Chapter 6
“I’m hereto pick up a dress for my sister.” They spoke at exactly the same time, then laughed softly. The madhouse quality of the store resumed after the two women were mollified, and then apologized to each other.
“Let’s get our mutual chore out of the way, then we can find a place to have a cup of coffee. I know a great coffeehouse. This little establishment called the Golden Grain.”
He looked away, the muscles in his jaw working, as though he were struggling to maintain a veneer of control. The thought of this man out of control sent a shiver through her, her mind racing with all the possibilities. When he looked at her again, his intense green eyes bored into her, searing her with that burning look.
The crowd moved around them as he set his big hand against her lower back, his touch so light, but her body felt weighed down by it.
Mari was so aware of Buck’s presence. It was as if her body had a million little sensors in it. And to make matters worse…or better, it was forced intimacy as people pressed in from all sides, pushing them even closer together.
They reached the counter and the clerk smiled at him and ignored her like she didn’t exist. Yeah, Mari couldn’t blame her. “As I said before we were interrupted, I’m here?—”
“I got it,” she said, whipping out a box all ready to go. I just need to see your receipt, and it’s all yours,” the clerk said.
He pulled out his phone and satisfied her requirement. The clerk handed him the box with a hopeful little smile as she said, “I get off at six, maybe you would?—”
“I’m flattered,” he said, “but I’ve got plans.”
Her face fell and she nodded. “Oh, okay, maybe another time.”
Mari felt the same acute disappointment. She had a meeting this afternoon, and tomorrow she was heading to LA on the next leg of her business journey. But if he was busy then she had no choice. It was as if her self-control snapped into place, berating herself for letting down her guard for even a moment. Work was her priority. Work had to be her priority. Suddenly, for a brief moment, she felt so unsatisfied and hollow. She had thought he was attracted to her, but she must have been mistaken. It was strange because she knew how to read a room, and she knew how to adjust to meet any challenges she might encounter. She smoothed out her expression, making sure to keep her discontent completely internal. “I also need a dress.”
The clerk looked at her as if she was just noticing her for the first time. She blinked, then looked at Buck, then back at her. Her mouth tightened and her eyes narrowed. “Of course,” she said, her voice brisk and angry. “Name.”
“Carmen Navarro.” She reached into her bag for her phone and pulled up her receipt. She had treated her sister to the dress. The clerk’s reaction was wasted on her. It was apparent that neither of them had caught this man’s spectacular eye. Well, he would have been a major distraction anyway, and on this trip, she couldn’t afford to be less productive. She wasn’t going to fool herself that her father’s affection and love weren’t contingent on how she performed here.
“I’ll be right back.” She pushed through the crowd and disappeared into the back.
When she came back, she had the same box. Everything was so frenetic, she got jostled and her elbow hit Buck’s box. It slid off the counter and dropped at the clerk’s feet.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Mari said.
The clerk dipped down and was gone for a moment. When she came back up, she handed Buck back his box, then gave Mari hers. “Thanks for shopping with us.”
They turned and headed for the door, the pain of not being able to…what? Spend the evening with him? Or the whole night? Who was she kidding? From the moment she placed those cocktail dresses in her suitcase, she had anticipated they would have breakfast together before she left tomorrow, and she knew it.
She turned to go, embarrassed that she was actually going to try to track him down. Surely, she shouldn’t feel so letdown. It was a fluke they had met at all. She couldn’t expect him to be free.
“Mari, wait,” he said.
She shook her head. “I’ve got to go. I can’t have coffee. I’ve got a meeting.” She ducked her head, took a deep breath, and plowed through the crowd. When she looked behind her, he was following, and she just couldn’t handle his pity. She increased her speed just as one of the women he’d pulled apart grabbed onto his arm. After that, she didn’t look back again.
She set the box into the backseat of her rental car and drove to the real estate agency where she would see several buildings that could work as their headquarters in San Diego.
Feeling as if she was going slowly crazy, Mari looked at her watch again as the man droned on about one building compared to another. She had taken copious notes on which buildings she liked and which she didn’t.
For the first time in her life, she was having a very hard time focusing on work. Every time she thought of Buck, she got disoriented. Trying to reclaim some control, she closed her eyes, willing some sense of calm into her body. This was an important meeting, and she couldn’t let her fizzled attraction to Sam Buckard distract her from a trip that was going to elevate her beloved family into more prosperity.
She shifted, keeping her business smile on her face to go with the hot pink linen suit and the white blouse beneath. “Thank you so much, Mr. Martin. I’ll review all these properties and get back to you as soon as I can.”
Someone made a snorting noise, and Mari refused to look to see who had actually fallen asleep. Gritting her teeth to keep from laughing, she rose and gathered up her tablet, briefcase, and her purse.
When she was in the elevator, she collapsed back against the wall, disappointed all over again. She looked at her watch. Three. She had a full night to go over everything, but that didn’t seem to bring her any joy. Once she was back in the car, she drove to her hotel and was back in her room in twenty minutes, carrying everything, including her sister’s dress.
She was staying at a former Trasker Hotel, the hotel mogul who had been responsible for the terrible No Safe Haven terror attacks in Paris, La Paz, London, and finally Sydney. It was now under new management, like all of his holdings. She indulged herself when she traveled and this particular luxury hotel was a favorite of hers with its regal and elegant eleven-story architecture, a palatial lobby with sparkling chandeliers, glossy tile floors, and Corinthian-style columns.
After dropping everything on the big bed in her suite, she changed into a pair of jeans and a big woven gray sweater with a large turtleneck. She huffed as she stared out the window, not even able to count the times she’d been here and done nothing whatsoever in the way of sightseeing. It was always about work. The view showed a bustling city, and especially this area as the hotel was near the Gaslamp Quarter, giving her access to the Zoo and Balboa Park.
It was so different from her quiet, serene home in the jungle of Costa Rica where she was so content in her roaster shed. Emotions crowded her, and she automatically shifted gears. Hmm, Gaslamp Quarter. She wondered what kind of properties were available there. Maybe on her return trip, she would scout it out…or instead of staying here inside and working, she could walk on over to the quarter and see what was going on.
Maybe her sisters were right.
She sighed, deciding to open the box and check the dress, then call her sister to show her the real deal before she buckled down to work, and blandly thought about ordering room service as her stomach rumbled.
She untied the ribbon, loving the packaging as she lifted the lid, then moved the tissue paper away from the garment. Her eyes widened and panic twisted in her gut as she looked into the box and saw…midnight blue fabric. She reached into the box and pulled out the dress. It was a gorgeous piece with gold thread and stars. She frowned. “Oh, no. Oh, God,” she cried in a strangled voice, dropping her head back. She’d gotten the wrong dress. How had that—oh, right, the clerk had mixed them up after Mari’s elbow had knocked Buck’s box off the counter. That meant…Buck had Carmen’s dress, and she had Daisy’s dress.”
She looked at her watch again, deciding whether she should go to the store now. They would be able to contact Buck, and he could bring her sister’s dress back to her.
She carefully repackaged the dress and stuffed her feet into a pair of soft leather slip-ons with a flat sole, grabbed one of her favorite coats, a knee-length, reversible tobacco brown and sky blue. It was currently on the brown side, and she slipped into it.
She grabbed her purse and the box and raced out of the suite. After getting back to Windsor, she had to fight another crowd of women back to the counter. The clerk who helped her was still there.
“Excuse me,” Mari said, flagging down the harried woman. “I’m afraid you gave me the wrong dress when you handed the boxes back to us. That man. Sam Buckard. He has my sister’s dress, and I’m leaving tomorrow. Could you contact him and tell him about the mix-up and if he could meet me back here.”
“Oh, sorry,” she said, obviously not the least bit. She tapped on the computer then wrote down a number and passed it to her. “This is where you can reach him. Good luck.”
She grasped the number and worked her way out of the store, glad to be back on the open walkway. She spied the Golden Grain and decided to wait for him there. Once she had a table and a blessedly warm cup of coffee, she pressed in the numbers.
“Hello,” he said.
“Buck?” There was that stupid breathless quality to her voice.
“Yes…Mari? Is that you?”
“Yes.”
“I got the wrong dress,” they said again in unison.
“You are going to owe me two Cokes,” he said, a teasing note infusing his deep, sexy voice. She laughed, wistful and captivated by him all over again. Was that hope that she had been wrong about him not being interested?
“I’d be happy to pay up as long as you bring my sister’s dress back.”
“Where are you?”
“Fashion Valley.”
“Is it possible for us to meet somewhere downtown? I’m at my check-up with my doctor, and I’ll be here for another twenty minutes, then the drive.”
“Sure. I’m staying at the Grand.”
“I’ll be there shortly,” he said. “And, Mari, I’m glad you got the wrong dress and I have a chance to see you again.” His tone was an intimate, velvety warm baritone, vibrating with that irresistible cowboy charm. She remained motionless, her breath a little ragged as she heard the click of his phone disconnecting.
She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. Feeling as if she was heading for something phenomenal and dangerous, she released all the air trapped in her lungs. She texted him her room number.
Back at the hotel, she pulled her hair out of the messy topknot and braided it to the side. She added a little blush, then spent the time waiting for him by pulling up the website for the Gaslamp Quarter. Work would get her crazy mind to regulate. Her sheer bra suddenly felt too tight across her breasts. She sat on the very comfortable couch and read the information regarding the Gaslamp.
Even though she was anticipating it, the knock on the door startled her. She set her tablet on the coffee table and went to the door, working at containing her excitement.
When she opened the door, she was so primed for him, and nothing, not one thing about him, disappointed her.
“Hi, darlin’” he murmured. “Special delivery.” His gaze shifted to the room behind her, giving it a quick scan, and she had to wonder if that was the warrior in him, an ingrained impulse to scrutinize every situation for danger. There was nothing in her suite that was even remotely dangerous, unless you counted the calorie-laden chocolates in the basket the hotel had sent to the room. All that danger was standing on the threshold with his tall, dark, and handsome threat, eyes that could slay, and a mouth to die for.
Special was exactly the right word. “Come in,” she said.
His gaze shifted back to her. A rush of adrenaline shot through her veins and a heady mixture of awareness and delicious anticipation curled low in her belly. Okay, hope rekindled inside her. She’d spent two months reliving the electric chemistry between them, but evidence was mounting that she had been wrong. She’d never been so happy to be wrong in her life. Now it was just a matter of finally doing something about all that potent sexual tension that had them both on edge around one another.
He came into the room, filling it full of his presence. She closed the door and turned. He once again gave the suite a once over, noted the box on the round table, and went toward it. Setting the box he was carrying beside it, he lifted the lid, pushed away the delicate tissue paper with those big, capable hands of his in a gesture that was so gentle, her gut knotted with the need to feel them on her skin.
“Wow. The picture was pretty, but the dress is even more beautiful in person.” He fingered the soft fabric and brushed over one of the stars. “Daisy is going to look so good in this. I might have to tote my shotgun to the prom to make sure that Halloran boy treats my sister with the respect she deserves.”
“I’m sure that will make her prom so very memorable,” Mari said with a huff of laughter.
He shifted his body to look at her. “Yeah. She’d disown me.” He settled the top back on the box but made no move to pick it up to leave.
“Would you like a drink?”
“Sure. You got some pricey booze in here?”
“Yes, how about bourbon or scotch?”
“Bourbon, neat,” he said as he walked over to the couch and sat down. He noted the tablet and looked up at her. “So, what brings you to San Diego?”
She went to the small bar and poured two fingers of bourbon into a cut crystal glass, then pulled the cork on the white wine bottle she’d opened last night and filled a glass halfway.
She brought the drinks over to the couch and settled next to him, handing him the glass. “Work. My father has finally decided to trust me with expanding our shops in the US. We’re starting with the West Coast from California to Washington. This was my first stop.”
“And you’re thinking about the Gaslamp Quarter?” He nudged his chin toward her tablet, removing his sexy hat and setting it on the coffee table.
“Yes. I thought it would be a great place for our headquarters, and the first shop.”
He smiled. “And who would be running this do you think?”
“Probably me. I’d split my time between Costa Rica and San Diego. At least, that’s my plan if things work out.” She took a sip of her wine, so sensitized to him that she was conscious of every movement, every breath. She wanted to touch him so much, as if that would fill up the emptiness inside her and replenish her soul.
“Puts you squarely in my neck of the woods. I’m definitely not opposed to that.” He downed the two fingers with a toss of his head, set his empty glass on the coffee table, then leaned toward her. “I’m hurt, by the way.”
Her questions were unsteady. “What? Why?” She was caught off guard by the sincerity in his eyes and his comment, something in his face making her pulse race.
“You didn’t look me up, Zazu,” he whispered, reaching out and fingering her braid. “And you practically ran away from me at Windsor’s.”
“You said you had plans for tonight, and I was hoping…I wanted to see you. I was going to try to track you down through the Navy, but I’m not sure that would have worked, seeing as you’re a special operator, and I’m sure your personal information is staunchly guarded. I thought you weren’t interested.”
He cupped the back of her neck, the feel of his warm palm electric. “No, you got it wrong. When I said I had plans, I meant with you,” he said in a rough, gravelly tone of voice. “I’m way too interested, darlin’.” His gaze melded with hers, so hot she felt singed by the fire there.
The honest emotion in his beautiful green eyes startled her. She’d been on the receiving end of men who only wanted one thing, but that wasn’t the vibe she got from Buck, nor had she ever experienced the kind of intensity and need she’d just detected in his gaze. It was thrilling to know he wanted her that much because the feeling was definitely mutual.
The tightening of his hand was the only warning she got before he abruptly dropped that oh-so-sexy mouth onto hers. Feeling as if she was drowning, drugged by sensation, paralyzed by everything about him, she made a helpless sound. He cupped her jaw, controlling the kiss, his strength and confidence as big a turn-on as his body. He kissed her, deep and searching, his tongue tangling with hers. She wanted to be taken, right here, right now.
Working his mouth hungrily against hers, his hand went to her waist. With a powerful move, he pulled her onto his lap, and she straddled his hips. Mari couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. All she could do was hang on and ride out the thousand sensations exploding in her. Buck caught her by the hips and molded her flush against him, his mouth wide and hot as he ran his hand under her sweater and up her back. She barely felt his deft flick that unhooked her bra, emitting a low sound when he encountered nothing but skin. He slid his hand up her bare torso, cupping her breasts, working her stiff, sensitive tips hard, and she felt it all the way to her core, her body arching automatically into his big, skillful hands.
His touch drove the breath right out of her, and she made another helpless sound against his mouth when he whipped everything over her head in one quick move, then he looked his fill, his eyes going over her in such a sensual way, she arched again, unable to help herself.
“That is one hell of an offer, darlin’,” he drawled, then lowered his head and closed his mouth over her taut, aching nipple, sucking her strong and deep, until she felt the same seductive, pulling sensation in the pit of her belly. The aching scrape of his stubble on her soft skin was an erotic sensation that heightened her arousal. He grabbed her braid and pulled her head back, an electric jolt zapping through her, exploding in heated ripples that thrummed across her nerve endings when he moved to her other breast and thoroughly ravaged her.
She twined her fingers into his soft, thick hair, her skin tingling everywhere, so hot and alive with sensation. Feeling breathless and dizzy, she let him do what he wanted with her body.
“Sam,” she murmured. “Please.” His response was to slide his hand between her jean-clad thighs and his mouth returned to hers, hot and hungry, so demanding. He pressed his thumb hard against her clit, and she moaned, long and loud against his mouth.
“Beautiful,” he said, her helpless sound of wanting made his breathing ragged and his voice like gravel. “I’m going to enjoy fucking you, Mari, long and hard and deep. I have protection?—”
“Not needed, I’m clean and protected,” she whispered.
“Even better,” he murmured. “Same for me.”
He rose with her still plastered to him as he walked to the bed. With a minimum of movement, he stripped them both and pressed her back on the bed and all she got was a brief glimpse of all those delineated, flexing muscles, his six-pack, his impressive erection, before he pressed her thighs open. His mouth went to her core, his tongue driving her into a frenzy as he latched on with hard, sucking kisses. She grabbed his hair and cried out at the erotic onslaught.
There was something strangely exciting about being at this man’s mercy, as she was. God, she wanted him, with a fierce, powerful kind of need she’d never experienced before.
The pleasure intensified to a hot, sharp, searing river of aching need. A low throbbing in her belly spiraled down to her sex, and she tightened her hands in his hair wanting more, needing more…
Unable to hold back, she let out a cry and arched sinuously against his mouth as she came in a burning wave of unbelievable ecstasy.
Without giving her a chance to fully recover from her orgasm, he moved up over her, the slide of his muscled body against hers making her pulse leap. She reached down to touch him, and when her fingers slipped over him, he sucked in a hissing breath. Grasping both her wrists, he pulled her arms up and pinned them above her head, his control complete.
He settled more fully on top of her, his thighs forcing hers farther apart, and then he was pressing his erection intimately against her, nudging his way in, stretching her, setting her body on fire. She caught a glimpse of his dark, fierce expression before he crushed his mouth to hers and kissed her deeply, passionately as he buried his shaft to the hilt in her.
Their moans mingled, and once he began to move there wasn’t going to be anything slow or gentle about this first time with him. No, there was too much sexual energy and potent heat radiating off him.
He plunged into her, fast and deep and strong, and she met him thrust for thrust. His rhythm was so damn good, his skill possessed and claimed her so primitively, his hot, damp, panting breaths rushing against the side of her neck, along with the scrape of his unshaven jaw. Then he was back to slow and deep penetration, his body vibrating with his formidable control.
“Buck,” she whispered as he rolled his hips, his face contorting in pleasure. He withdrew, his breathing doubling as he filled her again, over and over until she was mindless.
He lowered his head and kissed her as heat and friction and fire caught up to him, shattering his control.
She felt the change in him as his pace quickened, his breathing even more ragged, and he pumped harder, faster, toward his own completion. She dug her fingers into the rippling muscles of his damp back, arched high and hard into his thrusts, and felt him stiffen as his climax peaked. He dragged his lips from hers, surged into her a final time, and on a low, raw growl he spilled himself into her.
Mari held on to him and turned her face against his neck, the aftermath as good as the release. She felt raw and so thoroughly satisfied, more than she’d ever been with any other man. His hand splayed wide at the back of her head, holding her with such absolute tenderness that it made her throat tight. He held her for a long time until his breathing leveled out and she stopped shaking, everything softening into something less intense.
He moved, propping himself up on his forearms, his head dipping down as he kissed her and kissed her with the softest, sweetest kisses. Most men she knew were ready to get on to other things, but not Buck. He was…savoring her.
Oh, boy. This was completely unexpected. He shifted to the side and moved off her, but when she thought it was over, he pulled her flush against him. “How’s the food here?” he whispered.
“Really, really good,” she responded.
“Hmm, I’m beginning to really like this hotel. Let me grab a menu.”
He got off the bed and she sighed. “A dinner and a show. Lucky me.”
He twisted at the waist and chuckled as he walked to the desk and grabbed up the binder. What a body—so many muscles she didn’t know what to look at. Moving back to the bed, she just watched him, so devastatingly male, masculine, and sexy.
Slipping back inside, he gathered her against him, making it easier for her to see the menu. Her stomach rumbled.
“Not a moment too soon,” he said, hugging her hard for a brief moment. “Mmm, octopus and roasted red peppers with fig jam and pistachio dust. I’m going to need something more substantial than a less-than-meaty cephalopod and pistachio dust,” he said wryly, his drawl pronounced.
She laughed. “Right. Does sound a little pretentious and unsubstantial.”
“Ya think?” He grinned, his fingers sending shivers over her as he rubbed her skin. “Ah, lookee here. Steaks. Now we’re talking.” They placed their orders, and she was ravenous when the food came. Sam slipped on his jeans and bare-chested, got the cart, rolled it to the table. She had gotten up and grabbed a silk robe, tying the belt around her waist.
“So, how much time can you spare tomorrow? I’m on medical leave for two more days,” he said.
“I’m afraid I’m leaving for Los Angeles tomorrow on the train.”
He looked up and captured her with his mesmerizing gaze. “For how long?”
“Three days.”
“How about I go with you? You can do your business, and I’ll put together some sights we can see. Then dinner. Then another day. That’s if you won’t be too busy. I can be back in plenty of time before I have to report.”
The shock of his response rushed through her, and she was instantly caught up in his proposal. His amazing wit and charm, more mind-bending sex? Sign her up. She could definitely slide her meetings to the morning to spend both afternoon and evenings with him.
She sighed, grinning. “That works for me.” She was sure this was as temporary for him as it was for her. She also felt she’d have to protect her heart in the process, because she was beginning to fear this man had the ability to affect her on a much deeper level than any guy she’d dated before. And a broken heart at the end of their affair wasn’t something she wanted or needed. Aware they were both avoiding any mention of a future, which was smart, she was convinced that between the pressures of their jobs, they would eventually go their separate ways.
When dinner was done, he came to her and picked her up. It was almost as if they struck a pact not to open too many doors, and that was okay. This was too special to risk. Wanting to keep that comfortable easiness between them, she looped her arms around his neck and gave him another grin.
Then he took her to the shower where he made love to her beneath the spray in such a provocative way, she couldn’t get enough of exploring him as much as he explored her. She raised her head and kissed him along his jaw, cupping his hard, muscled ass as he pumped into her.
Nothing could have prepared her for Sam “Buck” Buckard, and she would have to go with the flow. Her thoughts scattered as she climaxed, clutching him while he lost his formidable control. She was treading on some shaky, dangerous ground, but Buck was worth the risk.