by Cathryn Fox
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Cathryn
Deep Desires
Ryan leaned across the pool table, positioned the tip of his wooden cue on the ball and took a shot, easily sinking the eight ball in the corner pocket. Fortunately, the bright artificial light overhead enabled him to see the table, even with his dark sunglasses on.
Six months previous, after an early morning surprise explosion had damaged his retinas and marred his skin, the glasses had become a permanent fixture on his face, hiding both his lacerations and his damaged eyesight. Now he wore the shades day and night, not that he went out much during the day, or was the wild social animal he used to be. Since he’d returned home from his overseas tour, he kept a low profile. The fewer people asking about his scars or prying into his personal life, the better.
He stood and glanced at Cody. “So, what do you think is taking Ethan so long? A man could die of thirst waiting for him.”
“My guess is he’s taken your stash of beer and made off with it,” Cody said before grabbing the triangle and centering it on the table.
Ryan scoffed, adjusted his sunglasses and slapped his pool cue against his palm. “You’d think he’d know better,” he said, grinning. “I can still track him down if I want to.” Vision or no vision, Ryan’s exceptional tracking skills and his memorization of the island’s landscape, meant Ethan didn’t stand a chance.
Of course, both Ryan and Cody knew Ethan would never do anything of the kind. During their time together overseas and at the rehabilitation center, the guys had all bonded. The men were more than his friends and confidants. They were his family, his brothers. Men he trusted with his life.
Unlike the family he’d grown up in—an emotionally absent father plus a stepmother and two stepsisters who considered him a burden, and the long time girlfriend who’d tossed him away faster than an armed grenade when he’d returned home injured, calling him damaged goods, these men all looked out for one another. Ryan knew he could count on his fellow comrades in the best and the worst of situations.
Cody’s voice brought his attention back around to the game. “Ethan always was easily distracted,” he said, gathering the balls from the pockets and sending them down the table. He shot Ryan a questioning look. “You think something shiny caught his attention?”
Ryan scoffed and gave a slow side-to-side shake of his head. “Yeah, something shiny, something sexy and something flirtatious.”
One side of Cody’s mouth turned up. “You saw that, too, did you?”
“Hell yeah. My eyesight might be damaged, but I’m not completely blind. Jesus, he was practically salivating over Danielle at dinner.”
Cody positioned the balls, removed the triangle and grabbed his cue. “He needs a woman in his life. Maybe after a few good fucks he’ll stop being such an angry son of a bitch.” He paused and then added, “Hell, maybe that’s what we all need.”
Ryan couldn’t deny that. It had been far too long since he’d held a woman in his arms, inhaled her sweet scent, felt her between his legs or sank into her tight heat. At the mere thought of getting laid, his mind raced to Lauren Sampson, the sweet yet sexy brunette who’d sat next to him at dinner. If he tried hard enough, he could still smell her fantasy-inspiring floral aroma.
The scent was so goddamn erotic and stimulating, it nearly gave him a boner right then and there. Even her sultry voice, had aroused him to the point of distraction.
He wondered what brought her to the exclusive resort. A woman as gorgeous as she was couldn’t be here looking to fulfill a fantasy. She likely had countless men throwing themselves at her feet. The alternative was that she’d come here looking for therapeutic relaxation, an escape from the everyday. Yeah, that had to be it, he concluded. She had to be here looking for a little R & R.
As he leaned against his pool cue and watched Cody break the balls, Ryan took a moment to consider that further. If she was here looking for a fantasy vacation, he’d like to be the guy to give it to her. Sure, he could give her that wild ride, but he couldn’t give her any more than that, because truthfully, he didn’t have any more to give. Then again, what would a girl like her see in a guy like him, a guy who could barely see her in return?
Suddenly, the words damaged goods echoed in his mind.
Cody gestured toward the table with a nod. “You want to go again?”
“Nah, I think I’ll call it a night. I’ve got an early massage booked.” Not to mention an afternoon appointment with his well-shaded hammock, his usual daytime hangout.
Cody nodded. “I’ll catch up with you later, then,” he said and turned his attention back to the pool table.
Ryan replaced his cue on the rack and made his way outside. As he left the air-conditioning behind, the warmth of the night washed over him and moistened his skin. In no time at all his clothes clung to his body like a second skin. Anxious to peel them off and jump into a cool shower, he carefully negotiated the stairs, but not carefully enough. On his last step his shins connected with the base of something concrete. He tripped and stumbled forward.
“Fuck,” he bit out as he righted himself. He glanced at what appeared to be some sort of spiritual statue. Okay, that was new. Once composed, he made his way to the footpath leading to his cabana. With the tall trees surrounding him, he paused to listen, amazed at how his other four senses had amplified after his injury.
The sounds of the nightlife closed around him, but there were no other footsteps to be heard. Small stones crunched beneath his feet as he followed the narrow path back to his place with ease. With a love of nature, and little else to do with all his spare time on the island, Ryan spent his evenings memorizing every footpath, every cave, and every nook and cranny at the resort.
When he reached his quarters, he tried the door. Shit. It was locked and Ethan had his key card. He knocked, but gut instincts told him Ethan wasn’t inside. “Where the hell did he go?” he murmured to himself.
Ryan turned and made his way to the footpath, having decided to check Ethan’s cabana. Concern had started to gnaw at his insides. It wasn’t like Ethan to just blow them off.
“Out for an evening stroll?”
The voice came from behind him. Ryan stiffened and spun around. When his survival instincts kicked in, his hands automatically fisted. “Jesus. I didn’t hear you come up behind me.”
Malik lowered his voice to a calming level. “Are you out enjoying the warmth of the night, Ryan?”
Ryan tugged on his sticky T-shirt and pushed his hair from his forehead. “I’m locked out of my cabana. Have you seen Ethan? He has my key card.”
“I saw him head up the mountain earlier this evening, toward the mood hut, I believe.”
Ryan kept his face expressionless. “Did he seem…” he paused to find the right word, not wanting Malik to get the impression that something was amiss.
“Yes, he seemed fine, so did Danielle,” Malik said, answering Ryan’s question before he had a chance to ask it.
Ryan grinned, pleased as hell that it was something shiny that had distracted his friend. “They seemed rather happy. I believe the elixir just might be working for the two of them.”
The smile fell from Ryan’s face. He didn’t believe in the elixir any more than Ethan did. Ryan’s strongest desire was to see perfectly again, and according to the team of doctors that had endlessly poked and prodded him, that wasn’t about to happen, magic elixir or not.
As though reading his thoughts, Malik pressed his hands together and said, “You can see with more than just your eyes, my child.”
His leg chose that moment to start aching. Ryan scoffed. “Tell that to my shins.” Using the back of his hand, Ryan wiped a bead of moisture from his brow.
“The Pleasure Pool is a great spot to cool down,” Malik said.
He had to admit, the idea of jumping in
to the refreshing pool of water did sound appealing, but he knew the chances of having it to himself were scarce.
Since Ethan’s cabana wasn’t too far from the Pacific waters, he said, “Maybe I’ll head on over to the ocean for a dip and wait for Ethan to come back.”
“Very well, then,” Malik said with a nod. Before he left he added, “It’s amazing what you can see with your eyes closed, Ryan.”
With those cryptic words bouncing around inside his head, Ryan continued on his path. Strange thing was, he’d somehow gotten turned around in the dark and was now headed up the mountain toward the Pleasure Pool.
How the hell did that happen?
About Cathryn Fox
New York Times and USA today Bestselling author, Cathryn is a wife, mom, sister, daughter, and friend. She loves dogs, sunny weather, anything chocolate (she never says no to a brownie) pizza and red wine. She has two teenagers who keep her busy with their never ending activities, and a husband who is convinced he can turn her into a mixed martial arts fan. Cathryn can never find balance in her life, is always trying to find time to go to the gym, can never keep up with emails, Facebook or Twitter and tries to write page-turning books that her readers will love.
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Also by Cathryn Fox
Stone Cliff Series:
Crashing Down
Wasted Summer
Love Lessons
Wrapped Up
Eternal Pleasure Series
Instinctive
Impulsive
Indulgent
Sun Stroked Series
Seaside Seduction
Deep Desire
Private Pleasure
Captured and Claimed Series:
Yours to Take
Yours to Teach
Yours to Keep
Firefighter Heat Series
Fever
Siren
Flash Fire
Playing For Keeps Series
Slow Ride
Wild Ride
Sweet Ride
In the Line of Duty:
His Obsession Next Door
His Trouble in Tallulah
His Strings to Pull
His Taste of Temptation
His Moment to Steal
His Best Friend’s Girl
His Reason to Stay
Breaking the Rules:
Hold Me Down Hard
Pin Me Up Proper
Tie Me Down Tight
Take Me Down Tender
Stand Alone Title:
Hands on with the CEO
Torn Between Two Brothers
Holiday Spirit
Unleashed
Knocking on Demon’s Door
Web of Desire