The Trouble With Lust Read online

  Currently he lounged in the terminal, along with about a hundred others, as they waited for another plane to be found so they might complete their journey. The delay had him out of sorts and cranky. If he planned to stay awake, he needed a caffeine fix. Mason rose and started for the closest kiosk. He’d gone only a few feet when he thought about Shonda. Unsure why, he retraced his steps to ascertain if she wanted a cup of coffee.

  Her tight smile and affirmative nod made him glad he asked. The whole crappy flight experience was weighing on her as well.

  “Two creams, no sugar,” she informed him. With a gesture to his carryon, she offered to watch his bag.

  As he stood in line to order, he thought of her pale, brave face during the worst of the turbulence and mechanical difficulties. She seemed to take the whole thing in stride. Much better than most of the other passengers around them. Mason snorted at the memory of a guy reciting psalm twenty-three in a continuous loop. Really, wouldn’t the one time have been enough? If he was fearing no evil and feeling the comfort of thy rod and thy staff, why did he have to drone on so?

  He returned to the gate to find Shonda looking harassed. The guy who had been such a jerk to her when they boarded appeared to have rethought his whole attitude and was attempting to take advantage of his near-death experience. To Mason’s way of thinking, the poor bastard was making little progress. He, on the other hand, believed he was getting somewhere. People were clueless. Body language never lied, and Shonda was leaning as far away as she could get without sitting in her neighbor’s lap.

  Mason figured it wouldn’t hurt to make the smaller man uncomfortable by putting his six-four frame to good use. “You’re in my seat.”

  The guy looked between the two of them and tried to judge the validity of the statement. Mason chose that moment to hand Shonda her cup of coffee. Realizing he had no choice, the little horndog decided to beat a hasty retreat.

  “Thanks,” she breathed in relief.

  “My pleasure. I assumed he was bothering you, but if you’d rather…” Mason trailed off with a shrug. Perhaps she liked dweeby, balding men with sweat-pooled armpits.

  A shudder shook her slender frame. “Yeah, no.”

  He bit back a grin and stretched his long legs out in front of him after snagging the seat beside her. Upon sipping her coffee, she let out a small groan of pleasure. The sound struck him low in his abdomen, once again signaling his mini-me to a potential mate. Oddly enough, he couldn’t remember wanting a woman so hard, so fast, and on such short acquaintance. Previously, he let members of the fairer sex come to him. Oh sure, he’d let his interest be known. And really, what single guy wouldn’t appreciate a come-on? But when it came to actively pursuing bed partners, he’d stopped around year thirty. That scene had gotten a bit stale.

  This woman was different. Mason took a chug of his own java and tried to analyze why. Yes, she was beautiful, but he’d met more stunning creatures. The brief glimpses of humor he’d seen her portray had appealed to him. There was a deeper attraction here than he’d felt in many years. He’d let it play out. To see if maybe it would lead to some hot, steamy nights in paradise. After all was said and done, he would figure out what pull she held for his jaded soul.

  “Are you meeting someone on vacation? Girlfriends? A boyfriend?” Christ! He couldn’t believe that popped out. He must be more tired than he thought.

  “Umm, no.” Brief uncertainty flared in her moss-colored eyes as she answered honestly.

  And because chivalry wasn’t dead, he reminded her to take precautions. “Do me a favor. Don’t make it known to anyone. If you have to, lie and say your boyfriend or husband is meeting you.” At her startled look, he explained, “A gorgeous woman, single and alone in the islands, could attract trouble.”

  A little “oh” formed on her lovely, pink lips. He ended with a lame, “You see these things on the news. Just be cautious.”

  “Uh, thanks.”

  He wanted to smack himself on the forehead for tainting her vacation with worry. When did he become a worrisome old man? Must be Zack’s fault. Since Mason became part of the Workout World business partnership, his whole outlook had changed. Statistics and probabilities drove everything he did.

  They sat in awkward silence. It was the first time he’d remembered being this uneasy in a long time. Her hand on his thigh came out of the blue and caused him to jump, dribbling coffee down his favorite polo. “Jesus!”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. You just looked so lost in thought. I wasn’t sure if you heard me,” she said, red-faced.

  He shot a glance on the hand still clutching his knee, then gave her a brow lifted in question.

  “Ohmygod! I’m sorry,” she exclaimed again. Whipping back her hand as if she’d been burned, she looked everywhere but at him.

  He found himself needing to ease her distress. “It’s fine. No harm, no foul. Were you going to ask me something?”

  “I… it’s just that…” Mason silently counted to ten and hoped she’d get to the point. “I… maybe you could continue to pretend we are together?”

  “You want me to be your pretend boyfriend at the resort?” He needed the clarification.

  “No! Yes. I…” Suddenly, she stopped and laughed. “I’m a hot mess. Now I’ve made you one. Let me get you something to clean your shirt.”

  Her about-face floored him. With a shake of his head, he watched her walk away. She had a spectacular stride. The kind of strut a confident woman exudes. One foot in front of the other, hips unconsciously swaying to an internal rhythm. Hot. Her movements were just plain hot.

  Another stirring happened in his groin. He hadn’t been this horny since he was a teenager. What the hell? Surveying the terminal, he noted Shonda attracted the appreciation of ninety percent of the males and the envious attention of a good forty percent of the females. There was comfort in knowing he wasn’t alone in his fascination for her. It also caused his concern. She was going to be the recipient of many, many propositions—both honest and illicit. He couldn’t leave her to her own devices.

  She returned with a soapy paper towel and another apology. “It was all they had.”

  “Yes.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Yes, I will be your pretend boyfriend when we get to St. Thomas.”

  They discussed the details of their stay. Coincidentally, they’d chosen the same accommodations. Convenient to both their way of thinking.

  * * *

  Shonda watched Mason scrub the stain on his shirt and questioned fate. Because she’d been self-sufficient for so long, she never thought about the safety of being a solitary woman in a foreign country. A sixth sense told her that her new traveling companion was harmless to everything but her heart. If she chose to have a fling with him—and she was strongly leaning in that direction—she would need to safeguard against caring too much.

  Maybe it was the lack of affection growing up, but in the past she found herself quick to care about the men she dated. Nine times out of ten, they weren’t worth her time—another intuitive vibe she always chose to ignore. Mason was different. In this, she wasn’t wrong. Besides, she knew of his family. She’d recognized him the second he picked up his duffle bag. He had a way of moving that attracted the eye. What girl in their small town of Stonebrooke didn’t know the Sharps? The males of his family were legendary in looks and as lovers.

  She was positive Mason didn’t remember her, but she certainly remembered him from high school. He’d been a couple of years ahead of her and one of the nicest football players on the team. She suspected, unlike the rest of the boys at their school, the only reason he’d never paid attention to her was because he’d had a girlfriend he’d been crazy about. Shonda had to admit, she’d been pretty envious of their relationship. The hand holding. The stolen kisses. The secret touches in front of the lockers. After all this time, she could remember his face, his expressions. But she drew a blank on the girl. She wondered what ever happened to her. Probably young love that had run i
ts course. Although, if she thought about it long enough, she imagined some people managed to make first love work.

  That brought her up short. Crap! She hadn’t bothered to ask if he was single or who he might be meeting. She’d gone ahead and assumed he was alone due to the flight and agreement to act as her companion. However, she could be starting trouble for him. Perhaps he was just being gallant?

  “You… uh, do you have…?” Crikey! Where did her brain cells go when he looked at her with those pale blue eyes?

  Those same eyes crinkled in amusement. A knowing look lit and made them glow. “No. I’m single.”

  “Okay. Good.” She gushed her relief, then wanted to die of embarrassment. What the hell was the matter with her? She was an adult and a competent businesswoman. Being able to think on her feet was essential to her career. Yet, in the last few hours, she was hard pressed to put two sentences together in his presence.

  “Time to board.” His deep voice startled her out of her musing.

  Lost in her own thoughts, she’d missed the announcement. Yes, this man was definitely scrambling her brains.

  By the time they’d arrived on the island, Shonda was ready to fall into a coma for at least the next twenty-four hours. The only thing that stopped her from heading straight to bed was the idea of losing any vacation time. She was already irritated with the travel delays.

  A long, restorative shower had her faith renewed and the belief this holiday would be the best ever. She’d had to turn the water a bit cooler than she would have normally liked, because thoughts of Mason had crept in—of what she wanted to do with him, locations she’d like to visit. Her favorite new fantasy had her envisioning the two of them under a waterfall. If she could look him in the eye after that particular fantasy, she’d be surprised.

  When she stepped onto the veranda from her suite, the man who’d been taking up so much of her mind today stood with a hip against the rail across the courtyard, staring off toward the horizon. What was he thinking? He certainly looked relaxed and refreshed. Abruptly, he pivoted in her direction and made eye contact across the distance.

  A small smile flashed before morphing into an all-out sexy grin. Her eyes widened, and she immediately looked down to make sure she hadn’t forgotten an important article of clothing. Glancing back up, she noticed he’d already turned to head in the opposite direction. So much for holding him enthralled. Silly woman.

  She huffed out a heavy breath and pushed away from the wrought iron rail. A rumbling in her stomach reminded her it had been quite a few hours since she’d last eaten. Should she order room service and enjoy the view? Or should she head down to the main dining room and enjoy the experience of being waited on hand and foot?

  The hairs on her arms rose to stand at attention. Someone was watching her. Whirling around, she saw no one in the immediate vicinity. With a seemingly casual eye, she surveyed her surroundings. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. She shrugged off her unease.

  A sharp rap sounded on her door. When she reentered her set of rooms, she was careful to secure the lock on the glass slider. A precaution she learned from a long-ago frightening experience. A second impatient knock followed the first.

  Shonda was just about to peek through the small peephole when Mason called out and alerted her to who stood on the other side. She had to take an extra few moments to regulate her breathing before opening the door. Let him think she had to make her way in from outside. The alternative was to allow him to know how strongly he affected her.

  “You looked lonely.”

  Warmth curled low in her belly. How did he manage it with three little words? Time to get back in the game and stop letting him do this to her nervous system.

  “Did I?” she countered coolly.

  He didn’t respond as she expected. What he did do was study her for a long moment. She wondered what he saw. A flushed woman ready to jump his bones? She didn’t protest when he reached for her. Mason wrapped one arm around her lower back and used the other to unclip her hair. He finger combed her cascading tresses, seemingly fascinated by the play of gold. When his eyes met hers, the intensity stopped the oxygen to her lungs.

  “Yes, you absolutely did.”

  His mouth swooped down to capture hers in their second heated kiss of the day. Dear God, she was a goner!

  Chapter Three

  Mason couldn’t believe how one woman could make him lose his mind. The soft, supple mouth so willing to open to him. The shapely waist, seemingly made for his hand. The subtle fruity smell of her silky skin. All these things were a turn-on, yes, but there was a stronger element at play here. Something tangible he couldn’t put his finger on which drew him in and made him want to take her until they were both mindless. To stake a claim on her body and soul.

  Whoa! Where did that come from? The errant thought cooled his jets. He set her from him. However, he couldn’t help gazing down upon her desire-filled face. Her lips were swollen and glistening from their shared kiss. Heavy lids opened, and she appeared dazed. She took one shuddering breath, then inhaled deeply.

  “Umm, wow,” she muttered in her sex-kitten voice.

  Yeah, apparently that came out when she was turned on. Damn, he was in trouble. Lust was going to rule him where she was concerned. Call it a hunch, but she had him by the short hairs here.

  “Dinner,” he said. If it came out a little more sharply than he intended and caused her to jump, well, she’d have to deal. He attempted to soften his tone. “I thought we could head down and get a bite.”

  Speaking of biting, he wanted to eat her up. Don’t go there, he told himself. Later he would nibble anything and everything, but for now, he needed to get this wayward desire under control. Her grumbling stomach sounded second only to his own loud roar.

  “Sure, let me get my purse.”

  Mason held her hand to the elevator, and then again leading her into the restaurant. He didn’t care to consider it was anything other than staking a pretend claim as they’d already decided to do earlier today. It didn’t matter if her slender hand fit perfectly in his, or that he kissed her inner wrist when he seated her to show the other men she was off limits.

  Her glowing smile disconcerted him. Enough so that he paused and unintentionally frowned down at her from his full height. Apprehension flashed across her features. He shook off his momentary lapse and took a seat across the small, intimate table.

  “Sorry.” It was his only concession to hovering and intimidating her.

  She graced him with a gracious nod, and then they were perusing the menu options.

  They placed their order, sipped their drinks, and made small talk about their careers.

  “So, what do you do?”

  “I’m co-owner of Workout World with my brothers Zack and Dane. We have three locations now. One in Stonebrooke, one in Wisteria Heights, and one in Sagefield. I manage the marketing. You?”

  “I’m a marketing director for WTKO news station. I’m in charge of all the stations statewide. Our parent company is based out of Miami, and periodically I do work for them on a larger scale.”

  “That must keep you busy.”

  “Minimum ten-hour days and at least a half day on Saturday. I love what I do, but it can be exhausting.”

  “WTKO? We have an account with them for our local commercials.”

  “Yes. I’ve run across it. Amber Herrington is your rep, I believe.”

  “Yes. I know Amber.”

  He was hesitant to say they’d dated a few times. However, something in his voice must have alerted her to the connection.

  “Oh,” she said. Her brows shot up, and she avoided his eyes as she sipped her wine.

  Did he hear censure in her tone? He was a grown adult. Did he really need to defend his actions? Damned if he would.

  It surprised him when she changed the subject. “So how long are you in St. Thomas?”

  “Ten days. This is my first real vacation since we opened over four years ago. I’ve taken some weekend
trips here or there, but nothing for any extended length of time. It’s long overdue.”

  “Same here. I’m excited to be able to get away. My friend Erica was supposed to come, too. Unfortunately, she got hit with an unexpected deadline. She’s an author, and it happens, but a girls’ trip would have been fun.”

  “Erica?” The coincidence was too great. “Not Erica Sutton?”

  “You know Erica? Don’t tell me you read romance.”

  He snorted. “Not hardly. My brother sent me a text to say she’d just joined our gym. He knew her as a kid.”

  “Erica? We can’t be talking about the same woman here. She hates working out.”

  Mason laughed at her emphatic use of the word hate. He suspected she was going for entertainment value. “The average person doesn’t like to work out. We all do it to stay healthy.”

  “You don’t understand. Erica lives on donuts and coffee. She wouldn’t set foot in a gym if her life depended on it. Even then, it would only be to escape out the back door.”

  She proceeded to entertain him with stories of her friend. He watched her during the telling. As her eyes lit with humor and her ready laughter bubbled up, he realized he would never grow tired of seeing her in this lively state. There was only one other state he preferred over this one—a woman in the throes of passion. The second thing he recognized was Shonda wasn’t the type of girl who went for casual sex. She seemed to miss all the subtle clues he’d thrown her way during their meal.

  Damn. He’d really hoped to avoid anything of a serious nature. If she’d been on the same page as he was, they could found mutual pleasure without the strings. Now he knew to stay away from any future entanglements with her. That meant his dry spell would continue here in paradise. There was no way he intended to get emotionally involved. He didn’t do romantic entanglements.

  Their dishes had long since been cleared away, and still they sat, trading stories of their mutual acquaintances. Each found a humorous anecdote to tell to send the other into peals of laughter. He hadn’t spent such a pleasurable evening in a very long while.