Sugar and Sin Bundle

by Stacey Joy Netzel

  “My father and I—our relationship is tense. I'm the least like him, so I try harder to please him. He’s austere and doesn't show his emotion unless it's with Tamara. He actually smiles at her. With me, all he sees is ‘not good enough.’ Even if I pull off a flawless event, he's always riding me hard with things I could improve on.” She shrugged. “It’s just his way.”

  “You spend a lot of time trying to make him happy?”

  She barked out a harsh laugh. “Oh, only my whole life. Dancing was uncivilized, so I stopped the lessons. Everything has to be just so. Color is vulgar, so I stopped wearing bright colors.”

  “Tell me something.”

  She looked up from her drink. “Yeah?”

  “If you can't make him happy, and you're making yourself miserable, why not do what you want to do?”

  He had a point. But she wouldn’t tell him that. Instead, she followed him out to the pool area and noticed the signs that said no swimming unless there was a lifeguard on duty. “What are we doing up here?”

  He stripped off his shirt, nearly causing her to swallow her tongue. She might have already seen all he had to offer, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t nice to look at. “If I’m lucky, helping you cross off something else on your thirty list.”

  How in the world did he—

  He smirked. “A woman as controlled as you are would have on her Thirty list things she sees at challenges. Probably working her way up to the most challenging. The most basic ones would have to include public nudity. So what do you say, Jai? You up for a little skinny dipping?”

  Chapter Eleven

  There was a God. At least, Alec hoped there was one who would give Jaya the nudge to go skinny-dipping. He tossed his shirt onto one of the lounge chairs. Watching Jaya carefully, he prayed she’d join him. Not because he wanted her to break her rules, though that was a part of it, but because he wanted her to loosen up. Yesterday she’d been fun and vibrant and flirtatious. Today she was like a whole different person. This person was cute and he enjoyed teasing her, especially when she jotted something on that ‘to do’ list of hers. But if she were more carefree he could absolve himself of any guilt about getting too close to her. It was the guilt that always killed him. That always reminded him he was just like his father.

  “Can I take some guesses as to what’s on this Thirty list of yours?” He winked at her and she rewarded him with another flush. “I’ve already guessed one thing. Skinny dipping.” God, he prayed he was right about that one. He’d only caught a quick glimpse when it fell out of her purse. Getting to see that expanse of pretty brown skin would be heaven sent.

  She shook her head, her thick dark hair falling over the shoulder. “No. Don’t bother. You’ll never get it right. You don’t know me well enough.”

  Man, he loved a challenge. “Oh, don’t I? I know what makes you smile when you’re not thinking so hard about being serious. I know your father makes you crazy and I know that even though your sister hurt you, you’re willing to try to be there for her. And—” He exhaled. “—I know what makes you come.”

  Her pretty lips parted as if she were going to say something, then she pressed them together again tightly.

  “Fine. I’ll go on. I know you’ve got a steel strength that people probably under estimate. I know that it jazzes you up to make a list. You’re hyper-organized but you love superheroes. I know that even when your world is going to shit, you suck it up and get on with it. I might have only met you earlier this week, but I know a whole lot about you, Jaya Trudeaux. I’ve been paying attention.”

  She blew out a breath as she nibbled her lip. “Fine. Skinny-dipping is on the list.” She rushed to add, “But just because we’re up here at a pool and you’ve taken off your shirt, which is very distracting by the way, I am not jumping in the pool with you.”

  “Why not? It’s not like I haven’t already seen you naked.”

  She rolled her eyes as she looked around. “You’re not seriously going to go in, are you? I don’t think we’re supposed to be up here.” Sniffing, she added, “I’d have to build up a lot of nerve for it, and the point is to sort of have no one around.”

  “C’mon now. Half the fun is the thought that you’ll get caught.” He stalked towards her, stopping short of brushing her body with his, his whole body jerking with need. “How about this—I show you how it’s done, and then you join me.” He eased away from her before he could do anything stupid. Shit. Everything from her hair to her eyes to her light jasmine scent made him ache. “I have an idea. Why don’t you add skinny-dipping to your list of ‘to do’s’ for the day.” As he walked away, he wondered how in the hell he was going to get his pants off without her noticing how massively hard he was.

  She shrugged. “I know my lists probably seem stupid to you, but I never get anything done if I don’t write it down. Make it a goal. I don't know—it's like I'm paralyzed until I write it down.”

  “You can do things without writing them down, you know.”

  She shook her head. “Nope. I can’t even get to the grocery store unless I put it on a to-do list for the day. And of course I shop by grocery list.”

  Alec barked out a laugh. “You mean to tell me you've never been to the grocery store without a list? I’d hate to see that list. No rocky road. No booze.”

  Her brows drew in. “Not rocky road. Cookies and cream. That always makes my list,” she sniffed.

  He grinned. “Well you can’t be too uptight if cookies and cream makes the list.”

  “I'm not uptight. I'm just organized and have a plan for life.”

  Alec grinned. He'd feel like his head was in a noose if he had to live like that. Kind of like now. He had too much of his father in him. Needed to be free. I just want to be free. Max's words came to him in a rush. Well, didn't the need for freedom run in the family? But he wasn’t like his brother. He kept his commitments. He just knew better than to make too many. Alec knew Westhorpe blood ran in his veins.

  He wasn’t capable of long-term commitment. Then why do you expect it from your brother? He also thought about Adele's words, “You are your actions and not your legacy. You can make the choices.”

  Jaya was more than her to-do lists. Maybe—No. He shook his head. He was about the fun. He wasn’t the stick-around guy. He’d proved that time and again. It didn’t matter if Jaya made him want to stick around for it. He knew the pattern. He’d eventually get bored and leave.

  “Earth to Alec.” Jaya waved a hand in front of her face. “You there?”

  “Um, yeah,” He smiled. “I’m here. So how about I help you with your list. Even if you won’t tell me everything that’s on it. How about you tell me one thing, and I’ll get you to cross it off. You don’t even have to tell me how long the list is.”

  She inched closer to the pool. “Why would you think you’re the person to help me?”

  “Because, if something made it on there, it’s probably a little rash, dangerous, or exciting. I'm the master of excitement.”

  She laughed, and Alec’s heart jumped. He loved the way she laughed. It made her sound young and un-jaded. Her almond-shaped eyes vanished into creases. He couldn’t help but smile back at her.

  “The master of excitement huh? Not all of my goals are exciting. Some have to do with me standing up for myself.”

  “Like telling Derrick he was terrible in bed?”

  Her eyes widened. “How the hell did you—”

  He shook his head and tapped his temple. “Photographic memory. I saw part of your list when you dropped it downstairs.”

  She covered her eyes. “You're shitting me.”

  “I shit you not.”

  Narrowing her eyes, she said, “Prove it.”

  “Skinny-dipping of course, but to be fair, I didn’t see that one clearly. Riding the New York City subway all night, do a round-the-world trip by yourself. Of course those aren’t the most fascinating ones. A threesome, Jaya? You honestly don’t seem like the girl-on-girl-for-a-thrill kind of
person, but if you are, I’m in.”

  She barked out a strangled laugh. With her mouth agape and eyes bugging, it made him want to laugh. Then, she said the unexpected.

  “Who said anything about girl on girl?”

  That shut him up. She wanted two men tending to her? Fulfilling her every fantasy? A jealous, possessive lump coiled in his throat. Easy—you have no claim to her. Just the idea made him want to kill something, but then the image of her on a bed at the height of ecstasy made him hard. Maybe he could be the guy to give her what she wanted. He was so focused on her fantasy, he only caught the end of her next statement.

  “—tending bar.”

  He blinked for a moment, not understanding the question. Then his brain synapses connected. That's right, dumbass. She thinks you’re a part-time bartender. She had no idea who he was. And now he’d lied by omission. Clearing his throat, he said, “Yeah, the memory thing does come in handy.” Eager to change the subject, he added, “Well, what do we do about this list of yours? You going to let me be the master of excitement of your dreams?”

  ***

  Jaya bit her lip as Alec stripped out of his jeans, letting the denim fall to the stone surrounding the pool. Not sure if she should thank the work-out gods or the gods of going commando, she squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to control the moisture pooling in her core.

  Holding out his hand to her, he grinned. “What’s the matter, don’t you trust me?”

  “Says the devil as he strips naked.” Jaya mumbled under her breath. She didn’t know why she was being so stubborn, but no, she didn't trust him. Let it go, girl. He’d been nothing but unfailingly nice to her. What was the worst that could happen? “Let's just say, I generally don't trust guys with the devil’s good looks and clever tongue to sweeten the sting.”

  He shook his head even as he clasped his hand around hers. Her whole body jerked from the zing of electricity sparking between them. “You'll like it, I promise.” When she still hesitated, he added, “I worked here, learning the ropes of hotel life when I was a kid. Most of the staff is the same. I know the schedules and routines. No one will be coming up to bother us. You’re safe here.”

  Safe. That wasn’t a word she was familiar with. But somehow with Alec she felt safe. And that was the real reason she’d slept with him the night before. Why she’d joined him in LA. And why she was about to cross something off her Thirty list. But safe with Alec could be a real problem. She’d start to think safe equated to permanent. And he’d told her who he was.

  She already wanted to know everything about him. Things like why he was still a bartender if he had so much hotel experience and a photographic memory. Where he’d grown up, who his family was. But that was the sort of thing you talked about when you were starting to date somebody. Not when he was pretending to be your boyfriend.

  Jaya felt the loss of his warmth the moment he released her hand. “How about this—I’ll go in and tell you how the water is.”

  She couldn’t help but try to know a little about him. “You never wanted to take all your hotel experience anywhere?”

  As he shook his head, water sloshed around him. “Nah. I need to be free. Hotel gigs are kind of permanent.”

  To Jaya, the idea of rolling from job to job was terrifying. Not knowing where she'd be next. Not knowing how she'd make the rent. But Alec, he seemed like he thrived on it. She wished she knew how to let go like that. Maybe she'd have left Trudeaux ages ago.

  “Time’s up, beautiful. No one's coming up here. Its shift change time in about thirty minutes. None of the guests come here until it's closer to happy hour. It's just you and me.”

  Jaya forced herself to turn around. “You’ll behave yourself?”

  He shrugged. “I'm irresistible. You said so yourself. You might try to jump my bones.”

  Jaya heard the soft splash of water and blushed. She tried not to picture the wide expanse of bare chest she'd seen. Tanned golden skin, begging to be touched. She told herself she didn't care. Didn't want to touch it again. Live a little, Jaya. “Fine, I’m coming in, but you're going to have to turn around.”

  He blinked for several moments as in disbelief. Then a slow sexy smile skimmed his lips and she felt the shiver of anticipation all over her body. He turned around, but not before doing a full perusal of her body. Maybe she'd regret this. Maybe they'd get arrested for trespassing, or public indecency. But maybe, she'd have a little fun.

  Slipping off the stilettos, she placed them a safe distance from the side of the pool. She'd flog herself if she ruined them. Stripping off her jacket, she tried to psych herself up for the plunge. “You promise it's warm in there, right?” She heard the low chuckle, and butterflies did the robot in her belly.

  “If it's not, I’ll kelp keep you nice and toasty. Body heat is really best for that.”

  “You wish.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  He really was shameless. But it made her feel sexy and daring. She undressed down to her bra and panties and silently thanked the heavens she'd matched today. Red satin covered by sexy black lace. The boy-cut hipsters framed her ass like it was meant to be on display. Though, why she’d bothered to go for sexy over functional she didn't know. You hoped you'd get him naked, that's why. She flushed and whispered to herself. “With panties or without? Decisions, decisions.”

  “You going to take all day, or do you want me to come out and help you in?”

  A tiny squeak escaped her lips. If he came out, she'd have a bird’s eye view of that sexy form of his. If he came out, they wouldn’t make it back to San Diego tonight.

  “I'm coming. Just give me a second. So impatient.” With her thumbs in the waistband, she took a deep breath. “Now or never, Trudeaux. Shimmy or get off the stage.” She shimmied and took a step in the water.

  Looking up to make sure his back was still turned, she noticed how the water lapped at his tanned shoulders. It did look inviting. Slipping her bra off, she shivered as the cooling air touched her nipples. Alec was right, the water was warm. Like bathwater and twice as inviting. As she stepped in, every muscle in her body relaxed. Heaven.

  “See, I told you so.” The warm timber of his voice reverberated around her.

  When she opened her eyes, she saw he'd turned around, giving her an appreciative once-over. She cringed as she thought of the state of her hair, piled high on her head in the messy knot to keep it from getting wet and going Angela Davis on her behind.

  “Okay, fine. You were right. It does feel good.”

  He winked at her. “You should really listen to me more often. I'm usually right.”

  She couldn't help but smile at him. “Are you normally so arrogant?”

  He grinned. “So tell me, Jaya Trudeaux, how does it feel to cross off something on your Thirty list?” He moved into the shallower water, the pool revealing more of his sun-kissed skin and Jaya's mouth watered. He looked like sin and sex, and she was hungry.

  Unsure of him, she mumbled, “What are you doing?”

  He stalked closer to her, ignoring her protest. “I'm showing you how irresistible you are.”

  As he invaded her space, she was forced to use his shoulders to balance, bringing her flush against him. The hard length of his arousal brushed up against her and strained for her touch.

  “Shit, Jaya.”

  When he dipped his head, her heart gave a thud of excitement. Her brain gave a jolt of alarm. Her libido promptly put a muzzle on the alarm bells. Sometimes rules were meant to be broken. As she tipped her head up to meet his lips with hers, a squeak from behind had her cursing. Shoving Alec deeper in the water, she stepped in until the water reached her neck. “Shit. I knew this would happen.”

  Alec sluiced water out of his eyes. “Relax. It’ll be fine.”

  Jaya couldn’t see the person near the door clearly. From the form and movement, she assumed it was a man. “Oh. Hey, Alec. Sorry to interrupt, but Miss Westhorpe is downstairs. She insists on seeing you.”

  Alec let out
a breath and Jaya could feel the water move behind her as she clutched to the side of the pool. “Thanks, Mike. I’ll be right down.”

  As Mike left in a hurry, Alec reached for her, but she shrugged away. “You should go. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

  “Jaya, I—”

  She launched herself up out of the pool to grab one of the fluffy towels on the lounge chairs. Maybe some rules weren’t meant to be broken.

  Chapter Twelve

  Talk about disaster. Jaya breathed a sigh of relief as she let herself into her apartment. The whole damn day was a disaster. Her little jaunt north had not turned out the way she’d expected. After Alec had finished with Adele, they rode back to San Diego in relative silence. She’d been too tired to hold up her end of any conversation.

  If she could take an eraser to the last week of her life, she would. Well, okay, not the entire week. Regardless of everything, she’d still had the best sex of her life, and that was nothing to sneeze at. She would still be shut in under her duvet cover with her ice cream if Micah and Ricca had left her to her own devices.

  Jaya slipped off the dazzling stilettos and told herself she didn't feel suddenly depressed. She’d had a good opportunity today. One she hadn’t planned. One she’d probably blown, but still, a shot was a shot. It was better than what she’d accomplished in the last three days.

  Pressing the message light on her answering machine, she padded into the kitchen to prepare a hot chocolate.

  “Hey, Jai, it's Micha. Give me a call when you’re back.”

  Of course—there was no way she could vanish with some guy and not have her friends calling for deets.

  Another message beep, and her father’s deep baritone filled the room. “Jaya, I got your message. I can tell you, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I didn't stop you from getting a job. I'm not sure why you think I’d do that or why you think I have time for such machinations. You should call your sister.”

  When the message cut off, the tightness in her chest was her only clue that she'd been holding her breath. Letting it out slowly, she decided to ignore her father's message. She wasn’t in the mood for a fight. Only he could get her this worked up. Only he could make her feel lower than low. She needed to talk to Micha.