Swiveling, I looked at him. “What do you mean by that?”
“I learned something a long time ago.” He was facing the water, sunlight glistening in his silky hair, the sea breeze playing havoc with the curls. “If I was going to be successful, in life, in business, I had to first know what I wanted. And then I had to have the courage to take it.”
“Take?” I echoed as I inched closer, leaning so my arm didn’t just occasionally brush against his, it was pressed against it. Was it weird that I wanted to be so near him all the time? That I craved a touch, any touch, constantly? That I held onto his every word?
“Yes, take,” he enunciated. “You have to believe you deserve what you want, that it’s yours. That’s the most important part of it all. If you don’t believe you deserve it, if you wait for someone to hand what you want to you, then you’ll be waiting your whole life for things to happen, and they won’t.”
It was an interesting philosophy. I wasn’t sure I agreed with him. “I think I understand.”
Turning, he faced me. His gaze locked to mine. “What do you want, Bristol?”
“I want…” I couldn’t answer that question, outside of saying I wanted him to make love to me again. To hold me for hours. To kiss me until I melted. I realized right then and there that I had gone my whole life not knowing what I wanted in life, not professionally, not personally. Not long term. I lived day to day, looking no further ahead than tomorrow. “I guess I don’t know.”
“You don’t know what you want. That’s what you need to figure out. Then you need to tell yourself you not only deserve to have it, but you are going to have it.”
“Sounds like something I’d hear on an infomercial.”
He chuckled. “I can’t argue with that. But it does work.” He smoothed his hands down my arms. “I’ve known you since you were a child. Your mother and I were good friends. And now, since we’ve had some time to spend together, I’ve come to care even more about you. I want the best for you, Bristol. I want you to have everything you’d ever dreamed of. It’s up to you to figure out what those dreams are.”
He cared about me. He cared. “I…I care about you, too.”
The boat bumped the dock, and I wobbled a bit. Thankfully, Shane was still holding me. He steadied me then motioned for me to step off the boat first. My shoes thunk-thunked on the wooden dock as we walked up toward the house.
The sun was bright, the water lapping softly at the dock’s supports beneath me. Sea birds squawked. The sky was clear, a blue shade I’d never seen. I dragged in a deep breath as I reached the bottom of a stone staircase that curved up the hill. Shane climbed the stairs at my side, our steps in perfect timing. At the top, I was standing on a stone patio. The water of the swimming pool reflected the brilliant tropical sun and the deep blue of the sky.
A splash startled me. I followed the sound with my eyes, discovering a man with deeply suntanned skin emerging from the water. He shook his dark-haired head, sending crystalline droplets of water into the air. Then he looked our way, lifted a hand. Shane returned the gesture.
I didn’t.
“This way. I’ll show you to your room.” Placing a hand on the small of my back, Shane steered me through an open, wide doorway. The stone from outside, smooth and marble-like, continued inside. We walked through a large living space that included a seating area with a huge television, an open kitchen and spacious dining area. As I’d come to expect, the furnishings were all sleek and chic and expensive looking. We headed down a short hallway that branched off the right side of the space. Shane stopped at the first door. “This is your room.” He opened it for me and escorted me inside.
Two words. Insanely gorgeous.
One wall was all windows. Unimpeded ocean views. Opposite that wall sat the bed. It was dressed in crisp white. When I woke tomorrow morning, the ocean would be the first thing I’d see. Unreal.
God, I could get used to this.
Maybe Shane was onto something with that positive thinking stuff. Maybe I’d been living life too safely? Maybe I needed to let myself dream?
Shane motioned to a set of frosted glass doors. “Your luggage has already been delivered. You’ll find your clothes in here.” He walked toward another door, not far from the closet. “You have your own bathroom here.”
“Thanks.” I didn’t know what else to say. If someone had told me a month ago that I would be traveling to paradise with Shane Trant, that I’d be his lover and his submissive, I would’ve laughed in their face. “Thank you for bringing me here. It’s spectacular.”
“You’re welcome. I work hard. So when I need to get away, I come here. Phone reception isn’t great. There’s no internet access. I can’t work.” He grinned, and my heart did a triple flip. He was just too freaking gorgeous to be real.
“That’s one way to make sure you don’t work, huh?” I said.
“Exactly.” He grabbed my waist and stared into my eyes. “Damn, I want you again, already.”
A little sizzle of erotic heat buzzed up my body. I moistened my lips, hoping for a kiss.
I wasn’t disappointed. His lips met mine, and within seconds, I was being kissed to oblivion. While his lips, teeth and tongue did things that should be illegal, he half walked, half carried me across the room. The back of my legs hit something soft--the bed?--and I fell backwards, landing on a cloud of white cotton. Arms around Shane’s neck, I pulled until he was angled over me, arms extended to hold his weight off me.
His lips caressed mine. His tongue explored my mouth, filling it with his decadent flavor. He reached down with one hand, teased my nipple through my bra. Growing hotter and more desperate with every second that passed, I arched my back, pushing my flesh into his hand.
Yes, we’d just had sex. But I wanted him too. I wanted him inside me again, filling me, making me beg for release.
“Please, sir,” I murmured as he broke the kiss to nip at my earlobe.
His tongue dipped into my ear and the entire left side of my body tingled. Goose bumps prickled. Heat crashed through my body.
“Not now.” Being cruel, he flicked his tongue down the side of my neck. I squirmed beneath him, lifted my legs to wrap them around his waist. A pounding heat was gathering down there. I needed him to make it go away.
He whispered against my skin, “We’re being rude to our guest.”