Recipe for Temptation Read online

  When he returned to the suite, she was still fast asleep. He placed the gold foil bag on the dresser and slipped into bed beside her. He traced his hand down her arm to her hip. She stirred. Then he slipped his hand between her thighs.

  She opened her eyes and sighed. “This isn’t a bad way to wake up.”

  “We have a free day today.” He leaned down, inhaling her sweet morning scent. “No challenges. No family dinners.”

  “Mmm, about time.” She waggled her eyebrows. “And I know exactly how I want to spend the day.” She reached out and tried to pull him down against her, but he resisted.

  “By the pool, of course,” he said with a grin.

  Her bottom lip jutted out. “I can’t believe y—”

  He slid off the bed, grabbed the bag, and placed it in front of her.

  She immediately sat up, bringing her knees to her chin. “What’s that?”

  “I bought you something.”

  She lunged for the bag. “Really?”

  “Nuh-uh.” He wrapped his hand around hers, preventing her from opening it. “You have to promise me that no matter what’s in here, you’ll do it for me.”

  “Now I’m scared.” Her eyes widened. “Is it a butt plug? Nipple clamps?”

  He let out a hearty laugh. “I assure you it has nothing to do with sex.” He leaned in and nuzzled her neck. “Although, I can’t be held responsible for my roaming hands.”

  She peeked inside but still looked confused. “What the devil is in here?” She sifted through the masses of tissue and pulled out the white spandex and cotton garment.

  “A bathing suit?” She looked a little disappointed.

  “Not just any bathing suit.” He held it. The wooden toggles that were attached to the strings clanked together. “A bikini. I think it’s time you let your family see just how special you are.”

  He trailed his finger down her rib cage, circling around and around the cherry blossoms tattooed on her skin.

  “I don’t know…” She bit her bottom lip, looking worried.

  “If there’s one thing Vivian taught me, it’s to own who you are. It doesn’t matter where you came from or who your family is. Your past is your past. Let the world know who you are today.”

  Which was part of the reason she insisted all four of her sons keep their original surnames. As much as they each wanted to be a Madewood, Vivian believed it was more important for them to carry their past forward.

  This was the most candid he had ever been about himself with Penn. Hell, with anyone. His turn for baby steps. But despite his insecurities, there was one thing he knew for sure.

  “I live every day by a code, trying my best to make a difference, to remember there are still kids who have the same life that I once did, who need my help. I may not be articulate like Neil, charming like Jack, or as kind as Finn, but I know who I am. Everything I do is for those kids, whether it makes me look bad or not.”

  He hoped she’d be satisfied with that small glimpse into his past, because he didn’t think he’d ever be able to tell her just how bad it really was.

  He cleared his throat. “I know you think your family won’t approve, but I honestly believe if you give them a chance, they’ll surprise you.”

  That’s what family did. Support unconditionally. Vivian had made him believe that again. Surely, this great family could be the same way if Penn just gave them the chance.

  “Even Dave?” she asked.

  “Even Dave.” He cocked his head to the side. “Trust me. Your family will love you no matter how many tattoos you have.”

  He pulled away the sheet, exposing her perfect, naked body. Seeing the tiny bruises on her hips didn’t cause him guilt. She’d liked it. She’d asked for it. It caused his cock to swell at the memory of what he’d done to put them there and his ego to inflate, bringing him pretty damn close to asshole proportions.

  “The way you’re looking at me right now isn’t making me want to get out of bed and show off my new bikini.”

  He slipped the bikini bottom over her feet and made his way up her legs, taking the opportunity to kiss his way to the center of her body.

  “Having you dress me like this isn’t helping, either.” Her breathing became heavy and her back arched, but then she giggled and contorted when his fingers tickled the backs of her knees.

  “You’re right.” He smacked her ass, but left his hand on her cheek, squeezing the soft flesh. “Taking off your clothes is more fun.” With a wink, he left her to finish getting ready.

  After making two laps around the three connected hotel pools, they found two empty lounge chairs and kicked back to relax.

  It was a perfect day. The sun shone brightly, without a cloud in the sky. A gentle breeze wafted up to the pool from the ocean, which cooled the heat from the sun on their skin. He reached for the sunscreen.

  She kicked off her gold flip-flops and hid them under the lounger. “I’m going to the swim-up bar to get us drinks.” She threw down her stuff and turned toward the pool.

  “You need sunscreen,” he blurted.

  She shook her head and looked over her shoulder. “Always following the rules.”

  “Cancer is a serious issue.”

  Vivian had died of breast cancer. Although it had nothing to do with the sun, cancer was cancer. It was devastating.

  Penn looked properly contrite. “You’re right.” She walked up to him, her lithe body looking absolutely fantastic in a tiny sundress she’d used to hide the bikini.

  After grabbing the bottle of sunscreen, she covered her legs first, then her arms. She even covered her chest and neck, all without taking off the sundress.

  “Can you do my…?” She gestured to her shoulders and the small part of her back that wasn’t covered.

  “Sure.” He stepped forward, wanting direct contact with her body, but she moved away.

  “PG-13, Murphy.” She gave him her back. “This is a family place.”

  Did he mention he hated PG-13 movies? With Penn, his thoughts always went straight to a XXX rating.

  But she was right. Where was his head? In public, they were just friends.

  He squeezed out a hefty amount of sunscreen to spread across her shoulders and did so an arms-length away from her body. No one would mistake this for anything but a friendly gesture. He knew even the slightest brush of his cock against her ass and he’d be done for.

  She helped him out by scooping up her hair and pulling it away from her neck. Christ. Even distance couldn’t stop his cock from responding. Her exposed nape tightened the front of his swim trunks. He suppressed the urge to bury his face in the crook of her neck and spend the rest of the afternoon scenting her.

  “If you want to have proper coverage, you’re going to have to take off that dress,” he challenged.

  She hesitated, looking from left to right. If she was looking for her family, the coast was clear. He hadn’t seen them all morning.

  But she shook her head. “Maybe later.”

  It was disappointing, but he understood. He was still the luckiest man here, because he was the only one who actually knew what was hiding underneath that fabric. That alone was enough to get him through the day.

  Penn returned the favor and covered his body with sunscreen.

  Now that they were both properly protected, she bent over and put the sunscreen in her bag, giving him a perfect view of her behind. It was only half covered by the bikini bottoms. The round flesh was tight, and she sported a fierce tan line from that hideous one-piece she’d worn all week.

  “Is it bad that the only thing I can think of right now is smacking your ass?”

  Cole stiffened. Did he really just say that? Out loud?

  Penn had the same reaction because her entire body went still just before she looked over her shoulder, pressing one finger to her lips.

  If this was how it was going to be when they got home, he was never going to be able to stop fucking her.

  Cole watched as she slowly submerged
herself into the water. The shallow end only came up to her belly button, so she kept going, finally diving under. When she emerged, he swore he saw stars and heard music—that slow, sultry movie music they always played when a sexy girl was in the water. He wanted her to turn around, damn it. To see how beautiful her face was when she thought no one was watching.

  Of course, he wasn’t the only one staring at her. The guy to his left was pretending to read his book, but it had fallen over onto his lap. And the creep to his right, in an unsubtle move, pulled down his sunglasses to get a better look.

  It made him hot knowing that every man within poking distance was jealous. That he got to have her. Every day. Any way he wanted.

  At least until Saturday.

  He lay in his lounger and soaked up the sun. He could get used to this. Not a care in the world. Sure, he loved his job. Loved creating delicious food for people’s enjoyment, including his own. But he needed to get out more. Not to work or program functions, but to real life. He needed to get himself a life totally apart from the Madewood food empire and his overwhelming need to save the children in his city from neglect and poverty.

  “Get out of your head, Murphy.” Penn had waded to the side of the pool and set two drinks on the concrete. “Don’t make me drink alone.”

  As usual, Penn was able to see the signs of his weariness.

  But he couldn’t help but worry. Although if he was honest, he was pretty damn proud that he was able to push it aside for most of this trip. He could have been a basket case.

  Penn got out of the pool and scooched beside him on the edge of the lounger, water dripping from the sundress.

  “You worry too much.” She picked up a drink and thrust it toward him.

  That, he did. But it was something he couldn’t help— He’d grown up worrying. Constantly. If he wasn’t worried about the safety of his biological mother, he was worried about where he was going to get his next meal, or worried he’d be caught stealing.

  And now, he was worried that his feelings for Penn were dipping into dangerous territory, and if he didn’t get a handle on them, he’d surely drown.

  “We need to have some fun.” She smiled. “Teach me something.”

  Sometimes he had no idea how her thoughts connected. It kept her a constant challenge. And was one of the many things that drew him to her.

  He let his anxiety go and went with it.

  “Okay.” He jabbed the straw into the frozen, fruity drink she’d given him. “What do you want to learn?”

  She shrugged. “Anything.”

  He thought for a moment, and the result shocked him. He shook his head. “All I know how to do is cook.” He definitely needed to get a life.

  “I don’t buy that. I’m sure you can do lots of things. You just don’t give yourself time to do them.”

  Possibly. Hadn’t he just been thinking the same thing minutes ago?

  “All right.” He sat up and planted his feet firmly on the hot pavement, setting aside the drink. “I know something we can do.”

  He pointed at two boys walking past the pool area with surfboards in tow.

  “You know how to surf?” She stared at him in disbelief.

  “Not a clue.” Which made the prospect even more enticing. “Point Break used to be my favorite movie, though, so I think I can handle it.”

  She giggled. “Right.”

  When their drinks were finished, they headed to the rental booth on the beach.

  He picked out a blue board for himself and a red board for her. When they were all waxed up and their lines were fastened to their ankles, he led them to the shoreline.

  “I really don’t think it’s a good idea to try this without lessons.” She looked out to the water. Her hair whipped across her face, but it didn’t hide the worry that darkened her gaze.

  “Now who’s the rule follower?”

  “Fine.” Her shoulders eased and her body relaxed. “But when I fall off every time, no laughing. And remember”—she stepped into the water, looking over her shoulder—“I’m doing this for you.”

  They had a blast.

  Out in the waves, Cole laughed and groaned as he popped up onto his board over and over. It took quite a few tries to stand up without dragging his feet in the water and toppling, but eventually he was able to stay on for a few seconds before wiping out. Penn hung off to the side with a big grin, straddling her board, her feet dangling over the sides, just watching him.

  He paddled over to her.

  “That was pathetic, Murphy.”

  “Maybe you’re not the only un-athletic one.” He felt he’d been moderately successful. But he hadn’t expected to ride a five foot swell his first time out.

  “Gee. You looked pretty graceful to me as you cartwheeled into the waves.”

  He made a face at her as he paddled closer and lined up his board parallel to hers. But there wasn’t a chance in the world of getting mad at her teasing. He was having too much fun.

  Her body was smoking hot, wet, and glistening in the sun. The urge to kiss her was overwhelming. And she knew exactly what he was thinking. She leaned closer, scoping out their surroundings to check that no one was watching. But out here, in the middle of the ocean, no one could see who they were.

  He couldn’t stop himself from leaning over and locking his lips over hers. Their mouths moved in perfect harmony, a sexy back-and-forth movement of sun-heated lips and pliant tongues.

  Whenever they kissed, he no longer worried about…anything. His stomach fluttered each time her lips touched his. She did this to him—gave him this amazing feeling. This overwhelming happiness. He honestly didn’t know what to do with it. It was so new and unfamiliar.

  With a contented sigh, he pulled away. “Your turn to get up on the board.”

  “Do I really have to?”

  “Yep.”

  She paddled out and he followed, yelling after her, “Relax your body. When I tell you to jump up, try not to let your feet drag. Find your balance and just let the wave take you.”

  “I don’t want to do this,” she shouted.

  “Yes, you do. You can do it!”

  They waited for the right wave. Tiny ripples and mediocre swells passed under them.

  “No, really. I can’t do this,” she protested as they waited. “One time, my family rented a house on the lake, and Pete took me out on one of those paddle boat thingies.” Her arms waved all over the place as she spoke, sending rivulets of water cascading down her face and neck. Pearls of water accumulated on her cleavage, and he wished he were close enough to bend down and lick them off her warm skin. “We got stuck in some weeds or vines or something. I don’t know…”

  She was so fucking adorable. So adorable that just watching her tell the story made his insides flip-flop with happiness. Frustration grabbed hold of him. Why couldn’t her vacation be two weeks long? He hadn’t expected their time together to go beyond sex, to move past the alarming chemistry that had crackled between them for so long. But it had. And he was going to damn well enjoy it, because he’d miss this feeling when their fling came to an abrupt end.

  He closed the distance between them, then cleared his throat and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to stop talking and look him in the eye.

  “Forget about the damn lake house.”

  She nodded. “Right. Okay.”

  “It’s just you and me, no judgment. Just fun. If you fall, who gives a shit? I already fell about a million times. Did you think I was a loser?”

  She laughed and shook her head.

  “Exactly. Time for you to fall on your face.”

  The laughter died. “But, Cole, I—”

  In the distance, he saw it. A perfect wave for her to try.

  “Paddle. Go! Paddle!”

  She squealed and began to paddle, looking over her shoulder at him.

  He waved his hand toward the beach, and she finally turned her head forward. “Jump up!” he yelled.

  Her ass lifted, and then her feet
slid down the board, and she rolled off into the waves.

  She popped up through the water and rested her arms on her board.

  “Again,” he yelled.

  Again and again, she tried to ride a wave. Every time she fell. But she got right back up. Each time, staying on a little longer. At one point, she took off the sundress and threw it at him. When her bikini shifted and exposed her breasts, he’d have been more than happy to paddle over and put them back in place. With her back turned to the beach, of course.

  As if he needed another Penn Foster image in his spank-bank. After the week so far, it was already overloaded.

  Finally, she caught the perfect wave. She jumped up and steadied herself, both feet firmly planted on the board, her knees bent, arms out. Her cherry blossoms were more vivid when wet, the pink, brown, and white ink catching his attention. As it always did whenever she was naked.

  She rode the wave like a pro. Then she wiped out.

  He paddled closer to where she’d gone under, each wave pushing him closer to her.

  Pride filled him each time she got back up on that board. Her family had her thinking she wasn’t good enough for pretty much anything. And that simply wasn’t true.

  A few seconds passed, and Penn still hadn’t emerged. Another two seconds. Cole’s stomach dropped when bubbles of air reached the surface and burst.

  She emerged just as he reached her, breathing in huge gulps of air.

  “I did it,” she choked out. She continued to suck down breaths, but a tiny smile curved her lips.

  Christ. She’d scared the shit out of him, but she was laughing hysterically. He couldn’t help but laugh along with her, and it eased away that fear.

  “Did you see me?” she squealed. In her excitement, she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. “I totally rode that wave for like two seconds.”

  He laughed against her neck and returned her tight hug. “I saw. You did it.”

  She eased away, wiping the water from her eyes. “I literally feel like I could fight a giant right now.” There was no mistaking the pride and exhilaration in her eyes. “Like I could run a hundred miles.”

  Adrenaline was coursing through her body. She was high on accomplishment. It was a new look on her. She was usually so confident that she downplayed her actions. But after knowing her for so many years, he was thrilled to see another facet to her personality. And it was just another check on the long list of things he admired about her, lusted after.