“Kayla waltzes back into our lives after ten years, I want to know what she’s up to.”
“Maybe she’s not up to anything. Maybe she just wanted to do something nice. She told me she was sorry for everything, and I believe her.”
Ian’s startling blue eyes narrowed. “You talked to her? When?”
Lexi straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. “When I went to see her at the travel agency in Brandyville. We had lunch.”
“Lexi.”
“Ian,” she countered. “I wanted to thank her, and she wasn’t returning my phone calls. I think it’s time we all moved on, don’t you?”
Ian looked at her as if she had sprouted a horn in the middle of her forehead. “She hurt you. She hurt us. I’ll never allow that to happen again,” he said firmly.
“Neither will I, but I don’t think it will come to that. She’s ... different.”
Ian snorted.
“No, really. And for the record, I forgave both of you a long time ago.”
“Both of us?” Ian asked, his eyes widening in surprise.
“Yes. Kayla was wrong to do what she did, but you weren’t completely blameless.”
“How do you figure that?”
“You and Jake used her.”
Ian’s jaw clenched, and his eyes glowed. “We didn’t do anything she didn’t want us to do, Lexi.”
“I’m not saying you did. I’m just saying that maybe, just maybe, it meant more to her than she let on.” Lexi got up and straddled Ian’s lap, linking her arms around his neck. “You are kind of addicting, you know. I’d go to great lengths to keep you in my bed.” Lexi punctuated that statement with a light nibble on his ear.
She felt his strong hands flex around her waist, felt the hard proof of his arousal beneath her backside.
“You would, huh?” he asked, his voice growing husky.
“Absolutely.”
“How much time before you have to be at work?” He nuzzled her neck.
“About an hour.”
He growled softly, then raised his voice to be heard down the hall. “Kids, get a move on. You’re taking the bus today.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
“Ladies and gentlemen, the captain has turned off the fasten seat belt sign. You are now free to move around the cabin.”
Kayla sat back and closed her eyes. Was she crazy? Yeah, probably. Would a normal person risk everything on a feeling?
It had taken a few weeks, but she had gotten her affairs in order and had done everything she needed to do. She had quit her job and said goodbye to everyone at work, sold her car, and put her house on the market.
Her mother was still angry and might never talk to her again. That probably should have cut deeper than it did, but hey, she was her mother’s daughter, too. It was only natural she would put herself first, right?
Kayla knew she had made the right decision when the news story broke that Spencer had called off the engagement and stepped down as CEO of Dumas Industries. The media had had a field day with that. He hadn’t given a reason, but speculation abounded. Some said he had a drug problem and was going into rehab. Gambling and health issues were also raised as potential causes. Others hinted at a secret lover, one who had captured his heart. That was the one she was hoping for.
She only hoped she wasn’t too late.
The flight lasted forever. The ferryboat, an eternity. By the time the limo pulled through the gates, Kayla felt as if an entire lifetime had passed.
“Welcome back, Ms. O’Connell.”
“Thanks, Dominic. Do you know where I can find him?”
The man’s smile grew as he inclined his head toward the beach. “Shall I have your bags taken right to Mr. Dumas’ suite?”
Contacting Dominic and enlisting his help had been another gamble on her part, but she had wanted at least some assurance that this wasn’t going to blow up in her face. What if she had spent her savings only to arrive and discover he wasn’t here? Or, even worse, to find that Spencer had decided to forget her by sexing up someone else? Now that she had come to terms with things, she was feeling pretty possessive about Spencer Dumas and his magical unicorn dick.
Fortunately, Dominic turned out to be a great ally. He assured her that Spencer had not moved on, and strongly encouraged her to see her plan through, confiding that “Mr. Dumas just hasn’t been himself since he returned.”
“Positive thinking.” She smiled back. “I like that.” Her smile faded somewhat. “But maybe it would be better to leave them here by the desk, just in case I have to leave in a hurry.” Her whole life was now contained in those three pieces of luggage. In the event she was wrong and Spencer ended up kicking her to the curb, she couldn’t afford to leave without them.
She walked out onto the beach, spotting the lone figure on the far end, staring out at the ocean. Her heart found a familiar rhythm at the sight of him. Even from far away and facing the other direction, the man just did it for her.
“Mr. Dumas?”
When he turned, her heart thumped wildly. His shirt was unbuttoned, showing his tanned, toned chest and abs. His hair was longer than it had been. Wilder. Sexier. She couldn’t see his eyes from behind the reflective sunglasses, but she could feel his gaze.
She attempted a smile.
After an endless pause, he turned his back to her and shoved his hands into his pockets.
Her heart dropped.
“I thought part of the agreement was you never saw me again,” he said, his voice as flat as she had ever heard it.
“It was, if I had taken it.”
He laughed, but it was a hollow sound. “Am I supposed to believe you walked away from five million? What was it you said to me once? Oh yeah, yank someone else’s chain. I’m not buying it.”
She stepped closer. “It was seven million, actually. Your father upped the pot when I tore up the first contract.”
“Even better,” he said, his voice as cold as she had ever heard it. “I underestimated your negotiating skills. Is this part of the bargain, too? You came to see me long enough to laugh in my face and tell me what a sucker I am?”
Kayla’s heart ached. “No,” she said, drawing from the same courage that had gotten her this far. “I’m actually here about a job.”
“A job?”
She had reached his side. Rather than looking at him, she, too, stared out at the sun setting over the horizon. “Yeah. I hear you’re looking for a new PR director, and as it turns out, Brandyville wasn’t really working for me, you know?”
In her peripheral vision, she saw him look toward her. She kept her eyes forward.
“Yeah? Why is that?” Some of the chill had left his voice. He was still suspicious, she could tell, but at least he was listening.
She shrugged. “Same old story. A guy.”
“A guy, huh?”
“Yeah. He swept me off my feet, then just disappeared.”
Long seconds passed with only the soft laps of waves and the occasional caw of some tropical bird interrupting the silence between them. She waited, holding her breath. Either he would accept what she said or he wouldn’t, but she was giving it her best shot.
“Maybe he thought you weren’t interested. That you got a better offer.”
Kayla discreetly released her breath. “Maybe. He wouldn’t be the first. But I thought he was smarter than that, you know?” She shrugged. “I thought that maybe, when he looked at me, he saw something no one else had.”
“He sounds like a dumbass.”
“Close. He’s a Du-mas.”
He chuckled at that.
“It’s a real shame, too, because I left everything behind on the hopes that he might be willing to give it another chance.”
“Everything, huh?”
“Yep. Quit my job. Put my house on the market. Used practically all my savings for airfare and a week’s worth of accommodations to try talking some sense into him.”
“Risky. What if he’s not willing to listen?”<
br />
“Then I’m shit out of luck, I guess. But, at least I know I gave it my best shot.”
He moved so fast. One second they were standing side by side with miles of space between them, and the next, he had gathered her in his arms and crushed his mouth to hers.
“You’re a fool,” he whispered.
“So everyone keeps telling me.” She grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck. “So, how about it? Have you got a place for a fool here on your island?”
“That all depends. What are you willing to do?”
“Anything.”
“Anything?”
“Yeah. Did you miss the part about me being broke, unemployed, and homeless?”
“What about references? Got any?”
“No, just this.” She reached down into her pocket and extracted small bits of torn-up paper.
“What’s this?”
“That is what’s left of your father’s contract. I wasn’t sure you’d believe me.”
His eyes softened. “That’s a pretty solid reference. I think I might have the perfect position for you. Several positions, in fact.” He pulled her closer against him and ground his hips against the softness of her belly suggestively. “Are you game?”
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
Spencer gave her a wicked grin. “Yes, you are.” He swept her up into his arms, and she squealed as he carried her away from the resort.
“We’re not going to your suite?”
“No. I got something else in mind for you.” Spencer’s voice had gone low and husky, hitting the exact timbre that resonated through her most feminine parts.
He veered left, taking them on a narrow path through palm trees and tropical foliage. A few minutes later, they re-emerged onto pristine white sand.
Kayla looked out as he continued with purpose, her eyes widening. “Is that an overwater bungalow?”
“It is.” He smiled. “I’ll give you a complete tour ... later. Right now, I need to be inside you.”
A thrill went through her. He didn’t ask. He didn’t seduce. He just told her exactly what he wanted, and that was okay, because it was exactly what she wanted, too.
“Is this part of the interview process, Mr. Dumas?”
“Only for you, Ms. O’Connell.”
She barely got to process the gorgeous surroundings before Spencer stalked right into the bungalow and dropped her onto the bed. Despite his claim, he didn’t immediately start removing her clothes, or his. Instead, he held his body over hers and kissed her as if his life depended on it.
Spencer Dumas kissed like he did everything else—with complete focus, attention, and an intent to derive as much pleasure from it as possible. He was an excellent kisser.
“I missed you,” he whispered, resting his forehead against hers.
She believed him.
“I missed you, too.” She slipped her hand into his waistband and caressed his tight, sculpted behind. “Now, how about we get on with that job interview?”
Chapter Thirty-Six
He laughed, nipped her lip, then sat back on her thighs, drinking her in. A sense of lightness filled his chest, replacing the heaviness he had been carrying around for the past several weeks.
She was even more beautiful than the images he had been trying to erase from his mind. Her skin glowed with radiance, and her eyes darkened with desire and sparkled with mischief. Her words, the ones that said she had given up everything and come to him, were still floating around in his head. He would try to process those later. At that moment, he could barely think of anything beyond making her scream in ecstasy.
He unfastened the buttons of her light cotton blouse one at a time, slowly and with great anticipation. It was like unwrapping a gift. Hearing her breath hitch each time his fingers stroked her skin was an added bonus.
“Beautiful,” he murmured once he had peeled the sides apart and saw the pink satin trimmed in black lace. He traced the outline lightly, then replaced his fingertips with his mouth. She rewarded him by arching upward and scraping her nails against his scalp.
“Spencer?”
“Hmm?”
“Not that I don’t appreciate your thoroughness and attention to detail, but ... fuck me now, please.”
His already aroused cock went granite-hard. He was totally on board with that plan. There would be plenty of time to savor later. Now that he had her in his arms again, he wouldn’t be letting her go anytime soon.
He allowed her to push the shirt off his shoulders, then moved away enough to shuck his shorts. He had thought he was pretty quick, but she was quicker. By the time he kicked his foot free and sheathed himself, she was naked and waiting, spread out before him like a sumptuous buffet.
He took a moment, just a moment, to appreciate the view. His mouth watered for a taste, but his cock was more insistent.
Spencer placed himself between her legs. A quick glide of his fingers along her slick folds confirmed what he already knew.
Without further ado, he pushed into her, stopping only when his heavy, aching balls rested against her softness. He stayed there for a moment, reveling in the feel of her hands on his back and her heels digging into his ass.
This woman was pure magic, wrapping around his heart at the same time she wrapped around his cock.
“Mm, yes,” she moaned, her sheath squeezing as she grew accustomed to his girth. She flexed her fingers and rocked her hips impatiently in a not so-subtle hint. He eagerly obliged, moving with long, thorough strokes.
It wasn’t long before they were both crying out in bliss.
Spencer rolled to the side, trying to catch his breath.
“I’m so glad I came,” she said in a breathless whoosh of air.
In that moment, he looked deeply into her eyes and said the first thing on his mind. “What took you so long?”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“This is amazing,” Kayla commented, lying naked beside Spencer. The sky was dark, the gently lapping waves reflecting the moonlight.
The two of them were sprawled out on the private deck of the overwater bungalow, having taken the edge off their mutual lust. Kayla didn’t think she would ever get enough of Spencer’s creative and extremely satisfying lovemaking, but after several hours, she was temporarily content.
“Thanks,” he told her, looking genuinely pleased. “I stayed in one in Bora Bora once, and I’ve never forgotten it. This is just a prototype. It still needs some tweaks, but I’m hoping to build a few more and make it a viable option in the next year or so.”
She stretched out languidly, turning onto her side to look at him. He was a good-looking man under normal circumstances, but relaxed and sex-tousled in the silvery moonlight, he was gorgeous.
A strange and wonderful warmth coursed through her, and this time, it had nothing to do with lust.
“You’re pretty smart for a Du-mas,” she told him softly.
His expression grew almost tender. “I’m not that smart. I walked away from you.”
“Hey now, I walked away first.”
“That’s true; you did,” he agreed with a quirk of his lips. “But you’re here now.” Spencer turned onto his side, too, facing her. “Did you really give up everything?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t all that much. It wasn’t like I walked away from a CEO position at a Fortune 500 company and a family who has more money than the GNP of some small countries. Why did you do that?”
“The same reason you did, I imagine. I wasn’t happy. I wanted something more.”
“And now?”
He leaned over until his lips hovered just above hers. “And now,” he whispered, “I have everything.”
Epilogue
One Year Later...
“Lex, you gotta come see this,” Taryn said, poking her head into the kitchen.
Lexi looked up from the table where she had been helping Patrick with his homework. After school, her kids got off at the same bus stop Taryn’s kids did and hung out here with their dad
until she finished her workday at the Goddess.
“Stay here, guys. I’ll be right back.”
Lexi followed Taryn out into the bar area, which was surprisingly quiet, except for the flat screens broadcasting the local news. All eyes were peeled on the televisions, and when Lexi looked up, she saw why.
“Turn it up, Jake,” someone called.
Jake grabbed the remote, and soon, the reporter’s voice filled the bar.
“I’m here with Pine Ridge native and former CEO of Dumas Industries, Spencer Dumas, who has graciously agreed to an exclusive live interview via satellite from his private island in the Caribbean. Thanks for joining us, Mr. Dumas.”
Spencer smiled at the camera, looking every bit the playboy billionaire he was. “My pleasure, Gerry.”
“Mr. Dumas, your exclusive adults-only resort, Sate, garnered worldwide attention recently when international film star Kayden Cassidy credited another Northeastern Pennsylvania native, Kayla O’Connell, with saving his life. Can you tell us what happened?”
“I could”—he grinned—“but I think Kayden already covered that pretty thoroughly in his interview.”
“Ms. O’Connell is an employee of yours?”
“Yes, she is Director of Public Relations for Sate and my right hand. We couldn’t function without her.”
“Mr. Cassidy claims she was tending bar at the time, and that her quick response saved his life when he choked on an olive.”
“Ms. O’Connell enjoys getting behind the bar occasionally. She’s damn good at it, and the customers love her.” Spencer’s grin grew as he tugged Kayla next to him.
“Is that true, Ms. O’Connell?”
“I don’t know about that,” Kayla answered, laughing, “but I do love it. I learned everything I know about bartending, and a few other things”—she winked—“at Jake’s Irish Pub, where I worked for several years.”
A cheer went up from the bar patrons.
Two of a Kind: A Callaghan Family & Friends Romance Page 13
