by Pamela Stone
Against his better judgment, he allowed her to spoon-feed him. Before he could swallow, she leaned forward and licked the corner of his mouth.
He turned to capture her lips, but she moved away. The bungalow had been chilly when he arrived, but the temperature just shot off the top of the thermostat.
Two could play at this game. He scooped a bite onto his finger. “Your turn.” He deliberately smeared a little on her top lip then covered her mouth in a slow penetrating kiss.
She sighed into his mouth and ran her palms over his chest. He undid the strap and slid her blouse off her shoulder, but she pushed him away.
Shaking her head, her hair swirled around her shoulders. She swiped her finger in the dessert dish and placed a dab of creamy pudding behind his ear, trailing her finger down his throat, before moving in for the kill, licking and suckling her way around his neck and down his chest. His body burned.
Aaron sunk two fingers in the cream and pushed her back onto the carpet. All restraint gone, he eased her top lower and smeared crème brûlée over both breasts, circling the nipples. Stifling a low moan, he licked every last drop clean.
She unbuttoned his shirt and ran her hands over his chest, pinching his nipples. He gave up all attempts at control as her fingers unzipped his slacks and shoved them down. He hadn’t noticed her dip her hand in the velvety dessert until it wrapped around him.
Cupping her head between his hands, he adjusted his hips to give her better access. He’d had good sex, incredible one-night stands and a couple of tight relationships, but nothing came close to Charlie.
He didn’t know what to make of her. He was totally and completely consumed by his wife.
CHARLOTTE WAS STILL DISTRACTED by Aaron and the night before when Perry dropped into the chair in front of her desk. “I just talked to tech support. Someone changed the code.”
“I wonder who could have done that?” she asked, snapping back into work mode. She knew as well as Perry did that he had tampered with the code that programmed the card keys just so he could be the hero, again.
He ignored her sarcasm. “We need to talk.”
“About what?”
He rubbed one hand across his mouth and sighed. “I’ve got a confession.”
“Really?” Now she was definitely suspicious.
“I’ve been worried about you.” He paused for effect. The man should be an actor. “I hired a P.I. to keep an eye on Aaron.”
“You what?”
“Before you get your dander up, hear me out. I know you love him, but sometimes love’s blind. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I don’t trust him.”
She jumped to her feet. “You have no right to interfere in my private life.”
“Calm down and listen. Your husband is running cocaine on the Free Wind.”
“What?”
“We suspect they’re using The Green Gecko as a meeting place. Lots of commotion there and nobody pays much attention to anybody else’s business,” Perry pointed out. “One of the guys he drinks with is a known runner. It looks like a small operation, but enough volume to put him away.”
She swallowed a lump in her throat. “That’s outrageous. Aaron doesn’t run drugs.”
“Sal Hernandez has a record as long as your arm and the cops have him in their scope. My guy saw him with Aaron.” He took a deep breath. “Why do you think he got so bent out of shape when he found me on the boat that night? He knew I was on to him and looking for evidence.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Charlotte, you’ve been protected from opportunists like Aaron. His type is smooth and cunning. He’ll do whatever it takes to convince you he has your best interest at heart, right up until the moment you realize he’s gone and so is your money.”
“Sounds like someone else I remember.”
His eyes narrowed. “Pull your head out of the sand. The guy’s bad news. So far, I’ve been able to keep the cops off Aaron’s trail, but eventually they’re going to catch on. If you don’t care about yourself, think about the resort. Headline—‘Marathon Key, Harrington Resort Manager’s Husband Busted for Drugs.’ Can you imagine what that’ll do for business?”
She leaned her head against the wall. Perry was only attempting to discredit Aaron, but her business couldn’t afford the risk. The rumor alone could hurt not only the Marathon resort, but the entire Harrington chain. Edward would yank her out of here so fast, he wouldn’t give her time to pack. And she could forget another manager position. There wasn’t a decent resort in the world that would touch her.
Aaron did spend a lot of evenings at The Green Gecko and nights on the Free Wind. She had to know for sure.
AARON SAT AT THE POLISHED BAR at Harrington’s and nursed a Cognac. It was already past seven and according to Rosa, Thurman stopped by every evening for a nightcap.
“Mind if I join you?” Perry asked, sitting on the stool next to him and motioning the bartender to bring him the same thing Aaron was drinking.
Right on time. “Yeah, I do,” he replied, looking over Thurman’s navy pin-striped suit. Didn’t want the guy to know he was waiting on him.
Perry flashed a toothy smile and pretended he was teasing. “Don’t you think it’s time we called a truce? We both care about Charlotte.”
“Do we?” Aaron asked, swirling the amber liquid around the snifter. “I thought I cared about her and you were trying to take over her hotel.”
The muscles in Perry’s jaw twitched. “You want me to believe you’re in love with her? I’ve been in your shoes, remember? Charlotte Harrington is about as sexy as a dead fish.”
Aaron flexed his fingers, warning himself not to play into Thurman’s hands. “Brody, Charlotte Brody.” He nodded toward the piano player in the corner of the room. “Charlie’s like that beautiful piano over there.” He kicked back and took a slow drink of Cognac. “No matter how perfectly tuned, still depends on who sits down at the keyboard.”
“Don’t try and play me, Brody. I know she paid you a hundred grand to marry her and save her from Harrington’s plan.”
“Damn, Percy.” Aaron furrowed his brow. “How bad a lay do you have to be that a woman would pay that kind of money to avoid marrying you?”
Perry shoved back from the bar. “You won’t be so smug when I expose you for the money-hungry gigolo you are.”
He watched Thurman storm out. Wounded male ego was a bitch. The idiot never even took a drink of the expensive liquor.
The bartender raised one eyebrow and cleared away the glass. “I’ll put this on his tab.”
He had to protect Charlie from guys like Thurman. He wondered if it ever occurred to anyone, including her, that she needed protecting. She acted so together, as if she had her life completely under control.
If it was the last thing he did for her, Aaron was going to bring Thurman down. The SOB was dangerous.
By the time Charlie finally joined him, Aaron had made up his mind not to mention Perry’s threat. The way he figured it, if Perry was putting his energy into destroying him, maybe that would give her some breathing room.
When she entered the bar, she’d twisted her hair up and clipped it to the back of her head. Before she’d left the bungalow this morning she’d tied it back in a loose ponytail. Her tight expression worried him. This whole Perry thing was taking more of a toll on her than she’d admit.
Aaron wrapped an arm around her shoulder and bent to give her a kiss. She didn’t turn away, but she didn’t return the gesture, either.
“Rough day?” He picked up his drink and followed her to one of the tables.
He set his glass down and held out her chair. She placed her purse in one of the empty chairs and glanced at the waiter. “A glass of Chardonnay, please.” She turned to answer Aaron’s question, but she didn’t look him in the eye. “It was long. I need to eat and then get some sleep.”
The meal progressed in silence. She looked like it took all her energy just to bring her fork to her mouth. What had chang
ed? Something was bothering her, but she wasn’t talking.
Charlotte wasn’t sure how she’d gotten through dinner. After his reaction about the phone calls, she couldn’t give Aaron any hint that she doubted him. He’d never forgive her.
As soon as they arrived at the bungalow, Aaron undressed and crawled into bed. He looked as exhausted as she felt, but for her, sleep didn’t come. She took a hot bath and two aspirin, but neither worked. The more tired she was, the harder time she had sleeping. Add the seeds of doubt that Perry had planted and sleep was elusive. She forced herself to stay in bed until the alarm went off before heading to the office. Aaron was still asleep when she let herself out the door.
How could she know for sure? Calling the cops was out of the question. They’d ask too many questions about why she was asking questions. She didn’t want to focus any unnecessary attention on Aaron. So, if she couldn’t ask Aaron directly and she couldn’t consult the police, what other options were available?
Rosa? She did keep Aaron’s books. And she was right here in the resort. Problem was that Rosa was Aaron’s friend long before she was Charlotte’s.
She had to give it a shot.
Chapter Eighteen
Aaron had hardly set foot inside the Gecko when Rosa stomped up to him, her dark eyes flashing sparks. “You need to tell me what’s going on.”
“What’re you talking about?” He’d never seen her look so ticked off at anyone except Raul.
She tapped her high heel and glared at him as if he should be able to read her mind. “Why is your wife asking me all these questions? I no more than get back from lunch than here she comes.”
His suspicion meter shot off the chart. “What kind of questions?”
“Do I know Sal Hernandez? Do you talk to anyone suspicious? Why would she ask something like that?”
“I have no idea. What else?”
“Were your books on the level? Had I noticed anything out of line? Said she was curious about your buddies, but then she clammed up.” Rosa grabbed a drink order off the bar, delivered it to the two guys at the corner table, then tossed the tray back on the bar.
She didn’t miss a beat in her tirade. “She told me to forget the conversation and not to tell you! Right? Like who does she think she is? I mean, why would I not tell you?”
Something was up and Thurman was behind it. If he’d managed to plant more suspicions in Charlie’s head, then why didn’t she come to him? Same reason she didn’t come to him about the phone calls. The woman didn’t trust him. Never had. Never would. “Anything else?”
“That’s pretty much it, but if she does it again and I lose my temper, and probably my job, you better be prepared to support me.”
“If Raul couldn’t afford you, what makes you think I can?” he teased, or tried to.
She didn’t smile. Rosa was the one person he trusted. She knew about his problem and didn’t look down on him. “I’ve been thinking about buying a laptop so we could put my books on it. I don’t want anything in that resort she can go through.”
“You have nothing to hide, Aaron.”
“You and Raul know that. But Charlie doesn’t.” Aaron gave her a quick hug. “I don’t want Charlie to know about the computer for a while. And I need you to watch that temper, stay at the resort, and keep your ear to the ground. See if you can find out what female Thurman paid to make those calls to Charlie.”
“Oh! I almost forgot.” Rosa stepped back and her eyes sparkled. “That flighty secretary of hers likes to gloat. Today she came down to the break room to get a soda and I heard her mouthing off to Grace that Miss High and Mighty was on her way out. Perry Thurman would be running things soon and then she’d be set. Zelda said Perry was going to put her up in her own place and she wouldn’t have to be taking orders from that bitch anymore.”
“Zelda is sleeping with Thurman?”
“Morning, noon and night.”
Aaron couldn’t say he was shocked, but he hadn’t figured that angle. “If he’s using her to snoop into Charlie’s personal affairs, then he could find out all sorts of things to sabotage her, or me for that matter.”
Rosa’s haughty nose turned up. “Well, I don’t want him to hurt you, but after the little episode with your wife this afternoon, I’m not feeling too sympathetic toward her.”
“Give her a break. She just doesn’t know how to get close to people.”
“You deserve someone who will at least trust you. Somebody with a heart.”
He patted her shoulder. “You knew she had a heart even before I did. She just sucks at people skills.”
“Maybe.” She nudged her way between him and the guy standing at the bar next to him. “So what’s Perry Thurman’s problem?”
He took a swig of beer. “Terminal asshole. Why?”
She flopped down on the next stool. “I haven’t told you about the rest of my sucky day. Thurman comes waltzing into the boutique shortly after Charlotte left and starts asking even more questions than your wife. Said he’d seen the two of us together and practically accused us of being lovers. Wanted to know if you were as good as your reputation, one-hundred-thousand-dollars good.”
Raul set a glass of wine in front of her and leaned on the bar, eager to hear the rest of the story.
“So, what did you tell him?” Aaron asked.
“I suggested he ask his boss about her husband’s skills between the sheets, if that was his bent, but I figured he was wasting his time. Didn’t think he was your type.”
Raul chortled.
“Crap. I’m just generating all sorts of interest today. Raul, anybody come around grilling you?”
Raul refilled a bowl of peanuts. “Nope, but I doubt I can think as fast as Rosa.”
“Put the lady’s wine on my tab.”
Rosa shook her head. “The lady wants dinner.”
Raul leaned toward Aaron and whispered loud enough for Rosa to hear. “She eats when she’s angry.”
“Dinner it is,” Aaron agreed. “’Cause I guaran-damn-tee you that Perry Thurman can make a person angrier than anybody I’ve ever met.”
They found an empty table and the waiter had just set their plates in front of them when Aaron’s cell phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket and punched the button.
“Can you come home?”
He closed his eyes. Last night, she’d hardly spoken to him. “What’s wrong?” he asked, pushing away from the table.
“I just need to talk to you.”
He wasn’t sure he was up to another disgruntled female tonight. Especially one who didn’t trust him enough to be honest about whatever it was she was snooping around about.
AARON WALKED INTO THE BUNGALOW and Charlie descended on him like a hurricane of swirling words. “Perry’s having an affair with Zelda. Zelda! Can you believe that? Security filmed her going into Perry’s room upstairs, five minutes after he went in. Then a half hour later, she comes waltzing out, her hair looking like a rat had slept in it.”
“One had.” Aaron’s gaze followed her as she paced back and forth. Something told him this whole come-home-and-talk scene had more to it than Thurman’s new bed partner. It’d be nice if Charlie would level with him about whatever lies Thurman was feeding her. “Rosa told me this afternoon. I figure Perry’s using Zelda to stay on top of what you’re up to and getting a little action as a fringe benefit. Do you think she’s the one who was making those calls?”
“I’d recognize her voice, but she could have a friend or someone do it.” Charlie tapped her foot. “Guess what else. When more reservations turned up cancelled today I called tech support. They’ve all been changed under Maria’s sign-in, but here’s the kicker. One workstation, Zelda’s. Maria’s been with the resort for years. I trust her. So I figure Perry somehow got her password and gave it to Zelda. I had Maria change her password. But, first thing tomorrow morning, Zelda’s history.”
Aaron shook his head. “Not so fast. She may come in handy to help us nail Thurman.”
A creative move, even for Thurman. “That’s pretty crappy.”
Her mouth dropped open and she looked as if she might reply, but she evidently didn’t find the humor in his pun. “What else is he up to?” she asked, more to herself than him.
Somebody pounded on the front door. Charlie walked over to the door and jerked it open. “Can I help you?”
“Is Brody here? Tell him it’s Sal and I have to talk to him. Now.”
Aaron caught the suspicion in Charlie’s expression as she turned from the door. He eased by her, joined Sal on the front porch, and closed the door. “What are you doing here?”
“I just left the police station. Alguien dijo ellos que corría las drogas. Any idea who might have told them something like that?”
“Drugs? How the hell should I know?”
Sal was angrier than both women combined. “They think I’m using your boat to transport them!”
Aaron led him away from the door so hopefully Charlie couldn’t overhear. “Why would they think that?”
“I figure you’re into something and trying to shift the blame to me.” Sal jerked his arm out of Aaron’s grasp.
Aaron jabbed both hands through his hair. “So that’s what Thurman’s spreading.”
Sal’s fist clenched and unclenched. “What’s Thurman got to do with it? He and I get along.”
“He’s out to destroy me and you’re a pawn, my friend.”
“You’re saying Thurman set the cops on me?”
Aaron leaned back against a palm tree and fought to keep his temper under wrap. “He’s setting me up and using you to do it. I better get back to the boat before he plants something on it. Keep your eyes open. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s taking pictures of us right now.”