Captivating Nights (Boston Nights Book 1)

by Anise Storm

  Curious and more than slightly intrigued, she couldn’t help herself and peered over the railing. This time it wasn’t her face that attracted his attention. His gaze practically singed her skin as it swept over the thin material of her dress before resting on her breasts. Her common sense returned when her nipples tightened into hard peaks. Cali grabbed her glass and without a second glance, headed back inside the safety of her room. She had no business standing out there allowing herself to be ogled by a stranger. Where did he get off, anyway? He’d made her feel transparent and her body had responded to him. That knowledge had her cheeks turning a deep shade of crimson.

  You’re an idiot, Calista. She couldn’t help but berate herself. What kind of person gets turned on by a few fleeting glances?

  Odds were that he was looking at something or someone different until she gaped at him. Humiliation stained her cheeks and had her groaning aloud. Even in her limited experience, she knew that was not the way to pick up men.

  I need a cold shower and then maybe a second drink. The latter seemed the most appealing at the moment as her thoughts were now consumed with the mysterious stranger.

  This was a large enough resort. Hopefully she would never see him again. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, though, Cali was immediately consumed with sadness. Her voyeur was nothing like the males she regularly in Boston. Granted she didn’t date many men there, but still, there was something very interesting about this particular one. It was then that she realized he resembled and very possibly was the same man she’d seen in the lobby when checking in earlier that day.

  Lightheaded and wobbly on her feet, she blamed it on the alcohol she had just polished off. Cali decided to bypass the second drink after all. A hot shower would help clear her head. Or was it a cold shower? Shrugging, she removed her clothes and padded naked into the small bathroom.

  Chapter 5

  XAVIER RIVERA STOOD IN the shadows observing Zane while he stared off at the ocean, or what he’d initially assumed was the sea. It wasn’t until he got closer to his friend that he saw what had caught the man’s eye instead. A beautiful brunette was enjoying some private time with the moonlight and a cocktail. Having known Zane as long as he had, Xavier knew exactly what the other man was thinking.

  He hadn’t seen much of the woman outside of her lithe body and long dark hair. She was already halfway inside of her suite by the time he arrived. Judging by Zane’s body language, though, he had gotten quite a good look at her.

  “Who is she?” he asked quietly so not to startle his friend.

  “I don’t know, but I intend to find out soon.”

  Grinning, Xavier shook his head at Zane’s response. When his friend managed to seduce the unsuspecting female, the odds of Xavier also getting to sample her body were good. Actually, they were better than good. It was almost a guarantee.

  “What if she is married or here on holiday with another man?” Usually serving as the voice of reason for his hotheaded friend, Xavier waited for Zane’s jaw to unclench.

  “I don’t fucking care. I want her and I’ll have her.” Zane was vehement in that, and Xavier knew there would be no talking him out of it.

  With that final statement, Xavier watched his friend turn and brush right past him as he walked away. He had to admit that it was good to see Zane finally focusing on something other than his turmoil he had yet to fully deal with.

  He was so consumed with guilt and rage over what had happened on the yacht that stormy night. After returning to Washington DC, the blond Dominant essentially closed himself off from almost everyone and everything. He’d tried with Xavier too, but he would have none of that. Having been friends for over a decade, there was no way he would let him slip into the darkness.

  It was a miracle in itself that he had even convinced him to accompany him here. Xavier had wanted to escape the harsh winter in DC and figured that spending some time at one of the resorts he owned would be the perfect thing for the two of them. Zane was not the only one who needed to escape the normal chaos of their lives.

  All the holiday cheer… All the family togetherness… Xavier shook those thoughts away, personally knowing how much of a fraud the holidays had always been. He hated the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas for so many reasons. The fighting…the competition…It was all enough to make him sick and usually did. It was only when the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve that his life would go back to some sort of normalcy, not that that was actually too much better.

  Growing up the only heir in a fractured family had its definite drawbacks and this time of year only made them more intolerable. The holidays brought out the worst in everyone he knew and he for one was glad to only have to deal with Zane on this particular one. Last year’s gathering still left a sour taste in his mouth. He had no idea what made his father and stepmother think he was ready to settle down. Maybe they’d wanted something to brag about to the various country clubs they belonged to.

  Or maybe they genuinely wanted him to be happy. Xavier was all for that if it had been the case, except the way they intended to do it. He had no plans on getting married and having children. After the hellacious childhood he’d had, creating a family of his own was something he would never allow to happen.

  Xavier had an abundance of women ready to kneel at his feet, submitting to his every desire. His life was full of all the material things that mattered to him. He was essentially married to his work and his ambition and drive recently landed him on the Forbes Top 50 Young Entrepreneurs list. His half dozen luxury resorts were spread out all over the globe with plans for another three in the next couple of years.

  If something isn’t broke, then don’t fix it. That quote resonated with him and it was how he lived his life. While things in his life were great, there was still the matter of his best friend. Zane was currently hanging on by the thinnest of threads and from the time he’d landed here in Virgin Gorda, Xavier had tried to help him clear his mind.

  His thoughts returned to the beautiful woman that both had just seen on the balcony. From what he had seen of her, she didn’t fit the normal mold of women they usually pursued. Variety was the spice of life, though, and maybe something less familiar was what both needed to get through the next week.

  “Are you coming back inside?”

  Surprised, Xavier spun around at the sound of Zane’s voice. He thought his friend had already gone back to the villa.

  Shaking his head, he replied to Zane, “I’m going to stay out here for a few minutes longer.”

  “Have it your way then,” came the brusque response.

  Heavy footsteps retreated and he knew Zane was truly gone this time. Xavier stood there for a few more minutes, wishing he could have gotten a better look at the woman who had put his friend in hunter mode. The willowy brunette would soon know what it felt like to be prey, but she would ultimately be glad to have been captured. Her time in their captivity would involve more pleasure than she had ever known in her lifetime. The two men would see to that.

  She didn’t stand a chance against them. They were not only friends, but Dominants as well. When it came to their personal lives, their focus was even more intense.

  Chuckling, Xavier looked over at the French doors, hoping she’d step back outside, but the balcony was empty and the room light had since been turned off. She might run now, but she wouldn’t get very far. In fact, he was positive that Zane was already planning the many things he wanted to do to her.

  Making a mental count of the room number, he would help his friend out. Xavier would uncover exactly who she was, if she was there in the room with anyone, and once she was within their grasp, the two men would find out what things would make her scream in ecstasy.

  “We’re coming for you, belleza.”

  Mentally devising what he’d do, Xavier walked toward his room, now having plans for the rest of the evening that would hopefully lead to even better ones the next day.

  When Xavier reached his place, he foun
d Zane already there, his fingers flying over his laptop keyboard. It seemed his friend was indeed conducting his own research. His suspicions turned out to be correct as the blond turned and smirked before uttering two words. “Calista Grant.”

  Chapter 6

  THE JET LAG HAD finally caught up to Calista and she slept in the next day, missing her ride to Devil’s Bay. She had purposely only booked a beach trip for the first full day. It was an excursion she could stand to miss if something happened, and her initial thoughts were correct. Still, she was a bit bummed out that she did.

  The good thing about this resort was the private beach in walking distance of her room. To be honest, Devil’s Bay would have more than likely been too crowded anyway. Cali still felt self-conscious in her swimsuits and the more people around her, the more uncomfortable she would be.

  It’s for the best. Even though she kept telling herself that, Cali couldn’t quite make herself believe it. She had promised her best friends she wouldn’t be the same person here that she was in Boston. The truth of the matter was that no matter how far she tried to venture out of her comfort zone, the same insecurities dragged her back. Sometimes she wondered if the uphill battle was even worth it.

  Sure, she lived alone, only went out with the few friends she had, and spent most of her time behind a computer, but she didn’t dwell on those negatives. Cali had learned a long time ago to embrace what she had and make the best out of anything life threw at her. The problem was that nothing was being thrown her way. She was truly in a rut and this vacation was supposed to snap her out of it.

  It had only been one day and not even a full one if you only considered her time here in Virgin Gorda. Clinging to that logic, she sighed deeply as she looked out over the ocean in the distance. Now rested and refreshed, the scenery alone should’ve been enough to provide inspiration to anyone, even her. Setting her bottle of water down, she went back inside to retrieve her laptop, thankful that this resort had stellar Wi-Fi despite its remote location.

  “I might as well get something done before this entire day is wasted,” she said aloud to herself.

  While it powered on, she moved the small table in front of her, setting her laptop on it. Whenever she wrote, it always helped to clear her mind of everything and being here helped with that. Cali was a firm believer in meditation, and closing her eyes, she allowed her senses to create a picture of her surroundings.

  All of the sounds, from those of the waves crashing against the shore to those of the sea birds in the distance, invoked a sense of calm within her. She had some of those nature CDs at home that she occasionally played, but they couldn’t hold a candle to the real thing. The sounds may have been accurate, but even they couldn’t capture the warm breeze tickling her bare skin like the caress of a lover, or the smell of salt that permeated the air around her.

  A deep, calming breath later, Cali reopened her eyes and the view was exactly as she’d pictured it. Or at least it was until she heard the exuberant laughter of what sounded like children playing in the pool. She sighed and looked back at her laptop. Silence and peace always escaped her back home too, so she shouldn’t have expected things to be any different here in paradise. Considering her time in Virgin Gorda, she hadn’t even been on the island a full day. Clinging to that logic, she looked out over the horizon.

  The view was the perfect beginning to her next “boy meets girl” romance novel. As her mind conjured up the image of a fair-headed maiden and a dashingly devilish hero, Cali’s fingers flew over the keys. As she typed out the slideshow in her head, she realized how much easier it would be to write about something when you’d actually experienced it. She’d always wanted to visit somewhere exotic, and now that she was finally here, she’d have to make the most of her time.

  She wrote a few chapters before finally losing the desire. Maybe she was still jet lag, or maybe she just needed a change of scenery. Getting up, she went back inside and started to think of what she should do next. Cali had no specific plans in mind for the evening and as she lay across her bed, thoughts about the things Emily would do here at the resort ran through her head.

  “Put on something sexy and join us at the bar,” the voice in her head urged. Emily and Natalie were constantly trying to talk her into hanging out with them on the weekends, but bars and clubs were just not her scene.

  Her friends were extremely self-confident and adventurous, always living life to the fullest and never caring about what the world thought. Both women were sexual, often leaving a trail of admirers at their feet. Over the years, the women had tried to fix Cali up with different men, but she lacked self-confidence. “Maybe another time,” she’d always say, her standard answer to their constant pleading. The so-called “other time” just never came to fruition.

  What she wouldn’t give to be able to step outside of herself for even one night, just to experience what it felt like to live in the moment. For as long as Cali could remember, every action she took was to get closer to a goal. Now that she had everything she’d ever wanted, there was only one thing left: a relationship.

  Cali wasn’t interested in settling down. She’d have to be able to string together more than a few dates before even considering anything like that. While her common sense won out more often than not, it didn’t erase the fact that she had needs of her own. The physical ones she could take care of in a solo capacity, but sometimes she wished she didn’t have to.

  “You don’t have to be all alone, Cal.” Emily’s words echoed in her ears. “You’re so pretty and sweet. You just need to believe in yourself.”

  “Pretty,” she would snort. “Hardly.”

  “You just need to see yourself the way others see you.”

  They’d had that same conversation more than once. Here she was on an island, surrounded by people she would probably never see again after this trip. The only decisions she had to make were ones regarding what to do next with her time.

  Thinking back to the man she’d seen from the balcony the night before, a surge of heat rushed through her. She’d spent last night dreaming about his eyes roaming her body as she lay beneath him. He was broad-shouldered, so the only thing in her line of vision as she looked up would be him. Could she truly let her guard down long enough to ever find herself in that position? Dreams are dreams for a reason. Right?

  “Can I really do this?” she asked herself.

  Seconds turned into minutes as her mind continued to wander. Cali wanted to have some fun here, but honestly she didn’t really know how to. Where do I start? Closing her eyes, she tried to recall some of the stories Emily and Natalie had told her over the years. Those women always made everything sound so easy.

  “Don’t think so hard about everything, Cal. Sometimes you need to just feel and respond.” That was Natalie’s advice to Cali before she left for the trip.

  Making the decision to ingest some liquid courage while hanging out at one of the resort’s bars, Cali got dressed and pulled her hair atop her head, allowing a few loose tendrils to hang down and frame her face. Taking one last look at her reflection in the mirror, she grabbed her room key, heading in the direction of a smaller one not too far from her cabin.

  Chapter 7

  XAVIER AND ZANE HAD both been keeping tabs on the pretty brunette all day. Even though she was the only one registered to her room, they still weren’t sure whether she was there with other guests at the Paradise Resort.

  “You know she just headed to Champagne, right?” Xavier said in a low voice. “This might be the opening we’ve been waiting for.”

  “I saw which direction she went. I just don’t know why in the hell we’re standing here talking to each other when we could be sweet-talking her. Let’s go.”

  “I think it’s better that I go alone. You would more than likely scare the poor girl. You have my word that she’ll come back here with me.”

  Zane wasn’t happy about that option, but even he acknowledged that Xavier was the charmer. If all went well, by the e
nd of the night, Calista Grant would get to know the two men very intimately.

  It didn’t take Xavier long to find her. The exquisite beauty was currently perched on one of the leather lined bar stools, wearing a form-fitting black sheath that accentuated every curve of her slender body. Her dark hair was pulled up atop her head in an upswept style, revealing the long line of her neck.

  Her creamy skin tone would display both his and Zane’s marks beautifully, and Xavier had to warn himself not to get too far ahead. He hadn’t even talked to the beauty at this point, but his mind was already imagining her tied to their bed, her body bowing in pleasure as he flogged her.

  “Fuck!” He could already hear the whimpering mewls escaping from between her lips as the other Dominant filled her mouth with his cock.

  Starting at her upper thighs, he’d kiss her flesh with the leather tails repeatedly, watching the welts rise over her entire backside. She’d push her ass backward, silently begging for the next strike, all the while he’d be hard as hell, wanting to bury himself balls-deep inside. To be honest, he was close to that point now and had not even spoken to her yet.

  Xavier stood in the shadows, watching her smile at the bartender when he set a glass down in front of her. She was drinking a girly cocktail, which didn’t surprise him in the least. Her lips parting, he watched Calista take a sip from the glass before nervously tucking a stray tendril of brown silk behind her ear. That hair needed to be mussed. Once he got her naked, he would free every strand, running his hands through it.

  Would she embrace pain with her pleasure? There was only one way to find out. Smirking, Xavier had already worked out what he was going to say once he sat down beside her. In their BDSM circles, Xavier was considered a Dominant with the uncanny ability to get inside of a woman’s head and use it to his advantage. The saying ‘If you seduce the mind then the body will follow’ was never more true than when he put it into play. Quite a few submissives would be close to climaxing simply by his words alone and that gift was something he took a great deal of pride in. Some aspect about this woman made Zane think that she might also be submissive, though Xavier doubted Calista was at this point in time. He had a short amount of time to assess the woman and find out what made her tick.