by Noelle Adams
Seeming satisfied that he’d made her laugh, Dare turned to the server. “Just one glass, please. We’ll share it.”
At his words Erin’s eyes widened and she felt the warmth of a blush rise to her face. We’ll share it? Whoa, hold on. Wasn’t that much too intimate for two people who hardly knew each other? She continued to stare at Dare, trying to look composed, but she could feel her smile faltering.
Within an instant a fresh glass of white wine was placed on the table between them and the server slipped discreetly away. Erin tore her eyes from Dare’s face and looked instead at the sparkling liquid.
He chuckled and reached out a hand to slide the glass closer to her. “You first,” he said and the way he said it was both commanding and seductive at the same time.
For a moment Erin hesitated. Then the tension in her dissipated. She relaxed and reached for the glass. She wasn’t going to have all of it, after all. She picked it up by its delicate stem and lifted it to her mouth, her eyes never leaving Dare’s sharp gray ones. She took a small sip then another and another until Dare stopped her with a laugh.
“Hey, leave some for me. We’re supposed to be sharing, remember?”
She laughed too, and lowered the glass to the table then slid it across to him. She was staring at him, she knew, but she couldn’t help it. His smile so transformed his face that she could hardly believe he was the same man, the cold, hard brute she’d met the day before. He now looked something very close to a naughty boy planning some devious trick.
This time it was Dare’s turn to put the glass to his lips. He gave it a slight turn with his fingers, seeming to deliberately position it so that his mouth would fall precisely where hers had been just moments before. Then, before Erin could guess what he was about to do, his tongue darted out to taste the memory of her lips.
Erin’s breath caught in her throat. A simple gesture was all it had been but never had she seen anything more erotic. He’d sent her a clear and unmistakable message without saying a single word. Dare DeSouza wanted her in no uncertain terms.
Her pulse racing Erin watched, mesmerized, as Dare took a sip and another, then his tongue slipped out again this time to catch a stray drop of wine from his lips. But he did it so slowly, so sensually, she knew it was all for her.
He was obviously intent on seducing her and it was working. She drew in a deep breath, trying her best to calm her racing heart, but it was difficult to stay serene when the sexiest man on the island was coming on to her. Goodness, nothing she’d experienced in the past had prepared her for this.
Another sip and Dare had finished the glass of wine. Now he turned all his attention on her. He leaned forward and took her hands in his big strong ones.
When he looked down at them she closed her eyes, willing her hands not to tremble. Come on, Erin, you’re a big girl. You can handle this. The best way to handle it was to distract him in some way.
“Umm, why don’t we go for a walk? It’s a nice balmy night.” She glanced at him, hopeful that he would take the bait. She needed to get away, out of this intimate space where they were all alone and he could seduce her wickedly without prying eyes. Out in the open he would have to behave. She hoped.
He did not object. “We might as well walk off some of this food. Come.” He quickly signed the bill and rose, and as he’d done before he gave her his arm.
Erin stifled a smile. The consummate gentleman when he wished to be. But she was not fooled. Underneath that polished exterior was a man who could be as hard as iron. She’d seen it in his unforgiving response to her blunder in the pool. She’d felt it in his punishing grip when he’d thought she was about to flee. And she could sense it now, as he stood tall and imposing, looking down at her with those steel-gray eyes. She took his arm, thankful to be leaving the romantic atmosphere behind. She needed all her wits about her when dealing with this man and the combination of the fragrant candlelit room and two and a half glasses of wine were not helping.
She sighed with relief as they left the restaurant behind and set off along the cobbled pathway. For a while they walked in silence under the moonlight, breathing in the perfume of the frangipanis that lined the pathway and listening to the sounds of music and laughter in the distance. It was a romantic night, with stars winking in the deep velvet of the sky, and Erin could almost imagine they were lovers enjoying the night and each other’s company. If only it were true.
They’d been walking almost aimlessly for some time before Erin realized they’d left the cobblestones and were now on sandy soil. Her stiletto heels had begun to sink into the soft earth and she suddenly found herself toppling over.
With a laugh Dare caught her to him and then without warning his mouth descended and he was kissing her with a passion that left her clinging to him, breathless. Before she could recover Dare bent and swept her legs from under her, lifting her up into his arms.
Erin squealed in shock and then in delight as he swung her round then strode purposefully along the dirt path. When she looked over his shoulder she realized he’d taken her down to the beach where the waves were rolling in to break against the shore.
“Dare,” she whispered, almost afraid she would disturb the steady rhythm of the ocean, “what are you doing? We can’t be down here.”
He chuckled, a low throaty rumble that echoed in her ear as her cheek pressed against his chest. “We can, my precious, and we are. It’s the perfect night to be on the beach.”
They got to a long, low palm that stretched toward the ocean and in its shadow Dare laid her on a soft bed of grass.
And there he began his sweet, sensual assault.
He started with a kiss that made her tingle all the way down to her toes. Then his lips were sliding down her neck to the valley between her breasts.
“Dare,” she gasped and she could say nothing more, her nipples so eager for his lips that they ached. What was this man doing to her? He was being deliberate and slow, teasing her to a degree of desire she had never felt before.
As his breath warmed her flesh Erin moaned and shifted on her bed of grass, wanting to give him more access to her body.
Dare needed no further invitation. To Erin’s relief and delight he slipped his arm behind her arched back and as her breasts thrust upward he slid her top away and captured a turgid nipple between his teeth.
Shockwaves of ecstasy rippled through her and an involuntary moan escaped her lips. She reached up with trembling hands and slid her fingers into the dark thickness of his hair then she was clinging to him, pulling his head down, and begging him for release from his slow, sweet, torture of her breast.
Dare took pity on her when he released her tingling nipple and replaced his teeth with his lips, suckling and soothing until she writhed with want.
Under his expert hands Erin felt like her very bones had melted. She was without the power to resist his hands, his lips, and his tongue. There on the warm sand under a sky filled with perfect stars she was lost to him.
“Come. Let’s head back to the villas.”
His words jerked her out of her heavenly trance. What? Was he stopping? Now? Her eyes fluttered open. She stared up at him, confused, but with his face hidden in the shadows she could find no answers there.
Then he was reaching out his hands to her and helping her to her feet, and as she was rising to stand beside him her heart was sinking down to the sand.
She kept her head down, unable to meet his eyes. For some reason she could not understand he’d changed his mind. He didn’t want her anymore. He would walk her back to her villa and that would be that.
Maybe it would all be for the best. She’d been out of her depth, anyway. Then why did she feel so devastated?
Even though Dare continued to hold her hand for the entire walk back to the villas Erin kept her face averted, determined not to let him see her disappointment. She was so caught up in her own feelings that she was surprised when they came to a halt. Were they at her villa already? She looked up then lifted her
brows in surprise. This wasn’t her villa at all. This one was huge, the largest she’d seen at the resort, and it was magnificent with tiles of black marble gleaming in the light cast by the lamps at the entrance.
Erin hung back, hesitant. “Where…are we?” she whispered, looking around.
“Come,” Dare, said with a reassuring smile. “We’ll be more comfortable here.”
He slid his card into the slot and pushed the door open. Then right there in the open doorway he pulled her into his arms and kissed her with an ardor that left her panting.
His kiss wiped all thoughts, all concerns from her mind. All she wanted was to lose herself in the powerful arms of this man whose charm had swept her off her feet. Then, just like he’d done before, he lifted her off her feet, slammed the door shut with his foot and headed across the foyer and down the hallway.
Erin’s heart pounded in her chest. She was no idiot. She knew what Dare wanted and God help her, she wanted it, too. She bit her lip and pressed her face to the soft fabric of his shirt. She could feel the blood rush to her face, she could almost taste the fear, but she would not stop him. Tonight she might be making the biggest mistake of her life but she wanted this too badly to care.
Still holding her close, Dare reached down and opened the door to a massive bedroom lit by a lone lamp standing in the far corner. He strode across the room and laid her on the bed then before she even had a chance to move he’d caught hold of the hem of her dress and was sliding it over her hips and up till she had to shift so he could pull it over her head. Left in only black lace bra, matching panties and stilettos Erin could only shiver under his heated gaze.
To her shock and her body’s delight Dare leaned over to plant a kiss on the softness of her belly then he was sliding his lips down, down until she gasped in anticipation.
He lifted his lips then, and there was a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. “Not yet, my sweet,” he whispered. “Patience.”
He straightened and, with deft fingers, he unbuttoned his shirt, never once taking his eyes off her. His bare chest, so broad and muscled, gleamed golden in the light of the lamp. Next to go was his belt then his shoes, socks, and trousers until the only thing hiding his nakedness from her was thigh-length briefs that did little to conceal his straining bulge.
A wave of embarrassment washed over Erin and she was just about to turn her face away when he hooked his thumbs into the waistband and pushed the garment off his hips and down his legs. Too late. No time to avert her eyes. She could not have looked away if her life depended on it, so mesmerized was she by the sight of his nakedness, his manhood so rigid with want.
He came to her then, sliding onto the bed with her, covering her lips with a kiss that stole her breath from her. And while he kissed her senseless his hands slid down to unhook her bra and free her tingling breasts to the caress of his hands. He released her lips just long enough to divest her of panties and high heels and then he was sliding the solid length of his body up her nakedness and back to her waiting lips.
***
After he’d had his fill Dare broke the kiss and slid off the bed to grab his trousers. He pulled a condom from his wallet and ripped the packet open with his teeth. As he sheathed himself he stared down at the girl lying on his sofa, her eyes tightly closed, her teeth biting down on her lower lip. What the hell kind of game was she playing?
She’d rolled with him every step of the way, flirting with him in the restaurant, coming back to his villa, kissing him with an eagerness that was ample evidence of her desire. And she’d said she wanted this.
Now she was acting like some sort of vestal virgin who’d never done this before. Maybe it was an act. Did she think ravishing inexperienced maidens was his fetish? He almost laughed out loud. He knew girls like her. Tease - that was what they called them. Well, she’d better get ready for the teasing of her life.
Dare returned to the bed where he slid his hand along her thigh then up to her mound where he began to stroke and tease. He was getting her ready for him.
She moaned and her legs began to part for him but still she kept her eyes closed.
It was only when he moved up and over her that her eyes flew open and as he stared into those brown eyes so cloudy with passion he positioned his hips over hers and sank deep inside her.
Erin stiffened and there was a momentary flash of something akin to panic but then she closed her eyes again, shutting him out, hiding from him the depth of her soul.
Unfazed, Dare dipped his head and brushed her ear with his lips. He smiled when she moaned in response. He had supreme confidence in his ability to stoke the embers of passion in this woman. She would not be passive in his arms.
For a whisper of a moment he lay still, giving her time to adjust to his entry, and then he was moving, thrusting slowly at first then more forcefully as she writhed in his arms. When she gasped and clung to him the fire inside him flared up and trapped his breath in his lungs, making him gasp for air.
Soon it was his body that was in control and he was thrusting toward his peak, driving into her until all his lust, passion and desire exploded inside her, leaving him panting and drained.
He looked at her then and what he saw made his breath catch in his throat. She was staring up at him, her eyes misty with tears, and she was smiling. Had it been as good for her as it had been for him? It had been sweet, too sweet in fact. He’d peaked a lot quicker than normal. There was something about this girl that drove him to distraction, made him lose his cool. But not to worry. The night was still young and he planned to drink his fill of her, get her out of his system then purge her for good. By the end of the night Miss Erin Samuels would know not to mess with the big boys.
***
The sun was just peeping out on the world and the birds were beginning the morning’s serenade when Erin woke to feel warm hands on her breasts. Eyes still closed, she sighed and turned to give Dare greater access to her and when he replaced his hands with his lips she moaned beneath his caress.
They made sweet love that morning and although her body ached from the vigor of Dare’s attention, it was a pleasing ache that came with a feeling of total satisfaction. She’d never experienced anything like this in her life.
When he turned his head on the pillow and looked over at her she felt the blush rise in her face. She’d actually spent the entire night in this man’s bed. Who would have thought that she’d have had the courage? She, who had avoided men like the plague? She felt a giggle rise in her throat as her thoughts went to her roommates. They would rib her mercilessly when she got back. Her first ‘sleep over’ with a man. She could hardly believe it herself. She would just have to put this down to ‘island fever’.
But it was more than ‘island fever’. Since the day they met there was something about Dare that had drawn her to him. Maybe that was why she’d picked him out of all the men at the bar. It was almost as if she’d had no choice in the matter. And then they’d had this night together. This wonderful, wonderful night. At first she’d been scared but then she’d relaxed in his care, feeling that for the first time in her life she’d found a man she could trust.
She was still curled up beside him in the bed, lost in her thoughts, when Dare’s voice pulled her out of her reverie.
“Well, you’ve served your purpose. Time to go.”
At Dare’s words Erin’s eyes snapped back into focus and she stared up at him. “Excuse me?”
“Time to go,” he said again. He leaned back on his pillow and locked his arms behind his head in a gesture of relaxation. “You wanted a taste of a billionaire and I wanted a taste of you. We both got what we wanted so now it’s time for you to get out.”
Dear God, what was he saying? Eyes wide, Erin clutched the sheet to her breasts and sat up. “Are…are you throwing me out?” She held her breath, praying he would burst out laughing and tell her he’d been pulling her leg. But no, to her horror he was nodding, a smug expression on his face.
“Yep,”
he said and this time he did laugh but it was a bitter laugh that sounded mean and ugly to her ears.
“I know girls like you,” he said, his voice harsh and brittle as brass, “gold-diggers on the lookout for the richest man they can find. You get him to sleep with you, get him to fall for you and then you take him for all he’s got.” He chuckled. “I’m on to your game, babe. This is one rich dude you’re not going to take for a ride.”
The blood turned to ice in Erin’s veins. If he’d hauled off and slapped her across the face she could not have been more shocked. Or hurt. Or devastated.
She now realized the truth. Dare, this man she thought she had come to know, had never been attracted to her. He’d never felt anything for her. All he had wanted was to get her into his bed, use her, and then toss her away like disposable dinnerware.
Heat rushed to her face then drained away leaving her cold and shivering and dazed. Then as the chill of his words encircled her heart, turning it into a solid block of ice, she dropped the covers, no longer caring, and stumbled out of the bed. Almost blindly, she fumbled around on the floor reaching for her bra under the chair, her panties under the bed and her dress, now a crumpled mass of black silk on the floor. It looked like exactly how she felt – trampled, damaged and discarded.
With a sob she kneeled on the floor and put on her panties and bra then pulled the dress over her head. Her purse and her shoes were nowhere to be seen.
Slowly she got up and walked on unsteady feet across the room. She wanted to cry. She wanted to throw herself on the floor and bawl. But she would not. She would never give this man the satisfaction of knowing how much he had hurt her. Even though she was dying inside she lifted her chin and without a backward glance she walked out of the room.
She found her shoes and purse in the living room. She retrieved them and then she walked out of Dare’s villa and out of his life.