Billionaire's Island Bride (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) (3 page)

She did not have
to wait long.  Apparently getting bored with Erin as her dance partner, Robyn
gave her a little wave and pushed through the crowd toward the bar.  Robyn
could never go too long without a drink.

Now Erin was
alone.  She pasted a fake smile on her face and continued to bob to the music
that had suddenly become tedious.

But she couldn’t
go running off the dance floor like a frightened doe so she stayed there, alone
in a sea of people, rocking to the steady rhythm of the music.

When the DJ
switched to slow music it gave her the perfect excuse to finally exit the dance
floor.  She slid through the mass of dancing couples and headed in the
direction of the bar. At least Robyn would be there.

But she was not.

Erin’s eyes
skimmed the bar, searching for the emerald green dress, but it was nowhere in
sight.  She sighed.  Robyn must have found a guy and gone back to the dance
floor.  She would just have to entertain herself for a while.

“Hey, baby, you
look hot.”

Erin turned and
came face to face with a bespectacled man, probably in his late forties, with
receding brown hair and a wide grin.

“Want to dance?”

“I…no, thank you. 
I’m taking a break right now.”  Erin smiled as she spoke the words, not wanting
to hurt the man’s feelings.

“Aw, come on.  I
saw you on the dance floor.  You’re a great dancer.  Come show me some of your
moves.”

The man reached
out and put a hand on her shoulder and she felt a shudder go through her.  He
had some nerve.  She jerked away from his touch.

“I really don’t
feel like dancing right now,” she said, her voice firm.  “I’m thirsty.”  As she
spoke she was sidling away, trying to get closer to the bar and away from the
man.

“Oh, so it’s a
drink you want.  No problem, honey.  That’s what I’m here for.  Then we can
have some fun.”  The man reached out again and this time he grasped her upper
arm.

“Let go of me.”  Wrenching
her arm from his grasp, Erin lurched backward and came up hard against a man’s
solid back.

Now look what the
idiot made her do.  She gave him a withering glare.

“I’m so sorry,”
she said, turning around to face the person she had stumbled into, and her
words of apology died on her lips.  The man from the pool.  She was staring up
into his cool gray eyes and she could see he was not amused.

“Still at it?” he
began, brows drawing together in a frown.  “Why don’t you-“

 “Darling, there
you are,” she gushed, cutting him off.

His frown deepened
but before he could say another word she put her arm around his shoulder in a
quick hug.

“I’ll have that
drink now,” she said loudly, with a little giggle as she took his arm and tried
to turn him back to face the bar.

He did not budge.

Her heart
skipped.  He was going to blow her cover.

She stole a glance
up at his face and his eyes bored into her.  She could not read his expression
but she knew he was angry.

She made one last
try.  “A pina colada would be lovely.”  Erin gave him her best flirtatious
smile and her heart melted with relief as a slow if cynical smile spread across
his lips.

In one fluid
movement he slid off the bar stool and stood before her and for that moment she
was very close to him, so close that she could smell the spicy fragrance of his
cologne.

She breathed in
then gasped as his big hands spanned her waist.

He lifted her
effortlessly and set her down on top of the stool he had just vacated.  He spun
it around so that she was facing the bar then leaned in beside her.

“A pina colada for
the lady.”

“Coming right
up.”  The bartender gave him a nod and within seconds was sliding a frothy
glass in front of her.

Not knowing what
to say next, she dipped her head and took the straw between her lips.  She
sucked the sweet, foamy liquid into her mouth, glad for the way it soothed her
parched throat.

 Finally, she looked
at him.  His face was so close she could see the faint shadow on his chin.  The
slight stubble gave him a rakish air and, for some reason, her breathing became
ragged.

“Th…thank you,”
she said then licked her lips that suddenly felt so dry.  She glanced back into
the crowd for the man who had made her flee but he was nowhere in sight.

She glanced back
at the man from the pool and he was watching her, so intently that she dropped
her eyes back to her glass.  Her fingers trembled as she cooled her palms on
the cold glass.  Bending her head, she took another sip of her drink, glad for
the excuse to break eye contact with him while her mind raced to find a way to
get out of this mess.

“Let’s dance.” 

Relief flooded
through her as she realized she would not have to make conversation with this
man who probably thought she’d been stalking him.  They could dance for a
minute and then she would thank him and disappear into the crowd.  Then
hopefully she would never have to see him again.

Now why did that
thought make her heart slide down to her toes?

She slipped off
the stool and took the hand he offered.  A quiver went through her and she bit
her lip. 

His was a large
hand, warm and strong, and she could imagine such a hand sliding up her body,
cupping her breasts in a bold caress.

Erin, stop it
.  She gave her head a quick shake and focused on her new dance
partner as he led her toward the dance floor.

Once she was
safely hidden in the crowd Erin gently pulled on her hand, wanting to break
contact as soon as possible.  To her dismay, instead of releasing her the man
pulled her closer to him and began to sway to the sounds of Boyz II Men's 'I'll
Make Love To You'. 

Erin wanted to
resist.  She really did.  But his hard body felt so good against hers as he
held her close, and the music was so sensual that she felt her reserve melt
like the ice in her pina colada.  She relaxed as the music pulsated around
them.  She closed her eyes and let him lead, swaying her hips and matching his
every move.

His hand slid to
the small of her back and a delicious tingle ran all the way up her spine.  

Now was the time
to thank him for the dance and make a hasty exit but her tongue felt heavy in
her mouth.  She closed her eyes.  She could not speak.

“What’s your
name?”

Erin jumped.  The
man had bent his head and his lips were close to her ear, so close that his
warm breath tickled the fine hairs on her skin.

“I’m Erin. 
And…and you?”

“I’m Dare,” he
said softly into her ear, and the way he said it made her shiver.

Dare.  What an unusual
name.  But it certainly seemed appropriate for this man holding her close on
the dance floor, so bold and unapologetic.

The strains of the
song died away and Erin took a deep breath.  This was her chance.  She cleared
her throat.

“Thank you for the
dance,” she began then gasped as the man, Dare whatever his name was, grasped
her hand and started walking off the dance floor, pulling her along with him. 

She looked around
frantically.  Where were the girls?  She needed to be rescued.  Now.  Her eyes
skimmed the sea of people but in that mass of bodies there was hardly any chance
she would find her suite mates.

Tugging her arm, Erin
blurted, “Where are you taking me?”

Dare spared her a
backward glance.  “This place is getting too crowded for me.  Let’s get out of
here.”

Get out of here? 
To where?  He was forgetting that they hadn’t arrived at the nightclub
together.

“Excuse me,” she
tugged again, “but I’m not going anywhere with a stranger.”

The man ignored
her.

By this time they
were out a side door and onto a terrace surrounded by an abundant tropical
garden.  Dare let go of her wrist and leaned his shoulder against a cast iron
trellis through which flowered vines twisted and coiled.  As he lounged he
folded his arms across his chest, watching her.

“So what was that
about us being strangers?”  He gave a dry chuckle.  “After all we’ve shared – a
hug, a dance, a dunk in the pool.  I thought we were more than that?”

She bit her lip
and looked away.  She could understand how it all looked.  As far as he was concerned
she’d been the one doing the pursuing.  She could only guess what he must think
of her.

She took a deep
breath, thinking fast.  Should she tell him the truth about the stupid dare or
would he think her a crazy college student who would do anything for kicks? 
Maybe that wouldn’t paint her in such a good light but she could at least tell
him about the stalker in the nightclub.  He would surely understand her actions
then.

She opened her
mouth to speak and the man chose that moment to reach out and pull her to him. 
Caught off guard, she tilted into him.  He took the opportunity to turn with
her then backed her up against the trellis, pressing her into the flowery metal
frame.

Dare raised one
arm and rested it on the metal bar above her head, effectively trapping her
between himself and the wall.  His eyes glinted in the moonlight as he stared
down at her.

Erin’s heart
thumped and she swallowed hard.  Goodness.  How was she going to get out of
this predicament in a dignified manner?

“Kiss me.”

“Wh…what?”

“That’s what you
want, isn’t it?  Now’s your chance.” 

“I don’t know what
you’re talking about.”  She glared up at him, shocked by his audacity. 

“You threw
yourself at me twice in one day.  I have to reward all that effort.  Now kiss
me.”  Dare’s tone was commanding.  He put a finger under her chin and tilted
her face toward his.

Erin’s heart
pounded.  He was going to kiss her.  And she wanted it, dear God she wanted it. 
But she’d always been “the good girl”.  Did she dare?

She did.  When his
lips touched hers she did not stop him.  She did not pull away.  Erin closed her
eyes tight and clung to his muscled arms.  His lips were hard, unyielding.  His
arm snaked around her and he pulled her tight against his body, so close that
she could feel the rippling muscles of his torso against her breasts.

She kept her eyes
closed, not daring to look into those enigmatic gray eyes, not wanting to read
what lay in their depths. 

Then all coherent
thought flew from her mind as Dare softened his kiss, his lips moving sensually
over hers, stealing her breath away.  Erin leaned into him, her nipples as hard
as pebbles, and then she was kissing him back, answering his passion with a
fervor that was alien to her.  She moaned under the caress of his lips. 

Erin trembled in
Dare’s arms.  Her body was responding to him like she’d done with no man
before.  And as she stood there wrapped in his arms Erin knew she was in deep
trouble.

CHAPTER THREE

Slowly, Dare
lifted his head and stared down into the dazed eyes of the girl in his arms. 
What was she doing to him?  He’d meant to dominate her, knock her off balance
with his kiss.  After all, she’d been pursuing him all day.  It was time to
take her up on what on what she was offering, maybe even teach her a lesson in
the process.

But, to his
chagrin, it was he who was caught off guard.  The kiss had left him
breathless.  Damn, was he getting soft?

He released her
and put her away from him.  Only then did he speak.  “I want to see you again. 
Let’s have dinner tomorrow.”

Her eyes widened
in apparent shock.  “Dinner?  But…I don’t know you.”

Dare almost
laughed out loud.  What kind of game was she playing?  Did she take him for a
fool?  Why else would she have been coming on to him, twice in one day, if she
didn’t know who he was?  He would have respected her more if she’d just been
honest.

“Listen, I know
enough about you to know that I want to see you again.”

“But…”

“No buts.  Do you
want to see me again?”  He knew he was bullying the girl but that was the whole
idea.  She’d decided to play with fire so it was no fault of his if she got
burned.

“Yes.”  Her voice
was a mere whisper, her eyes huge pools of iridescent hazel.  On her face was a
look of uncertainty tinged with just a hint of anticipation.

Dare chuckled
inwardly.  The girl was playing temptress but she had a lot to learn.  First
lesson - don’t make your feelings so obvious.  With an expressive face like
hers she was going to have a hard task succeeding in her chosen role as
seductress.

“It’s settled
then.  We’ll have dinner tomorrow at Michelangelo’s.  They have a private
lounge where we can eat and talk undisturbed.  Seven o’clock.  Meet me there.”