All the Pretty Poses by M. Leighton

instant I step outside.
He’s wearing sunglasses as well, but I would swear that I could
feel his eyes meet mine behind them. I watch him, admittedly
feeling a little breathless when his lips curve into a smile and he
rises and makes his way to me.
    I can’t help but admire him—again—as he walks
in his lazy lion-like way. He’s wearing swim trunks in aqua, two or
three shades darker than his eyes, and a white shirt, unbuttoned to
reveal his wide chest and rippling abdominals. His hair is mussed
from the wind and his square jaw is covered in a day’s worth of
stubble. As amazing as he was as a young man, this Reese makes the
younger one look pathetic. He is nothing short of physical
perfection now.
    With one big hand, Reese reaches for my
fingers, bringing my knuckles to his lips. “You look beautiful,” he
says softly, his thumb rubbing rhythmically up into the web between
my first and second finger. The action sends a little shiver
rippling through me and I stiffen against it.
    Reese smiles, a devilish smile that makes me
wonder how he knows the way he affects me. Because he knows. I’m
certain of it.
    I tug my fingers from his and force a smile
of my own. “So, why am I up here?”
    “Because I want you up here.”
    “To do what?” I know it’s a loaded question,
but I want Reese to spell it out for me. It makes me feel better to
be brazen and a bit difficult. It makes me feel strong and more in
control to take the bull by the horns. So to speak.
    “To keep me company.”
    “It looks like you’ve got plenty of company,”
I say, tipping my head to his family where they sit at the bar just
over his shoulder, pretending not to watch us.
    “But they’re not the company that I
want.”
    “Is this part of my job?”
    “Your job is to entertain the people on this
cruise. That includes me.”
    I search his eyes. He’s enjoying this—having
me at his beck and call. And although some part of me thrills at
the idea, another part is shying away from him and the pain he once
caused me. But I remind myself that this is the means to an end.
What could be a very good end for me. With that in mind, I
give him a bright smile.
    “Then lead the way.”
    Reese makes no comment. He simply raises one
brow and sweeps one arm toward the breakfast buffet set up at the
bar. I take a deep breath and precede him, focusing on maintaining
my smile in the face of curious looks from Sloane and Hemi, and a
pleased one from Sig. But all the while, I can feel Reese’s eyes on
my back, warming me to my core.
     
     
    ********
     
    All day, I’ve been treated like a princess.
I’ve been waited on hand and foot, I’ve eaten some of the most
amazing food imaginable, I’ve sipped some of the most delicious
cocktails on the planet, all while listening to the Spencers and
the Lockes tell stories about their life and their childhood. And
through it all, Reese has never been far from my side.
    He’s barely let me out of his sight. He has
lounged beside me on the deck, played beside me in the pool, soaked
beside me in the hot tub and used every excuse under the sun to
touch me. And every time he does, I get a little less immune to
it.
    Not that I was ever really immune to it. I’m
just finding it easier to see the boy that I fell in love with in
the eyes of the powerful man that he’s become.
    We just finished a light afternoon snack of
fresh fruits and rich cheeses, accompanied by some sort of lemon
and coconut drink that has my head spinning lightly. That coupled
with the brightness and heat of the sun is making me feel sublimely
happy and a little drowsy.
    Groggily, I lift my head from the padded
lounge chair when a shadow falls over me. It’s Reese. He’d excused
himself to go inside for a minute. And now he’s back.
    “If you’re going to lie in the sun like that,
you need some sunscreen. You’re getting a little pink.”
    “Oh,” I say, not too concerned. I’m dark
complected, so I don’t burn easily. “I’ll put some