One Night in Bangkok (Passport to Passion #1) (2 page)

“Oh, I, um . . . .” Beth stammered.

Tom’s finger made a leisurely journey back to her hand. His touch sent her pulse skyrocketing and her temperature back up to rival the heat outside. “Will you let me show you, Beth?”

Beth swallowed, her dry throat raw and in need of relief. Before she could think of an answer he was talking again, using his voice and his caress to win her over.

“Let me show you how sweet things can be. Show you the pleasure to be found in the simplest of things and help you forget the unpleasantness that mars your life.”

His fingers wrapped around hers. He tugged lightly and her limp arm lifted as he pulled her hand toward his mouth. Light, feathery strokes of his lips graced the back of her hand. “I promise you pleasure greater than you’ve ever known.”

She tried to speak, but could only call forth a whimper of delight as he turned her hand and treated her palm to the warm, wet sweep of his tongue. Lost in the thrill of what he was doing to her hand—and in a domino effect, her entire body—Beth feared she would agree to anything he suggested as long as he didn’t stop.

“Have dinner with me.” He spoke against her skin and his breath puffed over the moisture left by his tongue. It cooled and heated at the same time as sparks of fire shot through her hand and up her arm leaving a trail of tingling starbursts in their wake.

Beth nodded and didn’t even think about what else she’d agreed to. The man oozed charm and no doubt his smooth ways had scored him numerous victories in his life, both personal and business. He twined their fingers and lowered their hands to his thigh.

There was no flare of triumph in his eyes, just a steady calm that spoke of the confidence he felt in his ability to get what he wanted. And what he wanted was her. He may have invited her for dinner but she’d be a fool to think he didn’t want to have sex with her. She might not have been in the dating scene for a few years but she knew a come-on when she received one.

“Do you always get what you want?” Beth asked.

Tom considered her question for a second before answering. “No, but if I don’t, I obviously didn’t want it badly enough.”

Beth absorbed the truth of his words. This man would go all out for what he wanted. He wouldn’t care what others thought; unlike the man she’d pledged her life to not so long ago. She used to be like Tom. Before Alexander, she’d never pretended to be something she wasn’t. Now that her life was her own again, did she have the courage to be the woman she used to be? The woman she
wanted
to be again.

“Beth?” Tom squeezed her fingers as he spoke, drawing her attention back to the here and now. “The creases in your forehead tell me your thoughts are far too serious. We’ll have to do something about that.”

She studied him. Why was she letting her past get in the way of enjoying this man and this moment? Even in her younger days she’d never accepted this type of invitation with a stranger, but she was tired of her old life. Tired of the Beth who never got what she wanted. She was especially tired of being someone else’s doormat. She was here to begin her life over again.

This was the new Beth. The one who took every experience life sent her way and held on for the ride. No point dipping her toes in the water. She needed to dive in and immerse herself in all the world had to offer. No more sitting back and waiting for things to happen or for someone to drag her into them.

“What did you have in mind?” she asked. Was that sexy purr really her voice?

“How about we enjoy our drinks, spend some time getting to know each other. Then after you return to your room to freshen up, you can join me in my suite for dinner.”

Here it was. All or nothing. Once she’d made up her mind she wouldn’t back out. She just hoped she didn’t lose her nerve halfway in.

“I’d love to.”

* * * * *

Hand suspended in mid-air, inches from the door, Beth froze. Could she do it?

Could she take the next step? A simple thing, knock on the door, wait for him to answer.

But there was nothing simple about knocking on this door.

A tap of her knuckles and everything would change.

Her nostrils flared to pull in as much air as she could. She sucked it down deep, filling lungs suddenly void of oxygen. It didn’t help. Didn’t make her any less lightheaded, no less anxious and did nothing to quell the swarm of butterflies performing aerial acrobatics in her stomach.

She had her eyes wide open and she knew what she was getting into. She knew this night was the chance of a lifetime. The chance to indulge her fantasies with a sexy stranger, a chance to become the bold woman she wanted to be. There would be no morning after to worry about, no lies to tell. Both of them knew tonight was a one shot deal. They would take it for what it was, nothing more than ships passing in the night. No last names, no phone numbers, no facing each other over the breakfast table.

Back in her room, her bags were packed, ready for her early morning flight to the island of Phuket. She never dreamed she’d be handed this perfect opportunity to give the new Beth a chance to stretch her wings.

With nothing to lose and everything to gain, Beth held her breath and knocked on the door. The first two were barely more than taps; she bit her bottom lip and knocked twice more. No chance anyone inside would miss them. The door opened before her hand made it back to her side.

He stood in the doorway in jeans and a t-shirt, casually dressed like he’d told her he would be. She thought he’d looked yummy earlier, dressed in a business suit with his tie pulled loose and the first few buttons of his shirt undone. Now he looked downright delicious and her mouth watered at the thought of peeling those clothes off him.

Tall, dark and handsome didn’t begin to describe this man. His dark, slightly tipped eyes gave away his mixed heritage. He’d told her earlier his mother was Thai and his father American. The combination of the two produced a breathtaking specimen of height, lean muscle, smooth caramel-colored skin and eyes that reminded her of rich espresso coffee.

When Beth brought her gaze to his face she found him watching her. The corner of his mouth curled up and those mesmerizing eyes sparked with interest. He stepped back and motioned with his arm to invite her in. Her earlier anxiety left the second she’d laid eyes on him. She remembered why it had been so easy to accept this invitation.

She wanted him.

Wanted him with a hunger she’d never known before and there was no way she would pass up her chance to tangle the sheets with this man. It didn’t matter if he was five years younger than her. This wasn’t the beginning of a relationship. It was one night to indulge her wildest fantasies with a stranger. Someone she’d never see again. Their bodies brushed as she entered and pulsing fingers of need burst from the point of contact. Heat swirled in her stomach, creeping lower. She had an almost undeniable urge to clamp her legs together at the sudden burn. A drum beat pounded in her head, drowning out all but the need raging in her blood. The click of the door closing behind her sent shivers of excitement through her core. This was it.

In a matter of minutes she’d be stripped bare and offering herself to him. She trembled as images of the two of them entwined together flitted through her mind. A knock on the door jolted her out of her erotic thoughts.

“Ah, perfect timing. That’ll be our dinner.” Tom opened the door and stepped aside as a uniformed employee rolled in a trolley.

“Dinner?” She moved out of the way to let the server pass and Tom closed the distance between them, crowding her against the wall.

“Yes, dinner,” he whispered into her ear.

“But I thought—”

“What? That I would strip you naked and take you against this wall the minute you walked in?” His warm, moist breath sent shockwaves of lust down her neck. He bit her earlobe lightly. “Make no mistake, Beth, I will have you. But I’m a civilized man. I invited you to dinner and I will feed you dinner.”

She looked toward the server, terrified he’d heard what Tom said. Why that should scare her when giving herself to a stranger didn’t, she couldn’t say. Looking back at Tom’s face she saw raw lust flash in his eyes. This man wanted her as much as she wanted him, so why the delay?

He stepped back and held out his hand. “Come, we’ll eat and talk.”

Talk? He wanted to talk? Hadn’t they talked this afternoon? What game was he playing? He obviously knew why she’d agreed to come here, what he really meant when he’d invited her to his suite.

This wasn’t the night of hot heavy sex with a stranger she’d thought it would be. This was too much like a date.

When she hesitated, he reached for her hand. “I promise you’ll enjoy yourself, Beth. Anticipation heightens the pleasure and I plan to give you more pleasure than you’ve ever known.”

She allowed him to lead her to the table. Crystal and china lay on a white linen tablecloth and fresh cut flowers filled a small glass bowl in the center. Tom pulled out a chair for her. The aroma from the covered plates tickled her nose and made her mouth water, assaulting her already overloaded senses.

A hint of herbs and spices and something sweet—the heady mix of tropical flowers—combined with the intoxicating, all-male scent of the man standing behind her, and did more to her system than an electric shock. Her skin was a living, breathing thing, stretched tight across bone and muscle gone soft with desire. Fingers skimmed across the sensitive slope of her neck and goose bumps broke out in their wake. Tingles traveled the length of her neck, radiated down and spread over the rest of her body. Her nipples tightened, the hard nubs pushed against the fabric of her dress.

“That’ll be all. I’ll take care of the rest.” Tom dismissed the server, his voice husky and raw.

They sat frozen in place until the click of the door closing echoed around the room. With great care Tom brought his hand to her breasts, barely touching each of the tips.

“So beautiful,” he murmured as he brushed over each peak once more. Beth’s eyelids drooped and her breath stalled in her throat. The touch—no heavier than air—had her nipples aching, growing impossibly tight. Her breasts swelled, reaching for his retreating hand. Heat curled and spiraled down to light a fire in her pussy, pulsing flesh and swollen tissue made her squirm in her seat. Warm, wet and slippery, his tongue darted into her ear then pulled out to follow the outer curve. Desperate need clawed at her, raked her from the inside out. She could feel her orgasm just out of reach. No man had ever gotten her this close with so little effort.

“So responsive to my slightest touch. Imagine how you’ll feel when it’s your bare flesh beneath my fingertips, beneath my tongue.” He breathed the words into her ear and they aroused her body further. If he didn’t do something soon she’d explode without him. She had no doubt her orgasm would be shattering. Her body responded to not just his touch, but to his voice, to his presence. Sound gurgled from her throat, an expression of both pleasure and pain.

“Soon, Beth. Soon I’ll give you what you want, what you need. What we both need.” He pulled away.

A whimper of anguish slipped past her lips before she could stop it. Want and desire laced every note, conveying her arousal, her need, her desperation to have him touch her. If he would just lay his hand over her pussy she could get the satisfaction her body craved.

Squeezing her legs together, Beth fought to gain control of her runaway lust. As she dragged in breath after breath and willed her heart to slow, she knew this night would be unlike anything she’d experienced before or ever would again. The pop of a cork, the clink of glass on glass and the bubble of liquid pouring gave her something to focus on. She opened her eyes—when she’d closed them she couldn’t say—to find Tom offering her a glass of champagne. Her parched throat thanked him, but she couldn’t gulp it. She spotted a glass of iced water on the table and traded it out for the champagne.

She took a quick sip, but a mouthful wasn’t enough. She drained the glass, but the water brought little relief. The flames burning inside needed more than one glass of water to douse them. Beth feared she would never find satisfaction. Not until she fed the hunger, the one only Tom could assuage.

“Relax, Beth. I want you to enjoy the meal I’ve ordered for us.” He’d taken his seat next to her while she tried to quench her thirst.

“I don’t know if I can.” She turned her hungry eyes on him. The matching raw need in his gaze did nothing to ease the ache she felt.

The man was lethal. Her temperature shot up and her pulse beat a wild tattoo in her bloodstream. Sweat beaded on her upper lip. Mesmerized, she watched as he reached over and ran his finger through the moisture then used the natural lubricant to slide his finger along her bottom lip. Without thought, her tongue darted out to touch him.

Even with the taste of her own sweat clinging to his flesh, she could taste him. His lips parted and he groaned. His dark eyes dilated. She stared at his lips, hungry to taste him, to know if his mouth held the same strong musky flavor as his finger.

“Our dinner will get cold.” He leaned in, his lips a breath away.

“I don’t care.” Beth did the only thing she could; she closed the distance between them.

Hot
.

That was the only word that came to mind. His lips scorched as his mouth slid over hers. She gasped, parting for him when he nipped her bottom lip. With a savage thrust, his tongue took full advantage, sweeping into her mouth. Skin on fire, she wrapped her arms around his neck and dragged him closer, allowing him to take the kiss deeper. She wanted him to devour her, wanted to devour him. With greed she pushed her tongue into his waiting depths. The kiss was the most carnal she’d ever experienced, ever imagined. He took her to new levels of arousal, burning more than her mouth with his brand of fire. Consumed with need, Beth groaned with both frustration and relief. Relief he’d finally kissed her. Frustration because it wasn’t enough.

Nowhere near enough.

His answering groan only excited her more. She throbbed everywhere, but nowhere more so than her pussy. She craved all he could give her. All she would demand he give her.