Abbie raised her eyebrow. “Is it him? That’s a little clingy, isn’t it?” She leaned her elbows on the counter and tried to see the phone number on Mikelina’s phone.
“It would be, if he wasn’t renting my house for two weeks.”
Abbie clamped her hands over her mouth and scared Jinx who meowed in protest and slashed her tail.
“Where are you?” Bastien barked out when she answered.
“What do you need?” she answered.
“How well do you know Calle Ocho?”
“Fairly well,” she said.
“Good. You’re coming with me. We need to find Jace.”
“He left his groomsmen stranded to go to Calle Ocho by himself?” Mikelina didn’t have a good feeling about this.
“Yes. He and I need to have a conversation before I call my sister.”
“All right,” Mikelina sighed. “There are a few spots he could be at. Pick me up at the beach parking lot by the Coffee Hut down the street. Just turn left out of the driveway and you’ll see it on your right.” She’d grab some bagels because she was pretty sure Bastien hadn’t had breakfast yet either.
“Sounds like an adventure,” Abbie said, ringing her up.
Mikelina’s feet immediately expanded into the soft foam support of the flip-flops and she sighed appreciatively. “I hadn’t expected to chase a runaway groom today, but that’s the glamorous life I lead.”
“Have fun,” Abbie called as Mikelina headed out the door.
Calle Ocho was fun. She wasn’t sure how fun it would be with Bastien, though. He seemed really pissed that his future brother-in-law had made a pit stop. Bastien was already waiting for her in the parking lot when she came out with the bagels and coffee.
“I hope you’re not the type of person who doesn’t want people eating in their car,” she said as she slid into the seat.
“It’s a rental.” He shrugged.
“I got your coffee black, but there’s some cream and sugar in the bag. Hope you like lox and bagels.”
“I’m from New York,” he said, staring at the bag suspiciously.
“So’s the owner.” After buckling up, she unwrapped his bagel and handed it to him.
She doctored her coffee up with cream and sugar, but left his black when he shook his head at her questioning look.
“Thanks,” he said after demolishing his bagel. “I needed that.”
“You always need snacks if you’re going on a road trip. Why are we trying to find Jace? You guys didn’t have any solid plans for today.” Mikelina dug out the schedule from her handbag. “I have unpacking and unwinding from the trip down for the afternoon. Maybe he just wanted some alone time before the party began.”
“He could have called. He could have told someone.” Bastien shook his head. “I don’t like that he’s not answering his phone.”
“Do you think he’s in trouble?” Mikelina wiped a bit of cream cheese off the side of her mouth.
“I’m trying to prevent that.” Bastien wrung his hands on the steering wheel. “Is traffic always this bad?”
“No,” Mikelina said. “Sometimes it’s worse.”
“Great.”
“Did you give the groomsmen the code to get into the house?” she asked. She didn’t like having so many people knowing the code, but she could always change it.
“They’re not answering their phones either. But at least I know where they are and hopefully we’ll have found Jace before they get back.”
“Where are they?” she asked.
“Before I could get the limousine company to give me the GPS location, they thought Jace might have gone to a gentlemen’s club or two.”
“Ah,” she said, nodding. “I noticed you didn’t have any of that planned for the bachelor party.”
“Of course not.”
“That’s kind of what happens at these kind of things,” she said.
“Not if he’s marrying my sister,” Bastien said. “Besides, there wasn’t time to fit that in.”
“I could have fit it in.”
He shook his head. “We have a full schedule.”
“I noticed,” Mikelina said with a smirk. “I guess you don’t like winging it.”
“I don’t mind if it’s just me. But when I have to wrangle idiots, it’s easier to stick to a schedule. But to be honest, spontaneity gives me hives. I’d rather plan out my spontaneity.”
“I think I know what you mean, and that’s a little frightening.”
“Don’t be scared. I don’t bite...much.”
“I liked your bites.” She put her hand on his knee. “I think last night was a nice spontaneous activity.”
“I have to admit, it felt good to go with it. I didn’t plan for you, but I would have had I known we’d hit it off.”
“You’re handling today’s adventure pretty well all things considered.”
“I’m not anal-retentive about the schedule. I just don’t know how to relate to him and his friends without it.”
“How old is Jace?”
“Ten years younger than me.”
“And the groomsmen?”
“The same.”
“It’s possible that you guys have different ideas of fun,” she pointed out.
“He could have said something. I asked him what he wanted to do and he left it all to me.”
“That does seem a little inconsiderate,” she said. “But maybe he just wanted a few hours to himself. I know after spending time in the airport and on a tight flight, I want to just decompress.”
Bastien grunted. Mikelina stared at his profile. He hadn’t shaved yet today and the slight stubble on his cheeks made him look like a pirate. He had changed out of his board shorts and into khakis and a polo shirt that showed off the curve of his biceps. He caught her looking at him and flexed them.
She grinned. Show-off.
“Busy morning, right?” he said.
“Crazy morning,” she said, wondering why she was blushing.
“I had a great time last night.”
“Me, too.”
He reached over and held her hand. “You’re beautiful and I wanted to thank you again for everything you did to help put this bachelor party together. I’m sorry Jace is ruining it.”
“It’s his party to ruin,” she said. She wanted to lean her cheek against his arm and cuddle up next to him, but it would be awkward—even if the stick shift wasn’t in the way. “Maybe I could arrange something especially tailored to his interests this week. What does he like to do?”
Bastien snorted. “I don’t know. He and my sister go out clubbing all the time.”
Mikelina remembered that on the intake form, Bastien had specifically said that they weren’t interested in hitting any of Miami’s famous clubs. “Do you think they’d like Flow?” she asked.
“Yeah. I certainly did.” He smiled at her and her toes curled a bit in her flip-flops.
“That didn’t really seem like your scene.”
“It’s not. I went because my buddy is part owner and wanted me to check it out. I was about to leave when I saw you.”
“Dancing half-crocked.” She pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear.
“I was enchanted.”
She wished he wasn’t a client and was just a nice guy she met at a bar. It would be a little less awkward and she wouldn’t feel so guilty, like she was doing something wrong. Mikelina knew she wasn’t. They were consenting adults, after all. But she still had to hide it from Kirk this morning and it made her feel that they were doing something dirty. And that wasn’t the case at all. At least it shouldn’t be.
Clearing her throat, she decided to steer the conversation back to business. “Well, you’ve got better connections there than I do. Maybe tomorrow night you can get a VIP spot.”
“
I think we’ll be too tired from the fishing boat.”
That’s right. They’d had her charter them a boat. “Hoping for a marlin?” she asked.
“I’d be happy with a sailfish.”
“Is Jace a big fisherman?”
Bastien’s smile faltered. “I’m not sure. I think so.”
Mikelina hoped Jace wasn’t going to ghost Bastien on the fishing trip as well. “If you’re lucky, you’ll pull in a few dolphin fishes to put on the grill for dinner.”
“What does dolphin fish taste like? All my fishing has been off Long Island Sound.”
“It’s also known as mahi-mahi. It’s a light-tasting white fish.”
He nodded in recognition. “Do you fish?”
“I used to, with my dad.” Mikelina cleared her throat. “But that was a long time ago.” A happier time.
“Do you bait your own hook?”
“Do you?” she snorted.
He chuckled.
* * *
After scanning the street for a limo and seeing too many of them, Bastien gave up and found a parking spot.
“Where do you think he could be?” Mikelina asked, stretching as she uncoiled herself out of the car.
He took a moment to admire her shapely legs and tanned midriff before she straightened her clothes. “I don’t have the foggiest idea.”
“Does he smoke?” she asked, putting a ridiculous set of heart-shaped sunglasses on her face. But on her, it worked. She looked adorable and he resisted the opportunity to kiss her. He held out his hand instead to help her step up to the curb and then decided not to let her hand go.
“You mean weed?”
“No.” She laughed. “Cigars.” She pointed to a few shops. “There are some master cigar makers in this area. If that’s your sort of thing.”
That was the problem. He had no idea what would interest Jace. Or what his sister saw in him. “Couldn’t hurt to check it out.”
Bastien didn’t know much about cigars, but he was pleasantly surprised that the aroma wasn’t as harsh as he had been expecting. When he mentioned it to Mikelina, she just nodded and said, “The good ones aren’t stinky and acrid. I’m not a fan myself, but I’ve smelled a reeking stogie before and these aren’t anything like them.”
They went in and out of the shops, but there wasn’t any sign of Jace.
Bastien peeked at a few limos but couldn’t see through the tinted windows. He even tried dialing Jace’s number on the off chance that he could hear his phone ring, but it went right to voice mail.
“I give up,” he said. “I’m sorry to have dragged you all the way out here.”
Mikelina shrugged. “It’s a nice day. I got to spend it with a handsome man. Why don’t we grab lunch? Maybe I can convince you to wander through a few museums before we head back.”
“That sounds great. What do you recommend?”
“I’ve got the perfect spot.” Tugging on his arm, she led him through the crowd to the Café Croqueta.
“What’s a croqueta?” he asked after she negotiated a table on the street in rapid Spanish with the hostess.
“It’s a fried ball of goodness. The ham and cheese ones will melt in your mouth. Just you wait.” She grinned at him. “I also ordered us dos Papa Dobles. It’s their Hemingway specialty drink. It’s a rum punch to end all rum punches.”
He whistled. “That’s a heavy-duty cocktail in this heat.”
“We’ll go slow.” Mikelina gave him a sultry look that made him wish they were back in the air-conditioned house with that big bed all to themselves. In fact, why was he wasting time here when he could be there with her? Jace and his idiot friends would show up sooner or later.
“It’s all part of my nefarious plan to get you to spend some time cruising through the museums with me while we sober up a bit,” she added.
“I can think of a few other ways to spend time.” Museums? Just because he didn’t want to go clubbing every night at strip joints didn’t mean he was going to waste the sun, sand and surf.
“Too bad you didn’t rent the limo then.” She batted her eyes outrageously at him and he reached for his phone.
“I could have one here after lunch.”
“But that’s not in the schedule.”
He loved that she flushed bright red and stammered a bit. Leaning in, he brushed her lips with a quick kiss. “It is now.”
“I suppose we could pencil it in.” She smiled shyly at him.
“I’ll call your bluff every time.”
“Maybe it wasn’t a bluff,” she said, taking a shaky breath.
He dialed the limo company. “Yes, I’d like a limousine to pick me up in an hour.” Bastien glanced at the menu and read the restaurant’s address off to them. “I’ll need it for a few hours.”
“Bastien, what about your car?”
He shrugged. “I can come back for it.”
“This is crazy,” she said.
“Hey, it’s a bachelor party. It’s supposed to get a little crazy. Spontaneous even.”
CHAPTER NINE
MIKELINA WASN’T THE girl who had sex in the limo at a bachelor party. Until now. She ran her hand over the leather couch-like seats and watched the beautiful Miami skyline. She’d like to blame her breathlessness on the sweet rum punch, but it was all about the handsome man sitting across from her, waiting for her to make the first move.
Bastien sprawled against his seat, his dark brown eyes heated as he devoured her with his gaze. He made her feel daring and a little crazy and she wanted his attention more than she wanted her next breath. It was easier because this wasn’t real. He would be leaving in a few weeks and she would go back to her boring life.
Kicking off her flip-flops, she made sure the privacy screen was down. “Should we stop for condoms?” she asked.
“Already took care of it. I picked some up in the restaurant’s bathroom.”
Some.
She shivered.
“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” he said and that was even sexier than how he was looking at her.
“Take off your shirt,” she said, feeling breathless and wicked.
Grabbing the hem, he slowly raised it over his rock-hard abs, teased it over his chest and finally pulled it over his head and tossed it on the bench seat next to him.
“Your turn,” he said huskily.
Biting her lip, she untucked her pink blouse from her slacks and lifted it off. Instead of feeling self-conscious about being in the back of the stretch limo in her bra, she was excited. “Pants,” she said, greedily watching as he kicked off his shoes and unbuckled his khakis.
Easing them down his narrow hips, he got rid of them, too. He wore black boxers. “Stroke your nipples,” he ordered.
“What?” she gasped, her eyes half closing in desire at his command.
“I want to see them through your bra.”
Feeling naughty, Mikelina circled the tips with her fingers. The scrape against the silky fabric of her bra as well as the hungry look in Bastien’s eyes made them hard. Her thighs were trembling. She had never been this wet, and they were both still partially dressed.
Bastien groaned. “You’re so damned sexy.”
“Get naked,” she said, not recognizing her own voice.
Mikelina caught her breath when he tossed off his underwear. He was thick and hard. She licked her lips at the sight of his strong cock.
“You’re killing me,” he said softly. “Take off the damned bra.”
Unsnapping it, she cupped her breasts and offered them to him.
He was next to her in a moment, kneeling in front of her. Bastien’s hot mouth engulfed her nipple. When he swiped his tongue across the sensitive peak, she gasped and fumbled out of her bottoms. She wanted to be just as naked as he was. He wound up helping her as they franti
cally tried to free her from her clothes. Sitting next to her, Bastien pulled her into his lap and tangled his tongue with hers. She wrapped her arms around him as he parted her thighs.
Moaning around his tongue, Mikelina kissed him desperately. She didn’t need to breathe. She just needed him to keep rubbing her just like that. Running her fingers through his short hair, she let her hips rock against him. He fingered her gently until she was ready to beg him to please just fuck her already.
She came shaking against him, her breaths coming in short gasps.
“I love watching you come,” he said.
“Then you’re going to love this.” Mikelina shimmied off his lap to her knees in front of him. Guiding his cock into her mouth, she sucked him deep. Watching his head thunk back on the window, she felt a thrill of power. She was glad she wasn’t the only one affected by this surge of decadent passion. Mikelina worked him up and down, dragging her tongue over the tip and then swirling around down his shaft.
Bastien gripped the seat and groaned deep. “So fucking good. Get up here. I need to be inside you.”
Holding her hand out for the condom, she kept sucking on him as he unwrapped it and then handed it to her. She enjoyed him a bit longer until his breathing became harsh and unsteady. Letting him slide out of her mouth with an obscene pop, she rolled the condom down his thickness.
Bastien pulled her up and she straddled him. When she guided him in between her thighs and sank down on top of his cock, they both let out satisfied grunts.
Mikelina rose up, deliberately dragging her breasts over the stubble on his face. The harsh rasp of his beard over her sensitive peaks made her clench in pleasure around his cock. Bastien gripped her ass and moved her up and down when she just held herself still, enjoying the fullness of him. His lips and tongue were busy trapping her nipples as she undulated on him, the soft seat giving her extra bounce.
“Bastien,” she gasped, holding on to his shoulders. The sweet friction as their bodies slid against each other made her crazed. She didn’t recognize the sounds coming out of her mouth, but the primal noises he made resounded deep inside her. He let her keep the pace, all the while telling her how beautiful, how sexy she was. Every nerve ending was on fire. He wrapped his arms around her and she reveled in his tight muscles holding her close.
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