No Strings... Read online

  Once she was finished, she angled her chaise so it was in the sun, then reclined on the chair, her entire body glistening in the sunlight like a tempting offering to all mankind.

  He bit back a groan of appreciation, and noticed a few other guys in the area casting surreptitious, lust-filled glances her way, too. A possessive emotion spiked through him, along with an unwanted urge to head over to Chloe to establish ownership of a woman that wasn’t his—other than sexually, and for only four more days.

  You are such an idiot, Landry. Annoyed with himself and his barbaric, antiquated thoughts of claiming Chloe, he scrubbed a hand along his jaw and released a tension-filled breath, which did nothing to ease his internal frustration.

  “You’ve got your hands full with that one.”

  Ricardo’s comment snapped Aiden out of his silent thoughts and he redirected his attention back to the photographer. “Excuse me?” he asked, unsure what the guy meant.

  Ricardo grinned in an all-knowing male way. “She has a lot of drive and ambition, in a way that’s going to keep a guy on his toes.”

  Didn’t he know it. Professionally, the competition between them had always pushed him to excel, and now personally, he was beginning to feel challenged, as well. And not in a good way. “I’ve worked with her for two years and she definitely makes me bring my A-game to the table.”

  Ricardo chuckled as he removed the long lens from his camera and packed it gently in a padded bag. “I bet she does. She said the two of you are competing for this account.”

  “Yep.” He nodded, though it was hard to forget that another ad agency also had a hat in the ring. But for Aiden, his only true competition was Chloe. “The end results should be...interesting.”

  “Well, good luck with the campaign. And Chloe,” Ricardo said meaningfully, a man-to-man look in his eyes. “Having an exciting woman in your life to keep you from becoming complacent isn’t a bad thing.”

  Obviously the other man had seen the way he’d looked at Chloe just a few minutes ago, but Ricardo didn’t know his history when it came to women. One in particular—the one he’d chosen to marry. A woman who’d been vibrant, exciting and had provided enough challenges to always keep him guessing. A woman who’d completely destroyed a part of him with her selfish decision to put her career aspirations before anything else in her life, including their marriage vows to honor and respect one another.

  Paige had completely shattered his trust, and putting that kind of faith in a woman again was a huge issue he’d carried with him since the divorce. While Paige had walked away without looking back and had gone on to climb the corporate ladder with a high-ranking firm in New York, she’d left Aiden questioning his judgment.

  “Looks like a vulture is circling,” Ricardo said in amusement, his gaze trained in the direction of Chloe once again.

  Aiden turned his head so quickly he came close to giving himself whiplash. Sure enough, a young guy—shirtless, buff and cocky-looking—was walking up to where Chloe was laid out like a gorgeous, glistening goddess. It was then that he noticed that she wasn’t wearing her red wristband, making her free game for the single men at the resort.

  Nope. Not gonna happen. She was his...at least for a few more days and nights. That was his excuse, and he was sticking to it.

  “Thanks for today, Ricardo,” he said, and shook the other man’s hand, eager to be on his way. “I’m looking forward to seeing the proofs.”

  “We got some great shots,” the other man said, clearly enjoying Aiden’s sudden interest in getting to Chloe. “I’ll get them edited and to you on a flash drive by tomorrow afternoon so you can use them for your campaign.”

  “That’s perfect.”

  Finished with his own work for the afternoon, Aiden followed the pathway to Chloe’s lounge chair, his irritation growing as he watched her smile at the other man as he talked to her. She said something to make him laugh, and Aiden thought he’d pop a blood vessel. Shit.

  Trying not to grind his molars, he stepped up to Chloe’s cabana, determined to send her admirer on his way as quickly as possible. The guy frowned at him, as if Aiden were the interloper, and not him.

  Aiden assumed an assertive stance next to Chloe’s chair. “She’s already taken.” The tone of his voice was equally brusque.

  The other guy dropped his gaze to Chloe, waiting for her to confirm or deny Aiden’s statement. After a moment she sighed and offered her Romeo an apologetic smile. “Yes, I’m with him.”

  Immediately, the man held up his hands and backed away, looking contrite. “I didn’t know. She wasn’t wearing a red band.”

  She glanced up at Aiden from her reclining chair, her expression reflecting a hint of humor. “I didn’t want a tan line.”

  As soon as the other man was gone, a smile twitched at the corner of her lovely, sensual mouth. “What was that all about?” she asked.

  Hands on his hips, he shrugged, trying to keep his gaze on her face, instead of leering at her gorgeous breasts, barely concealed by a scrap of bright blue fabric. “Just trying to save you from the buzzards.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I don’t need saving. I’m not some damsel in distress who needs a white knight to rescue her.”

  Of course she didn’t. “When I’m with someone, I don’t share.”

  She laughed at him, the sound light and teasing. “That’s a bit of a caveman mentality, don’t you think?”

  “Caveman?” He smirked, recalling just how she’d liked being manhandled last night. “I’ll show you caveman.”

  He pulled off his shirt, then scooped her off the lounge chair and up into his arms. She squealed in surprise, and he grinned as he bounced her and shifted her quickly so that she was slung over his shoulder—caveman style.

  A shocked gasp escaped her. “Are you kidding me?”

  She squirmed against his shoulder, her slippery, oil-slicked body making it more difficult for him to keep her in place. He locked his arm tight across the back of her knees so she couldn’t slide off him, and started down the beach to the ocean. “Does it look like I’m kidding you?”

  She tried to kick her feet, all to no avail. Then she smacked his ass. Hard. “Put me down, Landry!”

  “Oh, I will,” he drawled as he wrapped a hand around her smooth, supple thigh and gave it an affectionate squeeze. He’d release her just as soon as she had a soft surface in which to land.

  “Oooh, you are so going to pay for this!”

  Considering she was laughing, her threat lacked any true animosity. “I’m sure I will, and I’m looking forward to it,” he said, just as he reached the water—and continued wading in until the gentle waves lapped around the hem of his shorts.

  “I’m warning you, Landry,” she said, exasperation and defiance mingling in her stern tone. “Do not do this!”

  “Sorry, babe,” he said as he maneuvered her body so she was once again in his arms and he was grinning down at her. “But I really can’t resist.”

  Effortlessly, he tossed her into the clear blue ocean—her arms flailing, eyes wide, and a garbled “arrghhh!” rending the air before she dropped into the water with a satisfying splash, then sank below the surface.

  She came up sputtering, wet strands of hair in her face, and he couldn’t restrain his deep, throaty chuckle as he started back out of the water. Damn, but that felt good.

  “Oh, no you don’t,” she said from behind him. “You’re not getting away until you get dunked, too.”

  The next thing he knew she’d jumped onto his back and wrapped her arms and legs around him like a monkey. And while he could have kept on walking, he decided to have some fun instead. He let her take him down to the water, just so she felt as though she’d gotten even. When he came up for air, she was trying to swim away, and he went after her for a playful game of chase—giving her a bit of leeway before he caught her in his arms once again.

  This time, she came willingly, her carefree laughter making him chuckle, too. He was chest deep in the water, an
d she entwined her arms around his neck and secured her legs around his waist, clinging to him for support as she fisted her fingers in his damp hair and settled her mouth over his and kissed him...slowly, deeply, thoroughly.

  Beneath the water, he cupped her bottom in his hands and pulled her closer, so that his growing erection rubbed between her legs. She groaned blissfully against his lips before ending the heated, lust-fueled kiss and stared into his eyes.

  “God, you are so hot and sexy,” she breathed. “I can’t wait to do you tonight.”

  He raised a brow. “Do me?”

  “Oh, yeah,” she said with a nod, her bright green/brown eyes promising all sorts of wicked pleasure. “I’m going to do you in ways that are going to make you forget every other woman.”

  It was quite a claim, but he believed her...because right now, just being with Chloe like this, so playful, flirtatious and incredibly sexy, no other woman existed for him. He wanted her, any way he could have her. For as long as their time together allowed.

  “How about a preview?” he teased, wondering if she’d be that bold and brazen, even with them submersed in the ocean.

  She shook her head, the long, wet strands of her hair tickling across his bare chest. “I don’t want to get kicked off the resort for public indecency.”

  She was so fun and uninhibited, and he loved seeing this lighthearted side of her, outside of work and all the rules and restrictions that had forced them to suppress their attraction for way too long. “Then give me a hint of what I can expect.”

  “It will include a lot of licking,” she said, as she dipped her head and dragged her tongue along the side of his neck. “And probably some biting...” Her teeth gently nibbled along his jaw to his mouth. “And especially sucking.”

  He groaned like a dying man as she rolled his bottom lip between her teeth and applied enough of a soft, wet suction to inspire all kinds of provocative images in his head. His cock, already standing at attention, grew hard as stone, and there was no doubt in his mind that she felt every inch.

  She pulled back and blinked at him guilelessly, as if she hadn’t just elevated his internal temperature by ten degrees. “Is that enough of a hint for you?”

  “Oh, hell yeah,” he said huskily. “You had me at licking. Though biting and sucking are good, too.”

  She laughed. “You, Mr. Landry, are so easy.”

  He couldn’t argue with that, because he was coming to realize that when it came to her, he was easily persuaded, influenced and seduced.

  * * *

  DRINK IN HAND, Aiden casually strolled through the crush of people at the masquerade ball, searching for Chloe in the sea of singles and couples attending the formal affair. Like most of the other men at the party, he’d worn a black suit, while the women were dressed in an array of formal cocktail dresses and elegant gowns ranging in color from basic black to bright jewel tones.

  Upon entering the ballroom, everyone had been required to choose a mask to wear for the evening, and there had been a wide selection to pick from—ones with glitter and jewels, some that looked like butterflies, and others decorated with elaborate feathers, ribbons or lace. Not one for frills, he’d opted for the simple black gentleman’s mask, which concealed the upper half of his face.

  Music played and a huge buffet of food and desserts were on display for guests, but the only thing Aiden was interested in was finding Chloe. Considering how difficult it was to identify the women wearing masks, he questioned the wisdom of agreeing to meet her here, instead of them coming together.

  “Hey, sugar, care to dance?”

  Aiden turned toward the petite brunette who’d come up to his side, her blue eyes inquiring beneath the pearl-and-sequin mask hiding her face. She appeared pretty enough, but seemed to be trying overly hard to attract a man in the skintight, strapless, bust-enhancing purple dress she was wearing that screamed look at my breasts.

  Not even a flicker of interest passed through him, because the only woman on his mind was Chloe. Yeah, he had it bad for her. “Sorry, but I’m with someone,” he told the other woman, indicating the red band on his wrist.

  She sighed, her lips pursed in disappointment. “I should have known someone as hot as you would already be taken. It seems all the good ones have already been snatched up.”

  Aiden watched in amusement as the woman continued on her quest to find an unattached guy. Most people had paired off, but there were a few singles still mingling. He supposed not everyone would leave the resort having found someone they wanted to pursue once their time on the island was over.

  He absently swirled his scotch in his glass, his gaze stopping on a woman making her way through the crowd and heading toward him. There was no doubt in his mind that it was Chloe, and his body instantly tightened in awareness. He knew that slow, sexy walk of hers that made her hips sway oh-so-sensually, and recognized the compact curves beneath the black dress she wore. A mask with colorful feathers covered most of her features, and while he couldn’t see her face, the seductive smile on her lips was pure, provocative Chloe.

  Clearly recognizing him, as well, she stopped in front of him and curled her fingers in the lapels of his jacket. Without preamble she tilted her head to the side and settled her mouth against his, kissing him like a woman with a purpose—to drive him out of his mind with wanting her.

  He was already there.

  Sliding her tongue along his one last time, she ended the mind-bending kiss, and just as mysteriously as she’d materialized, she turned back around and walked away. Seconds later, she vanished into the crush of party revelers—leaving him dazed and intrigued by her flirtatious game of hide-and-seek.

  Grinning, he headed in the direction she’d just disappeared, knowing he’d spend the entire night trying to find her if that’s what it took. Fortunately, his search only lasted a few minutes, until one of the waiters serving champagne handed him a small sealed envelope with his name on it.

  “I was instructed to give this to you.”

  Recognizing the handwriting as Chloe’s, Aiden accepted the note. “Thank you.” Breaking the seal, he pulled out a card and read the message she’d written for him.

  I want to be your fantasy come true. My room. My way.

  God, she already was his deepest, most erotic fantasy come to life, and there was no way he could resist her invitation. Tucking the card into his jacket pocket, he removed his mask and left the masquerade ball, his final destination Chloe’s hotel room. A few minutes later, he was knocking on her door, his pulse pounding in anticipation of what the night would bring.

  Chloe opened the door, now dressed in a deep purple, thigh-length silky robe, her mask gone, though he was pleased to see she was still wearing her black stiletto heels. With a sultry smile, she took his hand and pulled him inside. Somehow, she’d gotten a hold of some candles, which were placed around the room, the flickering flames creating a warm, romantic glow of light. The intoxicating scent of vanilla filled the air, and soft mood-music played from her iPod on the dresser, adding to the seductive atmosphere.

  “First, let’s get you out of some of your clothes,” she said, her eyes alight with promise as she pulled his suit jacket off and draped it over the back of one of the desk chairs.

  While he toed off his shoes, she tugged on his tie, loosening the strip of material enough to remove it over his head, then she began unbuttoning his shirt and slipped the crisp white cotton over his shoulders and down his arms. He removed his socks, and when he started to unbuckle his thin black belt, she grabbed his wrists and stopped him.

  “Leave your pants on,” she said, leaning into him to gently nip at his bottom lip. “For now.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he murmured, letting her run tonight’s show without any objection from him.

  “Sit on that chair by the bed,” she told him, indicating the other desk chair she’d positioned there.

  Her request ramped up his curiosity another level as he walked around to the side of the bed. Withdrawing th
ree foil packets from his slacks’ pocket, he set them on the nightstand and flashed her one of his charming smiles. “I’m hoping we’ll be needing these at some point tonight.”

  A flirtatious smile touched the corner of her mouth. “Maybe. If you’re lucky.”

  Oh, he was feeling extremely lucky tonight. He sat down, stretching his legs out in front of him, and clasped his hands over his stomach. He watched as she strolled back to the dresser, touched her iPod, and Kings of Leon’s song, “Sex On Fire,” started to play.

  She slowly made her way back to him, her hips moving rhythmically, while every step she took allowed him a glimpse of creamy bare thigh peeking from the front opening of her robe. Oh-so-slowly, she tugged on the silky belt, letting the material part gradually as she performed a riveting striptease just for him. In time, she shrugged her shoulders and the robe fluttered to the floor at her feet, leaving her standing in front of him in a black lace bra, matching panties and those do-me heels.

  It was all he could do to keep from grabbing her and pulling her onto his lap for a more private, intimate kind of dance.

  Her fingers slid the straps of her bra down to her elbows, exposing the top swells of her breasts as she reached behind her and unhooked the closure. She straightened her arms, and the lacy fabric joined her robe on the floor, her firm, full breasts on glorious display.

  He shifted in his seat as heat and arousal pumped through him, hardening his cock in a flash. The growing bulge in his pants didn’t escape her notice, and when she licked her lips, he felt it all the way to his groin.

  Christ, she was killing him...in the best way possible.

  Closing her eyes, she lifted her arms above her head and started dancing provocatively for him—so confident, sexy and gorgeous. Candlelight flickered across her bare skin, caressing her breasts with a golden warmth as her entire body shimmied and her hips gyrated in time to the music, her every move sinuous and mesmerizing.