The boat ride ended far too soon, and they made it to Le Poisson, a ritzy little restaurant near the docks of a neighboring island. Chinese paper lanterns lined the docks and white table clothed tables lined the patio, and there was the faint sound of live music from inside.As they walked into the restaurant, he watched her visibly tense and her hands went to hold her short, floppy skirt down. He’d known that was coming. Le Poisson was a black-tie sort of place and she was wildly underdressed. Still, if she acted like she owned her look, no one would think anything of it. But judging from her hunched shoulders and unhappy expression¸ that was too much to hope for.Drake put a hand to the small of her back in solidarity and guided her forward. “No backing out now.”Sarah looked over at him, startled. “Oh, I wouldn’t. That’d be rude. And I want to be here .” Her smile grew overbright, and he wondered if that was Sarah’s version of flirting. It was awfully toothy. And was money the onl
It was a long fucking boat ride back.Sarah puked all the way from the restaurant back to the boat. She spent the entire ride back to Seaturtle Cay with her head over the railing, violently ill. When they made it back to the island, she was so exhausted from puking that she did little more than curl up in the backseat of the car and dry heave, her head in his lap. And even Drake , who wasn’t the most sympathetic of people even on a good day, felt sorry for her. He stroked her hair while she wept and heaved and generally made a mess wherever she went.By the time they got back to the lobby of the Seaturtle Cay Resort, they were both exhausted. Sarah had fallen asleep and so Drake carried her inside. Her body was long but her form was light, and it was no trouble to haul her up the steps. First stop: the front desk, to get a key for Sarah’s room. He knew the room number, but his date was asleep. If he woke her up to get the card, he suspected the vomiting would start again, and neit
Drake waited until after noon, and then he texted Sarah ’s phone.You dead?Her response came a few minutes later. Feel like it.He laughed. Couldn’t help it. She wasn’t even pretending that she was fine, which was kind of adorable. He decided to skip the texting and called her instead.“Mmmello?” Sarah’s voice was husky, blurred with sleep.“Glad to see you survived last night.” God damn, he sounded cheerful. Regular fucking sunshine right over here.“Surviving is debatable,” she said. “My head feels like it wants to abdicate from the rest of my body.”“Yeah, well, that’s what happens when you mix wine with the hard stuff.”“Never again,” she moaned. “Never, ever again.”“Eat some crackers and drink some water,” he told her. “I’d tell you hair of the dog, but I don’t know if your stomach could handle it.”“Crackers. Got it.” She sighed heavily. “Now to find some crackers.”“I’ll have the front desk run some up to you.” Or one of his assistants. “Don’t get out of bed. Just
Drake texted her at five that afternoon and asked her to meet him in the lobby at seven forty-five. She texted back her confirmation, and then immediately dashed to her closet, looking for something to wear. Tight clothing, Enny had advised. Sarah pursed her lips and considered her limited vacation wardrobe. She’d brought things appropriate to the wedding, and she’d considered shopping today for her next date, but her hangover had nixed that idea.She settled on skinny jeans under a blousy white shirt with big ruffled sleeves and a plunging neckline . . . and wore a tank top underneath. It wasn’t super sexy, but she tucked the tank into her jeans and ensured that it showed a lot of cleavage. It could be worse, she supposed. She considered her heel, but they’d been part of PukeFest and she’d tossed them. All her other shoes were extremely tall. Oh well. There was nothing to be done about that, was there? If he liked her pukey, maybe he’d like her tall, too. She wore the nude Loubouti
The next day, Drake was feeling pretty damn pleased with himself, all things considered. The date had been a disaster, but afterward . . . yeah. Afterward was good. And this morning? He was feeling even fucking better. Things were looking up. He sat on the balcony of his suite, enjoying a tequila sunrise and the cool breeze that rolled off the ocean. There was breakfast on his plate, but he wasn’t hungry. Instead, like a spider, he sat in his web and managed his prey.First on the list, a to-do left over from last night. He texted his assistant, Ashroff , since he was on Drake’s shit list at the moment. His conversation with Sarah last night had spurred more than a few thoughts, and this one was about shoes. He’d sent an assistant on the task. Have you found a maid to bribe?@ wmn @ rm 311? Stephanie sent back. U can cnt on me 2 get it, no woryrs.Jesus fucking Christ, was that even English? He did not want this shit fucked up by some pimple-faced shit head who took a job as his as
Drake wanted to meet her that afternoon, but he suggested they meet at a gazebo in the resort gardens. Definitely more romantic than the lobby, Sarah thought with a smile, and agreed to meet him there in a half hour. She was humming as she changed into something a little sexier for her date—a dark navy slip dress that she normally wore with a sweater and leggings—and put on her sparkly heels. She felt rather pretty, and hoped that Drake thought she was, too.The path out to the gardens was on the far side of the Turtle pool and lounge. The resort had several pools, but the Turtle one was popular with couples instead of families due to its multiple hot tubs. She glanced at it casually as she passed by and was startled when a man with a microphone and two guys with cameras seemed to emerge from the bushes and approach her.“Hey, doll,” the guy with the microphone said. “Tell us your name, sugar!”Sarah hesitated, alarmed. “Not your doll or sugar,” she told him, and tried to sidestep
Things were going pretty fucking good with Sarah , Drake thought as he gazed at her from across the dinner table. She was animated as she told him another tale about the dress fitting he arranged for her with Stephanie and how she’d gotten her dress and it was almost half a foot too long till she got a perfect wedding guest dress. Sarah ’s expression was a mixture of amusement and sympathy for the stressed Stephanie , but he had to admit that he wasn’t listening to the story half as much as he was watching her movements. The way that she brushed her hair off her shoulders when she got animated. The way her eyes lit up when she talked about her friends. The graceful curve of her neck. Hell, he was even fascinated with the way her throat moved when she swallowed her drink.He’d never been this bad over a woman before. Never.What was fucking ironic was that he was okay with her being his ex. He knew it going in, and he’d figured that he’d wine and dine her, seduce her into giving up h
Drake walked Sarah back to her room that night, and they kissed at her doorstep for what felt like forever. He wished—rather fervently—that she would invite him in, but she only gave him a shy smile and that was it. That was fine, really. He wanted her to be comfortable, and maybe he’d pushed his Sarah a little too far with their play in the waves. Maybe she’d realized he’d jerked off while he sucked on her breasts, and that had alarmed her. He didn’t know what her boundaries were yet—mostly because she didn’t, either.Vaguely unsatisfied but still pleased, Drake headed back to his room and undressed, showered, jerked off, and went to bed instead of turning to his computer for late-night work.He’d just drifted off when a noise woke him from his sleep.Drake peered blearily at his dark hotel room. It was almost midnight—one hour after he’d left Sarah. He knew his assistants will never wake him unless it was very important.He hadn’t been asleep for long. What had awoken him?A soft
EPILOGUE About three months later, the wedding was a small affair held in the crystal blue surf on Drake ’s private paradise.Brown served as best man while Sarah was the best lady .Sarah’s father attended as well, even refusing to give her away saying only that the family was growing, no one was going anywhere. He had perked up considerably since his new medical treatment.Lovingly, Drake looked to his beautiful bride whose stomach began to slightly show as her belly barely grew. The secret was theirs to know for now , they didn’t want the public interference aside their family . Soon enough her belly would be impossible to hide.He imagined the day, in the not too distant future, when he would hold his own baby. He had missed too much of his parents absence during his young life and looked forward to cradling the new addition in his arms.And if having a son was beyond compare, he couldn’t imagine what it would be like when he held his daughter. Sarah was smiling all about as she s
A half hour later, they emerged from Drake ’s sedan in front of an unfamiliar building. Sarah gave a nervous smile to the doorman who held the way open for them, but she couldn’t avoid the sick feeling in her stomach. This was like high school all over again. No, worse. It was like those nightmares she had where she was pushed out onto stage and didn’t know her lines. A thousand worries flew through her mind. What if someone asked what she did for a living? Should she lie? Act coy? Would the truth embarrass Drake ? What if they had to eat something and she had no idea which fork to use? A small giggle escaped her at the thought of their horrified faces if she used a salad fork on her dessert. “Are you all right?” Drake asked as they entered the elevator and waited for their floor. He was dressed in a gorgeous suit with nearly invisible pinstripes that had been tailored to fit his handsome form. He wore an equally dark gray shirt underneath it, with the collar slightly open and no tie
The next morning, she woke up to see Drake off for the day. He kissed her at the door for several minutes, then sighed. “I have meetings all day, but I’ll be back in time to pick you up tonight.” “Gotcha. Is there a bookstore nearby I can hit up once I find some pants?” Drake chuckled. “You have all of New York at your disposal, and you want a bookstore?” “Pretty much.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “But it comes second to pants.” He leaned in and kissed her again. “Tell you what. I’ll send my assistant over in about an hour with some clothes for you. She can escort you around town.” She wasn’t sure that she needed a chaperone, but it might be wise until she got her feet under her. “All right.” She wrapped her leg around his and clung to him in a way that left nothing to the imagination. “You’re going to think about me today, right?” Drake groaned, his hands moving to cup her naked ass under his shirt. “I couldn’t stop if I tried.” “A wise man once said, ‘We strive afte
A week later Warm lips brushed her cheek. “We’re here.”Sarah stirred, embarrassed that she’d fallen asleep in the car, she’s been sleeping too much and Drake have been too attentive too. “We are?”“Yes. We have just enough time to get you situated upstairs, and then I have to head off to my meeting.”Yawning, Sarah blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to wake up as she followed him out of the car. She stood on a wide sidewalk, the street lined with cars up and down both sides. All around her were tall, elegant buildings. Nearby was an awning and a doorman stood below it, waiting.Drake leaned over the car and spoke into the window. “Wait here. I won’t be long.” Turning back to her, Drake took her by the arm and began to guide her toward the building with the doorman. “I’ll show you my place, and you can get comfortable.”“Do you have to go?” She asked, glancing uncomfortably at the doorman as he opened the door for them. Drake ignored the doorman and headed into the lobby, then t
Drake rubbed Sarah’s shoulder as she leaned against him in the car. The drive to Drake’s apartment was fucking endless, and his entire body sang with a need to pull Sarah into his lap, tear down her panties, and drive into her.But he had to be patient. She was calling the shots for now, because she needed to feel comfortable again. That was why they were going all the way across town to his private apartment instead of heading to his place on the Upper East Side. Sarah was in control.At least until he got her naked and squirming under him. Then he was taking control, and he’d make sure she was screaming her pleasure before he even thought about his own.He nearly swore with relief when the apartment building came into sight. He opened the door, got out, and then held the door for Sarah. He gave the driver a nod, signaling that he wouldn’t need his services for the rest of the evening, and then wrapped his arm around Sarah’s waist again.She stared up at him with a soft, passion-
He didn’t look pleased to see her.Sarah had expected that. She’d guessed when Brown had hung up on her that Drake was holding a grudge of some kind against him too clearly stating how Drake had gone physical with him.That was her reason for buying this hole in the wall dinerhe put up for sale .She wanted to find out what the problem was so she could fix it.Not like she did not know but she still wanted them to talk things out.And then she wanted herself back in his arms and in his bed, laughing as he kissed her skin and quoting Plato when he undressed her.But he was seated with the other waitresses, arms crossed over his chest, and he looked furious. Even furious, though, he was lovely.She had to look lovely too her smooth brown hair was twisted into a messy knot at her neck, and she wore a slick of lip gloss that would probably make him wonder what she tasted like with it on. She wore a plain blue T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, but even in the casual clothing, she will appea
A wedding was no place for someone with a freshly broken heart, so Sarah did the best she could to hide her misery. The good thing was that she never had a moment to herself. From the time she woke up the next morning, she was part of the wedding whirlwind. The bridesmaids had breakfast together again, and gifts were exchanged with the teary—but radiant—bride. Then, the women had hair and makeup done, last-minute fittings and stitchings into their gowns, and then they all took a limo to the far side of the island, where a massive white tent had been erected to shelter the wedding party as the others arrived for the outdoor wedding. The wedding itself would take place on a white pier built especially for the ceremony, with tiers of steps for the bridesmaids to stand on. A cobblestone path had been created through the sand and smoothed over for the high heels of the women, and the chairs for the guests were carved wooden benches placed in the sand with white and red umbrellas dotting th
Drake awoke before Sarah did. His body’s internal clock was set to 6 a.m. New York time, no matter where he was. He’d also awoken with a stiff cock and pleasant memories of the previous night’s sex and the morning with Sarah . Tousled, sweet Sarah, who’d been so responsive in his arms, and absolutely startled when he’d found her G-spot. That look of pleased surprise on her face? That had made him feel like a king in bed.She hadn’t been the most skilled of his lovers—he suspected the Ukrainian ballet dancer would forever hold that spot—but she’d been the most open and honest one. Her expression, totally unable to hide anything, had pointed him to exactly where to please her, and her wide-eyed responses and gasping moans had been an incredible turn-on. She’d been enthusiastic and genuine and pleased to be with him.Him. Sarah the “manager.” She didn’t know if he had two nickels to rub together, and hadn’t cared. She’d just wanted to have sex with him. And he couldn’t say that with ce
Morning sunlight struck his eyelids, drawing sleep back to the suppressed piece of his brain and effectively awakening him. Slowly, blue orbs were exposed to the dimly lit hotel room, and as they adjusted to the light pouring into them, as well as to the feeling of being cast from the dark recesses of his once sleep-stricken mind, objects in the room began to show up through the faintly blinding sunlight.A dresser was cast across the room sat beside a door he could only faintly remember belonging to a bathroom used to it's full capacity the night before. Set across from the doorway to the bathroom sat a balcony, again quite used the night before.The curtains connected to the balcony, shielding the sunlight only slightly, blew faintly through the minuscule crack between the glass door and the wall keeping it in place. Like a silk blanket, the warm smell of cinnamon, sex - or rather passion and love mingled together in one wonderful scent - and what almost seemed like...A brief and