by Melody Anne
His eyes crinkled, though still, there was something restless about him that she couldn’t quite interpret. Something was wrong, but before she could analyze that, the feel of him pressing against her wiped anything other than desire away from her thoughts. Stormy didn’t have a clue who in the world she was right now. She certainly wasn’t this woman dancing with this man.
She’d had sex once before, two years prior with her high school sweetheart. That had been a disaster and she’d never tried it again.
Dancing with this man was making her think maybe another try wouldn’t be so bad. Did that make her an awful person? She didn’t know.
When he stopped moving, she felt her throat close. She wasn’t ready for him to release her. But he pulled back anyway, and where she’d felt his warmth down her entire front, she now felt cold. Then she noticed the music had stopped.
Maybe it was midnight and time for Cinderella to go home.
“Let’s take a walk.”
He began leading her away from the dance floor before she responded. His confidence was overwhelming her, but it didn’t matter. There was no hesitation on her part as joy filled her. Later, she might ask herself why that was, but for now, she was in her dream world.
The sounds of the party began fading as they moved away from the tents and lights and then down a trail.
As he slowly walked next to her, with trees on either side of them and the moonlight barely filtering through, Stormy wondered if she should be afraid. As his hand caressed her lower back, though, all she felt was an overwhelming sense of desire and . . . rightness. Not knowing why it felt right didn’t matter.
She soon found herself on a sandy beach, her shoes dangling from her fingers as she looked out at Puget Sound, the waves splashing gently against the shore. There was very little breeze and the full moon gave everything a soft light.
“This is incredible. I can’t imagine being so lucky as to live here,” she told the man. That’s when she realized she didn’t even know his name. Should she ask him? Or would that break their moment together? She sort of liked the mystery of it all.
“I think Joseph’s place is a little too close to the hustle and bustle of Seattle. But I do love the Sound. It’s a great waterway.”
“Are you here very often?” Was she being nosy now?
“Yes. I don’t live too far away.” He stopped walking and she stood next to him, enjoying the clasp of his fingers in hers. “Sit with me.”
He again didn’t wait for a response, simply led her to a log and then sat down, pulling her to his side as they gazed out at the water. He put an arm around her and the feel of his hard muscles enveloping her gave her both a sense of peace and panic at the same time.
She tried to remember a time she’d ever felt so much agitation at just the mere touch of a man, but she couldn’t think of a single moment. Only this man—only right now.
“I don’t live far away either,” she finally said, the silence too intimate. Should they exchange information? Was that what she wanted? Or what he wanted?
When he was silent for several moments, her brain spun. She began wondering if she was being a fool. This could be simply a case of a man trying to hook up at a wedding. It happened all the time, didn’t it? Did she really want to be that girl the guys laughed about in the morning?
She realized she didn’t actually care what gossip might spur from this.
Maybe she should be more worried. But how often in her life had she done something reckless? Not very often at all. What this man was stirring up inside of her she couldn’t understand and didn’t want to stop feeling.
“Where exactly are you from?” he asked.
The question helped slow her racing heart. “I’ve lived all over the world—in my youth, mostly third world kind of accommodations.”
That had the man silent for a moment. Then he raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
“You can’t just leave me like that. Go on,” he told her.
“My mom and dad were missionaries until I was about ten, then they worked modest jobs after that,” she began. “I was born in Portland, Oregon, but I lived abroad with my parents for half of my life, then in the Portland area after that. After I turned eighteen, I decided to move to Seattle.”
“Now you have me curious of all the places you’ve been.”
“Gosh, let me think,” she said. “Africa, South America, Asia for a short time, and a few more places.” Noticing she had his undivided attention bolstered her confidence and made her want to keep sharing. It was sort of nice.
“Of all the places you’ve lived, which one was your favorite?” His fingers were playing with her hair, making little flutters in her stomach.
“I can honestly say I’ve loved every place I’ve lived, save maybe a few apartments I’ve had in the city. But of all the places . . .” Stormy looked up at the starry sky to recall the fondness of a distant place in her memory. “I’d have to say it was Kosovo.”
“Kosovo? Where exactly is that? In the Mediterranean somewhere, right?”
“No, it’s not exactly in the Mediterranean, as it’s landlocked on all sides, but it’s right next door to Serbia, Montenegro, and Albania. It’s a fantastic place. Incredibly dangerous at the time, but it was cool,” she began. “I mean, one minute you’d be drinking Turkish coffee at a café and hear a car driving by playing Euro dance pop on the stereo, while the next car to pass would be blasting dance music in Arabic. The country was a collision of Western and Eastern European culture, with distinct flavors from Turkey and the Middle East. Being a Westerner, of course, gave me instant celebrity status, which as a preteen, I didn’t mind so much.”
“That’s always nice for a teen,” he said as he pulled her even closer. The thing was, for Stormy, it felt right. Somehow she was connecting more with this stranger than any other person she’d ever been with before. “What do you do, Cinderella?”
She smiled at the name. Hadn’t she been thinking about how this all felt like a dream, like she was going to disappear when the clock struck twelve? His words fit how she was feeling.
“My job isn’t interesting,” she hedged, and then she found herself playing with the locket hanging around her neck. “But I love to design jewelry,” she admitted while her cheeks flamed the tiniest bit. Why had she told him that?
His fingers clasped the locket she’d been clutching as he moved to study it. “This is beautiful,” he told her. “Did you make it?”
“Yes,” she shyly admitted.
“You have a real talent,” he told her, making her more nervous. Why did this man’s opinion matter at all? It shouldn’t. But somehow it did.
“It’s just a silly dream of mine. It can’t lead anywhere,” she told him with a laugh.
He let go of the locket and gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. She was voiceless as his gaze held hers captive.
“Dreams are meant to become reality. Don’t ever think you can’t do something just because it’s difficult.”
She knew there was a story behind his words. She desperately wanted to know what that story was. “I think it’s time for you to share something about yourself.” she said, very aware of how close his lips were to hers.
“No. I think we’ve talked enough for now,” he said with a slow smile that melted her from the inside out.
Then she was moving. Effortlessly, he lifted her and sat her across his lap as he gazed down into her eyes. She was lost as his head slowly lowered, the moonlight glinting in his sparkling eyes.
“I’m going to kiss you,” he said, waiting only a moment to give her a chance to say no.
Maybe she should refuse. After all, she didn’t even know the guy’s name. But she didn’t want to refuse him or deny herself. She wanted to see if his kiss was going to be even better than his touch.
His head descended and then those exquisite lips of his were on hers, and she couldn’t think anymore. The kiss was better than she could have ever expected. Her mouth opened to his, a
nd he was caressing her in a way no one had ever done before. She felt the gentle touch of his tongue trace the edges of her lips before surging forward and commanding her mouth.
Shivers traveled through her frame as she rubbed her body against this man, trying to relieve the ache she didn’t quite understand. When he pulled away, she leaned against him, not wanting the connection to end.
“My boat is right over there against the dock. Say the word and we can go and have . . . a drink or . . . something more.”
His fingers were lightly trailing up and down her back and his eyes shone down at her clearly, the full moon making it seem more like dusk instead of closer to midnight.
This is where she should tell him thank you, but no thank you. Instead she felt herself nodding as she looked up at him. “I’d like . . . a drink,” she said.
He hesitated a moment longer, and Stormy couldn’t read the look in his eyes. But right then, she knew that she didn’t want him to change his mind. Because if he continued walking her to the boat, she was going to do the first seriously reckless thing of her life—she was going to sleep with a stranger.
Then he smiled.
“Right this way.” He stood with her still in his arms, and then he let her go so that her feet touched the sand. She hadn’t realized she’d risen to her toes in an effort to taste even more of his kiss.
Excitement and a feeling of trepidation warred within her. But as her fingers remained tightly bound with his, the excitement won out. They made their way down a dock lined with several beautiful watercrafts. Her sexy mystery man led her to one of the boats and she stood before it and gasped.
“This is what you call a boat?” she asked, hesitating before stepping to the plank that led onto it.
“Yes.” He seemed confused.
She suddenly giggled. Who in the world was this man?
“This is bigger than my place,” she told him. If her night ended because he realized she wasn’t one of the rich and famous, then so be it. She could only fake so much about herself and being impressed with the giant yacht in front of her was out of her control.
“Yeah, I got this several years ago. I guess it’s a bit extreme,” he said with a shrug as he shifted on his feet.
He wasn’t running away from her yet. That was good.
The sleek yacht spanned at least a hundred feet, and it wasn’t even the biggest at the massive docks. That’s what was scary about this world of wealth she’d stumbled upon. But the part above the water appeared to have two floors. She didn’t know what was below the water’s line.
Finally, she allowed him to lead her on board, where she looked at the red hardwood floors and lush furniture. Once inside the cabin she couldn’t even tell they were on a boat anymore, unless she concentrated on the gentle rocking motion she could barely feel.
“I didn’t know boats had such large rooms,” she said nervously as he led her to a living area.
He guided her to a comfortable chair and then stepped over to a big walnut bar with a giant mirror and shelves behind it.
“I don’t like to feel closed in,” he said before chuckling.
She had to wonder what he found so funny. But she wasn’t going to ask.
“I noticed you with champagne earlier. I’ll get you another,” he told her.
In only moments, Green Eyes was sitting next to her, handing her a beautiful crystal champagne flute. She clutched its long stem and immediately took a swallow. She’d had a few glasses at the wedding reception, but the effects were wearing off, and she didn’t want to chicken out on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
They sat together and she sipped her champagne, enjoying the quiet of the boat. Her eyes to roamed the yacht’s opulent cabin and occasionally stole a glance at the man who’d brought her there. When she’d emptied her glass, he refilled it. She leaned back and smiled at him. She wasn’t sure what to do next, so her lips were probably twitching a little.
“Maybe it’s time we exchanged names,” he said after the long silence.
She was feeling a nice buzz now and decided to play it bold. “I don’t think so,” she told him.
He turned his head to the side and his brow wrinkled. “Why not?”
“Because I’m enjoying the mystery of all this. I’ve never done anything like it before.” She clutched her hands in her lap and twisted her fingers, but then forced herself to stop. She didn’t want him to see how unsophisticated she truly was.
“Done what before?” he asked.
“Gone off with a man I’ve just met.”
“There’s nothing wrong with taking a walk or having a drink together.” He scooted closer to her, his fingers rubbing along her bare knee. She was grateful she wasn’t wearing stockings. She wanted nothing between his touch and her flesh.
“Ah, but that’s not all we’re going to do—is it, Green Eyes?” she said. Damn. Her cheeks instantly flushed after she threw those saucy words at him.
She was playing with fire, and she hoped to get burned.
“I hope not,” he said after a moment’s silence. And then he was smiling wider than the Cheshire Cat.
Stormy sensed the atmosphere change in the room, and she felt a little lightheaded as the sexual tension swirled around her. Green Eyes set down his glass, took the empty one from her fingers, and then stood up, pulling her straight into his arms.
This time he didn’t hesitate when he kissed her—this time, it was fast and hard, and her knees gave out on her, but he was right there to catch her.
And she knew she’d made the right decision.
CHAPTER THREE
As the yacht slowly rocked on the water, Cooper Armstrong looked over at the beautiful woman sleeping naked beside him—perfection on his bed. Just an hour before, they’d had the best sex of his entire life. That was certainly saying something since he hadn’t exactly been a saint in his days.
His Cinderella had tried to insist on leaving right after, but it had already been four in the morning. He’d promised to get her a taxi at dawn. Yet, he was reconsidering her leaving so soon. He was even harder now than he’d been an hour ago and he wanted her again. He wasn’t even sure one more time would be enough.
From the moment he’d spotted this woman at the wedding, he’d been feeling all sorts of emotions other than rage from his father’s passing and the reading of the will. He wasn’t quite ready to have her depart and let the good feeling end. Who was this woman? And more importantly, what was she doing to him?
From that very first glance into her somewhat terrified deep brown eyes and at the moue of her sensual pink lips, he’d had to walk over to her, had to see how she’d feel in his arms. Maybe the two of them would make love one more time, and then he’d be able to let her go. He didn’t have time for a relationship, and he sure as hell didn’t want one. Women couldn’t be trusted—not when he had a bank account that made him more attractive in their eyes.
He knew he was a catch. It wasn’t arrogance, it was fact. When a person had his looks, his wallet, and his ambition, it made him the perfect target. But the women of the world didn’t know that he wasn’t taking the bait. His goal was always to get what he wanted from a woman, give her the pleasure of his masterful bedroom skills, and then quickly slip away before the hook could slide into his flesh and snare him.
Even as he had this thought, he began running his hand lightly down his mystery woman’s sleek body, the span of his fingers almost covering the width of her back.
She began to stir, but didn’t quite wake, not even when he turned her so her luscious breasts were fully available to his touch. Running his finger over each one in turn, he smiled as they instantly hardened for him. She shifted, and he knew the best way to rouse her from her sleep.
He bent down and licked one nipple before sucking it into his mouth and gently clamping his teeth over it. She groaned, making his erection pulse painfully. As Cooper kissed his way back up to her neck, she reached for him, and he took her red lips with his. He could worsh
ip this woman’s body night and day and still never have enough of her.
That was a sobering thought. And he didn’t want to sober up—not yet.
When she trailed her hand down his abs and cupped his manhood, he lurched upward into a sitting position. He was so close to releasing right then and there. How had that happened?
“It’s almost morning,” he mumbled.
“Um . . . morning,” she replied somewhat shyly.
“I know I promised you a taxi when you woke up, but I had another idea first,” he told her, his fingers whispering along her skin.
She moaned again, and he was hopeful she would agree.
“I need a few minutes,” she told him, and he nearly panicked as she sat up. He wasn’t ready for this to end yet.
“Okay,” he told her, and he was the one wanting to whimper when she climbed from his bed and walked into his bathroom.
He lay back on the bed and reached down to squeeze his erection, trying to lessen the infernal pulsing. It didn’t help. When he heard the shower come on, he sat back up. Should he follow her or not?
When he couldn’t stand it anymore, he jumped up from the bed, opened the bathroom door, and grinned as steam hit him full in the face. She obviously enjoyed very hot showers. But he could make it even hotter.
The mirror had already fogged up, and when he drew the curtain aside, the sight of this woman, with water glistening off her body, had him dripping in excitement. He just stood there for a moment as she rubbed her slim fingers down her breasts, across the flat plane of her stomach, and dipped into the folds of her womanhood while cleaning herself.
Enough of this watching!
Cooper stepped inside the shower with her, and when she opened those dark eyes of hers, which were already filled with wanton delight, he nearly fell to his knees.
“You are so damn sexy,” he groaned, pushing her back against the coolness of the tile wall and making her gasp.
“Only with you,” she admitted.