by Marie Harte
“Jewel, just the person I’ve been looking for.”
Jewel wanted to groan, Rick’s voice coming way too soon on the heels of her lecherous fantasies. She turned slowly and forced a smile. “Rick, how nice to see you.”
“Everything okay?”
“Just fine. Jaz has been great, a real help…” She paused when said help moaned and bucked under the woman sitting astride his pelvis. She cleared her throat. “He’s been wonderful in introducing me to the resort. I’m almost convinced I can work the dinner shift without assistance.”
Rick’s eyes glittered with humor as he followed her gaze to Jaz and the women. “Good. You know, even if you hadn’t listed it on your résumé, I’d know you’d waitressed before. And you’re very good with our guests.”
“Thanks.”
“If Tyrone can spare you for a moment, I have a few more items to discuss with you.”
Tyrone, the man behind the bar, smiled and nodded. “We’ll make do, though she’s quickly becoming a guest favorite.”
Great, just what she didn’t need, more attention from the sexual dynamos getting it on poolside. She had a hard enough time believing her impromptu sex with Ethan had been real. Jewel hadn’t been kidding when she’d told Rick she was modest. Imagining an orgy with any of the guests turned her way off.
“Come with me, Jewel.”
Jewel hesitated a second before putting her hand in Rick’s, and he noticed, if the small frown he gave her was any indication. They walked inside and back into his private wing, where she’d had her interview. Instead of sitting behind his desk, Rick led her to an intimate loveseat and sat down next to her.
His gaze wandered lazily over her barely covered breasts and flat belly to the small triangle covering her groin. “You look beautiful. An erotic temptress. Eve sitting in Eden.”
Her nipples hardened, and she flushed, wondering what the hell was wrong with her. “Thanks, I think. I don’t know that I like being compared to Eve, though. She was Adam’s downfall.”
“Then how about a likeness to Venus?”
“I don’t think so. She had a habit of screwing with any woman whose beauty was compared to hers.”
Rick’s lips twitched. “You’re a hard one to please, Jewel. And you know we’re all about pleasure here.”
He ran a hand over her shoulder, and she froze, both aroused and nervous about it. If Rick would just give her some space…
“So tense. See, this just won’t do.”
“What?”
“I know it’s only been a few days, but you’re not losing those inhibitions as fast as I’d hoped.”
“I’m practically nude. I’d say that’s losing some inhibitions.” Jewel felt grouchy, knowing he was both right and wrong. She didn’t like being almost naked among strangers, and she didn’t want anyone groping her…unless that “anyone” happened to be Ethan.
“You’re an interesting character, Jewel. You’re a natural at putting others at ease, until they move too close.” He cut the small space between them on the couch. His breath fanned her face, he sat so close. “Then you tense up, like one of Diana’s maidens at a man’s approach.”
What was it with Rick’s Roman references?
“I don’t know what to say.” Shit, he wasn’t going to fire her, was he? But she just couldn’t make herself sleep around the resort to finish this job. Ethan was the exception, and one she still didn’t understand. No, she’d find Denton’s blackmail material another way.
Rick glanced behind her and pressed a button on the intercom fixed to the side table. “Come on in. She’s here.”
Jewel sucked in a breath when Ethan entered. Wearing a security uniform, the orange polo and tan slacks he’d worn when they’d first met, he radiated power. He stopped before them, his arms crossed, his biceps bulging with unconcealed strength. The unfamiliar gleam in his dark brown eyes snared her, and she stared, unable to look away.
“Hello, Jewel.”
His voice made her shiver, and before she knew it, Rick had hoisted her into Ethan’s arms. Ethan’s forearms locked under her breasts and held her tight.
“You, Jewel, are going to be in Ethan’s hands for the next few days.” Rick looked to Ethan. “I assume you’ll be with the cup at all times?”
Ethan nodded.
“I’ll be with Elise and several of my closest friends while Jewel undergoes training. Jewel, don’t panic.” He smiled, but his grin looked too satisfied for comfort. “I’m sensing you have unexplored talents that I think Ethan can help you discover.”
Ethan’s grip tightened on her arm when she tried to extricate herself, and a frisson of unexpected desire unnerved her into speaking without thinking.
“But, Rick, what the heck can Ethan do? I’m doing well with the waitressing stuff. I don’t need Ethan. Just give me time, and I’ll eventually be able to, ah, help pleasure the guests.” Yeah, with enough time I’ll be out of this sex circus and home with Sophie Ayers’s video in my hands.
Rick shook his head. “But I need you ready to please now, Jewel. Every one of my staff revels in their sensuality. It’s that gift that separates my employees from every other ‘specialized’ resort. And despite what you may think, you do need Ethan. He’s just the man to bring all that untapped sensuality to the surface. After all, you didn’t seem to mind his attentions after our meeting Wednesday.”
Jewel blushed, her embarrassment choosing that moment to make itself known.
“What a pretty color, Jewel.” Rick glanced slyly at Ethan. “Now just imagine that fiery shade of red on her ass after a spanking, when she’s coming around your cock.”
Ethan’s erection was impossible to miss against her bare back. “I’ll take her, and I’ll ‘train’ her for you. But if I get one phone call from Elise, you know where I’ll be.”
Rick grinned, his eyes shining with mirth. “Do tell, Ethan. Where will you be?”
“So far up your ass you’ll ‑‑ Dammit, Rick. This isn’t a joke.”
Rick laughed, and she glanced behind her to see Ethan scowl ‑‑ not so expressionless now.
Jewel didn’t quite understand the byplay, still reeling from the fact she’d be with Ethan for the next few days. “Coming around your cock,” Rick had said. Good Lord, the man had no problem speaking his mind. And yet when he spoke with Ethan… There was more between Ethan and Rick than employer and employee, though the relationship didn’t seem sexual, at least on Ethan’s part. Rick, however, eyed the other man like a dog salivating over a bone.
Though curious, she couldn’t think past the opportunity heading her way. She had four more days before Denton returned. Four days to plan how to engage the man, and how to make sure she had a shot at his computer. Letting him invite her inside his room would be the easiest way to find what she needed ‑‑ she’d take note of his security code and enter his room later, when she knew he was busy. Then she’d be able to find Sophie Ayers’s pictures. But if he returned to the resort and played hard to get, she’d have to tap into the main security system, a mean feat considering Mr. Dominant by her side.
“Come on, Jewel. Appears we have some work to do.”
Fire raced through her blood, and she left with Ethan, not willing to argue the point with Rick watching. A glance back at her new boss showed a smug grin that alarmed her, but when he gave her a questioning look, she merely smiled and waved good-bye.
What the hell was all this about? Ethan, from what she’d ferreted out from the staff, had only arrived on the island a few weeks before she had. He headed a specific security for Rick. For the Mirvolo Cup. Jewel shivered. Ah, yes. She recalled every detail about the blasted thing.
It was some kind of a test, Jewel had learned, a ritual Rick used to induct his new people, having them drink from the cup. And that strange tingle…she wasn’t quite sure what to make of that. She admitted the cup had impressed her when Rick had placed it in her hands. Pure gold, its base encrusted with rubies and sapphires, it had to be worth a fortune. A
nd the intricate carvings of the men and women engaged in sex had fit in with Satyr’s Myst all too well. Jewel understood the antique’s allure. Similar to the temptation the pearl necklace owned by the president of a rival company had held for Jewel, the cup would attract anyone with an interest in the unique and expensive.
Thinking about the pearl necklace she’d stolen from Serena gave Jewel a thrill, as had the danger in returning the item without getting caught. The rush from that theft had been more than satisfying, and a sudden, unbidden thought grabbed her. How hard would it be to steal the cup, and out from under Ethan’s very nose? Sexual excitement mixed with the anticipation of a heist, and Jewel had to remind herself to focus on her job. All she needed was to be caught stealing from Rick. Then she’d never find Denton’s pictures.
“Where are you, Jewel?” Ethan whispered as he tucked her against his side. “You’re awfully quiet. Scared?”
His voice taunted, and she played into his hand even knowing she shouldn’t. “Of you?” She snorted. “Not quite.”
“Then I must not be doing my job.” He said the words in a low growl in her ear, and her womb clenched with need at the feel of his breath in the sensitive canal. He nipped at her earlobe, and she couldn’t help the gasp that escaped.
Before she could say anything else, they neared the end of the corridor, where a secured door stood. Ethan stepped in front of her, putting his broad back between her and the sensors, and punched in a code. The door hissed open, and they entered into a hedonist’s utopia.
Plump cushions in dark purple and gold littered the cream-colored carpet, reminding her of a sultan’s chambers. Through the thinly veiled windows the clear blue water of the ocean rushed onto the soft, white sand of the nearby beach. The scent of honeysuckle and saltwater breezed through the room, and the circulating air stirred the grounded sensuality in the room, teasing with soft touches and sultry scents.
A wooden border surrounded the floor, in patterns of interlocking Tiete rosewood, a rich cherry color that complemented the subtle tones of the cushions. Busts of ancient Romans sat in every corner of the room, and Jewel wondered if they’d entered Rick’s private suite. She wouldn’t have been surprised to find it so. Like the rest of the resort, the mahogany furniture, conservative king-sized, four-poster bed, and classic paintings depicting debauched virgins and devilish fauns all combined to create a rich and darkly furnished pleasure palace.
Jewel swallowed hard when she looked beside the bed. A portion of the wall slid back when Ethan flicked a switch, showcasing a variety of whips, chains, and sexual devices of which she’d much rather remain ignorant.
“Nice, hmm?”
Ethan left her to study the myriad devices; when he wasn’t looking, she took a cautious step back.
“This is Rick’s room, where we’ll be staying for the next few days. He’s been kind enough to lend it to us for your training. You really should thank him.”
“Thank him?”
“Yeah.” Ethan turned around, his eyes hard, his demeanor one she hadn’t seen before. “You know, thank him. For giving you a job, for taking you in when you decided to run from a relationship gone bad. Or was that just another lie? Like the one about your ability to get off fucking for an audience, and with strangers no less?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Jewel calmed her breathing but had no luck with her heartbeat. As Ethan neared, she felt like nervous prey near a hungry lion. Good Lord, but his eyes looked so dark as to be black, and she was slowly falling down that inky well into confusing but consuming desire.
“Don’t you remember? You mentioned your unique appetites on the application.”
What? What the hell had Uncle Tommy said to land her this job? He’d been emphatic that she not journey as a vacationer, so she knew he didn’t want her here sexing it up. How the hell had their wires crossed?
“You seemed to like me well enough the other day.” He reached out a hand and caressed her cheek before his touch grew more demanding. Gripping her chin, he forced her to meet his gaze.
“Well, Ethan, that’s because I was so drawn to your stunning personality. You were just brimming with welcome and wit. I couldn’t say no.”
His lips twisted at her sarcasm. “You have a smart mouth, don’t you?” He let go of her chin to find her shoulders, his grip strong but not painful. “But there are better uses for that mouth than insults.”
His grin worried her, and Jewel decided she’d had enough of this game. She’d find that damned video another way, without succumbing to Ethan Reaper and his stupid “training.”
She didn’t like being manhandled, she told herself. She really didn’t. And she surely wasn’t becoming aroused from Ethan’s domineering attitude.
“Let me go.” She spoke calmly.
“Your pulse is racing a mile a minute.” Ethan leaned down, his eyes on par with hers. Then his mouth was over her neck, sucking on the sensitive pulse point at her throat. He nipped hard, biting her, and she jolted at the erotic sensation. His hands remained firm, escape all but impossible unless she could manage a knee between his legs.
“No, no, baby. No violence.” He shoved her legs apart, apparently reading her body language. “I’m in charge here. And you do what I say, when I say. That’s rule number one.”
“Bullshit,” she rasped. “You’re no trainer. From what I heard, you arrived a few weeks before I did as security. Now let me go.”
He licked her neck before biting again, and she couldn’t control a groan of delight.
“Your mouth says one thing, your body another. But either way, you’re going to listen to me. I’m the master, honey. And you submit to me and me alone.”
Oh, hell. She should have seen this one coming. A guy as big and brawny as Ethan would have no problems playing the “master” in his own version of some whacked-out domination game.
“Look, I ‑‑”
“Submit, or tell me why you’re really here.”
Why the hell couldn’t he have conformed to stereotype? A man with that much muscle should have been high on testosterone and short on brains. Just her luck to find one with both testosterone and brains.
He didn’t sound as if he totally bought her cover; she needed to act quickly. She might have been able to maneuver Rick around, but Ethan Reaper was no one’s fool. And Jewel didn’t want to have to worry about him and the rest of Rick’s security if it came to breaking into Denton’s room.
“I’m here…” She paused, trying to come up with something better than the Denton/Ayers story. Dreemer’s, Inc. promised confidentiality, so confiding to Ethan was out, even if she’d wanted to. Besides, she actually enjoyed the challenge he presented. He was hot, and he made her fight her own instincts. Besting Ethan would take a savvy mind, like stealing a pearl necklace right off its wearer’s neck…
She glanced at one of the Roman busts and inspiration struck. “I’m here because I’m fascinated by the Mirvano Cup. It’s amazing, so rare, you know?”
He stilled, and she wanted to congratulate herself, until she saw his face. All expression had fled, and his eyes seemed like fathomless pits of retribution.
“Say that again?”
Shit. It wasn’t Mirvano. Her mind scrambled for purchase, and she tried to back away. Ethan, however, refused to let her go. They stood a breath apart, her head tilted to look up into his menacing gaze.
“Ah, the Mirvalo Cup? I just wanted to see it with my own eyes.” Standing so close, he was making it hard to think.
Ethan relaxed a fraction, and Jewel readied to bolt. Maybe she could use one of those whips on the wall to ward him off until she could escape from the room.
“You mean the Mirvolo Cup?” he asked softly. His eyes were searching as he stared at her.
“That’s what I said.”
“Who do you work for?”
“Work for? No one. I’m a lover of Roman antiquities, and that cup’s worth a fortune. Its history is priceless.”
She tried
to wiggle for room, but he wouldn’t release her. His lips brushed her neck again, up toward her ear, and before she knew it Ethan was tonguing the sensitive shell. Heat shot through her body, fanning the fire in her womb. Dammit, was he buying her story or not? His touch was driving her out of her mind. Jewel grew wet, and wetter still when he began whispering erotic promises and future delights.
“You’ll tell me everything I want to know, my Jewel. And in return, I’ll teach you how to play my games. You’ll beg me to come down your throat, baby, so many times that you’ll forget what it’s like not to suck my cock. And I’m going to ream that ass, to cream inside your hole and wash you with my cum. I promise. You won’t leave this room until you’ve begged me to fuck your pussy, and fuck it hard.”
He was breathing heavily, but then, so was she.
“And you’ll call me ‘Master’ while you beg so sincerely on your knees.”
“No way in hell,” she rasped as his tongue made her knees weak. Who was she kidding? She wanted him in the worst way, and all they’d done so far was a little dirty talk and some ear action. She really had to get the hell out of here.
“Oh?” Ethan had her top off in a blink. His hands fitted over her breasts, and his mouth teased her lips. “You have great tits, baby. So firm and soft, with such pretty little nipples.”
Jewel’s breathing increased until she felt as though she were panting, yet she refused to give in. “Let go of me, you bully ‑‑”
“Master.”
“-- because I never have, and never will, call any man ‘Master.’ I’m not into that submission crap.”
“Then why are you so wet?” He shoved a hand beneath her thong and swiped it through her slit.
She jerked, but his fingers refused to budge, and before she knew it he’d shoved one digit inside her.
“You feel good, baby. But you’ll feel even better tied up. Ask your master nicely, and I’ll let you come before I punish you.”