The Temptation (Filthy Rich Americans 5)

Goddamn, he was so good looking, it wasn’t even fair. The wind played with his hair, making the ends light up a golden brown under the hot summer sun. His thin, white linen shirt was unbuttoned and open, revealing his sculpted chest, notched abs, and trim waist that led my eyes down to his navy board shorts.

We both had sunglasses on, but I also had a wide-brimmed straw beach hat to keep the sun from blinding me. It glinted off the rippling waves of the ocean, trying to get at me.

It was quieter now that the engine was off, and once he’d finished with the sails, he padded on his bare feet back to me and stood at the wheel, making another adjustment. The water was calm and there weren’t any other boats around, and it felt like we were all alone in the world.

He offered it casually, like it wasn’t a big deal. “Lambert has decided he’s going to throw the party.”

I’d started unbuttoning the shirt over my bikini top, but my fingers slowed. “Good. So, now we have to figure out how I get upstairs undetected.”

“How long do you think it will take you to get the safe open?”

“If he hasn’t changed the combination? Ten seconds. If he has, then maybe five minutes to put my scope in and line up the wheels.”

I slipped my shirt off, folded it up, and tucked it into the bag I’d brought with me, then retrieved my sunscreen. Vance’s sunglasses were pointed at my gray bikini top for a long moment as he watched me, and I grinned. It was nice to know he was just as attracted to me as I was to him.

I held up the bottle of lotion, waving it at him. “Do you mind doing my back?”

He checked the instruments, set the autopilot, and pulled the sunscreen from my grasp.

Even with the wind, the sun was hot, and a bead of sweat rolled down his delicious chest as he sat beside me on the bench, uncapped the sunscreen, and squeezed a dollop into his palm. The lotion was cool and pleasant as he spread it across my shoulder blades and down the length of my back, working it gently into my skin.

“You know,” his voice was seductive, “this would be easier if these straps weren’t in my way.”

I swallowed a breath. “Then undo them.”

He made a sound of approval, and a muscle deep between my legs clenched in response.

Gentle tugs undid the knot at the center of my back, releasing the tension of the bikini. He didn’t bother to undo the one behind my neck. The second the fabric went slack, his hands smoothed around my sides and slid up to cup my breasts.

I was never going to get tired of having his hands on my body, but I both loved and hated his vow. It was amazing to have a partner who focused completely on me, but he still hadn’t lifted his rule that said I wasn’t allowed to touch him. My hands were desperate to explore and return some of the pleasure he gave me.

I sighed and leaned back against his chest, gazing out at the blue water that stretched all around us, enjoying the coconut scent of the sunscreen and the slippery way Vance’s hands moved over my sensitive skin. He lowered his lips to the side of my neck, kissing the pulse point below my ear and causing a shiver of pleasure.

Fuck, a girl could get used to this.

I wouldn’t allow myself to think about the future with him, about what happened after we’d accomplished our goal and exposed whatever dirty secrets Lambert had locked away. Vance’s celibacy vow was set to end two weeks before the retirement party, which meant he’d have everything he wanted from me by then.

A tiny voice in the back of my mind warned me to be cautious. He was a man who got whatever he wanted, so part of the appeal of our relationship might be the delayed gratification. I hoped what we had wouldn’t change after he got it because I worried it was too late for me.

I liked Vance Hale a lot.

Enough that my feelings strayed dangerously close to the territory of love.

“Okay,” I said breathlessly, sitting up and easing his hands away. “I think I’m good. You were very thorough.” I twisted my arms behind my back, finding the strings, and worked to tie a knot.

He reached for me, grasping my chin with his thumb and forefinger, and used that to turn me into his kiss. His lips moved slow and deliberate, tasting me in a rhythm that matched the gentle water lapping at the hull of his boat.

“Tease,” he whispered playfully.

With that kiss, he was the bigger tease. I longed for him far more now than when his hands had skimmed over my breasts, ghosting over my skin. Every time I tried to crack the combination to what was inside him, his kiss would blank out my mind and I’d have to start over.