Point of Seduction [Sunset Point] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Lori King

  The path ended, and the canopy of trees opened up in front of them to a one hundred and eighty degree view of the ocean. It was breathtaking.

  “Whoa!”

  The tinkle of Gaby’s laugh filled his ears. “Yeah, I figured that might be your reaction. I feel that way every time I see it. It’s pretty damn awesome. You remember I pointed out the make-out ledge on the cliffs yesterday, well now you can say you’ve seen it from both sides.”

  She led him down a smaller path that was carved into the stone of the cliff by thousands of feet over the years, and Michael found himself standing on a long narrow ledge. It stretched around along the curve of the cliff for about ten feet before disappearing around the corner, and it was only about six feet wide. The drop-off was pretty sharp, so whoever was using this as their lover’s meeting place clearly had no fear of heights. Peeking over the edge, he felt a shiver of apprehension run down his spine. Just below, the waves crashed onto huge pieces of the cliffs that had been carved into brutal car-sized boulders. A slip from up here wouldn’t end well.

  Turning back to view the ledge, he noted the various drawings on the rock wall indicating the couples who had found private moments here. He turned to her and narrowed his eyes. “Miss Gabriella Larkin, did you bring me here with expectations? I’ll have you know that I’m a proper gentleman. I don’t put out on the first date.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yeah right! No, I did not have any preconceived notions, Mr. Curtis. I only wanted to show you the sights of the island. This is one that nearly everyone who lives on the island has been to at least once.”

  “Damn. I was hoping you brought me up here to have your wicked way with me.” He sighed forlornly but smiled at her, and she giggled.

  “Next time maybe. I was thinking we could at least hang out up here and eat our picnic. The sun will set in about an hour though, so unless you have a flashlight in that backpack, we’ll have to eat quickly.”

  “Alas, no flashlights this time, but someday soon we’ll plan a night hike.” He settled on the ground at her side with their feet dangling over the edge of the cliff and began opening up the food he had fixed for them.

  They began to eat silently, content with the quiet of the night around them, and Michael was torn between staring at Gaby and staring at the beauty of the ocean in front of him. Off to the left there was a sailboat with a beautiful billowing white sail streaming toward the Dolphin Bay Marina, and he wondered if anyone had been on the ledge watching as they sailed by yesterday.

  “How far away from here is that cove you took us to yesterday?” he asked as he sipped at a bottle of water. Gaby’s cheeks darkened, and he knew she was remembering yesterday’s more intimate events when she answered.

  “By foot it’s quite a ways. Maybe a half a mile. Why?”

  “Between this spot and that spot, I’m beginning to wonder if Sunset Point was created by angels. It’s almost too perfect,” he said honestly, and he was rewarded with a brilliant smile from her.

  “It gets better. There are miles and miles of beaches, and you have to go see the resort on west end of the island soon. The Palace Resort and Spa is absolutely amazing, and it sits on the land that actually holds Sunset Point.” She leaned back to rest on her elbows, drawing her legs up from the ledge, looking relaxed and gorgeous.

  “You mean there really is a point in Sunset Point?”

  “Of course!” She laughed. “How do you think the island got its name? The land curves around Sunset Bay and ends in a point on the western side of the island. I haven’t been there since I was a little girl. I prefer this end of the island because it’s less developed.”

  “You know, you continue to amaze me.”

  She looked startled as she met his eyes, “Really? Why?”

  “You’re a blend of high-powered businesswoman, creative artist, and outdoorsy sexy. I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone like you before, Gaby. You’re pretty damn amazing.” He cocked his head as he looked her over. Her hair was pulled up in one of those hair-clip-thingies to get it off of her neck, her cheeks were flushed, and the shirt and jeans she wore were snug enough that he had the mental image that they were licking up the sides of her. The sun was just getting lower in the sky, and the orange-colored glow lit her up like it had the night before. Sunset was definitely a good time of the day for this woman.

  She paused for a few moments before speaking. “Thank you. You know, I think you’re the first man I’ve ever dated that has seen more than one side of me and honestly appreciated it.”

  “Then you’ve been dating the wrong kind of men,” he said with a grunt of derision.

  She snorted. “No shit! I figured that out a while ago.”

  They were silent for a few more minutes, when she surprised him by asking, “What does your tattoo stand for?”

  He shrugged and sighed heavily, thinking about how to word something that was so sentimental to him. “When I was in the Army, it didn’t seem like I was there fighting for anyone but myself and my brothers. Everyone back home seemed so far away, so separated from the reality that I was dealing with, that it was a shock to come back and realize that they were all living normal lives.”

  Michael paused to look at her and judge her reaction, and when she nodded at him to continue, he groaned. “I don’t want to sound like a girl, but I needed to have something to memorialize that time in my life, kind of brand it into more than just my psyche. I spent a lot of years following orders and risking my life. That kind of shit doesn’t just go away. It changes a man. So, I needed my body to reflect that change.”

  “Does the design represent something, or is it just about the ink on the skin?” she asked thoughtfully. Her head was resting on his shoulder as she listened to him talk, and he felt his heart warm at her question.

  “Smart girl. Yes, it represents something. The eagle is my idea of myself, trying to break free, while clutching the only thing I know. The flag.”

  Gaby tipped her head to look up at him with those chocolate-brown eyes that melted into his soul. “That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “Oh good grief, now you’re going to expect sentimental conversations about our feelings and shit, right?” he said, giving her a lighthearted squeeze around the shoulders. She giggled, but she tucked her head against his chest, in the curve of his arm, and stayed put.

  “Nah. In fact, I’ll explain the representation of my sentimental tattoo and then we better get going. When Quinn and I were little girls she used to come over to my house and we would play on the beach all day long. For hours we would play in the sand and surf, imagining a variety of scenarios, as little girls are wont to do. Our favorite game was pirates. One of us got to be the pirate, and the other had to be the damsel in distress.”

  “Had to be?”

  “Oh yes, had to be. We weren’t normal little girls in that sense. We both wanted to grow up into women who could handle themselves and not be reliant on a man, or men, whatever the case may be.”

  “Well it seems to be that you were pretty successful in that. Was Quinn?” he asked, and Gaby looked up at him with a small frown.

  “Yes, I think she was. She’s married, but she’s happy, so I suppose that’s her form of successful. Enough chat, we had better head back, or we’ll be feeling our way in the dark.”

  She jumped to her feet and began packing up their lunch into his backpack. Her jerky movements signaled to him that something was wrong, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He did, however, note that perhaps marriage was a conversation best left alone for a long while. It made his stomach twist and disappointment flooded him. He wanted to be her man, and surprisingly he wanted to be one of her three men. The idea of sharing her with his brothers was becoming more and more concrete in his head, and his heart was warming up to it. Whether or not she was, was what remained to be seen.

  Chapter 7

  Gaby managed to restrain herself from jumping Michael’s bones that night, but just barely. W
hen he had kissed her goodnight the fire in her blood seemed to rekindle and consume her. She found herself fantasizing about the three men constantly the next day. The way they looked at her, the way they touched her, it all seemed to be permanently singed into her brain. Each man had called her today individually to find out how she was and say hello, making her feel cared for and important.

  Michael told her again how much he enjoyed their date, while Austin asked her about her business, and Kendrick asked her about her friends. They really were honestly interested in her and her life, and she didn’t quite know how to handle it.

  When Austin showed up at her shop that evening at five fifty-five, she hadn’t been expecting him. He hadn’t said a word about coming, and she figured he would ask when he wanted her to go out with him.

  Seeing his beautiful smile and silver-gray eyes made her happier than she wanted to admit, though, and she returned his hello kiss enthusiastically.

  “Hey, love, I missed you.”

  “How can you have missed me? We just talked a couple of hours ago.”

  “Yeah, but I haven’t held you for two days, so I missed you. I thought we might go out tonight for a movie and dinner.” He looked so hopeful that she actually felt guilty.

  “I’m sorry, I had lunch with Quinn and Sebastian today, and we ate late. I doubt I’m hungry enough for dinner.” She almost groaned out loud when his face fell and then he frowned. The jealousy was evident in his eyes when they darkened a shade and narrowed.

  “Quinn and Sebastian?”

  She really did understand Austin’s reaction, so she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him while she answered. “Quinn is my best friend and Sebastian is one of her husbands. They own Mama Lupe’s. You probably saw her the other night. She was the one that was enormously pregnant.”

  He nodded and hugged her back gently. “I remember her. Shoulder-length dark hair, right? So, you said one of her husbands. Exactly how many does she have?”

  After a slight hesitation Gaby answered honestly, “Three. Emmanuel, Rolando, and Sebastian are brothers, and they were married right after high school. They also have two adorable little boys.”

  The grin that spread across his chiseled face was suspiciously arrogant and relieved as he held her against his chest and kissed her lips again. He surprised her by not acknowledging his gloating. Instead he asked her out again. “If you aren’t hungry for dinner, how about a cupcake? I saw the shop the other day when we were going through town, but I haven’t been in there yet.”

  Gaby nuzzled against his chest and breathed in his masculine scent deeply, letting it swamp her brain. She had the oddest urge to slid her hands up under his shirt and push it out of the way so that she could press her cheek against his bare skin. With yet another mental shake, she managed to answer him, “Yeah, I could do a cupcake. You’re in for a treat, stud, because Naughty Sprinkles has the absolute best cupcakes in the world. Liz Wyatt created all of the recipes herself, and now her daughter-in-law Sami runs it.”

  “Wyatt? Is she related to Chief Wyatt?”

  Gaby moved out of his arms reluctantly to start flipping the lights off in the shop and collect her purse. “Yeah, Old Man Wyatt is one of her husbands. She’s also married to Judge Jed Wyatt, and she happens to be the mayor of Sunset Point as well.”

  “Busy lady!”

  “Yes, she is. I’m surprised you haven’t met her yet. She tries to introduce herself to all of the new residents when they arrive.”

  “I think Jackson told us about her, but we’ve only been here a few days, and we’ve spent a good portion of it with you or at work,” he said with a wink. It was so unlike the shy, reserved man from two days ago that it was a little unnerving. Maybe her agreeing to date the three of them had relaxed him a little.

  They exited the shop together, and he took her keys from her to lock the door behind them. He dropped them in her open palm afterwards and then wrapped his arm around her waist. Naughty Sprinkles was directly across the park that occupied the center of town, so it only took them a couple of minutes to reach it.

  “Hey, Gaby!” Sami called as Austin held the door and they entered the small shop.

  Inside, the warm and inviting décor continued with two black–and-white striped walls. The two adjacent walls were a solid hot pink. Bright white crown molding made the walls pop. Cute round tables with café-style chairs sat haphazardly around, adorned with bright-green foliage and more of the same hot-pink flowers. Splashes of the lime green continued throughout, making the feel of the shop cheery and inviting. A menu of cakes hung at the far end of the shop, behind the counter. The font was a beautiful cursive, giving elegance to the already fabulous space.

  Gaby smiled brightly at the blonde behind the counter. “Hi Sami, how’s the cupcake biz?”

  Sami returned her smile. “Really good. This tourist season has been more profitable than other years. Who is this sexy stranger you brought with you, and is he planning on buying you a cupcake?”

  They all laughed as Austin introduced himself. “Austin Curtis, and I will absolutely be buying Gaby a cupcake.”

  “Nice to meet you, Austin. What will it be for you today, Gaby? Sex on the Beach or a Booty Call?”

  Gaby waited for half a second to respond so that she could watch Austin’s face. His reaction to Sami’s question was priceless as his eyes bugged out and his face went slightly pale. She started to laugh, and Sami snickered.

  “I suppose I should explain. Naughty Sprinkles is a very normal cupcake shop with very abnormal cupcake names. We have a new one that Liz just created that I think you will like, Gaby.” Sami was already moving behind the counter and pulling cupcakes out from behind the closed portion of the counter. She set a benign looking chocolate cupcake on a plate in front of them. Gaby laughed harder when she saw the cherry on top. “This little gem is called Whips and Chains Excite Me. It’s a dark chocolate cake with a whiskey cherry center. Would you like a taste?”

  Austin hesitated. “I think I’ll pass. Do you have plain old chocolate?”

  “Oh come on, Tex. You can step out on a limb for me.” Gaby picked up the sampling fork and cut a small bite off of the cupcake, making sure to get some of the chocolate frosting and cherry center in the bite. When she held it to his lips she had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop a gasp. The heat that filled his eyes at her offering had her pussy clenching.

  His full lips quirked up on one end, and he opened them just enough for the fork to slide in. A tremor went down Gaby’s spine as she watched his tongue run over his bottom lip, stealing the last little bit of chocolate frosting away.

  “Well?” she asked breathlessly. “How is it?”

  “Seductively sweet.” His answer wasn’t just for the cupcake and she knew it, but she forced a bright smile and turned back to Sami, who was watching with rapt curiosity.

  “I knew your cupcakes would win him over!”

  Sami grinned. “They always do. Now, here is the Booty Call cupcake. It’s a lush red velvet with cream cheese frosting.”

  Austin’s eyes darted over to Gaby and back to the cupcake. “Is that what I think it is?”

  Gaby leaned around his big shoulders to see what he was pointing out and smiled up at him. “Yep. That is one delicious candy ass.”

  Austin started to chuckle, which sent the ladies into laughter. Gaby had to admit that a cupcake with a tiny ass-shaped piece of candy on it wasn’t for everyone, but it was par for the course on Sunset Point.

  It took a few minutes, but they finally settled on which cupcakes they wanted, with Gaby taking home a Booty Call, and Austin selecting the Bacon and Beer, proclaiming that any combination of the two ingredients was perfect for him. With a final wave good-bye to Sami, they took their cupcakes outside for a walk on the beach.

  Austin watched Gaby lick the frosting from her fingers as they walked down the road towards the beach. Lewd visions from their sailboat excursion filled his brain, and just as quickly his cock filled with
blood. Reaching a frosting-coated finger out in front of her, he waited to see how she would react. When her hot mouth enveloped his digit, he nearly creamed in his jeans.

  “Fuck.” He groaned as his finger slid from between her lips. “Gaby, you have got the hottest mouth.”

  “Thank you…I think,” she said, laughing, and he admired the goddess that she became when she was smiling. Her long hair shimmered with copper and gold streaks, and her gorgeous brown eyes were wide with pleasure. Those sexy kissable lips of hers were curved up in a sinful smile that kept his balls tight and his stomach fluttering.

  She rose up on her toes to give him a quick kiss that tasted of red velvet and cream cheese frosting. Grinning down at her like a teenage boy, he wanted to scoop her up and carry her to his bed. How would she respond if he asked her to stay the night? A quick glimmer of guilt filled his chest. He was supposed to be on his best behavior with her until they had convinced her to give them an honest chance at a relationship.

  “Have you ever gone skinny-dipping?” she asked wickedly, and he had to fist his hands to keep from throwing her over his shoulder.

  “No, and we aren’t doing that tonight. The three of us guys agreed that we pushed you too far the other day. We want a fresh start, and that means no sex on our first dates. Are you okay with that?”

  The disappointment on her face was quickly covered by a smile of relief. “Yes, I think that’s one of the sweetest things I’ve heard in a long time. I appreciate the honesty. I wondered why Michael didn’t make a move last night. I was beginning to think he didn’t want to.”

  Austin couldn’t stop the loud laugh that burst from his throat. “Oh he wanted to, love, trust me.”

  “Good. As long as I know he wanted to, then I feel better.” She stared up at him with that seductive grin on her face. “Does that mean that you still want me, too?”