Sunset Sail

by Shannyn Leah

  Alone in his bedroom, Emma looked around for the first time without Grayson distracting her with his drop-dead gorgeous smile. The charcoal colored sheets were in disarray. Emma picked the soft duvet comforter off the floor and draped it over the foot of the sleigh bed. As she turned from his bed, the dresser caught her attention, holding the sole picture in the entire condo. Emma picked up the black frame and smiled at the family portrait, not a planned family portrait with everyone standing in a row with a fake smile. No, someone had caught these wide smiles in the midst of something entertaining. From the shocked look on the little boy’s face being held by Brock and a woman whom Emma assumed was Susan, she would suspect they’d surprised a young Grayson. Plus, in the background, were Tom and Linda, joining in on the excitement. A happy family.

  Emma’s heart broke for the loss of Susan and the wedge that it had put between Grayson and Brock. Brock’s extracurricular activities hadn’t helped. Emma had seen this side of them on the cruise. After a combination, both men had relaxed, laughed and the eggshells they seemed to be walking across were swept away, leaving room to talk and joke. It had been wonderful.

  “That picture was taken the year my mom died.”

  Emma jumped at Grayson’s voice like a guilty criminal.

  He made his way across the room and she fumbled for words.

  “I wasn’t snooping, or−”

  He smiled at her and she relaxed. He then touched the photo in her hand. “We always smiled like that before she died. There’s a difference in the Cohen smiles. The smile we share with each other and the smiles we share with others.” He rubbed his thumb across his mother’s reflection and Emma wondered if he knew his father had the same notion about smiles.

  “After she died, my dad stopped smiling when people weren’t around. He stopped everything except work...and women. I wasn’t even allowed to talk about my mom with him. He couldn’t handle it. I guess that’s where I get it from.”

  Emma couldn’t imagine. She’d gone to private school, but had siblings and the limo drove them there and back every day. Emma was home with family every night. It might have been what some would consider a “dysfunctional” family, but they had each other.

  “Even after university, it took us years to talk to each other outside of casual greeting. My dad and I were beginning to bond again, when...”

  He didn’t have to finish his sentence. Emma knew he was talking about Brock’s betrayal involving Samantha.

  He set the picture down. “Anyway. You look gorgeous.” He kissed her, pushing away his pain. Hopefully, one day, he would realize he didn’t have to hide his sadness with her.

  “Hey.” Emma touched his face and rubbed her thumb across his cheek. “I’m not only here for the kisses and the smiles,” she said. “Although the kisses and the smiles are the best part.”

  He grinned.

  “Grayson, I’m here for the tough stuff, too. If you want to talk about your mom or your dad, if you want to talk about what happened with Samantha, your pain or your difficulty trusting...I am right here to listen. Always.”

  “I don’t want to talk about Samantha.”

  “Neither do I. A woman who didn’t see what an amazing man you are doesn’t deserve our time. But you do deserve my time. And I don’t want you to run from me. Okay?”

  He scooped his arm around her waist and slipped his hand around her neck, pulling her into a deep kiss. They were breathless by the time he pulled away.

  His eyes were that amazing dark green again staring at her and dragging her into the world of them. “I promise.”

  She kissed his lips lightly and then pulled his bottom lip playfully between her teeth.

  “I don’t know if I can spend the whole evening at a party when I want you this badly,” he moaned against her lips.

  Emma laughed. She wanted him, too. “You’re going to have to try.”

  He wrapped both arms around her and pulled her tight. “How about we stay in?”

  That was so tempting.

  She shook her head. “This is the merger party. There is no getting out of it. My family will be there. Your family will be there.”

  “It is a huge event.” Grayson was beginning to see her side of the reasons they couldn’t stay in...even if she wanted to as much as him.

  “Exactly.”

  “No one will miss us.” He kissed her again and she laughed, trying to wiggle out of his grasp...not hard to do.

  She lightly hit his chest. “Let’s go. You’re going to ruin my hair.”

  “Oh, I will ruin your hair.” His face went into her hair, kissing her neck and nibbling softly on it.

  Emma laughed. “Stop.”

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  He groaned and let her go. She stepped back, smoothing her hand over her hair and grinned at him. “You are a trouble maker,” she accused.

  He shrugged. “The limo should be waiting downstairs.” He held his arm out and she looped it through his, warily watching him in case he had another case of the neck-bites.

  Walking away from the bed was the hardest thing she’d done all day and she couldn’t wait to get back this evening.

  The elevator opened directly at his suite and as the doors closed, Emma asked, “Are we the only ones in the limo?” She let the seductiveness roll off her tongue, heating the small space.

  Grayson’s hot stare stole her breath away and he answered with a sultry, “Yes.”

  THE DRIVER OPENED THE limo door and Grayson helped Emma inside.

  In a lowered tone to the driver, Grayson said, “Can you give us some privacy. Add a half hour to our drive.”

  The driver nodded knowingly and Grayson climbed into the limo.

  Emma was waiting with a seductive grin on her face as if she knew what he’d asked for.

  Lord, she was gorgeous.

  As with her regular wardrobe, her dress this evening wasn’t as revealing or tight as other women might wear, but Grayson liked the tease, the want, and knowing she was all his no matter what she wore.

  Tonight, lace trailed from her rounded neckline all the way down her arms but leaving her back exposed. He loved the subtle contact with her skin. His fingertips had enjoyed each burning touch as they rode down the elevator and out to the car. The nice thing about tonight’s dress...or the benefits with his plan in action...wasn’t the hugging material to her full breasts or the small, cinched in waist, but, instead, the flared skirt just above her knees.

  He sat next to her, ready to make full use of the half hour he’d acquired for them, but as the driver shut the door, Emma straddled him first. The blue lace of her dress covered his lap and the seat like a flower.

  “How long do we have?” Her hands ran up the front of his shirt, slipping between the buttons to caress his bare chest, each touch sizzling his skin.

  His hands moved up to her shoulders, the lace rough against his palms. He wanted more than her exposed back and didn’t stop until his fingers gripped the top of her zipper.

  “A half hour,” he said.

  She licked his lips. “We can do a lot in a half hour.” She pushed her warmth against his bulging desire for her and giggled at her discovery.

  “You keep doing that and we’ll only need five minutes.”

  Emma kissed him, her hands gripping the sides of his face. Her tongue dived into his mouth devouring him like the day in the shower, hot and heavy, but this time he enjoyed it more. This time, she really was all his and there were no secrets or lies between them. She’d offered everything to him in his bedroom and he was going to take her up on it.

  He unzipped her dress, pulling it over her soft shoulders. She let him slide the material down her arms before her hands slid under his jacket demanding the same removal. Grayson tore out of the jacket and threw it behind her.

  Emma laughed tossing her head back, showing her long tender neck. He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her throat to his lips before covering her mouth again. She tasted delicious
.

  She undid the buttons on his shirt, but didn’t demand the removal instead her hands explored his bare chest dragging a growl from deep within him.

  Grayson did the same, running his hands over every last inch of skin he could touch. As his hands moved over the front of her breasts, he was happy to find the snap of her bra at his fingertips. He undid it and slid his hands across the warm mounds.

  Emma nibbled his jaw and licked his earlobe while pushing her body against him.

  “Grayson...”

  With his name so sweet on her tongue, Grayson lifted her up and laid her on the seat, settling himself over top.

  “You are one naughty girl,” he said, catching her bottom lip with his teeth.

  Desire filled her eyes. “I learned from my naughty boyfriend.”

  He chuckled. “Naughty bingo is all yours.”

  Emma’s eyes grew serious and she smiled at him with the smile he’d craved from her all these years: her real smile. “I’m all yours,” she said.

  His mouth covered hers for a kiss until they were breathless. “Home, love, forever.” Grayson said, slightly changing the rules of naughty bingo.

  “That sounds perfect,” Emma said. “Best naughty bingo words ever.”

  “I love you, Emma Caliendo.”

  Her smile grew and he knew he would never tire of seeing it. “I love you too.” He kissed her

  GRAYSON AND EMMA WERE separated immediately after stepping through the doors of the event. They were late.

  Cameras flashed, questions were shouted, names were called. It was a massive party.

  Being a new couple, with only a handful of people aware of their status, Emma didn’t object when Grayson’s acquaintances pulled him away, not loud anyway. She squeezed Grayson’s hand, but as a socialite herself, she knew she had to let him go.

  Before he walked away, he kissed her directly on the lips. There was no hiding their relationship now. It no doubt stirred some interest from the people focused on them, but Emma found herself welcoming the whispers. The whispered were nothing new to a Caliendo, and she was accustomed to behaving appropriately. Her father would have called the affectionate display “inappropriate and miscalculated.” Robert had calculated every move of his life, and his children’s lives, and disobeying the progress was punishable. But he wasn’t here and if Grayson was ready to share their relationship...so was she.

  THE END

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  Please enjoy a sneak peek of the next Caliendo Resort novel

  SUNSET FLARE

  The Caliendo Resort

  Book Four, Izzy Caliendo

  Shannyn Leah

  Sunset Flare Excerpt- Chapter One

  A MOVEMENT IN the woods stopped Izzy from dialing the rest of her mother’s cell phone number. She peered out the window, squinting against the morning sun. She considered her parents’ half hour drive from the airport to her long-lost brother’s reclusive cabin in the woods leaving only a short window of opportunity before their connection would be lost. Their chartered airplane had landed in the middle of nowhere, where farmlands and brush stretched as far and wide as the eye could see. Izzy had Google-searched the area prior to their departure. But before her parents disappeared out of civilization for two weeks, Izzy needed to talk to her mother.

  It was a matter of life and death...or, at the very least, a matter of what the hell was going on around here.

  Time and again, like a child’s game of hide and seek—which Izzy had never been a fan of—her family hid relatively important matters from her, compelling her to seek them out. Such as decisions regarding the five-star Caliendo resort they owned and managed, and complications from their mass of family secrets—because, damn, her family hid secrets like a chipmunk storing nuts for the winter. Even into adulthood, Izzy only acquired Intel when she caught one of her siblings acting strangely, like her brother, Marc, had the night before with his jerky movements and computer screen dodging. All red-flag indications that something was up. Now, she needed to pull out her sweet-charm and corner a family member into confession. Consistently, that person happened to be her mother, making this hijacking over the phone for answers of the utmost importance.

  What had started as a casual, unannounced visit to her brother’s office the night before, had become an excavation of confidential information. Izzy had planned on digging for details regarding an upcoming huge event at the resort. Calista Manzedi was showcasing her fall/winter line in the golden ballroom. Calista Manzedi! The most amazing clothing designer of all time. Her designs happened to occupy at least half of Izzy’s closet, unmistakably demonstrating Izzy’s love for the woman’s intricate designs. Not to mention, this event would be the talk of the fashion society for months to come and for some reason Izzy’s tickets were in the second row. The second row! As if she were a peddler begging for money. She needed two front row tickets. One for her and one for her best friend, Abby McAdams.

  Surprisingly for her, the tickets were proving to be rather difficult to acquire. For one, her family owned the resort hosting Manzedi’s show and two, Izzy was a constant in the fashion industry scene, regularly traveling across the world to runway shows. And yet, she couldn’t acquire a front row seat at her own resort? Not acceptable.

  However, last night, the fashion show issue had been shoved to the back burner when she’d encountered Marc’s typically calm and collected demeanor overrun by jumpy movements. Marc didn’t do jerky or jumpy. Annoyed, Izzy had grown accustomed to his deep, agitated inhale of breath and the way his jaw tightened when he lacked enthusiasm over a topic.

  He had a look, too. The look. Last night she’d gotten “the look” and earlier this morning he’d brushed her off. She’d be the first to admit, Marc had a routine of brushing her off and she had a habit of generally overreacting. Fun old sibling rivalry and all. However, something was definitely up. Izzy didn’t know what, but she was desperate to find out. Right after she deciphered exactly what the movement in the brush surrounding her house had been.

  Staring through the large bay window of her suite, her eyes locked on the copse of trees winding around the property and shielding her family’s space from the rest of the resort. The backyard remained quiet, peaceful and undisturbed, aside from the swaying branches where she’d sworn she’d seen a glimpse of dark denim jeans and a black shirt. The colors camouflaged against the old bark and the summer’s dense leaves made it almost impossible to confirm despite the bright summer sun beating, but she’d seen someone. She was sure of it.

  The possibility of someone being in the brush brought a flood of panic over her. Her fingers painfully clenched around her phone and she pressed her closed fist against the glass, supporting her trembling body. Not even the warm summer sun could soothe her. Nothing ever consoled her when these episodes hit, but she’d learned to deal with the sudden alarm and prided herself on doing so with haste.

  Settling her free hand against her stomach, ignoring her fingers bunching the material of her white blouse with a deathly grip, she closed her eyes, mentally repeating the words she’d memorized as a little girl.

  This isn’t real. No one is out there. No one is after you. Breathe, Izzy...breathe.

  With each gulp of air, she battled the remaining fear tangled inside her. Slowly, her shuddering ceased, the anxiety coursing through her veins relinquished and she felt her tense muscles loosening. Best of all, her mind placated, balancing fear with reality—a fear that was unnecessary; yet familiar.

  Breathe.

  She almost laughed at the ridiculousness of her reaction after all these years. Almost. She could only muster a relieved smile while her good sense rushed back.

  Considering she lived in the north wing of the resort, which maintained ninety-percent capacity all year round, she should be used to people milling about. She was used to people. It was the woods that sparked her panic. Woods that the rest of her family fl
uently trailed in and out of without the worries Izzy carried. In the summer, they took quick jaunts along the path to the beach or, in the winter, longer travels through the snow to toboggan on snow hills. A ten-minute walk took them to a pond for summer fishing and winter skating.

  But not Izzy. She stayed far away from the woods, with no interest in partaking in those activities beyond the invisible line she’d created along the trees edge. She even refused to sunbathe without the promise of the resort’s packed shoreline.

  She slowly tilted up her head. Her hand felt glued to the window as she strained her eyes past the glass to confirm she’d mistaken the supposed person as a breeze in the trees or a scattering animal. Even if she’d seen a person they were likely a lost guest wandering up from the beach. It wouldn’t be the first time. She had no need to worry.

  As the comforting reminder eased her worries, a man emerged from the brush in dark denim and black, just like she’d seen, but she realized his quick and precise movements weren’t those of a guest.

  Izzy opened and closed her eyes, as if trying to blink him away, but the tall, dark and handsome stranger remained thirty-feet away, popping expertly in and out of the trees.

  And handsome he was...in a dangerously mysterious way. Gawking at his brawny, superman-built physique, she watched him walk the perimeter, oozing confidence and determination. From the way he paid no attention to his surroundings she assumed he didn’t care what others thought, no doubt ignored them, and did whatever he pleased.

  Why did such cocky qualities excite her?

  Bundling these characteristics together promised the kind of thrilling danger Izzy enjoyed.

  Her lips parted as her tongue darted out, wetting them and wondering what the mysterious guest’s lips tasted like...felt like.

  And just like that her thoughts strayed to a quick romp with a man whose name she didn’t even know. He looked like a Dylan, or Axe...maybe a Beck. A hot name for a hot guy. Entranced, she ignored the “no sleeping with guests” rule replaying in her mind. She’d never broken the rule, but this man stirred a wickedly naughty desire to make him her first. She’d daydreamed the ideal places in the resort to break that rule: the steamy sauna or an after-hour evening in one of the enclosed cabanas.