Riordan jumped from the boat onto the jetty in one graceful leap. Shouldering his bag, he waved a quick goodbye at the boatman and received a bright smile in return. The journey had been long and tedious, and he was glad it was over, though he could definitely recall worse trips from his many humanitarian missions.
As he made his way from the jetty up to the house, he took in his surroundings with a sardonic smile. This place was unreal. A picture-perfect beach covered in fine, white sand, palm trees swaying in the breeze, turquoise water stretching as far as the eye could see. On top of a little rise, a picturesque wooden villa was visible, surrounded by a tropical garden in full bloom.
Whoever had designed the house had gone to considerable effort to make it blend in well with its surroundings, but at the same time it was obvious no expense had been spared to make it comfortable, luxurious even. Which made sense, Riordan thought wryly. If you could afford a private island, you might as well go all the way and turn it into your own personal paradise.
He crossed a spacious terracotta-tiled deck and entered the house via a quiet, shady pavilion. For a moment he wondered whether he should have knocked or hollered, but it seemed the noise of the boat's motor had been sufficient to alert Isabela to his presence.
Because here she was, leaning against the doorframe, a wide smile on her beautiful face. "Riordan. Welcome to the Caribbean."
Riordan smiled back, unable to hide his amusement at her choice of dress. Isabela was wearing a tight white tunic that left her long, brown legs naked and just barely contained her luscious breasts. The blue scarf she had tied around her waist matched the bandanna holding back her long black hair. Combined with the heavy golden earrings she'd picked, the outfit made her look like a cross between a hooker and a pirate of old. She looks hot, though. And she knows it.
"Where's Duncan?" Walking up to him, she breathed a quick kiss on his cheek. "Weren't you going to meet him at the airport?"
He nodded. "He sent me a message. Apparently his flight was delayed. A passenger had a heart attack, and they had to turn back. He will be here tomorrow, he said."
"Pity." Isabela pouted. "Well, we'll just have to get by without him for a night, then."
"Think that's going to be a problem?" He raised a sardonic eyebrow at her.
True, it had actually never been just the two of them so far. But he really didn't doubt they would get along just fine without Duncan.
Isabela just smiled. "Come on. I'll take you to your suite."
He followed her through the house, admiring the interior. The floors were mostly stone or wood, in warm, earthy colours, the doors and windows framed by beautifully carved wooden screens. Anora Kingsley's hand was clearly visible in the understated elegance of the furnishings, every piece carefully picked and placed to best advantage. His own bedroom was no exception. Dominated by a huge, antique four-poster, it was bathed in sunlight and smelled of sandalwood.
He dropped his bag, his gaze following Isabela as she walked over to the window to close the shutters against the warmth of the afternoon sun. "This is amazing. How on Earth did you persuade Cailan to let us stay here?"
Isabela laughed, a rich, amused chuckle that sent a pleasant shiver down his spine. "He owed me a favour. Besides, I think he'd do anything to keep Duncan happy. Cailan is a huge admirer of his work. And yours."
Riordan stepped close behind her, reaching around her waist with both hands, admiring the wide flare of her hips. "Does he know about the three of us, then?"
She shrugged. "No idea. He didn't ask. Anora gave me a funny look, but then again, she always does."
He laughed softly, bending down to nibble along her neck. Isabela leaned back into his touch, but there was a tiny furrow between her brows, and it deepened as he slid his hands upward to cup her breasts.
"What's the matter?" It was hard to resist that bounty, but he reluctantly withdrew his hands. "Not in the mood?"
"It's not that." She shook her head, rolling her shoulders with another pained frown. "I'm just… tense. A bit stressed." She shook herself briefly. "Go on. I'll be fine."
But he wasn't fooled. Instead of renewing his caresses, he ran his hands up to her shoulders, clucking his tongue when he felt how stiff and cramped her muscles were. "Uh-oh. I know what you need right now, and it's not sex."
She opened her mouth to protest, and he quickly amended his words. "Not just sex, anyway. Give me a few minutes and I'll take care of you properly."
"Now you've made me curious." She tilted her head and gave him a searching look, then settled into an armchair in the corner, watching him attentively.
Quickly, he got undressed and slipped into the shower, sighing with bliss as the warm, soft spray hit him. When he returned, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist, Isabela's eyes raked over his bare chest with undisguised interest. Riordan ignored her for the time being, though, and walked over to the bed where he proceeded to remove the blankets and cover the mattress with several large, fluffy towels.
He'd found an assortment of massage oils in the bathroom, and he'd picked a bottle of coconut oil, heavy and thick, unscented except for its own natural aroma. The bottle was warm from the sun and, when he opened it, the oil flowed easily into his hand.
"Time to get naked." He motioned for her to come over to the bed. "On your stomach, first."
It was her turn to raise an eyebrow. "You seem to know what you're doing."
"I trained as a physiotherapist before medical school." He watched appreciatively as she slid out of the tunic and her panties and stretched out naked on the towels. "It's not something you forget."
Isabela made a small, muffled noise, burying her face in the mattress. Pouring more oil, he got started on her left foot, working his way slowly up her leg. As he had expected, she was a bit wary at first, or maybe just too wound up to relax straight away. He took his time, tracing her muscles, gauging the right amount of pressure from her reactions, smiling to himself when she finally let go and turned heavy and soft under his touch.
The room was quiet except for the sound of their breathing, and he was in no hurry to proceed to other pursuits. Isabela was visibly enjoying the massage, but if he was honest, it was quite the treat for him as well. Running his hands all over her voluptuous body, smoothing them over her curves, working the oil into her smooth, dark skin and listening to her soft moans of pleasure; he found himself slipping into a kind of trance while his hands settled into a familiar rhythm. Before long, Isabela was glowing with contentment, warm and slippery and fully relaxed.
When she turned over, he had to fight the temptation to abandon the massage altogether, but he was determined to finish what he'd started. There was no reason to deny himself the pleasure of touching her breasts, though, and he did so with relish, stroking them, circling them, and running his hand with gentle pressure along her breastbone. Isabela arched into his touch, her nipples hardening against his palm when his hand accidentally brushed against them. He had to close his eyes to regain control, breathing deeply. Fortunately, the massage was just about done. Placing a soft kiss on her forehead, he spread a blanket all over her, making sure she was warm and comfortable.
"Get a little rest." He smiled at the beatific expression on her face. "I'll be next door."
Isabela was drifting on a cloud of bliss, her skin tingling all over with the afterglow of the massage. She couldn't remember ever having been so thoroughly pampered. So good. And just what I needed, too.
The last two weeks at work had been hell, trying to get as much stuff as possible done. Aedan had been less than enthusiastic about her vacation plans, and she'd had to promise him to put in extra hours before and after. There had been little to no free time, little to no chance to unwind and relax in the evenings. Unfortunately, that meant that she had arrived on the island feeling stressed and tired, instead of sexy and alluring.
Now, however… Riordan's hands had been magical, soothing away all the aches and tensions, warm and assured and skilled. He'd refrained from any overt sexual touches, even though she had felt how turned on he was by her reactions, even though she'd heard his breath hitch more than once as she'd writhed under his touch. Isabela actually appreciated his restraint, grateful that he'd put her comfort before his own desires.
And yet, now that she was recovering from the pleasant lassitude that had settled on her body immediately after the massage, she realized that all those little sensual touches had left her more than just a little aroused. Sitting up, she stretched slowly, considering her next move.
She found him in the living room of his suite, seated at the heavy mahogany desk, leafing through a thick, black notebook. He was still naked save for the towel, and she liked that look on him. There was just something about the way his bare chest tapered down to his slim waist, about the line of his shoulders, always a little tense, as if he expected to be challenged any moment.
When he saw her, he pushed his chair back a little. "Better?"
"Oh, yes." Taking advantage of the extra space, she made herself comfortable on the rug at his feet, placing both hands on his thighs. "Thank you so much. Now…" She gave him her best seductive look. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
He laughed briefly, but his eyes were dark and flashing with passion as he leant down to kiss her, cupping her cheek. "I'm sure you can think of something."
She nodded, and without further ado pulled the towel aside. He was fully hard, and the sight of his cock, flushed and throbbing, ratcheted her arousal up even higher. His hand tightened in her hair for a heartbeat, then he withdrew it and gripped the armrests of the chair hard, completely surrendering himself to her hot mouth.
Isabela kept her eyes wide open as she took him in as deeply as she dared, admiring the play of muscles in his stomach when he struggled to keep still. A fine trail of black hair ran from his navel down to his cock, shockingly dark against his pale skin, and it was so beautiful to watch the play of sunlight and shadow across his body as she tasted him, salty and hot and delicious. So amazing to listen to the small sounds he made as she scraped her teeth over taut flesh, wrapped her lips around him, flicked her tongue against silky-soft skin. So intoxicating to have him at her mercy like this, all laid out for her to enjoy.
She almost whined with disappointment when he finally stopped her, gasping hard after a particularly creative manoeuvre on her part. "Stop. Not yet."
But, when he lifted her up on the desk, hitching one of her legs up over his shoulder and spreading her with both thumbs, her disappointment turned into an almost feverish anticipation. "Riordan, please."
He chuckled at the urgency in her voice, blowing teasingly against her hot flesh.
"Please!" Impatiently, she dug her nails into his shoulder.
Grinning, he complied, putting his mouth on her, hot and sweet, and she almost screamed with relief. He started out slow, softly circling her clit, then explored patiently further, drinking in her taste and scent, sending sparks of pleasure all the way through her when he thrust his tongue hard inside her. She hardly recognized her own voice, begging for more; she hardly knew what exactly she wanted from him as he continued licking, sucking, by turns gentle and forceful, mercilessly pushing her ever closer to a climax of mind-blowing proportions.
She was so wet, so open, more than ready for his cock, but at the same time she didn't want him to stop because he was doing such wonderful things to her, exactly what she needed. And he seemed content to let her come on his tongue, pulsing against his mouth when he finally pushed her over the edge. Her thighs tightened around his neck so hard she had no idea how he could even breathe, but she didn't care, didn't have it in her to worry about it, because it was just too perfect, too overwhelming.
Before she had time to recover, he was already pulling back, reaching for a condom and rolling it on with the ease of long practice, his eyes fixed on her body with a fierce, determined focus that made her shudder. And then he was inside her, all the way in in a single stroke, and it was so good she couldn't even scream.
Isabela knew her own body well, and she was sure that in the normal course of events, there should have been a pause, some sort of build-up before she was ready to try for a second orgasm. But instead, Riordan sent her straight into another wild spiral of lust, every thrust of his hitting her oversensitive flesh with shocking precision until she clenched hard around him, crying out his name and clinging to his shoulders.
Maybe it was the primal intensity of her reaction, or maybe he was finally reaching the end of his tether, but he came only seconds later, burying his face between her breasts with a deep, satisfied groan.
They went out for a swim a while later, then watched the sun set over the sea, the black silhouettes of the palm trees forming intricate lattice patterns against the vibrant colours of the sky. The waves of the ocean were lapping against the beach, their rolling noise soothing and constant in the background.
"Well, I don't know about you…" Riordan flashed her a relaxed smile as they returned to the house. "But I really, really like this vacation so far."
Giant hugs and thanks to my wonderful beta suilven, and to olivegbg for her wonderful portraits of Duncan and Riordan - they were such an inspiration!