by Jill Monroe
Molly powered down the computer, but grabbed a notepad and pen from off the conference table in case relaxing by the water freed her mind. After grabbing a bottle of fruit juice from the fridge, she padded barefoot across the hardwood to the tile and out to the pool. She blinked against the sun’s rays and the gentle breeze made this one of those perfect April days.
After glancing left and right to make sure what was billed as a private pool was indeed private, Molly shucked her t-shirt and bra and tossed the items on the lounge chair. Then she shimmied out of her shorts and panties and both joined the party with her shirt. The air brushed her skin, and goose bumps formed all along her arms. She dipped her toes into the shallow end. The sun heated water lapped against her foot. Heaven. Then she slipped into the water.
* * *
Zeke Nicholas talked with the kind of enthusiasm and excitement about numbers the way another man would speak about his favorite football team.
“Projected growth rates of…”
Cooper tried to focus on the printout in front of him. Tried being the operative word, but the words grew wavy on the page. Wavy like the soft tendrils of Molly’s hair.
Focus.
“…will match the projected rate of return.”
Cooper’s eyes strayed to the clock. How much more of this before he could return to Molly without looking like a rude jerk? Pay attention, asshole.
“Page fifty-two of the balance sheet…”
Fifty-two or two hundred and fifty-two? Numbers. Hell, he could get into numbers. Like had Molly ever slept on nine hundred count Eucalyptus sheets? Damn. It. Cooper stood, his left knee knocking the table and he winced.
“Everything okay, Coop?” Nate Ivory asked.
“Yeah. I just, uh, there’s an emergency and…” he scooped up the papers from the table. “I’ll let you know.”
“But—” Elliott Becker’s voice was the last thing he heard as he raced back to the villa, passing by the golf cart waiting to take him to the Morning Glory Villa. To hell with it, he could run faster.
He keyed into the room, loosening his tie as he rushed up the stairs to Molly. The rock from her grandpa’s chest was there. But no Molly. The door to the bedroom was exactly how housekeeping had left it from this morning. He shuffled back down the stairs. He spotted a dirty dish and fork in the sink. She hadn’t fallen asleep on the couth and the downstairs powder room door stood ajar. Where was she?
Then he heard a splash of water outside. He sucked in a breath imaging water rushing over Molly’s soft skin. She’d be wet. Drops of water would be rolling down her skin. A smile crossed his face as he followed the sound of splashing outside.
She wheeled around as she heard the door open.
His grin disappeared. “Dear God, tell me you’re not naked in that pool. Wait. Strike that. Tell me you’re naked.”
“I’m naked,” she told him, then laughed. “Why have I wasted so many years in a wet, clingy bathing suit? This feels amazing.”
“Take my expert opinion. Molly Waiter, you should always be naked.”
“I’ll take that under advisement. You haven’t even seen me naked yet.”
Yet? “But I have a great imagination.
“You clean up nice.” She nodded toward his suit. “You shaved.”
He scratched his chin. “For the meeting. Thought I’d aim for professional.”
“I like the stubble.”
“For you I’ll grow it back.” He’d recycle every razor he owned.
She tilted her head side to side, studying him from several angles. “I’m so used to seeing you a bit rough around the edges. But then smooth Cooper is pretty intriguing.”
He’d hopped into the shower as she ordered room service. Molly had been so engrossed in her research he hoped to avoid disturbing her, so he’d left the villa quietly. He tugged the tie from around his neck and tossed in on the closest lounge chair. Was that scrap of lace her panties? He began to burn.
“How did your meeting go?”
“Couldn’t concentrate on a damn thing. I left early,” he said, tackling the buttons on his shirt.
Her delicate brow furrowed. “But I thought you were looking forward to it? Isn’t it every little boy’s dream to own a baseball team?”
“It’s every little boy’s dream to play on one.” And every man’s dream to find a naked beautiful woman waiting for him.
“Was it not a good investment?”
He shrugged out his shirt. “Maybe.”
“Is everything okay?”
Her confusion was too damn cute. “Yeah. Just turns out I suck at business.” He reached for his belt.
Molly held up a hand. “Wait a minute.”
He paused.
She glided to the side of the pool and leaned against the lip. “If I’m going to get a show, I’d like to be comfortable.”
Damn, this woman was sexy. And she wanted to see him naked. That made her even sexier. After kicking off his shoes, he shucked his slacks and tossed them toward the lounge chair. The wool material slid off the edge and fell into a heaped ball on the tile. He’d have to get them laundered and pressed before he left. Worth it.
He stood in front of Molly in only his boxer brief.
“Mmmm. Nice.” That last word she said almost like a purr and he grew stiff.
His fingers grasped the fabric. “I’ll show you nice.” Then he was naked, in the water and up against his hot little schoolteacher. She pushed off from the side of the pool and launched herself at him. “You’re killing me,” he breathed against her neck.
“Good,” she said, and licked her way up his neck and to his ear.
“You don’t even feel bad about messing up my plans.”
“Should I feel bad about this?” Molly traced the edge of his ear with her tongue then sucked the lobe into her mouth. He was hot and fully hard in seconds.
She nibbled his bottom lip, and his hands shook. “Do you want me to feel bad about that?”
He shook his head.
Molly ran her nails down his back, and then cupped his ass. “You should definitely not feel bad about that,” he told her.
She gave him a squeeze and he groaned. “Wasn’t planning on it.”
He lowered his forehead against hers and dragged air into his lungs. “I long to make love to you, Molly. But there’s no way I’m leaving this pool when I finally have you naked and in my arms. Let me touch you.”
“Coop, I—”
He groaned at the sound of his name from her lips, so breathless and needy. “You’ve never called me Coop before.”
“I can barely say my own name you make me feel so good.”
“I’m about to make you feel a whole lot better.”
He lifted her fingers to his mouth and kissed the back of her hand. Each one of her knuckles. Drew her finger into his mouth. Her eyelids fluttered, and she sighed a tiny moan in the back of her throat. A shock of awareness almost short-circuited his brain.
“What if I did the same thing to you?” she asked.
“I’d lose my mind. But I’m not ready to let it go yet.” He palmed her breasts, trailed his fingers down her waist and sunk lower. His fingers slid between her thighs. How he hardened more he had no clue, but her whimper as he touched her nearly did him in. “Tell me I make you feel good,” he urged.
“So good.”
“Tell me you want more.”
“I want everything, Coop.”
“There’s my name again.” He lowered his head and drew her nipple in his mouth. “I’ll never get tired of hearing you moan.” He found the bud of nerves between her legs and he caressed her with the pad of his thumb. Molly’s knees buckled, but he caught her against his body. Gripping her shoulders he spun her until her back leaned against his chest.
At this angle her sweet breasts rose toward the sunlight. Her nipples tight and visible in the rays. He cupped her breasts and she ground against him until he groaned. He ran his tongue along her shoulder, needing to taste the swee
tness of her skin.
His erection fit along the curve of her perfect ass.
“You twist me in knots,” he uttered.
“I do? Yet you’re the one with his hand between my legs.”
He lowered his hand still more and slipped a finger inside her. She was so ready for him. Hot and slick. “We’re going to be so good together.”
Molly shivered at his words. Her incredible body, her intense reactions to his touch mesmerized him. Made him feel powerful. Gave him thoughts that he could do anything. Like find Le Cœur Surveillé. Keep his show. Not be so damn alone.
Like he could love this extraordinary woman.
He nibbled on the soft lobe of her ear. “I burn to hear you moan. Don’t hold anything back.”
She nodded her consent, a frantic bob of her head. He tweaked her nipple, played with the budded tip as he slipped a second finger inside.
“So good, Coop. You make me feel so good.”
Another surge of power rocked his world. He could spend every waking moment exactly like this. Molly coming apart in his arms. He gently circled around her clit with his thumb and she lifted her hips to meet the caress. Her body tensed and trembled at the same time and he quickened his pace.
His erection grew painful, and he pressed himself along the curve of her sweet ass. So damn close to heaven. How easy it would be to position her against the side of her pool. He’d gently spread her legs apart and sink into her from behind.
Next time.
Or the time after that.
Right now was all about Molly. Her wanting to be with him. Him giving her something of himself. And none of it having to do with maps or treasure or The World Overton. He began to stroke inside her and out.
She bit her bottom lip. “Coop, I’m going to… Don’t stop.”
He increased his pace.
She gasped, and gripped the side of his thighs. Her fingers dug into his muscles and he didn’t give a shit. Loved that her nails would leave a mark on his skin. Then Molly exploded in his arms, and she was sexy and beautiful and all that a man could desire.
Chapter Seven
“What’s another word for lazy?” Molly asked sometime later, as they basked in the sun together on the lounge by the pool.
“Fully satisfied?” Cooper offered, his muscular arms holding her tight.
After tracing a few of his scars with a gentle finger, she kissed his bare chest. Licked a spot above his beating heart and stroked his legs with her calves. TV Adventure Man shivered. She did that. She made this man rock. He must have felt this same surge of gratification when she came apart in his arms. The things I’m going to do to your body. I’m going to make you feel so good.
“You’re thinking things.” His strong embrace tightened around her. “That’s never good.”
She propped herself on her elbow and gazed down at him. Would she ever lose this goofy smile? “I think you’re going to like what I was thinking.”
His dark eyes turned hungry. “Oh yeah? Care to share?”
Her heated cheeks were probably his answer. “Do you have your copy of the map here? On the island?”
He blanched. “That’s what you were thinking about just now?”
She shook her head. “No, that idea just popped in my head.” That change of scenery did the trick. Or maybe it was Cooper’s special recipe for relaxation. Suddenly she had a new idea for discovering the secrets of the stone. “It occurred to me that if I see your map, some of the symbols might match up. Maybe I’m only getting half the picture with just grandpa’s rock.”
“And then later you can show and tell me what you were thinking.” Cooper kissed the tip of her nose, and they trekked back upstairs, stopping every few steps to kiss. Or caress. Once she gave a little swat to his sexy ass. The open bedroom door taunted. Come on in.
Yeah, why not? If the ideas began flowing after one orgasm by the pool, imagine what she’d accomplish with the whole afternoon and night in bed.
Or the more likely scenario—she’d spend every waking (and non waking) moment in his arms and get nothing done. Well, other than her. No, get Le Cœur Surveillé out of the way, and then they could focus on one another without any distractions.
Except the man needed some clothes, otherwise she wouldn’t stop touching him.
Cooper tugged on the handle of the lowest cabinet on the desk to reveal a safe. After punching in a few numbers the door sprung wide. Reaching in, he pulled out a cardboard tube and carried it to the conference table. He twisted off the top and a rolled sheet of paper fell into his waiting hand.
Molly was finally going to ask the one question. “How did you get this?”
“Money,” he told her with a shrug. “Bought and paid for. Like I tried to buy from you.”
“But from whom?” The only person she knew who’d had possession of this other side of the map was her grandpa’s brother. The two men hadn’t spoken in decades, but was her great-uncle still so angry he’d betray the Waiter legacy?
Cooper winced. “I can’t say,” he told her. “Nondisclosure agreement.”
The last time she’d run across that particular phrase was when she read it in a rather naughty book. Her nipples tingled. Great, now she was thinking about sex again.
The edge of the stone caught her attention and her breath hitched. This was it. Decades had passed since any Waiter on her side of the family had viewed this half of the ancient document. Her stomach grew fluttery. And was that sensation she felt the heavy load of curiosity from generations of Waiters weighing down on her shoulders?
The silly side of her sought to break into song and sing about the goodness of reuniting.
Coop carefully rolled out the paper, and kept the ends from curling up with several paperweights.
She narrowed her eyes at the pristine sheet of paper. “Wait. This is a photocopy.” She met his eyes. “I hope you didn’t pay millions of dollars for this because you may have just been scammed.”
“Skeptic. For a woman who’s seen me in action on TV, I’d think you’d trust me a little more.” He smoothed a finger down her nose. “Don’t worry. I had it thoroughly authenticated. The real one is hermetically sealed and then stored in a climate-controlled facility. Under tight security.”
Molly eyed the photocopy, distaste bitter in her mouth. According to her grandfather, no one should reproduce the map. Ever. This thing in front of her was almost an affront.
“And don’t worry. I didn’t slap the thing on a copy machine. I hired an archivist to replicate it properly. This is actually clearer than the real thing. Time hasn’t been kind to the map. All the edges are crumbling, and—”
Molly held up her hand. “That almost hurts me to hear that. Coop, what if our copy didn’t survive the hurricane?” She’d finally voiced out loud, the fear she’d been harboring for a while.
“When was the last time you saw it?”
“I guess when I was seven. After my parents died, my grandpa found it in their belongings. I never saw it again after that. It must have been so tough for him. He’d lost his only child, and instead of grieving he had to protect the very thing that took his son away.”
“But he also had you to lift his spirits,” Cooper told her, giving her a hug of reassurance.
“You know, you’re showing your likeable side,” she teased.
Cooper shuddered. “Don’t tell anyone.” He angled his head toward the map. “Do you need anything to read that? A magnifying glass? A sextant?”
“You have a sextant lying around?”
“You’d be surprised. Don’t think I would have found Mir without it.”
A smiled tugged at the corner of her mouth. Then she focused her gaze on the map in front of her and her grin faded. Her heart pounded and something tinny rang in her ears. “You trust me to look at this? Even without my copy?”
Cooper cocked a brow and then laughed. “Molly, you’re a speech pathologist. You help little kids. That’s like on the top ten list of do-gooder jobs. Hones
tly, I don’t think you’d know the first thing about screwing me over.”
Her shoulders stiffened. “Why does that sound almost insulting? Am I that boring?”
He leaned down and licked the skin behind her ear. “You’re that wonderful. Molly Waiter, you are anything but boring.”
Heat pooled between her thighs, and she sucked in a calming breath. Clothes. They both needed clothes.
His eyes grew warm and hooded. “Not being able to screw someone—that’s a good thing. You’re a good thing. I plan to show you what a good thing you are later tonight,” he tapped the table next to the copy of the map, “but put me out of my suspense first.”
She swallowed, and then focused on the map stretched out before her. “Wow, the detail of this is amazing. There are symbols on this, too. They’re similar to what’s carved on the stone.” She felt his breath, warm and sensual on her neck. “Hey, are you going to be hovering over me the whole time? Not that I’m complaining, I like the way you hover, but this could take awhile.” If at all. “I’m trying to discover a pattern.”
Coop lifted his hands. “I can see when I’m not wanted. I’ll try to salvage what I can with the owners of the Bucks and then we meet back here, grab some dinner. Later you can search my body for patterns.”
While Cooper took a quick shower, she flew down the stairs to retrieve her clothes. Better. Now she could work.
Twenty minutes later, Cooper was out the door and she was left alone with the map. But only after he’d licked a path of pure torment and fire on the back of her neck.
“Try to solve this whole map thing that’s puzzled your people for generations while I’m gone,” he teased.
“Done.”
The front door snickered closed and Molly faced the photocopy. Her hands trembled and she sucked in a breath between her teeth. This was it. She felt it. All the cryptograms and ciphers and riddles her grandfather had quizzed her with, all the scavenger hunts and pattern study—all of that led up to this moment.
Damn, she was going to screw this up and she so didn’t want to screw this up for Cooper. Le Cœur Surveillé would be his legacy, too. Not just as its co-discoverer, but salvaging his own reputation. He was more than his mistakes on the show. Call it out!