The wreight series box s.., p.7
The Wreight Series Box Set, page 7
part #1 of Wreight Series
Tom returned to check on her and flirt a little which made Renee feel even lonelier. It was flattering to gain the attention of a younger, handsome man, but she was not interested in an island romance, as surely that's all it could ever be.
After dinner Renee strolled around the hotel taking in details of its structure and staff, passing couples holding hands and kissing in the moonlight. The island resort was a place designed to inspire romance. She wondered if it would continue to feel that way in the light of day.
**
Lance had arrived at the island on the early morning ferry and anxious to get settled in his room so that he could find Renee. He wasn't sure if she would be happy or upset to see him. It had been a last-minute decision to hop on a plane and come to St. John, but the more Lance thought about her, the more he wanted to be with her. She was here so why shouldn't he be here.
Maybe being away from the complexities of everyday life would allow her to see that she liked him too. He knew what he felt when they were near one another, and he was sure that she felt it also. He felt like a big bundle of nerve endings, sensitive to the touch, needing to connect with her to continue living.
After changing into shorts and a pullover, he started his search. The island was crowded, and he wasn't sure where to start looking or even who to ask. After walking around the hotel, he stopped at the desk to ask the Concierge.
"I'm looking for my friend. I'm not sure where to find her, I just arrived."
After answering several questions, the tall, thin man behind the desk pointed towards the beach. "You might find her out there."
"Thanks,” Lance said heading out into the hot tropical sun. It didn't take Lance long to get to the beach. He stopped at the edge of the pathway to take in the beautiful postcard picture beach that lay in front of him. The water was incredibly blue, the sand, white, and people were everywhere.
It didn't take him long to find Renee. His heart beat wildly in his chest as he saw her standing in the water. She had her back to him. Some dark skinned, muscle man was standing near her smiling from ear to ear. Lance stood watching in silence, who was this guy? He was probably some island Casanova, looking to score with Renee. Or maybe this was the dud boyfriend?
Lance tossed off his shirt and shoes and jogged out into the water. He had no idea what he was going to say or do, but Lance knew that he could not stand there and watch while this Don Juan tried to romance Renee.
Renee laughed out loud; Gregory was a handsome young man who was trying to convince Renee that he was all she would ever want in a man. He had approached her using the book she was reading as a topic opener.
He claimed to be a hotshot Internet executive from New York, in the islands for vacation. At first, Renee gave him monosyllabic responses hoping that would discourage him. It did not. He planted himself down next to her and said something to the effect of this being a holiday, she shouldn't be sitting on the beach reading, but enjoying all that the island had to offer including him.
Renee closed her book and sought refuge in the water. She thought that her walking away from him as he talked would supply him with the hint that she did not need or want his company, but it didn't. He followed her into the water and continued to advertise his qualities.
Renee turned as the young man's attention was drawn to something behind her. By the time she turned around completely, Lance had her in his arms and kissed her deeply. "Hey baby, I've been looking all over for you."
Renee was shocked but glad to see Lance. Gregory's smile had faded. "Hi," Lance said to him. "Thanks for keeping my lady entertained."
"It was no problem, man,” Gregory answered moving away to the beach.
Once he was out of hearing range, Renee pushed her sunglasses onto her head away from her eyes looking at Lance, "What are you doing here?"
"I would think that the answer would be obvious. I couldn't stand the thought of you being here without me, so I hopped on a plane to come and be with you." He was still holding her close to him, and he didn't want to let go.
She wasn't sure what to say in response. Was Lance playing with her or was he serious? She didn't know, but she knew what she wanted. Renee wanted to kiss him again and again and again. She realized that he was waiting for a response, so she resorted to humor to ease the tension she felt. "What if that had been Mark?”
Lance smiled slowly, “Well it wasn't. You said the other night that he wouldn't be here. I knew that was some guy trying to hit on you. Look I wanted to hang out with you. That's why I'm here.
“Is that all? I thought you came here to have hot, butt naked sex with me." She put her sunglasses back on, pulling out of his embrace.
She was halfway to the shore when he realized that she had been joking. He watched her drying herself as he approached her. She was wearing a leopard print bathing suit that clung to every womanly curve she possessed. She tossed her towel to Lance when she noticed that he did not have one. As he rubbed the towel over his skin, he took in her every movement as she tied a sheer black piece of fabric around her waist.
"I'm hungry, have you had lunch yet?" she asked grabbing her bag and heading toward the hotel.
"No, I just got here about a half hour ago,” Lance answered following behind her and picking up his shirt as he passed it.
Chapter Ten
They ate lunch on the terrace of the dining room under an awning. Renee watched Lance as he piled a plate with food before approaching the table. Why was he there? Was Lance interested enough in her to fly all the way to St. Thomas for a few days? He probably just needed a short vacation and after hearing her talk about it decided to try the island for himself.
Lance turned to find Renee watching him. Renee quickly looked away from Lance hoping he didn't realize that she had been staring at him. Lance looked more delicious than the food she was attempting to eat. He hadn't put his shirt back on, and his well-defined body was creating heat in Renee that was much hotter than the afternoon sun on her skin. His shorts still damp from the ocean water clung to his thighs and called attention to certain parts of him. She closed her eyes. She didn't want to think about it.
"Stop it." She said to herself just as he reached the table.
"Stop what?" He said sitting across from her.
"Mmm," Renee said removing her fork from her mouth. "Nothing." She mumbled chewing the tangy chicken morsel. "Did you come here to hang out with me?" Renee asked not looking at him but looking anywhere else as she adjusted the napkin in her lap.
"You're not upset that I came, are you? He asked looking directly at her grabbing her hand as she placed it on the table.
Upset, was not the word that Renee would have used to describe her feelings about his being there. Confused would have been a better word. Why would a man, a white man, a beautiful ass white man, fly all this way just to be with her? Sure, they almost seemed to be friends, but would any of her other friends just pick up and fly halfway around the world to hang out with her?
"No."
"But?" He prompted.
She pulled her hand from his. There was no other way to say it, "But I don't get it. We've only known each other for a few weeks and…" She trailed off waiting for him to jump in.
"And nothing, I like you, and you like me, so why shouldn't we be together,” Lance said placing his hand on her hand as she rested it on the table.
He made it sound so simple, but it didn't feel that way to Renee. Her head and her emotions were having a tough time getting in agreement with each other. Her head advised her not to take him seriously, but her heart told her to enjoy it and go with it. Then there was Mark. Yes, Mark, her boyfriend.
Lance sensed the fight going on inside of Renee and said, "Live in the moment. Let tomorrow worry about tomorrow."
Renee thought about his words, and it did make sense. They were on a beautiful island away from the pressures of everyday life, and she should just enjoy every minute of it. "I'll try."
"Good," Lance said letting go of her hand to continue eating.
**
After lunch, they went on an island tour that kept them busy most of the afternoon. Most of the time Renee was able to live in the moment, but occasionally she drifted back to wondering what his intentions were. What would her family say, what if Mark found out? She couldn't help herself; Lance was successful, handsome, intelligent and sexy. It wasn't that she thought she didn't deserve someone with all those things, but she had always thought they would come in a darker package.
She had trust issues with men in general, but it seemed like something right out of a romance novel when she examined that Lance was everything she wanted and maybe even what she needed, but he was white. It was more than that. She thought as they stood side by side in front of a store window. Looking at the glass, she giggled to herself. He was tall. She was short. He was toned and fit; she was curvy and plump. He had light tan colored skin; hers was rich and dark. He had blonde hair and blue eyes; she had black hair and brown eyes. They were like night and day. How could he possibly be interested in an intimate relationship with her?
Lance stood next to Renee, watching her as she looked in the window. She was far away, her eyes seemed distant and her smile faded. He grabbed her hand and held it tight breaking her free from her thoughts. "We'd better get back to the group, or we might get left behind." He said tugging her away from the window of shoes and handbags.
It felt good to have someone pay attention to her. Renee liked the idea of having a man around. Lance was attentive and did not once glance at any of the other women that were running around the island barely covering their bodies. He held her hand and put his arm around her shoulder. Renee didn't want to get too comfortable with the feelings she was having. What if it didn't work out between them? She didn't want to get hurt.
Lance liked touching Renee. Her skin was soft and smooth. He was surprised that she hadn't resisted when he grabbed her hand and didn't let go. He was also surprised when he casually threw his arm over her shoulder. She hadn't moved away. Maybe she was getting used to the idea of them together.
Their tour ended, and they returned to the hotel an hour before dinner would be served. "Why don't we meet in the dining room in an hour and a half." He said when they reached her room.
"Alright,” Renee answered as she unlocked her room. She waved to him as he walked away.
She pulled off her shoes and went to the bathroom to run a tub of hot water. She had plenty of time to take a nice long soak in the tub before dinner. She hadn't walked as much as they had done today in a very long time. While the tub filled with water, she searched her clothes for something to wear.
Since she couldn't make up her mind, she undressed and went back to the bathroom. The water was hot, and her skin tingled as she slowly lowered herself into the tub of steaming water. She tried to relax but couldn't stop thinking about what that night might bring. Would Lance kiss her again? Would she resist, or would she lose herself in a passion filled night of lovemaking? Would he want to make love to her? "Stop it!" she told herself sinking deeper into the water.
She didn't want to go to all the places that her wild imagination could take her. She squeezed her eyes shut trying to lock out the images of Lance and her touching each other's naked bodies. She dunked herself in the water hoping to dowse the images from her mind.
**
Lance had been in the dining room for about fifteen minutes waiting for Renee. He had been so anxious to see her again that he didn't mind looking like a lovesick kid as he watched the door for her appearance. He found a table near the back of the room and sat sipping from a tall glass of lemonade.
Lance looked at his watch again. It had only been a few minutes since he had last checked it. He raised his eyes again, his breath caught in his throat as he caught sight of her in the doorway. She looked sultry, sophisticated and sexy. The way the gold satin, spaghetti strapped dress caressed her curves made his fingers itch to trace her body the same way.
He found the strength to join her at the buffet table. "You look fantastic." He said as he kissed her on the cheek. She smelled sweet, but Lance couldn't quite guess the fragrance.
Renee blushed, "Thank you." He looked great too. He was wearing white denim jeans; a white button down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbow and white deck shoes. He flashed her a big smile.
They found their way back to the table where Lance had been sitting and sat down to enjoy the food and each other. A server appeared to take her drink order. Renee and Lance ordered frozen margaritas. "Tell me something," Renee started.
"I'll tell you anything you want to know," Lance said watching her toying nervously with the food on her plate.
"How did you find out where I was staying?"
Lance didn't want to reveal his source. "You told me that night I brought dinner to your office." He said hoping that she would not remember that she hadn't said anything other than the name of the island.
Had she told him where she would be? She didn't remember. If she hadn't then he had to have found out from either her secretary or her friends, but would he have gone through that much trouble to find her?
Lance quickly changed the subject. "What do you think of the island so far?"
Renee told him that the island was living up to everything she had heard about it. She said that under the bright sun of the day and the tropical backdrops she could easily see why people liked to come there. Although Renee had only spent that morning checking out the services of the hotel, anyone could see why they stayed booked to capacity. She described the massage and facial she had gotten that morning. She gave him samples of her manicure and pedicure to prove how pampered she had been.
He enjoyed listening to the way she described everything. Lance felt as if he had been in the room with her as she explained the facilities and people and their techniques to him. She insisted that before he left that he had to get a massage. He wanted a massage, but only if she were the one touching him.
His thoughts were leading down a dangerous road. He tried not to think of Renee's hands on his body and thought he was succeeding until he watched her wet her lips and then his thoughts proceeded in an even more dangerous way.
When they had finished their meals and their third margaritas, Renee suggested that they take a walk on the beach because she wanted to see the sunset. She grabbed his hand and led him willingly, down the path to the beach. When they reached the sand, Lance stopped to remove his shoes, and Renee followed suit.
He held their shoes in one hand and laced the fingers of his free hand in hers. They walked to the edge of the shore enjoying the feel of the water as it lapped at their feet. They stopped facing the water and the setting sun. "Isn't that the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" Renee asked, not taking her eyes away from the magnificent colors that painted the sky.
Lance was looking at her profile. "There are some things that I think are more beautiful."
Renee could tell he was looking at her as she thought that this sounded like something she would write in a romance novel one day. The wind began to blow, and goose flesh formed on her skin. Lance moved to stand behind her wrapping his arms around her to provide her with his body heat.
Renee's body responded immediately to Lances touch. Her heart beat frantically in her chest, and her stomach felt full of butterflies. The heat that she felt from his body as her back rested against his chest, warmed her to her core. The sensations she felt while the roughness of his jeans gently rubbed against her satin covered bottom could only be described as sinful. Closing her eyes, she forgot all about the sunset.
Renee pulled out of his arms. She wanted to put some distance between them, but Lance did not let her get away. He caught her hand in his, turning her to face him. Their eyes locked and what she saw in his eyes mirrored what she felt in her soul.
Lance kissed her slowly, enjoying the sweetness she possessed. Renee didn't resist him. He let go of her hands as she moved to caress the back of his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist bringing them into intimate contact. Renee moaned slightly, deepening the kiss.
Maybe it was the three margaritas she had at dinner, or perhaps it was the romantic setting of the sunset on the beach, Renee didn't know which one it was, but she felt dizzy and out of control.
Slow down, Lance thought to himself. Don't scare her off. Take your time. Renee pulled her mouth from his when sounds of voices registered from behind Lance. An older couple smiled as they walked past them. Renee moved out of his embrace and hurried back to the path to the hotel.
Lance followed close behind her. She stopped when she reached her room. Renee knew that he followed close behind. She fumbled with the key to her room. Lance took the key from her and unlocked the door. She stepped inside leaving the door opened slightly.
Lance was about to turn and leave when he realized he still had her shoes in his hand. He entered venturing to the center of the room. He didn't see her. The only source of light came from the moon as it shone through the glass doors of the terrace.
He stood in the center of the room with their shoes in his hand. "Thanks," Renee said, closing the door and taking her shoes from him. She had been standing behind the door. Only a few inches of space separated them. He closed the distance taking her mouth passionately with his.
He tore his mouth from hers. "If you want me to go, say so."
Renee eased away from him. She walked to the door turning, she faced him. He held his breath for what seemed an eternity. Renee moved her hand behind her locking the door.
Lance let out his breath at the sound of the clicking lock. Renee strolled back to where Lance stood watching her every move. She unbuttoned his shirt slowly, not taking her eyes from his until she got to the last button where his shirt disappeared into his pants. She placed soft kisses on each bit of skin that was exposed.
