“You’re wrong.”
Nine
Stone stood there, staring at her. Sun streamed across her body making the pale white linen of the dress she’d thrown on practically transparent.
His head throbbed. His half-hard dick did, too. Every cell in his body was pounding for him to take. To scoop her up, lay her down on the soft sand and explore every inch of her luscious body.
Her rosy lips were parted and her eyes were slightly glassy as she stared up at him. Her soft words reverberated through him, a confession ten years too late.
Yet another tragedy in the long line of them that littered his life.
Gritting his teeth, Stone forced his hand open. The silky threads of her hair brushed across his skin as he stepped away and let her go.
Nodding toward the water, he said, “Why don’t you get settled for the day? I’ll grab us something for breakfast and bring it out.”
He didn’t wait to see her response before slipping back into the house. He needed the breather before he did something stupid.
Something else Piper would never forgive him for.
Pulling things from the fridge, Stone made a platter of cheese, meat, fruit and added some crusty bread. Frowning at the pitcher of fresh orange juice, he debated the intelligence of making mimosas and decided champagne couldn’t hurt.
He definitely needed something to take the edge off and it was too damn early for Scotch.
Pushing open the floor-to-ceiling windows that stretched across the back of the house so that the warm breeze could flow inside, he loaded his arms down and brought everything onto the large stone patio.
There was a lap pool made of dark, slick stone, but he rarely used it. Why would anyone prefer chlorine-laden water when the Caribbean was steps away? A hand-carved gazebo covered the fourteen-foot rough-hewn table that stretched across the patio.
The space was made for entertaining, but probably not in the way most people would expect. His parents didn’t host lavish parties, at least not here. This space was for family and friends. It was comfortable and easy. Welcoming.
He had so many good memories here and hadn’t realized how much he’d missed it until right now.
Studiously keeping his gaze from straying to the beach, he spread everything out before yelling for Piper. The scent of salt and something sweet followed her when she settled into the chair next to him. Already, her skin had a pale pink tinge to it.
“Be sure to put on sunscreen. You’re not used to the sun and it’ll hit you quickly if you’re not careful.”
Shrugging, Piper popped a grape into her open mouth. “Thanks for the warning.”
They finished breakfast with little conversation. It wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but it wasn’t entirely pleasant either. Like a riptide, an undercurrent neither could see pulled at them.
Stone had no idea what to say to Piper, which was an unusual situation. One that would have to end because eventually they’d need to discuss what was happening back home. At the moment Gray was monitoring everything and providing updates. He’d had their hacker tap into the surveillance feed at Piper’s place and her practice so they could keep an eye on things.
Reporters had shown up at her office again today, but once they realized she wasn’t coming in they’d scattered. No doubt they were all scouring the city trying to figure out where she’d holed up. Little did they know she’d slipped right out from under their noses.
And since there wasn’t a pressing reason to bring it up, Stone decided to leave the subject alone for now. Piper needed some time. And he wasn’t ready to deal with her temper again just yet.
After breakfast they silently worked together to clean up. Piper insisted on washing their dishes even though he told her someone—someone he trusted—would be by in the afternoon for a quick run-through and to bring them anything they needed. She disappeared back into her room for a few minutes before reemerging with a paperback in one hand and a bottle of sunscreen in the other.
Piper slipped back outside. Stone purposely waited for a while before following her down to the beach. By the time he arrived she was settled on one of the bamboo lounge chairs, a large floppy-brimmed hat covering her head and hiding most of her face.
Unfortunately, it did nothing to hide her body.
Her pale skin—and there was a lot of it to see since the bikini she was wearing barely contained enough material to be classified as clothing—glowed beneath the kiss of the clear Caribbean sun. One leg was bent, toes tucked beneath the rounded curve of her calf. Her nails were painted a deep, dark red that was surprising, but probably shouldn’t have been.
When had she become a siren?
At some point, Stone had simply stopped moving so he could stare. His feet were anchored to the sand. His throat felt like he’d scooped up some of that sand and tried to swallow it. Not to mention his swim trunks were rendered obscene by the erection trying to rip through the fabric.
Realizing he was there, Piper dropped the paperback she’d been reading into her lap and craned her neck around. Stone quickly dropped the towel he’d been carrying so that it covered his predicament.
“You gonna skulk there all day or come enjoy the beautiful view?”
He was already enjoying the most beautiful view on the island. But he was smart enough to keep that thought to himself. For about three seconds, Stone contemplated settling into the chair farthest away from her, but decided while that might have made things easier, it wasn’t where he wanted to be.
And he’d never been one to take the easy path anyway.
Throwing the towel at the foot of the chair, Stone settled beside her. She wasn’t wrong, the view really was gorgeous. In the distance, Stone could see another island. It was owned by some oil tycoon he’d never had a reason to meet when he was younger. The house was on the other side of the property, which meant their view was of the untamed jungle as it climbed up and over the peaks of a small mountain. The island was lush and for some reason reminded him way too much of the woman sitting beside him.
Closing his eyes, Stone tried to settle. It was something he’d become very good at doing when he was behind bars. When someone had no control over things like when to eat, sleep and shower, one learned to control what one could. He’d become adept at controlling himself, his emotions and his reactions.
But today he couldn’t convince his brain to switch gears. All he could see behind his eyelids was the vision of Piper’s body. The need for her pulsed through him. It would be so easy to reach over, pick her up and settle her across his lap.
To take what he wanted.
Even though he didn’t deserve it. Didn’t deserve to touch and taste her. Not when doing so would taint her with everything bad inside him.
“How did you get inside my house?”
“What?” His brain was having trouble keeping up.
“Yesterday. How did you get inside my house?”
“I picked your lock.”
Slowly, Piper turned to look at him. She tilted her head back so the brim of her hat lifted out of the way. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“It took you less than ninety seconds to pick my lock.”
“Yes.”
“What the hell did you learn in prison, Stone?”
He laughed, the bitter sound scraping against his own ears. “Don’t sound so scandalized, Doctor. I also managed to earn several degrees, including a masters.”
“In addition to acquiring some nefarious skills.”
Stone shrugged. “There’s a lot of free time in ten years.”
A bitter smile twisted her gorgeous lips. “And you don’t like to be idle.”
She knew him so well. “True. I might have been in a low-security prison, but it was still prison and several of the men had skills they were all too happy to show off.”
“And share.”
“Let’s just say I’m a quick study and you never know when a skill is going to come in handy. Especially there.”
“Promise you’ll never use that skill on me again.”
“Nope, not gonna happen.”
“You realize that’s a violation of privacy, right? No one should live with the expectation that a locked door is never actually locked.”
Stone’s gaze swept across her face. So earnest. But beneath the steady hold of her blue eyes he could see the echo of fear. And hated that it was there.
“I’d never hurt you, Piper.”
“That’s not why I want to lock you out, Stone.”
He shouldn’t ask the question. He knew it. And, yet, the word slipped out anyway. “Why?”
The pulse at the side of her throat pounded in a way that made him want to pull the skin into his mouth and suck. To leave a mark. One that every other man would see and understand.
“I don’t trust myself. You make me feel things. You always have. Everything with you is bigger. More overwhelming. I don’t always like who I am with you.”
Her words punched him straight in the gut. Mostly because she was the person who made him want to be the best man he could possibly be.
But she wasn’t finished. Her confession continued. “I can’t control it, Stone. This need for you. It’s inconvenient and I don’t trust myself not to do something we’ll both regret.”
“Rest assured, I can handle you, Piper.”
“I know. That’s what scares me most.”
* * *
Piper couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. The confession she’d had no intention of making. The power she had no desire to hand him.
But she couldn’t lie to him either. Although, that saying about the truth setting you free was a bunch of BS. She wasn’t free. She was even more tangled up than before.
They sat in silence. Piper half expected to see lightning crackling across the horizon, the energy arcing between them was that thick. She could smell it, like burnt ozone mixed with the unique, spicy scent of him.
Her body felt heavy. Her limbs too weighted to pick up and leave.
No doubt, he felt it, too. Every muscle in his body was drawn tight with the same tension pulsing through her. The weight of his gaze settled on her, making her chest feel tight enough to crush her lungs.
Finally, he shifted. Stood. She half hoped he was going to come to her. To push them both to one side or the other of the razor’s edge they’d been walking for days.
Piper held her breath. And let it out in a single gust when he backed away. “I’m going to go for a swim.”
“Good. Yeah. A swim.” God, she sounded dazed and completely out of it.
His mouth twisted into a half smile before he spun on his heel. Instead of heading for the ocean in front of them, he moved back toward the house and the pool.
Nope, she wasn’t disappointed that she was going to miss the show of him coming out of the water half-naked, sunlight catching droplets as they clung to the tight abs he’d developed in the last ten years.
Education wasn’t the only thing he’d picked up in prison.
Someone needed to knock her upside the head so maybe her own intelligence would resurface. Where was Lizzy when she needed a good lecture? Or Carina when she needed a glass of wine and girl time?
Flopping back in the chair, Piper screwed her eyes closed and whispered, “Get a grip,” mostly because she knew that’s what her friends would say if either of them were here.
Right. Rolling onto her belly, Piper reached behind her to pop the clasp on her bikini top and buried her face into the towel she’d rolled into a makeshift pillow.
A nap and some sunshine...that’s what she needed.
* * *
“You little fool.” The soft timbre of his voice rolled over her like a caress. Even if his words weren’t exactly endearing, the brush of his fingers across her naked skin made up for it.
Heaven. Piper arched into his touch. The movement was instinctive, something she couldn’t have stopped even if she’d wanted to.
And she didn’t.
She wanted him. Wanted his hands on her. More than her next breath.
A fog hung over her brain. But not the scary midnight kind where monsters lurked. A soft morning haze. The kind that wrapped her in a blanket and shut out the rest of the world when what she really wanted was a few extra minutes in bed before the day had to begin. There was no reason to rush it away. Not when Stone was there with her.
Piper buried deeper into the soft bed, relishing the luxurious feel of wallowing.
Until something cold splatted onto her back, breaking the spell.
“What the hell,” she yelped, jumping up and flipping over at the same time.
Sleep made her gaze bleary, the fog now disorienting. She batted blindly, connecting with something solid. The momentum of her flailing sent whatever it was tumbling to the ground with a deep thud.
Stone perched on the edge of her lounge chair, glaring down at her. “You fell asleep in the sun,” he snapped. “You’re already pink. Sunscreen.” He pointed to the bottle lying in the sand beside them.
His eyes blazed at her, a mixture of anger and desire that he wasn’t making any effort to hide. Her body reacted, coming alive. Everything inside her pulsed with awareness and longing. With a bone-deep need that was so acute it bordered on painful.
Piper licked her tongue across her lips. They were suddenly so dry and she needed relief. Any relief.
Stone’s gaze raked down her body. Her nipples tightened. The pinch and tingle, the answering tug deep between her thighs, made her pull in a sharp breath. A breeze tickled across her naked skin and for the first time she realized her top was still lying on the chair beneath her.
Grabbing up the towel from a nearby chair, Stone handed it to her. “Cover up.”
The order, almost as much as the rough edge to the words, had her hackles rising. Batting it away, the towel landed uselessly on the sand beside the sunscreen. “No.”
Stone blinked. His jaw grinding together. “No?”
“You heard me.”
“Piper, listen to me very carefully. I’m hanging on by a thread here. Put your damn top back on.”
Her body burned. The heat from the midday sun was no match for the heat his nearness caused. Everything inside her wanted that thread to snap. She wanted the wild passion she could see him struggling to control.
She wanted to forget her own struggle to deny what she’d wanted for so long.
Staring at Stone, the pressure filling her chest popped. And every excuse she’d ever had for pretending she didn’t want him disappeared.
Slipping her legs beneath her, Piper pushed up onto her knees. “No,” she breathed. “I won’t put it back on. What are you going to do about it?”
With a growl, Stone grasped her upper arms and hauled her against him. The hard press of his body made her dizzy. Or maybe that was the intoxicating scent of desire going to her head.
Slowly, he dragged a hand up her back to bury it in the hair at her nape. His palm cupped her head, angling her just where he wanted her. Holding her still. Making her wait.
She could have broken free of his hold, but she didn’t want to. She was breathless with the need for him.
With a gentleness that contradicted the strength she could feel pulsing through his body, Stone bent to brush his lips across the curve of her cheek. A shiver rocked her as moist heat caressed her skin.
Her eyes closed. The better to relish the sensations he was creating. Her body sagged into his hold, unconsciously giving him everything. All of her.
His mouth found the tender shell of her ear, the heat of his breath slipping over her. His other hand began to draw light circles over her shoulder, down her spine and across th
e curve of her hip. It wasn’t enough. She needed more. Needed the storm he was holding back.
She made a sound in the back of her throat. A mewl, a request, a demand.
His teeth sunk into her earlobe, drawing a gasp and making her entire body arch against him in surprise. But before she could react, he was soothing the shock away, the rough edge of his tongue laving against the tender spot.
And he finally answered her. “I’m going to give you exactly what you want.”
Ten
He couldn’t let her go. Not again. Not when she was so warm and willing in his arms. Not when she’d practically dared him to take what they both clearly wanted.
Apparently, he wasn’t nearly as strong a man as he’d always hoped.
God, her skin was so soft. And the scent of her...it filled his head until it was all he could think about. All he could taste.
He’d walked out to tell her he’d made some sandwiches for lunch and found her sound asleep. She’d looked so peaceful. He hadn’t been able to keep himself from walking closer, which was the moment he realized her skin was turning pink from the sun.
Applying sunscreen had seemed like the intelligent thing to do. Maybe he should have woken her up first, but he’d thought it would be easier, less temptation, if she was asleep.
He’d never been more wrong.
When she’d flipped over, her eyes still unfocused and heavy, her hair a tangled mess around her gorgeous face...he’d had to fight the urge to push her onto her back and kiss the hell out of her.
Then he’d realized she was naked from the waist up and every other need he’d ever had in his life disappeared to nothingness. Still, he’d tried to do the right thing.
But Piper, headstrong, beautiful, infuriating Piper, hadn’t let him.
So he was finished fighting what he wanted.
Arm around her waist, Stone pulled her closer. Her skin, warmed from the sun, smelled like a mix of coconut and spice as he drew her in. His teeth found the tight line of tendon that ran down her throat. Latching on, he sucked, pulling the taste of her deep into his mouth.
The Rebel's Redemption Page 10