She heard the sound of the foil tearing and within seconds his hard tip pressed at her entrance, focusing her attention. Penny gasped, his cock spearing into her, stretching her wide. She breathed through the twinge of pain, her channel opening to accept him. As she lifted her lids, she caught him watching her.

  “You’re stunning tonight. Did I tell you that? The moonlight on your face…”

  Penny smiled and held his gaze, aware that whatever was happening between them felt like they’d known each other forever. Lost in the moment, she’d forgotten about everything in her life, her ex, her job; and for the first time in years, she felt alive.

  “Jesus, you feel so good,” he whispered, slowly retreating and pumping into her.

  “Oh my God…” Penny wrapped her legs around him as he filled her, meeting his slow thrusts. Her head tilted off the towel into the sand as his lips brushed behind her ear, causing gooseflesh to ripple down her arms. His tongue lingered at her collarbone, and she arched her back, her breasts crushing against his chest. “Chase.”

  “You like this?” He laughed, continuing to kiss and suck at her neck while he rocked into her.

  “There…harder.” Penny’s breath quickened as he slowly tantalized her clit. Raising her hips, she sought more friction. He grazed his pelvis against hers, and she shuddered beneath him. Her pussy contracted, her legs clenching him tighter. “I’m going to come…Chase…please…”

  “Hmm…not yet.”

  Penny squealed as he rolled over onto his back, and brought her with him. She hadn’t thought he could be inside her any deeper, but she was wrong. Her swollen nub slid down against him, his shaft embedded to the hilt.

  “Let me see you,” he told her. Placing his palms on her shoulders, he guided her upward to ride him.

  She moaned in protest as her lips left his chest, but complied. Her hair spilled forward, a satisfied grin on her face as she impaled herself on him.

  “Ah, yeah…you feel so good,” Chase groaned.

  He reached for her breasts, and strummed his thumbs over her rigid nipples. Penny undulated her hips, her clitoris tingling in desire as it brushed over him. Rising above Chase, she slammed down onto him, his shaft plunging into her quivering channel.

  “I’ve never seen a more beautiful creature,” Chase cried out loud as she rode him hard.

  “Ah…yes…fuck me,” she demanded, as he pumped up into her. Reaching for his arms, she wrapped her hands around his wrists. “Touch me…please, Chase, please.”

  “Your wish is my command, princess…let me see that pussy of yours.” His hand dropped from her breast to between her legs.

  As he gave attention to her clit, circling it with the pad of his thumb, Penny fell forward, bracing her palm on the towel, her hair flowing onto his face. Her body lit on fire as his thick shaft pounded up into her. She mumbled his name over and over again, her climax claiming her. Shattering above him, she lost herself in the stranger who’d rescued her.

  Chase gave her no quarter, plunging himself up into her core. He gripped her chin, guiding her mouth to his, nipping and sucking at her lips. With a loud grunt, he stiffened in release. Penny’s lips brushed over his, as she heaved for breath. She pressed her body to his as he relented, removing his fingers from her wet cleft. The slight prick of his scruff-covered cheek wasn’t nearly enough to remind her where she was. As if she’d died and gone to heaven, she lay atop him, purring as he caressed her back, his fingers trailing up into her mane.

  “Penny…you’re incredible.”

  “Chase…I’ve never….” Her words trailed off as she attempted to process the amazing experience she’d just shared with him.

  Of all the things Penny had expected on vacation, she never thought she’d meet someone who could rock her world the way he’d done. As reality seeped into her mind, her heart constricted, aware she’d have to say goodbye in four days. Yearning to hold him a little closer, staving off the inevitable, she wrapped her hands around his neck and closed her eyes.

  Wind chimes echoed in the distance, reminding her that they weren’t alone. While reality beckoned, she gave in to her fantasy, content in his embrace, wishing she could stay there forever.

  Chapter 6

  Chase’s heart pounded against his ribs as the last spasms tore through his body. Penny’s warm breath teased his chest, and he held her tight, unwilling to release her. He relaxed, embracing her small form. Glancing up to the starry sky, he contemplated the disturbing emotion that churned in his chest. He knew he was in trouble. What was supposed to be a work vacation was turning into something much more complicated.

  He was only going to be on the island a few more days, and when he left, whatever he and Penny had started would have to end. The fact that he’d started anything ate at him. Having come to an understanding before they’d had sex hadn’t absolved him. Making love to her had been more of a spiritual experience, not just a one off like he’d planned. Although he’d pushed the envelope by making love to her on the beach, he wondered how well she’d understand the high risk activities in which he engaged.

  She stirred in his arms, drifting in and out of sleep, and he pressed his lips to her forehead. Brushing a stray hair from her forehead, he studied the contours of her face. The moon shone bright, illuminating her swollen pink lips. The taste of them fresh in his mind, he started running through the scenarios.

  He was a scientist at heart. Hard facts were impossible to ignore. She lived on the east coast, he lived on the west, two very different worlds. In the city that never sleeps, she led a fast-paced, high-pressure existence, whereas he reveled in his own laid back lifestyle. Far from the busy nine-to-five rut, he often relaxed on the beach in sunny California. Chase accomplished his research both in and out of the office, with the added perks of working from wherever he wanted whenever he wanted.

  If he’d been working on any other project, he’d have followed the general guidelines of the scientific process, developing theories, experimenting, testing, until it either failed or he’d developed a viable technology that could be used and sold by Emerson Industries. Penny was a person, not a product, he knew. His nagging conscience told him it was wrong to continue seeing her, in the whimsical hope that he could find a solution to the issues he’d identified.

  But as her soft hand reached for his face and she traced her forefinger over his bottom lip, what lay in his heart superseded any rational thoughts. Fascinated by the sensual woman in his arms, he couldn’t let her go so easily. The drive to see where things would lead between them was overwhelming, despite his awareness of the obstacles that would keep them apart. With four days of vacation left, he needed more of Miss Travis.

  “Chase,” she whispered.

  “Hmm…you okay?” He felt her shiver under his palm and realized it was becoming much too cool to stay on the beach. Don’t spend the night with her, his mind warred with him. Fuck it. I want her. “Come back with me.”

  “What?” Penny pushed up onto his chest. She glanced to her exposed breasts and quickly covered them with her arm as if she’d forgotten where they were. Her eyes fell to their clothes, strewn on the sand. “I, um, should get dressed.”

  “Spend the night with me,” he insisted. Chase knew he’d been given an out, but let it pass. He could have thanked her for the evening, taken her back to her room and been done with things.

  “I don’t know. Didn’t you say you were here with someone?” Penny licked her lips and gave him a sheepish smile.

  “Working, yeah. But we aren’t staying in the same room. This isn’t college,” he joked. Chase brushed his knuckles gently over her cheek, his thumb gliding down her jaw. “Penny, I…I know we just met, but I’d like to spend time with you.”

  Sweet Jesus, I sound like a teenager. Chase inwardly cringed. He thought to correct his words, to tell her to forget it, but on the verge of becoming sorely inarticulate, he decided silence was the best policy.

  “You sure you want me to come with you? You really don’t have to ask me. I don’t want this to be awkward. What I mean to say is that I don’t expect anything. I know this is just kind of a vacation thing, but I won’t be hurt if you aren’t interested.” Penny paused, glanced to his lips and back to his eyes.

  “Did you have a good time tonight?”

  “Of course. It was amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like you.”

  “Then it’s settled. You’re coming home with me.” Not home…your hotel room.

  “I don’t want you to think I do this kind of thing all the time. I…I haven’t dated in a long time. Not that this was a date,” she said nervously.

  “It was kind of a date…we talked, had dinner, danced. We also walked on the beach, kissed. I haven’t dated in a long time either, but I think what we just did was a date.” He laughed, and shifted, his softened cock slipping out of her.

  “I guess.” Penny broke contact with him.

  “I’m out of practice, too, but I’m quite sure what we just had was a date.” Chase studied her as she appeared to consider his argument. He stretched across the sand and handed her her dress. As she turned to pull it over her head, he observed that she once again retreated into modesty. She’d been wild and uninhibited earlier. With the heat of the moment passed, it was as if she struggled with letting go of her apprehensions. “Let’s call this date number two.”

  “Okay, I accept your logic. It appears that we had a date. A very nice one.” She giggled. “But going back to your room? How exactly is that a date?”

  “It’s a sleepover.” Chase deftly removed his condom and disposed of it in a trash bin that rested against a palm tree.

  “A sleepover, huh?”

  “Yep. We’ll have some food, something to drink.” He slipped on his pants and snatched his shirt off the beach.

  “Play games?”

  “That’s the spirit. I can think of a few I’d like to play with you.” Chase closed the distance and took her hand in his. Helping her to her feet, he brought her palm to his cheek and kissed her wrist.

  “Spin the bottle?”

  “Too tame. I’m afraid I have much more wicked things in store for you, my lovely mermaid.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Say yes.”

  “To your games?”

  “To all of it.” Chase pulled her into his embrace, wrapping his arm about her waist.

  “Chase…I want to say yes.” Penny smiled and her expression grew sultry, her lips nearing his.

  “Say you’ll come back with me.”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “Yes.” Chase gave her a small smile as she acquiesced, and captured her lips with his.

  Four days and he’d go home, he reminded himself. But as she moaned, relaxing into his arms and running her soft hands up his bare back, his possessive nature flared to life. He wanted her no matter the cost. Sweetly surrendering to his own instincts, he’d drown in the abyss of her warmth with no regrets.

  Chapter 7

  Penny’s thoughts swam with emotions she had never thought would surface on a vacation. It was crazy, she knew. As if she were sliding off a cliff, she’d lost her equilibrium, spinning toward the ground. But as Chase put his arm protectively around her shoulder, whispering sweet nothings, she’d stopped trying to regain control. Somewhere between making love to him and their walk back to his villa, she’d released her trepidation. For far too long she’d held on tight, wearing her professional mask for everyone around her. Here, in the hedonistic tropics, no one cared who she was or what she did. Chase encouraged her to be the free spirit that until now, she’d only dreamed of being.

  She tried to work through in her mind how it could be possible to see him when the vacation ended. Penny knew she shouldn’t go there, but when she’d lain quietly in his embrace, his skin on hers, she’d imagined dating Chase. The distance was a showstopper. Working long hours, she’d barely be able to see him, even if he actually lived in the city, let alone across the country.

  When he’d asked her to go with him, she’d vacillated between hiding in her hotel room for the rest of the vacation or simply ignoring all reason, pretending that she’d discovered her next boyfriend. She’d love nothing more than to indulge, making love all night. But one brief encounter had already left her light headed, a tiny crack in her previously impenetrable heart cleaved open. His compelling argument had been difficult to resist, and within seconds she’d agreed to spend the night with him.

  As he flicked on the lights in his villa, she took in her surroundings, realizing his accommodations were far more luxurious than anything she’d known existed at the resort. Like a condominium, the spacious foyer led to a living room and dining area. Through the open-aired, screened doors, the moonlight reflected off the waves.

  “Come on in. Make yourself at home,” he told her, picking up the phone. “I’m going to call room service and order some snacks.”

  “Thanks.” Penny set her shoes down in the foyer and scanned the extravagant suite, white marble surfacing the floors. Its opulence caused her to wonder again about what Chase did and where he was employed.

  Working in Manhattan, she was no stranger to the luxury her clients expected. Within the mahogany-paneled walls of her office, one could taste the power and affluence. But Penny, who’d just recently paid off her college loans, lived modestly but comfortably in her one bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side.

  As Chase ordered their food, he gave her a smile, his gaze bringing warmth to her belly. The roar of the waves called to her and she walked out onto the lanai. She leaned her forearms onto the wooden railing and breathed in the sea air. Relaxation rippled through her despite the excitement, expecting they’d make love again.

  “Cold?” she heard Chase ask.

  Strong hands wrapped around her waist, the heat of his chest to her back. She weaved her fingers into Chase’s hand, shivering as his soft lips brushed her temple.

  “A little.” As if they’d been lovers for years, she leaned back onto him, resting her arms over his.

  “I’ve been neglecting my warming duties.”

  “I’m kind of sandy, too.” She laughed.

  “As am I.”

  Penny took a deep breath and exhaled.

  “Regrets?”

  “Oh no.” She laughed. “I think sex on the beach is underrated.”

  “Definitely.”

  “People don’t know what they’re missing.”

  “Exactly. I like how you think, counselor.”

  “Hmm…don’t call me that. Reminds me of work.”

  “Ah, I see. Shall I call you mermaid? I’ve been partial to thinking of you as one.”

  “Much better.” She smiled. Penny didn’t want anything to remind her of the real world that waited for her at home.

  “Perhaps we should take a shower?”

  “Are you trying to get me naked again?”

  “Me? Nah? I’m just very interested in skin care.”

  “Skin care, huh?” She laughed.

  “I’m very thorough, did I mention that? After all, I am responsible for your sandy state.”

  “I think it’s only fair, then, that you take responsibility.”

  “I suppose I need to make sure to pay careful attention to all your delicate areas.” He squeezed her tightly.

  “I expect nothing less. I’m very dirty,” she teased.

  “Are you now?”

  “Yes I am. I think you need to do something about it.”

  “You like to tease me, do you?” Chase spun her around in his arms, caging her against the rail.

  “Maybe,” she whispered with a coy smile. Her heart sped up as he leaned into her, his lips inches from hers.

  “How about we get clean so we can start our sleepover?” He winked.

  “What about room service?”

  “They’ll set it up for us.”

  “You sure?”

  “You bet. Let’s get going. I have a date with a mermaid and I can’t wait a second longer.”

  As Chase led her by the hand into the villa, Penny felt breathless with anticipation. Larger than life and compelling, he was like a force of nature, pushing her to look within herself. Penny’s stomach flipped as he glanced back to her and she knew in that moment that she’d have a hard time saying no to anything he proposed.

  The hot spray pelted her face and she giggled as his slippery cock brushed against the small of her back. She turned her face to him and tilted her hair into the shower. Arching her back, she purposefully jutted her chest toward him.

  “My little tease,” he began. He twisted her back around, reaching to cup her breasts. Teasing her nipples into hard points, he gently bit her shoulder.

  “Ah,” she cried, the sweet pain spearing desire straight to her pussy.

  “It’s my job to clean you, remember?”

  Penny exhaled sharply as he released her. Unsure of what he’d do next, she smiled as he worked shampoo into her hair.

  “We’re going to have a lot of fun playing tonight. I do enjoy water.” His fingers scrubbed her scalp, and then worked to rinse out the bubbles. “You’re spectacular when wet.”

  “I think you’re the dirty boy, now.” She laughed.

  “The things you do to me.”

  “Have you always enjoyed the water?” she inquired.

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously.”

  “Yeah, I’ve been around water ever since I was a kid.”

  “How’d you learn to scuba dive?” She squealed as his soapy hands glided down her shoulders to her fingertips.

  “My parents used to take me to the Bahamas when I was younger. My grandparents retired there. Pop taught me how to snorkel when I was ten.”

  “And the diving?”

  “I didn’t learn that until I was fifteen.”

  “And?”

  “And what?”

  “Ah…” Penny sighed as his fingers passed through her folds. “Hey now…I need to concentrate.”

  “Why would you ever want to do that?” He laughed.