Secret Games (Tropical Temptation) Read online

  “I need to be inside you, Zoe,” he murmured against her skin.

  “Then what are you waiting for?”

  Zoe yelped as he abruptly pulled her away from the wall and carried her to the bed. After placing her on the mattress, he sank down on top of her and captured her lips once more. She loved how his firm body felt against her skin and imagined how good it would be to have all of that power and masculinity driving into her core. Groaning against his mouth, she unhooked her legs and spread them apart in silent invitation.

  When they came up for air, he straightened and tugged off his shirt, then dragged her across the mattress until her hips were situated on the edge. The movement caused her skirt to roll up around her waist, exposing her lower half. She started to kick off her heels, but he stopped her. When she gave him a questioning look, he flashed her a seductive half smile.

  “Keep them on,” he commanded.

  His voice made her skin tingle with awareness. How could anyone sound so sexy? That southern accent should be illegal. She nodded to him and then fisted the comforter in anticipation. He sank to his knees and rested her legs on his shoulders, then lowered his head between her thighs.

  Oh boy. Zoe closed her eyes and whimpered as he slowly kissed his way up her inner thigh. Those lips felt amazing, and as he inched closer, Zoe’s anticipation grew. She wanted to feel him inside of her, consuming her. She could only imagine how good it would be to have his tongue slide against her inner walls.

  Her breathing quickened as he approached her upper thigh. She tightened her fists as he kissed the skin around the edges of the fabric. Then he pulled away and started the same, delicious torture on the opposite leg.

  “You don’t like it?” he whispered when she made a frustrated sound.

  She opened her eyes and found him watching her. “No. I mean yes. I mean—oh God, don’t stop.”

  He chuckled and resumed his sweet torture, every minute driving her higher and higher. When he reached the other side of her panties, he kissed her skin, and she mumbled under her breath as she spread her legs wider.

  “What did you say?” he asked.

  She unfisted the comforter. “I said, stop teasing me.” She grabbed his head and directed him back to her body. He slid his tongue over her opening, and she groaned as she felt his wet tongue through the thin fabric of her underwear.

  “Oh God,” she whispered as she watched him work. He wasn’t even touching her and she felt as if she was going to explode. She could only imagine what would happen once he was inside her.

  Then his finger pushed her panties aside, and she moaned as he swept his tongue over her sensitive skin. It felt amazing, and she curled her fingers into his hair as pleasure spiraled through her core.

  Around and around he went, teasing her skin and causing her to spiral out of control. Sliding one hand under her hips, he tilted her up and flicked his tongue in and out of her opening.

  “Yes.” She let go of his head and leaned back onto the comforter, letting the pleasure wash over her. As he eased his tongue up and flicked her clit, a jolt of desire raced through her, causing her to see stars.

  “More.” She couldn’t remember ever having felt so needy or so desperate. The world around her faded away until there was only his tongue and the wicked way it made her feel.

  Setting her back down on the mattress, he used his fingers and spread her wider apart. He hummed with satisfaction as he dipped his tongue deeper into her opening and caused her to squirm.

  “Oh God, yes.” Sliding her hands under her shirt, she cupped her breasts, squeezing them as he feasted on her core. Higher and higher she climbed, until it felt as if she was about to burst. Then he replaced his tongue with his finger and the added sensation caused her to whimper in desperation.

  He moved in and out of her body, first with one finger, then two. As he spread her inner walls, he flicked his tongue over her clit, and the small jolts of pleasure spread through her entire body like fire.

  She pulled down her bra and pinched her nipples, desperate to reach that unseen goal. Growling his approval, he continued to feast on her body until she felt as if she was balancing on the edge of something vast and amazing.

  She was hovering on the edge when he nipped her clit…and her body exploded into spasms of delight. Pleasure cascaded through her, and she moaned and squirmed in his firm grip as she rode out the mind-numbing ecstasy.

  He never stopped, but instead slowed his movements, lengthening the ribbons of pleasure until every muscle in her body felt spent.

  “Condom,” he said as he slid her legs off his shoulders.

  “What?”

  “Where’s the condom?”

  Good question. She stared at him, dumbfounded, and tried to remember what happened to it. She’d had it at the door, but then, he’d pushed her up against the wall and—oh.

  Mr. Sexy had removed his clothes, and his long, hard cock came into view. She moistened her lips and pointed to the doorway.

  “Dropped it.”

  Thankfully, he didn’t need any more direction. He hurried over to the door and picked up the condom on the floor. Returning, he slipped it on and eased her legs apart once more.

  “You’re so beautiful when you come,” he whispered as he positioned himself at her opening. “Now, do it again for me. I want to feel it.”

  She groaned as he pushed himself inside of her, stretching her to the point of breaking. They both moaned, and he kissed her with as much passion and desperation as she felt. Despite having just orgasmed, Zoe felt hungry once more. Hungry for passionate, mind-blowing sex. Hungry for him. There was something about this man that made her insatiable.

  When his hips touched hers, she opened for him, allowing him to push a little bit deeper.

  “That’s it,” he said as he lifted his weight up onto his elbows. “God, you feel so good.”

  “You do, too.” She reached up and slid her fingers through his hair, holding him close as they began to move together.

  “Hold on, I have an idea.” He grabbed a pillow from the top of the bed and slid it under her hips. Doing so changed the angle of his thrusts, making him drive deeper. Zoe moaned and clung to him as he pushed into her body over and over again.

  Their voices blended, and the temperature in the room rose. The sweet friction burned her core, and it didn’t take long before she was hovering on the edge once more.

  “I’m close,” she said.

  Adjusting his weight, he reached down between them and rubbed her clit. Zoe arched her back and groaned as pleasure swept through her body, numbing her mind to anything but bliss. Her core tightened, and as she hugged his cock, his movements became more jerky and desperate. Then she heard him cry out, and with a low, masculine noise, he tumbled over the edge with her into oblivion.

  For a long moment they hung there, suspended in time and space, feeling nothing but the ecstasy of the moment. Then the pleasure began to fade. When her stranger got up to take care of himself, Zoe was overcome with a sense of loss.

  She pulled her aching and tired body under the covers and watched him dispose of the condom. When he returned, she pulled back the blankets and made room for him in the bed.

  “That was amazing,” he said.

  She grinned as she settled her head on his chest. “Yes, it was.” She hesitated for a moment before adding, “There are more condoms in the basket, you know.”

  “The basket?”

  She waved over at the basket on the table. “We make them into flowers.”

  “Condom flowers.” He chuckled and brushed the hair from her face. “I don’t want to use them all up, though. What if whoever has booked this room needs them?”

  She shrugged. “I can replace them tomorrow.” She repositioned her head so she could see his raised brow. “Come on, I’m game, if you are.”

  “You’re insatiable, you know that?” he said as she moved up to kiss him.

  “I have a lot of tension to work out.”

  �
�Evidently.” He slid his arms around her hips and spread his fingers over her backside.

  “Which means…” She rolled over and straddled his legs. “You are going to be in for a busy night.” She sat up and slid her fingers over his nipples, causing him to groan. She smiled as she felt his cock stir beneath her again. “Hope you don’t mind.”

  “Oh, I don’t mind, darlin’. I don’t mind at all.”

  Chapter Four

  As soon as the sunlight streamed in the window and hit the bed, Tate was awake. He had trained himself to get up early over the years. As a construction worker, he didn’t want to waste any daylight. As a man, he didn’t want to waste a moment of his freedom while he still had it.

  At first he thought he was in his trailer down by the beach, but then a soft, feminine groan reminded him of last night.

  Zoe. He turned to face the incredible woman beside him and smiled as her long, blond hair fanned out over the pillow. Last night had been amazing. Zoe had an enthusiasm and sense of adventure that seemed to match his own. She didn’t want to just lay back and enjoy life, she wanted to be an active participant, and that excitement and energy had carried over into the bedroom.

  He still remembered watching her firm, round ass as she wiggled in through the window of the hut. She had been so spontaneous, so incredibly hot. If he hadn’t touched her, he would have sworn that she had stepped out of one of his torrid fantasies.

  It was hard not to imagine himself dating a woman like her. He could see them jumping into his family’s private jet, or sailing off in one of their yachts, searching for some big adventure. Such things weren’t meant to be, however. As soon as Zoe found out that he was the owner of Carrington Construction, the fun would be over. Forget about sex, he’d be lucky if she’d even smile at him.

  Which reminded him, he had to get back to the site. If he could provide Zoe with a viable alternative to that exotic wood, they still had a chance of getting the chapel done on time.

  He fought the urge to kiss her awake and go for another round of amazing sex. Instead, he carefully rolled out of bed and got dressed. He didn’t want to leave her, but he had some phone calls to make before she realized his true identity.

  Speaking of phone calls… Tate slid his cell out of his jeans pocket and checked his messages, hoping that the distributor he had been calling all week had been able to speed things up on his end. Instead of finding a message about work, he found one from his dad. Immediately, all of the anger and resentment he had after their argument returned.

  I’m not coming home, Dad. Tate deleted the message without listening to it. His father had his chance to make amends, but it was clear that the family legacy was more important than his son.

  After college, Tate had returned home to run the family oil company, just like his father wanted. During that summer, he discovered that his father had much bigger plans than passing on his business to his son. All of the lessons in Texas culture Tate had learned as a teen came back tenfold after college. Instructions on what to say and how to act were dished out almost daily, and his interaction with others became limited to only people his father approved of. His father had never liked motorcycles—such things tended to intimidate people rather than bring them closer—and most of his friends from college didn’t meet his father’s high standards. Gavin had long since left to study culinary arts, and his infrequent emails had made Tate feel even more alone.

  Then his father put him in charge of overseeing the construction of a corporate headquarters and everything changed. Tate found he had a talent for creating building plans and a passion for creating beautiful things. He threw himself into his work, using it as an escape from his father’s expectations. When it was over, everyone in the area agreed that the new site was not only highly functional, but visually appealing as well.

  With the project over, Tate had felt adrift. Now, more than ever, he knew that he didn’t want to run an oil company. His father wasn’t exactly the most approachable person, however, and Tate didn’t want to hurt the old man’s feelings. Unfortunately, making his father happy was making him miserable.

  Everything he did had to be deliberate—from the sports they chose to play, to the food they ordered in restaurants. They were either schmoozing with cattle owners over steaks so they could expand their drilling into their fields, or losing a game of golf to other corporate executives so they could form important alliances. It was on one of these golf outings where Tate had finally had enough.

  His father had informed him that it was time for him to get married, and lucky for Tate, he had found the perfect match.

  Tate stood in shock as his father told him that he was to marry Gavin’s older sister, strengthening the bond between two of the most powerful families in eastern Texas. The political clout would be enormous, and the new ships they would get from Gavin’s family would help sell more of their oil overseas.

  Tate couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His father wanted him to marry someone he didn’t love as part of a business deal. The man was clearly insane. While Tate was willing to make some sacrifices to run the family oil company, he wasn’t going to compromise in other areas of his life, not anymore.

  He had an emotional explosion, which resulted in a heated argument, and then a deal. His father would give him five years to get his act together. Five years to see if he could make something out of his newfound love of construction and chart his own course in life. At the end of five years, he would return home. If his company was in the black, if he was living a successful life, then he would continue with his construction business with his father’s blessing. If his venture was struggling, however, and he had to dip into the family bank account in order to make the company solvent, then he would return to his rightful place at his father’s side. Which meant he’d have to do all of the things his father wanted him to do, including marry Gavin’s sister.

  It was a ridiculous deal, but Tate had been so desperate to get away from his father that he took it. Five years had passed all too quickly and while his company was doing okay, it wasn’t exactly flourishing. He still had several startup loans he was trying to pay off. This job at the resort was just the thing he needed to put his company fully in the black. Then, and only then, would he be able to put his father’s outrageous demands behind him.

  Give me just one more month, Dad. Tate had no intention of ever going back to that life. His father would just have to find another heir.

  Tate glanced up at Zoe as she groaned and turned over, tangling her long, lean limbs in the sheets. He had explored every inch of that body last night. Multiple times. A big part of him wanted to crawl back into bed and revisit some of those places, but he held himself back. He had too much to do this morning before the crew made it to the site.

  No, it was time to leave, but he hated walking out on her without at least saying good-bye. Waking her up was out of the question. One look from those bright blue eyes and he’d be back under the covers. Perhaps there was another way to leave without looking like such an ass.

  Flexing his fingers, he glanced around the room and spotted a small notepad in the basket on the table. He could leave her a note. While impersonal, it would allow him to explain why he needed to leave and thank her for last night.

  He picked up the pen, placed it on the pad of paper, and hesitated. After a long moment, he put down the pen and straightened. What would he say? He couldn’t explain to her that he was the contractor she had been looking for and had to get back to the site and try to fix the mess with his supplier before she arrived later in the day. That would only make her angry, and after last night, he knew he’d rather see a different type of fire in her eyes.

  The anger couldn’t be helped, of course. Hell, if he’d found out that his supplies were delayed, he’d be angry, too. Discovering what had happened would surely be a shock, but perhaps he could smooth things over with some new timelines and alternative building plans—simple plans that would only take a fraction of the time.<
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  If he could make things right, maybe they’d be able to recapture some of the fun they had together last night.

  Another soft groan rose up from the bed. Tate turned and watched Zoe stretch and roll over, admiring how pale and soft her skin appeared in the sunlight streaming through the room. His cock stirred, and he couldn’t deny that despite what they had agreed, he wanted last night to turn into more than a one-night stand. To accomplish that, he had to put a cap on his rising desire and make some sort of a peace offering.

  Turning away, he forced himself to leave the hut and walk down the path to the main building. Once inside, he made his way to the kitchens to find Gavin. As head of all the food at the resort, he’d be there to check up on the morning buffet plans. Tate needed to update his friend about last night and see if he knew anything about Zoe that would help him when she arrived on the site. Then he had to see about that shipment. Glancing at his watch, he noted that he was already an hour behind schedule for the day. There was a lot he had to accomplish, and there wasn’t much time.

  …

  Zoe groaned as someone jiggled the door.

  “Is there someone in there?” The high, feminine voice filtered through the room and tickled the edges of her consciousness. “The housekeeping schedule says that there shouldn’t be any guests until three o’clock.”

  Zoe blinked and sat up in bed. Housekeeping? She glanced at the clock and swore under her breath. It was already nine o’clock! She was supposed to show up at the construction site at seven. That was when the Carrington Construction crew would begin working, and she wanted to find the owner so she could give him a piece of her mind. Instead of chewing him out, she had slept half the morning away.

  I’m such an idiot. Grabbing her blanket, she wrapped it around herself and hurried to the door.

  “I’ll only be a few more minutes,” she said to the surprised Asian woman on the other side. “Oh Gloria, it’s you.”