Chapter Seven
God help me I want him.
She’d been thinking long and hard since Zan had stormed into the bathroom like a general. She could almost hear his battle cry.
He was right, they did share a connection. From the masquerade party to when they accidently brushed hands, tingles spread throughout her body. The way she’d find him unexpectedly looking at her, his face unreadable. Yes, she wanted him, but the man could turn his mood on a dime. When they’d been stuck in the shack she thought she’d glimpsed the real Zan Gillard only to have been very, very wrong the next day when he’d morphed into a complete asshole.
I want him to take me to places he took me last night. Places I’ve only read about in Cosmopolitan and I thought were made up.
The logical side of her brain piped up. He’s using you.
The sexual side of her brain got in on the act. But he makes you come alive for the first time, and you’d be using him as much as he’s using you.
She couldn’t back out and admit she didn’t have the money, and it was only for one night.
He wasn’t looking for a relationship, she was. There would never be anything more than this. But even if they had different last names, they’d never be anything long term; they were too different.
One night? Yeah, she could do one night imprisoned in his insanely muscled arms, their legs tangled, him kissing the back of her neck that made her shiver and want to do things to him until he begged for mercy.
She could do no hearts and flowers for one day. The man wasn’t into romance, so she’d remove that from the table.
His gaze roamed over her body. “Make a list. I look forward to reading it.”
She swallowed. She’d always held back with previous lovers, too afraid to take that step and say “I want to try this.” Inhibition being a large part of it, fear of rejection, but with Zan, she wasn’t shy or embarrassed.
She felt free.
For once in her life she’d let go of inhibitions that she didn’t have a trim figure, her breasts weren’t perky, that she had a belly and the beginning of a Kardashian butt.
Okay, so more than the beginning of one.
Around Zan she didn’t automatically pull up the sheet; he pulled the sheet down and worshiped her. She wanted to touch him and have him touch her in places she’d never dared dreamed. She wanted to let go and be the person inside she’d been hiding because with Zan there was no hiding. He read her body like he was her lover.
And there was the kicker.
Because he wasn’t.
He was her one-day F-Buddy.
So she closed down her mind and started making a list of what she wanted Zan Gillard, with his talented mouth, to do to her and what she wanted to do to him.
“What’s the first thing on your list?” His voice was soft but filled with meaning.
She lowered her eyes and sent him a ghost of a smile and made a decision. One she’d probably come to regret, but in his moment, she didn’t. “Me up against the wall of the bungalow. No words. No cuffs. I want to run my hands over every part of your body, and I want my lips to pull on that nipple ring until you moan.”
One look at his surprised face and she was rewarded with a pulse that almost hit home plate.
Molten eyes now burned into her. Without a word, he grabbed her hand and stalked down the path toward her bungalow.
“Clovis, slow down I can’t keep up.” He all but dragged her.
“Not a chance.”
He did slow until she trotted by his side, struggling to keep up with his long strides.
The sweet scent of mango and frangipani washed over her. She panted when he tugged her up the stairs, pulled them through the door, and without a word, stalked to the bedside table, grabbed the key, unlocked the cuffs, and dropped them.
“Zan,” she gasped when he started backing her up.
He ignored her and continued backing her up until her shoulders hit the wall. His mouth crashed down on hers almost brutally, which only made her want him more. Without breaking the kiss, he unzipped her shorts then pushed them roughly down her thighs. She wriggled, helping them down. Her thong was gone. Her hands were at the zipper on his denim shorts, frantically pulling at the metal button, but her fingers wouldn’t work properly. Her heart was thumping at dangerous levels and the only thing holding her up was Zan’s hands now gripping her butt. She finally got his impressive erection free. She stroked once over the velvety smoothness, and when he went still, she opened her eyes.
The fierce hunger on his face brought a fresh wave of desire that powered through her. He pulled the T-shirt from his body. Thick walls of toned muscle covered his chest. She leaned forward and pulled the smooth metal into her mouth. His body shivered, and his hiss went straight between her legs. He sheathed himself, lifted her by the hips as if she weighed nothing, and, in one thrust, was inside her. A moan dropped from her throat as he took her, hard and fast, and exactly the way she’d dreamed.
Only it was better. Much better.
“Look at me,” he rasped.
Her eyes fluttered open. She hadn’t known they’d closed; she’d been lost in the pleasure sweeping through her. Her face was on fire.
His gorgeous green eyes held her captive. She couldn’t look away if she tried, and she didn’t want to. He thrust higher, finding the spot with ease. Her head hung loose. He grunted when a moan poured from her unguarded mouth. Again, he thrust, and again she moaned, her fingers digging into hard shoulders, the corded muscle beneath her hands, robust and coiled.
She pressed her trembling thigh muscles into his hips, driving him deeper. She rode the wave while he slammed into her. She gripped his shoulders hard and was rewarded by a nip to her shoulder that sent another surge straight to her lower belly. Close, she was so close. One more thrust and she broke in his strong arms. Zan grunted his release a few seconds later, his body shaking and convulsing. She rested her forehead against his shoulder.
The only sound was their rapid breathing.
Her poor breasts were aching. Confined to her bra, the lace strained to contain her tortured nipples. As if sensing her discomfort, Zan chuckled and slowly released her to the ground, but he kept an arm around her shoulders to stop her from pooling at his feet. He led her to the bed where she gratefully sank on the mattress. Zan motioned for her to lift her arms, which she obeyed. He then pulled her T-shirt off. His eyes locked on her bra, and he murmured his approval. He reached around and expertly removed her bra and dropped it.
She sat in front of him naked. This man could have any woman in the world, and he was looking at her like a goddess.
He sat beside her.
She reached for his hand and started playing with his fingers. “I’m sad our families screwed up back in the day.”
Something worked behind his eyes. She couldn’t look away. Her breath stalled, and silence wrapped around them, big and bursting with meaning.
After what felt like a year, he shrugged a shoulder. “Our great however many ancestors fucked it up big time.”
“Yeah.” She’d moved on from tracing his ink to tracing the definition of the bulk of his muscles, packed together tightly under the smooth, tanned skin of his chest. She resisted the urge to trace her finger down the dark line of hair from his inner belly button, pleased he wasn’t an outie. She’d be paying attention to that fine line later.
“Your, however, many great, great, great.” She was calculating it in her head when his warm hand landed on her shoulder.
“Quite the number your Clovista pulled back in the day, bewitching Clovis then dumping him when she got the inside scoop on our first hotel.”
Daisy closed her eyes. The long and bitter feud between the rival hotels and families had begun then, grown and propagated by each generation.
“Funny that as soon as we opened our first hotel, you opened one across the street.” His voice had lost the soft edge.
“It was never proven that she stole inside secrets.” Her voice took on an edge, the relaxed mood evaporating like sweet summer rain in a desert. “And we’ve been fighting about it ever since, and with recent events, things have been taken to a whole new level.”
He turned his head, his face hard, but softened when he scanned her face.
“We’re not talking about this. I have more important things I want to do.” He held out his hand.
“I don’t want to talk about it, either.”
History couldn’t be changed, but for the next few hours they could have what this was.
“Let’s shower. I’m going to wash every part of you, then you’re going to tell me what else is on your list.”
“I think there are parts of me that might need special attention.” She fought a blush.
A beautiful smile lit his face, and his emerald eyes sparkled. For a heartbreaking moment, she wished they could have more, but reality, that ever-present deliverer of truth, sent her “No” in flashing neon. This was all they’d ever have.
He picked up her hand. “Show me.”
After he’d washed and conditioned her hair with such gentleness, she was glad of the water so he couldn’t see the emotion in her eyes. Then they’d moved to the action part of the shower. Her hands had been braced against the wall while he found that spot that made her purr. She’d returned the favor by taking extra care with the nipple ring, before taking him in her mouth. She’d never been into oral sex with a guy, but with Zan, she loved everything about him and his body.
“Do you have a list?” she asked when she towel dried her hair in the bedroom.
“I’ve been thinking that you’ve been a naughty girl.”
She sucked in a breath, and her eyes widened. “Oh, I’ve been so naughty.”
His eyes raked down her body.
“How naughty?”
“Wicked,” she whispered.
He picked her up under her knees and draped her across his knees.
“What’s your safe word? Because you’re going to need it.”
“Fifty,” she rasped.
He chuckled, then stilled, his hand gliding between her legs before stopping. “You’re already this wet before I’ve touched you?”
She’d been drenched when he’d said she’d been naughty.
The first slap to her butt shocked and enthralled her. She gasped in pleasure. His hand then smoothed over the cheek before landing on the other cheek, again shooting pleasure tied up in exquisite pain around her body. She writhed and squirmed, but he held her in place until he flipped her on the bed, where she opened her legs, begging him with her eyes.
A pained expression crossed his face. “I’m out of condoms.”
“Oh, um, I’m on the pill and haven’t been with a man in a year.” Now was the time to be honest. “At my last exam, everything was okay.”
“A year?” His eyes widened, then an ownership smile curled his mouth. He traced his finger across her jaw. “Same on the exam.”
“So what are you waiting for?” she asked with a boldness she’d never had before.
He grinned down at her, nudged her opening, and rocked into her. His eyes closed and he stilled. “Never felt this good.” He opened his eyes and looked straight through to her soul.
Same.
Slowly, he brought her to where he wanted her, building until her body was stretched to its limit, and she came undone around him as he found his release at the same time. He brushed back her hair and kissed her forehead. Her heart sighed, and a fluttery feeling danced in her stomach.
If I’m not very careful, I could fall for him… and ruin everything.
…
Zan stood, pulling Daisy up with him. He framed her face, and before he could kiss her she pressed up on her toes and pressed her sweet mouth around his for a second. He pulled her closer, resting his forehead against hers.
“I don’t think we made the treasure hunt,” she said.
He smirked. “I liked this treasure way more.”
“I want to win the next one.” Her hands still rested on his shoulders, which throbbed slightly. There’d be bruising, and he didn’t care.
After a shower, now with the cuffs on, they walked to the pool area. Sally walked around handing out the next assignment. Daisy snatched the paper before he could.
Her eyes widened, a smile lit up her face and speared straight into his heart. “We are so winning this.” She bounced on the spot.
He read the challenge and his intestines cramped. “We’re not doing this.”
“Why? I went once to a bachelorette party where we did this on balloons. I only popped four.” She stilled. “Okay, so I popped six, possibly eight, but I got much better.” She tugged his hand. “It’ll be fun. I can’t wait to shave you with those old-fashioned razor blades.”
“The answer is no. I can’t do this one,” he snapped.
Shit.
That came out way sharper than he meant.
She stilled, and her face blanked.
The fear of a knife sent terror punching through his body. The proverbial dark alley in Santa Monica, a desperate drug addict. He’d been thirteen and come within inches of losing his life. If a woman hadn’t been out walking her dog and chased the addict off, he didn’t know if he’d be here. His finger reached up and traced the silver scar on his neck.
“Why not?” Her gaze traveled to his neck and the scar.
“Can you drop this and trust me that I can’t do this?”
She pressed her lips together and studied him. “I did the kayak challenge when I wasn’t keen.”
After a moment of pensive silence, she got in his space and grabbed his hand.
“If the challenge were reversed and you were to hold a knife to my throat, I’d trust you, because you’d have told me that you had this, and I’d believe you.”
He thought of the Carter shares he was stockpiling and had a momentary twinge. As far as he was concerned, it was a done deal. Soon the name Carter would be history, and if he had it his way Daisy Carter would be working for him. As for her fifty grand and apology? That would be icing on the cake.
He stared into calm chocolate eyes, and his heart threw in crazy, extra beats. Sweat broke out on his forehead.
“You said the word can’t instead of won’t, so I’m sticking my Dr. Phil hat on and guessing something terrible happened to you that involved a knife and the scar on your neck.” She ran her finger along the scar which strangely soothed him. “As a friend, trust me.”
He swallowed then nodded once. Friends? Were they friends? He guessed in some warped way they were. He’d spent more time with her, excluding his brothers, than anyone else that wasn’t work related in a long time. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d spent four days with another person. He held up a hand, indicating to Sally that they were doing the challenge. The woman bustled over. She explained that they’d be uncuffed for the training part of the exercise. She then freed them with the master key she carried in case anyone lost their own or were about to murder their partner.
Daisy squeezed his hand and followed Sally and the other women doing the challenge down a dirt path lined with swaying coconut trees and colorful pink shrubs. He followed the sway of her hips until she disappeared around a bend.
He walked to the outside self-serve bar, grabbed a beer, and leaned against the bamboo bar. Men stood around, clutching bottles, all like him, a little green. Tequila would be better, but he needed to take the edge off his nerves. He rarely allowed himself to dwell on that time. He could still feel the metal slice through his neck.
A week after the incident he’d gone back at the same time and waited, wanting revenge, but he’d only found the woman who’d saved him and her dog, Charlie. She’d hugged him and told him to go home because nothing good would come of the night if he didn’t.
Wise woman.
He finished the beer and wandered back to the pool area. Daisy should be back any minute. He should go to his room and phone his brothers to check in, he’d been telling Daisy he needed the bathroom when he was calling his brothers. Surprisingly, everything was going well without him. He’d read the rule about no phones…and ignored it. He checked for texts daily; everything was going to plan. Another parcel of Carter shares had found their way on the market.
He glanced at the clock above the bar then back to where Daisy should be walking toward him. His left foot jangled. He thought he’d enjoy this alone time, but he missed her. Missed her jasmine scent, her assessing eyes, the way she leaned into him to adjust a shoe or an article of clothing. Here he was loving it up with the enemy. Physically, they were explosive, and he loved the way she challenged him and wouldn’t take his crap. A perfect package.
Rain fell on his parade.
Except for one small detail—she’d never be his.
He was upfront about relationships, and she was looking for one. Besides, his family would never forgive or accept them. Brayden would see it as a betrayal, and he wouldn’t do that to his baby brother. He doubted Daisy’s sisters would welcome the brothers with open arms, especially after he’d taken over her company.
He caught her scent and couldn’t help but smile when she waved. The smile on his face died when he noticed the razor in her hand.
“I only popped four. We’ve got this, let’s go.”