Paradise Disguised Page 5

  Anna crossed her fingers and hoped that no one would respond. She hopped in her car without glancing around to see if anyone actually took her up on her offer, and backed down Mel’s driveway. She looked uneasily at the wooded park across the street, imagining dozens of eyes tracking her every move.

  She made it home in record time and hurried in the house, thankful that her father had already left for the store. She didn’t have time to answer any of the questions he was sure to have. She was on a mission to grovel and seduce. Nothing was going to stop her.

  She piled her hair up high on her head and jumped in the shower. Anna had already decided she was going to do everything she could possibly think of to convince Dylan to take the day off. It was time to pull out the big guns. She’d corner him in his office and not give him a chance to say anything but yes. Of course, she’d need to lure him to a place outside of his office, a place that offered them a little privacy. She wasn’t sure she could take any more strange looks like the last time she was there.

  Anna put her hand to her stomach to quiet the butterflies dancing around. It was hard to remember she was no longer a shy wallflower. Hopefully, being an outgoing sex kitten wouldn’t lead to ulcers.

  She rubbed lotion on her entire body and selected the sexiest lingerie she owned out of her drawer. A purchase she’d recently bought on her life changing shopping trip.

  “Thank you, Mel,” she said quietly, touching the soft lace between her fingers. It was a simple black teddy, but the sheer lace didn’t leave anything for the imagination. “Eat your heart out, Dylan Maguire.”

  She pulled on a sleek black jumpsuit that zipped up the front and released her hair from its clip so it curled down her back.

  “Okay,” she said looking at herself in the mirror, “That’s as good as it’s going to get.”

  Anna made her way to the kitchen and popped a couple of slices of bread in the toaster. She hadn’t had anything to eat since lunch the day before. No wonder the tequila had had such an effect on her.

  She looked at her reflection in the side of the toaster and cleared her throat, practicing her apologetic, but seductive, expression she’d need to use on Dylan.

  “Dylan,” she started, batting her eyelashes a little. “I just wanted to apologize for running away from you yesterday. You see, one of your crazy ex-girlfriends has been threatening me, and I wasn’t sure that one orgasm was worth dying for.”

  The toaster popped out her bread and she jumped back a little, surprised. She’d really gotten into her speech.

  “I can’t say that,” she groaned, rolling her eyes. “No one would believe that story. I’ll have to show him the notes.”

  She thought for a minute while buttering her toast. Maybe she should just take the more direct approach. She looked at her reflection in the toaster again, pouted her lips out Angelina Jolie style and stuck out her chest.

  “Take me Dylan. I’m yours,” she said, licking her lips provocatively.

  The doorbell interrupted her rehearsal, and she started laughing at her ridiculousness on the way to the door. She had plenty of time to think of something. She would just be herself and let things happen how they were supposed to happen.

  Anna looked at the Grandfather clock that sat in the foyer of the Hollis Mansion, its pendulum swinging slowly in a hypnotic rhythm. It was barely eight o’clock in the morning.

  “Who could this be? I don’t have time for any setbacks,” she mumbled, jerking the door open with more force than necessary.

  Her mouth froze in an open “O” when she saw a very annoyed Dylan standing on the other side of the threshold. Her mouth opened and closed several times with no words coming out, so she resembled a surprised fish.

  “I see my presence makes you speechless,” Dylan said, walking through the open door.

  “I…I just wasn’t expecting you this early,” Anna said, mentally cursing herself for stuttering and backing away. She looked weak, nothing like the sex kitten she’d been practicing.

  “I was just on my way to see you so I could explain.” Anna backed into the formal dining room and went behind the couch, hoping the object would be enough of a separation to keep him at bay for the moment. “It really is a good explanation.”

  “I’m not really in the mood for any of your explanations,” Dylan said.

  He followed her around the couch and they circled each other slowly, like two boxers in the ring. “You have one chance to answer me honestly,” he said. “Do you still want me?”

  Anna stood frozen, unable to believe her ears. She still had a chance after all. She would explain everything afterwards, but right now she had a lot of pent up frustration she needed to release, and by the feral look in Dylan’s eyes he was suffering the same fate.

  “Yes,” she said, her voice hoarse and her body trembling.

  Dylan jumped over the couch, eliminating any protection she thought she had. Her adrenaline was pounding and she instinctively started to run away from him, like the prey she felt she was.

  Anna heard him growl seconds before she felt his grip on her arm. She yelped in surprise at the sting of his fingers, and gasped as he spun her around to face him. He backed her against the wall and closed his hand around her throat, pressing his thumb on her throbbing pulse.

  Her turquoise eyes were wide and her chest was heaving in anticipation and a little fear. She watched as he brought his other hand up and slowly pulled on the zipper of her jumpsuit, teasing her exposed flesh with raspy fingers.

  Dylan held his breath as he saw the filmy lace that was being revealed. He’d been painfully hard all night, but the sight of her pale flesh took him beyond any need he’d ever experienced.

  Anna reevaluated her situation. Was this the way she wanted to come to Dylan? As a pliant partner that he could direct at his command? She wasn’t giving him the challenge that his personality seemed to call for. She was just submitting without giving as good as she got.

  She brought her hand up and enclosed Dylan’s wrist, making him raise his eyebrow at her bold attempt to stop him. She brought her other hand up and placed her palm on his chest, tracing his toned muscles with her fingernails and making him draw in a sharp breath at her touch.

  Anna inhaled deeply, the yearning and desire too intense for her primed body. She had to get herself under control. She steadied her resolve and pushed with all her might. She watched Dylan fall backward, but didn’t stop to see the look on his face. She took off at a dead run and erupted into a fit of giggles.

  The chase was on.

  She took off up the wide staircase that led to the top two floors at full speed, but curiosity got the better of her and she turned to see Dylan close on her heels headed in the same direction, a competitive smile dancing on his lips.

  Her distraction was her downfall because her foot got caught on the carpet runner and she went down on one knee. She flung her hands out to catch her fall and winced and the carpet burns that reddened her palms. That was all the advantage Dylan needed to catch her.

  “So you want to play, do you?” Dylan said, hardly breathing heavy at all after a run up a flight of stairs. He pushed her against the wall of the second floor landing and took her mouth in a savage kiss.

  Anna groaned at the feel of his lips against hers, the pain in her hands forgotten. It was even better than she remembered, the feel of his hard body against hers as he devoured her mouth with his kiss. She wrapped her legs around his waist and tore at the buttons of his shirt, desperate to feel his flesh against hers. He stripped her so the only thing she wore was the swatch of black lace.

  “Holy mother of God,” Dylan panted. His gaze scorched her already enflamed body. “Please tell me you have more of these.”

  Her hands went to the snap of his jeans and worked frantically to reach her goal. She slipped her hands into his waistband and found their target, inciting a groan from Dylan. “I have a whole drawer full. I bought them thinking of you.”

  He was heavy in her hand, thick a
nd pulsing with the same desire she felt. She kissed her way down his torso, reveling in the different textures she found on her journey—the rigid muscles and planes of his chest and stomach, the light smattering of hair that tickled her lips.

  She nipped with teeth and tongue at the muscular indention at his waist and then again on the inside of his thigh, bypassing the object of her desire with teasing grazes of her hair and cheek. Dylan threaded his fingers through her hair and brought her closer and she inhaled the muskiness of his scent. Moisture pooled between her thighs and she looked up at his through lowered lids. His head was thrown back in surrender, his muscles taut with anticipation.

  She touched her tongue to the lone bead of liquid that had gathered at the tip of his cock, and he jumped in response. He was hard and heavy, veins rigid and the mushroom head of his cock swollen. His sac was full and tight, and she cupped it gently I her hand while taking his shaft in the other. She could barely get her fingers around him.

  Anna took her time savoring the taste of him, running her tongue from the base of his cock to the tip before taking him completely in her mouth.

  “God, Anna,” he groaned. “You’re killing me.”

  She moaned around him and felt him jerk in her mouth from the vibrations. His grip on her hair grew tighter. She relaxed her throat and swallowed him down as far as she could, working the flat of her tongue against the sensitive underside of his cock.

  “Stop, I’m going to come,” he gasped out, pulling her away from him.

  “Mmm, I hope so.” She tongued his sac while he raged a silent war as if to let her continue.

  “I want to be inside you when I come.”

  “We have all day. And night,” she purred. “Come in my mouth. I want to taste you.”

  Dylan couldn’t resist her plea, and she smiled in triumph. She took him back in her mouth, bobbing her head quickly now up and down his cock. She sucked him down and felt him stiffen above her before the first spurt of come shot down her throat. His moans were like music to her ears, and his seed tasted like nothing she’d ever experienced. It was its own aphrodisiac and she knew she could become addicted.

  Dylan collapsed to his knees in front of her, grabbing her in an embrace. Her own lust was spiraling out of control. Her juices ran down her thighs, and she pressed her mound against the rough fabric of his jeans trying to sate her own passion. Anna’s ears rang with lust, and it got louder until she thought she’d pass out with the intensity.

  “Anna,” Dylan said, gritting his teeth and holding her tight to him. “My phone’s ringing.”

  “What?” Anna asked, still unsure of what he was saying. She rubbed against him again and stifled her moan in his chest. She was almost there. She’d never needed to come so bad in her life.

  “I said my phone’s ringing,” he repeated.

  “Who cares,” she said frustrated. “I’m this close to coming, and you’re going to stop because your phone’s ringing?” Hysteria tinged her voice.

  “It’s my private line,” he explained, trying to pull his pants up so he could dig at the phone in his pocket. “Mitchell wouldn’t call me unless it was an emergency. I swear I’ll make it up to you. I’ll give you so many orgasms you’ll pass out from the pleasure.”

  “You’d damn well better. I’m feeling rather violent at the moment.” The phone stopped ringing and Anna stood up and leaned against the stair railing, her legs unsteadier than she thought they’d be. She stripped out of the damp teddy and took satisfaction as Dylan’s eyes glazed over with lust. She gave him a wink and bounded up the stairs to her room.

  He pulled off his jeans, his cock already springing to life, and followed her. The phone started ringing again just as he reached her bedroom door.

  “Shit,” he said, fumbling for the phone.

  Anna laughed hysterically at the sight of Dylan. He wore nothing but his socks and was fumbling with his jeans to get them turned right side out before digging through the pockets.

  “What?” Dylan yelled into the receiver. “This had better be a life or death situation, Mitchell, because if it’s not I swear to God…”

  Anna smiled as his words trailed off. She’d crawled up on the bed and sat on her knees so her moist pussy was bared to him. She cupped her breasts in her hands, tweaking the nipples until they hardened into stiff peaks. She let her hand drop and roamed down her belly until it came to the small strip of dark curls at the juncture of her thighs. She dipped a finger into the syrup that covered her mound and moaned.

  Dylan snapped the phone shut and dropped it on the floor, never hearing a word of what Mitchell had to say. He started toward her like a predator on the hunt, but he’d barely moved before the phone started ringing again.

  Dylan sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, visibly counting to ten before he reached down to grab the phone.

  “Dammit, Mitchell, what do you want?” Dylan asked, his voice hoarse with desire and frustration.

  “Sorry to interrupt, but you need to come down to the Willis site,” Mitchell said.

  “I’m not coming down there just so Mrs. Willis can tell me how much she loves what I’ve done with the house, but could I please just change her walk-in closet one more time to accommodate another pair of shoes she’s bought.” Dylan pressed his fingers against his eyes. “Now if that’s all…”

  “The house is on fire,” Mitchell interrupted.

  “What did you say?”

  “I said the house is on fire and arson is suspected. The fire chief wants you down here ten minutes ago so he can ask you some questions.”

  Dylan hung up without saying good bye and started pulling his clothes back on in earnest. “I’ve got to get to one of my sites. Someone just burned a million dollar home to the ground.”

  He looked around for his shirt and didn’t see it anywhere. “Where the hell’s my shirt?”

  Anna pulled on the pair of jeans she’d bought like Mel’s and a tight green t-shirt, before leading Dylan back into the hallway. She started giggling as soon as she saw his shirt dangling from the chandelier over the stairs. He rolled his eyes at her and jumped up to grab it.

  “I think I need to go with you,” Anna said over peels of laughter. She slipped on flip-flops and pulled her hair back into a loose tail. There was nothing she could do about her kiss swollen lips or the beard burn on her neck, but the rest of her looked pretty presentable.

  “This will be no place for you. It’s bound to be crowded, and it could be very messy when there’s this much money involved.” He headed towards the front door with Anna hot on his heels. “Are you ready to let the whole town know that we want to jump each other’s bones?”

  Oh, low blow. “This has to do with why I ran away from you last night,” Anna said, ignoring his question.

  “It’s forgotten, Anna, as long as you still want me I can forgive a case of nerves.”

  “It’s not nerves,” Anna said, stubbornly. “I think someone is trying to kill me.”

  Chapter Six

  “What?” Dylan asked, stopping dead in his tracks.

  “Are you going to let me come with you or not?”

  “Get in the truck, and tell me what the hell is going on.”

  Anna followed behind him and got in the beat up Ford truck that Dylan drove for work everyday. His image didn’t seem to fit the battered automobile, but there were obviously quirks he harbored she didn’t know about. Like his recent penchant for bossing her around. She’d have to break him of that habit.

  Dylan revved the truck and took off down the long paved driveway in front of the Hollis Mansion. “Now start talking,” Dylan ordered.

  “You know, there’s no reason for you to talk to me that way. I’m the one being threatened. You could at least be a little sympathetic. And polite,” she added as an afterthought.

  Dylan rolled his eyes and took a right over the bridge that headed towards the outskirts of town where the Willis’ had chosen to build their dream home. The middle-aged couple was
wealthy and had nothing better to do with their time than be a pain in his ass, but they were good customers.

  “I apologize,” Dylan said sarcastically. “Please tell me why you think someone is trying to kill you.”

  Anna nodded her head at him primly, princess to peasant. He almost laughed when he thought of how shy he thought she’d been when first seeing her. She’d obviously only been out of practice.

  “Well, after that first day we met in your office,” Anna began, blushing furiously and thinking about what they’d been doing ten minutes after being formally introduced, “I found a note on my windshield that told me to stay away from you.”

  Dylan interrupted her. “That’s why you ran from me? Because some jealous woman told you to? I thought you’d have more spine than that.”

  “Excuse me, Mr. I won’t let you finish a damn sentence,” Anna shot back, giving as good as she got. She was getting tired of high and mighty Dylan Maguire. She might have been shy for the last ten years, but that didn’t mean she was a doormat. “If you’ll be so kind as to shut up I’ll finish.”

  Dylan mumbled something inaudible under his breath, which Anna took as a sign to keep talking. “As I was saying, I received the note right after I left your office, but I just chalked it up to a childish prank by one of your ex-girlfriends. I had fully planned to ignore it and meet you anyway,” Anna said, giving him a pointed look.

  Dylan did have the sense to look a little abashed at her confession. “It was on the way home that I ran into trouble. A black car tailed me through town and across Paradise Crossing.”

  Paradise Crossing was a beam bridge that allowed cars to travel over Hollis Creek and enter the town. There was one way in and one way out of Paradise. “I noticed the car coming up beside me and thought he was just trying to pass, but he was trying to edge me to the side. I swerved to avoid him and barely missed scraping the side of my car against the railing.”

  Dylan let out a slow, controlled breath at Anna’s story. The two incidences happening so close together were probably more than just coincidence. “You said He,” Dylan said.