No Strings... Read online

  And then she began touching herself...

  Her fingers threaded through her long, silky brown hair, then leisurely trailed along her throat. He bit back a groan as her hands cupped her breasts, lifting and playing with them, kneading the hard nipples until her lips parted with a soft gasp of pleasure that resonated through him.

  Her lashes fluttered back open, and she stared at him, a wicked smile on her lips as her hands continued downward, skimming lightly, playfully, over her flat belly. Slender fingers dipped beneath the waistband of her panties, slid between her thighs and pressed inward. A deep breath shuddered out of her, leaving no doubt in his mind that those fingers were buried in the slick, wet heat of her own arousal. Right where he wanted to be.

  Her eyes darkened with desire. “Remember that fantasy you told me about on the plane?”

  As if he could forget revealing his biggest turn-on. “Watching a woman pleasure herself,” he said.

  She withdrew her hand and hooked her thumbs into the sides of her panties, pushing them down her legs and off, so that she was now completely naked. Then she stepped out of her high heels and sat down on the bed directly in front of him, legs together.

  God, she was gorgeous, and so damn sexy she stole his sanity and nearly obliterated his self-control. Her rich, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders to her breasts, her taut nipples peeking out through the silky strands. Her skin was flushed from her striptease, her eyes dilated with the kind of carnal lust that speared straight to his aching cock.

  “I want to be that fantasy for you,” she said huskily. “Tell me what you want me to do.”

  Her irresistible offer stunned him, and made him realize just how much thought she’d put into tonight’s rendezvous. No other woman had ever been so uninhibited just for him, and he was glad that Chloe was going to be the one to fulfill this secret fantasy of his.

  “Spread your legs and touch yourself,” he said, his voice a low, growling demand. “Show me what makes you hot and wet.”

  “You do,” she whispered as her thighs parted wide, giving him the unobstructed view he wanted.

  He liked her answer, liked even more how she bit her plump bottom lip as her fingers parted her delicate pink flesh, then glided along her swollen clitoris in slow, lazy circles that caused her to shiver in delight.

  “Deeper,” he ordered huskily.

  Her fingers, damp with her own desire, glided lower, until one penetrated her core, dipping and swirling rhythmically while her thumb continued to caress and stroke her cleft. Her breasts rose and fell, faster and deeper, matching the seductive dance of her fingers on her sex.

  His body, already tense with need, was on fire for her. His dick was so hard it hurt, and it didn’t help that it was confined inside his slacks. Desperately needing to ease the uncomfortable, building pressure, he unbuckled his belt, unzipped his pants and freed his erection from his boxer-briefs. His groan of relief caught Chloe’s attention, and her hungry, lust-filled gaze dropped to his thick shaft.

  “I want to watch you touch yourself, too,” she murmured.

  More than happy to oblige her request, he wrapped his fingers around his cock and began to stroke, root to tip. Slowly. Leisurely. A drop of moisture beaded on the head, and he dragged his thumb through the slick lubrication, using it to increase the friction, just enough to feel good without taking him over the edge.

  Her gaze was riveted to his hand stroking his shaft, just as fascinated and aroused by the sight of him masturbating as he was with her display of eroticism.

  “Oh, God, Aiden...”

  Hearing the catch in her voice, and knowing she was on the verge of climaxing, he gave her that final push she seemed to need. “Let go and come for me, babe,” he rasped.

  Her fingers moved faster over her clitoris, her hips jerking, her thighs trembling as her orgasm rocked through her. Tipping her head back, she closed her eyes and whimpered softly, losing herself in her own private world of ecstasy, while allowing him to be a voyeur to her pleasure.

  He’d never witnessed anything so freaking hot and erotic, and his own climax surged forward, threatening to erupt. Not wanting to come until he was buried deep inside of her, he tightened his fingers around the base of his cock to keep his release at bay. More than anything he wanted to press her back on the bed and drive into her, but with effort, he held back.

  It took her a few extra moments to come down from her high and regain her equilibrium, and when she did she moved off the bed and settled on her knees in front of where he was still sitting on the chair. She grabbed the sides of his pants and pulled downward, clearly wanting them off. He lifted his hips and let her undress him, until he was just as naked as she was.

  Smiling like a woman who was about to blow his mind, she pressed her palms against his knees and pushed his legs apart. “This is where the licking, biting and sucking are about to happen,” she said, reminding him of the promise she’d made this afternoon at the beach.

  Leaning forward, she nibbled her way up the inside of his thigh, her breath damp and hot against his skin, and her teeth eliciting just enough of a sting to elevate his awareness of where she was heading. When she reached his shaft, her tongue came into play, licking a wet path all the way up to the sensitive tip. He groaned, tangling his hands in her hair, and with a devilish smile she wrapped her lips around the throbbing head and pulled him into the lush, silky heat of her mouth...all the way to the back of her throat.

  Overwhelming lust pounded at him as her tongue swirled along the length of his cock, and then she sucked him, hard and deep, and he damn near exploded.

  Considering how intensely aroused he was, this bit of foreplay was all he could handle without climaxing right then and there. Swearing beneath his breath, he fisted his hands in her hair and pulled her head back until she had no choice but to release him.

  Eyes smoldering, she blinked up at him, surprised that he’d ended things so soon, and he quickly explained. “As tempting as your mouth is, I need to be inside you.”

  Need. Such a strong, emotional word. But that’s what she made him feel...a desperate, undeniable demand to be a part of her that shook him to the core. And not just physically. Refusing to overanalyze things when this week was supposed to be nothing more than a fun, sexy affair, he shoved those thoughts and feelings out of his head. Right now, tonight, it was all about pleasure, and nothing more.

  Unsure how she wanted to proceed, he let her take the lead, knowing he’d do whatever she wanted because the end result would be the same no matter what—being buried deep inside her. She reached for one of the condoms on the nightstand and sheathed him. Then she stood back up, straddled his thighs, and with her hands gripping his shoulders and her gaze holding his, she slowly, gradually, sank onto his cock, the fit so tight and hot he didn’t even try to stop the low, rough, possessive growl of need that escaped him.

  He placed his hands at the small of her back as the music on her iPod changed to another feverish song, and she began moving to the heavy, driving beat in an erotic lap dance—her body grinding into his, hips gyrating, thighs clenching tight along his as she rode his shaft.

  Moaning softly, she threaded her fingers into his hair, pulled his head back and settled her mouth over his, kissing him deeply, passionately, completely fusing the connection between them. Feeling her body clench around his cock, and knowing she was as close as he was to coming, he slid a hand between them and stroked her clitoris, triggering her release. He thrust upward and surrendered to the wild, intense pleasure pouring through him, while Chloe held on to him as if he were the only solid thing that still existed in a universe that had just tipped crazily on its axis.

  He felt the same way and knew that no matter what they’d originally agreed upon when they’d arrived at the resort, things would never be the same between them again. And he wasn’t quite sure what to do about that.

  9

  THE NEXT THREE days at the resort passed quickly for Chloe. The mornings and afternoons were f
illed with attending activities and working on her ad campaign and presentation, while her nights were spent with Aiden, fulfilling all sorts of fun fantasies and just enjoying one another. Yeah, that was definitely the best part of their time together, she thought as she cast a glance at Aiden where he sat across from her at the spacious boardroom table in one of the conference rooms that the hotel had given them to use during their stay at the resort.

  Sex with Aiden was so off-the-charts hot, beyond anything she could have imagined or predicted, and just thinking of being with him made her go all warm and soft inside. Physically, they were incredibly in sync, but as the days passed, she was becoming increasingly aware of the fact that every time they were together, she became more emotionally involved, and that was something she never could have anticipated happening.

  She continued to silently watch Aiden, very familiar with the slight crease of his brows that indicated he was deep in thought as he worked. His hair was tousled from being finger-combed, something he did when he was completely immersed in a project. He was wearing a casual T-shirt that clung to his broad shoulders, drawing her gaze to his toned biceps and strong forearms and how those muscles flexed as he typed a steady stream of information on his laptop.

  She could sit for hours and marvel at how gorgeous and sexy he was, but that wouldn’t be very productive for her, though she had accomplished quite a lot since they’d arrived earlier that afternoon. Chloe figured she deserved a break. Especially after the intense meeting they’d had with the vice president of the resort, Edward Luca, which had given them both the opportunity to ask pertinent questions about marketing strategies and objectives and get a better feel for what they envisioned for the future of the resort.

  The knowledge they’d gleaned from Edward had been invaluable, but she and Aiden were still very aware of the fact that there was another ad agency on the island, and they’d had a meeting with the VP, as well. The pressure was on, because today was their last day to gather any last bits of information for their campaigns before flying back to Boston tomorrow.

  She and Aiden had both used the large, flat surface of the conference table to spread out the visual presentation boards they’d created over the past few days that included the photographs that Ricardo had taken for them, along with their campaign theme and branding message that would complement their PowerPoint presentations. Chloe had yet to nail her slogan for the St. Raphael Resort; she wanted something simple yet nuanced, and while she had a few ideas in mind, nothing had yet to grab her in terms of giving the client that clear message that would resonate with their target audience.

  The one thing she was extremely excited about was the flash mob concept she’d come up with that gave the entire campaign a fun, fresh and hip feel, and would showcase all of the resort’s activities and focus on an entertaining matchmaking theme. The ad agency had the means to make the video a viral sensation that would sweep the internet and increase the resort’s visibility, while appealing to singles looking for a fun and unique way to find romance, and ultimately, love.

  Love. The one word prompted Chloe’s heart to flutter wildly in her chest as she stared at Aiden, who was still deep in concentration as he typed away on his laptop computer, oblivious to anything but his campaign. Good God, had she done the unthinkable and fallen in love with Aiden? She swallowed hard in denial, but it was getting more and more difficult to dismiss the intense feelings he evoked that indicated she was perilously close to letting their brief island affair mess with her head and her emotions. And that had disaster written all over it for both of them.

  They’d always been friends, and the sex between them had been nothing short of amazing, but spending the past week with him as an intimate couple had unlocked something inside of her that made her want...more. More time with Aiden, and not just between the sheets. And that was a huge revelation for her, considering she swore she’d never, ever, allow herself to be that vulnerable with another man again.

  But there was no denying that she enjoyed being with Aiden. He made her laugh and he’d even pried some of her darkest memories out of her. She’d shared things with him she’d never intended to, let him into places she’d sealed off after her painful breakup with Neil—and that was something she’d never shared with anyone before.

  But the fact remained, they were colleagues, working for a company with a strict no dating policy. She had goals for her future, and the promotion she wanted so badly was within her reach...yet a part of her wondered if she wanted it bad enough to walk away from Aiden after this week together. She gave her head a slight shake at how one-sided her thoughts were. While she and Aiden had had a great time together, he’d never given her any kind of indication that the two of them had a future beyond the resort. And even though she’d opened up about her past with him, he’d remained tight-lipped about his own divorce and what had transpired between him and his ex-wife. But he’d obviously been burned, and she was curious to know what had happened.

  With a low groan, Aiden stretched his arms over his head and rolled his neck from side to side, easing the tension that had settled there. “I think I’m just about done.”

  “Me, too,” she said, though there were a few things she needed to refine and tweak. But those could easily be done back at the office. “How did your presentation turn out?”

  “Honestly, better than I’d anticipated,” he said, a pleased note to his voice. “I just have a few more final touches to add, but I have to admit that Hattie is quite a convincing matchmaker.”

  Chloe knew he’d spent the past three days interviewing employees at the resort about the older woman’s reputation, along with perusing dozens upon dozens of letters written from past guests about how accurate Hattie’s predictions had been. Considering how the woman’s skills directly related to the resort’s main purpose of pairing up compatible singles, Hattie’s expertise was hugely overlooked and underutilized. Especially from an advertising perspective.

  “It’s a fantastic marketing angle,” she said, then took a long, cool drink from her bottled water.

  “So is your flash mob concept.” He leaned back in his chair and smiled indulgently. “It’s very current and trendy.”

  “Thanks.” Despite the fact that Perry had instructed them to develop individual campaigns, Chloe appreciated that she and Aiden trusted each other enough to bounce ideas off one another to help refine their own strategies. He was incredibly creative and insightful, and she loved brainstorming with him.

  “I guess it just depends on what the vice president is looking for and what appeals to him the most,” she said of their individual ideas. “And we have no idea what the boys are doing, either.”

  They’d nicknamed the two executives with the Metro Ad Agency “the boys,” even though they knew their names—Darryl and Ken. While she and Aiden had seen them around the resort, they hadn’t fraternized with the enemy, and they’d been careful about keeping their own advertising concepts under wraps.

  Aiden rubbed his thumb along his jaw, the brief hesitation glimmering in his gaze giving way to something more decisive. “Would you like to see my PowerPoint presentation? I’d really like to get your take on it.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. Yes, they’d verbally discussed their campaigns over the past few days, but she hadn’t expected him to share such an integral part of his presentation with her. It was such a huge show of trust on his part, and she was dying to see what he’d come up with.

  “Yes, I’d love to.”

  He withdrew the small flash drive from the side of his laptop and slid it across the conference table to her. She connected the memory stick to her own computer, and within seconds the program streamed onto her monitor in a compilation of slides spotlighting some of the resort’s most spectacular amenities, and featuring photographs of the tropical landscaping, gorgeous beaches and couples enjoying many of the recreational offerings.

  The pictures that Ricardo had taken for Aiden conjured excitement and passion, and he�
�d used them in a way that was romantic and seductive. The presentation segued into a video interview with Hattie in her greenhouse. With a sparkle in her deep brown eyes, Hattie introduced herself as the island’s resident matchmaker and spoke about seeing that magic spark between two people and knowing when a couple was meant to be together.

  In another clip, upon Hattie’s urging, a young man and woman gently grasped the stamen of that pink hybrid flower Chloe and Aiden had also touched. The stem turned a deep, dark crimson in both places, and with a satisfied smile Hattie pronounced them soul mates...if they opened up their hearts and believed.

  Chloe believed, and that knowledge sent a crazy, unexpected surge of adrenaline rushing through her veins. She might have been doubtful about that flower and Hattie’s prediction that first day in the greenhouse, but her shifting feelings for Aiden supported the older woman’s claim that he could possibly be the one for her.

  In her head, she could deny the inevitable all she wanted, but in reality she knew it was too late. There was no stopping the emotions blossoming deep in her heart when it came to the man sitting across the table from her. It was a frightening realization, because she had no idea how he felt about her.

  Aiden’s presentation offered hope and romantic possibilities to singles wanting to fall in love, and the irony of Aiden’s core message to his target audience wasn’t lost on Chloe. He was hinging his campaign on Hattie and her matchmaking intuition, yet he clearly didn’t really believe that the older woman had the ability to see a couple’s fate. For him, Hattie was nothing more than an advertising tactic to romanticize the St. Raphael Resort and the island itself.

  As a marketing ploy, it worked, and Chloe knew in her gut that between her flash mob idea and Aiden’s more traditional approach, his packed an emotional punch that would be difficult for her to trump. Not that she wouldn’t do everything in her power to sell her concept and give Aiden a fight to the finish. Being competitive was in her nature, and ultimately she wanted the St. Raphael account and the bonus that came with it.