Resisting The Tycoon's Seduction (The Berutelli Escape) (14 page)

Marissa had been able to check in with Sierra every day and Zeke had received reports from the guards on both her status as well as
the stranger’s recovery.  Thankfully, the man was going to be okay but it would be a long, hard fight back to complete health.  He would make a full recovery though and was currently in and out of consciousness but he had to remain in the intensive care unit until more of his wounds had healed and he could maintain consciousness for longer periods of time. 

With the reassurance that her sister was in good hands, she was free to explore this time with Zeke.  They’d dined on fresh fish and the local produce, enjoying the Puerto Rican dishes such as
mofongo, a starchy recipe created from mashed plantains but seasoned with various savory toppings.  She couldn’t believe it when he’d driven them about a half hour’s ride out of San Juan, only to pull up outside a line of hole-in-the-wall restaurants and bars that didn’t even look like they were permanent fixtures.  They were called “kioskos” but they looked like huts or shacks.  As soon as she sat down at the restaurant called “La Padilla”, she fell in love with the foods.  Everything seemed to be fried, but it was amazingly delicious.  She had a cheesy dish filled with freshly caught seafood including fish, shrimp, scallops and some other unidentifiable shellfish. 

He had the red snapper, but that came with the head and eyes still intact.  She was so horrified, she made him eliminate the head before she would let him eat the spicy seafood.  And even then, she had to laugh when he continued to steal her own meal.  Each time he reached for her food, she would try to stab him with the fork.  Unfortunately, her heart wasn’t in the threat.  And since he’d ordered several appetizer samples, she wasn’t
very hungry and could only eat half of her cheesy seafood anyway. 

At the moment,
he was helping her relax by pouring her a delicious, fruity drink.  She should have been suspicious when he called it a “painkiller”, but she’d taken a careful sip of the frothy drink topped with nutmeg and just enjoyed the cool flavors of orange, mango and coconut.  After her third one, she knew that he’d spiked the drink with the excellent Puerto Rican rum that he’d taught her to enjoy over the past few days.

So now she was leaning back
against the teak decking of a fabulous sailboat, watching him steer over the shimmering water.  Every once in a while he called out an order for her.  He just yelled, “Trim the sails, Marissa!” Marissa simply looked over at him and, with complete honesty, asked, “What does one do to trim the sails?”

With a roll of his eyes, he tie
d up the wheel so the boat wouldn’t go too far off course, then he pulled the sails up slightly with one of the many levers on the sailboat, adjusting the tension so that they were catching the wind more effectively.  With a great deal of patience, he pointed up to the smaller one he called the “jib” and told her to watch the red pieces of string along the edge of the sail.  “When the green ones on the main sail are going in the same direction, yell for me to stop.  Okay?”

Marissa shaded her eyes and looked up at the green and red strings.  “Okay.  I can do that,” she assured him, then took another sip of her drink and relaxed even more. 

“They’re matching,” she called back to him, still lounging on the cushions. 

She didn’t hear anything after that, so she assumed she’d
completed her task and closed her eyes to enjoy the heat of the sunshine more completely.  That had been her first mistake.  Always keep track of Zeke Vaughn she’d learned.  When he topped off her drink, she smiled back at him.  “Are you trying to get me drunk, Captain?” she asked with a twinkle in her eye. 

“I am.  Do you have any objections?” he asked, leaning down to bite the sensitive spot on the back of her neck. 

She sighed with happiness, considering his question.  “I don’t think so.  But could you tell me your plans before I fully commit to them?”

As he walked back to the wheel and untied it once again, he looked at her through his dark sunglasses.  She might not be able to see his eyes, but she could feel the heat of his gaze and it was hotter than the sun on her slightly tanned skin.  “I intent to sail us to a private area I discovered a long time ago, banish your bathing suit and
jump into the ocean with you naked.  How’s that for an afternoon?”

She took another sip while her toes curled with anticipation
at the possibilities.  “I believe I’m prepared for that sequence of events.”

She heard his chuckle even though the wind took the sound away.  “You’re a very sexy woman, Mrs. Vaughn,” he called out to her. 

She shook her head.  “I never took your last name, Mr. Vaughn.”

“You will,”
he countered with complete confidence. 

In response, she took a long, refreshing sip of her rum-spiked
beverage, not bothering to contradict him.  Why bother when their wedding hadn’t been real?  She suspected that he was keeping her here on this beautiful island to protect her until whatever was happening back in Chicago simmered down.  She was in complete agreement with that solution, reveling in it actually.  She didn’t want to think about returning to her real life because it wasn’t as relaxing or as exhilarating as these days had been.   

Leaning back against the striped cushions, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the relaxation of the sun and the rum, both of which were working their magic.

When she felt his hands on her, she slowly opened her eyes and smiled.  He’d anchored off the shore of a small cove and was looking down at her with his intent clear.  She felt her body instantly respond to that look that she’d come to know extremely well over the past several days. 

“Is this your secret place?” she asked, her arms reaching up to wrap around his neck.  She felt his fingers deftly removing her bathing suit and thought it odd.  The man usually took great pains to arouse her while undressing her.  A talent she actually loved in him. 

When her bathing suit was tossed to the side, instead of coming down beside her, he stood up and tossed his own swimming trunks off and on top of the string bikini he’d bought her the first day.  Since it had taken him quite a long time to convince her to wear the bathing suit outside of their hotel suite, she was surprised he was treating it so casually. 

And even more surprised when he reached down to pull her up instead of coming down to join her on the very comfortable cushions.  “What’s going on?” she asked, more than willing to go along with him in whatever
idea he suggested.  The man definitely had a creative mind when it came to making love.  Not that he wasn’t very good at the basics too! 

“We’re going swimming,” he said as if that were the most obvious thing in the world. 

“Swimming?” she asked, blinking as she looked out around the boat.  “Without a bathing suit?” Okay, so this is exactly what he’d told her they would be doing.  She just needed to catch up a bit faster, she thought with a smile. 

He laughed softly but pulled her over to the side of the sailboat.  “Of course.  Do you think the fish care if you have those tiny scraps of material over you?  I promise, none will even blink.”

She had to laugh right along with him, but in all honesty, she had no idea if fish actually had eyelids to blink. 

She knew she was in trouble when he stopped on the edge of the decking and wrapped his arms around her waist.  With both excitement and trepidation, she pressed herself against him, wrapping her own arms around his broad, muscular shoulders and took a deep breath.  In the next
moment, she came up sputtering, laughing at how he’d just plunged both of them into the water.  “I knew you’d do that,” she said and pushed her hair out of her eyes. 

He grabbed her once again
, pulling her over him so she floated on top of his length while he swam backwards.  The friction of his body and the water against her skin caused her to gasp.  It wasn’t the touch that got to her so thoroughly.  It was more the lack of a touch.  Or the swift, barely there touch.  With her eyes wide open, she tried to deal with the instant, intense need that rocked her body.  But she knew that he could tell what was happening within her.  And the beast only increased the friction, spinning her around so that more of her skin was in contact with his while his hands were free to caress her breasts, her waist, her back. 

He was a strong swimmer, but even he was affected by their activities.  And after only a few minutes, he growled and pulled her closer, kissing her as he swam right back to the boat.  He lifted her up out of the water and set her down on the teak platform at the end of the sailboat.  “Move woman,” he growled when she just sat there wiggling in anticipation.  “I need to be inside of you now.”

Since Marissa was having just as much trouble waiting, she didn’t hesitate any longer.  Pulling herself up, she walked quickly to the middle of the boat but then stopped.  She didn’t know where he wanted her to go.  And at this point, she didn’t care.  Walking right back to him as he emerged over the back of the ship, muscles bulging as he pulled himself up out of the water and making her mouth dry up with need, she raced right back to him, throwing herself into his arms. 

He easily caught her, wrapping a strong arm around her
tiny waist, the other hand pulling her leg up so it was wrapped around his own waist.  Shifting only slightly, she felt him probe at her opening and wanted to press down onto him.  But he growled once again before grabbing something out of the bag he’d brought along.  He laid her down on one of the benches, then sheathed himself with the condom before coming right back to her. 

Marissa was only slightly embarrassed that he was taking
charge of the birth control on this adventure.  But right now, she didn’t care.  She needed him desperately.  And when he swooped in and pressed himself into her softness, she arched against him, taking him deeper and deeper until she was filled with his incredible heat.  It always took a bit of adjustment when he first entered her but she was quickly learning how to shift her hips to take all of him. 

As he moved, shifting his weight ever so slightly each time, he took her higher and higher.  When Marissa desperately wanted to
fall over the edge, he suddenly stopped.  She opened her eyes and looked up at him, frantic to find that release that he was now denying her. 

“You’re mine, Marissa.  Say it,” he commanded, his muscular chest heaving with the
effort of keeping still. 

“I’m yours,” she almost screamed, trying to shift slightly so she could find her release.  But he was too strong and he knew her body too well by now.  He wouldn’t let her have that final climax until he was good and ready.  It was frustrating, but it also felt so incredibly wonderful to be with a man who knew her and cared about making her soar with happiness.  And with his next move, he did exactly that, sending her spiraling over the cliff into blissful pleasure that surged through her over and over, wave after wave.  She cried out so loudly that she was sure the other boat on the next island could hear her. 

And when it was all over, she curled her arms around him, nuzzling his neck and kissing his shoulder while they both floated slowly back to earth.  In that moment, she accepted that she loved this man.  He was tender and caring, sweet and fun.  He made her laugh and drove her crazy, but she couldn’t seem to get enough of him.

There was a small moment of sadness when she realized that she couldn’t have this kind of happiness forever.  As soon as they returned to the mainland, she knew he would go on with his life and she’d have to figure out how to go on with hers. 

She’d already determined to move out of her father’s home.  She wasn’t sure how she was going to accomplish that, but she’d make it happen.  She didn’t want to know what was going on with his life.  She didn’t want him to have any control of hers either.  She didn’t want to hide her business, or adhere to his rules or even live off of his money a moment longer.  She wanted to be free of the shame of being his daughter. 

Zeke had given her this sense of freedom, this confidence that she could separate, finally, from the man who had controlled her for too long.  And she would always love him for that.  And for many other reasons.  He had given her so much and she wished she could figure out how to repay him. 

Zeke came into the bedroom while Marissa was standing in front of the closet, trying to decide what to wear for the day while holding a towel around her.  She’d just showered but the process of making a decision was difficult.  First of all, she didn’t want to get dressed.  She wanted to lure Zeke back to bed and make love to him for the rest of the day.  She loved exploring his body and learning more about him.  After making love, he would hold her in his arms and they would talk about anything and everything.  And after every conversation, she fell more in love with him.  She’d discovered that he had a wicked sense of humor and could make her laugh at simply a well-placed, dry comment. 

But also, she wasn’t sure what they were doing today so she couldn’t figure out what would be appropriate
to wear.  He’d taken her to so many places, including a tour of the most amazing telescope.  She hadn’t even known that the Arecibo Telescope existed.  When he’d told her two days ago that they would be touring a telescope, she’d almost rolled her eyes.   The idea of visiting something like that hadn’t appealed to her.  Until she’d arrived and Zeke walked her through the place.  Before seeing the actual telescope, they walked through all the exhibits that explained the technology behind the telescope as well as what it could actually do.  She’d loved it when Zeke showed her, in sometimes painful detail, all the different technology.  But she found it fascinating to just look up into his handsome features while he explained the science to her, watched his long fingers as he worked the gadgets or just wrapped his arms around her from behind while they stared in awe at the massive sphere that captured the tiny sounds coming from space.