The Trouble With Lust Read online

  “Good girl. Now the other.”

  “Mason,” she started.

  He kissed her. The kiss was long and consuming, quick to cut off her protest. When it ended, he started to withdraw from her.

  She moaned and tightened her legs. “No. I’ll do it.”

  His eyes followed her hand, watched as she played with herself in the clear, turquoise water. He thrust harder, going deeper. The thought they’d be exposed at any second added to their pleasure. Although, her soft moans finally sent him over the edge.

  “God, God, God,” she chanted with each thrust.

  Together they came, and if a few people were witness or wise to their act, neither cared.

  She recovered quicker than he did. “Okay, give me back my bikini bottom.”

  “Oh, crap.”

  “Don’t you dare tell me you dropped it,” she growled. “I swear to God—”

  He produced it with a flourish and a grin.

  “You are such an assh—”

  Before the end of the sentence was out of her mouth, he captured hers again. He pulled back and grinned. “Asshole,” he finished. “Yeah, I know. I saw a little kiosk renting out kayaks down the beach. Want to go?”

  The day was beautiful by vacation standards. A hot guy. Incredible sex. An adventure-filled day. When Mason dropped Shonda back at her suite, she was sure she couldn’t have envisioned a better time.

  After he’d turned up the charm, she’d been helpless to resist. It hadn’t been only her he charmed. Everyone succumbed to his allure. A flash of a smile, a twinkle in his eye, and a rare dimple peeping out had men and women alike rushing to do his bidding. She’d never seen the like before. He was a man’s man, and every woman’s wet dream. She didn’t stand a chance.

  “I’m going to grab a quick shower, and then we can head out for dinner,” he said.

  “Or we can shower together and order in.” Shonda couldn’t believe she’d been so bold as to suggest it, but when Mason gave her a knowing smirk, she was glad she did.

  They leaped toward each other in sync. Shirts, shorts, and shoes flew in every direction. Lips melded and tongues tangled. Exactly how they made it into the shower was beyond her.

  An hour later, they surfaced for food.

  “I’ll order us something. Pizza sound good?” she asked. “A friend told me about a local place. He claimed it’s the best restaurant on the island.”

  “He?”

  If she didn’t know any better, Shonda would have thought she heard a hint of jealousy in his tone. Yet, he’d already set the rules of this little island fling.

  “A guy I work with back home,” she clarified as she searched her phone for the number to call.

  “Shonda, how many people knew you were coming here to this particular destination?”

  A quality in his tone caught her attention. She paused in her action and looked up. “Why?”

  “I’m still bothered by last night’s break-in.”

  She took in his hawk-like gaze and the deceptively casual stance by the kitchen counter. Once again he was probing, looking for the weak link in her story. Did he suspect her of something? At times, she believed he did.

  “I don’t know,” she found herself answering. “Maybe four, including my boss.”

  “Do you think any of them would wish to harm you or wish you ill?”

  “No,” she stated emphatically. After a moment or two further thought, she wasn’t so certain. “Possibly.”

  “Care to explain?”

  Now came the embarrassing part. “When I first arrived there, I dated one of my colleagues. I didn’t know he’d been gunning for my current position. He wasn’t happy I’d been promoted over him.”

  “Dated? As in slept with?”

  The warmth rushed to her face. She found it weird to talk to a new lover, and a relative stranger at that, about an old boyfriend. “Yes.”

  Hiding her face, she busied herself with finding the number to order their food.

  “That’s not all of the story,” Mason stated flatly.

  She heard him approach, felt him at her back, but facing him was difficult.

  “Shonda, look at me.”

  The command in his deep voice left her no choice. Like a puppet she jerked to attention and pivoted until they were face to face, mere inches apart.

  “What’s his name?”

  “What does it matter? It was a long time ago.”

  “I intend to have a friend check out his whereabouts. I want to make sure he is where he’s supposed to be right now.”

  “Do you honestly believe a guy I slept with once, three years ago, is going to trail me down to St. Thomas and break into my hotel room? For what? Nothing was taken, remember?”

  “His name, Shonda. Now.”

  “Who the hell do you think you are?” And what made her so reluctant to tell him Samuel’s name?

  A chill settled in his eyes, and he took a step back. “My mistake. I assumed you wanted to get to the bottom of this.”

  “No, you want to get to the bottom of something which may or may not be a simple break-in. Before this is through, you’ll have me paranoid of all my co-workers over something that doesn’t exist.”

  He seemed to weigh her words. Without warning, he did an about face and offered up a wry smile. “All right. Fair enough. We can shelve the discussion for now. Go ahead and order our pizza.”

  His moods made her a bit dizzy. However, she’d be damned if she could tell him to get lost. Something about him drew her like a moth to a flame. Maybe after a couple of nights in bed, once he was out of her system, she’d be able to think more clearly around him. As it was, she spent ninety percent of her time breathless and confused.

  Chapter Five

  “Rise and shine,” Shonda called as she sailed into the room with two cups of coffee. “Oh, I see you’ve already done that.”

  Mason snorted at her bawdy humor, and the way her eyes locked on his morning wood. “What’s on the agenda today?”

  “Uh…” She seemed stuck on his impressive erection.

  “Shonda.” When she raised her eyes above his waistline, he continued, “Put the coffee down and come here.”

  Her eyes widened, and she was swift to obey. She’d stripped naked by the time she hit the bed. As she climbed on board the Mason sex train, he had to admit to himself, he loved her enthusiasm.

  When they’d both been sated, they sipped their lukewarm lattes. With her cradled in the crook of his arm, he breathed a sigh of contentment. Did life get better than this moment? A great tasting mocha, a curvy blonde, and hot sex in paradise. Yes, this was the best vacation he could ever remember experiencing.

  “Beach, snorkeling, or hiking,” she stated out of the blue.

  “What?”

  “You asked earlier what was on the agenda. I’m offering up suggestions.”

  “I would say beach, but I don’t know if I have enough energy left to fight off the horny men of this island. They’re relentless.”

  “You think you’re that attractive?” she joked.

  He snorted his amusement and set down his to-go cup. Ever so carefully, he removed hers from her grip and placed it next to his.

  “I think you are,” he said, all traces of humor gone from his tone.

  She sucked in her breath and gazed up at him, stars forming in her eyes.

  Shit! What the hell had gotten into him? He knew better than to go there. To recover from his faux pas, he withdrew his arm and hopped off the mattress, dragging her with him. “I need a shower and shave. You do too, if those cactus legs are any indication.”

  “You did not just say that!”

  “Yep, I’m pretty sure I did.” He ducked the pillow she flung at his head. “Now, love, I think you should consider how important honesty is in a fake relationship.”

  “Bite me.”

  A long glimpse of her lovely body gave serious consideration to the idea.

  “Oh, no. Get that look off your face. I came
here to see the island, not spend my vacation in bed.”

  “That hurt.” He feigned a sad face.

  “Whatever. I’ll see you downstairs in twenty minutes.”

  “When did you get so bossy?”

  He dropped a quick kiss on her lips and ordered her to lock the door behind him. As he headed back to his suite, Mason wondered again if he was making the right choice in continuing with their affair. The last five days together had been pure bliss. He found Shonda open to anything and everything. He liked how easy it was to be with her. But sometimes, he would catch glimpses of what he suspected was a deeper affection on her part, and it scared the hell out of him. A roll of his neck under the warm streaming water helped to dispel the tension building. Another talk to clarify their romance had an end date was in order.

  Twenty minutes later, they’d decided to snorkel at Secret Harbor. Shonda found joy in watching every creature, from the sea urchins to the stingrays. Mason found joy in watching Shonda. He was happy he’d thought to bring along a GoPro camera to capture her interaction with a curious sea turtle. In the taxi back to the resort, they laughed about her nearly drowning herself in her excitement.

  “Don’t tell me you caught that on camera,” she demanded.

  “I did indeed,” he returned smugly.

  “I am never going to live it down if anyone sees it.”

  “I’m uploading the video to YouTube as soon as I get back to my room,” he teased.

  “Is there anything I can do to change your mind?” she asked suggestively. Her fingers trailed over his shorts to where his one-eyed monster was rearing its head.

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I’m sure we can think of something.”

  Her words in that particular tone, along with her hand in that exact spot, had him hard and ready to release the Kraken. To save himself a whole lot of embarrassment when they arrived at the resort, he captured her hand in his, placed a kiss on her knuckles, and set it in her lap.

  “I’m open to negotiations. We can discuss it more back in your room.”

  Her light laugh rang out. He grinned his response.

  “You here on your honeymoon?” the driver asked.

  “No,” Mason replied shortly.

  The question spoiled his mood. Why the hell did everyone feel the need to put labels on relationships? The desire to put some distance between him and Shonda rose up, strong and fast. Sweat broke out on his forehead and his stomach knotted. Spotting a local bar up ahead, he called out to their cabbie, “Will you pull over? I’m stopping here.”

  The stunned disbelief on Shonda’s face stabbed at him. He could see she knew exactly what had caused his restlessness. Still, he needed to be away from her for a brief bit. He didn’t offer an apology. Instead he dropped a soft kiss on her compressed lips and shoved a wad of cash in the driver’s direction. “Please see she gets back to our hotel safely.” To Shonda he said, “I’ll call you later.”

  The vehicle sped off. He watched it disappear into the distance before he crossed the street to park his butt on a barstool and order up a scotch. He’d be lucky if she ever spoke to him again. If she didn’t, it would probably be for the best.

  Shonda was royally ticked off by Mason’s rude behavior. She understood he had issues and felt the need to set boundaries almost on an hourly basis. However, to practically jump out of a moving vehicle and leave her to go sit in some local dive, all because a curious cabbie asked if they were honeymooning, really took the cake.

  Once back in her room, she shoved aside the hurt and decided to shower and head out to the tiki bar. If her last few days in paradise were going to be solitary, as she was starting to suspect they would be, she should probably make a few friends to hang with. Mason was not going to ruin her vacation with he mercurial moods.

  As she stepped onto the bar’s patio, she felt her hips sway to the rhythm of the steel drum playing Day’O. She stopped a waitress and ordered a Mai Tai before finding a seat in the shade to listen to the music. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. When she turned, all she could see was his back as he hustled away. Odd, she could have sworn it was her cousin, Billy. But he never mentioned vacationing here when they last talked, and she was sure he would have made a point to say hi if he’d have seen her. They were almost as close as brother and sister.

  Shrugging it off to imagination, she gave her attention back to the band. Her drink was delivered by a fun-loving waitress, who took a few minutes to warn Shonda of exactly which men were out to get laid and which seemed nice.

  When Shake Señora came up on the playlist, a good-looking blond came running up to drag her on the dance floor. He laughed off her protest and took her by the hand, pulling her to the center of the room. At the thumbs up from her server, Shonda decided to go with it. Before she knew it, three quarters of the room were on the floor, dancing and laughing right along with them.

  They danced for three more songs before she called a halt and headed back to her table. Just as she sat, the band struck up another fan favorite, Tequila. Everyone knew the rule of thumb. If that particular song is played, shots were required. She found herself in a row of partiers, all counting down to lick, shoot, suck. Thoughts of the moody Mason disappeared with every drink.

  Amid laughter and spilled booze, Shonda felt right at home with the crowd. Before long, they were shouting out songs to be played, dancing and singing at the top of their lungs. When a slower, more sultry song came on, her blond companion moved closer. His intent clear.

  Shonda wasn’t sure she was ready to be hip to hip with another man so soon after what she’d shared with Mason. As she gave a regretful shake of her head and spun to leave, she crashed into a hard wall of muscle. Her hands came up to steady herself. Could it be helped if she felt up the abs in front of her? Recognizing those ridges, she allowed her hands to continue their journey up his chest.

  “Having a good time, love?” Mason asked, amusement heavy in his voice.

  “The best! You should have been here. We did tequila shots.” She gestured wildly around to encompass the crowd.

  “I got here as you were downing your second shot.”

  “You did? Hmm.”

  Her blond friend took exception to Shonda in Mason’s arms. “Hey, man. I saw her first.”

  “Fuck off.” Mason’s tone left no one in doubt of who would be her companion for the rest of the evening.

  “Why don’t you ask the lady who she wants to be with?” Apparently, the guy had one too many drinks, because he wasn’t going without a fight.

  “Yes, why don’t we?” Mason said silkily, sending a chill down Shonda’s spine. She looked up and was caught by the challenge in his gaze.

  There was only one possible answer. “You,” she sighed. “I choose you.”

  His smile was the brightest she’d ever seen—wide, white, and full of gloating.

  “Good luck, pal,” he told the other man and pulled her tighter.

  Together they swayed to the music as the sun set upon paradise. It was the most romantic moment of Shonda’s life. She refused to think about the future, or wonder about his earlier behavior. Right now, all she wanted was to savor their time together. It seemed he felt the same. His lips claimed hers again and again. Sensual little nips. Unhurried and hot as hell.

  When the tempo increased, he swung her out and back in. She laughed in surprise at the abruptness. He danced her all the way back to her table and held out her chair for her to sit.

  “Don’t pick up any more men while I’m gone.”

  “I didn’t pick him up. He picked me up.”

  Boy that didn’t sound good—not if the thundercloud forming on his brow was any sign.

  “What I meant… he… nobody picked anybody up. We were all just dancing.” That sounded better. Or at least she thought it did.

  “Stay.” He pointed at the table and strode toward the counter.

  “I’m not a dog,” She
hollered after his retreating form. All her earlier irritation came flooding back. Who the hell did he think he was? Leaving her without a word, chasing off her dancing partner, and ordering her about? None of it sat well with her.

  She grabbed her purse and sailed out the side door, headed back to her room.

  Mason wasn’t sure what had come over him earlier today. He was fairly certain it had more to do with how he was starting to feel about Shonda and not a thing to do with the driver’s question. He’d needed space to get his head back on straight. To break the spell she’d cast on him.

  When he’d arrived back at her hotel room to apologize, she hadn’t answered. He’d assumed she was either pouting or had set out for the afternoon to find some entertainment on her own. Because the latter sounded more like the Shonda he’d come to know, he wandered down to the tiki bar.

  He’d stayed in the shadows, sipping a scotch and watching her enjoy herself with the other bar patrons. The faces she’d made after each shot of tequila brought on a chuckle. Then, as the mood of the deck changed and couples started to pair up, he’d figured it was time to step in. Surfer boy had every intention of putting the moves on her. Mason wasn’t born yesterday. He worried her inhibitions might be lowered with all the alcohol she’d consumed, and so he made his way out to the dance floor.

  Before the other man had a chance to get an arm around her, she’d rejected him and whirled to leave. Relief had flooded Mason when she said she chose him. He hadn’t even realized he’d been doubtful of the outcome. Had she been a little less intoxicated, and a little more angry, he wouldn’t have stood a chance.

  As he waited at the crowded bar for a bartender, he surveyed the people two rows deep, all vying for attention to place their drink order. His eyes lit on a blonde woman at the opposite end from where he stood. She leaned against the counter staring straight at him. How the hell had Shonda reached the bar before him?

  She cast a glance toward where their table was located, and then spoke to the guy on her right. Mason caught the glint of gold against her neck, and frowned. Shonda had been wearing a set of long silver necklaces. A quick look back at where he’d left her showed her getting up to leave.