by Missy Lyons
The iPhone chimed with a response.
So far he has and I hope this new guy of yours is your Mr. Right. We aren’t getting any younger. lol
She loved her sisters and she knew all of them were feeling extra pressure from Mom and Dad to get a guy, but they should be able to have a little fun in their life, too. Her response was a little more lighthearted than she felt.
Forget Mr. Right. That is why I am settling for Mr. Right Now. Good luck and I love you too, sis. Susie.
Suddenly, a knock came at the door and Susannah bolted up off the bed, tossing her cell phone to the bedside table.
The bellboy from earlier had arrived with her packages and many bags of clothes from the shopping trip earlier.
Thanks to Colt Vance she had enough clothes to last her a month. She went through the endless bags and dumped them out on the bed.
“Will there be anything else, madam?” The bellboy turned to leave.
“No, but thank you.” She gave him a weak smile and watched him go.
Colt appeared to have been waiting just outside the door in the shadows of the dense green foliage. The breath caught in her throat as she watched him finish his walk to her cottage.
“Why, hello there.” Susannah was surprised when her voice cracked. Colt always could seem to set her off balance, and in the short time she knew him, she couldn’t understand why her stomach did belly flops or why she had those feelings in the pit of her stomach. He was quite a catch, though. Her eyes raked over Colt’s lean form. He had a predatory look in his eye that caused a shiver to race her spine. His lean body was dressed in all black, well, almost all black. The button-down shirt had a two brilliant-green palm trees on the right side, but he made it look good, not like something a tourist would wear.
“Hello, sexy.”
“I feel like I should be saying that to you.”
“Can I come in?”
“Of course.” She smiled but was interrupted by a phone call. A number she didn’t recognize came up on the screen. Despite her doubts and fears, she answered it anyway and heard Ethan’s voice on the other end.
“I bet you thought you were very funny back at the airport.”
Susannah tried to hold back her laughter, because leaving him standing there was quite funny to her. “Why don’t you go back to Texas?”
“Where are you?” He answered her question with another question.
She giggled. “Not so fast. It won’t be any fun if I can’t play the game right.”
“This isn’t a game, Susannah. Your father asked for me to watch over you.”
Her earlier conversation with her father came back to her. The fact that Ethan was a private investigator wasn’t lost on her. “My father says you are very good at tracking people down. So I will give you a little hint. I’m very near to the beach.”
“It’s an island. There is a beach in every direction. Susannah, I’m not going to play games with you. Now where are you?”
“What are you going to do? Tell my father? I already did that! Ethan, go cool yourself off and jump in an ocean or something.”
“Susannah! This isn’t over.”
She ended the call with a swipe of her fingers and turned off the cell phone so she wouldn’t be bothered with endless phone calls.
She was getting tired of all this pressure. Her parents tried to control her and were being so overprotective, making Ethan follow her across the Gulf of Mexico. While it may have been wrong to take out that frustration on Ethan, it felt really satisfying to know it would take him weeks to find her. By that time, she would be on a boat doing her research project.
“What was that all about?” Colt asked curiously, looking at the abandoned phone.
“Nothing that concerns you,” she said curtly.
“So was that a stalker or an old boyfriend?” he persisted.
“Jealous?”
“Maybe a little. You tell me if I should be concerned.” He folded his arms against his thick chest. He looked slightly perturbed, and Susannnah didn’t want him to worry about it when it wasn’t his problem. If she was really lucky he would never even meet Ethan.
“No need for concern. It was neither one of those things you mentioned. Just a private investigator my parents hired.” She shrugged her shoulders helplessly.
“Ah, I see. So you ran away from home.”
She waved his concern away. “I’ll explain later. It’s a little more complicated than that, and I don’t want to take away from the fun of the evening. What are your plans anyway? You never told me what we would be doing.”
He pulled her close to him, surrounding her in his powerful arms. His fingertips ran through her hair, massaging her scalp. “It’s a surprise that involves fun, food, and the wind in your hair. I thought we’d go sailing this evening.”
* * * *
It was a yacht, not a sailboat.
Not that Susannah was about to correct him. The more time she spent in Colt Vance’s company the more she realized she really liked him and they had a lot in common.
He loved the ocean and so did she.
He came from a rich family and understood the complicated nature that went with that, society’s expectations, and the family quirks. So she didn’t think her family would scare him off if this turned into more than a fling.
She really admired his sense for business and the details of the hotel. He might enjoy playing with expensive toys and boats, but he wasn’t all flash and no substance like some of the guys she dated in the past. He had a sound business mind and enjoyed growing wealth, not just spending it.
This boating trip was proving to be her undoing. She felt herself letting her guard down and trusting him more.
She knew it was dangerous. Letting her guard down meant she was bound to get emotionally attached, and then where would she be in a week when she sailed away on her boat? She would be taking her broken heart with her and feeling sorry for herself, which would get her nowhere fast.
She leaned over the railing and let her hair get swept away by the ocean breeze. The boat was doing a good clip, and the water got rougher as they headed out of the harbor and into the sea.
The sea spray splashed her face with a cool, salty mist. It felt good after the heat of the day.
“You’re awfully quiet tonight.”
Susannah felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist and a masculine scent invaded her nose. Whatever he wore as a cologne hit her nostrils and sent chills down her spine. His scent made her weak in the knees and sent a powerful sensation straight to her pussy. Could it be like Pavlov’s dogs, she was being conditioned to think of sex every time he was near?
If so, she was in deep trouble.
Her heart raced in her chest.
It was easy to put together her thoughts for him. “I was just thinking how perfect this was until you came along and made it even better.”
She felt his hands move along her sides, down her hips, caressing her like a lover even though they were both fully clothed and it sent shivers up and down her spine.
“You know just the right thing to say, Susie.”
Susannah tilted her head at the nickname he gave her. She was only used to be called Susie by her family, but on his lips it sounded…nice.
He sensed her concern. “What? You don’t like it? I could call you by your full name if you like, but it sounded so formal I thought I would try something else.”
“No I like it. Susie’s cute.”
“Good. Then I’ll be calling you Susie from here on out.” He pointed out to the horizon. The sun was just beginning to set, lighting the sky ablaze with a rainbow of color. “Have you ever seen a sunset so beautiful?”
“I’ve seen a few that were close on my daddy’s ranch, but this is gorgeous with the water and all,” she answered. The ocean reflected the lights, and it was postcard perfect.
“I didn’t know you were a country girl. You seem so…refined.” A smile danced on Colt’s lips.
“Coun
try girl!” Susannah huffed but smiled at that remark. No one could get more country than she did, but no one had called her that before. “Yeah, I was always a tomboy growing up. My father has always run cattle, and I helped, but he doesn’t have to anymore with the oil wells now. He had a nickname for me, too. My daddy always called me his little cowgirl. I still wouldn’t give up my horse for anything, and I never even get to ride her anymore.”
“So you know about horses?” he asked.
“Yeah, I know a little bit about horseflesh,” she said, wondering where the conversation was headed.
He touched his chin thoughtfully before speaking. “I was thinking about bringing some animals for activities for the tourists who stay at the hotel. We’re trying to make the resort all inclusive so the tourists don’t have to leave for anything.”
“I think that is a fabulous idea, Colt. I can just imagine what it would be like to go horseback riding across the beach, splashing through the surf.” The fantasy really appealed to her, and she could see how a horseback-riding business catering to tourists could do well there.
Colt had a lot of attractive features—a hot body, a sense of humor, but he also had a good head on his shoulders for business.
“Yeah, and it could be for all different riding levels. Some people would get led on a trail and other people could go explore the island on their own if they are experienced enough.”
“Sounds like you have been thinking about this for some time.” She pressed for more details. She liked the direction he was heading and the fact it would give her an excuse to see more of him.
“Years, but we’ve had to make improvements over time as we could afford it. I’m all about living without debt even if I can make money enough to pay it back.”
“That’s smart of you.”
“I learn by other people’s mistakes. My family made its money in real estate, but we’ve all had our ups and downs. I watched my father get into trouble when he couldn’t pay back a loan for a one-hundred-unit apartment building. He took out a balloon note to pay for the new roofing, but then he had a huge vacancy factor he couldn’t control and didn’t expect. In the end, he lost that chunk of real estate and all his money he invested went down the drain.” The bitterness in his voice led her to wonder what else happened to his father.
“Ouch. I see why you like to keep the banks out of it.” Susannah felt a new sense of respect for Colt. He paid attention to details and was a smart business man. She wasn’t an economics major, but her father had the same type of level head on his shoulders. It was a confident attitude that he possessed. The same one that said he was going to attain his goals no matter what he had to do in order to make it happen.
“Yeah, basically everything I’ve done by reinvesting the profits. We’re building a restaurant this year, but adding a horse stable isn’t too expensive to do this year, too, and it may pay off by keeping the guests on the property for their entertainment.”
When the conversation changed to horses she could feel her heart begin to flutter. If there was one thing she loved almost as much as the ocean, it was her horses.
“If you’d like, I’d be happy to help in any way I can. I could help you pick out the horses or give some advice on upkeep or help interview someone to care for them. I’m sure you won’t be bothered with details like that.”
“I hope not.” He wrinkled his nose. “Shoveling horseshit isn’t something I think I could get used to.”
Susannah giggled.
“But you are going to be gone in a week. How can you help?” Suddenly his face turned serious.
Susannah felt a nervous tittering in her stomach. She knew this was a short-term fling when she signed up. Colt Vance didn’t seem to be the type to settle down, and she was sure sex with no strings attached appealed to him. “I guess…I could come back.” She waited for a few seconds for some kind of response, and when she got none, she ended it lamely. “At some point.”
“I’ll take you up on that.” He leaned over her, and his rough stubble grazed her neck just before he kissed her.
She leaned against his warm body. It felt good to be wanted and desired and even better to know that he wanted to see her after this affair was over. It meant he may want her in his life for more than sex and after this week with him was over she stood a chance of seeing him again.
His large hands caressed her skin, feeling their way down her body, over her hips, down further to inches from her most intimate spaces, until he cupped each of her butt cheeks in his hands.
His kiss was enchanting, awakening her body’s sexual awareness of him. She felt light-headed and slightly dizzy. How could he do this to her with just a kiss?
Chills swept her body as he squeezed and pulled her close to him. She could feel every rock-hard inch of him.
“Can the captain see us?” Her voice cracked when she spoke.
“Probably.” Colt glanced behind them into the windows of the upper cabin. “Does that bother you?”
“Kind of. I am not used to public displays of affection.” She looked closely but couldn’t make out any figures in the tinted glass windows. There were no other boats on the water anywhere near them, and no one could see what they were doing, but it still felt like she shouldn’t be kissing out here in the open.
“We can move this inside if you want.” His charming smile dazzled her.
Of course she wanted to move this action inside.
“Somewhere with a bed, I hope?” she queried.
“Great minds think alike.” He smiled.
Liquid fire flew through her veins and straight to her tight pussy. When he smiled at her, she felt herself melting under his attention. She loved every minute of it but imagined he left a line of brokenhearted lovers in his wake anywhere he went.
She couldn’t afford to risk her heart.
She frowned for a moment, unsure if or when she should bring that question up. It was her business to know his sexual history if they were going to be sleeping together. “I should probably ask how many other women you’ve had in that bed.”
“Not nearly as many as I’d like. There is one more that I’d like to see under the covers. How about it?”
“Oh, yeah, stud! What’s her name?”
“A beautiful woman who goes by the name Susannah.”
“Now you’re just throwing compliments around.” She blushed and turned away.
“No, I really mean it. You look stunning in that dress.”
“Thank you,” she said nervously.
“Just as I am sure you would look fabulous out of it.”
“Oh, you are so bad.” She giggled.
“It pays to be bad. Good boys always finish last.”
“Not true.”
“Are you wearing a thong or bikini underwear?”
“If you’re good, you’ll be able to find out,” she teased.
She walked with him, hand in hand, inside the master bedroom in the cabin.
It can’t get any better than this, a hot night on the ocean with the perfect, sexy man in her bed.
Sleep was for the weary.
Susannah was feeling quite wicked and didn’t plan on sleeping at all tonight.
Chapter Eleven
“So do you like it?”
Susannah surveyed the spacious room designed to fill the front of the ship. She turned in a half circle, looking at the large windows providing an ocean view from almost every side. “It’s really nice. I love what you’ve done with the place. Did you have a decorator help choose the colors?”
“That was my assistant, Sam.”
“I love the burgundy and gold together. It works well. Very masculine but romantic.” He admired the bed as well. He really didn’t give a damn about the colors, but his assistant, Sam, was good at details like that. She made the choice to keep most of the room neutral and classy with gold and earthy tones but added a few pillows and made the heavy curtains an engaging dark red.
Romantic worked well at times like
this when he was attempting to seduce a woman to his bed.
“Thank you.” He would have to be sure and thank Sam personally later.
“Is the bed as soft as it looks?” She made her way to the bed and pressed down on the comforter. “Oh! This is nice…”
He felt his cock jump to attention. Seeing her bend like that spurred his imagination and his curiosity. How flexible was little Miss Susannah?
He stalked her lithe frame until he was upon her. She fit snugly in his arms, and when he nuzzled her ear she leaned into him. If the body was willing the heart would follow. He didn’t know why he was so fascinated with the young woman, but he intended to find out more about her mind after he fully explored her body.
“Would you like to find out?” His mouth twisted up in a wry smile. He slid up behind her and pressed his cock against her heart-shaped ass. She may not realize how turned on he had been since he was always rock hard in her presence. A cold shower wouldn’t take the starch out of his body. He had to have her.
He nibbled her ear and grazed his teeth along the sensitive skin beneath it. She tilted her head and answered in a sweet Southern accent dripping with honey, “Why, Mr. Vance! I do believe you are trying to seduce me.”
“You see right through my charms. I’m a bit slow to read you, so you’ll have to tell me. Is it working?”
He hoped it was.
She giggled, and he felt her twist around to face him in his arms. “Absolutely.”
Her lips met his in a soul-searching kiss.
Sweet and sexy. It was just her lips and tongue, but it promised so much more. Her body promised to give him amazing sex.
He groaned before he gave in to his more primal urges and lifted her onto the bed. When he pushed against her, she was soft and melted against him. Her body arched, and when he thrust his hips forward, she met his desire with a thrust of her own.
“I think I should confess something right about now.” He buried his head against her chest and just enjoyed being this close to her. Tonight would be the first time he could take his time and savor the skin-to-skin contact with her, and he couldn’t wait to undress her. Their lovemaking wouldn’t be hurried and it wouldn’t be in a bathroom stall. It would be the first time in a bed. He feared he might tear the delicate but sexy, skintight dress in his eagerness. His hands felt for the zipper, and he couldn’t find it.