She could get used to this kind of lifestyle. She’d thought when the auction item said “private island,” they meant a little slice of an island with a privacy fence.

Uh, no. They’d flown to the Virgin Islands, then taken another flight somewhere. Tara had gotten lost and had no idea where they were. Maybe that was the point. They’d taken a boat to a tiny island that was truly uninhabited by anyone other than the two of them and their butler, who served them meals, took care of their every need, and other than that made himself totally invisible. If they needed something, they picked up a phone and called him. He told them his quarters were off island, so they could be assured of their privacy. Which meant they could walk the island naked if they wanted to.

Tara couldn’t imagine doing that, but it had taken Mick all of an hour to throw off his clothes and sunbathe naked on the sand. Who was she to argue with the primal urge to go native? Soon she was lying on a cozy beach chair with no clothes on, and she’d never felt more decadent in her entire life.

The island—what could she say about this island? A stretch of sand that looked out over turquoise waters with no other land in sight, making her feel totally isolated. Lazy palm trees that bent and swayed in a gentle breeze, providing shade over the sand. Their own two-story home nestled in the forest that overlooked the bay. It was heaven.

The warm breeze sailed across her skin, and she inhaled the salty air, lifting her arms to stretch and roll over. After about an hour in the sun, she’d pushed her chair under a palm tree to soak up some shade, careful not to sunburn her skin. The last thing she’d want is to miss any of this glorious tropical paradise while nursing a burn.

It was too perfect. Warmth, breeze, and utter relaxation. Her eyes drifted closed, but then she felt warm lips against her back, and she smiled as a hand followed, smoothing down her spine to rest at the spot where her lower back met her buttocks.

“Mmmmmmmm,” was all she could manage.

“I like you like this,” Mick said, teasing between her butt cheeks with his fingers. “Your body warm from the sun, every muscle like liquid.”

“I’m pretty much at your mercy right now. You can do whatever you want with me.”

“Is that right. Anything?”

Her limbs felt heavy, and so did her head. She couldn’t even muster the strength to nod, but the other parts of her—the female parts—they were firing up like a roaring engine. “Anything.”

He continued to massage her back with light touches, and it felt so good, especially when he kneaded the small of her back, teasing her by lightly tracing his fingertips over her butt cheeks. From hard pressure on the muscles of her back to the torturous caresses on her butt, it was driving her crazy, making her relaxed and tense at the same time. Her nipples peaked against the chair, and she wanted to rub them against the towel, anything to get some friction. Being naked meant her clit was getting some contact, too, and she felt the urge to reach between her legs and rub the throbbing ache Mick had caused.

But then he spread her legs. She felt the brush of his hair against her thighs and the swipe of his tongue across her pussy lips. She arched, lifting her butt, and his tongue slid across her clit.

Yes, that’s what she wanted. She got up on her knees, and he tucked his head between her legs, licking her pussy in long, delicious swipes.

She couldn’t believe they were outside, naked, right there on the beach, his head between her legs taking her so close to orgasm she was ready to scream, and no one was there to hear her if she did. She felt so free doing this with Mick, so wild and uninhibited. Never before had she given so much to one man.

His tongue was one hot slide across her tortured flesh. She shuddered as he licked around her clit, flicked his tongue there, tucked his finger inside her pussy, and began to pump in a slow, maddening rhythm that took her to the brink, only to withdraw and start over again with his tongue and fingers.

She laid her head in her hands and closed her eyes, attuned to everything he did to her. And when his tongue traveled up her pussy and across her anus, she jerked in response, lifted her head, and turned to him in question and uncertainty.

“Easy, baby. Let me taste all of you.”

She relaxed into it again as he patted her, licked her, took her right to the edge again as he licked every part of her, using his tongue and fingers to drive her crazy. She pictured his head buried between her legs, the warm breeze off the ocean not at all cooling her damp skin as he brought her to the brink time and time again, licking her clit, her pussy, and finally sliding his tongue into the puckered hole in back while he used his fingers on her pussy.

“Mick. Oh, God, Mick. Yes, just like that.” She never knew those kinds of sensations coupled together could make her so crazy, but she was going to come.

He pulled back. “Not yet. I don’t want you to come. Not until I fuck you.”

She drew in a ragged breath, so close to orgasm the pulses undulated within her.

Mick held her there on her knees, his hands on her hips as he pressed against her, his cock sliding between the seam of her buttocks.

“You’re so wet here,” he said, his fingers dancing along her pussy lips, dipping inside to coat her anus. “I’m going to fuck your pussy, Tara. Then I’m going to fuck your ass. And I’m going to make you come, hard.”

“Yes,” she said, her voice hoarse from panting. “Yes. Fuck me.”

She shivered as he swept his hand along her back. He reached into the beach bag on the table. She heard the condom packet as he tore it open, then he slid inside her pussy, pressing against her as he held tight to her hips and rocked back and forth. She gripped him in welcome, pulling him closer as she balanced on the edge of orgasm.

“Not yet, Tara. Hold on for me.”

She gritted her teeth and felt every sweet inch of him expand inside her. “Dammit, Mick. It’s so good.”

He leaned forward, kissing her sweat-soaked neck. “I know it is. It’s going to get better.” He withdrew and shoved in, hard, and she cried out, tossing her hair back and rocking back to meet his thrusts.

His fingers dug into her hips as he continued to power inside her, stopping short every time she drew close to climaxing. He withdrew and poured lube over her anus, using his finger to coat her, tease her opening, dipping his finger inside to open her, prepare her. The sensation was maddening. The pressure was intense, and she was so ready to come. She was past the point of reason, past the point of knowing anything but the orgasm she craved.

She felt his cock at the entrance to her ass.

“I’m going to fuck your ass now, Tara. You ready?”

“Yes. Fuck me. Now.”

He slid his cock head past the tight barrier. She hissed, breathing through the burning pain.

“Relax. Push out when I push in. You’ll take me in easier that way. And then I’ll make you come.”

She did, and he eased inside her. He held still while she waited through the intensity of feeling him there. He was so full, so big in such a small space, and it hurt. But through the hurt was a pulsing wave of such pleasure to be had. Mick leaned over and began to rub her clit in gentle circles, and soon the pain was replaced by that driving need to come again. She pushed his hand away. “Fuck me. I’ll do this.”

He held on to her hips, withdrawing just enough to push back inside her again.

“Oh, shit, oh, God, Mick. Yes. Fuck me like that.”

She massaged her clit harder, faster, while he thrust his cock in her ass, and she spiraled out of control. She rose up, sliding her fingers into her pussy, and continued rubbing her clit with her other hand. The sensations pounded at her as she lost everything but the feel of him inside her. “I can feel it. Yes, fuck me. Faster.”

“You gonna come for me, Tara?” he asked, his voice harsh and dark.

“Yes, Mick. Hurry and fuck me. I’m going to come.”

Nothing was going to stop her now as she felt the blast of orgasm hit her. She rocked back against him, taking his cock fully in her ass as she splintered into a thousand pieces with her climax. She screamed, the sound echoing through the treetops. Mick dug his fingers into her hips and shoved hard against her as he came, and his orgasm only intensified hers. She cried out, she couldn’t breathe, but it was the most intense damn climax she’d ever had. She felt it in every nerve ending, exploding throughout her body, bringing tears to her eyes as the waves pounded her over and over again.

She collapsed on the chair. Mick draped himself over her back, both of them panting like they’d just completed a marathon.

“Care for a dip in the ocean?” Mick asked, sliding his tongue along her neck.

“I think that’s a great idea.”

They swam and played in the water for the better part of the day, then came in, took a shower, and Mick called for Simon, their butler, who appeared within the hour to prepare them an amazing seafood dinner, which meant they actually had to put clothes on. Tara didn’t really mind since she’d brought a few fun sundresses to wear and she hadn’t had the chance to put much on. Mick had thrown on a pair of shorts and a short-sleeved tropical shirt for dinner.

After Simon prepared their food, he disappeared for the night, advising them he’d be back in the morning to fix them breakfast whenever they were ready, but to call if they needed anything before.

She could use a Simon in her life.

They ate out on the terrace overlooking the water. The sun had set, the moon rising and casting a silver glow across the water. And it was still warm outside. Tara lifted her glass of wine and took a sip.

“Does it bother you when I have a drink?”

Mick lifted his glass of mineral water. “No. Why should it?”

“Just wondered if you miss it.”

“Alcohol? Not really. It’s not good for me and I can’t handle it. But it doesn’t bother me to see other people drink it.”

“I can drink water or tea.”

He laughed and picked up her hand, kissed the back of it. “Thanks, babe. But there’s no reason you can’t enjoy a glass of wine. To be honest, I don’t even think about what you’re drinking. I’m too busy looking at your hair or your mouth or your tits or thinking about how great it was to fuck your ass today.”

She shook her head. “Such a guy.”

He waggled his brows. “Would you have me any other way?”

“No.”

“Okay then. Quit worrying about it.”

She did. They finished their meal and Tara stopped worrying about doing dishes. Though she still insisted on taking them inside and putting them in the sink, even though Mick laughed at her when she did.

“How about a walk on the beach?” Mick suggested.

“Great idea. That dinner was fabulous. I need to walk it off.”

Mick took her hand and led her out onto the beach. Tara inhaled the salty air and wondered how she was ever going to go back to the reality that was her life after spending a weekend at this idyllic paradise with a man like Mick.

“Tomorrow I thought we’d play some football on the beach.”

She snorted and leaned against him. “Trying to put me on the disabled list so I can’t work?”

“The thought crossed my mind. I’d have to keep you here on the island until you were well enough to travel.”

“I’d be at your mercy, day and night. I’m a slow healer, too.”

“How convenient. So how long do you think we could hold out here? A few months?”

She nodded. “At least.”

“That’d be tough.”

“You’d miss the start of the season.”

“Someone would have to do your job for you and handle all those headaches.”

She laughed. “Yeah, that would be a hardship.”

He put his arm around her and tugged her close. “Nice to dream, isn’t it?”

“This is paradise, Mick. I don’t know how people ever leave it.”

“Some might miss television and phones and Internet.”

“I don’t watch that much television anyway. I’m always on the phone at work, and it drives me crazy. And the only time I’m on the Internet is for work purposes. Getting away from it all here has been wonderful.” She stopped and stepped in front of him, the ocean waves sifting sand and water over her feet and ankles. “Thank you for this. It’s been the most amazing trip.”

He tipped her chin with his fingers. “I thought you might enjoy it. And it’s a nice break for me, too, before the craziness of the season starts up. I’ve never done the whole tropical island getaway, and when I saw it on the bid list, I thought of you and me and knew I had to win it.”

“Did you?” She couldn’t hide her grin.

“Yeah.”

He kissed her, a slow, sensual kiss that made her slide her toes into the sand and lean against him to hold on because she was getting dizzy. With Mick, she lost her senses, which was both a good and a bad thing.

She moved beside him again and they walked, not talking. She found she could be comfortable just being with him and not saying a word, though that tended to get her mind to working, and she thought about being here with him this weekend and what it all meant.

Total fantasy. Nothing real about it. Everything with Mick since the beginning had been built on fantasy. Dream dates and wishes and over-the-top fantasies come true. He was everything she’d ever dreamed of in a man, and everything she’d never dreamed was real. But what scared her about the two of them was the possibility that, like the fantasy of this weekend, there was no reality involved in it, nothing tangible to hold on to once the fantasy wore off.

Soon his football season would start, and he’d be so intensely involved in playing that he wouldn’t have time for her. And her business was taking off. She was getting more and more involved, her bookings were picking up, and she barely had time to see to Nathan’s needs. Once fall came he’d have games she’d need to attend, plus making sure he handled his schoolwork.

Where was there going to be time for a romantic relationship in both their schedules?

Maybe it was time to start seeing the reality of what she and Mick had together. It was a fun summer fling, and that’s all it was ever going to be. The sooner she came to grips with that, the better off she’d be. Before something stupid happened and she fell madly in love with him and started thinking they’d have a future together.

She’d had her heart broken once, and she wasn’t going to let it happen again.

Mick seemed to enjoy spending time with her, and okay, he seemed to like spending time with only her. But that didn’t mean anything. Men’s thought processes were utterly different from women’s. And men were inherently lazy, which meant that she was just easy to be with for the summer.

She hadn’t meant to, and she knew what she was thinking sounded bad, but it wasn’t what she meant. She and Mick got along great, they had fun together, their chemistry was smoking-hot, so why wouldn’t they be together? She wasn’t a demanding actress or model who needed to be seen and photographed and taken to events. She was fine doing whatever he wanted to do, and Nathan hero worshipped him, so there wasn’t even a problem with her kid.

Yeah, right. There’d been a huge problem when her kid had gotten drunk. And Mick had stepped in like a champion. How could a guy who wanted nothing more than sex from her have gotten so involved like he had with Nathan?

Maybe he was just a nice guy. No reason to read any more into it than what it was.

She was kind of the best summer fling he could have, right? And she’d made it pretty clear she wasn’t trying to put hooks into him, which would make leaving when his season started easy enough for him to do.

There was nothing holding him to her. Nothing holding her to him.

It was the perfect relationship.

So why didn’t it feel so perfect right now?

“You’ve been quiet.”

She lifted her gaze to his and offered up a smile. “Just enjoying the remarkable scenery.”

“You’re remarkable scenery. To hell with the ocean, the palm trees, and the sand.”

He drew them away from the water and dropped to the sand, pulling her down on top of him.

She laughed. “You’re pretty good for my ego.”

“Yeah, they’re paying me to boost you up a little.”

She arched a brow. “They? Who are they?”

He put his fingers to his lips. “I can’t tell you. It’s a secret. But trust me, they have your best interests in mind by hiring me on to give you a little lift.”

She laughed and pushed on his chest, lifting herself up to a sitting position. She slid her fingers under his shirt, loving the warmth she found when her skin met his. “So how much will I have to torture you to get the truth out of you?”

He laced his fingers behind his head. “Give it your best shot.”

She unbuttoned his shirt, pulled it aside, and splayed her fingers out over his chest.

“Holding me down to get the truth out of me?” he asked.

She didn’t answer and instead let her fingers drift over his ribs, down his stomach and even lower, dipping into his shorts to search for his cock. He lifted when she tugged on his shorts and removed them, tossing them to the side.

“Now I’m at your mercy.”

“So you are,” she said, taking his cock between her hands. She stroked him from base to tip, a slow slide of her hands, enjoying the feel of his cock hardening as she touched him.

“That’s torture.”

She smiled down at him. “Ready to give up your secrets?”

“No.”

She swirled her thumb over the crest of his cock, using the fluid that had gathered there to lubricate her movements. His eyes were locked onto what she was doing, but she was watching his face, his sharp breaths when she gripped him hard, the way his nostrils flared when she rolled both hands over his cock. She kept her gaze focused on his face as she bent down and licked his cock head, curling her tongue around his shaft, then dragging it down the underside. She licked his balls and he lifted, moaned, and sat up, spread his legs.

“Christ, that’s good, Tara.”

She rolled her tongue over the sac, putting each in her mouth, wanting to taste him everywhere before putting his cock in her mouth and drawing his shaft deep inside. She went down on him, letting him watch his cock disappear between her lips. She felt him shudder, loved that she made him weak the way he made her weak when he made love to her, wanted to take him right to the brink and over it. She held on to the base of his shaft and increased the suction as she brought him to the back of her throat, then eased up on the pressure, establishing a rhythm that had him grasping her hair and thrusting into her mouth with swift, hard strokes.

She laid her hand on his thigh and felt the dampness of perspiration, knew he held back, so she swept her hand along his shaft and fluttered her tongue across the soft head.

“Yeah. Oh, yeah. Dammit, that’s going to make me come. I’m going to come in your mouth, Tara.”

She hummed against his shaft, needing him to let her have it all.

He arched into her mouth and groaned, then tightened his hold on her hair as he let go, spurting hot come into her mouth. She held him there, swallowing what he gave her as he rocked against her, his entire body quaking with the force of his orgasm. She finally released his cock when he fell back against the sand.

“Damn,” was all he said.

Tara laid her head on his stomach, listening to the wild beat of his pulse, the upward rise and fall of his breaths while he smoothed his hand over her hair.

She lifted her head and gazed up at him. “Ready to give up your secrets to me?”

He laughed, raised his head. “Secrets? What secrets?”

“Damn you.” She picked up sand and rubbed it in his stomach. He lunged for her, but she screamed, jumped up, and ran, Mick on her heels. She knew she didn’t have a chance, and he was on her in seconds, tossing her to the ground. She squealed with laughter when he tackled her.

“Not fair,” she yelled as he pulled her under him, the top of her dress now around her waist. She didn’t care. “Your profession gives you an advantage.”

“Quit whining.” He grabbed sand and rubbed it between her breasts. She fisted a handful of sand and rubbed it in his hair. By the time they were through rolling around in the wet sand, Tara was convinced there was more of it on them than on the beach.

“Okay, enough,” Mick said, spitting sand out of his mouth.

Tara giggled and Mick pulled her up, threw her over his shoulder, and headed for their bungalow.

He turned on the shower while Tara stripped off her dress. They stepped into the oversized shower together and she laughed as Mick turned around. He had sand on his face, in his hair, and chunks of it hung on various parts of his body.

“Do I look as bad as you do?”

He brushed sand off her shoulders. “Probably.”

They lathered up and washed—rather thoroughly, since sand had gotten everywhere. Tara was thankful for the jets on both sides of the shower, and for the removable shower head, since she ended up with sand in uncomfortable spots of her body.

“Well, that was like a spa treatment,” she said once she’d rinsed the sand out of every possible crevice. “But my skin is utterly smooth now.”

Mick rinsed his face and turned to her. “Is that right? I think I should double-check to make sure you got all the sand out.”

Tara arched a brow, then held her arms out. “Inspect away.”

He turned her around and smoothed his hands over her shoulders and arms, then down her back. “Looks good here. Turn around.”

She did, and he locked his gaze with hers as he swept his fingers through her wet hair, letting his fingertips trail over her nose and across her lips. He bent and brushed his lips across hers. “Tastes sand-free.”

She sighed when he ran his tongue over her lips, slid between her teeth to taste her tongue before pulling away.

“No sand on your tongue.”

She laughed.

Her breath caught when he rolled his thumbs over her breasts, then caught her hips with his hands. “Yes, very smooth here, but I need to take a closer look down here.”

He dropped to his knees. “Spread your legs, honey.”

She did, bracing against the side of the shower when he leaned forward, his tongue snaking out to lick along the folds of her pussy. She tilted her head back and let the water fall over her face and hair, the heat and steam only adding to the pressure building deep inside her as Mick sucked on her clit.

She gasped when he slid his tongue inside her. He raised her leg and rested it over his shoulder, opening her further to him.

“Smooth, sweet, so soft here. He slipped a finger inside her, fucking her with gentle strokes while he lazily drew circles around her clit with his tongue.

It was the soft and easy that took her right to the edge—and over, shocking her that it was so quick. She gasped when she came, rocking against him while he held tight to her, making sure she wouldn’t fall as she rode out a delicious orgasm.

Mick stood and reached outside the door for a condom, then wrapped her leg around his hip as he shoved inside her, pushing her against the wall of the shower. He raised her hands above her head and bent to lick at her nipples.

Now it was a matter of passionate hunger, and she reveled in it.

“Kiss me,” she demanded, and he lifted his head, took her mouth in a blistering kiss, ratcheting up her desire to unbearable levels as he shoved into her with deep, penetrating thrusts.

He rolled his hips over her, grinding against her over and over until she was coming again, crying out as she exploded with sensation. He let go of her arms and lifted her, kissing her with everything he had as he let go with an intimate look that melted her. She drank in his groans and held tight to him while he shuddered against her, his fingers digging so hard into her buttocks she knew they’d leave marks, but she didn’t care.

The water had started to cool by the time he released her, and she was still quaking inside from the force of both her orgasm and his.

Mick reached over and turned the water off, grabbed towels for both of them. They dried off and climbed into bed. Mick pulled her against him, sweeping her damp hair to the side to kiss the nape of her neck.

Tara closed her eyes and tried to shut off the emotion that being with Mick always brought forth.

It was just sex. Just sex and nothing more.

Maybe if she kept telling herself that over and over and over again, she’d buy into it and keep the realization that she had fallen head over heels love with him at bay. Because that notion kept cropping up all the damn time, and the more she tried to push it away, the more it appeared.

She was afraid it was too late to make it disappear, despite her best intentions to talk herself out of it happening.