Australia: Wicked Mistresses

ONCE was only the beginning.

They made love again, and a third time, and as the rain eased and the yellow fingers of dawn reached through that single window pane Nina snuggled back into the incomparable warmth of her lover.

Gabriel sat at the head of the bed, his back against the rest, his powerful arms coiled around her waist. She sat between his legs, her head slanted against his chest, her arms wrapped around his. The previous hours had raced by as if they’d only been minutes.

Tomorrow was almost here.

His chin brushed over her crown and she felt him harden against the small of her back. Teasing, she wriggled against him. “Aren’t you sick of me yet?”

“Nope.” His expert mouth found the sweep of her neck. Goosebumps erupted down her right side as his teeth danced over the still wanting sweep of skin. He whispered at her ear, “Stay with me.”

She froze, then blinked several times. Had she heard right?

“What do you mean, stay?”

He hummed at her temple. “Here. With me.”

What a crazy, wonderful idea, but … “Gabriel, I can’t.”

“Sure you can.” He urged her face around and kissed her thoroughly. Her lips felt swollen from his all-night attention, but she only melted again now. Kissing, in all its forms, was his absolute forte.

The kiss broke softly. With a growl in his throat, he circled the tip of her nose with his.

“Stay.”

She fisted her hand against his chest. Oh, God, how she wanted to. “It’s not that easy.”

The light in his gaze dimmed, and for the first time she saw something else in his eyes … something hard and close to unforgiving.

His voice dropped enough to make her shiver. “Is there someone else?”

“Of course not,” she shot back, and the light in his eyes faded back up.

“In that case …” he edged her around more “… let me convince you.”

Holding her chin in the vee of one hand, he tipped her back until she lay flat. The line of kisses he dropped down to her cleavage blew fresh life into embers wanting to flash hot again. And when his mouth tasted one tender nipple, and his tongue wove down to her midriff, her hands stretched towards him and her fingers twined through his hair.

She wanted to stay—so much that it hurt. But the idea was ridiculous. For one, as long as her ankle held up, she had a shift later today. Which led to a far bigger problem. Gabriel had no idea who she was. Or who she wasn’t. He’d given her the option of remaining Nina the Mysterious, and at the time withholding her identity had seemed the easier, more attractive option. But that had been before they’d slept together.

The last few hours had seemed surreal. She could almost convince herself she was just another rich guest enjoying a no-consequences holiday fling with a gorgeous playboy. But of course that dream couldn’t last. She couldn’t stay. Inevitably they would see each other at the resort and her secret would be out.

She pinched the bridge of her nose to stem the sting of emotion.

Okay. She would simply tell him now. Come clean with everything. Then the ball would be back in his court. He’d said, I’ll believe in you. Not light words. If it hadn’t been a line, he deserved the chance to prove he’d meant it. Prove to her that her faith in him wasn’t built purely on firelight and fantasy.

Willing her heart to quit crashing against her ribs, she found a rational voice. “Gabriel, there’s something I need to tell you.”

His tongue twirled languidly around her navel.

She gripped his arms and tried to pull him up. “Are you listening?”

His mouth only dropped lower. “I can multi-task.”

She didn’t doubt it. “There’s more you need to know.”

He grazed all the way up, until his eyes twinkled directly into hers. “All I need to know is …” he tasted her chin “… I want to be with you.”

He said it so easily. As if this could really mean more than a night or two if she let it. But she had to face facts. Clearly Gabriel was no novice at this kind of encounter. He’d known what he wanted and he’d set out to get it. She’d be crazy to believe this interlude meant anything more to him than a dab of icing on his holiday cake; she’d seen enough of his I’m-kicking-back-on-vacation type to know. Hell, rather than irritated, he might be pleased to discover she was a waitress. The thanks-and-sorry-it-didn’t-work-out would be easier that way.

She realised he was looking deeply into her eyes.

A fingertip stroked her cheek. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

She sighed. Oh, just everything.

“Gabriel …” She tried to find the right words to begin. “This day has been unbelievable. You make me feel so good. Too good.”

A sexy smile tugged the corner of his mouth before he suckled a line up her throat to her lips. “Trust me. There’s no such thing as too good.”

Nina woke with a start.

Blinking open her eyes, she remembered the rain … the hideaway cabin in the bush. Foremost she remembered waking in the midnight hours, and how Gabriel’s soft, skilled mouth and hard, practised body had claimed hers again and again.

Her every fibre lit up and tingled, recalling the bone-melting orgasms he’d given her. The way his tongue and hands had endlessly explored. She’d mindlessly given herself over to every wondrous stroke and squeeze.

Then he’d asked her to stay.

Her stomach somersaulted. She turned over, tried to focus her sleep-deprived brain, and realised she was alone amid the tangle of sheets. Where was Gabriel? She’d got severely sidetracked last night, but they still had a conversation to finish.

She had a confession to make.

Unfortunately talking quietly in romantic firelight was a far cry from coming clean in the cold light of day. She wasn’t a wealthy guest at Diamond Shores. She worked at the resort. She’d let Gabriel believe what he’d wanted about her identity, but now she needed to speak up.

He was attracted to her. He wanted this holiday fling to continue. Only he had no idea who the woman he was making love with was. Hell, she didn’t know who she was any more—or who’d she’d be next week. Next year.

Nina eased out of bed. Bringing a sheet along, she limped to the window. She had to believe he wouldn’t be upset by her news. They’d spent a glorious night together. Precious time not every couple got to enjoy.

She stopped by the window. He didn’t appear to be outside. When he hadn’t returned after a few minutes she removed her bandage and drew a bath. As she slipped into the warm water she fantasised about him sneaking in and surprising her. But when the bath cooled, she dried and dressed again in the shirt Gabriel had stripped from her late last night. She finger-brushed her teeth with some paste she found while her stomach knotted.

She needed to get this off her chest. How much longer would he be?

Through the smudge of glass, and a break in the canopy of palms and vines, a flawless dome of blue smiled down. The leaves looked greener, hanging low and heavy with morning dew. While the air had felt chilly last night, heat was already building inside the cabin. Another tropical day in paradise.

She’d felt so down of late. In limbo. Lost. Feeling alive again last night had felt so real! The light and smell and sound of everything had seemed amplified. Brighter. She wanted to feel that alive again, and now she knew how to make that happen.

Not by continuing this charade with Gabriel; hiding behind a fantasy, no matter how wonderful, wasn’t the answer. She had to step up and get her life back on track as quickly as possible. Until that opportunity arose, she’d put one hundred and ten percent into doing the best job she could here. Put her all into winning even a little respect from her co-workers.

Hope. A real belief that she could regain her pride. Her beautiful night here with Gabriel had given her that.

Her stomach growled. She’d eaten nothing but a handful of nuts since a scant salad yesterday at lunch. When a fruit bowl caught her eye, she chose an apple and chomped as she made her way aimlessly around.

She was about to make herself a coffee when a movement outside caught her eye. She tipped closer to the window and peered out.

Three … no, four wallabies!

When she swung open the door, air, fresh and minty, filled her lungs. She breathed deeply, listening to a symphony of birds, their squawks and chirps and whistles echoing off the treetops and jutting cliffs. To her left, the wallabies’ ears turned in her direction.

Three were sunning themselves, resting on their sides on a nearby red and black-patched ledge. The fourth had a joey in her pouch; Nina held her breath as two tiny ears and a black nose twitched from the soft furry purse on its mother’s tummy. They were similar to, but far smaller than, their marsupial kangaroo cousins. Their petite jaws munched rhythmically, and Nina longed to furrow her fingers through the thick brown fur of the curved backs. Their strong tails, which ended with a white tip, seemed to go on for ever.

Careful not to startle them, she bit off some apple, crept closer, then lobbed the fruit over. The mother used her tail and small front paws to edge away in the opposite direction. The others twitched their ears, but didn’t deign to turn their onyx long-lashed gazes towards their visitor. She sat on a nearby boulder, and after a time one wallaby rocked slowly over. It collected the apple in its paws and ignored her while it chewed.

This same scene would have existed fifty years ago. A hundred and fifty years ago. How peaceful it would be to live here without television or the internet, Nina thought. No sales pitches or rush-rush schedules. Just the gentle sights and sounds of timeless nature.

She was about to throw more apple when the wallabies straightened, fully alert. Their ears pricked up and then they bounded off, their tails acting as precision springboards. As they disappeared over the rocks and into the bush Nina heard it too—a motor, distant, but coming this way.

She perched upon the wallabies’ ledge and waited to greet her arrival. A few moments later Gabriel appeared, wheeling in a motorbike. Nothing large and mean—rather a fun ride, with chunky tyres obviously meant for off-road.

He stopped when he saw her, and his eyes opened in surprise. “You’re up.”

She eased off the ledge. “You were up earlier.”

He performed a flourishing bow. “Your limousine, madame.”

She laughed, but with a touch of irony. She hadn’t ridden in a limousine for a very long time.

He kicked down the bike’s stand, whipped a carry-bag off the handlebars and closed the distance separating them in three long strides. Then arms that felt like heaven gathered her in and his mouth dropped over hers. As one hand edged up to cradle and faintly rotate the back of her head, Nina dissolved into their best kiss yet. Her fingers fanned up to knead the muscle beneath his fresh jersey knit shirt.

His lips left hers reluctantly, coming back to sip again before he deftly took her hand and began to lead her inside. Her mind stopped spinning enough for her to pull up. She wouldn’t be distracted again. Before he swept her up into the clouds again they needed to talk. He needed to know this was no run-of-the-mill holiday fling. She needed to lay her cards on the table and own up to who she was … or at least who she wasn’t.

When she stopped, he stopped too, a frown tugging at his brows. Then he shook his head as if to clear it.

“I’m an idiot.” He swooped her up into his arms. “I forgot your ankle. I’ll carry you.”

Nina fought the impulse to hold onto him. His no-argument brand of chivalry was intoxicating, but … “My ankle’s fine.”

He wasn’t listening. Instead he moved with her towards the open cabin door.

He stepped over the threshold, and a sense of déjà vu filtered through her. Had so much time passed since that sudden rainstorm yesterday? They were here again, standing in the exact same spot, and he was just as imposing and commanding and delicious as ever.

But he wasn’t heading for the bed. He was looking down at her with a mix of desire and depth and …

Trust?

She cleared the lump from her throat and took a breath. Now or never.

“Last night,” she began, “you asked if I wanted to stay.”

He nodded.

She blew out a breath. “Well, Gabriel—see, it’s like this—”

“You want to go back to the resort, don’t you?” His jaw tightened. “You’re missing the spa tubs and silver service.”

“God, no. That’s not it at all.”

His brows snapped together. “You don’t like the resort?”

“If you really want to know …” She scrunched her nose and shook her head. Not a bit.

A pulse in his cheek started to tick and his jaw shifted to one side. “So what’s wrong with it?”

Nina was taken aback. That stony look and tone … Suddenly he seemed so serious. About her dislike of the resort?

He’d said he’d taken this cabin to get away from it all. She’d believed him. But his questions and the intense glint in his eye didn’t sit with his carefree “escape into the wilderness” story. Something didn’t add up.

He wanted to know what was wrong with the resort?

She quizzed him. “Maybe you should tell me?”

He blinked several times before his chin tucked in. “Why would I do that?”

“Because I’m getting the feeling you don’t like Diamond Shores so much either.”

His pupils dilated, swallowing the pale irises until his eyes appeared almost black. “I’m simply interested.”

He crossed the room, sat her on the chair, but she stood straight back up.

His ears were pink with irritation, and there was a weird, distant look in his eye. She wasn’t mistaken. There was far more to his questions than simple interest. Did he trust her enough to tell her what was wrong?

Maybe if she gave him a chance to thaw out?

She collected the bottle off the counter to make two strong coffees. But when she screwed the lid it wouldn’t budge. She clamped the bottle under one arm and twisted hard. Stuck fast.

In the meantime, Gabriel had frowned over. “Are you staying on the island with friends?”

She sighed. If only.

She took a hesitant step nearer. He sounded so gruff. “Why do you want to know?”

“Because I need to know what people are saying. What they’re thinking.”

When he thumped his fist against the wall she jumped. Then he growled under his breath, something about, “… hiding out here … playing Huck Finn … should be back there, making changes …”

With worry choking off her breath, she slowly brought the bottle close to her chest. “Gabriel … what are you talking about?”

Letting out a defeated breath, he sank into the chair.

“I bought this island a week ago,” he ground out. “It’s on the brink of bankruptcy, and I’m here to make sure everything and everyone who doesn’t perform is eliminated.” He lifted his chin. “Pronto.”

The coffee bottle slipped from her hands, smashed, and shattered to pieces. As the crash ricocheted off the walls, Gabriel shot to his feet. The way Nina’s face had paled, the way her hands clutched at her throat, she might have thrown a javelin that had missed his heart by an inch.

She stared blindly at the mess at her feet, then fixed her huge topaz-coloured eyes on his.

“I broke the bottle,” she croaked out, and when her lashes blinked he thought he saw her eyes glisten.

This wasn’t the reaction he’d expected. He hadn’t wanted three cheers, but owning Diamond Shores wasn’t chickenfeed. Or it wasn’t to him. His announcement was at least worth a sentence or two of recognition. Still, God knew how much Nina’s family was worth. Owning an island might well seem inconsequential to many of the guests who stayed here.

He ground his back teeth and ploughed a hand through his hair. It frustrated the hell out of him. Regardless of how far he’d come, there were still times when he felt like someone’s poor relation.

Nina was concentrating on the mess on the floor, as if she couldn’t get her mind around how to clean it up.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he moved forward. “Don’t worry about that.” There was more to worry about than an old broken bottle.

But she didn’t seem to hear. Instead her hands covered her face. “Oh, God, what a mess.”

He took her hands from her cheeks.

“It’s okay,” he said more gently. “I’ll get someone in to clean it up.” But she wound out of his hold, stooped and began to pick up the pieces. He hunkered down and eased the glass from her hand. “You don’t need to do that.” When she collected another piece, he held her wrist. “Nina, I’ll get a maid in from the resort.”

Biting her lip, she stood and spun away, her hands bracing the counter. “We should go. We should go now.”

He tugged an earlobe and groaned.

Okay. He had an idea what was wrong.

Stepping closer, he cupped her shoulders. “Don’t be embarrassed. Yes, I own the island, but I’m glad you told me how unhappy you are with the resort.”

When he’d arrived three days ago he’d introduced himself to key people but had insisted that his true identity be kept from the rest of the staff. He wanted to experience April’s wedding and the resort incognito. He’d also made it clear he needed to be informed of every suggestion for improvements and all complaints.

After he’d jogged to the resort this morning, to bring back some wheels, he’d dropped in to his bungalow and had been greeted by an avalanche of messages. Various managers wanted his ear. One guest had complained he’d been injured—the result of an incompetent ski-boat driver. A celebrity wedding had been cancelled; the bride had heard rumours regarding “off” seafood. The music at the nightclub wasn’t exciting enough. The childminders weren’t any fun.

And so it went on.

A meeting was scheduled for the day before he flew back to Sydney—Monday. He and the managers would crunch figures and implement a kick-butt game plan. But this morning he hadn’t wanted to face the hassle. Face the possibility that this time he might have gone beyond his limits. He’d only wanted to get back to Nina and re-ignite the fires which had raged within these walls last night.

She affected him like a drug, and he wanted to enjoy that all-over high again and again. But he’d been an idiot, a coward, to buy into that distraction. His captivating lover also happened to be a guest at Diamond Shores—a guest who’d admitted in the plainest of terms how dissatisfied she was with the facilities. Talk about a wake-up call.

Every day, every minute counted towards getting this resort back on its feet.

He moved to collect the parcel bag he’d brought in.

Nina was right. They needed to go.

“I put your clothes in to be laundered. I had one of the boutique managers—”

“Whose name did you use?”

To clean her clothes?

He frowned. “Mine.”

Surely she wasn’t concerned about a pair of cutoffs? Although second-hand-looking fashion could be sexy.

He retrieved a wrap and a one-piece from the bag.

So, too, was designer fashion.

From the bottom of the bag he handed over a pair of sunglasses. Her eyes rounded and a puff of wind left her lungs; he might have handed her a priceless jewel.

“I’ve seen these in the window. They’re Bulgari.” She pointed out the arms. “Those are real diamonds.”

As if on autopilot, she slipped them on and moved to the window to check her reflection. He was feeling somewhat redeemed, thinking about how big a bonus to give that astute boutique manager, when Nina’s shoulders came down and she lowered the shades.

She turned back with a sombre face. “I can’t accept these.”

He gave her a sidelong look. “You don’t like them?”

“I love them.”

“Then don’t be modest.”

Although he did admire that quality. Women he dated were often eager to hear about gifts—the more expensive the better. When they started talking diamond rings, he stopped calling. He’d had no time for that kind of commitment. He had less time now.

“It’s not modesty.” She joined him and handed the glasses back. “Not really.”

His laugh was edgy. “Nina, you’re confusing me.”

She inhaled deeply, then her gaze lowered.

Why was she acting like this—avoiding eye contact, drawing away from him? It wasn’t that she was overwhelmed by the fact he owned this place. The only other logical answer came to mind.

“I’m not trying to fob you off,” he assured her. “These aren’t payment or a pay-off for last night. I wanted us to spend the day here together.”

He’d wanted her in that bed again tonight. And their time together didn’t have to be over.

Why couldn’t their connection continue back at the resort? He didn’t know how long she was staying, but surely he would be able to wangle at least some quality time with her before he left on Monday.

His hands settled on her hips and he urged her close. “I have an idea. Move your things into my bungalow. You haven’t been happy with Diamond Shores, but I’ll do everything I can to fix that.” His forehead tipped against hers and he grinned. “Our own private beach. The staff will treat you like a princess. There’ll be hell to pay if they don’t—”

“No.”

When she pulled away, the muscles in his gut wrenched. It was all he could do not to drag her back. Was it so important where they were?

Their kind of chemistry didn’t rely on location. Even if important business was calling him away, they could still come together in the evening. After last night—the way she’d given herself so completely—Nina couldn’t pretend she hadn’t come to this island seeking a little one-on-one companionship. A fling hadn’t figured on his agenda, but it had happened. No reason in the world that it couldn’t continue a few more days yet.

But now she seemed determined to play hard to get.

“I want to go back.” She lifted her eyes to meet his. “And I want to stay in my own room.”

Her cool determination hit him in the chest. He bit down and did what he should have done sooner. He found her arm, brought her back, and held her firmly against him.

His gaze roamed her face as he spoke unforgivably near to her lips. “What about last night?”

He’d meant what he’d said. He’d never wanted to make love to anyone the way he’d wanted to make love to her. He hadn’t been disappointed. She hadn’t been either; he’d made sure of it. After her abandon, why the hard-to-get act now?

He held his breath.

Or had the act been last night?

Had this time away in the bush been nothing more than an adventure for a bored heiress?

She didn’t answer his question. Rather the sparkle he loved to see in her eyes seemed to fade and die.

Gabriel’s heart began to pound. He’d spoken to this woman about trust. About faith. And now, just like that, she wanted out?

She seemed about to say something more—something important. But then the resignation returned to her face and she put out her hand to accept the clothes. “I’ll get changed and we can go.”

He thought about her in those cut-offs … in his arms … in her prima-donna life away from here. He thought about how easily she was prepared to walk away, and a cold ball settled in the cradle of his stomach.

Setting his jaw, he handed over the clothes and, kicking himself for almost falling for a rich girl’s games, stepped aside and let her pass.

CHAPTER SEVEN

NINA moved behind the curtain and changed into the stunning aqua one-piece and matching wrap Gabriel had brought back from the resort.

She ought to feel beautiful. Special. Instead she felt empty. She’d had such high hopes this morning about how this day would evolve, but in these last few minutes everything had soured.

Gabriel had knocked her for six with his admission that he owned this island. Owned it. She hadn’t known Diamond Shores had changed hands since Alice had helped her get her job. In effect, Gabriel was her supreme boss; as well as the woman he wanted to sleep with, she was also one of the problems he needed to have removed. How on earth was she supposed to tell him that?