The Bad Boys of Summer (56 page)

O
nce a month
, the resort hosted a ballroom-themed night meant to harken back to the golden age of American Hollywood, where guests wore their finest black-tie attire, ate a fine prime-rib dinner, and danced the night away to the sounds of a live swing band. After they returned from their adventure in town, Harrison told Clarice that it was the only part of the resort his mother had any patience for, and there was no way for them to miss it.

“Wow, I would have expected quite the opposite from a sex resort,” Clarice mused, as it was described to her.

“What do you mean?”

“Like at a place like this, I would expect a black tie event to mean that a black tie was the only thing you were allowed to wear.”

Harrison laughed. “That’s not a bad idea, I’ll bring it up at the next planning meeting for our events staff, but I don’t think it would be something my mother would ever attend. She likes to pretend that the hedonistic side of this resort doesn’t really exist. Ballroom dancing is much more her style, which is why we have to attend.”

“But I’ve never ballroom danced before!” said Clarice, with a whiny pout as she sat on the penthouse bed. “I’m going to embarrass both of us, or blow our cover.”

“No worries darling, they know you’re in publishing, remember? No one told them you were a ballroom dance instructor or anything,” he assured her as he tossed the pieces of a fine tailored tuxedo across the bed, inspecting them for faults and threads.

“What if I trip?”

He laughed. “Then I’ll catch you.”

“What if
you
trip?”

“Then you’ll catch me.”

When she didn’t reply, Harrison looked up with a pretend-shocked face. “Hey, what’s this now? No vote of confidence? My pretend wife-to-be can’t even keep me from making a fool of myself at a fine event?”

“I don’t know if you noticed, but you’re like… a whole lot bigger than me. Pretty sure if I tried to catch you, we’d both go down.”

He grinned at her wickedly. “Go down, you say?” With lightning speed, Harrison wrapped his strong arms around Clarice’s thighs and yanked her down towards the edge of the bed.

She squealed and laughed in delight. “What are you doing?”

Harrison rubbed his face along her neck, between her breasts, moving steadily down her stomach toward her pussy. In a flash he had her dress pushed up around her waist and her panties pulled down to her ankles.

“I’m following my inspiration,” came his lustful growl.

Before she could respond, Harrison began lapping at her clit with his warm, soft tongue, and Clarice could do nothing but lay back and moan. With his body weight and his strong arms, he kept her still and pressed against his face as he ate her out with hungry fervor, sucking at her clit before moving down to penetrate her inner sweetness with his tongue.

Clarice writhed underneath him as her flexing fingers twirled through his hair. When he pushed two fingers deep inside her, ecstasy rolled hard over her body and she came hard against his tongue. He didn’t even stop eagerly lapping at her wetness until her quakes subsided. When they finally did, he kissed his way up her body until he hovered over her mouth, then shared the taste of her juices with a passionate kiss.

“Is that protocol for all classy evenings?” asked Clarice breathlessly.

“Certainly,” said Harrison. “No gentleman would arrive at a gala without having eaten some incredible pussy first.”

Clarice giggled and pulled him down for another sweet kiss. He groaned into her mouth and nuzzled his nose against hers, only pulling back briefly to look at her face before kissing her again and again. There was something so tender and intimate about the motion that Clarice felt like her heart was going to burst. She wrapped her arms tighter around Harrison’s neck and settled in with his face resting against hers.

For a long moment, they just lay there and caressed each other’s bodies, and when Clarice closed her eyes, there was nothing fake about the serenity or completeness she felt being wrapped around this gorgeous, foreign man.

Like he read her mind, Harrison spoke softly against her shoulder, “This is quite peaceful.”

She nudged her face against his hair. “Yeah, it really is.” The words they didn’t say filled the empty space in the room like a living, pulsating thing, invisible, yet impossible to ignore.

Harrison cleared his throat and sat up from the embrace, rubbing a hand through his hair. “I suppose we’d better get ready. We don’t want to keep father waiting. Plus, I am absolutely dying to see what you look like in that dress you bought.”

“Oh, babe, you have no idea,” teased Clarice as she scooted off the bed and headed for the bathroom. “You would swear this dress was made just for me, it fits so well. It’s a conspiracy!”

“Or maybe it’s just fate,” winked Harrison. “The gods of Indonesia knew you were going to need something smashing to wear for a night out in high society.” Before she could pass by, Harrison pulled her close into his chest and kissed her head.

She put her hands on his gorgeous sculpted chest. “I sincerely hope the gods of Indonesia have much better things to do with eternity.”

Harrison laughed, kissed her once more, and then released her with a little pat on the ass. Clarice gave him a look of mock disdain and disappeared into the bathroom to begin her routine. She kicked Harrison out into the living room before she got too far, insisting that he not see her until she was completely ready.

When she finally emerged from the bedroom, Harrison was fully dressed in his tailored tuxedo. His broad shoulders and trim waist made him look at once both attractive and dangerous, and all the darkness of his suit contrasted against the bright blue of his eyes.

As soon as he saw her, though, his mouth dropped open. He stopped fidgeting with his cufflinks and just stared.

Clarice grinned. She knew she was going to be irresistible. Trudy had nearly cried when she came out of the boutique dressing room in the body-hugging, ankle-length sheer gold dress, accented with sweeping gold sequins that resembled the unfolding wings of birds, acting as both décor and practical cover between her legs and across her breasts. Bits of skin covered in simple sheer gold, peek-a-booed out in seductive shapes. When she moved, the dress glittered around her curves and sent light dancing across the room. The vintage look of the dress inspired her to put her long black hair up in finger rolls, and paint her lush lips with bright red lipstick.

Judging by the look on Harrison’s face, she had greatly succeeded in her quest.

“Holy mother of God, Clarice,” he said. “You look absolutely stunning.”

Clarice blushed. “It’s all because of you. This is the dress I found shopping.”

“I can’t take credit for any of this.” He came close to her, awe in his expression and something deep in his eyes. “You are simply the most stunning woman I’ve ever met, Clarice, and it’s not because of this dress.”

Clarice blinked up at him, momentarily speechless by his show of emotion. She swallowed against a tight throat. “You’re sweet to say that, Harrison. Thank you.”

He lifted up her hand and gave it a kiss. “Thank
you.
Every single man at the party tonight is going to wish he was me.”

H
arrison wasn’t wrong
; the roomful of partygoers
did
stare at her like they wanted to be on her arm, and Clarice had no idea how to feel about it. Some vain part of her loved the attention, and loved being by Harrison’s side, if nothing else, but it certainly was a strange experience. Besides, she was pretty sure at least some of the people were staring more at him, than her.

Trudy and the girls weren’t coming to this event, sadly. They all had different plans with men, and Clarice was glad they were getting the most out of their vacations, but she did miss their smiling faces. Nevertheless, the night was dreamlike and wonderful as soon as Clarice and Harrison stepped into the high-ceilinged ballroom. The full band on-stage had just launched into “Begin the Beguine”, and couples swayed softly on the polished dance floor. All around the open dance space, big round tables were arranged for the dinner service, and guests were already enjoying their meals, the air abuzz with conversation.

The Moores waited for Clarice and Harrison at the VIP table separated from the guest tables by a small dais and few steps. When he saw them approach, George rose and clapped, beaming at Clarice so hard that she couldn’t help but smile back at him with everything she had. He was infectious.

After dinner was served and eaten, both Harrison and his father insisted on having dances with their respective ladies. “Moore men simply cannot abide hiding such stunning women back at the dinner table,” said George.

Clarice looked to Harrison with a smile. “Is that right?”

Harrison gave her a shrug and a smile. “He has a point.”

“Well then, in keeping with tradition…” She offered Harrison her hand. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you about my lack of skills.”

He smiled and steered her to the ballroom floor. The band launched into a slow ballad, and Clarice tucked up against Harrison’s strong chest as he led them across the dance floor. It wasn’t long before he was pulling her into him completely, and she rested her head on his chest while he kept a hand on her back.

“This is so beautiful,” she said softly.

“It really is a lovely time, isn’t it,” agreed Harrison. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

“And this dance is simple enough that even I can do it,” she joked.

“Well, this is just a slow dance, don’t get cocky.”

Clarice gave him a look. “If we weren’t surrounded by fancy people, I’d bite you right now.”

“I dare you to do it anyway.” There was a glint in his eye that made her almost believe he’d like to see that.

“Oh, do you?”

“Do it, tough guy.”

So she did, right on his chest, and Harrison had to swallow his surprised cry when he felt it. A few close couples gave them weird looks, anyway, and they quickly danced towards another part of the floor as they tried to stifle laughter.

“I honestly can’t remember the last time I had this much fun,” said Clarice. “I’m really glad you decided to ask me to be your pretend wife, Harrison. This week has been amazing.”

Harrison smiled down at her and brushed a lock of hair out of her face. “It’s me who has you to thank. You’ve completely pulled my ass out of the fire, and I owe you an empire for it. And I have to say, it’s been a very long time since I’ve had this much fun, either.”

“That can’t be right,” she said. “You live in paradise.”

Harrison shrugged. “Things are never as simple as they look. But I really mean it.”

Something shifted in his mood right then. The light in his eyes seemed to dim, and sadness descended over his handsome face. The smile faded out. The way he stared at her, his eyes tracing all the features of her face, it was almost like he was afraid.

Clarice’s chest tightened around her heart as she licked her lips. “What’s wrong?”

He didn’t say anything for a moment. She realized they had stopped dancing, and Harrison was just standing there, staring at her silently.

“Harrison?” She squeezed his hand.

He blinked finally and swallowed. “I’m sorry, Clarice.”

“Are you alright? What’s wrong?”

“I have to excuse myself,” he said. “I feel a bit ill.”

He did look pale. Clarice put a hand on his forehead. “Did you eat something? Oh my god, was it something we all ate?”

He took her hand in his and kissed it. “No, it’s not that. Here, let me escort you back to the table.” He didn’t wait for her to answer, but led her through the still-dancing crowd, back to where the Moores sat chatting with each other. He gave her hand a squeeze, but said nothing else before he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Clarice returned to her seat feeling a little flush and pale. Mrs. Moore noticed almost immediately, to Clarice’s horror.

“Dear, what has you so shaken?” asked Vanessa, leaning across the table. “And Harrison, too; is he ill?”

“Uh,” said Clarice, looking out over the crowd of happy dancers for any sign of Harrison. “I’m not sure, he excused himself very suddenly. He may have had a phone call, that thing is always on vibrate even when I tell him to turn it off.” She let out a laugh she knew sounded far too nervous.

Clarice had no idea what had happened to Harrison; she only knew the moment had left her shaking and unsteady, her stomach twisting in knots. It was like something big was building in her heart that wouldn’t be contained much longer, and she was terrified it would crush everything in its path.

She picked absently at the rich chocolate cake that arrived for dessert while the band played on. Mr. and Mrs. Moore sauntered out for another dance once their champagne was done, leaving Clarice alone at the table to catch her breath and her thoughts. She looked around again for Harrison, but all the faces in the crowd were unfamiliar and far away. She was aching for him, she realized. The way he had hurried off, so clearly upset, had upset her as well.

She already cared deeply for Harrison, she realized. She didn’t want to see him that way.