Flirting with Felicity (17 page)

A whisper of sound punctuated their breathing. With careful
fingers, he spread her dress apart and eased it down her waist and over her
hips, letting it pool around her feet. He slowly lowered his head and licked
her nipple lazily.

A hot shiver moved through her. His tongue was warm and
moist. His breath on her skin was like a thousand fingertips caressing her. Her
knees felt weak and rubbery as she looked down at his dark head bent over her
breast. When his teeth toyed with the hardened bud, a streak of fire seared
through her, and she felt the muscles of her stomach clench.

She could feel herself readying for him, feel the lust
forcing away the last fragment of reason from her mind. Waves of heat engulfed
her, making her long for him in ways she’d never expected. “Blake—” The word
was part whisper, part plea.

He straightened, and she took the opportunity to slide her
fingers beneath his tuxedo jacket and slip it from his shoulders. It fell to
the floor atop her dress. She reached to unbutton his shirt, then tossed it
aside, hungrily gliding her hands over his chest.

He lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as
he captured her lips once more. She gloried in a wave of intense pleasure at
the feel of his hard, developed abs flexing between her thighs, fueling the
fire that Blake had lit within her from the moment they first touched. Still
locked together, he carried her across the room and kicked open a door,
revealing a pristine white bed. He carried her to the edge and carefully laid
her down. A heartbeat later, his pants were gone. He stretched out beside her
and slowly, seductively sketched his palms over her naked flesh.

Her skin burned wherever he touched, leaving trails of
searing sensation across her breasts, her arms, her waist, her thighs. Wherever
his hands went, his lips followed. Heat danced across her flesh. The tension
built, higher and higher, until she thought she would burst from sheer
pleasure.

She was breathless when he drew back to stare into her face.
In his eyes she saw a fire unlike any she had seen before. “You are truly a
beautiful woman.” His voice was hoarse, raspy.

The way he looked at her made her feel beautiful and so many
other tumultuous emotions. She wanted him with the same urgent, scorching
passion with which he wanted her. That knowledge made her bold as she splayed
her fingers against his rock-hard chest. She brushed his nipples with her
fingertips and was rewarded with a strangled gasp from him. Emboldened by her
success, she allowed her hands to drift lower down his narrow waist, to the
apex of his legs, until her hand curled around his hardened length.

His jaw clenched and his head lolled back as she continued
her delicious torture, stroking his silken length with delicate hands. Never
before had she allowed herself to be this bold, to take control, to have her
partner at her mercy. A thrill coiled through the heat flooding her limbs. It
was wildly exciting, the thought that she could bring such a powerful man as
Blake to this place of carnal delight.

His hands clenched, and he brought his gaze back to hers. His
hooded eyes only partially concealed his smoldering gaze. “I need you,
Felicity.”

The intensity of his passion tightened her chest. “Yes,” she
breathed, barely able to force the single word from her dry throat.

He pulled her against him, then rose up on his knees. From
the nightstand beside the bed, he withdrew a small silver packet and quickly
slipped protection over himself. He moved over her, settling between her
thighs. His lips claimed hers again with tormenting sweetness, and her body
responded to the intimate sensuality of his demand. She pressed herself against
his hardening body, wanting more as the flames of desire consumed her.

He thrust in.

Her body arched under his. She moaned, the sound trapped in
their kiss. She reveled in the sensation of him, so rigid and heavy, moving
within her. She met him, matched his rhythm, wound her legs about his hips,
drawing him deeper. Her heart pounded so hard she couldn’t get her breath. Her
hands clutched futilely at his shoulders as she thrust upward, taking as much
of him as he offered her.

With a low cry of wild satisfaction, she matched his rhythm,
delighting as he stroked her hard and fast, then slow and gentle. As soon as
she grew accustomed to one rhythm, he changed it, the tension inside her
coiling tighter and tighter. His thrusts grew deeper and faster. She hovered on
the brink until the tension exploded with a force that sent a fiery release
through every muscle in her body.

An instant later, she could feel Blake spasm again and again
within her, feel him shatter around her in a glorious release.

Spent, he slumped on her. She could feel his heart racing,
pounding against her chest, feel the tempo of his heart echo where they were
still joined.

She drew a slow, shallow breath of satisfaction, then raised
a hand to his hair and, tentatively, caressed. He nestled against her as a
quiet, tender moment ticked past.

His heartbeat gradually slowed; his breathing eased. Finally
he stirred, withdrew, and moved off her only to settle against her side, his
hot flesh against her own. His hands refused to release her as he played with
her exposed breasts, stroking, circling, teasing, as if he was afraid to let
the moment end.

Dear God, what had just happened between them, Felicity
wondered dazedly. She had never in her life experienced anything like her
intense encounter with Blake.

“I lost control,” he said, his voice still uneven, the tone a
caress.

She hadn’t ever dreamed such satisfaction or satiation were
possible as a heavy languid sensation pulsed through her blood. “We both lost
control.” She laughed shakily.

The physical vortex they’d just created had been wild,
mind-bending, sense shattering—just as he’d claimed it would be. Clearly the
man had delivered on that promise. But he’d led her to that emotional whirlpool
not as partners or lovers, but as friends. Intimate friends. Sexual equals.

When he’d made her his offer in her kitchen on the night
they’d first met, she’d never thought it would happen. And just for the time
being, she wanted to lock down the part of her brain that objected, wanted to
force out reason in an effort to keep herself from getting hurt.

She studied Blake’s profile. His lips quirked, and she
recognized the fleeting smile for what it was—smug, male satisfaction.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked, unable to help
herself as she realized she wanted him all over again.

“That you are so unexpected.” He turned toward her and slid
his hand to her cheek, cupping it gently.

“You are every bit as devastating as I knew you would be.” At
his broad smile, she turned her face into his hand, kissing his palm.

A groan tore from his chest. He twisted onto his side and
trailed his hand from her cheek, down her abdomen, until his fingers settled
playfully in the curls protecting her womanhood. “If you don’t stop that, I
might need to be devastating once more,” Blake teased.

She arched her brow. “Is seduction what you planned all along
when you brought me to the
Eclipse
?”

He tugged her curls teasingly. “Yes and no. I really did have
something to show you on the deck above us.”

“What’s that?” she asked teasingly.

His fingers delved in her wet heat, and she could feel herself
readying for him again. “Indulge me once more, then I promise to show you.”

Without another word, Felicity did.

Hours later, when all the other guests at the party had
either left or gone to their own cabins for the night, Blake listened to the
rustle of the water against the hull of the ship. His eyes, however, were on
the woman leaning against the railing beside him. He slid his arms around
Felicity’s slim waist hidden beneath his tuxedo shirt. She’d slipped into his
shirt instead of her dress when he’d asked her to come with him to the top
deck.

Her blonde hair caressed his naked chest, and the delicate
scent of her caused his head to swim and his groin to tighten once more. He in
his tuxedo pants and bare feet. She in his shirt and nothing else.

Felicity nestled back against his chest, and her gaze fixed
on the distance. “What is it you wanted to show me?”

He drew in her fragrance as he gathered her even closer. The
light of the full moon overhead cast a silvered glow across the ocean. “The
stars.”

“What do the stars have to do with the environment or your
efforts to sway my opinion to your side?”

“Nothing at all. I just wanted to show you the stars. I had
no ulterior motive.”

A soft breeze continued to tousle Felicity’s hair as she
tipped her head back and searched the inky black sky. Thousands of stars
glittered like diamonds overhead. With no other lights around, it was easy to
see not only the stars, but the planets, satellites as they rotated about the
Earth, and the Milky Way as it stretched across the sky in a swath of orange
and gold. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful,” she breathed.

He pulled her closer and kissed her lightly on the top of the
head. “I’ve seen this sight a hundred times. But with you, it’s like I’m seeing
it all over again.”

“Do you stargaze often?”

“I wanted to be an astronomer when I was young. I spent so
much time alone, but wherever I went the stars were there, watching over me.
I’ve never told that to anyone ever before,” he admitted with a chuckle. “What
about you? If you could do anything or be anything, what would that be?”

She pressed her lips together in thought, then said, “If
money were no consideration, I’d want to own a kitchen, maybe a whole building
that was dedicated to my Hungry Hearts program. Nothing makes me happier.”

“Very admirable.”

She shrugged. “I’m not so sure it’s as noble as all that. I’m
the one whose life is changed each time someone new walks into my program.”

“You give a part of yourself to each of them, too. I saw that
while we worked in your kitchen with your students.”

Felicity accepted his compliment, but as she did, he
reflected on how he and Felicity approached their passions in very different
ways. She worked to change the people of the world while he had focused his
efforts on the environment. She took a risk each and every time she reached out
to someone in need. He played it safe. Effecting change in the environment
never forced him to put himself out there or risk his heart; only his
pocketbook was on the line. Disappointment filled him as he returned his gaze
to the stars. Even his fascination with the heavens kept the things that
intrigued him at a distance.

Why was he so afraid to take a risk, to put himself out there
and possibly feel pain? He was a wealthy man, yet he couldn’t afford to let
anyone into his heart. That uncomfortable knowledge settled around him as he
pulled Felicity even closer against his front, drawing her warmth to him,
allowing her to once again melt the icy places deep inside.

It felt so good to be near her. So right.

After a day spent teaching Felicity the ins and outs of
running a hotel the size of Mano Kea, Blake walked Felicity back to their
suite. Sitting on the sofa in the sitting area was the large, red box tied with
a white bow that he’d asked the hotel manager to deliver to their room.

“What’s this?” Felicity asked, moving to the sofa.

“It’s for you.”

Frowning, she untied the bow and opened the box. Her breath
caught as her gaze snapped to his. “A chef’s coat, black pants, and red
Hawaiian-print skullcap? What’s this for?”

“We have a luau at the hotel every Saturday. Haku wanted to
know if you would be interested in helping him prepare the dishes this evening.”

Gratitude shone in her eyes and an answering warmth curled
inside him. “I’d be delighted.” She scooped up the garments and headed to her
side of the suite to change. She reappeared five minutes later, wearing her
chef’s outfit and a smile.

For the first time in a long while, joy filled him simply
because of her smile. “Ready?” he asked.

“For cooking? Always.”

They went to the kitchen, and Haku immediately set Blake to
the task of peeling, then slicing several mangos that would be used for garnish,
while Felicity helped the Hawaiian chef prepare two different sauces to be used
in the feast to come.

After he’d finished preparing the mangos, Blake watched
Felicity as she moved around the kitchen, her features soft and at peace.
Cooking seemed to center her as nothing else did. For the first time, he
wondered about the hardships she’d talked about in her anger the day before yesterday.
What horrors had she experienced that had created the woman before him?
Suddenly it was imperative he know.

With a frown, he watched her work. He could push Marcus
harder, hire detectives to do all the usual things he did to his business
associates as well as his enemies. Yet with Felicity, such tactics were
starting to seem . . . wrong. He’d never really cared much about his business
rivals’ feelings before he’d negotiated with Donald Jamison over the Heritage
Hotel. Was it Felicity’s influence that had made him suddenly hold himself to a
higher standard?

He watched her transfixed. He’d never seen a more beguiling
woman in his life. Despite her chef’s coat, he could still see a hint of her
shapely curves that were hidden from his view. The white of the garments she
wore were the perfect complement to her developing tan and blonde hair. She
looked healthy and relaxed—and as sexy as a woman could look fully dressed.

His body hardened at the sight. The more he watched her, the more
he wanted her.

She stirred a large pot at the stove, then reached for a
ramekin and placed a dollop of sauce inside. She dipped her finger into the
contents, bringing it up to her lips to taste. His breath caught at the motion.

Moving to her side, he caught her hand and brought that same
finger to his lips, taking it into his mouth, tasting the sauce mixed with the
sweetness of Felicity herself. A strange shiver moved through his body at the
whisper-soft feel of her finger against the roughness of his tongue.

“Delicious,” he breathed.

A blush rose to her cheeks as she shot a glance at Haku. He
continued moving about the kitchen, ignoring the two of them. “When will our
guests arrive?” she asked as she drew her hand from Blake’s grasp.

“In two hours.” He stared down at her, at those parted lips
that beckoned him. It had been so long since he’d had someone to share things
with. Someone who filled an emptiness inside him he hadn’t known existed before
she entered his life.

Despite being around people every hour of every day, he
hadn’t realized how lonely he’d been until he looked into her wide, intelligent
eyes. He’d been completely unprepared for her.

Her face was so close he could see the flecks of gold in her
eyes. She stared at him without blinking, and he felt as if he could see
straight into her soul—and it was a frightened, vulnerable place like his own.
For the first time in his life, he considered giving her insight into his own
life. He’d never trusted anyone enough to do that. His heart sped up. He stood
there motionless, waiting while he considered what to do.

“Thank you for sharing the secrets of your success with me
today. I know you didn’t have to do that. I have a few ideas I’d like to
implement at the Bancroft when I return to Seattle.”

“You’re welcome. Now, don’t we have a luau to cook for?” The
answering warmth in her eyes brought a grin to his face. A feeling of
camaraderie clung to them. Something new and fragile had blossomed between them
over the past few days, and he was loath to let the feeling end. He twisted
toward the table beside him and picked up an abandoned apron from the stainless
steel surface.

“How may I be of assistance?”

She arched a brow. “You want to help me cook?”

“My services don’t come cheap.”

She crossed her arms before her and gave him a level look. “Of
course they don’t. All right, what’s this ‘help’ going to cost me?”

“A kiss.”

She hesitated, looking across the kitchen at Haku.

“Don’t mind me,” the Hawaiian said with a smile. “I’ll have
my own payment later when I force you to fix me up with one of your
good-looking friends from the mainland.”

Felicity’s smile broadened. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Humming a tune, Haku left the kitchen to go check on the pig
roasting in the pit.

Blake curled his hand around the nape of her neck and
anchored her to him. He lowered his head and his lips molded to hers, moving
slowly and sensually. The kiss lasted forever and beyond. With each second,
each flick of her tongue against his, Blake felt his need for her swell, until
he thought he would burst from wanting her. Finally, with a groan, he pulled
back, releasing her.

“Best bargaining terms ever,” she said breathlessly against
his cheek.

Invisible hands clutched his heart and squeezed at her words.
He set her away from him even though he desperately wanted to pull her back
into his arms. “And you’re making me consider a career change as your prep
chef.”

She grinned and handed him a spoon. “Stir this while I get
the other ingredients for the Huli Huli chicken.”

“Okay, boss.” He would do anything she asked of him, if it
meant they’d get to the luau sooner and he could get her alone to indulge
himself in her sweetness more fully.

A soft breeze cooled the warmth from the day as
Felicity sat among the crowd while Polynesian dancers entertained them with
movement and fire, legend and mystery. The food they’d prepared had been well received
by their guests who sat at their tables, watching the show. The rhythm of the
Hawaiian drums matched the tempo of her heartbeat. Her body tensed as she
fought the desire to tap her foot to the beat.

The heady sweetness of hibiscus lingered in the night air,
seducing her every bit as much as the fire in Blake’s eyes. All afternoon as
she worked alongside Blake, she could feel herself changing. It was as if his
very presence in her life brought the sunshine that had been missing for years,
lighting all the cold dark places she hid from everyone else.

The music, the drum, the fire, the sweet scent of the night,
all conspired against her, filling her with need. When the festivities were
complete and Blake stood and reached for her hand, she didn’t hesitate.

He brought her hand to his lips. His eyes locked with hers as
he kissed each one of her fingers. He turned her hand over and allowed his lips
to press against the inside of her palm. He let his lips linger just long
enough for her to tremble at the intimacy of his touch. Her breath caught when
he pulled back and, without a word, led her inside the hotel, up the stairs,
and to their suite.

And willingly she followed.

In the privacy of their room, the beat of the drums remained
in the echo of her heart, filling her with that same need, that same desire,
that had to be quenched.

Blake stood facing her as desire leaped to life in his blue
eyes. “I know you feel it, too. The rhythm. The magic.”

She swallowed roughly and didn’t deny the truth.

“I want to spend the night with you, in your bed, not mine. I
want morning to come and for the two of us to wake there together. No
seduction, no coercion. A choice we both made,” he said, his voice deep and
low.

“Yes,” she whispered her response.

Then she was in his arms, and he was kissing her. His lean,
hard body was pressing against her own. His kisses were warm and intimate and more
fervent than usual as he lifted her in his arms and carried her to her side of
the suite and on into her bedroom, before shutting the door and everything else
out.

She took out her phone and turned it off. “No interruptions.”

He smiled, took out his phone, and did the same. Then,
leaving the world behind, they undressed each other slowly. She feasted on his
body—his muscular chest, the strength of his arms, the flat belly leading
downward . . .

She reached down to touch him, eliciting a groan of response.
Emboldened by her success, she caressed his tender flesh until he laid her
against the crisp sheets. She touched him in places she’d never explored
before, caressed him until desire swept away both restraint and thought. Left
only with sensation and feeling to cling to, her kisses grew hungrier, more
demanding. His tantalizing assault left her senses reeling and her nerves
skittering as she tried to urge him on.

But he was in no hurry tonight, even though the heat between
them was palpable. His kisses went on as he explored every nuance of her body,
as he left her senses whirling at the edges of that vortex of pleasured
delight. He overwhelmed her senses and reduced her to mindless need, filled her
with a craving that went past logic and straight to her core.

She arched into him, inviting his touch when he finally
relented and settled between her legs. He tilted her hips beneath him and
pressed slowly into her body until she felt his possession inch by inch, felt
every nuance of his penetration stretching her, filling her, completing her.

He filled her completely, his gaze never leaving hers. His
chest rose and fell with the force of his breathing as he slowly pulled out,
then filled her again. The slowness of his movements sent her senses spiraling.
She closed her eyes and gave herself over to the flames—burning, melting, as
pleasure spilled through every glorious part of her being.

Blake cried out. The sound struck her to her very soul as
pleasure racked them both and flung them into the waiting abyss. It might have
been minutes or hours later when they floated back to Earth in each other’s
arms. As satiation dragged them down, Blake pulled her against his body and
smoothed her hair from her face, staring at her as though for the first time.

“Neither of us can turn back the clocks on our past, but I
need to know . . . after your anger the day before yesterday, I wondered, was
it all bad? Do you not have any happy memories at all?”

She drew back, searching his face. Was he searching for
information, or did he seriously want to know more about her? Her heart told
her the latter, and she smiled and squeezed his hand, signaling to him without
words that she, too, felt the connection between them. “There were happy times.
Lots of them, despite being poor.” Before the accident, there were memories of
birthdays, picnics by the Sound, movies in the park . . . after the accident,
not as many, but she was certain even then there were a few happy moments when
she hadn’t been hungry or worried.

He brushed his fingers over hers. “You flourished in spite of
it, but you don’t have to be so strong with me. I’ll take care of you,” he
said, then started as though the words were a surprise even to him.

“I don’t want to be taken care of,” she said softly. “I want
a partner. I want what my parents had—companionship and love. Even though they
were poor, they always had everything they needed in each other.” She
remembered their quiet mingled laughter as they helped each other with chores
around the house. Curled up in her sagging bed at night, under her tattered
blanket, she remembered their laughter. The sound was a balm to her fears,
giving her hope that one day she’d find a man who would love her as much as her
father had loved her mother.

Blake pulled her closer, wrapping her in his warmth even as a
shiver racked his body. “The saying that money can’t buy everything is true,
because my parents never got along. I always wondered why they stayed together.
Uncle Vernon wasn’t pleased the day my father came home from a weekend away,
married to a woman he’d met only the day before. My mother was a wonderful
person, but she was no one of importance. Uncle Vernon was furious that she
would be the one to continue the Bancroft family line. He made no secret of
that displeasure. I always assumed that was why he hated me.”