Blind Date with the Spare Heir Read online

  Although he was eager, he would take his time with Elyse and savor her. Savor this moment and the softness of her bare flesh against his hardness. She had a beautiful body. If he was a sculptor, he would showcase her pert breasts, the curve of her hips and slightly rounded buttocks. But now, he wanted Elyse in his arms. He wanted to taste every part of her. He’d already sampled, but he wanted more.

  He touched every part of her he could with his hands and his mouth, leaving no part ignored. Then he flipped her over onto her stomach and did the same thing all over again. When he slipped his fingers between her legs, while sucking on the back of her neck, she shattered and fell apart against the pillows. There was a fire burning between them and Julian doubted it would be extinguished anytime soon.

  He gave her a moment to recover while he tore open an aluminum condom packet and put on the protection. Then he was turning Elyse over. Her eyes were glazed with passion. She was ready for him. He stretched her arms over her head and finally settled himself between her thighs. He shuddered because the moment felt right. He hadn’t rushed into sex like he did with most women. He’d gotten to know her. Was that what made this feel different?

  Slowly, ever so slowly, he pressed forward into her wet entrance. Elyse moaned from underneath him as she took him in. She was so tight, but he pushed deep until he was fully seated inside her. Her body gripped him like a glove and Julian retreated for a moment only to surge forward again even harder. She cried out, so he did it again. Then he started a slow, inexorable rhythm as he worked himself inside her, in and out. And so it went. They were heat, breath and sweat all rolled into one.

  When Elyse spread her fingers over his shoulders, pressing deep, he hit her with another powerful thrust. Her breath hissed and when he tipped his head back, he saw that she was in the throes of ecstasy.

  He shouted her name. Then he bent his head to take her mouth again as he revealed his prowess and mastery in multitasking.

  Her legs locked onto the back of his as he thrust inside her. She screamed. Shudders began to quake through her and her body contracted around him, squeezing until Julian felt himself pumping hard and fast in a crazy rhythm. He groaned as his orgasm exploded into fire and fury and then sprawled on top of her, breathing hard.

  Elyse ran her hands idly down his back and Julian realized he was crushing her. He quickly rolled onto his side and took several steady breaths. Moments later, he looked over to see that Elyse had already fallen asleep.

  Julian grinned. He’d worn her out. He would let her sleep a while but then he intended to have her again and again.

  * * *

  A few hours later, Elyse awoke feeling disoriented but gloriously happy. From what she could tell, it was still dark out, which meant she hadn’t been asleep for long. She glanced beside her to find Julian sleeping soundly.

  A delicious shiver went through her. Sex with Julian had been everything. She could still feel his hands all over her, feel him buried inside her.

  He was only the third man she’d ever been with. She wasn’t a cold fish. The notion that there was something wrong with her had always plagued her. When in fact, she’d just never met the right man to spark her flame. Julian had. She’d never felt more beautiful, more perfect, than she did when she was in his arms.

  And now she wanted his touch, craved it, like an addict craved her next fix.

  Julian stirred beside her and his eyes popped open. His hand darted out from beneath the sheets and cupped one side of her face, then his thumb began stroking along her lower lip with slow, measured strokes. “Good morning.”

  “I’m not sure it’s quite morning yet,” Elyse said, glancing through the sheers and still seeing moonlight.

  He grinned devilishly. “Well, then, that means the night is not over yet.”

  He pulled her to him and his mouth descended inexorably towards hers. Her body fizzed like a firecracker and then he was kissing her again. She opened her mouth to him and his tongue darted inside, stroking against hers. A low, deep groan sounded in his throat and Elyse was thrilled to know she had a sensual power over Julian just like he had over her.

  And so they kissed, lingeringly, taking their time to reacquaint themselves with each other. His lips left hers to move down to just below her ear. She shivered and her nipples tightened. That’s how desperate she was to feel his touch. Her willpower had completely deserted her over this man. Need fired through her body. She couldn’t ignore the throb pulsing at the apex of her thighs. The heat between them was like a forest fire. She might come to regret her decision later, but for now she would revel in him.

  Elyse slid her hands across his back and then forward so she could explore the hard plans and ridges of his muscular, hair-roughened chest. He allowed her to use her hands and mouth to rove over him. She felt the hard length of him against her thigh. Clearly, his desire for her had been renewed and so, somewhat shyly, she reached for a foil packet on the nightstand and protected them both before straddling him.

  Julian grinned up at her. “Take what you want, baby.”

  She’d never been this bold before but something told Elyse she could be with Julian. She felt safe with him, and it was strange, given that she had a hidden agenda in meeting him. But none of that mattered. She lowered herself onto him, inch by delicious inch. When he was seated deep inside her, filling her, her mouth came down and sealed his in an incendiary kiss that set her pulse racing. She loved the playful dance of their tongues meeting and the primal call of her body physically connected with his. She began to move, finding a rhythm all her own. Deeper, harder, faster, longer.

  She bucked against him, offering him her breasts as her legs tightened around his waist. Julian accepted and suckled them with his mouth, teeth and tongue until pleasure was streaming through her and she cried out his name as she found her release. “Julian!”

  He captured her lips while she came against him, his tongue sliding in and out, mimicking their bodies until, eventually, his own release came and he groaned, shuddering underneath her.

  Ten

  They dozed, and when they eventually awoke, Julian pulled her to her feet and led her to the large bathroom where they shared an incredibly sensual shower.

  “We have to leave the bedroom,” Julian stated once he’d turned off the taps and handed her a big fluffy towel and began drying himself. “Otherwise I fear I’ll do nothing but make love to you all day.”

  “Would that be such a bad thing?” As soon as she uttered the words, she blushed.

  Julian loved that she could still be shy with him after everything they’d done. “No, but I would like you to see more of the city.”

  “All right. Let’s do it.”

  After quickly getting dressed, Julian in shorts and a T-shirt and Elyse in a floral sundress, they hopped in the convertible. He took her to a downtown craft market in Castries to buy bags of spices and to shop for souvenirs. They ended up with several bags of goodies to take back home to their families. Julian was surprised, however, that most belonged to him. Elyse’s shopping list was small. When he questioned her about it, she clammed up.

  “I’m not like you, Julian,” Elyse said. “I don’t have a big family. I told you there’s only me and my dad. I was so busy taking care of him that I missed out on the chance to make my own friends.”

  “I know.”

  She rolled her eyes. “For Christ’s sake, don’t look at me like that. I’m not totally alone. There’s my friend Andrea.”

  Julian nodded. He understood she’d lost her mother, but there was something about the look in her eye that told him there was more. Elyse hadn’t told him the full story. He didn’t want to push her; he just hoped that in time she would feel comfortable enough to share all her secrets with him.

  To help lighten the mood, Julian drove them to one of the rum distilleries on the island. They toured the facility, following each step of the rum-makin
g process from the raw materials of molasses and sugarcane to fermentation and distillation. They learned how rum was aged in the barrel before going to the mixer tanks where a special team of master blenders created a variety of flavors.

  His favorite part was the rum tasting and watching Elyse get tipsy. There was a plethora of types from Chairman’s Reserve to gold and white rums. He noticed Elyse preferred the rum liqueurs and had a healthy sampling of the coconut and banana flavors as well as the nutty rum cream.

  Once they were back in the car, Elyse laid her head back in the passenger seat and sighed. “That was really good, but I need to eat something. Let’s get dinner.”

  They ended up in a tiny fishing village between Soufriere and Castries, enjoying grilled fish, crawfish, along with roasted corn and bakes.

  “What are bakes?” Elyse inquired.

  Julian laughed. “It’s a biscuit. Try it, you might like it.”

  And she did, along with the rest of the food on offer. Julian liked that Elyse could relax and enjoy the simple things in life.

  “What?” Elyse asked.

  “Nothing.” Julian responded, realizing he was staring as she sucked on a crawfish. “I’m just happy to see you eating, that you still have an appetite after the rum tasting.”

  Elyse put down the crawfish she’d be eating and licked her fingers. “This food is delicious but I suppose the model stick figures you’re used to dating don’t eat.”

  Julian released a loud belly laugh. Elyse had that effect on him. She said exactly what was on her mind. “Yeah, they don’t usually eat much, and they’re missing out,” Julian said, reaching for a crawfish himself.

  They ended the evening back at the villa in the Jacuzzi where Julian took her with a fierce hunger that hadn’t been assuaged after they made love last night. Every kiss, every touch, every moment, was imprinted on his brain. He usually never stayed with women long, had never envisaged his future with anyone. And yet...with Elyse, every time she looked at him, something tugged deep in his chest. He didn’t know what it was. All he did know was that he didn’t want it to end.

  * * *

  Julian had been amazing the entire week. He’d showed her everything Saint Lucia had to offer. One day he’d taken her to Marigot Bay and chartered a catamaran. The cruise along the magnificent coast had been thrilling, as had the snorkeling in the blue waters. It hadn’t ended there. Another day he’d hired a guide and they’d climbed to the top of Gros Piton. The view had been breathtaking, but getting there had been half the fun.

  When she’d tired during the hike, Julian had lifted her onto his back and climbed higher and higher until they’d reached the top. Afterward, he’d taken them to a resort on Sugar Beach where they enjoyed the remainder of the day at the Rainforest Spa.

  “This is incredible,” Elyse had stated when they were led into one of the seven tree house treatment rooms. “Where did you find this place?”

  Julian had simply shrugged and Elyse, realizing it had been with another woman, remained mum. She’d never been such a place as this. She could never have afforded anything like it on her salary. Maybe she could one day, if she received the restitution her father deserved. But it would require her betraying Julian.

  The thought hadn’t sat well, so Elyse had pushed the negativity aside and lowered herself into the earthen steam dome known as a temascal. The attendant had led them to a double cabana for an organic coconut oil couples massage that was to die for. Elyse couldn’t help but think she could get used to a life like this. That thought had stayed with her long after they’d left the spa and she’d spent another night in Julian’s arms.

  Their last day was another wonder because Julian finally took her to Sulphur Springs, known for its famous mud baths.

  “You don’t honestly expect me to get in that,” Elyse said after she’d donned her bikini and met Julian at the entrance. She had thought she could do it, but hadn’t been so sure once she’d eyed the thick mud pool.

  “Trust me, you’ll love it,” he said.

  When she hesitated, he asked, “You do trust me, don’t you?”

  Could she trust the son of Josiah Lockett? She’d certainly trusted him with her body the entire week.

  “Of course.” She placed her hand in his and together they descended into the warm gray mud. Julian instantly sank into it, but Elyse was wary to let go. So Julian came toward her with mud packed in his hand and lathered it all over her. He did it again and again, the action so sensual, Elyse wondered why the steam hadn’t rolled off her.

  As was tradition, they washed themselves under a nearby waterfall and drank from a fresh coconut a man had cut with a machete.

  The day had been incredibly fun, even if it was their last on the island.

  She must have looked wistful because Julian said, “We can have more times like this.”

  Elyse doubted it. Not if she continued on her quest to destroy his father. Instead, she smiled and they dressed and got back into the convertible to head for the villa. She wanted to lose herself in Julian, to forget what was waiting for them when they returned to Atlanta.

  * * *

  Julian didn’t know what had gotten into Elyse. When they’d arrived at the villa, she’d all but jumped him. Not that he was complaining. He was happy that she’d learned to let go and accept the passion between them, which was as strong as ever.

  Later, after making love, they stood underneath the rainfall shower, kissing and soaping each other. Her kisses were driving him wild, especially when Elyse grew confident and knelt before him. He was shocked and glanced down. Her eyes were large and flaming with desire. “Are you sure?”

  After that first night, he’d gathered she didn’t have much experience in the bedroom, which had surprised him given how beautiful and sexy Elyse was.

  “Yes,” she murmured. “I want to taste you like you have me.”

  He groaned when her fingers traced his erection. Then she kissed, touched and teased him with light flicks of her tongue. He ran his hand through her water-slicked hair as she pressed her mouth to him.

  “Elyse...”

  She gripped him firmly and started bobbing her head, increasing the pace. Julian didn’t want to come this way. He wanted to be inside her, but his thighs tautened when she didn’t let up, and he could feel his climax approaching. She intended to take him, despite his best efforts to rein himself in. A low groan escaped his throat and his pelvis began pumping, piston-like, his fingers twisting in her hair as he gave in and gave up control to Elyse. He let out a hoarse cry as pleasure racked his body in an extreme explosion.

  Afterward, he leaned back against the shower wall, the soothing water helping him to recover as he breathed deeply. He looked at her ruefully as she stood. “That was incredible.”

  She nodded as if drunk with desire. Did she know what she’d done to him? The sensual torture she’d put him through?

  She molded her wet body against him as her arms encircled his neck, and Julian felt his desire for her renew.

  “Give me a moment.” He left the steam of the shower only to return wearing a condom. His hands on her waist, he pulled her closer to him.

  “Please.” She arched in readiness.

  Julian took what she offered, angling her body and then pushing to the hilt in one powerful thrust. Elyse rocked her hips as she rode him, meeting him thrust for thrust. Wrapping her arms more tightly around him, she cried out, as if the spasms rippling through her were too much. Julian buried his face in her neck and a pleasure-soaked groan escaped his lips as she wrung every inch of his release.

  They were both silent after such an intense experience. Elyse was limp and weak in his arms, so much so that Julian picked her up and carried her to bed. He placed her between the cool sheets, where she swiftly fell asleep. Julian, however, was wide-awake.

  It couldn’t last, right?

  Usuall
y after a few encounters with one woman, he was done and on to the next, but Elyse was different. He wanted her more than ever. He’d gone to great lengths to get Elyse here, alone with him. Was he obsessed? If so, it wasn’t healthy. Yet, he couldn’t seem to care. He was addicted. To the way she made him laugh. To the way she wasn’t afraid to try new things. To the way she way made him feel so alive.

  Maybe when they got back to the real world, this haze would go away as it did with every other woman. But something told Julian he shouldn’t count on it.

  * * *

  True to her word, Giana had ensured the Lockett jet was at the private airstrip to greet Julian when it was time. On the flight back, something changed, and Julian soon found out why when he glanced up from a magazine he’d been reading to find Elyse staring at him.

  “So tell me, Julian, was the job offer with Curtis real or was it just a big hoax to get me in bed?”

  He frowned and tossed the magazine down. “Why would you ask that?”

  “Because you never mentioned it the entire trip,” Elyse responded. “And now that I’m no longer under a sexual haze, I can think straight.”

  Julian lowered his head. He knew she wasn’t going to like his answer. “Do you want the truth?”

  When he glanced up, her eyes were trained on him. “Please.”

  He swallowed the lump in his throat and persevered. “I admit the job offer isn’t imminent, but Curtis does need a publicist. He doesn’t have one on payroll.”

  Elyse’s eyes narrowed. “So it was a ruse? Am I just another one of your conquests?”

  Julian started to unbuckle his seat belt, but she was faster, quickly removing hers. She stood and held up a hand. “Don’t... I just need some space.”

  Elyse left the main cabin and rushed towards the back of the plane, which housed a bedroom and bathroom, leaving Julian alone. She didn’t return until the captain announced they must return to their seats because they were about to land.