Kitabı oku: «An Elite Event»

Chapter 1

Eight months later...

“Cydney Rayne.”

She glanced up at the man who had whispered her name and prayed her eyes were deceiving her. They’d been formally introduced an hour before her sister Imani’s wedding, and her body temperature still hadn’t returned to normal. It had taken all her strength to stand up as maid of honor and not steal glances at the sexy man whose eyes had been glued to her the entire ceremony.

Imani and Daman Barker’s backyard wedding reception was in full swing, and she didn’t dare regard the man while being surrounded by her family and friends.

“Please follow me,” she said quickly before leaving the reception and retreating to a nearby walk-in closet inside her grandfather’s large house. As soon as she shut the closet door, she wondered why she hadn’t found a less confined hiding spot.

As they stood there observing one another, she wondered who would be the first to speak. Goodness, the man looked devastatingly sexy. He looked even better than she remembered. His black suit looked tailor-made and now the foremost thought in her mind was how good he’d look out of it.

He licked his lips as his eyes practically burned a hole through her lavender maid-of-honor dress. He was obviously having the same thoughts she was. She wanted to kiss him badly, and seeing the fire in his eyes, she knew that he wanted to kiss her, too. But Cydney refused to start something with a man like him—the kind of man who oozed sex appeal and looked like he just walked off the cover of GQ magazine. She could lose her damn mind with a man like him, and losing her sanity over a man, no matter how good he looked, was not an option.

A month ago, when she’d gone to help her new brother-in-law move out of his Detroit condo, she had seen a picture of Daman with a man she couldn’t quite make out. She could only see his profile in the picture, but she instantly knew that she had met the man previously. Refusing to believe her eyes, she put the photo out of her mind, hoping it was just a weird coincidence that he resembled that man she’d tried to forget about. Now, staring back into a pair of amused sea-blue eyes, she reminded herself that she never did believe in coincidences.

“So, Cydney Rayne, would you like me to call you Jessica, Cydney or do you prefer Cyd, the name everyone else has been calling you all day?”

She wished she could wipe that smirk off his handsome face. She wasn’t the only one who’d made up a fake name. “Well, that depends. Do you want me to call you Shawn Miles or would you rather I call you Brandon?”

His eyes squinted together. “Although I loved the way you screamed my name that night in the ocean, I’d wished you were screaming Shawn rather than Brandon. Now that you know my real name, maybe we can make that happen.”

Throwing her head back in an exaggerated laugh, she refused to let his arrogance get to her. “I’m sure your ears were playing tricks on you, but if that’s the name your mother gave you, then Shawn it is. You can call me Cyd or Cydney, but if you think for one minute that we’ll be sleeping together, think again.”

He was still smiling and checking her out. She tried to keep a calm demeanor, but she was anything but relaxed. She couldn’t even remember how Shawn knew Daman since she hadn’t really listened to the introductions past learning his real name. The moment she’d seen his face before the wedding, she’d wanted to crawl into a deep, dark hole. However, Shawn had looked more amused than surprised. She’d barely returned his handshake when the enormity of the situation had hit her full force. Most people never saw their one-night stands again. Unfortunately for Cyd, her one-night stand came strolling through her grandfather’s backyard for her sister’s wedding. Seriously?

“How do you know Daman, anyway?”

He looked at her from head to toe one more time before responding. “I met Daman through Malik Madden, a mutual friend.”

Cyd wondered if Shawn had known her true identity when they’d first met on the island.

“No, I didn’t know we shared a mutual friend. Imani and Daman hadn’t started working on the gala they planned yet,” Shawn said, interjecting her thoughts.

Cyd squinted her eyes together, soaking in his accurate assessment. “I didn’t even ask you anything,” she snapped. Even if he didn’t know her then, she was sure he’d known about her before he got to the wedding because he hadn’t appeared surprised when he saw her.

“You’re right. I knew who you were before I got here today. After meeting with Daman and Malik one day, I used Google to search Imani when I heard she was marrying Daman. That’s when I spotted a picture of you and your business partners.”

Cyd rolled her eyes and shook her head when he read her thoughts once more. Clearly Shawn had done his research. Cyd, along with her sister Imani Rayne-Barker, cousin Lexus Turner and friend Mya Winters were proud founders of Elite Events, Incorporated in Chicago. The women were well-known for planning elaborate events that left lasting impressions with all who had the pleasure of attending.

“How do you know that’s what I’m thinking? I could have been thinking anything.” Cyd didn’t like when people assumed they knew what was on her mind because usually they were wrong in their assumptions. But Shawn had correctly assessed her thoughts, and that didn’t sit well with her.

Shawn pushed aside a coat that was partially blocking his view of Cyd. “That’s true, but you weren’t just thinking anything. And trust me, Cyd, I wanted to track you down the minute I found the information.”

He was really starting to irritate her. He spoke to her as if they’d known each other forever instead of just being sex partners for one night. “Listen, you don’t know me, Shawn Miles, or whatever your name is. So do us both a favor and stop acting like you do.”

He leaned in closer, and she inhaled his enticing masculine scent. Being around him was a threat to her sanity, and her body was a ball of nerves. Her heart beat even faster as her eyes followed his hand that reached for her face. She couldn’t help but lean into him a little more.

“I know you better than you think, Cydney Rayne or Jessica or whatever your name is. And I also noticed your hair. It’s different than I remember. This color makes you look even sexier than you did the week we met.”

His voice was so seductive that she squeezed her thighs tighter to try to ease the ache that was starting to develop. When she’d met Shawn, her hair had been light brown and styled in natural waves since she’d wanted a look suited for the island. Now her hair was jet-black and cut in soft layers that flowed around her shoulders. The dark color looked dramatic on her light butter-toffee complexion, and she’d definitely gotten a lot more attention since she’d dyed it.

Cyd slowly backed up into a corner of the closet, attempting to put some distance between them. Refusing to give her space, Shawn followed her into the corner and brushed a few fallen strands of hair out of her face with the back of his hand. The heat in the closet rose twenty degrees, and for the second time, she wished she hadn’t chosen a closet as their hiding place. He leaned in, indicating that he was going to kiss her. She could feel it and even worse, she wanted it.

“What are you doing?” she asked, a little more breathless than she would have liked.

“If you have to ask, then I must be doing something wrong.”

No, he was definitely doing everything right. But she was trying to stall the passionate explosion that she knew would come from his kiss. His six-foot-three-inch frame towered over her five-foot-nine-inch body. He’d successfully blocked her from any route of escape.

As his face grew closer to hers, she didn’t have the willpower to stop him.

“I’ve been waiting to do this for eight months,” he said as he dipped his head to hers. The moment their lips touched, she felt the burst of passion she’d been waiting for. Her tongue mated with his as she reacquainted herself with his savory taste. His hands went around her waist and straight to her backside as she wrapped her arms around his neck. When Shawn began to grind against her core, she lost all sense of reality. The fact that he had such a strong sexual hold on her was extremely unsettling.

When her back hit the closet wall, she lifted her right leg and was rewarded by his strong, masculine hand grasping her thigh to keep her in place. His hands were like fire as her body melted to his every caress. She was pretty sure she could come on the spot without him even trying. That was how badly she wanted Shawn.

“Cydney,” Shawn said breathlessly in between kisses, “if we don’t stop soon, I’m taking you right here, right now, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Like I said, I’ve waited eight months to do this, and after kissing you, all I want to do is fill myself with the sweet taste of you.”

He pulled her even closer so she could feel his manhood press against the spot he wanted to bury himself inside. Cyd was so aroused, she could barely think. She knew what she wanted, but she also knew that she shouldn’t succumb to it. Then again, when do I ever do what I should? Being the bold person she was made the answer easy.

“Well, Shawn, if you think you can still handle me, by all means...prove it.”

She was thinking with the lower part of her body but this time she didn’t care. She inched onto the tiptoes of her left foot and Shawn quickly lifted her so that both of her thighs were in his palms. A rush of anticipation shot through her body as she leaned against the wall while he pushed her dress high on her waist and tightened his grip even more.

Cyd assumed he’d just get down to business, but instead, Shawn leaned into her, licking from the base of her collarbone to the middle of her neck, leaving a trail of soft, wet kisses along the way. He methodically began grinding against her core while his hands gripped her butt, bringing her closer to the fit of him.

She wrapped her legs tighter around Shawn’s waist as she gripped one of the closet poles to maintain her balance. When his lips found hers again, she was hungry and waiting. She could taste the remnants of wine on his lips, heightening her aroused state. She tried to think of any reason why she should stop Shawn from moving any further, but her mind was void of excuses. This man, her island lover with the cinnamon-colored skin and abs hard enough to bounce quarters off, was what all wet fantasies were made of. She couldn’t deny herself the opportunity to make love to a man guaranteed to take her on a journey to ecstasy.

Cyd tore off his jacket and Shawn wasted no time tearing off his dress shirt and throwing it aside, as well. His sexy arms flexed with each movement of their bodies and he never once let her feet touch the floor in his hastiness to remove his clothes.

Shawn reached in his back pocket and ripped open a condom packet. Cyd unzipped his pants and quickly put the condom in place, briefly massaging his member as she slid the condom over his shaft.

“I see you’re prepared,” Cyd murmured between kisses.

“Don’t forget that I knew you would be here and I was hoping I’d get a chance to talk to you. I figured with you, I’d better be prepared for anything.”

She wasn’t sure if she liked the fact that he was prepared or offended that he thought there was a possibility they would have sex again.

“I guess if I think about the last time we were together, it makes sense that you were prepared.”

Shawn stopped kissing her neck and gazed into her chestnut-brown eyes. She felt like she was under a microscope and her uneasiness increased when she couldn’t make out his thoughts.

“I was hoping I’d be lucky enough to have another moment with you,” Shawn said while rubbing his hands along her thighs. “I never forgot about the last time we were together, and I hung on to that hope that maybe you felt the same way about me and wanted to share another intimate moment. I didn’t assume, but I damn sure hoped you did.”

She melted at his reply. Lord, help me. The man had a way with words and she was being baited by his charm. Cyd always prided herself on knowing the difference between a man running game on her and a man genuinely expressing his feelings. Shawn was being genuine and the sincerity in his eyes was undeniable. But she couldn’t get too wrapped up in the emotions she felt. This was only about sex. Instead of responding to his words, she adjusted herself and slowly guided his shaft into her core until he reached her hilt.

Shawn exhaled deeply and took over from there, gliding in and out of her wet center with ease. This was the moment she’d missed since their last encounter. This was the feeling she’d dreamed about, the sensations she knew only he could provide.

They’d been exchanging words since they’d stepped into the closet, but at this moment all words ceased. Shawn’s eyes stared into Cyd’s with an intensity she felt throughout her entire body. There was nothing sexier than a shirtless man sexing the hell out of a woman with his body and his eyes. All the coats and shirts hanging in the closet rocked back and forth to the movement of their hips.

Shawn never lost eye contact with her. There was never a man who wanted her this badly. The fact that he was so honest about his desire excited and scared her all at the same time. Damn, what is it about this man? Cyd had had good sex, but none of her past partners remotely compared to Shawn. Not even close.