“Exactly.”
The man rose with a lazy, confident smile, unconcerned that his ivory robe had parted below the sash to reveal his spectacular privates. “Now, if you ladies will excuse me, Mr. Intimidation must dress for his day. Between falling all over themselves to assist you beautiful ladies, and seeing me as your escort, those loan officers and store clerks don’t stand a chance!”
How much fun can you cram into one day? Cat mused with a huge grin. The breeze was brisk where she and Leilani sunned themselves on the yacht’s flybridge, with Ramon in the driver’s seat behind the windshield. Her spirits flew high and fast as the sleek white boat raced across the turquoise waters, and she suddenly realized that days like this could be her whole reason for living.
When had she ever felt such freedom? Such satisfaction? Maybe money couldn’t buy happiness, but it certainly provided a lot of the props. Thanks to Grant’s e-mailed docs and help from Leilani’s cousin, Porto Di Angelo had become hers with a minimum of fuss.
Who else pays cash for a whole frickin’ island? And then loads up her yacht with clothes? Nobody you know!
She grinned again and adjusted her shades. Those thoughts so mimicked her own that only Spike’s accent gave away his presence.
“You look awfully pleased with yourself, Catalina,” her whiskey-skinned companion murmured.
“Damn straight I am! I spent too many years wondering where my next contract was coming from,” she murmured. “Too much time dealing with vultures who demanded the money my husband owed them. Living well really is the best revenge!”
Grinning, Leilani untied her lime bikini top and then held it up to flutter like a flag of victory. “It’s your destiny, dear. My prayers were answered when our angels heaped prosperity on your pretty head. Just when you needed it most.”
“Yeah, they must’ve whispered in Bruce’s ear when he chose those Powerball numbers—and then they made sure I got that ticket, instead of our other two buddies.”
You wanna give me a little credit, doll?
“You earned it, my dear,” Leilani assured her with a serene smile. “The cosmic wheel of fortune is rotating in your favor now.”
How should she answer that? Her Midwestern ethic and her parents had always preached that only money you worked for was its own reward.
But right now, she didn’t really care. It just felt damn good to have a home again, free and clear. Not to mention this yacht with its four staterooms, and two estate caretakers who’d been her fans before they even met her.
From behind her large, dark sunshades, Cat stole a glance at Leilani. Her ripe, rounded breasts pointed to the sun and bobbed softly with the vibrations of the yacht. How old was this woman? Her thicket of wavy hair shone blue-black—not a trace of gray—and her face remained seamless and dewy, like the rest of her lovely body. Stretched out on her deck chaise, her eyes hidden behind her own shades, Leilani could pass for a college coed. Yet she spoke like a much older soul, with a wisdom that defied anything Cat had ever known.
Shopping with this woman had been quite a trip, too! Leilani had steered her to an out-of-the-way shop where native ladies sewed their unique saris, sundresses, and other simple yet stunning clothing. Along rack after rack, Leilani had yanked garments of bright lime and lavender and paradise pink—tropical prints and designs like Cat had never seen stateside—and insisted they were perfect for her.
And they were. While Cat tried them on in a dressing stall too tiny to hold them all, her housekeeper kept bringing more…and she’d succumbed to every last one of them. The three shop ladies had stood and applauded as they left, and she’d never even looked at the total. How much fun was that?!
“You’re grinning again.”
“Yep. Recalling our shopping excursion and how you picked out all the best stuff for me.”
“You were generous to buy them all. Those families will live well for months on what you spent today.”
“Which is why you guided me there. And I thank you for that.” Cat looked over at Leilani full-on this time, envying the way that tiny lime bikini bottom tied at the sides of firm hips. A hint of tight curls whispered beneath its upper band.
“Like what you see?” Leilani lazily raised her sunglasses to peer under them. Her smoky blue eyes insisted on a straight answer.
“What’s not to admire—and envy?” Cat admitted. “I have no idea how old you are. It’s a wonder Ramon can keep the yacht on course, you look so damn spectacular.”
“Forty-six. And who says we’re on course? One stretch of ocean looks pretty much like another, you know.”
“The yacht has GPS,” Cat replied promptly. “And enough rum punch and food to sustain us for days, should we truly lose our way.”
Leilani chuckled. “You’re already lost, Catalina. Lost and gone forever.” There it was again, that all-knowing, all-seeing tone that spooked the hell out of her. Yet it held a challenge as sexy as the woman who awaited her reply.
“What do you mean by lost?” Cat protested. “I found you and Ramon, didn’t I? And what was it he said about the Contessa? Something like, ‘all who wander are not lost’?”
Low laughter bubbled up from her tormentor, and those perfect breasts shimmied until the nipples rose tall and hard, pointing at the sun.
And then they pointed at her.
“Take this off,” Leilani teased, tugging at the hibiscus-print sari Cat had worn out of the clothing shop. “If you truly want to feel free, show yourself to this paradise you’ve just bought into! Become one with your new universe!”
Yeah! Take it all off, doll!
Cat blinked, hoping Spike took the hint. And then behind them, Ramon thumped on the windshield. He was grinning broadly, nodding for her to comply. He picked up a microphone. “What a pretty pair you ladies will make,” he crooned. “Dark, succulent Leilani and Catalina the Sun Queen.”
“Who’s out here to see you?” Leilani prodded. She untied the sides of her bikini bottom and parted her legs to flick it off, baring herself completely. Then, thoroughly at ease, she walked over to the deck railing.
Cat couldn’t take her eyes off that glorious woman—a decade older than she but so flawless. So comfortable displaying herself. And what a contrast her tropical body made against the yacht’s blinding white sundeck. Her hair rippled like a sleek black banner in the wind, and she was nothing short of a goddess as she lifted her face to smile at the sun.
“I won’t force you. Or touch you—unless you want me to,” the sleek feline purred. She leaned back against the railing to extend her arms along it, totally unconcerned that Cat was watching her breasts sway…following the line of her sleek hips to where that black triangle of curls nestled between her slender thighs.
“Come on, Catalina,” she coaxed. “Ramon was asking me if you were a natural blonde, harkening back to that clichéd line about how we would know. And seeing is believing.”
“I can’t believe I’m hearing—”
Thump-thump-thump! Ramon’s grin was wide and white as he gestured through the windshield for her to rip off her sari. “We have a bet, Miss Gamble,” he teased through the speaker. “You must settle our wager while we can both witness it!”
“After all, you’ve seen us without clothes,” Leilani kept on in a soft, sly voice. “And we saw you, too. Rubbing yourself into a frenzy like there was a wanton, very horny woman inside who wanted out! Set her free, Catalina. What have you got to lose?”
Yeah! Whadaya got to lose, girlie?
What, indeed? Such a crazy-ass proposition, and she