Orchids & Hurricane Kisses

by Stacy Eaton

  She laughed. “The gift shop has condoms. I can have some brought over.”

  I laughed. “I don’t think I want guest services bringing me condoms.”

  She gave me a wicked smile. “Then I have an idea.”

  I rolled to my side and propped my head up with my hand. “Yeah, and what’s that, pretty lady?”

  “How about a shower?”

  “Your place or mine?”

  She shifted to her knees as she stared at me and before I could even register what she was doing, she jumped up and started running as she yelled, “Yours! And the winner picks the water temperature.”

  Her hair streamed out behind her, and the bright-white robe flapped with her movements as I took off after her. Her giggles flowed back to me, and my heart felt fuller than it ever had.

  Chapter 4

  Amy

  I felt like I was floating on a cloud as I cozied up to Rye’s chest and promptly drifted off to sleep.

  I was awake the next morning when I heard him in my bungalow rooting around. When he came out dressed and stood over me, I wondered what he was thinking. Was he as enamored with me as I was with him? How was that even possible?

  I thought of the moment when I had sat on the sand beside him yesterday: We were where we should be, or at least I was. Maybe destiny was at work here: The woman who was supposed to have come here had gotten sick so I was here instead; and my luggage had been lost so they upgraded my room to the bungalow beside him; and then just running into him yesterday and finding out he was Roan’s brother.

  I sighed after Rye left and opened my eyes to stare at the flapping material that covered the door. Could it be destiny? Could some strange force have brought us together at this moment and place in time? Was there a purpose behind it, something more than just a night of bliss? When we left this island, would it be only memories that I took with me?

  I grunted and pushed off the couch. Of course, it would only be memories, I thought as I wrapped the robe around me and went in to freshen up. The coffee was almost done brewing, and I went back to the deck. Rye was sitting by the water, once again staring out over the vastness before him. Was he regretting what happened last night? Was he thinking about the woman who was supposed to be here with him?

  Damn—he was supposed to have gotten married yesterday. It was a good thing I wasn’t looking for anything more than what we’d already shared. I didn’t want to be part of a rebound relationship. I didn’t mind being rebound sex, that worked in my favor because he had been incredible last night, but I didn’t want a relationship to go with it, not with everything I had going on with my life back home, but still—a woman could dream.

  I poured our coffee and then pushed relationships and life out of my mind as I joined him. I was a little nervous as I took a seat beside him and wondered if he would have preferred that we hadn’t had sex last night. My nervousness must have showed for a moment because I saw the reassurance in his eyes, felt it in his touch as he kissed me.

  Then I was sprinting toward his bungalow and laughing the whole way. As I reached his back patio, he caught me and grabbed at the robe. I untied it and slipped right out, running naked into his room.

  “You’re a slippery little sucker,” he yelled as he came after me.

  I spun and faced him as I reached his door. “I beat you.”

  “You aren’t in the shower yet.”

  I crooked a finger at him, and he literally licked his lips as he prowled toward me while he unbuttoned his shirt and let it fall to the floor. He went for the waistband of his pants, and I began to walk backward, wiggling my hips a little more with each step.

  “Come on, Rye, let’s see if you get soggy under the water.” I gave him a cheeky grin, and he burst out laughing.

  “You are really bad, you know that?” He dropped his pants and pushed his boxers down. When he stood upright, I got a good look at the machinery and suddenly wondered if anything would make that erection soggy. Holy dreams come true! I knew we’d had sex already, but it had been under a haze of alcohol and darkness.

  I pulled my bottom lip into my mouth. He stopped in front of me and put his arm around my waist, lifting my body off the ground. He spun us around and set me down, put his hands on my hips, and took two steps back.

  He smirked at me. “Now who reached the shower first?”

  I blinked and realized what he’d done. “Oh, you play dirty!”

  He crooked his finger toward me. “What did the winner get? To pick the water temperature?”

  I pursed my lips and winced.

  “Come here, woman.” He held his hand out to me while he reached for the water gauge. Water began to trickle out of the showerhead, and I stepped in to get my punishment. I had a feeling it wasn’t going to hurt as much as it could.

  I stood in the center of the shower, and he turned the water on full blast. Ice-cold water rained over me, and I screamed and tensed as goosebumps the size of coffee beans peppered my skin. I shivered, and a moment later felt the water begin to warm, but it wasn’t the water that heated me. It was Rye dropping to his knees and putting his face against my stomach.

  Suddenly, the cold water was welcome over my heated skin as he spread my legs.

  A while later, with us both sated under the warm water, Rye held me in his arms. “What are you thinking?” he asked, and I tilted my head to better see him.

  “Isn’t that what the woman is supposed to be asking?”

  He shrugged. “You seem to be lost in thought, and I’m interested in what you’re thinking about.”

  “I’m thinking about the fact that I’m starving, and I wish I had clothes to wear.”

  “Didn’t the hotel comp you any money for clothing?”

  “Nope.”

  “We’ll take care of that. Why don’t we go shopping today and get you some things?”

  “Did we reverse roles here?”

  He chuckled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You’re asking me what I’m thinking, and you want to go shopping. That’s what women say, not men.”

  “Hey, what’s wrong with a man wanting to go shopping or caring what another person is thinking about?”

  “Nothing, but it’s weird.”

  “Speaking of weird,” he turned off the water, “how weird is it that I haven’t even unpacked any of my bags.”

  He handed me a towel.

  “At least you have bags.”

  “You know, I probably have a shirt or two you could wear.”

  “Oh, you’re going to let me wear your clothes, too? You really are a woman in disguise, aren’t you?”

  He whipped his towel out and cracked me in the leg with it. “I am all man here, baby.”

  My gaze traveled over his body and landed on his groin. A smile spread over my lips, and he began to harden again. “Oh, yes, you are.”

  “We are going to find a drugstore, too.”

  He turned and walked away, and I stared at his butt cheeks. Oh, that man was gorgeous from head to toe, mouthwatering gorgeous. I was ready to run down to the hotel store and buy all the boxes of condoms they had on the shelves and lock us in his bungalow for a few days.

  Rye came back in the bathroom a few minutes later and handed me the robe I’d been wearing. “Give me a couple minutes, and I’ll find a shirt you can wear.”

  “Okay.” I put the robe on and then popped my butt on the counter and towel-dried my hair as he unzipped his toiletry kit and removed a few things. “You don’t mind that I watch?”

  “Watch all you want. I’m just combing my hair, applying pit stick, and cologne.”

  “I was hoping you weren’t going to shave that gorgeous beard.”

  “Aw, you like that, huh? Autumn was constantly trying to get me to shave it. She often told me Roan was cuter because he shaved.”

  “She told you that?”

  “Yep, several times. Sometimes she had a really hard time telling the difference between us. I thought the beard helped her,
but not always.”

  “No way, I bet I wouldn’t have any trouble.”

  “Finley, Roan’s girlfriend, doesn’t have trouble with it. I walked into my brother’s guest bedroom one night, and she was climbing out of the bathtub. It took her only a couple seconds to realize I wasn’t Roan. It’s kind of funny,” he paused and studied me, “you remind me of her a little. She didn’t get embarrassed at being caught naked. Just casually wrapped a towel around herself and said, ‘You must be Roan’s brother.’”

  I grinned, “My kind of girl. No reason to be shy when you’re naked.”

  The towel around his hips started to tent, and he shifted so he was in front of me, spreading my legs and stepping in between them. “We really need to get more condoms.”

  “A lot of them,” I agreed as he leaned down and kissed me.

  “Yes, a lot of them.”

  There was a knock on the door in the other room, and he glanced toward the bathroom door and then looked down at his towel.

  I hopped off the counter. “I’ll get it. You’re a little indecent at the moment.” I threw him a wink.

  One of the guest service representatives was at the door and looked a little surprised to see me. “I’m looking for Mr. Waterman.”

  “He’s indisposed momentarily. What can I help you with?”

  “Are you Mrs. Waterman?”

  “Why, yes, I am.” I sure hoped that Rye hadn’t heard that. I didn’t want him to get upset or freak out.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry. We didn’t think you had arrived. Can you please tell Mr. Waterman that his brother has been trying to reach him? I believe the phone in your room is out of order, and we will have it fixed as soon as we can.”

  “I will absolutely tell him that, if you can help me with something.”

  “Whatever you need, Mrs. Waterman.”

  “Condoms—is there a way to have them delivered to the room?”

  He began to blush a little, and I could tell he was holding in a smile. “Mrs. Waterman, if you look in the bottom drawer of the left nightstand, you should find a complimentary selection of romantic aides. I believe there are a few condoms in there. If you find you need more, or a different size, just let us know.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Is there anything else?”

  “No.” I heard a drawer behind me being opened, and I couldn’t close the door fast enough. “Thank you!” I told him just before I slammed the door shut.

  When I turned, Rye was standing upright, two condom wrappers in each hand, and a pop-up to rival the big top circus tent. “Come here, wife.”

  On a giggle, I dropped my robe and dove onto the bed where Rye joined me a moment later in a tangle of arms and legs.

  Two condoms later, I lifted my head off the side of the bed as he exited the bathroom. “Food—I need food.”

  “That makes two of us.” He went over to his kitchenette and grabbed two pieces of fruit out of a basket. “Apple or orange?”

  “Cheeseburger and fries.”

  He tossed me the apple. “Eat this while we get dressed. It will at least help with your blood sugar.”

  I took a chunk out of the apple as I rolled to my side. “How long are you staying?”

  “My reservation is for ten days. What about you?” He set one of his suitcases on the end of the bed and unzipped it.

  “Well, originally it was only two days, but after they lost my luggage, they tacked on two days, and then I found out the man I was supposed to be here interviewing is away because of a death in his family. They think he will be back on Friday, so that means I will be here at least until Saturday or Sunday—unless the storm sends us all fleeing back to the U.S. first.”

  “When is the storm supposed to hit here?”

  “I don’t know.” I laughed. “I haven’t seen a weather report since I sat on the beach next to you last night.”

  “Sorry if I distracted you and your weather watching.” He started to chuckle. “No, I take that back. I’m really not sorry.”

  “Trust me, I’m not either.”

  He tossed me a blue silk shirt. “Here, if you tie up the ends, you should be able to wear this for now.”

  I fingered the soft material as he pulled out several more shirts and went to hang them. All of them looked expensive, and for the first time since I met him, I really began to wonder about him.

  I took in his dark, wavy, brown hair, the neatly trimmed beard along his strong jawline, the green eyes focused on what he was doing as he unpacked, and the solid shoulders that ran to a trim waist. He was a very handsome man, just like his brother, but there was something else about him, a quiet strength, maybe more of an internal focus than strength, but he exuded power where Roan had always exuded sex, not that sex didn’t ooze out of Rye’s very essence, he had enough to bottle for a year of rainy days. It was just different than his brother, and I found that I much preferred Rye to Roan.

  Chapter 5

  Rye

  As I hung the clothing in my closet, I was deep in thought. Who would have guessed that I would arrive here and meet a woman like Amy? Sure as hell not me. I’d come here expecting to spend my days and nights in a blurred stupor, at least the first couple of them anyway. Part of me had even considered licking my wounds and only staying for a couple of days, but now, I didn’t want to be passed-out drunk. I didn’t even want to be tipsy. I wanted to be clear-headed, so I would remember every single moment of my time with Amy.

  “You’re not upset that I said I was Mrs. Waterman, are you?”

  I glanced to the bed where she lounged naked, eating her apple. “Nope, I thought it was kind of funny.”

  “You did?”

  “Yeah, I mean, why not, right? This is the honeymoon bungalow. I don’t have a problem pretending like we’re married for a couple days.”

  “You don’t?” She sounded shocked.

  “No, do you?”

  “No.” She paused in thought. “You know how last night you said I was an enigma? I think that’s more you than me.”

  “Why do you say that?” I returned to my suitcase and pulled out my slacks before I moved back to the closet.

  “Are those linen?”

  “Yes, why?”

  She frowned. “Are you, like, rich or something?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “No.” She rose and tossed the apple core into the trash and then rinsed her hands in the small kitchenette sink before retrieving her robe. “Your clothes are really nice, your watch looks expensive, and I bet you drive a fancy car, too.”

  I glanced at my watch and then at the closet. “I learned to save well when I was young.” I put my hands on my hips and studied her carefully. “You’re not going to rob me now, are you? Are you going to wait until I’m asleep and steal my valuables?”

  She sashayed over to me. “The only thing I might steal is your heart.”

  Was it possible that she already had? “Is that so?”

  “Yeah, but,” she looked puzzled, and for a second, she seemed extremely familiar to me, but then the feeling was gone.

  “But what?”

  “I can say anything to you, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, then promise you won’t fall in love with me, and I’ll promise that I won’t fall in love with you.”

  I had been in love twice in my life, and neither of them had made me feel half the way I did when I looked at or touched her. “Why do you say that?”“Because I have a complicated life back home, and” she chewed on her lip, “I have a daughter. I like you, Rye. I’m having more fun with you now than I have in years, maybe ever, and I guess I don’t want you to think that I’m looking for something. I know that when we leave here, we will go our separate ways, and maybe what I’m saying is totally off base, but I feel like I need to say it.” She laughed. “Maybe I should have just made a mental note to myself.”

  I stepped closer, “A mental note, huh? Like you might need to remind yourself that you’
re not allowed to fall in love with me.”

  “Yeah, like that.”

  I nodded to her. “Okay, I understand that.” I probably needed that mental note myself. “It’s a good thing for us to promise to each other.”

  “Why?”

  “Because if I didn’t make that promise, I might just do it.”

  “Fall in love with me?” she squeaked.

  “Yeah, I could see it happen.”

  “I could, too.” The words were so quiet that I didn’t think she meant to say them. “So we won’t do that. We have a deal, right?”

  “Deal.” I shook the hand she had shoved my way as she stepped backward.

  “Alright. I’m going to go back to my place and get ready.” She held the shirt up, “Thanks for the shirt. Give me, like, fifteen minutes, and I’ll be ready to get food.”

  “Make it twenty. I want to give my brother a call and see what’s going on back home.”

  She waved and was gone, and the room suddenly felt very big—and extremely lonely. It was hard to believe that I had known Amy less than a day and that we had made love a handful of times already. I had never been big on one-night stands or jumping into bed with a woman on the first date. My parents had taught me better, but with Amy, it was as if I’d had no choice. I had been drawn to her the minute she had laughed. Maybe she had some type of siren call that dug deep into my psyche, who knew.

  For now, I was going to enjoy a few days of fun. I finished unpacking and then dug my cellphone out of the bag where I’d stashed it. The battery was dead, so I plugged it in while I dressed and then sat down on the edge of the bed to call Roan. Luckily, I’d thought about adding international calling to my plan a few weeks ago.

  Roan answered the phone on the second ring. “It’s about damn time! I thought you had drunk yourself to death or something.”

  I laughed. “No, I’m fine. I had stowed my cellphone when I got on the plane, and the battery died.”