Sugar Love Read online

  Excitement got the best of her as her betraying body became aroused. Her gaze fixed to his dark orbs, she slowly sank in the pool, coming to rest in the soft mud.

  He settled across from her.

  “Oh, my,” she said. “This feels amazing. It’s like a bathtub. Only, what a bathtub.” Her head fell back, and she gazed up at the branches, crisscrossing their way up to the sky. “The view is so beautiful.”

  “It is,” Zander said, in a deep, husky voice.

  She lowered her head.

  He trained a hooded-eyed gaze in her direction.

  Her sex pulsed with need.

  He licked his lips.

  “Come here,” he said, in that quiet, commanding voice.

  She crossed toward him.

  “Straddle me,” he said. “Press up against me.”

  She placed one leg on either side of him and sank into his lap. She reached down and fit him against her slippery folds.

  He hissed, his hips thrusting against her.

  She gasped. Every cell in her system craved contact with Zander. He was her drug, her forbidden ecstasy. For one crazy second, she didn’t think she could ever live without him. Her heart squeezed tight at the thought of not ever seeing him again, not ever having contact. But that’s what the contract says.

  No one had ever made her feel this way.

  “I didn’t think to bring a rubber,” he said. “I didn’t know if you’d want this after last night.” His eyes were nearly black.

  “I could…I mean, we could…what I mean is…” She breathed deeply. “I’m on birth control.” She lifted herself up slightly and fit the tip into her opening.

  His eyes closed for a second. When he opened them, he said, “You don’t have to do this…I mean, I’m clean and all.”

  “Me, too,” she whispered. Whether emboldened by their zip-line adventure or completely smitten with Zander, she said, “I want this. I want you.”

  A wicked smile curved his lips. “Well, then. Take what you want.”

  Slowly, ever so slowly, she sank onto the length of him.

  A groan escaped his mouth. “Oh, God, Effie. You feel so good.”

  He grabbed her hips.

  She gripped his shoulders, gazing intently at him. “I don’t know what I did to deserve this…whatever this is with you, Zander.”

  He shook his head slightly. “Stop,” he said. “I’m the one who’s the lucky one.” Then, he positioned his arm, so his thumb could reach her clit. “Ride me. Use me. Take what you need for your pleasure.”

  She rolled her hips, searching for just the right spot against his thumb. When she found it, she closed her eyes and ground against him.

  “God damn, you’re beautiful. I could come just watching you take your pleasure,” he said.

  His words pushed her over the edge. Opening her eyes, she let out a long, deep moan. “Zander,” she cried.

  His expression was one of pure pleasure.

  “Oh, God, Zander.” A lightning bolt of pleasure coursed through her. It shot up her spine. Her head fell back, and she let out a long, “Oh…”

  He slid his hand free, grabbed her hips again, and pulled her rhythmically against him.

  As she began to come down from her climax, he let go.

  “Oh, Jesus,” he said, squeezing his eyes shut. “Sweet Effie. Here I come.” He thrust against her, creating splashing waves in the water. With one last thrust, he uttered a final groan.

  She fell against him.

  The water resumed its quiet, gurgling ripples, flowing in one side of the pool and out the other. Birds called one another in the trees.

  Far in the distance, Effie heard people shrieking their way down the zip-line. I wonder if they heard me. She cringed at the thought, but, then, let it go. Let it go, let it go, let it go. She melted into his body, allowing herself to grow limp.

  He breathed slowly and deeply for several minutes. Then, he stiffened.

  “What is it?” she said, easing away from his embrace.

  He lifted his arm and checked his watch. His jaw tensed.

  She regarded him, certain a wall had fallen into place.

  “We’d better get back,” he said, in a matter of fact voice. He lifted Effie off him. “We’d better get back and face the music.” He stood and sluiced the water from his body with his left hand.

  “Music? What music?” Her brow furrowed together. What’s he talking about?

  “You know. Reality.” He waved his arm in the air.

  “This isn’t part of reality?”

  “Oh, you know what I mean,” he said. He extended his hand to help her up.

  “Not really, no.”

  He pressed his lips together.

  She suddenly wished she was dressed. They’d just had a beautiful day followed by incredible pleasure in this breathtaking setting. And, now, he was back to his walled-off self. Sadly, she followed him out of the hot springs.

  Is he worried about being around Kent? If so, why can’t he confide in me? Would he ever learn to trust me?

  Probably not. It wasn’t part of the contract.

  Chapter 24

  Zander

  Zander woke up the next day, his thoughts as tangled as the sheets wrapped around his legs.

  Effie lay next to him, snuggled against his back, like a trusting little kitten.

  He’d slept fitfully, tormented by his past and tortured by his current reality. Never in a million years had he dreamed he’d meet anyone like Effie. Kind, compassionate, sexy as hell, intelligent…She was the total package. And, his fucking feelings were growing hot and hard for her. Yet, he couldn’t let her in. He’d proved that fact by being cool and aloof to her after leaving the zip-line park.

  When they were in the hot springs, he’d experienced the kind of shared connection he’d always longed for with Trisha—a perfect skin on skin encounter of the sweetest kind. But, then, reality snapped into his brain. He’d paid for her companionship. This encounter was supposed to ease him back into the dating game—test his mental stability to see if he could cope. But, with Trisha’s call and the discovered underwear, he fell right back into paranoia. Kent was right. He was a jackass by falling for Effie. He should have kept things casual.

  He slid his finger underneath the sleeve of his biotech arm and scratched. His stump itched underneath the prosthesis. Usually, he slept with his fake-arm off so he could give his skin some air. But, not with Effie by his side. No way. He’d never take off this frigging piece of technology while in her presence. He wouldn’t even take it off to shower. This vacation home didn’t have a lock on the bathroom, and he couldn’t risk her walking in on him.

  He sighed. It was a huge mistake to get a sugar baby. She deserves so much more. Christ.

  Hoping not to wake her up, he slid his legs off the bed, pulled on the shorts that lay on the floor, and turned to look at her.

  Her mouth parted, her breathing deep, she looked like a beautiful angel—an angel who would surely break his heart when their three months were up. He shook his head, then tiptoed downstairs.

  “Morning, stud,” Kent said. He sat on the sofa next to Charlie. A cup of coffee stood by his side.

  Charlie’s legs were slung over Kent’s. She didn’t look up from her tablet. Her uncombed hair draped over her arms.

  Kent stroked Charlie’s legs with his two, perfectly normal hands, driving home the point that Zander could never do normal things anymore—like feel a woman’s skin with his dominant hand.

  “How was the zip line?” Kent flashed his new challenging smile at Zander.

  Zander didn’t feel like answering. “I thought you two were going to bring home fish?”

  He crossed to the kitchen where he retrieved a mug from the cupboard.

  “We didn’t catch any. We ended up eating take-out, then we went to bed early and watched some movie Charlie wanted to see.” Kent’s fingers brushed the inside of Charlie’s thigh.

  Charlie closed her eyes briefly. “Mmm. That
feels good,” she said, quietly. Then, her eyes opened. “Yeah, it was some chick-flick. It wasn’t that good. I barely remember it.”

  Kent smirked. “That’s because I was distracting you.”

  She looked at Kent, the corners of her mouth curving slightly. “I’ll say. And then we made good use of the rest of the night, didn’t we?”

  She inclined the side of her face in his direction.

  Kent flashed her a wicked smile. “Sure did.”

  He leaned closer and kissed her proffered cheek.

  “Huh,” Zander said, not caring one bit what they did or ate or watched.

  He poured himself some coffee and stepped toward the island where a pan of cinnamon rolls and a bowl of chopped fruit sat. Several bowls were next to the food, along with some silverware. He scooped some fruit into his bowl and proceeded to eat.

  A few minutes later, Effie trekked down the stairs, fully dressed in short-shorts, revealing her sexy legs, and a Big Bang Theory t-shirt—not one of the shirts he’d bought her. Her expression looked grim.

  Zander tensed. He glanced at Kent who had turned to stare out the window. Good.

  Effie’s gaze slid to Kent, too…then back to Zander. Her mouth pressed into a tight line. She remained silent as she crossed the room and entered the kitchen area.

  Glancing at the rolls and fruit—not at him—she said, “I need something a little more substantial for breakfast. Do we have any eggs?” She strode toward the fridge and pulled it open. “I don’t see any. Can we send Antonio out or whatever you billionaires do to manifest food?”

  Kent snorted.

  Zander glared at him.

  “What?” Kent said. “That was funny.”

  Zander turned to Effie. “Let’s go get some breakfast.”

  Still standing in front of the open refrigerator, she side-eyed him. “All of us?”

  He shook his head. “Just you and me.” He rose and stepped behind her, putting his hands on her upper arms. “I’d like to apologize to you,” he said, quietly, hoping Kent couldn’t hear.

  “Whatever,” she snapped. She slowly let out her breath. Her shoulders dropped. “Okay,” she said, gentler. She leaned back ever so slightly, barely letting her weight sink into him. “Then what will we do?”

  “Let’s take the kayaks out today. Head out to the river,” Kent called. “Charlie and I will occupy ourselves here while you two eat. You can have Antonio pick us up when you’re done.”

  Effie stiffened. She shut the refrigerator door and stood statue-still.

  Zander grimaced. “How does that sound to you, Effie? We don’t have to do it.”

  “Am I going to be dropped in a rushing river? Like the kind you showed me on our first date?”

  He rubbed her arms softly. “No,” he said, gently. “I wouldn’t do that to you. We’ll be in double kayaks. I’ll be in the back, guiding the boat. You don’t even have to paddle, although it helps.”

  She huffed out a breath. “Okay, if that’s what you want.”

  So, we’re back to her having no opinions. I liked it when she told me she wanted the skin on skin in the hot springs.

  Zander turned her around to face him. “What do you want?”

  She slowly shook her head. Her moist eyes conveyed everything he feared—she didn’t want to be here. She didn’t want to be with him.

  “We can do whatever you want, Effie, really,” he said, sensing Kent drilling a hole in the back of his head.

  She swallowed and smiled slightly. “Kayaking’s fine. I’ve never done it, but I trust you’ll take care of me. You won’t let me drown.”

  “Never,” he said, a rush of feeling thawing his frozen heart.

  As soon as they left the house, Effie’s shoulders fell away from her ears. Sitting inside the limo on the opposite seat as him, she eyed him thoughtfully before speaking.

  “What is it that makes you one way when we’re alone, and another way when we’re around others…around Kent? Are you ashamed of being with me?” She blinked rapidly as if holding back tears.

  Shit. That’s what she thinks?

  “God, no, I’m not ashamed of you, Effie. Kent and I are…” He scanned his mind for a plausible excuse. “It’s work stuff. There’s some old shit that’s come up.”

  “Uh huh,” she said, her shoulders once more hunching around her ears.

  “Look,” he said, scrambling to recover some points. “I’m really, really, really not ashamed of you. More like ashamed of myself and my behavior.” And wanting to protect you from my ex. “Can we leave it at that?”

  “Sure,” she said. “If that’s how you want to leave things.” She turned to look out the window.

  Over the next hour, from breakfast to the drive back to the vacation rental, they veered into the small talk zone, a wall the size of Mount Bachelor growing between them. Finally, on the way back, their conversation turned to Effie’s favorite movies—Star Trek and the Avengers—then to her favorite books—Understanding Pathophysiology and The Minds of Champions.

  Zander chuckled. “Not what I expected. I thought you’d say something like Fifty Shades of Grey.”

  “Me? No.” She added, with a laugh, “I also like The Anatomy of a Superhero. It’s a physiologist’s look at what kind of physical components could conceivably translate into superhuman abilities.”

  Zander angled his body toward her. He loved her bright mind. “That’s fascinating, Effie. What did you learn?”

  “That with lots of stretches of the imagination, and a few mutations, some of those abilities are possible.” She finally smiled at him. “What superhero would you like to be?”

  The kind who could leave his past behind. “I don’t know. Batman, I guess. I could see you in the Wonder Woman outfit, though.” He chuckled.

  They stopped at the house to pick up Kent and Charlie.

  Zander scooted closer to hold Effie’s hand.

  When they arrived at Dunes Kayak Adventures, alongside the gently flowing river, he exited the limo after Antonio assisted Effie from the vehicle.

  Kent and Charlie emerged last.

  “I’ll go get the boats,” Antonio said.

  “We’ll help,” Kent said, inclining his head toward Charlie.

  Zander nodded. “Good. Thanks.”

  Antonio, Kent, and Charlie strode away, toward a small building with a “Dunes Kayak & Canoe Rental” sign on it.

  Zander captured Effie’s hand in his and urged her toward the water’s edge.

  “The river stays nice and calm for several miles. There might be a couple of class II baby runs, but, we’ll take them nice and easy. We’ll be in a double kayak, anyway, so I’ll be navigating from the rear. All you have to do is paddle.” He turned to look at her profile.

  She appeared mesmerized. “This is so pretty, Zander. What a world you’re introducing me to. For a HMM you’re not so bad.”

  “A hmm?”

  A smile appeared on her face. “That’s a secret code.”

  “Are you ever going to let me in on the secret?” he asked, standing at her side.

  She blushed and shook her head.

  He focused on the view. The deep green water rolled by in a lazy meander, gentle ripples breaking the surface. Abundant trees lined the shore, along with grasses and shrubs.

  “A river awaits us,” he said, turning to smile at her.

  She returned the smile. “Then, let’s go.”

  “Yo! Zan. Your chariots await,” Antonio called.

  Zander looked upstream to see Antonio, Kent, and Charlie standing next to two sleek double kayaks, one bright blue, the other, red.

  He trekked toward them, Effie close beside him.

  “You’ve got water and snacks up there,” Antonio said, indicating the forward hatch.

  “Thanks,” Zander said.

  “And your best buddy by your side,” Kent said. He stepped closer and clapped Zander on the back.

  Zander’s brow furrowed slightly. “Right.”

  My con
trol-freak best buddy. He shrugged and went to help Effie get ready, assisting her with donning her portable flotation device.

  Once Effie was comfortable with paddling techniques, they entered the water.

  Kent and Charlie paddled by their side.

  “It’s a great day to be out on the water, right, Zan?” Kent said.

  “Sure is.”

  “I missed this…being in the great outdoors with you,” Kent said. “Let’s let this weekend be the start of our renewed bond with nature.”

  Effie’s shoulders tensed.

  “I’m enjoying it, too,” Zander said, noncommittally.

  “Let’s have a race, what do you say?” Kent said.

  “Nah. You go on ahead if you like. I want to enjoy the ride with Effie.”

  Zander’s attention focused on Kent.

  For a few moments, their gazes locked like two warring elks.

  Finally, Kent broke the tension and said with a smile, “Sure thing. You gotta get your money’s worth before the use-by date is up, right? Maybe later.”

  Then, he and Charlie paddled ahead, with Kent pulling strong, forceful strokes.

  “Asshole,” Zander muttered.

  Effie’s body turned to stone.

  “Don’t listen to him,” Zander said. “He’s an asshole but he’s just being protective.”

  “What do you need protecting from?” Effie said.

  “Some mistakes I made. Now, let’s enjoy the water, okay?”

  Once Kent and Charlie had disappeared, Effie’s granite-like posture softened. Her head swiveled as she gazed at their surroundings. “This is so beautiful. I wish we never had to leave and go back to ‘reality’ as you put it yesterday.”

  You have no idea. A familiar sense of wonder and peace flowed through Zander. He loved the great outdoors and all its majesty. He’d take this over a boardroom meeting any day. And to be immersed in it with Effie? Heaven.

  A curious thought tickled his mind. I could quit my job, leave the company to Kent to run, and take Effie around the world on extraordinary adventures. We could hike Mt. Everest, explore Nepal… He quickly crushed his fantasy. Don’t be ridiculous. This is a three-month experience.

  An hour into their paddle, Zander navigated the boat toward a sandy shore a few yards ahead. “Let’s get out for a bit.”