by Teri Fowler
"Sure is, although it gets hotter than this at home during the summer."
"Look, Texas, we gotta talk."
Her sudden change of tone made him edgy. He sure as hell hoped she wasn't gonna suggest they hook up, the way Maya just had. Was he the only dumb hick in this place who had no idea what was going on?
"Okay."
"I figure they're hoping something is gonna happen between you and me. I can't see any other reason they picked so many sexy looking people for the show and split us into pairs. Judging by the way you were drooling over that female producer back there, I don't think you're any happier about it than I am."
Seth escaped her penetrating stare by turning to the bartender and gesturing for two more beers. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Alice laughed and socked him in the shoulder. "Come on now, Texas. Don't try to kid a kidder."
Seth grinned despite himself. "Okay, Brooklyn." He paused to see how she'd react to the name he'd just given her. When she rolled her eyes skyward but didn't object, he knew he was okay. "What do you suggest?"
"I think I know a way we can make this work for us, but I'm gonna need your help. Here's what we're gonna do..."
Chapter Six
Maya took another sip of the sinfully delicious rum punch she had just ordered from the hotel bar and turned to stare out at the calm blue waters of Mullins Bay. God, but she needed this day off. To say she'd been tense since arriving in Barbados just over a week ago was an understatement. She raised her glass again and took a long swig, enjoying the way the spicy rum tingled over her taste buds ... until a tall blond guy running along the beach caught her eye, and she almost choked on her drink.
Seth? How the hell did he know where to find me?
Renting her own apartment away from the rest of the cast and crew had been an expensive indulgence, but it was worth it. Nobody else knew she wasn't actually using the accommodation the studio had provided for her. It took no more than half an hour to drive from her hideout on the west coast down to the filming location in the south, and so far, she'd managed to stay on schedule.
If she was being honest, she'd taken the apartment in order to avoid Seth. Having to watch him every day was still torture, especially while he was flirting shamelessly with the gorgeous Alice. Maya had no right to be so jealous. Hadn't she told him to do just that? He didn't need to look like he was enjoying it so damn much though.
Seth hadn't lied when he'd boasted about his physical prowess. Maya watched the muscles tensing and relaxing in his powerful thighs as he powered his way through the surf where the waves broke on to the crystal white sand.
Maya was glad the brilliant Caribbean sunshine made wearing sunglasses mandatory, because she couldn't keep her eyes off him during filming. He seemed to revel in his physicality, and never turned down an opportunity to run, jump, swim, or climb. And she wasn't alone in her admiration either. Seth was a firm favorite with every female on the crew, including the cast, and the audience feedback after the first episode had aired last weekend suggested that he was going down well in America's living rooms. Nobody was surprised when he survived the first public elimination vote by a landslide.
When he drew level with the beach bar but kept on running without acknowledging her presence, Maya realized he had no idea she was there.
"Seth!" She called out his name even as her brain asked her what the hell she was doing.
He stumbled a little as he broke his stride, and he scanned the hotel's bar front until his gaze found her. "Maya?"
She watched him approach, her stomach knotting at the sight of his bronzed, glistening torso and his thighs straining at the seams of a pair of indecently snug running shorts. Seth tugged his sunglasses off and gave her a weak smile as he eyed her, his expression wary. Maya guessed she couldn't blame him for not entirely trusting her.
"Hi. Sorry to yell at you like that. I was just surprised to see you this far up the coast."
"I thought I'd take advantage of my day off to see more of the island." Seth took a seat beside her at the bar and gestured for a beer. The bartender leaned towards him and muttered something discreet about the bar being for hotel patrons only.
"It's okay, I'm a guest." Maya fished her card key out of her bag and showed it to the server. "Please put it on my tab."
"Of course, Miss Franklin. I apologize for the misunderstanding."
Maya put the card away and gazed down at her drink, reluctant to look at Seth again, aware he was staring at her. Her bikini suddenly felt way too small, despite the fact she'd tied a sarong around her hips and her hair hung in damp ringlets around her face, still wet from a dip in the hotel pool. Eventually he spoke, and she couldn't avoid looking at him any longer or he'd know something was up.
"You're staying here?"
"Yes. Nice, isn't it?"
"Sure is. You must carry some weight with the studio if they'd lay out for a place like this."
"They don't know I'm here. Nobody does. Besides you, of course. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything."
Seth frowned. "Why didn't you stay down on the south coast with the rest of us? Did you come all the way up here to avoid me?"
"No, well not really."
To her surprise, he smiled, and this time, it was genuine. His eyes glittered with some emotion she couldn't put her finger on that made her insides flip. Any temporary embarrassment she felt at admitting too much disappeared.
"Can I ask what you find so amusing?"
Seth took a slug of his beer and turned to check nobody was listening, then moved closer. "I'm not amused. I'm intrigued. Just who is it you don't trust, Miss Franklin? Is it me or you?"
Somehow, she managed to raise a laugh, and she hoped it sounded genuine. "I can assure you, Mr. Coulter, that you are in no danger from me."
Seth's smile faded. "Well you didn't need to move five miles up the coast to avoid me. You made it clear you weren't interested. I don't need telling twice."
She grabbed his forearm. "Please let's not argue anymore. Can't we at least be friends?" For a moment, she thought he might tell her to go to hell, but he didn't.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I don't know where my sense of humor's gone these days."
Maya filled the silence by finishing her drink and ordering another but this time, without alcohol. Everyone had warned her that the punch was lethal, and she'd meant to sip it slowly but Seth's sudden arrival had made her forget. The rum had given her a gentle buzz, and, even though it was pleasant, she couldn't risk getting any more lightheaded.
"How are you getting on with Alice?"
He smiled at the sound of the woman's name. "She's great. We get along really well."
"So you're not still mad at me for pushing for you two to be paired up?"
"I'm not mad. I just didn't understand how things work around here. Now I do."
"The show's online fan forum is full of speculation about you two. The audience loves you as a couple. We're very happy with how you're being received, Seth."
He gave her a long, measuring look then turned to stare out at the ocean. "I'm glad you're pleased. Maybe me and Alice can really give the viewers something to flap their gums about over the next few days, huh? Would the studio like that, too?"
Seth's tone sent a chill down her spine, despite the humidity of the afternoon. He was obviously still very angry. Maya decided not to rise to the bait, or show him how much it hurt her to know she'd robbed him of his trust.
"Do what you must, but don't go too far. We're aiming for the teenage demographic. They're the ones who phone in to vote more than any other age group. We're going for PG, not an R rating."
She laughed to show him she was kidding, but it sounded just as false and dishonest as everything else she'd said.
Seth slammed his bottle down on the bar and got to his feet, shoving his stool back so hard it scraped across the ground. "You really don't give a damn about me, do you? You actually think I should whore myself out in order to win this show. I don'
t give a fuck what the studio think of me, but I expected more from you."
Maya felt the tears prick her eyes, and she was glad she had her glasses to hide behind but she couldn't control the tremor in her voice. "I thought you wanted to win? The first time we met, you practically chastised me for not understanding how much the money would mean to you and the reasons why. Has that changed?"
"No. It's still just as important. But it's my problem, not yours. Besides, that's not the reason you've been pushing me away, Maya. I know you want me, so don't bother denying it. Seems to me you'll sacrifice anyone's happiness, including your own, for your career."
"That's not true. You know nothing about me except what you learned that night in LA. How dare you assume you know what I want?"
Seth moved closer and placed one hand on the back of her stool, the other on the bar. "Deny it then."
His voice was soft and hoarse, a sound she remembered only too well. The last time she'd heard him speak that way, his hands had been inside her and he'd been telling her how many times he was gonna make her come, before that phone call had come through and changed everything. The truth was, she had come for him many times since. He just hadn't been there.
The memory of the endless nights she'd spent thinking about him, and touching herself while aching with need for him, made her gasp in pain. She could do nothing to stop a sob escaping her restricted throat, and she knew she had to get away before Seth saw more than she could afford to reveal.
Maya shoved at his chest to get him out of her way and turned to flee to the safety of her room. She heard him call her name and the sound of his footsteps behind her as she turned the corner and climbed the steps leading up to her beach front apartment.
"No!"
Maya tried to slide the glass door shut behind her, but Seth's hand stopped it dead and she couldn't budge it. She gave up and stormed through the lounge area to the bathroom, managing to slam that door before he could stop her.
"Maya, please come out. I didn't mean to upset you."
"I'm okay. I just need to be alone."
"I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong. I didn't mean to make you cry, honey."
The kindness in his voice brought a fresh wave of tears. Maya splashed cold water on to her face, aware that the best way to get rid of him was to pull herself together. She opened the door a few seconds later, steeling herself for the sight of him. But it didn't matter how many times she tried to prepare herself for the impact seeing him would have on her, he still took her breath away.
The concern etched into his features made her stomach knot with shame. Maya had done nothing but insult and reject him since the day they met, yet he wouldn't allow her to push him away.
"None of this is your fault, Seth. I'm so used to being in control of everything—my job, my life, even my emotions—and it scares me when I'm not. That's why I lash out at you, but you don't deserve it.”
Seth wrapped a hand around her wrist and tugged her forwards, enveloping her in his arms. She hugged him back, her sadness forgotten for the moment at least, unable to think of anything but how it felt to hold him and be held by him. Maya tightened her grip, pressing her body harder against his, needing to feel more of him.
She felt his cock begin to harden against her stomach, and the sensation both aroused and scared her. Maya knew she should end the embrace before things went too far, but she just couldn't make herself let go.
Seth made the decision for them both and shifted away a little until she could no longer feel his erection pressing into her, but Maya closed the gap between them instantly, turning her face so her lips grazed the crease of his neck. Her hands drifted lower, shaping around the columns of hard muscle in his back. She heard him groan as he tangled a fist in her hair and forced her to look up at him by tugging her head back.
"You'd better be sure this is what you want. If this goes much further, I won't have the strength to stop."
"I don't want you to stop, Seth. Not this time."
Chapter Seven
Maya held Seth's gaze as he stared down at her without speaking, and his hand twisted a little tighter in her hair. She saw his lips part as he blew out a long, steadying breath, and her mouth opened in anticipation of his kiss. He groaned and brought his lips down to meet hers. His mouth barely grazed hers, and she strained to deepen the kiss, desperate to take more of his tongue but unable to move closer with the hand buried in her hair forcing her to stay still.
Seth tugged on her head, forcing her to turn to one side and lean into him. He kissed her hard, his mouth locked over hers as his tongue caressed her. His free hand stroked over her hip to her abdomen, kneading and pressing her flesh with the pads of his fingertips. Maya grasped at his wrist, dragging his hand upwards until it closed around her breast.
He stroked her aching nipple through the fabric of her bikini then slipped his hand inside to rub his palm across the engorged tip. She gave a moan of protest when he moved away and was about to beg him to touch her again when she felt him pull at the tie at the back of her neck. He thrust the bikini out of his way as he released her mouth so he could suck on her nipple. Maya grasped at his head, pressing him closer as his lips pulled at her flesh and his tongue rasped across her again and again.
He scooped her up into his arms and carried her from the hall into the bedroom. Seth dropped her on to the bed without finesse, and she fell back to watch when he kicked off his running shorts. He gasped as he stretched the fabric away from his body and thrust the spandex over his hips, releasing his cock. Maya's pussy convulsed at the sight of Seth's long, thick penis, and she couldn't wait to wrap herself around it.
She crawled to the edge of the bed and stopped him lying down beside her by grabbing at the shaft of his cock and sucking the tip into her mouth. She groaned at the taste of him and took more of him in. Seth stood over her, his gaze fixed on her lips as she slid up and down on him. Maya reached around to grab his ass and increased the tempo, sucking what she could take of him in and out of her wet mouth as his stomach and thighs clenched and trembled in response. He thrust his hands into her hair again, using it one more time to force her to stay still. Seth took over, pushing his dick between her lips in slow, measured thrusts, drawing out almost to the tip then sliding in halfway, careful not to go too deep.
His head fell back exposing the hard cords in his neck and his clenched jaw, and she saw him bare his teeth seconds before he pulled out of her without warning and took a step away.
Seth smiled and trailed the pad of his thumb across her lips. "Sorry. I can't handle any more of that right now." Maya pressed a kiss into his palm and reached to pull him down beside her, but he resisted. "Please tell me this is the kind of hotel that provides free condoms. I'm not exactly prepared for this, Maya."
"It's okay. I've got some in that vanity case over there on the dresser."
"Thank God."
Seth laughed and crossed the room to get them. Maya watched him walk away and smiled at the sight of the dimples in his butt she'd noticed almost the first time she met him. She shrugged off the rest of her bikini and tossed it on the floor, then slipped between the sheets to protect her warm body from the chill of an overly efficient air conditioning system.
"Suddenly shy?" Seth put the box of condoms on the bedside table and kneeled down beside her.
Maya grinned. "No. Just cold from the air conditioning."
"You want me to turn it off?"
"Please."
He slid into the bed seconds later and turned her in to his arms to kiss her. His hands worked over her flesh, as if trying to touch everything at once. One of Seth's massive thighs nudged its way between her legs and forced her to open them wider. He didn't wait to cup her mound and press the heel of his palm against her clit with a firm yet gentle pressure. His tongue flicked in and out of her mouth, tracing the edges of her lips as his finger probed at her pussy and he pushed the tip inside.
Maya jerked at the sensation and broke the kiss to bit
e at her own lip rather than his when Seth began to thrust deeper in a smooth rocking motion that made his palm rub against her clit.
Her face grew hot as perspiration broke out on her skin, and she tore the sheet away, exposing her body to what was left of the cool air. Seth slid down the mattress and blazed a trail across her flesh with his hot, open mouth, sucking at her neck, her shoulder, her breast and then her hip as he climbed between her thighs.
Seth withdrew the finger he'd buried inside her. "God, you're so wet, Maya."
She opened her eyes to watch as he put his hands under her ass and lowered his mouth to her groin. Her hips surged up from the bed at the first touch of his tongue against her clit, and she couldn't watch any longer as he sucked her into his mouth and swirled his tongue over her.
Her thighs trembled as he nibbled, sucked, and licked her, and Maya grasped at the under sheet as the exquisite torture went on and on, twisting the fabric in her fists. The sensations Seth was creating with his skillful mouth intensified and converged inside her clitoris, and she felt it growing hotter. Maya held her breath, her body tensing as the feeling became so acute she could barely stand it. She cried out as the first wave of her orgasm slammed through her in an explosive release that had her shaking and crying as her pussy convulsed in tight, powerful spasms.
Seth released her, and she collapsed on to the mattress, her bones turned to jelly. Maya heard the rustle of a foil packet and a gasp that told her Seth had pulled the condom over his cock. As the fog of lust in her brain began to clear, she wondered if the condoms were even big enough. Before she could ask, or even check for herself, Seth was crawling in to the gap between her thighs.
She opened her eyes to meet his gaze when he got her attention by placing a gentle kiss on her abdomen.
"You okay?" Maya nodded. "You sure you don't need a moment to catch your breath?"
"I'm fine."
Seth laughed. "Thank God. If I have to wait any longer, I'm gonna lose my mind."
She sat up to cup his face in her hands as she kissed him. "Me, too", Maya whispered against his lips, urging him to lie down on top of her as she fell back on to the pillows.