Wicked Heat

by Kelli Ireland

  “Ella,” he ground out. “I can’t...”

  She worked him harder, feeling the subtle change as his testicles drew tight just seconds before he lost control. It was all Ella could do to keep from touching herself, bringing herself over that beautiful edge and joining him in the fall, but this was about him, about her command of him, her control, his pleasure. Next time, and there would be a next time, she’d see to it that he gave as well as he received.

  Releasing him, she found him staring down at her, his forearm propped on the tree, his forehead resting on his arm. The sated look in his eyes was sexy as hell, but it couldn’t compare to the slightly swollen bottom lip—he must have bitten down on it to keep quiet. She’d done that to him, driven him to the point he’d nearly cried out.

  And she suddenly wanted nothing more than to drive him so far beyond rational thought that he lost all reason and simply let go.

  Next time.

  Liam offered her a hand, and she rose with his help. He nuzzled her neck, her sensitive skin erupting in goose bumps. She wanted him, more than she’d ever wanted anyone. Even a short affair would be enough. Enjoy him while she was here, removed as they were from everyday life stress, and take the memory with her when she left. That would do.

  It would have to.

  She sagged against him, something akin to disappointment sneaking in and leaving a dark smudge on what had been a bright moment. Reality was always such a quick way to go from thrilled to simply breathing in and out. The only option was to live in the moment and enjoy what little free time she had between work and related obligations.

  “Ella?”

  Her name, a soft question on his lips, had her lifting her face to his. “Hmm?”

  “Thank you.”

  She grinned. “Not what I expected, but I suppose you’re welcome.”

  He smiled and then surprised her by bursting out laughing. “Well, ‘you’re welcome’ wasn’t what I expected, either. No matter. What I meant was, that was absolutely incredible. And generous.” He kissed her, soft and swift. “And you’ll get your own back soon enough.”

  One eyebrow shot up. “Is that so?”

  “It is.” He ran a thumb over her eyebrow. “Have dinner with me.”

  “Agreed. But you have to do one thing for me.”

  “And that is?”

  Irritation prickled along her spine. “You won’t agree out of gratitude?”

  Liam blinked slowly. “Darling, I learned early on to never make blind promises to old friends or new lovers. It tends to sully the relationship.”

  Relationship. Not the word she would use for a tryst, but he could call it whatever he wanted.

  He hooked a finger under her chin and drew her attention back to him. “What is it you want from me?”

  “The revised list.” The request was flat, even to her ears.

  “Have dinner with me, Ella, and I’ll bring the list. The event coordinator texted me on our way back from the dive. He’s coordinated a banquet on the beach with local performers, and you’ll make your final menu choices then as well. The goal, I believe, is to have you consider the same or similar event for the post-ceremonial reception. He and his staff have contracted quite a few entertainers, and they want you to pick your favorites.”

  “Why did he text you?”

  “I’m not sure. He did ask me to pass the information along to you. I would speculate he simply assumed we’d attend together.”

  “Why don’t you let me have the list. I’ll attend the dinner and then bring back suggestions based on what they’ve put together. There’s no need for you to come with me. It’s really a simple event. No need to...” She took his hand and squeezed it before letting go. “I can do this more quickly and efficiently if you’re not there to distract me.”

  “First, I’m here on behalf of my sister and her groom. It only makes sense that I see what’s being proposed. Second, dining alone is never as entertaining as dining with a partner.” He traced the line of her jaw, a smile playing at each corner of his mouth. “Distractions aren’t necessarily a bad thing, Ella.”

  “Clearly you’ve never tried dating in Los Angeles.”

  He arched a brow, inquiry unspoken.

  “My dates usually wrap up with me trying to avoid the awkward good-night kiss while wishing I’d told the guy no when he asked, picked up Chinese takeout and brought it home to watch The Big Bang Theory reruns...alone.”

  Liam shook his head, the look on his face one of disappointment. “You are, without a doubt, choosing the wrong men.”

  She tapped a finger against her pursed lips and pretended to consider his words. “You know, you might be on to something.”

  He studied her with an intensity that left her shifting her weight from foot to foot, and then he spoke, each word registering low but clear. “Have dinner with me, and I’ll show you how the men who’ve taken you out should have done it.”

  She considered him, truly curious as to what he’d do differently. Before she could respond, he pulled her close, pressed a kiss to her temple and said softly, “Those are my terms, Ella. Accept them and I’ll provide the list of amended guest preferences as well as a night you won’t forget.”

  “Deal.”

  He tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “I’d say I’ll pick you up at seven, but to make things easier, why don’t we meet in the living room?”

  “Again, deal.”

  He kissed her then, kissed her like he meant it. Stepping back, he set himself to rights before offering a hand and leading them back onto the path. An approaching couple smiled and looked away.

  Ella blushed.

  “That color looks good on your cheeks,” Liam murmured. “I’ve a favor, if you don’t mind.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Would you allow me to shower first? It will give me a few extra minutes to revise the list and print it for you.”

  Visions of him in the shower, wet and soaped up, rendered her mute. An answer was necessary, but words eluded her. All she could do was nod.

  Her mind flashed over dinner and went straight to the point when they would head back to the bungalow, where Liam Baggett had promised to show her how a date should end.

  Even her imagination knew there were things he’d be able to show her, things she’d never considered. But come morning, she’d know.

  Firsthand.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  LIAM DID AS PROMISED, showering first and then retrieving and printing the list. What he hadn’t told Ella was that the list had already been modified. Well before his arrival at this tropical paradise, Liam had created several versions of the list, unsure which would be necessary. So while Ella had showered, he’d found the list with no names but guest characteristics, some accurate and others, well... He’d switched guest preferences, omitting some items and outright changing others.

  He hadn’t once hesitated, had never questioned the outcome because he’d been so clear in his focus, had known what he needed to do to unravel the wedding at its very seams. He’d done all this well before he’d met Ella. Long before he’d even considered he might suffer some form of remorse for setting the wedding planner’s career back. Not destroying it, certainly. That hadn’t been the plan. But even now, as drawn to Ella as he was, he would do whatever he deemed necessary for his sister, Jenna, to emerge happy and whole. He’d just be sure to help Ella recover from whatever societal storm resulted from his sister’s dissolved nuptials.

  Printout in hand, he wandered through the bungalow’s living room and stood on the deck. The sun had settled low on the horizon. Everything was cast in broad, rich strokes of pinks and purples and oranges. Night would follow quickly, and the stars would dominate the night sky.

  Soft footfalls drew his attention, and he turned. The barefoot woman in the doorway dulled the sunset’s brilliance. His th
oughts swung from planning a seduction to being seduced.

  “Ella,” he said, his voice saturated with something akin to reverence.

  She wore a dress that, at first glance, appeared to be a full-length, sleeveless number in predictable black. But the simple sheath enhanced her silhouette. Every curve seemed like a fantasy yet unfulfilled, hidden by a touch of shadow here and a hint of promise there.

  His mind was so jumbled that his entire vocabulary disappeared in a blink. He couldn’t do more than stare like an obsessed idiot who wouldn’t have been able to reply had he been at gunpoint.

  She was flitting about and, thank God, didn’t seem to notice the effect she had on him.

  “I’m not wearing shoes since dinner’s on the beach. Voluntary sand between the toes is one thing. Sand in the shoes? Entirely different sitch.” She cleared her throat and, on a small smile, turned back into the room. “Two seconds. I forgot my earrings.”

  The move revealed the other side of the dress. Liam’s ability to form coherent thoughts went the way of his vocabulary, leaving him staring wide-eyed and slack jawed. How many years would he spend dreaming about the soft, exposed skin of her back or the faint suntan lines earned this afternoon? He saw it all, more even, because the dress’s back wasn’t just open, it was open. Nothing but a maze of thin crisscrossing straps that dipped so low it was millimeters from that scandalous point where her back and her backside met.

  Adjusting the front of his trousers, he spun away and walked to the balcony railing, gripping it with strength fueled half by fury, half by desire. Fury at his inability to control his reaction to the woman he’d planned to seduce. As for the desire? That was self-explanatory. He glanced over his shoulder and watched her approach him with such grace and composure he had to remind himself to breathe. Yes, this was desire of the most destructive kind. A single glance and she rendered him mute. Senseless. Common.

  “Ready?”

  There were a thousand things he wanted to say, and not a single damn word came out. Instead of stumbling through some inane compliment and embarrassing himself, he wordlessly proffered his arm, squashing the small thrill that coursed through him when she laid her hand across the exposed skin of his forearm. Never before had he thanked God he’d rolled his sleeves up.

  First time for everything, I suppose.

  A shake of his head to clear it, and then he was guiding Ella down the steps to the walkway and toward the beachfront. He watched her from the corner of his eye, this woman who threatened to undermine his plans. And she seemed completely unaware she had derailed him, turned him inside out, tied him in knots.

  “You’re quiet.”

  Her softly spoken comment drew him out of his musings. Looking down at her, his breath caught all over again, and he had to smile. He’d always prided himself on laying out intelligent plans and executing them with logic paired with practicality. It was, for all intents and purposes, his modus operandi.

  But with her backless black dress and bare feet and shell-pink toes, Ella Montgomery had shattered that MO as if it were an illusion. Part of him wondered if he shouldn’t be irritated. The larger part of him couldn’t bring himself to care. Falling slave to her siren’s call sounded like an ideal plan. He would come to her call, allow her to draw him down to the depths of dark passion, where he would willingly drown.

  “Liam?”

  His gaze met hers, inwardly thrilling at the sharp catch of her breath, the involuntary widening of her pupils, the slight tightening of her fingers on his forearm.

  “Apologies. Woolgathering at an inopportune moment. What did you say?”

  “I said I’m sure you have a lot on your mind with your sister’s impending marriage, and I hope you’ll tell me about her so that I get this right.”

  “Of course.” She would instinctually assume he was at a loss over the wedding details. He wouldn’t correct her. Not yet.

  Guilt’s sharp fingers clawed their way up his back, caressing his nape before scraping along his scalp. His skin crawled in response. He was going to ruin this woman’s career—at least superficially...temporarily—and he knew it. Of course, he fully planned to use his connections to help her rebuild. Hell, he’d buy Ella’s way into society’s good graces if he had to. But Ella would have to trust him to help reestablish her reputation when all seemed lost. For that to happen, he had to first earn that trust. While lying to her about the wedding plans. And seducing her.

  Guilt’s weighted talons sank so deep they scraped bone.

  It was a new feeling, this particular level of guilt. He’d dismantled businesses, sold pieces and dissolved personnel departments with less apprehension than he experienced just then. Frankly? He didn’t understand this sensation any more than he liked it.

  So master the moment and deal with tomorrow, tomorrow.

  Right. Time to take control, to set aside the unfamiliar apprehension where Ella was concerned, to focus on her as a woman—one he found disconcertingly appealing. Show her that the men she’d dated in Los Angeles were just overgrown boys who hadn’t been equipped to satisfy a woman of her caliber.

  He’d deal with the fallout when it came.

  * * *

  Ella was hyperaware of the man at her side. The slight abrasion of his skin against her palm. His spicy cologne, faint but distinct enough to tease her senses. The way the breeze mussed his otherwise perfect hair. He’d been suspiciously quiet despite her attempts to draw him into conversation, his responses short and without elucidation.

  Irritating man.

  He hadn’t been so quiet this afternoon.

  It seemed that she’d needlessly worked herself into a minor frenzy over this evening. He was absolutely calm. Of course, he had the list she needed. He didn’t have a client showing up in a few days who expected a perfect wedding, much of it based on revisions she wasn’t yet privy to.

  God, that list. It was her invisible nemesis. She needed it now. Particularly if it was an updated version of what she’d been provided by the bride’s personal assistant. Without up-to-date information, Ella was effectively working blind. So she’d have dinner, tease Liam about the way dating should go, flirt and play a little, and then she would get down to business. First thing she’d do was coordinate the hell out of this wedding and, immediately after that, she’d ensure that her reputation was back in working order.

  Arm in arm, they stepped off the cultivated path, feet sinking into the white-sand beach.

  Ella gasped.

  Arvin and his staff had taken the plan she’d given them and outdone themselves. It was as if they’d crawled into her mind and plucked images, bringing thoughts and feelings together to create the perfect montage, from the big picture to the finest details. They’d hit every mark.

  Pale blue porcelain fire pots lit the path to the lone dining table, small clusters of seashells encircling the base of each pot. All around the entertaining area, tiki torches had been placed in seemingly random places in the sand, their flames swaying in the breeze.

  The table had been set up with low ottoman-style pouf chairs done in clean, unembellished linen. It was adorned with a white linen tablecloth, and a burlap runner ran the length, anchoring a fresh flower arrangement done in a long, low style that would allow guests to easily converse over it. From the place settings to the crystal to the candlelight, the presentation was immaculate. Every color was precisely what Ella had ordered, right down to the shade of navy blue in the accents, the bright white hydrangea, the pale ivory of the calla lilies and the rich colors of local flora.

  “This is amazing,” she breathed, her fingers tightening on Liam’s arm as she sought to slow her breathing. It was going to be okay. Everything was going to be beyond okay if the resort’s planning crew could pull off something like this. “Absolutely amazing.”

  The bride’s taste was disturbingly similar to Ella’s, and, seeing it all come together,
she had the briefest flash of what her own wedding would be like. Someday. Far, far away. Probably around the same time she became eligible to collect retirement.

  Forcing herself to let go of Liam’s arm, Ella strode forward to check the silver pattern. She was almost to the table when Arvin, the event coordinator, intercepted her.

  He gave a small bow and, just beyond the firelight’s glow, musicians began to play softly. The classical piece drifted across the air. Arvin rose and met her gaze head-on. “It is my sincerest hope you will find everything to your approval. My staff and I worked straight from the specifications and sketches you provided prior to your arrival.”

  He wrung his hands as he spoke, his wide, bright eyes searching her face. She took his hands in hers and squeezed gently. “It’s positively the most beautiful setup I’ve ever seen, Arvin. I mean it. The entire presentation is stunning. It’s like you crawled inside my head and looked at my imagination’s snapshots. I’m certain the bride and her future husband will be thrilled. You and your staff should be commended on doing such a spectacular job. In fact, I’d like the name of your supervisor. She, or he, needs to know what incredible talent this resort possesses in you, your leadership and your people.”

  He closed his eyes for a brief second before replying. “Thank you, Ms. Montgomery. I want to apologize once more for the misunderstanding regarding whose wedding had brought you to the resort. I spent the afternoon calling all over the island trying to secure another room, but there isn’t a single vacancy. I even tried a couple of homes with rooms for rent, but everything is booked. I would willingly offer you the bedroom in my home if you find yourself strongly opposed to the current arrangement.”

  Disappointment spiked through her—a way out of her current situation when, in truth, she no longer wanted one. She hesitated, not sure what to say, when a deep voice drifted through the dark and saved her.

  “That’s very generous of you, Arvin, but we’ll manage the current arrangements without any trouble. And in regards to the current setup, Ms. Montgomery is right in saying that you and your staff have done a beautiful job. We’ll only make a few minor changes.”