Chapter4

The plane landed, and a limousine was waiting to take them to the expansive cottage on the beach that she had rented for them. It was nearly engulfed in tropical growth from palm trees of varying sizes and shapes to bushes, vines, and an unending multitude of flowers that scented the air sweetly.

They walked through the cottage together, looking at all of it. There were two bedrooms that adjoined, each with a walk-out door to a shared balcony that overlooked the palm tree-covered beach just off the steps leading down from the balcony, to the sea that spread clear to the horizon before them. There was a private bar near the kitchen, where Derrick poured himself a scotch and another glass of champagne for Eva.

They wandered out to the deck and discovered there was an outdoor hot tub there in the area between their two rooms. She raised her eyebrows and smiled at the sight of it, giving him a sidelong glance.

“Well, I’ll definitely be getting into the hot tub later,” she said with a somewhat naughty grin. The champagne was freeing what little inhibition she had left.

His lips parted for a moment as his eyes widened, and his voice grew slightly hoarse. “I’m already looking forward to seeing that.” He knew he shouldn’t flirt quite so shamelessly with her, but she was beyond irresistible to him, and it came as naturally to him as breathing. He did want to see her get into the hot tub, and just the thought of it made his thighs and groin warm.

“Well, shall we get refreshed and go see if we can find Parker?” she asked, giving him her sweet smile again.

He nodded. “I think that’s a brilliant idea,” he answered, giving her a nod as he walked back into his room. He needed a cold shower to wash away the desire for her that had been gripping him since they had left New York.

A short while later, they met up in the living room of the cottage, and he commented briefly on how pretty her sundress was. It was a lemon yellow with spaghetti straps, and it only barely covered her curves. Her long legs were lean and toned, and she wore strappy sandals on her feet. He felt his body tighten again and tried to focus on the task at hand.

“So, Parker… where are we going?” he asked, his mind completely distracted.

She saw the effect that her choice of wardrobe had had on him, and she was totally pleased with herself. She smiled at him and walked to the door. “Not far from here. I think he’s out on his yacht right now.”

Eva was right. Parker Bennett was out on his yacht with a small group of gorgeous women, all of them wearing tiny bikinis and drinking just about everything that the bar had in stock. They were all paying very close attention to Parker, who was enjoying every second of it, and who was happy to see Derrick and Eva.

He invited them to go out sailing and to stay for a seafood dinner and drinks. They agreed happily. The rest of the day was spent out on the cobalt and turquoise blue waters of the sea around the island, drinking, relaxing, sailing, and flirting more and more heavily with each other. Parker had begun to flirt a little with Eva, telling Derrick how beautiful she was, and Derrick had pulled her close to him and wrapped his arm around her, agreeing with Parker. Parker had seemed to get the message and had staved off of the flirting with Eva, turning all of his attention back to the bevy of women who were fawning all over him.

Eva had loved the feel of Derrick pulling her close and growing protective over her. It felt like she was his, and she relished that feeling. She hadn’t ever felt the sense of security and need that it brought to her, and she only knew that she hoped there would be more of it.

Derrick, once he had put his arm around her, did not want to let her go, and he kept her close to him the rest of the day, though he didn’t indulge in what he really wanted with her—to feel her against him and to taste her kiss. He let those thoughts go every time they crossed his mind.

After a day of fun and food and a considerable amount of champagne, the deal was finally signed by Parker, and the yacht returned to port. Derrick and Eva made their way back to the cottage, and he stopped at the bar in the kitchen to pour more champagne for them.

“We need to celebrate! This deal happened because of you! You’re amazing. You’re one of the most amazing women I’ve ever known,” he said honestly, his voice serious and soft as he gazed at her, trying not to stare too hard.

She grinned at him and finished off her glass of champagne. “You’re one of the most amazing men I’ve ever known, so that makes us even then.”

There was a tangible silence between them for a heated moment, and he made himself draw in a deep breath. “I thought you said that you were going to get into the hot tub.” He knew he was pushing the edge of their flirting, but he didn’t care. He didn’t know if he didn’t care because he wanted to push the edge of it and go a little further, or if it was because he was drinking. He had stopped thinking about it and caring when he had pulled her close to him on Parker Bennett’s yacht, when Parker had begun flirting with her. He hadn’t liked it at all, and he’d wanted to make it clear that she was not available—at least, not available to anyone but him, if that was what she chose.

It felt to them both as if there was total freedom and no rules where they were in their little cottage on the island in the tropics. It was as if all of the bonds of propriety had slipped off of them when they had exited the airplane and stepped into paradise, and both of them were heady with the idea of possibility; of what could happen, and what they both wanted to happen became possible.

“I did say that…” she teased him in return, talking about the hot tub and meeting his new flirting boundary, which was slipping further from their business office relationship.

His breath grew short, and his voice grew slightly thicker. “Did you bring a bikini?” he asked, stepping toward her and letting his eyes move slowly over her body, taking in her curves before he looked back up into her face again.

She opened her eyes wide and barely covered her mouth with the tips of her fingers. “Oops!” she teased him with a wink. “I guess I forgot it…” Her hands went to the thin straps of her sundress, and she slid the dress from her body, revealing only her bra and panties as the little lemon yellow dress fell into a soft puddle of material at her feet. “I guess I’ll just have to use what I have.”

She turned from his shocked stare, and giggling, went to the hot tub and climbed into it, settling down slowly into the steaming water. “This feels so good,” she purred, smiling at him and narrowing her eyes seductively. She had made up her mind that if he was going to flirt and tease her, then she could give it right back, just as strong as he could.

He swallowed what was left of the champagne he was holding and set the glass down on the table near him. Without taking his eyes from her, he peeled his clothes off one piece at a time until he was down to his underwear, and taking another bottle of champagne with him, he went to the edge of the hot tub, his eyes locked on hers.

“May I join you?” he asked, waiting to hear her answer.

She nodded and grinned. “I would love it if you did,” she answered somewhat coyly.

He got into the steaming water, and she took the opportunity to gaze longingly at the sculpted muscles of his form. He was even more beautiful without his clothes on, and her imagination, while good, had done him no real justice in pretending to herself what he might look like without his clothes on.

He sat near her and closed his eyes a moment, breathing in deeply, before looking at her once more and smiling. “You’re right, this does feel good.”

Derrick moved close to her and, watching her, popped the cork on the newest bottle of champagne, letting it overflow into the hot tub. He held the bottle up to her and smiled. “Would you like a drink?”

She moved closer to him until their bodies were only a few inches apart. Smiling, she took the bottle from him and tipped it back, swallowing some of it before handing it back to him. “It’s perfect,” she whispered in a soft voice. Her head was buzzing, her body was growing hotter for him by the minute, and she no longer had any

concern about the fact that she was his employee. All she knew was that he was alone with her in paradise, they were having a good time, and if she was very, very lucky, he would be kissing her and touching her before the night was over.

He took a long swig from the bottle and locked his eyes on her. His lips were parted and he gave his head a little shake. “You… you’re so beautiful. You’re like an exotic flower.” He reached one hand up to touch her cheek and trace his fingertip down the side of her face. “You’re a rare blossom. I love seeing you every day. I love it. You’re entrancing.”

His words filled her mind and heart and wrapped themselves around her. She leaned a little closer to him, wanting more than anything for the moment they were in to last for an eternity or two.

He hesitated a moment and blinked, moving his fingertip to her full mouth, where he gently touched her lips. “I wonder…” he nearly whispered, “would it be wrong if I kissed you? I don’t want to push you too far, or ask anything that I shouldn’t, and it’s alright if you say no, but… would it be wrong if I kissed you? I’ve wanted to kiss you since the day I met you. You have the most delicious mouth…” he trailed off, gazing into her eyes, trying to read her thoughts and her reaction. His heart had begun to race, and he knew he was pushing a boundary he had no business pushing, but the ache for her had long before superseded their business limits.

She felt like her heart was going to beat right out of her chest. She reached her hands up to cup his face in her palms as she smiled at him. “I’ve been wanting the same thing,” she answered softly, and she leaned in toward him and closed her eyes, pressing her lips gently to his.

A soft moan escaped him, and for a minute, it was nothing more than a tender and sweet kiss, a first kiss. As their lips moved over and around each other, their kiss began to grow deep, and he parted her mouth and found the tip of her tongue with his. His arms went around her as they began to drink each other in, and he pulled her to him.

Eva spread her knees apart and slid her thighs over his lap, moving toward him until she was just over his groin, her chest against his as they kissed more passionately. Everything in her was swirling, and it felt as though she had never been touched by anyone with so much tenderness and passion.

Their arms grew tight around one another, as their kisses grew more fervent, and as his mouth left hers and trailed down her neck, she felt his fingers moving over the clasp at the back of her bra. A moment later, there was no material over her, and he groaned as his hands cupped her dark breasts, massaging them as he brought her hardened nipples to his mouth hungrily.

The heat that had begun to build within her started to spread through her body like wildfire, and with every passing moment, she felt that her only need was to feel him in her, holding her, loving her. She began to sway her hips over his groin, feeling the stiffness of his need for her rubbing hard on her body.

Breathless with need, he began to push himself up against her while his mouth moved over her breasts, until at last he could no longer resist what he wanted so badly. “Eva…” he moaned, her nipple filling his mouth. He reluctantly let it go and looked dazedly up into her dark eyes. “Eva…” he said again, his voice thick with desire. “I want something from you… something I shouldn’t ever ask for, especially because you’re working for me, but I need it… I need you… more than I have ever needed any woman. I have to ask this…” he hesitated as she leaned down and kissed him long and slow.

Lifting her mouth from his, still rocking her body against his, she smiled a little, touching his face with her fingertips. “You don’t have to ask, if you really want it…”

He shook his head. “I do want it… god I want it so bad. I want you so bad… more than I’ve ever wanted anyone. I need you, now.”

“Then have me,” she answered, reaching down into the swirling hot water and pulling her panties off. She took his underwear off of him carefully and tossed both pieces of cloth out of the tub onto the patio. Moving gently, she centered herself above him and slowly slid her body down onto his, taking him into her inch by thickened inch, until he was fully inside of her and neither one of them could breathe for the overwhelming ecstasy they were both feeling.

He closed his hands around her hips and began to move her against him, taking her breasts into his mouth again as he filled her over and over again. She gasped and cried out in pleasure, closing her eyes and twisting her fingers in his long locks of dark hair as they moved together, their rhythms building up as their bodies rocked hard together.

They held each other tightly, moving faster and faster until they cried out together and shuddered with release, their arms and bodies locked together as he flooded her with his orgasm, and she gripped him with hers.

When they were able to breathe again, he took her face in his hands and kissed her softly, over and over again, until they were both smiling serenely.

“How are you feeling?” he asked worriedly, wondering in the back of his mind if he had gone too far, while simultaneously wondering why he had waited so long to have a woman who had blown his mind so much and made him feel better than any woman ever had.

“Amazing. I’ve never felt like this before,” she answered with a blissful smile. “I loved it. I’m so glad we shared that.”

“So am I,” he answered, returning her smile.

They were quiet for a while, holding one another, and then she told him she was going to take a shower. She left him sitting in the hot water alone beneath the stars, and he watched her as she climbed out of the tub and went into the cottage. The sight of her nude body made him hard again, and he closed his eyes, telling himself for a moment that he had satisfied that urge and that it probably shouldn’t happen again.

A minute later—he hadn’t thought it was even possible—he was even harder than he had been before, and he climbed out of the tub and went into the bathroom to find her. She stood there in the billowing steam, hot water coursing over her dark skin as white bubbles made their way slowly over her curves. She turned to look at him as he stepped into the shower with her.

“I need you again…” he said in a soft voice, his eyes locked on hers as his hands molded over her firm breasts.

“Then have me again,” she smiled at him, leaning up to kiss him. It was only moments before he was inside her again, filling her, moving in and out of her, creating a fire that neither one of them could escape from as they both cried out again with their orgasms, holding tightly to one another, and kissing hungrily.

The shower ended, and he took her hand and led her to his bedroom. She went happily with him. She had had no idea what it would be like if they were ever together, but the reality of making love with him had never been in her imagination as good or as hot and passionate as it was in person. She felt as if she had tried some kind of drug and was immediately addicted to it. There was no sliver of regret or remorse in her anywhere. She had wanted him just as much as he had wanted her, and no matter what happened afterward, they had shared what was without a question or a doubt the most incredible sexual experience she had ever known.

He wrapped her in his arms as they lay down together on his bed, and in no time at all, they had fallen asleep, skin on skin, arms and legs entangled as lovers do. The night passed peacefully with them both curled against one another.

When Eva opened her eyes in the morning, it was because the savory scent of breakfast being cooked roused her from her sweet dreams. She looked around and saw that she was alone in the bed, and Derrick was nowhere to be seen. She listened carefully and smiled as she realized that it was him cooking breakfast.

The aroma of coffee made her smile, and she sat up and leaned against the pillows stacked up on the headboard. A few minutes later, Derrick walked into the room with a tray laden with food, juice, coffee, and even a small arrangement of tropical blooms that smelled as sweet as they looked.

“You cooked breakfast for us?” she asked in amazement as she took in the sight of him. He was wearing only boxer shor

ts, and his hair was wet and tousled from having showered earlier. He gave her a lopsided grin.

“Well, I might be a billionaire, and I may have a staff who does a lot of my cooking, but there are times when I’m left to my own devices and I have had to learn to be resourceful. In these instances, it has proven to be to my benefit to learn to toss a few things around in a pan or two and come out with a pretty decent breakfast. Here we have cheesy scrambled eggs, perfect bacon, toast, jam, butter, and fresh cut local fruit. I’m not sure what that one is, but it tastes amazing, and we have coffee and juice. I can make something else if you don’t like this…” he trailed off, his eyes searching her face as he smiled at her.

She shook her head. “No, this is incredible, and it’s perfect! I love all of it. Thank you so much! I’m starving!”

They ate together, and when they were done, he set the tray on the dresser and came back to the bed, snuggling up next to her. She leaned up away from him when he wrapped his arm around her, and when she looked back over her shoulder at him, she saw some kind of worry in his eyes.

“Oh god… Eva… I don’t know what to say,” he began. She was worried for a moment that he regretted it, but his words took her worries away. “Did we go too far last night? Did we do anything that you didn’t want to do? I hope you didn’t do any of that just to please me, just because you thought I wanted it and you felt obligated to do any of it…”

She realized what he was thinking then, and she shook her head and leaned over, kissing him slowly and tenderly until he moaned softly. She raised her lips from him then and looked down at him with a smile. “No, we did everything that we both wanted to do. Or at least, almost everything. There are still things that I want to do with you that we haven’t done yet…” She laughed softly and moved her mouth from his lips down his chest, over his stomach and to his groin, nibbling and biting at his light skin as she went, until she was nestled in between his legs, her fingers stroking his erection as he groaned quietly.

Eva ran the tip of her tongue along the length of his shaft, and over and around the head of him, kissing and sucking gently as she began to stroke him faster, and he began to move with her. She closed her mouth around him fully then, sliding him over her tongue and down her throat until he was crying out loud with overwhelming pleasure. He gripped the pillows around him, his eyes locked on her as he watched her bring him almost to his climax, but just before his release overtook him, he pulled himself from her mouth.

“Not yet!” he said anxiously, “Not yet… my turn, baby.” He pulled her up toward him on the bed and laid her on her back, pushing her thighs apart and burying his face in between them. His lips, his tongue, and his teeth worked her over until she had cum for him a few times, and after one particularly big orgasm, he lifted his mouth from her body and moved himself up in between her legs, pushing his erection deeply into her as they both gasped with passion.

They moved and wrestled in the sheets as one, turning and tossing and rocking together, until at last they both came again, and finally somewhat sated, they both lay back on the sheets and thick pillows and held one another.

He gazed at her and stroked his fingers over her hair and her face. “I can’t tell you what a relief it is to have you this way. God, I’ve wanted this with you since I met you, and seeing you every day… the way you dress, the way you move and talk and… just… everything about you turns me on. No one turns me on as fast or as much as you. No one. I’ve wanted you so many times, and I’ve had to stop myself and look away and talk myself out of making a move on you. Now… it’s the strangest thing. Here we are alone, we’re on this tropical island, and suddenly, you’re with me, and I can have you. I’m going to keep having you like this until I can’t move anymore.”

He was serious; she could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. Wrapping her legs around his, she kissed him softly and looked at him blissfully. “Please… please do that. Do exactly that,” she begged as he grinned at her and closed his mouth over hers, pulling her back on top of his body again.

The whole day was spent in each other’s arms, with intermittent moments of interruption when they ate or showered, but even in the shower, they couldn’t keep away from one another. That night, it was the same, and they made love over and over again in his bed, or wherever they happened to be, finding pleasure in each other’s bodies, finding pleasure in giving pleasure to each other, and forgetting that there was a world outside of the cottage where they were.

The day after that, they left the cottage and went swimming in the sea, only to lose their clothes and make love in the ocean waves and on the beach. He took her on a motorcycle ride around the island, and they hiked through some of the thick tropical jungle, only to be caught in a heavy rain, and they peeled one another’s wet clothes off, hidden in the thick growth of nature, and made love out in the wild, pouring rain.

They went to a club and went dancing that night, and they hadn’t been dancing long when their wandering hands and deepening kisses burned them with such desire that he pulled her into a dark corner, lifted her dress, and slipped her panties down just enough that he could enter her and lose himself in her, gripping her tightly to him as their passion became a bonfire and they found release together, just barely out of sight of everyone else in the club.

They discovered that him taking her in public the way he had only made them want each other more, and their hunger for one another grew. It was almost as if the more of each other that they had and shared, the more they wanted, like an addiction to a drug. When it was time to fly back to New York City, they were both dazed by the blazing hot passions that they had shared so much on the island.

He watched her sleeping on the airplane, wanting to wake her, wanting to kiss her, to taste her, to talk with her and look into her eyes, wanting to hear her thoughts and know what she was feeling, and he realized that he was feeling too much for her. He had never wanted a woman the way that he wanted her; he had never needed a woman that way, and it was powerful enough that it intimidated him a little bit. He stared out of the window, watching the familiar east coast get closer to Manhattan. Closer to real life. Closer to the world where he was the billionaire, engaged to another woman, and having an affair with his private secretary. It seemed ugly to him then, the whole sordid affair, and he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to keep up the charade. He knew he was going to have to cut it off.

Eva woke up and smiled at him, leaning over to kiss him. He closed his eyes and let her lips move sweetly over his for a moment, breathing her in and tasting her, but then he leaned back from her and gave her a serious look.

“We have to talk,” he said in a quiet voice.

She knew that something wasn’t right. She knitted a brow and looked at him closely. “What is it?” she asked, sure that she didn’t want to know.

“Listen, I know we’ve had an amazing time… I’ve never had a better time, and that’s the truth, but we’re back in the city now, and that changes everything. I know it was all tropics and booze and… god… so much… heat between us… but we’re back now, and things have to try to get back to normal again. We have to try to make things what they were. I don’t want to hurt you. I wasn’t using you, I hope you know that. We just kind of fell in with each other… both of us wanting what we shared, but we’re back in the real world now. I have to be your employer, and you have to be my private secretary, and we need to let go of everything that happened on the island. God, I hope that doesn’t hurt you. I wouldn’t hurt you for the wide world. Will you be alright? Will we be okay?” he pleaded with her, his eyes shining with truth and sorrow.

“Yes, of course. I totally get it. I understand,” she replied. “Don’t you worry about me. I’ll be fine,” she lied with a forced smile.