Accidental Surprises

by Tia Wylder

  I nodded and smiled faintly. I knew my best friend didn’t approve of what I was doing, but it wasn’t like I had a choice. If I had any chance of defeating Franchot and the cocky, smug Jack Nathan, I was going to have to make a real splash.

  Lisa, Sally, and Andrew called for a taxi back to the airport. I stood outside with them and waited, unsure if I’d be able to stop myself from leaping into the backseat and yelling that I’d changed my mind. But when the yellow cab pulled up, I swallowed and stood tall and tried to act proud.

  “Are you sure?” Lisa asked softly. She pulled me into a tight hug. “I’m going to be so worried about you!”

  “I’m sure,” I said, even though I wasn’t at all. The sky was bright, and the sun was shining – but how long would it last?

  Lisa nodded. Her big dark eyes filled with worry. “Okay,” she said softly. “Check in when you can.”

  I nodded.

  The taxi driver honked, and Lisa flushed before scrambling into the backseat. Then the car pulled away, and I was on my own.

  ---

  I spent the rest of the day on the beach with my laptop, trying to think of what to do next. Obviously, I was going to have to let a few people know that I was in Nassau if I wanted any kind of recognition. I emailed my adviser, as well as a couple of small journals that I knew covered environmental science. I laid out my reasons for wanting to stay, as well as the evil that was Jack Nathan and Louis Franchot. After a couple of hours, I felt satisfied with my efforts, so I closed my laptop and took a swim in the still-tranquil sea.

  That night, I ordered room service and sat alone in my room, working on my paper. The halls were filled with people trying to make a desperate escape before the hurricane. With each sound of frightened voices, I felt a little more frightened. But I wasn’t going to let that scare me off – I had a mission, and I wasn’t going to be satisfied until it was complete.

  In the morning, everything was different. The sky was dark and grey and cloudy, and angry winds were whipping the palm trees back and forth until I thought their trunks would break. When I went down to the lobby, I found it was empty.

  A chill of fear ran down my spine. “Hello?” I called. “Is anyone here?”

  There was no answer. Grimly, I turned back and headed upstairs where I decided to keep working on my paper. I wrote for three hours, then got up to stretch. Just as I was about to pick up the phone and call for more room service, the lights flickered.

  “Oh, no,” I said softly. “No, please!”

  My pleas did nothing. The lights flickered a few more times, then cut out and left me in a disquieting semi-dark.

  My heart was thumping as I made my way out of my room and walked down the hall. The Hotel St. Charles was completely deserted, and somehow the silence was even more frightening than that of the panicking guest. I shivered despite the warm temperature as I made my way down the back stairs and into the lobby.

  “Hello?” I called.

  There was no answer.

  Frowning, I walked through the lobby and into the hotel’s signature restaurant – a classy steak joint where the cheapest thing on the menu was over twenty dollars. A loud noise made me jump and shriek with fright. I gasped when I saw a figure standing in front of me. He was tall and lean yet muscular, with tousled dirty blonde hair and dark eyes.

  “Hello?” I asked uncertainly. “Did you decide to stick it out, too?”

  The man chuckled and stepped forward. He was wearing a creased white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing his tanned skin. Between the muscles in his arms and his chiseled jawline, I felt a shiver of arousal race down my spine. Stop it, Adele, I told myself. He’s just a man – stop freaking out like you’ve never seen one before.

  “Yeah,” the guy said. His voice was lazy and arrogant. “I guess I did.”

  Chapter Three

  Adele

  “I guess we’re alone then,” I said weakly, gesturing to the empty restaurant.

  “I guess so,” the man replied. He snickered. “What’s your excuse?”

  I laughed nervously. “I’m a grad student,” I said, shaking my head. “I thought it would…I don’t know, look good that I decided to stick it out.” Saying it out loud made me wonder if my idea had truly been stupid.

  To my surprise, the man whistled. “Damn,” he said. “That’s impressive.”

  I flushed, feeling like an idiot.

  Just then, a loud clap of thunder sounded overhead, and I jumped again, squeaking in fear. I thought the man would laugh at me, but instead, he stepped closer and I felt a delightful shiver run down my spine.

  “You know, we could die,” the man said, gesturing outside. I winced as I saw angry waves crashing down on the shore. It was hard to believe that I’d just gone swimming yesterday.

  “I suppose we could,” I said. My heart was thumping, and my mouth was dry.

  The man raised an eyebrow and stepped closer. He was so close that I could have reached out and touched him.

  “So, what do you wanna do?” The man asked.

  I flushed hotly. His implication wasn’t lost on me.

  “I don’t know what you mean,” I lied.

  The man grinned. He reached out and took my hand. When our skin touched for the first time, I felt a spark leap from his flesh to my own. I shivered again – I’d never felt like this, especially not with a stranger!

  “I think you know,” he said in a husky voice. When he leaned in closer and pressed his forehead against mine, I didn’t push back.

  “Are you trying to get in my pants?” I asked softly.

  The man leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. They were warm and dry, and he smelled so good that I almost swooned as his tongue slipped into my mouth. Without even thinking about it, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close.

  “Yeah,” the man whispered, breaking the kiss. “After all, we could die.”

  Suddenly, his words struck me as both profound and powerful. Why not, I thought as I reached out and pressed my body against his, enjoying the feel of his muscular bulk against my own body. He’s right. I might not make it out of here – I may as well have sex with this gorgeous Greek god!

  When we kissed again, it was more intense. I moaned softly as the man nibbled my lip, sucking the flesh gently until I felt a flood of arousal in my lower belly. My tongue danced with his, and I cocked my head to the side, deepening the kiss until my jaw ached. It didn’t matter. A torrent of ecstasy and anticipation was flooding my body, and I moaned into the man’s mouth as I felt his hands on my body. He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me close, pressing his hard muscular body against mine.

  “You taste so good,” the man whispered, breaking the kiss and nuzzling me. He slipped his hands under my shirt, and I purred when I felt him stroking my bare stomach. He moved his hands higher and higher, cupping my breasts through my lacy bra and rubbing his thumb over my stiff nipples until I bit my lip and groaned with pleasure. I was so aroused that I felt like I was going to explode if the man didn’t take me right here and now. When he reached around my back and expertly unclasped my bra, I shivered with arousal. I crossed my arms over my chest and grabbed the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head as the man pulled my bra away from my body. The air in the restaurant was chill, and my nipples were so stiff that they almost ached.

  The man dropped to his knees and put his hands on my hips, pulling me closer. He nuzzled my belly as he fumbled with the zipper of my jeans. Sliding the stiff material down my hips, I shivered again. There was something strangely sensual about being almost naked while my partner was still fully dressed. The crotch of my cotton panties was soaked with my arousal. The man nuzzled me between the legs, sending swirls of pleasure through my lower belly. I felt weak in the knees as he slid a finger inside my panties, gently fondling my sensitive skin.

  “You taste good, too,” the man purred, licking his finger and locking eyes with me. I shuddered. I’d never had someone act so brazen
ly sexual with me, or treat me like I was some kind of exotic goddess. Most men ignored me or treated me like their long-lost sister. Even when I’d had boyfriends and one night stands in college, it had never been particularly passionate. But this was incredible, this was different. This man was making me feel like I held sexual power in my hands, the kind of sexual power that brings men to their knees.

  The man slipped my panties down, and I stepped out of them, kicking them to the side. He ran his hands down my bare thighs, scratching the skin with his nails until I shivered with pleasure. I dropped to my knees and wrapped my arms around the man’s neck, kissing him deeply. My nipples rubbed against the soft cotton of his shirt, and I moaned with pleasure – it felt so good that I could hardly stand it. I could feel my clit was pulsing with arousal, hard and stiff between my legs, and I shivered as I thought about how good it would feel when the man slid inside of me for the first time.

  With clumsy fingers, I unbuttoned the man’s shirt and pulled it away from his body. His torso was muscular and lean, shiny and hairless. He smelled spicy and musky, and I leaned in close and kissed his chest breathlessly, licking his skin until he growled with pleasure. His cock was hard – there was a bulge at the fork of his trousers – and I ran my hand over it until he groaned. The man grabbed my hand and began thrusting against his in a lewd gesture that made me flush. Then he unzipped his pants and wriggled out of them. I gasped when his cock popped free – he hadn’t been wearing any boxers!

  Naked, the man was even more handsome. He was sturdy and lean, with narrow hips and a neat waist that made me think he spent every day alone in the gym. He kissed me again, pinching my nipples with his fingers until a flood of pleasure crashed over my head. His hard cock poked me in the lower belly, and I blushed at the girth of it – he was huge, much bigger than anyone else that I’d ever been with.

  “I want you,” I groaned softly. “I can’t take it anymore.”

  The man grinned. He wrapped an arm around me and laid me down on the soft carpeted floor. Then he slid a hand between my thighs and stroked my wetness before pushing my legs apart and crawling in between them. When I felt the head of his cock pressing against me, I arched my back and lifted my hips high into the air.

  The man’s cock slid inside of me, penetrating me to the hilt. He groaned and grabbed my hips, staying frozen for a moment before beginning to thrust back and forth. I moaned loudly as the man grabbed my ankles and hauled my legs over his shoulders. His cock was sliding in so deep that I felt completely filled. The man smirked at me and reached between my legs where his thumb found my clit and began to rub. It felt so good that I closed my eyes and shivered, moaning happily as pleasure filled my body.

  In that moment, I forgot about everything. My grad school work, my plan to keep the two billionaires from building huge hotels, even the hurricane. I was transported to a world of pleasure and lust.

  The man groaned. He arched his back and thrust in deeper and deeper. We were both covered in sweat and beads of perspiration were dripping down from the man’s forehead to my chest. I bit my lip, trying to suppress a loud shriek of pleasure. The man was rubbing my clit harder and faster, and I was gasping for air. I knew that I was about to come, and I held my breath until I couldn’t hold it in any longer. When my orgasm hit, it was like a tidal wave crashing over my body. I gasped and shuddered and screamed with intense pleasure as my body quivered and shook.

  My own pleasure seemed to set off my lover’s – he groaned, grabbing my hips and sliding in deep. With a loud grunt and gasp, he shuddered. I felt his cock pulsing inside of me, and I groaned loudly, pushing my body against his.

  When it was over, I lay back, exhausted and breathing hard. The pleasure was still coursing through my body, and I shivered happily.

  The man pulled out of me and flopped down on the carpet, pulling me into his arms. I rested my head on his chest.

  “It’s crazy,” I said in a soft, dreamy voice. “I don’t even know your name. And I’ve never done anything like that!”

  “Neither have I,” the man said. His voice was dark and low, like velvet. “My name is Jack, by the way.”

  “Mmn,” I purred. “That’s a nice name. I’m Adele. Adele Parker.”

  The man shifted and grinned, holding his hand out for me to shake. “Jack Nathan,” he said. The cocky gleam had come back into his dark eyes. “Nice to meet you.”

  For a moment, I felt like someone had punched me in the gut. I couldn’t breathe, and my heart skidded to a frantic stop in my chest. Then I swallowed hard and pushed Jack away from me.

  Jack frowned. “What’s wrong?” He asked, narrowing his eyes. He reached for his trousers and stood up, pulling them on over his muscular body.

  “I know who you are,” I said quietly, glaring as hatred filled my body, replacing the calm sensuality with a raw, angry power.

  Jack shrugged. “Yeah, you and half the world,” he said. He reached for his shirt and slipped it on, buttoning it up and pushing his messy hair out of his eyes.

  “No,” I said quietly. “I mean, I know who you are.” I took a deep breath, my nostrils flaring with anger. I couldn’t believe myself – I’d slept with the enemy, the man I’d sworn to destroy. I suddenly hated myself almost as much as I hated Jack. If I hadn’t fallen prey to his charms, I wouldn’t be in this horrible position.

  Jack laughed. “Yeah, Adele, you said that,” he replied. “What’s wrong?”

  “I…” I trailed off and shook my head, filled with a potent, hot rage that made it almost impossible to talk. I can’t do this right now, I thought, yanking on my jeans so quickly that I nearly tripped over my own feet. I grabbed my bra and stuffed it in one of my pockets, pulling my shirt over my head. I didn’t care – I just knew I needed to get away from Jack as quickly as possible. Turning around, I broke into a run and jogged out of the restaurant.

  The skies outside were darker than ever, and I could hear the howling of the wind as it whipped from side to side.

  “Adele, wait!” Jack yelled. “What the fuck happened?”

  I didn’t answer him. I kept running through the lobby. When I felt Jack’s hand on my shoulder, I whirled around and slapped him in the face. The sound was as loud as a crack of thunder. Jack stared at me with wild eyes, clearly in shock.

  “Have you lost your mind?” Jack demanded. He narrowed his dark eyes into tiny slits. “Adele, come on – what did I do?”

  “Well,” I said hotly, stepping back and crossing my arms over my chest in a defiant pose. “For one thing, you ruin the ecosystem of nearly every place you choose to build! And for another, I’m here to threaten you out of building in Nassau! You and Louis Franchot are going to destroy the wildlife and threaten everything!”

  Jack snickered. “Wait, you were planning to threaten me? That’s adorable!”

  My heart sank, and I swallowed hard. For the first time, it occurred to me that my plan had been idiotic and foolish. How the hell was I – a poor graduate student with practically no resources – going to convince one of the world’s richest men to abandon a project that would make him even more money?

  “I was,” I said angrily, tossing my head and trying to look like I knew what I was doing. “That’s why I stayed. I came down here originally to finish my dissertation – which just happens to be on the same land you’re planning to build a hotel on! And then I found out about your disgusting plan, and I decided to change my focus.”

  Jack raised an eyebrow.

  “And I didn’t know about the hurricane, and I thought it would get me a lot of publicity if I stayed,” I continued, feeling stupider by the minute. “And I thought a lot of environment publications would write a story about me.”

  “And you’d use the attention and money from that to talk me out of the building?” Jack snorted. “Well, honey, I hate to break it to you - ¬you're too late.”

  My heart sank.

  “Louis Franchot bought the land already,” Jack said. “And I’m trying to buy it back
from him.”

  My nostrils flared with anger, and for a moment, I thought I was going to be sick. I didn’t know how I’d ever managed to find this cocky asshole attractive – he was a snake!

  “So, since it looks like we’re in this together, why don’t we look for something to eat?” Jack suggested, raising an eyebrow at me and cocking his head to the side.

  The hatred and anger I felt was so pure, so hot, that it could have melted the entire Antarctic ice shelf.

  “Fuck you,” I spat, turning on my heel and running away.

  The sound of Jack’s laughter filled my ears. “Go ahead, honey,” Jack called. “Go on being a spoiled little college brat and see how far that takes you!”

  I wanted to turn around and attack him, throw my fists at his stupid handsome face until he collapsed to the ground.