I glance over the Gulf of Mexico. The water today is calm and serene. Living in the Sonoran Desert my entire life, I never realized how much I would enjoy the ocean. I didn’t know what I was missing.
A seagull flies by and squawks at us.
“It’s a sign,” Theo says.
I turn back to face him. “A sign of what?”
“When a seagull caws, it means true love is in the air.”
I narrow my gaze at him. “Did you just make that up?”
He shakes his head. “I’m sure I read it somewhere.”
“I think you’re just trying to get lucky.”
He grins. “Is it working?”
“Maybe…should we go back to the room and find out?”
I PLACE a soft kiss on Theo’s lips. “Feeling lucky yet?”
He raises an eyebrow. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
The air between us is heating up. I slowly remove my shirt. Then toss it on a chair in the corner of the bedroom.
Theo’s eyes are wide and his mouth is agape.
“What’s wrong?”
He shakes his head. “Nothing. Please proceed.”
I unbutton my shorts and step out of them. I toss them onto the chair with my shirt.
Theo doesn’t take his eyes from mine as he closes the distance between us. “Are you sure about this?”
“I’m very sure.”
I remove my bra and toss it with the rest of my clothing. My panties come off next and they join the pile.
Theo’s mouth pops back open as he gawks at my naked body. He seems to be in shock.
“You’re still fully clothed,” I remind him.
My comment seems to knock him out of his stupor. “I can fix that. No worries.”
I grin at him. “I’m not worried.”
He kicks off his shoes and removes his socks. Then he quickly undresses. He tosses his clothing next to mine on the chair.
I take my time checking out the full package. I’ve only had one serious boyfriend, the high school nerd who cheated in me, so I don’t have a lot of basis for comparison.
But I do like what I see standing in front of me.
Theo is muscular, but not too big. He’s kind of like Goldilocks’s third bowl of porridge—just right.
“I don’t have any condoms,” he says nervously.
I grin. “I’ve got some.”
“Were you planning on having sex?”
“I was hoping to,” I admit. “Isn’t that what Spring Break is for?”
He shrugs. “I never actually got to go on a real Spring Break trip.”
“It’s never too late to have a Spring Break fling,” I tease.
Before I realize what’s happening he lifts me into his arms and carries me over to the bed. He gently sets me down so my head is on the pillow.
Then he stares at me for several moments. His eyes roaming the length of my body.
“What’s wrong?”
“Absolutely nothing. You’re perfect. You’re beautiful. You’re smart. You’re funny. Maybe I should pinch myself just to make sure I’m not dreaming.”
I laugh. “Compliments will get you everywhere. Now get into bed.”
“Are you sure that wasn’t too cheesy?”
“Maybe a little.” I slide over a few feet and tap the bed with my palm. “Join me?”
When he climbs into bed with me I can feel the heat radiating from his body.
He’s already deliciously hard and ready for action. Time to get my engine revved too. “Kiss me,” I urge.
Theo’s entire body tenses and the color drains from his face. He looks like he might be sick.
“Are you okay?”
He slowly moves his head up and down, but it’s not a very convincing gesture.
I place my hand on his chest. His heart is pounding like a bass drum. “Are you nervous?”
His response is more nodding.
“Why?”
He swallows. Then he clears his throat. “What if it’s not perfect?”
I don’t mean to laugh, but I do. “It’s our first time together. I doubt it will be perfect. It will probably be awkward and clumsy. Wasn’t it that way the first time you were with your ex-girlfriend?”
“And she left for me another guy. One she’s now engaged to.”
“It wasn’t awkward and clumsy every time the two of you were together, was it?”
He shrugs uncomfortably.
“Maybe the two of you weren’t a good fit. Maybe you weren’t supposed to be together.”
He lightly strokes the side of my face. “It’s important to me that I satisfy you.”
“We’ll never know until we try,” I hint.
He places a tentative hint of a kiss on my mouth. It’s so soft, it tickles my lips.
When he pulls away there’s so much uncertainty in his eyes it’s heart-wrenching. Did his ex-girlfriend drain all his confidence when she broke his heart?
I place my hands on his face and kiss him. This time I don’t let him pull away. “I want to be with you,” I whisper. “I want you, Theo.”
My words seem to do the trick. The tension releases from his body.
His next kiss is deep and filled with desire. My body tingles in response. As he moves down my neck with light butterfly kisses I get shivery all over.
“You really want me?” he asks.
“I really do,” I reply.
“No part of your body should be left unkissed,” he whispers in my ear.
“Is that a promise?”
“Absolutely.”
Theo keeps his word. He works his way down my body like a man on a mission placing sensuous kisses on every inch of my bare skin that he can reach.
He’s definitely got my motor running. Now let’s see what he can do when he shifts into gear.
The pure desire in Theo’s eyes takes my breath away. It’s difficult for me to image him not performing well. There’s nothing awkward or clumsy about the way our bodies respond to each other.
“Are you ready?” There’s still a bit of hesitancy in his voice.
“Very,” I moan. I’ve never felt so overcome with desire.
He reaches for the condom that has fallen between the pillows. He fumbles with the wrapper for a few seconds then finally tears it open with his teeth. Once he has it in place he seems a bit more self-assured.
As he moves between my legs I prepare myself for the initial stab of pain. It’s been nearly a year since I broke up with my high school boyfriend. That’s a long time to go without sex.
I do my best to relax as he pushes inside of me.
“Let me know if I’m hurting you,” he says.
“It’s fine,” I assure him.
Once I’m over the initial shock it really is fine. More than fine. Our bodies seem to be in synch with each other. There’s a mutual tempo as he pushes in and out of me and my body responds to his rhythm.
Waves of ecstasy move through me and for a moment I’m transported to a place of pure pleasure.
But then he stops and I wonder what’s wrong. “Why did you stop?”
“I want to make this last.”
I smile at him. “You know we can do it again. This can be the warm-up round.”
“Maybe that was the problem with my ex. We never got past the warm-ups.”
As I cover his mouth with mine and give him a kiss, he slowly thrusts in and out of me again.
“Pick up the pace,” I urge.
“Okay.”
Theo is very good at following instructions. He drives into me hard and faster. It’s just what I need to get my motor running again.
“More,” I mutter. “Don’t stop.”
He thrusts into me over and over until I finally cry out, a floodtide of bliss overtaking me.
After several more strokes he finally moans and shudders, finding his release. Then he wraps me in his arms and pulls me close.
“How was that for the warm-up?” he teases.
&nbs
p; I open my mouth, but no words come out. He’s shagged me speechless.
“Was it okay? he asks a bit more tentatively.
“More than okay,” I managed to squeak.
“So you are in favor of another round?” He raises an eyebrow.
I give him a satisfied smile. “Most definitely.”
CHAPTER 12
I’m awakened by pounding on the front door. Theo and I must have fallen asleep after the marathon sex session.
When I touch his shoulder to wake him he practically jumps out of bed. “What is it?”
“There’s someone at the front door.”
He wipes the sleep from his eyes as he rises. I follow him out of the bed. The pounding hasn’t stopped. If anything, it seems to be getting louder.
I pull a t-shirt and a pair of old shorts from my suitcase. Theo does the same. I quickly run my hands through my hair and try to tame my thick mane. Theo’s hair isn’t as easy to manage. There’s no hiding the fact that he was sleeping. It doesn’t help that he has a pillow line imprinted on his cheek.
We hurry to the front door. Theo looks through the peephole. “Oh, no…”
“Who is it?” My heart is pounding in my chest.
“Your dad.”
My entire body stiffens. I’m immobilized with fear. “Should I hide?”
“There’s nowhere to hide,” he says. “The closet isn’t wide enough.”
“I could probably fit in the cabinet under the bathroom sink.”
He frowns. “I don’t want you to do that.”
“It’s better than my dad murdering us.”
The pounding gets louder. It sounds like he’s kicking the door.
“I know you’re in there,” my dad shouts. “I can hear your voices.”
My heart is beating so rapidly I feel like I’m going to have a heart attack. Is that possible? I’m not even in my 20s yet.
When Theo unlocks the door I feel like I’m going to pass out. As soon as the door opens my dad storms into the suite.
He’s so angry his face is flush. The veins on his neck are bulging and pulsating. Maybe I should be worried about my dad having a heart attack rather than me.
He takes in a deep breath before he speaks. Then he fires his words like bullets. “What are you doing here?”
I gulp. “I’m on Spring Break, remember?” My voice sounds so timid I barely recognize it.
My dad’s eyes narrow to angry slits. I can’t say I’ve ever seen him this furious before. “What are you doing in Theo’s room?”
“I…um…” I wonder how obvious it is that we recently had sex.
Theo steps between us. “This is all my fault.”
My dad points a finger at him. He’s still so mad the digit is shaking. “I’ll deal with you in a minute.”
Theo visibly withers like a flower in the hot sun.
“I can explain,” I tell my father even though I have no idea how I’m going to do that.
He crosses his thick arms in front of his massive chest. Is it possible my dad has gotten even more muscular in the days since I’ve seen him? “I’m listening.”
“Addie’s parents needed to use the room that they booked for us. So Theo offered to let me stay with him.”
My dad shoots daggers at Theo. “How generous.” His words are oozing with sarcasm.
“I told Brooklyn I would sleep on the couch,” Theo adds.
“And is that where you were sleeping? On the couch?”
Theo’s forehead creases with deep worry lines. “Not exactly.”
“I hired you to watch my daughter. Not have sex with her.”
If there was a very large rock anywhere in sight I’d already be crawling underneath it. It’s bad enough being an only child. I’ve also always been daddy’s little girl.
“I’m sorry.” Those are the only words Theo can muster.
“You’re the one who should be sorry,” I say to my dad. He and Theo both look at me like I’ve gone nuts.
“What was that?” My dad’s voice seems to have raised an octave.
“You’re the one who should be sorry,” I repeat with a little more confidence. “I’m an adult. You should have never hired someone to follow me. You should have trusted that I could take care of myself.”
“It doesn’t look like you’re doing a very good job of that.”
“I’ll admit that my Spring Break hasn’t exactly gone as I’ve planned.”
“What are Mr. and Mrs. Vance doing on the island?” he asks pointedly.
I rub my temples. My head is already starting throb again. “Addie may have been kidnapped.”
My dad’s eyes grow so wide that his eyebrows nearly disappear under his hairline. “Why didn’t you tell me that?” Then he turns to face Theo. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”
“I didn’t want to upset you,” I tell him.
He shakes his head. “This is unbelievable.”
“If you’re not here because of Addie’s kidnapping, why are you here?”
He heaves a sigh. “I’ve been tracking your phone. I noticed that you were spending a lot of time in this room, and I knew it was the room that Theo was staying in. I wanted to see what was going on.” He makes a point of looking back and forth between me and Theo. “Exactly what I suspected.”
“I can’t believe you were tracking my phone. Let me guess. Theo taught you to do that.”
Theo’s cheeks turn red with embarrassment. “I didn’t realize it would come back to bite me in the butt.”
“You should have told me about Addie.” My dad’s tone is serious.
“I was afraid that a scene like this would happen. I was right.”
“I have connections in the FBI,” my dad reminds me.
“Addie’s parents said no police. They were adamant about it.”
“I don’t report to Addie’s parents.” My dad pulls his cellphone from his pocket.
I grab his arm. “Wait…don’t.”
He turns to face me. “What is it?”
“I think Addie or her parents, maybe all three of them, set up the kidnapping. To get the insurance money.”
“Why do you say that?”
I tell my dad about the photo we found on Addie’s phone and the overdue tuition notice.
He shakes his head. “If it is a setup, they’re terrible criminals. If you and Theo could figure it out that quickly, so will the insurance company, and the FBI.”
“I don’t want Addie to get in trouble.”
My dad places his hands on my shoulders. “I don’t want you to get in trouble. If Addie is involved, she’ll have to face the consequences of her actions.”
“I’ve already told the insurance company everything I know.”
“That’s good. But we also need to go the authorities.”
“I’VE TOLD you everything I know.” I feel like I’ve repeated the story to my father’s FBI buddy, Agent Orlando Torres, a million times.
“Let me talk to your dad again.”
I hand the cellphone to my father and breathe a small sigh of relief. All I wanted to do was lie on the beach and watch hot guys play volleyball. Was that too much to ask for a Spring Break trip?
Theo takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. I try to muster a smile in return. I’m emotionally drained and physically exhausted. I’m beginning to think that doing filing for Tilly, my dad’s office manager, would have been a much more restful way to spend my vacation.
Once my dad ends the call with Agent Torres he turns his attention to Theo. “We need to discuss the sleeping arrangements.”
“Dad,” I interrupt. “I’m eighteen…”
He holds up a hand and stops me midsentence. “I’m paying for this room, so I set the rules.”
“Why don’t you just take me home with you?” I sigh.
My dad embraces me in a hug. “I really do want you to have fun on your trip.”
“You’re not acting like it.”
“Maybe you could pretend not to be sleeping
together. Just to give me a little piece of mind.”
“Are you worried that I’ll get pregnant like Mom did when she was in college?”
He frowns. “Maybe…”
I place a hand on his arm. “You don’t have worry. I’m on birth control. And we used condoms.”
He winces. “As much as I appreciate knowing that, it might be a little too much information.”
I place a kiss on his cheek. “I just don’t want you to worry.”
Our moment of father-daughter bonding is interrupted by screaming in the hallway.
My dad rushes out the front door and Theo and I follow.
I gasp when I see Addie stumbling towards us. Her clothes are filthy and torn and her face is swollen and bloody.
“Help me!” She gasps for breath between blood-curdling shouts. “Please!”
She falls into my dad’s arms and he pulls her into Theo’s room.
“Lock the door,” my dad orders as he places Addie on the couch.
I quickly bolt the door, but it still doesn’t feel like enough protection. My stomach knots as I hurry to Addie’s side and realize how badly she’s been beaten.
“They want to kill me,” she mutters.
“Why?” I ask.
“The money…” When she coughs blood spews out all over her hand. “The guys want all the money. They said they were going to kill my parents tomorrow.”
“We need to get you to a hospital,” I tell her.
She grabs ahold of my arm. “They’ll find me. They’ll kill me.”
“I’ll make sure you’re safe,” my dad assures her.
“Where were you?” I ask her. “How did you escape?”
“They brought me to a campground on the island where they had a tent set up. They were drinking and they decided it was time to get rid of me. They started hitting me, but I fought back. They were so drunk they got tangled up in the tent and I managed to run away.”
“The closest hospital is on the mainland in Ft. Myers,” Theo says. “It’s about ten miles away.”
“I’ll carry her down to the car,” my dad says. “Are you okay to drive?” he asks Theo.
“Yes, sir.”
“I should let Mr. and Mrs. Vance know,” I say.
My dad shakes his head. “We don’t know how deeply they’re involved in this.”
Tropical Tryst: 25 All New and Exclusive Sexy Reads Page 98