“It doesn’t bother me,” she said nonchalantly, still looking out the window. “‘Us’ ended a long time ago. All I care about is finding Melody. If you’re the best person for the job, then that’s all I care about. I’m an actress, Blackwell. A very good one.” She turned those pretty brown eyes his way again, but this time they were flat. Resigned. Jaded. Not a thing like the eyes he remembered. “I can pretend like the past didn’t happen as well as you can. After all, it’s just business, sweetheart.”
She looked back out the window, but in the silence, Cade’s heart sped up. And a bitter truth hit him square in the chest with the force of a freight train.
He’d lied to Jake, but most of all, he’d lied to himself. This was, without a doubt, the stupidest thing he’d ever done. Twelve years hadn’t changed a damn thing. He was still head over heels for Avery Scott.
And that meant he was compromised in every way possible.
* * *
Avery wasn’t sure about this. She’d been colored, plucked, waxed, airbrushed, and at the moment was trying to stuff her C-cup breasts into a B-cup bustier. It wasn’t working.
“This doesn’t fit,” she muttered under her breath. Then louder so Mr. Dark and Irritating outside the door could hear, “There’s no way this is going to fit!”
The private jet Cade had herded her onto after her little “makeover” session hit an air pocket, and she stumbled against the sink in the bathroom, catching herself from going down by bracing her hands on the counter.
She looked up at her reflection, then faltered because she barely recognized herself. They’d given her a temporary color wash so her normally straight blonde locks were now a warm shade of brown and curled all around her face. Cade had picked out green contacts, the makeup artist had edged her eyes in dark charcoal, given her a mole high on her right cheekbone, and they’d both decided a trendy pair of tortoiseshell glasses would disguise her even more.
Okay, so maybe she didn’t look half-bad. In fact, someone would have to take a really close look to realize it was her. But the corset had to go. It showed way too much skin. Her breasts were all but falling out.
It’s not the breasts you’re worried about. It’s the guy on the other side of the door.
Cade Blackwell, for crying out loud. Cade Blackwell!
“This is a bad idea, Avery,” she mumbled, dropping her head. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Helping,” a male voice answered at her back. Her head jerked up, and her eyes met Cade’s dark ones in the mirror. “Hold still.”
She didn’t have time to do anything else. He grasped the laces at the back of the corset and pulled tight.
“Oh my…God,” she gasped, gripping the sink tighter. “Are you trying to cut off my” —she pressed a hand against her stomach— “air?”
“Just accentuating the positive, princess.” He tied the laces with swift fingers, then something metal and cool landed against her chest, followed by his warm fingers at the back of her neck.
“Now what are you doing?”
“Snapping the latch on this necklace. There.”
His fingers slid down her back, rested at her hips. He looked into the mirror over her shoulder, his gaze fixed on the heart-shaped locket resting against her skin. “A gift from Aegis. Wear it at all times while we’re at the resort.”
She reached up to finger the locket. Couldn’t help but wonder what was inside. “Why?”
“Because if we get separated for some reason, this is how I’ll find you.”
She was still processing that when his warm hands swiftly followed the boning in her corset up to just beneath her breasts. Heat slid all across her rib cage, but she barely had time to get lost in the sensation because his fingers spread, and then he cupped her breasts and lifted.
Shock and disbelief raced through her. She jerked away. “Don’t touch me like that.”
He chuckled, and in the mirror, she caught the humor sparking in his eyes, a hint of the boy he used to be. But it faded quickly when he dropped his hands and stepped back. “I thought you said you were a good actress, princess. You react to my touch like that and every person at Indulgence is going to know we’re not a couple.”
Her temper ebbed—just a touch—when she realized he was right. But irritation over the fact he’d used that same stupid term of endearment when they were kids zinged in right on its heels. She pushed past him out of the bathroom, ignoring the warmth of his skin and that spicy, masculine scent she’d always associated with him, and moved into the jet’s lavish bedroom. “I am a good actress, and once we’re at Indulgence I’ll be on, don’t worry.” She jerked the slim black jacket with three-quarter sleeves from the bed and slid it on, fluffing her hair out from under the collar. “But between now and then, I’d like a little warning before you pull a stunt like that. Besides which, where we’re heading, your touching me isn’t going to be all that necessary. It is a swingers club, after all.”
She didn’t bother to look at him—didn’t trust herself. Just being close to him rattled her in ways she hadn’t prepared for. And now she had to pretend they were a couple? Nerves humming, she moved out of the bedroom, through the galley, and into the main area of the plane, cursing the stupid heels and skinny jeans they’d dressed her in. Yeah, she didn’t have a problem getting into all kinds of costumes for different roles, but having to face Cade Blackwell again, she’d be much more comfortable doing it in her comfy faded jeans and a pair of flip-flops than this brainless Barbie-doll outfit.
She dropped into one of the captain’s chairs, crossed her legs and reached for a magazine. The chair spun with force, and, surprised, she dropped her magazine in her lap, then gasped when Cade gripped the armrests and leaned close.
“Let me explain a few things to you, princess. There are three types of couples who frequent resorts like this. The first are voyeurs. They’re in a committed relationship, but they’re bored and curious. They get off watching or being watched, and this is the perfect place to do both. The second are more adventurous. They’ve been in the lifestyle for a while. They frequent clubs back home, and a place like this is their idea of the perfect vacation. They’re the couple that will come up to you, start up a conversation, and convince you to play. He gets off watching his wife with other men, and she gets off watching him with other women, but at the end of the day, they’re still totally into only each other. For the most part, both of these couples are harmless. When they play, they play together. It’s the third you have to watch out for.”
Avery stared into his eyes. They no longer held an edge of humor but were hard and serious, and there was a darkness there that set her on alert. Suddenly, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know about the third couple.
“The third comes pretending to be part of a couple since singles aren’t allowed in, but it’s clear to anyone with two eyes that they’re both there for only one reason: to fuck anything that moves. He’s the guy who pays little attention to the girl he brought, and she’s the one who’s not bothering to look back as soon as things heat up. A single woman roaming around usually isn’t a threat, but a single man stands out like a sore thumb. He might be completely harmless, or he could be a total head case, into kinky shit you don’t even want to know. But either way, every couple involved in this lifestyle knows to be on the lookout for that couple, because in a resort setting like this, they equal trouble.
“If your goal is to go in there and find your friend, then you’ve got a choice. We can be like couples one and two, or we can be like couple three. Personally, I think couples one and two are going to get us the furthest without drawing attention, but if couple three is your goal, then by all means, go right ahead and jerk out of my touch. That’ll send a clear signal to anyone around that we’re the ones to avoid.”
He let go of her chair and rose to his full height. Avery’s pulse raced as she stared up into his familiar face and hard, dark eyes. A mixture of emotions raced through her. Fear. Frustration. Arou
sal. But in the silence between them, she also realized he was trying to intimidate her. Why, she wasn’t sure. Maybe to keep her safe. Maybe to keep her close when they reached the resort so she wouldn’t wander and go looking for Melody on her own. Most likely, though, he was trying to make sure she did things his way and followed his rules. And for reasons she wasn’t about to examine just yet, that sent every independent urge she had straight to the forefront.
Slowly, she pushed out of her seat. Wearing the ridiculous wedge heels, she was only a few inches shorter than him, and right now she was thankful for the added height. It put them on the same playing field.
“I already told your boss I’m not interested in being couple number two. So don’t even think that’s about to happen.”
One corner of his lip curled. A tiny hint of a smile she didn’t want to see. That smile had done her in as a kid. And right now, when just being close to him was enough to make every cell in her body vibrate, she didn’t need the added firepower that smile could unleash. He was making a point? Good for him. She could make one too.
“I can do couple one, though.” She laid her hands against his chest—his very hard, very muscular chest—and pushed.
Wariness crept into his eyes, but he dropped into the chair. Then he flicked her a nonchalant look that said he wasn’t so sure. “I’ve seen your movies, princess. You’re not that good an actress.”
Now this was the Cade Blackwell she remembered. A smart-ass to his core. At one point, she’d found that charming. Now all it did was piss her off. She might not know how to deal with Mr. Dark and Dangerous, but she knew how to deal with Mr. Smart-ass.
“Brace yourself, Blackwell.”
He looked up. His eyes narrowed. But before he could ask what she meant, she straddled his lap, slid her fingers along the scruff of his jaw, and tipped his face toward hers.
Heat sparked in his eyes, and between her thighs, his body tensed. “Avery—”
Victory pulsed through her. She’d caught him off guard. Perfect.
Dipping her head, she pressed her lips to his, cutting off his words. Warmth spread across her own mouth and threatened to distract her, but she refocused on her goal and inched closer, bringing their bodies into full contact. His breath caught, and she felt the surprise ricochet through him, so she did it again, this time pressing her half-exposed breasts against his chest.
His hands landed at her waist but didn’t move. His masculine scent rose in the air around her, making her lightheaded, but she kissed him again and reminded herself she was proving a point. Then she waited for the moment he let her in.
Not a very good actress? Bullshit. She was going to make him eat those words.
She tilted her head the other way. Brushed her lips against his again. His fingers dug into the corset at her hips. He was fighting it. Fighting her. It was time to play dirty.
She lowered her weight onto his lap and rocked her hips against his. Then she slid the tip of her tongue along the seam of his lips, coaxing him to open.
He gasped. And she took the opportunity to dip into his mouth, lick her tongue along his, and tease him the way he’d once teased her.
A long time ago. A lifetime ago. When she’d been young and innocent and he’d been a horny teenager trying to get into her pants in the backseat of his Honda.
A long groan rumbled from his chest. His arms closed around her. And then whatever protest he’d been mounting crumbled at her feet.
He sat forward and kissed her hard. Heat, lust, need poured from him into her. She tasted it on his slick tongue tangling with hers, felt it in the way his fingers dug into her spine. Knew, from how hard he was growing between her thighs, that he wanted her.
She’d kissed a lot of actors over the course of her career, in some pretty hot on-screen love scenes, but none of them had ever reacted as quickly, as ferociously as Cade was now. And for a moment, that realization threw her off. She wanted to chalk it up to the situation, to where they were headed and the fact they had a history. But a bitter truth teased the edge of her mind. The real reason was that she’d never thrown as much of herself into a role as she was doing right now. And she’d never wanted any of those actors the way she wanted Cade right this second.
Fear made her pull back. She pushed off his lap, teetered on the stupid heels but caught herself before she went down. And though inside her stomach was twisted into a hard, tight knot, she pulled up every shield she’d perfected over the years and fixed an impassive look on her face. After all, no one could pretend better than an actress.
“We’ll call that lesson number one, Blackwell.”
His hands froze against the armrests, his tense body halfway out of his chair, ready to come after her. Smiling her warmest America’s sweetheart grin, she dropped back into her chair and reached for her magazine again.
She didn’t look at him, but from the corner of her vision, she saw the way his chest rose and fell with his rapid breaths. She tried to focus on the words in front of her, but they melded into each other, and in her mind all she could see was how he’d looked staring up at her. Face flushed with passion, lips swollen from her assault, and that giant bulge against the fly of his jeans—the same one she’d brushed against that had sent a tingle through her entire core.
Focus, Avery. She blinked several times. Flipped a page. This is no different than any other role.
Several tense seconds passed. And then he chuckled and relaxed back into his seat. “Okay, princess. You win. You pull that on me at Indulgence and no one’s gonna think you’re anything but hot to fuck my brains out.”
Unease settled in the bottom of her stomach. And memories of doing just that bounced around in her mind. Cade Blackwell had been an amazing lover, even at eighteen. At thirty she had a feeling he could rock her world into the next universe if she let him. And that knowledge—more than what she might find at Indulgence—scared the crap out of her.
She turned a page, feigning indifference. “Good thing I’m such a good actress. No one will know I’d rather cut your dick off than fuck it.”
The air changed. Tensed. Grew icy. From the corner of her vision, she watched his jaw harden and that dark look creep back into his eyes. She knew she’d probably gone too far, but she didn’t care. He was getting under her skin with his heady looks, wicked touch, and challenging comments, and she needed to lay down the ground rules. She wasn’t letting Cade Blackwell back into her life no matter what he did to help her find Melody this weekend. And there was no way he was getting inside her heart, regardless of how far they had to take their little ruse.
He pushed out of his chair without a word. Her pulse sped up, but she pretended to continue to read the architectural magazine in front of her. Several moments passed where she wondered what he could possibly be doing in the other room. She’d obviously pissed him off. Was he calling his boss? Telling him the deal was off? Had she just jeopardized finding her friend all because she couldn’t keep her own emotions in check? Why the hell did she let herself get so worked up by Cade Blackwell?
A manila envelope dropped against her magazine. She startled, then looked up in surprise. Instead of sitting across from her like he’d done before, Cade walked by and sat to her left. A console separated their seats. He opened a folder without looking her way. “Memorize what’s in there. You’ll need to know it all before we land. Since you’re such a good actress, it shouldn’t be that hard to do.”
The words felt like a slap, though why, she didn’t know. Hand shaking, she pulled out several sheets of paper, a woman’s wallet, and a passport. She flipped the passport open and looked down. Her new face stared up at her. Right after she’d done her makeover—before the waxing and fittings and wardrobe discussions—they’d taken her picture, but she hadn’t realized it had been for a passport. Aegis worked fast. She scanned the information and froze when she read the name.
Her pulse picked up speed, and her hands grew sweaty. “What is this?”
“Your alias.”
“I see that. But why this name?”
“Undercover Work 101: you stick with your real first name so you don’t get caught in a lie and forget to respond when someone’s talking to you.”
“Ava is not my first name.”
He huffed out a sigh and finally looked her way. Irritation reflected deeply in his eyes. “Yeah, but we’re trying to get people not to think you’re Avery Scott, so it makes sense not to use Avery. I knew you’d respond to Ava, so Ava it is.”
He looked back at his folder like the name meant nothing, even though he knew he was the only one who’d ever called her Ava. Back when they’d been kids, she’d loved that he’d used that nickname. Now…? Now it set off a host of repressed emotions deep inside her chest. But it was the other name that made her lungs feel like they’d grown three sizes too small. “And the last?”
“The last I know you’ll respond to as well. Welcome to married life, Mrs. Black.”
Mrs. Black.
Black had been his legal last name as a kid, and she’d been called that only once before. Before her life had turned to shit. Before he’d left her. Before he’d cut all ties to her and Coeur d’Alene and changed his last name. When he’d convinced her to run away with him, leave her family and friends, fake her age, and marry him.
Wicked Firsts Page 3
