by Naomi Chase
The luxury resort where she was staying was romantic and secluded, and featured a lush tropical landscape. Fragrant bougainvillea and hibiscus bloomed everywhere, and towering coconut palms offered shade from the blistering Caribbean sun. The large suite she and Dominic were to share boasted a lavish decor and breathtaking ocean views.
When Tamia arrived that night, she ordered room service and dined outside on the terrace, wishing Brandon were there with her. She missed him terribly and would have given anything to turn back the clock to erase the events of the past six weeks. But she knew there was no point in wallowing in regret. All she could do was make the most of the situation and hope to God that her secrets were never exposed.
The next morning, she pampered herself with a massage at the resort’s luxury day spa. Her stocky, ebony-skinned masseur wasn’t the best-looking brotha on the island, but he had the most amazing hands.
“So tense,” he gently scolded as he kneaded her muscles, working out the stubborn kinks. “Whatsa beautiful woman like you gotta be worried foh?”
Tamia smiled ruefully.“You’d be surprised.”
As Etienne massaged her back and thighs, his strong, skilled fingers sent currents of electric sensation racing to her loins. By the time the session was over, her body was as relaxed and pliant as butter, humming pleasantly with sexual arousal.
Etienne gave her his card.“Come back and see me soon,” he told her with a wink that promised a workout between the sheets next time.
Tamia might have been tempted to take him up on the offer had she not been expecting Dominic later that evening.
After the relaxing massage, she decided to join a group of tourists headed to Buck Island for an afternoon of swimming and snorkeling. She’d never been to the Caribbean, and had traveled outside of Texas only for business trips. So she figured she’d take full advantage of this experience—especially since it was on someone else’s dime.
When the catamaran reached the palm-shaded cays that rimmed St. Croix’s fertile reef, Tamia and her fellow passengers donned their snorkeling gear and disembarked for a guided tour of an underwater world that was vibrantly alive with coral, angelfish, and brightly colored crustaceans. It was a fun, exhilarating adventure, one that Tamia knew she would never forget.
Back at the resort she showered, shampooed her hair, and changed into a slinky Juicy Couture sundress before heading down to the beachfront restaurant. At the waiter’s recommendation, she ordered a delicious meal of saltfish, conch, and fried plantain, along with soursop ice cream for dessert. She ate slowly, enjoying the beautiful scenery while she was serenaded by the rhythmic purr of steel drums.
The island men flirted shamelessly with her, addressing her as me darlin’ in their lilting cadences, offering to buy her drinks, and inquiring into the whereabouts of her man—aka da foolee—who’d been stupid enough to leave her alone that night. Tamia laughed and bantered easily with them, undeniably flattered by all the male attention. But there was only one Crucian whose cock she wanted to ride, and he couldn’t get there fast enough.
But three hours later, Dominic was a no-show.
He’d assured her that he had an early flight out of Houston, so he would arrive at the resort no later than six o’clock. But as time passed Tamia became worried, then aggravated. She checked her cell phone for missed calls. There were none. She called him three times, but he didn’t answer. She paced up and down the suite, taunted by the festive sounds of laughter and live calypso music emanating from a party on the beach.
She didn’t want to believe that Dominic would fly her all the way out to St. Croix and set her up in a five-star luxury resort—only to stand her up.
Something else must have happened, she told herself.
Something that would justify his lateness.
Something that would justify his failure to pick up the phone and call her.
By midnight, she’d gone through an entire bottle of Cruzan Rum and was sprawled across the bed in her underwear.
Unless Dominic’s plane had crashed and he was lying at the bottom of the fucking ocean, nothing would spare him the wrath of a mistress scorned.
Early the next afternoon she was sunbathing by the pool, the only activity she could handle while she nursed a slight hangover. Suddenly a shadow crossed her path, as though a dark cloud had passed over the sun.
She opened her eyes and glanced up.
Dominic stood over her lounge chair, his lazy gaze traveling the length of her bikini-clad body. He licked his lips and smiled at her.“Hey, sexy.”
She lowered her sunglasses and peered over the rims, skewering him with a look of pure, unadulterated disgust.
His expression turned sheepish.“Tamia—”
She sat up and stood so quickly that her head spun from too much Cruzan Rum.
When Dominic reached out for her, she slapped his hand away and snarled,“Don’t fucking touch me.”
She angrily wrapped her sarong around her thighs, snatched up her beach bag, and stomped off toward the hotel.
Dominic followed silently.
As soon as they reached the suite, she threw down her belongings and lit into his sorry ass.“You got some damn nerve showing up here talking about ‘Hey, sexy’ after the way you stood me up yesterday! You had me waiting up all night for you, not knowing whether you were dead or alive! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FUCKING MIND?”
He winced.“I know you’re upset—”
“Upset? Nigga, I’m waaay beyond upset! If I wanted to sit around all night waiting for some Negro to show up and fuck me, I could have kept my ass at Brandon’s place!” She jabbed an accusing finger at Dominic. “Where the hell were you last night?”
He scowled, thrusting his hands into the pockets of his linen slacks.“I was at my house in Frederiksted.”
Tamia frowned.“You spent the night there?”
He hesitated.“Yes.”
“Why? You knew I was over here waiting for you!”
“I know.” He stalked across the living area to the wet bar and poured himself a glass of Cruzan Rum. He gulped down half the contents, as if he needed liquid courage to utter what came out of his mouth next.“I was with my wife.”
Tamia stared at him, convinced that her ears were deceiving her.“Come again?”
“I was with Isabel,” he muttered into his glass. “I brought her to St. Croix with me.”
“You did WHAT?”Tamia exploded.
“I had no other choice! She was coming here anyway!”
That gave Tamia pause. “What the hell are you talking about?”
He drained his glass, then slammed it down on the bar counter. “She was planning to follow me here without my knowledge. She obviously suspected I’d be doing more than conducting business during this trip, so she wanted to catch me red-handed.”
Tamia was flabbergasted. “I don’t understand. I thought you said she was hosting a charity luncheon at your house this weekend.”
“I was mistaken.” His mouth twisted sardonically.“Appar-ently the luncheon is next weekend. I must have gotten the dates confused, but she never bothered to correct me because she was secretly planning to ambush me. When I confronted her on Friday night, she admitted everything.”
Tamia frowned, her eyes narrowing on his face.“How did you even know to confront her?”
He smirked.“A little birdie tipped me off.”
“Who?”
“Your boyfriend.”
The bottom dropped out of Tamia. Stunned, she stared at Dominic. “What are you saying?” she whispered. “Brandon knows we’re together?”
Dominic looked grim.“If he doesn’t know, he sure as hell suspects something. He showed up at my office on Friday afternoon claiming he’d just stopped by to say hello. I was in a meeting when he first got there, so he spoke to my receptionist. She told me afterward that he’d asked whether I was in the office, and when she told him I’d be available shortly, he wasn’t interested in waiting. He asked her whether I had any appointment
openings on Monday.” He paused, holding Tamia’s stricken gaze.“I think you can see where this is going.”
She nodded, feeling lightheaded. “If you were out of the office on Friday, he would have known you were meeting me somewhere. He asked your receptionist about Monday because that’s the same day I’m flying home.”
“Exactly.” Dominic splashed more rum into his glass.“Be-fore he left my office, he made a point of telling me how his sister and Isabel had gotten friendly at the mayor’s fund-raiser dinner, which is how he supposedly found out about the charity luncheon. But the thing is, when I mentioned his sister’s name to Isabel, she didn’t even remember meeting her, let alone inviting her to the luncheon.” Dominic frowned. “So how the hell did Brandon find out about it?”
They stared at each other, speculating, considering possibilities.
“He might have read about it in the newspaper or heard an announcement on the radio,”Tamia suggested. “Doesn’t your wife promote her charity events?”
“She does,” Dominic confirmed.
Tamia nodded briskly.“Then that’s how he found out.”
“Maybe.” Dominic eyed her over the rim of his glass.“Or maybe he tapped your cell phone.”
Chilled by the thought, Tamia dropped heavily into a rattan chair and massaged her throbbing temple.“God, I can’t believe this is happening. How the hell did I let you get me into this damn mess?”
Dominic sucked his teeth. “You’re not the only one with something to lose.”
Tamia glared at him.“Am I supposed to feel sorry for you? You’re the one who started all this shit. It would serve you right if your wife divorced your lying, cheating ass!”
He scowled.“I wasn’t talking about Isabel. Your boyfriend is tampering with my business, and I don’t appreciate it.”
Tamia frowned.“What the hell are you talking about?”
Dominic walked over and sat on the sofa adjacent to her. “Two weeks ago, my area research team located some land that would be the perfect site for the company’s new production plant. We submitted a bid and were practically assured that we’d get the property because there were no other comparable bids. But as I was leaving for the airport yesterday morning, I received a call informing me that we’d lost the bid to another buyer—some mysterious land developer who came out of nowhere.”
Tamia eyed him skeptically. “And you think Brandon was behind that?”
“I don’t think,” Dominic snapped.“I know.”
“How?”
“My attorney did some research on the developer, and it turns out that he’s one of the governor’s biggest campaign donors. Brandon’s father is the lieutenant governor. Get the connection? Or do I have to spell it out for you?”
Tamia bristled at his condescending tone. “I can’t believe you’re sitting over there pouting because Brandon used his connections to block your business deal. What the hell did you expect? You’re fucking his woman!”
Fury flashed in Dominic’s eyes. “So let him return the damn favor!”
Tamia sucked in a breath. “Are you saying that your company is more important than your wife?”
Dominic clenched his jaw. “What I’m saying is that business is business, pussy is pussy. If a man fucks my woman, I can find another one. But if he fucks with my livelihood, that could hinder my chances of even finding another good woman.”
Tamia stared at him contemptuously.“Are you serious?What kind of crazy rationale is that?”
“Is it crazy?” he challenged. “Tell me something, Tamia. Would you have considered my proposal if I were some bum off the street? Would you have sold your soul to be with Brandon if he weren’t a trust-fund baby?”
Tamia faltered, staring at him. She wished she could tell him he was dead wrong, but she knew he wasn’t.
He smiled, slow and mocking.“I didn’t think so. And Brandon understands the game as well as I do. Why do you think he’s more committed to making partner than marrying you?”
Heat stung Tamia’s face. His words had struck a raw nerve.
“I underestimated Brandon,” Dominic continued grimly. “I thought he was just a spoiled, pampered rich boy without a clue. But that nigga’s got some gangster in him. I’ll have to remember that in the future.”
Tamia shifted uncomfortably in her chair.“I honestly don’t think he blocked your business deal. He’s not vindictive like that.”
Dominic eyed her speculatively.“How well do you know Brandon?”
“Well enough,” she retorted. “We’ve been together nearly nine months.”
“Then what’s your excuse for underestimating him?”
Tamia frowned.“I’m not.”
“You must be if you can sit there and claim with a straight face that he’s not vindictive. Not only is he vindictive, he’s a damn good liar. That story he told about his sister and Isabel hitting it off at the fund-raiser dinner? He looked me right in the eye and lied so convincingly, I never doubted him for a second.” Dominic shook his head at her. “I made the mistake of underestimating him. You’d be a damn fool to do the same.”
Tamia was silent, pondering his words and trying not to think of what awaited her when she returned home. If Brandon was tapping her cell phone …
Dominic checked his watch.“Isabel went to visit her family , so she should be gone for several hours.” He looked meaningfully at Tamia.
She arched a brow at him.“Is there a reason you’re telling me that?”
“Of course. We have time to do what we came here to do.”
She snorted.“I don’t think so.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me, nigga. We ain’t doing shit!”
Dominic frowned. “What is this fuckery? Don’t tell me you’re still mad about yesterday!”
“What do you think?” she snapped.
“I already explained to you what happened.”
“And that’s supposed to make everything better? You stood me up, Dominic. Left me high and dry! The least you could have done was call to let me know what the hell was going on. But you didn’t!”
“I couldn’t! Isabel was watching me like a hawk the whole fucking day.”
“Whatever, nigga. All I know is that you promised we’d make love under a ‘breathtaking Crucian sunset,’ but when the sun went down last night, your ass was nowhere to be found. If you think you can just waltz up in here a day later and get some quick pussy, you’d better think again!”
Dominic scowled.“You’re being unreas—”
Abruptly she shot to her feet and started from the room.
“Where are you going?” he demanded.
“To take a shower and get dressed.” She spun around, hands on hips. “And then I’m catching a ferry into Chris-tiansted to do some shopping and sightseeing. I’m in need of some serious retail therapy, nigga, so you’d better get ready to pull out that platinum card!”
Dominic gave her a surly glance.“Do you really think it’s a good idea for you to come back with a suitcase full of souvenirs from St. Croix when you’re supposed to be in Virginia?”
She laughed.“Why do you think I’m having the packages shipped to my house? Brandon will never even see them.” She flashed a smug, triumphant smile.“See? I do know a thing or two about covering my tracks. Stick around—you might learn something.”
With that, she pivoted on her heel and strode haughtily from the room.
Chapter 29
Inside the luxurious marble bathroom, she stripped out of her bikini and twisted on the shower water faucet. When the room was filled with steam, she stepped into the glass stall and stood beneath the pounding spray, letting the heat melt the tension from her bones.
She should have locked the bathroom door.
She had her eyes closed, face upturned to the water, when she felt a cool draft across her skin. She whirled around, sputtering with angry protest.
But Dominic was already kneeling before her, his strong hands parting her thighs. When he
sucked her clit into his mouth, she cried out hoarsely. Fury and loathing warred with lust as his lips and tongue quickly went to work, licking the folds of her pussy, devouring the nectar that soon flowed out of her.
Moments later, she groaned and grabbed the back of his head as she shuddered and shook with orgasm.
Dominic stood up and leaned down, kissing her hard on the mouth as the hot spray cascaded down on them like a waterfall. He pushed her back against the marble wall, the cool tile on her skin contrasting with the heat of his body pressed against hers. As he palmed her ass cheeks and lifted her off the floor, she latched onto him like a four-legged octopus—arms wrapped around his neck, legs clamped around his waist.
She cried out with pleasure as he filled her with one deep, penetrating stroke.
Staring into her eyes, he began thrusting into her.“Thought you were gonna leave without giving up this pussy? Huh?”
“Shut up,” she panted,“and just fuck me.”
He did, his hips working feverishly as he pumped in and out of her, reminding her just why she kept coming back for more.
“I KNEW IT!”
The shrill, enraged scream cut through the grunts and groans bouncing around the glass shower stall. As if the water had suddenly turned frigid, Tamia and Dominic stiffened with shock and whipped their heads around in time to see Isabel charging across the spacious bathroom, her face suffused with rage.
“Oh, shit!” Dominic pulled out of Tamia so fast he nearly dropped her.
“I knew your lying, whoring ass would find your way over to this bitch!” Isabel shouted furiously above the roar of the shower spray.“That’s why I followed you!”
Dominic bravely stepped out of the stall, his dick still semi-erect and glistening from Tamia’s juices. “Now, baby, just calm down—”
“Don’t tell me to calm down after I just caught you and this whore fucking like animals!” Isabel swung at him, but Dominic deflected the blow and wrapped his arms around her, re-straining her like a straitjacket.
She leveled a wild, venomous glare at Tamia.“I told you to stay the fuck away from my husband!” she screamed. “I can’t believe you’d have the nerve to come here, on my home soil, and fuck my man right under my nose! Bitch, are you crazy? I will kill you dead!”
