by C. J. Thomas
It was hard, again, even harder than before. He held me down with one hand on my neck, forcing me to bend to his will. I grunted in time with his thrusts, his balls slapping against my throbbing button.
Another climax built in me, and I welcomed it even as I wasn’t sure I could handle it so soon. It came anyway, the pleasure so extreme I hardly held on to my senses. I would have screamed if we were alone—as it was, I bit my lip to stifle the ecstatic noises.
Aaron’s thrusts got faster, harder still, more frantic. He groaned, one final thrust sending him over the edge. A moment later he slid from me, falling onto his side. I collapsed, facing him.
I felt strangely empty. One second I was full, complete, then the next, void. I realized I wanted to reach him. That was what I missed.
Sure, it was great—better than great. Hot, steamy, soul-shattering. The best I’d ever had, and probably would ever have.
But I wanted him—not just his tremendous manhood, his strong fingers, his mouth. He rarely looked me in the eye when he took me, and I couldn’t help but feel a little bit of regret complicating our relationship by agreeing to come work for him.
I turned his face to mine, trying to hold his gaze. I wanted to sink into his deep, dark eyes for once and understand him.
He wouldn’t meet me halfway. He might as well have physically rejected me.
I turned my face away, not wanting to show him how he’d hurt me. I didn’t want to spoil the trip, especially seeing as we weren’t even there yet.
I sat up, putting my clothes together without a word. “In a hurry?” Aaron asked. I closed my eyes, my back turned to him. He sounded sarcastic, almost. Like he wanted to push me away. He was doing a fairly spectacular job of it, if that was his goal.
“I didn’t think you would want us to lie around naked when there’s a stewardess walking around the jet.”
“I think they prefer to be called attendants, now.” I heard him chuckle. I had to smile—there I was, Little Miss Equality, using an un-PC term.
“Sorry. Attendant. Zoe. You know what I mean.” I stood, fixing the belt around my waist before searching through my purse for the small hairbrush I always carried.
I was a total mess, hair sticking up in all directions. I used the mirror above the dresser to help fix myself up, reapplying my lip gloss, cleaning smudged eyeliner from beneath my eyes.
“It’s up to me,” he said. “I’m the boss. She knows better than to walk in after I’ve closed the door.”
“Oh—is that a specific order?” I smirked at him in the mirror. “Has she made that mistake before?”
“I have a thing with doors,” he said. “If the door is closed, it’s closed. I don’t want to be disturbed.”
I turned, intrigued in spite of the fierce, aching sting in my heart. “Where does that come from? That thing with doors?”
“I like my privacy,” he said, making it clear there was no room for questions. He had a commitment to keeping me an arm’s length from him. I looked away, feeling the sting twist in my gut again, as he sat up in bed. He would never understand what he’d just done to me—how he pushed me away, unknowingly.
I thought about his closed doors.
They were everywhere, all over his life.
Now I was seeing it for the first time and hated to have doubts about him, but the truth was, suddenly, I did.
The sight of his gorgeous body did little for me for a change. I sat on the bed to slide into my shoes. “What’s our schedule again? You never actually told me.”
I felt the frustration coming from him in waves. He didn’t like to be questioned. I should have let it go. I should have been a good girl and been grateful for the chance to take a trip.
Only, I wasn’t a good girl.
It wasn’t in my nature to be obedient. I asked questions and liked having them answered.
I wasn’t one to accept and go along.
And I was tired of letting him dictate my actions.
“You’ll know everything you need to know when we get there.” He turned away to button his shirt, suddenly very interested in getting it just right. Like he’d never done it before.
I took his body language as an engraved invitation to stop asking questions. His mercurial personality, once so alluring, was already starting to wear on me.
He wasn’t roguish and charming.
He was secretive, cold, evasive. Was this new? Or was I just too blind to recognize it before?
And I’d thought things were going so well, too. Had I talked myself into a trap?
CHAPTER 26
Kenzie
When we landed at the private airstrip, a car was already waiting to take us to an exclusive part of the island. “We’ll have the run of the place. I have a house that’s secluded,” Aaron promised me as we rode along.
Our driver was sweet, attentive, pointing out interesting bits of scenery along the way. I told myself to stop thinking about Aaron’s coldness and to start enjoying where I was and who I was with.
When would I ever get the chance to return to such a place? Probably never.
The first thing I noticed was the color green. It was the greenest place I’d ever seen—needless to say, growing up in Charleston, South Carolina and spending the last several years in Manhattan, I wasn’t accustomed to fields and fields of lush trees and grass. And when mixed with the wind blowing in my hair, I finally felt my shoulders drop and relax.
“You know what these islands are comprised of?” Aaron reached over and set his hand on my thigh.
“What do you mean?”
“They’re underground mountains. They sit on the intersection of the North American, Eurasian, and African tectonic plates.”
“Oh, well, that makes sense.” Just the thought of the pressure and time it had taken to build the islands was astounding and humbling.
“The soil is extremely fertile, so it’s excellent for growth. And the water is warm, too, thanks to the Gulf Stream. You’ll find all kinds of life here. It’s one of my favorite places in the world.”
“I can see why.” It was breathtaking. I had never seen such blue water, such blue sky. It was like heaven on Earth. If there was such a thing.
The air was mild, sweet with the scent of life. I wished I could bottle it and take a sniff or two whenever the stench of city life or the stale, recycled office air got to be too much.
“What’s the plan? Any word from your legal team or designer friend?” I asked.
“Enjoy yourself.” He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles.
I frowned, looking out the window as we pulled up to the beautiful little white, red-roofed chalet that would be ours for the duration of our so-called work trip. If that even was why we were here to begin with. Why wouldn’t he just tell me what was going on? Why did he have to be so evasive? And why come all the way to the Azores just to meet with his legal team that was probably based in New York?
I blinked and reset my mind, forcing myself to just let it go. We had a secluded spot, surrounded by tall, shady trees on three sides, and a wide expanse of white sand beach stretching in both directions leading from the front door.
It was perfect. And every bit amazing.
Or it would have been had I not developed a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. What was I here for?
My mind couldn’t stop, despite my best efforts.
I mean, really. Just for Aaron to use me as his plaything? Did he take me as seriously as he’d pretended to when hiring me? If he did, why not include me in more of the business side of the trip? And what was that meeting with Reed about? He never did say anything and I never asked. So maybe feeling off was my own fault, and I was making assumptions that weren’t even close to what was actually true.
I stepped out of the car, willing myself to soak in every last detail. The smell of the water, the feel of the breeze on my face. I wanted nothing more than to soak in that beautiful blue-green sea. It pulled at me, begging me to take a dip.
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br /> “I thought you would like it,” Aaron said, and when I looked over at him, I saw the way he smiled. A warm, genuine smile for the first time since . . . well, since before we’d left.
I wished he would tell me what had him so worked up. Didn’t he know that I was here for him?
“I have a little bit of work to get done,” he said, still standing by the car, holding his phone in the palm of his hand like he’d just received a text. “I had the chalet fully stocked, so you’ll find food, clothes, newspapers, and magazines—just about anything you need. There should also be toiletries waiting for you.”
Of course. He’d thought of everything, hadn’t he? I didn’t have to worry about a thing. It was nice, especially when finding myself in such an incredible location, but I was beginning to see how such a life could get boring very fast without a man to spend it with.
“Thanks.” I held my hair back so it’d quit flying in my eyes. “When will I see you?”
“Soon. I shouldn’t be longer than an hour. Make yourself at home.” He climbed back into the car, not even bothering to change before heading off to whatever meeting he’d planned.
It was unlike him—then again, I reminded myself, I didn’t know him well enough to pass judgment. I might have known his body and a few of his quirks, but there was a lot more to him that remained hidden. I hadn’t scratched the surface to the secrets that swirled around him.
The thought gave me a chill in the warm air.
I went inside, eager to look around despite my misgivings. It was everything I’d ever dream a beach house could be. A large, open floorplan with plenty of windows and a set of doors that opened directly onto the beach. It was very clean and very simple, yet luxurious at the same time. It didn’t need to be crammed full of things. Just simple furnishings, wood floors, flowing white curtains. It was a serene, tranquil paradise that Aaron created for himself.
And I had it all to myself. I wasn’t sure if I should be happy about that or not.
I puttered around, exploring. A stocked fridge and pantry, as promised. I went upstairs to the massive bedroom suite overlooking the Atlantic and found a few dresses, shorts, t-shirts. And, of course, bathing suits. Good thing, because I intended to use one.
I could have gone to sleep—my entire body in desperate need of a good rest—but with the bright morning sunlight streaming through every window of the place, combined with a budding excitement about where I was, I knew there was no point in trying.
I took a shower, fascinated by the skylight above the stall that made me feel like I was out in the open. I looked up at the blue sky above me, wondering if the people who got to look at that sky every day appreciated it the way I did.
After changing into a bikini which did little to hide my assets, I grabbed a towel and sunscreen in hopes of a little sunbathing. Might as well do what Aaron suggested and enjoy myself, I thought.
I picked up a few fashion magazines on the way out, too, along with a tabloid for a little brain candy. Settling on a lounge chair by the pool, I reminded myself that I deserved a break after the hard work I’d put in—if not for Aaron just yet, then for Reed.
My stomach turned over just thinking about that asshole, Reed.
The pool was the picture of serenity. I flipped through the tabloid, skimming the headlines, chuckling over some of the unflattering photos printed there. What must life be like for the paparazzi? Always hanging around, waiting for somebody to look terrible. It seemed like an appalling existence and a shady way to make a living.
As I was about to flip another page, passing stories that held no interest for me, a name caught my eye, making me pay attention. My brain raced to catch up with my beating heart.
I sat up, my mouth open in horror.
Aaron Bello. Insider trading.
What?
I read the article as fast as I could, horror growing larger with every passing second. Allegations of damning evidence that he’d profited from shady stock deals.
My hands shook so badly I could hardly make sense of the last few paragraphs. It wasn’t as though my brain could make heads or tails, anyway, so I put the magazine down and stretched out on the chair. My chest felt tight, my stomach in knots.
Just who was he?
Did I make a huge mistake betting my career on Ricardo de Lugo?
And what would happen to me because of him?
CHAPTER 27
Aaron
I wanted to tell Kenzie more, but I couldn’t.
At least, not until I had a firm grip on what action I was going to take to get this behind me as soon as possible.
After the meeting with my legal team—all four of the best lawyers in New York plus a gaggle of paralegals—I felt more confident. Almost relaxed. As though there was nothing for me to worry about and I could enjoy my trip with the woman who made me hard every time I thought about her.
The weight of the world lifted from my shoulders as I sighed, slouching a bit in the hired car. The driver kept to himself, which was a relief. I wasn’t in the mood for conversation. Especially not after a meeting directly after a long flight. I only wanted to enjoy knowing that Reed wouldn’t win, after all. And he thought he was so smart.
He may be worth more than I was, but I still was a leg up on who was cleverer.
He might have gotten me once, but he wouldn’t again.
My legal troubles out of the way for the time being, I took the time to appreciate my surroundings. I remembered the awed expression on Kenzie’s face when we rode to the chalet. I hoped to see that look again and again as I showed her more of the world—I didn’t know until we arrived that I wanted to, but she was the sort of person who inspired the desire to be generous.
She appreciated things. She didn’t expect them. I’d detected a slight distance between us after I’d showed her the bedroom on the jet, but chalked it up to my distractedness. I could win her back over in no time.
And it all started now.
I tipped the driver before stepping out of the car, wanting nothing more than a shower and a long, luxurious screw. I felt triumphant again, on top of the world, and knew the only way to make it any better was to have Kenzie’s long legs wrapped around me.
I wanted to celebrate with Kenzie—in Kenzie.
I just made out the shape of her body from a distance as she lounged by the pool. My senses sharpened, my nose almost sniffing her out. All I smelled was the water, though, and the sweetness in the air.
It was paradise.
My paradise.
And I could do whatever I wanted.
First, to bathe. I didn’t want to go to her in yesterday’s clothes. I hurried through it, eager to be with her. To touch and taste her again. A pair of trunks waited in my closet, along with a linen shirt and sunglasses. The caretakers had followed my instructions perfectly. I made a mental note to double the already generous tip I left when staying here.
Kenzie was still stretched out by the pool when I made it outside, the blue water less enticing than her body. She wore a skimpy white bikini, accentuating the slight tan she’d already gained from a short time in the sun. Over her eyes were a pair of large sunglasses. She was so perfect, so lean and toned, and so chic. She could have been posing for a magazine spread.
Then I saw it.
The magazine, open beside her.
My name all over the page.
My heart damn near stopped beating when I realized the story had already gone to press. I hadn’t been fast enough. Reed had found me, even all the way out here. I’d have to wring the neck of whoever put that inside my chalet.
I paused to stand there and watch her for a second.
What did she think? How could I explain it? It would mean admitting the rivalry with Reed, which was the last thing I wanted to do. She’d think the only reason I offered her the job was to get back at him, when I knew that wasn’t the case. No, the real reason was because she was intelligent, amazing, great at her job, and had a deep desire to keep up with my ecce
ntric tastes inside the bedroom.
The bastard. He couldn’t get away with it.
There I was, thinking my lawyers’ assurances that I’d done nothing illegal was enough to keep me out of trouble. The real damage would be done to my reputation, I realized. Probably what Reed wanted more than anything else—to slaughter me in the eyes of the public.
She didn’t move.
I waved a hand in front of her face, taking from her lack of reaction that she had to be sleeping.
I had to get her back on my side, and fast. I had to push all thoughts of the article out of her mind before she got too far ahead of herself.
I couldn’t resist the need to touch her, and my hand idly played with the strings of her bikini bottom. I untied one with a gentle tug, my tongue lapping across her skin in its place.
She squirmed, making a sleepy noise. I felt her hands on the back of my head, trying to pull me up and off her.
I couldn’t let her win. I had to have her. I had to distract her, too. I wasn’t sure which motive was stronger.
“Where were you?” she asked in a voice heavy with slumber.
I ignored the question, diving in like a starving man. She sighed. Her mind and body were fighting; I could hear it.
“I mean it,” she said, pulling my head from her body. “I want to know. Who were you with?”
“Funny, you don’t look like my mother.” I frowned, straightening up. I couldn’t believe she would be so impossible. I should’ve known, though, since she was normally so hell-bent on making life difficult for me.
I liked a challenge as much as the next man, but she was taking things too far for my comfort and forgetting who was the boss.
“Why is it so bad for me to ask who you were with? You told me you were going to meet with your legal team. Is that who you were with? Why are you so secretive?”
She didn’t come right out about the article, but I wondered how much of her inquisitive attitude had to do with it. Had she read it? She would have been blind to miss it.
I wouldn’t bring it up, though.