Stealing Beauty (The Caribbean Rivalry Book 1)

by C. M. Steele

  “Have you gotten your fill?”

  “I’ll never have enough of you Marisol.”

  “Seriously are you that hard-up on women that you have to kidnap them?” I lean forward, crowding her space so that our legs are brushing against each other.

  “I have never been hard up for a woman until the day your pretty face passed by my desk. The day you became mine.”

  “You’re nuts,” she remarks.

  “Perhaps, or maybe I’m a man who knows that the way your pulse has picked up, and the way your eyes keep moving to my mouth that you want to know how it would feel on your lips.”

  “No, I don’t…” she weakly murmurs.

  “Say it like you mean it, beauty.”

  She parts her lips as if she’s going to say something but doesn’t; instead, she closes them. I give my future wife a smile, then sit back in my chair. I know that if I put my lips on hers, it will not stop there, but the look she gives me could kill a man.

  “What? When I kiss you, there will be no one to interrupt us. There will be only you and me as I claim your body for my own. Relax, moya krasota.”

  “I didn’t want you to kiss me,” she denies. I roll my eyes and shake my head. She can try to fight it, but her body is doing her no favors.

  “Are you sure, Marisol?”

  “Yes,” she stutters as I lean in again. This time I take her drink and bring it to my lips just right where her lip gloss print is. I sip it only because I want to savor it.

  “That was mine.”

  “I will get you more, moya krasota. But if I cannot have your lips where I want them, I must settle for the next best thing.”

  “What does that mean, moya krasota?” she asks meekly, her eyes staring at the glass in my hand.

  “My beauty.” She blushes, sliding her fingers into her hair and tucking strands behind her ear.

  With a deep breath, she gathers her confidence and tosses me a sneering glare, then she questions me, “Do you always kidnap women?”

  “I thought I made myself clear. I do not kidnap women. I don’t care that much. I haven’t been with a woman since before you even hit puberty.” She arches her brow as if she doesn’t believe me. I lean in again, a little closer this time. “And I haven’t wanted a woman the way I want you. The way I crave tasting your body. I want to lick you until you scream my name, then fuck you until you can’t handle another orgasm.” A whimper escapes her lips. I inch closer, so my face is almost touching hers. “I’ll bet my island that your pussy is so soaked that you’ll have a sweet wet spot on your shorts. Part your thighs.” She shakes her head slightly. “I promise to be gentle, Marisol. I only want to worship you.” She blushes and parts them. I see all I need. Just as I expected, her desire is on display. I bend down and press my face between her thighs. She gasps as I breathe in her scent, then I place a little kiss right there.

  I pull back, then brush my lips against her jaw and whisper. “I can’t wait to have you open for me, but I won’t share your moans with anyone else.”

  “Was there something in that drink?” she asks, looking at the empty glass.

  “No, Marisol. Maybe it’s like I said. You want me, too.” I can see that I’m right, but she’s trying to fight it. All I can do is smile because it’s going better than I could have ever hoped for. “I knew it on the beach.”

  “You set that up, didn’t you?” she accuses me. I know she’s talking about the thief, but I just happened to be in the right place in the right time.

  “You think I would set someone up to rob you, so I could be your hero?” I challenge. It’s ridiculously pathetic to put her in danger for nothing.

  Sensing my outrage at her implication, she stammers out, “No, I suppose that’s crazy, but this is even crazier.” I can see she’s not sure if she believes it.

  I take her hand in mine and look into those chocolate eyes with sincerity and say, “I don’t want to be your hero, Marisol. I want you to have a life where you never need to be rescued.”

  “Then it was pure coincidence?” she questions archly.

  I shrug because she got me there. “Not purely coincidental, but the bastard robbing you was most definitely an unexpected incident.”

  “So you’re telling me that you’re stalking me or not. Hell, grr…I don’t get it. I’m freaking losing it. This is insane. I need air.”

  “Um, we’re in the air, sweet love. We’ll be landing soon. It’s okay to lust after me. I want more from you, but for now, I’ll take your moans. Your heart, I must work on.”

  Chapter 4

  Marisol

  Mikhail sits back as if he’s not bothered by all of this. He’s a ruthless man with hunger in his eyes. I know it’s for me, but what else is he up to? Why me? Is this passion, just that? I look over to see what’s going on with Destiny, and she’s laughing at something the other guy said. It’s then that I notice a resemblance. I sit back and close my eyes. I don’t want to interrupt. I’m not scared of them, but I’m nervous that I’m letting that pulse between my thighs control my thoughts and decisions. Feeling Mikhail’s eyes on me, I look at him. He’s staring at me. “Would you hurt me if I didn’t want this?”

  He flinches as if I smacked him. With a shake of his head, he says, “No, I’d just try to make you see otherwise.”

  “Why?”

  “Why? Because you are my obsession, my addiction, my forever.” It’s so much to take in that I don’t ask any more questions. I sit in silence. Stacia comes back to us several times, bringing drinks to us. I only have one, but she fills his glass two times. I don’t want to fuzzy-up my mind any more than it already is. This man has something about him that makes me more than curious. It makes me hungry or as my generation calls it, thirsty. I’m not sure why I’m experiencing it.

  The flight landed in the most gorgeous place I’ve ever seen. The island was more beautiful than I had imagined. He took my hand in his leading me down the stairs and to a black SUV. Once we were inside, he spoke to the driver in Russian, and the car took off.

  “Wait, what about Destiny and the other guy?”

  “My brother Ivan is going to take good care of your friend. Don’t worry. I want to be alone with you.”

  “I need to go back home. My brother is going to be worried about me.”

  “Your brother is in a meeting for another two hours, and he’ll be fine. Besides, you can call him later. I’m not going to harm you.”

  “You kidnapped me,” I remind him.

  He shakes his head, reaching over to adjust my seatbelt. I should find it insulting, but I have this insane feeling that he is telling the truth. He’s worried about my safety. That is sexy to me. Everything he seems to do is sexy in my eyes from the way he held his vodka glass to the way he whispered in my ear.

  He looks me in my eyes and with a straight face says, “I did no such thing. I got on my plane. You got on my plane.”

  “Well, I didn’t know it was your plane,” I argue, scrunching my nose at him, waiting for him to contradict that.

  He chuckles giving me a broad smile. “And that is legally my fault because?”

  I grab onto his suit lapels, clench my teeth, and say, “You are infuriating.”

  “And you’re enchanting,” he responds with a dark smirk.

  “Are you going to kiss me already?”

  With a growl, his lips find mine. The sensation is instant, and as the rough, passionate kiss intensifies, I slide my arms up around his neck and up into his short dark brown hair. He grabs at mine, pulling my head back. And his other hand grasps at my thigh, dragging it over his leg. I can feel his cock, hard and long, against my pussy. I thrust my hips forward, rubbing on his length. I moan out, and he freezes. I open my eyes as he pulls back onto the seat next to me. He cups my cheeks and says in a low, powerful voice, “You’re mine. No one else gets to hear your cries of pleasure. I mean that. I will finish this the moment we get to our home. Then you can come as loud
ly as you like.” He brings my hand to his mouth and places a kiss. That’s when I look and realize I was on the verge of coming in front of his driver and some other guy in the passenger seat.

  “Oh,” I say, parting my lips in a big O.

  We pull into a gated entrance, and I look out. It’s a palatial estate. I can’t believe my eyes. “Mikhail, is this about my brother and his resort on Isla Nubia?”

  He shakes his head, holding my hand in his, then adds, “No, it’s not. I told you everything is about you. Only you.”

  “Do you promise?” I don’t know why I’m asking a man that “kidnapped me.”

  “Of course. I wouldn’t lie to you.” Damn, he sounds so sincere that I actually believe him. I think I’m losing my mind. I need to call Julian. When I have a moment alone, I’m going to call him. My phone is in my purse.

  “I’m supposed to believe you?” I challenge.

  “You believe what you want. I am not a man to lie. Now I know you’re getting angry because you’re all worked up without release. I need to make you come.” Why does he have to start the sexy talk? My body overrules my head instantly, and I want to cave to this attraction.

  The door opens on his side, and he exits the car first, reaching for my hand to come out. I don’t take it. I shake my head. “Marisol, what is wrong?” The way his blue eyes meet mine, there’s genuine concern in them.

  “I need to call my brother,” I insist.

  He pauses for a moment before he says, “You can call him inside.”

  “Okay,” I say, giving my hand to him.

  He walks us inside and leads me up a staircase. “You can freshen up in here. I’ll be back. I must speak with my staff and check on Ivan.”

  As soon as he’s gone, I grab my purse and get my phone. Just as I do, Julian calls. “Wow, I was just thinking about you,” I answer. I’m sure he’s worried.

  “Where are you, Marisol?” he asks frantically. Damn, I hate that he’s worried.

  I pause because I don’t know if I want to tell him the truth. If I do, then this is over before it begins, and I think about never seeing Mikhail again. The thought burns in me, reminding me that the past three weeks had been total shit. “Um, I think there was some mix up on the airport. I just landed on another island in the Caribbean.”

  “What island? I’ll have my plane come for you right now.”

  Damn, I drag out my answer, “Um…Ostrov.”

  “What the fuck is he playing at?” he roars on the other end.

  “What do you mean? Who are you talking about?” I ask him. Does he know something I don’t? Is Mikhail playing me?

  “Mikhail Dobrev. I know this is all his doing.”

  “Well, I’ve been taken to the resort. I’m in a stunning room right now,” I remark, looking around Mikhail’s bedroom. I walk over to the nightstand and see a photo, picking it up, and I gasp. It’s me.

  “Have you met him?”

  “I don’t know. There were a few men around when I arrived,” I lie.

  “You know, he looks like the typical Russian mobster type.”

  “I think you watch too many movies. I doubt it’s his doing. Maybe it’s a mistake.”

  “It’s no mistake. His sister is here.” I gasp, walking over back to my bag. I’m instantly hit with the pain of being naïve.

  “His sister is on the island with you?”

  A growl comes from behind me, and I see Mikhail storming up to me grabbing my phone. “What the hell is my sister doing there? You let her go now,” he demands. From the look on his face, this isn’t part of his plan.

  “No.” Damn, I didn’t know my brother could get that loud. He’s pissed. I’m surprised he cares that much. He’s always so busy working on building his empire.

  “No?”

  “No, you sent her here to spy on me. I know you did. And she committed a crime. She pretended to be Marisol, checking into her room. I think it’s interesting that you’re playing innocent. Send back my sister, and I might return her without pressing charges,” my brother doesn’t know that he’s playing with fire.

  “No. Not going to happen. Ever,” Mikhail informs him, taking my hand pulling me to him, holding me as if my brother is going to snatch me through the phone.

  “What the fuck does that mean? You can’t keep her captive.”

  “The hell I can’t. My island has its own rules, and they are made up by me,” he argues.

  “Fine. You’re not getting your sister back until I get mine.”

  “Don’t test me, Navarro. She’s not involved in this.” Why am I finding this sexy? Have I lost my mind? I believe I have.

  “Neither is my sister.”

  “No, your sister will one day be my wife. So I don’t care what you say. I’ll give you money to get my sister back,” Mikhail tosses out as a bargaining chip because I’m not one.

  “Are you crazy?”

  “About Marisol. Now be good to my sister and return her. If you harm a hair on her head, I’ll destroy you.”

  “Relax, I’m not a killer unlike you, Dobrev.”

  “You don’t know anything about me.” He ends the call and tosses the phone onto the dresser.

  He turns to look at me and says, “Wait here. I’ll be back.” He angrily walks to the door, before stopping and turning back around to me. He comes up to me, slipping his arm around my waist, tugging me closer and slamming his mouth on mine. “Relax, I have some matters that must be dealt with.” He lets go of me then walks away.

  I call for him, then I plead, “Please don’t hurt him. I know he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.”

  “My sweet, I am not concerned about him harming her, but how she managed to be confused for you. Someone didn’t do their job. My sister was supposed to be home and not traveling anywhere. Excuse me.” He kisses my forehead then leaves the room.

  I don’t know how to deal with what he said. I go in the bathroom and wash my face. I have to check in with Destiny. I’ve been a terrible friend. I grab my phone which thankfully didn’t crack or anything. I slide it open and see I have a message from my brother. It was sent while I washed up.

  Dile a Mikhail que no voy a devolver a su hermana. Ella es mia para siempre.

  Shit. I wonder how he’s going to handle the news. I can’t believe he wants to keep Mikhail’s sister. I don’t change out of my shorts and top. Instead, I exit the room without my sandals, hoping to find Mikhail. I creep past a few employees talking while cleaning, but they have their backs to me. I keep going and see an open door with a desk. This must be his office. I walk in, but he’s not inside. I’m sure he’ll be back. So I go around and sit in his chair. After all, the only way to break bad news is with strength and sympathy. I can’t help myself and be nosy. As I look over his desk, I see a photo of him and Ivan with a smaller but beautiful woman. I try not to get jealous and just assume that she must be his sister, whose name I don’t know. There’s a file on the desk, it must not be too private since it’s out in the open or that’s the justification I’m using to be nosy.

  I flip the manila file open and see a picture of my brother and me in Miami. Below it is a list of everything on my brother. Then I look a little further through it and see my information. He knows everything about me. The stuff he’s not privy to, like my social, banking, housing, and my life. There’s a picture of me at a party. And I remember that five minutes after this photo had to have been taken that the cops showed up. I wasn’t arrested because I hadn’t been drinking yet and we managed to sneak to our dorm unbothered. I have a feeling he’s the one who called the cops. Especially since it reminds me that one of the university’s baseball players had been hitting on me. He was cute, but I knew the game. He was looking for an easy lay. I should thank him for that, but if it was him, he was just stopping me from being touched. With all this information, I’m not surprised if he knows I’m a virgin.

  “What are you doing in here?” I look up to see a man I don�
��t know coming around the desk. He’s staring at me like he’s going to hurt me.

  “Um…I was looking for Mikhail,” I stutter, trying to take a step back, but bumping into Mikhail’s chair and falling onto it.

  “I don’t believe you’ll find him in a file. Who are you working for?” He grabs my arm harshly, causing me to yelp.

  “Viktor, let go now,” Mikhail roars from the door. I’m shaking as I stand there. He says something in Russian that I can’t understand for nothing. I can tell that whatever he told him is laced with rage and a warning.

  “Marisol, I’m sorry for my cousin. He had no idea that I had someone here.” I remember he said that he hasn’t been with anyone in a very long time, so I just give him a nod. “What are you doing in here?” He rakes his eyes down my body, sexual intent as clear as day.

  “I came to look for you.”

  Chapter 5

  Mikhail

  I nearly killed my cousin. Seeing his hands on my most precious woman infuriated me beyond control. The look of fear in her eyes was the only reason I didn’t beat his ass. She was terrified of the situation, and that’s my fault. Jealously, I didn’t tell him about her because I didn’t want to share her with anyone in any way. It’s bad enough that I hired people to keep tabs on her, but I didn’t want my family trying to steal her from me.

  “What are you doing in here?” I ask, but what I mean is what is she doing in here dressed the same way she was. Fuck, I can’t think straight when so much of her skin is showing. I can’t stop looking at her body.

  “I came to look for you,” she stammers out nervously. I don’t care for the fear in her eyes. The thought of her worrying that I’d ever hurt her feels more painful than the bullet I took when my parents were killed. “I just…”

  I walk around to the desk, grabbing her hip and taking a seat in my chair with her falling on my lap. “I took this out for you to see. I planned to show you.”

  “That you stalked me.”

  “I technically only followed you a couple of times. The one time you actually know about. You had security around at all times.”