“What, I’m not allowed to walk around my own room in my natural state?” Devlin laughs, striding out into the bedroom proper.
I scramble up from the floor as he approaches, trying to tamp down the insane rush of desire roaring through me. All I want is to run my hands all over that hard body, rake my nails across his broad back as he flattens me against the bed, driving that delicious cock of his straight through me.
“I’m...gonna go get some air,” I say, slipping into last night’s miniskirt and turning on my heel. “I’ll be back in a second.”
“Suit yourself. You can borrow my key,” he shrugs, stepping into a pair of black briefs. “I can wait. Not for much longer, but—”
“Wait?” I reply, looking over my shoulder. “Wait for...what?”
“Wait for you to let go of whatever it is that’s keeping you from throwing yourself at me right now,” he grins. “Don’t worry. This place will loosen you up in no time. You’ll see.”
Speechless, I tear my eyes away from his glistening chest, grab my purse, and march out the door. I can hear his satisfied chuckle as I make my way down the hallway to the bank of elevators. Despite myself, I pause just outside of Juliet’s door. My lonely sixteen-year-old self is screaming for me to knock down the door, throw my arms around her, and tell her how much I’ve missed her all these years. But jaded, twenty-something me is still smarting from her dismissal this morning. She’s the one who ditched me, leaving me without a best friend and big sister. She should be the one making an effort to patch things up, now.
One thing’s for sure, I think to myself, making my way out of this strange hotel in the early morning light. This little jaunt couldn’t possibly get more fucked up.
Hiking isn’t exactly an option, given that the only shoes at my disposal are three-inch heels. Barefooted, I pick my way through the thick forest, back toward the dock where I landed just last night. Bodies in all states of undress sleep on in the shadows of ancient trees as I pass. Men and women are wrapped up in each other’s slumbering arms, deep in drunken dreams. The ground is littered with cans and bottles, crushed joints and cigarette butts. The raging bonfire has burnt down to smoldering embers, and the sun is just starting to peek over the tree tops.
I step out onto the wide boards of the dock, wrapping my arms around my waist. Gazing out across the smooth surface of the ocean, I try and quiet my racing thoughts. I’m stuck out here for a whole week, alone save for my hostile sister and irresistibly sexy pseudo-guardian. This entire island is full of men looking for something young and vulnerable to hunt down, and I might as well have a bulls-eye on my chest.
“You can handle this,” I coach myself. “You know what you’re here to do. Just keep your wits about you, and everything is going to be just fine.”
With a deep, steadying breath, I reach into my purse and pull out my cell once more. Better text my editor about my stranded status, too. Maybe she can dispatch someone to come rescue me. Or at least tell me what the hell I should do now.
Hey Elliot. Turns out the only boat off this rock left without me. I’m in with Vile, and have some really solid impressions of the place after last night. I’d love to get back to the mainland ASAP, though. Any ideas?
She texts back almost immediately.
Are you kidding me? That’s AWESOME. Stay there for as long as you can. And Logan—don’t hesitate about getting creative about your investigation techniques. I won’t judge you if you want to take a more hands on approach with Vile. Keep me posted about what you find out. This is going to be the greatest story we’ve ever published! xoxo
I stare blankly down at Elliot’s message. Is she giving me to the go-ahead to get down and dirty with the Circle of Death president...for the sake of my story? I must have missed the journalism 101 class where they discussed that particular ethics conundrum. You aren’t supposed to name your sources, after all. I’m sure you’re not supposed to fuck them, either.
For the first time in my adult life, I’m starting to wish I’d gone to med school like my parents wanted after all.
Chapter Nine
Daytime offers a reprieve from the sexy chaos of The Club. I get the sense that most of the people here remain nocturnal during their stays, waking only to party the nights away. This relative peace and quiet is a small but welcome blessing as I make my game plan for the next week. I don’t know how much time passes as I sit on that dock, calming myself little by little. But once I’ve got my head on straight, I trace my way back to the hotel room.
Devlin is clothed by the time I get back. I honestly can’t tell if I’m more relieved or disappointed by that fact—probably best not to think about it now. He’s wearing a plain white tee and broken-in blue jeans, his black leather cut resting reverently on the dresser. My eyes alight on the sigil emblazoned on the back of his vest: it’s a circle with an x through it. I recognize it from one of my history classes as an archaic symbol of death. Above the image, the title Circle of Death MC is scrawled, and beneath, East Coast Chapter.
“There you are,” Devlin says, as I step further into his spacious room. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away for long.”
“Just wanted to come grab the rest of my things,” I tell him, trying not to notice how well his jeans fit.
“I hope you don’t mind,” he goes on, running a hand through his still-wet hair. “I took the liberty of asking The Club to open this room up into a suite, since you’ll be staying for a while. Your room is right through there.”
I follow Devlin’s gaze to a previously concealed doorway. Taking a tentative step forward, I see that it opens from his onto a second bedroom, kitchenette, and half bath.
“Devlin...You shouldn’t have,” I tell him, moved by the gesture all the same. “I mean, really. You shouldn’t.”
“What else were you going to do, ask Juliet to let you camp out on her floor?” he laughs. “Relax. It was no trouble. Go on, take a look.”
Stepping into the elegant space, I see that an array of clothing and toiletries are waiting for me on the bed. And it’s not just essentials that my room has been stocked with, either. A brand new laptop is sitting on the writing desk in the corner, and the kitchen is crowded with bottles of fine booze and delicious food.
“Did you do all this, too?” I ask, spinning around to find Devlin leaning casually against the doorframe.