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Now it was back to reality. As she turned into the entry gates to the resort, she decided that she would shower and go to bed and get the sleep she’d been deprived of last night.
Leaving the bathroom after his shower, Winston didn’t have to look at the empty bed to know Red was gone. She had agreed to stay for another day and night and he had been looking forward to it. He figured he should be grateful she had left, but couldn’t help feeling disappointed that she had left without first telling him …
What? Her name? How to contact her again?
He rubbed his hand down his face in frustration. He didn’t handle one-nighters that way. Usually he would have a name, a first one at least, although most of the time he wasn’t certain it was genuine. And he’d never felt the need to keep one woman around. So why had he tried making Red different?
Because she was.
The moment he had eased between her legs and thrust hard inside of her, he’d known it. Never had he engaged in such mindless, erotic pleasure. Her inner muscles had clenched him, nearly made him beg for mercy, and driven him to make his strokes harder. Pound into her deeper. She would scream and he would growl.
And then her going down on him was no joke, either. What she’d done with her mouth had shudders running up his spine even now. He had known when he’d seen her at the club that her mouth could deliver and it had. She’d given him mindless pleasure and had ignited something wild and untamed inside him, making him want to go another round, then another, and another.
Hell, it had definitely been one incredible night.
Now she was gone and chances were he would never see her again.
He moved toward the bed and glanced around. There wasn’t a trace of her anywhere. But all he had to do was sniff the air to inhale her lingering scent. It was an aroma that hadn’t just entrenched in the air but was embedded in his skin even after his shower. The woman had worked her way into his mind.
A fierce frown settled on his face and he drew in a deep breath while giving his mind a mental dressing-down. Then you need to get her out of your mind. She was a one-nighter, so why are you getting so worked up about it? You don’t do relationships, don’t have time and wouldn’t do one if you did. Do you need to be reminded of Caroline Darling and all the pain she caused you?
Yes, at that moment he needed to be reminded of Caroline, and the memory was like a douse of ice water to his body. It didn’t matter that his night with Red had been off the charts. Great sex was great sex but that was all it was. No woman would get under his skin again no matter how great the sex was.
A short while later Winston was glad he’d managed to get his mind back in check. He had dressed to go down for breakfast and play a game of golf when his cell phone went off. He could tell by the ring it was Uriel. Each of his godbrothers had their own ring tone. Uriel happened to be the oldest of the six, besting Winston’s thirty-four by eighteen months.
Most people knew the story as to how six guys had become best friends while attending Morehouse and had on graduation day made a pact to stay in touch by becoming godfathers to each other’s children, and that the first-born sons’ names would carry the letters of the alphabet from U to Z. And that was how Uriel Lassiter, Virgil Bougard, Winston Coltrane, Xavier Kane, York Ellis and Zion Blackstone had come into existence.
Winston was close to his godparents and godbrothers and couldn’t imagine them not being a part of his life … although at the moment he was somewhat annoyed with three of them: Uriel, Xavier and York.
A few years ago when he and all five of his godbrothers were going through some sort of issues with women, they had come up with the idea of the Bachelors in Demand Club. They were supposed to be die-hard players—all six of them—who would enjoy life without any serious entanglements. But now the club of six was down to three after Uriel, Xavier and York had fallen in love and married. As far as he was concerned they were all whipped men.
It didn’t matter one iota that he happened to like the women his three godbrothers had married. That was beside the point. The fact remained that they had defected.
“What’s up, U?” Over the years they had shortened their names for each other to just the first letter.
“I haven’t heard from you since the New Year’s Eve party. Just checking on you, W.”
He wasn’t surprised since he and his godbrothers stayed in contact pretty regularly. “I’m fine. How’s Ellie doing?” Uriel’s wife was expecting their first child in May. Xavier’s wife, Farrah, was expecting that month, as well. Winston had to get used to the idea of U and X as fathers, just like he’d gotten used to them as married men.
“Ellie’s fine. She’s working on another novel and believes this one will be a bestseller.”
“They always are.” Ellie was a romance author who wrote under the pseudonym of Flame Elbam. Uriel and Ellie hosted a New Year’s Eve party every year at their home in Cavanaugh Lake in North Carolina. It had been at that party a couple of weeks ago that Ellie had announced her last novel had been on The New Yorks Times Bestseller List for six weeks straight.
“I hear you’re off Barrett Shores for a few days,” Uriel said.
Winston didn’t have to guess where U had gotten that information. More than likely it had come from York since he had been the last one Winston had spoken with. York had called this morning when Winston was throwing items into an overnight bag.
It hadn’t been loneliness that had driven Winston across the Sound to Hilton Head. The need to get laid had been the driving factor. And the trip hadn’t been disappointing.
“Yes, I needed to come into town,” he heard himself saying.
“How are things going with the project?”
Up until a month ago, very few people had known that his research as a marine biologist had reached a major breakthrough in the medical arena. Since word had somehow gotten leaked to the press, he’d been inundated with emails and letters wanting interviews.
“Pain in the ass right now. I prefer keeping my hands in the research side of things versus the business side, you know that.”
“Yes, and you should have taken my advice and hired a public relations expert. It’s only a matter of time before your true identity gets out and Barrett Shores won’t be your private island anymore.”
Winston frowned at the thought. When he had left his six-figure job with Destin Pharmaceuticals a few years back, he had decided to further his research under a pseudonym to keep his private life private. And following Ellie’s advice, he’d even gone so far as to set up a Facebook page with a picture of his grandfather for publicity purposes to appease the serious diggers determined to uncover his true identity. However, Uriel was right. Pretty soon some determined reporter would dig deep enough and find out Winston Coltrane and the renowned Dr. R. J. Chambers were one and the same.
He and Uriel talked for a few minutes more, ending with their plan for all the godbrothers to join York and his wife Darcy in New York next month over Valentine’s Day weekend when the couple would celebrate their first wedding anniversary.
As he walked down the corridor to the elevator, he could still smell Red’s scent and knew it would remain with him for a long time whether he wanted it to or not.
Chapter 5
“So, how are things going?”
Ainsley smiled upon hearing Tessa’s voice. “Fine. I’m stretched out on the beach watching the waves come in. It’s so relaxing. I wish you could have come with me,” she said, pulling up in a sitting position.
“I wish I could have come, too, but some of us have to work for a living.”
Ainsley groaned, thinking of her own employment situation. “And some of us are unemployed.”
“Have you called The New York Times to see if you can get your old job back?” Tessa asked her.
“I put in a call to Bobby a few days ago and he hasn’t returned it. The last time we talked, I was lectured on how the company was reducing their staff so he couldn’t make me any promises. I knew when I resigned that the downsizing was due to the economy. However, at the time, I was so sure I was going to win the election and wouldn’t need that job.”
“And you would have, if Luis Higgins hadn’t lied about you being a stripper instead of a dancer at that New York club during your college days.”
“Doesn’t matter.” She wouldn’t admit it to Tessa but it had mattered. The good people of Claxton, many of whom she’d known all her life, had let her down by believing such nonsense. They had been quick to believe the worst and decided a mayor with a history of pole dancing just wouldn’t cut it, regardless of the fact it was one of her ancestors, the first Ainsley St. James, who had founded the town and had been the town’s first mayor.
“I’m hoping Bobby calls me back before I leave. I want to have some definite plans in place before returning to Claxton. With Luis Higgins as mayor, I won’t stay in town any longer than I have to. Dad is doing better so he doesn’t need me any more. I’ll return just long enough to pack my bags. Mom and Dad understand.”
Ainsley was glad she had sub-leased her New York condo in Harlem. The couple had only wanted a six-month lease, which meant she had a place to stay when she returned. However, with this trip and the personal money she’d thrown into the campaign, she needed an income to pay her bills.
“So, have you run into Mr. Hot-Throb any more?”
She’d told Tessa about meeting Winston at the nightclub a week ago, but she hadn’t told her anything about spending the night with him. That was too much to share with anyone, even a best friend. “No, I haven’t run into him. He’s probably left the island already.”
She couldn’t help wondering if he had. She hadn’t gone back to the Sparrow, but she had gone to a couple restaurants on that side of town. And she’d always felt the need to look over her shoulder, nervous about running into him again.
It was hard to believe it had been a week already. She hated admitting there hadn’t been one single day that she hadn’t thought about Winston—remembering something he had said or recalling how he would look at her with those dark penetrating eyes of his.
Some days a part of her wished she hadn’t sneaked out of his hotel room like a thief in the night. It would have been nice to have spent the morning after with him, possibly even sharing breakfast if nothing more. Then on other days she was convinced she had done the right thing. One-night stands didn’t need to extend into the next day and night. It was best to make a clean break and move on.
She had ended her phone call with Tessa, gone back to her room to shower and change for dinner at one of the resort’s restaurants when her cell phone rang again. Her heart kicked up a beat when she saw it was her old boss, Bobby Ryerson. “Bobby, I was wondering if you were going to call me back.”
“Hey, kid, I didn’t want to interrupt your vacation until I could deliver good news.”
“And you can?” she asked, crossing her fingers. She needed her old job back. The sooner she could return to New York and the life she’d had there the better.
“Sort of. Like I told you, with the economy the way it is the paper isn’t hiring or doing rehires … except for special projects. I think I’ve come up with a freelance piece I can bring you back to write if you’re interested.”
“What’s it about?”
“Not what but who. Ever heard of Dr. R. J. Chambers?”
A frown burrowed her brow. “No.”
“But you have heard of the prescription drug Norjamin.”
“Yes, although it’s still pending approval by the FDA, it’s the drug that’s supposed to run rings around Viagra. I’ve heard it’s better all the way around with minimum side effects.”
“That’s good news all the way around, and Chambers is the marine biologist who was the mastermind behind that pill. His identity is a heavily guarded secret. The only thing anyone knows about him is from what’s going through social media. But I have a lead that Chambers is working on this remote island off Hilton Head. I want to put you on it right away. The paper will cover everything.”
“Okay.” Additional time on Hilton Head wouldn’t be so bad, especially when the last weather report indicated it was snowing in New York. “For how long?”
“At least three weeks. We want you to get inside his head. Get the scoop on his next project. Find out why he prefers living the life of a recluse. And it’d be ideal if we could put something in print around Valentine’s Day weekend, when sex is on a lot of people’s minds.”
Ainsley rolled her eyes. “I believe it’s romance that’s on everyone’s mind on that day.”
“Same thing.”
Deciding not to give her opinion on that, especially after her recent one-night stand, she said. “I need an address.”
“Does that mean you’re going to do it?” Bobby asked and she could hear the smile in his voice.
“Like you didn’t think I would. But I have a few stipulations,” she said, pulling the hotel notepad out of the drawer.
“You know I can’t promise you anything, St. James.”
She didn’t believe that for one minute. “I want my old job back, Bobby—including my office and weekly column.”
“You resigned, so sure that you were going to win that election, and we hired someone else.”
He was right. She had thought she would win. Deciding to use another approach, she said. “My replacement is doing a piss-poor job with that column and you and I both know it. I read the reviews.”
Bobby let out a deep sigh. “Giving you your old job back won’t be that easy. She’s the niece of someone at the top.”
Ainsley nervously gnawed on her bottom lip. In that case, it wouldn’t be easy but not impossible. “I’ll give you what you want from Chambers and you work on getting me what I want.”
Bobby didn’t say anything for a minute and then, “You deliver the goods on Chambers and I’ll see what I can do. And I need a newsbreaker, St. James. Chambers has been a recluse on that island. So far we’re the only ones who’ve gotten a lead as to where he lives so we need to move fast. It’s going to be up to you to convince the old man to do the interview.”
“Wait! Hold up! Are you saying Chambers hasn’t agreed to talk to me?”
“Not just you, he hasn’t agreed to talk to anyone. I understand he prefers the solitude with all those sea creatures. He doesn’t have a life. In fact, he doesn’t even know anyone has discovered his whereabouts. Chances are he won’t be too happy when you show up, but hopefully you can soften up the old man.”
She frowned. “I appreciate the vote of confidence.”
“No problem and if you get discouraged, just remember that this story makes you one step closer to reclaiming your old job, including your office and your column.” He quickly added, “But I can’t make promises.”
Ainsley smiled. “Too late, Bobby. You just did. Get the presses ready. I plan on giving you one hell of a scoop.”
Chapter 6
Ainsley brought her car to a stop and glanced at the huge sign. Entering Barrett Shores. You’re not welcome unless you were invited.
Well, she thought. You couldn’t get any clearer than that. She then looked ahead at the bridge in front of her, the one that would take her across the Port Royal Sound to the island. The first question that came to her mind was whether or not it was safe. It was made of wood and the planks didn’t look sturdy enough to hold a cart much less a car. But tire tracks ingrained in the wooden surface over time indicated vehicles had driven across without making the old bridge come tumbling down. She compressed her lips deciding she would take her chances. What choice did she have if she wanted her old job back?
Humming “Nearer, My God, to Thee,” she put her car in Drive and slowly moved ahead. As soon as her front tire touched the plank, she held her breath and tried taking her mind off the lack of sturdiness of the bridge by noticing the beauty of the surrounding area. Through the tall oak trees peeked the blue-green of the Atlantic Ocean. The view was simply breathtaking.
She released a sigh of relief when she made it off the bridge and lifted her head to give thanks. Hopefully, she’d be going back across before dark. If old man Chambers didn’t agree to the interview she would be leaving the island a lot sooner than that. Refusing to consider he wouldn’t do the interview, she squared her shoulders and drove on, following the one-lane road that, according to her GPS, would lead her right to the sanctuary where Dr. R. J. Chambers lived and worked. She had spent the last two days trying to get as much information on the man as she could. There had been plenty, on his Facebook page and in Wikipedia. Both of those had provided a picture of a distinguished-looking man in his late sixties or early seventies. However, nothing she’d researched had provided anything else about his identity and whereabouts. Bobby was right. The man was living the life of a recluse.
She rounded a curve in the road and quickly brought the car to a stop when her breath caught. “Wow!”
Ainsley wasn’t exactly sure what she had expected of Chambers’s home but it definitely hadn’t been this. The view while driving across the bridge had been spectacular, but this here was so magnificent it actually left her breathless.
Tucked away amid the tallest oak trees she’d ever seen was a sprawling three-story house with over eight hundred feet of beachfront. It was early January, yet all the leaves were a deep evergreen. It was as if spring had come early here while some places farther north were snow covered.
The house itself looked as if it could hold four or five families easily. But she figured most of the rooms were where Dr. Chambers did his work. The man usually published a book every eighteen months, in addition to being a regular contributor to numerous marine publications. But the drug before the FDA was rumored to be his biggest achievement yet and already several pharmaceutical companies wanted his named linked to their corporation. So far he had committed to none.
Her gaze traveled to the sky, saw the strength of the sun and how it appeared to kiss the blue-green waters of the ocean. She could imagine waking up to such a view every morning. The old man was a recluse and now she could see why. If she had this at her fingertips, she would never leave the island, either. She could imagine sitting on the docks nursing a margarita while enjoying the view of endless water. She wasn’t surprised that a man, successful in the study of eliminating sexual dysfunction, would live on a private island like a king.
After parking the car, she got out and glanced around. She expected a member of Chambers’s staff to appear and tell her that she was trespassing. When it became obvious no one would be there to intercept her, she began walking around the gate trying to find a good place to enter. After risking her life by driving across that bridge, there was no way she was leaving without attempting to see Dr. Chambers.
Winston muttered a curse when the buzzer went off in his lab. Someone was on his property. He pushed away from the huge aquarium and angrily snatched the work gloves off his hands. He was in the middle of cleaning out one of his tanks and there was no reason to get interrupted. Evidently someone hadn’t read the huge sign before crossing the bridge. It wasn’t the first time and it wouldn’t be the last. He had thought about removing the bridge completely, which meant he could only use his boat whenever he needed to get to Hilton Head or Parris Island. But why should he be inconvenienced because someone refused to adhere to his wishes?
Ignoring the dolphins flipping around in the huge tank as he passed by, he checked his watch. It would be feeding time for them soon and, with all he had to do, he should stay on schedule. He moved into the lobby of his work area and picked up the remote to turn on the nearest security monitor. A flat screen mounted on the wall flared to life and he immediately saw the car parked on the west side of his property.
Switching to other security channels, he didn’t see a thing. York, a former officer for the NYPD, who owned a high-tech security firm in New York, had installed the state-of-the-art system himself. And knowing how much of a stickler York was to detail, it would be just a matter of time before Charley discovered the location of his intruder.
Charley was the name he’d given the talking security system that had the capability of scanning not only every inch of the island but up to one hundred feet of the waterways, to alert him of any intruders arriving by boat, as well. At first it had been hard getting used to the talking device since it seemed to have a mind of its own at times. It reminded him of Kitt, the voice of the talking Trans Am in the Knight Rider TV series.
“Warning. Warning,” Charley blasted. “Trespasser. East grounds.”
“Scan perimeters, Charley,” Winston ordered, switching out of his work shoes into a pair of Nike shoes.
“Vehicle located. Rental. Currently empty.”
“Tell me something I haven’t figured out for myself,” he muttered to the machine.
Charley’s light began flashing. “Repeat command. Didn’t understand. Failed communication.”
Winston rolled his eyes. “Find trespasser and scan.”
He was halfway through the door when Charley blasted out the information. “Found. Female. East grounds.”
Winston nodded as he went toward the door. So his intruder was a woman. Well, she had a lot of explaining to do. Not only had she crossed the bridge to his property when she should not have, but somehow she had gotten through the east gate. The only way she could have done that was by picking the lock.
“Notify authorities?” Charley asked.
“No” was Winston’s single response before stepping out the door. Whoever the brazen woman was, he would handle her himself.
Making his way to the balcony, he saw a glimpse of her as she quickly crossed the east patio. He took the stairs two at a time as he moved up to the main floor. Easing open the French doors, he stood concealed by several huge plants. It would only be a matter of time before she came dashing his way.
Suddenly, there was a stirring in the pit of his groin and he wondered why. Then he knew. His nostrils had picked up a scent and it was the same fragrance that had remained with him for the past week and a half. The same scent he woke to each morning and went to bed with at night. The scent of the woman whose memory just wouldn’t leave him.
Red.
A fine time for his imagination to run wild, he thought. Steeling his mind against the scent he wished like hell he could forget, he pressed against the wall, determined that whoever she was, she wouldn’t slip past him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a slender figure and then a flash of blue. And then as if on cue, he emerged from his hiding place and grabbed her by the arm, bringing her body to his. “Look, lady, this is private property. You have no right to be here. And you’re leaving now!”
She fought, trying to reclaim her arm but he held tight in an attempt to drag her back to where her car was parked.
“Let go of me, you ass.”
Something about that voice, as well as the scent that continued to corrode his senses, made him loosen his hold on her at the same time she swung around and lifted her foot to deliver a firm kick in his groin. He jumped out of the way and his jaw dropped when he saw her face. “Red?”
She gasped and froze when she pushed all that hair from her face. Shock etched her features and rendered her speechless for a moment. Finally she regained her voice. “Winston?”
He continued to stare at her while struggling to decipher just why she was there. Seeing her again did something to him. It was as if a keg of dynamite filled with lust suddenly exploded inside his entire body. Without thinking, he reached out, pulled her close and captured her mouth with his.