by Donna Hill
As Essie left the shop, her mom’s gift in hand, she went in search of her car and driver, having decided she was set on having him take her to shop for fresh local food. Doing the tourist thing was a bore. She’d have more fun searching for ingredients.
Once they arrived at the roadside stalls, Essie was in heaven. So many fresh fruits and vegetables, not to mention fish. She knew that before going to the resort to meet Ross, they’d have to pick up a cooler or head back to the boat so the food wouldn’t spoil.
At one stall Essie was so engrossed in conversing with a local woman about the tripe stew she was making, she didn’t notice the tall man getting close to her until he was almost upon her.
“You like it spicy?” he asked, his leering tone letting her know he definitely wasn’t asking about the stew.
Essie looked around for her driver, but saw he wasn’t by the car. Shit. She pointedly ignored the man and paid the woman for two take-out bowls of her stew. As she tried to walk away and head across the road to the car, the man followed close. Too close.
“I asked you a question.”
Essie kept walking until his hand came out and he made a move to turn her back in his direction.
“What? You too fancy to answer me, miss—”
Almost simultaneously a dark figure came into Essie’s field of vision, and she saw Mr. Handsy crumble to the ground. He howled as his hands clutched his bleeding nose.
“I’m sorry it took me so long to get here.”
Essie looked up, her wide eyes meeting Ross’s own. “But I was supposed to be meeting you.”
He shrugged, unfazed by the man now on the ground, clutching his bleeding nose, and the gathering crowd. “And I’m here to meet you. I’m still sorry I took so long. You shouldn’t have had to deal with the likes of him.”
“What the hell, man?” Mr. Spicy said while attempting to right himself.
Ross looked down at the man. He had such a hard glint in his eyes, it almost made Essie back up. He stepped on the man’s outstretched fingers, causing him to writhe in pain. “Get up. I dare you. You need to watch who and whose you make a move on next time.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bill and dropped it on the man’s chest. “Consider yourself lucky I’m feeling so good right now. Go get yourself cleaned up and something to eat.” He took Essie by the hand and led her to the waiting car. It was then that she noticed the cars had been switched. Her driver was gone and it was his car and driver.
“Where has my driver gone?” Essie asked as she got inside.
“Back to the dock. He’s taken your other packages back to Serenity. Take us to the resort, please,” Ross said. The last bit was meant for their driver before Ross hit a switch and the partition between them and the driver rose.
The look Ross gave Essie was one of pure primal sex and energy; it had the next question dying on her lips, forgotten instantly. He reached for her, and instead of putting her hand in his, she was on him. On top and straddling and kissing him, hard and fast and wet. She wore an easy sundress, which let her thighs go wide, and left her deliciously exposed and open to him. She rubbed urgently against his hard erection, her feminine center feeling like it was on fire. And for the first time in her life, Essie wanted to strip off her clothes and see what it felt like to be taken hard and fast by a man she barely knew.
The feeling made her not recognize herself, and she felt slightly afraid of the person Ross was unleashing. She moved from his lips to lick at the side of his neck. Wanting to go further, with shaky hands, she undid the buttons on his shirt and was rewarded by the sight of his hard chest and dark nipples. Essie leaned down and nipped at the beautiful tight nubs.
Ross groaned and grabbed her thighs, pushing forward. His hardness and the zipper of his pants were roughly rubbing against her. One of his large hands moved to her breasts, and Essie moved back, pulling the straps of her dress down, along with her bra. It wasn’t elegant, and it wasn’t beautiful, but she didn’t care. He was elegant, and he was beautiful, and slightly rough, and aggressive, and she wanted him on her, in her, wherever, however, she could have him.
Thankfully, he obliged, drawing one of her nipples almost reverently into his mouth and licking it as if it were the most delicate of desserts. She felt him pulse beneath her, and breathed in deep as his hand went up her thigh and almost shakily reached under her dress to clutch at her behind. She could tell he was doing his best to hold on to his hairsbreadth of control.
“Why are you holding back, Ross?” she choked out, almost wanting to shake him as she saw his Adam’s apple bob.
He looked up, a bead of sweat popping out on his forehead as he put his head back. “Because I don’t want to let go with you. I don’t want to just take you in the back of one of my cars.”
Essie swallowed, torn between telling him taking her in the back of one of his cars was just what she wanted, and knowing it definitely wasn’t. She leaned down and kissed him gently. “Then take me to your bed, Ross Montgomery.”
* * *
Ross set Essie to rights as they pulled onto his resort’s grounds. She rolled down the window to catch her breath and take in the scenery—lush green and well-manicured grounds. They drove past a beautiful yellow main house that looked like it had maybe a hundred rooms, and off to the side of the main house were smaller villas. Around them were private balconies, and little golf carts sprinkled here and there.
Their car kept going, and when Ross caught her questioning look, he gave her a small smile. “We’re going right to my private villa. I thought it best we dine alone. I hope that’s all right.”
Essie blushed. “It’s fine, but maybe we should eat and then head back to the boat. I don’t want you to get off schedule.”
Ross leaned in close. “We can do whatever you want. I will work around you. If you want to stay here tonight, we stay here. If you want to go, we go.”
Essie looked at him as the car stopped. “I’d like to see your place here.”
* * *
Ross’s villa was so very him: minimalist, elegant, and sexy. Open concept with a large sitting area for entertaining and two bedrooms off to the side. The back of the villa was all floor-to-ceiling windows, which opened to a spectacular view of the fabled pink sand beach and had Essie gasping for breath. Out on the veranda, dinner was set with fresh seafood, sweets, champagne, and desserts.
“Ross, it’s gorgeous. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a beach so beautiful and all this food. We didn’t need my stew after all.” He came up behind her at the window and kissed the back of her neck, giving her a thrill that vibrated throughout her entire body.
“I think so, too. When I’m here, I can relax. Or, at least, my version of relaxing.”
Essie laughed at that.
“That part of the beach is mine and private. When we have more time, I’d love to bring you back here to swim with me.”
At his declaration she couldn’t help but feel a little sad.
“What is it?” he asked.
“That. You don’t have to make any sort of promise of anything beyond this trip. I know you can’t. That’s okay. Let’s enjoy now.”
Ross’s lips twisted, but he didn’t argue with her. “Don’t look so sad. CEOs don’t do sad.” She moved forward to kiss him. “Now I think there are more parts of this villa you can show me. I’d love to see the master suite. That is, if dinner will wait?”
At that, Ross picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. He gave her a light smack on her behind. “Oh, hell yeah, dinner will wait. If I have my way, it will wait until breakfast.”
“Hey, I don’t think this is the standard tour!” Essie kicked and giggled.
He laughed, low and deep in his throat. “It’s the way I do a tour. We’re not in the backseat anymore, Ms. Bradford.”
Chapter Fourteen
Despite the rough way he picked her up, Ross gently placed her down crossways on his large bed. He then pulled back, going to his knees to take off her slip-on shoes.
He came up and kissed her long and hard, leaving her almost gasping for breath, before he eased up, to start a sweet, almost torturous, trail down her body.
Essie thought he’d linger on her collarbone, her breasts maybe, which he teased with his thumb through her dress, but no. He skimmed those spots, going lower, down to her ankles, spending time kissing them, making an anklet of feathery kisses, then working his way until he was behind her knee. When he got a desired response from her, he’d lick and nibble some more. As he was licking behind her knee, and she was distracted by the newfound glory of that particular erogenous zone, Ross’s hand worked its way up to her most private spot, and he pulled her panties down as he brought his head higher.
With his first lick Essie thought she’d break apart. She was biting her lip and balling her fists tight so as not to come completely undone.
Ross was masterful. He licked and she rocked. He sucked and she rode. She was clenching and unclenching her hands until she grasped at his shoulders, letting go as she never had before. And when she finally reached her peak, with his name echoing as breathy gasps on her lips, Ross pulled back, tugging her dress over her head, taking her bra off, and giving her breast a last, long, gentle kiss.
“God, Essie, you are gorgeous,” he rasped out.
Her instinct was to cover up, as gooseflesh suddenly tickled over her body. But something in his hot, admiring gaze made her feel so incredibly beautiful, she could do no more but reach for him. Essie kissed Ross hard and passionately. Undoing his shirt and pulling it out of his pants.
“You have on way too many clothes, Mr. Montgomery.”
“You are so right there,” he said, breathing heavy.
As she freed him, Ross handed her a condom. Essie sucked in an anxious breath. He was glorious. But her awkwardness came out in her ineptitude with slipping on the condom, and she was thankful for Ross’s help. His hand steadied hers as he guided her in easing it down over his hardness.
His first thrust stole her breath away with its power; and when she came once again, looking into the depths of his midnight eyes, he kissed her, sealing their moment with an unspoken promise of the next week of more glorious lovemaking to come.
They spent the next few hours making love in every way and every place in his villa, the bed, the Jacuzzi, his large shower. Somewhere in between, dinner got eaten, and Ross even convinced Essie to take a mad naked dash from his villa to the beach and into the water. Or maybe it was the other way around. Essie laughed so much she couldn’t remember when she’d last enjoyed such a night. In fact, she knew she hadn’t.
Just before dawn she woke with Ross kissing her shoulder. “I’m sorry to wake you so early, but do you mind if we get going to the boat? The captain may have to push it to make it to Miami in time with the delay.”
Essie could feel his tension and didn’t want him to stress. She turned and kissed him lightly. “It’s fine. Just give me a minute to get ready.” She stroked at his hardness playfully. “And stop being so serious. Just because we’re back on the boat and I’ll have you back to your routine, you’ll still have me in your bed. There’s no way I’m giving this up before New York.”
Ross grinned and nipped at her shoulder again. “Whew. That’s a relief.”
* * *
When they arrived back on Serenity, Essie was shocked.
The boat, which had been decorated luxuriously, was now decked out for Christmas with lovely twinkling lights and sprigs of holly and evergreen. And there in the main parlor was a large undecorated Christmas tree. She turned to Ross with shimmering tears she wasn’t capable of hiding. “Ross, it’s beautiful, but why? How?”
“I couldn’t let you not have Christmas,” he said in a matter-of-fact way. “I thought while I was handling the contractor, I’d have the boys pick up a tree, festive the old girl up a bit. I had them save the tree decorating for you though.”
Essie grinned then looked at him with barely restrained hope. “Will you do it with me?”
Ross made a face. “It’s not my thing.”
Essie’s smile widened. “Well, let’s make it your thing. We’ll do it together. After dinner. Please. Decorating a Christmas tree is always better with friends. We’ll invite the crew.”
Ross shook his head, but something in his eyes lit. “Sure. Anything for that smile.”
* * *
Dinner was casual and shared with the crew, once they got under way again. Essie and Chef Scott collaborated on the meal. She was glad they had come to a mutual working relationship, though he was still a bit gruff around the edges. They casually dined on shrimp rolls, haddock, and spicy noodles, since Essie had quickly learned that Ross loved all things with either a touch of sweet or plenty of spice. Plus, a lovely blend of mixed vegetables. There was wine for everyone, and the captain joined them while Ethan took over his duties for a while on the bridge.
When Essie came in with dessert, homemade ice cream with dark chocolate mulled wine sauce, the captain stood and raised his glass in a toast. “To Ms. Bradford. Thank you for gracing us with your beauty and your talent. You are making this maiden voyage a sweet excursion.”
Ross grinned and stood, coming over to kiss Essie lightly on her cheek. But the crew would not be satisfied with that, and they cheerfully started to clink on their wineglasses with their tableware. “Kiss! Kiss!”
Essie gave them a wave of her hand. “You all are incorrigible! Thank you so much. You almost make me not miss New York and the holiday snow. Almost.”
But they would not be mollified. When Ross clinked his glass, too, she relented, taking Ross’s cheeks in both hands. For a moment she enjoyed the feel of his scruff and pulled him in for a big, sloppy kiss. The guys all cheered as she pulled back.
“Okay, enough with you all. Bring your desserts around the tree. Let’s get Christmas started!”
They all took turns adding the pretty gold and silver ornaments. The captain left early, letting Ethan come to take his place. When it was done and the rest of the crew left, Essie sat on the low couch as Ross turned down the lights and flipped the switch on the tree.
“It’s lovely,” she said as he put his arm around her and nuzzled her in close, kissing her behind her ear.
“Why is it I feel there’s a ‘but’ in there?” Ross asked.
“There is no ‘but.’ It is lovely. It’s just so elegant—more elegant than any tree I’ve ever had. Ours at home is jam-packed with mismatched ornaments. My mom made a point of buying or we made a new one every year. Maybe it’s something you could do with your daughter?”
But at the mention of the child, she saw Ross’s eyes go dark and cloud over. She knew instantly she’d made a mistake. Trying hard to bring the moment back, Essie spoke rapidly to cover the awkward moment. “My mom still buys me one, and I’m no spring chicken.”
Ross pulled back then quickly leaned forward, nipping at her lips teasingly. “Get out! You can’t be a day past twenty-two.”
Essie laughed as she rolled her eyes, glad to be back on sure footing. It was fun to sit with him and be playful for a while. “I won’t tell you how many years to add to that. But thanks again. I really do appreciate it. I know you weren’t into the holiday. I just think it should be shared with family and those you love. But this”—Essie paused—“this is really nice. But I didn’t mean to force it on you.”
He looked at her and ran a hand up and down her thigh. “You didn’t. No one forces anything on me.”
Essie snorted. “Now, that I believe!”
“I wanted to make you happy. With you missing your holiday with your mom,” he laughed then, “and the cold New York snow and all. You can’t really be missing that.”
She looked at him seriously. “I sure am. Who doesn’t dream of a white Christmas? You can’t be hardened to that. What’s Christmas without snow?”
Ross shook his head. “You really are a sweet traditionalist, Essie Bradford. I don’t know what you’re doing here in my arms. A man like me would ruin you.”
His last words were low and serious, and something about them made Essie’s heart stop for a moment with a deep fear of loss she knew she had no right to have.
“What are you talking about?”
“Nothing,” he said too quickly. “I guess I’m not used to any downtime. See what you did to me? Went and got me thinking.” He pulled her tighter to him. “And you got me thinking about things with my daughter, too. I don’t know.” He looked down then and let out a sigh. “I guess things need to change.”
She leaned in and kissed him. She didn’t want to see him sad, and she didn’t want to make this moment heavy. Soon enough they’d make it to Miami and before too long her assignment would be over.
Their kiss changed quickly from sweet to deep and passionate; and before long, Essie was breaking apart again, beside herself and feeling out of herself, all at the same time. She took a deep breath and then pushed up from Ross and the couch. She looked into his passion-darkened eyes and took him by the hand. “Your stateroom or mine?”
He stood. Tall and powerful, towering over her. “I’ll let you choose. I always want this to be your choice. Your terms, Essie.”
She smiled. “Yours, then. I want to try out all the beds you can offer me while on the trip, Mr. Montgomery.”
He grinned and gave a quick nod. “Then let’s go. What’s mine is yours, Ms. Bradford.”
* * *
When Serenity pulled into Miami’s Biscayne Bay, Essie steeled herself against her heavy heart. She and Ross had spent a blissful three days together on board, both in bed and out. Their days were unstructured and carefree, and their nights were spent making love in ways she’d only fantasized about.
She cooked for him, and he surprised her by spending quite a bit of time with her in the kitchen, learning what she hoped were lasting lessons about food choices and the benefits of cooking for himself. They also had a lot of fun in the gym, with her giving him the benefits of yoga and meditation, and him giving her the basics of kickboxing. More times than not, their sparring ending up with either Essie or Ross flat on their back, one pinned under the other.
