“Amber, you’re home early,” Lila said, her voice a little shaky.
And obviously too soon, I thought.
“This is … this is Clay.” Lila’s hand kind of waved at her side, as if she was trying to hide him. As tall as he was, hiding him was a useless exercise.
I stepped farther into the room and walked over to Clay. He was a tall man with dark skin and short hair. He had a mustache and dark eyes and his arm was surrounding Lila.
“Amber Nash,” I said since my friend had forgotten her manners with my appearance.
“Clay Reynolds.”
We shook hands. “It’s nice to meet you again.” In Lila’s state she’d forgotten that Clay had arrived previously with four bags of groceries. He’d cooked lunch that day, and tonight he apparently had cooked dinner.
I wanted to go to bed, but suddenly I felt like a third wheel. Lila and Clay obviously had their evening planned, and it was awkward for all of us if I was in the house. So in that moment I knew I had to leave.
“We decided to go for a swim. I just came in to change,” I said. I addressed my comments to Lila. “I’ll only be a moment.”
Again I turned to Clay. “The food smells good. Since I know Lila is a disaster in the kitchen, you must be the reason for the delicious food.”
“Thank you,” Clay said. “She did help.” His voice was deep, almost radio DJ quality. He had shoulders and arms to go with it. If I had to give him characteristics, cooking would not be one of them. But he was exactly the kind of man that attracted Lila.
“Good night,” I said. As I turned to leave, I noticed the dropped spoon and bent down and retrieve it. Turning back, I extended it to Lila. “I believe this is yours.”
I stepped through the door I’d entered only a few minutes earlier. Where was I going to go? I couldn’t drive around the island in the dark. Besides, that would only take a little time. And I had the feeling Lila and Clay would be in the house a little longer than the drive I had in mind.
Don came to mind, his image filling my consciousness. I didn’t know many people on the Vineyard, at least not well enough to show up on their doorstep uninvited. That left the beach as my only option. I’d changed into jeans and a sweatshirt. The beach was a little chilly at this hour. The Inkwell was deserted. There was a concert going on and it had obviously taken many of the beachcombers from their nightly party.
I sat in my car for a few minutes and then thought it crazy to forsake my bed for Lila and her date. Starting the engine, I turned the car toward the hotel. I could return to the lounge, sit at the bar until it was safe to go home. The problem was I wasn’t a drinker. I had an occasional glass of wine and loved margaritas, but I wasn’t about to get wasted waiting for her. And I was driving.
In the parking lot, I got out of the car and walked into the lobby of the St. Romaine.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Nash, but we have no vacant rooms,” the night clerk said to me moments later.
“Nothing?” I asked.
“Because of the festival, we’re booked to capacity.”
“Could you do me a favor and call one of the other hotels—”
“They’re booked, too,” the desk clerk said, interrupting me. “We tried earlier to send some guests there who’d come in for the day and wanted to stay overnight. All the places we tried were full.”
I knew I wasn’t going to get any more out of her. I smiled and thanked her, then left. I supposed my car would have to do. I headed to the parking lot. As I stepped on the blacktop, I stopped and stared the car for a long moment. Glancing over my shoulder, I looked in the direction of Don’s bungalow. Immediately I rejected the idea of going there. My heels clicked on the ground as I continued toward the car. Somewhere between getting to the driver’s door and actually opening it, my feet seemed to have a mind of their own. They carried me through the hedges and past the tennis court. Without even thinking, I was standing in front of Don’s guest house door.
This was insane, I told myself.
Then I range the bell.
Don answered almost immediately. Deja vu at the last time I was there flew through my mind.
“This is a surprise,” he said. Crossing his ankles, he rested his shoulder against the doorjamb in a totally relaxed stance.
“I need a bed for the night,” I said.
“You’re in luck,” he said. “I happen to have one.”
“I’m not inviting myself into your bed,” I said.
“I’m sure you know there is a hotel just around the path.” He leaned out and looked in the direction of the main building. “Their business is to rent rooms.”
“I thought of that. And both of us know the hotel has no vacancies.”
“We’re not the only hotel on the Vineyard.” Don crossed his arms and stared at me. I couldn’t help noticing the muscular definition in his arms. Or remembering how they felt when they were wrapped around me.
“All the hotels are booked, as you well know.”
“Did you try Mr. Edwards’s room?” Then he snapped his fingers as if remembering something. “Oh yeah, he’s got his son in there. What about Bob’s room? I’m sure he’d be willing to share his bed with you.”
“Thanks,” I muttered. “I should have known better.” I wanted to kick myself for letting my feet walk me here.
Turning around, I started back for the parking lot. I’d sleep in the car before suffering through this abuse.
“Wait a minute.” Don caught my arm and pulled me around. He was wearing a huge smile. “I was only joking with you.”
“It’s a bed I want, nothing else.” I emphasized what I wanted by the tone of my voice.
Despite my voice, Don’s voice was low and sexy. “Liar.”
“I didn’t really mean I wanted to sleep here. I thought you might be able to pull a string and find me a room. I can afford to pay for it.”
I watched his eyes change, as if I’d hit him with something.
“The hotel is full. “He spread his hands in defeat.
“Don’t they keep a room or two for emergency VIP guests?”
“You mean like the president showing up unannounced and needing a room for the night.”
I nodded. “Something like that. Although I doubt the president can show up unannounced. Or that he’ll need only one room.”
“No.” He shook his head. “May I ask why it is you’re without lodgings? You have a rented house for the summer.”
I turned away, taking a few steps, then turning back to face him. “Lila has a guest. I assume he’s there for the night.”
“She has her own room, right?”
“Sure she does, but I felt a little uncomfortable.”
“Where’s your third?”
“Jack? She had a date and wasn’t there when I left.” I didn’t think Jack would be coming back before daybreak. And since she wasn’t a morning person, daybreak for her occurred somewhere near noon.
“So it was the hotel or the beach?” Don asked.
“I tried the beach. It was deserted.”
“And I’m the last bed on the Vineyard?”
As usual when I was in Don’s company I could drop all pretense. I did and nodded. “I’m not asking for anything more.”
At that moment, I knew there would be more. It was unfair to Don, when we both knew that I was looking for assets beyond his reach. “Thanks, Don. It won’t be necessary. Lila will have to get by with me in the house.” I walked to him and gave his arm a squeeze. “You’re a strange man. I’ve never met anyone like you. Thanks for being my friend.”
The comment was more for me than him. I had to keep telling myself he was a friend and not a lover.
I turned and left. I wouldn’t impose on Don. I liked him. Too much, I knew. In fact, I could easily fall in love with him.
I’d taken a few steps across the tennis court, taking a shortcut to my car when I heard Don call my name.
Jogging to me, he said, “You’re not leaving.” Taking my arm, he led
me back to the guest house.
“Don, you’re wrong. I didn’t come here to spend the night.” Well, actually I had, but I no longer wanted that.
“Why did you come here?”
“I’m not really sure. It’s just that with you … when I’m around you …”
He finished my sentence. “You can be you?”
“True,” I said as we reached the guest house. He’d propped the door open. Inside he kicked the small wooden triangle aside and closed it.
“Guest room or my room?”
Incinerator-level heat shot through me, burning my throat and robbing me of the ability to speak. Don stepped forward, saving me from having to reply to his question. His arms reached out and I fell like a magnet into them. He held me, lightly at first. Slowly the pressure increased as he pulled me closer. I felt a long sigh as our bodies talked to each other. His hands moved over me, familiarizing themselves with my curves, remembering that we had stood like this before. Our bodies had known each other before.
Describing the feeling that raced through me as Don’s hands closed around my waist was not possible. It was like finding safety after a long night of danger. His hands caressed my back, enfolding me to him as if I were the most precious gift on earth.
I wanted to please him, wanted to give him the same awesome feeling he was giving me. Slipping my hands under his shirt, I felt the moistness of his skin. As I moved my hands across his flanks, I felt as if they were dipped in warm, dark chocolate.
His stomach was flat and hard and he shuddered as my thumbs brushed across it and up to his nipples. Hard hands gripped my arms as if Don needed something solid to hold on to.
After holding me still for a long moment, he pushed me back for the second it took to rip his shirt over his head and throw it toward a corner. Then I was back in his arms. His mouth sank into my neck with a wet kiss that had me shivering with heated delight. I lifted my head, giving him greater access.
“That feels so good,” I crooned, barely recognizing the depth of my own voice.
“Woman, you drive me crazy.” Each one of Don’s words was punctuated with a kiss that traveled up my neck to my ears, then across my eyes and down to the corners of my mouth.
The anticipation had me panting. I moved my head, seeking his mouth. Both of his hands threaded through my hair and he angled my mouth to his in a kiss that burned through everything I’d ever thought a kiss could be. Life as I knew it changed. I sagged against him. His body accepted my weight and his arms moved to hold me tight.
At the same time, his mouth worked like a narcotic elixir on mine. His erection grew, pressing into my legs, which opened to accommodate him. I moaned, moving even closer to him, seeking the heat of his body, feeling his naked skin under my hands.
Suddenly I wanted my skin next to his. I wanted to feel the energy, the electricity of our bodies devoid of impediments, pressing together like matching spoons. I reached for the bottom of my shirt. Don’s hand covered mine and pulled it over my head. His fingers crisscrossed my back until he’d covered my skin from waist to shoulders and down the length of my arms.
He took a moment to stare at me as the shirt pooled at my feet. My jeans and shoes joined the shirt. I wore only a bra, panties. I felt no embarrassment, no nakedness.
“I do love red,” Don said, taking in the color of my silk bra and panties. He took my hands and spread them their full length, appraising me from tip to toe. I was suddenly proud of my hours of swimming laps.
Pulling me with him, he went to the bedroom. There was no question of which one. I turned into his arms the moment the door closed. My mouth quivered, itching to reconnect with his. Our kiss was wet and urgent. Want and need were evident in the pressure each of us applied to the other. Our tongues danced and mated. Pushing against him, I got closer, pulling myself up until one of my legs left the floor and wrapped around one of his.
I heard a low, guttural sound in his throat. My hands went to the belt at his waist. Loosening it, I unzipped his pants, taking a moment to press my hand against his erection. His body was hot and hard. Weakness flowed over me at the thought of him inside me. But the anticipation of it drove me on.
Dropping his pants, I grabbed his legs and squeezed them, drawing them into me. Surprise registered on his face. I slipped my fingers in the waistband of his briefs and pushed them down, exposing him to me. Magnificent, I thought. Don Randall had a beautiful body, and my hands loved touching him. I smoothed my palms over his features, moving slowly, taking time to give attention to each attractive square of skin.
Walking backward until my legs came up against the bed, I sat down. Don kneeled before me. His arms slipped around my waist. Nimbly his fingers unhooked my bra. “You know, the first time I saw you, you were wearing red shoes.”
“Really?”
“Really,” he repeated. “You were getting out of the limousine.” He kissed my breasts, teasing my nipples, which puckered as if asking for more attention. “I was sitting in my car in front of the place you rent.” Fingers slipped around the elastic top of my silk panties. I wondered what he was doing at the house, but his hands dipped inside my panties and found the one spot on my body that eliminated all thoughts of conversation and shot a narcotic of Love Potion No. 9 through me.
His hands massaged my sweet spot. My eyes closed and my head lolled loosely back on my neck. Slowly he slipped the red fabric off my body, down my legs, and over my feet.
My arms went around his neck. I felt good knowing that he’d taken the time to stare at me. I pulled him closer. His tongue laved my nipple, his mouth sucked. Clamping my teeth down on my lower lip, I held my breath as pleasure rioted through me. I didn’t want it to stop. I wanted more of it. My stomach clenched and I felt a sexual need so strong it couldn’t be controlled.
I pushed Don off balance and he sprawled backward onto the floor. As his arms went around me, I went with him, straddling his body and feeling the strength of his legs against mine as I teased him by moving my smooth ones over his hair-roughened ones. His mouth sought mine. At the same time, my hands closed around his penis and I guided it into the essence of my body.
Both of us sighed at the pleasure of invasion. My inner muscles grabbed Don and held him as I lowered myself over the length of him. The sound he made couldn’t be described. It was a mixture of pleasure and pain. I recognized it because I knew the sound. I could reproduce it, and did when his body thrust upward into mine. A yo-yo of emotions rocketed through me. A momentary weakness had me leaning forward. Don leaned up and ran his fingers across my breasts. His mouth brushed my cleavage.
“Come on, baby, ride me. Ride me hard,” he said.
I did. Planting my hands on the floor by his arms and sliding my legs up tightly against his, I set a dizzying pace. Don’s moans were music in the electrically charged room. His hands on my hips mimicked the rhythm and had me panting at the sensations that flowed in and out of me. Heat surrounded me with the intensity of the sun. Sweat poured off us both.
Tension mounted in me as my heartbeat soared. I didn’t think it was possible to move any faster, to have pleasure wash over me in waves of sensation. But Don’s body stroked deeper and deeper into me with each rapid thrust. I felt the build. Held it off. I wanted to prolong the rapture, keep this feeling going until I couldn’t stand it any longer—and then take it one step further.
But I couldn’t. My body bucked and snapped as Don’s thrusts became harder and harder. I heard him groaning, uttering incoherent sounds. I knew he was close to climax. I could feel it in the rising tension of his body. Suddenly something inside me burst. I didn’t see stars or rainbows, just a blinding flash of light that seemed to hold an entire life in the short space of time it took to erupt, but all the pleasure of the universe sparked through my body in that one single instant.
I collapsed onto Don. My breathing was heavy and ragged as I sucked long drafts of air into my lungs. Don did the same thing. His arms lay on my back, heavy, and kept me in place. Not
that I could move if I’d wanted to. My muscles were so lethargic they refused to obey mental commands.
“Are you all right?” Don asked.
I would have laughed if my body would have let me. As it was, I could only grunt, say nothing, do nothing except take in open-mouth breaths. I wasn’t all right. I didn’t think I would ever be all right again. This was a new experience. Never had anything like this happened before, not even with the man I was still intimately connected to. I wondered if it would always be this way. Would he surprise me again and again with the depth of lovemaking that had just occurred? Would I be more wanton with any other man? Would what I felt, what I’d done, ever happen with anyone else?
“Amber?” Don called my name. I could hear concern in his voice. I lifted my head and looked in his eyes. “Are you all right?” he asked again.
I shook my head.
Don smiled and cradled me in his arms.
Chapter 13
Don was gone when I woke up. He probably needed to be on duty for the breakfast crowd, or maybe new groups were checking in and out. I slipped out of bed. It was six o’clock and I had an hour to get back to the house, shower, change clothes, and meet Bob for our tennis game. Today’s game wasn’t going to be my best. After last night’s sexual gymnastics, I needed time to rebound. Sleeping until late morning sounded refreshing, but standing up someone on my A-list was both rude and foolish.
Neither Lila nor Jack were around to see me creep in the front door and head straight for my bedroom. And neither one of them saw me slip out of the door and drive back to the tennis court. I parked the car and got out just in time to see Bob walk onto the court.
My body still pulsated from my night with Don. I was in no way ready for a tennis game. I wanted to go to the beach, laze in the sun, and dream about how good I felt. I wanted to indulge in the fantasy, relive the night in my mind and let the arousing effect it had on my body pretend it was real.
“Ready?” Bob shouted to me as I grabbed my racket from the back seat and started toward him.
Some Like Them Rich Page 12
