“What are you doing here?” Monica stormed, while her companion went on to try, unsuccessfully, to explain their predicament.
“Save it!” Josinia barked, in a voice so unlike her own that she scarcely recognized it as she cast a scathing look at her father’s supposed friend and partner.
“I asked what the hell you are doing in my house!” Monica screamed.
Josinia snickered and cast her fiery gaze upon her stepmother.
“The hospital couldn’t reach you, so they called my father’s next emergency contact. I thought you’d want to know that my father…your husband…is dead. Stupid me!” she shouted. “Heart attack. In his hotel room.”
“Wh—What?” Monica stammered.
“Save the drama for someone who cares,” Josinia said. Her entire being began to shake. This is what my father left my mother for. Ironic. She couldn’t help herself. She burst out crying. She quickly ran out of the room, down the stairs, and out the door.
Josinia got in her car and just drove. She drove around until she was almost out of gas. She then pulled over into an empty school lot and cried until she couldn’t cry anymore. Once the tears had run dry, she drove to the nearest gas station and on to a hotel where she stayed until she was calm enough to place a call to her Uncle Kadian.
After speaking to her uncle, she’d realized that she needed to get to her brother and sister. She’d called her stepmother and after a very heated discussion…one that led to a threat of exposing her and her lover to the other partner of the firm, as well as to the media…Monica had reluctantly given her the names and addresses of the friends Anthony and Tempest were staying with. Josinia had gone to collect her siblings.
She’d never mentioned the circumstances that had led to her coming to collect them in place of their mother. In her opinion it was a saving grace that the two hadn’t been at the house to witness what she had.
They’d had her father’s funeral, and that was when all the real drama had begun. It had stunned her to find out that her father had left the majority of his holdings to her. He had also made her executrix of his will and trustee over Tempest’s and Anthony’s inheritances. A portion of their share was for their college educations. The rest would be turned over to each at the age of twenty-five. Apparently her father hadn’t been so oblivious to his wife’s extracurricular activities, after all.
Monica had done everything in her power to try to contest the will. To Jo’s amusement—and horror—Monica had even slept with her father’s attorney. The unlikely allies had then tried to pull a fast one on her. Josinia, however, was not stupid. She’d called her dad’s much younger brother, her Uncle Kadian. He’d hopped on the next available flight out of Jamaica to come be with her. By the time her uncle had finished with Monica and the attorney, Monica had given her guardianship over Anthony, and the attorney was going up for review with the bar association for misappropriation of funds in his escrow account. He’d probably be disbarred. Monica had realized that if she wanted to hold on to the small amount that her husband had left her, she’d better stop trying to contest the will—especially since Josinia’s father had put in a clause stating that if Monica tried to contest, she’d lose her right to any money and properties that had been left to her; everything would revert back to the estate, which would all be divided amongst the three siblings.
The real joke had come when, after taking a look at her very handsome younger brother-in-law, Monica had decided to make a play for him. Kadian had had no problem informing her that he neither wanted nor needed his brother’s leftovers, and he’d save his money for a hooker with more class.
Josinia had doubled over laughing when her uncle had told her what he’d said to Monica. It was the first time she had laughed in far too long. The three-year stand-off had finally come to an end last week. Hence, the break she needed.
Sighing deeply, she picked up a handful of sand and let it slide through her fingers.
“Mind if I join you?”
Josinia started at the sound of the sexy baritone voice. She’d been so far gone in her reminiscing that she hadn’t heard the stranger approach.
“Uh…Uh…” Josinia was tongue tied. Damn was he fine! That body was to die for. She lost her ability to form a complete thought as she ran her gaze up and over the sexy stranger. Standing at about six feet tall with his legs spread and his tanned six-pack abs on display, the stranger had a pair of the deepest, sexiest, slanted dark eyes. They were covered by long lashes and thick eyebrows. His hair was cut short, tapered along the sides, and spiked up top. He appeared to be in his late twenties—thirty tops—and Asian. Damn, this was one sexy man. Jo’s eyes slid over his body again, stopping at the very impressive bulge in the front of his swimming trunks. Oh my damn, she thought, and drew in a deep breath as the bulge twitched a little right before her eyes. Josinia gulped and clenched her thighs together, hoping to stem off the flood of moisture that was pooling between her legs and, no doubt, staining her bikini bottom.
“I take it you like what you see,” Tek said.
Shaking herself, she looked up into the smiling eyes of the stranger and blushed.
“No need to blush. In fact, if you stand up, I’ll promise to give your body my full attention.” He smirked.
That smirk—Josinia knew that smirk. Oh God. It couldn’t be. Of all the people she’d run into again, it had to be someone she’d had a one-night stand with. Older. But she’d remember those eyes and that voice anywhere. She’d revisited them enough in her head. Apparently he didn’t remember her. But then again, why would he? She wasn’t all that memorable back then.
Thinking back she remembered the big party-her being captivated by him. She’d eyed him most of the night…him approaching her with cocky attitude and striking up a conversation. Both of them drinking a lot, and the next thing she knew they had disappeared into one of the bedrooms and she’d practically begged him to have sex with her. She could safely say that they’d jumped each other’s bones.
“Not shy, are you?” Josinia said crisply.
“Not in the least. Since you’re not going to oblige me and stand up, do you mind if I sit next to you?”
“No, have a seat,” she murmured.
“I’m Tek,” he said, sitting down next to her and extending his hand.
“Josinia,” she responded as his long fingers curved intimately around her hand.
“So, Josinia, what brings you here?”
None of your damn business, she thought, and was surprised to hear her own voice say, “I’m here with a few of my friends for a much needed break. You?”
“I’ve been coming here for about three years now. My home away from home,” he said, taking a deep breath. “My own little paradise.”
“This is my first time here. It’s the only vacation I’ve taken in a long while.”
“So how are you enjoying it?”
“It’s all right. Peaceful. Well, early in the mornings, anyway.”
“It is at that. I don’t know how safe it is for you to walk alone at dawn by yourself, though.”
“How do you know I walk alone?” she asked suspiciously.
“I saw you this morning from my balcony. You waved at me, remember?” He smiled.
“Oh, that was you.” She smiled back awkwardly.
“Yes, it was. I must say, you are more beautiful up close,” he whispered, staring at her lips.
Embarrassed, Josinia put her head down, only to find his fingers on her chin, lifting her head back up.
“Don’t do that. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You have to know that you’re beautiful,” he said, this time looking her directly in the eyes.
“I haven’t had time to really pay attention,” she murmured. “But thank you for the compliment.” He frowned, and she wondered if she had said something wrong. Did he not believe her? Did he think she was just being coy? Well she wasn’t. With school, her practice, and all of the other drama she’d had going on in her life…she just hadn’t
given her looks a second thought.
“You’re kidding, right?” he asked.
“No…” Before Josinia knew what was happening, Tek had his hand at the back of her neck, and placed his lips against hers. The kiss was hot and totally unexpected. He latched onto her mouth as if he were afraid she would push him away. If she’d been in her right mind, she would have. And probably slapped his face for good measure. He was technically a stranger, despite her suspicion they’d met before. For all she knew, he was a serial killer. Yet the sexual energy radiating between them was real. And she’d been lonely for so long. Just like the last time they’d met.
Yes, that was it. Loneliness. His tongue slipped between her teeth and claimed hers as if he were claiming her body. If she’d had any doubts as to his identity before…she didn’t now. He’d kissed her like this before. So passionate—so demanding. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she put her all into the kiss. Déjà vu. That’s what she felt. She was letting him have his way with her all over again. Did that make her a tramp? Josinia had only had two lovers in the whole of her life. Her first failed attempt at intimacy was with her biology partner in high school. That had been a total disaster. They’d both laughed about it afterwards. And the next was with this same wicked man who was having his way with her now—and that had been the best sexual experience she’d ever had. In her mind, anyway. She’d really hadn’t had any real partner to compare him too, but he’d been a very attentive lover. Too embarrassed to face him the next day, she’d hauled her ass out of his bed while he slept. Still, she had only one regret about that night—she’d lost the gold chain that her mother had given her. The sex was great. He’d made her feel good and made her body sing at a time in her life when she’d thought she was all alone.
Josinia grappled at his head when he ripped his mouth away from her. She wasn’t ready to let him go. Not yet.
“Straddle me,” he breathed against her lips.
“Wh—what?” she asked in a daze.
“I need to feel you against me,” he strained out, lifting and turning her so that her front was facing him and her legs were splayed out on either side of him.
“Wrap your legs around me,” he instructed.
She could hardly stand it. The feel of his erection between her legs almost sent her into spasms. Of its own accord, her lower body rubbed against his. The loud groan that emanated from his lips was the sound of a man in agony.
“Shit!” he growled, wrapping a lock of her long hair around his hand, pulling her head back, and bringing his mouth down to hers. Josinia returned his kiss with fervor, her hips still gyrating against him.
“More…it’s been so long,” she moaned against his mouth.
“Easy. We’re not alone, Josinia,” he breathed into her mouth.
“I know…I can’t stop…It feels so good,” she said, ripping her mouth from his to place her face in the crook of his neck. Her arms and legs were wrapped around him.
“Shit! Josinia, hold on,” he whispered, holding her hips in place and slipping his hand between their bodies to move her swimsuit aside and insert one thick digit inside her. That was all it took. She detonated, screaming her release into his neck as her womanly juices flowed down his finger and into his palm.
Chapter Three
‡
He removed his saturated finger from within her and wiped her juices on his trunks. Damn, he wished he could taste her. Josinia was still plastered against him—gasping for breath. Tek ran his hand up and down her back soothingly, then brushed his fingers through her long curly hair, pushing it out of her face. She lifted her head and smiled up at him.
Perfectly arched eyebrows sat over her icy gray eyes that were suddenly full of passion. Her café au lait skin glistened with a misty sheen of sweat. A lock of hair had escaped the confines of a clip and now lay across her brow. He wished he were buried so deep within her that she wouldn’t know where he ended and she began. Her skin was the color of lightened cocoa; touching it was like touching silk. Josinia positively glowed. Hell, there was that feeling again. A strong feeling that he knew her from somewhere.
Tek was happy he’d decided to sit on the beach before getting on with his day. Like he’d told his brother earlier, he’d known he’d run into her again. It had been his plan to intentionally wait to see if she walked along the shoreline again. He’d been sure she would, but he hadn’t expected to walk down to the beach and find her sitting there as if waiting for him. She had on the same bikini that she’d worn earlier…minus the cover-up.
Just thinking about it made his cock begin to stir. She must have felt it, because she moaned deep in her throat. They really needed to move before they both did something they’d regret.
Tek wanted her with a yearning that couldn’t be denied…but not with a bunch of vacationers looking on. Nope, he wanted her in his bed, writhing underneath him, or riding his cock full out.
“Josinia, we need to get up or we’re going to give these good people a real explicit show,” he joked, although in his present state, he felt anything but humorous. He was rock hard and in desperate need of release. What he needed was a cold shower. Tek heard her sigh and chuckled.
“You’re so comfortable. I could fall asleep right now. Ohmyfreakinggoodness! I let a total stranger have his way with me!” she shrieked, jumping up off of his lap. Again, she said in her head.
“I’m glad one of us can jump up. Because, baby, I have tell you…you have me on overload. There are only two things keeping me from pulling that little scrap of material aside and sinking into you: one is that I don’t have a condom, and two is that there are so many people on the beach today. That fact that you just made it known what we were doing is not making it easier for either of us. So, tone it down a bit, before I embarrass us both.” He smiled, his eyes lowering to his still hard manhood.
Her gasp almost had him chuckling softly. Now she plays the outraged virgin. Shaking his head, he watched her eyes widen.
Her face was flushed, but not from passion—from embarrassment. With the grace of a panther, Tek leaped to his feet, wiped the sand from his shorts, and stood before her. Looking deep into her eyes, he whispered, “Tsk, tsk, Josinia. There will be many things that we do together that will probably embarrass you sexually—trust me, making out on a beach is the least of them. You have a fire beneath all of your innocence that is waiting to be released, and I plan on being the one to release it.”
“I’m not innocent,” she said.
“Yes, you are,” he said, lowering his head to hers and kissing her lips. Not for the world would he embarrass her by telling her he could sense her innocence by the way she acted, kissed, and fell apart in his arms. If she had had a man before…which he had no doubt that she had, it had been a long while since she’d had sex. She’d been as tight as a virgin around his finger. The thought of her gripping his finger with her pussy stirred his cock to life again. Time to go.
“Just because you’ve had sex before does not mean you’re not an innocent.”
“Oh really? And you would know this how?” she asked.
“That question in and of itself just confirmed that you’re innocent,” he chuckled.
“How?” she questioned.
“Come Jet Skiing with me,” he invited her impulsively.
“Wh…what?” she said with a shake of her head.
“Jet Skiing. Have you ever tried it?”
“No.”
“Well, it’ll be a wonderful experience for you. How about we make a day of it? We’ll go Jet Skiing, do lunch, and have dinner later tonight. What do you say? Feel like spending the day with me?” he asked, looking into those gray eyes. Eyes that he could have sworn he’d seen before. Why did he have the feeling that he knew her from somewhere? He felt an intimate connection to her, as if they’d been together before, but that couldn’t be it. Sure, there were some women he’d forgotten not too long after he’d made love to them, but he knew he would remember a night with her. He’d only
felt that way once before—long ago—and he wore the gold chain around his neck as a reminder.
Tek had awakened several hours after that encounter, and she’d been gone. Only to leave behind her smell on the bed sheets and the gold chain he’d found on the floor next to the bed with the clasp broken. He’d been disappointed that she’d left without saying a word to him but figured she’d had regrets. After all, they’d both had way too much to drink that night.
Tek had been young and cocky back then, more so than he was now. He’d also had something to prove to the world. That he belonged. He’d made sleeping with women a sport. Still, there was something different about the woman Tek had slept with that night. She’d had an innocence about her—yet she’d been eager to explore his body while he explored hers. He’d slept with many women after her, but still, those smoky gray eyes boring into his as she climaxed would forever be a memory engraved in his heart. Gray eyes, he said to himself. Then he stared at Josinia. Gray eyes that now looked a little flustered. No, it couldn’t be? Could it? Josinia had the same kind of innocence about her as the woman had had back then. No, it had to be just a coincidence. And above all, the way they had lit the sheets up that night, there was no way she’d still be as inexperienced as she was back then.
“I need to take a shower and change my suit. You want me to meet you back here in about an hour?” Josinia asked.
Tek shook himself, realizing that she was speaking. “Of course not. Tell me which part of the beach you’re staying on, and I’ll pick you up. Better yet, I’ll walk back to your place with you. That way I’ll know you’ve arrived safely. There are a lot of raunchy teenagers and men on this beach. I don’t trust them not to try and get with you. So, get your things, and let’s get to walking.”
“Tek, I’ve been walking this beach for days now, and I haven’t had a problem getting to my room,” she chided.
Riding the Waves: TEKSUEN (The Agency Book 1) Page 2