by Natalie Ann
“My toes are pretty strong,” she said. “I’ve got confidence in Mac.”
“Not many women do,” Diane said.
She frowned. “What does that mean?”
“Don’t get me wrong. He’s always been strong. Always been a leader. Even in school when other people were giving him shit about the line he came from. He never fought anyone, he always stuck up for the little guy.”
Diane stopped when Sidney started to laugh. “Are you kidding me? In this day and age someone is using that? Saying it? If he lived in another state and no one knew about this island, he’d just be a hot man with a good job. There would be no talk about what line he came from.”
“Well, he is a hot guy with a good job,” Diane agreed. “But this is Amore Island. His ancestors founded the island. They built it. Many are multi-millionaires so many times over. I bet a few are pushing billionaire status.”
“Not that you’d know by really looking at them.”
“I’m not sure about that. You know the wealthy from those that aren’t by the houses they live in and the cars they drive. Do most of them avoid walking around and flaunting it to tourists? Sure. But I’m sure you’ve seen Eli. He’s flashy and he’s young and has made a lot of his own wealth. The same with his brothers.”
“Drew, Bode, and Coy are not flashy,” she pointed out of Eli’s first cousins. “I know Drew well since my best friend is dating him.”
“Oh yeah,” Diane said. “I forgot about that. I guess you’re right. There is something about this island that just makes people act and think differently than the rest of the world.”
“You don’t believe in that love at first sight thing do you?” she asked. “Hold that thought.”
She moved away to get an order from a customer at the bar, then came back to see Diane grinning. “It’s a big tourist pull. This island has made a lot of money off of it. But since I’ve lived here my whole life, I’m not sure. I had love and it didn’t work out.”
“Haven’t we all,” she said back.
15
Good News
The bar and restaurant were hopping for Valentine’s Day. That meant money in her pocket by the end of the night and it was barely six right now.
Not only that, her sexy new boyfriend just walked in the door and took a seat at the end of the bar. “Well hello there, hot stuff.”
The chief of police’s face actually started to turn red. “Ah, thanks.”
“Are you blushing, Mac? Oh my God, you are.”
“Wiseass. Get me a beer.”
She moved over and got it for him, the same as he drank last time, and put it in front of him. “I wasn’t expecting you tonight. I thought I was just showing up at your place when I was done with my shift,” she said, leaning closer to him. They might not be able to have a date night the traditional way, but she was looking forward to rolling around in the sheets with him.
“I thought I’d stop in to see how you were doing, have a drink, and make sure we were still on for later.”
“Oh, I’m on all right. You’re the one that is normally sleeping. Are you sure you’re up for it?”
She heard some coughing from Mark behind her at the bar. “A little help.”
She winked at Mac and moved away to do her job, leaving the hottie to entertain himself. When she looked over ten minutes later, he was chatting with some man.
“Hey there. Aren’t you a treat on the eyes tonight.”
Sidney smiled at the man at the bar who dished out that cheesy pickup line like her grandmother used to slap mashed potatoes on her plate at Thanksgiving. “What can I get you?” she asked.
“A Bud and a number.”
She snorted. “Three,” she said, putting the beer down.
“What?”
“You said a beer, which you got. And a number. The number was three.”
“I meant your phone number, sweetheart.”
She turned and looked at Mac who was watching and probably heard what was going on too. “Aw, I thought you wanted to know the number in my head. It was three. Because you see that guy down there. The third from the end?”
“Yeah,” the guy said.
“That’s my boyfriend.”
Mark moved over and leaned in to add, “He also happens to be the chief of police on the island.”
The guy turned to look at Mac, who lifted his beer and put it to his lips, his eyes never leaving the scene. The man picked up his beer and moved away faster than if someone lit a firecracker under his ass.
“That was fun,” she said to Mark.
“I don’t think Mac thought so.”
“He’s fine.” She turned and winked at him and he sent one back to her.
When she felt her phone go off in her back pocket she pulled it out quick to see who might be texting her. She didn’t do much more than check it while she was working.
But when she saw it was from Amanda and a picture of a diamond ring on her finger, she almost dropped the phone and squealed.
No, that would be unprofessional. But damn it, she needed to jump up and down. Next best thing would be to go to the end of the bar and tell Mac, then send off a quick text. “Mark, cover me, I just got some good news I need to share. I need five minutes or less.”
“You got it,” Mark said.
She moved to the end of the bar and put her phone in front of Mac. “Your cousin just got engaged to one of my best friends.”
Mac pushed the phone back to focus. “Look at that. Damn, I’m blind just from the glare on that rock in the picture.”
“You didn’t expect anything different, did you? Kayla’s is massive too.”
“Is that what you’d be looking for?”
“What?” she asked while she was getting ready to type back.
“A rock like that when your time comes?”
Whoa, moving fast here. “I haven’t thought much of it. I’m not a material girl. Not that my friends are either. But I don’t think it’d be wise to have something on like that working in a bar.”
“It might stop you from getting hit on though.”
She laughed. “You don’t believe that any more than me.” She started to dance in place as she texted back Amanda with a bunch of emojis.
“Ants in your pants?” Mac asked, grinning at her.
“So that is all I’ve got to do to get you to smile? Dance in place.”
“If you danced the way I wanted you to, I’d be smiling a lot more.”
“Very funny. I’m just so excited and happy for Amanda. She’s like me in that neither of us has dated anyone on this island until a Bond man came in our lives. Funny, isn’t it?”
“Or not,” he said.
She wasn’t sure what to make of that comment, but then saw his grin still in place and just figured he was joking. Either way she had to get back to work.
And thirty minutes later she looked over and saw Mac’s glass empty, then made her way to him. She’d been watching him nurse it and he finally took the last sip. “Another?” she asked.
“Nope. I’ll see you in a little bit.”
“I’ll be there.” She thought it was sweet that he came in to have a drink while she worked. Even if she couldn’t spend as much time with him as she would have liked, it was better than nothing.
A little after midnight, she pulled into Mac’s driveway, saw the front porch light on and was going to go there, but the garage door opened so she went in that way.
She wasn’t in the door for one second before he had her in his arms and his mouth crushing to hers.
“One might think you missed me.”
“Not only have I not seen you in days, I had to watch some man be flirty with you.”
“Please. I told him you were my boyfriend. You heard the whole exchange.”
“I did. I like that you weren’t afraid to let people know.”
“Was it supposed to be some secret?” she asked, trying not to be hurt over that. It’s not like most weren’t talking about it
to her at work.
“No. I’ve had a few people coming up to me about it too.”
“Then I don’t understand what your comment was about,” she said.
“Nothing. I don’t know. I guess just watching you walk around and staring at that tight ass of yours and waiting to get my hands on it got me all worked up. Then you got hit on and well...it’s a man thing.”
“No one on this island has held a candle to you in my eyes. No one will.”
“You know the right things to say to make me want to carry you up those stairs.”
“No one is stopping you,” she said.
He picked her up again, but not like last time. This time he put her over his shoulder and had her hanging upside down. She was laughing, which was a mistake when his hand came down on her ass. She yelped but then said, “If you do it again, I’ll be forced to return the tap.”
He set her feet down on the floor in his room, his hands going to frame her face, his mouth covering hers. “I’m not a possessive man. I don’t want you to think that. I don’t want you to fear it either. There is something about you that just makes my heart race and my blood pump faster than ever.”
“No fear, Mac. Just desire. Desire is good.”
Rod hitting her that one time didn’t mean she feared men. It didn’t mean she was distrustful of them either. Not really. It just made her a better judge of character in her eyes. More selective. Yep, that is what it was. Selective.
She got away from that asshole and it was enough. He was in a country so far removed from her, he didn’t exist. Not even when Mac slapped her ass playfully. It didn’t even occur to her, until he mentioned he didn’t want her to be fearful.
“Yeah,” he said, “it is.”
“Now let’s strip.”
“You read my mind,” he said.
The two of them started to pull and tug, twist and turn and before long they were both naked and tumbling onto the bed. She fell on him and wanted to stay right the way she was.
“You need a condom,” he pointed out when she started to move down his body with her mouth.
“We’ll get to that soon enough. But for now I think I need to pay you back since we were lopsided from the last time we were here.”
“I’m not keeping score,” he said.
“Me neither. Not really. I just have to put your cock in my mouth.”
“Christ,” he said when she covered him completely. She really hadn’t given him much of a warning after she’d boldly made that statement. She wasn’t one to talk dirty either. Not that she thought that was much of dirty talk, but it must have been enough for him.
His hips came up pushing deep into her throat almost gagging her since she wasn’t ready for it. But she adjusted and found her rhythm, bobbing up and down, lapping him up.
“Sidney,” he said, his voice a little unsteady.
She lifted her eyelids and gazed at him as she continued to suck him off. She shook her head and kept going, his head falling back on the bed, his hands fisting the blankets.
She could feel his legs start to shake under her hips, so she continued until he shouted out her name as she made sure she got every last drop.
When she was done, she reached up and got a condom, then started to stroke him before she put it on. Yeah, that was less than a minute and she was up and over him, dropping down, the length and girth of him stretching her again.
“I’ve been thinking of this for days,” she said.
“Same here,” he said, his hands going to her hips and easing her up and down.
“I need more,” she said.
His hands went to her breasts, fingers and thumbs pinching both her nipples as she started to ride.
Her breath was coming in rapidly, her legs almost shaking as she worked herself up.
“That’s it,” he said. “You have no idea what the sight of you doing that is like.”
“I know what I feel and right now I’m going to come,” she said, her head falling back, her muscles squeezing and pulsing.
His hand went to her hips, held her in place and he started to slam into her hard enough the bed was moving.
She was so weak she wasn’t sure she could stay upright, but he finally grunted out his orgasm and then pulled her down to his chest, holding her close and rubbing her back in a soft caress.
Bullshit, this guy had no personality or romance. He had the right amount for her. Exactly what she’d always dreamed of.
16
New Home
“You didn’t have to get up,” Mac said when he poured Sidney a cup of coffee that she’d made.
He’d gotten up before his alarm like he always did, jumped in the shower, and then when he walked back into his room to get the rest of his clothes he’d noticed the bed was empty.
When he got to the top of the stairs, he’d smelled the coffee and told himself this was one hell of a way to wake up. But then when he saw Sidney standing in his kitchen in one of his T-shirts, he knew he might be falling down a rabbit hole that he’d gladly make his new home.
“You need to go to work soon,” she said, putting her cup to her lips and taking a sip. Her eyes were dancing as they looked at him. A mischievous glint that told him she might have wished he didn’t have to.
“I do, but you don’t.”
“My car is blocking you in the driveway,” she said.
“Which I could have easily moved.”
“Very true, but then you’d leave me here all by myself in your house. Maybe you’ve got secrets and things hidden and I’m a nosy person.”
He laughed. He’d never smiled or laughed as much as he did around Sidney. All those people who said he was a grouch or needed to loosen up should see him now. Then those thoughts made him feel like a wuss.
“First off, we all have secrets. Second of all, there’s nothing hidden in this house that I’m worried anyone would find. Third, if you’re that nosy of a person then I’m a bad judge of character.”
She put her cup down and moved toward him, her arms sliding around his waist. “Yes to us all having secrets. No, I’m not worried about finding anything hidden and I was just picking on you, and no, you aren’t a bad judge of character. I’m not all that nosy. Or not more than the average person.”
He dropped his lips to hers, set his cup down and picked her up, his hand going on her bare ass before he set her on the counter. “I can’t tell you how much I want to drop my jeans and just start to slam into you right now.”
“Hmm, that sounds like the best way to wake up,” she said, her hands going to the button, but he pushed them aside.
“Another morning,” he said reluctantly. “If I start I’m not going to want to finish any time soon and then I’ll be late and there is something else I wanted to talk to you about.”
“You tease,” she said.
He slid his hand between her legs and felt she was wet and groaned. “Damn you.”
“I said you were a tease.”
“Think of this for the next time we are together.”
“When is that going to be?” she asked. “I’ve got to work the next three nights in a row.”
“I’m off tomorrow. Why don’t you come back after your shift tonight and tomorrow we can go to the Casino. Get a nice lunch and spend the day watching me lose my money to my cousin Eli. Consider it my Valentine’s Day gift to you.”
She giggled. “I suppose if I have to wait until tonight I can. You don’t need to get me any gift, but I’d love to spend the day with you. I wish I could take the night off, but a Saturday is hard enough short notice, then add to the fact it’s this close to Valentine’s Day and Butch would have my head.”
“We can make it work just fine,” he said, then moved back before he lost his nerve to talk about what was really on his mind. Especially with her sleepy eyes and half-naked body in front of him.
“I’m flexible,” she said. “What did you want to talk about?” She slid off the counter and moved to the fridge. “Can I make y
ou breakfast while you talk or don’t you have the time?”
“I’ve got time, but you don’t need to cook for me.”
“No, I don’t, but you gave me such a good night and workout I find I’m starving.”
“Ah, so it’s your way to get food too. You don’t need to ask, just help yourself.”
She turned and grinned at him. “I’m going to scramble some eggs...sure I can’t double it for you?”
“I could toss some back with toast. Want me to double that?”
“See, on the same page,” she said, pulling the eggs out.
He got a pan and then the bread and slid it in the toaster oven while she started to crack eggs. “So last night, I made a comment about diamond rings and I think it was out of line.”
“What?” she asked, turning to look at him. “What do you mean?”
“First the comment about the size of Amanda’s ring and if you were looking for that. I don’t know why I said it.”
“Sure, you do,” she said. “You’ve made enough comments about being from William’s line and not James or Edward. Even Patricia or Catherine’s line. Since I’ve lived on this island I’ve heard it plenty. Edward’s and James’s lines have the money. The most money having all the real estate property and hotels, etc. Patricia’s branch dabbles in a little bit of everything but still does well. Catherine’s line runs toward a lot of medical professionals.”
“And William’s line is all about playboys, cheaters, liars, and blue collar workers.”
“Wow, you are being crazy hard on yourself,” she said.
“No, just realistic. But I heard what you said about if it wasn’t for this island, I’d be just a normal guy.”
“That’s right,” she said. “I’m just a normal girl too. I’m not out for a guy with money. I’d rather get one for his body.”
He shook his head, believing her. Just because her best friends were now engaged to two of his wealthy cousins didn’t mean they were after their money. Neither of those women had been looking for men, but had been pursued by his cousins.
