Seaside Seduction (Sun Stroked Book 1)

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D
anielle Carrigan would gladly give
up her fantasy of ever joining the mile-high club if the frigging plane would just make it to the ground safely. Not that she could join the club with her two best
girl
friends and one
female
pilot on board, however. She’d definitely need a man for that scandalous initiation.

But still…

Truthfully, at twenty-eight she was too young to die, plus she hadn’t done enough good deeds lately to warrant an early pass through the Pearly Gates.

Danielle pinched her eyes shut as the old Cessna tumbled them around like a load of laundry. “Remind me again why we’re doing this,” she said to her best friend, Lauren Sampson.

“We’re doing this because we all need a vacation,” Lauren reminded her, patting Danielle’s leg in a placating manner, which did little to pacify her under the circumstances. Dammit, she hated flying, especially in a pissant, four-seat aircraft with less horsepower than her Honda Civic. “Now relax. We’re almost there,” Lauren added.

With her fingernails digging into the upholstered seat, Danielle pried her eyes open and chanced a glance at Lauren. Suddenly, flying in a small commuter plane to a private island in the South Pacific didn’t seem like her ideal vacation destination. What the hell had she been thinking?

Sitting poolside at a Sandals resort with a menagerie of cabana boys catering to her every sinful need. Yes. Flying to the
‘O Spa’
on a Cessna 172 Skyhawk with an engine the size of her old Singer sewing machine. No.

With a nod toward the cockpit, Lauren added in a hushed tone—well, as hushed as she could be and still be heard over the ungodly clatter of the engine, “And we’re doing it for her.”

Oh, yeah, now Danielle remembered. One last ‘girls only vacation’ at the luxurious singles spa—a magical spa where fantasies were known to come true—before Abby Benton got engaged. A vacation that, if they were all lucky, they’d walk away from with their deepest desires fulfilled. And maybe, just maybe, Abby would see that her deepest desire wasn’t to marry Artie Drummond. Too bad everyone knew it but her.

As for Danielle, well, she just wanted to get laid. Plain and simple. Danielle glanced at the brochure in Lauren’s hand and read the boldface inscription:
The ‘O Spa’
, Oasis of Pleasure.

She really hoped that ‘O’ stood for orgasm instead of oasis. Because her deepest desire was to find a man who knew how to take charge of her pleasures and give her exactly what she wanted.

A shiver of desire pulsed through her body, and the convulsions in her pussy reminded her exactly how long it had been since she’d felt a man between her legs. Then again, that shiver could have more to do with the way the plane cut through the turbulence like an injured eagle and less to do with wanting to play out her secret fetishes.

From the front seat, Abby twisted around and smiled at them both. After seeing the relaxed look on her friend’s face, Danielle gathered her bravado and, for Abby’s sake, presented an outwardly calm demeanor. Danielle was, after all, the one who had convinced the girls to shut down their interior design boutique for two weeks and take off to the exclusive resort smack-dab in the middle of the Pacific. To a place where
real
planes didn’t even fly.

She resisted the urge to slap her forehead. Obviously it would require her to yank her fingers off the seat, and that she wasn’t about to do. From where she sat in the cockpit, Abby’s face lit with euphoria as she angled her head to glance out the pilot’s window. Even facing an impending fiery death, Danielle smiled as she watched her friend’s blue eyes glow with excitement.

Everyone knew Abby’s soon-to-be-fiancé was all wrong for her. Okay, not exactly everyone. Abby truly believed her deepest desire was to marry Artie, a man who fit right into her ‘life’s plan’. College, career, a husband by the time she was thirty, followed by a nice little house in suburbia. But seriously, how could Danielle, or even Lauren, just come right out and tell her they thought her boyfriend was a reserved, emotionally distant workaholic and she deserved someone who appreciated her? Someone who wasn’t afraid to show his passion, despite Abby’s belief that no such man existed.

With any luck during their vacation, Abby would let her hair down, get seduced by their exotic location and forget she was a good girl with a mapped-out future. Then maybe she’d indulge in a wild, no-holds-barred affair with a man who wasn’t afraid to unleash his passion, and show her that Arctic Artie—as Danielle like to call him—was far from husband material.

A sudden gust of wind caused the plane to seesaw, gaining her focus. Danielle cringed and dug her fingernails in deeper. Drawing on her yoga relaxation techniques, she breathed deeply, in through the nose, out through the mouth.

Trying desperately to get her mind off the shaky landing, she took a moment to think more about the exclusive resort and the legend surrounding it. Rumor had it that the owner’s private spring water held magical healing powers, and when ingested this ‘magic elixir’ had the ability to help you discover and fulfill your deepest, most coveted desires.

Naturally Danielle planned on supersizing her drink. And then maybe her most secret desires would finally come true and she’d find herself a man who would introduce her to a world of pleasure, pleasure that she knew existed for some women but that she had yet to experience. Lord knew the men she’d dated thought a little role-playing meant she’d pretend to be a waitress and serve them breakfast in bed while they lay there and basked in the afterglow of sex. Too bad none of them had ever given her anything to bask about.

Bemoan another failed attempt. Uh-huh. Bask in the afterglow. Uh-uh.

She glanced at the brochure again and read the small print at the bottom of the page.
Where all your desires will be fulfilled…
Although she’d heard all about the magic elixir from friends who’d vacationed at the spa, the pamphlet made no mention of it. Truthfully, Danielle didn’t put much faith in the legend, but what the hell, it’d be fun to give it a whirl just in case…

The tires hit the runway and pulled her thoughts to the present. When the movement jolted her forward, she gave a silent prayer. As she fumbled the words, she mentally kicked herself, wishing she’d paid more attention in catechism class.

Shit, she really was going to go to hell.

Lauren leaned into her. “Open your eyes. We’re here and we’re safe.”

It suddenly occurred to Danielle that they’d have to ride the old jalopy back to civilization in two weeks. Maybe she’d rethink her deepest desire and pray for a pair of big-ass wings instead.

Nah, she really wanted a good fuck from a man who wasn’t afraid of a little bondage play and could satisfy her sexually.

As the plane slowed, her stomach fell back into place. She opened her eyes, gave the cushiony seat a break from her death grip and glanced out her window. Off in the distance she could see a red turret peeking out from the treetops. Strategically located deep in the forest, the extravagant resort was mostly hidden by palm trees, foliage and lush vegetation. Higher on the hilly mountaintop she spotted a waterfall. Ahh, that had to be the Pleasure Pool, as it was called in the brochure. A natural lagoon with an emerald green pool known to promote fertility and social delights, and attract love. She took a moment to wonder what kind of pleasure—or rather mischief—they could find there.

Danielle craned her neck to look out Lauren’s side of the plane and was presented with an amazing view of a coconut grove. A brilliant blue, green and yellow parrot flew by, squawking loudly as it foraged for food.

“Wow,” Danielle said, her head twisting from side to side as she tried to take it all in. “It’s surreal.” The place was absolutely gorgeous. An oasis, really. Just like the brochure promised. Maybe the flight from hell had been worth it, after all.

“It’s amazing,” Lauren agreed, dark brown eyes bright with pleasure.

After the plane came to a full stop, Shana, their pilot, escorted them off. Following her friends, Danielle stepped onto the small, makeshift runway and inhaled the fresh ocean air. She stretched out her fatigued limbs and stifled a yawn. Her body relaxed as the fragrant scent from the indigenous flowers curled through her blood and soothed her ragged nerves. Her gaze panned the vast landscape, taking in its majestic beauty and the sparkling Pacific Ocean.

Moisture beaded on her forehead as the blazing November sun beat down on them. Time to shed her winter wear.

The tropical rays immediately warmed her flesh, reminding her that with her pale complexion and fair skin she needed to play it careful and apply extra sunscreen. Either that or she’d burn to a crisp.

Turning her face to the sun to let it melt away her tension, she shrugged off her jacket and wrapped it around her waist. Gathering her long strawberry blond hair, she tied it into a ponytail as she continued to savor the view. Heck, they were a far cry from Chicago’s snowy concrete jungle, that’s for sure.

“Welcome to the O Spa.”

The male voice came from behind her. Damn, she hadn’t even heard anyone creep up on them. Danielle spun around and came face-to-face with an elderly gentleman. Dressed in an ankle-length white cotton robe tied with a red sash decorated with intricate symbols, he took a moment to look each girl in the eye. As he studied them, a smile touched his lips and his head nodded slowly, knowingly. There was an energy about him that rushed through her bloodstream and gave her a second wind.

From the description she’d been given by her friends who’d recently vacationed on the island, she presumed the man standing before them was the resort’s proprietor. She took a moment to study him, surprised and delighted that the owner of the spa had come to greet them personally. Not much taller than her five foot six inches, he had an intuitive intelligence about him that made him seem larger than life. He sort of reminded her of her own grandfather, minus the white goatee and bald head. His pleasant, amicable smile immediately put her at ease.

After a round of introductions and handshakes, the owner, Mr. Malik, pressed his palms together in front of his chest and questioned in a soft voice, “I take it your flight was enjoyable?”

Not wanting to be rude, Danielle said, “Yes.” Her friends nodded in agreement. Mr. Malik narrowed his eyes and cocked his head, giving her the distinct impression that he could read her every thought and knew she’d just told him a bold faced-lie. Then again, perhaps her green skin had given it away.

The look in his eyes compelled her to tell the truth. She kicked at an imaginary rock, the same way she had back in grade school when Mrs. Beeswanger caught her lying about her involvement in the locker room spray-a-thon. “Well, actually, I guess it was rather rough.”

He smiled at her as though she’d just passed his test. “Then you must choose what to say, when to say it and how to say it, my child. There is no ambiguity in the truth.”

Alrighty then…

She was pretty certain he’d just offered her words of wisdom. Maybe one day they’d make sense. But today wasn’t that day, not unless he cared to elaborate.

Mr. Malik turned around and stepped onto a stone walkway. “Come this way.” Another day it was, then, Danielle mused. They grabbed their luggage from the plane and followed him along the path leading to the resort. Abby stepped up beside her.

“I have to hand it to you, Danielle. I was a little skeptical when you suggested this singles resort in the middle of nowhere, but now that we’re here…” Abby glanced around, her short honey blond hair catching the sun’s rays. Danielle followed her gaze, her eyes coming to rest on a beautiful pond full of brightly colored fish. “Honestly, after having to fill out all those personal forms, I wasn’t sure what to expect,” Abby added.

Danielle leaned in and whispered, “Yeah, I felt like I was retaking my SATs except this time instead of calculating the time it would take for train A to meet train B, I had to say what color panties I’d be wearing for the journey.”

Abby grinned, her blue eyes glistening. “It wasn’t that bad. Close, but not quite…” Her voice fell off when Mr. Malik turned to face them. He removed three key cards from his pocket.

“Ladies, your cabanas are right through this pathway, each overlooking the ocean, as you requested. Please take your time to look around and familiarize yourself with the facility. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to send for me. I am here to ensure you have a fun-filled vacation.” His voice was low, almost hypnotic. After a moment of silence, he pressed his palms together, a movement Danielle guessed was habitual for him, and added, “I would like to invite you all to be my personal guests for dinner.”

Danielle smiled, wondering whether he’d offer them the island’s so-called magic elixir while they indulged in the local cuisine. They all accepted their keys and agreed to meet Mr. Malik at the restaurant at seven p.m. sharp. Just enough time for her to take a short nap and shower. As they separated and made their way to their private cabanas to unpack and relax, it occurred to Danielle as she walked the tree-fringed footpath that she’d yet to see another person on the property. She knew the resort was elite and expensive, but heck, she sure hoped there were other guests—of the male persuasion, to be precise.

A short while later, Danielle found herself all alone, standing inside her gorgeous, spacious cabana. She spun around, cataloging the contents of her room, her designer’s eye taking in the earthy colors, the wicker furniture and the beachy décor. Aromatherapy candles and plant oils were placed throughout the room. Fortunately, through her numerous design courses, Danielle was educated in the benefits of fragrances and the way they affected the body, mind and soul. She inhaled the scent of the eucalyptus and peppermint candle, letting the fresh aroma rejuvenate her body. Feeling revived and invigorated, she glanced out her window, taking pleasure in her own personal view of the pristine white sand and warm Pacific waters.

Paradise…

A tingle rushed down her spine and she felt giddy with the anticipation of things to come. With this perfect seaside location, she could forgo clothes and venture out after dark for a decadent moonlit dip.