Читать книгу Hot For It - Melissa MacNeal - Страница 10

After a night that alternated between erotic dreams and waking up so giddy she couldn’t sleep, Cat slipped out of bed to watch the sunrise from her balcony. Ribbons of bright pink and peach wrapped around the island, to make her new world a glowing, cozy place she longed to explore today.

But what would she say to Ramon and Leilani? She felt awkward about spying on them and then getting caught in a compromising position—but damn it, they’d told her to go for a walk on that beach!

What to do? She had to go downstairs sometime…had to decide whether such encounters would limit her explorations and—

Hey, doll—who’s the boss here? If it’s gonna be your island, you’ve gotta get past this “what if?” stuff. Tell ’em how it is!

Spike’s greeting made her smile into the sun, which rose like a vibrant red ball above the sea. Already she was behaving differently: hadn’t seen the sun rise since she could remember; had met her guardian angel; believed she could be in charge again! Life with Laird, and not selling a book for a while, had dampened her independent spirit more than she knew.

But those things were behind her now! If she never wrote another page, she could live out her life in paradise!

Cat went inside, still in awe of the white room with its shiny tile floor and cut-lace canopy…fluffy towels…walls like the sand beach. Who knew the color white could have so many textures? She felt not so much like a bride here, but like an innocent again. Alive in a childlike way, anticipating wonderful things that each and every day might bring her now!

She flipped open her laptop and waited for the satellite signal, grinning when she saw Grant’s message.

TO: cmgamble@catwoman.net

SUBJECT: You go, girl!

We’re happy you’re so happy, Cat! Your money has been deposited at the Bank of St. Lucia in Castries, so if Porto Di Angelo is your heart’s desire, you should have it! Proceed with caution, sweetheart: those island types may appear unsophisticated and primitive, but things aren’t always what they seem.

“Amen to that,” she breathed.

When she read the last few lines, about the latest pirate fantasies he and Bruce and Trevor had enacted, she knew it was time to turn her own sense of adventure loose, too. Shopping for clothes had to be a high priority today: in her fuchsia print overblouse with navy twills, she looked like a middle-class wife from the Midwest, and it was time to change that!

Cat banished the recollection of two nude bodies on the beach and went downstairs. Heavenly scents of sweet spices and bacon met her on the stairway, and those colorful angels floating from the ceiling put her in a cheerful mood. She followed voices out to the porch, where her two caretakers lingered over their coffee.

“Good morning, Catalina!” Leilani’s blue eyes glistened like crystals in her bronzed face. She poured a cup of tea from the scarlet Fiesta pot while Ramon hopped up to pull out a chair.

“You slept well, I hope?” he asked.

Cat sat down. How should she say what was on her mind? “You know how it is,” she hedged. “I was keyed up about coming here, and tired from—”

“Not to mention aroused after watching sex on the beach that had nothing to do with liquor?”

She blinked. Leilani’s voice hinted at a challenge, pride in what they’d done! “Well, I wasn’t expecting to see—”

“Pardon my French, but we have an entire island to ourselves, so we fuck like bunnies.” Ramon’s eyes steamed like the tea in her cup. “Adventuress that she was, the Contessa encouraged us to love freely wherever—”

“And did she share in that love?” Cat’s cheeks flamed when such a blatant question slipped out before she could catch it.

“Most times she was entertaining her own lovers.” Leilani smiled enigmatically and passed a plate of nut breads and pastries that looked homemade. “We all agreed that this would be the best way to remain on proper footing, far as relations between the owner and her help. If what you saw last night upset or disgusted you—”

“No, I just—”

“—we’ll be more discreet.” Leilani gave her husband a pointed look when he opened his mouth to protest. “We must all adjust to this new situation, because Ramon and I are overjoyed that you’re interested in Porto Di Angelo. Several corporate and Asian investors want to turn our home into a gentlemen’s retreat or a swingers’ resort, and I’m not ready to go there!”

Cat laughed, relaxing. “Maybe—at least until we’re better acquainted—you could warn me when you’ll be running around outside my balcony…fucking like bunnies. Especially if I can’t have any.”

How crude did that sound? Cat quickly bit into a slice of papaya poppyseed bread so tender it fell apart in her fingers.

Ramon’s snicker prompted Leilani to laugh out loud. “Point well taken.”

“Yes, you did take it well, my witchy woman,” her husband teased. “But you ladies are right. Miss Gamble’s…desperation…isn’t what we should be inspiring.”

Again Cat’s cheeks flared, but the issue had been defused, hadn’t it? Thanks to Ramon’s lusty humor and Leilani’s gentle yet head-on handling of the situation, she could enjoy this wonderful breakfast, and her other issues would be a lot easier to discuss, too. She reached for a pinwheel pastry with apricot filling oozing out of it while Leilani poured her husband another cup of coffee.

“You’ve come to a decision,” the housekeeper stated with a faraway smile. “So how may we help you implement it?”

The pastry fell back to Cat’s plate. Was she that easy to read, or was Leilani tuned in to her deepest frequencies?

“I—I’ve decided to buy Porto Di Angelo! My attorney tells me the money’s been deposited at the Bank of St. Lucia, so I’d like to go there as soon as possible—”

“Today,” Ramon affirmed with a grin. “This is the news we’ve hoped for, pretty lady!”

“—but first you’ve got to tell me why your English is so perfect!” It was an odd request, but now was the time to clear up all the discrepancies between reality and her expectations, wasn’t it? “So many things here are too good to be true. I certainly never expected domestics whose command of the language exceeds my own. And I don’t say that to just anyone!”

Leilani’s blue-eyed smile focused more intently. “I mentioned, I think, that my parents were English. My mother was a teacher, and my father sailed in the merchant marine. Since my dark skin and wavy hair are so very different from theirs, my…lineage was always a matter of speculation. Even to me.” She smiled ruefully and sipped her coffee. “I was a fanciful child with many imaginary playmates,” she went on, “but when I learned I was the result of my mother’s affair with a cabana boy, my invisible friends revealed themselves as my angels. They protected me from cruel remarks and the judgmental attitudes of Father’s friends.”

“Oh, my.” The beautiful woman’s thin voice told a more poignant tale than her steady smile let on. “I didn’t mean to intrude—or be nosy—”

“No, no. I’ve come to terms with my mother’s pursuit of happiness. I survived the teasing of the neighborhood children by immersing myself in my books—and my angels. I was earning my second master’s degree when I met Ramon—savvy, dashing man that he is! That’s when I knew I needed a life and a lover much more than I needed more time in school.”

“She speaks seven island languages, as well as English, French, and Portuguese,” Ramon chimed in proudly.

“And Italian, since Valenzia thought we girls should have a language all our own.” Leilani grinned impishly. “Of course, you’ve learned that Ramon is very good with…tongues…himself. But you have more pressing issues on your mind than our love life, Catalina! If you have questions about this house—or how the island is maintained—please ask us!”

The housekeeper’s dazzling smile derailed Cat’s train of thought—another uncanny talent Leilani had. “Yes! I’d like to arrange the sale and payment for Porto Di Angelo today. And I’d certainly like to buy some appropriate clothes!”

“I’ll prepare the yacht, then. We’ll be on our way as soon as you ladies are ready,” Ramon crooned. “If you’ll allow us, we can make sure your transaction goes without a hitch.”

“My cousin is a loan officer at the Bank of St. Lucia. He’ll be sure no hidden fees or taxes get figured in just because you’re American and wouldn’t be aware of them,” Leilani clarified.

“I, of course, will see that no one takes advantage of a pretty Anglo woman here alone,” her husband added suavely. “You know by now that I’m not violent by nature—”

“But nobody messes with a guy who stands nearly seven feet tall! And who has very interesting…thumbnails.” Once again Cat wondered where such a question had come from. Had Spike prodded her into saying that? Or were this witchy woman and her buck lover redefining her rules of engagement?

Ramon’s coffee-colored eyes steamed as he gazed at her. He clasped his hands together so those unique nails were on the tops of his fists, pointed upward like swords. He looked very, very confident. Downright predatory.

“Do you have any idea how those feel when they flick my nipples?” Leilani breathed.

Startled, Cat looked over to see a simmering look lighting her dusky face. “I doubt anyone thinks about that when they imagine Ramon using them as weapons!”

“Exactly.”

The man rose with a lazy, confident smile, unconcerned that his ivory robe had parted below the sash to reveal his spectacular privates. “Now, if you ladies will excuse me, Mr. Intimidation must dress for his day. Between falling all over themselves to assist you beautiful ladies, and seeing me as your escort, those loan officers and store clerks don’t stand a chance!”

How much fun can you cram into one day? Cat mused with a huge grin. The breeze was brisk where she and Leilani sunned themselves on the yacht’s flybridge, with Ramon in the driver’s seat behind the windshield. Her spirits flew high and fast as the sleek white boat raced across the turquoise waters, and she suddenly realized that days like this could be her whole reason for living.

When had she ever felt such freedom? Such satisfaction? Maybe money couldn’t buy happiness, but it certainly provided a lot of the props. Thanks to Grant’s e-mailed docs and help from Leilani’s cousin, Porto Di Angelo had become hers with a minimum of fuss.

Who else pays cash for a whole frickin’ island? And then loads up her yacht with clothes? Nobody you know!

She grinned again and adjusted her shades. Those thoughts so mimicked her own that only Spike’s accent gave away his presence.

“You look awfully pleased with yourself, Catalina,” her whiskey-skinned companion murmured.

“Damn straight I am! I spent too many years wondering where my next contract was coming from,” she murmured. “Too much time dealing with vultures who demanded the money my husband owed them. Living well really is the best revenge!”

Grinning, Leilani untied her lime bikini top and then held it up to flutter like a flag of victory. “It’s your destiny, dear. My prayers were answered when our angels heaped prosperity on your pretty head. Just when you needed it most.”

“Yeah, they must’ve whispered in Bruce’s ear when he chose those Powerball numbers—and then they made sure I got that ticket, instead of our other two buddies.”

You wanna give me a little credit, doll?

“You earned it, my dear,” Leilani assured her with a serene smile. “The cosmic wheel of fortune is rotating in your favor now.”

How should she answer that? Her Midwestern ethic and her parents had always preached that only money you worked for was its own reward.

But right now, she didn’t really care. It just felt damn good to have a home again, free and clear. Not to mention this yacht with its four staterooms, and two estate caretakers who’d been her fans before they even met her.

From behind her large, dark sunshades, Cat stole a glance at Leilani. Her ripe, rounded breasts pointed to the sun and bobbed softly with the vibrations of the yacht. How old was this woman? Her thicket of wavy hair shone blue-black—not a trace of gray—and her face remained seamless and dewy, like the rest of her lovely body. Stretched out on her deck chaise, her eyes hidden behind her own shades, Leilani could pass for a college coed. Yet she spoke like a much older soul, with a wisdom that defied anything Cat had ever known.

Shopping with this woman had been quite a trip, too! Leilani had steered her to an out-of-the-way shop where native ladies sewed their unique saris, sundresses, and other simple yet stunning clothing. Along rack after rack, Leilani had yanked garments of bright lime and lavender and paradise pink—tropical prints and designs like Cat had never seen stateside—and insisted they were perfect for her.

And they were. While Cat tried them on in a dressing stall too tiny to hold them all, her housekeeper kept bringing more…and she’d succumbed to every last one of them. The three shop ladies had stood and applauded as they left, and she’d never even looked at the total. How much fun was that?!

“You’re grinning again.”

“Yep. Recalling our shopping excursion and how you picked out all the best stuff for me.”

“You were generous to buy them all. Those families will live well for months on what you spent today.”

“Which is why you guided me there. And I thank you for that.” Cat looked over at Leilani full-on this time, envying the way that tiny lime bikini bottom tied at the sides of firm hips. A hint of tight curls whispered beneath its upper band.

“Like what you see?” Leilani lazily raised her sunglasses to peer under them. Her smoky blue eyes insisted on a straight answer.

“What’s not to admire—and envy?” Cat admitted. “I have no idea how old you are. It’s a wonder Ramon can keep the yacht on course, you look so damn spectacular.”

“Forty-six. And who says we’re on course? One stretch of ocean looks pretty much like another, you know.”

“The yacht has GPS,” Cat replied promptly. “And enough rum punch and food to sustain us for days, should we truly lose our way.”

Leilani chuckled. “You’re already lost, Catalina. Lost and gone forever.” There it was again, that all-knowing, all-seeing tone that spooked the hell out of her. Yet it held a challenge as sexy as the woman who awaited her reply.

“What do you mean by lost?” Cat protested. “I found you and Ramon, didn’t I? And what was it he said about the Contessa? Something like, ‘all who wander are not lost’?”

Low laughter bubbled up from her tormentor, and those perfect breasts shimmied until the nipples rose tall and hard, pointing at the sun.

And then they pointed at her.

“Take this off,” Leilani teased, tugging at the hibiscus-print sari Cat had worn out of the clothing shop. “If you truly want to feel free, show yourself to this paradise you’ve just bought into! Become one with your new universe!”

Yeah! Take it all off, doll!

Cat blinked, hoping Spike took the hint. And then behind them, Ramon thumped on the windshield. He was grinning broadly, nodding for her to comply. He picked up a microphone. “What a pretty pair you ladies will make,” he crooned. “Dark, succulent Leilani and Catalina the Sun Queen.”

“Who’s out here to see you?” Leilani prodded. She untied the sides of her bikini bottom and parted her legs to flick it off, baring herself completely. Then, thoroughly at ease, she walked over to the deck railing.

Cat couldn’t take her eyes off that glorious woman—a decade older than she but so flawless. So comfortable displaying herself. And what a contrast her tropical body made against the yacht’s blinding white sundeck. Her hair rippled like a sleek black banner in the wind, and she was nothing short of a goddess as she lifted her face to smile at the sun.

“I won’t force you. Or touch you—unless you want me to,” the sleek feline purred. She leaned back against the railing to extend her arms along it, totally unconcerned that Cat was watching her breasts sway…following the line of her sleek hips to where that black triangle of curls nestled between her slender thighs.

“Come on, Catalina,” she coaxed. “Ramon was asking me if you were a natural blonde, harkening back to that clichéd line about how we would know. And seeing is believing.”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing—”

Thump-thump-thump! Ramon’s grin was wide and white as he gestured through the windshield for her to rip off her sari. “We have a bet, Miss Gamble,” he teased through the speaker. “You must settle our wager while we can both witness it!”

“After all, you’ve seen us without clothes,” Leilani kept on in a soft, sly voice. “And we saw you, too. Rubbing yourself into a frenzy like there was a wanton, very horny woman inside who wanted out! Set her free, Catalina. What have you got to lose?”

Yeah! Whadaya got to lose, girlie?

What, indeed? Such a crazy-ass proposition, and she had little left to hide, now that they’d caught her bringing herself off. Yet coming from this prophetess, who stretched like a contented cat against the railing, with the endless cerulean sea for a backdrop, it sounded oh, so logical…oh, so tempting, to feel the sea spray and the Caribbean sun on all of her skin at once.

“I’ll rub on your sunblock, if you want some.”

I’d be happy to help! I’m all about protection, ya know.

Cat swallowed hard. Now was not the time to reprimand her brazen guardian angel. Not when Leilani was gracefully extending a hand toward her, slowly teasing her over the edge.

“What the hell?” she exhaled, sitting upright. “What are they gonna do? Arrest me? Fine my ass for indecent exposure, when—”

“Oh, yes, Catalina, your ass is fine! Ramon told me so,” her housekeeper teased. “And wouldn’t the sight of it as he’s driving be a nice tip for his services? It won’t cost you a thing but your modesty. And where has modesty gotten you?”

As she reached up to untie her shoulder strap, her fingers trembled…her knees trembled…her heart thudded a reminder of everything she’d ever been taught about how good girls behaved. Even Laird, as cavalier as he was with his money, had expected discretion when it came to flashing her assets.

So what was she doing on this yacht, out here in front of God and everybody—including her housekeeper’s husband—taking off her clothes?

Cat closed her eyes, exhaled her fearful thoughts, and let the silky hibiscus print sari slither down her body.

For a moment there was only the whisper of the wind and the pounding of her pulse. Her nipples pebbled just from imagining how Leilani and Ramon must be staring at her.

The woman at the railing cleared her throat to keep from laughing. “All well and good, Catalina, but the white cotton panties have to go.”

Heat flared in her cheeks and her eyes flew open. Why did she feel more exposed in these little-girl undies than she had when these two caretakers caught her on the balcony? Laughing nervously, Cat tugged the elastic waistband down with her thumbs. God help her if the yacht swerved and she fell flat on her face right now.

“Now that’s what I call a fine piece of tail,” a low voice came through the speaker. “If you’re taking requests, Miss Gamble, I’d really enjoy it if you stood beside my wife there at the railing. So I can look you over like I’ve been wanting to. From the safety of this cabin.”

Nipping her lip, Cat stepped carefully toward Leilani and then stopped. Those exotic blue eyes were locked on hers, pulling her forward—to what? Was her housekeeper putting the moves on her?

Cat turned to lean against the railing, looking up at Ramon—who at least had his clothes on. Or did he? A camera flash took her by such surprise she couldn’t swear to what he might be wearing.

“Hey! I never said anything about—”

“No worries, sweetheart,” her companion assured her. “We have some hot shots of Valenzia standing here in the altogether, too. They’re tucked away in the scrapbook of memories made on Porto Di Angelo.”

“But I—it was all I could do to peel off my clothes!” Cat sputtered. “It’s a whole ’nother thing to be taking nude photos of me when—my God, I just met you people yesterday!”

“Oh, and don’t I love it when you shimmy that way, pretty blond lady?” Ramon teased in a singsong voice. “Makes those nipples dance! Leads my eyes down between those luscious thighs—but we still can’t settle our bet, can we, Leilani?”

Directing her gaze slowly down the front of Cat’s pale, bare body, the priestess chuckled seductively. “Some things we just have to take on faith, Ramon. Would you like it if I shaved mine, too? Then we could be your two innocent girls. Your two smooth, naked pussies.”

“I’ll leave that up to you, my dearest,” he replied with a little laugh. “You know how my fingers love to play with your fur.”

“So come here and say that to my face, teaser. Don’t promise what you won’t deliver.”

Leilani turned to her then, smiling. “Don’t let all this bedroom banter frighten you, Catalina. Sex is how adults play, and Ramon and I are firm believers in letting our Inner Children lead us where they will.”

“I’m dropping anchor, Leilani,” came a hoarse whisper from the speaker. “You’d better be ready to stand and deliver yourself, woman! And if Cat wants to play, we might as well let her in on the game. It’ll happen sooner or later.”

Cat gripped the warm railing. How the hell had she gotten into this? Here they were out in the middle of the Caribbean, dropping anchor so these two dark lovers could frolic, and she was feeling very much like a third wheel. A rather wobbly third wheel. Leilani was looking her over, sizing up her attitude as much as her attributes, and her intensity came across as a crystal-blue challenge.

Cat cleared her throat. “My Inner Kid wouldn’t want to interrupt your fun, so—”

“Chicken,” Leilani whispered. “Bwahhk-bwahhk-bwaaaaahhk!”

Bwahhk-bwahhhk-bwaaaahk! came Spike’s reply.

“That’s not fair! You and Ramon are married—”

“Is that what he told you?”

“—and I’m the new kid on this block, and maybe I have issues with—with triangles!”

“Yeah, geometry wasn’t my best subject in school, either,” Ramon said as he descended the white stairway. “But I understand points and curves, and I know that three-ways only work when all three sides of that triangle are happy. And horny.”

He stepped to the deck a few feet away from them, and yes, he was naked. All seven-foot-something of him paused before her, sporting at least nine magnificent inches.

Cat’s breath left her, and she immediately focused on his eyes. Where would she put all of that cock if it was offered to her?

“I hear the whirlpool calling,” she said, trying not to stare when Ramon walked up behind his gorgeous wife and cupped her breasts. He teased her midnight-pink nipples with those brazen thumbnails, and Leilani melted against him.

Her own nipples jutted out farther than she’d ever seen them, as if trying to lead her in the direction they pointed. “Take your time! We can start back for home whenever you’re ready—tomorrow or the next day if you want!” she rasped. “Me, I’m going to enjoy a water massage and then stretch out in my nice, cool stateroom when my skin starts to sizzle.”

She was backing away, giving them a little wave. Already off their radar screen, they were so hot into their kissing. She felt like a naive little goody-goody running scared, even though she’d just braved a whole new world and then bought it!

And you’ve bared yourself to it, too! Gettin’ gutsy, girl!

“Some guardian you’ve been!” she muttered as she hurried to the back deck. “Seems to me you only help when the mood strikes you!”

You got it, doll. But, hey—did you ever dream things would go so well so fast? You can thank me later when you see the other miracles I’ve arranged.

Cat paused with her hands on the ladder of the hot tub. As the tropical sun warmed her back and the turquoise sea shimmered for as far as she could see in every direction—from her yacht—she saw his point.

“Thank you, Spike. If I sound ungrateful, it’s just that talking with an angel I can’t see—not to mention dealing with exotic lovers who drop their clothes a lot—takes some getting used to.” She smiled at the sky, inhaling deeply. “And thanks for leaving your beer and cigarettes behind today.”

He laughed, damn it. She swore she felt fingers riffling her hair and then caressing her breasts.

If I stay downwind, who knows what I’ve found to smoke and drink here, sweetie pie? Enjoy your dip in the Jacuzzi now. I will, too.

Would she ever get used to talking with this angel? So many new experiences had come her way this week, Cat hoped she could truly appreciate each one…even if the uninhibited love sounds on the foredeck drove her a little nuts.

She twisted the dials and slipped down into the sparkling, pulsing water, a luxury she’d only enjoyed on trips with Laird. So here, on her very own big-ass yacht, stark-raving naked and totally exposed, it gave her a secretive thrill when the jets massaged her body. She immersed her shoulders, letting her mind unwind from today’s world-altering events: she’d paid cash for an entire island; she’d bought more clothes than could fit in her closet; she’d been invited to play naked with her caretakers; she was floating totally exposed on her yacht in the Caribbean Sea.

It felt so good to drift…so damn decadent to offer herself to the slanting afternoon sun as though she didn’t care if a small plane or another yacht might come within range. As her thoughts wandered, she heard the love play of that feisty couple on the deck in a foreign language an adult of any nationality would recognize.

Cat shut them out, awash in the fine sensations of the Jacuzzi. She turned on her stomach so the water pulsed against her breasts…thinking how positively outrageous that current would feel against her slit. Thinking that the twitch between her legs, brought on by Ramon in all his dark glory—Ramon, who was now buried to the hilt inside lovely Leilani—needed tending. She deserved a little mind-bending pleasure of her own, didn’t she?

Her vibrations shifted subtly as her feet found the floor. Cat crouched with her elbows on the rim of the tub so she could maneuver herself up and down…easing herself into the full force of that pulsing, throbbing water jet.

“Ohhhhhhhhh gawd…oh my gawwwwd,” escaped her as the sensations in her thighs gave fair warning of what her clit might expect. Before she lost her nerve, Cat slid sideways and opened herself—

And froze with her eyes clenched shut and her mouth open in a silent scream of ecstasy. A little gyrating to ease the force of that water had her convulsing without a shred of decency or self-control. On and on the sensations rocked her until she wondered if a climax could get so intense she’d pass out from it.

When she’d tested that thought as far as she dared, Cat sprawled on the rim of the tub. Had Ramon started the engine again? A subdued thrum told her she’d better get her rag-doll body inside before her caretakers found her this way and—once again—knew what she’d been doing.

The noise became a louder, more insistent racket. Just as she stood up, with water running down the length of her bare body, a small water plane swooped down for a closer look.

She groaned. The two occupants of the plane waved at her—or maybe at Ramon and Leilani because they knew them? Out of sheer desperation, and the need to appear as bold as the rest of these islanders—she waved back! Timidly at first, but then she gave those guys a big grin and waved both arms, swaying as though her Inner Kid was an exhibitionist rather than an introvert.

What’ll you do if the plane lands and those two fly boys wanna come aboard, missy?

I haven’t a clue, she replied silently. But I’d at least have someone to talk to, right?

Once the plane turned around and regained altitude, however, she chuckled. Wait till she told Grant and Trevor and Bruce about this! No point in playing the shrinking violet if her domestics were doing the deed right there on the sundeck. And, yes…they were still moaning. Then came the firm slap of a hand on a backside, followed by an outcry that sounded blatantly turned on.

While she secretly envied their freewheeling, free-loving ways, it was clear Leilani and Ramon had eyes only for each other. She might someday accept their invitation to play, but it wouldn’t be for keeps.

Cat went to the railing then, to gaze out over the blue-green of the sea as sun diamonds danced on its surface. Solid and satisfied she felt—and wasn’t that an improvement, considering her ordeal after Laird’s death?

But she was, for all practical purposes, alone. She’d bought an island and this yacht and the mansion and the caretakers that came with it today, but how long could she wander through this wonderland all by her lonesome?

Maybe the Contessa left for that very reason. Found somebody to play with and never looked back.

So while she remained naked for the rest of the ride home, and strode boldly across the dock carrying her new clothes rather than wearing any, Cat no longer thought how horrible it would be if someone saw her this way.

She just wanted somebody to see. Somebody who’d entice her Inner Kid out to play and chase away the ghosts of a financial disaster. Somebody who wouldn’t want her for her money. Somebody who’d teach her how to live uninhibited, without fears or boundaries or following someone else’s rules.

She let her shopping bags hit the bedroom floor and then opened her laptop. When she’d first seen the links to personal ads on the Escape Artist website, advertising for sex and friendship seemed outlandish and, well—dangerous. Colossal lies abounded on the Internet, spawned by guys who listed various versions of themselves in matchmaking services when they were already married. Maybe to more than one woman.

She didn’t need that! Didn’t want a man who faked his way past all the security measures and submitted a photo of his best-looking friend. But how would she know who she might meet until she tried? It was for damn sure she wasn’t going to find anybody here on this little paradise called Porto Di Angelo, no matter how much she loved her new home.

Cat glanced at the ads and let her mind play…tapped a few lines into the blank ad form and then deleted them. Created an alias address—just in case anybody responded—and then forged full speed ahead through her ad, modesty and caution be damned!

Heart pounding, Cat read through the lines again to check for errors. Then, before she lost her nerve, she hit SEND.