Intoxicated / Sin City Seduction

Accepting a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, James watched as Laina’s companion gave her a quick hug and moved on. Laina sipped her drink, turning her back on him to take in the blazing sunset over the ocean—which was beautiful, but nothing compared to her. Finally James could allow his eyes to rove freely over her body. She was wearing a shimmery pale yellow sheath dress that just skimmed the tops of her knees, displaying her firm ass to perfection. Spaghetti straps crossed at her back, where the fabric plunged down to the indentation of her spine at her waist. He felt a bolt of heat shoot through his groin. He could imagine running his hands up that back, under the straps, slowly pushing them down…he could practically feel her satiny skin against his. She turned toward him again, and he stole a glance at her face. There was that beautiful mouth, those huge brown eyes under delicately arched brows, that cascade of chestnut hair that he longed to wrap his hands in, claiming her as his for the night. Or perhaps even the week—a quick, sex-fueled fantasy in paradise that would dissipate for both of them with their return to reality in seven days. Then James would go home to his freedom with his goal accomplished. Perfect.

It was time to strategize.

Since she didn’t know who she was looking for, James still had the element of surprise on his side—which meant he had to wait for just the right moment to strike. A moment that would bind them together in not only her eyes, but the guests’, as well.

Through the crowd, he saw an underdressed man with a hipster haircut spot Laina and start making his way toward her, pulling his overly buxom date along behind him. When Laina spotted him, her face told James everything he needed to know.

This was his chance.

Moving along the edge of the crowd, he sidled up behind Laina and slid an arm around her waist. She turned to him with raised eyebrows, her mouth an O of surprise.

“Babe, I’m so sorry. That took forever,” he said with a bright smile, holding her tightly. This close, he could smell the vanilla scent of her perfume. Just the curve of her waist under his hand made his libido rage. He switched his gaze to the couple. “Warning—if you need to go to the bathroom, leave a trail of bread crumbs behind you. That boat is like a maze! I don’t think we’ve met. I’m James Ellison,” he said, sticking his hand out to the couple.

The woman took it first, giving him a name he immediately forgot, and then after a heavy pause the man followed suit. “Ward Harris,” he said with a curt nod.

“A pleasure.” Keeping his smile on high-voltage, James turned toward Laina and circled his other arm around her, and then he reached up to stroke her hair. It was as soft as he’d imagined, taking his mind to thoughts of it trailing down his torso toward his cock. As her eyes met his, he felt another electric bolt to his groin. In his arms she felt amazing, firm and taut. And furious, like a cobra waiting to strike.

“I missed you,” he said in a voice just loud enough for the couple to hear. “Ten minutes away from you…how is that even possible? I swear to God, I am the luckiest man on earth.” He tipped her chin up toward his face and gazed into her eyes. “You. Are. So. Beautiful.”

“Um…” she stammered, “thanks.” Her cheeks were burning hot, but he could tell she was enjoying this. And was it his imagination, or was her body relaxing slightly in his arms? In any case, hipster dude looked like he wanted to kill—perfect. Mission accomplished. Even though he knew he should pull away from her now and sweep her toward the boat as a final touch, leaving the guy fuming in their wake, he didn’t want to stop touching her. But he had to do something before his barely restrained cock made her think he was some goddamned pervert. He stepped away from her slightly to put the brakes on his arousal, but then she surprised him by yanking him back toward her.

“We should really get on the boat, darling,” she said, finally falling into the role. “I can’t wait to see what the staterooms look like.” She nodded at the couple. “Have a wonderful evening.” James released his grip on her, but not before her hand slid down to give his rear end a playful squeeze. Then she took his hand and pulled him down the gangway into the yacht.

“What the fuck?” Laina sputtered at him the second they were on the boat, ripping her hand out of his. Her question was directed at the man who’d just manhandled her in front of her ex—the same guy she’d blown a fuse at on the cliff, no less—but it might have been directed at herself. Her entire body had gone to mush the second his arm had gone around her. After she got over the initial shock of both who he was and what he was doing, all she’d been able to think was that she wanted more of him. Considering both of her encounters with the man, it made absolutely zero sense. And of course the whole thing had been nothing but a role play anyway.

He was looking at her with that teasing grin again. “Listen, do you think we could talk somewhere a little more private?” he said in a loud whisper. “You’re going to blow our cover.” Without giving her a chance to answer, he took her arm and steered her toward a bathroom.

Laina had been so distracted that she’d barely had time to glance around, but as they cruised through the saloon, she had a moment to absorb her surroundings.

She’d seen plenty of luxury in her life, but she’d never been on a boat like this before. This room alone was as big as her entire Castleberry Hill condo back in Atlanta, and everything about it screamed opulence. The room was circular, laid with blond wood flooring. The furniture was all white leather and sparkling glass. Tuxedoed staff circulated among the guests with platters of gourmet appetizers. The stern side of the saloon opened onto a huge deck, where guests were lounging on outdoor beds or streaming toward the bar, which was framed in billowing fabric that fluttered in the wind. Above the bar was a silver sign with Kiki and Dev spelled out in pink lights. Laina took a quick glance around for the happy couple, not wanting to miss their entrance—she hadn’t even talked to Kiki since she’d arrived on Moretta—but they were nowhere to be seen.

“In here,” James said, pushing her gently through the bathroom door and shutting it behind him. She took in the large room quickly—polished ebony vanity, ornate gold mirror over a waterfall sink and a chaise longue sitting alongside a table displaying every toiletry imaginable. The word head just didn’t seem right for luxury like this.

Laina crossed her arms over her chest and fixed her eyes on his. “Really nice way to introduce yourself,” she said testily. “You might have told me who you were today when you had the chance.”

“Chance? Is that what you call that nanosecond between telling me to get the hell off your cliff and dressing me down for taking photos on it?”

“Well, excuse me!” she said, throwing her hands up. “You could have, I don’t know, gotten in touch with me afterward—”

“Exactly how? You wouldn’t let Kiki give me your number, remember?”

“—or at least introduced yourself like a normal person just now, instead of…pawing me in front of my ex—” She was advancing on him now, hands waving wildly, but he wasn’t budging.

“Aha! So it was him—I knew it!” He gave a self-satisfied grin.

She finally stopped in front of him, her toes inches from his. She could smell his aftershave now, woodsy, intoxicating…a smell that had her imagination going to places beneath his clothing. And the way he looked in his khaki pants and white linen shirt, sleeves rolled up to reveal muscular forearms…his eyes on her, those lips she longed to kiss—good God. Okay, so the guy was hot, but that was no excuse for such inappropriate thoughts. What was wrong with her?

“We put on a great show. Isn’t that what you wanted?” he continued. “He bought every word. Not that I didn’t mean them, by the way.”

Laina felt a flush that moved all the way from her toes up to her hair…and she could tell he was enjoying her discomfort. Shit, but he was unnerving. Men didn’t call her beautiful without an ulterior motive, and Laina was certain there was no way James could have one—she’d been too careful to hide her true identity. “Still,” she said, softening a bit. “That didn’t mean you had to get all handsy with me.”

James lifted a hand to his chin, as if he were pondering her words. “Hmm. Okay, so what you wanted was a ‘boyfriend’—” he added air quotes “—who politely stood at your side without touching you. Who made small talk with your ex instead of showering you with the attention you deserve.” He shook his head. “Maybe you need to raise your standards a bit, Ms. Rose.”

Laina could feel her face tighten with fury, and it wasn’t because he was wrong; what did she know about choosing a man? She’d almost married a guy who’d let her pay all the bills and then cheated on her. All she’d cared about was that he didn’t seem to care about her family fortune, unlike every other man she dated. She knew she had to hold out for more than that—but she wasn’t about to admit that to the person who’d just called her out on it. “You don’t know the first thing about me—or my standards,” she retorted hotly.

He stepped a little closer to her, removing the last inch of space between them. She could feel his shoes touching the tips of her toes, the heat radiating off his body. “Maybe not, but I’d sure like to.” His gaze was steady on her face, his lips within reach of hers. Her stomach flopped over. Did she want him to kiss her? What would she do if he did—pull away or kiss him back?

It depended on whether she listened to her brain or her body.

Do it, she thought. I dare you.

Just then, she heard a roar go up from the crowd outside; Kiki and Dev must have arrived. Reaching his arm past her, James put his hand on the doorknob. “That must be the happy couple. Enjoy your evening, Ms. Rose.”

And then he was gone.

CHAPTER FOUR

JAMES STOOD AT the edge of the saloon, trading how-do-you-know-the-bride-or-groom stories with a circle of guests. But his mind wasn’t on his cousin and her famous fiancé—it was on her.

He hadn’t made the progress that he’d hoped to so far, but if he knew anything about women, he knew that to a certain type, unavailability was the ultimate aphrodisiac. And judging by his interactions with Laina so far, she was that type. All he had to do was bide his time circulating among the crowd and avoiding eye contact with her, perhaps engage in some mild flirtation with another woman when he knew she was watching, and bang—before he knew it she’d be stammering an apology, shortly after which she’d be heading for his bed. It was a no-brainer…so why was he feeling reticent?

Because she’d already had her heart busted by some asshole. Or because he could tell she wasn’t a one-nighter kind of girl…in fact, judging by her refusal to play games and her discomfort with his flirting, she probably didn’t have much experience in that department at all.

The problem was that that made her all the more appealing. When he thought about the things he could teach her and the pleasure he could give her, it was enough to pump lust through every cell of his body. In fact, just the thought of it—

“Cuz!”

James turned to see Kiki rushing toward him. She was wearing a body-hugging fuchsia number that ended at her slender ankles, a cascading diamond pendant and the biggest smile he’d ever seen. “You look gorgeous.” He grinned, giving her a quick hug.

“Not bad yourself,” Kiki said. She stepped a little closer and lowered her voice. “So have you met Laina yet? Has Ward seen you together?”

“I did. He has.”

“And…?” she asked impatiently. “What did you think?”

“Bad haircut. And wearing jeans to an affair like this? Tasteless. Laina was smart to get out when she could.”

“Not him, dimwit—her!”

“Oh, her. Well…” He shook his head. “Does it really matter? No first moves, right?”

“Right. But if I know you…”

“Maybe I’m not as bad as you think. Has that ever occurred to you?”

“Yes, you are,” Kiki said. “And whatever happens this week, do not hurt her. I’ll break your fucking face if you do.”

Kiki scowled at him as Dev came up behind her. James watched as he slid a hand up Kiki’s front, stopping just shy of her breast. James had met Dev a few times, and watching him and Kiki together, he hadn’t been able to suppress the odd stab of envy. The couple had been together for two years, and it was obvious the heat between them was as searing as anything James had experienced during a one-nighter. To think that some people could sustain that kind of passion was both heartening and depressing, because James couldn’t imagine finding any woman who brought that out in him.

“Hey, man.” Dev stepped forward to give James a quick embrace, but not before landing a kiss on the back of Kiki’s neck.

“Hey.” James grinned, clapping Dev on the back. “Congratulations, my man. You’ve landed the sweetest girl in the western hemisphere.” He shook his head at Kiki affectionately. “I hear a vodka soda calling.”

Yes, getting some air would be good. He walked out to the deck and stepped up to the bar, scanning the crowd for her face, but she was nowhere to be seen. The boat was a good distance from Moretta by now, cruising at a comfortable speed past a few smaller islands that looked straight out of Cast Away. The entire boat had been strung with white lights, lighting up its frame to a magical effect. With the sun having dropped behind the horizon, leaving behind an indigo sky and a crescent of moon, the setting was pure romance.

James accepted his drink and turned away from the bar—and came face-to-face with Laina. Her eyes widened slightly before she spun on her heel. That’s when James noticed she had company; standing beside her was a man with thinning hair who gave him a challenging look and then hurried after her like a puppy dog. What was that all about? James wondered, and then he remembered that he and Laina were supposed to be together. The guy had probably had his eye on her on the pier and seen them embracing, and now that she was giving James the cold shoulder he considered her fair game.

Which she was, of course, because she obviously wanted nothing to do with him. Clearly he had been wrong—Laina Rose was not going to apologize to him and then beg him to drag her off to his bed.

He sighed and went after her, pushing past the man in hot pursuit. “Listen,” he said when he reached her, touching her lightly on the arm. “Can we start over?”

She stopped walking and faced him as the man caught up to them. He stood looking at the couple uncertainly until Laina gave him a smile. “Would you excuse us for a minute?”

The man shrugged and left them reluctantly.

“Thank you,” James said. He smiled at her. “I’m James Ellison. Pleased to meet you.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, clearly still annoyed with him. “The pleasure’s mine,” she said with touch of sarcasm.

“Let’s get to know each other. What’s your favorite color? Mine was blue until about an hour ago. Now I think it’s yellow,” he said, letting his eyes drop to her dress.

There it was, that blush again as her eyes flitted away. He may have gotten a few things about her wrong, but he would put money on her inexperience. Which equaled the very best kind of sex—the type where he was completely in control, where she would discover exactly how much pleasure her body could give her through his touch.

Anticipation burned hotly in his groin. He couldn’t wait to hear her moan when he slid his hard cock into her…but not before he teased her nipples and licked her sweet clit until she came, burying her hands in his hair as she pressed his mouth into the best climax of her life. It was going to be amazing.

But of course he had to get her there first, and she wasn’t an easy one to reel in. He was formulating his next move when she suddenly stepped toward him and put her arms around him, and then brought her mouth up to his for a passionate kiss.

What am I doing? Laina’s brain screamed at her as James’s mouth yielded to hers. She never did things this impulsive, but it was all because of Ward. When she’d seen him looking at her across the deck, she’d remembered exactly what James was supposed to be there for and decided to take advantage of it.

But wasn’t that just an excuse to kiss him? Hadn’t she been sorely disappointed that he hadn’t done it when he’d had the chance earlier? And didn’t she want him more than she’d ever thought it was possible to want anyone?

This was no time for self-analysis. All she cared about right now was the feel of his lips; as they parted and his tongue met hers, her knees went weak. She kissed him back urgently, wanting more and more…it was insanity. She could feel her nipples hardening, wetness between her legs—she wanted him to fuck her, she realized. Not make love to her; for the first time in her life, she wanted to be fucked. She wanted nothing to matter but the connection of their two bodies, the heat of the moment…the thing she’d heard friends talk about but had never experienced for herself.

And he wanted her too. His hands were on her ass, pulling her hard against his groin. As their lips finally broke apart and they looked at each other breathlessly, she could feel him at her waist—long, thick, hard, and just for her.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since the moment I saw you on that cliff,” James said in a thick voice. “God, I wish we could get off this boat.”

She looked at him coyly. “Who says we have to?”

The sight of his surprised face gave her a bolt of satisfaction. He wasn’t expecting that from her, either, and for once in her life she was being a little bit wild. For the first time ever, it occurred to her maybe she’d been boring in bed because the men she’d been with had bored her.

She was about to find out.

CHAPTER FIVE

THANKFULLY, THE STATEROOM they chose had a lock on the door. Sneaking in together while making sure no one saw them, James could tell Laina was having second thoughts.

“Feels like we’re in high school, doesn’t it?” he said with a laugh, and she gave him a quick grin. Shutting the door behind them, he took a look around. Since this was a rental yacht, he didn’t have to feel bad about invading anyone’s private space—this stateroom was like any hotel room, if you could ignore the luxury of it all. The all-white, king-size bed was lit by overhead lights reminiscent of stars, and beyond it a massive window afforded a view of the passing islands in the near-darkness. Outside, he could hear music mingled with the noise and laughter of the party guests, heightening his already intense anticipation. He loved the idea of bedding the hottest woman at the party with a boatful of people—including her dick of an ex—mere feet away.

James took Laina’s hand and led her to the bed. She sat down, smoothing her hands over the duvet cover. Then she picked up a small vase beside the bed, which contained a single lavender-colored rose, and inhaled its scent. “My favorite flower,” she said, placing it down again. Her voice sounded nervous. “Whoever owns this yacht must have some serious clout, because they’re impossible to get on this island.” She glanced at him. “And I’m rambling.”

He ran the back of his hand up her arm. “You’re in charge, okay?”

She nodded, and then she suddenly leaned forward and reached for his shirt buttons. God, this woman was as unpredictable as she was beautiful. In a million years he couldn’t have foreseen that first kiss on the deck. It had been even better than he had imagined, firing intense heat straight to his cock. Now that familiar pleasant ache in his balls was getting more urgent. He knew he had to take it slowly, but she was moving so fast; was it because she was nervous, or could he be wrong about her inexperience? He had to find out. Not once had he put a woman into a position where there could be potential for regret on her side, and he wasn’t about to start now.

James caught her hands in his. “God knows I want you,” he said, meeting her eyes. “But are you sure about this?”

Laina looked shocked. “Yes! I mean, I’ve never really felt…” She shook her head. “I want this. And I know a lot of women want you, but that’s okay—I’m a big girl. I know what I’m getting into.”

He grinned at her. “You’ve never done this before.”

“I was engaged! You don’t think—”

“No, I mean this fast. You’re not in the habit of having casual sex.”

She shook her head. “Whatever you want to call it—no. I’ve never, um, exactly had a raging libido before.”

He pushed her hair back with two hands, gazing into those deep, dark eyes. “Maybe that’s just because you haven’t been with the right man.”

“But you are. The right man—for this, I mean. I don’t expect—”

“It’s okay,” he said, stopping her chatter with a kiss. “You don’t have to say anything.” He hooked a finger around a spaghetti strap, trying to rein in the charging need that was pounding through his body. He’d been with inexperienced women before, but there was something about this one that was messing with his process. He wanted to rip her dress off, ravage that beautiful silky skin and satisfy his aching need like an animal in heat. But he owed it to her to take this slowly, no matter what his cock was screaming for.

Sliding his hands to the place where her neck met her shoulders, James brought his mouth down on hers. Laina opened to him, her tongue sliding against his with increasing urgency as he nudged her dress down to her waist. Then he drew back to look at her.

No bra. And so beautiful, two perfect breasts crowned with nipples that strained toward him hungrily.

His cock surged in his pants. “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” he said, spiraling a fingertip around one areola. She arched backward and he took her in his mouth, flicking his tongue across her nipple.

“More,” she gasped.

“So much more, don’t you worry,” he assured her, bringing his mouth back to hers to bite her lips gently. “Tell me what you want me to do to you,” he whispered into her mouth. “Tell me what makes you come—I want to make you come harder than you ever have.”

“I…whatever you want,” Laina said, reaching for his shirt buttons again. James could see that her hands were trembling slightly as she unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off. She gazed at him with big eyes, her pupils dilated. “Look at you,” she breathed.

“I’d much rather look at you,” James growled. “Among other things.” Reaching under her dress, he found the lacy edge of her panties. He moved his hand in a slow circle over the thin fabric, palming her pussy. Her breath hitched as she pressed his hand tighter to her. Moving her panties aside under her grip, he found her wetness and drew it up to circle her clit. She let out a long moan, the sweetest music to his ears.

“Oh, God—”

Sliding two fingers inside her, James groaned himself. She was incredibly tight and wet, perfectly ready for his hard cock. He moved his fingers in and out, picking up speed as her eyes went hazy. “Please,” she whimpered, lying herself flat on the bed as he swirled his fingertips around her swollen clit again. “Now…please.”

He could barely take it anymore, but he had to. The most explosive rewards came with the longest tension—for both of them. “I haven’t even seen you yet,” he said, finally hooking his fingers around her panties and tugging them down. Her dress came next as he pulled it over her head. She looked up at him with those huge brown eyes, utterly beautiful and completely naked besides the delicate silver necklace at her throat. “You are amazing,” he said hoarsely. Keeping his own pants on, he laid on top of her. “Feel that,” he whispered to her. “That’s how much I want you. Do you know how good that’s going to feel inside you?”