Tempted

by Kimberly Van Meter

  Harper tried to roll away but he caught her legs and trapped her on her belly. That delectable ass begged for a kiss and he was ready to oblige. Pulling her toward him, she squealed with laughter as she tried to get away but he was much too strong.

  “What are you doing?” she said, her laughter muffled by the bedspread. “Oh, my God, don’t you dare!”

  But it was already too late. There were some things in life you just couldn’t resist—Harper’s ass being one of them.

  Teagan lifted her hips and brought that sweet behind to his mouth for a nibble.

  “Oh, yes, that is one fine ass,” he said, nipping at the tender flesh, eliciting squeals and gasps as he traveled across the rounded landscape, pausing even to delve his tongue between the valley of the twin halves. “The things I’m going to do to you...”

  And that was a promise he couldn’t wait to make good on.

  13

  HARPER GASPED, COLLAPSING on the bed after an epic round three.

  Was it possible to die from too many orgasms?

  The question wasn’t entirely made in jest.

  “No more,” Harper begged, rolling to her side into a ball. Everything was pulsing and tingling, her body was alive in ways she’d never known, but she was exhausted.

  She needed to leave Teagan’s bed and get to her own, but the only way that was happening was if she crawled.

  Teagan pulled her to his side, spooning her with a satisfied sigh.

  “I shouldn’t stay,” she mumbled, but her eyelids were dropping already.

  “Mmm-hmm,” he replied, and she could almost see his eyes close.

  “Don’t get too attached,” she warned.

  “Right. Don’t get attached,” he recited, but she knew he was just saying whatever she wanted to hear. Unfortunately, she was too tired to make her point by getting up and leaving him in his bed to sleep alone.

  If she didn’t know better, she’d say he’d planned it that way.

  They both fell instantly asleep but Harper awoke sometime before dawn and found the strength to sneak out.

  Once safely in her own room, she closed her eyes and mentally counted to ten. Best sex of her life.

  Hands-down.

  But life was about more than good sex.

  That’s what vibrators were for.

  Bone-melting orgasms didn’t put money in her back account.

  But money would never fill that yawning hole inside her heart that seemed to grow each year.

  Not everyone got the fairy tale, that was the bottom line, and she wasn’t going to spend her youth chasing after something she might never get.

  Tiny muscle twinges reminded her abruptly of Teagan and her mouth ignored her brain and smiled at the memory.

  Teagan...his touch, his scent, the way he mastered her body without being overbearing...she didn’t know men like him actually existed outside of movies and books.

  True, Harper had become jaded as of late. She rarely watched rom-coms or read love stories because she found herself rolling her eyes more often than not.

  Men in real life didn’t sweep the girl off their feet and ride off into the sunset together.

  It made for great entertainment—for some—but it was unrealistic.

  Love was for suckers.

  A forlorn sigh escaped her lips. Someday Teagan would make some lucky woman pretty happy.

  Not her, though.

  So that’s settled. You had your fun, now back to work.

  Unlike everyone else, this wasn’t a pleasure cruise for her.

  If gold digging was a real profession, she’d count this cruise as a business expense on her taxes.

  Today, they would cruise into port at Puerto Vallarta so everyone who was interested could shop and enjoy the sights for the day.

  Harper fully intended to use this opportunity to get close to Stuart.

  She knew that Stuart enjoyed cultural cuisine, so she’d already scoped out a top-notch restaurant to suggest to Stuart in the hopes of gaining some alone time.

  But first, she needed to shower.

  While she fully intended to remain focused, it was difficult to keep her thoughts on track when every slide of the soap reminded her of where Teagan’s hands had been.

  Harper kept in shape but her body had been given a thorough workout.

  She was sore in places she hadn’t realized had muscle.

  Making quick work of the shower, she dressed, threw her hair up in a messy but stylish bun, and then perfected her face with light makeup—which included covering up the dark smudges under her eyes from a wild night, and a dab of lip gloss.

  Satisfied with her reflection, she grabbed her purse and exited her room to go downstairs for poached eggs with Stuart.

  But as she approached the breakfast area, Harper scowled when she realized someone had beat her to the table.

  Stuart and his new bestie, Vanessa, were sitting a bit too close and laughing like teenagers.

  “Seems a shame to break up that little party, doesn’t it?”

  The voice in her ear was unmistakable. She turned to face Teagan. “Are you stalking me? You’re like an unlucky penny. You keep showing up when I least expect it.”

  “Is it unlucky? I seem to feel someone got very lucky last night. At least four times. Maybe it was five... I lost count.”

  Her cheeks flared with heat. “I’m not talking about that,” she said under her breath. “I need you to stop following me around. I don’t want Stuart to get the wrong idea.”

  “And that’s exactly what I want Stuart to do,” he countered, looping her arm through his and pulling her to the table with him.

  “What are you doing?” she managed to hiss before they reached the group, but she pasted a bright smile for appearances as Teagan asked if they could join.

  “Of course, sugar pie,” Vanessa exclaimed, waving them over. “We’re just gobbling our breakfast before our big adventure. I told Stuart he needs more than those stinky old eggs but he’s a creature of habit, apparently.”

  “Eggs are a perfect protein,” Stuart said, unfazed.

  “Yes, but French toast is dessert for breakfast,” Vanessa said, relishing her next bite with flourish. “Mmm. Life is for the living, doll face.”

  Harper accepted the seat Teagan had pulled out for her, but she wanted to kick him under the table.

  She’d never had anyone actively sabotage her.

  Especially someone she’d just had incredible sex with hours earlier. Vanessa’s statement snagged Harper’s attention. “Adventure?” she prompted with a puzzled smile.

  Stuart grinned and gestured to Vanessa. “This wildcat has somehow talked me into zip lining with her when we dock for port.”

  “At your age?” Harper couldn’t help but ask. “Are you sure that’s safe?”

  Vanessa laughed and waved away Harper’s question. “Honey, if you’re not living, you’re dying. And Stuart needs to get to living. I added zip lining to his bucket list and lo and behold, Puerta Vallarta has some of the best. I say that’s fate.”

  Stuart seemed to find Vanessa’s logic sound, or at the very least entertaining. “How can I argue with that?”

  But Harper certainly could try to point out the lunacy of such an excursion. “Forgive me, but zip lining in Mexico? Doesn’t seem very safe. I don’t know if they have the same safety precautions as they would in the States.”

  Teagan added his two cents. “Naw, it should be fine. They do a monster business with the tourists. Can’t make money if they’re killing people. I’m sure it’s fine. Besides, I’ve brought plenty of charter clients here and I know of a few good zip line excursions I could recommend.”

  Of course he does. Now Harper really wanted to kick him. She cast him a sharp
look. “Yes, but it seems like an unnecessary risk. I was actually thinking of having lunch at La Casa Senorita, which I’ve heard is so authentic, that once you eat there, you’ll never be able to stomach what we pass off as Mexican cuisine back home.”

  “What’s wrong with zip lining?” Teagan pressed with a curious grin. “Scared?”

  “Of course not,” she lied. She was terrified of heights. And dying in the Mexican rain forest. “I just have different ideas of what an adventure might entail.”

  “I think you need to broaden your horizons,” Teagan said.

  “Well, I don’t remember asking you,” Harper said with a false smile. “Now, as I was saying—”

  But it was Stuart who agreed with Teagan. “Honey, your fella is right. You’re young. You should be tasting life, not spending your time doing things the safe way. Challenge yourself. That’s what I’m doing for the first time in my life and I have to tell you, it’s invigorating.”

  Vanessa piped in, “Come with us, sweetheart. I’m sure we can accommodate two more.” She looked to Teagan. “How about it? Up to zipping through the canopy?”

  “I’m always up for an adventure,” Teagan said amiably, leaving her to look like the ass if she declined.

  “I...” She licked her lips and tried to smile through her trepidation. If she backed out, she’d lose out on time with Stuart. But if she went through with it, Harper might just vomit, which was not sexy at all. “I...guess?” she finally said, wanting to fall through the floor.

  Vanessa clapped with delight. “Very good,” she said, pleased. “Now get to eating something because you’re going to need it today.”

  Teagan smiled and handed Harper a breakfast roll with an innocuous smile. “Yes, you look a little pale. Did you not get enough sleep last night?”

  Harper bit into the roll just to keep from snapping at Teagan for orchestrating this nightmare.

  The truth was, her palms were already sweating and she wanted to bolt.

  But Harper wasn’t a quitter.

  If Stuart was zipping...so was she.

  * * *

  TEAGAN WANTED TO LAUGH. Harper looked as if she’d just been asked to swallow nails.

  He resisted being impressed by her determination to see something through because her goal was messed up to begin with, but what could he say? She had a plucky spirit that he found adorable.

  Even if she was not exactly a nice person.

  Breakfast passed quickly and Harper was suspiciously quiet, choking down those poached eggs as if it were her duty, and then when everyone was finished, she excused herself to freshen up.

  He thought to follow her, but that was going a bit far.

  Vanessa leaned over to Teagan. “Is everything okay with Miss Hot Stuff?”

  Teagan laughed as he shrugged. “I’m not privy to that information.”

  “Oh, don’t con me, pretty boy. You two have tension.”

  You have no idea, he wanted to quip, but he remained respectfully silent. He didn’t like to kiss and tell, either. As if he needed a reminder that he hadn’t gotten enough sleep, a large yawn cracked his jaw. “Sorry,” he apologized, rubbing his face. “I think I need more coffee.”

  “A good run in the morning will perk you right up,” Stuart suggested. “I used to start my day with a good five miles until my knee gave out. Now the doctor has said I should stick to walking or swimming. Not quite the same.”

  “The only running I do is from estate sale to estate sale. I do love a bargain,” Vanessa said. “Just the other day I found a rare German Black Forest cuckoo clock in a bin marked ‘free’ just because the mechanism needed a little tune-up.”

  Stuart perked up with astonishment. “You’re sure it was authentic?”

  “I had a hunch, but when I took it to my antiques dealer, he nearly fainted. So, yes, I’m pretty sure it’s authentic.”

  “What a find,” Stuart exclaimed, seeming to share Vanessa’s enthusiasm. “What did you do with it?”

  “I kept it,” she admitted. “I had planned to sell it for a good profit, but I’ve always had a thing for clocks so...it’s hanging in my office, annoying my dog when the little bird pops out to announce the time.”

  “I would love to see that,” Stuart said, clearly interested. “My father was an amateur clockmaker and I inherited the bug as a hobby. If you’re interested in clocks, you should see my collection.”

  Vanessa did a little shimmy shake with her shoulders, excited. “I will take you up on that offer. But for now, we are going to fly, baby. Are you ready?”

  Stuart tossed his napkin on the table emphatically, his grin matching Vanessa’s. “You bet I am.”

  Stuart rose and Vanessa placed her hand in his as she said to Teagan, “We’ll see you at the dock, honey.”

  Harper returned just in time to see Vanessa and Stuart heading off in the opposite direction, still chatting and laughing as they went.

  No longer needing to put on a front, Harper let her disappointment show.

  “They have a lot in common,” Teagan said, coming to stand beside Harper. “I think it’s cute.”

  “Shut up.”

  Harper’s dark look amused him. He rubbed the frown lines in the middle of her forehead. “Careful...wrinkles.”

  She swiped at his hand and exhaled in irritation. “I don’t understand. Why does a man his age want to do something so dangerous?”

  “It’s not that dangerous. It’s not as if he’s signed on to wrestle alligators in the Amazon. This is a typical tourist attraction. He’ll be fine.” He cast her a sidewise glance. “I’m touched that you care so much for Stuart’s welfare. How very kind of you.”

  “I do care,” she returned, lifting her chin. “I’m not a monster.”

  “Didn’t say you were.”

  “You implied it.”

  “Nope.” Teagan grinned, cutting Harper off just as she started to gather steam. “Oh, we’d better get moving. We’ve docked. We want to get the best outfitters for our adventure.”

  He grasped her hand firmly and pulled her along with him. Harper dragged her feet but didn’t wriggle out of his grasp. If anything, she clutched him more tightly.

  Could it be possible, Harper was scared?

  She seemed so fearless, but Teagan knew sometimes people hid their fear well.

  “You’re so tense,” he said as they walked to the exit corridor. “Maybe you need a massage. Sore muscles can make people grouchy.”

  “I’m fine,” she snapped, and then, as if to prove a point, she shook his hand free. “We’re not a couple. I told you...one night.”

  He laughed. “Such a stickler for the fine print.”

  “That’s the way the world works.”

  “Yes, true enough. Good thing I’m pretty talented at finding loopholes.”

  Harper shot him a quick look. “There are no loopholes.”

  “We’ll see. For now, let’s just have fun.”

  “Easy for you to say,” she grumbled with uncharacteristic worry. “Are you sure this is safe?”

  “Pretty sure.”

  “Pretty sure?” She skidded to a stop. “That’s not very reassuring.”

  “I can say it’s definitely safer than trying to jettison from a jet at high speed, hoping and praying your chute opens and you don’t plummet to the ground and become a big splotch of mottled colors. Yeah, after that zip lining seems like cake.”

  “You’ve done that?” Harper asked, disbelieving. “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah, that’s one of the reasons I was ready to call it quits on my military career. One too many times flirting with death. I figured, eventually, if I kept pushing my luck, fate was going to win.”

  “That’s intense.”

  “Oh, yeah. Intense is a good wor
d for it.”

  Harper fell silent for a moment as they walked, and then she grudgingly offered, “Thank you for your service.”

  “You’re welcome,” he answered, feeling an odd twang of something deeper than pride at her gratitude. It meant something that she cared, even if she didn’t want to admit it. But Teagan wasn’t about to go all mushy, not yet, so he said, “And thank you for having the world’s most perfect ass.”

  Harper gasped around an embarrassed smile and he chuckled, enjoying the way her eyes flashed with genuine pleasure.

  He gave her props for sticking to a flawed battle plan, but too bad for Harper, because she’d already lost this war.

  Tonight, Harper was going to be right where she was last night...

  In his bed.

  14

  VANESSA, STUART, TEAGAN and Little Miss Hot Stuff sat among a group of fellow tourists in a cramped, modified school bus as they jounced along a dirt road toward their destination.

  It was smelly, humid and uncomfortable, but Vanessa was soaking in the experience.

  Harper, on the other hand, looked like a cat about to be thrown into a pool of water.

  The kid’s plans were pretty transparent. Pretty girl, used to getting her way, using her looks and figure to get what she wanted in life.

  Vanessa didn’t judge the girl.

  Actually, she felt a kinship with Harper.

  Weird that she would say that, considering Harper was actively trying to get her hooks into Vanessa’s new buddy, but there was something about Harper that made Vanessa want to look out for her.

  Maybe it was old age creeping up on her. Menopause did strange things to women’s emotions.

  Teagan was whispering something in Harper’s ear, something sultry enough to make her blush, and Vanessa smothered a knowing laugh. Those two were a good match.

  But Harper was going to fight tooth and nail against it.

  That girl was broken inside.

  And for that, Vanessa almost wanted to warn Teagan to keep his distance, but she knew from experience people didn’t listen when their brains were shut off.