Cravings (9 page)

Chapter 18

“
T
here must be some mistake,” Jennifer said as she studied the schematic for the resort. “Why am I so far away?”

“Because that's what was available when the reservations were made,” Sanj said, trying to be polite with her when actually he wanted to strangle her. He made the reservations, was paying for everything. The audacity.

“Well, if these two condos are together, might I suggest Sasha and I stay in them?”

“What? Why?” Sanj said.

“You know, girls together,” Jennifer said.

Sanj looked at Sasha, pleadingly.

“I'm not a girl,” Sasha said, leaning into Sanj. “I prefer to stay next to Sanj.”

The clerk was amused.

“We'll go with the way we had planned it,” Sanj said, leaving Jennifer to cross her arms and glare.

“Fine,” she said. “We'll see you both for dinner?”

“Um,” Sanj said. “Yeah, sure,” he said, grabbing Sasha's hand and leading her to their side of the resort.

“What time?” Jennifer yelled as they walked away.

Sanj turned around. “Give us a couple of hours. I'll call you.”

Sanj and Sasha left her muttering something about being hungry.

“If she's hungry, what's stopping her from eating?” Sasha said. “I realize we are all in this together, but for God's sake.”

“We better hurry,” Sanj said as he continued to lead her down the corridors.

“What? Why?” Sasha said as she struggled to keep up.

“There,” he said, pointing to a door. “Through that door and down the path should be our condos.”

“What is your hurry, Sanj?” Sasha said as she walked onto a brick pathway leading to the condo. Beyond it, she could see the beach. The air smelled of seawater and echoed with the sound of the waves.

“If I know Jennifer, she's going to figure out a way to get a closer condo. I don't know what her problem is,” Sanj said. “She needs to back off.”

“It's obvious she still cares for you,” Sasha said.

He moaned. “Well, she has a fine way of showing it. The woman put me through hell. I don't really want to be around her. I'm tolerating her because I know she and Maeve are friends. But—”

“But what?”

Sasha held quizzical expression.

“But I am a free man,” he said, drawing her into him. “And you are driving me to distraction.”

Sasha laughed. “Maybe we should get this over with?”

“Over with?” he grinned. “That inspires confidence.”

“You know, generally, once a man sleeps with you a few times this distraction business goes away. Maybe you need to get me out of your system,” she said, laughing again.

God, he loved her laugh. He loved her attitude. But was it for real?

“Um,” he said. “You mean like we should have sex so I have a clear mind and can think properly so we can find Maeve?”

“Yes,” she breathed, leaning closer to him placing her lips on his, with a gentle flick of her tongue. Then she pulled away.

She stood with the sea behind her like a goddess, shimmering in the sun, offering herself to him. He'd be a fool not to take her up on this logical leap of reasoning. Yes, he needed her. Right now.

He pushed the door of his condo open and then pulled her into the room. Her eyes held a mix of longing and vulnerability. Yes, she had slept with many other men, but maybe not as a person, as who she was. Maybe only as a sex worker. But Sanj wanted her. The real Sasha. He wanted to peel away each delicious layer to find her bare self.

An animalistic hunger rose in him as he pushed her against the wall. In the back of his mind was Jen. Would she interrupt? When?

His mouth found Sasha's as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He ground himself into her.

“Sanj,” she whispered. “So hard already.”

His hands found her ass and pulled her into him. Her legs wrapped around him. He fumbled about but found his place, rubbing, poking, prodding as she lifted and opened. Only his clothing and her thin panties lay between them. Her skirt hitched around her waist.

Her knowing hands unzipped his pants, unbuckled his belt, quickly. She reached for him. And oh, oh, oh—her touch. He mustn't lose himself.

“Oh damn,” he said, reaching into his sliding pants for a condom and fumbling with it. His hands trembled—he could not tear the damned wrapper.

“Let me,” Sasha said. She grabbed it and ripped it with her teeth. She readied the condom in no time and slid it down over the length of him.

She led him into the opening of her, then lifted herself, opened herself as he held her against the wall. Finally, he plunged into her as she slid down on him. So smooth and firm, gripping him with her inner muscles. She felt like a perfect fit. He pushed up into her again and she groaned.

“So good,” she said between breaths.

 

Sasha was poised between this scrumptious man and the wall. Yet, the center of her took over. She felt the length and width of him stretching her a bit in the most pleasurable way. She yielded to his thrusts. Met his thrusts. Her hips demanded more. They took over. She no longer knew where he started and she finished.

She wanted him harder and placed her hands around his ass, pushing him into her, gripping on to him with her legs. He groaned—a sound so raw when it escaped from his throat it undid her. His passion for her sent her into pulsing madness. Until she erupted in a fit of orgasm, him soon after.

They didn't want to move. Could they freeze this moment?

She held on to him, gripping her legs around his waist. Nuzzling his neck, his chest, finally lowering her legs.

When her eyes found his, she was only a bit surprised by the tears. Because she had to fight them back too.
What was this?

“You okay?” he asked, gathering himself.

“Okay?” She grinned. “I'm better than I've been in a long time.”

“I'm sorry. I lost composure. I mean you deserve better than to be pushed up against a wall and—”

“You have better?” she asked. The words fell out of her mouth in a purr. “Then I want more.”

They untangled themselves and found the bed in the spacious condo. The bedroom had a balcony facing the ocean. But Sasha was too blissed out to even care. She lay in the bed next to Sanj, already half-asleep, and closed her eyes.

Sasha awakened to Sanj's hands caressing her breasts, then undressing her.

“Glorious,” he said, his mouth then finding her nipples, sending her pulse rocketing. He hands drifted to her center and his fingers twirled around on her, then plunged into her. Oh yes, she was ready for him. She inhaled deeply. She would always be ready for Sanj. She opened her legs wider as they found their spot on his shoulders. He fumbled, briefly, then delved into her, hitting the very end of her. Sending her into another pulsing wave of emotion, one in which her body completely took over.

Why had she never felt this way before? What was happening to her? A tingle of fear shot through her, followed by an internal shrug. Whatever it was, she planned to see it through. She didn't know much about real relationships with men—but she did know she was helpless in resisting this pull.

When the knock came at the door, reality jarred them. Jennifer. Maeve. Jackson. Life beckoned.

Chapter 19

“I
made us reservations for the tourist work program at the local I cacao plantation tomorrow,” Jennifer said, then sipped her wine. “Did you see a card like this in your room?”

She pulled out a postcard advertisement showing opportunities for tourists to work a day at a real cacao plantation. “Well. Did you?”

Sanj glanced at Sasha and grinned. “No, sorry we didn't see a card. I mean, ah, I didn't see a card. Did you, Sasha?”

“No, indeed I did not,” she said with a smirk. They exchanged meaningful glances.

“Humph,”
Jennifer said and shrugged. “Well, it's Mozingo's plantation. I thought we could look around.”

Sanj heard every word she said, but could not take his eyes from Sasha.

Drinking her wine with those lips perched just so.

Setting her glass down, with those long, soft fingers wrapped around the glass.

“Sanj!” Jennifer said, reaching out and touching him. “What the hell is wrong with you? Where is your head?”

“I'm sorry,” he said. “You're right. I'm just very tired. Where were we? Yes, the plantation. We can do it tomorrow. I guess it's a good place to start.”

“I agree,” Sasha said. “But what will we be searching for?”

“Anything out of the ordinary,” Sanj said. “I'm really not sure what it could be. Keep your eyes and ears open.”

“If nothing else we can get a feel for the landscape,” Jennifer said. “I wish they'd bring dinner. I'm hungry already.”

“Me too,” Sasha said with an inflection that led Sanj to believe she was hungry—but not for food.

An animalistic urge crept into his belly and traveled between his legs. He looked away. He needed to keep a clear mind. He thought bedding her would help this craving he felt for her. But, if anything, it had gotten worse. And when he glanced at her, she glistened with lust. She felt the same thing. That might have been the biggest turn-on of all. This gorgeous creature lusted after him.

But Jennifer sat next to her—a woman who he had been madly in love with, one he was going to marry, one who broke his heart. He had no interest in marrying Sasha, thank goodness. He just wanted to sleep with her. Every day. Imagine.

They certainly needed to get rid of Jennifer. But she was going nowhere until they found Maeve. He couldn't blame her for that.

“What do you think those spiders were all about?” Jennifer asked.

“A scare tactic,” Sasha said. “It was definitely a warning.”

Sanj listened halfheartedly. He watched the servers move from kitchen to table, trying to get his mind off his burgeoning feelings for Sasha.

Sasha, in the meantime, was happy they opted for a restaurant that was part of the resort because it would take them little time to get back to the room. She had plans for Sanj.

She found his leg under the table and ran her foot up and down it. He tried not to look at her. Jennifer babbled on. Sasha nodded and pretended to listen. Beneath her dress, she was a seething, sticky mess, hungering for Sanj in a wild and woolly way. Good God, when he entered her, she knew. She knew she unleashed something in him. He unraveled all of himself into her when they had sex.

And he had done the same thing to her.

“We need to hang out in some bars and listen to the gossip, too,” Jennifer said as their meal arrived.

But Sasha wondered if it was the same kind of unraveling. Perhaps it was just their sexual energy was the same. Only time would tell.

“Smells fantastic,” Jennifer said about the food set in front of them, just as Sasha's hand found Sanj's thigh. Muscular, pulled taut when she touched it. Every time she touched him his body reacted, physical, sensitive, yearning.

“This looks a lot like the dish we had in Morocco, Sanj,” Jennifer said as she poked at the cut vegetables covered in a thick golden-yellow sauce.

Jabs poked at Sasha's guts. She didn't like being reminded of Jennifer's past with Sanj. Curious, these strange feelings surfacing since she met him.

“It's curry,” Sanj said, pushing his ceviche around on his plate. The lemon-and-onion-marinade aroma filled the table momentarily. Sasha made a mental note to try this national dish before she left. “You can find it everywhere.”

“I know, but it was so good,” Jennifer said, grinning. “The whole experience was.”

He reddened slightly.

“Speaking of Morocco,” Jennifer said, turning to Sasha, whose hand lingered on Sanj's thigh. “If you are Sasha Barnes and you got out of the explosion, you must be a prostitute.”

Sasha dropped her fork. It clanked on her almost empty dish. She was almost finished with her roast, which was encrusted with cacao nibs. She had been savoring each bit. It was so delicious that it could have been a meditative experience. If it hadn't been for the yammering of Jennifer's voice.

“Jennifer—” Sanj began.

“I was a prostitute of sorts,” Sasha said as nonchalantly as possible.

Jennifer snorted. “Of sorts. How can you be a prostitute of sorts? Either you got paid to have sex with men or you didn't.”

“It's more complicated than that,” Sasha said. “I was a highly paid call girl. I performed certain acts most women wouldn't do for their men.”

“Sasha, you don't have to—” Sanj said.

The waitress came to their table and poured wine. They quieted.

“Well,” Jennifer said, lowering her voice. “I just have to know. What are you talking about? We're all grown-ups here. C'mon.”

“I was a paid dominatrix,” Sasha said, after taking a bite of her pepper pot stew.

Jennifer coughed on her wine.

“Goodness, are you all right?” Sasha said, smiling.

Jennifer stopped coughing soon enough. Sanj handed her some water and grinned at Sasha.

“You love doing that to people, don't you?”

“Absolutely,” she said after swallowing more stew. “Especially people who need to mind their own fucking business.”

In the quiet that ensued, the scraping of fork to plate, glasses set down, picked up, Sasha caught Sanj's eye. Something about the expression on his face gave her pause. It lasted only a moment, but she swore she saw obedience in his eyes. She flashed on his long, lean body stretched out on the bed, his arms and legs tied to the bedpost. Her running her tongue all over him, then biting his nipples, twisting them.

She had told herself she participated in the bondage play and so on just for her customers. It was what they wanted. But maybe there was more to it. Maybe there was a reason she was so good at playing the dominatrix. Maybe it was more a part of her than what she realized. That thought swirled from her brain to her body, where it was met with indecent shivers of longing.