Sweet Talkin' Scoundrel

  The urgent whimper coming from her lips assured me she was close to coming. She arched her body, pushing her pussy harder against my mouth. “Oh, Dax, yes, Dax.”

  I lathed my tongue over her clit as I impaled her with my fingers. She arched her body up higher, curling her legs around my shoulders. My fingers were slick with her cream as I pushed them deep inside.

  “Yes, Dax!” she cried out. Her body trembled as she came against my mouth.

  As the shuddering waves in her body slowed, she reached down for me. “I need you now, Dax. Please.”

  I rose up on my hands and quickly put on the condom I had placed next to the bed.

  I leaned over her and gazed down at her. The pink flush of an orgasm still covered her skin, and it sent heat surging through my body. “You are something else, Rabbit. You’re worth fighting for.” The words were meant for my head, but I was out of my mind with the need to fuck her and I’d spoken them aloud.

  Kinley’s dimples creased her cheeks as she reached up and curled her hand around my neck. “You won’t have too many opponents in that fight. I’m as unattached as a girl can be. Or at least used to be.”

  “Damn right, you’re attached now, baby.”

  She sucked in a breath as I pushed inside of her. “Your pussy feels so good. Never going to leave it.” I rocked inside of her, slow and measured at first. But she had me so hard, I couldn’t hold back.

  Kinley’s hands smoothed over my shoulders and down my back. She wrapped her legs around me, and I drove myself deeper. It felt as if the entire carriage house was creaking and swaying with our rhythm.

  “Harder,” she sighed. “I want more of you.”

  I reached under her ass to hold her firmly in my grasp. Her pussy milked me close to coming, but I didn’t want it to end. “I want you to come again,” I groaned in her ear. “Come for me.”

  I dropped to the mattress and pulled her around with me so she was on top, straddling me, still holding my cock deep inside. Her eyes drifted shut as she braced her hands against my chest and writhed over me, pushing back to take in more of me. All the while she pressed her pussy and clit against me.

  Her soft, erotic moans rained down on me as I shoved my cock up to meet her each time. Her head lolled back as she absorbed every inch of me. I gritted my teeth to keep from coming.

  “Oh, Dax.”

  I reached down and gripped her ass, helping to keep the rhythm tight and hard. Her fingers dug into my skin as she cried out in ecstasy. She was still deep in the throes of an orgasm, hardly able to sit upright, but I pulsed my hips, rubbing the full length of my cock against her clenched pussy.

  My grip on her ass tightened, and she stared down at me as I came inside of her.

  Kinley lowered her body over mine and curled up against me. My arms tightened around her and our hearts tapped against each other as our bodies cooled down to the temperature in the room.

  “So was it worth the risk?”

  She wriggled down to my side and cradled her head against my shoulder. “Yes, you are totally worth the risk. Damnit,” she added as an afterthought.

  “Not sure if that’s good or bad but since damnit rarely goes with anything good.”

  Her tawny hair brushed over my arm as she lifted her head to look at me. “You were the last thing I need in my life, Dax but . . . damnit . . . I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Well, maybe a nicer airplane with the neck rests and warm cookies. But the pilot—” She lowered her mouth and kissed me. “I wouldn’t switch pilots for all the warm cookies in the world. Even white chocolate macadamia nut, my personal favorite and dessert downfall.” She glanced around the room.

  “If you’re looking for a clock, I don’t have one.”

  “I should—.”

  I pulled her into my arms. “No, don’t say it.”

  “Really, I should—”

  I interrupted her with a kiss. Her laugh stopped it short.

  “I’m supposed to be sleeping on the floor of Becky’s room. What will she think if she wakes up and finds an empty blanket?”

  “See, I can throw cold water on that reasoning right now. My little sister doesn’t wake for anything. One time when we were young, Becky came running into my room because of a thunderstorm. She crawled into bed and slept like a stone all night, even with the storm raging outside. She snored right through my cussing when her little knuckles landed hard on my nose in the middle of one of her dreams. She sleeps solidly. So, I figure you can stay until dawn when Katherine rises from her crypt to put on her face.”

  Kinley sat up. I knew what the tilt of her lips meant.

  “So, you’re leaving me out here alone? You didn’t tell me how the mummy’s curse story ended.”

  “I’ll give you the quick version. After a stubbed toe, a scorpion under my bed and a bad case of hives from something I ate, I insisted my dad take me back to the pyramid to return the stone. Which he did. Then, on the way out, he told me it wasn’t an ancient stone at all but a piece of glass someone must have stuck in the wall to fool a tourist. I felt extra silly. But the bad stuff stopped and here I am.”

  “I’ll bet Becky had a good laugh about the ending.”

  “She did. Although I think she was sort of disappointed I didn’t have to actually fight off a mummy to get rid of the curse.” Kinley looked out the window. The only part of the manor that was visible from the guest house was the massive portico that jutted out over the porch. “I do worry that she’s missing out on a lot being stuck here on this island.”

  “You mean you think being stuck here with Katherine and Marcus and without normal people and kids is a problem? I’ve had a lot of arguments with Katherine about this, but you know how she is. In fact, knowing I’m against it probably only strengthens her resolve to imprison Becky here.”

  “Well, Becky is happy and well-adjusted so maybe we’re over-thinking it.” She climbed off the bed. I sat up on my elbow and watched her get dressed.

  “I prefer the opposite,” I noted. “You getting naked. How the hell am I supposed to get through the night knowing you are right across the lawn?” I sat up, wrapped my hands around her waist and pulled her toward me. I placed a kiss on each breast before she pulled on her bra.

  “You could conjure up some dirty dreams,” she suggested. “Maybe gets some ideas for the next time we meet.”

  “Fuck, now that’s a homework assignment I can finish with enthusiasm.” I picked up my jeans. “I’ll walk you across the lawn.”

  “No,” she said abruptly. “What if someone sees us?”

  “Then we’ll wave and I’ll pull you into my arms and plant a kiss right on those amazing fucking lips.”

  Kinley’s head tilted and a cute frown rounded down her lips. “Dax, I’ll be fine. I’m on a private island. I don’t think I’ll get mugged on the way back to the house.” She walked closer and pressed herself into my arms for a good-bye kiss. “Until next time. And don’t forget to do your homework.”

  Chapter 18

  Kinley

  “Do you have the list?” Katherine asked me for the fifth time that morning. Although, with my head spinning from the notion of seeing Dax, it was probably a good thing she kept reminding me.

  I pulled it out of my coat pocket. The distant sound of the plane coming in for a landing caused the paper to slip from my fingers and flutter to the ground. I stooped down to pick it up and caught a tiny, annoyed tap of Katherine’s shoe on my way up. She seemed in an especially uptight mood, which, considering her usual demeanor, was really saying something.

  “Sorry,” I blurted as I showed her I had a tighter grip on the list. I stuck it in my pocket.

  Katherine picked up her coffee cup and carried it to the sink. “Becky hasn’t stopped talking about Saturday’s slumber party and, in particular, the mummy’s curse. By t
he way, I realized this morning that you haven’t had a day off. Why don’t you modify tomorrow’s lessons and give Becky some independent assignments. Ryan is coming in the morning to mow lawns and trim hedges. You can catch a ride back to King’s Beach. Maybe do some shopping or see a movie. Then Dax can bring you to the island in the afternoon when he comes back to pick up Ryan.”

  Her tone was much more convivial than usual. Her light and cheery tone, coupled with the offer of a free day, made it feel as if I was being buttered up for something.

  “That sounds great,” I said, hesitantly. I hadn’t expected a day off, but it sounded pretty darn wonderful. Of course my mind went right to Dax and the thought of spending all day in King’s Beach with him.

  Katherine walked back to the table where I was finishing a muffin.

  Even though she’d finished her coffee, she sat down across from me. She laced her fingers and placed them in her lap. I swallowed hard to get the last piece of muffin down. It seemed, the other shoe was going to drop. I thought the first part of our little visit was just a bit too peaches and cream. From her expression, which was neither cheery nor dark, it was impossible to predict which direction she was headed. But then, I could rarely predict what Katherine was going to say or do.

  “So, it seems, you’ve been all over the world, but you never truly had a home.” The topic had come out of nowhere. It was the first time she’d asked me about my childhood since the job interview.

  “I had a home. It was wherever my parents were.”

  The answer stopped her short. It was obvious she hadn’t expected it. As she came up with the next conversation piece, I had trouble keeping my mind at the kitchen table. It was desperately trying to race out the front door and down to the runway.

  “But wouldn’t you enjoy having a wonderful home?” She lifted her hands. “Like the manor? A grand house with a big enough budget to fill it and everything you could ever want.”

  I knew I was wearing my stunned deer expression, but she’d caught me completely off guard. “I’m sure never having money problems makes life a lot simpler, but I think everyone has a different definition of wealth. I’m not sure a grand home would make me happy.”

  Katherine’s mouth pursed and then untwisted. She wasn’t the least bit impressed with my answer. This was my second week on the island. Even though the first week had been what I considered a success, I wondered if I’d already overstayed my welcome. I was not getting good vibes from the boss.

  After a chilly moment of silence, Katherine released a sigh and pushed up from the chair. “I guess we’ll have to work on that then. You should head out to the runway. I think James has landed.”

  I was like a kid being told by the principal that detention was over. I jumped out of the chair so fast it scraped the floor and earned an admonishing glower from the principal.

  “Kinley.” I’d almost made good on my escape when Katherine’s sharp tone sent my shoulders up around my ears.

  I stopped and turned back to her, knowing that she always expected complete attention.

  “Yes?”

  “James possesses that charm and appeal that many women find hard to resist.”

  My heart was slowly sinking to my knees as I waited for what I was sure would be my verbal pink slip. As hard as I’d worked to hide it, she’d somehow figured out what was going on. Or, maybe it was because Dax always ended up sleeping with the tutor. Maybe it was a game of his. That heartbreaking possibility made my eyes ache with the threat of tears. Not wanting Katherine to see me cry, I blinked them away.

  “I suppose he is charming in a rakish sort of way,” I said, trying hard to sound indifferent.

  “Exactly. I take comfort in knowing that you are far too high-minded to get lured in by him. He sees so many different women, and he never thinks twice about breaking a heart.”

  I stared at her with a hundred responses I was dying to hurl at her, but every one of them would have gotten me fired. I smiled politely and headed out the door.

  Once I got to the lawn, I picked up my pace. During the morning’s lessons, I’d been giddy with the idea of seeing Dax. Errands had, by far, become the best part of the job. But as I hiked the path to the runway, my stomach ached and my feet felt heavy.

  Dax flashed me a white smile as he waited for me by the plane. I walked fast and purposeful hoping my pace would keep the tears back. But the second his smile faded and worry crossed his face, I broke into sobs and a full run.

  My first instinct was to jump into the comfort of his arms, but I needed to know. Even though his arms circled me, I braced my hands against his chest to keep him back.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I just need to know something and answer honestly because I’ll know if you’re lying.” I stopped. “That’s a lie. I’m not good at reading people, especially if there’s something there I don’t want to read because it will hurt like hell to read it.”

  “Whoa there, Rabbit. You’re not making a lick of sense. Just ask me.” He pushed the brim of his hat back. The sun lit up his handsome face making my task even harder.

  “Is this a game for you? Sleep with the tutor and see how quickly you can get her kicked off the island?”

  He stared at me as if I’d grown a third eye in the middle of my forehead. “What the hell are you talking about? Wait. I know. My wonderful step-monster got to you.”

  I swallowed back the ache in my throat. His response, his shock at my question, helped put me a little more at ease. “She had some less than flattering things to say about you, but I don’t care about that. I just need to know I’m not being used as a pawn to fuel the fire between you. I just need to know—”

  He kissed me before I could finish. Even as I told myself I should pull away and get a solid answer, I felt myself melting into his arms. His kiss was tender and deep. It seemed he was trying to convince me that he cared using his kisses instead of his words. And it was working.

  I was in a dreamy haze by the time he lifted his mouth from mine. I opened my eyes and peered up into his face. His eyes were deep green with an intensity that made my chest feel as if a weight pressed down on it. “Kinley, you’re not a pawn or part of a game. Not for me. I’ve had nothing to do with Becky’s teachers getting fired. That’s all Katherine and Marcus’s doing.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Does Katherine know about us?”

  “I haven’t said anything. I acted very casual during our conversation this morning. I don’t want to lose this job.” I added before he could ask me to leave the island.

  He sighed in surrender. “I know. Doesn’t make me happy, but I understand.” We walked to the passenger side of the plane. Before I climbed inside, he pulled me toward him and kissed me again. “I never stop thinking about you, Kinley. It’s not a game. I would never hurt you.”

  His words and the way he looked at me as he spoke made my eyes burn with tears.

  Dax leaned forward and kissed my nose as it started to twitch. “I love the way this nose wiggles. I love the way you make me laugh. I love the way you find good in everybody.” He leaned his head to the side and glanced down at my body. “I love the way your ass looks in jeans.”

  My eyes smiled through the tears.

  He shrugged. “Just keeping things honest.” He took hold of my face and kissed me lightly on the lips. “Mostly, I love that you walked into my life. You’re making me rethink my whole philosophy. All this time, I was convinced I was happy. I had everything I needed, a business, my own place, time to surf and—”

  He stopped at the last part of the list.

  “And women?” I finished for him.

  “Yes, but not the right woman. Now she’s here, and she’s turned the whole fucking list upside down.” He wrapped his hand around mine. “Kinley, don’t let Katherine into your head. She’ll turn you against
me.”

  “Why would she do that?”

  Dax glanced in the direction of the manor. The massive chimney was the only part of the house visible from the runway. “It’s complicated. Mostly, it’s because she hates me. Just promise me you won’t let her turn you against me. I do not want to lose you.”

  “I promise.”

  Chapter 19

  Dax

  Kinley bunched up her shoulders and pulled her coat tighter. “It figures my day off would be a clammy, ugly day.”

  I lowered Tero through the clouds only to coast through a fog that was nearly as opaque as the clouds. The King’s Beach runway was a black stripe, splitting the landscape neatly in half.

  Kinley had spent most of the flight telling me about a village she’d lived in where the neighbors had a pet orangutan that would walk with her to the local school. He even liked to carry her books on his head. The experiences she’d had in her short life had been numerous and varied. Yet she was still grounded and not the least bit jaded. I loved that about her. She’d been all over the world and seen four of the seven wonders, but she still got excited about my mention of a small, rundown bakery at the end of King’s Beach that served great cinnamon rolls. She was different. It was a good different.

  “I don’t want to be presumptuous,” she spoke over the rumble of the engine, “but I was hoping you’d have a spare hour or two in your day to hang out.”

  “Jeez, Rabbit, I’d love to hang with you, but I’ve got a full schedule today.”

  She slouched down lower in her seat. “Oh. I see. No problem. I’ll find plenty to keep me busy.”

  Her bottom lip stuck out just a little farther than usual.

  “See, you do like me,” I said.

  “Oh shut up. I’m just disappointed. But who knows, maybe I’ll find someone else to talk to while I’m in King’s Beach. Where do your surfer friends hang out? Surfers are always hot.”