Tropical Heat Read online

  A crew member emerged from the cabin bearing a bottle of champagne and another tray. “More drinks?” he asked cheerfully. “More snacks?”

  Sydney turned to Jesse. A bubble of laughter worked its way up her throat. She tried to choke it down, but it burst free. His reluctant laughter followed. He waved at the crew member. “Well, I’d like another drink.”

  The crew member topped off his champagne glass and disappeared back into the cabin, looking confused.

  Sydney smothered her laughter and offered him a smile of apology. “I timed that badly.”

  He took a deep breath. “No, it’s fine.” He raised his glass for a toast. “To be continued?”

  She raised her own glass. “Absolutely. To be continued as soon as we hit land.”

  He offered her his own rich laughter in response. “Might as well have those snacks. I’ve worked up an appetite.”

  Sydney became aware that the catamaran had changed direction and had begun heading back to shore. The brilliant sunset had faded to an indigo sky. Stars had already begun to appear.

  “Thank you for a wonderful evening.” She brushed his lips with hers, reminding him of what lay in wait for him once they docked. “And for chartering a boat just for me.”

  He opened his mouth to say something, but she covered his objections with another kiss.

  She could see the dark hulk of the dock against the shoreline now. They were almost back. Wanting to stretch their wonderful evening as long as possible, they drank champagne and watched the shoreline grow in size until the boat bumped against the dock and it was time to disembark.

  Entwined in each other’s arms, they made their way back to the room. At the door, Jesse rummaged in the pocket of his shorts for the key. With one arm still around her, he slid it into the lock. The door sprang open and they tumbled inside.

  Still dancing to the distant music, he walked her backward toward the bed. For a moment, they continued to sway to the beat, the backs of her knees up against the four-poster bed. He bent his head to give her another of those probing kisses that arced from her lips in a shimmering line straight to her core. Then her knees collapsed and they fell onto the bed together.

  His body was a comforting weight against her as the mattress gave to accommodate them. His hand strayed to the strap of her tank top, pulling it down over her arm. His questing fingers found her bra strap, and he pulled that down as well. She moaned as his warm hand found her breast.

  She returned the favor, her own hands finding the hem of his t-shirt and yanking it from his shorts. She ran her palms up over his back, reveling in the feel of all that hard male muscle. Jesse uttered a groan.

  He rolled to the side, giving himself better access to her. Bunching the hem of her tank top in his fist, he eased it over her head. His fingers located the catch of her bra. The tension in the elastic tightened and then suddenly gave free. He tossed both her top and her bra onto the growing pile of clothes on the chair. Now she was bared to the waist before him. Which didn’t seem fair.

  Sydney sat up and he moved with her. She mirrored his actions, pulling his t-shirt over his head and tossing it onto the chair. He gave her one of his genuine, knee-weakening smiles before toying with the string at the waistband of her trousers. He raised an eyebrow, giving her a chance to change her mind. As if.

  She allowed him to pull it free and slide her trousers down over her hips.

  Jesse gazed down at her clad only in the briefest of lace. A slow smile quirked his lips. He hooked his thumbs through the elastic of the panties and gently pulled them off as well. With a flick of his wrist, they landed on the pile of clothes as well.

  Now she lay completely bared to him. His gaze swept over her from head to toe and by the growing heat in his eyes, she could tell he liked what he saw.

  She’d already seen most of him on the day they met. But it didn’t seem fair for him to be enjoying the view so much while denying her the same opportunity. So she reached for the button of his cargo shorts.

  He sucked in his stomach to give her better access. Her hand shook and he covered it with his own and undid the button. His zipper sounded loud in the silence. She parted the material and slid her hand inside. Her fingers met the resistance of his boxers beneath. He was definitely interested, if the size of his growing erection was any indication. He groaned as she ran her hand down over his hard length.

  She pulled his cargo shorts over his hips and tossed them toward the pile on the chair. Her aim hit the side of the pile and toppled it to the floor, taking half the clothes piled there with them. Jesse didn’t seem to notice. He pressed urgently against her. “Sydney.”

  His voice sounded strained with unbridled passion. She eased his boxes down over his hips and his erection sprang free.

  He was magnificent, she thought as her gaze roved over him. His broad shoulders and muscular chest gave way to a tapered waist and muscular legs. Her attention strayed to his impressive erection. He was much bigger than her ex-boyfriend. The thought of all his hard male flesh inside her brought a rush of wetness to her core. Looking at her ex had never done that. This was new. Like the spark of desire Jesse’s first kiss had wrought.

  His hands traced the contours of her body, starting at her collarbone and moving down over her breasts to her waist. He circled her navel with one finger and then his finger dipped lower, bringing a gasp to her lips.

  His fingers lingered there, teasing her, ramping her desire higher. No one else had known how to set her desire aflame with just one touch. She raised her hips, pushing against his hand, demanding more. He chuckled low in his throat.

  But his chuckle turned to a smothered moan when she reached for him. Slowly, she stroked his hardened length, running her thumb over the tip. In reaction, she felt him growing in her hand, becoming longer, thicker.

  With a groan, he reached for a condom. She took it from him and rolled it slowly over his erection, eliciting another strangled moan.

  Jesse moved then, covering her body once again with his. The tip of his erection eased inside and she angled her hips, taking him deeper.

  He stretched her wider than ever before, drawing another gasp from her lips. He glanced down at her then and his expression clouded before she began to move her hips against his. He matched her tempo, easing slowly inside again, this time going deeper still before pulling back. He seemed to touch every inch of her inside, the feeling all consuming. The tension inside her wound tighter than a spring.

  His pace quickened and she moved with him. He gazed down at her again. “Sydney?”

  She could only nod once before that tension broke and waves of passion rolled over her. Distantly, she heard herself call his name and his answering shout of triumph.

  They lay together while the breeze from the air conditioning cooled the sweat from their bodies.

  “Well.” Jesse rolled to the side, taking her with him. She lay her head on his shoulder and cuddled close. He pulled the sheet over them to take away the air conditioner’s chill. “That was an unexpected end to a lovely evening. I thought for sure I’d be sleeping on the balcony trying not to listen to you and that British guy doing the nasty.”

  “Thomas,” she said drowsily. “His name was Thomas. And he seemed far more interested in the blonde woman than he was in me. They look like Barbie and Ken together.”

  He dipped his head, giving her a kiss that stirred the flames of her desire all over again. “That may be, but it’s his loss.” Another brush of his lips. “My gain.”

  “And mine.” She tried to imagine making love the way she had with Jesse with Thomas and found she couldn’t.

  She leaned back against the pillows. “So, what now?”

  Jesse leaned on one elbow, supporting his head with his hand. “What now? Well, the week is ours. The room is ours.”

  Visions of them spending the rest of the week this way rushed to mind. They’d spend their days on the beach, locked in each other’s arms and their nights locked in their room, the Do No
t Disturb sign firmly on the door. It was a far better outcome than she’d imagined for her holiday. She couldn’t stop the smile spreading across her face.

  “I don’t suppose you’d like to be my plus one for the wedding?” Jesse asked suddenly.

  The wedding. The one that was happening in two days. While they’d been making love, she’d allowed herself to forget why Jesse was here. She hadn’t planned on being invited to the wedding. She wasn’t sure she would be welcome. Would Josh or Lucas bring Brittany as their plus one?

  “Are you allowed a plus one?”

  Jesse smiled, his broad smile flanked by those alluring dimples. “After what Ethan pulled, it’s the least he can do for me.”

  He eased back in the bed, pulling her down with him.

  He was right, Sydney thought. It was the perfect end to a pretty perfect day.

  Chapter Seven

  Jesse woke to bright sunlight streaming through the open curtains. Neither of them had thought to shut them the night before. He glanced down at Sydney still sleeping soundly against him and smiled. He already knew she was a sound sleeper, but the utter contentment with which she slept at his side warmed his heart. She felt like she belonged there. Still, he thought, stretching slightly, a cup of coffee and a croissant would go be a welcome addition to the morning. They’d need some food before they continued their lovemaking.

  Then he remembered with a sinking heart he’d promised Sydney he’d talk to Ethan. If Ethan was up.

  But before he did that, he was going after coffee and croissants. He’d bring them back to the room and surprise Sydney. Two goals accomplished with one trip.

  Sliding gently out from under her, he searched for his clothes from last night. He found the entire pile had toppled to the floor, evidence of their abandon.

  He pulled his cargo shorts and t-shirt from the pile and got dressed. Sydney still hadn’t stirred, so he left the sign on the door and headed for the buffet.

  The buffet was pretty much deserted, except for a table occupied by Ethan, Josh, Lucas, and … Brittany. His gut tightened at the sight. Had Brittany spent the night with Ethan? One day before his wedding. Gracie was due to arrive that evening. He knew she’d had an emergency at work, but she was cutting it a little close to the actual wedding. He really wasn’t into that kind of stuff, but was it a sign? A sign Gracie wasn’t any more committed to her upcoming nuptials than Ethan was?

  Gracie wasn’t there, so he couldn’t ask her. And he doubted she’d talk to him anyway. So he piled a plate high with croissants and borrowed a carafe of coffee. Squaring his shoulders, he went to talk to Ethan.

  Ethan glanced up in surprise as he approached the table. Brittany merely offered him a smug expression. The table was littered with champagne bottles, empty glasses, and not much else.

  “Look who it is,” Ethan said. “Our long-lost Jesse. We thought you’d left the island.”

  “I’ve been—” Jesse began.

  “Busy. So I see.” Ethan’s gaze darted to the plate of croissants and a sly expression crossed his face.

  Jesse jerked his chin at a clump of palm trees beyond the open air restaurant. “Could I talk to you for a moment?”

  “Sure. Have a seat.”

  “I meant alone.”

  Ethan’s expression darkened. But he picked up what was left of his drink and stood. “Okay.”

  Together they walked toward the clump of trees.

  “So, what’s up?” Ethan asked as they left the restaurant.

  Jesse swallowed hard. “Isn’t Gracie due to arrive tonight?”

  Ethan’s eyes widened. “Yeah, she’s coming in late tonight. Why?”

  Jesse took a deep breath. “Because I can’t help noticing you’ve been spending a lot of time partying … and a lot of time with Brittany, and I just thought—”

  “You thought what?” An undercurrent of threat hung in Ethan’s tone.

  Jesse chose his next words carefully. “That maybe you should cool it a bit since you’re, you know, getting married tomorrow night.”

  Ethan’s gaze snapped to the plate of croissants before studying the ground. When he lifted his head, his expression had darkened further. “And this is your business—how?”

  He opened his mouth to protest he had Ethan’s best interests at heart. That he wanted Gracie and Ethan to have a good marriage, but Ethan continued.

  “Because I don’t think it’s any of your business at all. I’m here having a party and enjoying my last days as a free man. Gracie was supposed to be at the resort next door, doing the same. But she had an emergency at work. So I’m here. She’s coming tomorrow and we’re getting married. Anything that happens between now and then is not your business. If you think you know what’s best for Gracie and me, then think again. If you knew so much about her, she’d still be with you, wouldn’t she?”

  “That’s not the point.” How had this conversation gotten so out of hand?

  “It’s my point.” Ethan swallowed the rest of his drink and moved past Jesse to return to the table. A few feet away, he turned back. “If you don’t think you can stand up for me tomorrow night, then you just say. Spend tomorrow night with your roommate instead.”

  Now Ethan was offering him what he wanted more than anything else. To spend the rest of the week with Sydney and not have to worry about watching his ex marry his best friend. For a moment, he entertained that thought while Ethan waited. But he’d given his word.

  “No,” he said finally. “I’ll be there.” And when Ethan held up a hand, he added, “And I’ll let you and Gracie work things out on your own.”

  “Nothing to work out,” Ethan said, walking away. “But thanks for the sentiment.”

  “Sure, man, all the best.” He hefted the plate and the carafe and began walking toward the room without looking back. “Well, that went well,” he muttered to himself. Why had he ruined a perfectly good morning by trying to talk to Ethan? He should have minded his own business and done as he’d promised, to leave Gracie and Ethan to work out their own problems. Surely she had to know by now what Ethan was like?

  But what if she didn’t? Either way, it didn’t sit well with him. He’d already lost Gracie to Ethan. He didn’t want to lose Ethan’s friendship as well. He should have kept his mouth shut. An old saying of his mother’s crept into his mind. No good deed went unpunished. But was what he’d done a good deed?

  When he got back to the room, he found Sydney sitting up in bed, her hair tousled around her shoulders and wearing nothing else. She’d covered herself with the bed sheet to escape the air conditioner’s chill, but beneath it he could see the contours of her body. By the sleepy way she blinked at him, he could tell she’d only recently awakened. When she saw the plate of croissants and the pot of coffee, her eyes brightened with delight.

  “Ah, now that looks delicious.”

  He put the plate down on the bed and went to find a couple of cups. “Me? Or the pastries?”

  She’d already grabbed one from the plate and taken a bite. “Both.” The word came out garbled.

  He located one cup on the side of the dresser and another on the bathroom sink. The one on the dresser was clean. He poured coffee for Sydney and handed it to her before going to rinse the other one for himself.

  “Mmm. Thank you.” Sydney took another sip of her coffee. “I was wondering where you went.”

  He took a sip of his own coffee and waved at the plate of croissants on the bed. “I went to get some breakfast. But then I saw Ethan and decided to talk to him.”

  “How did it go?”

  Jesse sat on the bed beside her and grabbed a croissant of his own. “Not good. He basically told me to mind my own business. Which I probably should have done.” He took a bite and swallowed it down with coffee. He’d be enjoying the pastries and the coffee a lot more if he hadn’t recently had an unpleasant talk with Ethan.

  “You were trying to do what you thought was best.”

  “Yeah, and I might have lost myself another
friend. Ethan told me I didn’t have to be in the wedding party if I didn’t want to.”

  “Wow. That was harsh.”

  Jesse leaned back against the headboard so they were sitting shoulder to shoulder and helped himself to another pastry from the plate. “To be honest, the last thing I want to do is to watch Gracie marry another man. Even if it’s really over between us and we’ve promised to be friends and all.” He gulped down another mouthful of coffee, the croissant forgotten in his hand. “But this is a whole lot different than meeting for coffee or a drink once in a while. This whole thing kind of—”

  “Sucks?”

  He nodded and took a bite of his croissant, washing it down with more coffee. “I mean, I didn’t want to come, but I did. For him and Gracie. And now I’m here, he says that to me?” He stared down at her, her hair spilling over her shoulders in a wave. The way she glanced up at him, still half asleep made him want to get back under the sheet with her and spend the whole day in bed. Which wasn’t such a bad idea. “If I hadn’t met you, this whole trip would have a total mess.”

  The words sprang out before he realized he’d said them. But they were true. He’d come for Ethan and Gracie’s wedding. For the first day, he’d behaved much as Ethan had. He’d partied as though it were the end of the world. The idea of watching Gracie marry Ethan had seemed like the end of the world. Until he’d met Sydney and his whole outlook had changed. Now the world seemed full of possibilities again.

  Sydney sat up, the sheet falling to her waist, exposing her breasts and making him wonder why on earth he was talking about Ethan instead of…

  “I’m sorry Ethan didn’t take your advice with a little more grace. Maybe he was still partying and didn’t want to hear it.”

  “No, he definitely didn’t want to hear it. And yes, he was still partying and probably still a little drunk.”

  Sydney put down her cup and reached up to brush a crumb of croissant from his lip. “Well, you tried.” She brushed her lips across his, reminding him of what he should be doing instead of worrying about Gracie and Ethan.