My Boss’s Secret by Taryn Quinn

Six

There werecertain truisms about women. Some of them I’d become aware of after becoming a divorce attorney, others had been gleaned through painful experience.

A woman might say she was fine with a casual arrangement. She might be adamant about not sharing about her own life. But if you hold back something she deems pertinent, she will think of nothing else until she strings up your balls and you cough up the truth.

Or I suspected that was her plan, anyway.

I wined her—within reason, because I wanted her faculties to be fully intact. I was, for all intents and purposes, a stranger, and despite all we’d already done, I didn’t want her to be unaware in any way.

I dined her—feeding her shrimp and some kind of fancy potatoes and asparagus at the little round table on my deck beside the ocean.

I danced with her—to Elvis and to the sounds of the Fijian guitar band playing down the beach. She swayed in my embrace and she laughed and kissed me, her body long and lush in my arms. Anticipation simmered in her eyes as the moon climbed in the dark, rolling sky and shone its spotlight on the endless waves crashing onto the sand.

All the while, I knew she was thinking about my tattoo. Wanting to probe without risking me turning her questions back on herself. I had plenty of my own.

Who are you?

Where do you live?

Why don’t you want more when it’s obvious we are so good together?

It was damn lowering to realize I’d do just about anything to keep this going. Me, the guy who’d practically vowed to become a monk after Rina.

That had lasted a few months and then I’d gone the other way. If a pretty woman smiled at me, I went home with her. Left the next morning and didn’t call her again.

Along the way, I’d dated a couple women longer than that, but they were rare. In time, I’d stopped thinking about the opposite sex altogether.

I’d dived headfirst into work and focused on making bank. In my profession, it was easy to do if you were tenacious and knew how to attract the right clients. I developed a reputation for having no fear in the courtroom. I didn’t stop until the men and women I fought for cleaned the damn clock of their usually cheating spouses, whether that spouse had a doublewide and a ten-year-old Chevy or a mansion worth seven-point-five mil. I didn’t discriminate.

What I hadn’t realized until, oh, about yesterday, was that my skill at my chosen profession had made me into a goddamned hard bastard. I’d known I wasn’t the freaking toasted marshmallow I’d been in my college days, that I’d honed my softer emotions so they worked for me instead of against me. I had a strong sense of empathy and I understood when to use it to convince a judge to see my point of view. I also knew when to tuck it away so I could go in for the kill.

What I hadn’t fully grasped was that I’d forgotten what it felt like to want someone. Not just sexually. To crave their laughter and their expressions and the sound of their voice filling all the hollow spaces.

That I’d spent just over a day with her didn’t seem to matter. Island time was something different altogether.

And I didn’t know how to lose. Not anymore—and not when it was this important.

After dancing, we indulged in a long soak in the hot tub. I reached down to grab her ankle in the bubbling water and brought it up to my shoulder where I could kiss her petal-soft skin. I moved higher, well aware she was already curling her toes as she sipped her champagne and watched me through eyes sleepy with satiation of several different kinds.

No one ever accused me of playing fair.

“I have a bird named Santiago. He’s a parrot. He has a filthy mind.”

She stared at me for a second then let out a surprised laugh. “Okay.”

“Earlier when you came out naked for your massage, I was on the phone with my pet sitter. She was telling me he’s developed an interest in the poodle down the hall.”

“At least he’s open-minded.”

“He is. And probably would blister her ears with God knows what if she got within his shouting space.”

“Your bird shouts?”

“Sometimes. He’s feisty. One time, he heard me swearing a blue streak after I got off the phone with a client who called me after hours, and it all went downhill after that.” I turned over her foot and nibbled the side of her big toe, wrinkly and pink from the water. “Tell me about your pets.”

Her eyes twinkled. “Pet, singular. Just my cat, Kit-Kat.”

“For the candy?”

“Yes. Also, it’s to disarm people into thinking she’s sweet. I adopted her from the shelter, and they told me she had a few quirks.” She shook her head.

“Like what?”

“She drinks out of every water glass. You turn your back, and she’s into them. I basically only use tumblers with tops now for myself and my guests.”

I sank my thumbs into her delicate foot arch. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“She really can’t stand men. She tried to bite the mailman.”

I had to laugh at that one. “Well, that must cut down on your social life.”

“Are you fishing?”

“Does it help I have a large rod?”

She splashed me with her foot. “I don’t date much.”

“Why is that?” I asked instead of saying what I wanted to.

It probably makes me a jerk, but I’m glad.

See, I could keep things casual. I was practically a pro.

“I have a busy life.” She shrugged and finished off her champagne before setting it on the edge of the tub. “About the only man in my world right now is my boss. Speaking of, I need to get him a souvenir.”

“They have a gift shop. Get him a stuffed flamingo. He’ll love it.”

Her laughter pitched higher. “You don’t know my boss. Trust me, he would have no use for a stuffed anything.”

“So, you should definitely get him one then. Tomorrow, we’ll explore the island. Do some shopping. Whatever you want to do.”

“An alpha male voluntarily offering to go shopping? What is wrong with this picture?”

“I’m assuming you’ve never been to Fiji before. You should get the full experience.” I moved through the frothy water to join her on the other side. “I don’t want you to look back and have regrets.”

She cuddled into me, tipping back her head. Her skin was rosy pink from the steam and the champagne. And possibly from me too. “I couldn’t regret anything from this trip.” She trailed her fingers through my chest hair and headed downward, her fingers skimming my happy trail before giving my cock a long stroke. “Not one minute.”

I tucked her damp hair behind her ear. “Me either.” I kissed the cluster of freckles beside her lips. “I want to make more memories with you.”

So I can’t ever forget.

“Like hot tub sex?” She wiggled on top of me, rising up until her gorgeous tits were level with my mouth.

Focused on the ruby-red tips so close to my face, I spoke without thinking. “I’ve had it before, but it wasn’t like this.” I drew one of them between my lips, only realizing from her expression what I’d said.

Dick.I was honest to a fault and sometimes that was not a positive trait.

Normally, I would’ve shrugged off my mistake, but I was all too aware that we were operating with limited time. Comments like that weren’t going to convince her to tell me who she was.

I could’ve found out her details through dubious means. Like using my powers of persuasion on the hotel staff, or if that didn’t work, I could flash my credentials and my money to get my way.

But I couldn’t do that to her. Manipulating her that way would undermine everything we’d shared. If she wouldn’t tell me herself, I’d have to accept that.

Somehow.

“We could go snorkeling,“ I said abruptly.

“What?” Her laughter eased the knot in my chest. “You snorkel?”

“No, but I’ve always wanted to. My doctor suggested—” I broke off, glancing away.

I didn’t want her to pity me. The fact that I was overworked and stressed the fuck out was my own fault.

She feathered her fingers over my jaw and turned my face back toward hers. “Your doctor?”

“Yeah. He thought it’d be good if I took a vacation.” My lips twisted. “His particular way to relax is snorkeling. Something about being one with the sea creatures.” I gripped a hank of her wet long hair. “But I’ve found other ways to relax with you.”

“You have. But you’re so not relaxed now.” She fisted my cock, giving it a hard squeeze that sent heat searing down my spine. “I wonder what we could do to fix that?”

I grabbed her and tipped her back in the water, splashing it everywhere. She squealed and clung to my neck, winding around me so tightly that her heartbeat raced against mine as delight danced in her eyes.

It was so easy to laugh with her. The logjam in my chest didn’t feel so tight anymore when she was in my arms.

“How am I supposed to give this up?” My mouth covered hers before she could reply.

I didn’t want to hear her answer.