chapter NINE
When Laney woke up, Nick was gone, most likely at the gym, as was his routine. She stretched, slowly waking her limbs. Nick had been amazing last night. He took her to new heights with every stroke. Even now, she yearned to feel the weight of his body on top of her. He was solid everywhere and his stamina was unbelievable. The man was tireless.
Would she ever get enough of him?
Lifting her hand, she admired her rings. For this to be pretending, it was quite enjoyable. She wondered what it would really be like to be married to Nick. Would he be so passionate? Secretly she envied his future wife. The lucky woman had much to look forward to. Slowly her happiness faded to dread. A small voice inside her head made her question her actions. Sleeping with Nick opened the door to much drama. She knew this was wrong. Nothing good could come out of a fling with her boss. She would only end up hurt and alone.
Rob had done a number on her but with time she would learn to forget him. The less she saw him the stronger she would be, but dealing with Nick would be ten times worse. She couldn"t ignore him like she could Rob. Nick was her boss after all. She had to show up to work every day whether she was mad at him or not. And the women! Even though Nick was known to be private about his personal life, his womanizing was always gossiped about. It was even rumored that he"d dated a supermodel. No matter how you sliced it, Laney knew she wasn"t in the ballpark.
She told herself she had to keep her head about her. She could have all the sex in the world with Nick, but when the cruise was over they would both return to their normal lives. It was doubtful he would even acknowledge her in the office. The thought stung her pride and wounded her spirit. Could he really be that coldhearted? Could the same man who had held her so passionately a few hours ago easily overlook her back in San Francisco? He had hired her to pretend to be his wife to get an account, hadn"t he?
The Zelmans were really sweet and they were being maliciously deceitful towards them. Despite Nick"s attraction to her, he had always made it clear that landing the Zelman account was of the utmost importance to him. Was everything so black and white to him? Was all of this just another business deal? Was she? Did he see her as a whore? No doubt she had acted like one last night. Laney"s mind ran through the worst scenarios until she felt panicked. Calm down, Laney. Get it together. Take control.
Yes, she would have to take control of the situation. She would have to protect herself from getting too involved, too vulnerable. She enjoyed sleeping with Nick. Really enjoyed it. So why shouldn"t she indulge herself? She was on vacation and should have a little fun. It would help her prepare herself for getting over Rob. So what if Nick was paying her? That money would help her get ahead of her bills and a promotion would be the career boost she had worked her butt off for.
She"d sleep with Nick as many times as he wanted her, play the part of his wife and have fun doing it. And when they were back home, things would go back to the way they were. She would have to learn to be satisfied with that.
Telling herself this was the best thing for her, she felt rejuvenated.
Feeling suddenly brave and alive, she pushed back the covers and washed up and changed into a halter-top and shorts. She felt bold and daring now.
Wanting to try her new persona on Nick, she headed for the gym.
* * * *
When Laney arrived at the fitness center Nick was nowhere to be seen. There were several people working out, but because of the early hour, the crush had not yet arrived. She scanned the room again but Nick was clearly not there. Losing her gumption, she headed for the exit. Just as she was about to enter the corridor she heard three women giggling.
“I swear he"s the only reason I wake up at this ungodly hour. The man is hot!”
“If he only knew what he does to me.”
“Cindy, you are so bad! I"ll give you ten bucks if you ask him his name.”
“Oh, no, I couldn"t. I"m too nervous.”
“I"ll match Anne"s bet if you introduce yourself to him.”
Cindy looked at her friends. “Twenty dollars, huh? Okay, I"ll do it.”
They burst into laughter.
“Cindy, I"ll give you an extra ten if you slap him on the butt.”
“No, Rita, I think he"s married.”
“Who cares? She"s not here and we"re on vacation. Walk on the wild side.”
They burst into another fit of laughter. The women stood across from the men"s shower room. Laney couldn"t help but eavesdrop as they gushed over the guy like teenagers. It was quite comical. She figured it wouldn"t hurt to stick around to get a view of their „stud" before looking for Nick. It would take her a while to build up her „bold and daring" courage again.
Suddenly she saw Nick. He was walking out of the shower room, freshly showered, his hair recently gelled and a gym bag slung over his shoulder. He looked great.
“Here he comes, Cindy!”
The women giggled nervously. “Go for it, Cindy,” cheered Anne.
Nick was heading toward the gym exit when the woman stepped boldly in front of him.
“Hi, I"m Cindy.” She jutted her ample bosom forward and tossed a mane of red hair over her shoulder. “Those are my friends, Anne and Rita.”
He glanced at the women standing nearby.
“I"m not sure if you"ve noticed us,” she continued, “but we have definitely noticed you. You work out here every morning.”
Nick looked at her friends again and then back to the woman in front of him.
“Yes, I do.”
“You"re quite impressive. We come here just to see you take off your shirt.” Her friends giggled. “What"s your name?”
“Nicolas Sinclair,” he said hesitatingly.
“Nicolas?” she sang. “That"s a sexy name.”
He was apparently at a loss for words but his silence soon had reason when he saw her. Laney approached them, her long strides decisive. With an audaciousness she hadn"t known she possessed, she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him forward to kiss her, tracing her tongue along his lower lip slowly before releasing him.
“Hi, baby,” she murmured in her best seductive voice. She heard Cindy and her friends gasp in shock. Laney turned to them as if just noticing they were there. “Hello, I"m Laney.” She placed her hand on Nick"s chest, intentionally wowing the women with her wedding ring. “Mrs.
Laney Sinclair. Are you friends of my Nicky?”
Cindy stared at her and abruptly turned on her heels and scurried out of the fitness center, her friends running after her. Nick laughed and slapped Laney on the bottom. “You are mean.”
She was just as amazed by her own actions, but she was being the new
Laney so she didn"t feel bad for the women. “I was marking my territory.”
“You did it very well.”
Her courage building, she said, “I have something to show you.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Follow me.” She pulled him back into the men"s shower room and walked purposefully toward the back to the shower stalls. Finding the last one, she dragged him in with her, pushed him against the wall and kissed him passionately. Her tongue tasted him hungrily. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up against him. His hands grabbed at her bottom, squeezing her greedily. Impatiently, he pulled off his gym bag and pulled his shirt over his head. He grabbed at her, trying to untie her top.
“Slow down,” she whispered in a husky voice.
He groaned. “Help me untie this thing before I rip it apart.”
She pulled his hands away from her top. “You"re not tearing my top, Nick. Be still.”
He sighed heavily. “Then what the hell are we doing? Dammit, Laney, you can"t play with me like this. Take your top off.”
“No.” She gave him a wicked smile. “I have something better in mind.”
She pressed a light kiss against his neck. He cupped her breasts through her top. “Nothing could be better than what I had in mind.” His voice was thick. “I want you, Laney. I want to be inside you.”
She kissed him again. “You will be.”
Nick"s fierce frown instantly melted into a look of excitement as Laney lowered herself to her knees. She gathered the material of his shorts in both hands and pulled down. Nick"s cock popped upright in her face, causing her daring to slip a bit at the sight of him. He was larger than she remembered, and more gorgeous up close.
“That"s it, Laney.” His voice was strained. “Take me into your mouth, baby.”
She stuck her tongue out and licked the underside of his shaft. Her tongue flattened over the ridges, loving the unique shape of his manhood.
She dragged her tongue back down his shaft and circled his sacs before taking them into her mouth. He sucked in a shaky breath when she tongued his balls. He buried his fingers in her hair, pulling her closer, wordlessly begging her to take more of him. She pulled her head back and flicked her chin up to take the tip of his cock into her mouth. Her tongue lapped around the velvety tip, slowly working his long thick shaft into her mouth.
She pulled back and then forward again, sucking him hard. His hips jerked and he began to face f*ck her. Her lips moved over him with eager passion, the tip of his cock disappearing beneath her full lips.
“Yes, baby, f*ck me. F*ck me hard.”
He jutted his hips forward into her hot and ready mouth. His hands didn"t relent on the pressure, now forcing her to take him. She could feel the sensitive head of his cock touch the back of her throat. His breathing now choppy, his pelvis jolted forward as his seed shot into her mouth.
Laney sucked him until there wasn"t a drop of cum left.
Nick slumped against the wall of the stall, visibly spent. He gulped hard and stared down at Laney"s head bobbing up and down over his cock.
“Laney, stop.” He breathed heavily. “Please.” She popped his cock out of her mouth and looked up at him, uncertain if she"d done something wrong.
“Did you not like it?”
He pulled her to her feet and kissed her deeply, making her feel strangely connected to him when he tasted himself on her. Holding her to him, his hands cupped her breasts. “I liked it very much, Laney. You"ll have me begging on my knees for you with tricks like that.”
She smiled, her confidence quickly returning.
“I want you. Right here, right now.”
She shook her head. “We shouldn"t, I think I heard someone come in.”
“We can be quiet.”
“Nick,” she said in a warning tone. “We need to get ready to go on shore.
We have a long day ahead of us.”
He pretended to consider her logic while massaging her breasts. She doubted that he would have moved if she hadn"t slapped his hands away and pulled her top up. Nick pulled his pants up and grabbed his bag.
Taking her by the hand, he hurriedly escorted her out of the locker room, not caring for the grins that men gave him as they passed.
* * * *
Two hours later they were standing on the sandy shore of Curaçao.
Though Nick and Cooper tried their best to avoid speaking directly to each other, they put their differences aside in the presence of the Zelmans.
When William Zelman suggested they all take a tour through the Hato Caves, both men eagerly agreed. Vivian openly opposed the plan while Laney and Heidi followed suit with their husbands. As it turned out, the experience was rather entertaining. They boarded an air-conditioned transport that traveled to the island"s north shore, crossing Curaçao"s dramatic and stark countryside, passing a number of small traditional villages. At Hato Caves, they met their guides and set off on a walking tour of the dramatic underground grottos filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and crystal-clear pools.
After the tour, they drove to the Curaçao Museum in Otrobanda.
Founded in 1946, the museum featured contemporary art and an exhibit on life in 19th century Curaçao. After crossing Queen Juliana Bridge for panoramic views of the city and harbor, they made a stop at Negrita, an eighty-four foot replica of an 18th century sailing schooner. Docked in the Waaigat, Negrita featured a tasting room where they sampled Blue Curaçao Liqueur and Ponche Cuba. Finally they boarded their transport for the trip back to the pier.
By the time they arrived back on the boat, Laney and Nick were exhausted. They took quick showers, enjoyed a long sex session and took a short nap before waking for a late dinner. Nick was pleased to see Laney had ceased to wear his pajama shirt in favor of the lacy and very tiny lingerie she"d packed. Nick"s thoughts fluctuated between being outrageously horny at the sight of her, to being viciously irate that she would have worn this for another man, and then back to being ridiculously aroused.
* * * *
The next day they landed at Isla Margarita. Not wanting to endure another exhausting day, Laney suggested that the group do something more relaxing. To the dread of the men, the women agreed to visit Waterland to swim with dolphins. Both to the pleasure and annoyance of Nick, Laney wore one of her bikinis under her clothes. Had he been given the chance, he would have inspected it before leaving the room, but to his displeasure, Laney had not relaxed her bathroom privacy.
He now knew every inch of her body, yet she continued to dress and undress in privacy. He dreaded the moment the swimsuit would be revealed. If it was anything like the leopard print one, he would have to fight the men off her.
They took a forty-five minute transfer to Waterland, Isla Margarita"s acclaimed aquatic attraction. Upon arrival, a staff member guided them to a training room for an introductory video on dolphins and an orientation to aquatic encounters.
Afterward, they headed for the dolphin pool. That was when Laney"s bikini made its appearance. To Nick"s frustration, she gained one too many approving stares from the men in their group. Even Cooper, who had until now played the part of loving and attentive husband, took a double take.
Nick clamped a possessive arm around her waist and boldly stared down everyone. Laney seemed somehow completely unaware of the mayhem she created.
They entered the pool with the dolphins and were quickly instructed to stand still for ten minutes while the dolphins swam around them, becoming familiar with their presence. Then, under the supervision of the dolphin trainer, they were allowed twenty minutes to interact with the dolphins. Laney"s excited laughter was contagious and soon everyone in the group was oohing and ahhing over the pod of graceful marine mammals.
Nick felt strangely content knowing Laney was enjoying herself. Her sunny smile lifted his heart. Never had he felt this unusual sense of pride and satisfaction through someone else"s joy.
Careful, Sinclair, he chided himself. Don"t get attached. Yes, she"s fun. Yes, she"s beautiful. Yes, she"s a great f*ck. But this was only business. Focus on the big picture, Sinclair. Focus.
* * * *
The next day they were in Barbados. This was the one stop on their tour, Laney had been most anxious to see. She was in a particularly festive mood today. It was the Zelmans" anniversary and they had opted to spend the day alone so Nick and Laney were free to do whatever they wanted.
Nick had tried to keep them in bed all morning after she awoke to him making love to her. Their climax was passionately explosive. The second time was Laney"s fault as she"d playfully flirted with him after breakfast and he wouldn"t take no for an answer when his hard-on was painfully present.
When they were finally on shore, Nick convinced Laney to try horseback riding. She was terrible at first but quickly caught onto the basics. Nick enjoyed the relaxing trail ride their guides took them on, especially since he was behind Laney and had the pleasure of watching her bottom bounce up and down on the saddle. They rode through grassy fields passing old sugar plantations, taking in views of the rolling hills and the distant coast.
Their guide stopped the group in an open field to take a break. Picnic baskets and blankets were being sold from a native of the island who must have been pretty familiar with this horse trail. Nick bought one of each and spread out the blanket while Laney went through their basket. When Nick finished fussing over the blanket, Laney laid out the fruit, cheeses, two mini bottles of champagne and napkins included in their basket. They ate while looking at the scenic view of the island.
Nick arched his brow. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Yes. This is very romantic. I can see why people are so crazy about cruises now. Is this your first cruise?”
“No.”
“Have you brought Kim or Vanessa before?”
He smiled. “Would you be jealous if I had?”
“I"m only asking.”
He wasn"t fooled. “No, I"ve been when I was younger. Family vacations mostly.”
“Were they all like this one?”
“Not even close.” He looked at her curvy body. “It would be hard to follow up this experience.”
She blushed. “I"ll take that to mean you"re having a good time.”
“Let me show you how good.” He placed her hand over his throbbing cock. If possible, it grew harder at her touch. “That"s how good.” He kissed her lightly. “I get hard just looking at you.” He kissed her again. “I want you right now.”
She looked around at the cluster of picnickers lounging on their blankets.
“We"d have a crowd. I"m not that adventurous, Nick.”
“That"s not what I hear.” His eyes turned dark blue with seriousness.
“Heidi was led to believe you were interested in having a foursome with her and Cooper.”
“Nick, I ….”
He placed his finger over her lips. “Call me selfish, but I don"t want to share you with the Wrights. To be more specific, I don"t want you anywhere near Cooper. Understand?”
She nodded.
“I mean it, Laney. As long as we"re on the cruise, Cooper better not touch you.”
“What about Heidi?”
“What about Heidi?”
“Do you plan on sleeping with her?”
“Would you have a problem with it if I did?”
“Yes,” she admitted.
“Then I won"t.”
She gave a sigh of relief. “You promise?”
He grinned. “I didn"t know you were the demanding type.”
Laney frowned.
“I promise I won"t touch Heidi but…”
“But what?”
“But you can touch her as much as you like. Just make sure I"m there.”
She grinned. “Sorry, I"m not putting on any show for you.”
He leaned over to kiss her neck. “I promise I won"t touch her. I just want to watch.”
“No, I"m not into girls.”
He snapped his fingers. “How unfortunate, I had my hopes up.”
“Very unfortunate. You should be thankful I"m into you.”
“I am.” He stood and pulled her to her feet. “Come with me.”
“Where?”
“It"s a secret.”
Nick guided her away from the group beyond the tree-lined trail.
Laney grinned with anticipation as Nick guided her deeper into the brush until they were well out of sight. He pulled her into his arms and crushed her lips beneath his own. His hands ravaged her body, pushing her clothing aside to touch her skin. As soon as he could free her breasts from her bra, he sucked hungrily at her nipples.
“Nick, someone will be looking for us.”
“Then we"ll have to make this quick.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
She laughed at his playfulness. “I"m numb from the waist down.”
“Great, then you won"t mind if I do this.” He turned her around and placed her hands on the trunk of a large tree. Flipping up her skirt, he pulled down her panties and slid his finger into her slick p-ssy. She gasped from the sudden intrusion.
Leaning against her back, he sucked on her earlobe. “I thought you were numb.”
She moaned in response. He unzipped his shorts, hastily pulled down his boxers and embedded himself inside her with one strong thrust. She was wondrously tight. He gripped her hips and slammed his cock into her.
Again and again he plunged inside her, his self-control slipping with every thrust. He pulled her against his chest, fondling her breasts in his palms.
She arched her back, offering him better access. Reaching back to wrap her arm around his neck, she pulled him forward to kiss her and he welcomed the taste of her.
Laney was trying to calm him down but it had little effect. Wrapped in her embrace, his blood was raging. Nick knew he was being rough with her, but he couldn"t help it. He needed as much of her as he could get, wanting to drown in her warm skin. Shit. He could feel himself coming.
Gripping her hips tight, he prepared himself for his release. His pelvis jutted forward in quick succession, his balls emptying his hot seed inside her. Nick groaned loudly as the spasms shot through his body.
Taking deep gulps of air, he slowly returned to himself. With her hands placed firmly against the tree trunk to brace herself for his thrusts, he watched her hang her head between her arms, gathering her strength.
He pulled her back against him to massage her breasts with more tenderness than before.
“I"m sorry, Laney,” he whispered against her ear. “I didn"t mean to take you so roughly. Are you okay?”
She said nothing, just continued to gasp for breath. He turned her around to face him, needing to see her face, to make sure she wasn"t upset with him for the hurried way he had taken her. Cupping her face in his hands, he forced her to look up at him.
“Did I hurt you?”
She shook her head. “I"m fine, Nick.” She went up on her tiptoes and kissed the tip of his chin. “You didn"t hurt me.”
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. Her arms instinctively circled around his neck. They kissed long and passionately, both content with this moment in time.
“I could take you again, Laney.”
She cuddled closer to him. “I wouldn"t stop you.” She kissed his neck. “However, we should get back to the group. It wouldn"t do if we got left behind.”
He smiled. “I don"t know. I"ve taken a liking to being behind.” He dragged her into another searing kiss while his hands lifted her skirt hem up.
“Nick, we"ll have plenty of time when we get back on the ship.”
She pushed his hands away and tried to readjust her top. Twice Nick tried to undo her work. Finally, when they were both dressed, Nick guided her back to the group. They packed up their things and prepared to continue the ride. No one took notice of their disappearing act. Afterward they indulged in complimentary drinks at the cabana until it was time to report back to the boat.
* * * *
Back on board, Laney ordered champagne and chocolate covered strawberries to be delivered to the Zelmans" suite. At her prodding, they went up on deck and strolled around the open area. There were colorful lanterns and balloons hanging from above, creating a festive yet intimate atmosphere. They held hands as they walked, talking very little. The weather was perfect and the scenery was gorgeous so the absence of words was welcomed. They paused to lean against the railing to see the city lights of the Barbados nightlife.
“This is beautiful,” she whispered. “I wish I could stay here forever.”
Nick said nothing.
She told herself not to be wounded by his silence. Nick was protecting himself. So should she. This was just a fling--a business deal with benefits—she had to remember that.
“Do you want to go dancing?”
Nick"s pinned her with his blue gaze. “Are you uncomfortable?”
She blanched. “Not yet. I suppose when we get back to the office I will be.”
He grinned. “I meant your butt.” He cupped her bottom in his large hands. “Today was your first time riding a horse. Aren"t you sore?”
She blushed for missing his meaning and saying too much. And then her face grew hotter at the thought of him touching her so intimately in public.
“I"m fine,” she muttered.
“I don"t think so.” His smile was so charming it should be illegal.
“You flinched when I touched you.”
“I think that was from embarrassment.”
“Are you embarrassed to have me touching you?”
“No.” She averted her eyes to look at his chest. “You"ve never touched me so familiarly in public before.”
“Sure I have. Plenty of times.”
“Not without Will and Vi present,” she corrected
“The Zelmans weren"t around when I came inside you a few hours ago along the horse trail. What"s the difference?”
If possible, Laney could feel her cheeks redden. She pushed his hands away from her, flinching slightly because her ass was indeed aching.
Sure, she enjoyed being with him, especially in bed, but she had to clarify a few things for her own sake. This wasn"t how things would always be between them. She mustn"t allow her emotions to get involved. The sooner they got things out in the open the better.
“We need to talk, Nick.”
He shook his head. “Let"s go back to the room.”
“Seriously, Nick, we need to discuss a few things.”
“Let"s talk about it in the morning, Laney.” He pulled her into his arms.
“We have plenty of time.”
She placed her hand over his mouth to prevent him from kissing her.
“No, Nick, we don"t. Before this gets any deeper we need to discuss a few things.”
He tensed. There was a distant look in his eyes. “Laney, I"m not sure what you had in mind but this is as deep as its ever going to get.”
Hadn"t she expected that? Then why did the coldness of his words crush her? Did he not think she was good enough to consider a relationship beyond sex? She just stared at him. She had been preparing herself for this reality but to hear him say the words was a painful blow. Somehow, she had begun to think that deep down he thought more of her. That she wasn"t just a sex toy for his amusement. It hurt to know she had been mistaken. All of her bold and brazen spirit was gone, leaving her offended and cold.
Nick cursed. “Look, you"re sexy as hell but let"s be realistic. Just because we had great sex doesn"t mean I"m ready to live on an island with you forever.”
“Are you crazy? I wasn"t saying that.”
“That"s what you were building up to!”
“No, I wasn"t, but thank you for putting things in perspective!”
“Okay, you win.” He sighed. “I"m done arguing with you, Laney.
Let"s call it a night.”
“No,” she replied sternly. Sleeping beside him was the last thing she wanted to do right now.
This seemed to upset him. His voice was stony when he spoke.
“You"ve made your point, Laney. You"re upset. I get it. Now let"s go to bed.”
She settled her fists on her hips. “I said, no.”
He scoffed. “I doubt you would have put up this much of a fight with Cooper.”
“What, are you five? Cooper has a piece of candy so now you"re entitled to the same?”
“Candy? Is that what we"re calling it now?”
“You"re an a*shole, Nick.”
“I"ve been called worse.”
“I can see why,” she snapped.
His eyes flamed. “Let"s get one thing straight. I didn"t come here for attachments, Laney. Yes, we have fun. Yes, you"re a great f*ck, but this is just business. That was the deal. That"s what we agreed on. Or is this what you"ve been planning all along? Get me worked up and then trap me into a relationship?” His eyes went sharp.
“You"re on the pill, right?”
“It"s a little late to be asking that question,” she snapped.
“Are you?” he persisted.
“Yes!” she hissed in a loud whisper. “Getting pregnant is the last thing I need right now.”
“Is it?” he shot back sarcastically.
She was seeing red. “You arrogant son-of-a-bitch! You know exactly why I agreed to do this.”
“And if I sweeten the pot, say an additional grand, would you stop this nonsense and come back to the room? We"ll f*ck and then this whole conversation will be forgotten.”
“That doesn"t change anything and you know it.”
“Two grand.”
She screeched in outrage. “Exactly what do you think I am?”
“Sweetheart, we"ve already established what you are. Right now we"re negotiating a price.” As if knowing he had gone too far, he swore.
“F*ck!”
He dragged his hand through his hair. “Laney.”
She stumbled backward, feeling as if she"d just had the wind punched out of her. Her eyes filled with angry tears and she turned away from him in obvious disgust.
“Laney, wait.”
“I"m not in the mood to sleep with you tonight.” Her voice was flat. “I need a drink.”
“I"ll call for the housekeeper.”
She put more distance between them, needing a chance to breathe.
“Alone. I need a drink alone.”
He reached for her hand. “Let"s just talk about this back in the room.”
She yanked her hand out of his grasp. “Don"t touch me!”
Nick fumed. “You can"t be serious, Laney. We had an agreement.”
“For me to pose as your wife for Zelman"s benefit, yes. That"s it.”
“And the sex was a bonus?”
Her gaze turned stony. “I"ll be at the bar.”
Nick watched her walk away from him with a determined stride. She never looked back and it pissed him off that her reserve was beyond his comprehension. He returned to their suite, annoyed with Laney and upset with himself. He had no right to jump on her like that. She had only wanted to clarify their situation and he"d freaked. Was it so obvious to her that he was strongly attracted to her, and not just physically?
For a man who valued power, he had to admit that scene in the woods had been uncontrollable. Did that frighten her? Could it be that he anticipated her brushing off his advances? That she was explaining that she only wanted a sexual relationship and nothing more? It was his job to let females down early, but the thought of Laney setting him straight made him feel defensive and oddly rejected. So he"d turned the tables on her, making her appear to be the clinging one. Attacking her by stating that a physical relationship was all he wanted her for was a low blow. The look in her eyes was that of stunned shock and humiliation.
Why did she have to look so damn vulnerable? Only then did he know that his assumption had been a wrong one. But it was too late. All she wanted was to be rid of him. Nick cursed his damned insecurities. What the hell was he going to do with her? She was slowly making him obsessed with her and he wasn"t even sure if he really liked her. Damn, he was acting like a pansy. She was just a woman and there were plenty of them around. She wasn"t the only woman on this planet and it was absurd to think that anything could exist between them once they arrived in Fort Lauderdale. He said the words over and over again until he almost believed them. This was only a business association. He felt nothing for her. The sooner Laney believed that, the better.
* * * *
Laney sat back in the soft leather chair of the observation deck. The drink in her hand remained untouched. She was uninterested in its power.
Nick"s words kept echoing in her ears. She wanted to curse him until her voice was gone but what would be the point? This wasn"t entirely his fault.
Though he had done his part in convincing the Zelmans to the point that she was starting to believe some of his affection was genuine, she should have known better. He had made his position very clear from the beginning that this was all strictly business. How foolish could she be to think he actually felt anything for her?
He must think her a complete idiot. Correction, he regarded her as nothing more than a whore. Had he always considered her as such? Was that what he saw when he turned those beautiful blue eyes on her? When he touched her so tenderly, kissed her so passionately?
Damn him!
If she had known then what she knew now, she would have begged Danny to accompany her on the cruise. Surely she would not have found herself in her present limbo. Instead, she would have been sulking over Rob and Nick would be pretending some other unsuspecting stranger was his wife. The circumstances were so mindboggling that it was humorous.
She had banned Danny from the trip to brood over Rob"s betrayal in private, but somehow, in her dealings with Nick, she had barely spared Rob a second thought. Odd, since she"d pictured herself willingly accepting Rob"s proposal only a week ago.
If only Danny were here to talk to. He"d listen to her attentively, make unnecessary comments and then have them both laughing at the hysteria of her predicament. She missed him and all the comfort he provided. Laney desperately needed someone to console her, wrap their arms around her and tell her everything was going to be all right. She couldn"t remember ever feeling this alone in her life, physically miles away from anyone she cared about. And Nick and she, even though they were on the same boat, seemed worlds apart.
She looked out at the sea and marveled at how beautiful the view was.
It was too bad she was wasting the opportunity arguing with her boss. There was something to be said about irony. Tired, she downed her drink and made her way to the room she and Rob had been assigned to. She had no desire to deal with Nick tonight. Although Nick"s room was three times the size of hers and all her belongings were stowed there, she welcomed the solitude. She showered and slipped under the covers naked since she had no change of clothing. Tomorrow would be a new day. She would pull herself together and get through the rest of the cruise somehow--even if it killed her.
* * * *
Around two a.m. there was a persistent banging on her door. Laney slowly eased herself out of bed. Because her ass was throbbing with pain she had slept on her stomach, which resulted in a very awkward rest. She"d barely been sleeping for an hour before she was awakened. She wrapped herself in the blanket and made her way to the door.
She called out through the door. “Who is it?”
There was no response. Irritated, Laney cracked the door open.
Expecting to see kids running down the hall as a joke, she was caught off-guard when she met Nick"s dark blue eyes. He looked like he"d just woken up. His hair was mussed and a shadow of whiskers crossed his jaw. And he was literally shaking with fury.
“You should have been back to our room hours ago!”
“I … I ….” She was shocked to see him. Too shocked to argue her reasons for sleeping alone, but it would not have mattered anyway.
Nick wasn"t there to talk. He stepped past her, locking the door behind him. As if in slow motion, he pulled his shirt over his head and stepped out of his pants. Laney"s mouth went dry and her p-ssy grew wet at the sight of his gloriously erect cock kissed by the moonlight. He came to her and tore the blanket away. Pulling her up against him until she had no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, he slid inside her and carried her to the bed. He laid her down carefully, his body following hers. Kissing her soundly he began to move inside her.
His pelvis worked rhythmic music until she was begging him to bring them both satisfaction. Her p-ssy was so wet for him, her thighs squeezing him tightly, wanting to keep him there always.
“Yes, Nick. Take me. Please.”
He said nothing, only deepened the passion of his kiss and pumped harder into her until she feared he would break her. Laney came on a thunderbolt of crazed lust, his climax following seconds later. He shivered against her as his seed spurted inside her. He tucked his face into her neck as the waves of passion passed over them. When at last his breathing became steady again, Nick rolled over, pulling her on top of him.
For long minutes she laid awkwardly still, waiting for him to say something, anything, but he remained silent. Laney knew he was awake.
She could literally feel his mind working at rapid speed. The fact that he was still upset with her was obvious and she wished he would just start barking at her so she could scream right back at him. His continued quiet unnerved her, causing a ball of tension to grow in the pit of her stomach.
Refusing to be the one to speak first, she bit her lip and focused on other things, like the sound of his heartbeat. Holding her breath, she matched her own to his, somehow calmed by their rhythmic sound. He tightened his hold on her, an action that made her secretly swoon. Laney kissed his chest, knowing why she needed this but not willing to admit it to herself. Again she questioned how could a man who held her so close think so little of her? Feeling her eyes sting with tears, she squeezed them shut and tried to block out their earlier argument. It was difficult, a lot of damage had been done, but with determination she pushed the encounter to the far recesses of her mind to be dealt with at a later date. And with a long sigh, she fell asleep to his hands massaging the tenderness out of her rear.