CHAPTER THREE
We’ll consider that lesson number one.
The words were still ringing in Cade’s ears. As was Avery’s admission she’d rather cut his dick off than fuck it.
Cade didn’t believe either. There’d been passion in that kiss, even if she didn’t want to admit it. She might be able to fool a lot of people, but she couldn’t fool him. He’d seen her kiss plenty of other guys on-screen, and though he wanted to punch every single one of them in the face, none of the steamy scenes he’d seen had looked at all like what he’d felt. She’d wanted him. She still wanted him. Before this weekend was over, he was going to get her to admit that much.
He placed a hand on her thigh in the back of the town car they’d climbed into after landing in Montego Bay and squeezed. Seated next to him, she glanced at the driver’s rearview mirror but didn’t push him away. And he took that as a good sign.
He leaned close to her ear but spoke loud enough so the driver could hear. “You look gorgeous, princess. Though I wish you’d worn a skirt so we could play on the way to the resort.”
Her leg tensed beneath his hand. She glanced at the driver’s mirror again, then turned to look out at the shacks and palm trees whizzing by. “I thought you liked the way my ass looked in these pants.”
She was falling into the role. He had to hand it to her. When she put her mind to something, she was good. But he wanted to see how far he could push her. Better to find out now than when they were at the resort.
Lightly, he trailed his fingers up the inside of her leg. The denim was thin and soft, but it was the heat between her thighs he wanted to feel. She sucked in a breath and held it when his fingers grazed the top of her inner thigh, just centimeters from her mound. “Are you sure? We’ve got at least an hour’s drive.”
She turned to face him. And in her newly green eyes, he saw a hint of the same heat he’d seen on the plane.
Oh yeah…
“Baby, you are such a tease.” She placed a warm hand against his chest, one that permeated his shirt and sent heat seeping into his skin. Then she leaned in and kissed him like she’d done it a million times. But the zing of electricity that rippled through him when her lips touched his was anything but routine. His pulse sped up, and beneath his fly, he grew hard, just that fast.
Easing back, she smiled sweetly. “I promise we’re going to have all kinds of fun at the resort. But if you wear me out now, I won’t be able to rock your world when we get there.” She kissed him again, this time long and slow, making sure to suck his bottom lip into her mouth in a seductive way that made the blood roar in his ears. Then she bit down playfully—or in warning, he wasn’t sure which—and pulled away. “You wouldn’t want that, now, would you?”
Cade wasn’t currently sure of anything. Except that he wanted her naked and panting beneath him. Right this second.
She shifted her legs, forcing his hand from between her thighs, crossed them so he couldn’t touch her there again, then wrapped her hands around his arm and laid her head against his shoulder. “I’m just going to rest my eyes for a few minutes. Wake me when we get there, baby.”
Cade’s pulse raced. He knew she wasn’t asleep, but one look at the driver smiling in the rearview mirror told him their disguise was working. And she was a lot better actress than he’d given her credit for. If he wasn’t careful, this was going to backfire on him. Big-time.
Ninety minutes later, Cade looked up from the file he’d been reading about Indulgence and closed the folder in his lap. They’d pulled off the main road and were now driving down a tree-lined private drive. Palm fronds swayed against the crystal-blue sky, and purple and pink bougainvillea formed a colorful hedge along the expertly manicured grass to both his right and left. He shook Avery at his side. “Wake up, princess. We’re here.”
She startled and pushed away from him quickly, making him wonder if she really had fallen asleep. Lucky girl. He’d been hard half the trip until he’d finally started researching their destination.
She sat up and blinked several times. But her voice was low and sexy when she managed, “Al—already?”
God, she was beautiful. Even with the fake glasses and dyed hair. And she still got to him. Even after all this time. Even when he knew her life had been better off without him.
“Yeah. You ready for this?”
She dragged her gaze from the window and looked his way. And for just a second, he saw something flash in her eyes. A hint of fear that told him she wasn’t nearly as confident as she seemed.
She looked away quickly, settled back in her seat and smoothed her hair. “Baby, I’m always ready for anything with you.”
Something in his heart softened. He draped an arm over her shoulder and leaned close to her ear again. But this time he kept his voice low so the driver couldn’t hear. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Just stay close to me.”
She swallowed once but gave a quick nod. And before he could say anything else, the car pulled to a stop. The driver climbed out, closed his door, and hustled around the car.
“Just promise me we’ll find Melody,” she whispered.
“We’ll find her, Avery. I promise.”
Avery glanced up into his eyes, and the same fear that had flashed there seconds ago flashed again. But there was something more in her gaze—a look, a feeling, a shared past that drifted between them. And in the silence of the car, it rekindled every memory, every emotion, every ounce of longing Cade had fought in the years since their split.
His chest tightened, made it hard to breathe. She was older, wiser, a thousand times more beautiful than she’d been back then, but that look told him the girl he’d fallen in love with was still in there. The one who’d taken a chance on the wrong boy, who’d stood up to her parents when they’d told her to stop seeing him, who’d demonstrated her loyalty by running away and marrying him when all logic told her it was a bad idea. She was proving it in her determination to find her friend against all odds, in the way she’d agreed to pretend to be his wife when he knew it had to be hard for her, in the way she stared at him now with eyes steeped in emotions he’d tried so hard to forget.
He wasn’t over her. He wasn’t ever going to be over her. And in that moment, another truth slammed into him. He didn’t want her to just admit that there was something left between them. He wanted her. Not the actress the world knew or the girl she’d once been. He wanted the woman staring up at him now with trust and longing and hope in her gorgeous, familiar eyes.
Somehow, no matter what they found this weekend, he had to figure out a way to make that happen.
* * *
Avery’s stomach twisted as she climbed out of the town car and stepped into the warm Jamaica air. They’d fooled the driver and the staff at the airport, but the big test lay before them. If she was going to be recognized, it was going to happen now.
She adjusted the glasses and took Cade’s hand when he offered it. His wide palm was warm, his skin rough like a man’s should be. A thrill rushed up her arm and into her chest, but she fought to ignore it.
And failed miserably.
Dammit, it wasn’t just fear over being recognized that was sending her nerves into overdrive. It was that look that had passed between them seconds ago. The way he’d stared at her. The things she’d felt. Yes, she could admit that being close to him still affected her—that touching him completely set her off-balance—but why couldn’t she keep her emotions in check? Why did one little rake of his gaze send her hormones into the ozone layer? Why did that one look remind her of every single time they’d made love and he’d gazed deep into her eyes, as if he could see her soul?
She waited while Cade tipped the driver and said a few words to the valet. Told herself to snap out of it. This was about finding Melody, not her ludicrous hormones and most definitely not about Cade’s wandering eyes. The sooner she remembered that, the better off she’d be.
He tugged her toward the entrance of the resort. Palm trees swayed ov
er the Mediterranean-style building, and the distinct sounds of a steel drum drifted on the breeze. The open-air lobby was all marble, plush furnishings, and soaring ceilings with lazily turning ceiling fans made from bamboo. But dressed in loose-fitting linen slacks and that white-button down rolled up to his elbows, Cade was the only thing Avery could seem to focus on. His skin was tan from hours in the sun, and that tattoo peeking out from beneath the sleeve of his right arm kept drawing her attention.
A woman dressed in a slim blue skirt and white sleeveless blouse with dark hair pulled up in a stylish do greeted them in the middle of the lobby. “Mr. and Mrs. Black, welcome to Indulgence. I’m Patrice, your personal concierge. I’ll be at your beck and call twenty-four hours a day should you need anything while you’re here. I hope your flight in was good?”
Cade slipped off his sunglasses and hooked them in the top button of his shirt, then shook the woman’s hand and smiled that half grin that had always done erratic things to Avery’s pulse when they were kids. “Very good. Thank you. This is my wife, Ava.”
Patrice looked Avery’s way and smiled sweetly, but Avery didn’t miss the quick once-over and subtle dismissal in her eyes. “Welcome.” She refocused on Cade. “If you’ll both follow me, I’ll get you checked in quickly so you can begin enjoying the resort’s amenities.”
Cade placed his hand at the small of Avery’s back, and they both followed Patrice down a short hallway and into another massive room, this one decked out with soaring ceilings, arched windows that looked out over the grounds of the resort, formal furnishings grouped around a massive fireplace, and on the edges, a series of desks and chairs.
Avery glanced at Patrice from the back. The woman was gorgeous, slim, athletic, and her breasts were all but falling out of that top. Avery couldn’t help but wonder what kind of amenities Patrice was offering and whether or not she’d be joining in.
“Everything okay?” Cade whispered, leaning close to her ear.
A shot of irritation whipped through Avery. What the hell was that? Jealousy? She had no business being jealous. While she had zero intention of taking advantage of any “amenities” while she was here, that didn’t mean Cade couldn’t. With this beck-and-call woman or any other.
“Yes, fine,” she snapped, more harshly than she intended.
He shot her a look, and Avery took a deep breath to calm her frazzled nerves, then nodded slowly, reassuring him she wasn’t going to blow their cover.
Patrice led them toward the farthest desk, moved around the piece of Elizabethan furniture, and gestured for them to sit. Just as they did, a waiter swept into the room carrying a tray of champagne flutes. “Welcome to Indulgence.”
Avery took the champagne he offered and downed half of it before she realized Cade had politely turned down the offer.
The waiter moved out of the room as quietly as he’d entered, and Patrice’s fingers clicked over keys while she studied the screen in front of her. Finally, she said, “We’ve got you booked in one of our best suites on the waterfront. There are two other units in your area. Inside your bungalow, you’ll find a welcome packet outlining all the amenities the resort offers, as well as rules and regulations while you’re here. Look through the information, then let me know if you have any questions. And be sure to tell me what activities I can schedule for you. We have many I think you’re going to enjoy. While at Indulgence, we want you to relax, let your stress go, and indulge in every one of your fantasies.”
She reached for a card and slid it across the table. “This is my personal number. Call me day or night. I’m here only to serve and entertain you.”
Avery lifted the champagne flute to her lips and eyed Patrice over the edge. The woman was totally fixated on Cade as if Avery weren’t even in the room, and interest flared deeply in her pale blue eyes.
Irritation growing, Avery downed the rest of her champagne, then reached for the card, covering Cade’s fingers with her own so Patrice-the-viper couldn’t touch him. “Thank you, but I’m sure we won’t be needing your services. Mr. Black prefers blondes…other than me.”
Both of them looked her way, but Avery wasn’t about to back down. This might only be a role, but she was going to play it for all it was worth.
Patrice’s eyes narrowed. “Has anyone ever told you that you look like Avery Scott, the actress?”
The air caught in Avery’s throat. Dammit, what was she supposed to say? They’d practiced it on the plane but at the moment her brain was too wrapped around keeping the viper’s hands off her man to remember what they’d agreed on.
And…her man? Whoa. Wait a minute. Where had that come from?
Sweat broke out all along her spine. She started to pull her hand back, but Cade wrapped his fingers around hers before she could break free. “Nah, she’s way hotter than Avery Scott.”
Startled, Avery looked his way, then faltered. Heat blazed in his black-as-night eyes. Heat and an admiration that sparked a thousand memories.
“Besides,” he added, “I’ve heard Avery Scott’s had all kinds of plastic surgery. Her eyes, her lips, her tits. Trust me”—his gaze strayed to the cleavage bursting from Avery’s corset—“Ava’s breasts are all hers. And they’re magnificent. Just like the rest of her. She’s right. She’s the only brunette I touch.”
Avery’s pulse sped up. She held her breath and waited until his gaze slid back to hers. And what she saw there sent a wicked thrill all through her body. Need. Raw and intense. The same need she’d seen in his eyes when they’d been kids. Except this time it was darker and a thousand times more dangerous because it pulled her forward like an electromagnet.
She leaned toward him without thinking, pressed her lips against his, and couldn’t stop the tiny sigh that slipped from her mouth when he let go of Patrice’s business card, framed her face with his right hand, and kissed her back. It wasn’t a passion-filled kiss like on the plane; it was soft and sweet and gentle. And it ignited a fire inside Avery that had been dead far too long.
Patrice cleared her throat. Slowly, Cade eased back, but he didn’t look the woman’s way. He simply brushed his thumb over Avery’s bottom lip and smiled that crooked half smile she remembered so well. The one that pulled and tugged on his scar until she completely forgot it was there. “Just as sweet as I remember.”
“Well,” Patrice said, pushing back from the desk and rising, irritation clearly echoing in her voice. “It looks like you’re well on your way toward a relaxing vacation. Mario will take you both to your examinations, then to your suite when you’re done. I hope you have a fabulous stay at Indulgence.”
“Examinations?” Cade asked, looking her way.
“Yes,” Patrice answered. “As soon as our doctors clear you for resort activities, we’ll get you settled in. The examination is standard for all guests.”
Cade’s eyes strayed to Avery, and she knew what he was thinking. An examination might mean blood tests. And that could lead to DNA identification, if someone knew where to look for the right information. She had no idea what was published on the Internet about her. Of course, by the time the resort ran that kind of test, she and Cade would be long gone.
She forced a smile and squeezed his hand. “I’m sure it’s no big deal.”
“None at all,” Patrice answered, looking down at her desk as she lifted a folder into her arms. “It’s just to make sure you’re both disease free. Our guests’ safety is our highest concern.”
Oh, great. Avery’s stomach tightened. They were being tested for STDs. Considering it was a swingers resort, she figured that was probably a good thing, but it still left her unsettled. Because, as stupid as it was, knowing Cade was clean made him all that more appealing.
* * *
The resort was top-notch. Marble buildings, soaring columns, trickling waterfalls, and hidden Jacuzzis tucked behind foliage. After their exams—which hadn’t been more than a quick physical and blood draw—they followed Mario toward the beach. Cade scanned the facilities to get the lay of
the land as they walked. A large infinity pool overlooked the sand. A pristine bar made from shiny mahogany sat to their right. Plush lounge chairs sprinkled around the pool held vacationers in high-end swimwear, the women sporting heels and big hats, the men in traditional swim trunks, reading newspapers and books or sleeping in the shade.
It didn’t look like a swingers resort, at least not on first glance. There were a few topless women around the pool, but no overtly sexual activities happening aside from the couple kissing near the waterfall at the end of the pool and the two couples at the bar clearly flirting and trying to arrange a foursome. To the common eye, it looked like any other high-end adult vacation spot. Which made Cade wonder what happened after hours, when things really heated up.
“Dinner starts around six,” Mario said to Avery, who’d chosen to walk next to the dark-skinned bellboy instead of with Cade. “There are five restaurants to choose from. None require a reservation. Unless you have something special in mind.”
Mario flashed Avery a knowing grin, but she handled it like a pro, as if she hadn’t noticed. “And it’s couples only, correct? So there are no singles allowed at the resort?”
“Oh no, ma’am. We’re a couples-only resort. It says so right in the brochure.” He led them away from the pool, down a flagstone path. Brightly colored flowers and vines lay nestled beneath swaying palms.
“Do any of the couples ever break up while they’re here?” Avery asked. “I mean, it must be shocking for some couples to adjust to a resort like this…if it’s their first time.”
Cade slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks, amused as he followed along behind. Avery was fishing for information, but he doubted she was going to get it from the bellboy. She might be a good actress but she was no super sleuth.
“Occasionally,” Mario said. “But the resort handles those situations discreetly, so you won’t have to worry about one ruining your vacation.”
He stopped in front of a sprawling hut and held a master key in front of the sensor on the door. While they waited for the light to turn green, Avery shot Cade a what do you think that means? look. Cade shook his head. If this was what she planned to do to everyone at the resort, their cover was going to be blown faster than his hold on his desire for the woman currently peering his way.
Wicked Firsts Page 4
