LAUREN

In this moment, under the stars with our bodies intertwined, I can almost believe in fate.

Antonio yanks at the bow of my sarong, exposing my shoulder as his kiss deepens. I wrap my legs around his back as his hardness presses against my core, just his thin running shorts between us. The warmth of his body mixed with the cool ocean breeze sends goose bumps running across my skin. My body wanting more of his heat and his flesh against mine.

“Antonio,” I moan into his mouth as he starts to pull away. I’m not ready to give him up, to give this up.

“Shh,” he whispers back before his lips trail down my neck, nipping the skin near my shoulder. “Don’t stop me now, please, Lauren.”

“I want you.”

He lifts his head, searching my eyes for reassurance that what I said is true. “I need you,” he admits with his blue eyes boring into me.

I dig my fingers into his hair and push his face back against my skin. “I’m yours.”

My words shock me. I didn’t know what else to say when he freely admitted that he needed me. I know he doesn’t mean that he needs me to survive or that he needs me to feel whole. I need him, want to feel him against me and lose myself again, much like I did our first night together.

The moment isn’t tawdry. We shared something on this beach. I gave him a glimpse into my world. Into my past that I’ve told very few people about before now. He didn’t feel like the enemy, but like a friend with a kind ear and an open heart.

There’s nothing rushed in his exploration of my body, and the anticipation is nearly killing me. He slowly slides his hand up my leg, and my body is on fire, longing for his touch. Every inch of me remembers what it felt like to have his body pressed against mine and wants more.

Using his teeth, Antonio pulls my dress down, exposing my breast for his taking. My back arches as if offering myself to him freely, without words. His lips close around my nipple, giving warmth to my flesh.

I crave more.

I need the friction of our bodies rubbing together as he toys with my breast, making me hotter and driving me mad with lust. I try to grind against him, but he’s too far away to get enough satisfying contact.

Knowing exactly what I want, he slides his hand down the side of my body until he reaches the hem of my dress. His fingers slip underneath and make a quick ascent to the very place I’m dying for more contact. Lifting his body from mine, he presses his fingers against my clit, and my bottom rises off the sand.

Between the long, slow make-out session on the plane and the kissing here on the beach, I’m ready for him to fill me. I’m not picky at the moment. His hands will do. I remember them well, and the amount of pleasure he can give with only one part of his body is devastating.

He pushes a single finger inside, testing my readiness and toying with me because he knows it isn’t enough. A second quickly joins, and my hips begin to move, almost chasing his fingers every time he pulls back.

I whimper when his mouth leaves my breast for a moment to switch to the one he’s completely ignored. I close my eyes, letting myself only feel and not think as Antonio drives me closer to the edge. When my orgasm is within reach, he stops.

“Not like this,” he says, peering up at me with my breast near his lips. “I need to be buried in you when you come.”

I can’t deny that I agree. Even if I want to beg for the orgasm, there’s nothing better than his thick, stiff cock pummeling into me as I fall over the edge of pleasure.

“Fuck me,” I whisper. “I want your cock.”

“You drive me wild with that filthy mouth,” he says back and moves quickly to remove his shorts. With the waves of the ocean crashing near our feet, Antonio positions himself above me with his cock in his fist and stares down at me. “Say it again.”

“Fuck me, Antonio. I need your cock.”

His eyes almost roll back in his head as he moans, pumping his stiff dick harder before pressing it against my pussy. My legs fall to the sides, giving him better and deeper access to me. He pushes inside, and my fingernails press into the skin of his shoulders, delivering a small amount of pain as he fills me.

Little is said as he thrusts inside of me. We’re face-to-face. Eye-to-eye. Staring at each other in the glow of the moon with the stars twinkling above us. Our bodies fit perfectly and move in unison as if we’ve done this a million times before.

It’s romantic and sensual. I feel so connected to him when I shouldn’t. I should detach myself from the moment, but it doesn’t matter who we are when we’re not here. The only thing that matters in this moment is us.

ANTONIO

I drift awake with Lauren in my arms as the sun dances near the horizon. Her warm, naked body is intertwined with mine, and I don’t dare move for fear of waking her.

I blink away the sleep and think back on last night. Will she wake up and regret anything that happened? It wasn’t quick like the fuck-fest in the hotel. This was slow, almost loving.

Whatever connection I felt with her that night has grown, becoming undeniable after last night.

She shared so much of herself—not just her body, but her soul too. I stare down at her as she sleeps. She’s peaceful and delicate as she lies in my arms. I push a tendril of hair away from her face and run my finger along her jaw.

I’ve never been so absolutely captivated by someone as I am by her. I shouldn’t be. I should be trying to ruin her, not win her over.

The dozen companies I’ve taken over in the past, I’ve done without even so much as a moment’s hesitation. Everything about the Interstellar deal has turned into a mess. The raid was supposed to be quick and effortless, but my team failed to make it happen as promised. On top of it, sleeping with the CEO and falling for her hasn’t helped the deal go smoothly either.

“Lauren,” I whisper, but she doesn’t move. I untangle her from my body and stand before wrapping the blanket around her. I stretch out the soreness from sleeping on the sand, my muscles aching from the hardness and uneven ground.

Lauren still hasn’t moved, but I can’t leave her out here. The dark clouds in the distance signal a storm is coming straight toward the island. When I lift her into my arms, her head flops against my chest, and she mutters something that I can’t quite make out. Her arms fling around my shoulder as her breathing deepens with each step.

Once inside, I place her on the bed and set out to make a pot of coffee and start breakfast for us both. In the excitement and emotion of last night, I forgot to make dinner like I’d planned once we arrived. Eating isn’t always on the top of my priorities because business often gets in the way, but this time, it was Lauren stealing my attention and making nothing else matter.

Lauren starts to stir when the espresso pot whistles on the stove, and I move quickly to quiet the noisy bastard before it wakes her. She seems like the type who hasn’t slept in since the day she took over Interstellar, always having to be the first one in the office to show she’s on top of her game.

More than anything, I want her to savor the weekend. Not just what I have to offer, but what my life is and how it can be hers if she wants to share it. But it still leaves the question of what to do with Interstellar. I promised her that I’d put the takeover on hold and I have, but it won’t be on hold forever. I’ll need to find a way to make her happy along with the people who work for and with me at Cozza. It’s going to be a balancing act and will only work if she sees me for who I really am and not as the man who’s trying to kill her dream.

“Good morning,” she says from the bed as she stretches underneath the covers.

“Morning, beautiful.” I smile softly at her as I pour two glasses of espresso. “Cream and sugar?”

She pushes herself up on her hands, letting the blanket fall from her chest and exposing her beautiful breasts. “Just sugar, please.”

I growl softly, trying to maintain my civility when all I want to do is leap over the kitchen island and pounce on her naked body. The memories of last night are vivid. The softness of her body, the wetness she had for me, and the way she moaned my name as she came on my cock. I want it again. I want it forever.

I prepare our coffee, waiting for my cock to soften just a little before carrying it over to her.

She pulls the blanket over her body and smiles weakly. “Thank you,” she says as she takes her coffee from my hand.

I sit across from her on the edge of the bed and take a sip. So far, so good. She doesn’t seem upset or angry about what happened last night. There’s no remorse in her body language, and she hasn’t backed away. “Sleep well?”

“I did. I don’t remember the last time I slept so soundly.”

“The ocean can do that to a person.” I smile against the rim of my glass and take in the beauty of her tousled hair and bare face. “It always helps me sleep. It’s the rhythm of the waves.”

She nods while looking around the house. “I’m so used to Chicago with the sirens and the L.”

The large interior seems endless with the sliding glass doors folded into the walls at the four corners. The high ceiling with the Caribbean woven fans keep the space cool without the sterility of air conditioning. It’s the ultimate island getaway—peaceful and secluded.

“How did I get in here? I remember being on the beach.”

“I carried you in this morning.”

I can’t read the expression on her face as she stares at me over the rim of her mug.

“There’s a storm coming in, but it should pass quickly and then we can have the entire day to have fun.”

This time, her face hides nothing. She chews on the corner of her lip, unsure of what I mean.

“We can go paddleboarding or take the Jet Skis out for a little more action.”

Her eyebrows draw down, and tiny wrinkles form under her hairline. “You don’t want to stay in bed all day?” She’s skeptical of me, and I can’t blame her one bit for thinking I’m the world’s biggest asshole.

“If that’s what you want. The day is long, and we can do whatever you wish.”

I can’t hide my smug smile. I’d like nothing more than to spend the day making love to Lauren, exploring every inch of her body in the sunlight.

“I’ve never been on a Jet Ski.”

“We must fix that. It’s a total high.”

She leans back against the headboard, holding her espresso, still staring at me warily. “You’re the boss this weekend.”

I cringe inwardly at the sound of those words rolling off her tongue. “Lauren, we need to talk.” I lean over, setting my cup on the nightstand next to her. “We need to get a few things straight.”

She places her cup next to mine before clasping her hands in front of her and eyeing me. “I’m listening.”

I adjust my body so I’m sitting near her thighs on the edge of the bed. “I brought you here under false pretenses.”

She purses her lips. “Such as?”

I exhale and scrub my hands down my face. “Did I want to have sex with you again? Yes.” I look her straight in the eyes. “But that’s not the reason I brought you here.”

“Plotting my death?” She laughs softly.

I place my hand on the blanket over her thigh. “I know I was an asshole when I made you sign the informal contract in your office. I’m not going to make you my sex slave for the weekend. I brought you here so we could get to know each other.”

“I know enough about you,” she says, glancing down at her hands before bringing her eyes back to mine.

“Will you always hate me?”

“Will you always try to steal my company?”

I glance up and blow out a heavy breath. “Did you feel that between us last night?”

She doesn’t speak and give me affirmation that she felt what I did. I know I wasn’t the only one of us who felt the spark. The slow burn that only real chemistry and attraction causes.

I realize I’m squeezing her thigh and release my grip, but I keep my hand against her, grounding her to me. “The first night we spent together, I felt it. I brought you here to see if it was real.”

“And did you feel it again?”

“I did,” I admit, and it’s not something I do easily. “Don’t feel like I’m going to demand sex. I won’t. It’s not something I would ever do. This weekend is about us.”

“I didn’t know there was an us.”

“I hope there is.”

Her eyes widen. “Why?”

The answer isn’t so easy, so I respond the only way I know how. “Has it been easy for you to find someone?”

She shakes her head, her hair skating across her bare shoulder. Her arms slide up her stomach, settling just under her breasts. Complete defensive posture. I’m getting somewhere even if she won’t admit it.

“I’ve never been able to find someone who likes me for my flaws.”

“Yeah, there are a lot.” She smirks.

“Stop.” I grin. This chick has me in knots and panting like a puppy, willing to follow her around. “I can never be myself with anyone. Women always want to be around me for my money or power.”

“Must be a hard problem to have,” she replies and rolls her eyes.

“I’m sure you have men falling at your feet because of the power you wield.”

Her arms inch higher, almost causing her breasts to spill over the blanket. “Men aren’t as turned on by a powerful woman. It’s hard to keep their man card in check when I have a higher position and make more money.”

I want to lean forward and bury my face between her breasts, but I stop myself. “Some men possibly. But a real man isn’t as concerned with power and control. There’s nothing sexier than a powerful, confident woman.”

“Is that why you like me? I think you’re using me as a pawn in the takeover.”

I rub my face again, wondering if it’s a lost cause. “I like you because I can be me. You’re not impressed by my position at Cozza or the money I have in the bank. You’re just as wealthy and powerful as I am. Maybe, hopefully sooner rather than later, you can like me for me and not what I can do for you.”

Her arms drop to her lap, and she sits up, moving closer to me. “I do like you, Antonio. If things were different, if you weren’t trying to dismantle my life’s work, we could maybe date. I don’t know…” Her voice trails off, and she closes her eyes. “It’s easy to be with you too.”

I touch her hands, cupping them in mine. “I can separate my business life from my personal. What happens in the boardroom has no bearing on how I feel outside. Right now, no matter what’s happening back in Chicago, I’m happy. I’m happy you’re with me. I’m happy we slept on the sand under the stars. I’m genuinely happy I’m sharing this time with you. Just a guy and girl on a beach for a weekend without anything else to come between us. Can we put our business life away and just enjoy this time we have together in paradise?”

Her head drops forward, and I can’t see her eyes. She’s quiet but hasn’t told me to go fuck myself yet, so I take it as a good sign. The last thing I want is to argue and have a combative conversation at every turn for the next thirty-six hours before we return to the real world.

“I can do that,” she says before looking at me. “I can play nice.”

“Will you give us a chance? A fresh start.” I hold my breath and hope she’ll agree. I want this time with her more than anything.

“I will,” she says quickly.

For now, I’ll accept the little bits of Lauren Bradley that I can get and hope that the tide will change before we step foot off the sand.