“Sounds like a plan to me,” he replied with a charming smile.
If he gazed at her like that too much, he could have her out of her clothes in a flash.
She strolled to the door and opened it. “Great. I’ll see you downstairs.”
With a nod, he left the room.
She let go of the handle, letting it slam shut with a bang. For a moment, she just stared at it trying to settle her racing heart.
What the hell am I doing?
* * * *
“Afternoon, Cap. Where are you off to?” Jordan asked in his usual chipper attitude, making Kayla grin.
She and Jordan had just finished lunch and she hadn’t had a chance to tell him they would have a third for shopping before Steve joined them. Actually, she’d had numerous chances, she’d just not said anything because she knew Jordan would spend their entire lunch teasing her about it.
“I’m off to shop with you two,” Steve replied.
“Really?” Jordan turned and gave Kayla his best you-go-girl look.
Kayla returned his look with a scowl. “Our suitcases were switched and while we exchanged them back, he mentioned he needed to go shopping.”
Jordan’s grin widened. “So you just thought what the hell, right?”
“Right,” Kayla replied through clenched teeth. Sometimes she wondered what she saw in him as a friend.
“Well, sounds good to me.” Jordan gave Steve a once-over. “I can dress a man almost as well as I can undress him.”
Steve’s brow rose and his lips twitched as though fighting a smile. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll dress myself.”
Jordan shrugged in nonchalance. “Your loss.”
Kayla shook her head, a small giggle erupting from her chest. Steve glanced in her direction and her whole body heated. God, the man was such a dream—a hot, wet dream.
Leaning closer, he whispered in her ear, “But now if you would like to dress me…”
Dressing him was the last thing on her mind and she had a sneaking suspicion he knew that. Without comment, she walked toward the counter and ordered a cab for their trip to the market. From what the concierge told her, anything and everything you could possibly want could be found there. From flea-market type finds to elegant shops, they had it all.
The short drive to the market went quickly, which made Kayla sigh in relief.
Jordan had jumped in the front, leaving her and Steve in the back sitting way too close for comfort. The cab was hot, which only served to intensify the heat she felt coming off Steve’s skin. His scent, woodsy and musky, invaded her senses and sealed itself into her memory.
As soon as the cab came to a stop, she jumped out, trying to put distance between her and her gorgeous captain—although he looked nothing like a captain in his jeans and T-shirt but more like a sexy stud. A sexy stud she’d had a huge crush on since the day she met him.
Kayla led the way down the sidewalk, the warm afternoon sun heating her skin. Thin clothes were definitely in order. Something sleeveless would be even better. She could hear Steve and Jordan talking behind her. At one point Steve laughed, and the sound was so deep, so masculine it made her skin prickle in desire.
Inwardly she was impressed. Most of the male pilots she flew with kept their distance from Jordan. They were too afraid being around him would make other people think they were gay. But not Steve. He seemed to genuinely enjoy Jordan’s company and gave Jordan as good as he got. The flaming flight attendant had been her best friend for almost three years now, and her heart melted toward Steve a little more.
“No. No. No,” she mumbled.
“What was that, Kay?” Jordan asked.
“Nothing,” she threw over her shoulder.
Her face flushed in embarrassment, and she was glad she could use the hot sun as an excuse. She really needed to stop letting him get to her and stop thinking sexual thoughts about him. He wasn’t melting her heart. He was a playboy, and she really needed to steer clear.
In an effort to get her mind off him, she turned her attention to her surroundings. The street was cobblestone, the store fronts made to look like shops would in colonial times. It was very beautiful with large shade trees and potted plants lining the sidewalks.
“This looks like a good shop.” Steve stopped and pointed toward one of the many buildings.
Jordan snorted as he stared at the pricey clothes covering the mannequins. “And you say you’re not gay.”
Steve raised his brow. “Excuse me?”
A giggle escaped Kayla’s lips as she watched Steve stare down a non-plussed Jordan. “You apparently have the same taste in clothes as Jordan.”
Steve shrugged, a shocked expression on his face. “If the type of clothes you wear determines if you’re gay or not, then people have probably mistook me for gay for quite some time.”
Kayla crossed her arms, studying him with amusement. “I guess that would explain it then.”
He crossed his arms as well, mimicking her stance. “Explain what?”
“Why the women like you so much.” He raised a brow, and she smiled. “They’re trying to convert you.”
Steve laughed. “Joke’s on them, I guess, huh?” He nodded toward the open doorway, a cool breeze flowing out to entice hot and weary shoppers. “How about you help me find something that’s a little more masculine?”
She snorted and walked past him into the store. Like he needed anything to make him look more masculine.
He came up behind her and whispered suggestively in her ear, “Then maybe later we’ll find something for you that’s sexy.”
Her rising desire for Steve made her think it. The little devil riding on her shoulder made her say it. “I don’t need sexy clothes. I’m my sexiest in nothing at all.”
She glanced over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of his heated expression. His eyes darkened, his nostrils flared, and the muscle in his cheek jerked. As she walked away, a smile of pure female satisfaction spread her lips.
* * * *
Steve ran his hand down his face, trying really hard not to make a fool of himself. He’d spent the better part of the last couple of hours watching Kayla try on outfits. Damn, the woman had a body. One that the flight attendant uniform didn’t even come close to hinting at.
When she came out of the dressing room shaking her ass, deliberately he was sure, it took everything in him not to reach across the short distance that separated them and pat that adorable mound. Jordan would laugh and egg her on. Much to Steve’s torture.
She still seemed uptight around him, like he made her nervous, but he was slowly making progress. Occasionally, she would flirt back with him, which made his heart flutter in his chest like a randy teenager.
His stomach growled loudly, making Kayla and Jordan stare at him in amusement.
He shrugged. “I’m hungry, okay? We’ve been shopping forever.”
Jordan shook his head. “And I’m assuming you want us to stop and get you something to eat?”
“The two of you have more than enough clothes to do you. How about we head back to the resort for dinner?”
“That actually sounds like a good idea. Come on, Kay. Let’s go eat.”
Steve didn’t miss the fact that Jordan seemed a whole lot happier about the idea than Kayla did. He wasn’t giving up, even if he had to dog her this whole trip. Eventually he’d make sexy Kayla his.
* * * *
Kayla walked into the restaurant with Steve and Jordan in tow. The casual atmosphere was noisy and festive. The scent of grilled chicken and seafood hung in the air, making her all the more hungry.
Much to her chagrin, she enjoyed the afternoon with Steve, more than she wanted to admit. It was a terrible thing to have a huge case of lust for a guy you knew was totally wrong for you.
Steve placed his hand at the small of her back, sending a shimmer of awareness up her spine. The heat of his touch scorched her flesh beneath the silk top she wore as he escorted her to a small table in the corner.
He pulled a chair out for her and smiled. “Is this okay?”
“This is fine. Wouldn’t you rather have dinner with Carl?”
Steve nodded toward the other side of the room. “He’s with his wife.”
Glancing around, she spotted the first officer and his wife at a corner table.
Well, I guess there goes that idea. “She got here fast,” Kayla observed.
“Carl called while I was waiting on you to change for dinner. He said she caught the first flight she could and got here a couple of hours ago. My guess is, we won’t be seeing much of him this layover.”
“Ya think?” Jordan drawled.
She sat and Jordan pulled out the chair next to her and sat down as well.
“Don’t you have somewhere you need to be, Jordan?” Steve asked waving his hand. “Some unsuspecting man you need to seduce?”
Jordan quickly turned to Kayla, and she shook her head ever so slightly. It was enough that Jordan caught the hint. She just didn’t trust herself alone with him.
“Oh, there’re lots of men here to play with.” Jordan shrugged. “But Kay says no.”
The toe of her shoe caught his calf under the table. “Oouch,” he whined and glared at her.
“I don’t bite…Kay.” Steve grinned and her breath caught in her chest.
Oh, God. What she wouldn’t give to be bitten by him.
Jordan snorted and picked up his glass of water. “Now where’s the fun in that?” She stared at him in shock, and Jordan raised a well-shaped eyebrow. “What?”
Shaking his head, Steve grinned and took the seat across from her. “If you’re nothing else, Jordan, you’re entertaining.”
Kayla couldn’t stop her eyes from straying to Steve’s partially open shirt and the expanse of hard tan chest. He had apparently changed for dinner as well. For a moment, she imagined skimming her fingers over it, feeling the heat of his skin, the hardness of the muscle she knew lay beneath. Her heart sped up as she envisioned the taste of him beneath her lips, the scent of him invading her senses. She could imagine the touch of his fingers as they slid over her body, the gentle caress of his lips as they—
“Can I get you something from the bar this evening?”
The waiter’s deep Jamaican accent startled her and she jumped, and then felt the heat of a blush creep up her cheeks when she realized Steve had been watching her. His eyes crinkled in amusement and the flush deepened.
“I’ll take ice water with lemon,” she croaked out.
“No wine, Kay? You love wine.” Jordan looked at her in surprise, and she scrunched her nose in a grimace.
“Somehow, I don’t think wine would be a good idea tonight.”
“Ah, gotcha,” Jordan mumbled, and she squeezed her temples. This was going to be a long layover.
Chapter 3
“Wait.” Kayla grabbed the waiter’s sleeve, and he glanced at her over his shoulder.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“I’ll take a glass of red wine, after all.”
“Of course.”
Steve bent his head to try and hide his smile. She was so cute. He’d spent most of the afternoon teasing her, flirting. A few times she’d actually flirted back, but her wall had remained intact. Determination to chip away at that wall swept through him. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted her. And not just for a night.
Before coming down to dinner, she’d changed into the outfit she’d purchased earlier today—white linen slacks and a light pink silk top that showed just a hint of tan stomach. Her blonde hair hung loose around her shoulders and had begun to curl from the island’s humidity.
An ocean breeze blew through the open French doors and ruffled her bangs. He clenched his fist to keep from brushing them out of her eyes. She beat him to it and swiped at them with the back of her fingers.
Her blue gaze, full of uncertainty and barely controlled desire, glanced in his direction, and he grinned. She visibly swallowed and grabbed her water glass, diverting her attention elsewhere. A vision of his face buried between her thighs passed through his mind, making him squirm.
He shouldn’t let his thoughts trail off in that direction. He wouldn’t be able to stand for fear of his rock-hard cock making what was on his mind quite obvious.
“Is there any update on the plane, Cap?” Jordan asked.
Silently Steve was thankful for the intrusion. “I talked with maintenance earlier. They have to order a part and have it flown in.”
“It seems like such a waste of company money to keep us here,” Kayla mused.
Steve shrugged. “A crew has to stay with the plane. Either they keep us here or they send another one down.” He let his gaze travel down Kayla’s slim neck, making her blush, before traveling back to her slightly irritated stare. “Personally, I’d rather be the one to stay here. Wouldn’t you?”
“I suppose,” Kayla mumbled, looking away.
“Had any luck with that cabana boy, Jordan?” Steve asked with a smirk.
Jordan sighed, but then smiled. “I’m getting there. He seems a little shy so my usual, ‘let’s go have sex’ probably wouldn’t work.”
Kayla laughed, and Steve couldn’t take his gaze off her. God, she was gorgeous, and his cock again hardened painfully. Damn it.
“I can’t believe you actually just walk up to men and say ‘let’s go have sex’.”
“Why not? They’re men after all. What about you, Cap?”
Steve snorted. “No, Jordan. I’m flattered, but I’m not interested in having sex with you.”
Jordan rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t talking about that. I meant would that line work on you if a woman said it?”
“Ah,” Steve replied, barely containing his grin. He knew what Jordan had meant, he just liked aggravating the man. He leaned back in his chair and shot a glance toward Kayla. She watched him with interest and just a little bit of lust shining in those intelligent blue eyes. “It depends on the woman, I suppose.”
Kayla shook her head and grabbed the wine glass the waiter set on the table. “Well, I can assure you a woman wouldn’t fall for that line.”
Steve nodded a thank you to the waiter as he set his beer glass in front of him. “So what would it take to get you in bed, Kayla?”
A surprised expression crossed her features before she narrowed her eyes. The blue darkened just a tad, making them mirror the deep blue of the ocean outside. “More than what you have, I’m sure.”
Jordan choked on his mixed drink and quickly wiped at his mouth with a napkin.
The woman had a bite to her. The idea of just how feisty she could get intrigued Steve. He liked feisty women, especially in bed.
“Oh I can assure you, sweetheart. I have plenty.”
They continued to stare at one another in silent battle, neither willing to be the one to give in and look away first. Steve ran his tongue along his lips, wetting them. Her gaze followed his movement, making his damn cock even harder. The rise and fall of her breasts increased slightly, and she crossed her arms over her chest to hide her nipples, which had begun to harden beneath the silk of her blouse.
The waiter cleared his throat, gaining their attention. “I hate to interrupt such an interesting battle, but have you decided what you’d like to have for dinner?”
You mean besides the woman across from me, laid out on a bed of rose petals with whipped cream spread all over her. My tongue slowly licking every drop from her flesh, her lips begging me to fuck her.
Steve coughed, trying to get his mind out of the gutter. “I’ll take the Island Chicken.”
The rest placed their orders as well and the tension eased somewhat from earlier.
Jordan saw someone across the room and waved with a smile. “If you two will excuse me. I think I might be making a little progress.”
Steve looked and smirked at the young man waving toward Jordan. He shook his head and swallowed a sip of beer. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“Honey,” Jordan b
egan. “Everything I do is something you wouldn’t do.”
Kayla chuckled and covered her mouth as Jordan walked over to join the other man.
“How in the hell did the two of you ever become friends?” Steve asked Kayla.
She shrugged, a smile lifting the corner of her lips. “We just hit it off from the very beginning. He’s easy to talk to. He tells me like it is, which is what I need sometimes.” She stared at the table, her brow drawn in a frown. “I’m sorry about that comment.”
“What comment?” Her gaze met his, and he raised his beer glass with a smile. “See? Already forgotten.”
* * * *
Standing on the beach, Kayla sighed as the night wind blew her hair back from her face. She loved the smell of the ocean and breathed deeper of its heady scent. Even though dinner was hours ago, she could still smell Steve. His musky, woodsy scent had stuck with her, making it hard to forget him. Even for a second.
She’d awoke from a dream of her and Steve entwined in the bed sheets, his cock plunging between her legs, his teeth nibbling the sensitive spot behind her ear. He was thick and long, stretching her beyond her limits, the sensation bordering on pain. But damn, it had felt good.
Her whole body still ached. Ached for his touch, his whispered words. She’d thrown on a bathing suit and came to the waves, hoping the cool water splashing around her calves would cool her lust.
No such luck.
A warm hand settled at her waist, and she jumped. Her heart hammered in her chest as his scent crashed through her senses. She didn’t have to turn to know who was there.
“Fancy meeting you here.”
Steve’s voice rumbled in her ear, setting her flesh on fire. The heat from his body seeped into her back, and she fought the desire to lean into him, to covet more of the warmth.
“What are you doing out here?” she croaked, her voice betraying the agitated state of her body.
“The same thing that you are, most likely.” His other hand came up to settle on the side of her hip, pulling her back against him. His chin nudged her hair away from her ear, and he rubbed the tip of his nose against the skin just below it, making her shiver. “I had this incredible dream.”
Three Wicked Days Page 2