Secret Games (Tropical Temptation) Read online

  She leaned back and shifted her gaze to his lips. “I want to get away from this place.” She tugged on his neck and lifted herself up on her toes. “These people.” She brushed her lips against his. “Don’t you?”

  “Yes.” The kiss was soft and inviting, and for a moment, Tate felt a twinge of guilt. The right thing to do would be to let her know who he really was—the head of Carrington Construction—and why the work wasn’t finished. What he had told her over drinks was true. There was a perfectly good explanation as to why the chapel was nothing but a hole in the ground. The exotic wood Zoe had ordered for the construction wasn’t native to the island. It was difficult to find, let alone purchase, and would be on backorder for another week at least. It wasn’t his fault, and if she had returned his phone calls, she would have known this, and they could have worked out a suitable alternative. Since she’d never given him the time of day, he couldn’t work on the project, and instead had turned to more pleasurable pursuits. For the past three weeks, he had spent most of his time cruising the island on his motorcycle and flirting with the guests. Now that she was here, he could make some meaningful progress on the project, but it seemed as if she didn’t want to talk about business. She wanted to have fun instead.

  Having fun was fine by him. The good thing about owning his own company was that he could set his own schedule. He loved the island and was in no rush to finish this project. If she wanted to have sex instead of work, then that was what they’d do. She was the boss, after all.

  “Good.” She nibbled her lower lip and dragged her finger around his neck to his jaw. “Do you know somewhere we can go and be alone? Your room perhaps?”

  “I’m not staying at the resort.”

  “Even better.”

  His mind raced as he slid his gaze down to her soft, full lips. They couldn’t go to his trailer—it was far too personal. And they couldn’t go to her room. That morning, during his motorcycle ride, he had found a secluded hot spring not far from the resort. Perhaps he could invite her for a little skinny dipping.

  “We can’t go to my room, but I might know of another place.”

  “Might?” She moved her leg up the outside of his thigh, pinning it to his hip and allowing his cock to slide against her pussy. “You aren’t sure?”

  Hell, he wasn’t sure about anything anymore. With each passing second, it was becoming more and more difficult to think.

  “Maybe I can help you think of a place.” She arched her back, pressing her pebbled nipples into his chest. The air around them stilled, and the other dancers faded into the background as his gaze dropped to her lips. Tilting his head, he gave in to temptation and kissed her as he grabbed and held her leg close to his hip.

  She tasted like strawberries and alcohol. It was a sweet, intoxicating taste that caused his mind to go blank and his body to harden. He felt as if he was drowning but didn’t care. He wanted more, needed more. He was done being teased by this woman. There was only so much he could take.

  Tilting his head, he plunged his tongue deeper into her mouth. She moaned and slid hers against his, freely accepting his advances.

  Fuck, she was perfect. Taking off these formal clothes would be like unwrapping a sensual present. He inched his fingers up underneath her skirt. She looked so proper. He wanted nothing more than to discover all of the secrets underneath her professional outfit.

  He slid his hand up around her leg and eased it under her panties. The heat of her skin seeped into his palm and burned its way down to his core. She whimpered and curled her fingers into his hair as he bent his knees and ground his aching cock into her body.

  Then the music changed, reminding him that other people were nearby. He had to get this woman somewhere private before they both exploded on the dance floor. Reluctantly, he eased back from the kiss.

  “Do you mind riding a motorcycle?” he asked as he laced his fingers with hers.

  “You have a motorcycle?”

  He flashed her a half smile. “It’s the only way to travel.”

  “I’ve never been on one before.”

  “There’s no better time than the present.”

  She inched closer and slid her finger down his chest. “Will I get to put my arms around your waist, like in the movies?”

  His cock stirred, and a sense of urgency rose up in his core. If he didn’t get inside this woman soon, he was going to go off like a teenager.

  “Yes,” he said. “I mean, you would have to, for safety reasons. I don’t want you to fall off.”

  “No, we can’t have that.” She brushed her fingers over his cock, then took his hand. “Lead the way.”

  It took him a minute to realize that she meant he was to show her the way to his bike. Damn, where had he parked it? It seemed as if he had arrived at the bar a lifetime ago.

  Glancing around, he nodded to the left and hoped that was the direction of the parking lot. “Come on, then.” He tugged her away from the crowd. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Three

  They had been walking in circles, or maybe it just seemed like circles. Tate wasn’t sure. All of the blood had drained out of his brain as soon as Zoe rubbed her hips against his on the dance floor. The resort was a collection of buildings, and it seemed as if they had passed the main one at least twice in his effort to find the parking lot. Now he stood in front of a sign that pointed toward a cluster of hut-like structures and boasted of gorgeous ocean views.

  Tate didn’t give a fuck about ocean views. He just wanted to find his motorcycle. With every step, it was becoming harder and harder to think. It didn’t help that Zoe was sliding her hands over him suggestively at every opportunity.

  “Do you know where you’re going?” she asked with wide-eyed innocence.

  No. “I thought this was the way to the main parking lot.” He glanced over his shoulder where the sounds of the pool party rose up in the distance. This wasn’t getting him anywhere. Perhaps they should head back to the bar. At least there, he could ask someone for directions. “Maybe we should head back.”

  “The main parking lots are on the other side of the resort.” She giggled and tugged him toward the huts. “It will take too long to get there.”

  “What about my motorcycle?” His bike was an extension of him, a symbol of his rebellion against his father. He felt the need to show it to her. For some unexplained reason, he wanted her to love it as much as he did.

  “Later. Right now I just need somewhere private.” She pulled him down the small gravel path, tugging him through the maze of huts until they reached the farthest one. Large, flowering bushes surrounded several hammocks, which in turn surrounded a large fountain. As she guided him to one of the hammocks on the far side, Tate noticed that the fountain was in the shape of a half-naked woman pouring water from a jug.

  “I’m sorry I got us lost,” he said.

  “We’re not lost. We’re right where we’re supposed to be.” She let go of his hand and took several steps back toward one of the hammocks.

  “Here?” he asked, glancing around at the buildings.

  “Why not?”

  “People are staying in these huts.”

  “Not all of them, I’m sure. And even if they are, they’re probably at the party. The bushes provide enough privacy from people walking by.” She held her hands out to the sides and smiled suggestively. “What do you think?”

  Thinking? Tate was beyond thinking. She had him all tied up in knots. She was so uninhibited, so refreshingly honest. She was everything his family wasn’t, and that made her irresistible.

  “It’s perfect,” Tate said as he closed the distance between them. He wasn’t talking about the view. This woman was just what he needed to put the argument he’d had with his father from his mind.

  Stop acting like a child and come home, Tate.

  “Never,” he murmured as he slid his fingers into her hair. Palming the back of her head, he kissed her hard, letting the last restraints on his desire go. She immediately opened
up to him. As she dropped her purse and threaded her arms around his neck, Tate blanked his mind and let his hunger take control.

  “Wow,” she said when they finally parted. “That was…”

  “Amazing?”

  “Exhilarating.” She squeezed his fingers and turned them both until he stood next to the hammock.

  “There’s more where that came from.”

  “I’m counting on it.” She gently pushed him back into the hammock until he sat in it sideways, with his feet dangling off the end. Before he could process what was happening, she straddled his hips and framed his face with her hands.

  Tate’s entire body became hard, and his cock ached where it pressed against his jeans. He reached around and grabbed her backside, holding her close as she slid her tongue into his mouth.

  Suddenly, the sound of footsteps on the path seemed a little too close. They froze.

  “I’m so glad that event planner is going to talk to us tomorrow. I have so many ideas. Just think of it—a pirate theme! I can hardly wait to talk to her.”

  Zoe pulled away and put a finger over Tate’s lips. They waited silently as the voices on the other side of the bushes faded away.

  In that moment, Tate had a moment of clarity. Zoe was the event planner at the resort, and his boss, at least for the moment. She had no idea that the person she was about to fuck was the very person she’d been complaining about just hours ago. He knew that he should stop this madness and tell her the truth.

  “I have something to tell you,” he said.

  “Let me guess. You want to plan a pirate wedding at the resort, too?”

  He snorted. “No.”

  “Good.” She smiled and reached down to the zipper in his jeans. “Because I haven’t had time off in about a month. I want just one night to be myself, where I don’t have to think about planning parties.” She undid his pants. “In fact, I don’t want to think at all.” She reached inside his jeans and slid her fingers over his cock. “Is that okay?”

  “I—yes, ma’am.” Hell, yes. As far as he was concerned, he had tried to tell her. His conscience was clear. It wasn’t his fault if she didn’t want to talk.

  Hell, he wasn’t up for conversation, either. Not when she was giving him that shut-up-and-fuck me look. He groaned as she pulled his cock out of his pants and eased down onto the ground in between his legs.

  “You’re much bigger than I’m used to,” she said as she slid her fingers over his length.

  “Used to?”

  She nodded and tightened her grip around his base. “My vibrator’s too thin. I’ve been meaning to get another one, but I haven’t had the time.” She leaned forward and swirled her tongue over the tip of his erection. Pleasure raced through his body, turning his limbs to stone. He watched in fascination as she circled once, twice, then flicked the bead of moisture from the end of his cock into her mouth.

  “Wow,” he whispered.

  “You like that?”

  Like it? He loved it. “Do it again.”

  She smiled and slid back until her feet touched the ground. “Yes, sir.” Reaching in between his thighs, she positioned his cock at her lips and slowly glided her tongue over the top.

  Tate groaned as desire flooded his veins. This woman was good, too good. If she kept this up, he was going to explode before they even began. He needed to stop her, but lacked the strength to do so. Grasping the hammock, he steeled himself against his rising sense of urgency as she slid her tongue up and down his shaft. Once, twice… The third time, she flashed him a wicked smile and wrapped her lips around the tip his cock.

  “Sweet mother of…” Tate gasped as her hot, wet mouth eased over his length. He watched her move down as far as she could go, then retreat and repeat the process all over again.

  “Yes,” he whispered as pleasure tingled up and down his spine. “God, yes.” When she started to speed up, he grasped her hair and directed her movements, slowing her down so he could enjoy every inch of that wonderful mouth. “Easy now, darlin’. That’s it.” His southern accent thickened as he felt the back of her throat. “As much as I want to come into that sweet little mouth of yours, I don’t want to finish too soon.”

  She retreated from his length and looked up at him. “No?”

  He shook his head. “Of course not.” He eased his fingers away from her hair, tracing the sides of her heart-shaped face. “We have all night, darlin’, and I plan on makin’ good use of it.”

  Standing, she removed her panties from underneath her skirt and kicked them aside. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. And that accent—” She climbed up into the hammock and straddled his hips. “Please tell me you have a condom.”

  Shit. He knew he had forgotten something.

  “It’s okay,” she said, guessing his answer from his expression. “These are the honeymoon huts. I’m sure they have condoms and other sexual toys in the rooms.” She winked and slid off his lap. “Guests in these huts get a special welcome basket.”

  “A-a basket?” He pushed out of the hammock. “How big are these baskets?”

  She giggled. “Big enough to hold everything we need.” She brushed her fingers over his length and turned toward one of the buildings. “I’m sure there’s at least one vacancy around here.” She picked up her panties and purse, then grabbed his hand. “Come on, let’s go.”

  Tate hurried to stuff his cock back into his pants in case they ran into anyone while on the path. This woman’s sexual abandon had just blown off the charts. She was so needy, so hot for him, that she wanted to break into one of the rooms and fool around on one of the beds. It was wild and crazy and absolutely irresistible. Damn, he needed this woman. He needed her now.

  She started to pull him toward one of the buildings, but he stopped her. “Are you sure about this? I mean, this is breaking and entering. Once we go into one of the rooms, there will be no turning back.” He was referring to hotel policy, which undoubtedly stated that breaking into people’s rooms was a felony. But he was also referring to them having sex. Despite her bravado, he wanted to make sure that she was okay with sleeping with a stranger. He knew what it was like to feel regret, and wanted to make sure she didn’t have any in the morning.

  Smiling, she closed the distance between them and gently kissed his cheek. “I don’t want to go back. I only want you inside of me.” She stepped away and dragged him toward one of the huts. “Now come.”

  Tate wasn’t an idiot. He had a beautiful woman practically begging him for sex. He did what any hot-blooded guy in his situation would do. He followed her.

  …

  This was crazy. Zoe had never done anything so impulsive before in her life. Between the demands of her job and caring for her mother, she had been buried under schedules and to-do lists for far too long. Now this man, with his handsome sea-green eyes and rough, calloused hands, was tempting her to lighten up and have an adventure. The more time she spent with him, the more reckless she wanted to be. Sex with him was going to be incredible, she just knew it.

  And nothing was going to stop that from happening, not if she had any say in the matter.

  “Boost me up,” she said when they reached the window of the first hut.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me—give me a boost.”

  The sexy stranger did as she asked, which only made her want him more. As she rose in the air, she grasped the sill of the window and breathed a sigh of relief. It was open. Thank Heaven for small miracles.

  It didn’t take her long to shimmy into the hut. When she hit the floor, she took a minute to catch her breath, then looked around. Their luck was holding out. There were no suitcases, toothbrushes, or smartphones. A small basket sat on the far side of the room, filled with a champagne bottle, two glasses, and…

  “Condom flowers.” Zoe couldn’t help but laugh. She had found out how to make them on the internet, and had suggested that they leave them in the honeymoon suites as part of a welcome package for new
lyweds staying at the resort. She and her boss, Carrie, had argued over them for months until Carrie finally saw what they looked like.

  “How cute!” she had said.

  How cute, indeed. Guests had loved them, and over the past year, they had become one of the resort’s signature gifts. Plucking one of the flowers from the package, Zoe put down her purse and undid the ties around the stem. “Bingo.” She flicked the condom with her fingers.

  “Are you okay up there?” Mr. Sexy asked from down below.

  “Found it!” Zoe leaned back out the window and waved the condom in the air. “Come around to the door. I’ll let you inside.”

  She was waiting for him when he got there. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him inside the hut and closed the door behind him.

  “Should I—” Before he could finish the sentence, she kissed him. Now that she had found the condom, she didn’t want to talk. She wanted to have fun.

  Mr. Sexy seemed to take the hint. Never breaking the kiss, he grasped her waist and positioned her so that her back was against the wall. She groaned and eased her arms up around his neck as he leaned into her, pressing his erection into her lower abdomen. The man was quite the kisser. His lips felt firm, yet smooth, and they called to her, coaxing her away from reality.

  He moved his hands over her sides, sliding them up and down as if memorizing her curves. She drove her fingers into his hair and rubbed her leg against the outside of his thigh in silent invitation. With each passing second, her sense of urgency grew. When his palms finally landed on her backside, Zoe moaned her appreciation. In response, he curled his fingers into her flesh and lifted her into the air.

  Zoe broke the kiss with a gasp and wrapped her legs around his waist. He pressed into her, and the feel of his hard cock against her inner thigh created a fire deep inside her core. He moved from her lips to her neck, kissing and nibbling until she felt as if she were going to burst into flames. She tore at his shirt, desperate to get it off so she could feel his skin next to hers. Sliding her fingers over his chest, she tilted her head back and opened herself up to him, letting all rational thought go.