“Arms by your side,” I demanded.
She dropped her hands to her side and haughtily raised her chin.
“Ah.” I brushed a fingertip along her folds and then held my fingers out for her to see that they were soaked from her pussy. “Evidence of just how much you enjoyed my cock.”
She shot me a proud look.
Again, I trailed my fingertips along her and eased her apart to fully reveal her. “Steel yourself, Ms. Wren. If you continue to be a good girl there’ll be plenty more of this happening to your pussy in the future.”
She looked straight ahead as though trying to hide her mortification at being so wet for me.
I let her go and pushed myself to my feet. “Change your underwear. Then get dressed. Meet me downstairs.”
Turning away from her, suppressing a smile, I headed out and down the hallway, relishing how I’d felt a crackle of electricity in the air between us. Playing with Raquel was becoming my new favorite sport. Bringing my fingers to my mouth to taste her sweetness, I savored her all over again.
For twenty minutes, I sat on the couch with my gaze locked on the winding staircase in anticipation of Raquel walking down it.
Soon, she appeared wearing her skinny jeans, a white shirt and flat shoes. Her hair hung loose and lovely around her shoulders and delicate bracelets dangled from her wrists. She descended the staircase slowly as though needing time to gauge my reaction, and then stood in the middle of the lounge with her expression full of anticipation.
I gave her a triumphant smile to warn her I was still in charge.
“Is this okay?” She glanced down at herself.
“You’ll need a sweater.”
“Where are we going?” she asked breathlessly.
I stood and walked over to join her. “On an adventure.”
AS ASTOR DROVE US UP the coast in his Range Rover, I constantly stole glances at his gorgeous profile.
I had been destined to spend another night alone sleeping on the floor of my shop, and this was so far from what I imagined my Sunday was going to look like. I had not expected to be whisked off to South Beach and spoiled by this man who kept throwing me dazzling grins.
I soaked up the sunshine while the fresh ocean breeze blasted my face. The astounding views of wide open spaces never failed to inspire me.
Gripping the armrest, I sat forward with excitement when we passed a sign: MARINE SANCTUARY OF SOUTH BEACH.
Astor parked the car and killed the engine. “Ready?”
“Can we go in?”
“That’s why we’re here.”
A rush of excitement made me squeal with happiness.
He reached out and twirled a strand of my hair between his thumb and forefinger. “Already having fun?”
I grinned. “Yes, thank you.”
It was easy to admire the beauty of him, the masculine yet elegant way he climbed out of the Range Rover and rounded the front. He opened my door and offered me his hand. I didn’t want to break this spell, didn’t want to think of why or how our circumstances had brought us together…or how they may rip our friendship apart. I just wanted to appreciate the here and now and savor this day.
He helped me out of the car, his chest almost brushing mine as I slid down, my feet finding the gravel, my head tilting up to look into his kind hazel eyes.
Astor leaned in. “This is a very special place.”
“I feel it.”
I closed my eyes as his lips touched mine. I could have been anywhere in that moment, all I knew was him…the confidence of a man who made me feel truly alive.
“I haven’t taken a day off in months,” he admitted. “You’re good for me, Raquel Wren.” He slipped his sunglasses over his eyes.
We walked the short distance across the gravel to a dome-shaped building that rested on the water’s edge.
Astor pointed to the vastness of the structure. “This is a hospital for sick and injured marine life. It’s a great place for students to visit and learn about their environment. Many of the animals are released back into the wild, but some wouldn’t make it on their own so they house them here.” He opened the door and gestured for me to go ahead. “They don’t let tourists back here but my friend Garcia Rena is the senior marine biologist so we get access.”
The chill from a blast of air-conditioning hit my skin. “How did you meet him?”
“Charity gala. He’s a great guy.”
We made our way down a long hallway and the air became even chillier. The air-conditioning was apparently turned up to the max. I realized this was probably why Astor had told me to bring a sweater as I pulled it on.
No, way…
Up ahead the cutest penguin hopped toward us and I stood back to make way for him as he passed. I threw a big smile at the young woman in khakis following him closely, her grin as big as ours. Astor knelt to greet the little guy and the penguin hopped up close to him and then waddled off.
“How’s he doing?” asked Astor.
“Great,” she told him. “Are you looking for Garcia?”
On Astor’s nod she pointed. “In the tank. Ruben goes home today!”
“Good to hear,” Astor said. “I’m glad we got to say goodbye.”
Once we made it through another door, the pungent scent of fresh fish hit me. Beyond I saw a gigantic tank filled with water. Leaning over the tank was a thirty-something man wearing a wetsuit who was feeding an exuberant dolphin one fish at a time from a bucket.
He turned and looked down at us from his elevated height. “Hey, Astor.”
“Hey, Garcia,” he called up. “This is Raquel. She has a thing for dolphins.”
“Well, you’ve come to the right place.” Garcia beamed at me.
With my chest tingling with happiness, I approached the tank and rested my palms on the glass. The dolphin circled the entire space with what looked like glee. Being so close to this creature made my heart soar. “What’s his story?” I asked.
“A few weeks ago he was rescued by our team,” Garcia explained. “Ruben suffered some tail damage but we managed to save his fluke.”
“Thank goodness.” I was mesmerized by the breathtaking dolphin, which paused to peer through the glass at me, seemingly just as fascinated.
“We were feeding him every two hours for a while there,” said Garcia. “We nursed him back with nutrition and attention.”
“Will he be released?” I asked.
“Actually, today’s the day,” said Garcia. “His pod’s been spotted off the coast and we are prepping to take him out now.”
“How do you know it’s his pod?” I asked.
“We track the other dolphins in his family,” Garcia explained. “Several are tagged so we can monitor where they go.”
“You saved his life,” I said, amazed at this place and the good they were doing.
“These creatures are saving us,” said Garcia. “Without them we can’t survive. The eco system will be unbalanced.”
“Want to feed him?” asked Astor.
I flashed Garcia a look of hope. “Am I allowed?”
He laughed. “He might splash you.”
“I don’t care.”
Astor directed me where to wash my hands and within minutes I was standing on a ramp and leaning over the tank. The cutest dolphin was making clicking noises as though asking for fish.
“Will he be okay when you set him free?” I turned to ask.
Wiping his hands on a cloth, Garcia smiled. “We’ll track him. Ruben’s pretty resilient.”
“His future is bright because of this place,” said Astor.
I reached into the bucket and threw Ruben another fish. He swallowed it whole and made noises that sounded like chuckles.
“Do you think he knows he’s leaving?” I asked.
“Maybe. They’re very perceptive,” said Garcia. “He’s probably picking up on our anticipation.”
I climbed down and rejoined them.
Astor was staring at me. I sidled up to him and
whispered, “What?”
“Nothing,” he replied. “I was just enjoying watching you.”
“Feeding the fish?”
He shrugged and then whispered, “Being you.”
“I’m always me.” I headed over to the sink and washed my hands with soap and water.
Astor washed his hands beside me. “Usually you’re a lot more guarded.”
“I don’t think I am.” I threw the paper towel in the trash and then pressed a fingertip to Astor’s chest. “You’re guarded. Bit of projection going on there.”
Astor wrapped his hand around my finger and gave it a shake. “Point at me again and see what happens.”
“What will happen?”
“I’ll throw you into the shark tank.”
I glanced over at Garcia and called out, “Do you have sharks here?”
He looked surprised. “Not right now. Why?”
“Just wondering.” I narrowed my gaze on Astor, who smirked.
“I’ll throw you in with the penguins, then,” he said. “Let them peck you to death.”
“I’ll throw you in with the octopus,” I said, amused. “Let him sucker you to death.”
“I’ve already been sucked enough.” He shook his head. “In so very many ways.”
I slapped his arm.
Astor dodged me and we caught Garcia smiling our way.
We toured the state-of-the-art facility with Garcia escorting us, visiting a sea turtle rescued after it had been found in the harbor with a straw embedded in its nose, now removed. We also checked in with an incredibly cute wild otter that had been abandoned by its mother. Another highlight was seeing a manatee up close that had gotten tangled in some fishing net and ended up dehydrated. He’d be going home soon, too.
I loved watching the way Astor responded to the animals with compassion and patience, and the way he chatted with Garcia, asking smart questions about their care and progress.
Garcia left us to walk over and speak with the other staff members. Through the glass window we watched a marine assistant feeding fifty or so penguins that were hopping around.
“What?” Astor had sensed me staring.
It was hard not to admire that gorgeous face when he was distracted, and it had been nice to get an insight into the person he really was. When I had first met Astor he’d seemed unapproachable—yet now I was seeing the real him.
“You’re full of surprises,” I said.
“Well, you can always trust animals.”
I stepped back.
He turned to look at me. “I meant generally.”
Those words had thrown us headfirst back into reality, reminding me we were potential enemies. I hid the hurt by focusing on the penguins.
Astor’s hand rubbed my back as he intuitively sensed my tension. “Small steps, Wren, small steps.”
“For you?” I said quietly so the others wouldn’t hear.
“For both of us.”
A penguin hopped up to the glass, breaking the tension as he peered up at us.
“I have no fish,” Astor called to him, and opened his palms to prove it.
“Maybe the penguin likes you for who you are and not what you have,” I said.
“That would be a first.” He waggled his eyebrows playfully at the penguin.
“Why did you invite me to stay with you?” I asked. “You know I would have been fine.”
“Honestly, Raquel, I don’t know.”
Watching him carefully, I looked for any sign he regretted what he’d just admitted.
Astor’s attention was now focused across the room on Garcia, but after a few moments he turned to look at me. “You and I love similar things, but other than that we are opposites.”
Though usually opposites were meant to attract. I was a newly divorced woman with the residue of heartache, and Astor was a multi-millionaire with expensive tastes who had the reputation of being a playboy. Maybe I had read him all wrong.
“I can leave when we get back,” I said.
Astor looked distracted. “I’m sorry, what?”
“When we get back to your place.”
Astor’s brow furrowed. “You’re not my prisoner, Raquel. Leave anytime you like.”
He threw me a reassuring smile and headed over to Garcia who was deep in conversation with the others.
Embarrassed, I turned to stare through the glass window at the fake cold climate setting that the penguins lived in. They ate the fish they were fed and then demanded more with their adorable trumpeting sounds.
I wrapped my arms around myself to ward off the chill. When I looked back at Astor he was deep in conversation with a young woman dressed in khakis. They looked like they knew each other well. More staff appeared and huddled to talk with each other in the corner. Whatever was going on seemed tense and I hoped Ruben was okay.
Astor’s gaze held mine and then he seemed to change his mind on a thought and turned his back on me. I watched from afar, trying to read what was going on and not wanting to get in the way.
After ten minutes, Garcia headed over to me and gestured for me to follow him. “Something’s come up. Why don’t you wait in my office?”
I looked over his shoulder and watched Astor disappear through a door. “You’re doing great work here.”
“We have great sponsors like Astor,” he said. “He’s pretty generous when it comes to donations, and with his time, too.”
“Where did he go?” I kept my tone calm.
“He’s going to help us with a situation.”
I threw Garcia a warm smile, trying to hide me nervousness. “Can I help?”
“We’re on it.”
When we reached his office he entered first and then gestured to a corner seating area. “Make yourself at home.” He reached for a remote control on his desk and turned on the walled TV. “Astor’s going to be a while.”
“How long?” I’d pushed all his buttons and he’d pushed mine and now we were at an impasse, apparently, with him ignoring me for the rest of our visit. “Not sure I can sit still.”
“Oh, I forgot.” Garcia rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “Astor told me to give these to you if you would rather make your way back to South Beach. We’ll drive him home later.”
I stared at him, stunned and confused. “Garcia, what happened? I mean, how did Astor seem to you?”
Garcia looked surprised. “He looked good to go.”
“Go where?”
“He didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“The coastguard just got a distress signal. A tourist reported her friend is drifting out to sea in a canoe. She needs rescuing.”
“And they can’t go?”
“The coastguard’s dealing with an upturned yacht a few miles out. So we’ve answered the call. We’re sending out the Allure, she’s the fastest boat out there. Our team’s about to head in the opposite direction. We could bail on returning Ruben, but Astor has stepped up to go get the girl.”
“Alone?”
“It’s all hands on deck with Ruben.” Garcia gestured for me to follow him. “Wanna go with him?”
“With Astor?”
“Yeah, why not?”
I SECURED THE ANCHOR INSIDE the boat and turned on the engine. It thrummed to life, hiding its horsepower beneath its purr. Now this…this was a speedboat. It would be like being behind the wheel of a racecar.
The alert had gone out for any free boats in the area to answer a rescue call. Since we were located closest to where the young lady had last been seen canoeing, our team was the most logical choice for finding her.
A local would know about the tides, so this tourist was facing double the danger. Apparently, she and her friends had hired canoes for the day and then crossed the safety zone. Throw in the impending storm and the threat was raised, along with the risk of hypothermia. With my concern growing for her, I readied to head out to sea.
Then I saw them…
Raquel and Garcia were
on the dock, walking quickly toward me. It made me wonder if the girl had been found.
“Everything okay?” I called over.
“Raquel’s coming with you,” said Garcia.
I straightened my back and gave him a look that told him this was a bad idea.
Raquel went to climb aboard. “I’ll help you.”
“I’m handling this,” I shot back.
“Astor,” she replied firmly, “you need to steer and I need to help the canoeist.”
“It’s choppy out there,” said Garcia. “She has a point…two is better.”
“Where’s the first-aid kit and blanket?” She climbed in. “I’m a boater. I’m more than capable.”
Garcia looked amused and I shot him an annoyed glare. “I’m the captain, you do what I say.”
“Yes, sir.” Raquel threw off a salute.
“All the best with our dolphin,” I said to Garcia, waving goodbye.
With Raquel seated beside me we navigated out of the harbor, and then I opened up the throttle taking us fast out to sea.
With the dashboard lit up with our coordinates and a map of the shoreline, I pointed at it and said, “This is where she was last seen. I’ve tracked the currents. She’s possibly around this region.”
“That’s a lot of water to cover,” she said.
“It’s not an exact science.”
“Binoculars?”
I pointed at the glove compartment in front of her.
“You know this boat well?” She turned to face me. “How long have you volunteered here?”
“About ten years.”
She looked impressed. “So you’ve rescued someone before?”
“As part of a team. Never alone. It’s just us this time.”
Raquel found the binoculars and peered through them. “It’s pretty choppy out there.”
“So says the forecast.” I threw her a wary glance.
“This boat is—” Her gaze roamed over the dashboard. “It’s gorgeous.”
“I like to think so.”
“Did you buy it for them?”
“What does it matter?”
She shrugged as though hinting she was merely making conversation, but I could see she was impressed. I didn’t want accolades. I wanted that young woman safe on land again and her family and friends free of the worry they’d be going through.
Perfume Girl Page 17
