Page 3 of Spring Break with a Treasure Hunter
He grinned, and I nearly died. “You are a sight to behold out here in the moonlight. I could watch you touch yourself all night long.”
My eyes widened, and for the life of me I couldn’t think of anything to say.
“Cat got your tongue?” He chuckled, and I locked my knees not wanting them to knock together. This man was sex on a stick and I wanted to lick him all over.
“Really, well, perhaps one day—” I clamped my mouth shut, realizing I was just about to say what I was thinking. He grinned as if he knew. That excited me and it was all I could do to keep my breathing normal, but there was nothing I could do when I felt my nipples pebble and heat rush low in my belly. I squinted at him, desperately needing to gather my thoughts and try toignore the throbbing arousal taking hold of me. “Uhm, who are you?”
“You mean you don’t know all your guests by name?” He chided, and I bristled.
That struck a nerve. “Of course I know all my guests.”
“Then how is it you don’t know me?” His voice was low, and I had to lean in a bit to hear him.
Then I straightened my back, feeling I had to defend myself. Now rather than lick him all over, I itched to slap that cocky—and yes alluring—grin off his face. Instead I curled my hand into my chest, pressing my fist between my breasts. His gaze followed my movement and then lifted, the look in his eyes as he stared at me from under his brows searing me. I fought to keep my words firm and concise.
“You, sir, I don’t recognize, which means you are not on the guest list.” I raised my eyebrows and tilted my head to the side, waiting for him to speak.
He tipped his head back and burst out laughing. I cocked my hip and set my hand on it, unsure to be angry or laugh along with him to relieve the discomfort—and arousal—I felt in his company.
“Cork Shannon at your service, ma’am.” He took my hand off my hip, cradled it in the heat of his fingers, and bowed low. His lips whispered across the back of my hand and I swear to god I nearly swooned. It was the most gallant, erotic, passionate, sexy, geez I could go on, gesture that had ever happened to me. If he’d picked me up, tossed me over his shoulder like a caveman and carried me off to his nest of furs, I’d have not complained one iota.
He stood and still held my hand. I didn’t pull it away.
I gasped and quickly contained myself. Cork Shannon!
“I don’t remember your RSVP to the invitation.” He was a very rich man, a collector of all kinds of rare and precious things.A confirmed bachelor. A daredevil and a playboy with a string of bunnies always on his arm. I’d sent him an invitation, never expecting in a million years he would show up.
Yet here he was. In front of me. Holding my hand after kissing it. Making me crave him almost more than my antiques.
He nodded. “You are right on both accounts. I wasn’t sure where I would be today. As luck would have, here I am.” His smile was charming and he hitched his head toward the open doors. “I wasn’t going to miss this little soiree.”
“Why?” I screamed at myself to not look like a complete idiot. “I mean, why wouldn’t you want to miss this fundraiser?” I emphasize the words. “I don’t recall you having an interest in marine artifacts.”
“Ah, then another fail.” He smiled.
Oooh, this man was dangerous. Charming, sexy, confident, and gorgeous. It killed me I was enchanted by him and I had to fix that right now.
I furrowed my brows. “What do you mean ‘fail’.” He had a way of shifting my emotions all over the map. No one had ever been able to do that to me before and it was unnerving.
He stepped toward the open doors. “If you had done your homework correctly, little seahorse, you would know the answer to that.” He gave me a smoldering look that set me back on fire. His seductive smile made my muscles weak. Even though he’d successfully pissed me off, it didn’t quell the urge to crawl all over his body. He was rude and obnoxious and far too handsome and wealthy for his own good. He paused and looked at me; this time the cat really did have my tongue. His head lowered and I drew in a shaky breath almost ready to step into him and see what might happen. “This was very enjoyable and I hope we cross paths again.”
Oh, me too.
Then he was gone, leaving behind his unique scent mingled with a trace of cigar smoke on the sultry tropical air. He vanished into the crowd as I stood there for a fraction of a second, stunned. I rushed after him, looking for him. He would be easy to spot with his height and shock of sun-bleached hair. My heart sank when I couldn’t find him. He was gone. Poof. Like a puff of smoke. I let out a breath and glanced back out to the patio. Had I imagined the whole encounter?
I held up my hand and looked down at it. There was no trace of his kiss. No searing burn where his lips had touched me. Only the memory of the sensation. I put my other hand over where he had kissed, wanting to seal in the impression. Hold it tight to me. Until the next time. Because I knew with all my heart...there was going to be a next time. Oh yes, the elusive, frustrating, shiver inducing, devilishly sexy Mr. Cork Shannon had just become coordinates on my map. And I was going to find him.
Cork was bored.His only thrill this first night on the island, had been watching Daisy Savage touch herself on the patio. He knew almost everything about her and she was one of the main reasons he’d reserved a suite at the Tempest Isle. She intrigued him and he hadn’t expected to meet her so unexpectedly on the patio. It had surely been the highlight of the evening. An evening that he’d normally have avoided at all costs.
He sipped from the cut crystal glass, welcoming the fiery burn of the Irish whiskey. He smiled, and would’ve liked to see the look on her face when she saw the amount on the check he’d pushed to the bottom of that fantastic sea chest.
It was drawn from one of his subsidiary companies so it would remain a mystery to her unless the opportunity arose forhim to make a reveal. Perhaps pillow talk. His cock twitched and he reached down to hold himself. He hadn’t wanted a woman in a while. Bored with them as well. They’d become too easy, all but falling at his feet, and while it had been thrilling when he was younger, now, it was annoying. He’d even grown bored with sex, now at almost thirty-four, and it wasn’t until the invitation to this soiree from Daisy Savage that something sparked in him.
He’d caused no end of commotion moving heaven and earth in order to be here. He’d become interested in marine artifacts over the last couple of years and was building his private collection. Daisy was just the person he needed to know. She had surprised the hell out of him when she’d walked out onto the patio. Seeing her seductive and seemingly innocent moves when she’d run her hands over her body, he’d nearly exploded. He supposed they’d find the broken back of the plastic chair he’d been gripping.
In those few minutes of watching her, it made him want her more than any treasured antiquity. He’d been with enough women to recognize the signals when a woman was interested. Even though Daisy tried to hide it, he knew she was. He liked that. It meant he’d have a bit of a chase. It wasn’t often women played hard to get.
The impending storm excited him, further proof he was bored. He was waiting for info about a possible cache of treasure on an island off North Carolina where he’d invested in a friend’s resort scheme. Maybe he could encourage Daisy to come along as well.
