Page 20 of Slow Simmer

“They could, but I’m having fun.” Samara grinned shyly, and he laughed before bidding her a good night again and taking his leave.

Carlo debated going to Suzannah’s cabin, but he was tired and sweaty, and he probably stank of smoke from the incident earlier. He’d take a shower first, wander by and see if there was a light on. If she hadn’t left a light on, well, he’d assume she’d just been testing him earlier on to see if he could stay professional in the face of extreme provocation.

And if she had left a light on, well…

His train of thought stuttered to a halt as he approached his own cabin and a tall, slim figure stood up from the chair on the tiny veranda outside. Red hair haloed by moonlight, Suzannah was there waiting for him.

He hadn’t thought she’d follow through, Carlo realised as shock rooted his feet to the ground. He’d fully expected to go by Suzannah’s cabin, find it dark and silent, and spend yet another night tossing and turning as sleep eluded him.

“This is a terrible idea,” Suzannah said.

“And yet, you’re here.” He made no move towards her. If she wanted to leave, he wouldn’t try and stop her.

She said something under her breath very fast in French, and stepped forward rapidly, grabbing at him, one hand on his shoulder and the other curving behind his head to grasp onto his hair as she brought their mouths roughly together.

She’d brushed her teeth and smelt delicious, clean and fresh. She’d showered before coming to him, Carlo registered, thinking only vaguely of his own less-than-pristine state as Suzannah kissed him, the urgency of her desire very evident. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back hungrily, letting her know his need very much matched her own.

“Inside,” Suzannah pulled back from the kiss at last. “Please, Carlo…”

“I need to wash up,” he said regretfully, even as he let her pull him towards the cabin. “I’m…”

“I don’t care,” she said. “I can’t wait. I need you.”

That was the end of any thought of delay from Carlo. His hands shook as he scrabbled in his pants pocket for his key, somehow managed to get the door unlocked and pull Suzannah inside, grateful he’d thought to program the air-conditioner to come on in the late evening, making his room blissfully cool now. A small lamp glowed beside the bed, bathing the room in a soft golden light as he turned to pull the drapes closed quickly.

Suzannah had put on a dress after her shower, the first one he’d seen her wear here on the island, where she seemed to live in her work uniform. Reaching down to grasp the hem of the simple cotton garment, she pulled it up and over her head in one easy sweep, revealing to a dazzled Carlo that she wasn’t wearing anything underneath it.

His tongue seemed to be stuck to the roof of his mouth as he stared, eyes almost out on stalks. The last nine years had been very kind to Suzannah Monteil; he already knew that from having seen her in her swimsuit, but naked she was absolutely spectacular.

At twenty, she’d still not quite grown into her height, all gangling legs and slight curves. Today, she was sleek and strong but all woman, her breasts a juicy handful, the flare of her hips a sensual lure it would have taken a far stronger man than Carlo to resist.

With a groan deep in his throat, he reached for her, hands settling gently on that rich curve of her waist. Suzannah made a soft sound, her emerald gaze holding his steadily, though he saw her lick her lips and suspected she wasn’t as confident as she pretended to be.

“You are so beautiful,cara,” he told her, his voice a husky, lustful rasp. “Glorious.”

A little smile curved the corners of her lips up, and she tilted her proud head slightly to one side before purring “Show me.”

He was absolutely delighted to oblige, drawing her over to his bed, thankful for his tidy habits as he’d made it before leaving for work. Guiding her to sit down, he paused to yank his T-shirt off over his head, making a face as he tossed the damp, not-too-sweet smelling fabric aside.

“You sure you don’t want to wait for me to take a shower?”

She grinned, unexpectedly wicked. “You’d only get all sweaty again. Maybe we’ll take one together. Afterwards.” Reaching for his belt, she pulled the tail free from the loop on his pants, released the buckle. Carlo knew his need for her was pretty obvious, his erection pushing against the thin fabric of his pants, but she showed no hesitation, freeing the button and easing his fly down carefully.

Plainly, Suzannah didn’t intend to waste time… and Carlo had no intention of slowing things down. He stepped out of his shoes, helped Suzannah pull down his pants and jockey shorts, took them off along with his socks, and finally stood proud and naked before her.

“Lie back,” he requested. “I’ve been thinking about this for a long, long time. Want to make sure I get it right.”

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