"Timeline's accelerated," Ryan said, his voice carrying clearly in the humid air.
Andre's bear stirred, hackles rising.
"The beekeeper didn’t seem interested, but that should change." Ryan turned slightly, and they ducked lower behind the ferns.
The call ended. Ryan shoved the phone in his pocket and strode toward the hotel bar, passing within feet of their hiding spot without noticing them. They waited until his footsteps faded completely before exhaling.
"I think he was talking about me,” Joy said.
Andre pulled her closer, protective instincts flaring. But he didn’t want to overreact like he had at the market. "He's probably mad you didn't call about his opportunities."
They made their way back to the suite in thoughtful silence. Once inside, Joy pulled out her phone, fingers flying across the screen.
"Pacific Northwest Investments has a website," she said, showing him the generic corporate page. "Vague mission statement, no real details about what they do."
"Could be legitimate," Andre said, though his bear remained skeptical. "Maybe he really is just aggressive about business."
Joy set the phone aside with a sigh. "We'll mention it to Heath tomorrow. Just to be safe."
"Agreed." Andre watched the tension in her shoulders, wanting to smooth it away.
"Enough about creepy businessmen," Joy declared, tugging him to her. Out the balcony window, the lake shimmered under the first stars, peaceful and eternal. "We have this whole suite to ourselves."
Chapter
Sixteen
Andre backedJoy toward the bed, his hands framing her face as he kissed her deeply. Her fingers found his shirt buttons, working them free.
"I want you to sit on my face," he said against her throat, the words rough with need.
Joy's breath hitched, a small sound that shot straight through him. Her hands stilled on his chest for a moment, fingers spreading wide against his skin before pushing his shirt off his shoulders. The fabric pooled on the floor, forgotten. She ran her palms over his bare chest, her touch possessive, claiming. Each pass of her hands left trails of fire across his skin.
"Lie down," she commanded. “Dirty boy.”
Andre obeyed immediately, his bear rumbling approval at her tone. He stretched out on the bed, the cool sheets a contrast to his heated skin. He watched through heavy-lidded eyes as she began to undress. Each movement was deliberate, calculated to drive him wild. The blue dress slipped from her shoulders like water, revealing smooth tanned skin that gleamed in thelamplight. His hands gripped the sheets, knuckles white with the effort of not reaching for her.
She stood before him in nothing but moonlight and shadow, completely comfortable in her power. The sight of her stole his breath. Every curve, every line of her body was perfect. The bed dipped as she climbed up, her movements fluid and graceful. When she positioned herself above him, her thighs bracketing his head, her scent flooded his senses.
Andre pulled her down onto his mouth with a groan that vibrated through them both. She was already wet, already ready, and the taste of her made his cock throb painfully. His tongue explored her folds slowly at first, learning the landscape of her pleasure. The way she gasped when he circled her clit. The way her thighs trembled when he pressed his tongue inside her.
She rolled her hips against his face. “More.”
He slipped two fingers inside her while his tongue circled her clit, feeling the way her body welcomed him. The combination made her cry out, her hands tightening in his hair hard enough to sting. She rode his face without shame, grinding down against his mouth, taking exactly what she needed. Andre watched her above him, mesmerized by the way her head tipped back, exposing the elegant line of her throat. The way her breasts rose and fell with each harsh breath. The way her olive skin flushed rose-pink in the lamplight.
He could feel her orgasm building in the way her inner muscles fluttered around his fingers, the way her breathing went ragged. He found her G-spot and her whole body jerked as he sucked her clit between his lips.
Her first orgasm hit like a wave breaking. She shuddered, thighs clamping around his head as she ground down against his mouth. Andre worked her through it, his tongue gentling but never stopping, drawing out every aftershock until she pulled away, oversensitive and gasping.
The pride that filled his chest was fierce and primal. He'd done that. He'd given her that pleasure.
Joy climbed down his body, still trembling from her release. She kissed a path down his chest, each press of her lips making his muscles jump. Down his stomach, her hair tickling his skin and making him squirm. When she reached his waistband, she made quick work of his pants and boxers, freeing him to the cool air.
Her tongue swirled around the head of his cock before taking him deeper. Her mouth was hot and wet when she took him in, and Andre's hips bucked involuntarily. A groan tore from his throat as she established a rhythm that had him seeing stars. His hands tangled in her hair, not guiding, just needing the connection, needing to touch her.
"Joy, you're driving me insane." The words came out strangled, his control hanging by a thread.
She pulled back with a final swirl of her tongue that made his whole body shudder, leaving him aching and desperate. Her hand disappeared into the nightstand drawer, emerging with a condom. She rolled it on with maddening slowness, her fingers teasing, drawing out the moment until he thought he might die from want.
