Chapter Seven
Tate hung up the phone with his final vendor and ran a hand over his face in exhaustion. This was impossible. He had been calling people all day, and no one could get the supplies here any quicker. If he wasn’t able to use the wood on the island, there was no way that Zoe would get her chapel built on time.
He had hoped that, by some miracle, he’d be able to pull this thing off. The past several days had gone off without a hitch, so well in fact, that Tate and Zoe had fallen into a comfortable routine. In the morning he’d hit the site early and bark out orders at his crew, getting them to do as much as they could before the new shipment arrived. The sun was hot, and the work hard. By the time five o’clock came around, everyone was drenched in sweat. Then he’d hurry to his trailer, change, and meet up with Zoe and they’d take off to their favorite spring as a reward.
And what a reward it was. Zoe had a sexual appetite to match his own, and her adventurous nature led to some pretty crazy things. No matter what he dished out, she begged for more. It was difficult for him not to lose himself in the first hour and collapse from exhaustion. He couldn’t do that, however. He had no idea how long this little arrangement was going to last, especially considering he couldn’t get those supplies. He didn’t want to spend his short time with Zoe arguing when there were so many new sexual positions to try.
Everything about Zoe was perfect—well, almost perfect. While she seemed to open up to him physically, he knew that his unwillingness to share his past with her was coming between them. She kept asking him about his life outside of the island, and he kept distracting her with sex. He knew it couldn’t go on forever. Eventually she was going to find out that he wasn’t just the owner of a small start-up construction company, but the heir to an oil empire. Once that happened, she’d know that Tate had walked out on his family, in much the same way her father had done years ago. If she couldn’t forgive her father, there was no way she was going to forgive him.
He knew that Zoe wasn’t the type to shy away from conflict…but then again, she had never encountered his father. The old man was about as stubborn as they came, and had very strong ideas on the way things should be.
If you continue down this path, you are going to end up dying in a motorcycle crash, just like your brother. Tate ground his teeth as his father’s words from their last argument popped back into his mind.
No, Zoe would never understand why Tate had left his only family. She’d see his actions as selfish, and he couldn’t bear to see the feelings she had for her father directed at him. It was far easier to just live in the moment. Perhaps after the wedding, he could find another gig on the island. If he could find enough work, he’d never have to leave.
He rubbed his cock through his jeans, which had already swollen to painful levels just thinking about the new sex toy he had gotten that morning for them to try. He had heard that nipple clamps could send a woman’s orgasm off the charts, and he hoped that the rumors were true. Instead of taking her to the spring, he had rented a small, inexpensive condo on the other side of the island for the night. The added comfort and privacy would allow him to take his time. Sure, the first round of sex was always quick and explosive, but he was thinking after that was over, after he tied her to the bed and blindfolded her, he’d use the nipple clamps and lick that sweet pussy until her entire body shook with the force of her orgasm.
Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was still two hours before they were scheduled to meet. Two hours of sporting a painful hard-on and fantasizing about how he was going to make her scream his name in ecstasy. Damn, he was never going to make it.
Standing, he adjusted his pants and tried to alleviate some of the ache in his groin. His jeans rubbed against the fabric of his boxers, which in turn rubbed against his shaft. He let out a soft groan.
He was never going to be able to go out and see the guys like this. He was going to have to do something about this hard-on if he didn’t want his entire crew laughing at him.
With the decision made, he locked the door to his trailer to ensure some privacy. As soon as he heard the soft click, he turned his body so his back was up against the polished metal. He undid his zipper and freed his erection. Damn, he couldn’t remember a time when he had been this hard.
Closing his eyes, he slid down the door and settled onto the floor. He brought up an image of Zoe in his mind’s eye. She was just as he had seen her last night, naked and on her hands and knees in the grass before him.
“Are you ready?” he had said as he rubbed the tip of his cock against her opening.
“Oh yes.” She had wiggled her hips. “Please.”
She had such a firm, round ass. On impulse, he’d spanked it. The slap hadn’t been hard, but it was enough to get her attention. “What do you say?”
She’d moaned and closed her eyes. “Yes, sir.”
“That’s better.” He remembered sinking into her heat, feeling her inner muscles tighten around his shaft. She had felt so amazing. He knew he’d do anything to be inside of her again.
“Come on…” His words echoed in the empty trailer. “Open up for me. That’s it.” He gripped the base of his shaft hard as he imagined slowly pushing himself inside her body. Damn, she was hot. He loved the little squeal she’d made when he had grabbed her waist and pushed until his hips pressed against her backside.
“So perfect.” He ran his hand up and down his shaft as he imagined thrusting against her. Last night, she had moved against him with such enthusiasm. It had been so primal, so raw.
“You like that, huh?” he murmured. She had asked him to go harder, then moaned when he granted her request. As his need rose, he had sunk his fingers into her flesh and quickened his pace, moving inside of her like some wild animal in heat.
“Damn, that’s hot.” He shifted position on the floor, gripping his cock so that his fingers covered most of his length. He imagined her opening up to him, trusting him completely. He wanted to use that trust to take her higher than she’d ever been.
“Oh God, I’m close.” He moved his hand faster, gripped harder. All rational thought left him as he remembered the sway of her breasts and sound of her voice. He rested his head back on the door and let himself be caught up in the memory. Higher and higher he went, until he felt himself teetering on the edge of something vast and amazing.
“Come on, baby,” he whispered. “You know what to do.” He imagined her coming hard and coating his cock with her passion. The image was so complete, so consuming, that he swore he could feel her inner walls undulate against his shaft. He came hard, biting his lower lip so he wouldn’t cry out. Pleasure burst through his body, turning his limbs and mind to Jell-O. Again and again, he came as pleasure spiraled through his system.
When the last spasms of pleasure faded, reality set in, and he realized that he had made a horrible mess. His fantasy had spilled out over his jeans and the floor, creating a sticky pool between his legs.
As he sat there trying to gather the strength to clean himself up, he heard a knock on the door behind him.
“Tate, are you in there? It’s me, Gavin.”
Damn. While his best friend knew a lot of Tate’s secrets, he didn’t know all of them. This was one of those secrets Tate wanted to keep to himself.
“Just a minute.” Tate scrambled to his feet and grabbed some tissues from the desk. He cleaned the floor—and himself—off and pulled out his T-Shirt to cover the stain in his clothes. Satisfied that he was decent, he opened the door.
“Hey—sorry. I was in the middle of a project.”
“It’s okay,” Gavin said as he breezed past him. “I just needed to get away for a little bit. Everyone is all worked up about the company-wide meeting this afternoon. It was getting difficult to breathe.” He collapsed in a chair. “Oh, by the way, Alex wants to talk to you about something. He’s up at the site and says that he might have a solution to your supply problem.”
“Thanks.” Tate started to leave, but Gavin motioned him back. “Don’t leave yet. I need to talk to someone who isn’t freaking out over this meeting. Alex can wait.”
Tate retreated to behind his desk and sat. “What’s everyone uptight about?”
“You heard about that incident where a kid caught two coworkers doing the nasty in the pool shed, right? Well, the parents are threatening to sue, and the hotel is doing everything it can to make sure they’re never put in this situation again. Which means, more rules.” He shook his head. “One couple’s indiscretion has to ruin the fun for the rest of us.”
“They can’t really win a suit against you guys, can they?” Tate asked.
“I don’t think that matters. If it goes to court, it will generate a fair amount of negative publicity, something the hotel can’t afford.” He waved his hand in the air. “Sure, this place looks luxurious and expensive, but behind the scenes, we’re struggling. This wedding Zoe is planning is supposed to help push us back over the top.”
Tate leaned back in his chair as jealousy stabbed him. “You and Zoe seem to be fairly close.”
Gavin flashed his friend an incredulous look. “Come on, you know me. Have I ever been tied down to one girl?”
Tate smirked. “No.”
“That’s right. There’re just too many beauties out there to limit myself.”
Tate’s smile faded. “Now you sound like Rob.”
“Rob was the best. Your brother could ride a motorcycle better than anyone.”
“It drove my father crazy.”
“He loved the ladies, too. God, he had so many women following him around with their tongues hanging out like puppy dogs’. My sister included.”
“He thought the crush was cute.”
“Claudia thought he was much more than cute.” Gavin shifted in his seat. “Did you know that I caught her secretly spying on your brother in the garage?”
“You’re kidding.”
Gavin shook his head. “She was taking pictures of him fixing up his bike. I yelled at her, of course, but I don’t think it did any good. She was determined to marry him.”
“Rob had that effect on women.”
“And he taught us everything he knew.” Gavin smiled at the memory. “Thanks to him, I now can have any woman at this resort. You can, too.”
Tate snorted. “You were always better with women than me.”
“Ah, you’re just being humble. I’ve seen how the women around here look at you. Take Zoe, for example—”
Tate held up his hand, stopping Gavin’s words. He didn’t want to talk about Zoe. It felt too personal. “I’ll never be as good as my brother.”
“No one will. He was such a rebel, always getting into some sort of trouble.” He pushed his fingers through his hair. “I think running your father’s company would have killed him.”
“Running away from my dad did kill him, if I remember correctly.” It had been a horrible night. Tate had huddled behind the sofa, listening to his father and brother yell at each other. They had argued before, but it hadn’t ever been this loud, or this emotional. His father wanted Rob to stop being so reckless. Rob refused to change, saying that their father was trying to turn him into something he wasn’t. In the end, Tate’s brother stormed out of the house and took off on his motorcycle. The next morning, a police officer had come to the door. Evidently, Rob had been found several miles from the property with some girl from town. They had been out drinking all night, and when Rob had gone to take her home, he’d wrapped his precious motorcycle around a tree, ending both their lives. The guilt on his father’s face when he heard the news had been almost tangible. Even today, Tate could visualize the horror and guilt in his dad’s expression. While he’d never blamed his father for what happened—Rob had gotten drunk and taken off after arguments before—Tate could tell that his father took full responsibility.
Soon after that, everything changed. The motorcycles were put into storage, and Tate’s schedule became more regimented. Looking back, his father was probably tightening his grip on him because he was afraid he’d lose him, too. Unfortunately, by placing so much pressure on him, Tate’s dad had driven him away.
“God, I missed those summers in your garage,” Gavin said.
“Me, too.” They’d all been so innocent. He and Gavin had hero-worshipped Rob, hanging on his every word. Rob was the reason Tate loved to ride his bike in the first place. It made him feel close to the brother who’d been taken away from him too soon.
“All these new changes are going to ruin my summer plans.”
Tate pulled himself from his memories and tried to focus on the present. “What can they do, exactly? They can’t stop people from dating.”
“No, but they can make things more difficult.” Gavin shook his head. “Whatever they have planned, it won’t be good. Everyone will be on high alert until this business with the lawsuit blows over. I’ll have to drive into the city to have my nightly fun.” He frowned.
“What’s so wrong with that?” Tate asked.
“City girls will stick around. I prefer the resort guests. After a few days of fun, we go our separate ways. There aren’t any expectations, you know?” He stood and stretched his muscles. “If I wanted to be tied down, I would have stayed at home in Texas.”
Tate snorted and stood as well. “Amen to that.”
Tate didn’t know what he’d do without Gavin. They had left home to explore life, Gavin as a chef and Tate in construction. While they weren’t always together, they’d always stayed in touch, thanks to the internet. When the situation allowed, one of them always tried to find work for the other close by, so that they could hang out.
That was how Tate had ended up working on this island in the first place.
Gavin glanced at his watch. “As much as I’d love to sit here and talk about the good old days, the meeting is about to start. I’ve got to run. Don’t forget about Alex. He’s waiting.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Tate waved Gavin off and sighed as the door to the trailer closed behind him. No rest for the weary. His fantasizing would have to wait.
…
Zoe glanced at her watch once more as her coworkers continued to file into the large conference room. Gavin should have been here by now. She briefly wondered if something was wrong, then remembered that he often had emergencies of some type or another with the kitchen staff. Most of the time, she didn’t mind that he was late. But today was different. At the beginning of the week, Carrie had sent a company-wide email, informing the staff of the circumstances surrounding Natasha’s departure and insinuating there would be some type of official policy change coming soon.
No one knew what new policy Carrie and the legal department had in mind, but people weren’t afraid to guess. Their opinions had made Zoe nervous, especially considering her relationship with Tate. While Gavin knew she was seeing someone, he didn’t know who. But they’d discussed at length what this potential policy change could mean for her relationship and his string of one-night stands. While he was okay with going off the resort to find his fun, Zoe’s situation was a bit more complicated…and a bit more serious, at least, to her.
People come and go all the time on the island, Zoe, Gavin had told her. That’s why I love flirting with the guests so much. A few days of fun, and then they go home. After that, our relationship becomes nothing more than a pleasant memory.
His words had felt like a punch in the gut. Zoe had never thought about what might happen after the wedding was over. Of course, Tate would leave and move on to his next project. In fact, just last night he had mentioned that he had some business to settle in Texas after the wedding. Any reasonable person couldn’t expect their relationship to last when there was an ocean between them.
Somehow, the thought of Tate not being around anymore didn’t sit well with Zoe. She had grown used to their romps by the spring, and not just for the incredible sex. He made her laugh, and though he hadn’t shared much about his life outside of the island, they had grown close. She didn’t know if she’d be able to cope with the stresses in her life if he went away.
“Sorry I’m late,” Gavin said, taking the empty seat beside her. “I lost track of time.”
“Where have you been?”
Gavin shrugged. “We got a few shipments in, down at the docks. I’ve been making sure that everything gets where it needs to be.”
“Do you know if the wood came in for the chapel? Tate said it should be here any day now.” If it did, that would be amazing. They could be ahead of schedule by the end of the week.
“No, not yet, but I wouldn’t worry about it. I’m sure he has something up his sleeve.” Her pleasure must have shown on her face, because Gavin smirked at her.
“You two have been spending a lot of time together.”
Red flags went off in Zoe’s head. While Gavin was a good friend, she wasn’t sure if she was ready to tell him about Tate. What she and Tate shared seemed personal, and after everything that happened with Natasha, Freddie, and the pool shed, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to put their relationship out there.
That is, if they even had a relationship. She wasn’t sure what she had with Tate, only that it was special. She knew that Gavin, with his string of one-night stands, wouldn’t understand that, and she didn’t want him to spoil what she and Tate shared.
“We’ve had to spend a lot of time together. We’ve got a chapel to finish, remember?”
“After work hours?” He flashed her a knowing look. “I saw you two go off on his motorcycle the other night.”
“We needed a break,” she hedged.
“I bet.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Nothing. Nothing at all.” He turned toward the front of the room as Carrie walked to the podium with several people from the legal department following close behind. “I’m just glad that you decided to take my advice and have a little fun, that’s all.”
“We’re not—”
“Honey, you forget—I know you, and what you’ve been going through with this wedding. It’s good to see you let loose and relax a little.” He leaned in close and lowered his voice. “Just be careful. You are the type of woman who throws her whole heart into something. Only Tate and I aren’t the kind of guys who want to be tied down. I’d hate to see you get hurt.”
“How do you know Tate isn’t—?”
Carrie cleared her throat and greeted the room, cutting off Zoe’s question. “As many of you know, I have been working at this resort since it was first built over a decade ago. I started out at the front desk, then worked my way up, taking advantage of several opportunities, until I am what you see before you today. It was a long and difficult road, but one I enjoyed because I always believed in this company and the people who worked here. There was a certain…ethical standard and polish in the services we provided, and it was our professionalism and attention to detail that had customers coming back for our services time and again.” She took a dramatic pause and glanced around the room before continuing. “In all of my years of service, not once have I been embarrassed or ashamed about how we conducted business on this site—until now.”
The entire room fell into an uncomfortable silence. As Carrie went through the usual opening introductions—outlining what happened without naming names or giving details—Zoe’s mind began to wander. Was her relationship with Tate becoming serious? She had to admit that she looked forward to their meetings at the end of the day. She loved that he cared about what she had to say and how she felt. She also loved how her stress seemed to melt away whenever he was around. But…
Her stress, her troubles… Zoe realized that whenever they got together, they would always talk about her. While Tate knew a lot about her family and her life at the resort, she still knew almost nothing about him. She wondered if Gavin was right, and Tate considered her nothing more than a pleasant distraction. If that was true, then he would most likely leave once the chapel was finished. Then they’d never see each other again.
Her heart ached at the thought of Tate leaving. She hated to admit it, but she had grown rather attached to him over the past several days, so attached that she had started to see them as a couple. They had never talked about officially dating, however, and she wondered if there might be some truth to Gavin’s words.
“And as a result of this incident, we have been forced to amend our rules about employee fraternization,” Carrie said, drawing Zoe’s attention back to the moment. “From this day forward, no one is to engage in physical relations with a guest, staff member, or anyone connected to the resort, on resort property. Doing so will result in immediate dismissal. Are there any questions?”
Zoe exchanged a glance with Gavin, who looked a little uncomfortable.
“Yes.” Carrie nodded to someone in the front row.
“There is a rumor that the mother of the child is suing us,” someone said.
Carrie glanced at the group from legal, then leaned forward toward the microphone. “We aren’t at liberty to discuss anything more about the incident than has already been said.”
A tall, blond man walked up to Carrie and whispered into her ear. Then she leaned back toward the microphone and spoke. “And if you see any reporters around asking questions, don’t answer them. Instead direct them toward one of us.” She glanced around the room. “Anything else?”
Zoe felt a squeezing in her chest as her boss’s words sank in. While Zoe understood that they couldn’t have guests walking in on staff members doing the wild thing, the definition of physical relations was rather broad. Someone could interpret that as hand holding, or even flirting.
“Since there are no more questions, you are dismissed.” Carrie held up her hand as people started to stand. “But before you go, remember that you are an employee of this resort, and as such, will need to act professionally at all times. Customers always come first here, and we must do everything we can to make them happy.”
“Damn, I’m going to have to rethink my entire dating strategy,” Gavin mumbled as everyone started to file out of the room. He turned to Zoe. “What are you going to do?”
“Do?”
“You know.” He nudged her arm. “About Tate.”
It looked like the cat was out of the bag. But that was the least of her worries. She wasn’t the only one impacted by this. If they got caught, Tate could lose his job as well. The burden of not only losing her livelihood, but causing Tate to lose his, weighed heavy on her shoulders.
And yet, the thought of ending her nights with Tate made her uneasy as well. She enjoyed the intimacy they shared. She had come to rely on his adventurous spirit to help her de-stress. With him, she’d found herself again.
She nibbled her lower lip in thought. “I don’t know, Gavin. We try to keep things off the resort, but it’s hard. The more time we spend together, the more our relationship spills over onto the construction site.” She shook her head and sighed.
“But you don’t want to end things,” Gavin said, guessing her thoughts.
“No.”
“You’re attached, I can tell.”
“I guess I am,” Zoe admitted.
“Maybe you should see if he is attached, too.”
“He’s not.”
“How do you know?”
“He’s never once indicated that he might stay after the wedding is over. In fact, he told me last night that once he’s done here, he’s going to Texas.” She looked down at her hands in her lap. “That doesn’t sound like someone who wants to stay, does it?”
Gavin frowned. “Not exactly, but—”
Zoe felt a vibration in her pocket. “Hold that thought.” Sliding out her phone, she glanced at the screen and saw that she had a text from Tate.
Just finished cleaning up from the site. I’ve got some good news and we need to celebrate. Meet me in the lobby in five?
“I have to go.” She flashed Gavin an apologetic look. “Sorry.”
“Maybe we should talk a little more before—”
“Later.” She gave him a quick hug. “Thanks for being such a good friend.” She stood and left the conference room before Gavin could ask any more questions. She didn’t want to talk to him about this. It was too personal, and she needed time to process all of this new information. Unfortunately, she was already running late.
As she hurried across the resort to the main lobby, she thought about her mother and how much she needed this job to keep her at that facility. Somehow over the past several days she had lost her focus and put her own needs above everyone else. After what happened to Natasha, she knew that keeping her relationship with Tate would mean engaging in risky behavior that would put everything she had worked for in jeopardy. There was too much at stake to keep going down this road, especially when Tate would be leaving in a few weeks. Perhaps it was better to end things now, before she got in over her head.
Zoe stepped into the lobby and saw Tate standing by the doors, looking casual, carefree, and as handsome as ever. Her heart skipped a beat, just like it always did when she first saw him.
She was already in over her head, she realized. Somehow, over the past several days, she had moved beyond just liking the physical release he gave her every night. She liked almost everything about him—the sparkle in his eye when he came up with a new idea, and the knowing grin he had when she admitted (grudgingly) that he was right about some small point. She liked how she could confide in him about her mother, and how he knew that she liked her morning coffee with cream, no sugar.
Their relationship had moved well beyond the physical. And that was a problem. It was far better to nip this in the bud before things got any more serious. She couldn’t lose this job, not for this, not for anything. There were far more important things at stake.
She just hoped that she had the willpower to do what needed to be done.