High Stakes Seduction - Book 3 (5 page)

"And now the moment you’ve been waiting for," Yvonne said, winking at me as she guided us toward the area where the tempered chocolate was actually poured into the molds.

Antonio squeezed my hand. I suddenly realized how relaxed he'd been during the tour, and part of me relished this quiet closeness and the fun we were having. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost believe we were a real couple.

I watched in hypnotized fascination as a rich, dark stream of velvety chocolate poured into the molds. My nose was filled with the delicious scent of warm chocolate. My mouth still tasted the dark, bitter cacao nibs. As I watched the beautiful, dark chocolate, my imagination began to get a little sugar high of its own.

"Are you ready for a taste, Angela?" Antonio's voice broke into my thoughts.

I couldn't help myself. I licked my lips and turned to him, tugging his hand to draw him close enough to whisper in his ear.

"I wonder what you would taste like with that delicious chocolate smeared all over your chest."

I heard his sharp intake of breath and that brought me back to my senses. I quickly dropped his hand and stepped back, looking up at his face. Oh my God, had I actually said that out loud? I gave him a quick smile and walked after Yvonne. I couldn’t believe what I'd just done—even though I'd dared myself to be more vampish. Yet, even though I felt the flush in my cheeks, I loved that I had gotten such a strong response.

***

"This is sooo good," I literally cooed as Yvonne graced us with samples of each flavor. The decadent, smooth, creaminess simply melted on my tongue and my eyelids fluttered closed as something near ecstasy washed over me.

There were so many wonderful flavors to select from, and I wanted to try every single one. It would be hard to choose which one was my favorite.

"Cara, this is chocolate, for goodness sake. You don't have to be stingy with yourself. Choose as many as you’d like to take back with us," Antonio laughed.

I looked up at him, a crooked grin on my face. "Are you sure about that?"

He laughed again. "I’ve led the kid into the candy store. It would be unfair of me to let you walk away empty handed."

I turned back to the displays of elegantly boxed chocolate bars, trying to decide. Cacao Equador? Chocolate covered almonds? Espresso? "Mmm… rum caramel…," I purred, picking up the black and gold box. We’d walked past the Mount Gay rum distillery on our way to the chocolatier and Antonio had mentioned stopping by to pick up a bottle on our way back.

"I might need a couple of these. And I think the almonds for Maria…" I couldn’t forget my friends back at the store. The Cacao Grenada seemed perfect for Priscilla and I grabbed an Espresso for Nevia, along with a few others I might just keep. "Chocolate is healthy," I reminded myself, and maybe it could lead to other things....

We left with our purchases, wrapped and carefully stowed in my beach bag where I hoped it would stay cool enough. A short while later, we were at the beach. We'd stashed our chocolates and extra clothes in a locker out of the sun.

Antonio, shirtless and absolutely gorgeous, was heading toward me with two lounge chairs. I smiled as he set them down, realizing how lucky I was to be in the company of this man.

The sun beat down on my skin as I stretched out on the chair. I closed my eyes and let its warmth soothe me. It felt so good. Everything about this day was just perfect, including… I opened my eyes and turned my head to watch Antonio. He was lying quietly beside me, gazing out over the ocean. He was so close, his bronzed body glistening in the sun. I could reach out and touch him if I wanted to. Run a finger along those taut muscles. I was almost close enough to slide a leg over and sit on his lap, pressing my body against him as I wound my arms around his neck and kissed him, long and deep.

I touched a finger to my lips, enjoying my little fantasy for a moment longer.

But while I was enjoying my new bold sense of confidence, I wasn’t quite ready for such a public display. And, I didn't need to be totally blatant anyway. There were lots of ways I could still control the situation.

"Would you do me a favor? I haven't been out in the sun nearly as much as you. Would you mind?" I held out my suntan lotion toward him.

He turned to look at me, his mouth lifting at the corner as he reached for the bottle. "Turn over," he said with mock gruffness.

OK, I thought, game on!

God, his hands felt good as they massaged the lotion into my skin. The electricity was still there, tingling all the way to my hot spots—and getting me hotter by the minute. But it was strangely calming at the same time. Like they belonged there, touching me, centering me.

I drifted into a sort of hypnotic trance, the warmth of the sun, the warmth of his hands, the warmth of my sexual desire... I must have drifted off because the next thing I noticed was my chair shifting suddenly.

"I’m going to go for a swim," Antonio announced. He moved away quickly, removing any chance for me to invite myself along. I rolled over on my back, having to settle for watching rippling muscles under bronzed skin as he disappeared into the surf.

The beach wasn’t overly packed, but there were enough bodies for me to enjoy a little people watching. I wished I’d brought my camera to appreciate them all, especially a young couple fawning over each other a short distance away. They were so into each other, chatting and touching and laughing. I glanced back out into the ocean, trying to spot Antonio, but I couldn’t find him.

When I turned back to the couple, I was surprised to recognize my friends from volcano-land—Greg and Tina walking hand-in-hand toward me.

"Hi," said Tina with a happy wave. "Are you here alone?"

"Of course not, babe," said Greg, pointing at Antonio’s lounge chair.

"Oh, you’re right," she laughed, then held out her hand to me. "I’ve been wondering how you were doing! Everything seems kind of tame after our adventure, on St Lucia, don't you think so?"

"That depends. I'll bet you two have been keeping busy," I ventured.

Greg laughed, turning toward Tina. "Is it that obvious?"

"Just a bit," I said, hoping I didn’t sound too wistful. "Are you enjoying the beach?"

"Oh, yes!" said Tina. "But we’ve noticed you on the ship, and then when we saw you here… well, you’re always alone. So, we thought, you might like to hang out with us?"

Sheesh, I sighed. Is it that obvious? Thankfully, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Antonio heading our way. Perfect timing. "Actually, I’m not alone. My… companion's just a very busy man."

"Hello," Antonio said as he jogged up. "Antonio," He held out his hand as he grabbed a towel. I tried not to stare too hard as he dried himself off. He smiled politely at the couple.

"Hi, I’m Greg and this is Tina. We got stranded on the island with Angela. We're just about to head over to the café for lunch. Won't you join us?"

***

"And then we want to start a family, but not until I’m finished with school," Tina confided. She and Greg chatted on about their new lives together, everything from Greg supporting the two of them on the G.I. Bill while they both finished college, to their plans to adopt a puppy when they returned from their honeymoon.

I teetered between being envious and adoring their closeness. There wasn’t much opportunity for Antonio or me to say much between their gushing conversation, but every now and then, one of us managed to interject a word or two.

"Well, you two seem pretty happy," Antonio finally laughed. He seemed almost as delighted with their bubbling enthusiasm as I was.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Tina smiled shyly at me. "We were wondering if you would mind sending us copies of the photos you took on St Lucia. At least the ones of us."

"Sure, I'd love to. Just make sure I have your email address before we dock."

"They'll be such a nice reminder of our honeymoon," Greg said.

"And our little adventure," I laughed as Tina handed me a napkin with her address.

"I thought you said you were here on business?" Tina asked as the men took care of the lunch bill.

"Oh, I am. Antonio's my boss," I confided.

Her eyebrows shot up appreciatively. "My goodness. No wonder you took the job. He's gorgeous! I don't blame you. But how do you keep your mind on business when he's around?"

The guys returned to the table about then, and I was spared having to come up with an answer. Instead, I just smiled and shrugged.

The trip back to the ship was quiet and companionable. At the dock, we stopped and Antonio bought some Cuban cigars from a vendor.

"Cigars?" I asked curiously.

Antonio shrugged. "It’s a guy thing. Good for business meetings. Besides, it goes with the rum."

That caused a strange tightening in my stomach. I was suddenly chilled by the thought that perhaps this was an indication of how the night would end. Another "business meeting" at the casino, involving men I’d rather not be around.

The queue at the boarding dock was longer than normal.

As we stepped to the front I saw people posing. Oh, another photo opportunity—this time Antonio couldn't beg off. He'd pretty much managed to avoid getting his photo snapped during the evenings onboard. I'd been rather disappointed, not understanding his reticence. After all, we were under no obligation to actually buy the photos, and it was fun to dress up and pose.

"Smile" said a voice as we stepped onto the gangplank.

The friendly young woman's infectious grin managed to break through the melancholy that had begun to settle over me a moment earlier. I looked at Antonio and he seemed cheerful enough. With unspoken agreement, we posed for the picture, our arms slipping around each other’s waists.

The young woman smiled at us. "Perfect couple," she said. And for a moment, as Antonio and I exchanged contented smiles, I even allowed myself to believe it.

Perfect couple, I thought, wishing it was true. When he wasn't distracted by other things, Antonio could be really sweet and attentive. We did look good together, but we were also proof positive that looks are sometimes deceiving.

I leaned against Antonio for just a moment longer, feeling his arm tighten around me as I thought wistfully about the young couple we'd had lunch with.

After a quick shower, I stepped over to the closet to find something to wear. I selected a long, flowing summer dress that dipped low in front and even lower in the back. I twirled in front of the mirror, loving the way the shape of my body could just be seen beneath the translucent floral material.

With a touch of make-up, a beaded necklace I’d bought in St. Lucia, sandals, and a simple braid trailing down my bare back, I stepped out to greet Antonio, letting the door frame me like a perfect picture.

His eyes swept over me, taking me in with that fashion mogul sense of appraisal, the smile on his face confirming both my choice in clothing and my sudden sense of confidence. "Shall we go for dinner?" I asked with a little twist of my hips, "or did you have something else in mind?"

***

The young man with the blond hair and sparkling blue eyes had everyone laughing uproariously at the dinner table. Everyone, that is, except Antonio. Scott and his two friends were celebrating—mostly college graduation, but the more solemn one, Andy, had already managed to land a decent entry-level job. The banter and jokes among the three of them had kept me entertained all through dinner. They were only slightly younger than me, and I was loving the attention and the not-so-subtle flirting.

"Let me get you another drink," Andy said, raising his hand to summon a waitress.

"No, it’s my turn!" Julian piped up.

"No need to fight over me, boys. Besides," I laughed, touching Scott’s arm, "I’m pretty sure it’s Scott’s turn."

"Thanks, guys, but she's probably had enough."

A subtle wave of guilt washed over me. Antonio had become increasingly quiet over the course of the meal, withdrawing more and more into simply observing as the boys got louder and funnier. The last thing I wanted was for him to be angry, but I had to admit, I was enjoying the boys’ exuberance and attention.

"You're right," I said flashing Antonio a dazzling smile. "I think I'm up for a stroll. How about you?"

He smiled back and turned to the young men at the table. "Gentlemen," tipping his head as he stood.

"Oh, don't go!"

"It's still early."

It seemed the boys were just starting their evening as ours was winding down.

"You've all been perfectly charming," I told them. "Now go have some fun. And thanks for sharing the table with us."

Antonio took my hand, leading me away. We stepped outside the dining room.

"You really want to walk?" he asked.