by Peggy Hunter
* * * *
To say that Will was fuming was putting it mildly. Roxanne had left him tied to the bed, and not just that, he'd been covered in whipped cream. And if the situation wasn't bad enough, Blake walked into the room and almost split his gut laughing.
He hadn't been comfortable allowing her to call the shots. But this was his sweet Rockie. Who knew she could be so fucking vengeful? The one and only time he'd allowed a woman to take charge had blown up in his face. It was a mistake he'd never make again.
When he finished with her—and he knew he would—she'd be begging to submit to his every whim. No woman, not even Rockie, would get away with making him look the fool.
And holy fuck! The look on Blake's face when he walked into the hotel room and found him tied to the bed said it all. It had taken a lot of cajoling to get Blake to untie him.
When he was finally released, Will flew from the bed and quickly showered and dressed.
They traveled to the ground floor in silence. When the chime sang and the door opened, Will turned to Blake and offered a word of warning. “We'll never speak of this night again,” he said.
Blake's cheeks pinched as he attempted to keep a straight face. “Sure,” Blake agreed. “You know, it could have been a lot worse. Rockie might have sent hotel staff to her room to find you instead of me."
Will ignored the comment. “And you'll never repeat any of this to anyone."
Blake grinned. “Will Sheridan bested by Rockie Way. No one would believe me anyway."
Will's eyes narrowed, his blood boiled. “Rockie didn't best me. She trapped me."
"Of course.” Blake nodded as his face reddened and his eyes gleamed. The bastard was trying not to laugh. “She trapped you. Whatever you say."
"Good,” Will said as he started down the hall to the bar.
"Hey, Will,” Blake said. “Considering what Rockie did to you with the whipped cream and all—"
Will cut him off in midsentence. “I don't intend to say a word about the prank to Joanne.” The similarities between what she'd done to him and what she'd suffered six years ago were not lost on Will. It was as clear as a bell. But even if he'd been tempted to tell her the truth before, Rockie's stunt changed everything. He fully intended to exact his revenge and by God, it was going to be sweet!
* * * *
"You're a great dancer, Ms.Way."
"Thank you Cory. You're a good dancer, too,” Roxanne replied. After their third dance, she was ready to go back to her table. She spied several girls from her class watching them from the sidelines of the dance floor.
When a new song began, Cory gave her a hopeful look. “Wanna go again?"
Roxanne smiled and shook her head. “Three's my limit,” she told him. “Besides,” she nodded toward the girls watching them, “I think there are a few others who would love to dance with you."
Cory looked over his shoulder. His face flushed. “Geez, they won't leave me alone,” he complained.
"There's a good reason for that. You, Cory,” Roxanne said, “are a hunk."
The color in Cory's cheeks deepened.
Roxanne reached up and gripped his shoulders. “Cory, just ask one of them to dance.” When the kid opened his mouth to protest, she continued. “Just be yourself and you'll do just fine."
Cory nodded and turned to the table of waiting girls as Roxanne made her way back to her table. As she pushed through the crowded dance floor, she stopped dead in her tracks. Damn! Joanne was no longer alone; Will and Blake were sitting at the table with her.
Joanne was engrossed in a conversation with her husband as Will sat across from them with his back to her. Roxanne hadn't planned on facing Will again tonight. She hoped to tell Joanne what had happened and quickly escape the party before Will and Blake showed up.
Roxanne checked her watch. Blake had gone up to her hotel room just over half an hour ago. Will hadn't wasted a single minute getting down to the party.
All right, gather yourself and face the music!
Roxanne braced herself and started to walk toward the table. Her heart pounded in her chest. This was not going to be pretty.
Her feet halted. Wait! There was another option. Joanne and Blake were deep in conversation, Will's back was to the dance floor. She could slip away, run back to her room and bolt the door. There was no need for her to face Will at all.
The realization made her giddy with relief. Like a thief in the night, she pushed into the crowd around the hotel doors and made her escape. Once inside, she stopped to take a long breath and let it out slowly.
Dodged that bullet!
It wasn't until she reached the elevators that she realized she'd given Blake the keycard to her room. Shit! She was left with two choices, go back to the beach party or beg the hotel clerk to give her another key to her room.
That was a no-brainer. She quickly walked to the lobby.
The clerk greeted her with a smile. “Can I help you?"
"As a matter of fact, you can,” Roxanne said. “I lost the key to my room."
The clerk's face fell. “We always give two keys."
"Yes,” Roxanne said, “and the spare is safely tucked in my purse. And I'm afraid my purse is in my hotel room."
"Well, do you remember where you were this evening? We'll have to get the security staff to look for it."
Damn, this wasn't going to be as easy as she hoped. Best to go with a different strategy. Roxanne smiled, “God, did I say I lost it?” She ignored the clerk's frantic nod. “I meant that I asked my friend to hold it for me and now I can't find her."
The clerk's eyes narrowed in suspicion. “So you didn't lose your key, you lost the person holding the key for you?"
"Yes,” she said. “That's right."
"Do you have an I.D?"
Roxanne's heart sank even deeper. “Well no, my purse is in my hotel room."
"I'm sorry.” The bitch didn't look sorry at all. “I can't let you into any room in this hotel without proper identification.” The clerk lifted the phone and pressed a single number. “How about I call security to see if they can help you out?"
Roxanne backed away from the desk. “No, that won't be necessary. I think I'll see if I can find my friend."
"Security will be happy to help you locate your,” she emphasized the next word, “friend."
"That really won't be necessary,” Roxanne said as she turned on her heel and walked blindly into what felt like a brick wall. She stepped back as she gazed up at the huge man, his face drawn into a killer frown. “I take it you're with security."
"This woman was trying to get into one of the hotel rooms,” the clerk said from behind. “She claims to be a guest but doesn't have any identification."
The guard's frown deepened as his ham-like hand gripped Roxanne's forearm. “Come with me, ma'am."
"This is all a horrible mistake,” Roxanne cried as the guard propelled her away from the front desk.
Chapter 6
"Hi, guys!"
Will was engaged in an animated conversation with one of his history students when Rockie greeted them. He did a double take when he saw the security guard standing beside her. The man looked like he could cream a very pissed off Incredible Hulk.
Holy shit! Exactly what had Rockie been up to after she'd left him in her hotel room?
The guard nodded at the woman whose forearm he had a firm grip on. “We caught her trying to get into a hotel room."
"Hey,” Rockie said quickly, “I was at the front desk."
The guard nodded. “Asking for a key to get into a hotel room,” he said.
"Well don't make it sound like I was trying to break into a room."
The guard ignored her comment. “The lady says she knows you."
It would serve the bitch right to get pitched out on her ass. Since Joanne and Blake were somewhere on the crowded dance floor, it seemed his little Rockie had only him to rely on. How sweet was that?
He turned to the kid at the table. “We'll take th
is up another time, Ben.” When the kid left, Will turned his attention back to the pair standing at the table.
"Well, how ‘bout it?” the guard pressed. “Do you know this woman?"
Will hesitated. What to do? What to do?
"Come on, Will,” Rockie said impatiently. “Just tell the guy you know me."
"Roxanne!” Joanne cried as she and Blake came back to the table. “Where the hell have you been?"
Damn! So much for having fun with her situation.
The guard turned his attention to Joanne. “You know this woman?"
"Of course,” she said. “She's a fellow chaperone. Is there a problem?"
The guard released his grip on Rockie. “Not anymore."
Rockie rubbed her forearm gingerly as she took a seat at the table. She pierced him with an icy glare. “Thanks for the support,” she said sarcastically. “I thought that guy was going to chew me up and spit me out."
Will grinned. When he was through with her, the security guard was going to seem like an abandoned kitten on a rainy day! “Always glad to be of service,” he said.
He felt a measure of gratification when Rockie's face pinched in annoyance. He wanted to rattle her, to shake her up to the point where she'd beg him for mercy. He was just getting started.
"Where did you get to?” Joanne asked as she lifted what she claimed to be a club soda to her lips. Will was willing to bet there was a little more to the drink she tipped to her mouth. “Last I saw of you, Cory asked you to dance. You were gone forever."
Will waved the waitress over to their table. “Two more of whatever she's drinking,” he said. When the waitress nodded and whisked away, he turned his attention back to the women at the table.
"I danced with Cory for ages,” Rockie replied.
And then you tried to get away. Will chuckled inwardly. Even if she had managed to get into her hotel room without her key, he'd have caught up to her sooner or later. She could run, but she couldn't hide, not forever anyway.
"When we came off the dance floor, I had a terrible headache and decided to go back to my room.” Her eyes skittered to Will as if she expected him to voice his opinion. Will said nothing. “When I realized I didn't have my key, I went to the front desk and asked to be let in to my room."
Joanne frowned in concern. “I'm so sorry about your headache,” she said. “I hope you're feeling better now."
Oh, come on! Will wanted to retch at Rockie's innocent story.
"They wouldn't let you in?” Blake asked, clearly as snowed by Rockie's sob story as his wife was.
"No,” Rockie said. “In fact, the clerk called security.” She clasped her hands over her chest. “This huge man grabbed my arm and I thought my life was about to be snuffed out."
"The guy with you when we came back from the dance floor?” Joanne asked, clearly stricken by Rockie's story.
"Yes,” Rockie replied. “You have no idea just how terrified I was."
Enough!
Will jumped up from the table and grasped Rockie's hand. “We're all glad you survived,” he said through clenched teeth. “Let's dance."
"I'd really rather not,” she said. “I'm still shaken up by the entire incident."
Yeah, right! He ignored Rockie's protest as he propelled her to the dance floor. Blue eyes glared up at him as he pulled her against him, cradled one hand in his and planted his other on her back.
"You bastard,” she raged at him. “If Joanne hadn't come when she did, you'd have sent me off with that damn security guard."
Will chuckled as he looked down at her. So much for being terrified. Her cheeks glowed with anger as her eyes spit fire. “After what you pulled on me tonight, you deserved it."
"After what I pulled?” she spat back at him. “At least you got satisfaction before you were humiliated."
"Do you call that satisfaction? You left me tied to the bed and sent my friend up to find me."
"Count yourself lucky,” she said. “You didn't have a dozen of my college buddies ogling you. Imagine how you would have felt then."
"Apples and oranges,” Will said. “What happened to you was different."
"Oh really? How so?"
"You weren't tied up,” Will said. “You could have gotten up and left any time you wanted. I wasn't given that choice."
Rockie's back went stiff, her hand fell away from his as she stared up at him. “Are you saying what happened that night was my fault?"
Oh for fuck's sake! “Of course not,” he said. “I'm just saying you had a choice to stay or go and you chose to stay."
Rockie took a step back from him, her nostrils flared as her eyes turned ice blue. “I was waiting for you,” she said.
Uh oh! He suddenly had a vision of himself digging his own grave. He imagined a shovel delving into the soil; saw his foot pushing the blade as deep as it would go. “Well, yes, of course you were,” he said. “I was just saying that you weren't tied to the bed. You could have gotten up and walked out at any time.” He tossed the soil over his shoulder before the shovel sank deeper into the ground.
"You son of a bitch!"
He saw her hand rise and strike out as if in slow motion. The smack on his cheek seemed to echo in the music-filled air. It took a second or two for Will to actually feel the sting and to realize that Rockie had left the dance floor.
You handled that well, Sheridan.
Will smoothed his hand over his cheek. The little firebrand packed quite a wallop! Will smiled. His Rockie was quite the spitfire.
So be it. He'd give her a little breathing room for now. But he wasn't going to wait long.
Chapter 7
"I can't believe we only have two days left. This has been such a wonderful vacation,” Joanne said.
Roxanne nodded in agreement. The gentle spring breeze floated over them as the students in their charge frolicked in the ocean waves. “I must admit, the last couple days have been nice."
Joanne pulled the sunglasses off her face and looked at her. “You know, you can't avoid Will forever."
Just watch me! She'd done a pretty good job of it for the past two days. In just over forty-eight hours, they'd be winging their way home to Toronto. Will would be a distant memory—a passionate, hot, sweaty, melt-your panties-off memory, but distant all the same. “I've managed over the last couple days, haven't I?"
"Yes, you have,” Joanne conceded. “But I can't help feeling Will's making it easy for you. He's kept his distance, but I've seen the way he looks at you."
Roxanne shivered in spite of the warm breeze coasting over them. She'd been quite aware of Will's presence at functions over the past two days and was relieved that he'd kept his distance. She rose onto her elbows and looked at her friend. “You've seen him staring at me?"
Joanne chuckled. “Oh yeah,” she said as she replaced her sunglasses and raised her chin to the sun. “He looks like a hungry wolf stalking his prey."
Roxanne sat up straight. “That's ridiculous.” Surely if he'd been looking at her that way, she'd have noticed. Anytime she saw him, he'd been engaged with the teens, their eyes had never met, not even once. Still, her body warmed to the idea that Will hungered for her.
Joanne shrugged. “Whatever,” she said. “But mark my words, you aren't done with that man yet."
But she wanted to be done with him. She didn't want to face him. She wanted to spend the next two days in peace, and then leave without making contact with him again. She'd go home to take up where she left off, while he went back to Calgary. That's what she wanted.
Didn't she?
Didn't she?
Damn it! Even if she didn't, she wouldn't give in. She wouldn't be his whore! She wouldn't give him the opportunity to get anywhere near her again. She had more pride than that. She hated that she wanted him even more now than she did when she was in college.
No man was worth giving up her pride!
But oh, the thought of his touch made her melt. The memory of knowing him as he thrust inside her made h
er body sizzle with need. If she lived to be two hundred, she expected she'd never know another man like him.
There was only one man capable of taking her to the brink of sanity and his name was Will Sheridan.
Too bad the guy had to be the ultimate asshole. He'd learned nothing from the lesson she'd attempted to teach him. How sad was that?
Even sadder was the fact that Roxanne craved to see him, to touch him, to feel his body against her again.
* * * *
Will checked his clipboard as the students got off the bus. Twenty-five kids got on this morning to visit the wax museum and the same number got off. He slapped the clipboard into the hand of the waiting chaperone. “All accounted for. My job here is done,” he said. “They're all yours."
Will stood back and watched the kids enter the hotel. They only had two nights left at the resort. Soon they'd be headed home; spring break would be over for all of them.
He'd have to make his move before too much longer. He'd wanted to give Rockie some room but as the clock ticked away, he knew he'd have to do something soon. He hadn't forgotten that he wanted to repay her for the trick she'd played on him. But he'd learned long ago that revenge was a dish best served cold. He wanted Rockie to relax, to think nothing was going to happen before he pounced on her. And, like a tiger stalking his prey, he fully intended to make his kill.
He wasn't prepared for the smack between his shoulder blades. He winced and turned to see Blake standing beside him. “That was fun,” Blake said. “Who knew taking a bunch of teenagers to a wax museum would be that easy?"
"It was a breeze,” Will admitted. “We've got a good bunch of kids this spring."
Blake rubbed his hands together. “Best of all is that we've fulfilled our duties as chaperones for the day. It's up to the others to watch over them now. Let's hit the bar for a few stiff belts before dinner."
Will shook his head. “Thanks, but I'll pass.” He had other plans, ones that included his lovely Rockie.
