[Invitation to Eden 04.0] Hydrotherapy

by Suzanne Rock

  Caine shifted his gaze back up to meet hers. “I’m not offering pity.”

  “Oh?”

  He shook his head.

  “I don’t get it.”

  “I brought you here because I missed you, Jenna. I missed us.” He inched closer.

  Her breath hitched as she dropped her gaze to his lips. “You really hurt me, Caine.”

  “I know.”

  “How do you plan to set things right?”

  “For starters, I’ll try this.” Caine eased forward and caught her gasp, claiming her lips for his own.

  It had been so long since she had been kissed. Really kissed, not the sloppy fumbling she had experienced at the Ecstasy Spa. Caine tasted just as good as she remembered. There were so many nights she had dreamed of this moment. She thought that Caine had walked out of her life forever, but now he was here, with her, and his lips felt amazing pressed up against hers.

  Jenna knew she should push him away—the bastard stole her money, for crying out loud—but as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the sweet, masculine taste of the man before her, she realized she had felt so damn lonely without him. She missed the sound of his voice and the feel of his body next to hers. Ever since St. Lucia she had been doing everything on her own. Once, just once, she wanted to feel connected to someone, if only for a little while.

  Caine slipped his arms around her waist and tugged her against his long, hard body. Jenna gently bit his lower lip as she slid her fingers up the hard planes of his chest and threaded them through his hair. He made a low, throaty sound and bit her back, only harder. She shivered as the pain rushed through her body, fueling her need.

  Yes. She loved the biting, the pain. Back in Chicago, her job had forced her to hold back her more basic instincts. She existed for the pleasure of others, but never had any pleasure of her own unless it was by her own hand. The men she was with at the Ecstasy Spa had been submissive in every sense of the word. Their gentle, hesitant lovemaking made her want to scream. Here, with Caine, she knew things could be different. Wonderfully, beautifully different.

  The world around them faded away as he slid his hands down her sides and around to her backside. With a swift, hard tug, he pulled her against his erection, letting her know that the kiss was affecting him as much as it was affecting her.

  “More,” she whispered against his lips. Jenna loved it when he got forceful. It drove her wild. She caressed his tongue, falling deeper under his spell. When she had seen him in a suit, she wondered if his outward changes had transformed the man inside—the one she fell in love with in St. Lucia. It was good to see that at least some things didn’t change with time.

  Jenna closed her eyes as he squeezed her backside, letting her know just how much he wanted her. Despite her anger and disappointment, she wanted him too. Jenna whimpered as he lifted her off the ground. Instinctively, she wrapped her thighs around his trim waist as he moved into the shadows of the room. Suddenly the hard wall slammed into her back, stealing her breath. Before she could recover, Caine pushed his torso against hers, trapping her in his arms.

  “Yes,” she gasped. “More.”

  “God, Jenna.” Caine kissed a hot trail down her jaw and neck, claiming her with each press of his lips. Jenna tightened her arms around his neck as he sank his teeth into her shoulder. Pain, beautiful pain shot through her body, making her weak with need.

  He used the wall for leverage as he slid his hands up under the new sundress she had bought for her interview. He easily found her lacy thong and moved it away from her slit.

  “Caine, wait.”

  “God, Jenna, you’re so smooth.” He shifted back to her lips, kissing away her protest. The sound of a zipper opening seemed loud in such a quiet room. Within seconds he was at her opening.

  “Condom,” she gasped as she dug her nails into his back. God, he felt good, so good.

  He stiffened and stopped his movements.

  “What, what is it?” she asked.

  He slowly raised his head. “I don't have any.”

  His expression looked pained and helpless. Jenna closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall.

  Caine swore under his breath as he lowered his head onto her chest. In all of their wild nights, that one thing never wavered. Caine had always made sure they used protection. The fact that they both almost forgot only highlighted their desperate need.

  “Do you think we should be here?” a small, feminine voice rose up from the other end of the room. Caine gave Jenna’s ass one last squeeze, then silently let her down on the floor. He remained in front of her, shielding her view of the rest of the room.

  “Come on. Don’t be a fraidy-cat,” a deep, baritone responded. “If Vardalos didn’t want us here, then he would have locked the door.”

  Jenna tried to fix her disheveled hair and sundress as Caine adjusted his pants.

  “Who’s that?” she whispered.

  Caine leaned in close until she felt his warm breath rush against her ear. “No idea. Probably tourists.” He ran the tip of his tongue over the rim of her ear, causing her to shiver. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

  Jenna let Caine lead her through the exhibit and toward the back entrance. They kept to the edge of the room and stayed in the shadows.

  “Caine.” Jenna tugged on his hand, but he only tightened his grip and moved quicker. They moved out the back door, down the hall and back to the Oasis Spa.

  “Caine, wait.”

  He ignored her, and panic started to creep into her chest.

  “Caine, where are we going?”

  “I want to show you something.” Caine pulled her past the reception area, weaving amongst the fountain, chairs and wait staff as if they were late for an appointment. As they moved, people flashed them curious glances, but the harder Jenna tried to get Caine to slow down, the quicker he moved.

  “Caine, why can’t you tell me where we’re going?”

  “It’s a surprise.” He dragged her down an opposite hall from his office and into one of the side doors.

  As the large, pine door closed behind them, Jenna jerked her hand from his grasp and folded her arms. “What did you want to show me?”

  “This.”

  Jenna glanced around and noticed that they were in some sort of open massage area. The room was not a room at all, but a large deck overlooking the ocean. Oriental screens painted with the Eden flower sat at regular intervals and separated cushioned message tables. Each table had its own cart, and on each cart was a small vase painted with turtles and filled with fresh, tropical flowers. A faint floral aroma filled the air and caused her tense muscles to relax.

  “This is beautiful,” she whispered.

  Caine glanced around. “Yeah, it is.” He scratched his head. “This area opens in a few hours for the sunset massages.” He grabbed her hand. “But this wasn’t what I wanted to show you.”

  “No?”

  “Come here.”

  Jenna followed Caine onto the deck and looked out over the ocean. “It's beautiful.” And it was. The storm that threatened the island yesterday had passed, leaving behind a turquoise sky with large, cotton-candy clouds. Below them, people enjoyed themselves on the island's beach. Some suntanned, some played catch, and others bodysurfed in the waves. Farther down the beach, a small group looked to be starting a volleyball tournament.

  “Not that.” He slid his arm around her waist and turned her away from the crowd. “This.” He leaned in close and whispered in her ear. “See it?”

  Jenna’s skin tingled as she looked to where he had pointed. She saw a small group of rocks, jutting out into the water. “Yeah.”

  “If you go around that rock face, there’s a section of beach that's too rocky for most people to swim. There's a dock there. It's where I keep my boat.”

  “Your boat?” She turned to face him and found he was close—kissably close.

  He shifted his gaze to her mouth. “Yeah, Rex and I use it to go to the excavation site. We go
every morning before work.” He moistened his lips and dragged his gaze back up to her eyes. “I want you to come with us.”

  “I can't. I have to work.”

  He grinned. “I brought you here, remember?”

  “So I don’t have a job?”

  “Well, we could use the office help—”

  “Good.”

  He blinked, as if collecting himself. “But—”

  “I’ll start tomorrow.”

  “I—”

  “I do have the job, don’t I?”

  “If you want it, but—”

  “Then I’ll start tomorrow.”

  “Start the following day,” he said, slipping his arm away from her waist and putting some distance between them. “Come diving with me tomorrow.”

  “You mean you and Rex.” She shook her head. “No thanks. I’d rather work.”

  “You can start the day after. It’s really no big deal—”

  “It's a big deal to me.” She crossed her arms and reminded herself of what Caine did to her family. “Besides, I'm not sure I want to spend my morning with a couple of grifters.”

  He took a cautious step forward. “And I told you that I wanted to make it up to you.” He reached out and brushed his fingers over her bare arm, causing her skin to tingle. “Please. It would mean a lot to me.”

  Jenna considered him through narrowed lids. “I left a stable position in Chicago for this.”

  “I know.”

  “I need this job, Caine.”

  “For now.”

  “What does that mean?”

  He cleared his throat. “One morning, that's all I ask.” He slid his hand down and laced his fingers with hers. “I want you to see the site. It's gorgeous.”

  “I don't really care about searching for trinkets.”

  “I don't want to show you the artifacts, Jenna. I want to show you the wildlife.”

  “Wildlife?” She lowered her arms.

  “Turtles.” He squeezed her fingers as his eyes shone bright like a child on Christmas morning. “Lots and lots of turtles. Not as spectacular as St. Lucia, of course, but I think you'll like it nonetheless.”

  “Like the pictures I saw in the foyer?”

  “The foyer?”

  “The main hall to this building.” When Caine gave her a blank stare, she elaborated. “When I first walked into this castle, there was this room that had photographs of underwater creatures.”

  “Ah, yes.” He grinned. “Those are mine.”

  “Yours?”

  “Yes. Well, they belong to my boss, but I took them with my underwater camera at the excavation site.”

  She offered him a sly smile. “You were never that interested in marine life back in St. Lucia. What happened?”

  “People change,” he said, throwing her words back at her. “Will you come?”

  She considered him a moment before responding. Jenna couldn’t quite figure out his angle, but it had been a long time since she had been diving. Just thinking about putting gear on again made her skin tingle with excitement. “I never could resist a chance to see marine life.”

  “You'll love it. You'll see.”

  The door opened and Simone walked out onto the deck. “Oh, sorry.” She grinned as she dragged her gaze over both Caine and Jenna. “Am I interrupting something?”

  Jenna realized how close she was standing to Caine, and what it must look like. “No,” she said as she pulled away from his grasp. “We're just looking at the beach.”

  Simone glanced at Caine. “Pity. I always preferred to party in groups.”

  “What do you want, Simone?” Caine asked.

  Simone stared blankly at Caine. Jenna suspected that she was trying to raise her brows, but the Botox made it difficult. “I didn't know you were here. There's a client coming in an hour who's a real stickler for details.” She winked at Jenna. “I want to make sure everything’s perfect.”

  Caine looked as if he was going to say something, but Jenna cut him off. “I have to go anyway. It's been a long day and I need to rest if we’re going to get up early in the morning.”

  Caine studied her face for a moment before responding. “Okay.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Meet me down by the dock at six o’clock sharp. I’ll have everything ready.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  Simone stepped to the side, allowing Jenna to slip past her and out into the hall. “Be careful, Ms. Jenna,” she said as Jenna passed.

  “Excuse me?”

  Simone twisted her lips into a half-smile. “This island exists to fulfill people’s fantasies.”

  “Yeah, so?”

  “The lines between fantasy and reality often blur in a place like this.” Simone shrugged. “Sometimes, it can be hard to tell the difference between a truth and a lie.”

  Jenna opened her mouth to speak, but found she had nothing to say. Simone’s cryptic words twisted through her mind as she made her back to her room and unpacked.

  Sometimes, it can be hard to tell the difference between a truth and a lie. Jenna had been with Caine for less than twenty-four hours, and already they were falling into the old patterns from St. Lucia. Caine made it easy for her to forget the past eighteen months, but by falling into old habits would open her heart up once more. Caine had hurt both her and her family once. She couldn’t allow him to do it again.

  As Jenna went back to her room and filled the Jacuzzi, she tried to forget how good that kiss felt in the exhibit room, or how honest he sounded when he’d told her he had nothing to do with the disappearing money. He was a thief, plain and simple. She needed to remember that.

  Yet it was so hard to hold onto rational thoughts when he was around. Caine had seemed so sincere when he had told her he didn’t take her money. Jenna slid her leg up and hooked it on the side of the tub as she remembered how he had looked in his tailored business suit. It clung to him in all of the right places, accentuating his muscular body and tight ass.

  As Jenna sank her naked body into the warm water of the hot tub, she turned her thoughts away from the past and focused on the present. Warm water lapped against her skin, kissing her sensitive areas and pulling the tension from her muscles. With a sigh, she eased onto the side bench of the Jacuzzi and rested her head against the edge. Heaven.

  Caine was gorgeous and intense, and it was hard to resist him when all of that intensity was focused on her. She remembered what it felt like to be pressed up against the wall of the artifact room, and how Caine’s firm hips fit so well between her thighs. If only he was with her now, touching her, whispering into her ear. She grabbed her aching breasts and imagined it was his hands, not hers, that pinched the nipples.

  Moistening her lips, Jenna turned the lower half of her body toward the jet, sloshing the water up onto the sides of the tub. She positioned herself until the hot water pulsed between her legs, hitting her right where she needed him most. With a groan, she tugged on her nipples, imagining Caine’s fingers sliding through her slick folds. Desire flooded her veins, making her feel light-headed. She imagined him climbing on top of her body and sinking himself deep into her core…

  A low groan escaped her lips as she realized the jets weren't strong enough to alleviate her ache. How long had it been since she had been with a man? Too long. Even longer since she had been with one who was attentive to her needs. She righted her body and cradled her head against the cushioned edge. Jenna closed her eyes and pictured Caine with her, slowly moving through the turbulent water until he positioned himself between her legs. She still remembered his hungry gaze from the exhibit room, and how distraught he looked when he realized he didn't have a condom.

  Jenna grinned at the memory as she slid her hand in between her thighs. From experience, she knew right where to touch to provide the most stimulation. Need rose up through her system, entwining with her muscles and creating a sense of urgency. Jenna exchanged one finger for two, spreading them slightly so as to provide an extra stretch to her muscles. She groaned an
d pinched her nipple harder, wishing that it was Caine, not her, alleviating her ache.

  A little bit longer... Jenna was close, but for some reason couldn’t push herself over the edge. She needed more. She needed him.

  Repositioning her hand, Jenna tried pushing her clit as she moved her fingers in and out of her center. Again and again, she slid along her inner walls, trying to reach that extra sensitive spot inside her core. Come on...

  She thought of him there with her, touching her most intimate places. God, how she missed him. Caine was the only one who could make her feel alive. Jenna whimpered as she remembered running her fingers through his golden hair and digging her nails into his skin. He used to like it when she fought back. Her half-hearted protests would make him push harder, move faster.

  Jenna gasped and arched her back as her orgasm rushed through her body, numbing it to everything but pleasure. She moved her fingers, trying to make the moment last, but it was over almost before it began.

  Damn. Jena relaxed her body and slumped to the side of the bath. While her fingers were good for taking the edge off, they never really satisfied her. Just like those men in Chicago never really satisfied her. Nothing could compare to Caine.

  Jenna removed her fingers and let out a heavy sigh. Why did he have to be such an asshole? They had such a good thing going, and he had to ruin it by leaving with her money. If he had just been honest with her, things could have been so different. If he needed money, then she and her mother could have helped him with a loan or something. He didn’t need to steal, and he sure as hell didn’t need to break her heart.

  Sighing, Jenna got out of the Jacuzzi and turned off the jets. Perhaps a good night's sleep would help give her some perspective. She padded over to the cabinet and pulled out an oversized towel. As she wrapped it around her, something fell onto the floor. Frowning, Jenna bent over and picked it up.

  Condoms. She glanced back at the cabinet and saw that there was a neatly-stacked pile of condom boxes next to the tiles. Each box held various colors, flavors and sizes, but all of them were brand new and well within the expiration date.

  Grimacing, she glanced back at the Jacuzzi and wondered what kind of place provided condoms to their clients. Was this hotel like the Ecstasy Spa, and fulfilled guests' sexual fantasies? It was possible. Heck, even probable. It would be naive to think that Chicago was the first city to come up with such a concept.