She needed to feel him, his hardness, the length of him. Closing her fingers around his cock, she tightened, liking how it throbbed in her hand as she stroked him, up and down, and then up along the ridge of him to rub her palm over his cock head. She cradled his balls with her other hand, gently kneading them, and gave a throaty laugh when he dropped his hands from her body as if in supplication, giving her power over him.

  With a quick push, she had his loincloth to his feet, and for the first time he stood completely naked before her. No undone shirt, or bedcovers or darkness hid his body this time. Lana stepped back and let her gaze wander over him. The passion in his eyes was for her, and her heart raced, almost making it hard to breathe. But she didn’t want to look away from him, loving the wide muscular shoulders that gave way to the firm planes of his chest. His tan contrasted with his blond hair. She’d never before been with a man who had such a perfect body and she was awed. Her fingers itched to brush over the hardness of his stomach and follow that delightful ridge on either side of his hips lower to her prize. His cock jutted proudly from his body.

  Lana dropped to her knees, and placed her hands on the knot of scar tissue on his thigh, her lips following with the desire to kiss away any pain he may still have. Inching forward on her knees, she slid her hands higher and slipped her fingers into the soft curls at the base of his cock. Encircling the root she ran her hands along the length of him, squeezing gently at the end. Licking her lips, she pressed the tip of his cock to her mouth. It flexed in her hands as she pushed her lips past the head, flattening her tongue along the underside and flicking it across the thick vein. Grant’s fingers curled around the back of her neck, tightening and releasing as she sucked and drew him more into her mouth.

  His thighs trembled and Lana wrapped her arms around his hips, gripping his firm butt. Grant started a slow and gentle thrust, meeting her when she slipped down farther on his cock. He was large, and she relaxed, wanting to take him as deeply as she could, desperate to give him back the pleasure he’d made sure she’d experienced every other time. This time was for him.

  “Lana, keep that up and...ahh.”

  She swirled her tongue around the tip and rapidly flicked it on his sensitive glans. She felt his ass muscles contract and the quivering in his legs increased. She wanted him to come. His cock thickened in her mouth and she knew it would be soon. Sliding her hand forward, she cradled his balls, liking how they pulled up tight. She let his cock pop out of her mouth and swirled her tongue around, dipping it into the tiny hole at the tip before gobbling him again. She used her other hand to slide up and down the length, alternating with tight squeezes and fast pumps.

  Grant’s breathing became rougher, as did the thrust of his hips. He was all male, animalistic in his response to her, and Lana loved it. Loved that she could have such profound power over a strong and commanding man. He was all hers, in the palm of her hand from the magic of her lips on him. He sucked in a breath and groaned, deep and long. He grasped her hair and it pulled between his fingers, the sharp tug almost pleasurable as her own arousal ramped up in time with his.

  Petals fell from the lei po’o as he got rougher, their sweet scent surrounding them in a sultry tropical world. Lana moaned, working her lips, her tongue, her hands, until he tensed and let out a roar as he came. She held him tight, drawing out his pleasure until he staggered on his feet, his breath coming in great gulps.

  He gently pulled her off him and lifted her up until he had her wrapped in his arms again.

  “You’ll kill me, woman.” Grant pressed a tender kiss to her forehead and Lana sighed.

  “Just giving you sweet payback. Now, how about we take a dip?” she whispered against his neck, warmth and his male scent enveloping her.

  “Your wish is my command.”

  Grant carried her into the pool. Arching ripples ringed out across the pristine surface to roll over the edge into infinity. He let her go and she sank into the water.

  “Oh, this is lovely and cool.” Turning onto her back she floated toward the edge.

  Grant dove under, creating a splash, and a spray of water cascaded over her. He popped up beside her, his hair slicked back, showing his high forehead and strong brow.

  “You’re a mermaid. Look how the moon glistens off your wet skin.” He ran a finger up her belly, between her breasts before touching an engorged nipple where it peeped above the surface.

  A shiver ran through her when he tweaked her nipple, shots of electric fire raced through her blood, zeroing in on her clit. She rolled over and paddled to the edge, hoping, wanting—knowing—he’d follow her.

  She placed her elbows on the edge, marveling how the pool’s boundary hardly seemed as though it was there. The water flowed over the rounded glass side into a trough about three feet down that ran the length of the pool. Looking over, she saw a garden of sorts clinging to the wall, also spanning the length of the trough. Beautiful flowers spilled over as a canopy to a lanai below.

  She smiled, warmth rushing through her body when Grant snuggled up behind her, pinning her to the side of the pool.

  “This is nice.” Lana leaned her head back on Grant’s shoulder.

  “Yes it is. One of my favorite places.”

  She nodded, and then it dawned on her. “One of your favorite places? Do you come here often?”

  “Whenever I get the chance. Sadly, not often enough.” He pressed his lips to the curve of her neck, invoking delightful tremors.

  Lana tipped her head sideways, giving him more access. He ran his tongue up to her ear.

  “W-what do you mean...ahh, Grant.” She blinked, trying to focus, and her fingers grasped his forearms, which had tightened like a band just under her bare breasts.

  He kissed her just behind the ear and murmured. His hands rose and cupped her breasts beneath the water. She moaned as his thumbs swept over her hardened nipples, encouraging them to rise up. Desire filled her at a luxuriously maddening speed. Lana gave up on rational thought. Her body wanted to feel, not think. So she abandoned trying to think and gave in to the feelings racing through her.

  His cock, hard and insistent, bumped against her ass cheeks. She reached behind her, taking him in her hand and sliding up and down his length, slick with the water around them. Grant lowered a hand to inch down her belly, stopping for a moment to play with her belly button before moving lower until his finger pushed on her clitoris for the briefest of seconds. Then his fingers traveled lower, sliding through her folds to find her core. He crooked his fingers and found his way into her, the heel of his hand working in time with his thrusts on her clit.

  She didn’t want to come without his cock in her and held back, even though she was rocketing toward an orgasm.

  “Grant.” She panted and twisted in his arms to face him. She pressed her lips to his cheek. “How can we? Without protection.”

  He cupped her face in his hands and Lana’s heart swelled at the look in his eyes. “I trust you. Trust me. I’ve been tested and alone for a long time.”

  Lana sighed and tightened her arms around him. “Oh, me, too. I’ve stayed on birth control, waiting, hoping to find someone...”

  Grant groaned and claimed her lips in a fierce, demanding kiss. Moments later Lana lifted her head, breathless.

  “I want you in me. I’ve been waiting all day and night to feel your cock stretch me.” Lifting her legs, Lana wrapped around his hips, not at all shy. Reaching between them she guided him until the tip of his cock reached her opening. Their gazes locked, Lana tangled her fists in his hair and pulled his head down to her. The dark passion in his eyes surely matched her own.

  Grant reached for her, his thumbs resting along her chin, his fingers in her hair. His body quaked and it was as if he was coming unleashed. How could he be hard again so quickly? The thought fled as she was overcome with pleasure. He was all that mattered. Grant’s teeth gritted and his brows furrowed, all the while he never looked away from her.

  “Now, Grant. Don’t make me wait—”

  She let out a surprised scream when at last he thrust deep into her, slamming her back against the glass side of the pool. He still held her between his hands so she couldn’t turn away or bury her face in his neck, only watch him. And they made love with a fury that turned the water around them from an infinity of calmness into a boiling cauldron.

  She barely heard the water slosh over the side into the trough below, she was so fixated on Grant and the excruciating heaven he created as her orgasm built. She closed her eyes, and visions of them together last night, today, her dancing for him and the passion etched on his face as he watched her filled her mind, carrying her faster and faster to her place of approaching bliss.

  She matched him thrust for thrust, locking her heels behind his back. Grant reached between them, finding her clit until she was quivering in his arms.

  “You’re shaking.”

  His voice filled her ear and she licked her lips, nodding quickly. “I—I know...can’t help it.”

  “I like that.” His voice lowered, deep, gravelly and so erotically sexy it made her tremble more. “Come for me, Lana.”

  “S-soon, ohh.”

  “Now, Lana. I want to feel your tightness hold me, squeeze me.”

  She could hear the strain in his voice and knew he was about to come with her. His words excited her, carrying her higher and faster. She did as he commanded, let herself go, let the sweet sensations build low in her belly and explode to the very tips of her fingers and toes until she fell apart in his arms.

  She let out a cry, and all her breath whooshed out of her lungs. She hung there in his arms, buffered by the water. Grant continued to drive into her, his groans rising, his pace increasing and his fingers never letting up on her clit until she thought she would lose consciousness. Another blinding and even more powerful orgasm shuddered through her—just as he gave one last plunge and held himself deep within her, his face now buried in her neck as he let out his roar of release.

  Slowly the sound of the blood rushing in her ears calmed, and her breathing slowed. Grant also regained his composure, but never let go of her. They floated quietly in the warm water.

  8

  LANA WAS IN sensory overload. Since arriving in Hawaii three days ago, Grant had whisked her just about everywhere. Not only was the sex amazing, they seemed to have a great rapport. Grant was almost too good to be true. She couldn’t help but worry that if something seemed too good to be true, it usually was.

  “Stop it, Lana,” she reprimanded herself out loud as she ran her fingers along the spines of the books on the shelf. Even though she was exhausted after their night of sweet love and the sunrise helicopter ride back to Honolulu, she couldn’t sleep.

  After arriving back at his beach house, Grant had quickly gotten ready, then kissed her passionately at the door before zooming off—in another amazing car—to take care of business. He’d be gone for a good part of the day and had told Lana to make herself at home.

  She had her own important meeting with her boss next week. Maybe she should be preparing for it, at least a little bit.

  She turned her attention back to the books. He had a lot of classics on the shelf, but nothing she’d be able to get all the way through in one afternoon. So she grabbed a couple of picture books about Hawaii. The experience at the luau made her hungry for more.

  Taking her finds out onto the lanai where they’d shared their first breakfast, Lana flipped through the coffee-table style book and ran her hand over its cover—a beautiful photograph, not the typical beach scene, but stunning green peaks rising from blue ocean. Opening the book, she scanned the inside to see where the picture had been taken. The North Shore of Kauai. Eager to see more she flipped over more pages, oohing and aahing over the spectacular scenery on each page.

  Turning to a double-page image of lava flowing into the ocean, Lana found some loose photographs that had been tucked between the pages. Pushing the book aside she placed the photos in a pile before her.

  She looked at the top one and her heart pounded. Grant and a stunning redhead looked back at her. She swallowed, feeling a little bit ill and slid that picture aside to see the next one. Her lips thinned. Grant had his arm around the woman’s shoulders. He was pressing a kiss to her temple while she stared back at the camera, her palm resting on his bare chest. Lana’s eyes were drawn to the woman’s ring. A huge diamond, bigger than any she’d ever seen. Quickly she flipped through the rest of the photos. The majority of them were of Grant with this woman, plus a few of a crowd gathered around a low table at a luau.

  Lana swallowed the bile that rose in her throat when she realized what she was looking at. Grant had a wife. He was married. Oh, God, what if he had children? The group was at the same luau he had taken her to last night. She jumped to her feet, the chair behind her flipping over, crashing on the tiled floor. How could he have lied?

  Angry tears welled up in her eyes. She walked to the edge of the lanai and grabbed the railing, her knuckles turning white. She felt such a fool! Her mind raced, and for the first time the view did not thrill her. What was she going to do now?

  He’d lied to her, betrayed her—used her. Lana calmed her breathing down, trying to remind herself she’d had a good time with him and they’d made no promises to each other. Still, she couldn’t help the feeling of anguish. Quickly going back to the table she righted the chair, gathered up the pictures, shoved them in the book and put it back in its place on the shelf.

  She had to leave. Get out. There was no way she could spend the day here in his house—the house he must share with his wife. She shuddered to think that she’d slept in the other woman’s bed. Showered in her bathroom. Likely used all her soaps and stuff, too.

  The need to flee overcame her. But how? She had no car, had left all of her credit cards and money in her hotel room. She swore at herself for being so stupid. Then she remembered—she always carried a little extra cash with her. Mad money, her mother had called it. Grabbing her purse she looked through all the pockets to make sure she’d stashed some away.

  “Aha!” She pulled out some Canadian money from a secret pocket. “Better than nothing. I can exchange it at the hotel to pay for the cab,” Lana muttered, feeling quite pleased with herself as she sent a silent thank-you to her mother.

  Two hours later she was back in her hotel room, alone. Thank God she hadn’t listened to Grant when he’d asked her to check out of her room.

  Opening her laptop Lana decided there was no time like the present to check email. It would be a welcome distraction, too. She barely registered any of the ones she scanned through. She forced her mind away from Grant and focused on her messages. One from her boss marked as urgent caught her eye.

  “Oh, for God’s sake! Are you kidding me?” Lana shouted. “I can’t believe this. Men are just too stupid to live.” She stood and paced back and forth, rubbing her forehead. He was coming in early and wanted to meet for dinner, on the...what did it say in the email? Seventeenth. What day was it today? She looked at the bottom of screen for the date. Today! And a client meeting tomorrow. She sucked in a calming breath. She had to get a grip and not let her anger at Grant or her boss get in the way.

  But she was angry, plain and simple. How could Martin push up the meeting by a week and expect her to be ready in less than a day? He knew she was taking some vacation time.

  She had a whole lot of damage control to do right now and she needed to put all the fun and frivolity of the last few days with Grant firmly aside. But I loved every second of the days I’ve had.

  “Holy shit, now I’m screwed,” she whispered to the empty room and pulled the files from her briefcase, spreading them out over the table. Lana closed the curtains so she wouldn’t be distracted by the gorgeous view outside or the reminder that Grant was out there somewhere. Lana picked up the phone by her bed and called down to the front desk, telling them to hold all calls and making a special note that she wanted no visitors. She plugged her cell phone in to charge it but turned off its ringer.

  She had worked too hard to be blown off course by a man. She’d gotten carried away with Grant, and look how that turned out. He was married, after all.

  Taking a big breath, Lana organized everything on her table into neat piles, opened her presentation on her laptop and stared at the screen. The image of Grant’s handsome face filled her vision. Hot tears pricked at her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. She let herself have only the briefest moment of pain, heartache touched with a tiny bit of nostalgia, before firmly pushing him out of her thoughts. They’d never be together again. She buried the memories deep and wiped away the tears.

  She decided to order up a mountain of food from room service, a big pot of coffee—would it be the same coffee Grant had served her? She changed her mind and switched to hot chocolate. She’d need the sustenance anyway, and eating her way through this melodrama would be the only way to survive pulling an all-nighter with Martin to prepare for the client meeting.

  It never failed to amazed her how quickly things could change.

  * * *

  THE HOUSE WAS dark when Grant roared up in the Porsche. The meeting about the North American expansion had gone on far too long. And now the meeting with Martin had been switched to tomorrow. It allayed his concern that Lana worked for Martin. She’d have mentioned it if her own meeting next week had been moved.

  Taking the front steps by twos, Grant was surprised the front door was unlocked. He’d told Lana to lock it after he left. Inside he cocked his head to listen for her. Quiet. He smiled. Was she waiting for him in the bedroom, ready to pounce? He crept down the hall. Perhaps he could surprise her, instead. In the darkened bedroom he could see the bed was made. He furrowed his brows and turned around. Maybe she was down at the gazebo.

  All the exterior doors to the lanai were locked. There was no way she could get down there, except through these doors. Growing alarmed, Grant quickly searched the rest of the house. Pulling out his phone he called the hotel.