by ML Guida
He walked across the bar and held out his hand. “You came.”
She raised her eyebrow at his excited voice. She held up her finger. “One drink.”
Sergio sat near the bar and raised his beer. Chloe released a shaky breath and took Drake’s strong hand. He led her toward a chair at the bar.
“You look beautiful.” He winked.
She gestured toward her clothes. “Even wearing a t-shirt and jeans?”
He ran his hand down her arm. “Yeah, especially in jeans and a t-shirt.”
She stiffened.
He dropped his hand immediately. “I’m sorry. Did I offend you?”
“No.” She slid onto the bar stool. “Have you ordered?”
“Not yet. I was waiting for you. What would you like?”
“A Tecate would be great.” She looked over at Sergio to make sure he was still there. He’d kept to his word and had another beer in front of him.
Drake motioned toward the bartender and ordered two beers. He turned to Chloe. “So, how long have you been here?”
Chloe moistened her mouth. “About four months.”
“What made you come to Mexico?”
She tensed, thinking about the conference––the humiliation, the shame, the fear––but she said nothing of this. She lifted her beer. “How can you argue with paradise?”
“You can’t. It’s truly beautiful. A place where you can forget everything.” He took a sip of his beer.
“Are you trying to forget something?”
He put his beer down. “Aren’t we all?”
She twirled the brown bottle around in a circle. “You’re not just here for a vacation?”
“I’m here to let go of my anger.”
“Really?” She’d detected rage and heat bubbling below the surface, and she thought it wouldn’t take much for Drake to explode.
He smiled and gently clasped her hand. “Being with you makes me smile.”
Warmth spread through her. She searched his eyes and her instincts told her he was telling the truth. “You’re definitely the most intriguing man I’ve ever met.”
He released her. “Why is that?”
“I don’t know. Most men who came down here are looking for a good time.”
He lifted his eyebrow. “What makes you think that’s not what I want?”
She studied him. “I just get the feeling you’re looking for something else. What are you looking for?”
“A chance at redemption.”
She frowned. “Now, that’s a tall order.”
“You have no idea.”
He was becoming more and more mysterious. Unlike with Tom, her senses weren’t ringing. A mariachi band burst into song and people were headed to the dance floor, including Sergio.
Drake put his hand on her thigh, making her nerve endings tingle.
“Would you care to dance?”
Her stomach churned faster and faster. She bit her lip. “I’m not a good dancer.”
He put his hand on her lower back. “Don’t worry. I’m a good teacher.”
Sergio was on the floor and he caught her eye. He nodded, as if to reassure her.
Chloe hesitantly gave Drake her hand. He clasped it gently but firmly, and led her to the floor. He took both her hands and pulled her close to his chest. His heart pounded as hard as hers. He was at least two heads taller than her, and the power emitting from him told Chloe that he could easily break her in half.
Drake immediately took the lead and put his hand on her shoulder blade and held her hand. “Relax. I promise I won’t bite.”
She nodded, wishing he hadn’t used Tom’s infamous last words.
“Do you know how to do the two-step?”
“Of course.”
“Good.” His smile squelched her doubts. He easily moved her across the floor––quick, quick, slow, slow. A night breeze brushed over them and the singer sang, “Te amo.” The trumpet shouted, the guitar strummed, and the violin sizzled.
Drake spun her around and then glided her back in one easy step. She hadn’t danced for so long, and he was a masterful dancer. He looked down at her with appreciation in his eyes, and she was lost.
The fast-paced music changed to a slow love song. Drake pulled her close and locked his arms around her waist. Her stomach tensed. She thought about pushing him away, but she found herself clutching the back of his neck.
“You seem skittish,” he said.
“I…uh…um…”
He lowered his head and she pulled away.
“What? What are you doing?”
“I was going to kiss you, but you’re acting like I was going to bite you.”
She dropped her arms. “You needed to ask. The dance is over.”
He blinked and his mouth fell open as if he couldn’t believe she wasn’t falling all over him.
She hurried away, afraid he’d jump into a rage of anger.
“Chloe, wait.” His strong voice made her quicken her step.
She looked for Sergio but didn’t see him. Someone grabbed her arm and turned her around.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Instead of anger, there was concern in his eyes.
“I…I…have to leave.”
“Please, tell me what I did wrong.” Sadness echoed in his voice.
She swayed and rocked on her feet. “What?”
“I know I’m a big guy, but I wouldn’t hurt you. I like you and just want to get to know you. Will you give me another chance?”
“You mean you’re asking?”
He hung his head. “Yeah, I am.”
She studied him. Her pulse increased. Once again, she read his mind. He was telling the truth. She still couldn’t understand why she could read his thoughts. This was too damn weird. She needed to find out why.
“All right. Dinner. No dancing.”
He jerked his head and lifted his hands up. “Deal.” He motioned with his arm. “Shall we?”
“Yes,” she said slowly, hoping she wasn’t making another mistake.
A table vacated that was near Sergio. She pointed. “I want that table.”
“Okay.” He went over to the waiter who was cleaning off the dishes.
The waiter glanced over at her and winked. He was a good friend of Sergio’s. In a quick instant, they were seated.
“You’re not going to look at the menu.”
“I know everything here by heart. Remember I work here.”
He put the menu down. “So, what’s good?”
“Grilled octopus.”
“Grilled octopus, huh?” He rubbed the back of his neck.
She folded her hands and put them on the table. “Are you game?”
His eyebrows squished together. “Most people don’t like it?”
She shrugged. “Some people.”
“I’ll try it.” His eyes turned somber.
The waiter took their drink and dinner order and left.
A slow smile spread across his face. “What did you do before being a paddle board instructor?”
“I was a copy editor.”
“Was?”
“I needed a change,” she said quickly.
Her vision blurred. She grabbed a glass of water and swallowed back the misery bubbling up her throat. Every night she tried to write, but her will had been broken. After Tom telling the whole industry that she tore off her clothes and tried to seduce him, what publisher or agent would want to work with her?
“What’s wrong?” He clasped her hand.
She wiggled her hand free and crossed her arms under her breasts. “Nothing. I’m just tired,” she lied. “When I get overtired, I get weepy.”
The mariachi band broke out in another song and waiters hurried around them, carrying plates filled with aromatic dinners of guacamole, shrimp, steak, steaming vegetables, and fancy exotic drinks.
“This job wears you out?”
“Yes, but I like it.” Her phone beeped and she glanced down. A notice of her mortgage being due tomorrow made he
r tense. “Um, do you still want that private lesson? It’s a hundred dollars for a full day. Tomorrow’s the only day I have off this week.”
“Yeah, I would love it. Money’s no problem.” He leaned closer. “Did I tell you I have a big ego?”
“No, but I can see that.”
“I hate making a fool out of myself in front of everyone. Is there a private place we could go?”
“Actually, there is. I like to go there to get away.”
“Is it a private island?”
“No, it’s a rocky beach the resort owns, but hasn’t developed yet. There will be less prying eyes.”
The waiter came over with two more beers. He raised his bottle. “Tomorrow.”
She laughed. “Tomorrow, it is.”
And on Friday, she could pay her mortgage. Maybe life was looking up.
4
Drake sat back on the motorboat. Water sprayed over him, leaving a hint of salt on his lips. Warmth caressed his face, easing the turmoil inside him. Last night, he’d gotten on Earth’s internet to find out more about Chloe and suddenly, his world was turned upside down. A man named Tom Burrows, had posted naked pictures of Chloe.
Drake had paced back and forth all night, battling to control his dragon. He couldn’t get the image of Chloe, lying naked on a lounge chair. She was asleep, her hair covering half her face.
But it was definitely her.
He folded his arms across his tight chest. His nostrils flared. He took a deep breath, pushing back the anger ready to burst out and destroy.
Chloe glanced over her shoulder. “Don’t worry. It will be all right. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
He frowned. “What?”
“You look tense.”
“Just didn’t sleep last night.”
“I promise you’ll sleep tonight.” She slapped her ass. “I’ll work your butt off.”
He forced a smile. She went back to steering the boat. Her white blouse billowed in the wind. Underneath she had on a simple one-piece black bathing suit. But based on the damn pictures, he knew she had a black birth mark just below her right nipple and her bellybutton was pierced. The suit covered her bellybutton. His stomach hardened. Everyone in the world knew about her birth mark and bellybutton.
She was his mate, and he didn’t like sharing her with the whole world. If he could destroy the damn pictures, he would, but once on Earth’s internet, only the Fates could remove the sexy pictures that gave him a punishing hard-on.
He closed his eyes, trying to keep his dragon under control. All he wanted to do was rip apart the man who claimed Chloe had thrown herself at him. Burrows’s article said Chloe had not only tried to seduce him, but that she had tried to steal his notes for a book. He thought she was better than that. The Fates hadn’t said his mate was a manipulator and a thief.
Under Drake’s rule, she would never reveal herself again. Not unless she wanted to find herself locked up in a tower.
She shifted, and he noticed her brown sandals showed off pink toe nails. She had strong legs, and an amble ass that he could grip hard when he slammed his cock inside her. Her curly blue-black hair rustled behind her. She was the sexiest captain he’d ever seen.
Mine.
She belonged to him. No damn agent would ever see his mate naked again.
He ran his hand through his hair and gritted his teeth. He took deep breaths and leaned his head back, soaking up the sun. Birds soared in the air. He wished he could transform into a dragon. Flying always calmed his brewing anger, but he was on Earth, and strictly forbidden to unleash his dragon.
Something rubbed against his thigh. He glanced down. Colorful beach towels were rolled up into a nice bundle and had slid next to him. Two paddle boards were stacked neatly on top of each along with four paddles. Near the boards was a cooler. Chloe had said she’d packed water, beer, sandwiches, and fruit, but the last thing he wanted to do was eat.
Not after staying up all night surfing the internet, hunting for pictures of Chloe.
He really could care less about paddle boarding, but he needed a way to get her alone. Abducting her at the resort would lead to too many questions. In his bag, he had a can of ragon gas, which, unfortunately for her, would knock her out until he got her to his space ship. He’d landed and cloaked the vessel in a vacant lot next to the resort. If the resort had been on the main drag, he’d have had a devil of time landing his ship.
She glanced over her shoulder, her sunglasses hiding her beautiful silver eyes. “We’re almost there.”
“Can’t wait.”
She pulled the boat into a small cove that had long, black cliffs looming over a rocky beach. The water was calm and flat. She aimed for a wooden pier. No one was on the pebbly beach except for birds that hopped on one foot. Stairs were carved into one of the cliffs that led down to the beach, but no one was on it either. “Not a lot of people come here,” she said. “Because the beach isn’t as smooth as the others.”
This was going better than he had planned. “I can see that, but it’s beautiful.”
Chloe took off her shirt and folded it neatly on the captain’s chair. His mouth went dry as he caught a glimpse of her cleavage. Fates, she was exquisite.
She got out of the boat and hopped onto the pier. “I have to tie the boat.” She finished tying the rope and clasped her hands. “Ready for your lesson?”
“Yeah, I’m ready.” He should douse her right now with the gas, but it was a sunny day, and he wanted to enjoy his time with her before he totally pissed her off. Besides, the Fates told him to be gentle with her because she had a lot to overcome.
“Good.” She got back into the boat and picked up her paddle board. She tossed it into the water along with the two paddles. She jumped into the water. “Come on.”
“I’m coming, teacher.”
He tossed his paddle board and oar then dove into the water. Chloe’s legs pumped to keep her afloat, and he clenched his fists to keep from caressing her silky thighs.
He burst out of the water and grabbed hold of his board and oar.
Chloe easily swung her leg up and saddled her board. She held a paddle in each hand. “Get on your board.”
“Sure.” He easily imitated her.
“Wow, you did that easily.”
He shrugged. “I’m not a total klutz.”
“Now, let’s stand. The water’s flat here, so it should be easier for you to stand without having to worry about a wave crashing into you. Once you’re up, I’ll hand you a paddle.”
“Makes sense.”
“Watch me. First put one knee on the board, suck in your gut, and stand.” She did this in one fluid motion. “Now, you do it.”
Drake put one knee on the board, sucked in his gut, and stood. He smiled. “That’s wasn’t so hard.”
She frowned. “Keep sucking in your gut. You seem to be losing balance.”
“I don’t––” He wobbled and tried to correct himself. “Whoa.” The board wiggled, he flew off the side, and splashed into the warm water. He sucked in a bunch of salt water and kicked his way to the surface. He grabbed the board and hacked up half his lungs.
“Are you okay?”
“Do…I look okay?” he growled.
She scowled. “Geez, you don’t have to get so mad. I was just asking.” Her voice scalded with anger.
He winced. “No, it’s my fault. I just hate making a fool of myself.”
“You’re not making a fool of yourself. You’re a beginner.”
He rolled his eyes.
“And soon you’ll be a pro at this.” Her voice softened and she winked. She gestured with her arm. “Now, try again.”
He grinned and shook his head. He leapt up on the board and concentrated. He sucked in his core, then put one knee down on the unstable board. He shifted his weight, which made the board stable. Very slowly, he knelt on one knee and then stood.
“Good job.”
Her encouragement made him more determined. He positioned his
weight evenly and the board stilled.
“Now, you’re getting the hang of it. The next step is to move.” She handed him his paddle, while still holding her own. “Alternate from side-to-side nice and slow.” She was steady in her movement and made it look so easy.
But he knew different. It was far from being easy.
He stuck the oar on the starboard side and then alternated to the port side.
“Good, slow strokes.” She paddled in front of him. The sun glistened off her moist skin and her ponytail swayed as she moved.
Fates, she was becoming more and more tempting. He wanted her. He wanted to possess her. His stomach growled, and he wasn’t sure it was from hunger. His dragon was tired of waiting.
He gripped the oar tighter, trying to get a grip on his emotions. But the image of her being naked for the whole world to see popped into his head. A pounding erupted in his ears. His vision clouded. Adrenaline rushed through him. All he wanted to do was break Tom Burrow’s thick neck.
Suddenly, the plastic snapped in his hands. He wobbled and fell off to the side, splashing into the water.
Chloe paddled over to him. Her face had turned ashen. She frowned. “Did you just break the oar in half?” Uneasiness crept into her low voice.
Crap, he must have scared her. He couldn’t see her eyes behind those sunglasses, but he bet they were huge.
“I started to slip and didn’t want to fall,” he lied. He clasped the board, dangling his arms over the side. “Sometimes I don’t know my own strength.”
“Apparently not.” She sighed. “Well, you can’t paddle board without a paddle. We’ll have go back and get another one.”
“I could borrow yours.”
“No, I think it’s best we go back.” She looked nervously around as if she were going to ask for help.
Time’s up. Forget the beautiful day.
She paddled quickly over to the boat and climbed inside. He climbed in behind her and carefully lifted the board and laid it next to hers.
Her hands were on the wheel, but he could see they were shaking. “Could you untie the bowline?”
