Boracay Vows (Carpe Diem Chronicles 1) Read online

  Could I have slept with Blake right after my job interview last April? Krista flushed at the thought. No, even knowing how great he is, it wouldn’t have happened. Neither of them were hit by insta-lust that day, as far as she could tell.

  Yes, she found him handsome—but cold. And she was certain he didn’t salivate at the thought of taking such a buttoned-up schoolmarm to bed at that time. Krista laughed out loud at the ludicrous image of Mr. Ryan and Ms. Lopez, both wearing pinstriped suits, getting it on in the boardroom. Not even her favorite author could write that scene and make it sexy.

  She shook her head and looked around. No, it’s this place. It’s Boracay. No one could possibly be immune to its allure. The cerulean sky, the pristine white sand, the calm turquoise waters, and the clean, breathable air provided a perfect backdrop for romance to breed and grow.

  The two of them had needed these past six months to get to know one another. She needed him to see her as his intellectual equal before he saw her as a passionate female. Her friends had to force her to come to Boracay and leave her virtually naked before she could liberate herself of self-imposed restrictions and go after her repressed wants.

  The book on her lap caught her attention again. This and others like it had been her solace during these years of romantic barrenness. They might have also caused impossible expectations in her when it came to finding love. The novels always described an undefinable chemistry that existed between two people who were supposed to be right for each other—always an electricity when they touched. She thought it was only fiction, until Blake.

  Her outburst on Saturday morning proved how the feelings he evoked in her were different to those of every other man she had met. Chemistry, electricity, sparks, and fireworks. They were all there when they touched … when they kissed.

  Krista hugged the book to her chest. This was where she got the idea of losing her virginity on her thirtieth birthday this week. This was why she was still chaste but not altogether ignorant of the sexual act.

  In her favorite old-school romances, especially the historical novels, a woman was considered on the shelf—an old maid—by her late twenties. Although the twenty-first century had arrived, and the stigma was no longer visited upon those who chose single-blessedness, Krista surely didn’t want to be one of them.

  She wanted to fall in love, get married, and have children someday. But if that day never came, she wanted to be able to say that she at least had experienced being made love to by someone she had positive feelings for.

  That made Blake the perfect person for the job. Not only because he was right here, right now, but also because he was the right man.

  Positive feelings were words too tame to describe what she already felt for Blake. Attraction, infatuation, and passion were far more apt. He had said he wanted her—lusted after her. It wasn’t love, but for the meantime it was enough. At least for this week, until Friday night, Krista knew he was all hers.

  That’s what my mindset should be. Just think of this week. Take each day as it comes: isn’t that the essence of carpe diem? Don’t think of Saturday, when it’s time to go back to Makati. Don’t think we’ll become Tita Belen and Uncle Jack 2.0. Don’t think of Happily Ever After, for therein lies heartbreak. That’s for fairy tales, not for real life.

  She had already promised her virginity to Blake, and she would not renege on it, Catholic guilt notwithstanding. If last night was any indication, she wouldn’t regret making that choice. She had her first orgasm, even without penetration. It only happens in books.

  Krista looked down at her book again and smiled as an idea began to form in her head. So far, he had been in command of their lovemaking. Maybe next time she would take the initiative.

  “Wouldn’t that surprise Mr. Blake I-Will-Teach-You-All-You-Need-To-Know Ryan?”

  Chapter Ten

  Ulan [oo-lan] n. – rain.

  Blake was annoyed by the length of time it took to wrap up the business concerns that cut his afternoon off with Krista. Because they were all in different time zones, it took four hours to get all the partners together on video conference to agree to a decision and finalize their response.

  Then there was this stupid rain, which was not in any weather forecast. Rains were not totally unexpected; they were on a tropical island, after all. A little warning would have been great, though. Blake hoped it wouldn’t rain again the following night, because he had a plan for Krista’s birthday dinner that would take them outdoors.

  He wanted to celebrate Krista’s Turning-Thirty party for the next two nights. Tuesday was for just the two of them; Madeleine and Aidan were set to show up on Wednesday morning. There’d be another celebration that evening.

  He jogged to Krista’s cottage using the front entrance instead of the path from the beach. He didn’t want to track wet sand all over her kubo.

  She greeted him with a dazzling smile that wiped his afternoon frustrations away. She looked so pretty with her hair down again and wearing another of her flirty little sundresses and even cuter jeweled sandals.

  “Hey, sweetie.” He came forward to enfold her in a tight hug. No bra, he noted as he pressed her closer to breathe in her fragrant scent.

  She shivered, making him realize he was dripping on her. He left without grabbing an umbrella from the stand in the front foyer of his own cottage. “Oops. Sorry, I’m getting you wet,” he said as he stepped back.

  “It’s okay. I’m fine.” She handed him a towel with which to wipe the dampness off his hair and skin. “Is it all right with you if we just eat here? I like the rain better when I’m indoors and dry.”

  He grinned at her wittiness. “Of course. Although, let me warn you about a possible delay in the delivery. I expect many guests will be doing the same, especially those who are in the cottages.”

  “No problem. Housekeeping replenished my fruit basket and bottled water. I also have nuts and chocolates in my bag, in case those aren’t enough. What would you like to order?”

  “I’ll have chicken tinola and pork barbecue with two cups of rice.” The hot soup sounded good in this weather. “Hey, do you want me to order for us so they can prioritize …” He trailed off when she shook an index finger at him.

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk, Mr. Ryan. I’m sure if you say jump they will ask how high. But unless you’re about to faint from starvation, I’d rather they put us on queue according to the time our order arrived than get special treatment because the boss called it in. My kubo, my rules.” She said it with a raised eyebrow and a chiding tone.

  Oops. She told me off, didn’t she? “When you’re right, you’re right.” Blake watched her with appreciation as she spoke to room service to relay their dinner order.

  He had become so used to getting his way without any opposition, the power had gone to his head. The Filipinos made it easy sometimes. Most were nonconfrontational and too nice for their own good. Krista was exactly who he needed to keep his ego in check.

  He finally figured out this morning what she meant when she told him she’d never had a boyfriend. The things he liked about her were the exact same attributes that kept other men, particularly the Filipinos, away. She was tall, lush, outspoken, and smart.

  When she came out of her cottage for their scuba diving excursion wearing a Wonder Woman bathing suit, he anticipated fending off unwanted advances from the other divers. The costume was so appropriate on her, showing off her wondrous curves and mile-long legs to perfection. He couldn’t help but whistle in appreciation.

  To his surprise, none of the local men leered or ogled. At first he thought they’d been inhibited by his presence, but then he heard them make lascivious jokes about a smaller girl who paled in comparison to his Krista in every way.

  My Krista? Wow, since when did I become possessive of a woman? Am I getting in too deep, too soon, with Krista? Blake sat down heavily on the sofa. He had never felt equal parts desire and tenderness towards any woman he’d dated. Krista got him rock-hard just by breathing, but she also
made him laugh with her quick wit and dry sense of humor.

  The attention she paid to the Hollywood actor the other night had made him jealous, though he hid it well. He attended church with her, a rare occurrence to be sure, and he missed her today while she was away from him.

  His brothers would laugh their heads off if they found out what was going on in his life. Curiously, these unfamiliar feelings didn’t make him want to run. As a matter of fact, they made him want to do exactly the opposite; get close—get really, really close to Krista.

  “So, what did you do this afternoon while I was in boring meetings?” he inquired as she joined him on the couch. Her fair skin had tanned, turning a golden color that enhanced her natural beauty. “Whatever it is must have agreed with you because you’re glowing.”

  Krista stretched languidly. The motion raised the hem of her dress to the middle of her thighs and made him hungry for something other than food. “Nothing. I did absolutely nothing,” she sighed. A contented smile bloomed on her face.

  She straightened and tucked her legs under her, hiding them from his gaze. “When I get back to Makati, I’m going to tell my friends I’ll be their slave for a week. No, erase that—for a month, to thank them for this impossibly generous birthday gift.”

  “Oh yeah, I remember you told me this trip was a gift. What day is your birthday exactly?” he asked, feigning ignorance.

  “Would you believe I was born on the Day of the Dead? November 2nd, All Souls’ Day. How ironic is that?” Krista laughed. “When everyone’s being all sad remembering their deceased loved ones, my family is celebrating my birthdate.”

  “A Scorpio—ambitious, intuitive, and passionate. That sounds about right.” Blake moved closer as he said each word, until she was on his lap with her arms wrapped around his neck. Who knew attending focus group discussions about zodiac signs could be useful in seduction?

  “What about you? What’s your sign?” She played with his hair.

  “Capricorn. Christmas Eve—December 24th. I was a poor deprived child who only got one gift for both Christmas and my birthday.” He pretended to sulk.

  “Hmm, the Goat. Hardworking, family oriented, practical …” She walked her fingers along his face, pausing at the cleft on his chin. “…aloof and dictatorial. That sounds about right.” She jumped away, laughing merrily as he tried to grab her and bring her back down to his lap.

  He groaned when he heard a knock on the door. Their food was here.

  ***

  Blake kept her laughing throughout dinner with anecdotes about his siblings. He had her in stitches when he told her how he broke his nose—his little sister had punched him in the face for stealing a Snickers bar from her Trick or Treat bag one Halloween. She was only four at the time, and he was fourteen. He proudly told Krista that Darcy was a champion kickboxer to this day. She might be little, but she could literally kick his ass.

  Krista’s knowledge of his zodiac sign was spot on. It’s time to prove him right with his assessment of mine, especially the passionate part, she thought with a secret smile.

  “Hey Blake, would you like to play a game?” It was still raining, but it was cozy inside the cottage with the air conditioner turned to a comfortable twenty-two degrees Celsius.

  “Sure. What do you have in mind?”

  “How about poker?” she suggested, keeping an innocent look on her face. She stood up to retrieve a deck of cards from one of the cabinets. The cottage was well-stocked with board games like Chess, Scrabble, and Monopoly, but they didn’t suit her objectives for tonight. Blake’s expression told her he’d started to get the drift.

  “Strip poker?” He put his palms together in the prayer position, mouthing, “Please, please, please.”

  “You have a one-track mind,” she accused, laughing. He was one hundred percent correct. “How about we play a modified truth or dare? Loser chooses to answer, pick a dare, or take off an article of clothing. Holder of the winning hand gets to ask a question or suggest a dare.”

  She sat on the floor, putting the wooden coffee table between them. Blake remained seated on the couch. He had already cleared the table of the tea cups.

  “I like this game already. I’m all in!” he said enthusiastically.

  She dealt the cards and promptly lost the first hand with two pairs and a queen to his straight flush. He gave a grunt of disappointment; she chose truth.

  It will be a short game if we both choose to strip every time we lose, she reasoned to herself. Neither of them had many clothes on as far as she could tell. He wore another of his plain t-shirts, shorts, and probably some underwear, while she only had this dress and her panties. She braced herself for his question when she saw a glint in his eye.

  “Why me? For your first time. Why did you choose me?”

  Because there’s no one else I want to be with but you, she thought, but said instead, “I know you will take care of me; make it good.”

  “But how did you …”

  She held up one finger. “One question only. Please deal.”

  He lost the second round and to her surprise, chose truth as well. She hadn’t prepared a question because she thought he would go for disrobing straightaway.

  “Uhm, have you ever been in love?” He’d said on Saturday he was enjoying his single life too much to give it up, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t anyone he felt strongly about in the past.

  “In like, yes; in love, no,” he said simply. He must have seen her readiness to ask him for clarification, so he copied her earlier gesture and held up one finger.

  She glared at him, then shuffled the deck and dealt each of them five cards. He lost the third and fourth hands in succession and opted to take off his watch and shirt. She lost the fifth hand and kicked off her sandals. He gave a huff when he lost the next hand with a full house, after she showed her four of a kind.

  He was down to his boxer briefs while she remained fully clothed. His chest was a work of art, she observed. Chiseled and hard, she itched to touch it. Her eyes moved to his hips and grew huge when she saw he was sporting a hard-on. She only felt it last night, but the visual was so much better than her imagination. The proof of his maleness certainly matched his height and build.

  This is it—carpe diem time. Krista took a deep breath. She pretended to shuffle the cards but kept the ten, face cards, and ace of hearts at the end of the deck to give herself a royal flush. She drew his cards from the top and dealt hers from the bottom. Blake’s jaw dropped as she turned her cards over one by one to reveal the winning hand.

  “Truth or dare?” she challenged.

  He started to stand and looked ready to take off his briefs, but he sat again, seeing her face. “Dare,” he decided.

  Krista stood and pushed the coffee table closer to him, stopping when it touched his knees. Keeping her eyes locked on his, she pulled her spaghetti straps down her arms and let the dress fall on the floor.

  She crawled on top of the coffee table wearing only her thong panties; her breasts swayed as she advanced. His eyes darkened to almost black as she got closer and closer to him.

  When she reached the edge of the table, Krista stopped and rested her hands on her thighs. “The other day when you kissed me, you said you hoped I’m a good student because you were going to teach me about kissing and touching. I dare you to keep yourself from touching me while I show you what I’ve learned.”

  She hoped he couldn’t see through her false bravado. Her palms were sweaty, and her heart felt like it was going to beat itself out of her chest.

  Blake made a show of holding out his arms and placing them one by one behind his neck. The position pushed his hips forward, aggressively displaying his erection to her view.

  Krista licked her dry lips. His pose was so blatantly sexy that it was all she could do not to jump on him and devour him right there and then.

  Forcing herself to remain calm and keep to her plan, Krista transferred her hands from her thighs to his and shifted her legs to either
side of his muscled limbs.

  Once settled on his lap, she leaned forward to close the gap between them and touched her lips to his. She bit his lower lip gently to encourage him to open his mouth for her questing tongue. The dark, rich taste of him filled her senses the moment he did. She moaned when he met her thrusts with his own tongue.

  As he rocked his hips in arousal, she clutched his shoulders to keep her balance. Krista squirmed to seek closer contact with him, and felt gratified when his erection lengthened even more, jumping to nestle between her widespread legs.

  Krista pulled her mouth away from Blake’s to rain kisses down his jawline. She gave him a little push. He willingly let himself fall on his back, watching her, his hands still clasped at the back of his neck. She rearranged herself on top of him, keeping their hips fused together, her hands braced on his hard chest.

  Copying what he had done the previous night, Krista ran her hands over his chest, noticing his jolt when she touched his nipple. Hmm, so it really is the same for men and women.

  She leaned down to touch her tongue to his nipple and heard him groan. She peeked at him from beneath her lashes; he watched her with narrowed eyes. Heat. There’s so much heat in that gaze.

  She kept her eyes on him as she bent to lick his other nipple and trace the line of his chest hair with her finger to where it tapered down under his briefs. He jerked once more and started to move his arms from their confinement, as if he wanted to touch her.

  Krista moved out of his reach and told him in a smug voice, “Nah-uh, I’m not done yet. It was a royal flush, after all. The winnings have to match the difficulty of that feat.”

  She squealed in surprise when he bucked his hips and flipped their positions so fast, she found herself flat on her back with him looming over her.

  “Difficulty, my ass. You cheated, you little card sharp,” he growled.

  Chapter Eleven