Home to Stay (18 page)

She hadn’t said he couldn’t touch. Running his hands up her rib cage, he cupped the sides of her breasts, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples. The buds were small and still wet from his earlier attention. The more he rubbed, the quicker Will rode. He dropped a hand to rub the spot he knew would send her over the edge.

Will drove down hard, taking him deeper, driving him closer to his own breaking point. With teeth clenched, she rocked back, driving up then down with sheer determination. Pulling up his knees, Randy lifted into her, dragging a growl from deep inside his chest and sending a surge of raw, throbbing energy tearing through his body.

Will toppled onto the bed, curling tight against Randy’s side. She’d never felt more sated in her life, but was already thinking about when they could do it again. As his heart beat a mile a minute beneath her ear, Randy tightened his arm around her and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

“Wow,” he said, in a voice that sounded as if he’d witnessed something miraculous.

She didn’t know about miracles, but what they’d just done could be measured on the Richter scale.

“That’s one way to put it.”

“That is the only way to put it.” Randy lifted her with one arm to lay atop him. Impressive. “I like you up there.”

Will placed a kiss in the middle of his chest. “It isn’t the softest surface, but I kind of like it, too.” Heat from his body radiated against her skin. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and relaxed, enjoying the feel of Randy’s fingers rubbing the small of her back.

That’s when she noticed the sound.

“This isn’t a water bed, is it?” she asked.

“If this is your way of saying you felt the Earth move, you’re welcome.”

Will rolled her eyes. “Don’t you hear that running water? Where’s that coming from?” Pushing off his chest, she looked around, but the light was fully gone now and Randy’s bedroom didn’t seem to have many windows.

In fact, she wasn’t sure what the room looked like at all.

“That’s the boys,” Randy said, as if this statement explained everything.

“I’m going to need you to expand on that,” she said.

Without another word, Randy scooted out from under her and headed for the wall to their right. Well, his right, her left.

So he didn’t sunbathe naked. Good to know.

A click echoed in the silent room, then Will was blinded by a glowing light.

“Willow Parsons, meet the boys.”

Blinking through the spots dancing in her vision, she finally made out three small fish swimming around a large tank filled with beautiful bright coral and wide-leafed ferns.

“You have fish?”

“Sure,” he said, his usual chipper self. “Come over and meet them.”

Will had never shaken hands with a fish before, but saw no reason not to humor the man who’d given her the best sex of her life. “Okay.” She looked around for something to cover up with, toying with wrapping the comforter around her.

“The fish aren’t really offended by nudity, and I’ve already seen all of you,” Randy said, flashing her a wicked grin. “If you’re cold, get over here and I’ll keep you warm.”

Pushing through her insecurities, Will joined Randy at the fish tank, but she couldn’t help but cross her arms. In the throes of passion was one thing. In the blaring light of the tropical tank was another. Her breasts bordered on flat, something she’d always disliked about her body.

Her discomfort must have shown on her face.

“You’re beautiful, Will. Every last inch of you.” He loosened her arms and pulled her against him. “And I mean to get to all those inches eventually, if not tonight.”

She couldn’t have stopped the shiver any more than she could stop the sun from coming up in the morning. “Good thing we still have that chocolate torte to replenish our energy levels. Now introduce me to your boys.”

Randy dropped a hard kiss on her lips, then turned to the tank. “This one is Harley. She’s a Harlequin, and before you ask, no, she doesn’t mind being called one of the boys. I think she likes it.”

The man had seemed so sane only minutes before.

“This is Dizzy,” he said, pointing to a flat round one with big eyes and zebra-print markings, only in a beautiful rusty-red color. “He tends to go in circles a lot. Swims along, then spins in place and shoots off in the other direction.” In a whisper, Randy added, “He’s not exactly the sharpest tool in the tank, if you know what I mean.”

Mixed metaphors now. Was it possible for a person to be screwed stupid?

“And this is Shogun. The alpha of the group.”

An alpha fish. Seemed legit.

Shogun was the prettiest of the bunch. “What kind of fish is he?” she asked, trying to be supportive.

“Koi. Swordtail to be exact. They’re great company for meditation.”

Will had tried meditation once. She’d ended up mentally writing her grocery list, inventorying her sock drawer, and projecting her taxes for the coming year. Her meditation skills needed work.

“How did I miss these guys the other day?”

“We didn’t make it into the bedroom, remember?” Lifting back the lid on top of the tank, Randy poured tiny flakes across the top of the water. The boys pounced. “Though,” he said, closing the lid again, “if I’d known how good the sex would be, I might have worked harder to get you to stay.”

Will wanted to believe she’d have left anyway but had never been much good at lying. At least not to herself.

“Well,” she said, sliding her hands down to his quite perfect derriere. “I’m here now. What do you think we should do next?”

His reaction was instant and evident in the nudge she felt against her stomach.

“I did promise to explore the rest of you,” he said, his voice deepened by arousal.

“Tell you what,” Will said, pulling him with her toward the bed. “If you promise to be a good boy and lie still, I’ll explore you first.”

“Whatever the lady wants,” he said.

CHAPTER 18

W
ill had slipped on her dress, located her shoes, and shoved the strip of red lace that passed for a bra into her purse before waking Randy. It was past one in the morning, and he’d been asleep for about an hour. She’d dozed off with him, but years of living on alert had made her a light sleeper.

She’d never intended to spend the night. A little sex was one thing. Waking up together was another. As much as she’d like to stay curled against him until dawn, Will knew she had to go.

“Randy,” she whispered, nudging the sleeping giant gently on the shoulder.

He didn’t move. She nudged a little harder. Still nothing. Running a hand through her hair, she considered letting him sleep and slipping out, but that seemed rude after how they’d spent the evening. The man had given her more orgasms in one night than other men had given her in their entire relationships.

Not that it was all about the orgasms. He’d also held her for at least an hour doing nothing more than talking. Not many men were willing to do that.

Crawling onto the bed, she leaned over his face and poked with more conviction. Before she could say his name again, she found herself pinned beneath him, the light of the fish tank illuminating a wicked smile. Until he realized she was dressed.

“Why are you wearing clothes? If you need something to sleep in, I’ll give you a shirt.” He nuzzled against her neck. “But I’d rather you wear me instead.”

Pushing his forehead up with her index finger, she raised one brow. “That might be the cheesiest line I’ve ever heard.”

Randy nodded once. “It sounded better in my head. So what’s with the clothing? Seriously.”

“I’m going home,” Will said, her voice not nearly as firm as she’d hoped. Sticking to her convictions wasn’t easy with him all gloriously naked and pressing a knee between her thighs.

He didn’t even have bad breath. How was that possible?

“Now why would you want to do that?” he asked, propping his head on one hand as if they were having a conversation over lunch. “I’m a very early riser. I’ll make sure you’re up in the morning.”

And she knew exactly how he’d wake her. So tempting.

“Spending the night is too much,” she said, pushing against him. He rolled to the side so she could get up. “We’re helping each other out. A little sex to cure the drought. Waking up together is too much like playing house, and that’s not what we’re doing.”

“I didn’t think we were playing at anything.” Randy rolled the rest of the way off the bed, opened a drawer of the dresser holding the fish tank, and slipped on a pair of shorts. “Sharing breakfast doesn’t lock you into a marriage, Will. It’s a meal, not a contract.”

“No,” she said, slipping on her shoes. “It’s breakfast after a night of sleeping together. Besides, this is supposed to be a secret. Someone might see me leaving in the morning.”

“Because being on the streets of Anchor at nearly two in the morning isn’t suspicious at all.”

This might be the first time she’d seen Randy show any hint of a temper. Though he’d been similarly pissed that night at the bar when he’d confronted her about not liking him.

Which made her realize, he wasn’t mad. He was hurt.

Pulling the last strap into place, she walked around the bed, approaching him with a smile on her face. Sliding her arms around his rib cage, she looked him in the eye. “I don’t regret one thing we did here tonight. And I’m all for repeating them again as soon as possible. But it’s important to me that we stick with the program here. The clearer the boundaries, the less chance of anyone getting hurt.”

The last thing she wanted to do was hurt this gentle soul. And if she wasn’t careful, Will would be dealing with a broken heart of her own when this was over. Plus, there was Sid to worry about. Partly that she’d feel betrayed when she found out what was going on, but also because Will wouldn’t put it past Sid to cut her into little pieces and scatter her at sea.

She’d cry while doing it, but Will would still be fish food before she knew what hit her.

Randy pulled her tight. “You’re no fun when you’re being all pragmatic like this.”

With a wink, she answered, “It’s always been my fatal flaw.”

“Explains why you’re so good with numbers.”

That and the accounting degree, but no need to argue the details.

“Now that you’re up, are you going to walk me to the door?” Not that he had to, but the gesture would be nice.

“Of course I am,” he said, pulling her out of the room by one hand. “I’m not passing up the chance to coax a hot goodnight kiss out of you.”

Randy was a good coaxer. The clock chimed two before Will finally reached her van, feeling more content than she’d been in a long time. And ignoring the demand from every pore in her body that she return to the house and let her new lover fulfill every promise he’d made in that kiss.

Instead, she drove home as fast as she could.

Randy was literally
up
bright and early, thanks to a dream that put Will back in his bed. They’d been enjoying a particular position they hadn’t tried last night. He’d have to see if she was up for making that dream a reality. But first things first. This morning, he had an appointment with Sam Edwards.

Whistling as he strolled through the front door of the Anchor Inn, he rang the bell when he reached the front desk. Yvonne popped out from a back room almost immediately.

“Good morning, Mr. Navarro.”

“We’ve been over this, Yvonne. First names.” Randy leaned both elbows on the counter, saying with a smile, “You make me feel old when you call me mister.”

“Sorry,” she said. “Force of habit. Mr. Edwards said to send you in.”

Stepping back, he asked, “Does he insist you call him Mr. Edwards?”

Yvonne graced him with a bright smile. “
I
insist on it. Some habits are harder to break than others. Referring to my boss by his first name is downright impossible.”

Randy had to admit, he couldn’t imagine Sam Edwards being on a first-name basis with his employees either. The man was amicable enough, but he had a formal air about him. As if he were all business all the time. In fact, Randy had never seen him in a real social situation that wasn’t a Merchants Society function.

Reaching Sam’s office, Randy knocked on the half-open door.

“Come on in,” Sam said from inside. As Randy made his way in, the hotelier looked up from an open laptop. “Right on time, as always,” he said, standing and extending a hand.

“Lucky for me,” Randy said, “there was no traffic.”

Sam let out a chuckle. “Another perk of living on this tiny little island.”

There had been wild speculation across Anchor regarding Sam’s reasons for setting up shop instead of selling off his inherited property. Whatever his reasons, the small size seemed to be a pro instead of a con.

“Yes, indeed.” Randy took the chair offered. “Have you heard from
Prime Destinations
since Rebecca King left?”

“I have.” The man across the desk unbuttoned his suit coat. “She’s already turned in the article so we’re good for the June issue. Last I heard, they were still deciding on what images to use, but my understanding is that Jude gave them more than enough shots to work with.”

“Jude wasn’t the most serious person I’ve ever met, but he seemed to know what he was doing behind the camera.”

“That’s good,” Sam said. “We need this article to make Anchor look like
the
tourist destination.”

“And that leads into why I’m here.” Randy crossed an ankle over his knee. “As I’m guessing you know, Joe Dempsey and Beth Chandler are getting married on the deck of Anchor Adventures in a couple weeks.”

“That’s all anyone seems to be talking about lately,” Sam said. “I’m not one to listen to gossip, but this wedding is inescapable.”

The Dempseys were an important part of the island, so the talk made sense.

“A few of the out-of-town guests are staying here, aren’t they?” Randy asked.

Sam reached for a green folder from the stack to his left. “Dempsey wedding. Five rooms reserved from Wednesday through Monday. Looks like all the details are set.”

Randy didn’t know if Will would need to confirm the rooms, but he’d fill her in that everything was a go the next time he saw her. Which if he had his way, would be tonight.

“What do you know about destination weddings?” Randy asked, dropping his foot and leaning forward. “Ever managed a hotel that specialized in them?”

“Can’t say that I have.” Sam dropped the folder back on the pile. “Are we talking Vegas and drive-thru chapels here?”

That was definitely
not
what he was talking about. “I’m not talking about rushed elopements or glitzy, booze-induced nuptials.” Sitting forward in his chair, Randy continued. “I’m talking about making Anchor a desired wedding destination. Small, on the water, compact, with all the amenities right here. Almost like a cottage industry for the off-season.”

“With all the amenities? As in the cake, food, and flowers?” Sam leaned his elbows on his desk, revealing Randy had piqued his interest. “Maybe have the wedding and honeymoon all in one place?”

“Now you’re catching on. My venue would be one option, or maybe a spot on the beach. There’s the park, with the draping trees to make it more intimate.” Randy rose from the chair to pace the small space. “Nearly every business on the island would benefit. If we got a couple of nice-sized ones, we might even get a bridal magazine to give us some coverage.”

Sam remained quiet for several seconds, one finger tapping his chin. “This idea has merit. Though we don’t seem like the wedding coordinator types, we could create an office that would handle the details. Put someone with solid organizational skills and knowledge of the island in charge.”

Randy hadn’t thought of a special office to run the weddings, but he liked it. In fact, it would be the perfect business for Will. The person would be a kind of ambassador for the island, representing all the businesses and making sure the potential couples knew their options.

“It’s not something we could implement before the season starts,” Randy said. “But we could work out the details over the summer and hit it hard at the end of the season. Get the Merchants Society to pay for ads in a couple magazines.”

Sam pulled a notepad from the top drawer on his desk. “The next Merchants meeting is supposed to be the day before the wedding, but I’ve had some requests to push it back a week. If we do that, then we’ll have this wedding fresh in everyone’s mind when we pitch the idea.”

Something had told Randy that Sam would be the person to see the potential in his idea. Will’s belief in Randy’s vision for Joe and Beth’s wedding had given him enough confidence to set up this meeting. The fact that if this came to fruition Will could have a good reason to stay on Anchor long term was an added bonus.

Not that they were working toward anything permanent. Will was very clear on that point. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t change her mind. Eventually.

“How about the week after the wedding we meet again, work out exactly how we’ll pitch it, and then hit them at the meeting?”

Sam replaced the cap on his pen. “Sounds like a plan to me. And this is giving me ideas for my smaller property. I’m getting close to having the Anchor Inn where I want it, so I’ll be changing focus soon. Now I have an idea of what could set the Sunset Harbor Inn apart from every other hotel around.”

“Like I said, this could benefit all of us if we do it right.” Of that, Randy had no doubt. Coming for a wedding would require more than a weekend stay. The longer the tourists stayed, the more money they pumped into the local economy.

Now he had to convince Will to consider the idea. She was a pro with numbers, had Beth and Joe’s wedding planned down to the napkin folds, and knew nearly every business on the island intimately. She was the perfect person for the job.

“I’m not staying here forever!” Will yelled, her own voice echoing back from the rafters.

For some insane reason, she’d agreed to be Sid’s boat for the day. On Sunday, the little wench wouldn’t accept her help. Today she ordered Will to stand in the middle of the garage, arms extended for what felt like an eternity.