* * *
Ainsley had intended to shove him away, bite his tongue, or scream in protest...however, she did none of those things. The moment her senses reacquainted with his taste, a taste she hadn’t been able to forget, there was nothing she could do but stand there and moan.
And while doing so she disregarded everything, including the way his hands moved all over her body, over her curves, cupping her backside and tightening around her waist. Instead his touch compelled her to react—so she did, by kissing him back and wrapping her arms around his neck.
This was insane. This was madness. Totally crazy. She knew this and figured he knew it as well, but something was driving them to lose themselves in this kiss.
The intensity of it increased and she felt his hand ease up the back of her blouse to touch her skin. The moment he did, her flesh felt scorched from the heat of his fingers.
Suddenly he broke off the kiss and gazed down at her, his eyes filled with as much desire as they had on their night together. He reached out a hand and used his fingertips to trace a trail across her moist lips. “I hadn’t expected you to come looking for me, but I’m glad you did. And since you’re here, let’s not waste any time.”
What? Did he actually think she had come here looking for him? He moved closer and drew her to him again, intending to get another kiss. She shoved him away. “I didn’t come here for this...or for you.”
She could actually see the look of surprise in the dark depths of his eyes. “You didn’t?”
“Of course not.”
He lifted a brow. “Of course not?”
“Yes,” she said straightening her blouse and tucking it back inside her jeans and then smoothing her hair. “Why would you think such a thing?”
Why indeed? Winston thought, leaning back against the brick wall and regarding her intently. He liked the way she did that, fluff all that hair from her face with a single flick of her wrist. He thought she looked good in jeans, just as good as she had in a dress. Almost. He liked seeing her legs. But then, it seemed that no matter what she put on those luscious curves of hers, it could set his body on fire.
“Well?”
He glanced away from those curves and up to her face. “Well, what?”
She placed her hands on her hips and shifted her legs in one of those I’m-ready-to-take-you-on stances. “What made you think I came here looking for you? In fact, that night, you led me to believe you weren’t from Hilton Head.”
Winston placed his arms across his chest. “I’m not. This is Barrett Shores, an island separate from Hilton Head. And it’s private property and you’re here uninvited. Sex was good between us that night, so what else am I to think other than you came looking for me?”
Ainsley frowned. The man had an oversize ego. She had no intentions of stroking it by agreeing to how good the sex was. “I’m not here to see you. I’m here to see Dr. Chambers.”
He dropped his hands to his side, straightened from the wall and lifted a brow. “Dr. Chambers?”
“Yes.”
After pausing a moment, he asked, “And what is your business with him?”
She narrowed her eyes. “What are you, his bodyguard?”
Winston inwardly smiled. She didn’t know just how close to the truth that was. “Yes, I’m his bodyguard and you need to state your business with me.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She then opened the small pouch around her neck and pulled out a business card. “Here. Now if you’ll just let him know I’d like to meet with him, I would appreciate it.”
Winston studied the card she handed him. Ainsley St. James, News Reporter, The New York Times. He glanced back at her. Ainsley? Her real name was Ainsley? He smiled, liking it already.
“What’s so funny?” she asked in a waspish tone.
He wiped the smile off this face. “Nothing.”
He then glanced back down at the card...at her occupation again. She was a reporter? Aw, hell. Winston immediately thought about his brother Evan who’d played in the NFL. A couple years back Evan had fallen for some reporter who had only wanted a story. She had pretended affection for Evan while doing an exposé on NFL players’ use of steroids. Although Evan’s reputation hadn’t gotten damaged by the story, several of his teammates’ had and he’d felt partly to blame. Winston recalled his brother’s pain at the woman’s betrayal and he had made up in his mind after that episode to never get involved with a reporter.
He glanced back at her and slid the business card in the pocket of his shirt. “Come on, I’ll walk you back to your car,” he said, taking hold of her arm.
She dug in her heels. “Wait! I can’t leave yet. I told you I’m here to see Dr. Chambers.”
“He doesn’t want to see you.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “How would you know?”
“I know because he doesn’t do reporters.”
“I understand that. I also know he’s gone to great lengths to keep his whereabouts hidden and all.”
“Yes, he has,” Winston replied, and then one dark brow rose. “And that has me wondering how you found him.”
She blew out a deep breath. “Surely you don’t expect me to expose my sources.”
“Yes, I do. Either to me or Chambers. Either way he won’t see you.”
“Then I want to hear it from him.”
“He’s busy.”
“I’ll wait. You’re his bodyguard, not his spokesman.”
Winston chuckled as he leaned back against the wall again. “He values anything I tell him, trust me.” Every muscle in his body went rigid when a suspicion Winston didn’t like floated across his mind. Had she been on to him that night? He looked at her and frowned. “That night you told me you were in Hilton Head on a vacation.”
“I was for two weeks. My boss called and since I was in the area, he offered me a chance to do the interview.”
And it was an interview she wouldn’t be getting. “I really don’t know what to tell you, Red, but Chambers—”
“My name is Ainsley. You know it now so use it,” she said harshly.
He smiled. The woman was feisty but then he’d known that. That night they’d practically had a sex marathon and she had bit him a couple times with her teeth, clawed his back with her nails and nearly sucked him dry with her mouth. Winston felt a tightening in his gut when he remembered the latter. She had gone down on him in a way no other woman had. His gaze lowered to her mouth. He loved that mouth. It was sexy with full lips. He loved kissing it, tonguing it, nibbling on it...and he also enjoyed what she could do with it.
“Winston?”
He glanced back at her eyes. “Yes, Ainsley?”
Ainsley drew in a sharp breath. Why did he have to say her name like that? Like it was a breathless whisper from his lips combined with a husky groan from deep within his throat. And then there were those penetrating dark eyes that could take your breath away, hypnotize you into thinking about doing all sorts of naughty things.
“I need you to put in a good word for me with Dr. Chambers.” She didn’t want to beg and she wouldn’t. She would just ask nicely. If he had any pull with Chambers then she needed whatever leverage she could get.
She watched the way his mouth twitched in a slow grin showing those same dimples that had turned her on that night. Those same dimples that were turning her on now.
Ainsley turned away to glance out at the ocean. It was beautiful from here. She bet the view was simply gorgeous from anywhere on this island. She glanced back at Winston and thought, yes, he was a bodyguard and he would make a good one. He was definitely physically fit with muscles galore. She could recall running her hands over his biceps plenty of times that night. She doubted there was an area of his body she hadn’t touched...or tasted.
She glanced away again, not ready to recall just what they had shared and how deeply they’d shared it. She hadn’t acted herself that night. She had let loose, which was something she didn’t do often. She had neede
d it. And it had definitely helped. Other than when visions of him would creep into her dreams, she’d been sleeping like a baby since.
She forced her gaze back to him. He hadn’t responded one way or the other. Hadn’t he heard her? “Winston, I asked if you—”
“I heard you.”
She shrugged. “I wasn’t sure since you didn’t say anything.”
“I was thinking.”
“Oh.”
He was still staring at her and she wondered what thoughts were going through his mind. Hopefully, they weren’t the same ones that had been going through hers. Sometimes it was best to move forward and not look back. In their case, she knew it to be true.
“I’ll call you tomorrow with my answer,” he said, breaking into both her thoughts and the silence.
She frowned. “Tomorrow? But I wanted to talk to him today.”
“That won’t be happening. If he agrees to see you then I’ll call you.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then I won’t. It’s just an interview. If you can’t interview him, then I’m sure you can move on to someone else. I hear George Clooney will be on the island sometime this week.”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand. I need to do a story on Dr. Chambers. I’ve been assigned to get an interview from him.”
Winston drew in a deep breath. “It’s going to be hard for him to agree. Like I told you, he doesn’t do interviews.”
“Then I need for you to make sure I’m his first.”
He tilted his head and looked at her. “And why should I do that, Ainsley?”
She shrugged and then said, “Because we’re friends?”
He held her gaze steadily. “No, we’re not friends. As you reminded me earlier, it was just sex that night. Friends don’t have sex. Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.”
Deciding not to push, she walked with him to where her car was parked, not saying anything. They walked slowly and she was fighting hard to force back the desire that was pounding deep inside her. What was there about him that could make her want to do crazy stuff? She glanced down at his outfit, a brown shirt and a pair of khaki walking shorts. He had nice legs.
She cleared her throat deciding to strike up a conversation, since her car was parked on the other side of the estate. “Nice place.”
Instead of answering, he nodded. She decided to ask something that would elicit a response. “Have you worked for Dr. Chambers long?”
He glanced over at her. “Long enough.”
At least that was a start. “How long?”
“Several years.”
Ainsley didn’t say anything for a minute and then asked, “Is there only the two of you here?”
He lifted a brow. “Why do you want to know?”
“Curious.”
“Curious or nosy?” he asked as they went down some steps. He touched her elbow to assist her and desire flared to life within her again.
“A little of both, I guess. After all, I am a reporter.”
He didn’t say anything for a minute and then announced, “Charley’s here, too.”
“Charley?”
“Yes.”
“What does he do?”
“Security. He runs the command center. Any time someone shows up on this property uninvited, Charley lets us know.”
This time she nodded. “I’m looking forward to meeting both Charley and Dr. Chambers.” He didn’t say anything as he opened the car door for her but she made no move to get inside just yet. He had an unreadable expression on his face and Ainsley didn’t know if she could depend on him being an ally or not.
“If you really want to meet Chambers, then maybe you need to think about what I’ll want out of this,” he said, breaking into her thoughts.
His words spurred a tightness in the pit of her stomach. “What do you mean?”
“I think you know what I mean.”
She had a sinking feeling that she did, but in situations like this it behooved a person to play dumb. “I don’t really so please clarify.”
“No problem.” He moved in close, brought his face down to hers. “You want something from me and I want something from you.”
He was so close that it wouldn’t take much for him to kiss her if he had the mind to do so. The thought of him doing such a thing—planting a hard and powerful kiss to her lips—had her heart pounding in her chest. “And what exactly do you want from me?” she asked, hoping he was gentleman enough not to say what she was thinking.
“That morning you skipped out on me...I wasn’t happy about it, especially when you agreed that we would spend a day and another night together.”
His reminder sent a gush of heat flooding her cheeks. “You and I both know we probably said a lot of stuff that night we didn’t mean,” she said, suddenly feeling ill at ease with the memories.
“Aah...probably, but not about that,” he said, his mouth quirking in dry humor. “You gave me your word and I was looking forward to more time with you.”
She hadn’t given her word...not exactly. She just hadn’t done what she’d said she would do. “It was time for me to leave, Winston,” she said, hoping he would see reason.
“No it wasn’t and not like that. Not without the courtesy of letting me know you’d changed your mind. Not without even a goodbye.”
Seriously, dude? Had you expected to come out of the shower to find me on the bed waiting for you, spread-eagle? She studied his features, saw the hard flint in the eyes staring her down and figured he probably had. Her mind began struggling for something to say since he was intent on being difficult, and a difficult bodyguard to Dr. R. J. Chambers was something she didn’t need right now. To be quite honest, she’d rather not discuss this, but since he brought it up... “We didn’t need a goodbye. You got what you wanted and I got what I wanted.”
He shrugged. “Then call me greedy because I wanted more. And if I remember correctly, so did you at the time.”
She could only stare at him thinking he was remembering correctly. She had wanted more. But that was before she’d come to her senses and realized more with him would only be asking for trouble. “I changed my mind. Get over it,” she snapped.
“Easier said than done, Ainsley.” He took a step back and let his eyes roam over her. She felt the heat of his gaze in places she wished she didn’t.
Just when she thought she would combust from a simple look, he cocked his head to one side and said, “To get what you want, you’ll need to give me what I want. What you owe me. I want a day and a night with you...with no interruptions.”
“It won’t happen.”
“Is that your decision?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Your final decision? If you need more time to think—”
“I don’t need any more time,” she interrupted. “That’s my final decision.”
He nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Then this is goodbye. And there’s no need for me to mention your visit to Dr. Chambers.”
Ainsley felt her stomach sink. He was letting her know he was playing hardball. He wouldn’t give her what she wanted with Chambers, unless she slept with him again. Well, he could forget it. She didn’t want the story that bad. But, she thought, with dread curling her stomach, she did want her job back. She needed her job back. There was nothing for her in Claxton and the sooner she could resume her life in New York, the better.
She nervously licked her lips while she held his gaze. Her mind taunted her. He’s such a good-looking man. Would sharing a bed again with him be so awful when you enjoyed it so much the first time?
Yes, it would be awful. Having an affair of her own choosing was one thing; being coerced into one was another. “Goodbye, Winston.” She slid into the car and he closed the door while she snapped on her seat belt.
And then without saying anything else, she started the car and drove off, going back the way she came. She couldn’t stop herself from looking through her rearview mirror at him
. He was standing there, watching her leave.
It was only when he was no longer in sight that it occurred to her that he now had her full name, but the only thing she knew was his first name.
Chapter 7
Winston’s hand wasn’t quite steady as he took a drink and it was a drink he needed. Seeing Red again—or Ainsley since that was her name—had done him in. She had been the last person he’d expected to see when he’d left his lab to nab a trespasser.
And less than thirty minutes later he had let her go.
Watching her drive away had made him realize just how isolated it was out here. His godbrothers as well as Grady always joked about him being out on Barrett Shores alone. He always ignored their teasing because the seclusion had never bothered him...until today.
And what was that kiss about? A kiss he’d initiated that she’d returned with as much greed as he’d put into it. He liked stroking his tongue inside her mouth. Loved her taste. Loved the way she felt in his arms. And he was totally into her scent. He liked the way her flesh felt when he ran his tongue over her bottom lip. If he wasn’t careful, she could become addictive.
Every muscle in his body suddenly went rigid. What the hell was wrong with him? No woman—and he meant no woman—got next to him or under his skin. And he’d be damned if he let her set a precedent. Three of his godbrothers had gotten whipped, and he’d sworn, along with Virgil and Zion, not to let it happen to them.
Winston smiled at the thought that he was up one on her. She had no idea that he was the very man she wanted to interview. He was Winston Coltrane, aka Dr. R. J. Chambers. He could have easily told her the truth, but had decided there was no way he would do so. After all, she was a reporter and they were known to spill any secrets a person might have.
And he had placed her between a rock and a hard place. She wanted a story and he wanted her. He hadn’t realized just how much until he’d seen her again. And it was obvious his offer hadn’t set too well with her. He had backed her against the proverbial wall and he had a feeling she wasn’t one to be backed, no matter how badly she wanted a story. As far as he was concerned, he had every right to ask for more time with her. She had agreed to give him that and hadn’t.
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