“Actually, Audra is a doctoral candidate,” he said just as silkily. “She’s a brilliant dolphin behaviorist.”
And she liked teeth on her sensitive flesh. Charlie’s teeth, specifically, and Jared could go flash his money at any other hot woman in the whole of the Bahamas, but this one was off-limits. Always.
“That’s a sweet thing to say.” Audra’s smile caught him crossways and she snuggled a little deeper into his embrace, settling her lush backside into the V between his legs. Which totally worked for him, as it reminded him of standing on that rock with her as they had a close encounter with her dolphins. It was an experience he’d never forget.
“Well, it was nice to meet you, Audra.” Jared stood and punched Charlie on the arm. “You get a pass for bailing on me this evening. We’ll hook up later in the week.”
They both watched him sail off to go do billionaire things that thankfully took him far away from the humming tension in Charlie’s fist. And then his mood abruptly shifted the moment the woman between his legs did.
She turned in his embrace and slipped her own arms around his neck.
“Hi,” she murmured unnecessarily, but it was somehow perfect to start over without the third wheel.
Her clear blue eyes sought and held his, and all he could do for an eternity was stare back as she engulfed him thoroughly. Yeah, there was something special about Audra. He didn’t mind admitting that, especially with the looming expiration date to this vacation fling.
That might be what made it so great. He wasn’t in a hurry to boot her out the door because he knew that the end was coming eventually. So did she. No one was crying about the fact that soon enough, he’d be belly down in the Iraqi desert, planning a raid on an ISIS armament.
Why spend what time they had together looking for the exit? He planned to enjoy every second Audra Reed bestowed on him.
She’d slicked pink lipstick across her lips, plumping them up, and all he could think about was kissing it off. But it felt right to romance her. Give her that sense of anticipation she’d told him she liked, despite the fact that this was indeed a vacation fling that had pure sexual attraction at its roots.
He didn’t care. After she’d gone out of her way to take him to Ilhota Rosa, she deserved something other than a hot, sweaty encounter up against a wall while the guy banging her thought about heading someplace else to score yet again. Like Anderson had apparently expected him to do.
“I have dinner reservations,” he said huskily as her light, floral perfume curled through his senses. His whole body sniffed it hungrily.
“I have a mouth,” she shot back with a grin. “I wouldn’t mind putting some food in it before I fill it with something else.”
The provocative gleam in her eye put a hitch in his lungs. “If you think I’m the kind of guy who likes a woman to talk dirty to him, you’re absolutely right.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she purred throatily and deliberately rubbed her breasts against his chest in a teasing little motion that set him on fire.
She wasn’t wearing a bra under that green dress. It was filmy enough that he could feel the hard pebbling of her nipples. The image of the one he’d had in his mouth earlier seared his mind. Two shots of tequila was barely enough for him to feel it, but two seconds of Audra and he might already be drunk on her.
Romance. Anticipation. Time to get on that.
Somehow he peeled himself away and held her hand as they strolled to the restaurant on the other side of the resort. Exotic flowers and soft music lent to the romantic atmosphere on the grounds, and Charlie grudgingly gave Jared points for running a great place here. Despite having been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, the guy did work hard for his billions.
He just needed to watch what he said unless he wanted to find that spoon shoved up his arrogant ass.
When they got to the restaurant, the maître d’ immediately showed them to the best table in the house, a round booth facing a wall of glass that overlooked the crashing ocean. High sides gave the booth complete privacy from the rest of the dining room.
Audra’s breath caught as she stared out over the water where the sun hung low on the horizon, throwing deep purples, reds, and oranges against the infinity of blue. “That’s an amazing view.”
A waiter hustled to the table with a bottle of wine and went to work uncorking it, showing them the label with flair. Bordeaux, circa 1956. It had been a while since Charlie hung out in the company of wine snobs, but he had enough St. Croix in him to recognize the vintage. That was one very expensive bottle of grape juice.
“Compliments of Mr. Anderson.” The maître d’ bowed. “He’s instructed us to cancel the entire evening’s reservations for this table, so you have it for as long as you like. Mr. Anderson will be picking up your bill, as well.”