by Alison Kent
Grabbing the coffeepot and two mugs, he slid both back with him, pouring first for Poe and then for himself. He grinned shamelessly, and Poe, taking her cup, first rolled her eyes, then glared. "Thanks, Jess. The way you put that … now everyone's going to think more went on between us than that truth-or-dare kiss."
"And here I had my hopes up," Sydney said, halfway teasing and halfway disappointed. For a minute there she'd been so sure she'd finally fingered the mystery lovers.
One eye narrowed beneath one raised brow, Jess added cream and sugar to his mug and asked, "You're not playing matchmaker, are you, Sydney?"
She looked from Jess to Poe to Doug to Kinsey and finally up to Anton. Keeping a grin from her face was next to impossible, so she didn't even try. "Why would I need to play matchmaker when all of you are doing fine on your own?"
"Very funny," Kinsey said to Sydney while patting Doug on the head and tucking him back into his chair at the table. "You sit right here and recover, honey. I'll get you that coffee you needed."
Doug opened his mouth, but nothing came out, so he shut it again. Anton and Jess looked on with a combination of envy and offense taken on behalf of all mankind. Sydney looked at Poe, shrugged and decided then and there that the entire world was ruled by sex.
Not such a bad thing really. Except in this case where it seemed she was the only one who wasn't finding the opportunities everyone else seemed to be finding. Or at least the opportunity one couple had found, making her admittedly as envious as she was curious. And where was Ray, anyway?
"Kinsey, is Lauren still sleeping?"
"Yeah. She's being a lazybones this morning." Kinsey filled the mug she'd found and carried it back to Doug. "But then, I didn't finish the movie last night, so I was out like a light when she finally came to bed."
Sydney herself hadn't stayed up long at all after leaving Jess and Ray on the deck. She thought she remembered hearing Poe come to bed and had tried to wake up, wanting to talk to the other woman. After all, getting to know her had been the reason she'd invited Poe along in the first place.
If it wasn't one plan going awry, it was another. She turned her attention to Jess. "What about Ray?"
"What about Ray?" Jess echoed, his elbow propped on Poe's convenient shoulder. "You taking morning roll call or something?"
"No, but Doug was interested in land-based activities, and I thought I'd fill everyone in at the same time." Sydney moved to the sink and ran enough water to wash what breakfast dishes remained, since Auralie had moved to cleaning bathrooms and linens.
Jess shook his head. "Ray's been gone awhile. But I doubt he's gone far because, hey, there's not too far anyone can go here."
Sydney waited until he'd drained his cup, then grabbed it and dunked it in the sink of soapy water. "Are you complaining?"
"Hell, no. I like working within prescribed limits." He stretched, then lowered both arms, draping one casually across Poe's back and tucking his fingers into her ribs. "Takes off the pressure of seeing what I can get away with."
Poe slipped out from beneath, twisting around and pulling Jess's arm up into the center of his back until he grimaced and cried uncle. "Gives a new meaning to pressure, eh, big boy?"
Sydney was vacationing in a zoo, that was all there was to it. "If any of you are interested, I am heading down to the south beach, where there's a lagoon. Menga has already set up the umbrellas and there are floats stored in the cabana. I'm taking a book and a beach blanket.
"If that's still too much water, Doug," Sydney added, taking in Doug's waterlogged expression, "the trail to the pelican nesting ground runs right past the beach and it's only a ten-minute walk."
Doug nodded. "Birds I can probably handle."
"Actually you can't handle them at all. It's against the rules."
"Ha, ha, ha," Doug said just as a sleepy-eyed Lauren made her way into the room.
"What's against the rules?" she asked, accepting the coffee Anton poured for her and rising on her toes to share a quick kiss. "Mmm. Sweet."
It was definitely time to get out of the kitchen, Sydney grumped to herself, finishing up the last mug and drying her hands. All this touchy-feely business going on and Ray nowhere to be found. Her plans for a hedonistic vacation fling seemed to have been flung far and wide.
"Cavorting with the wildlife," Jess replied to Lauren, then pushed off the counter and headed for the stairs to the second-floor bedroom suites. "I'm going for shoes. It's time to work off this vacation."
Strangely enough, when Sydney got to the south beach, she finally found Ray. He'd managed to discover the lagoon and the cove all on his own. He'd obviously discovered the cabana, as well, because he was making full use of one of the stored floats.
Poe, who'd decided to forgo the pelicans and settle for the book-and-umbrella routine, had accompanied Sydney to the beach. Both women spread their blankets over the clean, white sand.
Sydney couldn't even dredge up the energy to be annoyed at sharing the secluded beach with Poe, instead of being alone with Ray. Yes, she intended to seduce her prey. But she also had gIRL-gEAR business to take care of with Poe.
Once settled on the blankets, totes with sunscreen and bottled water and paperback bestsellers nearby, neither woman did anything but sit and relax. Poe leaned back on her elbows. Sydney leaned back on her palms. The water in the small lagoon was still and clear.
Ray floated on his back in a circular tube, his arms stretched overhead, his legs dangling in the water, his sculpted belly flat and the material of his swim trunks bulging below. Dark sunglasses were wrapped around his head, hiding his eyes and his expression. He hadn't waved; she wondered if he'd seen them arrive, and so she lifted a hand.
He raised his in return, answering that one question, leaving unanswered myriad others. Was he watching her now? Was he remembering the kiss they'd shared last night? What was he thinking? Did he have any idea how finding him here, seeing him relaxed and rested and touched by the light of the sun, sent her pulse skittering?
Sydney wondered if Poe was as caught up by the visual as she was. Because, of all the men sharing their island vacation, there was just something about Ray Coffey that set him apart from the others. At least to Sydney's way of thinking. She cast what she hoped was a surreptitious glance at Poe, only to find her with her head back and her raised face seeking the warmth of the sun.
"Don't worry. I know he's off-limits."
Poe's cryptic comment caused Sydney to raise a brow. "Are you talking about Ray?"
"Isn't that who you're sitting there fantasizing about? Not that I blame you," Poe added, tilting her head in Sydney's direction, but still not making eye contact, which would've been difficult, anyway, with the two of them wearing their sleek Oakleys.
Sydney pressed her lips together. Were her thoughts really that obvious? Or was Poe only hazarding a heat-seeking guess? Well, two could play that game, Sydney mused with a private smirk. "I'm surprised you've had time to take notice of Ray, what with Jess monopolizing so much of your time."
"He is a doll, isn't he?" Poe's grin spoke volumes about the road her own thoughts had taken. "Trust me. After that truth-or-dare kiss? I did a quick evaluation of his fling potential."
"And?"
Poe gave a small, noncommittal shrug. "And I'm still evaluating. Vacation flings are so much easier and definitely less messy when both parties go their own way at the end of the trip. I loathe complications."
Sydney hadn't thought about that, about the tricky situation she'd find herself in seeing Ray on any kind of regular basis once they were back in the States.
Since his return to Houston last year, their occasional interaction had only served to heighten the tension between them. She'd continued to wonder, to fantasize, to evoke the tiniest details of that night they'd spent together. Details like his texture and his taste.
She'd had no idea, at eighteen, that a man's bare skin could be so soft, his body hair so baby fine, his scent so intoxicating, his taste equally so. Ther
e in that cheap hotel bed, she'd buried her nose against him, breathed fully and breathed deep. And she'd remembered. That night on the veranda, she'd remembered.
She'd never stopped to realize what it would mean to replace those memories with others. Adult memories. Recent memories. Memories that she wouldn't revisit with a virgin's naiveté but with a woman's understanding and appreciation of what she could share with a man.
So what exactly did she want to share with this man? Was it really the simple fling she'd been working for weeks to convince herself she wanted? Or now, after feeling his hands on her body that night on the veranda, after experiencing his kiss last night on the deck, was she thinking of wanting more than their time on this island allowed?
One touch, one kiss. A slow crescendo building toward the fulfillment of her fantasy. She was growing anxious, that was all. Once they made love, once she proved to herself that he was only a man and no different from any other, her mind would be clear of Ray Coffey, and life would get back to normal, back to business.
So why was she thinking about more? How could she possibly be wondering if she'd ever get enough?
"Besides," Poe went on, waving one hand in a welcome interruption to Sydney's musings. "As hot as Jess is, he's still so … young."
Funny, but Poe's remarks tied into what Lauren had said only yesterday about Poe's being the type of woman Sydney's father needed in his life. Sydney couldn't necessarily argue about the type; she just wasn't sure Poe was the one.
"Jess is what? Four years younger than you?" As opposed to Nolan, who was a decade older than Poe.
"Something like that, I imagine. But it's not so much the actual years as it is the attitude. I'm almost thirty-two. I don't look at the world now the same way I did at, say, twenty-eight."
"You make it sound like the two of you are worlds apart." Sydney paused to let that sink in before adding, "Jess is probably not quite the boy toy you seem to think."
"Hmm," was all Poe gave in response before pushing up off her elbows and digging in her tote for her bottle of water. After taking a drink, she cast a glance at Sydney. "I thought Jess had a thing going on with Melanie, anyway."
"I know they've dated, but I think they're just good friends," Sydney replied, glad to see that Poe had taken Mel's feelings into consideration. The gIRL-gEAR partners shared an unparalleled closeness, and making Poe a part of that team would be a much easier transition for all involved if they knew she saw things with the same eyes.
"Hmm," Poe hummed again. "I suppose all I can do is see what happens, then, right? Though I still think it would be easier to find myself a nice buff local lad to play with."
Chuckling, Sydney shook her head. "You are so bad."
Poe heaved a theatrical sigh. "I do try. It makes life so much more exciting. However—" she held up one finger "—I am fully aware that being good has its perks, as well. Catching flies with honey and all that."
"You know," Sydney said, "Chloe insists you are not the bitch you pretend to be."
"Well, damn. And here I was working so hard at my image."
"Why would you want us to think you're something that you're not?"
"Why does anyone lie?" Poe shrugged. "To hide the ugly truth, right?"
Sydney should have been used to Poe's dramatic nature by now, but she still caught herself doing a mental double take. "It might be. If one had an ugly truth to hide. Which I don't believe you do."
"Everyone has a secret, Sydney Ford." Poe slipped her sunglasses down her nose and met Sydney's gaze head on. "Yours just happens to be a lot hunkier than any I might have."
All Sydney could do was blink. Here she'd been prepared to discuss Poe's impending promotion within gIRL-gEAR, and the woman had to blow a cover Sydney thought was so convincing. Not to mention remind her of a more immediate concern.
So immediate, in fact, that when she turned from Poe to glance out toward Ray, where he floated on the quiet surface of the water, Sydney's breath caught hard and fast. He wasn't floating any longer. He was, in fact, walking up the beach toward her, dripping wet, water glistening in diamond drops all over his incredible body.
He was tall and he was broad, and he filled her vision as he moved lithely over the sand. He stopped when he was but two feet away. For a minute he did nothing but look down. His eyes were hidden behind sunshades, so Sydney couldn't see the sparkle in his eyes. But she knew it was there. The teasing quirk at the corner of his solemn mouth gave him away.
"Ladies," he said, and held out a hand to Sydney. She accepted and got to her feet, dusting sand from the seat of her yellow bikini.
"Hello, Ray." Poe returned to reclining on her elbows. "It's nice to see you."
Sydney wanted to roll her eyes. But then Ray said, "It's nice to be seen," and togged his glasses down enough to give Poe a wink. Sydney managed to resist smacking him on the shoulder. And then all she could do was let out a loud, "Whoop!" as Ray hoisted her into his arms and headed back for the lagoon to the tune of Poe's call of, "You two have fun!"
Ray glanced down at Sydney and raised a brow above the rims of his shades. "Your suit is waterproof, right?"
"It's a swimsuit, Ray. It's made to get wet." Oh, but he felt good. One arm around her back, the other beneath her legs, his chest warm and hard and solid at her shoulder. She laced her hands behind his neck and held on tightly, refusing to be alarmed by his grin, which was borderline dastardly.
The grin widened. "Just making sure it's not one of those fancy look-but-don't-touch numbers."
Please touch, she wanted to say, but instead, she waited for the dunking she was sure he'd give her. Surprisingly enough, he didn't. But what he did certainly grabbed her attention in ways a dunking would've failed to do.
He settled his body back into the center of the circular float and settled her body on top. The float was sturdy and easily held them both. Ray had once again draped his arms overhead, giving Sydney the broad expanse of his chest to lie back on.
She kept one hand on her stomach. The other she trailed over the side, dangling her fingers in the water. Her legs tangled in and out of Ray's, but it was her backside in the dip of his lap causing her the most grief. She wanted to wiggle. She wanted to be still. She wasn't sure which want she wanted the most.
"I've been thinking, Sydney."
Ray's voice rambled through her rib cage. She waited for the shudders to fade, savoring the deep echo before she replied, "That can be dangerous, you know."
"Watch it, woman. I can still change my mind about sharing this float."
"I don't remember asking to share your float."
They drifted silently for another moment or two, until Sydney started to wonder if she could maneuver with enough dexterity to dunk Ray while staying high and marginally dry. But she was enjoying his lap way too much to act on the renegade thought.
"Ray?"
"Hmm?"
"You've been thinking?"
"I've been thinking that you've been making promises you can't keep."
"Is that so?"
"Yep. It's so."
"I suppose you're talking about finding time for us to spend together?"
"That would be the one."
"Well, we're together now."
"We're together with Poe."
"Hmm," Sydney mumbled, pulling her hand through the water enough to turn the float beachward. "Poe's gone."
"Yeah. Some friend you are, abandoning her like that."
"I got … an offer I couldn't refuse." She'd started to say, "a better offer," but had stopped the words before they'd rushed out. She wasn't sure why.
"Damn straight. And a better offer, at that."
"Oh, yeah? Says who?" She kicked her feet, splashing water over their legs.
"Says the man who wants to get you naked in the worst possible way."
"Oh. That man," Sydney said, barely able to get the words past the rush of desire working to close off her throat. Especially when she felt Ray begin to stir and harden further. Neither one
of their suits was made of anything but the thinnest fabric, and he had to know she could feel him.
She wasn't sure what move to make next. And was glad when he let her off the hook. "We're three days into this trip, Sydney."
She sighed. "I know."
"And I'm usually a very patient man. But not this time. I've been waiting for you for eight years." He lowered one arm and splayed his hand flat across her belly. "Eight years is a helluva long time."
And didn't she know it. Waiting to touch him, to learn him, to know him. Waiting to have his hands on her body the way she had them now. "You're right. It has been. And you'd better be worth all this waiting."
Ray stilled beneath her. His second hand joined the first, both measuring the span of her stomach. And then he chuckled, and Sydney felt the tickle scuttle the length of her back.
"I could say the same thing to you."
"You could." She smiled to herself. "But you won't."
This time he laughed and the sound rolled up from deep in his belly. His hands squeezed her waist. "You know, Sydney Ford, there's one other thing I want to do in the worst possible way."
"You wouldn't dare," she said sensing that the time for that dunking had arrived.
"Oh, yeah?" he answered, and hoisted her, squealing, into the lagoon.
* * *
6
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The next morning found Sydney in high spirits. Between their impromptu water fights, she and Ray had floated away most of the previous afternoon at the south beach lagoon—at least until others had discovered their paradise and crashed their private party. Today she'd made an early escape, needing a breather from the constant company, time with her own thoughts, and hopefully time alone with Ray.
Listening to the summer thunderstorm rolling in from offshore, Sydney slowed her steps, enjoying the feel of the loose sand shifting beneath her feet and the sharp metallic bite to the air. Low-hanging clouds, bellies pregnant with rain, scudded in to obliterate the afternoon sun. But the breeze was still warm and soothing, and Sydney knew when the rain washed over the island, it would be warm, as well.