No Strings... (Harlequin Blaze)

chapter 4



HOURS AFTER ARRIVING at the St. Raphael resort, Aiden was still wondering what the hell he’d been thinking to kiss Chloe on the plane.

The truth was, he hadn’t been thinking, not with the head on his shoulders, anyways. If his brain had been functioning properly, it would have brought him to a screeching halt the moment she’d accidentally licked his finger as he’d wiped away the icing from the corner of her mouth. But years of wanting to take a bite of forbidden fruit had beckoned to him, and giving in to the temptation that was Chloe Reiss had been incredibly easy to do—especially when she’d done absolutely nothing to stop him.

That kiss had changed everything between them, because now he possessed carnal knowledge of just how sinful and decadent Chloe tasted. Now, when he glanced at her, he saw more than just an attractive business associate. Instead, he found himself looking at a hot, lush, passionate woman who made him all too aware of how long it had been since he’d indulged in steamy, mind-bending sex for nothing more than the sake of pure pleasure and satisfaction. And there was no doubt in Aiden’s mind that he and Chloe had merely ignited a spark that would burn them both up in flames if one of them dared to strike that match.

Putting his attraction to Chloe out of his mind should have been easy enough to accomplish, considering they’d both shifted right into work mode after checking into the hotel. And for a few hours, anyways, he’d managed to keep his thoughts on gathering information for his campaign.

He and Chloe had spent the entire afternoon with a resort representative who’d given them a private tour of the island and amenities, and answered any questions they had about the planned curriculum. The island itself was tropical and mystical, a true paradise getaway designed for relaxation and romance. The resort’s hotel was a sprawling masterpiece set along an endless white sand beach, with lagoons and waterfalls amidst a lush landscape of foliage and fragrant, exotic flowers.

They met their photographer, Ricardo, who would be taking random pictures of the resort and activities for them to use for their presentations. The man would also be on hand to do private sessions if either one of them wanted specific shots and would also provide professional models to use during the photography session.

At the end of the tour, Aiden and Chloe were given the same orientation package as all the other registrants, which included a schedule of activities, a daily itinerary and all the enhanced services the resort had to offer singles looking to make a love connection.

He’d spent the rest of the afternoon outlining a basic PowerPoint presentation based on the information he’d gleaned about the resort, as did Chloe. Tonight was the initial meet-and-greet mixer, a cocktail reception designed to kick-start the next five days of fun, sun and matchmaking events. While he needed to attend the festivities in order to evaluate the resort’s quality of service and assess their current marketing strategies, Aiden wasn’t looking forward to mingling with a bunch of women who were searching for a committed relationship.

Fashionably late, he walked into the large, spacious ballroom that had been set up with an elaborate buffet and an open bar. Fun reggae music native to the island played in the background for those wanting to take advantage of the dance floor.

Already, groups were forming based on the color-coded silicone wristband everyone was required to wear—a simple and effective system that let other participants know that anyone with a matching wristband was in their pool of compatible picks, based on the questionnaire they’d filled out prior to arriving on the island. Once a couple made a connection, they could then exchange their initial bracelets for matching red ones that signaled to others that they were paired off and no longer available.

First things first. He needed a drink, and he headed to the bar and ordered a Glenlivit Scotch neat. Just as he walked away, he caught sight of Chloe, surrounded by three men who wore the same bright yellow band encircling her wrist. Aiden’s neon green wristband was a much needed reminder that while he and Chloe might share a hot sexual chemistry, there was the proof that they weren’t compatible on other levels.

That should have been enough to put a huge damper on his desire for Chloe, but as he well knew, sometimes wanting someone had nothing to do with sharing the same ideas and values. Sometimes it was just all about pure lust and passion. And those were two things he and Chloe had in common, as they’d proved with that kiss they’d shared.

She laughed at something one of the men said, her eyes alight with amusement as she responded with a retort that had the guys chuckling, too. The spikey-haired blond dude to her left placed a possessive hand low on her back and leaned close to whisper something in her ear that made her raise a flirtatious brow.

Aiden read her lips as she said, “you’re so bad,” and felt a strange burning sensation in the pit of his stomach, along with the urge to join their group and stake a claim he had no right to.

He frowned to himself. Jealousy was not a feeling he was familiar with, and he wasn’t happy that Chloe was the one to rouse the emotion.

Shit. He took a deep drink of his scotch, hoping the alcohol would help soothe his irritation.

“I see you’re wearing a green wristband, too.”

The soft, feminine voice pulled Aiden from his unpleasant thoughts and forced him to shift mental gears. Grateful for the diversion, he smiled at the petite brunette who’d approached him, noticing that her bracelet did match his. She was wearing a simple white blouse and navy blue skirt, along with a pair of flats—a very conservative choice when he compared it to the more formfitting bandage-style red dress and killer black heels Chloe had worn tonight.

This woman was plain but pretty, with kind blue eyes and a nervous smile, and he quickly tried to put her at ease.

“Hi. I’m Aiden,” he said, and extended his hand toward her in greeting.

Her hand slipped into his, soft and delicate, lacking the kind of confidence he was used to in a handshake. “I’m Joy. It’s nice to meet you, Aiden.”

“Likewise,” he replied.

She shifted anxiously on her feet, her discomfort obvious. “I’m finding this mixer so overwhelming, so I’m glad that everyone is wearing a color-coded wristband, which makes it easier to find someone who I’m compatible with, like you.”

Her assumption that they were a perfect match when she didn’t even know him was unnerving. Deciding she could use a bit of alcohol to loosen up, he guided her toward the bar.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

“Umm, sure.” She thought for a minute. “I’ll take a Roy Rogers.”

He bit back a groan at her choice of mocktail—cola mixed with grenadine syrup and garnished with a maraschino cherry. He ordered her beverage, handed her the drink, and when he gravitated toward the buffet, she followed him. She was quiet and shy, and in order to fill up the awkward silence between them, he tried to keep the conversation flowing.

“So, Joy, where do you live?” he asked as he scooped some pasta salad onto his plate.

“In a small town just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio.”

He was a big city kind of guy and couldn’t imagine being confined to a small community. He added a chicken breast drenched in a savory sauce onto his dish, along with a warm roll and butter. “And what do you do for work?”

She selected some raw vegetables and cubes of cheese, her appetite not nearly as hearty as his own. “I’m a first grade teacher.”

Interesting, and very fitting, he thought. “So you like kids?”

“I love kids.” Her voice reflected her enthusiasm. “I can’t wait to get married and have a big family of my own. The sooner, the better. How about you?”

She returned the question with way too much eagerness and hope in her gaze, and warning bells went off in his head. Yes, he wanted those things, too, but the way she was looking at him, as if he’d make the perfect baby daddy, sparked a bit of panic deep inside Aiden.

For the next hour, Joy stuck by his side, and he learned more about her than he ever wanted to. She loved to cook and bake, she sewed her own clothes and enjoyed gardening. She admitted to being a homebody, and had all those traditional, domestic qualities Aiden thought he wanted in a future wife.

This was the type of woman who’d been deemed a match based on the compatibility questionnaire he’d filled out, Aiden realized. On paper, she fit what he believed were non-negotiable requirements for the next woman he allowed himself to get serious with. But in reality, there was no doubt in his mind that she was way too passive and would bore the hell out of him if he had to spend more than a few hours in her company.

It was a very sobering thought.

When another guy with a green wristband started talking to Joy, Aiden used the interruption to quietly slip away and continue mingling. Unfortunately, he found himself bombarded by a steady stream of women with the same matching bracelets, and similar traits to Joy.

He smiled and nodded as the women talked and vied for his attention, but as his gaze spotted Chloe standing a few feet away, surrounded by her own male fan club, she was the one who captured his interest. He wasn’t surprised to see that men with all different colored wristbands had flocked to her. Not only was she beautiful and alluring, but she was charming, intelligent and had a great sense of humor. What guy wouldn’t be drawn to such a vibrant personality?

“Do you have a time frame of when you want to be married and start a family?”

The personal question from one of the women made him feel as though he was starting to suffocate, and he didn’t know how much more of this charade he could take.

The problem was, he really wasn’t here to find a spouse, and it wasn’t fair to all these ladies to even pretend that he was. He didn’t want to be continually pursued by women who believed they were a match when he had no intentions of following through, and he saw that as a potential problem as the week went on.

His reasons for being at St. Raphael were to assess the resort’s current program so he could create a strong marketing campaign, and he knew he could accomplish that without all this other pretense. He had an idea in mind, and if he could get Chloe to agree, then they’d both be better able to concentrate on the business side of this trip.

Without answering the woman’s question, he politely excused himself from the group and walked straight to Chloe. He came up beside her, touched her arm, and she glanced at him in surprise.

“Care to dance?” He grinned at her, hoping like hell she took pity on him.

She didn’t even hesitate with her reply. “I’d love to.”

He guided her toward the dance floor just as a lively reggae tune gave way to a slower melody. Stealing Chloe away earned him some serious glares from her avid suitors, but Aiden didn’t care. The relief on her face told him that she appreciated the break—so maybe she wasn’t cut out for this whole matchmaking scenario, either.

There were only a few other couples enjoying the music, leaving them plenty of room on the dance floor. Pulling Chloe into his embrace, Aiden tucked one of her hands in his and wrapped his other arm around her waist, bringing their bodies flush. The scent of her perfume—exotic, floral and seductive—instantly inundated his senses. She was like a femme fatale, and he desperately wanted to bury his face in her neck and inhale the intoxicating fragrance lingering on her skin.

He’d never had the pleasure of having her pressed so intimately against him, and he was instantly conscious of how perfectly her soft curves complemented his harder, masculine frame—not to mention how well the snug bodice of her dress displayed the provocative swell of her breasts.

Desire stirred deep and low, and when he met her gaze, there was no mistaking the same level of heated awareness glimmering in her hazel eyes. Absently, he stroked his palm down her spine and let his hand come to rest just above her toned bottom.

“Do you see those two men standing over there by the bar?” Chloe asked as she casually draped one of her arms around his neck.

Aiden glanced in the direction she’d indicated and frowned, something he seemed to be doing a lot of tonight when it came to her. “You mean the guys that are staring at you like hungry vultures?” He all but growled the question.

She lifted a brow, amusement glimmering in her eyes, but didn’t call him on his possessive behavior. “They’re staring at me because they’re sizing up their competition. Those two men are from the other rival ad agency Perry told us about.”

“Really?” he asked, surprised by the certainty in her voice. “How do you know that?”

“The dark-haired guy is wearing a yellow wristband like mine and he started talking to me when I first arrived,” she said. “He introduced himself as Brad, and I thought he was just another single guy making the rounds. He asked me what I did for a living, so I told him I was an ad executive, and his whole demeanor changed because he must have realized who I was. He said he worked for an ad agency, too, and came right out and asked if I was here for the St. Raphael account.”

Ahh, now he knew why the duo was keeping an eye on her. “I take it you told them yes?”

“I’m not going to lie about it,” she said and shrugged, seemingly unthreatened by their rival’s presence. “I’d rather it be out in the open so we’re sure to keep our distance.”

He preferred to know who their opponent was, too, so he and Chloe could watch their backs and keep any advertising strategies to themselves. “At least now we won’t be constantly wondering who the competition is.”

“Exactly. I’m sure they feel the same way.”

Undoubtedly. “By the way, thanks for saving me from having to deal with all those women,” he said, nodding back toward were he’d left the group of ladies to dance with Chloe. They were all still clustered together—probably plotting their revenge for the way he’d abandoned them.

She followed his gaze. “They look nice enough, and they’re all wearing the same colored wristband as yours. Surely you all have plenty in common based on the questionnaire you filled out.”

He caught the sly smile on her lips and knew she was teasing him about their earlier conversation.

Now he had a better understanding of what she meant when she said that the survey was desperate and forced and how she preferred to let a relationship develop organically. But he still believed a quiz could help eliminate potential conflicts between two people before they invested too much time and emotion into the relationship.

He shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t know that those women and I had a lot in common, so much as their biological clocks are ticking and they’re anxious to get married and have babies.”

She tipped her head to the side, her body relaxing completely against his. “There must have been something in your answers that matched you up to those particular women. Maybe your biological clock is ticking?”

He smiled, as always enjoying her sense of humor. “I don’t feel a sense of urgency about it, but sure, I want to get married again someday and have a family. Don’t you?”

“Not anytime soon,” she said with an adamant shake of her head that caused her loose hair to cascade over her bare shoulders. “I’ve got too many career goals I want to achieve, and that kind of focus demands all my time and energy. I’m not willing to give up my aspirations for a relationship that would demand way more than I’m willing to give.”

Okay, yeah, he already knew that about Chloe. Her words reinforced once again why they were wearing different colored bracelets. “What about your lap dogs?” he teased, referring to the men who’d huddled around her, and were still watching her from across the room, waiting for an opportunity to claim her once she was free again. “Any potential suitors in the group?”

“Good Lord, no.” She looked appalled by the mere suggestion. “You know I don’t take all this matchmaking stuff seriously. It’s fun and interesting, and I’m making mental notes for my campaign, but there will be no love match for me. I suppose I’d have a good time hanging out with a couple of those guys for the next few days, but that’s about it.”

That ridiculous bite of jealousy reared its ugly head again and before he could stop himself he splayed his hand at the base of her spine and pulled her lower body tighter against his. “Don’t you feel bad about leading them on?”

“I’m just flirting and having fun,” she said, something that was an inherent part of her personality. “I didn’t say or do anything that would give any of those guys any indication that I’m interested in them on a one-on-one basis.”

“Yet that’s what everyone at this resort is here for,” he pointed out.

“True.” She sighed, a small frown creasing her brows. “I guess I’ll have to be very careful about the things I say and do.”

The song that was playing blended into another slow tune as more couples joined them on the dance floor. Aiden was grateful for yet another low-key ballad because he wasn’t ready to let Chloe go just yet.

“Actually, I feel the same way,” he said, and knew what he was about to propose would easily solve the issue, if she agreed. “I know tonight’s initial meet and greet was important to both of us to see how everyone is matched up, but I’d really like to just concentrate on the business aspect of being at the resort. Since you seem to be in a similar mindset, I have a proposition to offer that would benefit both of us.”

“Really?” she murmured, her eyes alight with sensual interest as her fingers threaded through the hair at the nape of his neck. “You have my undivided attention.”

Her tone was ripe with innuendo. Clearly, Chloe’s mind had gone the playful, naughty route, enticing a grin from him. “It’s nothing indecent.”

She feigned a guileless pout. “Too bad.”

Chloe had always been a shameless flirt and a tease, but after that kiss, everything between them now smoldered with an underlying heat and hunger. He was keenly aware of everything about her, making it impossible to ignore the erotic slide of her thighs against his, the heady scent lingering on her skin, and the delectable lips he wanted to taste again.

Hell, who did he think he was kidding? The impulse to claim her mouth for another deep, drugging kiss was just the tip of the iceberg. He had a list of all sorts of wicked things he wanted to do to her, with her. But mostly, he wanted to be that man to tap into her secret fantasy, to assert a bit of aggression and coax her to completely surrender to the darker side of pleasure.

“So, what’s this proposition of yours?” she asked curiously.

He exhaled a deep breath, which did absolutely nothing to lessen the sexual tension coursing through his body. He was certain nothing short of a cold shower would help at this point. “Since neither one of us is interested in being pursued this week, what do you think about trading in our current wristbands for matching red ones?”

She raised a perfectly arched brow as she contemplated his suggestion. “You want us to be a couple?”

“In wristband only,” he clarified, though the longer he remained pressed up against her, the more his unruly body clamored for the real deal. “If we’re both wearing a red bracelet, which lets everyone know that we’ve found a match and are no longer interested in mingling, then we can give one hundred percent of our attention to what we need to do for our respective presentations. We can attend events together, or separately, without having to worry about other people thinking we’re still single.”

“That’s a great idea,” she said enthusiastically. “It’ll eliminate the problem of having to turn down overtures from men I really have no interest in.”

“Then let’s do it.”

“Right now?” She widened her eyes in scandalized shock as she deliberately chose to put a playful, suggestive twist on his words. “Here? In front of everyone?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, what can I say. Beneath this stuffy suit and tie, I’m really an exhibitionist.”

“Hmm. You and I might be compatible after all.” Her gaze sparkled with laughter. “Now let’s go switch out these wristbands.”