“Is everyone having a good time?” the hostess purred into her microphone.
The diners roared back a resounding yes, and she beamed.
As Jack dropped into the seat at Emma’s side, he noticed several of the resort hostesses trot onto the stage bearing boxes.
Without warning, his gut churned.
“We have several appropriate gifts for males and females. In this barrel, I have discs bearing the name of each guest. A roaring sound filled his head as she read off the first name. A couple at the table on the far side of the room sprang from their seats. Jack relaxed fractionally on hearing the second name. Not theirs.
“And finally,” the hostess said. “Jack Sullivan and Emma Montrose.”
Jack and Emma shared a telling glance, and it was obvious to him they were thinking the same thing. They were being set up, and if they were the focus of attention they couldn’t wander the resort at will.
Amidst much clapping and ribald shouts, he and Emma made their way up to the front to accept their prizes.
“What have you got?” one of Emma’s new friends asked.
Almost afraid to look, Jack ripped away the pretty steel-gray bow and tore the black wrapping paper from the box. He lifted the lid to an array of sex toys, scowled and replaced the lid.
“Toys,” he said.
“Emma?” her friend asked, curiosity shimmering in her voice.
Emma glanced at Jack, her brows rising in a silent question. He shook his head. She tugged the tape from the pink parcel and peeked inside.
A soft gasp emerged, and Jack noticed she seemed a bit flushed.
“What is it?” Each of her friends leaned forward to peer inside.
“Ohhh,” said one. “That’s the newest model vibrator out. Wish I’d won that!”
“Why would she want a vibrator if she’s got Jack?” another said.
Emma sneaked a look at Jack and found him staring at her. A flush ran the length of her body and crawled into her cheeks. But in truth, the vibrator wasn’t such a bad prize to win. Once they finished this assignment, she might need it, because finding someone to fill Jack’s position would prove difficult.
Half an hour later, Emma finished her lunch and checked her watch.
“I’d better go. My appointment is in ten minutes.”
“I’ll walk you out.” Jack stood and picked up the box she’d been given as well as the one he’d won.
“Where are you two going? Are you off to try out your prizes?”
Emma smiled politely, but the same anger she’d experienced earlier in the gym clawed up her throat to choke her. They’d probably been set up so that they won—props—to enliven the movie that was being shot with them the star performers. She wondered what other prizes she and Jack would win during the rest of their stay.
They left the restaurant with neither speaking until they were ensured of privacy.
“We’re being set up.” Jack gestured at the boxes he carried with a jerk of his chin.
“That’s obvious. Just what I wanted. My sex life plastered all over the Internet.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll get them.”
“That’s a promise,” Emma snapped, still smarting each time she recalled the males she’d overheard in the gym. “We’ll bust their asses for both drugs and illicit filming.”
Jack grinned. “That’s my girl.” He leaned forward to kiss her square on the lips.
Emma’s heart somersaulted. If he wasn’t interested, why was he kissing her? They didn’t have an audience. Men. She sure as heck didn’t understand them. Her lips softened under his, and she pressed into him even though the two boxes he carried dug into her ribs. Every breath she took was full of his scent. A groan built deep in her chest. Her pussy heated, moistening her panties. A perennial situation when she was around Jack. All she needed to do was think of him and her body prepared for his possession.
Their lips slid together. Sipping, nibbling, tasting. Mating. Her stomach swirled.
Jack pulled away with a curse, and they stared at each other for a long moment.
“I’ll see you on the beach at six,” he said. “Don’t be late.”
***
Jack paced the sand beneath the old pohutukawa tree and checked the skyline again. The last rays of sun brightened the horizon, but there was still no sign of Emma.
A couple paddled in the small waves that rushed to shore, slowly making their way toward the main part of the resort. It was a Middle Eastern night tonight so Jack presumed everyone was preparing for another night of frivolity—drinking, eating and dancing late into the night.
He paced away from the tree and shivered at his body’s reaction to the pull of the moon. Even though it wasn’t visible yet, edginess stalked him. He glanced down at his tented shorts with a wry twist of lips. Damn, he needed Emma.
The vibrations of approaching footsteps made him turn.
Emma.
Jack found himself smiling—an automatic reaction. He couldn’t seem to stop.
His gaze scanned her from the top of her head, down her curvy form and long legs to her feet. Whoa! His gaze darted back to her hair.
“Hi,” she called. Her body language screamed self-conscious, alerting him to the fact he could hurt her if he didn’t say the right words. An opportunity to blow this budding relationship apart.
He didn’t take it.
“I was starting to worry,” he said instead.
She came to a stop right in front of him, so close they were almost touching. The back of his fingers drifted across her smooth cheek then he lifted his hand higher to tug lightly on a fragrant curl. It was the exact color of the sunset—a combination of red and golden brown and orange.
“You’ve got a sunset in your hair.”
Her head jerked up, her blue eyes wide and uncertain at his compliment. “Is that good?”
“You look beautiful. Worth the wait.” Jack hesitated awkwardly on hearing his words, but they came from the heart. And that gave him pause. What the hell was happening to him? This investigation was going nowhere. Frustration was his middle name, yet it wasn’t the lack of progress that irritated the heck out of his life plan. It wasn’t the impending blue moon.
It was Emma.
A sensible man who happened to also be a shape-shifting taniwha, would do the job and walk away…
Jack shrugged and pushed away his insidious fears. Emma wasn’t going to die because he was a taniwha. If he had his way, she’d never learn the truth.
“Discover anything helpful?” Emma sat on the sand and hugged her knees as she stared out to sea.
Jack dropped down beside her and cast a quick glance in her direction. “Nothing useful.”
“Are you still going out tonight?”
“Yeah.” Damn right. It was even more dangerous staying in their room.
“What do we do? Stuff the bed with pillows and make it look as if we’re sleeping for a change?” She glanced over at him with an impish grin, one that made her resemble a mischievous pixie.
Jack stared. “It’s so simple, it might work.” He kept staring. Damn, she was pretty. He’d never noticed how creamy and touchable her skin appeared. His gaze drifted to linger on her mouth, and he found himself leaning toward her. Their lips collided and clung. A hand—Emma’s hand—slid around his neck, urging him closer. They kissed until the need for air forced them to stop. Breathless, they drew apart.
“I didn’t think we were doing that again.” Emma toyed with the hair at his nape. Each sharp tug and scrape of her fingernails sent a corresponding jolt to his groin.
“We shouldn’t be.” But he gave in to the temptation to lick the delicate whorls of her ear. His mouth drifted lower to nuzzle and taste the soft skin of her neck. “But I was never big on rules.”
“Me neither.” She ran her fingers through his hair, still tugging hard enough to send a pleasurable pain to his cock and keep him in sensual thrall. “Are we going back to our room?”
They stared at e
ach other for a long drawn-out moment. Jack considered everything he should do and immediately did the opposite. “Let’s stay here.”
Emma’s mouth dropped. “Make love here?” She scanned the beach, glanced back at him and licked her lips. “What if someone sees us?”
“They’re going to watch us if we return to our room.” Just once, he wanted to love her without a paying audience. He pushed aside guilt as he scanned the high tideline. The situation was more complicated than a simple fuck. Uneasy, he shrugged and concentrated on Emma instead of emotions he didn’t want to deal with. Besides, he’d hear the vibrations of footsteps coming in their direction long before anyone discovered them in a compromising position.
“That’s true.” She nodded, a slow grin spreading across her luscious lips. “I like the idea of cheating them out of takings and movie rights.”
Hell, what had he done to deserve this woman as a partner? Once again, Jack shied from his thoughts. He’d fuck her since that was what they both wanted.
Jack pushed her gently back onto the sand. “Last chance,” he whispered. “We don’t have a blanket. We’ll probably end up with sand in places that are uncomfortable.”
“You trying to change my mind?” Emma’s gurgle made him want to grin.
“Never,” he breathed, placing a kiss in her fragrant cleavage. “Have I told you how much I like your tits?”
“Yeah?” Her face lit with laughter. “Why don’t you show me?”
Jack scanned the beach again. The brilliant colors of the sunset had faded, leaving the horizon a dark, inky bluish-black. Overhead the pale moon shone, a day short of full.
His cock twitched insistently.
God, he needed her—it was that simple. He unzipped her shorts and tugged them down her legs. Purple panties today. Jack removed them, too, leaving her bare to his gaze. He parted her folds, sliding his fingers along her cleft, then Jack cupped her bottom with his hands and lifted her to his mouth.
Emma forgot they were out in public and concentrated on the feel of him. Her eyes closed, leaving her adrift in a world of senses. His fingers on her bare flesh, his tongue dragging across her sensitive clitoris. Heaven. The sensations built, lifting her higher until she shuddered, slow waves of ecstasy washing over her. With a final swirl of his tongue, she convulsed in a violent climax.
A soft kiss on her belly jerked her to full awareness. A grin spread across her face. “That was wonderful.” An understatement.
“Yeah?” Jack checked the beach before ripping off his clothes. In the moonlight, he glowed, looking mysterious and magical. And so sexy, she couldn’t believe he was with her. Even if it was just for this week. Emma chewed on the unpalatable thought. If she was persistent, she could win him over. I’m going to make that man mine, she thought as she watched him roll on a condom. Yeah, she’d win him over or die in the attempt.
Jack leaned over her, burrowing his hands under her shirt. “Are you brave enough to remove this?”
Emma thought for all of a second. “Take it off.” Cool air brushed across her breasts, tightening her nipples to hard points. The contrast of warm and cold made her needy. Achy. Ready for Jack’s possession.
He parted her legs and filled her with one seamless thrust. Pleasure grabbed her, and a cry escaped. Jack scored the tender skin along her throat teasing another soft cry free. He filled her, hitting the sweet spot, at exactly the right angle, sending her soaring. Too quick. Way too quick, she thought with a trace of regret as heat punched through her.
Jack thrust into her, almost impatient with his rapid strokes. A moan escaped him and deep shudders shook his large frame. His heart thundered, and she rejoiced in the fact she made him feel—something at least. She placed a tentative hand on his shoulder, only relaxing when he rolled off her and tugged her into an embrace.
Tears burned suddenly as she pressed her face against his chest. She loved him, but how the devil was she going to make him admit he returned the sentiment? Sighing, she cuddled closer just enjoying the moment.
They dressed slowly, laughing and snatching nibbles from bare skin before clothing settled back into place. Relaxed and limber, Emma was ready to take on anything. Jack reached out to ruffle her hair, the peacefulness on his face snaring another piece of her heart. She’d thought she’d known Jack, but each hour spent with him peeled away another layer of mystery. He was gentle and moody. Bossy and loyal. And she loved him even more than she had at the start of the week.
“I’ve been thinking about how to handle the search.”
Disappointment surged briefly, but she shook it away and forced interest into her expression. At least he was sharing his plans, treating her more like a partner. If she couldn’t have his heart, at least she’d have a working relationship. “How?”
Jack took her arm, and they wandered in the direction of their accommodation. He leaned close and murmured his plans. To anyone else he appeared as if he was whispering sweet nothings. Her heart lurched and used up so many beats she gasped and furtively massaged her chest. With his warm breath bathing her ear and his proximity she had to concentrate to make sense of his plan.
“We’ll go back to our room. If our voyeurs are at their post already, we’re screwed. If they’re not, we’ll stuff the bed with pillows so it looks as though I’m in bed.”
“One problem with that,” Emma said. “They must have some system of lighting. I mean we don’t always make love with the lights on.”
“I know. I’ve thought of that. The only thing I could think of was distraction.”
Emma stopped walking. “A diversion?”
“Yeah. You and your vibrator.”
“They’ll film me!” She didn’t have to pretend horror. It thumped her over the head like a sudden winter cyclone and left her anxious, her legs wobbly.
“Yes,” he agreed. “The decision is yours.”
Emma was still thinking about her vibrator when Jack unlocked their room and slipped inside.
“Wait there.” It was an order.
Emma’s breath came out in a hiss, his bossy nature going some way to shore up her bravery. He was impossible and as for expecting her to do a solo performance for the benefit of the camera… She waited for all of two seconds before darting after him.
“All clear,” he said. “No one there yet.”
“How do you know?”
“My hearing is excellent.”
Was it her imagination or had his whole persona undergone a swift change. He looked awfully grumpy, and his dark eyes flashed with an emotion she had difficulty deciphering. Definitely not the time to argue.
“We’d better sort out the bed. I think there are extra pillows in the wardrobe.” Emma jerked open the door as she spoke and grabbed two pillows plus a blanket. Jack tugged back the covers on the left hand side of the bed.
“That’s my side of the bed.”
“It’s farther from the two-way mirror.” His mouth tightened. “Housekeeping has been busy while we’ve been out this afternoon. We have two cameras. There and there.” He pointed before accepting the pillows from Emma.
Cameras.
Anger built inside until she resonated like a volcano ready to blow. They were not going to get away with this while she had breath in her body. One glance at Jack confirmed his fury.
“How are the cameras activated? Not by movement?” Emma glared in the direction Jack had indicated. She couldn’t see obvious signs, but since he was an experienced operative, she believed him. “Are we being filmed now?”
“I don’t think so. If movement activates the cameras, they’d film housekeeping and anyone who entered. They’d waste film. My guess is they record once they see action. They’d estimate from the timing of the dinners and special events which hours their guests would return to their rooms.”
“But they must have had cameras all the time. That’s what they implied when I heard them talking.”
Jack scowled. “Going for different angles for their film, I’d say. But I think
these are new. I haven’t noticed them before.”
A blush suffused her face. It seeped lower to heat her breasts. Surely, the way they made love wasn’t that different. Not memorable enough to warrant more cameras.
Jack finished arranging the pillows and dragged the covers back into place. “How does that look?”
Emma tilted her head to study his handiwork. “Like two pillows and a blanket designed to resemble a person.”
Jack’s scowl grew darker. “Cut out the smart-ass remarks.”
“I wasn’t—”
“Showtime,” he whispered. “I’d better go. Turn off the main light. Quick. Once I’m gone, you can turn on the bedside lamp on your side, but see if you can adjust the lamp so it shines away from the bed.”
Emma nodded and followed him to the door. “Take care.”
He grabbed her in a hug and squeezed her before kissing her hard. Then he slid out the door leaving her alone with the voyeurs.
Keep them busy.
The words echoed through her head—taunting and a touch repulsive. The idea of knowingly putting on a show for these creeps…
Taking a deep breath, she padded to the edge of the bed. After fumbling in the dark for a few minutes, she managed to swivel the bedside lamp so it pointed away from the bed. Before she switched it on, she allowed her gaze to run over the mirror. If she hadn’t known, she would never have suspected.
Maybe if she switched on the television. She could bore them into leaving.
Emma strode over to the television, picked up the remote and settled back to channel surf.
Eek! Not that channel. She cringed at the naked bodies writhing on the screen and hurriedly changed channels. Her head dipped in a slow, disbelieving shake as she registered the mass of bodies on a round bed. She cocked her head to view from another angle. There were so many people; it was a wonder they didn’t fall off.
The third channel change clued her in to the truth. The television was strictly R18 and geared to amorous couples. She wouldn’t find distraction in a drama or a cheesy reality show.
Flight of Dragons Page 87
