"Do you want one?" I slid a glass across the table to Nathan.
"I'll stick with beer." He nudged it back.
"Tell me about some of your other business ventures. Don't you have a restaurant in Italy?"
That kept the conversation going until our meals arrived. We both liked to cook, it turned out, but didn't have the time. Once we got talking about food, we relaxed. I totally enjoyed the meal, and the whole funky atmosphere at the Bayview Grill. Casual enough so I didn't feel intimidated, but clean and with upscale menu items. The service was fast and friendly and our meal ended too soon. I stood to head to the restroom, and nearly fell over.
Uh-oh. How much alcohol did I suck down in those fruity drinks? Nathan was occupied getting out his wallet and didn't see me stumble, thank the Lord. In the bathroom, I splashed cold water on my wrists and neck. I'd be okay. He was driving, and we would go straight back to the hotel. I could maintain. That's just what I did not need, to look like a total idiot, getting drunk on the first night in town.
Walking carefully, I made it to the front door, then we headed to his car.
"Do you want me to put the top up now?"
"No, leave it down." The breeze would slap alertness into my fuzzy brain. I bent to open my door, teetered on the cutesy sandals with the semi-heel I wasn't used to wearing, and fell flat on my butt.
Shit.
Nathan was at my side in seconds. "Are you okay?" He reached a hand to help me up.
We had to stop touching. Even in my slightly inebriated state, that jolt sizzled through my body when I grabbed his hand.
"I must have found a slippery patch. I'm fine, really." Embarrassed as all get out. I held onto the car, and Nathan looked at me closely.
"Are you drunk?"
OMG. What should I tell him? I'd lied enough for one evening. "I might be a little tipsy. Those drinks were stronger than I thought. I'm not used to that much alcohol in such a short time and I didn't taste it through the fruitiness. I'm sorry."
In the dim light, I couldn't quite read his expression, but he had a frown on his face. Well, great. I was making a piss poor impression so far. Maybe I'd throw up on his shoes, to really round out the day.
"My fault. I know they mix the drinks strong here. I should have warned you. Let me help you into the car."
"I'm okay. Honestly. Not drunk drunk, just sort of wobbly. A cup of coffee might help."
"Nope, that makes you a wide-awake drunk. I've got the perfect solution." He steadied me as I slid into the car. "You up to a drive?"
Okay, not mad at me, that was good. Where exactly would we take a drive? Did I care? "Sure."
He made certain my seat belt was fastened, stopped at a convenience store and got a bottle of water for me, and away we went.
"Put on whatever music you want."
I pushed the buttons on his radio until I found a station playing eighties rock. I'm a sucker for the oldies. I remember listening to them as a kid and dancing around the house with Michelle. Nathan nodded his approval of my choice, cranked up the volume, and we drove. Nice and fast once we got out of the busy area and reached an open expanse on Overseas Highway. He was right. Between the water, the music, the wind whipping at my hair and face, the tipsy feeling subsided after fifteen minutes.
We reached the entrance to a park that was closed and Nathan pulled over to the side of the road.
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah. That's a great way to perk up."
"It is. Come on, let's take a walk around the park. Exercise is good too."
He opened my door and held out his hand.
"Really, I'm okay now. I can walk by myself."
"Humor me. It's dark and I don't want you to fall."
His strong, warm hand felt good, so I took it, and let him lead me into the park. "Won't we get in trouble for being here after closing?"
"Only if we get caught, and I don't intend to get caught."
I must have looked scared because he laughed.
"Don't worry. I made it a point to talk to the police when I came down here. They know me and won't give me a hard time."
Money could buy a lot of things, including immunity to laws. I sure hoped he wasn't breaking any more serious regulations than trespassing in a public park at night. We wandered past a grassy area, a playground, and tennis courts until we came to a beachy spot.
"Shoes off," he ordered, and removed his sandals and rolled up his pants. "It's not flat sand in the bay, so step carefully."
My cutesy heels were already wet. I'd have to get another pair of sandals, more flip-flop-ish, if everything we did around here involved water. I slipped my shoes off and turned up the hem of my pants too.
"Higher."
"What?"
"Roll them up higher or they'll get wet."
Good thing I'd worn a pair of loose gauze pants. I did what he said, then took his proffered hand again and waded into the Florida Bay with him. The water lapping on my calves made me laugh out loud.
"Bet you don't do this in Illinois in November."
"No, we sure don't. This is, I can't even tell you how great this is."
I lost myself. Between the wind making the palm trees dance, the smell of ocean and fresh air, the feel of Nathan's hand holding mine, I'd gone to heaven. And I didn't want to leave. I shut my eyes and turned my face up to the sky. Nathan stopped moving.
"You go ahead. I want to stay here and turn this into a postcard."
"A what?"
Oops, did I say that out loud? Now I'd have to tell him about my weird little habit. "Sometimes, when a moment is so perfect, I try to record it in my mind, and picture how it would look on the front of a postcard. This is one of those times. Corny, I know."
He was quiet, but didn't let go of my hand. "Not corny. A perfect idea, one I should do. Sometimes, I forget to stop and enjoy the moment."
We stood for I don't know how long, but eventually, a horn honked loud and a dog barked, bringing me back to reality. "Guess we should go."
He gave my hand a squeeze. "We'll do this again."
I about floated on the walk back through the park and the drive to Bay Paradise Resort, utterly relaxed and blissfully happy. Nathan parked and got out with me, insisting on walking me to my room. My executive suite had its own private entrance, complete with a cute little outdoor table and chairs. Lush foliage surrounded the whole building, creating an intimate setting at the doorway. We stood there for a moment and I dug in my purse for the key card.
"The light should come on over the door at night. I'll have maintenance look at that." He pulled out his wallet and swiped a card. "I have a master."
I gave the door a little push. A trickle of sadness wound through my heart. I didn't want the evening to end. "Thank you. This was great. I'm sorry I got kind of loopy on you. I'm not an alkie, I promise."
"Stop apologizing for everything."
He stood close, so close I felt the heat coming off him, smelled more of that musk I'd noticed. I looked into his eyes, gazing at me intently. That odd expression was back, like he wanted something from me. What? Heart pounding, I couldn't look away. Could he possibly be attracted to me? Why was he staring? I rested against the doorframe, crossing my hands behind my back. Hardly aware of what I was doing, I tilted my face up to him and parted my lips.
That was all it took. His mouth was on mine, his lips hard and searching. I stood there, in a state of shock for a few seconds, then I kissed him back. He leaned into me, pushing his hard body against mine, and I pulled my arms from behind my back to wrap around his neck. It flowed so smooth, so perfectly, like we'd done this a hundred times already.
He thrust his tongue into my mouth and I met it with my own, delighting in the taste of beer and the smell of his skin. He moaned, and his arms went around me, his hands grabbing my ass, pulling me closer to him. Close enough I felt his erection, hard against my stomach. The low-burning desire that teased at me earlier turned into full, hot arousal, like he lit a fire in my core.
I rubbed against him, needing to touch more of his body.
One hand moved from my ass, up my ribcage, to slide around my breast, cupping it slightly. His thumb brushed along the edge, sending a trail of heat and longing. I wanted more, wanted him to touch me all over, to run his fingers along my naked skin, everywhere.
We stayed like this for who knows how long. It could have been seconds, it could have been five minutes. I totally lost track of time. All I was aware of was the scent and feel of Nathan, and the moisture that had formed between my thighs. When he pulled away suddenly, I let go of his neck and about fell over. Not from the alcohol, but from the hot blood rushing through my body like a race car.
He stepped back, looked at me, his brows drawn together, and that delicious mouth now set in a hard line. I reached up a hand to touch his face, then let it drop. Damn it. I'd made him mad. I'd thrown myself at him, acted like a fool.
"Good night, Amber." He turned and disappeared into the shadows.
CHAPTER SIX
Shit, shit, shit. Of all the dumbass moves to make. Kissing Amber had to be right up there at the top of the things-to-fuck-up-my-life list. I wanted to kiss her earlier, when we stood out there in the water. She looked so tempting, with that sweet face turned up to the sky, and the wind plastering her shirt to her body. Her nipples stood straight up, and I'd barely resisted running my hands over them. But I did resist. Up until we got to her door. I don't know what the hell came over me then. The way she opened her mouth, that look in her eyes… I lost control.
Something about Amber called to a part of me I'd turned off. The part that wanted affection and love, not just sex. Yeah, I wanted to fuck her, bad, but I also wanted to kiss her, to make her laugh, to have her sweetness rub off on me. I shut down those desires after Tanya. I wouldn't corrupt an innocent ever again.
But holy shit. I rubbed my cock as I undressed. Still stiff. I'd be taking care of myself in the shower tonight. Just that kiss with her had me harder than I'd been since I was a teenager. She responded to me so perfectly, like she could read my mind and knew exactly what I wanted. What the hell was that all about?
It was all about over. I'd apologize for my behavior tomorrow and hope she wasn't too pissed. Blame it on the booze. Except I didn't have that much to drink. I was just a sleaze, taking advantage of a woman who did.
But she kissed me back. Hard, like she wanted to. Her little body was right up against mine, those pointy nipples rubbing me. She was into the kiss, clearly. We both wanted it, both enjoyed it. And after, damn, that look in her eyes, the way her mouth stayed open, ready for more.
Didn't matter. More was out of the question. Something happened here in Key Largo, to everyone. We came down, forgot about our real lives, let the magic, or voodoo, or whatever ran wild in this place, make us crazy. I'd seen it happen with other people, but it would not happen to me. Especially not with a valued employee. One kiss, one mistake. Over.
I was almost in the shower when my phone chimed. Paul, my brother-in-law. Did not want to talk to him just now but if I didn't answer, he'd leave a long, rambling message and call back until I responded. Better to get it over with.
"Paul, how are you doing?"
"Good, pretty good. Yourself?"
"Fine. Listen, I'm in the middle of something. What can I do for you?"
Blunt, but I had an idea what he wanted.
"Thanks for that last check you sent. We really needed the money. Say, I wonder if you could spare another hundred or two? We got a few unexpected bills come up, and with the holidays right around the corner and all…"
Paul didn't ask too often. I think he knew better, knew not to push me. No one, not even my sister, knew how much money I actually had, and I intended to keep it that way. They might have suspected, and if they looked up public records they could see a portion of my assets, but I owned a lot of properties and had other investments that couldn't be traced back to me.
I helped them out a lot, but Karen and Paul both had good jobs and earned decent money. I put the down payment on their house and bought them each new cars every few years, despite Karen's protests. A college fund was well under way for both of their kids. If anything serious happened, I'd be right there to take care of it, but I needed to stay out of their lives when it came to finances.
Paul liked to play cards. Sometimes he won, sometimes not. Knowing he had to provide for his wife and kids kept him in check, but if he found out what I was worth, and that I could bail him out any time he got on a losing streak… not good. I had a feeling, his gambling would escalate to a huge problem. The few hundred he asked for now and then, I figured that's when he lost and needed to make up his paycheck.
Karen knew about his vice, but she loved the idiot and other than his gambling, he treated her and the kids well. He could be into a lot worse, so except for suggesting now and then that he go to counseling, I left the situation alone and gave him the money when asked.
In the background, I heard a child's voice calling.
"Hold on a second sweetie, daddy's on the phone. Wait." That last part muffled, like he held a hand over the phone.
"So, you think you can help out? I'd really be grateful. We want to make sure the kids get a few nice presents under the tree… hey, now stop it. I told you, I'm on the phone."
A shriek and helpless giggles. "That's what happens to little girls who don't listen. They get hung upside down by their feet."
More giggles, then another child's voice joining in with the laughter.
"I got to go. These monsters need to get to bed."
A surprising twist of pain squeezed my heart. Children laughing. The noise often irritated me but tonight, sounded like fun and home. Like a place I could easily be happy.
"I'll see what I can do about getting a check to you. Take care."
"You too."
Kids. The only time I paid much attention to them was with Karen and Paul's crew at the holidays. Now that they were older, they'd got to be fun. They knew me, ran up to greet me when I arrived, and would even bring me books to read them at bedtime. Last year, I remember falling asleep on the couch with his youngest curled up next to me, a blanket thrown over both of us and a dog on my feet. A nice way to spend Christmas Eve.
But I wasn't a family kind of guy. I'd be a lousy father. My business came first, always. I wouldn't be home with the kids in the evening, like Paul. Wouldn't be there to share dinners and go to plays at their school. Even with his gambling habit, he always did right by his family, I knew. My people kept an eye on him.
I shook off thoughts of kids and holidays. I needed to concentrate on this project. Had to finish up my visit here with no more stupid moves on my employee.
Hoping to hell I hadn't screwed up big time with Amber, I took my shower, relieved my aching balls, then fell into a restless sleep.
Tuesday
Wiping the mascara from my fingers, I tried applying it again. I never got into cosmetics that much. Maybe if I practiced, I'd get more on my face and less on my hands. Jen always said I should wear more eye makeup and play up my pretty peepers. She said the eyes were the windows to the soul, and I kept mine shuttered. Could be. Most of the time, I didn't want attention drawn to my face.
Why the heck was I bothering? Last night was just some kind of weird accident. Nathan didn't mean to kiss me. He probably drank too much, like I did, and felt a little frisky. I was convenient, on a dark, star-lit night… how could anyone not get all stirred-up down here? Between the ocean breeze, the smell of plants and sea, and the general mood of everlasting vacation, it was way too easy to want to fall in love.
Love. Holy shit. How did that word pop into my mind? Nathan and I were here for business only. This project was important to him, so, important to me. That was my only agenda; help him with work-related activities. Absolutely nothing romantic would happen. Like I told Jen, guys like Nathan didn't fall for large girls like me.
But jeez, that kiss! I'd never been kissed that way before. It seemed as t
hough he wanted to devour me, and my body responded right back. Just remembering the feel of his lips on mine, his hands roaming along my skin… I let out a deep breath. There had to be something behind that kiss, besides just lust in the moment.
So I'd take a little extra time with my appearance. Nathan wasn't really serious about me, I knew that, but maybe we could have… what did I want from him? Sex? My body sure voted for that. My nipples hardened and an ache burned low in my belly thinking about those few moments when we stood locked together.
What was up with this crazy, deep arousal? I liked sex as much as the next girl, but I'd never been this turned-on simply by a kiss and a touch. Did I whimper last night, right into his mouth? Pretty sure I did. OMG, he must think I was some kind of horny, needy chick. He started it though. He kissed me first, grabbed me like he had to get close, like he needed to feel our bodies touching.
What in the world would I say to him today? Should I act as though it never happened? No, that wasn't my style. I faced situations head-on, no tiptoeing around. I'd see how he reacted first when we met this morning. I'd take my cue from him, and go from there. Probably, he'd act like it was no big deal. Which would be a relief. Sort of. I'd do the same. Tell him the drinks made me silly. We'd both laugh, and move on.
I swiped a stroke of color over my cheekbones. It wouldn't hurt to dial up the hotness a notch. Just because.
As soon as I saw him in the conference room, my already-racing pulse sped up. He looked damned fine, wearing a dress shirt and tie. He sat staring at his laptop and when he glanced up at me, didn't crack the smallest of smiles.
"Good morning. Close the door and sit down, please."
A glass of water and a coffee cup had been placed on the table. On the opposite side of him.
He stood. "Last night I behaved inappropriately. I'm sorry, it won't happen again."
"But…"
He held up his hand. "It won't happen again. I emailed you a list of the employees working today. I'd like you to shadow the housekeepers, talk to as many as you can and watch them work. If you're able to observe anyone without them seeing you, all the better. I'll be off the property the rest of day. You have my number if you need me."
The Romance Challenge, Complete Series Box Set: BBW Hot Alpha Billionaire Romance Page 6