Breaking Free (Invitation to Eden) (9 page)

“Holy fuck,” he moaned as her muscles closed around him, her pussy hugging his cock so tight, he almost fucking lost it. Fire pitched through him as he pulled back and rammed again, wanting...needing...more. Breath rushed from his lungs as he speared her, and she rocked with him, establishing a rhythm as he angled his body for deeper, harder thrusts.

Panting like a damn animal, he fucked her, using long, hard strokes to go balls deep, yet still unable to get enough of him inside her.

“So good,” she cried out, opening herself to him.

He loved how she responded to him, the satisfaction in her voice, and was thrilled to know that he could do this to her, even though she had no idea it was him. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he couldn’t recall her responding so wildly, so open, to any of the guys she’d been paired with so far. Her fingers clawed at the table, and even though some small coherent part of his brain told him he shouldn’t be doing this, it felt so fucking good, so right to be inside her.

Restraint a thing of the past, he rode her furiously, his cock moving urgently inside her. He bucked forward, slipped a hand between her legs, and applied gentle pressure to the spot that made her moan the loudest.

He clenched down on his jaw, struggling to hang on, but the second she came again, her cream searing his cock, he lost it. Leaning over her, he gripped her shoulders, and with one final thrust, he gave himself over to his own orgasm. He shot off inside her, his body trembling from head to toe as his cock pulsed and spasmed, depleting every ounce of cum inside her hot cunt.

As her throaty purr resonated through his body, he knew he needed one kiss. Just one tiny, little kiss. With everything in him aching to taste the sweetness of her mouth, he pulled out of her, picked her up off the table, and spun her around, desperate to taste her mouth. Her hair flared as she turned to face him. With the bandana still around her eyes, he pressed her ass against the pool table, his hands holding hers against her hips as his mouth crashed down on hers. He pushed his tongue inside, slashing it against the inside of her cheeks as he devoured her like a man starved for more than just sex. She pulled her hands from his and slid them around his body, touching him like she couldn’t get enough as she kissed him back. The intensity in what he felt for her scared the shit out of him. Electricity arched between them, and after a thorough taste of her mouth, he broke the kiss, leaving her lips bruised as she gasped for breath.

Panting heavily, he pulled his bandana back up and managed to mask his identity seconds before she tugged hers down. Their glances clashed and the dark desire he met in her gaze nearly unglued him.

His heart raced, pounding, apprehension building inside him. Everything in the way she looked at him, recognition dancing in her eyes, told him she knew. She knew all along it was him.

“Jesse,” she murmured.

As the lust cleared and reality came rushing back in a
whoosh
, he took a distancing step back. Shit, he knew he never should have fucked her, gone at her like a goddamn rutting animal. Hadn’t he warned himself that if he ever touched her, kissed her, put his cock inside her, that he’d want more? This was a dangerous game he was playing, and if he knew what was good for him, he’d end this shit right now.

A
laska tossed restlessly in her bed, trying to come to some explanation as to why Jesse had taken off after giving her the best sex of her life, distancing himself both physically and emotionally before she could talk to him. But she needed answers...needed to know if he was the guy responsible for this vacation. And if so, why? She thought back to the contest question and how easy it was for her to answer. Jesse was one of the few people who knew how much she loved to dance. Even though all clues pointed to him, the price tag associated with a fantasy vacation like this gave her a measure of doubt. She was sure a week on Eden would cost way more than he made in an entire year.

She looked outside her window to see a multi-colored bird perched on her sill. As it sang to her, she thought back to the way Jesse had touched her, and her body tightened with the memories. She felt his presence in the bar long before he came to her. When the players had changed and she caught the distinctive smell of his skin, felt the intensity in his touch, she knew it was Jesse touching her body.

Her body throbbed as she recalled the way his fingers stroked her with hunger, the way he kissed her with need, and even though he’d been disguising his voice, it still did mysterious things to her nerves.

Alaska threw off her blankets and climbed to her feet, determined to find him before the day was over. If he continued to avoid her, then she’d have no choice but to figure out a way to draw him out. Because she wanted answers, and she wanted them now.

A quick shower later, she pulled on another one of her sundresses then stepped out into the warm sunshine. She walked the beach and passed the Tiki bar and the washroom/changing area, noticing that someone had left the outdoor rain shower on. After turning it off, she made her way to one of the many paths and flagged down a driver.

He dropped her off at the pavilion, and as she explored, walking around the people checking emails on the lounge sofas, she once again found herself near the stage, watching the dancers practicing for their nightly show. She studied them for a second longer and was about to leave before the director kicked her out again, when one of the girl’s sank to the floor, gripping her ankle.

Caleb dropped down next to her, and after a quick examination, he carried her off the stage. He set her in a chair in the front row, motioned for the director, then glanced up to see Alaska.

“Janey,” he called out, a big smile on his face as he waved her over.

Alaska walked down the aisle toward the stage and looked at the girl soothing her foot. “Are you okay?” she asked, knowing how bad an ankle injury could be for a dancer.

“I think it’s sprained,” she said.

The director jumped off the stage, and a medic came with his bag. The two attended to the girl as Caleb pulled Alaska away.

“I’ve been looking for you,” he said, his dark eyes glistening.

She gave a small smile and said, “I’ve been a bit busy.”

“Well, I’m glad you finally came to talk.” He cocked his head, his eyes hopeful. “Does this mean you’re going to dance for us?”

She shook her head. “I’m only here for a few more days.”

He shot the injured dancer a glance, and Alaska cringed as the medic wrapped a bandage around her ankle. “Now that Emma’s laid up, we’ll need a replacement.”

“I—”

Before he could give her a chance to say no, he gripped her hips, lifted her clear off her feet, and sat her on the stage. He jumped up beside her and pulled her to her feet as the music started up.

She stood there staring at the dancers, at Caleb, hardly able to believe what was going on.

“Dance with me, Janey,” he said, pressing his body to hers.

“I’m not sure—”

“I am.”

As everyone looked at her with hopeful eyes, her resolve melted. They all seemed to be counting on her to fill the vacant position so they could continue to practice, and since she didn’t want to let them down, she whispered, “Just this once.”

Caleb shrugged. “If you say so.”

He grabbed her hand to set her into motion. Thankful that she’d seen enough of the routine to follow along for the most part, she took her place in line. As she kicked up her legs, she knew she could perfect the moves with a little more practice.

Deciding to go for it, to just let go and enjoy this for what it was, she let Caleb take the lead and danced with him. Feeling alive and free as he spun her around, she soon found herself laughing and enjoying every minute of the performance. As Caleb pulled her close, she looked at all the empty seats facing the stage and imagined what it would be like to dance for a captive audience. What it would be like to live here on the island and be a part of this dance troupe?

When the song ended, Caleb pressed his lips to her cheek. “The job’s yours,” he said, like he knew what she was thinking. Then again, it was like everyone here knew what she wanted, needed, including Jack and Blair. It made her wonder if they were staff, too.

Breathing hard she said, “Caleb, I can’t.”

He smiled. “You’re on Eden, Janey. The word
can’t
doesn’t exist.” She looked at the dancers, then glanced around. “Staff are treated exceptionally well,” he continued and opened his arms wide. “Everything you could ever want, you’ll find on Eden.”

Truthfully, right now what she wanted was to find Jesse. She just needed to figure out a way how.

“So what do you say?” he asked as he tossed her a towel.

She blotted her cheeks, and in an effort to appease him, she said, “I’ll think about it.” After handing him back the towel, she jumped down from the stage and continued her search. As she walked through the breakfast area, Caleb’s words continued to ring in her mind.

As wonderful as joining the troupe would be, she couldn’t just disappear and lose herself in Eden, could she? Then again, what kind of life was she going back to? One on lockdown with a father who cared nothing about her—had so much as abandoned her—and a mother who left her to fend for herself when she was just a child.

Before she could give it any more thought, the hairs on her nape began to tingle, and she knew Jesse was here, watching her. Had he been watching her perform, too?

Her glance surfed through the crowd, and her mind raced, taking her back to her dorm and the night he walked in on her when she was masturbating. She’d seen his reactions, the need in his body. A small grin tugged at her mouth, because she suddenly knew just what she had to do to get him to come to her. Oh yeah, she wasn’t the only one with fantasies.

* * *

J
esse raked his hair off his face as he walked the beach, wondering what Alaska’s fantasy might be tonight and how he was going to make it through it without losing his mind. He’d avoided her today, but he didn’t miss seeing her dance or the joy on her face as she performed with the troupe. Dancing was her life, what she was meant to do. If she followed that dream, she was definitely going to go places and find happiness.

He, on the other hand, was just a punk-ass kid with skills for fighting. The streets were his home, and he had no way off them, no way to get out from under Franco’s hold. He’d never really given his future much thought. When a guy went day-to-day, he never knew if he’d have another one. But now, after watching Alaska for so long, after she gave herself to him last night, he couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to make things between them more permanent. Except he couldn’t allow himself the luxury of thinking about that. They’d be back at the dorm in a few short days, and he wasn’t going to drag her to the gutters with him. No, she was going places, and he wasn’t going to stand in her way.

As night fell over Eden, he searched the island for her. There were no nightclubs in the sky, no carousels, no couples in the middle of a scene. He checked the dock, the motorcycle club, and even the dance stage, but she was nowhere to be found, none of her fantasies taking place. Unease moved into his stomach. Where the hell was she?

Fighting down the panic churning in his gut, he hurried to her cabana. He knocked, but when no answer came, he kicked open the door. He did a thorough search of her room, even checking the bathroom. He hurried back outside and scanned the shoreline, the last place he’d seen her. She was his responsibility, and if anything ever happened to her... Jesus, he couldn’t finish that thought. The truth was his fear for her safety had nothing to do with his role as her protector and everything to do with the way he felt about her.

With his pulse racing and knowing security patrolled the beaches to prevent uninvited visitors from sneaking onto Eden, he ran along beach, his steps slowing as he passed the now empty Tiki bar. Where was everyone? The sound of water drew his attention, and he cautiously moved toward the changing areas.

When he spotted Alaska standing beneath the outdoor rain shower, warm water rushing down her beautiful, naked body, his heart nearly stopped. She ran her hands through her hair, the sweet floral scent of her shampoo calling out to him in mind-fucking ways. Unable to help himself, he stood in the shadows and watched her. His stomach tensed. It suddenly occurred to him that she knew more about him than he ever realized, which begged the question, did she know who he really was?

He took in the look on her face, the honesty and openness she displayed as she finished washing her hair and aimed the spray between her legs. She touched herself, her fingers sliding over her clit, and his mouth watering for another taste.

Her full lips parted, and she made a sexy bedroom noise. His cock instantly hardened.

Walk away, Jesse
.

She ran her fingers over her hard nipples, and heat flashed through him, making it impossible to move.

Her lashes blinked open, and when she aimed a small, inviting smile his way, like she knew he was there, he stepped from the shadows. They exchanged a long, heated look, one that had him hungering for so much from her. As she baited him, knowing just what he liked and how he liked it, he took another step toward her.

What the fuck are you doing, dude?

She crooked her finger, and as she urged him closer, he groaned low in his throat.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“What we should have done that first night. We’ve wasted so much time,” she whispered, her voice so soft and low he had to strain to hear it.

Her glance left his face and, with excruciating slowness, moved over his body. As he watched her eyes dim with desire, a slow burn worked its way through his blood. He so was fucked. Totally and utterly fucked.

As they came full circle, and she offered her body up to him so nicely, giving him complete control, he could no longer think with clarity. He stepped under the shower fully clothed and packaged her body against his. His nostrils flared, and he dipped his head, his lips so close to hers. He exhaled a shallow breath, picked her up off the floor, and backed her up until she was caged between his chest and the shower wall.