Recipe for Temptation Read online

  He needed more time. His heart pounded against his chest, and his arms were actually twitching with nervousness.

  She backed her chair away from the table and locked her eyes on his. “I think it’s time for me to thank the chef.”

  He gave her a smile. “You just did.”

  With a grin, she dropped to her knees and disappeared under the table.

  “Um… I thought we could talk.”

  But she was intent on doing anything but talking. He heard the sound of his zipper lowering. He felt the warmth and moisture as she tongued him through his boxer briefs.

  “Why? You never want to talk,” she mumbled around licks to the tip of his cock, which was now exposed.

  “I thought you wanted me to talk more—oh, shit.”

  Her mouth engulfed his cock in one long swallow.

  Fuck talking.

  He groaned and surrendered. One hand found the long strands of her hair and guided her up and down his length.

  Her mouth was good at so many things. Busting his balls. Arguing. Whispering words of encouragement she had no idea meant so much to him. But this— sucking his cock—was his favorite of all.

  Suddenly, a loud voice burst through the hut. “Hey, Penn!”

  Penn’s head hit the table.

  “Get out here, you two.” Cole recognized the voice. It was Pete yelling from outside.

  Penn laughed. “Sounds like my brother’s already been drinking.” She crawled out from under the table. “Which means… They’ve all been drinking.” She grabbed the champagne from the table and took a swig straight from the bottle. “Better catch up.”

  “Hold on.” Cole pushed away from the table and did up his pants.

  He opened the door, and when he stepped out, Pete, Christine, Beth, Dave, Ian, and Cathy all stood at the bottom of the steps to the hut.

  “How did you find us?” He hadn’t mentioned anything to her family about where they’d be. Not only because he wanted them to be alone, but because he didn’t want to force her to explain their relationship.

  Dave smirked. “It’s amazing what information you can get when you drop a fifty into someone’s hand.”

  Jason was dead meat.

  “What are you guys doing in there?” Cathy looked positively devious.

  “We’re…” He had no idea. His mind was completely blank. And thankfully, his cock was completely deflated. The moment he’d heard Pete’s voice he’d gone soft.

  “We’re working.” Penn to the rescue. “Cole’s Boys and Girls Club launches just after we get home, so we’re going over some last minute details.”

  “In a romantic hut on the water?” Beth didn’t look convinced. She tapped her finger against the crease of her elbow where her arms were crossed over her chest.

  “They…don’t have a business center here,” he blurted. He knew that from the first day he’d gotten here when he felt guilty about leaving club business and was shocked to find out this place was just for fun. “The hut was the only space I could get where we could have room to work and not be disturbed.”

  He glanced over at Penn, who was still in the doorway, and she gave him the slightest nod in appreciation.

  “Why’s your hair messy, Penn?” Dave asked.

  Shit.

  Luckily, they didn’t have to respond thanks to Cathy’s excited outburst.

  “We’re going dancing,” she said cheerfully. “Why don’t you guys come?”

  “We’re kind of busy.” He jerked a thumb back at the hut.

  “Come on. How often are you going to be in Hawaii?” Christine said.

  She had a point. Although the thought of dancing made Cole want to hurl, Penn loved getting out on a dance floor.

  “Give us a minute,” he said, resigned.

  When he returned to Penn, she looked none too pleased. “What if I don’t want to go dancing?”

  “You love dancing.”

  “That’s not what they think.” She scrunched up her face and said in a mimicking tone, “Pennie doesn’t dance.”

  He laughed. Okay. Now he actually wanted to go. “Come on. This is your opportunity to show them up. I know you’ve got moves.”

  On the dance floor and in the bedroom.

  “But what about our special night?” She pouted.

  He wasn’t happy about the interruption, either. But it did give him more time to gather his thoughts. And his courage. Work out the best way to tell her about his past. He could use the extra time.

  Besides, he’d wanted her to come out of her shell with her family all day, and this was a golden opportunity.

  “I know you have a lot of moves you can show me on that dance floor. And frankly”—leaning down, he whispered in her ear—“if I can’t have you rubbing up against me on that pillow, I’ll take whatever rubbing I can get.” He stood and pulled back his shoulders to gather his thoughts.

  That was kind of dirty. Wasn’t it?

  “Thank you.” Penn’s eyes sparkled, that gorgeous cobalt blue color returning to mesmerize him. She stood, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You’ve made this trip so much easier.”

  “You might want to keep the thank-yous for later,” he whispered, “when I’m fucking you under the moonlight.”

  That was definitely dirty.

  Her eyes flared with desire. “Where did that come from?”

  He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. “I have no idea.” He pressed his lips to hers. “But you know you love it.”

  Love.

  How the hell had that word snuck into his vocabulary? He didn’t love Penn. He couldn’t love Penn.

  Could he?

  She squeezed his hand. “Let’s go show my family who doesn’t have two left feet.” Her lips curled up, making a face, but she relented. “But I’m bringing the champagne.”

  And she did.

  The entire bottle.

  Without a glass.

  The drinking didn’t stop on the beach on the way to the club. It happened outside the club. Inside the club. And on the dance floor. With the exception of Christine, they were all three sheets to the wind.

  There were at least a hundred people in the club. It was sweaty and hot, but the perfect venue for them to get lost in each other, without thinking about the future.

  But then a spotlight fell on their table, and the DJ walked out to the front of the stage that sat to the left of the dance floor. “Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve been asked to help out with a family rivalry.” He pointed down at their table as the crowd hooted and hollered. “Pennie and Beth?” He waved his arm toward the stage. “Why don’t you come up here?”

  Penn went rigid beside him, a shocked expression replacing the contentedness that was there only a second ago.

  “What the hell is going on?” she spat.

  He looked around the entire table, from one sibling to the next, but they all looked at each other with confusion, except for Cathy, who laughed under her breath.

  “Cathy, what did you do?” Penn yelled from her seat beside him. Her breath had picked up, and he noticed her foot tap in nervousness, making her leg move up and down rapidly.

  Cathy shrugged, then sat back in her seat. “I thought it would be fun to see Miss Goodie-Two-Shoes shake her booty on stage.” She waved a finger toward Penn.

  Cole suppressed his laugh. Penn was anything but a goodie-two-shoes.

  “What!” Penn shouted. “Do you hate me or something?” A small whimper escaped her mouth as she shook beside him in terror.

  “Ian and I won’t be winning anything this year.” Cathy let out a gleeful noise. “I’ve got to get something out of it.”

  He’d always thought Cathy was nosy, maybe a little intrusive, but never vindictive. Alcohol really did show peoples’ true colors.

  “What do you say, ladies?” the DJ asked. The spotlight had gotten brighter, hotter, over their table, and Cole had to squint to make him out on stage. “Will we be judging a hula contest, or what?”


  “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” Penn mumbled beside him, not loud enough for anyone else to hear.

  “Penn, you don’t have to do this,” he whispered from his seat.

  She looked up at him, some of the nervousness disappearing when she looked into his eyes. He placed his hand on her thigh under the table, telling her without words that he was here if she needed him. Giving her the same silent support she’d always given him.

  She smiled up at him and placed her hand over his. With a soft sigh, she whispered, “Be myself, right?”

  He wanted to lean forward and rest his forehead on hers, kiss her, but he held back. Instead he mumbled, “You can do this.”

  With one forceful nod, she made her decision.

  Penn slapped her hand on the table, grabbed one of the shots that had been placed at her seat while they were dancing, then picked up his and downed that one, too.

  She looked at her sister-in-law and gave a cocky smile. “Put on your skirt, Beth. It’s go time.”

  His stomach was in knots for her, but there was no way she would falter. Penn did everything with flying colors. Dancing on stage would be no different. Plus, he already knew how good she could move.

  This was her time to shine. To show her family just what she could do. And they would be proud of her. Embrace her with open arms.

  Because that’s what family did.

  Chapter Eleven

  Penn must have blacked out.

  One minute she was at the table with her siblings having a great time, the next she was waiting backstage in a stupid grass skirt and coconut bra.

  “Come on out here.” The DJ beckoned them to center stage.

  With a deep breath, she gathered all the courage she had, but she knew it wasn’t going to be enough.

  The crowd roared when they walked out on stage, and fear gripped her insides when she took her spot beside Beth. The music had been turned down significantly, and now all she heard was the buzz of the crowd.

  Just great. Now you can hear every individual voice when they boo you off this fucking stage.

  The DJ circled, giving them the once-over. “These are some good looking ladies.”

  He had his septum pierced, dark hair, and light brown skin, and he was dressed in a Hawaiian shirt. “These ladies are going to hula for us, and we get to pick the winner. I think we can do that, right people?”

  The onlookers went nuts. Luckily, the blinding lights from the stage made it almost impossible to distinguish people in the crowd, but it wasn’t helping to keep down the two shots she’d just chugged before getting on stage.

  “Cue the ukuleles.” The DJ circled a theatrical finger and pointed to the AV guy at the back of the stage.

  The soothing sounds of Hawaiian music filled the club. A healthy difference from the bass that had pumped through the sound system from the moment they’d arrived.

  “Come on, Penn!” She heard Christine scream from below the stage. “You can do this.”

  She took three quick breaths, fisting her hands at her sides.

  What the fuck was wrong with her? She could do this. She danced on tables for Christ’s sake, but stick her in front of her family and suddenly she wanted to hide inside the wallpaper.

  Penn moved her bare feet, transferring her weight from one foot to the other, and fluttered her arms at her sides. The coconut bra was tight around her torso, since she hadn’t taken off her dress for fear of exposing her tattoo. The wood of the stage was slippery under her feet. It was probably her nervous sweat.

  It took a few beats, but she finally got a rhythm. In her periphery, she noticed Beth dancing with the same soft movements. The noisy crowd urged her on, and she heard Cole shouting for her in the distance, anchoring her in the moment.

  Then the lights dimmed, making it easier for her to see. Which made it infinitely worse. Now, with everyone’s eyes on her, she felt paralyzed. She found Cole in the crowd and locked eyes with his. Screw this.

  She couldn’t do sexy. Not in front of her siblings.

  But when she looked over at Beth, she had that look in her eye. She was looking to redeem herself.

  Penn sighed. She had demanded that Cole put on his big boy pants if he wanted to play. She was going to have to listen to her own advice. Even if that advice meant shaking her groove thing and putting a small crack in the mold her family had squeezed her into.

  Suddenly, the crowd erupted, and she turned. The blinding lights above returned, causing her to squint. But even with blurred vision, she’d recognize that silhouette anywhere.

  Cole was making his way on stage.

  To her right, Dave sidled up to Beth. When Cole’s warm hand snaked up her back and gripped her shoulder, she melted into him.

  Her heart swelled. Once again he’d come to save the day.

  “I think we’ve just upped the ante, ladies and gentlemen.” The DJ walked to the front of the stage. “We now have a couples contest.”

  “Cole?” she whispered, turning slightly so she could see his face. He stood behind her, most of his body covered by hers. “What are you doing?”

  Their eyes met, and he gave her a look that screamed, “No fucking clue.”

  They were both floundering on this island, trying to shed some of the chains they’d brought with them from home. But he was here for her. He had come to this island for her.

  “Sexy is your specialty,” he whispered in her ear. “Let’s show them what you got.”

  Over the last few days she’d seen him blossom and come out of his shell. And his unconditional support and concern for her well-being was overwhelming. He had been right. She needed to show her family exactly the woman she’d become. Because she was awesome. Successful. Happy. Proud of the woman she saw in the mirror every day. And even more, she loved the woman she saw in Cole’s eyes.

  “Are you ready?” The DJ stood at the front of the stage with his back to the roaring crowd. “The sexiest couple wins.”

  Of all people, it had been Cole Murphy that had forced her to realize she could be herself, that she should be herself, because she was enough.

  She switched her position with Cole, taking her place at his back. She wove her hands through his arms and staked her claim, one hand gripping his hard pec, the other braced against the smooth ripple of his abs.

  “Just go with the flow,” she whispered.

  He turned his head. “If I go with the flow, I’m liable to get arrested for indecent exposure.”

  She giggled. “Then I’ll just make sure to cover your front with my back.”

  He shook his head, letting it fall forward. “That might be worse.”

  Her laughter was drowned out when the music changed from ukuleles to a slow, sensual bass that was perfect for what she had in mind. She loved dancing. Loved moving her body in the most torturous way. And she was going to torture Cole.

  She teased him. Made him moan. She wasn’t thinking about the crowd full of people behind her. She didn’t even care that her brother and sister-in-law were right beside them. Right now, it was just the two of them.

  Making sure one part of her body remained connected with his at all times, she stepped in front, threading her arms around his neck. Her hips pressed into him, and she undulated rhythmically, moving her body from side to side. His hands found her hips, his fingers digging into her through the fabric of her dress.

  With a grin, she turned, pressing her backside into him. His low grunt kicked up her movements. Letting her head fall forward, she bent at the waist, then wiggled her ass. She was happy for her decision to wear heels tonight. She needed the height. Needed it to remain in position when she bent over and placed one hand on the stage.

  She felt the fabric of his pants against her ass cheeks. Her dress must have risen with her movements. When she turned her head, she watched as he held up his hands, fingers twitching to touch her bare skin. But he didn’t.

  “I think it’s getting hot in here.” The DJ whistled into the microphone.

  She was having
fun. Something she never had to try to have when she was away from her family.

  She straightened and threw her head back, her hair hitting Cole in the face. She craned her neck and looked up at him. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to devour him right on this stage. But she’d keep it PG-13. Although with the amount of thrusting and grinding, maybe she was running into R rated territory.

  He groaned into her ear. “You’re making it really hard for me not to throw you over my shoulder and find the nearest dark space.”

  “Oh…” She wiggled out of his arms and danced slowly around his body, letting her fingers drag across his chest. She settled flush against his back. “I think it’s already hard.”

  She took slow, deliberate steps as she made her way back to stand in front of him. She swept her hair up with both hands, exposing her neck to fresh air, then let it fall over her shoulders.

  Sweat had broken out across her skin. It had already been hot in the club, but now that she was one step away from dry humping him in public…

  “I think we have a winner, ladies and gentlemen.”

  When Penn looked over, both Dave and Beth had stopped dancing.

  The DJ grabbed Cole’s wrist and thrust his hand into the air. Cole mimicked his actions and did the same with Penn, raising her hand in victory.

  Beside her, she heard Beth curse. When she stole a look, her lips were drawn in a thin line, and she was fisting her hands at her sides.

  A flash of heat engulfed her. She bit her thumbnail as a blush settled into her cheeks. She’d just humped Cole in public. She’d just done sexy…in front of her siblings.

  It could have been a hell of a lot sexier. But this was a huge baby step in the right direction. And she couldn’t have done it without Cole.

  He had gotten on that plane to help her win that trophy. But she knew now it was far more than that. Destiny had brought him to this island. This was the universe’s way of telling her to make a change.

  They made their way backstage, letting a disgruntled Beth sulk her way back to the table with Dave.