There was just so much he could take. His hand wound in her wet hair as he tilted her head back and bent his head, his mouth covering hers, hard and possessive. His hands slid down and cupped her buttocks, lifting her up and anchoring her against him. Perched on her tiptoes, her thighs were nestled intimately between his.
“Nick—” she uttered in a strangled voice.
“Don’t. Ever. Do that. Again,” he gritted furiously between crushing kisses.
She pulled back and stared at him, her eyes huge with wonder. “So you do care, Nick Cameron.”
Her words were his undoing. He swore under his breath, beyond control now. Unrestrained, primitive desire reared up inside him, making him go wild. Oblivious to the surging gulf behind them or the soft rain on his back, his mouth covered hers with an urgency born of desperation.
He could have lost her.
He’d have her now or he’d die wanting her.
Nick’s savage reaction stunned Veronique. His blue eyes gleamed in a stone hard face as he kissed her again and again. Greedy, grinding kisses that made her knees buckle and her heart beat a wild staccato. He held her steady as she opened her lips and drank in his ravenous kisses, tasting his carnal hunger, feeling his heat. The dominant intent to mate radiated in waves from his rigid body. His large hands felt like iron on her bottom as he anchored her against his solid, jutting arousal. He kissed her long and hard, sucking the very marrow from her, making her tremble with excitement when he lowered her to the sand.
He tore off his clothes while she tried to get out of her bikini. She pulled the bottoms off, but the back knot wouldn’t give on the top. He yanked the ends apart and threw the top aside before taking her in his arms. Her sensitive nipples brushed against his chest and pebbled. She shivered as raw, urgent desire coursed through her veins, singeing a dangerous path to her heart. She wanted him with her whole being, was blind to everything but Nick—his male scent of arousal, the feel of his large body on hers. She had never ached so much for a man, had never yearned to give herself so fully.
The rasp of his faint beard on her soft breast made her arch to receive more as his mouth closed over her nipple and sucked deeply. The aching tip puckered in his mouth, igniting a fire deep in her belly as intense, unbearable excitement began to build. Her thighs quivered uncontrollably when his hand eased them apart and his long fingers delved into her feminine folds, caressing, stroking, until she was mindless with wanting him. His touch was so pleasurable, she could barely breathe.
Slick with arousal, she whimpered and writhed at the feel of his calloused fingertip on her achingly sensitive nub. Her sweet spot clenched and pulsated with exquisite spasms. “Nick! Come inside me,” she pleaded as he continued to stroke her with maddening finesse. “Please. I can’t take anymore.”
His dark head bent further as he kissed her navel. When his hot mouth lowered on her belly, she gripped his face and cried frantically, “No. I want you now.”
He jerked his head up and met her eyes with a look so intensely aroused, all breath left her lungs. His fiery blue eyes held hers, glazed with passion and tortured with need. He spread her thighs and positioned himself between them. Primed to take her, his nostrils flared and the veins in his neck bulged as he braced his powerful body on his forearms and slid his hands under her buttocks, tilting her pelvis up to receive him. He kissed her neck before sliding his tongue inside her mouth and entering her at the same moment. She gasped as her tight entrance gave way to his voluptuous intrusion. Her womb convulsed with pleasure-pain quivers as she adjusted to his size.
“Relax, baby. Take it all,” he murmured hoarsely.
“Yes,” she whimpered against his mouth, “please, Nick. More!” Her hands dug into his hard hips as he drove into her, his lovemaking demanding, explosive, utterly exquisite. Frantic, arcing desire catapulted her to a soaring crescendo. Her head thrashed from side to side, her limbs shook violently as her heart lurched and every sane thought left her mind. He was everything she wanted and more.
“That’s it, baby. Give me everything,” he growled, his voice gruff with need. “I want all of you.” He surged inside her and her pelvis rose taking him in as deeply as she could. She clung to him whimpering and grasping and spiraling out of control under his driving thrusts until she came with a shattering cry, repeating his name over and over again.
Descending back to earth, she reveled in his deep, primal cry of release, a sound that filled her heart with joy. He buried his face in her neck. “Aah, Ronnie. So beautiful…so exquisite,” he moaned, the sound rough and husky. “You’re gonna be the death of me.”
Blissful tears rolled down the sides of her face as she lay beneath his spent body, willing him not to move. She loved the weight of his strong body on hers, the possessive way he held her anchored to him. She ran her fingers through his damp, dark hair and kissed his temple as the tension left his body. With a low, satiated groan, he rolled to his side, taking her with him and cradling her to his chest. His strong arms wrapped around her protectively and held her firmly.
Love welled up inside Veronique over her complete oneness with Nick and the deep intimacy they’d shared. She had never felt happier…or more sated. The depth of her feelings for him was overwhelming and humbling.
After this, she’d never be the same.
They lay entwined together for a long, long time as fresh rain cleansed their naked bodies and the ocean breeze cooled their skin.
Chapter Thirteen
Daisy waited until Nick’s Land Rover was far enough down the dirt road, away from his house, before she left the thicket of pine trees. It was a stroke of good luck that he’d left and she could investigate what Veronique was about without him around.
She knocked on the door several times, surprised when Veronique didn’t answer. She went around to the back of the house to check if she was in the patio. When she didn’t find her there or in the back yard, she returned to the front and let herself in with her key.
She entered cautiously and the first thing she noticed was the stillness. Complete silence inside and no sign of Veronique. Could she be so lucky that the bitch was gone? After a thorough search, she went to Nick’s bedroom and pulled down his bed linens. Leaning forward, she smelled the pillows. She inhaled deeply of the first one and smiled when Nick’s masculine scent filled her hungry nostrils. She moved onto the other pillow and recoiled at the sweetly feminine scent of almonds. Her gut clenched with rage and jealousy. Just as she’d suspected—the loathsome bitch was already shacking up with Nick.
Daisy threw the pillow back on the bed and straightened the sheets with brisk, violent movements. Acid hatred burned a hole in her gut as she imagined them having sex. She searched the room for the bitch’s things and when she didn’t find any, she headed to the guest bedroom to snoop.
Entering the bedroom, she sneered when she saw Veronique’s tank top and panties on the chair and her flip flops strewn on the floor. Her hair brush and toiletries were scattered on the desk beside a pad of paper and pens. She shook her head in disgust. The room had been perfectly tidy before Veronique’s arrival, thanks to Daisy’s meticulous housekeeping. A rich man like Nick deserved a perfect home, one kept beautifully by Daisy, not that messy bitch!
She turned her attention to Veronique’s suitcase. Luckily, it was unlocked. Daisy flipped the top open and noticed everything inside was a jumble. She held up one sundress after another, scrutinizing every detail with a critical eye.
Nick paid her a generous salary, and she was saving most of it. She wished she could unload her son and have total freedom. Manolito was cute enough, but he was a lot of work and everyone expected her to be the perfect mother—which she wasn’t. It had been a huge mistake getting pregnant so young and she was paying for it now. The constant guilt trip from Papi and the pressure from Manuel to marry her were driving her up the wall. She wished they’d butt out and leave her alone. She was at the top of her night classes, especially the computer ones, and her English was fl
awless, with no accent.
She had big plans.
One day she would not only be Nick’s wife, but she’d be his right hand in everything. She had to convince Mami to take Manolito off her hands. She was better suited at caring for him anyway. She was only thirty-eight, and she loved pretending that Manolito was her own. She always said she wished she’d had a boy, so here was her chance. Let her enjoy him so Daisy could go after her goals without being shackled. The biggest obstacle was Manuel. He was a rutting bull with her and he constantly managed to get what he wanted. He didn’t have to force her either. His rough moves always had her panting for more. Damn him!
Daisy sped up her actions as she rummaged through Veronique’s suitcase. Underneath the clothes, she found several files of papers. When her hands dug further, she touched something hard and metallic. She pulled the object out of the suitcase and gave a silent whoop when she saw it was a digital camera. She quickly stashed it in her bag and opened one of the files. She rifled through the papers, reading as much as she could, her eyes widening at the startling information.
Pinpricks of excitement made her pulse race as she read about Nick’s trial and learned his full name was Nicholas Cameron. Daisy Cameron. She tried the name on her lips and liked the sound of it. Instant wealth, instant power. She just needed to get rid of the bitch and restore Nick’s need for her services. This time she’d lure him into bed and make sure he was a happy man. Men only needed sex and food to keep them satisfied, and she was an expert at both.
He was very generous with his money. If she played her cards right, she’d have a whole staff waiting on her hand and foot, and she’d work them hard.
A dose of black magic might get rid of the bitch. Santería? That was a thought…
She opened another file and read about a woman named Elizabeth Remington who was Nick’s ex-wife. The tiny hairs on her nape lifted as she read more, realizing the golden egg she’d stumbled upon. She grabbed a marker from the desk and scribbled Elizabeth’s name on her wrist for future reference. If she was going to win Nick over, she needed to know all about his ex.
She jumped when she heard Nick’s car pull up the driveway. Crap! There wasn’t enough time to check out his office. That was the only room in the house she wasn’t allowed to clean. Situated on the second floor next to his gym, it overlooked the ocean. She could only imagine the view from up there because she’d never seen it. He always kept it locked with strict orders for her not to go in, which made her all the more curious.
When she heard a car door shut, she shoved the file back under Veronique’s scrambled clothes where it had been with the other ones. Grabbing her bag, she ran out of the kitchen back door. Crouching at the back of the house, she hid behind the orange and red croton bushes as she watched Nick and Veronique.
He was shirtless and in faded jeans. Veronique wore his damp shirt—one that clung to her slim curves—and nothing else. Seething with jealousy, Daisy stared at the bitch, hating her with every cell in her body. Her stomach clenched when Veronique leaned forward to pick up her backpack from the trunk and Nick stroked her bare thighs with the hands of a man already familiar with her body. Veronique smiled up at him as he looped his arm over her shoulders and pulled her in for a lingering kiss.
Daisy inhaled sharply and turned away as bile rose in her throat. They’d had sex all right, she thought as bitter resentment and the urge for revenge seared her veins. She wanted Nick more than ever and she’d have him no matter what.
She would find a way to get rid of that bitch…even if she died trying.
Chapter Fourteen
Out of the blue that evening, Nick said, “I’m not planning on getting married again, Ronnie.”
They had just finished eating dinner and Veronique was still in a euphoric daze after their lovemaking on the beach. Nick’s blunt comment slapped her back to reality. She hadn’t expected him to bring up the touchy subject so candidly, and for a moment she didn’t know how to respond. She wasn’t really surprised he felt that way, but it hurt that he felt compelled to tell her so she wouldn’t get the wrong idea. Now that he’d had his fill of her, had he lost interest and come down to earth with a thud?
“How do you feel about that?” Nick said, not taking his eyes off her.
“It’ll take more than that to drive me away, Nick,” she said, her heart squeezing at the burden in his eyes. “Why do we have to talk about it now?”
“I want to be straight with you, Ronnie.” He paused reflectively and then continued in a quiet tone. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
That hurt most of all. He was already pulling away from her, trying to dissuade her from becoming emotionally attached. “I’m a big girl. You don’t have to protect my feelings,” she said, harnessing her emotions as her confidence began to crumble.
He shook his head. “You’re only twenty-eight, honey. You’ll want more eventually. Marriage, children…all the stuff I’ve written off,” he said wearily.
She put her finger over his lips. “Shh, don’t say anymore. Please.” She took a deep breath and tried to calm her anxious heart. She didn’t want to see the concern in his eyes, the troubled emotions that made him doubtful. “Let’s live in the moment. Pretend we’re marooned on a deserted island,” she urged, touching his arm.
“Can you really do that?” He sounded dubious, but his eyes held the barest glimmer of hope that made her heart lift. Would he agree to living in the moment too?
“Yes,” she said fervently. “I want…I want to enjoy this time with you. Without a ticking clock. Without you getting all serious and practical-minded.”
He remained silent, watching her intently.
“Today is almost over. We’ll never have it again.” She couldn’t continue without her voice breaking. She swallowed against the thick emotion clogging her throat and tried to calm the hitch in her chest. She couldn’t let him back away. Not now. Not ever, if she could help it, but she was willing to enjoy the present—for now.
He brushed a lock from her forehead. “You’re wrong, Ronnie. We’ll always have today.”
Her heart soared. “Yes. You’re right, Nick. Thank you,” she said, wishing she could call him darling. She was timid about calling him endearments, even with the way he’d made love to her, fiercely, possessively, as if he couldn’t get enough of her. He’d always been her darling, had been since she was a child. “I don’t live in the past or the future. I live in the present. Let’s take it one day at a time. Okay?” she asked, kissing the warm hollow behind his ear as she slowly glided her fingertip over the seam of his firm lips.
“Okay, baby,” he said, his voice a sexy rumble in his chest. He kissed her finger and nipped at the fleshy pad of her fingertip. A tremor of exhilaration coursed through her. Ablaze with desire, she gave him a seductive smile that earned her a ride in his arms to the bedroom.
“I don’t want to be a mood killer, but I’m not on the Pill,” she said when he set her on her feet. Now she was being practical-minded, but it had to be said. Not that she didn’t want to be pregnant with his child. Nothing would have made her happier, but she wouldn’t do it to rope him in.
“No problem,” he said smoothly. He unzipped his jeans and pulled them off.
“Aren’t you worried we didn’t use protection earlier?” she said, trying not to be distracted by the play of muscle and sinew as he reached for her.
“No. You won’t be getting pregnant with me.” His hands settled on her waist as he held her before him.
What did he mean by that? “What makes you so sure?”
“I always wanted to have children. My ex and I talked about it before getting married, but after a year of trying it didn’t happen. All the medical tests came back that Elizabeth was fertile. She blamed me for not getting her pregnant.”
“Were you ever tested?”
He gave a cynical shake of his head. “No, by then I had rethought starting a family. Elizabeth wasn’t the same person I married. She became obsessed with wea
lth and power. It was an addiction.”
“That bad?”
“Yeah. She spent longer hours working than I did.” He gave a disgusted snort. “Yet in spite of all that, she didn’t have a problem getting pregnant with Zack,” he said, his tone harsh.
Veronique hadn’t expected him to say that. “Oh. I’m sorry I brought it up.”
“Don’t be. I’m glad it’s over,” he said, gently squeezing her waist. “I haven’t thought about Elizabeth in a long while. I’d rather think about you. Here,” he said, removing her top and sliding her panties down her legs with a fluid motion. “With me.” He smoothed his warm hands over her cool skin and backed her onto the bed. “Gorgeously naked,” he added, his voice gravelly and aroused.
She lowered her body on the bed and when her back made contact with the sheets, she winced. “Ouch.”
“What’s wrong?” he said, pulling her into his arms. “You okay?”
“No, I mean yes. Well maybe,” she said, wriggling against him.
He chuckled. “Which one is it?”
“All of the above. My skin feels a bit raw in some places. Especially my back.”
“Let me take a look,” he said. “Roll over.”
“Hey, I’m not Baxter,” she quipped, suddenly shy to lie before him naked and exposed in the waning daylight. Realizing it was silly to refuse, she turned over and clutched the pillow under her head.
“Relax.” He blew softly on her flushed back and the cool air sent shivers skittering through her. “Poor baby. No wonder it’s bothering you.” He trailed tender kisses down her spine. “You’re all pink and irritated from the sand and sea shells.”
She craned her head to look behind her. “I am?”
“Yeah, mostly on your upper back and shoulders.” He patted her bottom. “Good thing my hands protected the best part.”
She shot him a quizzical look and his hands squeezed her buttocks in response.
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