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He licked his lips as his eyes practically burned a hole through her lavender maid-of-honor dress. He was obviously having the same thoughts she was. She wanted to kiss him badly, and seeing the fire in his eyes, she knew that he wanted to kiss her, too. But Cydney refused to start something with a man like him—the kind of man who oozed sex appeal and looked like he just walked off the cover of GQ magazine. She could lose her damn mind with a man like him, and losing her sanity over a man, no matter how good he looked, was not an option.
A month ago, when she’d gone to help her new brother-in-law move out of his Detroit condo, she had seen a picture of Daman with a man she couldn’t quite make out. She could only see his profile in the picture, but she instantly knew that she had met the man previously. Refusing to believe her eyes, she put the photo out of her mind, hoping it was just a weird coincidence that he resembled that man she’d tried to forget about. Now, staring back into a pair of amused sea-blue eyes, she reminded herself that she never did believe in coincidences.
“So, Cydney Rayne, would you like me to call you Jessica, Cydney or do you prefer Cyd, the name everyone else has been calling you all day?”
She wished she could wipe that smirk off his handsome face. She wasn’t the only one who’d made up a fake name. “Well, that depends. Do you want me to call you Shawn Miles or would you rather I call you Brandon?”
His eyes squinted together. “Although I loved the way you screamed my name that night in the ocean, I’d wished you were screaming Shawn rather than Brandon. Now that you know my real name, maybe we can make that happen.”
Throwing her head back in an exaggerated laugh, she refused to let his arrogance get to her. “I’m sure your ears were playing tricks on you, but if that’s the name your mother gave you, then Shawn it is. You can call me Cyd or Cydney, but if you think for one minute that we’ll be sleeping together, think again.”
He was still smiling and checking her out. She tried to keep a calm demeanor, but she was anything but relaxed. She couldn’t even remember how Shawn knew Daman since she hadn’t really listened to the introductions past learning his real name. The moment she’d seen his face before the wedding, she’d wanted to crawl into a deep, dark hole. However, Shawn had looked more amused than surprised. She’d barely returned his handshake when the enormity of the situation had hit her full force. Most people never saw their one-night stands again. Unfortunately for Cyd, her one-night stand came strolling through her grandfather’s backyard for her sister’s wedding. Seriously?
“How do you know Daman, anyway?”
He looked at her from head to toe one more time before responding. “I met Daman through Malik Madden, a mutual friend.”
Cyd wondered if Shawn had known her true identity when they’d first met on the island.
“No, I didn’t know we shared a mutual friend. Imani and Daman hadn’t started working on the gala they planned yet,” Shawn said, interjecting her thoughts.
Cyd squinted her eyes together, soaking in his accurate assessment. “I didn’t even ask you anything,” she snapped. Even if he didn’t know her then, she was sure he’d known about her before he got to the wedding because he hadn’t appeared surprised when he saw her.
“You’re right. I knew who you were before I got here today. After meeting with Daman and Malik one day, I used Google to search Imani when I heard she was marrying Daman. That’s when I spotted a picture of you and your business partners.”
Cyd rolled her eyes and shook her head when he read her thoughts once more. Clearly Shawn had done his research. Cyd, along with her sister Imani Rayne-Barker, cousin Lexus Turner and friend Mya Winters were proud founders of Elite Events, Incorporated in Chicago. The women were well-known for planning elaborate events that left lasting impressions with all who had the pleasure of attending.
“How do you know that’s what I’m thinking? I could have been thinking anything.” Cyd didn’t like when people assumed they knew what was on her mind because usually they were wrong in their assumptions. But Shawn had correctly assessed her thoughts, and that didn’t sit well with her.
Shawn pushed aside a coat that was partially blocking his view of Cyd. “That’s true, but you weren’t just thinking anything. And trust me, Cyd, I wanted to track you down the minute I found the information.”
He was really starting to irritate her. He spoke to her as if they’d known each other forever instead of just being sex partners for one night. “Listen, you don’t know me, Shawn Miles, or whatever your name is. So do us both a favor and stop acting like you do.”
He leaned in closer, and she inhaled his enticing masculine scent. Being around him was a threat to her sanity, and her body was a ball of nerves. Her heart beat even faster as her eyes followed his hand that reached for her face. She couldn’t help but lean into him a little more.
“I know you better than you think, Cydney Rayne or Jessica or whatever your name is. And I also noticed your hair. It’s different than I remember. This color makes you look even sexier than you did the week we met.”
His voice was so seductive that she squeezed her thighs tighter to try to ease the ache that was starting to develop. When she’d met Shawn, her hair had been light brown and styled in natural waves since she’d wanted a look suited for the island. Now her hair was jet-black and cut in soft layers that flowed around her shoulders. The dark color looked dramatic on her light butter-toffee complexion, and she’d definitely gotten a lot more attention since she’d dyed it.
Cyd slowly backed up into a corner of the closet, attempting to put some distance between them. Refusing to give her space, Shawn followed her into the corner and brushed a few fallen strands of hair out of her face with the back of his hand. The heat in the closet rose twenty degrees, and for the second time, she wished she hadn’t chosen a closet as their hiding place. He leaned in, indicating that he was going to kiss her. She could feel it and even worse, she wanted it.
“What are you doing?” she asked, a little more breathless than she would have liked.
“If you have to ask, then I must be doing something wrong.”
No, he was definitely doing everything right. But she was trying to stall the passionate explosion that she knew would come from his kiss. His six-foot-three-inch frame towered over her five-foot-nine-inch body. He’d successfully blocked her from any route of escape.
As his face grew closer to hers, she didn’t have the willpower to stop him.
“I’ve been waiting to do this for eight months,” he said as he dipped his head to hers. The moment their lips touched, she felt the burst of passion she’d been waiting for. Her tongue mated with his as she reacquainted herself with his savory taste. His hands went around her waist and straight to her backside as she wrapped her arms around his neck. When Shawn began to grind against her core, she lost all sense of reality. The fact that he had such a strong sexual hold on her was extremely unsettling.
When her back hit the closet wall, she lifted her right leg and was rewarded by his strong, masculine hand grasping her thigh to keep her in place. His hands were like fire as her body melted to his every caress. She was pretty sure she could come on the spot without him even trying. That was how badly she wanted Shawn.
“Cydney,” Shawn said breathlessly in between kisses, “if we don’t stop soon, I’m taking you right here, right now, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Like I said, I’ve waited eight months to do this, and after kissing you, all I want to do is fill myself with the sweet taste of you.”
He pulled her even closer so she could feel his manhood press against the spot he wanted to bury himself inside. Cyd was so aroused, she could barely think. She knew what she wanted, but she also knew that she shouldn’t succumb to it. Then again, when do I ever do what I should? Being the bold person she was made the answer easy.
“Well, Shawn, if you think you can still handle me, by all means...prove it.”
She was thinking with the lower part of her body but this time she didn’t care. She inched onto the tiptoes of her left foot and Shawn quickly lifted her so that both of her thighs were in his palms. A rush of anticipation shot through her body as she leaned against the wall while he pushed her dress high on her waist and tightened his grip even more.
Cyd assumed he’d just get down to business, but instead, Shawn leaned into her, licking from the base of her collarbone to the middle of her neck, leaving a trail of soft, wet kisses along the way. He methodically began grinding against her core while his hands gripped her butt, bringing her closer to the fit of him.
She wrapped her legs tighter around Shawn’s waist as she gripped one of the closet poles to maintain her balance. When his lips found hers again, she was hungry and waiting. She could taste the remnants of wine on his lips, heightening her aroused state. She tried to think of any reason why she should stop Shawn from moving any further, but her mind was void of excuses. This man, her island lover with the cinnamon-colored skin and abs hard enough to bounce quarters off, was what all wet fantasies were made of. She couldn’t deny herself the opportunity to make love to a man guaranteed to take her on a journey to ecstasy.
Cyd tore off his jacket and Shawn wasted no time tearing off his dress shirt and throwing it aside, as well. His sexy arms flexed with each movement of their bodies and he never once let her feet touch the floor in his hastiness to remove his clothes.
Shawn reached in his back pocket and ripped open a condom packet. Cyd unzipped his pants and quickly put the condom in place, briefly massaging his member as she slid the condom over his shaft.
“I see you’re prepared,” Cyd murmured between kisses.
“Don’t forget that I knew you would be here and I was hoping I’d get a chance to talk to you. I figured with you, I’d better be prepared for anything.”
She wasn’t sure if she liked the fact that he was prepared or offended that he thought there was a possibility they would have sex again.
“I guess if I think about the last time we were together, it makes sense that you were prepared.”
Shawn stopped kissing her neck and gazed into her chestnut-brown eyes. She felt like she was under a microscope and her uneasiness increased when she couldn’t make out his thoughts.
“I was hoping I’d be lucky enough to have another moment with you,” Shawn said while rubbing his hands along her thighs. “I never forgot about the last time we were together, and I hung on to that hope that maybe you felt the same way about me and wanted to share another intimate moment. I didn’t assume, but I damn sure hoped you did.”
She melted at his reply. Lord, help me. The man had a way with words and she was being baited by his charm. Cyd always prided herself on knowing the difference between a man running game on her and a man genuinely expressing his feelings. Shawn was being genuine and the sincerity in his eyes was undeniable. But she couldn’t get too wrapped up in the emotions she felt. This was only about sex. Instead of responding to his words, she adjusted herself and slowly guided his shaft into her core until he reached her hilt.
Shawn exhaled deeply and took over from there, gliding in and out of her wet center with ease. This was the moment she’d missed since their last encounter. This was the feeling she’d dreamed about, the sensations she knew only he could provide.
They’d been exchanging words since they’d stepped into the closet, but at this moment all words ceased. Shawn’s eyes stared into Cyd’s with an intensity she felt throughout her entire body. There was nothing sexier than a shirtless man sexing the hell out of a woman with his body and his eyes. All the coats and shirts hanging in the closet rocked back and forth to the movement of their hips.
Shawn never lost eye contact with her. There was never a man who wanted her this badly. The fact that he was so honest about his desire excited and scared her all at the same time. Damn, what is it about this man? Cyd had had good sex, but none of her past partners remotely compared to Shawn. Not even close.
Her orgasm was threatening to break free and Shawn increased his pace. She gripped his shoulders to maintain her balance as her body lifted more toward the ceiling with each powerful thrust into her core.
“Shawn,” Cyd whispered. “We’ve been in this closet for a while and I know my family is wondering where I am. This time has to be a quickie.”
She’d quickly realized her mistake in implying that they would have sex again in the future. The sly smile on his face proved that he’d caught her mishap and wouldn’t let her forget about the implication.
“Who am I to disappoint,” Shawn said, his eyes briefly lowering to admire the healthy amount of cleavage bursting through the top of her dress. There they were again, those slick words and that sexy look that had her insides twirling in a massive heap of desire.
“I want you to look me in the eyes as you come,” Shawn whispered in her ear. Although she didn’t want to, she obeyed his request and stared deeply into his sea-blue eyes. That was her undoing. The look in his eyes told her that even though this was a quickie, he was far from finished with her. In the time she’d shared with Shawn eight months ago, she’d realized he was a man who said what he meant and meant what he said. There was no doubt in her mind that they would have sex again, and she wouldn’t even bother convincing herself otherwise.
“Cydney, it’s time,” Shawn said in a husky voice a little louder than before. Her faint moans were growing louder and on instinct, Shawn pinned her up on the wall even harder using only his thighs to hold her up while one hand gently covered her mouth. The movement brought him even deeper inside her and soon she mirrored his technique and covered his mouth to conceal his loud groans. Only using one hand for balance, Cyd bounced up and down as Shawn came completely out of her center only to bring her back down on him. He thrust harder twice more until they both released the passion they’d been holding inside. Cyd wanted to close her eyes as she became overcome with emotions she hadn’t felt in months, but she kept her eyes open. She had no choice. Shawn was still staring at her, still embedded deep in her core, warning her that this was only the beginning. He had plans for her, or at least her body. And with a man like him, she knew she had to stand her ground or give in to temptation.
Chapter 2
Seductive moans swarmed around in Shawn’s memory as he recalled every delicate feature of Cydney’s curves. He should have been paying attention to the current topic of discussion at his weekly meeting, but he couldn’t get his mind off her. For months, he’d dreamed about the unbelievable sex he’d had with his exotic lover, and this past weekend he’d sampled her sweetness again.
When he’d learned her identity a month ago, he’d wanted to contact her right away but he didn’t think she’d respond well, since like him, she assumed they’d never see each other again.
I wonder what brought her to Anguilla eight months ago. He’d planned to ask her after they were formally introduced. But when he saw her, the only thing on his mind was getting her out of her dress. She’d looked even sexier than he remembered and he wasn’t done with her yet. Far from it.
An undercover FBI assignment had led him to Chicago and he was definitely going to make the most of his time here after he solved the case. He’d need a good distraction after the upcoming months he faced, anyway. This case was one of the biggest of his career and for personal reasons, it was one of the most important.
“That’s all for now, folks,” said Chicago senior supervisory special agent Larry Wolfe as the meeting came to a close. “Shawn, can you follow me to my office?”
“Yes sir,” Shawn said, putting his thoughts of Cydney on hold. When they arrived at the office, Shawn took a seat close to a window.
“Shawn, I wanted to talk to you about the assignment in a little more detail,” Agent Wolfe said as he sat in a large desk chair opposite Shawn. “I’m sure I don’t have to remind you how important this case is. The DEA and Chicago P.D. will be working closely with us. I know you’ve researched all the current employees for the Peter Vallant Company, but as acting chief information security officer, you need to be debriefed on all the new employees and volunteers for the company.”
Agent Wolfe opened the top shelf of his file cabinet and pulled out a manila file folder. “I need you to go over everything in this file. As you know, Mr. Peter Vallant is the owner of the Peter Vallant Company, one of the top real estate firms in the nation. Mr. Vallant is throwing a series of customer appreciation events in Illinois and Indiana to thank all of the company’s supporters and contributors who participated in their Rebuild Your Community program initiative. You’ll be attending every event and Mr. Vallant is aware that you are undercover. He has agreed to assist you with any additional information you need while attending the events. I trust that your team is prepared.”
“Yes, sir. My top four security guards are aware of the situation and will provide extra sets of eyes during the tour for any suspicious activity. The rest of my security team will stay in Chicago and were told to be alert as they are with every security matter we handle.” In addition to working with the FBI, Shawn had spent the past year building his own high-level security firm. He hadn’t decided on a city to headquarter his company, but he had hired a top-notch security team of former members of the FBI, CIA, P.D. and U.S. military.
“Good. They leave on the appreciation tour later this week.”
“I’ll be ready,” Shawn said as he stood from his seat.
“Oh, and, Shawn,” Agent Wolfe called.
“Yes,” Shawn said as he turned his head over his shoulder.
“Can you handle this?”
Shawn knew why he was asking and appreciated the concern. But there was no way he was giving up the opportunity to work on this case. He stood to lose too much and he knew that solving the case would bring him some closure. “Is there anything I can’t handle?” he said sarcastically, demeaning the seriousness of the situation.
“Just making sure,” Agent Wolfe said with a slight laugh.
Shawn then walked out of the office and into the busy hallway buzzing with agents and other personnel ready to start their Monday. Using his thumb to flip through the pages in the file, Shawn familiarized himself with a few new faces he hadn’t originally researched as he shuffled around people walking past him.
When he was halfway through glancing at the pages in the file, Shawn stopped short. “What are the odds,” he said surprisingly as he studied the beautiful brown eyes of the woman who’d been sneaking into his thoughts way too frequently.
“Cydney Rayne, Elite Events, Incorporated. Lead planner for the appreciation series of events,” Shawn said aloud as he read the headline on the page. “Damn.” Yes, he was anxious to see her and continue what they’d started in the closet, but he didn’t mix business with pleasure. When it came to his work, nothing and no one stood in his way, and he couldn’t afford to compromise this case.
Shawn had a reputation as being one of the best undercover special agents in the bureau. A lot of agents were surprised to learn he ultimately wanted to leave the FBI and start his own company. But those who knew his story weren’t surprised by his decision at all. For the past few years he’d tried to avoid coming back to Chicago, the second city he was assigned to when he joined the FBI. But a few months ago, he’d known he had to return and finish what he’d started. It was a miracle he even got on this case in the first place. Agent Wolfe was more than his supervisor. He was more like family. Shawn hadn’t had the pleasure of knowing his biological parents and although he had great guardians, Agent Wolfe had been key in his development from boy to man. Agent Wolfe knew what Shawn stood to lose if he didn’t solve the case, and since he cared about him, Agent Wolfe had appointed Shawn as the undercover agent despite the personal conflict. But Shawn wasn’t too sure how Agent Wolfe would react if he knew about his relationship with Cydney.
“Miss Rayne, Miss Rayne. It seems I have a bigger issue than I thought,” Shawn said as he continued to stare intently at her picture. Since their relationship had been purely physical, he hadn’t told her what he did for a living. He would have given her a fake job, anyway, but that would have further complicated the situation, so he was glad that he had kept his mouth shut. Cydney wouldn’t like the fact that she would be working so closely with him, so she’d probably maintain her distance. At least that was what Shawn was hoping would be the case. He had a feeling that Cydney could be unpredictable at times and that could definitely pose a problem.
He looked from her eyes to her lips as he studied her picture one last time. For his sake, he hoped she would decide to keep her distance because if she didn’t, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to resist her.
“Stay focused,” he said to himself as he tried to reinforce his thoughts before leaving her page to finish scanning the rest of the documents in the file.
* * *
Cyd chanted Beyoncé’s recent hit as she poured herself a cup of coffee and waited for her partners to arrive to the conference room. The song had been playing in her head all weekend and she was feeling good. Even better than good—she was feeling great. She wanted to ignore the fact that Shawn was the cause of her happiness, but she couldn’t. The man had sexed her in a much needed way and she’d been on a high ever since.
After adding the perfect amount of cream and sugar to her coffee, she took a sip and savored the bitter yet sweet taste. She walked to a nearby window to enjoy the brilliant colors of the fall leaves, taking two more sips of the warm deliciousness. Each taste was better than the last.
“Hmm,” she said aloud, not noticing that her partners had walked into the conference room. “Amazing.”
“Okay,” her sister Imani said, disrupting her enjoyable moment. “Who are you and what have you done with the real Cydney Rayne?”
“Very funny,” Cyd replied. “I haven’t been that bad.”
Imani looked at Mya and Lex before turning her head back to Cyd. “You’re joking, right? Do you even remember how you’ve been acting lately?”
“Well, let us remind you,” Lex chimed in. “You’ve been tense over the past few months even though you’ve tried to hide it behind your usual sarcasm. To make matters worse, you missed the bridesmaids’ group dance and the maid-of-honor toast on Imani’s wedding day.”
Whoops! Cyd had definitely forgotten about those last couple details. “Hey, I gave my maid-of-honor toast.”
“Yeah, about thirty minutes late!” Mya replied. “And you disappeared for almost an hour. We couldn’t find you anywhere.”
“So true,” Imani added. “Even though I refused to get upset on the most important day of my life, I honestly can’t believe you pulled a stunt like that on my wedding day.”
Cyd dropped her head backward and stared at the ceiling. She was slightly irritated that she was receiving the third degree, although part of her knew she deserved it. As she twisted her head to crack her neck, she immediately thought about Shawn placing soft kisses along her collarbone. She could still visualize every single moment of their sexual escapade in the closet.
“And you have the nerve to be smiling right now,” Imani said, interrupting her thoughts. “Oh, man, you are so lucky that I leave for my honeymoon in a few days because I could strangle you! But I refuse to get arrested and miss my vacation with my new husband!”
“Sorry,” Cyd said as she sat down at the conference table and thought about how her sister must feel. “If it’s any consolation, I have a very good explanation.”
All three women joined her at the table as they waited intently for her to finish.
“We’re listening,” Imani said impatiently when Cyd didn’t jump right in with excuses. Cyd had planned on telling them about Shawn, but she was hoping they would be a little less tense if she waited until Monday. Times like this made working with her sister, cousin and friend really complicated. They were a large part of one another’s lives and were also founders of a very successful business. Although she loved them dearly, sometimes she wished she could have a day or two to relax and take a step back from the family and business chaos. Luckily, a series of upcoming events would help her do just that.
Taking a deep breath, Cyd put on her big-girl pants and prepared to explain what happened.
“Do you guys remember meeting Shawn at the wedding?”
“Daman’s friend?” Imani asked.
“Yes,” Cyd replied as she watched each of her partner’s eyes open wide with interest. “Well, something happened between us during the wedding.”
“And what exactly might that be?” Mya inquired.
Cyd scrunched her nose as she thought about the right way to tell them. Slightly closing her eyes, she chose to be blunt about it. “We sneaked off to the grand walk-in closet in the foyer...and had sex.” There, she’d said it.
As she fully opened her eyes, she laughed when she noticed all three women had their mouths hanging open.
Imani was the first to speak. “You mean to tell me that while I was wondering why on earth my sister and maid of honor had missed our group dance and the time for her speech, you were getting freaky in a closet?”
“Um...yes,” Cyd said a little unknowingly, since she couldn’t tell if her sister’s high-pitched squeal and the fact that she was now standing was a good or bad thing.
