Miami Spice (9 page)

She soon gave a wonderful whimper of surprise
when Nico’s fingers dived beneath the elastic top of her panties
and then stroked the beginnings of her pubic mound. When he dug
deeper and felt her slit, she raised his head and took his mouth
with fervent urgency.

As they continued with their kiss, Nico
maneuvered her backwards to the bed until Erica hit the wooden bunk
with her calves. Tumbling back, she grabbed him down on the
mattress with her. They took a moment to laugh together before he
slid away. With deft fingers, he quickly tugged and discarded her
clothes. Next, he planted kisses on each knee while his hands ran
up and down her smooth, bronzed legs. Slowly he parted them and
brought his tongue along her inner thigh.

As he began with tantalizing kisses along the
folds of her slit, Erica writhed with heat-yielding arousal, her
pleasure increasing tenfold when he found and nibbled her clit.
Nico’s hands soon clamped her thighs to the bed, and she had no
choice but to submit to his sublime torture. His tongue began a
feather-light caress along her gash, and then delved inside to lap
at her juices. The more she struggled against him, the more he held
her tight and increased the pressure of his strokes. Her moans
filled the narrow space as he took her to incredible heights, but
as soon as Erica tensed and arched to gain release, Nico
immediately ceased his coddling.

“I don’t want you to come just yet,” he
commanded, his voice tinged with a haughty tone of supremacy.

Grabbing her legs, he pulled her up and
across the bedspread, giving her only a moment’s respite as he tore
off his own clothing. Naked now, he joined her on the bed and knelt
between her splayed limbs. Erica drank in his masculine beauty,
from the unusual tattoo he sported over his right breast, to the
corded arm muscles, and on to the swirls of hair that sprang from
his abdomen and down to his pubic curls. A star-shaped beauty mark
rested just above his left hip bone, while in its dark nest, his
penis rose, richly golden and immense. When he handed her a condom,
she grasped his cock with greedy fingers. Shivering, Nico took in a
gasp of breath as she stroked him to bolder proportions and then
slowly worked the condom down his shaft.

With a growl, he gripped her legs and brought
them up and over his shoulders. Guiding his cock head to her
opening, he jammed his huge rod inside. As he pumped with brutal
force, Erica reached beneath and stroked the satin flesh of his
balls. His moans became grunts of pure pleasure until her tight
hold thrust him to the breaking point. Pausing, he parted her legs
then positioned her so that her head hung over the side of the bed.
When he entered her again, Nico stretched and began a slower,
smoother rhythm. The blood rushed to her head and made her senses
all the more acute. She dug her nails into his shoulders.

“
Eriqueta, Eriqueta
.” He trilled her
name with a sensual roll of the r’s, his litany beautiful and
exciting as he readied to come with her.

Lifting her head now, Erica skimmed her hands along
his back and held on as he continued to increase their momentum
with short, quick thrusts. When she felt his muscles tense, she
knew he was ready to join her. Letting go, she mingled her steamy
flow with his own hot cum. He shuddered in tandem with her, their
flesh tingling and glowing with shared bliss. Unleashing one last
roar of pleasure, he slid across her slick body, and Erica allowed
her head to drift back over the edge of the bed. Seconds passed
while they recovered.

Then, pulling away, Nico helped her find a more
comfortable position as he eased beside her. In turn, she found his
hand and twined her fingers through his.

He began to kiss her exposed throat.
“
Eriqueta, Eriqueta, princessa de la mar
.”

Princess of the Sea.
She hated to
think this moment would end, that the waves lapping around them
would soon cease, that the sun and the blue skies would soon grow
cold. Worse, she would have to come back down to earth.

“What are you thinking?” he whispered as he
nuzzled her cheek.

“Why did you decide on that tattoo?” For
emphasis, she traced the design with her index finger. A gold-inked
crown with red and blue “gems” along the tiered top balanced on a
black King of Clubs playing card beneath.

“Oh that,” he chuckled as he grasped her
hand. “Would you believe I did this on a dare? In high school, I
got in with a somewhat rough crowd who called themselves ‘The
Kings’ Club.’ Not a gang, mind you, more like a group of stupid,
punk kids. These guys ran around painting graffiti on historic
buildings, skipping school and drinking behind some old storage
sheds. We used one as our headquarters. I thought I needed the
club’s signature as my badge of manly honor, though the tat hurt
like hell.”

She laughed. “What about your brother?”

“Oh, he did it, too. We became the club’s
twin members, two tough brothers, but it didn’t last long. When
some of the guys were caught shoplifting and referred to juvenile
hall, my dad set us down and read us the riot act. Gianni and I
quit then and there.”

“Such a checkered past!”

“Hey, artists rely on their past experiences
for inspiration, just like writers.”

Silence ensued for a moment, until she sighed
and nestled close to his side. “I wish we could stay right here,
like this, forever.”

“I’d like that, too. That’s why I hate to
tell you I have to leave soon.”

She tipped her face to his. “Oh, no!”

“I can’t help it. I have prior commitments
and just a short time to fulfill them all. One of those is tonight,
dammit.”

Erica wanted desperately to ask about his
schedule. Every minute without him meant she would be climbing the
walls wondering what he was doing, who he was with... Then again,
she would be overstepping boundaries if she pried too deeply, asked
too many questions, or even broached the subject of commitment.

Nico stroked the underside of her chin. “But
we’re still on for this weekend, right? I’ll pick you up at your
place, about four Friday afternoon?”

She nodded with a thin smile; although, her
heart ached with the knowledge they had to part.

The trip back to the marina seemed all a blur
to her, and the couple said very little as Nico drove her to the
Palmetto Terrace. Before she opened the car door, he leaned over
and gave her a tender, passionate kiss.

When he finally broke their embrace, his
fingers lingered across her face. “Do you still want to go ahead
with the design plans for Gianni’s place?”

“Why, yes, of course.” Erica had no real
excuse as to why she couldn’t take the job, other than Nico’s
brother happened to be a sexist pig. Oh well, a lot of men acted
and talked that way, and it certainly never stopped her from
earning a living before. Gianni Sloan was hardly daunting or
intimidating, not enough to make her harbor second thoughts.

“Then I’ll see you Friday.” Behind his
sunglasses, Erica knew Nico gave her a sweet, affectionate
wink.

* * *

“Ah,
señorita
, I learn more about the
man upstairs.”

As Erica walked into her apartment, she found Rosina
sitting at the breakfast bar with an iced tea in a hand, a little
fortification after the hours she just put in tidying the
place.

“He has such a reputation that the girls call
him The Player, or
Señor Parrandero
. That is, the girls who
clean apartments around here.”

“I’m sure they’re just being polite.” As she
spoke, Erica threw her shopping bag on the floor and flopped on the
sofa. “I can imagine what else they must call him.”

Rosina frowned. “Say, you look like a boiled lobster,
mijita
. You must have got some sun this afternoon.”

Erica tried to control her burgeoning grin.
She had gotten so much more than just
el sol
. “Yes, I went
for a sail with a friend. You know, Rosina, I don’t think I need to
know anything more about
Señor Parrandero
. He’s commissioned
me to decorate his apartment.”

“Aha!” the maid exclaimed heartily. “You just watch
yourself, Mees Erica, or you’ll be the next notch on his conga
drum.”

This time she had to laugh even though a
sunburn headache had etched its way across her forehead. “Don’t
worry, I have no interest in Mr. Gianni Sloan. It’s his twin
brother I’m interested in. Nico Sloan is here visiting the
family.”

“His
hermoso?
” Rosina gave Erica a
wide-eyed look. “I don’t know about him, but I’ll ask around if you
want.”

The housekeeper’s snooping skills intrigued
Erica enough to get her curiosity up, especially if she could find
out more about Adriano Sloan. “He’s an artist from Connecticut and
owns a gallery.”

Rising from her stool, the housekeeper ambled
over to Erica with an envelope in her nut-brown hand. “Speaking of
el diablo
, the man himself come down earlier and left this
for you.”

Accepting the envelope, Erica quickly opened
it and found a blank check and a note from Giancarlo Sloan:

I hope this will secure your services. I left
the recipient and amount open because I’m not sure if I should pay
you directly or your firm. Does a thousand dollars to get you
started sound right? Either way, I hope we can develop a fruitful
relationship. I look forward to our next meeting.

G.S.

P.S. Sorry about today.

“Well, well,” Erica remarked as she fanned
the check under her chin. “It looks as if I’m going to be spending
a lot of time upstairs, for at least the next month.”

“You be careful,
se
ñ
orita
,” Rosina warned again as she went for
her straw handbag. “We have an old saying where I come from:
Una
vez que un amante inconstante, siempre que un amante
inconstante.”

Once a fickle lover, always a fickle
lover
. Erica had to smile even though she never heard that
particular
dicho
before. “Don’t worry, Rosie. It will be a
cold day in hell before Gianni Sloan gets me into his bed.”

“Why don’t you try out the mattress to see if it’s
worth salvaging? I’d like my bed to be the focal point.” With a
stretch of his muscular arm, Gianni indicated his pièce de
résistance. “Nice and big and fluffy. I want super
comfortable.”

Erica, who had been taking notes, failed to
look up and take the challenge. She rather doubted the mattress on
his present king-sized bed would be worth salvaging, especially
after all the beatings it took through years of body wrestling.

He continued. “Something along the lines of a
wood-hewn bed frame with a natural fabric headboard. And how about
throwing in some green here and there?”

How about a soft wood frame so you can
make the notches easier to whittle?
Trying not to smirk, she
dug into her notepad until the lead snapped from her mechanical
pencil. “A tree house theme?” she suggested.

Gianni threw her a puzzled look. “Well, not
exactly. I’m thinking more along the lines of earthy and easy on
the eyes.”

“Just a joke,” Erica mumbled. “Um, yes, I can
see natural fiber wall covering in a buff or tweed, as well as
rattan blinds and perhaps a nice potted philodendron or two in
terra cotta planters.”

“All right. Sounds good to me. I bow to your
expertise.”

“Yes, but you must live with it, so I want
you to be happy with the choices. If you like, we can knock out the
wall between the two smaller bathrooms, and make it one big area
with a garden tub.”

“Hey, I like that idea!” he agreed with an
enthusiastic nod.

As Gianni started back to the living room,
Erica followed. So far, her suggestion of a neutral color for the
walls in order for the focal point to remain with Nico’s artwork
had been met with approval, as well as the addition of some track
lighting. Again, she agreed with the owner to keep in mind natural,
earthy tones for the furnishings.

Returning to the card table he used in the
dining alcove, Gianni went for his checkbook. Tonight he decided to
go for the relaxed look in a dark tank top and shorts.
Surprisingly, he remained cordial and all-business with Erica.
“Will another thousand do for now?”

“Why don’t we discuss a budget?” she
suggested. “I need to know how much you’re willing to go for the
decorating. This way, I have an amount to keep in mind when I do
the purchasing of fabrics and furniture.”

Glancing up, he stitched his brows in a
slight frown. “Well, I thought you’d come up with an estimate, and
we can work from there. I’m all for spending what I have to.
Although, we can put a cap on the expenditure at say fifty
thousand?”

Erica tapped the end of her pencil against
her chin. “That should work, and it gives me quite a bit of
latitude. Right now, I don’t require any money until the renovation
is complete, and then I’ll present you with a bill.”

“Sounds good.” Gianni smiled. “Like I said, I
leave it in your capable hands. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going
to go to the gym downstairs and work out for awhile.”

Of course, you have to keep those love
handles nice and tight!
All during the walk-through, Erica
itched to ask him what was up between him and her sister. Since
Maritza’s call on Tuesday evening, she had wavered between saying
something and keeping her mouth shut. According to Mari, Gianni had
called her once since his return from his out-of-town gig and
hadn’t returned her subsequent phone calls. Could he be putting her
off because of someone else? Erica wasn’t sure, although, she
hadn’t heard any more overhead noises since Saturday.

As Gianni walked Erica to the door, he
mentioned her upcoming weekend with his twin. “I hear you and Nico
will be spending some time together. Good for you. I gather you’re
interested in my artist bro in more than just a professional
capacity.”