Well, he’d wanted to change his life, but how in the good Lord’s name had he stumbled into paradise and found this delicious creature? He was writing a fantasy—had this magnificent woman been conjured from his creative mind? If so, he’d write sequel after sequel.
He swung her into his arms and danced her around the palms, one sweet song blending with another. The sunset had long gone, and the stars and moonlight cast magic across the ocean. A warm breeze stirred the air.
Alone in the darkness, they finished their champagne and ate more chocolate. Then she stood up and began to dance. He watched her for awhile, seeing the way her body swayed as if she had a melody of her own. She was graceful, artistry in motion, and his passion stirred as he gazed upon this exquisite woman. His Queen Fairy.
She floated rather than moved, and without pretense. He doubted if she remembered him at all. Her eyes were closed, her head fell back, as she twirled, and twirled, then suddenly stopped.
Her eyes opened and she looked right at him.
“Dance?” She stretched her arms out to him and never had a woman looked more alluring.
He moved quickly and took her in his arms. They fit perfectly together, their dance steps in sync. Showing off a little, he bent her over his arm so that her long hair caressed the silky white sand. He stroked her with one hand, and kissed her deeply, with passion and respect. And no thought of tomorrow.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Brittany’s body surrendered itself to him, trusting that he knew what he was doing. Submitting to a man, whether dancing in the moonlight, or coupled in bed should scare the daylights out of her after what she’d been through. But it didn’t. Not with Chase. She knew he had nothing but goodness in his heart.
Of course he wouldn’t be around for long. She accepted that. Perhaps in some ways it eased her worries about what they were doing—where their friendship was leading. Knowing it had to end simplified a lot. After all, he had things to do, and so did she.
Funny, that it was Chase who had reminded her of what she’d been missing. For a brief time she’d pushed it from her mind, and nearly forgotten it herself. Dancing was her life and she needed to return to that world. Passions didn’t go away because of a broken heart. They just needed to be nurtured once in a while.
She had come home and made no apology about that. Paradise Cove would always be her anchor. But she couldn’t stay forever, and neither could he. Still, they could certainly enjoy each other until that moment came.
And enjoy she would.
He slid her body up his an inch at a time, his emerald eyes glowing in the dark. It was erotic, sexy. As a professional dancer she’d been paired with many handsome, self-assured, and sensual men, but Ashley Chase was all that and more. Strong, intelligent, passionate, and confident about who he was and what he wanted.
Her lips twitched with amusement. She had a very good sense of what he wanted. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she sought his lips, and kissed him, at first teasingly, then as heat flared inside her, she drove her tongue in, eager to taste him, take him, make him delirious for her.
When it came to sex and men, Brittany wasn’t shy. She knew the power she had over them, and liked it. It was a nice confidence boost. She wasn’t overly clever and organized like Kayla, or a fabulous cook and sweet natured like Taylor. She was a bit of a mess actually. Not successful in anything. She’d cast aside right for wrong in order to further herself. Her sisters would never have done that.
The heat was building between them and his breathing quickened. “Chase?”
“Hmm?”
“I can’t thank you enough for doing this. For everything.”
She knew she was far from perfect. Chase knew it too. But this evening was perfect and she was going to savor every minute of it. And him. For all too soon he’d be gone, and this night would only be a memory.
“I’m doing this for myself,” his voice thickened, “as much as for you.” He kissed her brow and his hands dropped to the curve of her ass. He widened his stance, his hips against hers.
She sucked in her breath as she felt the strength of his need for her. He had an enormous bulge in his pants that was nicely pressed against her lower tummy, but it didn’t scratch her itch. She shifted so it did.
Her breath caught in her throat. “I want you right now,” she whispered in his ear, then nipped on the lobe. “It’s so romantic out here in the moonlight.”
“We can’t. Not in front of your place. Someone might be out for a walk.”
There he was. Being practical again, when she wanted passion, not logic. “They wouldn’t see us.” She rubbed against him enticingly. “It’s dark.” She kissed his neck. Wanting him to rip her dress off and take her this minute. “And exciting.” She wiggled against him. “No knickers. Just a nude body under this old dress.”
He grabbed the folds of the dress in one hand and caressed her bare bottom with the other. “God. So you are.”
“Mmm-hmmm. Doesn’t that feel nice?”
He groaned and grinded against her. “Oh yeah.”
“Then what are you waiting for? A first class stamp? The invitation’s already out, mister.”
He chuckled, and then kissed her. Hard. “I might be a stick in the mud, but trust me, the things I intend to do with you won’t be fun in the sand.”
She shook her head, then laughed. “Okay. You convinced me. Now let’s pack up, and get back to your cabin before I get you naked and jump you the way I want to.”
“You say the nicest things.” He gave her that sexy grin again, and tossed things into the picnic basket, then grabbed the Bluetooth. “Should we take the tablecloth and candle?”
“I’ll just blow it out. Miguel will put everything away first thing in the morning, unless we want it to stay.” She was perspiring from the dancing and the heat of the night, and her long hair felt damp and heavy. She twisted it in a knot on the top of her head before taking the Bluetooth out of his hand. “Last night was simply amazing, but this is off to a much better start.” She gave him a warm smile. “You promised to double my pleasure and you already have.”
He looked at her for a long moment. “You should be happy every day.”
“Well, that’s not possible. Not every day. Not trying to make a living as a professional dancer, that’s for sure.” She shot her chin in the air. “But you’re here now, so let’s have fun until you leave.”
“It’s going to be hard to leave you.” He slowed his step. “After all, you’ve given me my muse back. How am I going to write without you?”
“So, your writing is going good?” Did that mean he’d leave before the month was up? Her stomach clenched. She might be cavalier about their relationship, but she wasn’t ready to lose him just yet. “How good? Are you almost done?”
“Pleased to say it is.” He put a hand on her backside as they walked toward his cabin. “I’ll tell you all about it over breakfast, if you’ll stay.”
“Maybe I will. After all, the cat’s out of the bag.”
“Good. At our age, we shouldn’t be sneaking around.”
“I know, it’s just that it’s a little soon for me to be sleeping with someone. I just lost my boyfriend, and my baby.” She sighed. “Not that my family judges me, because they don’t.”
“They only wish you happiness. That’s clear to see. You have a great relationship with your sisters. I envy that.”
“Why? What about you? No brothers or sisters, or anyone close?”
“I do have a sister. Melanie. She’s married to David, an air traffic controller, and they live in our old plantation home outside Charleston. They have two girls, five and seven. I love them all, but with my work schedule the past few years, I barely get a chance to see them. We Skype and do Facebook Time on holidays, or the kid’s birthdays.”
“Oh, that’s kind of sad.”
“Not really. They are happy, and it’s my fault. I have a suite, just ready for me anytime I want to visit.”
“I’ve nev
er been to Charleston. I bet it’s nice.”
“It is. Full of history and charm. Maybe one day I could take you there.” He slung an arm around her neck, bringing her close to him.
“As if. You can’t even find the time now. When your play becomes a Broadway hit, well, you’ll be up to your ass in work for years.”
“To God’s ears,” he said as if her remark was a happy thing.
“So. One sister.” She glanced at the side of his face, wondering if he ever felt lonely. Seemed he wasn’t close to anyone. “No other siblings?”
“Not any more. We had a baby sister who died at the age of three. Sickle Cell disease. After that, it was just Melanie and me. My father passed away when I was fourteen. Melanie, twelve. Mother raised us after that.” He opened the screen door for her, and they were jumped on by Max.
“Get down, little scamp,” he said, brushing him away. “I’ll just take him out for a few minutes, if you want to freshen up, or anything.”
“I’d love a shower.”
“Go ahead.” He placed the picnic basket down on the kitchen counter, and stuck the rest of the chocolates into the fridge. “I’ll join you.”
She couldn’t wait.
* * *
Grabbing a leash, he took Max out for a few minutes, rushing the little guy to do his business so he could get back inside and do his.
Images of Brittany in the shower made his patience short. “Come on, Max. Stop sniffing around. Do something, would you?”
Eager to make his master happy, Max lifted a leg and peed on a tree.
“Okay, that will have to do.” He half-dragged the dog into the house, and gave him extra treats. “There you go. You’ve got a nice bed, and I’ve got a nice lady—a naked one—waiting on me.”
He heard the shower still running, and began ripping his clothes off as he headed for the bathroom door. He opened the door, and Brittany stood gloriously naked behind the curtain. His cock sprang to life knowing the time had finally come. Up and ready for action.
He slid in behind her, and she let out a squeal. He pressed up against her and put his hands on her firm breasts, lathering them with the soap she’d used on herself.
She tilted her head back and moaned his name. “I’ve been waiting.” She rubbed her fanny against him.
He kissed her shoulder as his fingers tweaked her tight nipples. One hand dropped, sliding over her flat stomach, lower still. He felt the wet silky patch of hair that hid true treasures, and his damp finger dipped in.
Finding her sweet spot, he stroked her as she moaned and ground into him.
Then she pushed away and swung around. “Do me, Chase. Right now. I can’t stand anymore foreplay. We’ve been dancing around this all night.”
“And loving every minute too.” He lifted her leg, tucked it behind his back and with her butt to the shower wall, he drove in deep. After all, he’d been taught never to say no to a woman. He preferred to please them every which way they liked.
By the time he was finished with round number one, her legs gave way. They ended up in the claw footed bathtub where she straddled him, and he filled her again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The next morning Brittany slowly opened her eyes, seeing the pale blue walls, the plaid curtains on the windows, and the matching comforter hanging off the end of the queen-sized bed. Then she turned her head to look at the empty pillow next to her. Ashley Chase. Super stud. The impression of his head was there, but he was missing.
She stretched, remembering all the ways he’d pleasured her last night. Starting with the delicious dinner, the romance of dancing under the stars, and the sexual escapades following.
That man knew how to make love to a woman.
She giggled, and when she heard Chase push open the bedroom door, she ducked her head under the comforter.
“Good morning, sunshine,” he said, pushing her foot aside so he could put a tray down at the end of the bed. “Surely you’re not shy? You can’t be, not after last night.”
Brittany popped her head out and pushed her hair out of her eyes. She licked her teeth, and hoped her breath didn’t smell. “Don’t remind me.” She sniffed and peeked at the tray. “Coffee?”
“Yes, and an egg muffin.” His eyes were smiling, and he looked good enough to eat. She loved the way his hair stood up on end in the morning. Made him a little less perfect and a whole lot more personable.
“With cheese?” she asked hopefully.
“Of course.” He bent over and kissed her nose. “I’m glad you stayed this morning.”
“Nobody has ever given me breakfast in bed.” She patted the sheet beside her for him to sit. “You are just too darn nice to me.” She smelled her coffee and her stomach rumbled. “Did I dream last night or was it for real? Because I remember plenty.”
He tucked a lock of her hair around her ear and stroked her cheek. “Glad it was memorable. I’ll be right back. Mine’s sitting on the counter.”
“Why don’t I just get up? We’d have more room at the table.”
“That would require you getting out of bed. Bad idea. The worst in fact.”
“You don’t mean…” Her mouth fell open. “Surely you can’t have that much stamina? I mean nobody does that.”
“I do. Now don’t move.” He handed her the mug of fragrant coffee. “Relax and enjoy your breakfast. And then I’ll enjoy you. You won’t be required to do a thing.”
“And how does that work?”
“Wait and see.”
She sipped on her coffee. It was strong, cream, no sugar. Just the way she liked it. What was he planning for her next? He was very resourceful and seemed to have a lot of ideas that revolved around her. She should probably escape while she had a chance. After all, it wasn’t fair to leave Taylor handling the cafe alone for the first hour. Kayla normally showed up around eight or nine, depending on when Shauna woke up.
The right thing for her to do was to thank Chase for breakfast and hightail it home. But she did love surprises, and a man spoiling her was something new. A woman could get used to this. Given time. Which the two of them didn’t have.
But they did have right now. She could steal an hour, couldn’t she?
She plumped up the pillows behind her head, searching for a sexy pose. Not having any clothes to cover herself with, she arranged her long mane of hair over her breasts, then sat up, sipping her coffee.
He returned with his plate and Max jumping around his feet, eager for some of the breakfast sandwich.
“Down, Max. You’ll get a bite, I promise.”
“Here, puppy. You can share mine.” She broke off a piece of cheese and hand-fed the cute dog. “I never eat breakfast,” she told Chase. “Usually just a protein shake.”
“Most important meal of the day.”
She glanced at his plate. “What? A southern man and no grits?”
“Not for me.” He patted his flat stomach. “Trying to keep my boyish figure.”
“Looks pretty fine to me. Especially shirtless.” She sipped her coffee and watched him over her cup.
“You’re just saying that because you want another piece of me.” He took her mug and kissed her. “Don’t worry, it’s your lucky day.”
“It is?” She frowned, trying to imagine his plan of attack. He was a hard man to turn down, especially when he had her insides humming.
“Juanita’s covering for you this morning. She agreed that you needed a day off. I figured we could play.”
“Play?” She sat up straighter. He couldn’t make plans without consulting her. “What do you have in mind?”
“Well, you know what I have in mind for after breakfast,” he flashed his dimples, and traced the nipple that was peeking out from her hair. “After that, well, I thought we could go sailing. Do some snorkeling in one of the reefs I’ve been hearing so much about.”
“That would be nice.” It sounded wonderful in fact. “Not that we could do it, of course. I really have to work. Juanita has enough to do.
We all do around here, and we can’t start dumping our responsibilities and making someone else take on more.”
“Juanita made another suggestion,” he told her, ignoring her excuses. “Said we could drive to Key West, and have lunch.”
“I like both ideas, but I’m sorry. I can’t.” She grinned, loving what he was doing right now. “But I can be late for one hour. That’s it, my friend.”
“An hour is not enough time with you,” he said grumpily. “Stop arguing. I know you want to do it.”
She bit into her breakfast sandwich, then tossed the rest to Max. Chase seemed to have forgotten his own breakfast as he was now nuzzling her breasts. He hadn’t shaved this morning and his stubble both tickled and delighted her.
It wasn’t long before she began to squirm under the covers, ready for him again.
She pulled him into bed with her, and straddled him. Her hair was wild, her mouth hungry, nipping at his lips, his neck, his chest, while her hand guided him home.
“Say you’ll spend the day with me?” he asked, flipping her over and pounding into her.
“I want to,” she bit her lip, holding onto his shoulders. “But I shouldn’t.”
“We don’t have forever. Maybe a week or two. Please, say yes.”
Her heart felt bruised, but she held on tighter, raising her hips to meet his thrusts. “I shouldn’t. It isn’t fair to Juanita.”
“She suggested it.”
That stopped her for a minute. “Really?”
A slow smile spread over his face. “Really. She loves you, kiddo. Wants you to be happy. And I want you to be happy.”
Brittany felt a rush of pleasure spear right through her, and she convulsed around him, finding a happiness she’d never known before. She bit his shoulder. “Yes, yes. I’ll do it.”
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