“Are you okay?” Nick asked, brushing his finger over her eyebrow.
Terrah answered him with a kiss. She moaned with ecstasy through her tears as Nick picked up the pace, taking them both over the edge in a matter of minutes.
She wasn’t okay. She was in danger of falling in love.
* * * *
Rays of sunlight, warm on her face, woke Terrah. She opened her eyes, rolled over in the warm sheets and reached for Nick. She groaned in disappointment to find him already out of bed. Slowly exhaling, she flipped onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. Long after he’d fallen asleep, she’d lain beside him, analysing her feelings where Nick was concerned, trying to find a way around the obvious. Nothing had changed in the morning light.
I’m falling for him.
Terrah placed her hands on her face, remembering his tender kiss after he’d asked her if she was okay. He’d seen her tears, but he hadn’t asked her about them later when they’d shared a bottle of chardonnay in bed. They’d talked and laughed for hours before finally calling it a night.
How was she going to walk away from this sun-kissed fling with her heart intact?
After last night, Terrah knew her heart would never feel the same. His romantic surprise had melted away the last of whatever walls she’d put in place where he was concerned, and now everything seemed different—felt different.
Terrah reached for Nick’s pillow and pulled it over her head with a low groan. The familiar scent of his cologne on the pillowcase filled her nose and her body instantly yearned for him. She shook her head beneath the fluffy down pillow.
Falling in love with Nick hadn’t been the plan. She’d been willing to explore the attraction between them and enjoy a romantic fling, the first ever in her life, but now things seemed complicated. Shoving the pillow off her face, Terrah turned on her side and stared at the shimmering reflection of the sun on the lanai through the sliding doors.
Nick was a world-famous sex symbol. He could easily choose to love and be with some of the most beautiful women on the planet.
But he’s here with me….making love to me.
That meant something.
But what?
Terrah sighed. No matter what his feelings were towards her, there was no denying what she was beginning to feel, not after last night. Not after the way he’d made love to her. She reached again for his pillow, brought it up to her nose and breathed in the subtle scent of his sexy cologne. A rush of heat raced over her body as she remembered the depth of passion reflected in his eyes as he had moved within her.
For as long as she lived, she’d never forget that look.
Nick paused in the doorway, his gaze running over Terrah’s exposed back as she shifted beneath the sheets. It took a considerable amount of restraint not to walk over and get back into bed with her. He couldn’t get enough of the way her soft skin smelt or tasted on his tongue, and he wanted to spend more time kissing her everywhere.
Later.
They had plenty of time. He was going to make sure of it.
Clearing his throat, he drew her attention away from the sliding glass doors. “Good morning.”
She turned towards him, holding the sheet up over her breasts as she smiled. “Good morning.”
The curve of her lips always had the same effect on him, warming him in places he’d never experienced before. She reminded him of a Nubian princess, effortlessly beautiful, lush and demure with her dark strands of hair brushing against the white sheet.
“I hope you’re hungry.”
“Starved.”
“Good. I already ordered our breakfast. Do you want to eat by the pool?”
Nick stuffed his hand in the pocket of his shorts, noticing her gaze running over his bare chest.
Was she wishing he’d say ‘to hell with breakfast’ as much as he wanted to say it?
He was already envisioning ripping the sheet from her fingers and covering her body with his.
“Give me ten minutes?” Terrah said, just as he was about to move forward.
“Take your time. I’ll be waiting for you.”
Nick left the bedroom with a smile on his face. Terrah made him happy. He didn’t want their time on the island to come to an end and he intended to make the most of every minute they had left together. Nick stepped into the living room and took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of the ocean. A gentle breeze swirled around the airy space and he started to whistle. He grabbed two flute glasses from the bar, feeling as carefree as the salty wind washing over him as he walked out on the lanai.
The scent of coffee, bacon and eggs wafted up to him as he approached their table. He bent down, careful not to bump his head into the white umbrella that blocked the sun. Gorgeous red flowers filled a glass vase in the centre of the tablecloth. Elegant dining ware showcased their omelettes and sweet rolls in delicious style. Sliced grapes, melon, mango and papaya filled a glass bowl, and there were carafes of orange juice and ice water.
Nick had just finished pouring them both mango mimosas when he felt his cell vibrating against his thigh. Reaching into his pocket, he took the phone out and lifted it to his ear.
“Hello?”
“Nick, it’s Jocelyn.”
Damn. He should have looked at the caller ID.
“What’s up, Jocelyn?”
There was a pause on the other end of the line.
“I told you I needed to talk to you. I hoped we’d get a moment at the party last night.”
“What is it? What do we need to talk about?”
There was a slight pause before Jocelyn sighed.
“I’m pregnant.”
Irritation gave way to stunned disbelief as Nick frowned. “Excuse me?”
“That night we were together—”
“I used a condom.”
He rubbed a hand through his hair as images from that night flashed in his mind. They had used protection and he was sure there hadn’t been anything wrong with his rubber. He didn’t know what game Jocelyn was playing, but he didn’t believe her.
“Yes, you did, but—”
“Jocelyn, I know I’m not the only guy you’ve slept with in the last two months. We had sex. We used protection. There was nothing wrong with that condom.”
“I’m telling you I’m pregnant and you could be the father.”
“I don’t think so. And you’re telling me you’re considering having this baby? What about your career?”
Jocelyn sighed again. “I don’t know.”
Nick cursed as he stared at the pool. This could not be happening.
“Jocelyn, I will need DNA proof.”
“If I go through with this pregnancy, I won’t do the test until after the baby is born.”
“Understood, but we have nothing to talk about until the test confirms the baby’s paternity.”
“But—”
“DNA proof, Jocelyn.” Nick gritted his teeth as he saw Terrah walking through the sliding doors of the bedroom. “Let me know if you decide to have the baby.”
“Okay.”
Nick ended the call as Terrah joined him, dressed in only his T-shirt. The white cotton stretched over her breasts and outlined her nipples with tantalising clarity. She stepped out of the shadow and into the sun, looking beautiful and concerned when she saw his face.
“I hope you don’t mind. My clothes are a wrinkled mess.”
Mind?
She was nuts if she thought he minded his shirt hugging her body the way he wanted to.
“I like this look.”
He handed her the mimosa as Terrah stared at him.
“What’s wrong?”
Every-fucking-thing.
He didn’t want to tell her about Jocelyn’s call. Sharing what he’d learned would effectively ruin the rest of their time together on the island.
Terrah placed her hand on his chest and took a sip from her glass. “You seem tense.”
“I’m hungry. Did you enjoy your shower?”
“Thos
e multiple shower jets are awesome! I could’ve stayed in there longer.”
“You should have.”
He pulled out her seat, brushed his lips against her temple and waited for her to sit down before taking his own seat. No matter what was going on in his head, he wanted Terrah to have a good time.
“Look at all of this food.”
“You said you were starved.”
“I am. You’ve depleted me of all my reserves.”
Nick winked at her as they both helped themselves to the food. They ate their first couple of bites in companionable silence.
“This is so yummy. I could eat breakfast food for lunch and dinner.”
“Me too. Did you sleep well?”
Terrah shrugged. “I slept all right. How about you?”
Nick thought she looked as distracted as he felt as she glanced up from her plate.
“I slept like a rock. Feeling your body next to mine all night long was effective as any sleep aid I’ve taken in the past. You wore me out.”
Terrah cut her eyes at him, and he knew she was thinking about all the erotic things they had done before finally drifting off.
He reached out to touch her hand. “I love sleeping next to you.” He could feel her pulse speed up beneath his thumb as she stared at him.
“Me too—you’re not a cover hog.”
Nick laughed. “Thank you.”
She squeezed his hand before pulling away to grab her drink.
“I think just about everyone is going back sometime today. My flight leaves around nine tonight—”
“Don’t get on that plane.”
Terrah’s eyes widened. “What?”
She set her glass down as he ran his index finger over her cheek. “Stay with me. I’ve got two more days before I have to be back on the mainland and I want to spend them with you, here on the island.”
He expected her to hesitate, but he was unprepared for the frisson of anxiety that zipped up his spine at the thought of her declining his invitation. They needed more time together. Something was happening between them and he was certain Terrah felt it too. If she left now, they might not get the chance to explore it any further.
Don’t say no.
A flicker of excitement ran across her face before she frowned.
“Stay? I don’t know… The ticket—”
“Don’t worry about the ticket. Do you have another booking you need to be back for?”
“Not for a couple of days.”
“Well, see, that’s perfect. You’re supposed to stay here with me. So…what do you say? Keep in mind that if you say no, I’ll be forced to throw you in the pool.”
Nick chuckled at the horrified look on her face.
“You wouldn’t!”
“Nah, I wouldn’t.” He leant forward and kissed her softly on the lips. “But I do hope you’ll say yes.“ He kissed her again, knowing he wasn’t playing fair, but he wanted to make it harder for her to say no. “Come on, say yes, Terrah. I know you aren’t ready to leave this place yet, either.”
“You’re right.”
“So, you’ll stay?”
“Yes.” Her lips brushed his, and Nick could feel her smile before she moved back in her chair. “I’d love to stay.”
“Woman, you’ve just brightened my day.”
Terrah laughed, then frowned. “Brightened? Something is wrong.”
“Nothing I can’t handle.” Nick patted his knee. “C’mon here.”
He reached for her as she got up out of her chair, yanked her down on his lap, loving her girlish giggles.
“Are you ready to see more of this beautiful island?”
“Mmm…maybe later?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and he kissed her. Her lips tasted like champagne, making him temporarily forget about the bomb Jocelyn had just laid at his feet.
For the next couple of days, he would concentrate solely on Terrah’s pleasure. He wanted her to trust there was more between them than just great sex. She didn’t know it yet, but he was determined to have her in his life for more than just a hot island fling.
Chapter Sixteen
Terrah sighed as she stretched out her legs. “This has been an incredible day.”
“I’m glad I got to show you a little bit more of Hawaii.”
“Me too.”
They had spent the entire afternoon sightseeing and shopping, and Terrah had enjoyed every minute of her time with Nick. She hadn’t laughed so much or felt so relaxed and happy in a long time. Terrah snuggled closer to him, resting her head against his arm, which was wrapped around her shoulders. Despite what he had said, she still got the sense something was bothering him, but whatever it was hadn’t stopped him from showing her a good time.
“What did you enjoy the most? Besides shopping.”
“Hey.” Terrah playfully jabbed Nick in the ribs. “I didn’t spend that much time shopping.”
She placed her leg over his, comfortable in the oversized chaise. The soft rumbling sound of the water jets in the pool drew her attention away from the beautiful landscaping around the lanai and their beach bungalow.
“And I’m not complaining.” Nick tugged on the strap of her new aqua-blue sundress. “I enjoyed watching you try on those clothes.”
“I know you did, but I wasn’t going to say shopping was the best part of the day.”
“Really?”
“Nope.”
Just being with you was.
“I really loved horseback riding along the beach. What a great suggestion.”
Nick placed a kiss on her shoulder. “Mmm…that was nice. I’ll tell you what was even better, though…”
“What was better than the horseback riding?”
She turned her face to look at him to see his devilish grin.
“Seeing you horseback riding in those jeans was the highlight of my day.”
Terrah rolled her eyes, charmed by his compliment.
“Come on, Nick, you should’ve been enjoying the scenic view. Those waves were amazing.”
“I was…I did, but all I kept thinking about was how beautiful you looked on that horse.”
“Thank you. I’ll never forget my first time horseback riding by the ocean.”
“You’re welcome, Terrah. I like surprising you.”
Their gazes locked and her heart twisted in opposite directions. In an instant, the playful moment between them had become electric. She turned her body towards his and kissed him. He cupped the side of her face with his hand and Terrah sucked in a breath when Nick ended the kiss. She stared up at him and a whirlwind of emotion swelled within her.
“What are you thinking?” Nick asked, stroking her cheek.
“I’m thinking that the biggest surprise has been on me.”
“What do you mean?”
There was no way she could tell him the truth.
“Terrah?”
“I mean—”
A noise along the fence distracted them. They turned to look and Terrah gasped at the sight of a telephoto lens pointed in their direction.
“What the hell?”
The fury in Nick’s voice seemed to echo around the lanai as he shot up off the chaise. In a flutter of leaves, the lens disappeared from sight.
Nick was running toward the unseen intruder before Terrah could utter a word. Stunned, she stood up as he easily hoisted himself up and over the cement fence within seconds, leaving her to stare after him in shock.
Someone had just taken pictures of them kissing.
She wrapped her arms around her body. Minutes ticked by as she thought about what had just happened. She felt violated. Just the thought of someone capturing an intimate moment of her life on film without her knowledge was disturbing.
How long had that person been snapping photos? Thank goodness they hadn’t gone any further than kissing.
“Terrah?”
She turned around to see Nick walking through the sliding doors of the bedroom with his cell phone at his
ear. The terse words he uttered into the device barely registered as he approached.
“Are you all right?” he asked, setting his phone on the table.
Her gaze ran over his face. His handsome profile was a mask of controlled anger, a stark contrast to the warmth she had become accustomed to seeing. She felt the need to reassure him.
“I’m okay. I just can’t believe that happened.”
“Yeah.” Nick ran a hand through his hair. “Neither can I.”
“Did you see the person with the camera?”
“No, thank God for him. I don’t know where he could’ve gone that quickly.”
Terrah glanced over his shoulder as the doorbell rang. “That was fast.”
Nick grabbed her hand, walked across the lanai through the sliding doors and headed towards the door.
“You informed the hotel already?”
“I called them while I was looking for that SOB.”
Nick opened the door to reveal an attractive, ultra-tanned man wearing a suit.
“Good evening, Mr Tasso. I’m Rick Varga, the hotel manager.” Rick offered his hand to each of them in turn as he shook his head. “First, let me apologise again for the invasion of your privacy. We take the comfort and security of our guests very seriously.”
“How did this happen?”
Terrah glanced at Nick, seeing the tension in his body as Mr Varga rushed on.
“The hotel has been abuzz since news of your modelling shoot taking place here hit. We anticipated the press popping up, but, apparently, another guest staying in one of our private villas invited a member of the paparazzi onto the property without our knowledge.”
Terrah sighed. “What about the photos the photographer took?”
“The photographer was not on the premises when we confronted the guest, who denied any knowledge of the photographer’s intentions. She claims she didn’t know he was a photographer and had only just met him at a party.” Mr Varga cleared his throat. “She’s apologised for what happened. I do hope this incident will not prevent you both from continuing your stay with us now or in the future. I would personally like to extend an invitation for the two of you to come back and stay here with us”—he gestured around them—“or in any of our other villas for a long weekend…free of charge.”
Ample Delights Page 13