Take the Money and Come

Chapter 2: Into the Fire

Chapter 2: Into the FireNico hadn't been able to take his eyes off the woman since she'd walked into the bar. He'd seen plenty of beautiful women before, but this one was something different. She was gorgeous, elegant, graceful...innocent. As revealing as the dress she wore was, he had a feeling she didn't make a habit of flaunting her assets on a regular basis. And when he'd met her emerald gaze, he knew he was right. The innocent temptress; it was absolutely captivating. As he watched her glance over the crowd, he knew he would catch her attention, like prey drawn to a predator. And given the way he wanted to devour her in that moment, it was an apt analogy.

“Would you mind if I joined you?” she queried, surprised by how calm...seductive, her voice sounded even to her own ears.

“I wouldn't mind at all. Given the number of eyes following your every move, I would be quite honored if you joined me.” The deep, husky timbre of the stranger's voice sent tiny tremors of pleasure through her body.

She slid into the seat across from him easily, only then realizing she'd brought her drink with her across the room. She sipped once more, fortifying her nerves.

“I'm Sarah,” she offered, reaching her hand out across the table in greeting, and then instantly feeling a little silly for the cordial move. But then, she relished the excuse to touch him, though she knew it would only serve to fuel her desire to touch him more.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Sarah. I'm Nico,” he replied, grasping her hand in his.

Yup, she'd been right. The feel of his skin against her soft flesh forced the arousal that had been coursing through her to settle between her legs, setting her most intimate zone ablaze. Reluctantly, she forced herself to pull her hand away, placing it in her lap and resisting the urge to assuage the throbbing need so close to her fingers.

“I don't recall seeing you in the area before,” Nico began.

“Oh no. It's my first time here. My friend and I are on vacation for a couple of weeks and then it's back to the much-colder city of Chicago,” she explained.

“And what do you do back in Chicago?” he queried.

“I'm an ER nurse at Northwestern Memorial. What about you? Do you live here or are you vacationing?”

“I'm living here at the moment, but I have to travel a fair bit.”

“Oh great,” she thought to herself. “Hot, sexy, enticing...deadbeat.” In her experience “travel” meant “I can't hold down a job.” But then, she wasn't here trying to find herself a husband, boyfriend or even an exchange of phone numbers. What did she care if he spent his days playing video games and getting himself evicted from one apartment after another? She was only interested in one thing from Nico, and so long as she'd left her credit cards back at the hotel and she didn't fall madly in love with the guy in the next couple of hours and leave him alone with a hot friend, no harm could come from an uncomplicated, casual encounter. And so, she didn't bother asking him what he did for a living...what was the point?

“What got you interested in such a demanding line of work, Sarah?” Nico asked, breaking into her silent thoughts.

“Actually, I was in a car accident when I was nine years old,” she replied to the question without considering the intimacy of the topic—apparently the alcohol was serving to eliminate those usual filters. “My parents were both killed instantly. I was rushed to the hospital and I was terrified. The doctors weren't very comforting, but there was this one nurse who just kept talking to me, explaining what was going on, holding my hand. She was just 'there', you know? Even after I was admitted, she came to check on me every time she had a break. It was an awful time, but I remember her visits made me feel just a little bit better. Somehow, even though my world had been turned upside down, there was still somebody who cared. I knew right then that I wanted to be like her when I grew up, and I guess it was just one of those things that stick with you.”

Sarah paused for a moment, realizing finally that she wasn't certain how much information she should have been revealing, but then figured there was no point in worrying about it now. But the look in Nico's eyes had changed as she spoke, and while his gaze stilled burned bright with desire, there was something else there now, too, that looked an awful lot like respect. Sarah wasn't sure how she felt about that, not wanting to get too close to him. She shouldn't be interested in his respect, didn't need it for what she was seeking. The less talk the better if she wanted to stay away from anything outside of the parameters of physical gratification.

He didn't speak, apparently waiting, reading her expression. And somehow she knew he was allowing her to choose the direction of the conversation. She appreciated that, searching for a new, less intimate, topic for discussion.

“So, how do you like it here? Boca Raton is beautiful, isn't it?” Kind of lame, but it certainly steered the conversation back to a more impersonal level.

He was silent for a moment, a contemplative look on his face, though she couldn't imagine how the question could require so much consideration.

“You don't really want to know what I think of Boca Raton, do you Sarah?” The fire in his eyes resonated in the timbre of his voice as he spoke.

She couldn't respond at first, arousal overwhelming her. But finally, she shook her head slowly. In doing so, she knew she was answering a much different question.

“Then why don't we go somewhere our...conversation...might be more appropriate,” he suggested in the same sexy tone.

It suddenly felt like it had been so long since she'd been with a man, she actually considered bailing at the last minute. “Was it really just like riding a bicycle?” she wondered silently. But, there was absolutely no way her body would allow her to just walk away now. So instead, she nodded, meeting Nico's gaze as she rose from her chair. Taking hold of his hand, he stood, accompanying Sarah to the door and then outside, all the while feeling the eyes of every male patron following her every move. Once outside, Nico took the lead, pulling her across the street and further, down toward the sandy beach that stretched out to her left and right as far as she could see. She had assumed that once out of the bar, they'd flag a cab to her hotel or his...apartment. And while the nervous, less exhibitionist side of her warred against it, the image of her and the sexy stranger naked and writhing in the warm sand had her body revving up in anticipation.

He lead them right down to the ocean's edge, and then continued along the surf for perhaps a minute. He stopped then, turning to face her. His eyes met hers and he held her gaze for a moment, searching for something that Sarah could only assume was her understanding of what was about to happen. She met his gaze straight on, and finding his answer he didn't hesitate. His mouth came down on hers instantly, a groan escaping as he pressed hard against her lips.

If this were like any other experience she'd ever had, she would have taken her time, desire growing and building slowly. But this was different. Whether it was the alcohol, her long abstinence or the incredibly virile man in front of her, she didn't know, but she no longer possessed the self-control necessary to pace herself. Her hands moved to the back of his neck as his muscled arms wrapped around her, pulling her hard against him. His tongue teased her lips and she opened, deepening the kiss as her tongue met his.

Nico's hands began to move then, sliding slowly along the bare skin of her back, skimming her hips and waist before moving between them to glide along her ribs. He stopped just before he reached her breasts, his hands lingering there. She thought that perhaps he was waiting for some sign of her approval, but as his fingers trailed back and forth across the undersides of her breasts, she realized it wasn't permission he was seeking. He was teasing her, driving her wild in anticipation. Her body moved, seemingly of its own volition, arching her back to thrust her breasts forward. He smiled, seeing her response, but he continued to tease her for a few more tortuous seconds.

His hands slid upward then, cupping the weight of her breasts in his hands. She sighed, relief flooding through her. But in the next second relief fled as arousal built tenfold, his hands squeezing more firmly as his thumbs brushed back and forth across her sensitized n*****s. Sarah's hands left his neck, gliding across his back.

“My God, he really is solid muscle,” she exclaimed silently, finding every inch of him she touched to be just as well built as the last.

One of his hands left her breasts and she nearly whimpered at the loss until she realized his intent. His hand traveled downward as he met her eyes, watching her response to his incredibly slow descent. Her body writhed against him, trying to speed him on to his destination, but he continued at an infuriatingly slow pace down her ribs, over her stomach...She moaned loudly as his fingers finally found her clit, stilling as he pressed firmly against her. It was the most erotic torment she'd ever experienced, and she wondered in that moment if he was the king of hell in disguise, so flawlessly skilled in torture. She attempted to move against him to create the friction her body so desperately required, but he moved with her, banishing any hope of relief.

“There's no hurry, Sarah,” Nico whispered against her ear. “I want to touch and taste every inch of you before we're done.”

His hands left her body then and she did whimper, but Sarah didn't remain bereft for long. Nico's hands returned, lifting her off the ground and into his arms before laying her out before him on the warm, glistening sand. He was on the ground next to her almost instantly, his hands sliding up her thighs, taking her dress with him. Fire blazed in his eyes as he reached the apex of her thighs, sliding her dress up higher to reveal the satiny fabric of her thong. He spread her legs gently and she waited anxiously for Nico to remove the satiny scrap, but he didn't. Instead, he slid the fabric aside, exposing her smooth p***y instantly. Leaning in closer, he breathed deeply, looking up at her. “You smell incredible,” he whispered, then slid a finger along her slit slowly, “and you are so wet, Sarah.” He continued leaning in closer, his mouth just inches from her p***y. Seconds later, he was almost there; she could feel his warm breath teasing her lips. She moaned quietly, anticipation driving her wild. He breathed deeply once more.