But that was a dream she’d forsaken long ago, the night she left him standing on the dock in the rain without explanation. Only telling him that they were over. She was moving on. So should he. All so that she could keep the hotel she loved, caving to her father’s threat that he’d disown her, rejecting her forever if she continued dating Carter. That, and Daddy’s vow to ruin Carter’s future if she interfered on her lover’s behalf.
An awkward silence fell between them as Carter ate voraciously and Ellie picked at her food.
Reaching for the remote, Carter flipped on the flat-screen TV and channel surfed. “Still don’t get great reception out here.” He left it on the local weather, which came in crystal clear. “My cell phone barely has two bars. I guess there’s no reliable Internet.”
“On a clear day.”
Carter rolled his eyes.
The TV flashed, followed by several piercing beeps. An anchorwoman came on. “We interrupt this program for some breaking news. The tropical storm that formed in the Atlantic Ocean over the weekend has gathered force in the past twelve hours.”
Ellie tensed.
“Named Hurricane Edgar, the category two hurricane is heading toward the Gulf of Mexico.”
“Whew,” Ellie exhaled.
“Great,” Carter muttered. “I need to leave Friday night. This storm better not mess with my flight.”
Ellie stiffened. “Friday? How will that give you time to set things in motion when you buy the hotel?”
Sighing, Carter stared at her steadily. “I’m not yet convinced it’s a good investment. I expressed that last night.”
“Things could...change,” she said evasively.
His lids lowered halfway and his gaze turned sizzling. “They could.”
A thrill zipped up Ellie’s spine. “I want to show you more of the hotel. There are so many things you haven’t seen yet.”
“Ellie—”
“Before your mind is made up, you should see how far this place has come.”
“Up to now, all I’ve seen is how far it hasn’t.”
The cutting remark nicked her pride. “Then come with me, and I’ll change your mind.”
“Hell yes I’ll come with you.” He shot to his feet. “The bed is ready—fresh sheets and all.”
Ellie arched a pert eyebrow.
“I could spend all day in bed with you. Remember when we used to do that?”
At the prompt, Ellie envisioned herself naked with Carter, their legs entwined, bodies writhing together. Perspiration soaking the sheets from hour after hour of sexual exploration, wave after wave of bliss.
Sensual heat spiraled through her, funneling down between her thighs where she ached for his touch, his kiss, his—
She crossed her legs. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Choose your words carefully, sweetheart. I can read into anything.”
“Are your perceptions usually right?”
He nodded. “Pretty much.”
This time Ellie responded to his sexual innuendo with a dash of her own spice. “Maybe you’re right again.”
She stood up from the table and moved toward the door. “Meet me on the veranda when you’re done showering.”
“The second after?” He scratched his ear. “What would the neighbors think? Me parading around in nothing but a towel.”
On her way out, she lifted a shoulder. “Then don’t wear anything.”
*
“What the...?” Dumbstruck, Carter stared at the door as if it held encrypted code to explain Ellie’s sudden turnaround.
Did she just agree to have sex with him?
He was about to run after her, scoop her up, take her to his bed and do things he’d fantasized about since he found her in his room Sunday morning.
One thought stopped him.
Was this a game she played with every investor who came knocking? Because it’s working .
Another thought came to mind that curled his hands into fists. Last night Ellie mentioned another investor. Had she played the same cards with that guy—with her aloof poker face and hard-to-get attitude? Only to turn sassy and irresistible?
Carter ran a hand through his hair, still damp from his run. The pent-up sexual aggression he’d released as his shoes pounded the sand suddenly returned with triple force. This time spiked with jealousy.
“Cold shower, here I come.” He shed his clothes, did his morning routine and met Ellie on the palatial front porch of the hotel.
With a notepad and pen in hand, she paced the veranda in a hot little skirt and black high-heels heels. At a pillar, she stopped and leaned against it deep in thought, tapping the pen against her lips, biting the tip.
Carter stifled a groan. “Can we get on with this?”
When she glanced up, a dazzling smile lit her face. “Absolutely.”
Could she look more kissable? “What are you writing?”
“A list of things I need to have in place for the dinner tonight. We’re having guests—”
“The mayor and councilman. I heard.”
“Will you join us?”
Will there be powerful, wealthy men there eyeing her sexily? “Yeah, I’ll be there.”
“Great!” She made a check mark on her notepad, flipped it closed and slid it in her suit coat pocket. “Today I want to show you the stables.”
Carter’s expectations plummeted. “Don’t bother.”
“What do you mean?” She paused halfway down the stone steps.
“No investor’s going to keep the stables.”
Her amber eyes flashed. “Excuse me?”
At her show of feistiness, his attraction to her caught flame. He wanted to unleash this fiery passion more than anything. Instead he shrugged. “Any kind of expensive upkeep beyond the building itself is out of the question.”
“Have you even been horseback riding?”
“A long time ago. What I’m saying is—”
“You need a refresher course in the equestrian pastime.” She must have seen his next dismissal coming because she made an offer he couldn’t refuse. “We’ll ride together. Same horse, same view. I guarantee I can change your mind.”
The picture of them riding a horse together, him grinding against her backside as they galloped across the island, invoked endless naughty scenarios he’d like to fulfill with her. “Now all the sudden you want to get romantic and cozy?”
“Who said it was sudden?” The tiniest hint of a smile touched her lips.
“You’re on.” He strode toward her, arms stretched out to pull her to him.
But she slipped past him. “I need to change for this.”
His glance took in her mini skirt, light suit jacket, sexy high heels and silk camisole that barely hid her nipples from his view. “You look perfect to me.”
Undeterred, she rushed into the hotel. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll be right here,” he muttered.
Every nerve in his body drew tight, tingling with the need to have her. A hurricane couldn’t move him from that spot with the anticipation of being alone with Ellie riding a horse across the island. At any point he could lift her from the animal, pull her to the ground and act on the raging fantasies plaguing him.
Don’t . His mind threw up a red flag. This isn’t how it’s supposed to play out .
Well, damn his best-laid plans. He wanted Ellie with ferocious desire that threatened his sanity. And his health, he argued, since his heart raced painfully in his chest every time she came near him.
Logic battled back. W ill this make her need you again? Or will you end up needing her?
“Shit,” he cursed under his breath.
Carter would try desperately to hold off making love to Ellie. But his resistance was obscenely thin.
If she made a move on him, he knew he’d take it to the next level in a heartbeat. That didn’t mean he needed her. He just wanted her. So badly he could barely see straight.
“Ready,” her cheerful voice said be
hind him.
“Great,” he replied without enthusiasm. Let’s get the agony over with .
She patted his shoulder as she struck out toward the stables. “It won’t be that bad. I promise.”
The logistics of two riders taking the same horse took a few minutes to figure out. They settled on an extra-large saddle, one set of stirrups and the largest horse in the stables.
Ellie rubbed and kissed the downy nose of their chosen ride. “Bunny will do the job, right old girl?”
“Bunny.” Carter dropped the reins. “I’m riding a horse named Bunny. That runs completely against my manhood.”
She grinned. “Just kidding. It’s Buck. Bunny is his sister, but she’s pregnant and I don’t want to tax her.”
“You keep two horses in the stable?” That wasn’t so bad.
“Fourteen,” she corrected.
Carter nearly choked. The expense had to be astronomical. “If you’re cleaning bathrooms in your own hotel, how can you afford to keep fifteen horses?”
She slanted him a look. “Most of them belong to the wealthy islanders with summer homes on El Dorado Island. They pay us to tend to them.”
The deal was sweetening. “Where are the rest?”
“As I’ll show you, horseback riding is a huge attraction for our guests. Of the six that belong to us, four horses are being ridden as we speak. Two couples staying at The Montgomery are out gallivanting along the countryside.”
“How much do you charge?”
“Enough to pay for the horses’ upkeep.”
He crossed his arms. “But no profit.”
“No,” she admitted defensively, “but it’s part of the island experience. Without them, we’d—”
“Have enough to pay a maid.” He returned Ellie’s sharp gaze. “Let’s get on with this tour.”
In one swift move he hoisted her onto the saddle then joined her. The saddle’s design allowed no room between them. Her backside settled against his groin. He grunted. They both held the reins as they guided the horse out of the stables and onto a nearby path.
Buck trotted at a gentle pace causing their bodies to rub together far too intimately. He fought to concentrate on her description of the island’s history, such as the orchard they trotted through that belonged to The Montgomery’s original owner when it was the homestead for a mini plantation. Much of the history he knew, other information was a surprise.
They cruised through the marshy wetlands to the southwest, and he strove to focus on her explanation of the unique birds of that area. A well-camouflaged Blue Heron suddenly took flight from the reeds beside them. The movement distracted him, offering a momentary reprieve from the constant torture of sexual repression.
“Did you ever notice Herons nest in trees?” she asked. “You wouldn’t think,” she continued, “considering their long legs and the amount of time they spend in the water hunting.”
She pointed to a copse of Live Oaks with Spanish moss draping from their branches, swaying lazily in the breeze. Home of the Heron. Great .
They exited the marshes, passed the hopper landing strip, and neared the eastern beachfront overlooking the vast Atlantic Ocean. Waves mimicked the rhythm he and Ellie made horseback riding, the ebb and flow much like making love. His hard length slid against her jeans, then retreated. Sliding, retreating. He was about to go out of his mind.
Suddenly Ellie grabbed his hand. “Look over there!” He followed where her other hand pointed. “A pair of Loggerhead Turtles. I’ve only seen a few here and there—never a mated pair. Do you know how amazing that is?”
At the word mated, Carter clenched his teeth. What he found amazing was own his restraint.
After ten more minutes of pretending to focus on her guided tour, most of which he already knew, he’d reached his limit. “Ellie.”
She tipped her head back, her lips lush and tempting and begging to be kissed. “What’s up?”
You can’t tell? His stiff cock throbbed against her backside. “We need to stop.”
She frowned. “So soon?”
“Trust me. I need to walk for a minute.”
“Motion sickness?”
I wish . He pulled up on the reins and the horse slowed. “I’ve reached my limit. In more ways than one,” he added, grimacing.
Her lips parted in a precocious smile, her white teeth sparkling. “That’s part of the fantasy, the allure of horseback riding. No boundaries.”
I’m about to make that a reality . His hands tightened on the reins to keep himself in check. “It’s not the horse, honey.”
“Just ahead there’s a lighthouse.”
“Is that a stop on the tour?”
“Hang in there a few more minutes, and I’ll give you a personal tour of the building. The view from the top is mesmerizing.”
Body aching with need, muscles on fire, his lust hit unbearable heights. “Make it fast.”
With a flick the reins, Ellie spurred Buck into a canter. Her tight ass slapped against his lap. Much more of this, and he’d explode.
“Now, Ellie,” he growled, tightening his arm around her waist.
She brought the horse to a halt beside the stone fence surrounding the lighthouse. “This is the best part of the tour.”
His skin itched. His cock throbbed. And his mind blistered under the heat of consuming passion.
The brisk November wind off the Atlantic did nothing to soothe his scorching need to be inside her. Carter concentrated on one thing—getting Ellie out of her clothes as soon as possible.
They dismounted and approached the lighthouse. After what felt like an eternity, Ellie found the right key on her loaded key ring and unlocked the lighthouse door. “You’ll love this.”
“Don’t I know,” he agreed under his breath.
The second she stepped inside, Carter caught her in his arms. He kicked the door shut, took her face in her hands and devoured her mouth.
“I want you,” he said against her lips. “Now.”
Chapter 6
Carter came on to her fast and hard. Ellie lost her bearings under his physical intensity. The base of the spiral staircase came up quickly behind her as he backed her into the lighthouse.
“Mmph!” she tried to warn. Shutting her eyes tight, she clung to him, awaiting impact against the thick metal post.
But Carter’s hands and arms cradled her, and when they hit the beam, he cushioned the impact. Their bodies collided, molding together.
She hadn’t expected such a raw, aggressive response to her flirtations. Yet she welcomed it, wanted it as fiercely as he claimed her.
And claim her, he did.
The movement of his mouth against hers, possessive and consuming, called to her deepest instincts. She scraped her nails along his scalp, neck, shoulders. Her hips beckoned the hard length grinding against her.
“Upstairs,” she said.
He shook his head. “Here. Now.”
Between his torrents of kisses down her neck toward her cleavage, she insisted, “I want to do this with a lighthouse view.”
A curse seethed between his teeth. “If I catch you on the way up, you’re mine. I’ll take you on the stairs if I have to.”
“I’ll be quick.”
“You better hope.”
Pulling away from his strong grasp, she dashed up the rickety spiral stairs. The structure vibrated as she advanced to the lighthouse tower.
“I’m coming for you.” His tone held a predatory warning.
To tantalize him, she shed an article of clothing every few feet as she lunged up the steps, enjoying his sexual pursuit. “Almost there.”
His shoes pounded the steps. “You think I’d let you get away from me again?”
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” she goaded.
“Believe it, baby. You’re mine.”
A shiver coursed through her at the fierceness of his claim. How long had she fantasized about Carter returning to the island, sweeping her off her feet, making love her like no
other man had?
“It looks like,” he said as he reached the landing and catching his breath, “you have nowhere left to run.”
Arching a provocative eyebrow, Ellie backed toward the control panel. The windows let in three-hundred-and-sixty degrees of light. She felt exposed, yet daring. “Who said I was running?”
He stalked toward her. “You’ll pay for this torment.”
“I can’t wait,” she breathed, right before his mouth crashed down on hers.
This reminded her of the other morning she came into his room and found him stepping out of the shower. She’d been too shell-shocked, unable to admit she wanted him to touch her, kiss her, make love to her right then. She wanted everything she missed in this man, the love of her life.
“Carter,” she pleaded as his teeth nipped her neck, “make this real.”
“You think it never was?”
“I’ve missed you.”
“Same.”
The whispered omission made her heart soar. Could they regain their passion, their connection, in an act that signified everything they once meant to each other?
“Let me...” His hand slid to her back, unfastening her bra.
When the garment fell away, she shifted his palm to cup one of her bare breasts.
Growling, he dove into her cleavage like a starved man who’d stumbled on a feast. He dragged his cheek along the outer curve of one breast, the heat from his mouth coating her skin with a veil of steam. He sucked the plump underside, before seizing her nipple between his teeth. He tugged. Ellie moaned at the acute sensation. Then his tongue swirled to sooth the sting.
Her hips moved rhythmically against his pelvis, her body aching for his. “Take me, Carter. Just like this.”
He paused, staring down at her with a feral gleam in his eyes. “This is my fantasy, my tour. I’ll take you however I want.” Carter spun her around to face the glass windows circling the tower. The scent of sea salt mingled with their erotic aroma. He unfastened her jeans and shucked them down to her ankles. “Think you can handle it?”
She gripped the slim metal bar that cordoned off the control panel. “Give it to me.”
“That’s my girl.” His hands perused her naked skin from behind, as if he’d never get enough of the feel of her against his palms. He sent her a sultry stare in the reflection of the windows. Flicking her ear with his tongue, he growled, “I can’t wait to taste you.”
The Tycoon's Seductive Revenge Page 6
