“No you won’t, sugar. I’m the only man you’ll be dancing with.” Marek snarled as he spun on her and pinned her against the cool stone wall of the club. Plastering his body to hers, he gripped her hands and yanked them over her head. “Do you get that, cupcake? Or do I need to write that down for you? You dance with me and only me from here on out. Oui?” Hot possessiveness darted through him, making him reckless.
Her eyes went round in the dim light and she worried her lower lip with her teeth. Instead of cowering and consenting, however, the contrary woman fueled the fire by retorting, “You don’t own me, Marek. I can dance with whomever I choose. I don’t know what’s gotten in you tonight to make you act so barbaric, but I’m not digging it. Let go of my hands now so I can return inside.”
For a hard, tense moment he stared into her indignant gaze while he sucked air into lungs that had gone tight and pinched. Carm tilted her chin at a stubborn angle and waited defiantly for him to release hold of her hands. Admiration and respect for her battled against the instinct to cart her off over his shoulder. Every fiber in his being screamed for him to take her home and make crazy love to her until she begged for him to end the sweet torture. But as he glared into her hot eyes full of passion and fire and felt the determination in her, admiration slowly won out.
Carmen was a strong woman who wouldn’t be bullied or walked on. She stood up for herself and didn’t take crap from anyone. Even from him.
And he loved her all the more for it.
Dropping her hands, Marek lifted his to his hair and linked his fingers on his head. Taking a step back and giving them both some space he swore quietly under his breath. No doubt about it, loving her was going to make him insane.
Carm huffed out a breath and asked softly, “What has gotten into you tonight, Marek?”
He gazed at her with love and admiration and replied on a shaky breath, “You, Carmen. You are what’s gotten into me.”
Her head jerked up and her blue eyes searched his in the low light. The music pounded through cracks in the wall, muffled and heavy with base. As he waited for her reaction his lungs seized up and he couldn’t breath.
“Good. Now can we go back inside?”
What the---? That’s all she was going to say? Air rushed out on a whoosh as he released the breath he was holding. Merde the woman was tangling him up inside.
With his gut churning Marek took another step back and swept his hand toward the front of the building. “After you, sugar.” No way was he going to let her see how she affected him. If she wanted to play it cool, well then so would he. Even if his world had just collapsed at his feet.
Carm’s sweet, round ass came into his line of vision and a territorial growl crawled up his throat. He battled it back with a hard swallow. The giant red hisbiscus flowers on her skirt seemed to come alive as she shimmied past, the fabric riding and whispering across her lush behind.
Desire lodged like a hot ball in the pit of his stomach. Sweeping his eyes over the splashy fabric to the indent of her waist they roamed upward to settle where the thin material ended below her shoulder blades. The upper portion of her back and shoulders were exposed and bare in the silvery shimmer of light.
Landon had said it perfectly the other day, “Love was a real bitch.” Damned if he wasn’t right. Once it got ahold of a man there was no controlling it. It was like handing the steering wheel over to the person in the passenger seat of your car. You were still technically driving but had no control over the destination or detours.
And Marek was always in control.
At least he had been until a blond haired blue-eyed bombshell had come strutting into his life. Everything had blown all to hell then. Every damned thing he enjoyed doing before she came along paled in comparison to being with her, holding her. His easygoing, relaxed, unrushed life had been picked up and dumped upside down on its head.
Darting a long arm out over her shoulder Marek gripped the handle to the scarred wooden door and pulled it open for her. His blood boiled at the naughty grin she shot him over her shoulder as she sauntered on back into the club.
Fate had better have a bloody good reason for tormenting him like this.
The woman didn’t give him a chance to sit down. Nope, she marched right out to the dance floor and spun around, waited for him to catch up. He had no problems dancing. Enjoyed it more than most guys. But not when he wanted to take her home and do a different kind of dancing.
Carm lifted a slender arm and crooked a finger at him, that sultry goddess look back in her eyes. How a woman could look like that, act like that, when she’d barely given up her virginity and was new to the ways of men and women was beyond him. But then again, Carm was no ordinary woman.
Muttering absent hellos to locals he passed, Marek kept his eyes focused on the vision before him in the sexy halter dress. She beckoned him like a Siren, weaving her mystical female spell around him. And just like the thousands of men lured in by those enchanting creatures he came, let her reel him in.
Then she was in his arms, the heat of her lush body burning into him. With a feline turn of her lips she draped her arms over his shoulders and tangled her fingers in the back of his hair. Leaning close to his ear she whispered, her breath scalding his skin. “Looks like Landon found a new woman. Who’s this one?”
Huh? So wrapped up in her he’d been he’d had no idea Landon had slipped in. Gripping her hips to hold her close, Marek lifted his head and scanned the room. He quickly found Landon on the dance floor with a short, curvy woman of Puerto Rican decent. Her long black hair fell in a mass of waves down her back to the small of her tiny waist.
The couple stood near the bamboo stage, next to the gigantic fern that hid the old, beat up speaker. One of those ferns had been placed on each end of the stage to camoflouge the unsightly things. When Landon spun the tiny woman in the lavender sundress Marek recognized her side profile.
“That’s Esmeralda Sanchez, sugar. Her family runs and owns a restaurant here in town. Awesome chimichangas. Like I said before, Carm, the guy has a woman or two on every damned island.” Marek used to envy Landon that. But as he held Carm in his arms and rocked to the rhythmn of the music he didn’t envy him one bit. It scared him and humbled him to realize he had all the woman he needed right there in his arms.
With her heeled sandals Carm was almost eye level with his own height of six three. She barely had to lift her gaze to meet his when he shifted his eyes back to her. He liked that, liked the way she fit against him. He’d always had a weakness for tall, curvy women. And this one in his arms was all that and more.
Suddenly the air sparked with chemistry around them as the music transitioned into a bluesy number with sax and a heavy, pulsing beat. Carm melted against him in response to the seductive number and ran her teeth over her ripe bottom lip. Secrets glittered in her eyes as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to the thick pulse at the base of his throat.
White hot need shot straight to his groan, instantly making him hard and ready. The moist tip of her tongue slipped between her lips and scorched his skin as she tasted him. “Mmm, you taste good, Marek. Good enough to eat.” She whispered intimately for only him to hear, tossing his earlier words back at him. The memory of her down between his legs with her mouth hot around him, tasting him, flashed through his mind and nearly buckled his knees.
Locking them hard against the heady rush of desire, Marek gripped the fabric low on her hips in fists and pulled her hard against him. As the beat throbbed around them, heavy and slow, Carm pushed against his erection and murmured, “I want you, Marek. Right here, right now.” The heat of it poured headlong over him and straight down his straining arousal. Merde the woman was a seductress.
Marek squeezed his eyes shut tight and took deep breaths. His chest expanded on the intake of oxygen as he tried to control his need for her. They were in a club for crying out loud. And he wanted nothing more than to pull her to the ground, climb on top of her, and bury himself between her sweet
thighs.
Carm thought Marek looked like he wanted to throw her down and climb on top of her. Hitching up a degree, her blood heated at the thought. Wouldn’t it be wild and barbaric? To be wanted so passionately?
A question had been burning in the back of her mind, begging to be answered. Leaning in close enough to whisper hotly against his ear and nibble along his delicious lobe, Carm asked, “Why are you still wearing your ring, Marek? Why haven’t you taken it off?”
His hands her hips tighter and saw his jaw tick and flex. Tension coiled so tight in him that Carm thought one well-placed touch and he was going to unravel and snap like a bullwhip. And how wonderful was that?
As she was about to pry further Marek inhaled deep and said on a long sigh, “Maybe I forgot. Or maybe I kind of like it there, sugar. Why do you still wear yours?”
Oh, she’d been waiting for him to ask her this. You fell right into my trap, bucko. Let’s see what you think of this.
Carm rubbed against his bulging erection and pulled back to look Marek directly in his beautiful pale green eyes. “I still wear it, honey, because you are in love with me. It’d be a shame to throw all that away. And I’m enjoying being called Mrs. Stokes. Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”
Marek snapped like a rubber band pulled too tight and groaned. Then he swore in French. Making out no more than the occasional merde, Carm grinned to herself and let her head turn to rest on his shoulder. Better he know what her intentions were now so that he could get used to them. She wasn’t going anywhere.
He shocked her with his next words. Warm lips kissed the top of her head then she heard though her hair muffled it, “I like the way it sounds too, Mrs. Stokes. Glad we’re in agreement on that. Maybe we should forget this whole divorce/annulment deal altogether.”
A stampede of wild horses had nothing on the furious race of her heartbeat. Carm swore it pounded louder than the heavy base from on the stage. What was he getting at? Does he want to stay married too? Oh. My. Giddy. Aunt. My yoga instructor always talked about the power of positive thinking; has it finally paid off? Is he saying what I think he’s saying?
Landon must really practice the fine art of piss poor timing because before Carm could respond he swung his date on over, interrupting their heated conversation. With that lazy sensuality of his, Landon kissed Carm on the cheek. He grinned quit and lethal at the warning growl that snarled from Marek.
Oh, he had the worst timing in the world, not doubt about it. But, how could any woman hold out against the twinkle in his eye and that devasting smile of his? Carm wondered. Those dimples were to die for and for all his lazy charm to prove the contrary, intelligence glimmered in his eyes. He wasn’t fooling her. He’d interrupted on purpose.
Trying to work up a good mad, Carm failed miserably and laughed at the blatantly fake innocent expression on his face. The guy was a ladykiller for sure.
Something was different about him. Realizing what it was Carm blurted out just as Marek started snarling, “Your beads are gone. You cut your facial hair.” He certainly had. Landon had shaved it all off and now sported a smooth-as-a-baby’s-bottom shave. It looked good on him.
“Thanks for noticing, darlin’. I had the need for a change. Glad you like it. Wanna feel?” Landon leaned in closer, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Laughing despite herself, and well, charmed, Carm began to shake her head. When Marek shot out a hand and plastered it against Landon’s chest and shoved him back with a crude suggestion, her laugh turned into a snort. Marek was acting positively possessive. Now wasn’t that sweet?
“Go away, Landon. Hi, Esmeralda. Como esta?” At her quiet reply Marek responded, “Muey bien. Great. Wonderful. Now get the hell out of here, Landon, before I forget you’re my best friend and beat you to a bloody pulp.”
Instantly all playfulness and laziness dropped from his face like a curtain and Landon’s voice turned serious. “Dude, I have some news we need to discuss. I ran into one of the detectives we spoke with this evening and he had a few things to say. Why don’t we go outside?”
Carm knew the moment between her and Marek was lost. She felt him slip away before he even moved an inch. His mind had shifted gears and his eyes grew cold and shrewd. Giving a terse nod, Marek let go of her hips, grabbed her hand and started to pull her from the dance floor.
Here we go again. Dragging me out of the bar like I can’t manage on my own. Not this time. With a firm yank Carm pulled her hand from Marek’s and squared her shoulders. At his glare of warning, Carm smiled sweetly and drawled as he tried to grip her hand again, “I’ve been walking for quite some time now, sugar. I think I can manage all by my lonesome self.”
Giving in, Marek placed a large palm against the small of her back instead. Well, I guess that’s a compromise. At least he’s not dragging me like some Neanderthal. This feels slightly more dignified.
Stepping outside into the salty breeze, they watched as Landon came out of the bar alone. He saw the question on their faces and shrugged, “She wanted to stay. I left her in the very capable hands of the bartender. She’ll be fine. So long as her padre doesn’t find out she’s three sheets to the wind and making out with tourist on the stool seat next to her. Somehow I don’t think he’d be too keen on that.”
Carm held up a hand. “Wait a minute. You mean to tell us that she came here tonight with you but she’s in there right now making out with some yahoo she’s never met before?”
Landon personified the shit-eatin’ grin and rubbed a hand across his smooth chin. “She’s a social creature, darlin’. A real people person.”
“Apparently.” Her reply was dry as toast.
Marek cut in, “I hate to break up your little social tea party, but you need to tell me what you heard, Landon.” He looked to Carm and stated, “We’ll finish our conversation later. We’ve got some things to talk over, cheri.”
Landon shrugged his shoulders again inside his tie-dyed t-shirt and motioned toward the parking lot. “I’m going to head on home after this.”
Curious about what they needed to talk about and unaware Marek had even spoken to a detective Carm asked, “Does this have something to do with the break-in? Did you find who stole my passport?”
Rounding the side of the flat-topped, green painted building they came up short when Marek’s jeep came into view. For a moment they all stared open-mouthed with shock. A sick, sinking feeling poured into the pit of Carm’s stomach as she stared at the sight before her.
The break-in obviously wasn’t a singular anomaly. Marek’s jeep window had been shattered and his headlights smashed and beaten in. A few good dents waffled the hood and side doors.
While they’d been inside dancing someone had been out here vandalizing Marek’s property.
Carm looked from Marek to Landon, then back to Marek. Anger began to burn bright inside at being left in dark. These boys knew something they weren’t telling her. It’s time they received a lesson in sharing from the teacher.
“Alright boys, I think there’s something you need to tell me. I’m going to give you until the count of five and if you don’t start sharing information I’m going to kick you both square in the balls. Is that understood?” Both men glanced at her warily and reluctantly nodded. The sincerity in her voice must have gotten through. “Good. Now share.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
She was still mulling over the information as she sat curled up on the large leather sofa with Sunny warm and snuggly on her lap. Landon had left after the recap and Marek stood staring out the front windows at the inky black expanse of night.
“So, what Landon was saying is that the authorities on St. Kitts want the two of you to do some recon work for them in his helicopter? Is that right? Fly around the island, take some photos and whatnot.”
“Correct. Since Landon’s chopper is unmarked in any way the men wouldn’t be suspicious.” Marek stated with his back still to her.
But, what about here? What were the authorities going to do about these
bozos? “I understand that they would like you to get as much information as possible for them, but what about the jerks here? They’re stealing and vandalizing everything.”
Marek sighed and turned to face Carm. His eyes held a serious note she hadn’t really seen before. As he walked over to the couch and sat down facing her, his face betrayed little emotion. Something odd had come over him tonight and it still vibrated around him, alive and strong. At the same time she felt intrigued, a liberal helping of caution rode right along side it.
“Don’t worry yourself over this, Carm. I’ve seen this sort of thing time and again and it will be taken care of shortly.”
Petting Sunny to disguise her budding frustration, Carm replied, “But you didn’t even go to the police tonight. How can anything be resolved if you don’t go to the cops?”
A large, tanned hand came to rest on the back of the sofa as Marek stretched and settled into the plush cushions. If he felt irritation—or any emotion for that matter—he hid it well. Heavy lidded green eyes remained focused on her and a shadow beard was beginning to darken his strong jaw. Disheveled, relaxed and sexy as all get out was how he appeared to Carm. And it was distracting her from her thoughts.
At length he answered, “I’ll go down to the station first thing in the morning, sugar. Like I said, don’t worry about this. Though the note they sent you was over the top and had me concerened at first, there’s nothing going on here more than scare tactics. No doubt they’re harassing us here to keep us off St. Kitts so they can finish their harvesting. They’re bullying us, Carm, nothing more.”
Carm tipped her head to the side and studied Marek. “You sound awfully sure of that, Marek. Has this sort of thing happened to you before?”
Sunny rolled on her lap, let out a protest at being disturbed and reached out an orange striped paw. Yawning and stretching, the cat wiggled and settled again in a tidy ball with a soft meow. Carm stroked her soft, dense fur and waited for Marek to respond.
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