Seaside Seduction (Sun Stroked Book 1) (9 page)

“Mmm, very nice.” After a long, comfortable silence, he asked, “So, how was lunch with the girls? Are they enjoying their vacation?”

She moaned and relaxed into conversation. “I think so. They didn’t say much. They were more interested in me and my sea god.”

As he continued to caress her sex, he asked, “Sea god?”

She chuckled and splashed warm water over her breasts.

“Yeah, you looked like a Greek god rising from the water to rescue me that first day. I wasn’t even sure you were real.” His finger brushed over her labia and then moved to her clit.

“Is that why you pinched me?” His voice was so tender, it made her insides ache.

“Yup.”

He glanced around. “Sometimes I wonder if all this is real, too, Dani.”

She could feel his cock grow and press against her ass. “I know what you mean. It’s like a dream, isn’t it?”

He grinned and pinched her nipple. “An erotic dream.”

“And I’m not ready to wake up,” Danielle said, sliding lower until his hard cock breached her opening. “This place really is beautiful. I haven’t been taking advantage of the facilities at all.” She shimmied onto his cock, pushing it all the way up inside her.

“I know, you’ve only been taking advantage of me,” Ethan teased, drawing small circles over her clit with the pad of his thumb.

She stroked his face, his neck, his chest, while rocking her hips back and forth, slowly, gently. Her soft sigh of pleasure filled the room. “I hate that I have to leave here in a week. This place is paradise.”

His voice dropped to a whisper. “It’s something else.”

She closed her eyes and spent a long time rocking against him. He continued to touch her in a familiar way. His caress had satisfaction flowing through her body. She cupped her breasts, basking in the glow of Ethan’s touch.

Minutes later, she opened her eyes and asked, “Have you been here long, Ethan?”

She watched his chest rise and fall in an erratic pattern. “Yeah, a few months. And this is the first time I’ve ever had a sea bath or enjoyed the facilities.” He powered his hips upward, pushing a little harder against her.

“Really?” She moaned and turned her attention to the pleasure between her legs.

He nodded, and she could tell it was getting harder and harder for him to talk. God, she loved the easy, gentle way they were having sex. So soft, intimate and tender, and every bit as powerful as when they were role-playing.

“Then we have one week to make up for that. Tomorrow we’ll have a Vichy shower, and the day after we’ll have a therapeutic rain-forest scrub. The day after that we’ll have a body massage and manicure. You can skip the manicure, but I’m definitely having that,” she added.

His smile fell and the intense look that replaced it told her something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong.

Her stomach dipped. “What is it?”

He continued to look at her like there were going to be no tomorrows. Before he could speak, a knock came on the door.

“Your hour is up.”

“Wow, already?” she asked. “I guess time flies when you’re having fun.” She angled her head. “Shall we finish this at my place? Or we could go to your place, it’s closer.”

He caught her hand. “The closer the better, because I have to tell you something.”

D
anielle fell
into step beside Ethan as they made their way to his cabana. Unfortunately, during their quick jaunt over the footpath, a small localized rain shower had moved overhead, remnants of the previous night’s storm, perhaps.

Despite the drizzle, she noticed that Ethan had slowed his long steps, allowing her to keep up with him. She also noticed the way he wrapped his arm around her in a protective manner, packaging her against his solid body when she began to shiver, the contact creating an instant air of intimacy.

The heat that radiated from him warmed her damp flesh. As his embrace pushed back the cold, it filled her entire being with want, with longing. The man was simply addictive.

She nestled into him. His earthy scent assailed her senses, and even though they’d just made love, she ached to lose herself in his arms, his kisses and his bed, once again.

When she tipped her head to meet his eyes, her blood pressure soared and her body hummed with anticipation. Danielle pushed her damp bangs from her forehead and blinked a drop from her lashes, wondering what he wanted to tell her.

By the time they stepped up to his door, the shower had passed. “Go inside and grab some towels. I need to put these tools away.”

Danielle rushed to the bathroom and grabbed two towels. She dried her hair and began closing all the windows. As she pulled them shut the breeze rustled a bunch of papers on the table, and a few sailed to the floor. She bent to pick them up. One paper in particular caught her attention. She scanned the words.

As her heart twisted, it occurred to her that this was what Ethan wanted to talk to her about. In less than twenty-four hours, he’d be leaving to go overseas. The one thing he always wanted. The one thing he desired most.

Her heart sank. Lauren was right. She should have kept this wild affair just about sex, because when it came right down to it, they lived completely different lives. So much for her desire to keep him around longer and see where this relationship would lead.

Unlike all the other guys she’d been with, Ethan had taken the time to discover her needs and pleasure her, but lessons learned long ago had taught her not to put herself out there. She drew a breath and berated her stupidity for doing just that, because once again she was going to find herself alone.

She rushed to replace the paper as he came inside. Danielle handed him a towel. Concealing her churning emotions, she straightened her spine and worked to sound casual, even though she felt rattled inside.

“I guess the magic elixir really did fulfill your deepest desires, Ethan.” Despite her best efforts, she knew her voice sounded tight.

His eyes moved over her face, perplexed. “What are you talking about, Dani? You know I don’t believe in any magic elixir.”

She nodded toward the paper and offered an apologetic face. “I didn’t mean to read it. It just sort of happened.” She shifted back and forth from foot to foot. She forced a smile, but it was as shaky as her breath. “Believe in the elixir or not, you just got exactly what you wanted.”

As she stood there looking at him, everything in her wanted to ask him to stay with her. But she couldn’t, and she wouldn’t, not when this was the one thing he desired more than anything else. He deserved happiness and deserved to feel in control again.

“Congratulations. I’m happy for you, Ethan. Are you packed? Do you need any help?” She was rambling but couldn’t seem to stop herself.

His smile fell from his face. He looked injured. “You are? No. No,” he said, replying to her questions in sequence.

She rolled her shoulder. “Sure I’m happy. You told me it was your greatest desire. Now you get to go back to commanding fellow comrades. You must be thrilled.”

She watched his throat work as he swallowed. He took one measured step toward her and scrubbed his hand over his chin like he was waging an internal battle.

“Not really,” he replied soberly.

Looking lost, and a little forlorn, he stepped into her personal space and dragged her into his arms. His rich scent singed her senses and brought on a shudder.

They exchanged a long look, and then he drew a breath, as though centering himself. “Someone wise once told me that
there is no ambiguity in the truth
. So I’m going to lay it on the line and tell you the truth, Dani. Then it’s your turn.”

She nodded.

“You see, up until a few days ago, I never thought I’d feel like my old self again. But you changed all that for me. You gave me back my control, albeit in the bedroom. And when I lost that control again, it didn’t seem so scary. Not when I had you in my arms. I always thought going back into battle and reclaiming my position was what I truly wanted and what I truly needed. Turns out I was wrong.”

Danielle blinked up at him, hardly able to believe what she was hearing.

His eyes clouded, and she could feel his heart pounding in his chest. “I know you told me one night, but after spending so much time with you and making love with you all week, I know I want more.” Emotions crept into his voice when he added, “We’ve been playing games all week, and now I want to play for keeps.”

She swallowed, feeling the tension drain from her body. “You do?”

“Don’t you see, Dani? It’s not fellow comrades I want to command, it’s you.” His blue eyes glistened and his hands slid over her skin. “In the bedroom.”

Her pulse leapt in her neck, heat bombarding her body. She met his probing gaze. He gathered her against him and brushed a tender kiss over her mouth. Her throat clenched. God, being in his arms felt so right. Her body responded to his touch and she became aware of the moisture between her legs.

“My destiny is in my hands, Dani.”

She melted into him, her body aching to join with his. “I’m in your hands, Ethan,” she whispered breathlessly.

He grinned. “Exactly.” His hands slid to her ass, and she could feel his desire. Her nipples quivered in erotic delight. Her arms tangled around his neck, her fingers playing in his damp hair.

“Now, tell me. Is this just about fulfilling a fantasy for you, or do you want to play for keeps, too?” She watched the way he sucked in his breath and held it.

She took that window of opportunity to ease his worries and tell him exactly how she felt. “The truth is, I came here this afternoon debating whether to tell you how I felt, but the minute I looked at you I needed to feel you inside me again. I don’t ever want to stop feeling you inside me, Ethan.”

As he let out a burst of air and pushed back her bangs, she became aware of the passion rising in him. “Good. Then let’s see where this crazy whirlwind relationship takes us.”

Heart racing with excitement, she nodded eagerly and licked her lips. “There’s nothing I’d like better,” she said honestly. His mouth found hers for a deep, mind-numbing kiss. After a long moment, Danielle inched back. “You know, not only has the magic elixir fulfilled all my sexual desires, it has also fulfilled all my heart’s desires.”

Ethan threw his head back and laughed out loud. “You and that damn magic elixir.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, he of such little faith.” Grinning, she asked, “So where do we go from here?”

He touched her all over, like he couldn’t get enough of her body. He nodded toward the lumber outside. “My destiny is working with my hands. I’d like to take up residence in Chicago and start my own carpentry business.” He winked at her. “Maybe you could toss a bit of work my way.”

She made a face and shivered when he slipped a hand between her legs. One simple touch made her delirious with pleasure. “Well, like I said before, I haven’t seen your handiwork yet, so I’m not sure I can recommend you for any job,” she teased playfully. Her libido roared to life.

His warrior features hardened to reflect the energy that filled the room. “Oh, I think you’ve seen my handiwork.” With single-minded determination, he backed her up until the backs of her knees hit his bed. He pushed until she fell on it. His nostrils flared, his eyes glimmered with dark sensuality, and his gaze panned the length of her body as he made a slow pass over his bottom lip with his tongue.

Ethan grabbed his work apron and leather belt. Stepping behind her, he used them to secure her wrists to his bedposts. Her body started to shake, her sex muscles trembling in anticipation.

Trembling with sexual need, she writhed against the mattress, ecstatic to submit to his control. “I wasn’t referring to
this
handiwork, although I must say, you pass with flying colors.”

She could hear the need, the urgency in her own voice.

He stood beside her and brushed his knuckles over her hard nipples. He gave a low, rough laugh. “Oh, yeah?” he asked, his deep, sexy voice seducing all her senses.

“Yeah,” she said, watching the front of his pants swell with need. Her body moistened from sexual fever and she gave a breathy moan.

He stroked her with expertise and then his hand trailed lower to slip under her dress. He pushed aside her panties and slipped a thick finger into her creamy core. She widened her legs for him.

With slow, torturous circles, his thumb worked her clit as his finger plunged deeper, slowly building her orgasm. Sparks shot through her body and heat blistered inside her, fragmenting her thoughts. Her breath hitched and she worked to think.

“Oh, yeah,” she moaned. “I highly recommend you in this department.”

He glared at her, his voice taking on a hard edge. “I highly recommend you in this department, who?” he bit out.

“I highly recommend you in this department, Master.”

T
hank
you so much for reading, Sun Stroked, Seaside Seduction. I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I loved writing it. Be sure to check out books 2 & 3, Deep Desires, and Private Pleasure. Keep reading for a sneak peak at Deep Desires.

I
nterested in leaving a review
? Please do! Reviews help readers connect with books that work for them. I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative.

H
appy Reading
,

Cathryn

R
yan leaned
across the pool table, positioned the tip of his wooden cue on the ball and took a shot, easily sinking the eight ball in the corner pocket. Fortunately, the bright artificial light overhead enabled him to see the table, even with his dark sunglasses on.

Six months previous, after an early morning surprise explosion had damaged his retinas and marred his skin, the glasses had become a permanent fixture on his face, hiding both his lacerations and his damaged eyesight. Now he wore the shades day and night, not that he went out much during the day, or was the wild social animal he used to be. Since he’d returned home from his overseas tour, he kept a low profile. The fewer people asking about his scars or prying into his personal life, the better.

He stood and glanced at Cody. “So, what do you think is taking Ethan so long? A man could die of thirst waiting for him.”

“My guess is he’s taken your stash of beer and made off with it,” Cody said before grabbing the triangle and centering it on the table.

Ryan scoffed, adjusted his sunglasses and slapped his pool cue against his palm. “You’d think he’d know better,” he said, grinning. “I can still track him down if I want to.” Vision or no vision, Ryan’s exceptional tracking skills and his memorization of the island’s landscape, meant Ethan didn’t stand a chance.

Of course, both Ryan and Cody knew Ethan would never do anything of the kind. During their time together overseas and at the rehabilitation center, the guys had all bonded. The men were more than his friends and confidants. They were his family, his brothers. Men he trusted with his life.

Unlike the family he’d grown up in—an emotionally absent father plus a stepmother and two stepsisters who considered him a burden, and the long time girlfriend who’d tossed him away faster than an armed grenade when he’d returned home injured, calling him damaged goods, these men all looked out for one another. Ryan knew he could count on his fellow comrades in the best and the worst of situations.

Cody’s voice brought his attention back around to the game. “Ethan always was easily distracted,” he said, gathering the balls from the pockets and sending them down the table. He shot Ryan a questioning look. “You think something shiny caught his attention?”

Ryan scoffed and gave a slow side-to-side shake of his head. “Yeah, something shiny, something sexy and something flirtatious.”

One side of Cody’s mouth turned up. “You saw that, too, did you?”

“Hell yeah. My eyesight might be damaged, but I’m not completely blind. Jesus, he was practically salivating over Danielle at dinner.”

Cody positioned the balls, removed the triangle and grabbed his cue. “He needs a woman in his life. Maybe after a few good fucks he’ll stop being such an angry son of a bitch.” He paused and then added, “Hell, maybe that’s what we all need.”

Ryan couldn’t deny that. It had been far too long since he’d held a woman in his arms, inhaled her sweet scent, felt her between his legs or sank into her tight heat. At the mere thought of getting laid, his mind raced to Lauren Sampson, the sweet yet sexy brunette who’d sat next to him at dinner. If he tried hard enough, he could still smell her fantasy-inspiring floral aroma.

The scent was so goddamn erotic and stimulating, it nearly gave him a boner right then and there. Even her sultry voice, had aroused him to the point of distraction.

He wondered what brought her to the exclusive resort. A woman as gorgeous as she was couldn’t be here looking to fulfill a fantasy. She likely had countless men throwing themselves at her feet. The alternative was that she’d come here looking for therapeutic relaxation, an escape from the everyday. Yeah, that had to be it, he concluded. She had to be here looking for a little R & R.

As he leaned against his pool cue and watched Cody break the balls, Ryan took a moment to consider that further. If she was here looking for a fantasy vacation, he’d like to be the guy to give it to her. Sure, he could give her that wild ride, but he couldn’t give her any more than that, because truthfully, he didn’t have any more to give. Then again, what would a girl like her see in a guy like him, a guy who could barely
see
her in return?

Suddenly, the words
damaged goods
echoed in his mind.

Cody gestured toward the table with a nod. “You want to go again?”

“Nah, I think I’ll call it a night. I’ve got an early massage booked.” Not to mention an afternoon appointment with his well-shaded hammock, his usual daytime hangout.

Cody nodded. “I’ll catch up with you later, then,” he said and turned his attention back to the pool table.

Ryan replaced his cue on the rack and made his way outside. As he left the air-conditioning behind, the warmth of the night washed over him and moistened his skin. In no time at all his clothes clung to his body like a second skin. Anxious to peel them off and jump into a cool shower, he carefully negotiated the stairs, but not carefully enough. On his last step his shins connected with the base of something concrete. He tripped and stumbled forward.

“Fuck,” he bit out as he righted himself. He glanced at what appeared to be some sort of spiritual statue. Okay, that was new. Once composed, he made his way to the footpath leading to his cabana. With the tall trees surrounding him, he paused to listen, amazed at how his other four senses had amplified after his injury.

The sounds of the nightlife closed around him, but there were no other footsteps to be heard. Small stones crunched beneath his feet as he followed the narrow path back to his place with ease. With a love of nature, and little else to do with all his spare time on the island, Ryan spent his evenings memorizing every footpath, every cave, and every nook and cranny at the resort.

When he reached his quarters, he tried the door. Shit. It was locked and Ethan had his key card. He knocked, but gut instincts told him Ethan wasn’t inside. “Where the hell did he go?” he murmured to himself.

Ryan turned and made his way to the footpath, having decided to check Ethan’s cabana. Concern had started to gnaw at his insides. It wasn’t like Ethan to just blow them off.

“Out for an evening stroll?”

The voice came from behind him. Ryan stiffened and spun around. When his survival instincts kicked in, his hands automatically fisted. “Jesus. I didn’t hear you come up behind me.”

Malik lowered his voice to a calming level. “Are you out enjoying the warmth of the night, Ryan?”

Ryan tugged on his sticky T-shirt and pushed his hair from his forehead. “I’m locked out of my cabana. Have you seen Ethan? He has my key card.”

“I saw him head up the mountain earlier this evening, toward the mood hut, I believe.”

Ryan kept his face expressionless. “Did he seem…” he paused to find the right word, not wanting Malik to get the impression that something was amiss.

“Yes, he seemed fine, so did Danielle,” Malik said, answering Ryan’s question before he had a chance to ask it.

Ryan grinned, pleased as hell that it
was
something shiny that had distracted his friend. “They seemed rather happy. I believe the elixir just might be working for the two of them.”

The smile fell from Ryan’s face. He didn’t believe in the elixir any more than Ethan did. Ryan’s strongest desire was to see perfectly again, and according to the team of doctors that had endlessly poked and prodded him, that wasn’t about to happen, magic elixir or not.

As though reading his thoughts, Malik pressed his hands together and said, “You can see with more than just your eyes, my child.”

His leg chose that moment to start aching. Ryan scoffed. “Tell that to my shins.” Using the back of his hand, Ryan wiped a bead of moisture from his brow.

“The Pleasure Pool is a great spot to cool down,” Malik said.

He had to admit, the idea of jumping into the refreshing pool of water did sound appealing, but he knew the chances of having it to himself were scarce.

Since Ethan’s cabana wasn’t too far from the Pacific waters, he said, “Maybe I’ll head on over to the ocean for a dip and wait for Ethan to come back.”

“Very well, then,” Malik said with a nod. Before he left he added, “It’s amazing what you can see with your eyes closed, Ryan.”

With those cryptic words bouncing around inside his head, Ryan continued on his path. Strange thing was, he’d somehow gotten turned around in the dark and was now headed up the mountain toward the Pleasure Pool.

How the hell did that happen?