Billionaire's Island Bride (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) (17 page)

“I want…you,” she
said, her voice thick with desire.

“Are you sure?” 
The look he gave her spoke volumes.  She’d rebuffed him before and his look
said he wasn’t taking any chances.

“I’m sure,” she
said, her voice a wee bit stronger.  Her body was clamoring for him and there
was no denying it the release it craved.  Not now, when her blood surged with
the heat of passion.  Certainly not now as the wind swirled outside, making her
shiver for want of those muscled arms around her.

“Are you
begging?”  His eyes, glittering like diamonds in the light, danced with
amusement.

She lowered her
eyes and bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling with laughter.  Then she
lifted her chin and looked him straight in the eyes.  “I’m begging,” she admitted
and she said it without apology.

Dare’s lips curled
into a smile.  He threw back the covers and held out his hands.  “Come.”

This time when
Erin saw Dare’s nakedness she felt the heat rush to her face.  The Dare she had
bathed was very different from the one who now lay bold and bare in front of
her, that special part of his anatomy standing straight and proud.

After the trauma
that the night had brought she needed him.  And so, stifling the caution that
would normally keep her in check, she climbed into Dare’s bed and into his
arms.

This time when
they made love it was gentle and sweet.  As she lay on her side in front of him
he pressed himself against her back and wrapped his arms around her.  When he
kissed the back of her neck, sending shivers up her spine, she sighed and pushed
back against him.  When he cupped her breasts, now full and heavy in his hands,
she arched her back and moaned until he pinched and rolled the taut nipples
with his fingers, making her sweet spot moisten in response.

When he slid
inside her, so thick and firm, her body was ready to receive him.  Then his
hand slid over her belly and down to her center of sensation and he began to
stroke so softly like the touch of a feather then faster and faster, until all
the colors of the rainbow exploded between her legs and shot like fireworks to
every part of her body, making her cry out in release.

And as she reached
her peak he pushed deep inside her, one long clean stroke, and then he was
emptying his seed deep inside her.

For a long time
they lay there, joined as one as they fought to regain control.  Then as their
harsh breathing died down to the gentle rhythm of satiation Dare gathered her
even closer and slid his hand up to stroke the smooth skin of her hip.

And though the
wind wailed and the windows rattled, Erin felt if there was one moment in life
that defined her heaven, this was it.

But then she
remembered.  The wind, Francine’s room, the plank flying through the air.  She
gasped and held Dare’s wrist, stilling his caress.  “Dare, your head.  What if
I made you worse?”

Dare chuckled into
the back of her neck.  “By letting me make love to you?  You actually did the
opposite.  I’m cured.”

She reached behind
and slapped at his bum.  “Be serious.  You could have a concussion.  I don’t
think making love was a good idea.”

“It was an
excellent idea,” he whispered then kissed her nape, effectively wiping all
thought from her mind and leaving her only with the feel of his body and his
touch.

Then he turned her
to him and dipped his head to confound her even further with a kiss that left
her panting.

She lifted her
hands and planted them on his chest.  “Dare, no.  I mean it.  No more for
tonight.  Not in your condition.”

He chuckled and
leaned back and propped his elbow on the pillow then rested his cheek in his
hand.  He gave her a boyish grin.  “Or in yours.”  He reached out and rested a
big warm hand on her belly.  “I hope I didn’t disturb little Mr. DeSouza.”

“Or Miss,” she
said, smiling back.

“Or Miss.” He
stroked her smooth skin then lowered his head to press his ear against her
gentle rise.  “I wish I could hear it,” he said, his voice soft with something
akin to wonder.

“Why don’t you say
something?”  she prompted.  “The baby can hear, you know.”

To her surprise,
instead of speaking Dare began to sing, soft and low, his voice a melodic
rumble as his lips tickled the skin of her belly.  He was singing a lullaby to
the baby inside her, a song welcoming the little one into the world.

As the words of
the song died away Erin blinked to clear the tears that had gathered in her
eyes.  It had been so unexpected and so touching.  “That was beautiful,” she
said and raised her hand to stroke Dare’s dark curls as he again pressed his
ear against her skin.  It felt so natural.  “I didn’t know you could sing.”

He lifted his head
and chuckled.  “I was part of a boy band in college.  Bass guitarist and
background vocalist.”

“Wow,” she said
with a teasing laugh, “you never cease to amaze me.  If you hadn’t made it in
real estate you would definitely have made it big in the music business.”

“Yeah, right.”  He
slid his body up where he could nuzzle her neck.  She knew what he wanted and
this time she didn’t have the heart to stop him.  Crack on the head or no, Dare
- or more accurately the part of his anatomy now prodding her hip - was ready
for another round.

She sighed and
stretched languorously then tilted her head up and gave him a peck on the
cheek.  “Just one more time,” she whispered, “but only if you sing me a love
song.”

“Are you
begging?”  he said into her ear.

“No, that was an
order.”  She reached up and pulled his head down for a long, searing kiss that
would leave him in no doubt as to who was in charge.

 CHAPTER ELEVEN

Dare woke to a ray
of light streaming in through a crack in the brocade drapes at the window.  For
the first time in weeks he’d slept through the night.  He lifted his head off
the pillow to look at his wife as she curled into him.  She was still fast
asleep and he used the opportunity to explore her body with hands, sliding it
over the fullness of her breasts then letting it come to rest in the curve of
her waist.  She was beautiful in her pregnancy, her skin a delicate rosy hue,
her body blooming with his child.  What could be lovelier?

If nothing else,
the hurricane had accomplished one good thing.  Last night they had connected. 
For the first time since Erin’s arrival on the island there had been a harmony
between them that he hoped would last.  He would do everything in his power to
maintain this newfound peace.  He’d been a cad but going forward he’d show Erin
he could be a loving husband.

Slowly so as not
to wake her he slid out of the bed and padded over to the walk-in closet where
he grabbed underwear, jeans, a T-shirt and a pair of heavy boots.  All kinds of
debris would  be strewn around after the storm, including broken glass and
loose boards with nails sticking out.  The last thing he needed was a puncture
wound that would send him rushing to the hospital for a tetanus shot.

A quick survey of
the grounds revealed that the damage was not as bad as he had expected.  Apart
from the tree that had fallen onto the west wing of the house everything else
was intact. Still, it was going to take a lot of work to clear the mess from
the property.  He’d have to get a work team on board within the next day or
two.

His priority,
though, was the resort and the guests who were in his care.  A quick call to
the resort manager put his mind at ease - all guests present and accounted for
and only minor damage to the villas closest to the beach.

He went back to
check on Erin and she was up.  She’d put on his robe again and it swallowed her
up, making her look like a child playing dress up in her parents’ clothes.

As soon as she saw
him her face lit up and then it clouded over with a look of concern.  “How do
you feel today?”  she asked.  She hopped out of the bed and came over to rest a
hand on his arm.  “Any headaches? Dizziness?”

“I’m fine, nurse,”
he teased then reached out and pulled her against him.  “And how did you rest?”

“Never slept
better,” she said with a relaxed smile and then her face went pink and he knew
she was remembering their lovemaking from the night before.

And she’d soon have
a lot more to grow pink about.  Tonight he planned to give her even more of the
same treatment.  But now there was work to do.  “You whip up some breakfast
while I make some calls and get a work crew organized.  It’s going to be a busy
day.”

“Not for you it’s
not,” she said, her eyes flashing.  “Your first order of business is to swing
by the hospital and have them check out that bump on your head.”

“But-”

“Not another word,
mister.  Go freshen up while I make breakfast.  Then it’s off to the doctor for
you.”

Dare could only
stare at her in amused surprise.  Now where had this bossy spirit come from? 
There was a lot more to Erin than met the eye.

As much as he
wanted to get started on the repairs he realized the wisdom of her words.  With
a nod and a quick grin he yielded to his new boss and headed off to the
bathroom.

Later that morning
with the permission of his doctor Dare made his rounds of the resort and
ensured that competent staff was on hand to cater to the guests.  Then he
stopped by his office to make some important phone calls after the storm.  He
had to connect with his relatives back in Michigan to assure them he was safe
and with his insurance company to arrange for an assessment of the damage.  It
was a good thing he’d included flood insurance and wind damage for all his
properties.

When he got back
home late that afternoon Erin was nowhere to be found.  He called her cell
phone.

“There was an
announcement on the radio that the shelter got a lot more people than they
bargained for.  They’ve run out of blankets so I got Carlos to take me down
here to drop some off.”  There was the sound of static and then her voice came
back on the line but weaker than before.  “It’s really bad, Dare.  Lots of
damage-”  The call dropped, leaving him clutching the phone to his ear.

He tried calling
back but only got a busy signal.  Obviously the hurricane had not only affected
the supply of electricity.  It had messed up the phone systems, too.

He just hoped she
would hurry back.  She was in no condition to be traipsing all over town trying
to save the world. 

Within an hour
Erin was back home looking flushed and eager.  “They were so happy for the
blankets,” she said, beaming.  “We should take them some food, too.  With all
the people who turned up at the shelter I’m sure they’d appreciate it.”

“Sure,” Dare said,
taking her by the shoulder and leading her over to the reclining chair.  “But
not today.  You need to put your feet up and relax.  Remember what the doctor
said about the swelling in your ankles.”

“He said I need
exercise, not pampering.”  But despite her protest she relaxed into the chair
and put her feet up, much to his relief.

He could see how
much it meant to her to have been able to render assistance.  She was obviously
a kindhearted soul and he loved her for it.

Dare paused and
looked up from where he was kneeling at her feet.  Love.  Now where had that
thought come from?  Unbidden, it had popped into his mind, startling him with
how easily it had slipped in.  Did he love Erin?

If his actions were
anything to go by then maybe it was so.  Right then he was busy massaging her
ankles, helping to stimulate the circulation and prevent swelling.  It made him
feel…husbandly, if that was a word.  But he had to admit, something had
changed.  He still wanted Erin, that was for sure, but that alone was no longer
enough.  His feelings for her had blossomed into something far more than just
the physical.  Now his desire was for an emotional connection.

That evening Dare
made his specialty, stir-fried chicken with white rice, and he and Erin sat
down to a quiet meal alone.  They finished off with a cup of herbal tea for
Erin and black coffee for Dare.  Then, for the first time since they’d met, he
told her about his musical family.  He talked about his dad, a country and
western singer who had moved to Michigan with his young wife, where they’d
performed in nightclubs across the city.

As teenagers Dare
and his two brothers often joined their parents on stage. Later, one of his
brothers went on to a musical career while the other became a psychiatrist. 
Dare chose the field of engineering.

“But the
entrepreneurial spirit won out, I see.”  Erin lifted her teacup to him.

Dare nodded. 
“Never even got the chance to use my engineering degree, but who’s
complaining?”

They were both
having a laugh at that when Dare’s cell phone began to buzz.  He peered at the
screen.  “My broker.  Calling me now?  Weird.”  He took the call and was on the
phone less than two minutes when he hung up.  He was all smiles.

“Did you just win
the lottery?”  Erin asked cheekily.  A man like Dare probably never wasted his
time or his money on such slim odds.