Adrienne Giordano

by Relentless Pursuit

  The man nodded and they continued on their way. Hello? Maybe someone could give her a hand? Considering she was being held captive. And Billy’s stupid hard-on bulged against the back of her leg.

  Wait a sec. What was she doing?

  He was right. Fighting would be fruitless. But she could torture him in other ways. If nothing else, she knew his weakness and at that moment, had no problem exploiting it. She closed her eyes, drew a breath, relaxed her arms and eased herself into a half sitting, half leaning position on top of him. A few seconds later, the pounding in her head stopped and she opened her eyes.

  “Billy,” she softened her voice to barely a whisper. “I cannot believe this erection you have.”

  He grunted. “It’s pretty flippin’ amazing.”

  Still holding her wrists, he lightened his grip and stretched his arms over his head, taking hers with him so her upper body shifted closer to him and her breasts were against his chest. “This is much better.”

  He had no idea. She lowered her head, licked behind his ear and he groaned.

  “M.H., I know what you’re doing here and it’s…uh…not gonna work.”

  Sure it is. Another lick.

  His body, all of it, stiffened under her. “This. Is cheating.”

  She rocked her hips, pressed herself against him and licked behind his ear again. If any other guests walked by, she’d be mortified.

  “Kristen, you will lose this game.”

  “I don’t think so. In fact, at the moment, I seem to be the one in charge.” She ran her tongue along his jaw and got another throaty groan out of him. This plan just might work.

  “You are seriously going to get it.”

  Another lick behind the ear. “Promises, promises.”

  Suddenly, she rolled, the salty sea air whooshing by her, and she landed on her back, the full weight of him pressing into her.

  “Ha,” he said. “Who’s in charge now?”

  She closed her eyes. “Billy.”

  “You think you’re so shrewd. What are you gonna do now? I could keep you here all day. All. Day. Long, sweetheart. Won’t that be fun?” He glanced around. “This place gets busy around noon.”

  Clearly, her plan had been hijacked. And he was bastard enough to keep her here while her guests came and went. “Get off.”

  “Nah. I think I might enjoy spending the day like this. Maybe I’ll introduce you to the guests? That would be hospitable wouldn’t it? Hi, folks, the woman I’m groping is Kristen Dante, general manager of the hotel. You got a need, she can fulfill it. And let me tell you, I’ve got a need.”

  Horror aside, she couldn’t not laugh. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “Please. You know I live to go off leash.”

  “Ms. Dante?”

  Her lungs froze. She spotted one of the pool guys hauling lounge chairs to the beach.

  How humiliating.

  “Hi, Greg. How are you today?” What the heck else could she say when a strange man was lying on top of her?

  Greg shot a look at Billy, then back to her. “Are you okay? Need some help?”

  Billy grinned down at her. Such a jerk. “I’m good. Thanks. Self-defense lesson.”

  “Ah.” Greg forged on.

  Billy snuggled into her neck, sending a jolt of heat down her spine. “I love a woman who’s fast on her feet.”

  “You made your point. Let me up.”

  He squinted. “Are you going to hit me?”

  “No.”

  “Yell at me?”

  “Possibly.”

  “After you yell at me, will you help me get rid of this hard-on?” He wiggled his eyebrows.

  The male mind. So simple.

  “I will not. In fact, I hope you walk around all day like a stiff old man. Let me up. I want my walk.”

  He slid off, rolled to his side. “Okay, sweetness, all set. Let’s take your walk and then you can help me with my problem.”

  She laughed at the protrusion in his shorts. “I’m not doing it.”

  “I’m gonna make you walk fast. You’ll need a shower afterward.” He leaned in, kissed her neck. “As I recall, you like showers.”

  She sure did. Kristen stepped back, smacked his good arm. “I was under extreme stress. You could have gotten killed. It was a spontaneous thing.”

  “Mmm, imagine if we take our time. You like long showers, M.H.? I typically don’t, but if you were in there with me I’d come up with all kinds of reasons to linger.”

  “Stop.”

  He locked an arm around her. “It could be amazing.”

  It could.

  And kissed her. Long and slow and gentle. Her girl parts didn’t just go crazy, they suffered a major breakdown. Her limbs went soft and loose and she slid her arms around him just wanting to hang on.

  This will never work. He’s a wildcard.

  She backed away from the kiss, focused her gaze on his. “You make me crazy. Sometimes I really want to throttle you.”

  “I do that to people. I am sorry.”

  “Promise me you won’t break into any more offices.”

  He hesitated, but kept his gaze on hers. “I can’t do that.”

  “Billy—”

  “I never break a promise and I want that streak to continue. Vic told me I have to be back in Chicago on Monday. I need to fast track this car theft thing.”

  Monday. The initial blow to her heart penetrated. Let the breaking begin. But really, how long had she thought he’d stay? He should have been gone already.

  “Doesn’t what I think matter? Or will you just continue to break laws and risk the reputation of my hotel?”

  “Of course it matters.”

  “Then why the hell did you do it? Did you stop to think how this could impact me? That it could possibly hurt me?”

  “Kris—”

  “We’re partners in this and you disregarded my feelings. And that, Billy, I can’t stand. Worse, I’m not sure you even feel bad about it.”

  “No. There you’re wrong. I do feel bad. I’m sorry. I need to get this done. Those richweeds tossed me to a gator. That pissed me off, and I made a decision that was unpopular.”

  She threw her hands in the air. “Unpopular? You just don’t get it. I want what I think to matter to you. Clearly it doesn’t.”

  “That’s horseshit and you know it. I just didn’t see any other way. The information obtained is good. I feel crappy that I hurt you though.”

  She let out a breath. What were they doing? “They’re just cars. It’s not worth getting hurt over.”

  “It’s not about the cars anymore.”

  “What is it then? Your ego?”

  “My ego is healthy as can be. This is about helping you figure it out. These fudgers think they can run roughshod over people. It’s about shoving it up their asses.”

  “And is that worth all of this?”

  “Sometimes, when it’s for the right reasons, yes. Plus, when I only have a few days to figure it out, I need to take extreme measures.”

  “Does Vic have an assignment for you?”

  Billy shrugged. “He didn’t say. He wants me in Chicago though. I’ll make nice and if he’s not ready to send me out again, I’ll come back here until he does.” He inched closer. “South Beach is growing on me.”

  Somehow, she believed him. “You’re trying to get me in that shower.”

  He nodded. “For sure. But I’m not playing you to do it. If I only wanted to get laid, I’d walk down this beach and find a willing participant. It’s not hard.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “Let me correct that, it’s not totally about getting laid.” He lowered his head and kissed her, just a soft touch of his lips against hers. “It’s about getting laid with you.”

  Poetry, Billy Tripp style.

  She backed away. “I’m still mad at you, but I’m up for a walk. Maybe I’ll work off my anger while you continue to tell me how sorry you are. Besides, I’ll need to get good and sweaty to justify a lon
g shower.”

  “Maybe we’ll run a little. With your busy schedule, we can carve out extra shower time.”

  * * *

  Ninety minutes later, Kristen slid out of her suite’s pitch-black bathroom wearing a towel that struggled to stay closed over her ginormous boobs. Billy was still in the shower and she hurried to the bedroom, closing the door for privacy.

  She should just suck it up and let him see her. He’d been patient and creative by coming up with ways they could be intimate without him seeing her naked. But Billy was a sexual guy and, sooner or later, she’d have to pony up. He liked skin against skin. Not to mention he wanted to put a stripper pole in her suite. Leave it to her, a woman with catastrophic self-image issues to wind up with a man who thought living on a nudist colony would be a dream come true.

  He knocked on the bedroom door. “You okay?”

  “I’m good.”

  “I need my clothes. They’re on your bed.”

  She spun and spotted his jeans and a shirt right there on the bed. What now? She could hide behind the door and pass them through to him.

  Or she could open the door and let him get them himself.

  She opened the door and stood to the side as Billy entered, a towel wrapped around his waist and water drops dotting his shoulders. He glanced down at her covered body, but quickly averted his eyes. Knowing her hang-ups, he obviously didn’t want to prolong the look and make her more uncomfortable.

  Dangerous, dangerous man with how thoughtful he could be.

  “You can look. I won’t freak out. Baby steps, right?”

  After a few seconds, he sat on the bed, his gaze remaining on her face.

  “It’s okay, Billy.”

  “You won’t flip out?”

  “No. It’s like you said the other day, your hands were all over me. I think it’s safe to say you know my body.”

  He grinned. “I do indeed.”

  “So, we’re making progress. A week ago, I would never have stood in front of you in a miniscule towel.”

  “Progress is good.”

  Then he looked. A slow drag of his gaze over her towel-clad body. Her pulse quickened and the throb at her temples, the immense pressure of being his sole focus, forced her to close her eyes.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  She smiled. “I’m good. Getting used to it is all.”

  “You really are beautiful, Kris. You just don’t see it.”

  She opened her eyes. “Billy—”

  “I’m not going to hassle you, but by the time I get done with you, you’re gonna believe me. I want you to see what I see.”

  With that, he stood, dropped his towel and retrieved his underwear from the bed.

  To be that confident. That unaffected by stares. It would be a blessing. She marched to her dresser, dug around for the red lace bra and matching panty and placed them on top.

  Behind her, Billy laughed. “That is so wrong letting me see that stuff.”

  The lingerie. She snatched the bra and panty against her. “I’m sorry.”

  “I can’t believe you wear it for yourself only. That’s a crime, M.H.”

  She turned to him. “I wear it and imagine I’m skinny.”

  “Once again, a crime.” Finally, he stepped to her, slid his hand inside the towel to her stomach and the rough texture of his fingers sent her skin flaming. “Just because I haven’t seen you naked doesn’t mean I don’t have a picture in my head.” He grazed his thumb over the underside of her breast and she closed her eyes, breathed in. She loved his hands on her. He always seemed to know just where to touch her. Each little spot that would make her skin pucker.

  “Turn around,” she said.

  “What?”

  “I’m going to put this stuff on and let you see. Turn around before I lose my nerve.”

  In a dramatic flash, he spun backward. “Score!”

  Kristen cracked up. “Filter, dopey.”

  Quickly, she slipped into the underwear and bra, made the necessary adjustments and closed her eyes. You can do this. He knows your body. This was just the next baby step. Not completely naked. Heck, most women wore less on the beach.

  The lacy underwear was pretty but covered her hips and butt. The bra, too, covered everything. If only she could do something with that bit of flab at her waist.

  Stop.

  She threw her shoulders back, lifted her head and, with her eyes still closed, breathed deep. “I’m ready.”

  Liar.

  The rustle of clothing distracted her and she opened her eyes. Billy moved toward her, his gaze on her and extremely, mortifyingly predatory. Stand tall.

  “Wow,” he said.

  Leaning in, he brushed a kiss over her cheek. “This is not a big deal.”

  He wrapped his arms around her, dotted kisses along her shoulder and ran his hands down her back. Thankfully, he didn’t squeeze or she’d freak over his fingers digging into the fat.

  “It feels like a big deal.”

  “You look amazing. The red is sexy. I love it.”

  With that, he smacked her on the ass, turned back to the bed and retrieved his shirt. No fuss, no staring at her, no dropping to the floor.

  Thank you. Here they were, a couple of lovers preparing for their day. She could do this. No hiding behind a robe or a door.

  Billy slid his flip-flops on, stood to finger comb his hair by the mirror. “M.H., unless you want me to strip you out of that underwear, you’d better hop to it. A man can only tolerate so much.”

  “I can’t believe I’m standing here like this.”

  He cracked a smile. “And I’m damned thankful for it.”

  “You don’t see what I see.”

  Done messing with his hair, he turned to her, leaned back against the dresser and crossed his arms. “Exactly what I’ve been telling you. I see a sexy, full-figured woman who knows how to rock some red lingerie. You need to own it. Embrace the hotness. You’re never going to be skinny. You’re not built for it. It doesn’t mean you’re fat.”

  “Chubby.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Solid.”

  This little game was kind of fun. She stepped closer. “Thick.”

  His gaze moved over her body in a slow, searing path. Not an easy thing for a girl with self-image issues to withstand, but she remained still, stiffening her spine. He was testing her. Wanting to see how far she’d let him go before she imploded. Finally, he looked into her eyes, flashed the crooked bad-boy grin and said, “Rubenesque.”

  Kristen drew a long breath and blew it through her lips. “You are so getting laid later.”

  “I have time now.”

  And yet, his arms remained crossed. He hadn’t touched her. Somehow he knew to let her get comfortable playing the game. She went to him, so close, just inches apart and leaned in, cradling her head against his shoulder until he brought his arms around her and let his right hand settle on her ass.

  Baby steps.

  “I have a meeting with my dad in ten minutes.”

  “Ho!” Billy shot his hands to the ceiling. “Way to kill a moment, M.H.”

  She grinned. “I’m sorry. After my tantrum this morning, I don’t want to be late. He’s still my boss.”

  “I can wait. Besides, I need to hunt down some info on this Bradley J. Murphy guy. When we were going through his files, I found notes and a bar tab from a meeting he had here last week.”

  “Really? Where was the receipt from?”

  “Club Inferno. Do you mind if I ask the employees if they remember him?”

  “No, but be discreet. Your best bet would be to start with Jess. We can look for her after I meet with my dad. She usually gets here at about eleven and spends the afternoon on the VIP pool deck. If Bradley J. was meeting with anyone important, Jess would know. She works the VIPs like nobody’s business. If I had faith that she wouldn’t bolt at any time, I’d think she’d actually found her niche. With her celebrity contacts, she could do a lot for us.”

  “Maybe y
ou need to tell her that.”

  “No. She’ll get mad. She’ll think I’m pressuring her to do something with her life.”

  “Aren’t you?”

  “Sometimes. She’s twenty-four years old. No college degree or sustained work history. She’s famous, but it’s for her bad behavior. That doesn’t sit well with me. I also have the name Dante and don’t want it being famous because of a sex tape.”

  Billy raised his eyebrows. “Was it a good sex tape?”

  “Billy!”

  He threw up his hands. “Joking. I was going for levity. Sorry.”

  “Totally inappropriate. Filtering isn’t just not saying things, it’s knowing when jokes are appropriate or not.”

  He slid his arm around her to keep her from stalking off. “Don’t be mad. I’m sorry. Sometimes I suck at this challenge.” He trailed kisses down her neck and her breasts tingled. Oh, boy.

  “I need to go.”

  “I know.”

  But he was still trailing kisses up and down her neck, over her shoulders and—where were his hands going? He slid them up her sides and she became an oven. Literally sweating. She loved when he touched her. With him, intimacy didn’t send her on a psychotic trip into overthinking land. Knowing she didn’t like to be stared at, he always let his hands do the work. The easy touches, the slow slide of calloused fingers against her skin until she shivered.

  “I have to go,” she said again, but didn’t move. “I don’t want to leave you though. I love how you touch me.”

  He trailed the backs of his fingers over the tops of her breasts and stepped back an inch. “My fingers give me a good picture. Whenever you’re ready though, you can lose the underwear and we’ll have a hell of a good time.”

  Stretching to tiptoes, she kissed him. “I know. We’re almost there. Today was a big step for me. Thank you. You make me feel beautiful and that’s never happened before. Makes my girl parts go crazy.”

  “You should feel beautiful. It’s what you are.” He held up three fingers. “Three minutes to Daddy, M.H. Get your ass moving.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going back to my war room to study those notes. Monk went through the security plan for tomorrow with your dad and is now sitting on Bradley J. to see where that bleeper goes. My guess is, if someone wanted to strike your hotel again during the senator’s shindig, they’d be gearing up for it today.”