THE SUN CONTINUED to rise in the east and set each night beautifully in the west. With each passing day, Alex’s career goals and Alexandria’s ghosts slipped further and further away, evaporating into Charli. Between days with Chelsea and days and nights with Nox, there was nothing I’d ever enjoyed more.
While Chelsea and I spent time together at the pool or in our suite, I admitted my growing feelings for Nox, the ones I didn’t want to face. I didn’t want to admit the way my heart beat faster when I was around him or the way things that he did or said made me feel special, because with each tick of the clock, our time together waned. If our vacation were an hourglass, the bottom had more sand than the top, and I knew I couldn’t turn it over.
“Girl,” Chelsea said one morning as we were putting on our normal breakfast-by-the-pool attire—bathing suits, cover-ups, and flip-flops. “Don’t overthink it. That’s the beauty of it. No commitment. Besides…” She wiggled her eyebrows. “…don’t you think the non-committed sex is steamier?”
I shrugged as I threw the sunscreen in my beach bag and looked for my Kindle.
She reached for my shoulder and spun me toward her. “What?! You haven’t done the dirty deed with Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Handsome?”
“It’s only been three days.”
“Which means there are only two more nights left. Jeez, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. That poor man must be suffering a serious case of blue balls.” Her voice lowered. “Are they blue?”
I hadn’t seen them, so I couldn’t answer indisputably, but I’d been close to them and their impressive third wheel, with only the material of his slacks, jeans, or bathing trunks in between. I’d even rubbed my hand over him and felt his size and power trapped behind the clothes. I’d also had that same restrained power against my body, pushing against the small of my back, my tummy, and thigh. I’d been with him in the private pool on the balcony of the presidential suite with warm, glowing water surrounding us as my legs wrapped around his torso and arms around his neck. It wasn’t that I was being a tease. We’d been almost there.
He’d caressed my breasts and even sucked my nipples. The mere thought of his lips against my skin caused them to harden. I’d unashamedly arched my back and allowed him access. More than that, I’d wanted more.
I wasn’t sure how to explain it, to Chelsea or to me. I was different here in Del Mar than I’d ever been. The way Nox’s body reacted to mine didn’t scare me. For the first time I could remember, despite our obvious difference in size and strength, his hunger empowered me. He made me see that it was me who affected him. I had the ability to arouse this powerful man with the deep velvet voice. When my small hand rubbed against him, I was the cause of the guttural growl. The way it rumbled from the back of his throat sent shivers down my spine. With his chin in the nape of my neck, it sounded like a predatory lion.
When I wasn’t with him, I wondered what it would be like to have someone like Nox in my life—my real life.
Could Alex do it? I didn’t know the answer.
Nox and I had both made a conscious effort to limit the information we shared. We worked to stay away from our backstories and agreed to live in the here and now. I’m not sure which one of us laid down that rule, but we were both following it.
That didn’t mean I hadn’t gleaned a little personal information here and there. From what I’d picked up, Nox hadn’t been with one singular person for a while. He’d dated. He had beautiful women who adorned his elbow to functions for both pleasure and work. But that was all they’d been—accessories. He didn’t mention his no longer wife, and I didn’t ask. Were they divorced or had she passed? I didn’t know.
It would break our rule.
I also didn’t know what he did, other than ran businesses.
Often he’d spend the morning in his suite working long distance. Noon in California was already three in the afternoon in New York and the close of the day in London. He could have almost a full day’s worth of phone calls and web conferences complete before I was ready for lunch. A few times he’d left the resort, but never for long.
“His balls aren’t blue,” I responded matter-of-factly.
“And you know this because…” She paused, but when I only looked at her with wide eyes, she continued, “…you’ve seen them and you… Oh! I know. You’ve at least given him a—”
“Chelsea, stop! I’m not giving you the gory details.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Gory? So he’s a looker but doesn’t have the equipment?”
“Stop. He has the equipment. I believe. I mean from what I’ve observed.”
She shook her head. “If you leave Del Mar without getting laid it’s totally your fault. And if you ask me, that man will be the best you’ve ever had. Stop letting Alex get into your head. You have three more days and two nights as Charli.” She straightened her shoulders and looked at me over the rim of her sunglasses. “Don’t come home tonight.”
“Hey, it’s my suite. I can come home,” I responded playfully.
“It’s in my name.”
She had me there. “Even if we, you know…”
“Have wild-ape-crazed sex?” Chelsea offered.
“Do it,” I corrected. “I’m not spending the night. He gets up at some ungodly hour to do whatever it is he does. Besides, I’m not taking the walk of shame down that private hallway.” I visibly shivered. “The doormen who work that desk and private elevator already know my name.”
“No, they know Charli’s name. And I bet they already think you’ve had crazy-gorilla sex every time you leave the suite.”
“Gorilla? I thought it was ape?”
She laughed. “Well, they both can do it hanging upside down.” She kissed my cheek as we stepped into the hallway. “Give that some thought and I bet you don’t come home tonight.”
EARLY THAT EVENING, I winked at Chelsea as I smoothed the black silk material of my dress. “I can’t believe I’m really doing this.”
“Who are you doing it for?”
I turned toward her and gained strength from the sparkle in her hazel eyes. “Me.”
Her smile broadened. “Right answer!”
“I’m not sure I’ll even tell him.”
“Where did you say he’s taking you? I mean he took you to that rooftop place last night, Pacifica?”
I nodded like a giddy teenager. “The resort had a driver for us and oh… the place was gorgeous. The view was amazing. Tonight he said he has a car and we’re going up Highway 101 to Oceanside.”
Her eyes were wide. “Charli may not be getting laid, but she’s doing some fine eating.”
“Tonight’s 333 Pacific.” I lowered my voice. “I Googled it. That’s why I bought this new dress.”
Chelsea crossed her arms and inspected me from head to toe. “And you’re rocking it, too. You look beautiful. Remember what I said. Charli has come a long way, but you’re still not Chelsea. Wasn’t that the plan?”
I inhaled deeply and the tightly fitted bodice of my dress pulled against my breasts. With only thin spaghetti straps, the way the dress accentuated my curves and held tight to my breasts was what kept it from falling. The lightweight material flowed to just above my knees.
The week of relaxing by the pool had left my normally pale complexion a nice golden brown. Even though my hair had red, the deep brown from my mother’s side prevailed, giving me the bonus of vibrant hair without the disposition to freckles and sunburns. As long as I was faithful with my hat and sunscreen, the sun and I played nicely together.
“I’d say there’s more Chelsea in Charli than Alex, but it’s not that easy…”
She hugged me. “Do what you want. This is your vacation. I’m just happy seeing that perpetual smile on your face. Go… don’t be late for Mr. Handsome.”
“We know his name—it’s Nox.”
“Yes, but not his last name. I’ve dubbed him Nox Tall-Dark-and-Handsome, Mr. Handsome for short.”
I laughed. That was a lot of names, but for someone who had four names herself, six if I included Alex and Charli, Nox Tall-Dark-and-Handsome wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.
A few minutes later I stepped into the front lobby of the resort and walked toward the large glass entrance. My breathing hitched when Mr. Handsome came into view. Without thinking, I scanned him up and down. Each time I looked at Nox from afar, I wondered what it was that he’d seen in me and why he hadn’t been dating anyone. The man was sex on a stick, and for a few more days he was all mine. The way his gray suit fit perfectly in all the right places tightened parts of my insides while melting others. He was talking to one of the hotel employees. As I approached, I concentrated on my steps across the shiny floor, but from the corner of my eye, I saw the employee nod my direction and Nox turn.
Any semblance of composure I’d been holding floated away with the breaking of the proverbial thread. From nearly fifty feet away, his blue gaze drank me in and devoured me whole. I was the prey to the lion I envisioned when he growled. Instantaneously, one of his cheeks rose, pulling his lips into a lopsided grin. His approving expression filled me with the confidence I needed to move forward.
The Del Mar employee disappeared into a haze, as did everyone else. Nox and I were the only two people on earth. I’d seen this happen in special effects during a film. Everyone except the main characters was out of focus. As I came to a stop in front of the only person in the lobby, I begged my heart to slow its stampede.
Lifting my hand, Nox brushed his full lips over my knuckles. “You are stunning.”
Before I could respond, he turned toward the employee who had reappeared.
“Don’t you agree, Ferguson? My date is the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen.”
“Sir, you’re a lucky man.”
Taking my hand into the crook of his elbow, Nox turned us toward the doors. “Luck,” he responded to Ferguson, just before we walked away, “has nothing to do with it. It’s all about knowing what you want.”
“Yes, sir. Have a good evening and you too, Miss Moore.”
“Thank you,” I managed to say.
Nox’s closed-lip grin widened, revealing his white teeth and a bright smile. Though he was still talking to Ferguson, his eyes were only on me. “Oh, we shall. We shall.”
I was about to ask about our plans, if we were going to do more than the restaurant in Oceanside when Nox stopped in front of a black Porsche Boxster convertible.
“Your carriage for the evening, m’lady.”
“Really? You’re going to drive? I guess I thought when you said a car—”
“Are you disappointed?”
“No,” I answered honestly. “Not at all. This is a great car.”
Opening the passenger door and helping me in, he replied, “It’s a rental, but I like to drive.” Once he was in the driver’s seat, he said, “I could arrange to have a driver tomorrow night, if you’d prefer.”
“I like this better.”
“Good.” He put his hand on my knee. “I want you all to myself.”
I couldn’t hold back my smile as I fastened my seatbelt. As he pulled out from under the awning, the evening sun washed over us. We made our way down the winding road off the resort. Since I’d decided to leave my hair down for the night, I searched through my handbag and found a hair tie and fastened the auburn waves into a low ponytail.
I wasn’t making Nox feel better when I’d said I preferred his driving. I detested limousines. They reminded me of Alton. Savannah wasn’t that large. There was no reason for Alton Fitzgerald to be driven to his job each day or for he and my mother to be driven to dinner. It was simply him being ostentatious.
As we headed north, I scoured the breathtaking scenery along Highway 101. With the roof open, I could scan every direction. Out Nox’s side of the car, the Pacific Ocean glistened with prisms of light as the sun sunk lower in the sky. Throughout the entire trip, whether we were talking about the ocean or the sky or just enjoying the whoosh of the wind around the Boxster, Nox held my hand or my knee.
The touch of his skin to mine no longer shocked me. That didn’t mean the connection was gone. It was different. Instead of the electricity I’d felt the first time we touched, now our link was more like a familiar blanket. Even though he might only be holding my hand, my entire body warmed with his presence. Still driving along the coastal highway, with the city growing larger in the distance, Nox turned toward me, and I immediately noticed something different in his expression.
“Charli?”
“Yes?”
“Our time is…” He inhaled. Squeezing my hand, he narrowed his light blue gaze. “Damn, I don’t know what to do with you.”
“Excuse me?”
Shaking his head, he slowed the Boxster and pulled off the road onto a scenic vista. Though sunset was still over an hour away, the sky before us was filled with colors. Purples and pinks dominated the horizon as the orange globe of the sun cast yellows and reds in all directions. The blue water shimmered. “I know you don’t really know anything about me, but I can tell you, I am rarely—no never—” he corrected, “hesitant about my demands.”
“Your demands?” My voice came out an octave higher than I planned.
“Do you remember my telling you that my tastes are unique?”
“Yes. No California wine.”
His smile returned. “Well, there is that. I wasn’t speaking of wine.”
I nodded. “Yes, Nox, I remember.”
“Have you had a nice week, so far?”
“I would say nice is an understatement.”
He moved his hand higher on my thigh. “I don’t usually ask for what I want.”
My eyes widened. “You don’t. Does that mean you take it?”
He shrugged. “Yes, but when it comes to sex, I’m not saying it’s ever been against anyone’s will. I can’t remember a time it wasn’t plainly offered or at least assumed.”
“Are you asking if I’m offering?”
“I’m glad you’ve enjoyed yourself this week. I’m ready, more than ready, for you to enjoy yourself more. I’ve tried to go slow on pushing those limits. But damn, time isn’t on our side.”
I tried to swallow, but my mouth seemed suddenly dry. Chelsea’s words came back to me, telling me to have fun and also to think about me. “I promise to let you know if I’m not comfortable.”
Nox nodded. “I’ve been giving this a lot of thought.”
I held my breath.
“And I want to explore those limits tonight. I want you to do something for me. Will you?”
I looked from side to side. There were other cars parked along the highway. In front of us there was a railing and steps. The people in those other cars had probably parked and gone beyond the railing, down the hill, to watch the sunset. That didn’t mean we were alone. There were cars passing by at a regular rate.
He squeezed my thigh, bringing me mentally back to him. “Charli?”
I let out the breath. Does he seriously want a blow job right here, before our dinner?
“What do you want me to do?”
“No, it doesn’t work that way. I want you to trust me. I want you to trust me with this one night. I want to spend tonight showing you a small sliver of my unique taste. Then, tomorrow night, our last night together, you can decide if we go back to nice or we explore more limits. Do you trust me?”
I nodded. His offer excited me in a way I’d never imagined. “Yes, I do.”
“And?”
“And…” I gathered my courage. “…I’ll do whatever you want.”
The relief in his expression at my answer took away any doubt. Yes, if for only two more days, I would trust him. “I’m not sure exactly what this means,” I admitted honestly.
“It means tonight you do exactly as I say. Don’t question or overthink it. If you can do that, I promise you more than nice. I promise you a night you’ll never forget.”
Though I felt as though I, Charli, was betraying Alex, the woman I’d worked so hard to be, I agreed.
Nox leaned forward and opened the glove compartment. “First, I want you to slip off your panties and put them in here.”
My eyes must have given me away, because that wasn’t the first demand I’d expected him to make.
He splayed his large fingers under the hem of my dress. “The point of this is that I shouldn’t have to explain. However…” He grinned. “…I seem to make exceptions for you and I’ll do it again, just this once. Take off your panties, as I said, so that I can think about you—imagine you—exposed under this lovely dress. I want to know that as we dine, with you seated in the chair next to me, if I move my hand…” His hand inched higher. “…I have access to you. I want to touch you in plain sight while no one but us knows what’s happening. After we eat, I want to take you by the hand and lead you down the long wooden pier, knowing that you’re aroused. I want to watch your beautiful face as the sea breeze touches what I did. Charli, I’ve taken this as slow as I can…” He reached for my hand and pushed it against his erection. “…I’ve imagined your pussy. Tonight, I want it and since you’ve agreed, I’m going to take it.”
If he’d moved his hand any higher, he’d have found exactly what he wanted. With only his words, I was painfully aroused. That didn’t mean that I could do as he said. “Nox, I’m sorry.”
The sparkle that had been in his eyes only seconds earlier disappeared as his neck stiffened. “I see.”
“No.” I grabbed his hand before he could pull it away. “No, you don’t.”
“What?”
“Nox,” I explained, “I can’t remove something I’m not wearing.”
The look of complete shock quickly morphed to amusement. “Can you repeat that?”
I unbuckled the seatbelt and leaned closer to his ear. With purposely breathy words, I repeated, “I can’t remove something I’m not wearing. You can do everything you said. I’m not wearing anything to stop it, and,” after a kiss to his cheek, I added, “I don’t want to stop you.”
With his large hands framing my face, he stared into my eyes, and I nodded, trying to tell him with my eyes that I trusted him and was being truthful. Somehow our fantasies had become one. A moan filled the evening air as he forcefully pulled me toward him. Our lips united as his tongue probed, willing mine to part. His kiss was mint and whiskey, invigorating and calm. Nox was a walking contrast, a dichotomy of everything I’d known and everything I thought I’d wanted. His unique combination of force and tenderness should be illegal, because with just one taste I was instantly addicted. I scooted closer like the addict I was.
“Damn,” he said when our lips parted. “I’m thinking about forgetting those reservations for table 101,”
I read about table 101 when I’d Googled 333 Pacific. The website said that it was famous for its view and needed to be booked far in advance. How did Nox get that table? Who did he work for?
I wanted the reservation, but I also wanted other things. Tonight was up to him—I’d already agreed to that. Nevertheless, I did my best to sound bold. “If you do that,” I said seductively, licking my bruised lips. “Then I won’t be able to do all the things you mentioned: the table, the seat beside you, the sea breeze.” Saying them made my insides tingle with anticipation.
“No, but I know of other things I want too.”
Rearranging my dress, I sat back into the deep bucket seat. And with a sideways glance, simply stated, “Me too.”
“Oh fuck!” Gravel flew as he threw the car into reverse and spun us toward Oceanside. “To the fastest dinner in history.”
My laugh resonated from deep inside as the sky’s golden hues combined with the purple. I wasn’t sitting in a fancy car. I was floating in the colors, overwhelmed with the euphoria of Nox. I wished I could bottle the sensation and save it for the future. In that moment, I doubted I’d ever feel this empowered and desired again.