Endless Summer Nights (5 page)

Chapter 7

G
abriel dropped his head into the warm hollow of Sydni’s neck as his body sank into hers. The rapid speed of their breaths filled the air in competition with their racing hearts.

Sydni gently stroked the tight muscles of his back and adjusted her hips to manage his weight. Every square inch of her tingled with satisfaction. She had never before felt so connected, so complete with a man. It wasn’t simply afterglow that had her head and heart spinning. It was something else. Something beyond her experience. He kissed her then, so softly on her cheek that tears sprang in her eyes and her insides instinctively clutched his still hard member.

Gabriel moved slowly inside her, still aroused, still needing her. Sydni whimpered as her body heated and melted in response. Her inner walls remained swollen and slick and equally unwilling to let him go.

This time, Gabriel only rotated his hips, not sliding in and out of her but rather keeping himself buried deep within her heat. The pressure against her tender clit was maddening. Her body shuddered from her feet to the top of her head. She wanted to move, to thrash and buck against the thrill of his cock, but he wouldn’t let her. The weight of his lower body and his hands pressed against her hipbones held her in place. He was in total control. His mouth encircled one taut nipple and he lightly ran his teeth over it until she began to claw his back and her thighs parted even farther. Her breathing escalated to a pant. The sound of his name was raw and strangled. The cords in her neck grew rope-tight. Her body was on fire. She drew her knees toward her chest, wanting all of him all the way inside of her.

“Come for me,” he whispered in her ear. “Come...” He pulled out until only the head was still inside her and the sudden release of that mind-altering pressure against the apex of her sex rocked through her like a megajolt of electricity. Her eyes widened. She screamed once as he drove deep inside of her, hurtling them both over the precipice of heaven.

* * *

Gabriel flipped over onto his back and tossed his arm across his eyes. His heart continued to pound as if he’d run a marathon. His thoughts ran on top of each other. He’d lost count of how many women he’d bedded for a variety of reasons. There were some that were undoubtedly noteworthy. But this... His jaw clenched. He’d only wanted to get between those amazing thighs. He’d only wanted to soften what she presented as the tough, no-nonsense exterior. He hadn’t expected this—to feel this—to want her so deeply and completely. He was still hard for her. How could this be?

Sydni knew that she was lying perfectly still, yet she could feel her body humming as if a source of electricity was coursing through her veins. She had no words for what had happened between them. The intensity of it scared yet thrilled her. The physical power that he wielded over her left her feeling vulnerable, something that she was unfamiliar with. She should have never gone to bed with him. Some crazy part of her had imagined that it would just be good sex and that would be the end of it. How could she ever think about not having him inside of her again? Yet she knew that once this deal was done, this thing between them would be over.

Gabriel eased up out of the bed and padded into the en suite bathroom and shut the door behind him. Sydni listened to the rush of water and castigated herself for being so foolish, for letting her libido do her thinking. She pulled the soft cotton sheet up to her chin. What was she going to do now?

The bathroom door opened and Gabriel emerged with a towel draped over his arm and a bowl of warm water in his hand. He sat down on the side of the bed closest to her and placed the bowl of water on the nightstand. “No need to be shy now,” he softly teased and lifted the sheet from her. A small smile curved his lush mouth. “Beautiful,” he murmured while his gaze took her in.

He dipped the cloth in the warm water, rung it out and tenderly began to wash her, caring for her in such a gentle way that it brought a smile to her lips. There was nothing overtly sexual about what he was doing, but it was absolutely erotic. He washed her face and neck, her breasts, her arms, down her belly, between her legs as if he were paying homage to a treasure. When he was done, he patted her dry with the towel and drew the sheet back up to cover her. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Sleep.”

* * *

The sound of music playing softly in the background and the aroma of something delicious seeped into Sydni’s subconscious and slowly lifted her from one of the best sleeps she’d had in ages. She blinked against the light that slid in between the floor-to-ceiling drapes that covered the massive bedroom windows. She stretched and groaned against the ache in her muscles and came fully awake when the night before came crashing back to her in a wave. A little shiver ran down her spine. She tossed the sheet aside, sat up and scanned the room for her clothes. They were gone. In their place was a robe draped over the club chair. She put it on and went in search of Gabriel.

“Ah, you are awake. Wonderful. As promised, breakfast is ready. I thought you might like to eat outside on the deck.”

He was at the long island counter, shirtless—which was enough of a distraction—putting food into serving bowls and the bowls onto a tray. Between seeing Gabriel half-naked first thing in the morning, and the mouthwatering aroma of crab cakes, bacon, omelets and what looked like grits, she felt light-headed.

“I prepared a carafe of mimosas. Would you bring it outside?”

“Sure.” She followed him outside to find the table already set. “How long have you been up?”

“With the sun. I went for a swim while you were sleeping and then I started breakfast.”

She shook her head in admiration. All she felt like doing was eating and crawling back into bed. She settled down into a chair.

“Help yourself.” He poured their drinks.

“Did you really do all this by yourself?” She was expecting his housekeeper to pop her head in at any moment.

He grinned. “Believe it or not, I’m very self-sufficient.” He spooned heaping portions of food onto his plate. “I learned to take care of myself at a very young age.” A slight shadow passed over his countenance and then was gone just as quickly.

Sydni took a bite of her crab cake. “Oh. My. Goodness. This is delicious.”

His eyes sparkled. “Aren’t you glad you stayed for breakfast?”

The furnace in the center of her stomach swooshed on. Her gaze collided with his and he looked as though he’d much rather have her for breakfast.

They passed the rest of the meal making small talk, sharing tidbits of information about themselves—from places they’d been to favorite movies and childhood friends. For some unspoken reason they stayed away from talking about the night before or anything having to do with business. It was almost as if they were really a budding couple experiencing the bloom of the morning after.

* * *

“I should be getting back to my hotel. Lynn has left me a half-dozen messages wondering where I am.”

Gabriel slowly rose from his seat and looked down into Sydni’s upturned face. He reached out and gently stroked her cheek with the tip of his finger. For an instant her eyes fluttered closed as a shiver of delight shimmied through her.

“I was hoping we could spend the day together. I want to show you my beautiful country.”

“It’s tempting....”

He pulled her to her feet and flush against him. “What do I need to do to convince you?” he whispered, then kissed her behind her ear.

“Not much if you keep that up.” She stepped out of his hold and pressed her hands to his chest. “I have to get back.”

Even his feigned look of defeat was sexy as hell. Sydni laughed and turned away from him. “I’m going to get dressed. Where are my clothes, by the way?”

“Your dress is hanging in the closet. Your under-things are on the dresser—at least what is left of your panties.”

She paused and tossed him a look from across her shoulder. “Thanks for breakfast.”

“My pleasure.” He watched her walk away and already began to imagine when he would lure her back to his bed.

Chapter 8

“G
irl, where were you? I’ve been going crazy,” Lynn said, launching into Sydni the instant she walked through the door of the suite. She leapt up from the couch and stomped barefoot across the wooden floor and planted herself in Sydni’s path.

“Okay, okay. I should have called when we left the restaurant.”

“Ya think?”

Sydni twisted her lips, stepped out of her heels, bent down to pick them up and swung them on her fingertips. Her lips twitched as she tried to hide her smile.

“Well, dammit, was it worth it?”

Sydni felt as if the top had been taken off a boiling pot. “Lynn,” she screeched and started dancing in place right in the middle of the floor. She threw her head back. “Girl... I. Am. Still. On. Fire. You hear me?”

Lynn covered her mouth but it barely muffled her shriek of delight. She snatched Sydni by the hand and pulled her over to the couch. “Don’t you dare leave out one hot, sweaty detail.”

Sydni plopped down next to her friend and for the next half hour divulged all the juicy details—mostly all. When she finished she rested her head against the couch and closed her eyes.

“Now what?” Lynn asked, breaking into the fantasy that played behind Sydni’s closed lids.

Sydni blinked back to reality. She turned to Lynn. “I don’t know,” she said as if all the air had been let out of her lungs and the weight of what had transpired filled them instead.

Lynn squeezed her hand. “We came here to do a job. That has to be at the top of the agenda.”

“It is. I haven’t forgotten. And I’m perfectly capable of separating business from pleasure.”

“You’re going to have to.”

Sydni lifted her chin. “Let’s take a look at the presentation. I think I have a better picture now of Mr. Gabriel St. James.”

Lynn shot Sydni a wary look before walking off to retrieve their iPads.

Sydni shut her eyes. Images of her and Gabriel, wet and clinging to each other, bloomed like wildflowers behind her lids. She clenched her fists. As much as her body had taken over where her good sense should have, she knew she could pull this venture off. Her father was depending on her, Gabriel was depending on her and she was not one to disappoint. She knew she should never have slept with him. But it was done. They were both adults with a mutual goal—to rebrand and market Gabriel St. James and launch his line of resorts. That must be the focus going forward. Besides, what chance could they ever have? He lived half a world away. He’d scratched her itch and now it was time to get her head back in the game.

* * *

Gabriel sat across the large conference room table, facing the smug look of his brother, Max.

“I knew it,” Max announced, slapping his palm on the table. He tossed his head back and laughed. “You slept with her.”

“I wouldn’t say we slept.” He thoughtfully rubbed his chin.

Max cut him a look. “That’s usually my line.” He studied the serene expression on his brother’s face, quite the opposite of his usual intense countenance. “What did she do to you?” His gaze narrowed.

Gabriel stood and walked toward the window. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“I’m sure that you do. I won’t belabor the issue, but don’t let this woman get under your skin. There’s no room now. We have too much at stake and too much to do to be distracted.”

Gabriel turned on his heel. “I’m sure I’m capable of dealing with a woman
and
business.” His jaw tightened.

Max’s full mouth quirked into a half grin. “She’s already gotten under your skin.”

Gabriel’s eyes flashed a warning, then settled. He sighed and slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks. His brother knew him better than he knew himself at times and in this instance he was right. Sydni Lawson had gotten under his skin and that knowledge unsettled him.

“Temporary,” he finally said. “We are simply two adults satisfying a need. No more, no less.”

Max hummed. “Be sure to keep it that way.” He paused. “What progress has been made with the branding and marketing? We need to get the investors on board.”

“She will bring the proposal to me later this morning.”

“Hopefully, the final negotiations will take place in the boardroom and not the bedroom.”

“Many great deals have been struck in the bedroom,” he tossed back playfully. “At least that’s what you’ve professed through the years.”

“It’s never been your style.”

“And it isn’t now. I like her. I want to spend time with her, but I want this deal more. Simple. Soon she’ll be back in the States and life will go on.”

“If you say so, but enough about beautiful women and great sex. We have a meeting to attend.”

Gabriel sat through the two-hour meeting of facts, figures and investments, nodding and commenting in all the right places, but his mind was on Sydni and the hours in between until he would see her again.

Chapter 9

“I
think I should sit in on this meeting and make sure you keep your feet on the floor,” Lynn called out while she looked in the bathroom mirror and applied a splash of lip gloss.

Sydni posed in the doorway with her hand on her hip. “You sound like you don’t trust me.”

Lynn threw her a look from across her shoulder. “I don’t.”

Sydni huffed. “You have nothing to worry about. I can handle a business meeting, Lynn.”

Lynn dropped her lip gloss into her purse and turned to Sydni with an arched brow. “So you say.”

“Fine. You do the presentation and I’ll seal the deal.”

“I thought you did that already.” She winked and sailed past her.

* * *

The offices of St. James Enterprises were located in one of the many towering buildings in downtown Rio. After clearing security on the main level, they were told to wait in the lobby and that someone would be down to escort them to the twenty-first floor. Moments later a stunning young woman who looked like she should be on the cover of
Vogue
approached them.

“Good afternoon,” she greeted in a sultry accent, smiling brightly at them. “I will take you up to see Mr. Santiago. Please follow me.” She turned on her stilettos and walked to the last bank of elevators.

Sydni and Lynn shared a quick look between them and dutifully followed. They took the express elevator to the top floor.

The elevator opened to a sprawling setup that boasted gleaming hardwood floors and a wide-open concept design, low-slung white leather furnishings and floor-to-ceiling windows that spanned one full wall and offered a magnificent view of the mountains in the distance. There was a large quartz reception desk in the shape of an S in the center of the space. Another stunning woman sat behind the desk with a headset that did nothing to detract from her looks.

“This way,” their guide said.

They walked around two pillars that gave the space a Romanesque feel, then turned down a wide corridor that was lined with several offices. They reached the end of the hall and were met by an imposing double oak door. Their guide knocked lightly, opened the door and stepped aside to let Sydni and Lynn enter.

Gabriel spun his chair slowly toward the door and his dark gaze locked onto hers. Sydni’s heart instantly raced. The heat rose from her feet and rushed through her veins. The visceral effect he had on her with just a look rocked her to her core. He rose from his seat, adjusted his jacket and came around his desk.

“Good morning.” He looked from one to the other. “Please. Come. Make yourselves comfortable.” He pulled out a chair and then another and helped them to sit, lingering a bit longer behind Sydni. The tips of his fingers brushed the back of her neck, sending a shockwave down her spine. She struggled to maintain her composure.

“Impressive office,” Lynn said.

Gabriel gave a smile. “It serves its purpose. Can I offer you ladies refreshments?”

“Water is fine for me,” Sydni said, finally finding her voice.

“Me, too,” Lynne added.

Gabriel walked back to his desk, pressed a button on his phone and asked his secretary to bring a carafe of spring water.

The door opened and Max strode in. Lynn’s mouth dropped open.

“Good morning, ladies.” He came to Sydni. She extended her hand. “Good to see you again, Ms. Lawson.” He lowered his head and brought her hand to his lips. He then turned all of his attention and charm on Lynn. “And you...” He held her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Lynn Covington.” He brought her hand to his lips and held her in place with a penetrating gaze.

Thankfully, Gabriel’s secretary appeared with a tray of icy cold water. Sydni was pretty sure that it would turn to steam the instant it hit Lynn’s mouth. She bit back a laugh.

“Why don’t we get started,” Sydni began, taking the lead. She turned on her tablet and Lynn followed suit. Max took a seat closest to Lynn.

“We’ve detailed the preliminary rollout,” Lynn said. “The concept is to position you separate and apart from St. James Enterprises.”

Gabriel frowned. Max shifted in his seat.

Sydni held up her hand to ward off the impending objections. “The reason for that is that St. James Enterprises is known worldwide as a business involved in hostile takeovers of smaller businesses, and that the heads of your corporation live a life that is in the unreachable stratosphere for everyday people. Our goal is to reposition you—” she zeroed in on Gabriel “—to be accessible, real and have the best interests of your new customers at heart.” She swiped her finger across her iPad screen and turned it toward Gabriel. Lynn did the same with Max. “This is the mock-up of the preliminary promo material.”

Gabriel carefully studied each screen. His face remained inscrutable.

“We also strongly believe that to reposition you, you will need to form a separate company and you will be the face of that new company with a new focus and agenda.”

Gabriel leaned back in his chair. He steepled his fingers beneath his chin. “This business, our business, has succeeded for decades. I have the connections and the capital to get the resorts up and off the ground. You are suggesting that I push all this away and start like some beginner?” He pushed the iPad aside.

“What I’m suggesting is that you
use
your knowledge
and
your connections, but we introduce this business under a new umbrella.”

“Without the taint of the St. James name,” Max cut in, his tone of antipathy undeniable. “Your answer is to have my brother disown himself from his heritage, his legacy?” He snorted his annoyance. “That’s your master plan?” He stood and walked over to the window. He kept his back to the room. “I’m only here to listen. This is my brother’s venture and his decision. I will stand behind whatever his decision is.” He turned to face them. “I hope, if he agrees, that it works and that it’s worth it. If not, I will personally hold you responsible...Ms. Lawson,” he stated in a tone so warm and engaging that it was impossible to be offended, and at the same time the underlying implications were clear.

Sydni lifted her chin. “I’m not in the business of failure. Success is always my goal.”

Max’s full, rich lips quirked into the shadow of a smile that came nowhere near his eyes. He walked to the table, picked up the carafe of water and poured a glass. He handed it to Sydni then did the same for Lynn. “I have another meeting. It was good to see you again, Ms. Lawson—and Ms. Covington, I hope we will meet again before your return to the States.” He glanced toward his brother, gave a short nod and strode out.

Lynn felt her shoulders relax for the first time since Max walked into the room. She glanced at Sydni, whose expression was a picture of calm, but Lynn knew her friend and sensed the irritation floating off her in waves.

Sydni took a long swallow of water before setting the glass down on the table. “That’s our proposal. I have the greatest confidence that it will exceed our expectations and yours. But the decision is up to you.” She opened her tote and pulled out a thin, clear binder that contained the hard copy of the proposal along with a small flash drive that would allow him to review the presentation on his computer. She handed them to Gabriel. He took them and set them back down on the table.

“I will give your proposal every consideration— perhaps we can discuss this further.” His focus was completely on Sydni. She knew exactly what he was implying and the little lady between her thighs nearly answered for her. She swallowed. “Feel free to call me with any questions or concerns. We—Epic International—are eager to make this work.”

“I’m sure.” He stood, signaling the end of the meeting. Sydni and Lynn rose in turn. He pressed the intercom button on his phone. “Our guests are ready to leave.”

Moments later the same young woman appeared and held the door open. Lynn and Sydni followed her out.

“Ms. Lawson...”

Sydni stopped and turned. Gabriel closed in on her personal space. His proposal was low and intimate. “I think it would serve us best to discuss this over dinner. Tonight. I’ll pick you up from your hotel at seven.”

She wouldn’t give in that easily and fall for his smooth South American charm. This was business. “Make it eight.” She turned and sashayed out.