Love Script (21 page)

Calm down, Laney. Get it together. Take control
.

Yes, she would have to take control of the situation. She would have to protect herself from getting too involved, too vulnerable. She enjoyed sleeping with Nick. Real y enjoyed. So why shouldn’t she indulge herself? She was on vacation and should have a little fun. It would help her prepare herself for getting over Rob. So what if Nick was paying her? That money would help her get ahead of her bil s, and a promotion would be the career boost she had worked her butt off for. She’d sleep with Nick as many times as he wanted her, play the part of his wife and have fun doing it. And when they were back home, things would go back to the way they were. She would have to learn to be satisfied with that.

Tel ing herself this was the best thing for her, she felt rejuvenated. Feeling suddenly brave and alive, she pushed back the covers and washed up. She changed into a halter-top and shorts. She was bold and daring now. Wanting to try her new persona on Nick, she headed for the gym.

❧ ❧ ❧

When Laney arrived at the fitness center, Nick was nowhere to be seen. There were several people working out, but because of the early hour, the crush had not yet arrived. She scanned the room again, but Nick was clearly not there. Losing her gumption, she headed for the exit. Just as she was about to enter the corridor, she heard three women giggling.

“I swear he’s the only reason I wake up at this ungodly hour. The man is hot!”

“If he only knew what he does to me.”

“Cindy, you are so bad! I’l give you ten bucks if you ask him his name.”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t. I’m too nervous.”

“I’l match Anne’s bet if you introduce yourself to him.”

Cindy looked at her friends. “Twenty dol ars, huh? Okay I’l do it.”

They burst into laughter.

“Cindy, I’l give you an extra ten if you slap him on the butt.”

“No, Rita, I think he’s married.”

“Who cares? She’s not here and we’re on vacation. Walk on the wild side.”

They burst into another fit of laughter.

The women stood across from the men’s shower room. Laney couldn’t help but eavesdrop as they gushed over the guy like teenagers. It was quite comical. She figured it wouldn’t hurt to stick around to get a view of their “stud” before looking for Nick. It would take her a while to build up her “bold and daring” courage again.

Suddenly she saw Nick. He was walking out of the shower room, freshly showered, his hair recently gel ed and a gym bag slung over his shoulder. He looked great.

“Here he comes, Cindy!”

The women giggled nervously.

“Go for it, Cindy,” cheered Anne.

Nick was heading toward the gym exit when the woman stepped boldly in front of him.

“Hi, I’m Cindy.” She jutted her ample bosom forward and tossed a mane of red hair over her shoulder. “Those are my friends, Anne and Rita.” He glanced at the women standing nearby.

“I’m not sure if you’ve noticed us,” she continued, “but we have definitely noticed you.

You work out here every morning.”

Nick looked at her friends again and then back to the woman in front of him. “Yes, I do.”

“You’re quite impressive. We come here just to see you take off your shirt.” Her friends giggled.

“What’s your name?”

“Er. . .Nicolas Sinclair,” he said hesitatingly.

“Nicolas?” she sang. “That’s a sexy name.” He was apparently at a loss for words, but his silence soon had reason when he saw her. Laney approached them, her long strides decisive. With an audaciousness she hadn’t known she possessed, she grabbed the front of his shirt and pul ed him forward to kiss her, tracing her tongue along his lower lip slowly before releasing him.

“Hi, baby,” she murmured in her best seductive voice. She heard Cindy and her friends gasp in shock. Laney turned to them as if just noticing they were there. “Hel o, I’m Laney.” She placed her hand on Nick’s chest, intentional y wowing the women with her wedding ring. “
Mrs
.
Laney Sinclair
. Are you friends of my Nicky?”

Cindy stared at her and abruptly turned on her heels and scurried out of the fitness center, her friends running after her.

Nick laughed and slapped Laney on the bottom.

“You are mean.”

She was just as amazed by her own actions, but she was being the new Laney, so she didn’t feel bad for the woman. “I was marking my territory.”

“You did it very wel .”

Her courage building, she said, “I have something to show you.” He lifted his eyebrow.

“Fol ow me.” She pul ed his hand back into the men’s shower room, and she walked purposeful y toward the back to the shower stal s. Finding the last one, she pul ed him in with her, pushed him against the wal and kissed him passionately. Her tongue tasted him hungrily. He wrapped his arms around her and pul ed her up against him. His hands grabbed at her bottom, squeezing her greedily. Impatiently, he pul ed off his gym bag and pul ed his shirt over his head. He grabbed at her, trying to untie her top.

“Slow down,” she whispered in a husky voice.

He groaned. “Help me untie this thing before I rip it apart.”

She pul ed his hands away from her top. “You’re not tearing my top, Nick. Be stil .” He sighed heavily. “Then what the hel are we doing? Dammit, Laney, you can’t play with me like this. Take your top off.”

“No.” She gave him a wicked smile. “I have something better in mind.” She pressed a light kiss against his neck.

He cupped her breasts through her top. “Nothing could be better than what I had in mind.” His voice was thick. “I want you, Laney. I want to be inside you.”

She kissed him again. “You wil be.” Nick’s fierce frown instantly melted into a look of excitement as Laney lowered herself to her knees.

She gathered the material of his shorts in both hands and pul ed down hard. Nick’s cock popped upright in her face, causing her daring to slip a bit at the sight of him. He was larger than she remembered, and more gorgeous up close.

“That’s it, Laney.” His voice was strained. “Take me into your mouth, baby.”

She stuck her tongue out and licked the underside of his shaft. Her tongue flattened over the ridges, loving the unique shape of his manhood. She dragged her tongue back down his shaft and circled his testicles before taking them into her mouth. He sucked in a shaky breath when she tongued his bal s. He buried his fingers in her hair, pul ing her closer, wordlessly begging her to take more of him.

She pul ed her head back and flicked her chin up to take the tip of his cock into her mouth. Her tongue lapped around the velvety tip, slowly working his long, thick shaft into her mouth. She pul ed back and then forward again, sucking him hard. His hips jerked, and he began to face fuck her. Her lips moved over him with eager passion, the tip of his cock disappearing beneath her ful lips.

“Yes, baby, fuck me. Fuck me hard.”

He jutted his hips forward into her hot and ready mouth. His hands didn’t relent on the pressure, now forcing her to take him. She could feel the sensitive head of his cock touch the back of her throat. His breathing now choppy, his pelvis jolted forward as his seed shot into her mouth. Laney sucked him until there wasn’t a drop of cum left. Nick slumped against the wal of the stal , visibly spent. He gulped hard and stared down at Laney’s head bobbing up and down over his cock.

“Laney, stop.” He breathed heavily. “Please.” She popped his cock out of her mouth and looked up at him, uncertain if she’d done something wrong.

“Did you not like it?”

He pul ed her to her feet and kissed her deeply, making her feel strangely connected to him when he tasted himself on her. Holding her to him, his hands cupped her breasts. “I liked it very much, Laney.

You’l have me begging on my knees for you with tricks like that.”

She smiled, her confidence quickly returning.

“I want you. Right here, right now.” She shook her head. “We shouldn’t. I think I heard someone come in.”

“We can be quiet.”

“Nick,” she said in a warning tone. “We need to get ready to go on shore; we have a long day ahead of us.”

He pretended to consider her logic while massaging her breasts. She doubted that he would have moved if she hadn’t slapped his hands away and pul ed her top up. Nick pul ed his pants up and grabbed his bag. Taking her by the hand, he hurriedly escorted her out of the locker room, not caring for the grins that men gave him as they passed.

❧ ❧ ❧

Two hours later, they were standing on the sandy shore of Curaçao. Though Nick and Cooper tried their best to avoid speaking directly to each other, they put their differences aside in the presence of the Zelmans. When Wil iam Zelman suggested they take a tour of an island cave, both men eagerly agreed. Vivian openly opposed the plan, while Laney and Heidi fol owed suit with their husbands.

They boarded an air-conditioned transport that traveled to the island’s north shore, crossing Curaçao’s countryside with its rich palette of color and texture. Passing a number of smal traditional vil ages, the group arrived at the Hato Caves.

Despite the remoteness of the location, the caves were clearly a popular tourist attraction. Site organizers corral ed the group of vacationers into marching formation. They met with their guides and set off on a walking tour of the underground grottos fil ed with stalactites, stalagmites and crystal-clear pools.

They weren’t five minutes into the tour before Vivian began complaining about the coolness of the air and the rocky terrain of the pathway they were fol owing. Laney, who normal y considered Vivian’s rants to be baseless, found herself agreeing with the older woman wholeheartedly. Laney thought she’d chosen a fairly versatile outfit today, a grey tube top with khaki shorts and a pair of flip-flops. The khakis were admittedly short, selected primarily for Nick’s amusement; however, once in the underground cavern, it hadn’t taken long to realize she’d greatly underestimated the atmosphere of the cave. The slightest wisp of air felt more like an Arctic blast against her skin, and the smooth soles of her sandals kept slipping on the pebbled earth. Nick smirked at her when he figured out she’d been clutching his hand more for support rather than affection.

Heidi was smartly sporting a pair of durable leather sandals. The soles were made of sturdy rubber, al owing her to walk confidently along the uneven path. Even Vivian, who was now reaching a climactic pitch with her list of complaints, was wearing a pair of gleaming white tennis shoes.

Laney envied the women for their footwear. She would have given anything to return to the boat to retrieve her Nikes.

Having apparently tuned out the sound of Vivian’s voice, Wil iam Zelman wore a look of utter amazement as he stared wide-eyed at the scene surrounding them. Cooper feigned interest but mostly his attentions remained on Heidi’s backside.

Heidi was wearing the tiniest pair of shorts Laney had ever seen. To her annoyance, the woman’s long legs looked absolutely fantastic. Nick, clearly bored, al owed his gaze to roam randomly around the cave.

Laney wondered if his gaze was wandering in the direction of Heidi’s butt. Unfortunately, she couldn’t verify the focus of his gaze, because she was stil struggling to keep her footing. Eventual y, Nick stepped in front of her and knelt down low enough to al ow her to climb onto his back. Vivian paused in her rant, long enough to smile at them. Heidi took note of Laney wrapped about Nick’s body, and she lifted her brow. Laney had the impulse to stick her tongue out, but she settled for looping her arms possessively around Nick’s shoulders. Once situated comfortably on his back, Laney could final y appreciate the scenery. There were spotlights strategical y positioned throughout the cavern, creating dramatic shadows against the backdrop of the rock wal s, highlighting the icicle-shaped stalactites hanging from the roof of the cave. It was both beautiful and eerie.

By the time they emerged from the cave’s exit, everyone was relieved to inhale the fresh scent of open air and feel the warmth of the evening sun. The hike had been more arduous than they’d expected.

Tired but not yet ready to return to the boat, they decided to head for town to see what was happening.

They boarded a tourist bus traveling toward the city’s center. After crossing the Queen Juliana Bridge for panoramic views of the city and harbor, they stopped at
Negrita
, an eighty-four-foot replica of an 18th-century schooner. Docked in the Waaigat inlet, the
Negrita
featured a tasting room where they sampled Blue Curaçao Liqueur and Ponche Cuba.

The group seated themselves at a table located on the boat’s deck and continued to savor the perfect weather. They ordered lunch and proceeded to become increasingly tipsy while listening to local musicians playing their instruments on the boardwalk. Some hours later, they final y boarded their transport for the return trip to the pier.

By the time they arrived back on the boat, Laney and Nick were exhausted. They took quick showers and promptly slumped into a soundless sleep. They awoke just in time to join the others for a late dinner.

The brief reprieve hadn’t been nearly enough time to rest. If possible, Laney felt more groggy than before.