In Too Deep: A Romantic Suspense Novel (4 page)

A
fter our parasailing
, we ended up going to the resort's little movie theater, which was playing something neither of us had seen yet. Watching Robert Downey Jr. pretend to be a superhero wasn't exactly Oscar-worthy, but it was a fun time, and the room was perfectly conditioned, cool enough that we weren't sweating but also warm enough that the water in our clothes didn't chill us once it cooled down. The whole thing kind of gave the afternoon a feeling of youthful innocence, like I was a decade younger, a high school girl out with the local quarterback hunk.

I felt like that in a lot of ways, like the invisible girl who somehow, someway ended up on a date with the big man on campus. Cam and I were two years apart in age, and he would have been a senior when I was a sophomore, adding to the whole crazy magic of the whole thing. The only thing missing was a make-out session in the middle of the movie, but both of us were enjoying the action enough that we didn't feel the need to. There was a sort of adult confidence that we had plenty of time and that a quick session of groping and tongue wrestling during a movie wasn't necessary.

As the lights came up, I looked over, and he was resting his hand on my knee. "What did you think?"

"Lots of special effects, shallow plot, tons of cliches, and Robert Downey Jr. being Robert Downey Jr.," he said. "In other words, fabulous. Come on, let's grab a burger."

We made our way to the pool area but were surprised to find that the normal grill was shut down. Instead, as some sort of special event, the pool area decked out in bunting and a huge sign that said
Happy Birthday!
We went up to one of the staff. "What's going on?"

"It's the birthday of the owner’s first child. We here at The Cay celebrate it every year since by everyone's math, she was conceived here, so we kind of feel a bit of pride in the whole thing. So tonight the normal fare is replaced with pulled pork barbecue and grilled ribs, and birthday cake later."

"Cool," I commented. “I was looking forward to a burger, but that sounds pretty good too.”

Dinner kicked off with a casual elegance, as music combined with food to give a kind of beach party atmosphere to the whole proceedings. Cam and I grabbed our plates and sat down, watching as dancers and a singing group performed for the assembled audience. "This is a lot better than a formal dinner," I said, leaning over and laying my head on Cam's shoulder. “Kind of sweet, too."

“Lot of fun. But I doubt the owner's baby is the only child that's been conceived on this island."

"You're telling me," I said. "You should have seen what I saw this morning. I went on a bike ride and stopped to relax and watch the sea for a bit. I overheard two people and went to go see what they were doing."

"Really?" Cam asked with a smirk. "From the tone of your voice, I can assume they weren't sitting on the grass reading Shakespearian love poetry."

"Hardly," I said, my voice thick with remembered heat that combined with Cam's nearby presence. "Let's just say I was jealous of what she had done to her."

“Is that an invitation?" Cam whispered, leaning in closer. "Because without getting too explicit or trashy, I've been thinking about certain things for the past two days."

I laid a hand high on his thigh and smiled. Considering we were sitting around a pool without a table, it nearly looked like I was cupping his junk. I wasn’t, but I wanted to oh-so-badly.

I trembled at the thought of Cam's lips on my body and closed my eyes in fantasy before opening them again. “Do you want to get out of here? The party’s nice, but I need more than music and dancers right now."

Cam nodded and took my hand. We got up off the bench we'd been sharing and started towards the door to the inside of the resort, eyes only on each other.

It was probably this hyper-intense focus on each other that caused me to not see the bitch Tiffany sitting there. I was looking at Cam when I saw her kick out her leg from the corner of my eye, but it was too late. She tripped me, and I fell right into the waiter. Suddenly, I felt something soft and vanilla smash right into my face.

The silence that fell over the party was immediate and cavernous. I couldn't see anything, and my mouth was flooded with the taste of vanilla cake frosting. Wiping at my eyes and face, I shook my head, trying to get the most of it off. "Whoops. Well, you were probably going to eat most of it anyway."

I blinked and saw Tiffany sitting there with two boy-toys, pointing and laughing. Cam was knelt down beside me, and he jumped up like he was about to charge all three of them when I grabbed his arm. He had a look about him, one that I had yet to see. A look of a dangerous man.

“Cam, don’t. Just help me get out of here.”

The laughter rippled through the crowd like a domino effect until it felt like everyone was laughing at me. One of the other staff members came over and knelt down next to me, her face full of concern. "Are you all right miss?”

“I’m not injured if that’s what you’re asking,” I said, slinging a couple finger fulls of cake and frosting out of my hair. "I just want to get the hell out of here."

Cam helped me to my feet, and the girl motioned. “Come, let me help you get cleaned up.”

I nodded numbly, not really caring any longer. The magic had been broken, and I felt the first of my tears cutting through the sugary frosting still smeared on my face. The staff member led me to a curtained off area where I waited for a minute before she came back with a tub of warm water and a towel. "I know it isn't much, but you can clean up some with this," she said. "I've already called the manager. He’s looking into the incident."

I washed up, Cam helping me, soaking the towel and running it over my face and hair until the worst of the stickiness was gone. I was just wiping out the last bit from my hair when two sets of footsteps coming in. "Miss Broward? I'm Harrison Bennet, the manager of The Cay. Can I talk to you for a moment?”

"I'm decent," I replied, pulling back the curtain. Bennet was a plain-looking middle-aged man with a distinct British accent. “Yes?”

"First off, let me apologize to both you and Mr. Swagger," he said to the two of us. “I want to extend my personal apologies to you about tonight's incident. Several witnesses have said they saw the young girl sitting at the table there intentionally trip you.”

“Her name is Tiffany," I said hollowly. "She's the one who's been strutting around in the green bikini the past few days and has been harassing me since I got here.”

“Miss Broward, I just want you to know that all three of them are going to be escorted off the island as soon as possible.”

I shook my head. “Look, I just want to go to my room."

Bennet nodded. "I understand. If you don't mind, could the two of you come by my office tomorrow morning?”

I nodded again and left, Cam right behind me, catching up with me on the stairs. "Melina, wait."

I turned, tears trickling down my face. "Cam, please."

He stopped, faltering. "I just wanted to say . . . I don't know what I can say. Just . . . I’m sorry."

"Me too. Listen, I know what we were going to do, but . . . not right now. I can't. I’m so not feeling sexy right now."

Cam looked at me directly in my eyes. "I understand. Listen, I know this is horrible timing, but I can't think of anyone I'd rather spend my time with here than you. Please don’t let this ruin the rest of your vacation.”

I nodded and turned away. "Good night, Cam."

W
atching
Melina walk up the stairs, her hair hanging plastered around her skull and her shoulders slumped filled me with an anger that I hadn't felt in a long time. Feelings that I'd worked hard over the past few years to suppress broke free and thoughts that I hoped would never come back trickled into my brain.

I turned away and went back to Bennet’s office. "Mr. Swagger. What can I do for you?”

I shook my head. "Mr. Bennet, can I speak with you in private?"

He looked at the other man in his office, who pulled a fade and disappeared into the hallway. Bennet went over to the door and locked it. “Of course. What’s on your mind?”

"Tiffany's last name or room number," I said slowly. “Please.”

Bennet shook his head. “Now you know I can’t do that. I'm not having my resort falling into the craziness of people plotting revenge on each other. What sort of person do you think I am?"

I sat down and dangled my hands between my knees. I looked at him, and a bit of the old Cameron Swagger came through, I could tell. "Your name is Harrison Bennet. You're fifty-two years old, birthday December eleventh. You have a wife, Katherine who works at the resort part-time as a maid, which surprised me at first until I saw that she gave up her job as an accountant to come with you on this assignment. You have two kids in college, one at the University of Miami on the Forrester Hotel scholarship program, the other at Cambridge. You have a timeshare in Canada, and a retirement portfolio that is doing quite well for a man your age."

Bennet blanched as I continued. "Who are you?"

“You already know who I am, I’m Cameron Swagger. I’m not going to create trouble for you," I said. “I know you could lose your job for this, but if Melina and I make a stink over this you could be in hot water too. Mr. Bennet, I won’t hurt anyone on your property. But just kicking a few people out of your resort or maybe even banning them isn't going to do anything. This girl, she comes from money, and if she can't book a spot at The Cay, she'll go to Majorca next year, or maybe Tahiti, it doesn't really matter. So I'm going to give her a spanking that she will feel, and not a physical one. So please, what room is she in?”

"I can find out," Bennet said. “But on one condition."

"Which is?"

“No physical violence on this property. And you don’t come back to any Forrester Resort ever again."

I nodded. "I can agree to that."

Bennet sighed and nodded. He was a smart man, and could tell I meant business. "Come with me to the front desk."

We went up front, Bennet dismissing the one staff member on night duty. Taking over the computer, he looked up at me. "On the other side of the counter, please."

I waited patiently while he tapped away at the keyboard. He tapped his mouse twice more, handing me the sheet that spit out of the printer. "Thank you, Mr. Bennet."

"Be at my office ten in the morning tomorrow,” he said. "I'll have paperwork for you to sign. The less I can involve Mr. Forrester with this, the better."

I left him and went back up to my room, where I opened my computer. I wasn't planning on having to use it, but I brought it with me just in case. After all, with the secrets contained on this thing, I wasn’t about to leave it at home unattended during my stay. I opened it and typed my password.

Opening a web portal, I looked at the paper Bennet handed me. On it was a copy of the guest information on one Tiffany Gladstone, originally of Williamsburg, Virginia. Bennet had been cautious, giving me her entire printout minus the photocopy of her passport the resort kept for security reasons. That would’ve been expecting too much.

I typed the information I had on her into my portal, letting my computer go to work. The connection I had wasn't over typical Internet lines, but was, in fact, satellite based, so I didn't need to worry about security. As I waited for the search to finish, I did a quick search on Melina. While I trusted her, a man in my position needed to be safe instead of sorry. I’d never been burned, and I wasn’t about to start now.

The search for Melina was faster, I didn't need as much information on her. Most of it I already knew, she'd told me over the past two days. As I expected, everything checked out.

It took two more minutes, but I soon had access to Tiffany Gladstone’s social media, her e-mail, and even her cell phone. Going through the files there, I quickly found what I wanted.

The video clip I found wasn't the nastiest sex tape I'd ever seen, the Internet could beat her by a mile, but it was enough to do what I needed to do. Opening my anonymous e-mail program, I sent the five-minute clip of her to every e-mail at her college as well as every e-mail in her contact list. When they opened it, it would look like she'd sent it herself.

The information in front of me also indicated that Tiffany had four credit cards, each of them tied in with her father, whose name I recognized. That was too much heat to bring down on someone for just a bit of bullying, so I closed the search and shut down my computer.

The next morning, before going to Bennet's office, I called Melina's room. "Hello?"

"Hi Melina,” I greeted her, my face breaking open in a smile at hearing her voice. "How are you doing?"

"Better than I thought I would have," she said, relieving me. "How about you?"

"I have to go down to the manager's office in a little bit to sign some forms, just to say I'm not going to sue the hell out of them," I lied, regretting it but not having a choice. "But after that, I was wondering if you'd like to grab that bike ride that you and I kind of talked about yesterday? I really regret how things ended last night, but I don't want to let it get in the way of having fun with you."

“Me either,” she said, her voice still a bit down from the giddy arousal of the night before but still better than what I'd heard when she'd trudged up the stairs barely holding back tears.

“I should be free by ten thirty. How about then?”

“That sounds great. And Cam . . . thank you.”

I sat back, pondering just how I’d try to brighten Melina’s day.

I
felt
conspicuous in my t-shirt and shorts until Cam came around the path from the main resort building in an outfit that couldn't help but make me smile. "Really?"

"What?" Cam asked as he tugged at the bright pink t-shirt with flamingos on it along with the checkered shorts. "I decided to go casual today."

He came up and gave me a kiss on the cheek, smiling at me. "Besides, didn't it get you to smile?"

“You’re too much,” I said. "Come on, let's go. Think you can motivate me to climb the mountain today?"

Cam shrugged. "Well, I can try, but it might be a bit breezy in the between the legs when I do."

I couldn't help it, I laughed out loud, clearing the last of the storm clouds from my mood. "Okay, okay, mission accomplished. Let's go have some fun."

We checked out two bikes and started on our way, taking a lap of the outer rim of the island to warm up. I stopped my bike and shook out my legs. "So, I think I'm ready to try the mountain. Have you done it yet?"

"A few times," Cam replied. "It's not too bad, it looks a lot harder than it is. You set the pace, I'll stay with you."

We started off, and for the first half of the mountain, I thought things were just as he said, easy. I was just about to question why I'd not challenged myself the first time I rode one of the bikes when the incline sharply increased, and within seconds, I was gasping. "Holy shit."

"Just another hundred yards," Cam said behind me. I don't know if he was really as winded as I was, but he at least did a good job of faking it, his words coming in short little bursts. "Come on, next to me."

He pulled up beside me and looked over. “Just a little further. You can do it.”

His encouragement gave me what I needed, and I put my head down, leaning into the handlebars and pumping hard. The time seemed to pass slowly, each second feeling like an hour of pain, but somehow I made it.

I stopped and looked up, my breath screaming in my chest and my heart trip-hammering alongside it to look out over the entire island. In all directions I could see downward paths, and beyond it the whole of the island. "It's beautiful," I gasped, dismounting my bike. "Seriously, it's beautiful."

"It is,” Cam said, his blue eyes looking only at me and not at the scene below. I blushed and lowered my eyes. He put his finger under my chin and lifted it. "Why are you shy about me calling you beautiful?"

“I just haven’t heard it in a while,” I said quietly. "I'm usually just the fun girl or the girl that guys want to watch a football game with. You're the first man in a long time to call me beautiful and actually look like you mean it."

“Of course I do,” he replied, lowering his lips to mine. His kiss was hot, and despite being still winded, I was soon kissing him passionately, pulling him against me as the lust that had filled me the night prior reawakened.

I looked down, and saw the spot I'd ridden by the other day, and knew there was a perfect spot nearby. "Follow me."

We cruised down the hill, not pumping my legs to let my breath return and for my heart to slow at least a little bit. I saw where I wanted to go just a bit up ahead. Pulling to the side of the trail, I stopped my bike and looked back at Cam, trying to get a read on him.

He nodded and held out his hand as if reading my mind.

Taking his hand, I led him to the small clearing I'd seen the other couple in before turning around and looking at him, biting my lip in nervousness. “How’s this?”

Cam looked around, then shook his head. "No. Over there," he said, laying a hand on my lower back and guiding me to another spot about ten yards further behind some trees. “The couple you saw the other day probably wanted to be seen. Voyeuristic thrill and everything."

The clearing was more secluded, with the grass thick and padded as Cam knelt, bringing me down with him. On our knees we kissed, his lips leaving mine to trail hot fire down my neck and around my ears. Gasping, I pulled at his ridiculous-looking shirt until he leaned back and let me pull it over his head. "See, that's why I chose this shirt today," he chuckled as he tossed it to the side of the clearing. "No worries about grass stains on that thing."

"Your powers of foresight are amazing," I teased, reaching for the button on his shorts. "What about these?"

"You could probably drag these through a half mile of jungle and nobody would care," he said. He let me undo the button, then took my wrists in his hands, pulling them away gently. "Now, that wouldn't be fair. It’s your turn.”

I let Cam place my arms over my head and left them there while he lifted my t-shirt up and over my head. Desire sparkled in his blue eyes as he looked at me, and I felt sexy. I felt wanted. "Perfect."

"Hold on, big boy," I teased, reaching behind my back for the catch on my bra. "You're topless, shouldn't I be too?"

Cam’s hungry look in his eyes was all the answer I needed. I unhooked the catch and shrugged off my bra, holding my left arm across my breast as I handed it to him. "Souvenir?"

“Stop it,” I laughed and shook my head. "Go put it with your shirt, we should be at least a little neat."

I used the moment Cam's head was turned to sit all the way down without feeling like a goof while still keeping my arm over my breasts. He came back and saw me sitting with my legs crossed and leaning back on one elbow like some sort of pinup, grinning. "You don't have to pose for me."

"I know, but I like the way you look at me," I replied.

He nodded, and I uncovered my breasts, waiting for his reaction. Cam's smile as he looked at me when I lay back told me everything I needed to know. I hooked my fingers in my waistband and Cam reached for the zipper on his shorts. As I slid my panties down, he unzipped and let his shorts fall to his ankles, pulling his boxer-briefs along with them.

To say Cam was well-built was an understatement. His legs were just as well muscled as his upper body, defined but not overly bulky, strong but lithe. His hips and lower abs were rock hard and led to the long, semi-hard cock that dangled between his legs. It was like someone had read my mind for perfect length and girth and blessed it between his legs. I got to my hands and knees and crawled over to him, taking it him my hand without even thinking. "May I?"

"Please," Cam said, grinning at me.

I looked up at him, slurping the rapidly hardening head into my mouth and running my tongue over the velvety skin. He even tasted perfect, masculine without being overpowering, and I sucked more of him in, swallowing him deeper.

"Melina..." Cam groaned, stroking my hair out of my eyes as he looked down at me. "I...."

I pulled off and smiled, shaking my head. "Show me."

I laid back, opening my arms to him, who knelt down and laid beside me, kissing me again. His hard, wet cock nestled between my thighs and I clamped down around it, not to arouse him further but to keep it just where it was while we kissed more. Cam cupped my breast, his thumb playing over my nipple and sending sparks down below. "Cam...."

"Shhhhh," he whispered, leaning back and looking at me. He pulled his cock from between my thighs so he could kiss down my body, taking my left breast in his mouth and sucking. I was in heaven as his tongue teased and flicked over my nipple, my legs parting to let him adjust himself on top of me.

As he kissed over to my other breast, I started to see fireworks shoot across my vision. I grabbed his free hand and pulled it up higher, and he cupped my face, stroking and caressing me until I sucked one of his fingers into my mouth and licked it around like it was his cock.

He moved his other hand between my legs, teasing my labia with his finger while I sucked his finger. I caught on to what he was doing and smiled, licking up and down while he mimicked with his other hand down below, tracing my lips with his finger and gathering my moisture before rubbing in slow circles. I sucked him in deeply and he slid a finger inside me. I couldn't help it, I let go of his finger and cried out, relishing in the pleasure that I so longed for. Grabbing his hair, I pulled his head in between my breasts while he wiggled his finger up and down inside me. "Cam!"

He mumbled his reply, and if it wasn't that I could hear the air rushing in and out of his nose, I'd have worried I was smothering him, but instead of pulling back he started pumping his finger in and out of me, preparing me for the fuck of my life. When his other finger entered me I cried out again, pushing up against him as I felt myself enter a place I had never been before.

It wasn't an orgasm. This was different. It was something deeper, inside my mind or maybe my soul that opened up. I lifted his head from my chest and looked him in his eyes, and he understood my unspoken words.

He nodded silently, knowing what I needed. He pulled himself up back onto his knees, reaching over to his shorts and pulling out a condom, sliding it on adeptly. He took his cock in his hand and positioned himself, pausing as the tip of his cock just started to spread my lips open, and looked me in the eyes again. I smiled and wrapped my legs around his hips, urging him. "Take me."

Cam pushed in slowly, each inch lighting my body with excitement as he filled me perfectly. He even had the right speed, so that there was no pain at all, just warm liquid pleasure.

I felt him join me fully, his body meshing with mine, and I’d had enough with the gentleness. ”Give it to me, I can take it," I teased, stroking his hair with my fingernails. "I can see it in your eyes."

Cam's answering grin was just the first part, as he pulled back and thrust in again harder, his hips smacking against mine so hard that it startled me at first. I grunted in heat as his cock spread fire through my body, my muscles squeezing and trying to pull his perfect cock deeper. "Like that?"

I nodded, and he drew back, again and again pounding into me, my breasts quaking on my chest as he powerfully filled me. I thrust up into him, adding to the loving power of our sex. It was violently tender, the smack and slap of our hips mitigated by the explosions of pleasure inside me. Each hammering thrust of his cock built a ball of energy inside my body, seemingly centered just below my belly button.

The whole time, Cam's eyes were looking into mine, our smiles mirrors of each other as we pushed each other harder and harder, our breath tearing from our chests as we took and gave to each other with equal ferocity. It was passion and plunder at the exact same time, and I raced towards an explosion inside me.

My mouth fell slack as I lost control, knowing that even if I wanted I couldn't hold back any longer. “C . . . Cam, I'm . . .”

Cam's mouth crushed against me as I clenched and came around him, my body losing total control as shockwaves of pleasure exploded through me. Cam grunted as he thrust again, this time pounding and holding himself deep inside me until he reached his own orgasm. I clenched at his neck and head, our bodies claiming each other while my heart sang to the forest around us.

When it was over, Cam didn't roll off of me or get up like I'd expected him to do. Most of my former lovers didn't seem to like the feeling of sweaty skin against them as they tried to recover. But Cam was different. He didn’t seem to mind it, and he pulled his knees up to my ass so that he could keep some of his weight off of me. "You're amazing."

I kissed the tip of his nose and smiled. "I should be saying the same thing. I've never felt anything so intense.”

Cam chuckled and kissed me back. “It was powerful for me too.”

"It's the child-bearing hips," I joked, running my fingers up and down his neck. "They're good for more than some might think.”

"I can appreciate that," he said, shivering when I ran my fingernails over the spot along his spine where his neck joined his shoulders.

I laid my head back and looked up at the sky, praying that this moment would never end.