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The Matchup

Page 31

by Alice Ward


  Naked aside from my flimsy underwear, I held my arms out, enjoying the breeze on my heated skin before grabbing my gear and heading inside.

  Hanging up the suit in the bathroom to finish drying, I turned on the water to the huge soaking tub before going back to the tiny kitchen for the bottle of wine. Pouring a glass nearly to the brim, I rummaged through the suitcase I had yet to unpack for my pajamas and toiletries.

  Back in the bathroom, I turned off the lights then lifted the blinds so that I could look out onto the water while the moon surrounded me in its silver lumens. I downed half the glass before lowering myself into the deliciously hot water.

  Ah, peace at last.

  Except it wasn’t as peaceful as I’d hoped. Not with the water gently lapping at my breasts, making me wish it was Zane’s tongue stroking me.

  Well, hell.

  Sinking lower into the water, I sighed, knowing it wouldn’t do any good to force him away. Very slowly, I opened my legs and let my mind take me where reality had forbidden.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Zane

  Lying on my bed, the full moon, along with the memory of the kiss, was keeping me awake. My mind kept moving in a dangerous direction. A fantasy was trying to play out in my head, but I was trying to keep it at bay so I could fall asleep.

  When the taste of Sloane’s lips just wouldn’t go away, I ran my hand down to stroke myself. Rubbing one out should give me some relief.

  My eyes were still on the moon and the calm waters when I saw a few ripples on the surface, spiking my curiosity. Maybe a shark was patrolling the waters near my little bungalow.

  Climbing out of bed, I pulled on a pair of shorts and went out to the living room. Before I made it to the deck, I saw what had made the ripples. Pressing against the wall, I held my breath as I looked out the side window. Someone in a black wet suit and a mask was coming up Sloane’s stairs, leaving the water.

  Just before I went out to grab the individual trespassing on my girl’s deck, the mask came off, and there was Sloane’s beautiful face and blonde locks.

  What the hell was she doing?

  I continued to hide as I watched her. My cock went hard as she unzipped the suit, taking what looked like her phone and a… what the hell? A gun. What the hell was she doing with a gun? And how the hell did she get it through customs?

  Even as the questions were still swimming through my shocked mind, I watched her peel out of the wet suit, leaving her bouncy breasts exposed in the barely there bra. Her panties might as well have not existed. She was practically naked to my prying eyes.

  The questions were beginning to pile up. And Sloane was beginning to show more and more creamy flesh. The moon gave it a shimmering glow that took my breath away.

  With one last wiggle, she had the thing off and laid it over the rail to dry. Then she just stood there, her arms out as if basking in the moon’s soft glow. She was breathtaking, and so fucking mysterious. When she finally walked inside, I was left standing there with a hard dick and full of curiosity.

  Why a late-night swim? Why a wet suit? Why the mask?

  I stepped out on my deck, trying to see what she did next. I could practically follow her shadow throughout the small hut. The bathroom. The kitchen. Her bedroom, and the bathroom again. The lights there went off and I wondered if she’d gone to bed.

  Before I could investigate further, the light on the deck on the other side of hers came on, and the couple Sloane had been following came out. My growing cock stopped and went back to normal size as if it knew there was business to attend to.

  The guy lit a cigarette as he stood there, looking at the moon.

  “Thanks for taking me out for a late dinner, darling,” the woman said then kissed the guy on the cheek.

  “You’re welcome, doll. Now, go get the bed ready. After this smoke, I’ll come rock you to sleep.” He smacked her on the ass as she turned to walk back inside.

  I processed the information. So, the couple had gone back out, and that must be why Sloane had on the wet suit. She took advantage of their absence to snoop around. I’d bet a million bucks that’s what she’d done.

  But why was she snooping?

  Or did I have it wrong, and she was looking to steal something?

  Was my little Sloane a cat burglar?

  If so, was I in danger of being her next victim? I had quite a chunk of change in my safe. An expensive watch was in there too. Should I be wary of the woman? Was she here to rob us all?

  Maybe the couple next door was just her first target. Maybe I’d be next. I had to admit, I hadn’t seen that in her. But one never knew. Don’t judge a book by its cover was a cliché for a reason.

  Flipping on the light on my deck, I decided to say hello to the guy. There hadn’t been anyone in that bungalow before that day. It was quite the coincidence that they arrived the same day Sloane had.

  Had Sloane been casing the couple, perhaps from as far back as the airport or even before that? Who knew how the mind of a thief worked?

  I gave a short whistle as I waved at the man. He looked my way and waved back. “New to the island, I see. When did you guys get in?”

  “This morning.” He blew out a puff of white smoke from the cigarette. “You been here long?”

  “A week. How long you here for?”

  “Two weeks or so. I’m playing it by ear.” He took another long drag and looked up at the moon.

  “Name’s Zane.”

  “Charles.”

  “Nice to meet you, Charles. You here on business or pleasure?” I was getting somewhere with the man. I hoped my little acquaintance with him would benefit Sloane if she needed help with that. Well, unless she was a burglar. If she was a thief, then it might not make her too happy at all.

  “A little bit of both.” He flicked the cigarette out into the water.

  I scowled at the pollution but forced my face to go back to neutral. “Oh, yeah? What kind of business?” I was getting some good information. I’d slip it out to Sloane a little at a time and watch her reactions. That would be fun.

  “If I told ya, I’d have to kill ya.” He laughed like that was some great joke he’d just made up.

  “Got ya.” I gave another wave. “Nice to meet you, Charles. I’m sure we’ll see each other around. This island is pretty small.”

  He smiled, gave me a wave, and nodded. “Nice to meet you too, Zane. Night.”

  After turning the deck light off, I went back inside and got into bed to think about what I’d found out. Sloane was indeed some kind of a detective or a crook. The man was from New York. He had that distinct accent. And he was here on business as well as pleasure.

  It had to be the kind of business he was into that had Sloane following him. Either he was into some bad shit, and she was there to get the goods on him. Or he was wealthy, and she wanted some of what he had. Either that or she was watching him or the woman because they were having an affair. It had to be something like that.

  If it was an affair, Sloane had probably been hired by the man’s wife or the woman’s husband. That’s the only thing that made any sense. I wondered how happy Sloane would be when she found I had introduced myself and that would give her an in with the couple.

  I bet she’d be overjoyed. But she wouldn’t show me any kind of reaction. She couldn’t. I understood that.

  I’d help her on the down low, and keep her safe too. She’d need some muscle if anything went wrong. Even if she was a crook, I couldn’t let anyone hurt her.

  Something was building deep inside of me. I’d never been the protective type. Something about the woman had that coming out in me. Sloane had a muscular body, and I was sure she could throw a punch, use her gun, or some other self-defense tactics. But what would happen if she was punched or worse, shot?

  No, I had to be around her all the time now that I was certain she was into something she wasn’t telling me about. I had to keep her safe. She needed me. She might not know it, but I did.

  The memor
y of how her body glowed in the moonlight eased into my head, and my cock twitched in pure lust. I slid my hand under the sheet, pretending it was Sloane’s hand stroking me to life.

  I imagined her blonde hair blowing around her face as the nipples of her full breasts contracted from the cool air. I closed my eyes, and she seemed so real. Her skin. Her taste. The little mewling sounds she made. The whimpers. The gasps for air.

  My lips pulsed as I thought about wrapping them around those sweet dusky-colored tips. She’d arch with desire, whisper my name, and run her hands through my hair as I sucked, kissed, and nipped her delicious flesh.

  I stroked myself, thinking about her getting wet for me as my hand moved down to settle between her thighs. She’d beg me to fill her, using soft-spoken words to encourage me to fuck her until she was crying my name out over and over.

  But I wouldn’t fuck her yet.

  First, I would kiss every inch of skin I exposed as I stripped her clothes from her body. Her thighs, knees. Her feet and toes. I’d turn her over and kiss her calves and the lovely hamstrings that created a path to her perfect ass. I’d leave her sweet pussy for last, pushing her legs wide so I could watch the butterfly of her sex open for me, revealing the honey-slicked folds.

  I tightened my fist and stroked myself harder, imagining her scent as I lowered my head, that first taste as I trailed my tongue up her center, the way her body would tighten as I took her clit between my teeth.

  Faster, I stroked myself, lost in the fantasy of Sloane’s lips replacing my hand. I hissed as I imagined how it would feel when her tongue dipped into the tip, her teeth scraping the shaft as she tried to take me into her throat.

  “Yes…” I growled as my balls tightened, my cock pulsing in my fist. I was close.

  But I didn’t want to come yet, not until I could imagine watching her face as I slid into her for the first time, her body stretching around my girth, filling her like she’d never been filled before.

  Her nails would be on my back as I began to spear into her over and over, feeling her body tighten and tremor beneath mine. I’d watch her face as I pushed her toward the edge, watch her eyes as she flew. But I wouldn’t stop. Not until she was spent, completely worn out. No fight left in her.

  I was furiously moving my hand to catch my cock up with my fantasy when I felt the first twinge deep inside me. I closed my eyes, cursing Sloane’s name as I came, thick ropes of cum shooting onto my stomach and chest. I groaned so loud I was sure Sloane could hear it next door.

  Good, I wanted her to hear it.

  I wanted Sloane to know I was jerking off as I thought about her. I wanted her to see what she was doing to me.

  Catching my breath, I turned onto my side and picked up the t-shirt I’d taken off earlier that day and used it to clean up the mess. The mess Sloane made of me.

  Lying back on the pillow, I closed my eyes, finally tired enough to sleep. Sloane could only make a mess of me if I allowed that. I simply wouldn’t let it happen.

  She’d have to come clean with me about what she was doing in Maldives sometime. I wouldn’t let her leave the island without being real with me.

  I couldn’t do that. If I was going to give more of myself than I ever had before, then I’d demand her to do the same. Our meeting may not have been planned, and I might’ve been a thing that was just in her way. But I wasn’t going to run away from her because our kiss scared me.

  I wasn’t that kind of man. I had a chance to find out what would happen if I gave into those falling stars I only had with her. And I had to find out if she had the same experience I did.

  Did she see stars too?

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Sloane

  Steam moved in tiny tendrils above my morning cup of coffee. Seabirds were waking up with the sunrise, starting their morning chorus. I’d been up before daybreak, waiting to see what was proving to be a spectacular event.

  Just as grand as the sunset was, the start of the day was equally gorgeous. I was ready to get going on a new day.

  Having Zane leave so abruptly had been a blessing and a curse. A curse because of the mind games I’d been playing with myself, but a blessing his absence had given me an opportunity to slip into Smith’s abode.

  True, I hadn’t found anything useful, but I’d eliminated the bungalow, which was useful intel. Now, I just needed to follow him around to see where he was keeping the stash of money the FBI was told he possessed.

  “Gorgeous.”

  I turned my head find Zane standing on his deck. Even just after waking up, scratching his head, and wearing nothing more than red pajama bottoms, the man looked like something out of a naughty dream.

  “It is, isn’t it. You just don’t get sunrises like this back home.” I sipped my coffee and tried not to look at Zane’s crotch to see if there was any morning wood action going on that would give me a hint to the size of his magic wand.

  “I was talking about you, Sloane.”

  I rolled my eyes but was secretly pleased. “Such a sweet talker.” I pulled the sides of my robe closer together to make sure my tits weren’t exposed. I had nothing on underneath the robe. After the long bath last night that had a very happy ending, I floated to the bed and fell right into it without bothering with nightclothes.

  “What do you say to some breakfast before you get rolling on your book writing?” He leaned over, gripping the rail with both hands, making his pecs and biceps flex, the tattoos moving over the muscles.

  My stomach growled as my eyes roamed freely over him. I was hungrier for him than anything else, but he hadn’t offered that.

  Damn my luck.

  “My stomach is telling me to accept that invitation.”

  Pushing his hair back with one hand, he smiled. “Cool. I’ll take a quick shower and come over to escort my lady. Give me fifteen minutes. Or do you need more time than that?”

  “Nope.” I put the coffee cup down and got up. “I can be ready in fifteen.”

  I was a bit on the giddy side as I hurried to shower and dress. The best thing about being in a tropical paradise was no one expected you to wear a full face of makeup. It would just melt away anyway, leaving you looking like a sad clown. And with the constant breeze, I pulled my hair back into a ponytail to keep it from blowing all around my head the way it had yesterday.

  Well within my time limit, I’d showered, and put on a simple outfit of white shorts and a pale blue gauzy top, then slipped on some sandals.

  I loved island life.

  Zane knocked just as I was walking out of the bedroom. I grabbed my bag and joined him outside, locking the door behind me.

  “You look great.” He took my hand and pulled me to him, leaving a kiss on my cheek.

  My lips tingled, wanting a taste of those luscious lips of his, but I wasn’t about to grab him and force him to satisfy my craving. Not after being rejected last night. I couldn’t handle another rejection this early in the morning.

  The sound of another door closing had us turning around, and there was Smith with his girl.

  Damn.

  “Hey there, Charles.” I looked at Zane in surprise.

  When the fuck did he meet my rabbit?

  “Hello, Zane. How ya doin’ this fine mornin’?” Smith knew Zane?

  How? When? Why?

  Zane’s arm moved around my shoulders. “This is Sloane, my girl.”

  His girl?

  And why did my stomach just flip?

  I extended my hand, common manners taking over. “Hello, Charles, did he say?”

  “Yeah, I’m Charles.” He shook my hand with a couple of quick jerks then looked at the woman he was with. “This is Grace. She’s my girl.”

  “It’s so nice to meet you both.” I shook her hand too.

  She had a great smile, but one would expect that out of a mafia moneyman’s arm candy. “It’s a pleasure.” She let my hand go to run hers over her hair that was already beginning to blow around. “You don’t happen to have a spare hairband, d
o ya?”

  I actually did have one wrapped around my wrist. It was a little thing I did when I wore my hair in a ponytail, just in case the one I had broke. My thick hair had been known to pop a band a time or two. “Here, take this one. I have plenty.”

  Grace pulled her hair up and slipped the band around it. “Charles picked me up so quickly that I didn’t have time to get every little thing.”

  “Oh, was the trip a surprise?” I was loving that I was getting to actually interact with them. I could get the job done so much faster this way.

  Zane’s hand ran down to the small of my back. “Baby, we can talk over breakfast. You two should join us.”

  How lucky for me that I was with Mr. Social. “Yes, join us. That would be so nice.”

  “Sure.” Charles took Grace’s hand, and we all set out to walk up to the café.

  We were a few steps ahead of the couple, so I leaned in to whisper, “And when did you meet this guy?”

  “Last night.” He moved his arm up and wrapped it around my neck, holding me close and kissed the side of my head. “When you were supposed to be sleeping.”

  I didn’t know what he meant by that, but I was still curious. “How did you meet?”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t hear us. We were talking back and forth on our decks. What were you up to that you didn’t hear us?”

  He grinned, and I felt for a moment that he might know what I had been doing in the bathtub. I had opened the blinds after all, so I could see the moon.

  But then I remembered that it was dark inside my bungalow, and the bathtub was deep. Zane couldn’t have seen anything. “Sleeping hard, I suppose.”

  He was still grinning. “I suppose so. Did you see them when you were on the plane?” He let me go and held my hand.

  “Who? Them?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. You all came in yesterday. It would make sense that you all rode on the same plane.”

  I couldn’t very well tell him that I came in on a private jet. That would send up a bunch of red flags, and I’d have to create even more lies. “I might have. I really didn’t pay that much attention. I slept mostly.”

 

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