CHAPTER FIVE
Afternoon sunlight warmed her skin as Bailey stood at the top of three steps leading into the swimming pool with her hand tucked inside Ice’s while her knees shook and her nerves jumped beneath her skin. How on Earth had he managed to talk her into this?
He gave her hand a quick squeeze and then a slight tug. “We’ll go slow, baby, you can do this.”
“I’m surprised we’re alone.” At least she wouldn’t have an audience. “I guess everyone else is out on the ocean.”
She took a deep breath and hesitantly descended the steps until she stood in front of him. Surprisingly, the cool water refreshed her heated skin and with her feet firmly on the bottom of the pool she felt the tension begin to leak from her muscles.
“Good girl.” He pulled her against him in a tight hug. “See? It’s not so bad.”
Normally, she wouldn’t hesitate to point out the obvious flaws in his statement. After all, she stood wrapped by his muscled arms in a ten-feet deep swimming pool without waves, animals, or riptides and her feet were firmly planted on the cement at the bottom. And, he just happened to be an expert swimmer. But in her current position with her breasts pressed against his carved abdominals, she wasn’t about to argue and her nipples weren’t shy about expressing their appreciation by standing at attention beneath her top. Add that to the sincere delight of being held in his arms and she was a happy girl. No argument whatsoever. And then, to add to her extreme pleasure, movement beneath his shorts caused her thighs to tingle.
“Can you swim at all?”
“A little. I can tread water and as long as nothing pulls me under, I can keep from drowning.”
“Rule number one, don’t panic. Treading water will keep you calm until help arrives.”
Unable to help herself, she moved her hips against the bulge in his trunks. “And rule number two?”
He gently eased her back, moved his hands to her hips, and then lowered his head. “Rule number two, don’t fight the unknown.”
His lips captured hers in a heated kiss and suddenly she couldn’t get close enough. She plastered herself to him, rubbing her chest against his skin in an effort to soothe the pleasurable ache. He answered by releasing a low, masculine grunt and thrusting his hips forward. Fight this? Nuh-huh, not a chance.
His lips continued to caress and nibble in a gentle tease that only made her needier. Desperate to taste more, she opened her mouth in an invitation. He obliged.
Sheer ecstasy coated her body as their tongues tangled and their lips continued an intimate massage. It wasn’t until he closed his mouth and lifted his lips that she realized she had lost track of position. With her body screaming for more, she realized they now floated in the middle of the pool. She didn’t have to look down to know her feet were no longer on the bottom.
“Scared?”
She paused to consider his question. She should be terrified. And angry. She should be beating on his caveman chest with both fists and demanding he lift her out of the water. But angry and terrified were not the emotions to describe her current state of mind.
She lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist. “Not at all.”
He squeezed her hips and moved her lower body until she felt the length of him long and hard against her bikini bottoms.
“Damn, that’s nice,” he murmured.
Determined to show him just how nice, she lifted up and then eased back down the length. If it were possible, her swimming suit bottoms slickened.
“Bailey.” He moved one hand from her hip and slid a finger beneath her suit and over her clit. “If you truly want this, tell me.”
“I want you, Ice.”
“I want you too.” He gave the wet flesh a pinch. “But not here.”
“We’re alone.”
“For now. Besides, I have a feeling you’ll draw attention.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” He gently eased a finger inside her body. “Because when I get inside your sweet little body, I intend to love you until you scream for me to stop.”
Her inner muscles pulsed around his finger, basking in incredible satisfaction as he continued to rub. She moved her hips in an effort to direct his finger right over the place she wanted it the most and when he found it, her body squeezed him in a chokehold.
“Give it to me,” he demanded in a low whisper.
She rotated her hips one last time, drunk with ecstasy, and just when she felt the surrender, a high-pitched scream pierced the air.
Her eyes widened and she glanced at Ice. “That wasn’t me.”
“No, it wasn’t.” He quickly extracted his hand, grabbed her around the waist, and propelled them both to the side of the pool. “But tell me you were satisfied.”
She grasped the ledge and pulled herself out of the water. “Extremely.”
In one smooth move, he placed his hands on her hips and lifted her out of the water. “Double time.”
Ice climbed out of the pool beside her and then groaned as he glanced at the thick-wedged sandals she now wore on her feet. Damnittohell, didn’t she own anything flat?
“I’ll carry you.”
“Relax, I can keep up.”
“In those?”
She grinned. “I can do amazing things in these shoes.”
Tempted to forget all about the hysterical scream, he grabbed her hand. “C’mon then, put your money where your mouth is.”
They maneuvered around the maze of loungers and out the gate until they finally entered the resort through a side door. He wasn’t totally fluent in Spanish, but the feminine voice that rapidly spoke the long string of what he interpreted as profanity from somewhere nearby was obviously an expert.
“What’s close?”
She pointed to the left. “Laundry room.”
They arrived just in time to be plowed over by a short, plump, dark-skinned woman who was clearly terrorized.
“Whoa.” He reached both hands to steady her and then glanced at Bailey. “Do you know her?”
“Amelia Mercado, the housekeeping supervisor.” Bailey reached to grasp the other woman’s forearm. “Amelia, what’s wrong?”
Immediately, Amelia lifted her arms and moved the air while she uttered a whole new set of Spanish terms.
“Please,” Bailey soothed. “Let us help you.”
“There is a devil on the loose, Miss Bailey! A mean, evil creature!”
“What the hell?” he muttered.
Bailey placed her arm around the woman’s shoulders in a one-handed hug. “A devil?”
“There is a body under the sheets in my linen cart.” Amelia groaned. “Ay, dios mio!”
“Did you call for help?”
The terrified woman nodded. “Mr. Santana is on his way.”
“I am here, Amelia.”
He turned to see Santana rush toward them, Gerard in tow.
“Take her somewhere to relax, Francois.” Santana untangled Amelia from Bailey’s hold and nearly shoved her at the other man. “Did you recognize the victim, Amelia?”
“Si`, it is Senor Knight.”
“We just saw Marcus last night,” Bailey mumbled.
Ice glanced at Santana, who appeared amazingly calm despite the situation. “Did you call the police?”
“They will arrive shortly. Did you see what happened?”
“No,” Bailey answered. “We were in the pool when we heard Amelia’s scream. That’s two bodies in two days, Daniel.”
The manager ran a hand over the top of his head. “Unfortunate circumstances, for sure.”
“Why would someone do this?” Although he knew Bailey attempted to draw information from the other man, he also knew she was genuinely concerned.
“I have absolutely no idea. Marcus has been the model employee and I’m not aware of any personal issues.”
“Do you suppose you should relocate the guests?”
“I don’t want to cause a panic. I’ll wait and see what the police have to say.”
He shifted his weight from one side to the other. Oddly, he agreed with Santana. Like Overton, Marcus Knight was employed by the resort and at this point, it didn’t appear that any of the guests were a target. Although the investigator in him was determined to get to the bottom of things, he’d made a commitment – he was Bailey’s weekend distraction and that’s the role he’d play. Gladly.
“Don’t you think that’s a dangerous liability for the resort?” Bailey pressed.
Although Santana didn’t immediately answer, his dark, narrowed facial expression said it all. Obviously, he didn’t appreciate her lack of confidence.
“No.” His denial was quick and short. “There is no reason to cause undue stress until I speak to the authorities.”
Ice widened his stance, ready to intervene if Santana got anymore cocky. Confident was one thing; threatening was another.
Bailey nodded and smiled at the other man. “Of course, Daniel. You know best.”
“Will you continue your stay?”
“Yes.” She turned on a hundred-watt smile. “We’re having a wonderful time.”
“Excellent. If you wouldn’t mind waiting here to tell law enforcement what you witnessed, I’d be most appreciative.”
“Absolutely.”
Ice braced himself on one hip against the wall and settled in to wait for the boys in blue. He had a gut feeling that the discovery of a second body may cause them to arrive in record time.
While Bailey continued her usual pleasant conversation with Santana, he moved his gaze into the laundry room and noted that the scene appeared relatively clean. No visual signs of blood stains, broken equipment, or violence. Two washing machines and two dryers occupied one wall. A long counter, industrial clothes steamer, and ironing board lined another. A large linen cart sat right in the middle, the fabric liner bulging with the shape of Knight’s body and mounds of white linens heaped on top. The distinct smell of bleach assaulted his nostrils, but experience and lack of evidence told him that nothing other than the sheets and towels had been scrubbed. Although he had no idea as to the condition of the body, he was fairly confident that whatever happened, didn’t happen in that room.
He moved his gaze from the laundry room and back down the hallway in which he currently stood. The long corridor stretched approximately twenty feet before leading into the hotel lobby and the only other thing that occupied space was the house phone at the end. He glanced back at Bailey and Santana, still engaged in conversation, and then pushed himself off the wall.
He placed a hand on Bailey’s shoulder and he cleared his throat to politely interrupt. “You’ve got goosebumps. I’ll go grab a dry towel from the suite.”
“Francois can get one from the towel warmer in the spa,” Santana answered. “I apologize for not noticing earlier.”
Ice stopped him when he moved to leave. “I’ll get it. The police will need to talk to you first.”
He headed to the end of the hallway and casually glanced over one shoulder to assure Santana was distracted before he lifted the handset off the telephone. He punched the appropriate number for an outside line and then another set of numbers he knew by heart before he stretched the cord and rounded the corner.
“It’s me,” he said as Diesel answered the call. “We’ve got another body.”
“Any particulars?”
“Not yet. Hummingbird PD is en route.”
“I’ll give them a call.”
“The body was found in the laundry room. Harvard should probably pull video from there first. I’ll check in as soon as the detectives are finished.”
He returned the handset to the base of the phone and then headed to the Concierge podium to ask for Bailey’s towel. By the time he returned and draped the warm terry cloth over her shoulders, detectives and crime scene technicians crawled all over the area.
“Thanks,” she said as she pulled the towel closed in the front. “I was freezing.”
“You’re welcome. Has anyone talked to you yet?”
She nodded. “They started with me. As soon as I told them that we saw Marcus working on the hot tub last night, several detectives went outside.”
“My guess is that the laundry room wasn’t the place of death.”
“I thought of something else.” She placed a hand on his forearm. “You work with the Hummingbird Police Department all the time. Will they alert Daniel?”
He smirked. Nothing got by this woman. “No, I called Diesel from the phone in the hallway. Our secret is safe for now.”
During the next couple of hours, he gave his statement about the incident while Bailey sat with Amelia in the dining room and provided moral support while she gave hers. By the time they grabbed a late dinner and headed to the suite for the night, he knew two things for certain: Knight had been murdered and, like Overton’s murder, there wasn’t much evidence.
“I need to check in with Diesel and Harvard.” He placed a kiss to the top of her head. “Then we’ll turn in for the night.”
She nodded. “I’m going to jump in the shower.”
Bailey entered the bedroom and unwrapped the towel from around her body, intent on basking in a nice, hot shower. What had begun as an amazing afternoon in the pool with Ice had quickly become a nightmare and her nerves certainly welcomed the massage of the soothing spray.
She released a soft sigh as she dropped the towel to the floor and sat on the edge of the bed. This second death was just as big of a mystery as the first. The general consensus among the detectives was that Marcus had been electrocuted in the hot tub. But why? His job was to resolve maintenance issues timely and efficiently. Accidents happened occasionally, but murder? She knew Marcus well enough to know that he had better judgment than to jump into the water with live electricity so obviously, there had been foul play. Besides, he didn’t hop into the linen cart after death either. Hopefully, Ice would get some answers.
Just about the time she decided to head for the shower, her cell phone rang from the bedside table. She reached for it and smiled at the caller ID.
“Hi, Gracie.”
“Hi, Trista’s here too. We’ve got a three-way connection.”
“Hey, Trista.”
“Hi, Bailes. Everything okay?”
“It is with me, but there was another murder.”
“We heard,” Grace mumbled. “Do the police have any leads?”
“Not that I know of. Ice is talking to Diesel and Harvard now. Do you know anything?”
“Not about that, but we called to give you a warning.”
She frowned. “A warning?”
“Yes.” Grace giggled. “We’re about to crash your romantic get-a-way.”
“Not me,” Trista drawled. “I’m all about privacy.”
“Uh Trista, don’t be so sure.”
“No,” Trista insisted. “I came to Hummingbird Bay for rest and relaxation, not to rain on Bailey’s parade.”
Bailey rolled her eyes. “You two forget that this is not a romantic rendezvous. We’re trying to investigate a murder, well, now two murders.”
“Anyway.” Grace barreled right over her denial. “We’ll be there about eight o’clock tomorrow morning.”
“Not we,” Trista insisted again, “Harvard, Grace, and Diesel.”
Grace cleared her throat. “Apparently, we’ll stay with you and Ice.”
“Sure. I’ll have the Concierge make the arrangements.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Why not?”
“Uh, well,” Grace hedged. “I just figured you and Ice wanted to be alone. I tried to convince Harvard to book – “
“I told you, Gracie, we’re investigating murder.”
“Is that what you call it now?” Trista mumbled.
Bailey laughed. Thank God for these two women. “Did you just call to harass me?”
“Of course not,” Grace answered. “We wanted to make absolutely sure you’re okay.”
She hesitated a brief moment. Her nerves were a bit jumpy and she was frustrated to no end that the suspect was still unknown but honestly, she’d never felt this safe and protected in her life.
“I’m really fine,” she said finally. “I’m in very good hands.”
“Apparently, you’re quite an investigator.”
“Not really. I just have a relationship with these people.”
“Ice says differently.”
Although Grace’s information warmed her, she opted for a change in subject. She was already warm enough.
“Trista, how’s your vacation?”
“Wonderful and mostly relaxing.”
“Mostly?”
“I learned the ins and outs of your security system by locking myself out.”
“Oh, no! Did you call the number on the keypad?”
“Didn’t have time. Those screaming sirens made me a nervous wreck and by the time I messed up the code three times, the police arrived in a matter of minutes.”
She frowned. “No one called me.”
“No, they called Diesel.”
“Oh, good. He was able to get you in and reset the code?”
“After teasing me mercifully, yes.”
Silence crossed the line for several seconds.
“What?” Trista asked finally.
Bailey wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly. “Diesel teased you?”
“Yes, something about being dressed in black made me look like a burglar. Why?”
“Diesel doesn’t tease,” Grace said slowly.
“Well, he did tease me. And, he said black is sexy.” She sighed over the line. “But I returned the favor, I called the police.”
“You what?”
Bailey bit her bottom lip as her friend explained what happened. Trista could protest all she wanted; she was coming to the island.
“We’ll let you go,” Grace told her. “Get some rest and we’ll see you tomorrow.”
She noticed Trista didn’t correct Grace this time. “Ok, see you soon.”
Ice sat on the sofa and pressed the icon on his cell to connect the call to his team, cautiously optimistic that Diesel had encouraging news.
“Our second victim is Marcus Knight, the Maintenance Director,” he said as soon as Diesel answered. “The housekeeper found him in a linen cart in the laundry room this morning. Any word from the investigators?”
“According to the preliminary report from Hummingbird Bay PD, he was believed to have been electrocuted in the hot tub and then transported away from the scene. Approximate time of death two o’clock a.m.”
“Anything on film?”
He heard the telltale click of being put on speaker.
“No,” Harvard answered.
Ice scrubbed a hand over his jawbone. “The housekeeper is convinced there’s a devil on the loose and I’m beginning to agree.”
“Anyone have a motive?” Although Diesel asked the question, his tone relayed that he didn’t expect a positive answer.
“According to Santana, no. Model employee without any personal or professional issues.”
“Any link to Overton?”
“Just employment. No personal association on the surface.”
“What’s the mood at the resort?”
“The staff is shaken but the guests don’t appear to be bothered.”
“Not at all?”
“There is some concern, but Santana has kept the details under wraps. He’s dead-set against causing a panic. Does everyone have alibis?”
Harvard chimed in. “All confirmed by video. Santana is at the Guest Services Counter, Green was attending to a malfunction in the card reader system in the spa, and Gerard was glued to the Concierge podium as usual.”
“What about the housekeeper?” Ice knew Amelia had absolutely nothing to do with the crime other than finding the body, but as long as they were checking alibis, they might as well check hers.
“Employed by the resort upon opening, clean as a whistle. She was at home, across the water in Hummingbird Bay and didn’t arrive back at the resort until morning. According to the payroll badging system, she’d only been on duty ten minutes before she found Knight.”
“Unique method of murder. If our guy hadn’t moved the body, the manner of death could’ve easily been ruled as suicide or accidental. Bailey and I saw him working on the exterior of the tub, but his clothing was soaking wet when they found him. The assumption is that he climbed into the water to check something on the inside.”
Harvard confirmed the consensus. “Upon investigation, several wires were found floating on the water.”
“Our perp took time to remove the body but not to clean up after himself.”
“Not a professional,” Harvard said. “A desperate maniac who has enough sense not to get caught.”
Diesel then provided information that gave him hope. “The owner of the resort, Mariano Russo, contacted me this morning to request an investigation. We’ll move into the suite with you and Bailey.”
“I’ll have Bailey contact the Concierge.”
“No need. She’s on the phone with Grace and Trista as we speak.”
He frowned. “Captain, do you think it’s safe for Trista to be at the resort? She’s probably more recognizable among these people.”
“Can’t leave her here.”
“We could put a couple of guys on her.”
“You gonna tell Bailey?”
“Never mind,” he mumbled. “Did Russo notify management?”
“Affirmative. Our participation is now public knowledge.”
“Do you need me for transport?”
“No, we’ll charter a boat. ETA O-eight-hundred.”
Ice lowered his cell, relieved by the revelation that back-up would arrive in the morning. Three heads were definitely better than one. Well, two. He had to admit, Bailey had been a valuable part of the investigation and without her, pulling information out of the staff would’ve taken much longer.
He paused at that thought. Speaking of Bailey, he hadn’t heard the shower.
He gave the front door one last glance to assure it remained locked and bolted and then stood, turned out the light, and headed for the bedroom.
Once he stood in the doorway and drank in the sight of her sprawled on her back on the bed and still dressed in her skimpy, bright blue bikini and those sexy sandals, murder moved to the back of his mind. The very back.
She braced herself on both elbows with her legs over the side of the bed. “Finish your phone call?”
Memories of the swimming pool assaulted his brain and he could only nod.
She tilted her head to one side. “I haven’t made it to the shower.”
“Don’t think you’re going to.”
He closed the distance between them until he knelt in front of her. She sat up, scooted to the edge of the bed, and draped her arms around his neck.
“You could join me,” she suggested while her hands massaged the base of his neck.
“Later. I’ve got a better idea.”
“I think I like it.”
She moved her hands to caress his chest and he took several slow breaths in an effort to hold on to some sense of self-control. Her touch made him weak.
“I won’t lie to you, Bailey, I’ve had a lot of women but I’m clean and I’m always safe.”
“Don’t care,” she murmured, “me too.”
He captured her wandering hands in his. “You too?”
“The clean and safe part, not the women.”
“Men?”
“A few.”
Her admission both relieved and irritated him. For some reason, the few men annoyed the hell out of him. His conscience laughed. Hypocrite.
Two tours in Afghanistan had taught him to take what he wanted while he could. He wasn’t ashamed of his history, nor would he apologize for it. Except now, he knew exactly what he wanted. Bailey. No one else.
“Well, that’s just too bad.” He smirked and stood to remove his shorts until he was naked and hard before her. “Because I plan to ruin you for any other man.”
She drew a lazy trail down his abdomen with one fingernail until her fist wrapped his cock. “Maybe I plan to ruin you for any other woman.”
He groaned and thrust his hips, sending his eager dick further into the tight confines of her hold. She gave it a squeeze and took several tight strokes down, up, and back again. Over the head, down, and then up, squeezing as she did so. He had to admit, she had a good start, but too much of a good thing could be dangerous at this point.
He locked his knees and settled into her rhythm, determined to hang on for dear life. Except when she suddenly released him and replaced her hands with her mouth, he realized he needed a new strategy.
“Bailey.” He growled her name as her plump lips closed around him and he quickly buried his fingers into her hair. “You are playing with fire.”
“Mmm.” She groaned around him as her tongue swept his already-weeping head and then scraped the sensitive skin just beneath.
His cock jumped in her mouth and he gave her hair a desperate yank. “Seriously, I’m working with an itchy trigger.”
The sexy little nymph simply batted those long eyelashes, wrapped one hand around the base of his cock, and sucked even harder. There was no use attempting to extract himself; her grip was tight and besides, it felt so freaking good.
“Easy.”
He gave her hair another pull which proved to be a mistake. She released a breathy whimper and pulled him all the way to the back of her throat where her muscles worked him just as tightly as her grip. And then, as he thrust his hips forward, she swallowed him whole.
His balls tightened to the point of blue while his cock screamed for release. One more good, hard thrust and he could put himself out of misery.
But, he wouldn’t.
He quickly peeled her fingers from around his length, replaced them with his own, and then carefully attempted to extract himself from her greedy lips.
“That’s it, baby,” he whispered as his cock slid nice and slow up her throat and then across her tongue. “Let it go.”
When he was finally totally free, he knelt again in front of her, dipped his index finger under her bikini bottoms, and dragged it across her slippery clit.
“Paybacks are a bitch.”
“Show me.”
She lifted her hips and he pulled off the menacing barrier. While he continued to tease, he leaned forward, reached behind her, untied her top with his free hand, and then tossed it to the side.
“My shoes,” she whispered as she attempted to sit up.
“No.” He nudged her hand to the side. “Leave the shoes.”
She raised an eyebrow and buckled her legs around his waist. “Do you really like them that much?”
“Hell, yeah.” He scooted her backward on the bed until she lay flat on her back, her feet still draped around him. “Sexiest damn things I’ve ever seen.”
He loosened one leg and then bent to place a kiss on the inside of her thigh. “You ready, baby?”
“Yes,” she groaned. “So ready.”
He eased her other leg off his hip, positioned himself on his stomach between her thighs, and then rested both her legs on his shoulders. Intoxicated by her scent, he opened his mouth over her mound, took her clit between his lips, and suckled like a starved man while he vigorously worked the slippery nub in an effort to make her just as crazy as he.
“Ice,” she murmured as she wound her fingers into his hair.
He moved his tongue over and around the wet flesh until finally, he entered her body to stroke her inner walls. Moisture pooled on his tongue. His needy cock pulsed between his legs.
Only because his body demanded it, he lifted his mouth from her and released a long, warm breath against her clit.
He lifted his head to meet her hazy gaze. “I’m prepared this time.”
“How did you -?”
“The Concierge is eager to please.”
“Well, that’s very noble of you, but totally unnecessary.”
“How so?”
“I trust you and I’ve got birth control covered.”
With her admission, he needed no further approval or encouragement.
“Turn over.”
She lifted one eyebrow in response.
“Turn over,” he repeated.
With a sly smile, she followed orders and rolled onto her stomach. He climbed onto the bed behind her, urged her closer to the middle, and then braced himself on his knees. He moved one palm over the smooth, creamy skin of her left ass cheek and then squeezed.
“Tightest ass on the planet,” he murmured.
She whimpered and pressed harder against his hand. He repeated the process on the opposite cheek and then moved closer to rub his cock over the surface. She continued to move her hips as if she could position him right where she needed him.
He chuckled. “In due time, baby.”
Desperate to make her insane with need, he lowered his hips and settled the head of his cock against the wet flesh between her legs, applying just enough pressure to cause an ache.
“Yes,” he murmured.
While his cock continued to press, he moved a hand back to a cheek, caressed the surface again, and this time gave it a firm smack.
She gasped and moaned and then backed up against him until his cock entered her, drenched in her desire. He pulled out, repositioned, and then slapped the opposite cheek. Again, he slid easily into her body. This time, he didn’t retreat.
He eased his full length into her body, leaned forward to place his lips in the crook of her neck, and then gave the soft skin a gentle but firm nip.
Bailey moaned at the sheer sensation of euphoria from Ice’s love bite on her neck and his expert ministrations on her body. He was exactly right; he had ruined her for any other man.
Goosebumps covered her skin and her nipples pebbled when his tongue traced the indention of her neck and then the outer shell of her ear.
“I think you like to be spanked,” he said into her ear.
No thinking about it, she did like it. A lot. Her body tightened around his length, still buried deep inside her.
“See? Even thinking about it excites you.”
“Ice,” she begged, “please.”
“Please what, baby?”
“Do it.”
He moved out and then into her body again. “Do what, exactly?”
“That,” she groaned. “Do that.”
Another slow stroke taunted her muscles. “Oh come on, sweetheart, you can do better than that. Tell me what you want.”
Now nearly incapacitated with both pleasure and need she could only whimper.
He left her body again, this time completely, and just when she wanted to scream with frustration, his fingers began to rub her tingling clit.
“Tell me,” he demanded, “or I’ll stop.”
“No!” she panted. “Love me, Ice. I want you to love me.”
“I do love you, but I think there’s more to this than love.”
She took a fleeting moment to process his profession of love, knowing full well he was dead serious. Ice always said exactly what he felt, like it or not.
And she loved it.
But he was right, this was more than love, this was pure animalistic possession.
And she loved it.
“Take me,” she groaned. “Make me yours, Ice.”
While his fingers continued to rub her clit, he gave a masculine grunt and then entered her in one hard, full thrust. Her inner muscles clamped down, sucking hard as he moved swiftly in and out of her body. Gone was the easygoing tease of a gentleman. No, this man was a hardcore soldier, determined to claim her as his own.
“I want it, Bailey,” he demanded.
“Not yet,” she moaned.
“Yes, now.”
He nudged her clit one last time and then squeezed it hard between his fingers while he continued to stroke at a maniacal rhythm. Suddenly, she had no choice but to give in. Her body, mind, and soul belonged to him and she had no intention of ever changing that.
Her muscles clenched around him one last time and incredible satisfaction carried her into blissful contentment. Lost in her own euphoria, she vaguely heard him gasp before she felt the warmth of his release inside her.
He placed several kisses against her ear until her muscles released him and he slid from her body. He lay beside her and pulled her back against him.
“I do love you,” he said quietly.
“I love you too.” She smiled and wiggled against him. “Now, would you mind removing my shoes?”
***
Diesel tossed his cell phone from hand to hand as he contemplated what he was about to do. It was just a freaking phone call, for Pete’s sake, why in the hell was he having such a hard time doing it? His decision was really the lesser of two evils. He could leave Trista in Hummingbird Bay to fend for herself and risk the wrath of Bailey, or he could suck it up, stop acting like a pantywaist and make the damn call.
He lifted the phone and stabbed numbers. Maybe he’d get lucky and have to leave a voicemail. He stalled again before he pressed the last number. Why was it his duty to make the call, anyway? He shook his head and tapped the final digit. Because apparently, he was in charge of making sure everyone followed orders. Sometimes pulling rank seriously sucked.
He listened to the ringing tones, encouraged after two or three that he may get to leave a voicemail. Except, that after the fourth, a soft, sultry voice crossed the line. He frowned. Since when did she sound like a phone sex operator?
“Trista?”
“Did you forget whose number you dialed?”
“No.”
“Well, hello Diesel.”
He ignored the goosebumps that crawled over his skin from the sound of his name on her voice. “I’ll pick you up at O-seven-Thirty tomorrow.”
“Let’s see, that’s seven thirty a.m., right?”
“Affirmative.”
“Why?”
“We’re going to Sea Gull Island.”
“Thanks, but I’ve already declined that invitation.”
He bit back a chuckle, amused that she thought he offered her a choice.
“O-seven-thirty,” he repeated.
“I said no thank you, Diesel.”
“I heard you.”
“Can you give me a little more explanation?”
This time, he chuckled out loud. He gave her an A for effort. “It won’t change your mind.”
“How do you know?”
“I know.”
“Then my answer remains the same.”
“Here’s the thing. If you’re not packed and ready to go on schedule, I’ll throw you over one shoulder and take you myself.”
“That’s kidnapping.”
“Yes, it is.”
“I should’ve brought security,” she mumbled.
“Your mistake.”
“What if I still insist on staying here?”
“Insist all you want, I’m twice your size. Besides, you don’t want to do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’ve changed Bailey’s security code again and the only way to get it out of me is one that I don’t think you want to discuss.”
The following silence told him that he had achieved the result he intended.
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
Trista frowned at the sudden silence on the end of the phone, pulled it from her ear to check the screen – disconnected, of course - and then quickly closed her mouth that had fallen open at his ultimatum. The man was so incredibly arrogant that he made her blood heat – and not from anger. After her conversation with Bailey, she had already changed her mind and planned to go with him all along but he didn’t have to be so demanding about it.
He really needed a woman, one who could give him a good swift kick in the rear end. She snorted. Even that probably wouldn’t do the trick. No, he’d give step-by-step instructions on how to do it to any female who attempted, and that more or less took the satisfaction out of it.
Wait a minute. How in the heck did he get her number? She had gone to great pains to keep it private and she certainly hadn’t given it to him. Realization made her smack her forehead with her palm. Actually, she did give it to him. She totally forgot that Diesel possessed several super-spy powers and had absolutely no trouble pulling it out of her.
She stood from the sofa and headed for the bedroom, resigned to the fact that he expected her to follow orders. She giggled while she tossed clothes into her suitcase. The joke was on him, she would follow on her own terms.
***
Sheer panic and fear caused sweat droplets to gather on his forehead and race down the sides of his face. He was now officially a desperate man. The situation had spiraled completely out of his control and the only way out of it was either handcuffs or death – or both.
He quickly tapped numbers on his cell phone, for once anxious to relay information. Although he hated to admit defeat, his associate was the only one able to handle the situation now.
“We have to abort the operation,” he said quickly as the other man answered.
“That is not your decision to make.”
He dismissed the arrogant, matter-of-fact response. “Mr. Russo has called in outside reinforcements to investigate the circumstances.”
“My involvement has nothing to do with the circumstances you created.”
“Regardless, this interference will affect you as well as me.”
“Desperation has made you brave.”
He swallowed hard. What difference did it make to upset his associate? He was doomed either way.
“I mean no disrespect, there is just no way to continue without being discovered.”
“What exactly has Mr. Russo done that worries you?”
“There is a security team arriving tomorrow to investigate.”
His associate gave a low chuckle. “That is not worrisome to me.”
“They are experts and the staff has been instructed to allow them access to any information requested.”
“What else do you know about them?”
“Absolutely nothing. Any information I’ve attempted to gather does not exist. I suggest we suspend activity until I can get a better grip on the situation.”
The conversation took a momentary pause and he thought that maybe he had managed to talk some sense into the other man. Except, his hopes were dashed when the discussion resumed.
“Your suggestion is refused. The operation will proceed as scheduled.”
Undeterred, he tried again. “We risk losing everything.”
“You will deal with the mess you have created and if you cannot do it efficiently, I will deal with you. Am I understood?”
“Clearly,” he said without hesitation. “I will do everything in my power to see that things proceed accordingly.”
When he didn’t receive a response, he moved the phone from his ear, checked to the screen to assure the call ended, and then banged the device several times against his forehead. He had absolutely no idea what to do now and he had a feeling whatever he decided would not be good enough.