by Mia Caldwell
“You are a goddess.” He rained kisses along the nape of her neck and then pulled away from her slightly.
Keeping his eyes on hers, he quickly shed his clothes and when he was naked too, he pulled her to him.
Her hand snaked its way to his manhood and he groaned aloud when she wrapped her fingers around it. With fluid movements, she stroked him and with the other hand, caressed his muscled chest with its light dusting of hair. Christian could have come right there and then but with self-control that would have made any man proud, he fought it, wanting to be in her when he finally exploded with ecstasy.
Taking her hand, he guided her gently to the bed and lowered her against the faded patchwork quilt. It seemed almost sacrilegious, what they were about to do, against what he guessed was a family heirloom.
She lay there, like an offering to a pagan God, spread wantonly before him, the most perfect sight he had ever seen.
“I want you—”
Those tender, whispered words wrapped themselves in his heart as Raina reached for him, pulling him to her.
“Yes—” His response was a gasp as she gripped his cock, positioning him at her entrance.
They faced each other, faces visible in the blue glow of moonlight. He touched her cheek and smoothed back her hair. He took his time, circling his thumb around her nipples watching her reactions. He broke off the stare to lower his mouth to suck and tease her breasts.
By now, she had arched her body forward, begging him to enter her and he could feel her soft sweetness against him. Unable to hold on any longer, Christian lowered himself against her, spreading her legs wide with his strong hands.
She groaned and he parted her entrance and sank deeply into her in one stroke. She was completely wet and ready for him, and he bucked his hips against hers, rocking her gently, adding more pressure as he went along.
Raina’s body was responding to his as if she was a musical instrument and he was a master at his art. Her gasps and his moans were coming faster as their bodies moved in unison, hands caressing every inch of flesh, lips tasting fevered skin.
“You taste so sweet.”
His hand went between them, between her legs, and he played a primal rhythm against her mons. She gasped and cried out in pleasure as he claimed her lips with his.
He could feel her start to tremble and clench against him as his hands worked her to a fevered pitch. And then, he felt her find her release and she moaned as he plunged into her as deeply as he could go. His hips bucked against her pelvis wildly and he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist as he jerked against her, losing himself in the pinnacle of his own pleasure.
Gasping for breath, they lay together, Christian still buried within her as their orgasms subsided. Still holding her in his arms he rolled them to their sides and he kissed her forehead. Neither of them spoke, content to let the moment speak for itself.
What seemed like hours later, Christian propped his head on his hand and looked down at Raina. He could tell that she wasn’t asleep and after a while she opened her eyes. She smiled at him shyly. He stroked her hair and admired her form, sprawled out on the bed. He couldn’t get enough of her and he could feel his body responding to the alluring figure she made.
“That was amazing. You are so amazing, Raina—in every possible way.” Christian meant every word.
“It was—it’s been a very long while for me, I hope I wasn’t too rusty,” Raina said softly. She buried her head against his chest in embarrassment.
“Rusty? I certainly wouldn’t accuse you of that.”
Raina smiled shyly and looked down at her hands. He settled back down on the bed and pulled her closer so that her head was on his chest. They fit together like puzzle pieces. It felt so right, as if he and Raina had been together for years.
“We—We can’t let people at work know about us—“ Raina’s words were hesitant.
“Why, are you ashamed of me?” Christian tone was light, but part of him did wonder if she was.
If only she knew who I really am. He tried to push the thought aside. It only condemned him for his deception. A deception he was now regretting greatly because he knew it meant he was lying to Raina. And yet, he thought to himself, If I hadn’t lied to her, I never would have met her …
Would Raina agree with him that the ends had justified the means in this case?
“No, no. How could I be ashamed of you? It’s just too soon, and I never date my colleagues. It would cause all sorts of complications.…” Raina explained as she nestled closer to him.
“Relax, I was kidding, I understand.” Christian lied smoothly.
He wanted to take her to his own home and show her the real him. At the back of his mind, Christian realized that by making love to Raina, he had given her part of his heart. He had also taken his deceit to another level.
How would he ever explain that he was the same person she was falling for? That the only difference between Christopher and Christian was a bad dye job … and several hundred million in their bank accounts.…
He pushed the traitorous thought to the back of his mind. It was marring the joy he felt in the moment. He didn’t want to think about tomorrow—he only wanted to enjoy the moment.
And with that thought in mind, he bent his head to kiss Raina and rolled her over once again.…
He must have fallen asleep because the next thing he felt was Raina shaking him awake.
“It’s morning, sleepy head, just a couple more minutes until the kids wake up,” Raina said apologetically. “They can’t see you here.”
“This early? It’s a Saturday!” Christian groaned.
Raina playfully pushed him toward the edge of the bed. “Kids don’t care about days off. They seem to have a sixth sense—sleeping in on school days, but up at the crack of dawn on a day off! So you’d better go!”
He laughed. “Alright, alright, I’m leaving but not before getting a kiss,” Christian said.
The kissed lasted for five minutes and he had to tear himself away.
By now he was fully awake, and he tiptoed his way out of Raina’s room and headed downstairs to the basement. It was six in the morning, and at that hour, Christian knew he would never get back to sleep. He took a shower and dressed for the day.
He hadn’t been back to his penthouse apartment in the high rise for days and he needed to touch base with the New York office and deal with a lot of business he’d been neglecting. There was only so much he could do on his smartphone on his breaks at the hotel and when he could steal a moment away from Raina and the kids. He’d left very competent people in charge in his absence, but there were still many things that needed his personal attention.
He texted his driver—he knew that no matter what time of the day or night, he would be waiting for Christian’s call and a short time later he was back in his cold and sterile penthouse.
Christian shed his shabby clothes and removed his contact lenses. He glanced at the mirror, longing to shave off the scraggly beard and the dyed hair, which had grown to lengths he had never kept before. He inspected the dark brown dye in his hair and was satisfied with it. Christian spent the next three hours reading and replying his emails.
He got one interesting email from Roger.
Evidently his uncle had found out why the Palm Beach Del Mar hotel was losing money. Roger was cryptic but promised that he would shortly give Christian all the details.
Interesting that he, Christian, had spent so much time at the hotel and learned nothing, other than everything at Del Mar was working well, yet Roger had gotten to the bottom of the problem. Then again, Christian realized that his investigation had stalled the moment he had taken a greater interest in Raina. He was annoyed of himself for losing sight of his mission.
Still, Christian felt uplifted by the news. The sooner this mess got straightened out, the sooner It meant that he could finally be honest with Raina. He was tired of walking around in old clothes and hiding who he was every day. He shut off h
is laptop and got ready for the rest of the day.
Christian donned his undercover clothes; a ratty pair of jeans and worn t-shirt. He finished the look with the signature cap and his contact lenses. Raina would get the shock of her life if she knew that his eyes were not brown but a startling Caribbean Ocean blue. They were somewhat of a dead giveaway to anyone who knew that “Christian Del Mar” was known for having just that particularly unusual eye color.
He left the apartment an hour later and got Jim to drop him off a few blocks from Raina’s house.
By then, it was noon and as Christian walked, he felt the beat of his heart change at the thought of seeing Raina again. It had only been a few hours since they had been together, but it felt like a year.
He whistled a tune as he walked. The world felt right, and even the weather was unusually warm, as though reflecting the joy in his heart.
Something told Christian that he had found an uncommon woman. Brilliant, beautiful, but most of all, kind-hearted; such women were rare in his world.
He knocked lightly on the door. Though he had a key, he found it awkward to enter without knocking as though it was his house. Raina flung the door open and when she saw him, she broke into a wide smile, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she saw him. Christian leaned on the doorframe and admired her loveliness.
“I thought I had dreamt everything up,” Raina said. “Where did you run off to?”
“I remember everything,” Christian drawled. “If you like, I would be more than happy to remind you.”
Raina laughed, throwing her head back, her wild curls shaking as she did so. Christian’s eyes ran over her sleeveless light pink blouse and black trousers that hugged her hips. He drew a sharp breath, about to grab her in his arms, wanting to take her right there—and then, Jeremiah’s face appeared at Raina’s side.
“Hi Chris, Aunty is taking us to the Water World Park, will you come with us, please?” he said, looking at Christian intently.
“Well, maybe we should ask Aunty Raina first?” Christian said.
Raina swatted him on the shoulder. “We’d love for you to come with us, you know that.”
It gave him a jolt of delight that she wanted him along on a family outing. He and Jeremiah linked arms and followed Raina inside.
“Hey Chantal, what are you up to?” Christian said, walking towards the dining table where Chantal sat.
“Hi Chris,” she said with a sweet smile. “Just waiting for Crystal to get ready.”
“She’s still up there primping herself,” Raina said with an exasperated voice.
“It’s just a stage, she’ll get over it,” Christian said, winking at her. “She just wants to be as beautiful as her Aunty.”
Raina bit back a smile and looked down at her feet at his compliment.
They left the house thirty minutes later and squeezed into Raina’s car. Christian enjoyed the opportunity to observe her delicate profile as she drove. Her brow was creased in concentration as she navigated the road around careless drivers.
The children chattered in the back about the rides they planned to go on. There had been an awkward moment back at the house when Jeremiah asked him where his swimming trunks were.
“I can’t swim,” Christian had lied smoothly.
Swimming was out of the question. For starters, it would mean that he had to remove his contact lenses and also immerse his hair in water. Christian didn’t know how the chlorine in the water would react to the dye in his hair. His whole fake ensemble could melt away and he could just imagine Raina’s reaction.
Something in his gut told him that she wouldn’t take the whole business of him going undercover well. He felt a heaviness in his gut at the uncomfortable thought, but shrugged it off again as something he would have to sort out in the coming days. He would have to break it to her gently, so that she would understand why he had done it.
The Water World Park was designed to delight both children and adult senses, with bright colors decorating the rides and splash pads. Raina paid the entry fee for all of them, which made Christian thoroughly uncomfortable. He knew she was on a limited income. He thought about pulling out his own wallet, and then realized that all of his credit cards gave away his real name. With regret, he let her pay. I’ll make it right with her, later, he thought to himself.
He chose a picnic table near the water and waited for Raina and the children to change into their swim suits.
They came out of the changing room minutes later and Christian’s jaw dropped when he saw Raina. She wore a red one-piece swimsuit which shone bright against her dark skin in contrast. The garment was cut like a modest suit from the 1950’s, with ruching on the side, and a halter around her neck, drawing attention to her ample bustline. She looked like a pinup girl from his fantasies, and for all that she was much more conservatively covered up than the women in the amusement park who were parading around in thong bikinis, she was all the more attractive for it.
She walked toward him, her hips swaying, and when the children were not looking and he saw her laughing eyes at his expression.
“You’re the most beautiful woman here,” Christian growled into her ear, wrapping his hand around her well-defined waist. She looked up at him, smiling, but before she could answer they were interrupted by one of the children.
“Chris, will you watch me slide down the blue one? It’s the scariest slide!” Jeremiah shrieked with excitement, jumping up and down.
“That blue one is not the scariest slide, it’s for babies,” Crystal said in a faux-bored voice. “Me and Chantal will go to the yellow one; it’s the scariest, Chris. You should come watch us on that.”
“I don’t think I could manage either of the slides, myself,” Christian said and shivered. “I think you’re very brave, especially you Jeremiah. That blue slide does look pretty scary. I can take turns watching all of you.” Jeremiah, whose face had fallen, now perked up and he grinned.
“Watch me first!” he said, sprinting towards the water and the slides.
The girls ran after him, leaving Christian and Raina to follow alone after them. He looked at her delicious brown eyes and her half-clad body and wanted to grab her right there and then.
“You look very serious. Are you all right?” she said softly, looking up at him, her brow furrowed.
“No. No, I’m not all right. I want to hold you in my arms and do unspeakable things to you that will make you scream.” His voice was low as he bent to murmur in her ear. “It’s a good thing I’m not wearing swim trunks. I’d be very embarrassed right now. Oh, Raina, if only you knew what you do to me and seeing you in that suit doesn’t help matters.”
She felt the heat flowing through her body, and she knew it wasn’t the force of the blazing sun that was shining on them.
“You do the same to me too,” she murmured. “I’ll take a short swim to satisfy the kids.”
“Don’t rush on my account, I’m content to sit here and admire you.”
He let her go join the kids in line and Christian stood up and went to the end of the slides to cheer on Jeremiah and the girls.
The day passed quickly, with lots of sun, laughter, and splashing in the water. Christian was content to watch at the periphery, taking joy from their happiness.
Later they ate a simple, but delicious, lunch of hotdogs and burgers, and finished it off with ice cream.
“What a lovely family!” An older woman passing by exclaimed at them. She smiled and nodded at Christian and Raina. “Enjoy it now while you can, dears! They don’t stay this young forever!”
Sitting under the trees in the picnic area, Raina and Chris turned and looked at each other. The woman had already gone, but her words hung in the air over them like a bubble that neither wanted to pop.
“Is Chris a part of our family?” Jeremiah interrupted the silence, putting words to the unasked question that had been lingering.
Chantal looked back and forth between the adults, and sensing their discomfort she interject
ed on their behalf, “Family is anyone that you love.” Chantal said, her mouth full of hot dog.
That answer seemed to satisfy her brother, and they went back to loudly talking about who had been the bravest and who had gone down the most number of slides.
Listening to them talk, Christian realized that in the last week, the loneliness that he always carried with him had disappeared. He listened with a soft smile on his face. The heaviness he always carried with him had dissolved like sugar in warm coffee under the gentle kindness of Raina’s care. Discovering that Raina had feelings for him had been more than he could have hoped for.
He felt like part of a family and he loved it.
Raina and the children liked him for who he was—not what he could do for them—and it was a wonderful feeling. What he wished for now was that he could show them his world and spoil them rotten, the way they deserved. Take them on rides in his private helicopter; fly them off to private islands for a weekend away. Hell, he would build these kids their own private water park on the private island he owned in the Bahamas.
He had worked hard for his money, and the truth was that he enjoyed the kind of life that his wealth afforded him. But of course, there was the downfall of not really knowing who were your true friends and if women were only attracted to your money rather than your person.
With Raina, Christian knew that he would never have to worry that she only cared about his money—she had fallen for him when she thought he had nothing. That night, Raina invited him upstairs to say goodnight to the kids and it moved him, as he knew what a huge step that was for her. It meant that she was opening up her life to him, and inviting him into the kids’ lives.
He only wished that he could do the same.
10
Roger’s skin tightened against his bones and his blood raced through his body like greyhounds on a track. His eyes were focused on the security monitor and what he saw made him want to strangle someone.
Raina and the tall maintenance man were in the hallway, holding hands and whispering into each other’s ears, their bodies pressed against each other.