Page 22 of Six Nights in Paradise

“See something you like?” he said to my reflection, a cocky grin revealing gleaming white teeth.

I see something I love.

Whoa, Nelly!I’d better put the brakes on that thought. Things had moved at lightning speed since he confessed he’d wanted me for years, but that was taking it too far, too fast. I buried those thoughts as deeply as I could and smiled into the mirror.

“I think you already know the answer to that,” I responded playfully.

He regrettably wrapped the towel around his waist, hiding that glorious piece of manhood, and stalked up behind me. He leaned down and pressed a sweet kiss to my shoulder and I momentarily let my eyes close, basking in his affection. This man would be my undoing. I was treading dangerous waters here, but I wouldn’t take a life raft now if someone threw me one.

“I’ll let you finish getting ready. Wouldn’t want to cause any distractions,” he smirked and swatted my behind before exiting the bathroom.

Good Lord, what have I gotten myself into?

***

The sunset cruise was everything I imagined it would be and more. They served us drinks and hors d’oeuvres as we snuggled up together on a padded bench seat. I’d chosen an off-the-shoulder maxi dress with a slit up one side that exposed one leg when I crossed them. We sat at an angle in our seat, my back leaned up against his shoulder and his arm wrapped around my waist. Every few minutes, he pressed a kiss to my bare shoulder and I’d close my eyes, overcome with euphoria at the sensation. I couldn’t imagine how awkward this night would have been if we were still fighting our attraction to one another. We’d have to sit on opposite ends of the boat just to avoid touching and combusting into sexually repressed flames. Thank goodness that wasn’t the case.

I rested my head against his large bicep and his arm curled even tighter around my waist. He pressed a kiss to my hair and nuzzled his face into my neck. My desire sparked to life with his affectionate touch, and he must have sensed the shift. The hand resting against my belly dropped to my leg and found the opening in my dress. His fingers brushed over the sensitive skin covering my thigh and I held my breath, wondering what he would do next.

I glanced around, hoping nobody would notice what he was doing. Thankfully, there weren’t many others on this boat and the people who were there were with their partners and paying us no mind.

Dalton’s fingers pushed the gauzy material higher, finding the edge of my panties. He dipped beneath them, tracing the seam from the crease of my leg up to my hip and back down.

“I can’t wait to tear these off of you,” he growled into my ear. “Now that I know just how sweet you taste, I may have to use my teeth.”

My breath hitched and my thighs clamped together as heat and desire flooded between my legs. How far would he go? How intimately would he touch me with other people around? I almost uncrossed my legs just to tempt him and find out, but he lowered his hand, splaying his palm over my thigh and squeezing.

“Later,” he promised on a whisper.

When the cruise was over, we walked along the well-lit beach, mingling with other guests. This area of the resort was where the party was. Couches, loungers, and even beds were grouped around fire pits with tiki torches illuminating the spaces between. People were laughing and drinking, all dressed in clothes a little too fancy for the beach.

“Want to grab a drink?” Dalton asked, nodding toward the bar overlooking the water from a manmade stone pier. It was shaped like an octagon with a three hundred sixty-degree view of the ocean and the bar situated in the very center.

“That sounds great.” We walked along the short pier with our hands laced together. We each ordered a drink and found seats at the crowded counter. “What time is dinner?”

Dalton consulted his watch before answering. “We’ve got about twenty minutes. We can head that way when we finish our drinks,” he offered, holding up his half empty glass.

We bumped into the group we were having dinner with as we left the beach and followed them the few blocks to the restaurant where they’d made reservations. The hostess didn’t seem to mind the additions to their party and led us to the hibachi grill with a smile. The Japanese steakhouse was decorated beautifully with an array of floral patterns and shiny black counters speckled with flecks of gold. One wall had been painted to look like a grove of cherry blossoms; the brushstrokes were so lifelike, I could almost smell their sweet blooms.

Once we were settled into our seats, a waitress took our drink orders. I asked for a glass of plum wine and the other ladies in our party followed suit.

“That sounds really good,” the tall leggy blonde, Melissa, I believed her name was, piped in from across the table. The other two women voiced their agreement.

A chef in a crisp white smock and tall white hat slid in behind the grill a few minutes later and greeted us warmly. We had a great time trying to catch food that he flipped expertly into the air with his spatula in our mouths. Dalton and I laughed at each other as each of us were pelted in the face with a piece of broccoli. Only a couple of our tablemates were able to catch anything in their mouths, but we all clapped enthusiastically when they did.

“So, what’s your story?” Janie asked once our plates were full of fried rice, veggies, and an assortment of meats. I’d only learned her name because her husband liked to talk about her in the third person, bragging about all her accomplishments in the medical research field. Not that it wasn’t sweet how proud he was of her, but it was getting old.

“Janie here discovered this.”

“Janie learned how to perfect that.”

His nasally voice was starting to grate on my nerves. I took a large gulp of wine to try and keep my irritation at bay before giving him the abbreviated version of my life. Dalton did the same, keeping it vague to avoid talking about Gianna and his recently broken engagement.

When dinner was over, we headed toward the last show the fire eaters were performing that evening. We watched in amazement as the young man dressed in nothing but a colorful pair of loose fitting, capri-length pants effortlessly handled the flames. He danced to the fast paced, upbeat music, easily balancing a burning stick in each hand. I found myself swaying to the music as I enjoyed the show. Dalton smiled down at me, amused by my enthusiasm, and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into his side. I jumped back, shrinking away as the man held one stick up close to his face and sprayed liquid from his mouth, causing the flames to roar to life, increasing in size tenfold. Dalton chuckled and leaned into me, speaking directly into my ear, his voice low and full of gravel.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe.” A shiver ran down my spine at the heady promise. It was a bit ridiculous how easily turned on I was by him, but with his fingers digging into my hip and his hot breath on my neck, there was no way I could remain unaffected. I couldn’t wait to get out of there and escape back to our villa.

Dalton

---