by Desiree Holt
“Let’s swim a little,” he said at last. “Later, I’d like to take you to dinner at Junonia and maybe for a walk in the moonlight. Then…” He shrugged. “Who knows?”
“Who knows, indeed?” she whispered, her lips still tingling from the kiss.
“I think I’m a little rusty at this, so I have to ask. Robin, if I’m presuming something here, will you just tell me? I’m a big boy. I’ve got some baggage I’m dealing with, and I get the feeling you do, too. I don’t think either of us is looking for anything beyond the here and now. Am I right?”
She nodded. Speech seemed to have deserted her.
“But, for the time we’re here, it would be nice to enjoy each other, right?”
“Yes.” She finally managed to get the word out. “Yes, it would.”
And of course, that was all it could be. They both had other lives to get back to, although, at the moment, she wasn’t sure what hers was.
He brushed a kiss over her mouth again before releasing her and taking a step back. Then he turned, dove under a tiny wave, and began doing a very smooth crawl. Robin wondered if he did everything well. Surely, the man had some flaws.
With a mental shrug, she dropped back into the water and followed him, although his endurance was way beyond hers. He was still swimming with ease and grace when she finally called it quits and stood up, heading back toward the beach. When she reached it, she stood there for a moment, just admiring him in the water and wondering, to her own embarrassment, what he looked like without his clothes on.
Chapter Six
If Trey had ordered a perfect evening, it couldn’t have been better. The breeze was warm but not hot. The sky was clear, stars glistening against its velvet backdrop. The night air was filled with the rich scents of luxurious foliage. Something out of a movie set, he thought, then wondered where all this imagery was coming from.
He had never considered himself a romantic. His supposed lack of romance was something that Laura had teased him about, except maybe it hadn’t all been teasing. He thought of all the little road signs along the way in their twenty years together. Road signs he had just missed because he wasn’t expecting them and was unprepared, so he’d apparently ignored them.
When he’d married her, in his mind it was forever. He still felt the shock of discovering it hadn’t been in hers.
And that’s enough of that. You’re supposed to be changing your outlook on life. Putting the past behind you.
And damn, he sure hoped he could.
He looked at the woman sitting across the table from him in Junonia, the resort’s premier restaurant. What an unexpected treasure she’d turned out to be. He hadn’t been kidding when he told her he was rusty at this, not having been with another woman for more than twenty years. He didn’t know if he could read the signals anymore or make the right moves. What he did know was he wanted this trip to be memorable for both of them, before they went back to the real world. And when he’d decided to come here for two weeks, he hadn’t thought anything like this would happen.
The restaurant was as incredible, as advertised. The food was delicious, the service impeccable, the atmosphere outstanding. They’d split a bottle of wine with dinner and now were having brandy with their coffee. Trey remembered how much he used to enjoy this and realized with a start how much he missed it. He was feeling sated, mellow…and definitely turned on.
Robin was wearing a white dress, strapless, the fabric of the bodice molding to her breasts. It left her shoulders bare, showing off the little tan she’d gotten that afternoon on her smooth skin. Her rich-looking blonde hair was pulled back behind her ears tonight, showing off the tiny gold earrings dangling from her lobes. The flame from the candle in the hurricane lamp on the table cast an extra glow on her. The dinner had taken care of the lipstick she’d worn, but her lips were no less tempting because of that. Maybe even more so.
Trey shifted in his chair, painfully aware of his thickening erection sending him urgent signals. For a year, he’d wondered if his sex drive had deserted him altogether. Now, it seemed to be roaring back with a vengeance. Would tonight be too soon to give in to that urge and test the waters with Robin? They were only here for less than two weeks, he reminded himself. At least, he was. He realized he had no idea how long she was staying.
Trey signaled for the check and pushed his coffee cup away.
“Are you up for a little walk in the moonlight?” he asked. “It’s so pleasant here.”
She nodded. “I am. I’m told going barefoot is almost a requirement around here.”
Trey laughed. “I can get on board with that.”
He signed the check then rose and held Robin’s chair for her. They headed toward the beach, and once they reached the sand, they both stopped and removed their shoes. Then, carrying them in their free hands, the others linked, they made their way slowly down the beach, neither of them feeling the need for conversation, just letting the night work its magic on them. It was nice just to stroll in the moonlight, something he used to like doing with Laura, until…until when? When had they stopped?
And get that out of your head. That’s over and finished. This is about you and Robin and two weeks to enjoy each other. And I’m putting Laura out of my mind, which is where she belongs.
“This is nice,” Robin said, when they stopped at the water’s edge. “Very easy to get used to.”
“I agree.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Lacey and Clay Walker, who own this palace, have done an outstanding job of creating the ultimate getaway.”
“You know,” she began, then stopped as if hesitant to go on.
“Know what?” He tugged her around to face him. “The nice thing about strangers is you can say anything because there’s no aftereffect.”
“Well,” she drawled, “I was going to say the slogan of the resort is, ‘Kick off your shoes and fall in love.’ That doesn’t apply to us, but we could kick off our shoes and fall in like, couldn’t we?”
He dropped her hand for a moment to cradle her chin in his palm, loving the feel of her soft skin.
“Yes. I think we could do that with no problem.”
“We met less than twenty-four hours ago, but…” Her words trailed off.
“But sometimes it only takes a few minutes to know if you like someone. Right?”
She nodded.
Yeah, he could get on board with this idea. No problem.
In a comfortable yet charged silence, they left the beach and stepped back onto the deck by the swimming pool. There they stopped, and Trey tugged her around to look at him again.
“If I had a villa instead of a suite,” he began, “I’d invite you in for a nightcap.”
She wet her lower lip, the sight of her tongue swiping across the plump flesh so erotic he was afraid he’d lose it all right then and there. He was so fascinated by it, he didn’t register at first that she was saying something.
“I’m sorry. What?”
“Um, Trey, if you’d rather just say good night and forget—”
“I was so fascinated watching your mouth, I forgot to listen to you.” He blurted the words out, then wondered if she’d think he had lost his mind or maybe run in the opposite direction. Maybe he was presuming too much.
His pulse thumped when she smiled, just a small curve of those wonderful lips.
“I said, I have a villa. Would you like to see it?”
“I— Yes, I’d love to.”
Control yourself, Trey. Maybe she just wants to show you where she’s staying.
But he knew it was more than that. It blew his mind that they’d known each other for less than twenty-four hours, and intimacy could be just a few steps away.
She wet her lip again, and it was all he could do not to help himself to a taste of it. Instead, he squeezed her hand.
“Lead on.”
The pathway to the villas was lined with trees and more of the same lush foliage seen everywhere else on the resort grounds. Robin was staying in one th
at had a little sign reading Acacia. The villa itself was stunning, from its gorgeous furnishings to its private pool to its view of the water. He looked around, admiring the attention to detail and the dedication to ambience.
“Very nice,” he observed.
She had left a lamp on beside the couch in the living room, but that wasn’t the room he was interested in.
“Would you like a drink?” There was just the tiniest bit of tremor in her voice.
“I think I’ve had enough, tonight, thanks.” He reached for her hand again and pulled her close to him. “But I could use more of this.”
When she was toe to toe with him, he cupped her face and lowered his mouth to hers. The contact was so electric, he felt it throughout his body. Every nerve sizzled with it. He drew the tip of his tongue across the seam, and when she opened for him, swept inside. Her taste was so sweet and at the same time erotic, he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to stop tasting her.
He slid his hands from her cheeks down the slender column of her neck to her shoulders, caressing the smooth skin and pulling her so close to him he could feel her hard nipples even through the material of her dress and his shirt. When he slid his hands down her back to her very sexy ass and squeezed the cheeks, she moaned into his mouth.
He lifted his head only because he ran out of breath.
“I’m way out of practice here,” he told her, “so you’ll have to tell me if I’m doing anything wrong.”
“So far so good,” she told him in a breathy voice, the hunger he felt mirrored in her eyes. “Only…would you think I was too forward if I suggested we’d be more comfortable in the bedroom?”
Trey actually laughed. What a gem this woman was. Just what he needed to forget the stress of the past year.
“I think that’s an excellent suggestion.”
He swept her up in his arms and carried her into the next room. When he set her down on her feet, he kissed her again, at the same time sliding down the back zipper on her dress. He didn’t realize until he tugged the material away from her body that she was not wearing a bra. Or, in fact, anything under the dress except for the tiniest thong panty.
Jesus!
Desperate to touch as much of her as he could, he pushed her dress down, past her hips where it fell to the floor in a puddle around her feet. He smoothed his hands down her back and over the curve of her ass, stroking the satiny flesh and squeezing it.
With her mouth still fused to his, Robin unbuttoned his short-sleeved shirt, tugged it from the waist of his slacks, and did her best to shove it from his shoulders and down his arms. She tore her mouth from his, breathing heavily.
“Off,” she commanded. “I want to touch you.”
He took a step back to yank the shirt off and drop it on the floor before pulling her back to him. Palming her breasts, he rubbed his thumbs across the stiff nipples then rolled them between thumb and forefinger. He peppered a string of kisses along her jawline and down her neck, coming at last to the hollow of her throat where her pulse beat wildly. He placed a hard kiss there before licking it with gentle strokes of his tongue.
The touch of her hands brushing across the curls of hair on his chest sent shivers over his skin, and when she scraped her fingernails across his nipples, he almost lost it again.
“No more of this standing up,” he breathed.
In seconds, he had the covers tossed back, lifted Robin, and placed her carefully on the bed. His eyes never left her body as he toed off his shoes and socks, unfastened his belt, and pushed slacks and boxer briefs down his legs to the floor.
Then he was beside her on the bed, kissing every inch of her, laving her with his tongue, touching her everywhere, while she ran her hands over him. She was soft all over but firm…her breasts, her thighs. And wet. So wet. He inhaled her scent, drunk on the taste of her.
When she closed her fingers around his hot erection, he almost forgot to grab the condom he’d dropped on the nightstand. Then he was sliding inside her tight, hot body.
Robin.
He breathed her name. He wanted to slow down, knew he should, but the ability to rein himself in escaped him. He realized with startling clarity that he’d never known what heaven was until now.
*****
The shrill sound of her cell phone woke Robin. At some point during the night, she had fetched it from her purse and put it where she could reach it, just in case. Now, as she blinked against the bright sunlight pouring in through the sliding glass doors, she wished she’d buried it instead. Throwing her arm over her eyes to shield them, she picked up the phone and looked at the readout.
Damn!
Jonas!
A tiny shaft of fear stroked through her, as it always did with his calls. Bad news. That’s what she always expected.
Beside her, Trey’s big body shifted, and he looped an arm casually around her waist, pulling her back to him. She could feel the thickness of his morning erection and the heat of his body where they were skin to skin.
“Just give me a second here,” she murmured. Lifting the arm around her, she kissed his hand before placing it back on the bed. Then she slid out from between the covers, grabbed the phone, and hurried into the bathroom. “Hi, Jonas. What’s up?”
She pitched her voice low, hoping it wouldn’t carry into the next room. She could just imagine what Trey must be thinking with all these calls she’d been getting.
“Just wanted to let you know we’ve got a line on the other Russian. It’s a little tricky, but we should have him in custody before long.”
“Tricky? What does that mean?” Deep breaths, she told herself.
“It means we know where he is, and we’re working on arresting him. I haven’t let you down yet, have I?”
“N-no. I’ll just feel a lot better when I know there isn’t a chance he can find his way down here.”
“He doesn’t even know where you are,” Jonas assured her.
“Thanks so much for keeping me up-to-date.” She was practically whispering into the phone.
“Robin?” Jonas’s voice was edged with concern. “Are you okay? You sound a little funny.”
“It’s just my early-morning voice.” She tightened her hand around the phone.
“Early? It’s nine thirty.”
She actually laughed. “That’s early for those of us living a life of leisure.” Then she sobered. “I didn’t sleep well last night, that’s all.”
And wasn’t that just the truth.
“Just want to make sure you’re okay. I expect by next week we’ll have both of the Russians safely tucked away in federal custody until their trial. I don’t want you back until they have their arraignments, and we make sure they’re denied bail. Even then, we’ll want you in protective custody until after the trial.”
Her stomach knotted. She could hardly wait for all of this to be over so she could get on with her life. If only she knew what kind of life that would be.
“That’s good. That’s good. Listen, thanks for letting me know.”
“By the way, Seth had me check out the guy you doused with your coffee. He’s squeaky clean, so enjoy yourself with him.”
“I will, Jonas. Thanks for checking.”
“Take care, Robin. I’ll keep you in the loop.”
When she hung up, she ran the water in the sink for a minute and splashed some on her face. Then she pulled on the robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door and shoved her hair out of her face before facing Trey.
He was sitting up in bed, the expression on his face a picture of perplexed and irritated.
“That your girlfriend again?”
Girlfriend? Oh, right.
“Yes, it was.”
“She must be having a serious problem. You always look so unsettled after you talk to her.”
Damn. She needed to make sure she had better self-control. She didn’t need him asking probing questions.
“Maybe you should remind her you’re on vacation. And having fun.” He wiggled his eyebr
ows at her.
She had to laugh. But then she took a good look at the very sexy man in her bed. The sexy naked man, with rumpled hair, a day-old beard, and a solid chest sprinkled with soft hair she could run her fingers through forever. She thought about the things they’d done last night, and heat flashed over her body. She couldn’t begin to understand how any woman would want to walk away from this man.
“I’ll do that,” she told him. “How about some coffee?”
“If we can have it in bed. Then, if you’re really good, I’ll take you up to the outdoor restaurant for breakfast.” He grinned. “If you promise not to dump anything on me, that is.”
“I managed not to do it through dinner, didn’t I?”
He laughed. “Yes, you did. Point taken.”
“Let me get our coffee.”
With the single-serving coffeemaker in the kitchen, it took her only seconds. She panicked for a moment, wondering what he took in it and if she had whatever that was. Then she remembered he’d been drinking it black when she dumped it on him.
“I like this kind of room service,” Trey said, taking one of the mugs from her. “Now, if the waitress will just climb into bed with me, I’ll give this resort a five-star rating.”
Robin was glad he could joke this morning, That he wasn’t a man who wanted out of here as fast as he could get his clothes on, or who gave her a speech about not expecting anything from him. That didn’t mean it might not still happen, but they both knew this was just temporary.
Although he didn’t ask, she shed the robe and slid quickly under the covers, taking care not to spill her coffee as she lifted it to her lips.
“Robin?” Trey rested his hand on her thigh.
Uh-oh. Had she spoken too fast?
“Yes?” She sipped more coffee.
“Two things. Last night was the best night I’ve had in a very long time.”
Warmth spread through her at his words.
“Me, too.” She hesitated. “And the other thing?”
“Would your friend get too upset with you if you told her you were supposed to be on vacation here and having a good time, and could she not call you for a while? Doesn’t she have anyone else she can go to?”
