There were cosmetic bags and other zippered bags that he didn’t bother to open. Her clothes from the other night were folded neatly in there along with a purse and a few paperback books.
Confused, he put the box back where he found it. Why was it even here? Unless she was staying here when it was empty. He was sure that was against the rules and that the property owner would be pretty pissed if he knew about it. Walking into his bedroom, he opened up the walk-in closet and pressed the attic button.
He climbed the stairs that unfolded, sat down in the attic space and looked around. There were moving boxes and plastic bins filled with clothes and dishes. More boxes marked Mikelina, Tawny and Tanner. He wondered who they were and why their stuff was here.
Feeling guilty for snooping, he turned off the light and closed up the attic. It wasn’t any of his business, but he wondered if Mikelina might have lost her apartment and was storing her things in the places she was a concierge for. He didn’t want to get her in trouble or embarrass her by bringing it up.
Still, he couldn’t stop that niggling feeling that he was missing something huge. It felt like it did when he found out Gina had been using him for his money. Was Mikelina playing him for a fool, too? Or was he just being paranoid?
She seemed too perfect to be real. It didn’t stop him from having erotic dreams about her that night, though.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
IN RETROSPECT, MIKELINA should have had them rent equipment and shuttled them down to South Pointe Park and had them snorkel close to shore at the Jose Cuervo Reef. And if Jace and his buddies had decided to snorkel this morning, she might have suggested it. Instead, Bastien insisted that she and he follow the schedule and they wound up at Biscayne National Park with a tour guide that didn’t give them a moment’s privacy, even underwater.
It was informative and while Mikelina had heard it all before, she could see that Bastien was enjoying himself. And she had to admit she got as excited as he did when they saw the pod of dolphins in the distance.
When it was time to get onto the paddleboards, they had a good time trying to knock each other off. When that got tiring, they lounged on them, floating in the water while the guide looked on from the boat.
“Having fun?” Mikelina asked.
“The guys would have hated this,” he said. “Too much education. But I liked it. Kitty would have liked it, too. Maybe Jace will take her down here sometime. He loved the house. Do you know if the owner is willing to sell it?”
“No.” As in hell no.
“Because I’m pretty sure they could name their price.”
But it was tempting. Mikelina knew she could get a few million for the house and she wouldn’t have to worry about her mother or have to work so hard. She could afford to buy her mother as well as herself a house.
But it wouldn’t be in South Beach. And the new houses wouldn’t have memories of when they were a family. The beach house was the only thing left of that time, after everything had been liquidated for the lawsuits and lawyer fees.
“It’s a family house and it means a lot to them,” she said.
“Would you do me a favor and just double-check with the owners? Jace has more money than he knows what to do with. It would be a quick sale.”
“Okay.” Mikelina might bring up the subject with her mother, but she already knew her mother would burst into tears over the thought of being “homeless”—even though she wouldn’t be homeless for very long. She knew Tawny was waiting for Tanner to be acquitted and they could all live happily ever after again. But with each passing day Mikelina grew more certain that was never going to happen. Not when her father was still so unrepentant about what he had done.
Had he always been a crook or was it one mistake that snowballed into a life of crime? What had caused him to cheat people out of their money? She had asked her mother if they had been in trouble financially and Tawny had said no. Their bank accounts and credit hadn’t taken a hit either. So why did he do it?
Tanner said he was innocent.
And if she hadn’t read the files the FBI found on his computer, she would have believed him. She rolled off her board and swam down as far as she could to clear her head. She didn’t want to think about her father the thief. She wanted to remember her father as the guy who smelled like English leather and took her to see the Lord of the Rings trilogy when it played back-to-back in the theater.
She kicked back to the surface just as she was about to run out of breath. She took in a deep lungful as she held on to her board.
“You okay?” Bastien asked sleepily.
“Yeah.” She’d get there.
“I wanted to get some pictures of parrotfish on the reef down there. Kitty is a Finding Nemo fan.”
“Nemo was a clown fish.”
“How do you know that?”
“Everybody knows that, Bastien.” She hauled herself up on the board and giggled when he tickled her butt. “You’re not going to find Nemo in these waters.”
“Oh well, I didn’t want to get off my board anyway.”
She smiled. “What are Jace and the boys doing today?”
“I don’t care.” Bastien’s voice was muffled because his face was resting on his arms. She thought he might fall asleep on his board.
“That’s a start. I’m proud of you. This is all very spontaneous.”
He yawned. “No, it’s not. I’m following the schedule, even if they’re not.”
“Do you think they’re going to stick around the house all day?”
“I can’t imagine they’re going clubbing again, but who the hell knows? At my bachelor party, we were riding in airplanes and shooting automatic weapons. But we were in Vegas.”
“Your bachelor party?” Mikelina tried to keep her voice down, but she heard the outrage in it. “You’re married?”
“God, no.” He lifted his head up to stare at her. He held out his left hand. No ring. “Not for five years, no. We’re divorced. Happily divorced. I’m not even seeing anyone. In fact...” he frowned “...you’re the first woman I’ve slept with in over a year. Damn, no wonder I’m all over you. Not that you’re not irresistible, because you are.”
“Nice recovery. It’s been about that long for me, too.”
“Why?” he asked, sounding aghast. “Are the men in South Beach idiots?”
“I travel a lot,” she said. “I meet a lot of jerks.”
“I’m sorry about that. You deserve to meet someone who treats you like a queen.”
“You’re doing all right.”
“I’m a prick, remember?”
“I remember your prick.” She tried to push him off the paddleboard, but he was too heavy. She wound up pushing herself away from him instead.
“I would hope you remember it. Although, I am regretting not going home with you last night. It would be fresher in both of our minds if I got to make love to you last night.”
“No regrets,” she said. “No matter what happens these next few days, I don’t want you to have any regrets.”
“Then I think I want you in my bed. Or in your bed. Up against the wall. I’m not picky. I was fantasizing fucking you on the kitchen island last night.” He dragged her board back to his so they were touching. “Will you be my girlfriend for the next week and a half?”
Mikelina had to laugh. “I don’t know if I can commit to that.”
“Why not?” he growled.
“Because I might not want to let you go after the bachelor party is over.”
Bastien was quiet for such a long time, she was afraid that she had made it weird and awkward. Just as she was about to make a joke to hopefully smooth things over, he said, “I’m willing to take that chance.”
“Are you?” she said, her heart suddenly pounding loud in her ears.
“We’ve got something going on already. It’s chemistr
y, sure. Pure unadulterated lust, that’s for damned sure. But I really like you, Mikelina. It doesn’t have to end when I go back to New York.”
For a moment, she was elated. Once the bachelor party was gone, she wouldn’t have to worry so much about her reputation.
But then she remembered who her father was. She’d have to tell Bastien about him if they were going to have a relationship beyond these two weeks.
“Let’s get through the bachelor party first,” she said breathlessly.
“You want to follow the schedule?” he asked. “Where’s your spontaneity?”
“I think you’re rubbing off on me.”
He groaned. “I’d love to rub off on you.”
* * *
After lunch on board the sailboat that had been giving them a tour of the bay, it was time to head back to the beach house. Bastien had a cookout scheduled with an ocean’s worth of seafood that was sitting in the fridge. She only hoped that Jace, Zack, Shane and Max would be around to help eat it.
Back at the park, Mikelina grabbed her backpack from the lockers. “I’m going to get changed. I’ll be right out.”
Bastien was still talking with the guide, so he just nodded and waved.
She walked into the changing room. It was empty so she had her pick of the little stalls. Closing the bamboo shade, she stripped out of her wet suit and toweled herself off. She was having fun despite it being on borrowed time. For Bastien’s sake, though, she hoped the guys would make it an early night so they could all go parasailing tomorrow. She sure as hell wasn’t going to go up four hundred feet in the air.
The door of the changing room opened and she peeked out of the curtain. She was surprised to see that Bastien had followed her in.
“Shh,” he said, coming inside the little cubicle with her.
Sliding the curtain back into place, he pushed her up against the wall. He kissed her like he couldn’t wait a moment longer. He slid his fingers between her thighs as his tongue teased her. She was wet. Of course she was, and Bastien was tickling her into a quick orgasm. Mikelina didn’t want to rush, but she was afraid they were going to get caught.
“What are you doing here?” she whispered when he came up for air. She moaned softly and went up on her tiptoes as he worked his fingers inside her.
“I couldn’t wait until we got home. Hell, I couldn’t wait to get into the car.”
She reached down into his bathing suit and grabbed hold of his thick cock. “We’ve got to be quick. We can take our time later.”
“I like the sound of that.” He groaned quietly and pressed against her hand. He went back to flicking his fingers over her clit, and she moved her hips, wanting more.
“I need to taste you,” he muttered and dropped to his knees. Casting her leg over his shoulder, he pulled her pussy in close to his face. “Damn.” He licked her deep. “You taste amazing.” Then he buried his face between her legs.
She had to cover her mouth to silence the cries that erupted from her. The rasp of his stubble and the cool wall of the cubicle added to the naughty feeling of doing this where anyone could walk in.
She came hard on his face and writhed when he didn’t let her go. She was nearly wild with the need to have him inside her, when he tongued her to a second orgasm.
“I could do that all night,” he said, breathing heavily.
“I’d let you,” she said, quivering from head to toe. She dropped to her knees, taking his bathing suit with her, and moved her mouth over his cock.
Tangling his fingers through her hair, he rocked his hips into her eager mouth. She loved the thick, salty taste of him and hummed in pleasure.
Bastien cursed and held her there until she looked up at him. “I could watch you do that for hours.” He let her go and she grabbed hold of his shaft and pumped it while sucking hard on the head of his cock.
He hissed between his teeth. “Baby, I’m going to either come in your mouth or your pussy. It’s up to you.”
After one last hard suck, she licked up his entire length and said, “Come in my pussy.”
“Fuck,” he groaned and sat down on the bench. “Get on my cock.”
She straddled his lap, glad that they no longer had to worry about condoms. Mikelina eased him inside her.
They stayed like that, foreheads touching. He was as deep as he could go inside her and she enjoyed feeling the entire length of him. “I needed this,” she whispered against his mouth as she lifted herself up and down his shaft.
Grabbing her head, he pressed his mouth to her and moaned loudly. She couldn’t stop to tell him to be quiet; it was too good to feel him slide in and out of her.
Bastien stood up, taking her with him and pressed her against the wall of the cubicle. Her arms and legs wrapped tight around him as he pounded into her. She was glad they were alone because the hard thumps on the wall made it pretty clear what they were doing. But she didn’t care. She needed him this hard, this deep and completely out of his mind wanting her.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Just like that.”
“So wet. Can you hear how wet you are?” He glided in deep and fast. Her toes curled. The walls of her pussy clamped around him.
Bastien’s teeth were bared in a pleasured grimace and he exploded inside her. He kept up the pace, slowing down only when her orgasm shuddered through them both. Then, he idly fucked her until she began to shake and her legs felt like Jell-O.
“Had enough?”
“For now,” she said, wincing at the slight ache in her back.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” He rubbed between her shoulders and at the base of her spine.
“I wouldn’t say no to a massage.”
“I know where we can find some oil.” Bastien stroked her bottom lip with his thumb. “I want you again and I just had you.”
The door opened to the changing room and they froze. Bastien smirked and reached between her thighs. She swatted his hand away and peeked through a curtain. A woman and her two children were getting undressed.
“Hurry up,” the mother said as the two kids began to chatter and fidget.
“Now what?” Mikelina whispered in his ear.
“We be quiet.” He rolled her nipple in between his thumb and forefinger. She bit his lower lip in retaliation.
“You want to play rough?” he growled in her ear and smacked her on the ass. It sounded loud in the dressing room. But it didn’t seem like the mother or the two kids noticed.
“Clean up and get dressed,” Mikelina said, throwing him one of the towels.
He wiped off and pulled up his bathing trunks and leaned up against the wall with his arms folded.
“It’s like a reverse striptease,” he said quietly.
She put her finger against her lips and glared at him to keep it down. She got dressed, her movements slow and jerky because she kept staring into Bastien’s hungry eyes.
“I want you,” he mouthed and she trembled because she could still feel him fucking her. Her entire body was on fire for him.
When she was completely dressed, she launched herself at him and they kissed until the mother and her two kids left.
“I can’t believe we didn’t get caught,” she choked out, hanging on to him.
“Let’s get out of here before I’m tempted to strip down again and go for round two.”
They left the changing room together, arms slung around each other, and walked back to the car. Mikelina felt eyes on her and she tried to track down the source. Had someone seen them after all? Looking around, she saw a group of people about to take a snorkeling tour. Scanning the crowd, she recognized a few people she used to hang around the beach with during spring break.
She lifted her hand up to wave to them, but they glared at her and turned their backs.
It was too good to hope that Bastien hadn’t noticed.
&
nbsp; “Who’s that?”
“No one. Someone I thought I knew.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
BASTIEN WAS TRYING to figure out a way he could have Mikelina and the house all to himself tonight, but his brain was still mush from the excellent sex in the changing room. He glanced over and smiled at Mikelina fast asleep in her seat. She was beautiful and he was looking forward to finding out all her secrets and getting to know her better outside of the bedroom as well as inside.
He had a bunch of messages on his phone, but he didn’t want to disturb Mikelina by listening to them while he was driving. He didn’t want to take her to her crappy hotel. He wanted to hang out with her at the beach house. Maybe she could help him and Jace ease into a better relationship or something.
Mikelina woke up as they pulled into the beach house. “I’m sorry,” she yawned. “I can’t believe I fell asleep.”
“I can. We’ve had a very busy schedule.”
“We’ve had a very pleasurable schedule.” She glanced out the window. “I shouldn’t be here at the house.”
“We’ll make up a story. We’ll say that you’ve come to check in on how things were doing and how they’re feeling. Jace will want to know that you mailed off the larimar set to Kitty today.”
She considered it for a moment. “All right, that works.”
Good. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her yet. Turned out that he didn’t have to worry because the house was empty. Finally. Finally, something was going his way.
“I’m going to check my messages and find out where they are. Keep your fingers crossed that whatever they’re up to will keep them out of the house long enough for us to skinny-dip in the pool and then barricade ourselves in the bedroom all night.”
“I’m going to make some coffee,” she said, smiling. “Do you want some?”
“Damned right I do. I need to keep up my energy.”
“That’s what I like to hear.” Mikelina slapped his ass on the way by.
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