Haven

by J D Worth

  Giggling, I shake my head. “I’m used to trading barbs with Georgina who’s stuck in the Cretaceous period. You’re a little slow, so this may come as a shock: Neanderthals went extinct. So suck it!”

  Green Eyes fires off a laugh and pats his stomach.

  Fredrick swings his head between the two of us as if he’s watching a Ping-Pong game. “Did someone crank up the heat, it’s smoking in here!”

  “The kitchen is right behind us. Seems the owner is too cheap to revamp the air vents in this part of the resort. Imagine how hot it gets for the employees come midsummer.”

  I shake my head at him. “The gripes go up, not down.”

  “Hey, hot security guy stuck under a rock”—Fredrick aims his finger into Green Eye’s chest, and we both gasp like desperate fan girls when his finger bends, meeting firm muscle—“umm, lost my train of thought.”

  “Oh no, Fredrick, he’s stuck in a cave, not under a rock.” I bore my eyes deep, making my point known.

  Green Eyes slides his gaze down his chest, waiting for Fredrick to step back. “Ask your boy to remove his finger—”

  “Oh, put away your hounds.” Slapping Fredrick’s hand away from the hulking security guy’s chest, I grin. “Fredrick’s never met a unicorn before. He thought we were at a petting zoo.” I bump his shoulder, and we giggle together.

  “You did promise me a unicorn as a bribe.” Fredrick laughs as he leers at Green Eyes. He holds up his phone, showing an absence of scandalous search results on me. “Lolita’s classy, not trashy,” Fredrick says, motioning his head toward the reception door, indicating Georgina as comparison. He takes a step back when Green Eyes turns his full attention to him.

  Green Eyes replies, “Lolita? Isn’t she too young for you?”

  Fredrick hums under his breath, before relaying, “Cave man, I see it now. I guess that makes you perfect for security when you save damsels in distress, huh?”

  His voice drops to a low growl. “I’m losing my patience with you.”

  I step between them, pushing against Green Eyes’ chest with my hands until his back meets the wall. “Too bad, he’s with me.”

  Tripping over my heels on a knot in the rug, I crash forward. Catching me, Green Eyes hugs me to his body. “Are you sure ’bout that?” Our bodies align. His groin against mine. Sparks of heat sweep through me. His chest tenses as I suffocate a tiny moan at the back of my throat. He cracks an amused smile.

  “Your heel caught a carpet snag. Don’t move!” Fredrick fidgets with my shoe. “These sandals come from a special collection straight from Louboutin himself. They haven’t even hit the states yet, and they’re trending because of the wedding. They’re already going for triple the usual price tag of two grand.”

  Leaning against his hard body, I use my hands on his chest as a spacer. “Can’t you see how Fredrick’s been the perfect gentleman to me all day?” I glance down at Fredrick. He mouths hot while pretending to fix my shoe.

  Fredrick teases, “To be fair, Lolita, I did check your ass out in the shower this morning. What can I say, your ass is fine.” My face buckles as I lose the battle.

  “Fredrick makes for the third guy you’re with today? How many ‘dirty little secrets’ you got?” Struggling to release the snag, I jerk my foot a little too hard almost kneeing him in the groin. I freeze my knee in place, realizing just how large his “package” is. He drags his rough palm over my silky skin until he reaches my knee. Tingles seep into all the right spots. “So soon with the kneeing?” His chest vibrates with silent laughter. “We need to save something for later.”

  I glare at him, step out of my shoe, and plant myself against the opposite wall. I have to steady my breath as my body flares not from anger, but rather desire.

  Fredrick bounces up beside me. “Hey, I’m a professional. I was only teasing her because she was in a tasty little school girl uniform this morning.”

  His green eyes darken towards me as he relaxes against the wall. “Oh, I saw last night.”

  Fredrick shifts his hip, giving Green Eyes the once over again. “Kinky.”

  Smirking, the Neanderthal kneels before me and places the sandal back on my foot. He stares up at me as heat races through my body. “You passed out in your clothes, Princess?”

  “I nearly passed out in your presence after you had me on my back last night. Oops, I wasn’t supposed to spill that dirty little secret. Spoiler alert, he’s a bore of a security guy, Fredrick. He doesn’t know how to have fun like we do.”

  Green Eyes chuckles, taking his time standing. “I’d say you have no idea how to handle the Southern heat.” My face flushes as Fredrick mouths hot cave man behind him.

  I reply, “That’s what sunblock is for.” I step in front of Green Eyes, blocking him while addressing Fredrick, “Thanks for the delightful morning. You brightened my entire day. I promise to stop by your spa the moment I get back.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that promise.” Fredrick gazes at Green Eyes and smiles back at me. “Sweetie, I’m not the only one admiring your fine assets—” A breeze sweeps past us as Green Eyes pounces forward. I ease backward so that his chest collides with my back, stopping his thuggish behavior.

  I whip my head to the side. “Seriously, enough with the cave man routine!”

  He slides his eyes between our close bodies. Heat pours into my lower region, lighting me on fire like gasoline. Our bodies fit together. His package rubs against my rear end, and I almost die. Green Eyes relaxes in his boots behind me. I don’t step forward, and he doesn’t step back. He sways slightly forward, catching an illicit whiff of my neck again. Cupcakes are a poor imitation. I want to devour him now. Damn, I’m in so much trouble.

  “Talking about unicorns…” Fredrick’s eyes crinkle as he takes us in. “I found the same one you corralled in your suite.” He flashes a picture of the blow up unicorn from an online adult toy site. “See, the unicorn’s horn is ‘special.’ I have to decide if I want the dildo in gold or rainbow like yours.” He taps his chin. “Hell, I’ll order both. Sissy and Conner both deserve a unicorn after today.”

  I place my hands over my eyes and giggle. “All because of my family. Great.”

  Green Eyes chuckles. “A princess with her very own unicorn.”

  “A vibrating unicorn.” Fredrick lifts his brows up.

  Green Eyes says, “This couldn’t get any better.”

  I say, “Not even close.”

  “We’ll all be riding over the rainbow soon enough.” Drowning out his own snickers, Fredrick sends me a sly look. “All teasing aside, I want you to be my first official Frederique Spa client in New York.”

  “Georgina will never approve.”

  Fredrick balks. “This isn’t about what Georgina wants. You can count me as your first official fanboy too. When my hair care line takes off and my salons pay for themselves, I’ll be swimming in my profits. I want you to invest on my behalf. I’ll be your first real client.” My mouth pops open. “You may have not made the gossips sites, but I saw where J.P. Morgan ranked you the top graduate of that big time banking internship.”

  “That’s only because once the other intern jerks learned I was an Aster, they dumped their workload on me and left to party each night. I was the one who finished the work and turned the stacks into our managers.”

  “And that wouldn’t be the reason why your father is eager to get you on the trading floor?” He plants air kisses on my cheeks. “You’re brilliant, and I mean inside and out, so don’t ever doubt that. Do you know what a melting mess Georgina is going to be?” He bounces past Green Eyes and hurries down the hall, entering the reception hall.

  Amused green eyes lock onto mine. “You have a fanboy.”

  “Stupendous, now I have a plus one for those lame Harvard mixers I must attend. But he does have us both checked in that category, so he’ll gladly join you for a few mixers as well. Mark my words, your ‘babysitting job’ will not be easy in the least bi
t.” I push off towards the bank of elevators, and he’s quick to cut me off by wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me back.

  “Not so fast, Princess.”

  I swing backwards, cross my arms and glare at him. “I’m an adult, so please stop treating me otherwise! I have spiked heels, and I’m not afraid to use them.”

  Bumping the tip of his boot to the wall, he shares, “Reinforced. Do your best. Off to celebrate with champagne in your room?”

  “Do you honestly think this wedding is a celebratory occasion for me? I suggested they host this farce in North Korea, hoping the government would arrest Georgina for some phony transgression like jaywalking, and they’d keep her forever. I know that sounds terrible, but at least she’d do honest work in a prison labor camp.”

  He crosses his arms. “Wow, you’re not like jaded or emotionally scarred by this whole fiasco, or anything?”

  “Oh, come on. Imagine her in one of those forced synchronized dance videos. She’d rack up thousands of followers, and that’s all that matters to her. There are crimes against humanity, the North Korea edition, and then there’s Lilith and Georgina who make countless peasants suffer because they can. You totally agree with me. You called this wedding a fiasco.”

  He tries to keep a straight face. “I’ve seen many things, but that—” He motions towards the reception hall. “The, ah, ice sculpture of the Wall Street Bull in the lobby is a unique touch.”

  “Perfect for a fairy-tale wedding, right?” I smirk. “My three best therapists are humor, sarcasm, and wit. The kids these days say sugar does wonders. I suggest you follow with a shot of minty mouthwash.” I teeter forward, dropping my voice low. “Your lips are still stuck in a permanent pucker. Having second thoughts about that job offer? You’ll have to deal with Lilith and Georgina all the time. North Korean prisons are more fun.”

  “Yeah, and you just admitted how difficult today is.” He takes a step towards me. “Maybe, I don’t wanna see you fall off a cliff.” He squints as I suck in my lip. “What? Is that a foreign concept for you?”

  I take measured breaths. Green Eyes has actual concern for me, and I can’t remember the last person besides my mother who did. Fredrick, but he was also only doing his job. “That notion registers somewhere behind accolades. Let’s clear this mess up right now. I am not a damsel in distress you need to rescue. I’d be falling down drunk if I wanted to self-destruct, and nobody could save me. Fredrick has been drinking all day if you couldn’t tell from his effervescent glow. He cleaned out the champagne left in my room. It’s sad when a stylist has to self-medicate to deal with my family. Then again, he did witness countless questionable Aster actions since his arrival.”

  Green Eyes boxes me in, placing his hands on the wall and inclines towards me as if we’re sharing a secret. “Like what?”

  “Georgina ordered one of your minions to fill my tub with ice so they could chill their alcoholic spirits. The tub is so massive; you should make sure the ice machines still work.”

  “Oh, what crimes against humanity.” He bites back a laugh. “I’ll submit a work order to Lilith, the supreme leader. Surely, placing ice in a tub is worthy of a lengthy prison sentence for Georgina. Try again. I got all night. Prove to me that I don’t see a woman who’s trying to run away from the very thing she should be attending, ’cause I promise you, I’ll never stop chasing you.”

  “Your boss really likes ambitious employees. Don’t forget to add the air vents, broken office chair, and snagged carpet to your work order, showing how kiss-worthy you are. I promise you, you’ll never catch me.”

  His chest jerks with silent laughter. “Glad we cleared that up. You’re definitely a runner.”

  A damp sheen breaks out across my forehead. “Wow, you weren’t kidding about the air vents. The central air is blasting and the heat is still staggering. Weren’t you afraid the truffles would melt in your suit pocket? You seem to be going to great lengths to catch me.”

  He lifts his thumb to his mouth and sucks on the melted chocolate smudges left behind. “Melted chocolate tastes even better, Princess.” My skin warms as if struck by a searing heat wave, and I can’t cool down. He loosens his stance and puts some space between us. “Anyway, I saw you heading out and wanted to let you know ’bout Cal.” He digs in his pocket, retrieving the delicate gold foil wrapped chocolate he saved for me. “And seriously, you won’t make it far in those heels. We’re surrounded by sand and ocean.”

  “You’d be surprised how fast I can run. And who is Cal? Hope he has track and field experience because I’m a master of the slip. When it comes to my family, I have to be just to save my sanity. Again, I am simply in need of a breather. That is all.”

  “You’re dismissing me, Princess?” He grins again. “Sorry, that’s not how this works.”

  “Come again? How what works?”

  “You and me. Cal’s the security guy I mentioned earlier. You shouldn’t be caught off-guard when a massive guy tackles you when you bolt again.”

  I chuckle. “Oh, Cal’s one of your hounds. Are you really threatening me with a tackle?”

  “You almost kneed me and threatened to use your spikes to drill holes into my toes. Let’s agree to save the fun for later. You’ve never heard of Cal before?”

  “All kidding aside, no. This is my first time at the resort; therefore, I have no familiarity with the staff. Are the truffles supposed to soften the meeting with this security guy? Is he yet another bodyguard my grandmother is imposing on me?” I stomp my foot. “Damn, two handlers. She’s coming at me from both sides.” I make yapping motions with my hands, adding barking sounds.

  “Are you barking?”

  “Sometimes I have to use sock puppets with Georgina.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  I slowly shake my head as my face crinkles in pain.

  “Are you that much trouble?”

  “Of course not! Sock puppets are effective for trolling Neanderthals.” I slap an obvious smirk on my face.

  “Fuck!” He drops his chin to his chest, losing his composure to laughter.

  “Yeah, you’re pretty easy.” I motion between us. “Are we going to do this?”

  He scratches his neck, working a smile between his lips. His eyes dilate. “Do what?”

  “Well, I just spanked you, so foreplay is over. Let’s get to the good stuff.” I bite back a laugh. “I want dirt on Cal, so fess up. I want all the dirty little secrets you have.”

  “I like your ambition.” He winks. “Cal has as much finesse as a bull. He’s big, bigger than me.” My eyes meander over his sturdy body. An oversized bodyguard will make sure nobody bothers me during my stay and keep me in line at the same time. There goes my autonomy while Lilith drains all thoughts of independence from me, yet again. “Does a man like that scare you?” He cloaks his real question, asking if he scares me at the same time. I can’t blame him. He’s one of the largest men I’ve ever met. All I want to do is climb him.

  “No. Not when my grandmother is a great white shark, the hungriest one. She always goes behind my back, and that frightens me. I can’t control what she does, only how I react. Again, I can be pissed off, or I can use humor, so I do. Thanks for the heads up, Buttercup. You like sprinkles, right? Time for dessert.”

  I’m hoping this Cal character can blend into the background and give me space while I’m here. I may be jumping to conclusions, but Lilith pulls sly moves on me all the time. She loves to watch people squirm in her presence, especially me. When I do, she gets to dole out punishments that make my life more difficult than it already is.

  “Buttercup? Sprinkles? So soon with the sweet talk? That brings us back to the chocolates.”

  Enthralled by his nonchalant aura, I grin from the inside out while tapping my heel. He motions with his head to bring it on. I snicker. “Yes, the chocolates from the gift baskets for the wedding guests, which you have failed to protect from intruders, including your naughty, thievi
ng fingers. Are you sure you’re qualified to take me on?”

  “Plenty.” A smile hovers around his lips. “Twenty-four carat gold packaging doesn’t make caviar taste any better. It still tastes like shit. I bet that wine tastes just as bad. But the truffles are spot on.” His eyes lift to mine, and I can’t help setting drift into a sea of green. “When I see something I want … I gotta have a taste.”

  A giddiness in my stomach makes me blurt out a laugh. “Is that so?” He offers the chocolate to me, which I decline with a shake of my head. “You also broke in to the caviar.”

  “Why do you think I’m eating the damn chocolates?” Green Eyes lifts the silky chocolate to his mouth. I catch a peek of his pink tongue as he rolls the sweet confection around his mouth.

  My belly dips into another nosedive as a thrill of desire swells from deep inside. I straighten my back. “The caviar is Almas, known as white gold. The finest in the world. The crisp chardonnay is from a limited steel press from a world-renowned vineyard in France, paired perfectly with the caviar. The truffles were recommended by the Queen of England herself, which were flown in from Belgium.”