Storm bound, p.1
Storm Bound,
p.1
Storm Bound
A CABIN FEVER NOVELLA
ALICE GAINES
Dedication
For Ellen. Thanks for all the yummy lunches.
Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
An Excerpt from Mating Season
Chapter One
About the Author
Also by Alice Gaines
An Excerpt from Circle of Danger by Carla Swafford
Chapter One
An Excerpt from Heat Rises by Alice Gaines
Chapter One
An Excerpt from Somebody Like You by Candis Terry
Chapter One
Chapter Two
An Excerpt from A Most Naked Solution by Anna Randol
Chapter One
Copyright
About the Publisher
Chapter One
CHRISTIE LOVEJOY STARED glumly at the image of the natural disaster that was going to ruin her sex life. Thanks to the resort’s Wi-Fi, she could sit on the terrace in sun-drenched paradise and follow the approaching weather patterns on her laptop. A certain bastard named Fred was building to a fierce tropical storm. He’d soon become a hurricane and come crashing over Santa Inez Island. Her guests—the potential clients she’d lured here so they could send huge amounts of business to her company’s latest project—would have to evacuate or be stuck here for several days.
The phrases “her sex life” and “potential clients” didn’t belong anywhere near each other, of course. Very bad business practice. But her libido was getting ready to make an exception for these two. Instead of middle-aged men with wedding rings and more paunch than hair, fate had sent her two fine male specimens. They’d arrived to spend three days with her in almost total isolation in one of the most romantic locations on Earth. Sunny days and balmy nights with no one else to distract them. That was until Fred had decided to crash the party.
Not far from her table, Wolf Martin and Jon Carlson were engaged in a game of one-on-one basketball. Most people, when offered miles of pristine beaches and warm breezes, would stretch out under an umbrella and read a book or doze off. These two swam—hard—racing each other with firm strokes. When Wolf won that, Jon challenged him to hoops, which they entered with the same savage, competitive spirit. You’d think them enemies instead of friends and partners. No matter. All this physical play gave her a view of their bodies in motion, and what a feast for the eyes that was.
Jon used his height advantage to soar over his partner as he approached the net for a dunk. Muscles in his back and shoulders flexed. Not an ounce of extra flesh or unnecessary movement marred his perfection as he arced through the air. Wolf didn’t back down but charged up under him, tangling his arms with Jon’s to block the shot. The two seemed to hang in the air, frozen in time. A work of erotic art Michelangelo could have created if he sculpted with human flesh.
How in hell was she supposed to keep her mind on business with that going on just out of her reach? Watching the two of them in action would send any healthy female’s imagination into overdrive. Hers had certainly slipped into high gear as she imagined each of them as her lover.
Jon would feel smooth under her palms as she eased her hands down his back to his buttocks, feeling the muscles work as they coupled. He’d go slowly at first. Exploring. And then faster as they became more and more aroused until they came, clutching at each other.
Or she’d have Wolf. All animal, that one, right down to his name. He’d appeared almost tame in his business suit. Now he looked as if he could burst out of his swim trunks and snug t-shirt. Where Jon floated gracefully, Wolf charged. He’d be the same in the sack. No nonsense. Just the sort of fast, hard fuck that could overpower his lover with orgasm after orgasm.
Damn it all. She shouldn’t become this excited just watching two men playing basketball, no matter how attractive. She especially shouldn’t put herself into a position where she could embarrass herself over potential business partners. She should be pointing out the assets of the resort and how it made a perfect location for their trademark adventure and sensuality tours. Yet, here she sat with her heart racing and her pussy muscles clenching in hopes of finding hard male flesh to fill her. Maybe Tropical Storm Fred would do her a favor, after all, and get the two of them away from her before she disgraced herself completely.
“No points for that. You fouled me,” Wolf said. The streaks of gray at his temples gave him a salt-and-pepper coloring, much like the fur of a silver wolf. With angular features and piercing blue eyes, he had an air of danger to him. Definitely predatory but in a way that made the prey want to be captured.
“Bullshit,” Jon answered. “You’re playing out of your league.”
Jon stood a few inches taller than Wolf and used his height to his advantage. He went right up to his partner, staring down at him. His long fingers allowed him to hold the ball in one hand. A caress of sorts, the way he might palm her breast.
“We’ll ask Christie.” Wolf turned toward her. “Did he foul me or not?”
“Hm?” She shook the forbidden images out of her head. “Sorry. I wasn’t watching.”
That wasn’t exactly a lie. She hadn’t taken her eyes off either of them since they’d stepped out of the hotel wearing their swim trunks. But as closely as she’d scrutinized their every movement, she hadn’t paid any attention to the ball or followed the rules of the game. She’d been too busy fantasizing about finding herself trapped between them while four hands roamed over her, unclasping her bra and cupping her breasts, or strong fingers dipping into her panties to find her wet and ready.
“See?” Jon said. “She agrees with me.”
“Grow up, will you?” Wolf loped over to her table, picked up a bottle of water, and took a long drink. This close, she could almost feel heat rolling off him. Probably just a breeze warmed by the sun, but it carried some kind of pheromone that sent a primitive signal to her brain. Male.
“I’m sorry my partner is behaving so unprofessionally,” he said.
“Not a problem. We want you two to experience the resort the way your customers will,” she said.
Wolf tugged his t-shirt over his head and used it to wipe away a sheen of sweat. One drop remained, trickling slowly down the center of his torso toward his trunks. It would probably taste like the salt from the edge of a margarita if she had the guts to lean over and lick it away. She didn’t, though. Neither did she let her gaze drift downward into more dangerous territory. She’d tried that maneuver with both of them earlier and luckily hadn’t been noticed. She couldn’t stay lucky forever.
When she glanced back up, she met an assessing stare from Wolf. If he hadn’t read her mind, his own thoughts were traveling in the same direction. Both of the men had been sending signals since they’d arrived the afternoon before. Much of their masculine display seemed calculated to win her favor, the way male animals vied for mates in the wild. She’d dated as much as the next woman and had taken her share of lovers over the years. She’d never had two men in competition for her before.
The knowledge made her lightheaded. She only had to let them fight for her favors and decide which one to accept and under what terms. Or, she would have had to—if the tropical storm had chosen some other place to make landfall.
“We’ve been enjoying ourselves,” Wolf said. “That doesn’t excuse my partner’s foul language.”
Jon stopped dribbling, tucked the ball under his arm, and yelled, “Sanctimonious prick.”
“Asshole.” Wolf turned and flung his t-shirt in the general direction of his partner.
Christie had to laugh. “I thought you two were friends.”
“We are.” Wolf pulled out a chair and sat across from her. “We close ranks in negotiations.”
“I hope to experience that for myself soon.”
One eyebrow went up. “The resort?”
“Of course.”
“Because, um . . .” He leaned closer, his blue gaze meeting hers. “There’s something else the two of us can negotiate alone.”
There it was. The opening volley. She’d give him an answer that indicated her interest, and they’d work out the details. Her heart fluttered in her chest. Until she remembered that damnable Fred.
Before she had a chance to respond, Jon joined them. Well over six feet tall and with sandy hair and bronzed skin, he might have been a sun god. Even the soft brown of his eyes appeared golden in the right light. Right now, those eyes were trained on her breasts, and when he finally looked into her face, he sent the same message silently that his partner had put into words. He wanted her. Oh sweet Lord.
“So what’s on for this evening?” Jon asked. It might have sounded innocent except for the light of sexual interest in his gaze.
“Nothing, I’m afraid.” She turned the laptop toward them. “There’s a hurricane on its way. We have to evacuate.”
“Evacuate?” Wolf glanced up at Jon and then back to her. “I thought this resort was hurricane-proof.”
“We are, except for the most extreme. This won’t cause much damage, if any.” She’d already filled them in on the details of the resort. The hotel sat high
“If everything’s going to be fine, why should we leave?” Jon asked. “Isn’t that one of the appeals of Santa Inez—that a customer could witness a storm in the tropics without giving up the good life?”
“If they have the time to get stuck here. That’s also a selling point—they can extend their vacation at our expense,” she said.
“So, you’re saying if we don’t leave now, we might have to stay longer than we’d planned,” Wolf said.
“We’ll be fine, but the surrounding area won’t. Every available boat will join in search and rescue,” she said. “The airport will probably shut down.”
“How long?” Jon asked.
“There’s no way of knowing.” She shrugged. “Fred might fizzle out, or he might get stronger. Everything might get back to normal in a day or two, or it could take more like a week.”
“I see.” Jon ran his fingers through his hair. “I have contract negotiations in New York on Wednesday.”
“And I’m meeting with Komura the day after that.” Wolf sighed. “We need his business.”
Well, there went the last hope. They could make a rationale for remaining here: if their company was to guarantee a tropical island trip during hurricane season, they’d need to know that the resort lived up to its billing for safe and comfortable accommodations. But they couldn’t stay if it meant as much as a week away from their business.
These two executives probably never stayed in one place for more than a few days at a time. They couldn’t afford to get stuck somewhere with no idea of when they could get out. Fred had, indeed, ruined her chances at every woman’s hottest dream.
“When do we have to leave?” Wolf asked.
“The ferry will be here in about an hour,” she answered. “My skeleton crew left on the morning run.”
“That’s that, then.” Wolf placed his palms on the tabletop and rose. “I’ll go pack.”
“Me, too,” Jon said, although he didn’t move from the spot.
Wolf headed toward the main building. A few yards away, he stopped and turned back. “Are you coming?”
“Sure. Just a second,” Jon called.
Wolf hesitated before resuming his path and disappearing inside.
Still Jon didn’t walk away but stared at her a bit longer. “Too bad.”
“I’m sorry you couldn’t stay longer.” Make that “we” couldn’t stay longer. She’d have to evacuate, too.
“I’ll see you in New York?”
“If my company wants me to negotiate the deal.” She didn’t normally serve in that capacity, though. In any case, things would be different in a big city with its distractions. They wouldn’t have the same sexual charge in the air every minute of the day. Even if the two of them came back to the resort after it opened, they’d be surrounded by crowds and she’d have her hands full taking care of guests. Sometimes life gave, and sometimes it took away. This time sure sucked.
“Guess I’d better go, too,” he said finally.
“I’ll let you know when the ferry arrives.”
WHEN THE TIME came, Christie had to use every ounce of willpower to make her feet take her to the dock. As she descended the steps that led to the ocean, she passed the plantings the gardeners had so carefully arranged to look haphazard, wondering how roughly Fred would treat them. Most weren’t native to the island but had been chosen for their ability to thrive in ocean breezes, and sunlight filtered through the palms overhead. The tiny pink orchid flowers had just begun to open. Would they be here when she came back?
It was stupid, really, to worry about things here. The whole sales pitch about safety and security had facts to back it up. Still, she’d so much rather stay and see for herself. Tomorrow she could check on things if she remained. More important, she could explore her sexual opportunities with Wolf and Jon if they remained with her.
When she arrived at the beach, she stepped onto the dock and walked to the end where the ferry would stop. Sighing, she set her few bags down and waited for her “rescue.” The ferry wasn’t far away, and now it puttered closer and closer. She really ought to go back up and collect her guests. Though the first clouds hadn’t appeared yet, the storm was bearing down on them. They didn’t have much time to get to the airport and get a flight out.
Captain Joe stood at the helm of the small vessel. When he got to the dock, he tossed her a line, which she tied around a piling. With no more than a dozen seats on benches, the boat hardly qualified as a ferry. No one occupied them now. He’d come for only Jon Carlson, Wolf Martin, and her.
Captain Joe smiled at her and then glanced behind her. “Where are the rest of the passengers?”
“At the hotel. Finishing packing.” That wasn’t true. They’d probably finished long ago. She just hadn’t told them the ferry had arrived. Why did this have to be so damned hard?
“They’d best hurry. I have to get my boat back and stowed before the storm hits.”
“Uh, yeah,” she said.
“Christie? Is everything okay?”
Christie could not make herself answer. The memories crashed through her mind, tumbling over each other. Her first glimpse of the two businessmen, dressed in suits as if they had to impress her. They hadn’t needed to dress formally to do that, but the elegant cut of their clothing had emphasized their lofty positions on the corporate food chain. An easy exercise of power, a pure aphrodisiac. Then, they’d turned into beach bums, endearingly boyish.
Oh hell, all that was nice, but the sizzling glances sealed the deal. Jon’s easy, knowing smiles. Wolf’s suggestion that they open personal negotiations. Every cell in her body knew by instinct that she could have one or both of them. Every primitive part of her brain promised to punish her for months, if not years, with fantasies of what could have been if she let them go now. Only the tiny part of her mind called “rational” or “conscience” told her to let them go. The “want” and “must have” parts could squash rationality and doing the right thing like a bug. In fact, they did.
Squish. Dead.
She might as well face facts. She wasn’t letting Jon and Wolf off this island until she’d explored every inch of their bodies or died trying.
“Christie?” Captain Joe rubbed his chin in puzzlement. “Talk to me.”
“Right.” She smiled, returning his gaze as innocently as possible. “What I meant to say is I’m sorry you came all the way out here for no reason.”
“I always come out here at this time of day.”
“Of course, but you must have preparations to make before the storm closes in.”
He continued to study her as if she wasn’t making any sense. Maybe she wasn’t, but one way or another, she had to get him to turn his ferry around and leave before one of the men realized their escape from getting trapped here had arrived.
“There’s still some time to get back to the mainland ahead of the storm,” the captain said. “But I don’t know when I’ll get back out here.”
“Good, you go on. The two executives have sent for their own boat,” she said.
“They have a boat?”
“Their company does. You know how these business types are. They like their luxury.”
“You’re sure?” Captain Joe rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t see anyone.”
“Absolutely sure. It should be here in half an hour or so.”
“What about you?” he asked.
“I’ll go with them. We’ll be fine. All three of us.” That had all come out too high-pitched and too fast. She didn’t lie often enough to get good at it.
