Grabbing wine from the mini bar, I pour myself a glass before lowering into the water and closing my eyes…I just need to simmer for a bit and ignore the question of why I can’t seem to fucking relax and stop trying to control everything.
I sink back into the warm, aromatic water, inhaling deeply. “God, I’ve needed this,” I mumble, letting my head hang back against the edge of the tub. It is deep and jetted, something I plan to keep as part of the new design of the hotel.
I let my mind wander to the events that unfurled earlier…I have to admit, I may have overreacted a little, but his comment was a complete mood killer. Had I just been looking for an excuse to bail like I always did?
I roll my head around, trying to relax as one of my hands squeezes a sudsy loofah against my neck. I replay the kiss in my head…the way his lips pressed against my own. His tongue had darted out and caressed my own as his firm body pressed against mine. Before I can stop myself, my hands are skimming down my breasts, settling between my legs.
My breathing quickens as I begin to rub my clit. My eyes flutter as I imagine Vincent’s long, thick fingers touching me. My movements become more erratic as my pulse races; I couldn’t stop now if I wanted to. It isn’t long before I’m squeezing my legs together, thoughts of Vincent Crawford’s tongue lapping at me like a man starved for my taste.
“Fuck!”
I slap the water as I shoot up in frustration; it’s ok, it’s fine…I’m fine, I tell myself as I come down from the explosive orgasm that just rattled my body.
Chapter 16
Vincent
I kicked myself as soon as the words left my mouth. One thing I need to learn is that Alison is vastly different from the women I previously charmed.
The other women in my life were easy to get and easy to lose, something I had prided myself on in the past. I want to be different for Alison. I know she deserves so much more. I had called after her, but she bolted anyway.
I don’t know what came over me; it felt like jealousy. I’d felt it bubble up in my chest when she first mentioned having a boyfriend on the flight out here. It had been sitting in my stomach, stewing.
A feeling of possessiveness gripped me so tight when I held her. She’s mine. The thought of another man touching her, holding her, kissing her, made me sick to my stomach. It also made me act out like a fucking child. I have to make things right. I am not just going to walk away this time.
I make my way back to my room to clear my head and give her some space. I pace the floor with my phone in my hand, finger hovering over the call button. Finally, I give in and hit send.
“Hello?” Elise’s voice echoes on the other end.
“Listen…I fucked up. Majorly."
I knock softly on Alison’s door. Waiting hopefully.
She opens it slowly to see a remorseful looking me standing there with my hands in my pockets and my head hung low. I am hopeful my body language conveys just how sorry I am.
“Alison…I feel like you’re going to tire of this song and dance very soon, but I want to extend my apologies once again for my behavior. Before you say anything, just hear me out, please.” I look down the hall and then motion past her. “May I come in?”
She looks down at her robe-clad body and pulls it closer against her chest. I’m becoming very aware of her nakedness under the plush covering.
“Umm, yeah, yeah just let me…” She seems unsure of what she is saying. She ushers in me and stands at the end of her bed. She seems nervous, fidgeting with the belt on the robe.
I sit on the edge of the small couch and place my elbows on my knees. “I won’t stay long, but I need to apologize. I know this isn’t a valid excuse, and it’s a flimsy one at best, but the past…women I’ve engaged with have been very different from you. They…how do I say this? They were after one thing and needed something from me. You’re completely different from anyone I’ve ever pursued or engaged with, and I am asking for your patience and forgiveness.”
She stands silently for the longest time, probably trying to process what I am saying or maybe to determine the best way to tell me to fuck off. She hugs the lapels of her robe even tighter to her chest before she finally speaks.
“Thank you; I do understand what you’re saying. I am not great at letting my guard down, in case you haven’t noticed, so when I do, and things go south, my gut instinct is to put up a wall. I felt great coming here, and when you brought up the moaning comment, it just made me think of New York, and I realize I’m no different from the random woman you hooked up with there, and I get that. I guess I just didn’t like being reminded that I’m just another notch in some random guy’s belt.”
I lower my head when Alison brings up New York. “I know. I knew as soon as the words left my mouth that those memories were probably where your mind went. She was someone I used to date a while back. She heard that I was in town and reached out. I know it wasn’t right; I regret it now. I was frustrated that I couldn’t seem to get through to you, and I took her up on her offer for a drink. I knew her intentions, and I should have said no, but I didn’t.” I rub my thumb and forefinger across my brow as I speak.
“Look, Vincent, you don’t owe me an explanation for your choices. We have a professional relationship and how you choose to spend your time or who you choose to spend it with is none of my business. Honestly, it’s fine. I’m just glad we realize now that we should keep things professional. I shouldn’t have kissed you back tonight; I work for you.”
I am not sure if she is trying to convince me or herself. “And you have a boyfriend…which is whole other apology I owe you. I was completely out of li—”
“Actually…I made that up.” She looks down at her feet as confusion washes over me.
“Wait, what?”
“I—I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me when I said that on the flight. I was texting my sister. I think I just hoped if I said that, you would back off on the flirty comments. I was confused; you’re my client, and I can’t risk my job for some meaningless hookup that could destroy my reputation. I thought I could let loose and live in the moment without feelings. I was wrong.”
I sigh and run my hands through my hair. I can see she isn’t going to change her mind tonight. “I understand. I really am sorry, Alison; I hope I haven’t damaged our working relationship. I would like to be friendly with you…hell, I’d like to actually be friends with you, if that’s possible.” I stand up and shove my hands in my pockets, looking at her with a questioning eyebrow raise.
She lets out a small laugh and shakes her head. “I’m not angry with you, Vincent. Unfortunately, you’re too charming to hate, something I think you’re well aware of and use to your advantage. The fact is, I like you…a lot, and I don’t know what to do with those feelings. We will get along just fine, don’t worry. Just let me get my work done and don’t try to get me to do backflips out of a helicopter or whatever.”
I laugh and make my way towards the door. “Thank you, Alison. I promise to stay out of your way and let you focus and work without my banal drivel. Now, I’ll let you get on with your evening. Thank you for your time, and I hope you sleep well.”
I let the door shut behind me and then lean against it…how the hell am I going to ever deserve her? I have to prove to her that I am more than just another rich playboy trying to use her for fun. It was a comment I deserved, and I see why she felt that way. It bothers me that she has mentioned a few times now that she thinks I see her as just another one of my flings. I would do whatever it takes to prove to her that I am worthy of her. Still, the fact that she admitted that she likes me has my stomach doing backflips with excitement.
True to my word, I give Alison plenty of space while in Colorado. Like before, she worked around the clock getting the renovations started. As much as I loved watching her work, she needed to have some downtime.
I did manage to persuade her to take me up on an offer to go for a hike. She certainly wasn’t used to the altitude and was convin
ced she would die halfway through, but I made sure to keep the pace slow and controlled for her. The conversation between us was mostly about work; I could tell she was uneasy and not sure where the boundaries were.
By the time the week came to a close, I was ready to get back home. Alison seemed ready as well; she kept mentioning a massage and bottle of wine that were calling her name. She deserved it…she deserved everything.
Now I have to survive the two-and-a-half-hour flight back to Chicago, and then on to Hawaii.
I called ahead to the hotel in Hawaii long before the flight landed on the island. This trip was the first time the two of us traveled together since going to Denver a few weeks ago, and I was taking a chance at putting the two of us in one of the villas on the beachfront in the resort instead of getting Alison her own bungalow separate from mine in the main hotel.
I have no idea about how she was going to react, but if it is anything like the way she reacted back on the roof in Denver, it is going to be an interesting weekend at least. I know she said she wanted space and for things to remain professional between us, and I agreed, but fuck it. I can’t keep my word.
I want to do this right. She isn’t one of the girls who chases after a man. She deserves to be treated with respect and admiration, and I don’t want her to think I am just after one thing. I am after a lot more than just a one-night stand.
I want everything with Alison: the whole package. Everything else in my life besides business has always been about a good time or an adrenaline rush. This is different. There is an adrenaline rush, but it is nothing like what I am used to. I am nervous and excited; my heart races when I think about her, and I ache when she isn’t around.
Elise laughed when I called her and told her about what had happened in Denver. I didn’t know whether to thank her or blame her for at least some of what happened, even more so when Nate told me that she’d been the one who drove Alison out to the airport right before their Denver trip. There must have been a reason she’d agreed to go out with me so readily. I knew that the two of them had become friends and that they’d been hanging out a lot recently.
I just hope that she isn’t going to freak out on me when she finds out the two of us are sharing a villa. We each will have our own room, I wouldn’t put that much pressure on her, but the option was there if she decided that was what she wanted. As we check in and the porter shows us to the villa, I see the look on her face, and it causes me to hold my breath.
I don’t know her well enough to gauge her expression right now, and I am scared to ask until the porter leaves.
“I hope it’s alright that we’re sharing the villa. You have a room, and so do I. But if you want me to, I’ll go have them put me in another villa on the other side of the island.” I am confident about what I am saying, but I am not sure if I am trying to convince her or myself.
Alison turns around and takes a few steps before answering. Her brows are knit together as she looks around the room and notes the bedroom doors on opposite sides of the living area.
“No, it’s fine. I wasn’t expecting it, but it’s perfect. Who wouldn’t want to be in a beachfront villa in Hawaii, right?” She sounds a lot less convincing than I had. She is less than thrilled about all of it. The only thing stopping her from walking out is the fact that she could put two doors between us if she decided to.
At least she is going to spend time with me. It is the thing that I have been looking forward to since I started putting the plans for this weekend into place. I don’t even recognize myself anymore! Since when do I crave just hanging out with a woman rather than trying to bed her? It is Friday, and I know she has work to do while we are here. But I intend to make sure that she has a good time while we are here, too.
There are a million things I could do that I would enjoy—surfing, mountain climbing, hang gliding across a volcano—but I am pretty sure most of those things aren’t Alison’s idea of fun. And none of them are conducive to what I have planned.
Thankfully, I had a little help on this front. I won’t admit it to Alison, but I might have called her sister Janelle to ask for some advice here. I figured that no one knew her like her little sister, and Elise had been kind enough to make sure I got her number and the two of us were in contact as soon as I’d asked for help. Plans were in motion ever since to make sure that tonight was absolutely on point.
I let Alison go about exploring the hotel and grounds without me, to get a feel for how things worked around here. I want her to get as much of the preliminary work done as possible before dinner tonight, but I make sure to move over to her side as she walks away and whisper in her ear before she goes out the door.
“Dinner is at eight. Don’t be late.” She shakes her head as she walks out, but her response gives me a glimmer hope.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” The reply is dripping with sarcasm, but there is something underneath it that she is trying to hide. I also can’t help but notice the way her body still reacts to me when my arm lightly brushes against her own. She tenses, the tip of her tongue darting out to nervously lick her lower lip as she tries to mask her reaction.
I almost lose track of time when I notice the sun setting. It is my cue to head back to the villa, take a shower, and get ready for the night.
After the shower, I pull on some casual clothes, grabbing a Hawaiian-print shirt from the top of my suitcase. I smile to myself as I button up the shirt. I know it is completely out of character for me to wear something so outrageous, but I hope it shows my fun, relaxed state.
I move into the kitchen to put the bottle of champagne I’ve been chilling into a bucket of ice and carry it out to the private patio. Everything has been set up out here for the night. The dinner I had prepared and sent to the villa sits on a table under a warmer with candles under the small cabana that overlooks the beach. The sound of the waves echoing is only interrupted by the sound of the front door of the villa opening and Alison calling out my name.
Chapter 17
Alison
“I’m outside,” Vincent calls to me through the open sliding glass door. I make my way towards the lanai, curious as to what’s gotten into him.
“Vincent…seriously?” I begin to protest, but he interrupts
“I wanted to. Now take a shower and get comfortable. We’re going to spend the evening just the two of us and a private beach, if that’s all right with you.”
I nod and laugh, brushing my hair back off my forehead.
“I should know better than to argue. Besides, it’s been a long day. Just give me a few minutes to grab a shower and change clothes, and then I’m all yours for the rest of the night.” I pause for a moment, realizing how that must have sounded.
The last few weeks have been crazy. Right before the trip to Hawaii, I finally got the nerve to clear all of my things out of the apartment Brian and I shared. He had begged and pleaded with me to stop. To stay and reconsider.
He had told me that he never meant to hurt me, that Bridgette had seduced him and had been flirting with him for months. He was scared and didn’t know what to do…that was his excuse. Instead of coming to me about what was going on, he gave in to a woman that supposedly meant nothing to him.
I had cried for days, realizing that he threw away years of love and loyalty for nothing. That’s how little I meant to him.
It feels nice to be doted on, to be flirted with and desired…even if it is by a playboy billionaire. As much as I don’t want to admit it, maybe a good rebound is precisely what I need. To get lost in someone who wants me back.
When I finally re-emerge with hair still wet from the shower in a simple black skirt and tank top, a huge grin spreads across his face.
He stands up, pulling a chair out for me, helping me into my seat and making sure I have a full glass of champagne in front of me before he moves back to his place.
“So, want to play a little game?” He grins across the table at me as I take a bite of the delicious dinner he has prepared.<
br />
“A game?” I raise an eyebrow, fully expecting him to suggest strip poker or Twister.
“Yes, a game. You do know Twenty Questions, right? We take turns asking each other questions. Sort of like truth or dare without the dare. So are you up for it?” It looks like he is trying not to sound too eager as he sips his champagne, waiting for my response.
I toy with the top of my glass for a moment as I think about my reply. I reach down, wrapping my fingers around the stem and bringing it up to my lips to drain the glass in one long swig.
“Alright, then. Let’s play.” I grin, reaching for the bottle from the bucket of ice at the tableside, moving to fill the glass before he begins talking.
“Me first. So, what is your favorite childhood memory?”
I only take a moment to think before I reply, “Building a treehouse with my father when I was nine. He let me use the hammer even though I kept banging him across the thumb every time he held the nails for me.” I laugh at the memory and take another drink of champagne.
“What’s your favorite color?”
Vincent grins. “That’s an easy one. Blue, and I swear it’s only a coincidence that your eyes are blue.”
I can’t help but roll my eyes a little.
Before we hit question ten, Vincent is pouring out his life story to me over our half-forgotten dinner. I am not sure if this is something he shares with many people; some of it is public knowledge, but the details are heartbreaking.
He explains how his grandfather had been the one to push him to go to college. How he’d wanted him to be more than a farmer even though that was what his grandfather had spent all of his adult life doing. He wanted more for his only grandchild. Vincent’s mother had come and gone from his life, appearing just long enough to do damage and then disappear again, until they’d gotten word that she’d died in her sleep halfway across the country in a Vegas hotel. It was hard for him to miss someone he’d barely known.
Claimed By Him: (Contemporary Romance Box Set) Page 54
