maybe a bit of dancing...” His eyes met hers. “And afterward, whatever you like.”
She felt her tongue dart out to wet her lips. “Sounds appetizing.” And it did.
The longer she looked into his eyes, and felt the masculine heat rolling off his body to touch hers, the more she knew that getting through the rest of the workday would not be an easy task.
* * *
As evening waned into the night, Marco looked around the table at the faces of his colleagues and friends. Several of Royal’s technologists, along with Joi and Chloe, had joined him for a dinner to celebrate their hard-won victory over the malicious software worm.
He turned his head slightly to the right, watching Joi interact with the other people sitting around the table. She wore a bright smile as she spoke, her words tinged with humor. All eyes were on her. It seemed as if everyone at the table had fallen under her spell. He couldn’t really blame them, because he too was mesmerized by her every gesture. He watched the flex of her glossy lips, wondering how much longer it would be before he could taste them again. While the restaurant offered a large selection of decadent desserts, only Joi could satisfy his sweet tooth.
He craved the taste of her mouth, of her skin. He craved the feel of her body pressed against his own. The longer the meal continued, the higher his desire rose, and he didn’t know how much longer he could stand it.
His tongue darted out, sweeping over his lower lip just as Joi glanced his way. Her sensual smile at the gesture made him fling up a plea to the heavens that the gathering would end soon.
Marco’s prayers were answered when one of the technologists yawned and mentioned being tired. Others joined in, and before long, the group had gotten their separate checks and began to break up. He took a few moments to phone their car service to transport him, Joi and Chloe back to their hotel. With their bills settled and the summoned car idling at the curb in front of the restaurant, the three of them left.
Mindful of the young woman riding with them, he managed to keep his hands to himself for the duration of the ride. When the car deposited them in front of the hotel, they entered the main building and crossed the lobby to the elevator bank. All three of their rooms were on the tenth floor, and he spent the entire ride up there pondering how they might avoid an awkward situation. Glancing at Joi, he surmised she might be thinking the same thing, based on her thoughtful expression.
On the tenth floor, Chloe solved the problem for them. Stifling a yawn, she announced, “I’m beat. See you guys in the morning.”
“Remember, Mr. Perez gave us, and the entire tech staff, the day off as a reward.” The reminder came from Joi.
Delight sparkled in Chloe’s hazel eyes. “Fantastic, because I think I’ll sleep until Friday.” With that announcement, she trudged off to her room. She’d been assigned a room two doors down from the elevator bank, so they heard the clicking sounds of her door closing and locking just a few moments later.
He turned his gaze to Joi, feeling a smile tug the corners of his mouth. “Well, that was convenient.”
“Wasn’t it?” She draped her arms around his neck, and for the first time in exactly twenty-one hours, she pressed her lips against his. They had only two more days in this coastal paradise, and she didn’t want to waste time.
He kept the kiss brief, knowing that if he didn’t, he might raise her little black pencil skirt right there in the hotel corridor. “Your room, or mine?”
Her lashes fluttered. “Neither. I really want to go back out on the beach again.”
A glance at his watch showed that it was well past one in the morning. “What is with you and hanging out on the beach in the middle of the night?”
She sensed the teasing in his tone, and gave him an equally playful punch in the forearm. “Whatever. Just change your clothes and take me down there.”
“You got it.” He turned around, and the two of them went to their separate rooms to get out of their work clothes. He threw on a clean pair of black slacks and a classic white tee. Moments later, they both returned to the corridor.
When he saw her standing there in the plum-colored strapless dress, he stopped. The fabric wasn’t clingy, but it wasn’t loose, either. The dress fell to ankle length, baring the curve of her shoulders and the length of her arms to his eyes. The garment was simple, but it did much to accentuate the beauty of the woman wearing it.
He moved near her, and held out his hand. She took it, a demure smile lighting her beautiful face. If she could read his thoughts, she’d know that he wanted nothing more than to strip the dress away and bare her body to his touch.
They rode the elevator back downstairs, taking the same path they’d taken previously, until they found themselves back on the beach. Again, they kept their hands locked together as they strode along the band of white sand. Tonight, a hazy half-moon hung above them to light the way.
Looking at her in the dim light, he felt his heart pounding in his chest. There was something about her that made him feel like a schoolboy, nothing more than a bundle of hormones.
She caught him staring at her. With humor dancing in her big brown eyes, she asked innocently, “What is it?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. Just wondering what makes you tick.”
A soft chuckle came in response. “Remember the story I told you about socking that little boy who called my sister a giraffe?”
He did. “Of course. I also remember witnessing your takedown skills firsthand.”
She rolled her eyes at him and laughed. “Anyway, that’s how I’ve always been. I guess you could classify me as a tomboy, especially when you compare me to my sister. Joanne has always been all manners and delicate sensibilities.”
He noticed the edge in her voice as she spoke about her sister, and it made him want to understand her better. “And what are you?”
She shrugged. “The short, rowdy one with a mean left hook. I’m pretty much the opposite of my sister. She’s super feminine, but I just don’t see myself that way.”
Looking down at her, he could feel the confusion knit his brow. “What do you mean by that?”
She snorted. “Come on, Marco. When’s the last time you heard a woman praised for her ability to put a man twice her size in a submission hold? Or to break his pelvic bone with a well-placed knee?”
His brow hitched. “You can do all that?”
“Yes, and if you don’t stop teasing me you’re going to find out firsthand.”
He straightened up right away. “All kidding aside, Joi, I don’t think femininity and physical prowess are mutually exclusive.”
She turned away from him, and it looked as if she were watching the waves roll in. Over the roar of the churning waters, he barely heard her soft reply. “You’re the only man I’ve heard say that.”
He shrugged. “Maybe other men are stupid. Or maybe they’re just terrified of your ability to overpower them.”
They rounded a bend in the shoreline, and moved diagonally up a rise to a secluded area of the beach. There was no one out there, at least not within his line of sight. But even if there were other people out at this time of night, the dunes situated around the little hilly spot would keep them from being seen.
She stopped walking, and so did he. Looking up into his eyes, she asked, “And how are you different from those other men, Marco?”
He released her hand, let his open palms slide up her arms to her shoulder. Feeling the tremor that ran through her at his touch, he spoke. “What makes me different is that I know a real woman when I see one. And you, Joi Lewis, are undeniably, one hundred percent, fully feminine.”
Her soft smile melted his heart. “Well. Aren’t you the charme
r?”
“Just speaking the truth, Dulce.” He smoothed his right hand upward, until it rested on her cheek.
Her hand moved to cover his as she moved closer to him, draping her free arm around his waist. The heat of her nearness penetrated the fabric separating them, and he could feel his groin tighten reflexively.
Her eyes glittering, she tilted her face and met his gaze. “Kiss me, Marco.” The words escaped her lips on a breathy sigh.
“With pleasure,” he murmured, and an instant later, he crushed her lips with his own.
Chapter 16
Joi could feel Marco’s hand cupping her cheek, and the strong arm pinning her body flush to his, as the kiss deepened. Her rising desire had emboldened her to ask for his kiss, and now, he was delivering big-time. Her lips parted, allowing his tongue to enter her mouth and stroke against her own. The sensations elicited a low, crooning moan from her.
He eased away, still holding her close. The dark pools of his eyes were focused solely on her, as if they were the only two people in the whole world. He moved back a few inches, releasing his hold on her as he took a seat on the sand near her feet. With his long legs bent and his ankles crossed, he patted his lap, gesturing for her to sit.
She obliged him, easing into the nest of his lap and facing the right side. He pulled her close, draping her legs over the crook of his arm, as his other arm supported her upper back. Her bottom made contact with the apex of his powerful thighs, and she released a small gasp when she felt the familiar hardness pressing against the sensitive flesh of her hip.
“I’m ready for you, Dulce.” He breathed the words into her ear. “But first, I want to play...to make sure you are ready for me. Is that all right?”
She nodded as a sensual shiver ran down her spine. If his mission was to make her arousal rise, he was already off to a brilliant start. Already, she could feel the goose bumps breaking out on the surface of her skin at the mere anticipation of his skillful touch.
He moved to let her legs drop, freeing one hand. With the tall dunes of sand sheltering them from prying eyes, she watched as he eased the top of her dress down, revealing the thin, sheer fabric of her strapless bra.
“Dulce, you’re beautiful.” He murmured the words softly as his fingertips mapped the curve of her breasts, just above the sheer fabric. He drew her closer, letting his kisses retrace the path of his fingers. Her eyes closed, and she arched as the pleasure shot through her like an electric current.
He adjusted her in his lap until she had a solid base of support, then reached around her to unclasp the bra. He paused momentarily, sought her consent again. “Can I...”
“Yes...” She didn’t wait for him to finish his question because, God, she wanted this. When he unclasped the bra and tossed it aside, baring her sensitive flesh to the breeze flowing over the surface of the water, she groaned. Then she dissolved into soft cries as his warm mouth settled over one of her nipples.
He lavished the breast with attention, his large hand cupping it as he savored her nipple. When she thought she’d die from the pleasure of it, he stopped, but only long enough to turn the same treatment on her other breast. By the time he drew away, she lay half-dressed and panting in his arms.
She opened her eyes, found him watching her.
The wicked smile and the flames dancing in his eyes relayed his enjoyment at the sight of her, arching and breathless in the moonlight. “Dulce, you are a vision.”
His flattery only served to send more heated blood to her already swollen core. She was so mindless, she couldn’t formulate a coherent reply.
“Let’s see what more I can do to make you moan.” Now one large hand scuttled up her leg, to the hem of her dress. She knew exactly what he was doing, and she offered no resistance as he gently raised the hem, baring her trembling thighs to the night air. Each inch of skin he touched was seared, branded as his.
She swallowed, felt him hook his thumbs beneath the waistband of her panties. He tugged them down and removed them. With hooded eyes, she watched him fold them neatly and tuck them into the pocket of his slacks.
First the gentle breeze touched her core, then, his even gentler fingertips. At the first touch, she shivered, not from being cold, but from being oh so hot. His fingers meandered and played, circling and teasing the bundle of nerves centering her womanhood. Her legs fell apart, widening to give him unobstructed access, and the pace of her breathing increased. Over the sounds of her own throaty sighs, she heard him uttering soft, sensual endearments in Spanish, which only increased her passion.
The tide of ecstasy rose within her, lapping at the shore of completion. Yes, her mind screamed. Yes to everything he was doing, and everything he had planned for her this night. A thousand times yes.
As if sensing her impending crisis, he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Let go, Dulce. Come for me.”
At the sound of his voice, her control faltered and her body shook with the force of a release that radiated out from her core to the very tips of her fingers and toes. She called his name on a strangled cry, writhing and twisting as his strong arms supported her weight.
When she came back to awareness, she saw him watching her in the muted light. The color of the sky above heralded the coming dawn, and she wondered just how much time had passed. The only sounds she heard were the crashing of the waves, and their own heightened breathing.
Finally, he spoke, with a hint of humor in his voice. “I think we should go inside now.”
She stretched, sat up in his lap. “Did I fall asleep?”
He nodded. “For a bit. You looked so peaceful I didn’t want to disturb you. Ready to go in?”
She adjusted her dress to cover her exposed breasts, then stood, tugging the hem of her dress down. When she’d effectively concealed her nudity, she reached down and picked up her discarded bra from the sand.
He got up as well, still fully dressed. Her eyes zeroed in on the prominent bulge below his waist, and a tingle raced through her core.
Catching the direction of her gaze, he smiled. “The sooner we get inside, the sooner you can have it.”
She returned his smile, swept her open palm over the bulge. “Then let’s go to my room.”
Joining hands, they made their way back inside the hotel and up to the tenth floor. Inside the confines of the elevator car, they kissed and stroked one another, keeping their bodies as close together as their clothing would allow. The elevator doors opened on the tenth floor, and they maneuvered down the hall toward her room, kissing and fumbling like love-struck newlyweds the entire way. It took some effort, but she finally tapped the electronic key against the lock and opened the door. They both backed into the room, falling onto the bed in a tangle of limbs as the door slammed shut behind them. She kicked off the thong sandals she’d been wearing, not sure of where they landed, and not caring.
She was beneath him, barely aware of his weight as he kissed her senseless. When he released her and raised up on his hands, she immediately reached up to drag his white shirt up and over his head. Her palms burned as she toured them over the hard, muscled lines of his chest. To pay him back for the sensual torture he’d dealt her earlier, she used her thumbs and forefingers to tease his nipples.
He sucked in a breath. “You are truly wicked, Dulce.”
“Why don’t you teach me a lesson, then?” She lay back on the surface of the bed, awaiting whatever method of instruction he deemed appropriate.
In response to her sassy decree, he snatched her dress away. Leaving her nude form reclining on the bed, he stood to quickly remove his sandals, and to strip out of his pants and underwear. From his pocket, he produced a condom, which he rolled on to protect them. When he rejoined her on the bed, she purred with anticipation. No man had ever filled her with such a complete feeling of safety, of feminine vulnerability, of molten-hot desire. Ma
rco was everything she never thought she needed, and she wanted everything he had to give, forever.
Forever.
She winced as the thought passed through her mind. This was no time to be thinking about attachments, not now that she had so much to do to prepare her business for national expansion. But despite what logic told her was right, her heart knew otherwise. She’d fallen in love with Marco, and there was nothing she could do to change it.
* * *
Marco centered himself between Joi’s shapely thighs, bracing his body weight on his elbows to avoid crushing her. She looked so gorgeous, laid out beneath him like a veritable buffet of pleasure. His body begged for her, urging him to plunge inside her warmth, but he refused to be rough with her. Despite her views on who she was, and her defensive abilities, she was still his Dulce, his delicate blossom.
He leaned down, placed soft kisses over her brow, her closed eyelids and the bridge of her nose. Despite the insistence of his throbbing manhood, he held back, taking her on a slow ride toward ecstasy.
The air held the citrusy scent of her perfume, and the intoxicating scent of her arousal. He grazed his fingertips over her body, down the center of her chest, then lower, drifting over her stomach until he reached her core. There, he eased his index finger into paradise, feeling the silken heat of her desire. Her hips rose from the bed as he gently moved the finger in, then out.
“Do you like this, Dulce? Do you want more?”
“Yes...” she whimpered. “More...”
So he obliged her, enjoying the way she reacted to his touch, and the knowledge that her core was so wet and primed for his entrance.
She hummed low in her throat. Placing a hand on either side of him, she pressed down, tilting his pelvis closer to hers. The tip of his manhood brushed against her core, and he growled.
“Now, Marco.” The urgency in her tone spoke of her desire.
Obliging her, he flexed his hips, entered her in a single slow stroke. Each of them gasped as their bodies joined, and he pressed forward until he’d reached maximum depth. Sheathed within the tight confines of her body, he felt as if he’d come home after a long absence. He rocked his hips in an easy, deliberate rhythm, reveling in the sounds of her sharp gasps.
A Sultry Love Song Page 14
