Summer Sin (The Anthology Novella Series Book 2) Read online

  “What in the hell is there to smile about?” she grumbled darkly.

  Simon appraised his friend a moment, noting once again how utterly beautiful she was. Beautiful and haunted, he thought with a frown. She damned well deserved to be happy, he thought with a sad shake of his head. He sighed and started the car. “If you’d just give yourself a chance,” he finally replied quietly, “you might be surprised.”

  Victoria woke just as the Captain’s voice drifted through the cabin informing them that they were beginning their final decent. She yawned sleepily as she swiped a hand across her eyes. Good Lord! She’d fallen asleep from almost the moment that they had taken off and had slept the entire flight!

  She leaned over and looked out of the window at the beautiful islands nestled below. Bali. Malcolm had actually sent her to freaking Bali! What in the good God was going on here?

  Just why in the hell did he suddenly feel the need to send her halfway across the world? Her ribs were back to normal. In fact, she felt great. So why this sudden forced getaway? Her brows furrowed as she realized that something was definitely up. She could feel it in her bones. Malcolm was keeping something from her and she was pretty damned sure that it wasn’t good.

  Victoria suddenly felt the hairs at the back of her neck raise as she got that distinct feeling of being watched. She turned in her seat and glanced around at the other passengers. Most were stretching or buckling up, but when her eyes landed on the man four rows back, she felt a gasp spring from her lips as her mouth dropped open. Dear Lord! The man was liquid sin! How did she not notice him before?

  Thick dark hair, cut short with just the tiniest touch of silver at the temples. Strong jaw and sinewy muscles that seemed to move and ripple beneath his skintight t-shirt. Not to mention…Victoria felt her cheeks flush with heat as her gaze met the golden depths of his eyes. Oh, crap! He was staring right back at her!

  His mouth lifted at the corner in what could only be described as an utterly lecherous, yet make your knees weak grin, and he actually winked at her. What an arrogant ass! She whipped back around in her seat and faced the front, feeling like a total imbecile for getting caught checking him out. So not how she wanted this vacation to start. Guh!

  ☼

  Victoria practically launched herself from her seat as soon as the plane came to a stop and dashed through the door of the airplane like her ass was on fire, not daring to look back. She just wanted to get this whole fiasco started so that it would be closer to ending. And drooling over some arrogant hot guy was certainly not part of the plan.

  As she rushed through the doors and down the concourse, she caught sight of a man standing off to the side holding up a sign with her name neatly printed across it. Oh, what now, Malcom, she thought with a grimace as she slowed her pace and hesitantly walked over to him.

  “I’m Ms. Remington,” she informed him softly, trying hard to keep the edge from her voice. It wasn’t this guy’s fault that her boss seemed to think that she needed tending to like a frigging Rock Star!

  “Ah, yes, ma’am. I’m Harold. I’ll be taking you to your Villa. Follow me, please.” He turned and began walking away, his stride stiff and formal and Victoria had the insane urge to groan but bit it back.

  “Wait,” Victoria called, and he stopped, turning back to look at her. “My bags.”

  “Everything will be taken care of, Ms. Remington,” he informed her coolly, motioning towards the front doors of the airport.

  Victoria sighed in defeat as she reluctantly followed along, realizing there was going to be no fighting this. Malcolm had thought of damn near everything. Well, she thought with a resigned grunt, at least this way she avoided running into Mr. Hottie again and looking like a blathering fool. Always look for the silver lining, Victoria.

  Camden watched intently as Victoria trailed along behind Harry and a scowl marred his perfect features. She had taken off like a bat out of hell the moment that they landed, and for some unknown reason, that fact bothered him somewhat. He didn’t like the thought of her running from him. It just didn’t sit well with him for some reason.

  He watched the gentle sway of her hips as she walked towards the exit, his body beginning to tingle all over as he did. Shit! This was so not what he needed at the moment.

  He had been sent here to watch over the little beauty and to make sure she was safe…and that was all! He had to put the kibosh on what had to be her Fey mumbo jumbo shit working on him.

  The Fey were notorious for their ability to charm other paranormals. They were mystical and beautiful creatures who could easily woo a man into forgetting his own name if they chose to. It was just in their blood. Although, he really didn’t think it was that. It was something else altogether.

  Camden shook the thought away, turned and headed toward the baggage claim, thinking to himself that this was going to be one hell of a long damn month.

  ☼

  Victoria swallowed the gasp of surprise that sprang to her lips as Harold ushered her through the doors of the villa. To say that the house was grand was a severe understatement. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. Bright, airy…spectacular. Marble floors and rich bamboo dominated the space, but it was done with an amazing Caribbean flair that was like nothing she had ever seen before. Blues and greens the color of sea glass filled the space, making it feel warm and homey and quite a bit like something right out of Better Homes and Gardens.

  “Your bags will be along shortly,” Harold informed her stoically. He handed her the keys and walked over to a key pad mounted near the door. “This is the alarm system. Please make sure that you activate it…always.” He punched in a code and turned, handing her a card. “This is the code for the system, please memorize it.”

  Victoria watched him a moment, a sinking feeling of doom hitting her in the gut. Why all the precaution? Again, something just didn’t feel right about any of this.

  “There are three other villas along this stretch of beach,” he continued. “One is vacant and I believe the other one will have a guest shortly. A shifter that is here for a bit of rest and relaxation, like yourself. But I’m sure that you will have your privacy.” He gave her a wry smile before clearing his throat and continuing. “There is a car in the garage if you need to venture into town, but you should have everything you need here. The house has been fully stocked and if there is something you do find that you need, all you have to do is call me and I will bring it to you.” He handed her another card from his front pocket. “I am available any time, day or night.”

  “Thank you,” Victoria replied distractedly, her eyes still taking in the grandeur of her surroundings. Holy shit!

  “My number is on the card in case you need anything at all,” Harold informed her again, taking a step back towards the door. “Would you like me to show you around?” he asked, but Victoria could tell that he was just itching to leave. He seemed uncomfortable and completely out of place.

  “No, thank you, Harold. I’ll explore on my own.” With that, he gave her a curt nod and was gone.

  Victoria moved around the house, just trying to take it all in. She had never seen such luxury before. The kitchen was every chef’s wet dream, and the refrigerator was fully stocked with what seemed to be every type of food imaginable. Too bad she didn’t have the slightest idea how to do much more than boil water for a cup of noodles. What a waste, she sighed with a small shake of her head as she left the kitchen and headed upstairs to check out her sleeping arrangements for the next thirty days.

  The master bedroom was enormous and absolutely gorgeous. Done in a beautiful ocean blue and white with a giant king sized bed set directly in the center of the room and surrounded by a voluminous gossamer netting…it was beyond spectacular.

  Oh, dear Lord! She inwardly groaned as she wondered how she was going to do this for an entire month. It seemed as if all she had known for the past seven years had suddenly been ripped from her fingers and she felt…lost and completely out of her element.

&
nbsp; She lived a simple life at best. A life of hunting and not much more. This absolute grandeur was unsettling to say the least. She was a fish out of water here and just trying desperately to gasp for air.

  She went back downstairs and headed for the French doors that faced the ocean, opening them and stepping outside onto the large deck and breathing the salty air deeply into her lungs, trying hard to clear her head. This was all just total sensory overload!

  She walked over to one of the deck chairs and plopped down with a huff, staring out at the incredibly blue waters and wondering how she was going to survive the next thirty days sitting around on her ass. This just wasn’t her. She was a hunter. Plain and simple. Not someone who lounged around all day long doing absolutely nothing. She was definitely not a lady that lunched.

  The roar of an engine jerked her from her thoughts and she turned to watch as a 911 flew into the driveway next door. It seemed as if her neighbors had arrived, she thought with a frown. So much for solitude in which to happily brood and wallow in her misery.

  Victoria felt the blood rush to her face as she watched Mr. Hottie himself slide from the black Porsche and stretch his impressive frame. Oh, holy crap! You have got to be kidding!

  He pulled the sunglasses from his face and caught her gaze, giving her a grin that just about stopped her heart right there in her chest. Damn it all to hell!

  “Afternoon, neighbor,” he called; the deep baritone of his voice slithering across her body and instantly making her shiver despite the un-Godly heat and humidity in the air.

  Victoria glared at him a moment before standing and making her way silently inside. She knew that she was being rude, but at that precise moment in time, she just couldn’t have cared less. Screw him!

  Something about the man affected her in a way that she was far from comfortable with and she decided it would be best if she just avoided him altogether while she was here. She cringed as she cursed her bad luck. What in the hell else could go wrong?

  Victoria spent the next three days holed up in the house like a damn hermit. Whenever she tried to go out and sit out on the deck or go for a run, she found Mr. Hottie sitting out on his, just staring over in her direction…and it was beginning to frustrate the ever loving hell out of her. He would see her, flash that perfect smile of his, and a nod… and she would slink away like a frightened little rabbit. What in the good God was wrong with her? She didn’t run! She faced her adversaries head on. Why was it then that this arrogant fool rattled her so?

  By the end of the third day, she found that she just couldn’t take it any longer. Her self-imposed exile was excruciating and she needed to get out. She needed to release some of the pent-up energy that had accumulated over the past few days of her isolation before it came to a boil and exploded like a nuclear bomb.

  Victoria dug around in one of the suitcases that she hadn’t even bothered to unpack yet and quickly slipped into one of the many, many bikinis that she had been talked into purchasing.

  She glanced at the clock and realized with a start that it was already just a little after midnight. Oh well, she thought with an irritated huff. Hopefully by now, Mr. Hottie had turned in for the night and wouldn’t be lurking out on his deck like some sort of creeper. Or better yet, maybe he had gone out somewhere for a little entertainment. Now, that would be perfect!

  As soon as she stepped from the house, her eyes instantly swept over to the deck next door, and she expelled a soft sigh of relief when she saw nothing but a dark, quiet house. Yes! There was a God after all!

  She headed down to the beach with a renewed spring in her step and unceremoniously dove into the glorious water without a moments hesitation.

  Needing to expel some of her pent-up energy, she swam as hard and as fast as she could; relishing in the gentle ache of her muscles as she did. As much as she hated to admit it to herself, the warm ocean water was a much welcomed relief as it wrapped itself around her body. The water was amazing and the exercise was just what she needed after being stagnant for days on end. Victoria absolutely detested sitting around and she definitely couldn’t take the chance of getting soft merely because she was avoiding her damned neighbor!

  She let herself go and lost herself to the wonderful calm that was enveloping her. And…it was amazing. It was as if she had fallen into a whole other world of an almost spiritual peace and it was soothing her taught nerves like nothing ever had before.

  When she was sure that she had gone out far enough, she reluctantly decided that it was time to head back; feeling much more relaxed than she had in months.

  She grinned as she dove back under the water, the silence around her almost deafening; and she loved it! It was absolute Heaven!

  As Victoria broke the surface of the water, she shrieked in surprise at the wall of muscle standing waist deep directly in front of her like a freaking mountain! His solid chest bare and his muscular arms folded across it, Mr. Hottie glared down at her in what looked to be nothing less than murderous rage and she instantly felt her hackles raise.

  “Just what in the hell do you think you’re doing?” he ground out slowly, his teeth gnashing together as his eyes practically glowed, and she could hear the steady beating of his heart over the waves crashing around them.

  Victoria held firm, squaring her shoulders as she glared right back at him. “Excuse me?” she replied, her own eyes snapping fire now as the two of them seemed to square off. Just where in the hell did he get off speaking to her like that? She would drop the arrogant ass where he stood!

  “What are you doing out here alone?” he barked and Victoria had the insane urge to gouge his eyes out as she watched them blatantly travel over her body very thoroughly as he spoke, each syllable grating on her nerves like nails on a chalkboard. What an ass!

  “I was going for a swim,” she snapped back at him, not about to let this lout talk to her like that. Oh, Hell no! “Not that it’s any damned business of yours!”

  He studied her in silence for a very long moment and Victoria found herself suddenly growing extremely uncomfortable. She knew that the bikini she wore didn’t leave much to the imagination, but she hadn’t exactly been thinking that she would be accosted in the middle of night either. Thank the Gods that she hadn’t gone with her first instinct to go skinny dipping!

  She watched him watching her and fought off the urge to cover herself with her arms, but only a moment later once again straightened her spine defiantly. Screw that noise. She wouldn’t let this jackass intimidate her. She was a hunter for God’s sake! And a damned fine one at that.

  “Do you have any idea at all how dangerous this is?” he ground out finally, his voice lower now, more husky, and Victoria felt a shiver run across her spine with a will of its own. As much as it was like pulling teeth to admit it – the man was earth shatteringly gorgeous. Those full, perfect lips, square jaw and intense golden eyes that seemed to hold you in their spell were almost surreal.

  She knew in an instant that he was a full-blooded Were; there was just no mistaking it. He had that intense animalistic darkness about him that there was just no denying. That look of a dangerous hunter, always on the prowl.

  She took a deep breath and tried to step around him, ignoring the heat of his flesh as her arm brushed up against him when a small wave caused her to stumble slightly. Shit!

  “Thank you for your concern,” she sputtered indignantly, trying hard to control her temper. “But I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself just fine.”

  He turned and gently grabbed her arm, stilling her in an instant. She felt a squeak of surprise pass her lips and inwardly cringed at her response to the man. She didn’t this reaction to him at all. She was stronger than this!

  Cam thought that he had actually died and gone to heaven the moment that his fingers touched her silken flesh. Jesus H, it was as if he had been shot in the chest with a frigging bazooka. The impact of it was astounding. It was raw and deep…and primal.

  It vibrated through his body and went
straight through to his bones with the force of a class five hurricane and there was just no stopping it.

  He had watched from his bedroom window as she left her house and just about had a coronary when he saw what she had been wearing. Or…what she hadn’t been wearing. Her glorious body practically glowed in the moonlight and he had been so spellbound by the sight of her that it took him a moment or two to realize that she was actually planning on taking a swim. Alone! At night!

  “There are rip-tides,” he stated as calmly as possible, but the thought of her doing something so insanely reckless had his body coiled tight and on full alert. “Not to mention…sharks.” And…crazy ass assassins bound and determined to end your life, he silently finished, trying hard to control the hundred and one different emotions all bouncing around inside of him.

  “Thank you for your concern,” she said softly, and Cam felt that pesky little shiver run across him once again. Her voice was so damned sexy. It was husky, yet almost musical. It curled around you and held fast, rocking you to your core. “But, believe me when I say that I can more than handle myself…Mister?”

  “Camden Stark,” he responded quietly, his eyes not leaving hers for a moment. “And, you are?”

  Victoria’s brows furrowed slightly the moment his name passed his incredibly distracting lips. Why did it sound vaguely familiar to her? And… why had she even bothered to ask it in the first place? What in the bloody hell was wrong with her? She just needed to get through the next twenty-seven days. She didn’t need to start chumming up to the neighbor. Especially not this neighbor. He had danger written all over him in big neon colors.

  “Victoria Remington,” she pushed out slowly, trying hard not to grind her teeth. Being this close to the man was doing things to her body that she just didn’t like…at all. Not to mention what his hand on her arm was doing to her. Good God! His touch was firm, yet gentle, and had her heart rate picking up, causing it to slam against her ribs almost painfully.