Sex Becomes Her

by Regina Cole

Genres: Contemporary Romance; Erotic & Steamy Romance

Synopsis

ONE TOUCH Eliza’s last relationship ended in ruins, and she’s anything but eager to jump back into something serious. A trip to Hawaii for her best friend’s wedding couldn’t come at a better time. Showing up without a date is the least of her worries. In fact, it may even play into her wildest fantasies when the perfect hunk of a man appears before her… ONE LOOK With Chandler’s divorce behind him he’s ready to move on, so he heads to Hawaii for his cousin’s wedding. The moment his eyes encounter Eliza’s sultry curves and sensual lips, he’s more than ready for a night of non-stop sex. But despite the heat of their unbridled carnal pleasure, Eliza is still afraid to tell him about her forbidden desires. And when their casual affair follows them home, it threatens to alter their lives forever.

Release date: July 1, 2015

Publisher: Kensington Books

Print pages: 320

Sample

The cart had a flat spot on one wheel, and the thump was driving Eliza insane. But there was no way she was going to take the time to go back to the front of the small grocery store and swap it out. She’d already seen three people she knew, and two of them had looked away almost instantly. After this much time it shouldn’t hurt, but it still did. Being a pariah in her hometown wasn’t exactly how she’d pictured living her life, but it was her reality now.

Setting her jaw, Eliza moved through the produce section and checked her list. Spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes . . . If she shopped smart, she wouldn’t have to do this again for a month. Getting fresh veggies only once a month wasn’t ideal, but neither was living in a town that was convinced she was some kind of sexual deviant.

Her ratty sneakers didn’t make a sound on the polished floor of the grocery store. The cart was half-full, and as she rounded the final corner toward the registers, her name smacked her in the back of the head like a mallet.

“Eliza Jackson! Oh my God, it is you.”

She winced, then turned. “Oh, hey, Marshall.” Eliza crossed her arms to cover the worst of the holes in her Green Day T-shirt. Part of the fun of being a chemist was ruined clothes when coworkers weren’t as careful with chemicals as they should be. “How are you?”

Marshall looked her up and down, a somewhat leering smile on his face as he adjusted his grocery basket. “I’m doing great. You still at Quality Testing?”

“Yeah. I’m lead chemist in the pharmaceutical division.” Eliza smiled politely, even though her insides were shaking. She wasn’t stupid. This wasn’t an old high school friend interested in catching up. This was something else entirely. “What about you?”

“Eh, I’m at Eubank Financial. Anyway, I heard you dated Tyler Hagans for a while. He’s a buddy of mine.”

Eliza’s hands tightened into fists, and her smile froze.

Marshall continued, oblivious to her discomfort. “I have to say, I didn’t know you were gay.”

Her teeth hurt as she clamped them together hard. Her words were muffled as she spoke without releasing the clench of her jaw. “I’m not gay.”

Marshall’s laugh was mocking. “From what I heard, liking girls is the least weird thing about you. Anyway, you go do what you do. Have fun, but watch out. I’ve heard some of that kinky stuff you’re into is illegal.”

With a wink, Marshall turned and walked away, leaving Eliza to stare after him in shock and hurt.

When she could breathe without her chest feeling like it was cracking in half, Eliza turned and pushed her thumping grocery cart to the checkout line. But before she could start loading her items onto the conveyer belt, the cashier flipped off the lighted number 1 sign.

“Sorry,” she said, giving Eliza a distrustful look. “This lane is closed.”

Closing her eyes for a second, Eliza took a deep breath, then pulled her cart to the express lane, which was the only one left open. The red-shirted manager gave her a look, but started scanning her items anyway.

“Thanks,” Eliza muttered as she accepted her change and receipt. The guy didn’t say anything, just gave her a tight-lipped smile before cheerfully greeting the customer behind her.

Blasting her favorite band’s latest album all the way home didn’t help improve Eliza’s mood. It hurt, damn it, and she was tired of pretending it didn’t. By the time she made the left onto her street, her jaw ached and her eyes stung.

She hadn’t done anything wrong. She’d just been honest about her fantasies, and when she and Tyler had broken up over it, he’d trumpeted her most secret desire to the world, complete with embellishments. It was the worst kind of betrayal, and even now, six months later, she wasn’t sure how to deal with the hurt. Other than to hide in her house and vow to spend the rest of her life as a celibate hermit, that is.

Throwing the gearshift into Park, Eliza released her seat belt in the same motion. Silence fell over her like a blanket as she cut the engine. Her skull thumped back against the headrest and she blew out a breath. This was nothing new.

“It doesn’t matter,” Eliza grunted as she shoved open the car door. The cool breeze hit her skin, raising goose bumps in its wake. Trudging across her lawn with her grocery bags dangling from her forearms, Eliza fumbled through her keys to find the one for her front door. She was so distracted that she almost tripped over the box on her front steps.

“What the hell?”

Bending low, she examined the label. It had come from North Carolina. Maybe it was Bree? A shot of excitement tore through her, and she trotted up the stairs and pushed through the front door in a matter of seconds.

Dumping her bags and keys at the table by the door, Eliza turned and headed back to the stoop. Her blood pumped with anticipation as she carried the package through her messy house and straight to the kitchen table. Grabbing one of the knives from the butcher block on the counter, she grinned.

“What have you sent me, Sabrina?”

The sharp knife made quick, neat slices through the packing tape, then clattered to the table as Eliza abandoned it to pull open the cardboard flaps.

“What in the world is this?”

It was pink. Not just pink—pink was much too tame a name for this color. As Eliza withdrew the scraps of fabric from the box, dangling from their tiny strings, she decided that the only real name she could give that color was fuchsia. Or maybe magenta. Or maybe a color off the spectrum that hadn’t been named yet. She had to blink three times to ease the pain from the brightness. And it wasn’t just pink, it was a pink bikini.

Digging through the rest of the box, which contained the other half of the magenta monstrosity, a bottle of sunscreen, and a tank top with some sparkly letters on it, Eliza finally came up with an envelope from the bottom of the box. Her name was written in Bree’s extra-swirly cursive.

The paper crinkled as Eliza ripped open the envelope and unfolded the letter. A plane ticket fell out. Eliza barely glanced at it; she was already reading.

When she realized that her tongue was actually drying out, Eliza closed her mouth and let the paper flutter to the tabletop.

She’d known Bree was dating a guy, but she hadn’t known it was serious. And a wedding in Hawaii, only a month away? Eliza shook her head. Damn. Bree didn’t waste any time.

After yanking open the refrigerator and taking a regenerating swig of apple juice, Eliza went down the hall to retrieve her cell phone. A mound of bags in front of the door jogged her memory. Oh yeah, the groceries. She should probably start putting those away.

Tucking the phone in the crook of her shoulder, she hauled the bags to the kitchen.

“Oh my God, Liza! Hey!”

“Hey Bree, I got your little box of goodies.” Eliza winced at Bree’s delighted squeal, which went straight through her eardrum.

“Ohmygod, isn’t it the best news ever? You can come, though, right?”

“Well,” Eliza drew out the word as she pulled open the door to her pantry. “I’m not sure.”

“Why not?”

Eliza sighed, her arms full of canned goods. “It’s a long way away, and I’m not sure if I can get off work—”

“Horseshit.” Bree’s tone was firm. “You haven’t taken a vacation in three years, and I know it. They can do without you for a week.”

“I’m just not sure if I feel comfortable. I don’t really know any of your family other than your crazy mom, so I’ll be kind of lonely, and—”

“If you can honestly tell me you’re not lonely there at home, then I’ll lay off you.”

Bree had been the one friend Eliza had confided in after the shit with Tyler blew up. She knew how miserable Eliza had been, had even begged her to move down to North Carolina and work for her father’s company. The offer had been tempting, but Eliza couldn’t stand the thought of leaving her hometown. Even if that same hometown hated her.

“Fine,” Eliza groaned. “I’ll go. But I’m going to regret it. I’ve got to go shopping, find stuff to wear so I won’t embarrass you.”

“You won’t. It’s going to be awesome.”

“And no fixing me up. Promise me, Bree.”

The silence on the other end of the line was suspect, and Eliza raised her brow. “Bree . . .”

“Fine.” Bree’s exasperated tone made Eliza grin. “Deal. But promise me you’ll keep an open mind, all right? There are a few guys there that I think would be perfect for you. You know that Tyler was a small-minded asshole, and there are tons of guys who’d kill for someone more adventurous in bed.”

Eliza pretended not to hear that last part. “Okay, let me get going. I’ve got a lot to do if I’m going to be ready to go in, oh, twenty-four days.”

Once the call was disconnected, Eliza took a deep breath. Okay. She could do this. And the more she thought about it, the better it felt. Get away from all the small-minded small-town people? Maybe she could even pretend to be someone else, someone confident, who owned their slightly unorthodox sexuality.

She allowed herself a small, genuine smile. Maybe Eliza the hermit could become Eliza the bombshell for a few days.

24 Days Later . . .

Eliza’s heels clicked against the tiled floor of the airport. Shifting the strap of her carry-on on her shoulder, she wobbled just a little, but pulled it back before it turned into a stumble.

Why the hell had she thought it’d be a good idea to wear high-heeled boots to fly? Waiting until she’d actually reached Hawaii to begin her bombshell routine seemed like a much better idea now. She’d held up the TSA security line for a good three minutes while she fumbled with the zipper on the left one. They were still new and kind of stiff, which didn’t exactly make for easy removal. And then her gate had been all the way at the ass end of the airport. Of course. After that, though, the first leg of her trip had been fine. Now she just had to make it to her connecting flight without falling on her face. Hopefully she’d get used to walking in these monsters before she showed up at the resort. There, the last thing she wanted to look like was herself.

“Sneakers,” she said beneath her breath as she glanced at the flight monitors mounted to the wall. “Sneakers for the return flight. That or flip-flops. I don’t care if it’s November.”

A speaker crackled overhead, barely audible over the noise and chatter of the busy airport. Eliza pulled at her dove-gray pencil skirt, which was trying to ride up as she walked. She needed to hustle; the flight would be boarding sometime in the next ten minutes, and she was still five or six gates away. It was gate C-4, wasn’t it? She should probably check.

Shoving her long brown hair back out of the way for about the twentieth time that day, she unzipped her bag and started to dig through it. Of course she’d had to pull everything out at the security desk because of the whole boot fiasco, and her other boarding pass had been shoved in there somewhere. But walking and digging through her bag at the same time wasn’t the easiest thing to do in three-inch heels.

Glancing back to make sure nobody was close behind her, Eliza ducked to the side of the busy corridor and started digging in earnest. Was it maybe in her medicine bag? Nope, just her vitamins, Tylenol, various just-in-case cold and flu meds. Oh, maybe she’d stuck it in the little lingerie bag. No, not there, either. After another minute, her bag was in shambles and she still hadn’t laid a finger on her boarding pass.

“Wait a minute,” Eliza said, yanking open the side zipper. “Aha!”

The boarding pass wasn’t the only thing in that pocket, though, and before she could snag the pass and pull it free, the weight of her tablet pulled the zippered flap out of her hand. A clatter rang through the corridor as her tablet landed face-first on the polished floor.

“Ohmygod,” she moaned as she bent over to pick it up, praying that the protective case had taken the brunt of the fall.

“Here, let me get that for you.” An incredibly deep voice from right behind her made her jump. The bag slipped from her shoulder and bounced free, pill bottles and panties scattering in a four-foot radius.

“Did I startle you? I’m so sorry.”

She looked up then. The sexy voice belonged to an extremely well-muscled guy in dark-washed jeans and a sage-green sweater that almost matched his eyes. His light brown hair was tousled in that careless but gorgeous way, and as he knelt down beside her she had the strangest urge to run her fingers through it.

“I saw your tablet fall, thought I could lend a hand since you’ve got yours full. Looks like I just made it worse, though. Here, let me help you.” He reached for the nearest object that had fallen out of her bag, which just happened to be one of her brand-new black lace thongs.

“No!” she squawked in alarm. “No, don’t touch that.”

“Hey, I didn’t mean—”

“Please, just let me get it.” Not trusting her ankles to support her with the damn heels, Eliza began the humiliating task of crawling on the airport floor to retrieve her belongings.

“I’d be happy to help you; after all, it’s my fault.” The guy reached for her bag.

She jerked it back, her nerves jangling. “No, no, please, really. It’s fine.” She shoved stuff into her bag as fast as she could, well aware that the burning in her cheeks meant they were a nuclear shade of pink. Hell, she might even be as pink as that bikini. That might be a good name for it—mortification magenta.

“All right, if you’re sure.” The guy looked a little disappointed, but Eliza couldn’t form the words of an apology. It was like a giant wad of idiocy had wedged itself in her throat. She’d made an ass of herself in this huge airport, and now she was going to be late to catch her connection if she didn’t hurry. What the hell would she do if she missed her flight? He watched her for a while, but then with an apologetic smile, turned and walked away. She couldn’t help but mentally kick herself as she watched him leave.

Once everything was shoved back into her bag—including her thankfully undamaged tablet—she couldn’t zip it anymore, but she struggled to her feet and hustled to the gate anyway. When she finally arrived at C-4, boarding had already begun, so she joined the last of the line.

“Have a nice flight,” the gate attendant said as he scanned her pass.

“Thanks.” Eliza caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window. At least that fall hadn’t messed up her new outfit. And her hair, which she’d taken a helluva long time to flat-iron that morning before leaving, still looked shiny and bouncy. That little dose of relief lasted all the way down the Jetway and even as she stepped onto the plane.

But as she moved down the aisle, looking for seat 22B, her relief burned up and the smoke turned into a mixture of embarrassment and despair.

The hot guy who had caused her to spill her whole bag in the middle of the terminal was sitting in none other than seat 22A.

This was a five-hour flight. She was going to have to sit next to this guy for five freaking hours, all the while remembering how she’d acted like a total klutz.

Sometimes life really sucked.

A sudden noise made Chandler Morse glance upward. There, in the aisle, stood the woman he’d tried to help earlier. Her cheeks were red, the corners of her full lips pulled down as she sank into the seat beside him.

Well, this is a nice surprise. The sight of her pert ass as she bent over to pick up her tablet had fired him like nothing had in a very long time. His divorce had strung out over a year, and while he couldn’t deny that it was the best thing for him, he couldn’t bring himself to break the vows he’d sworn to until the ink was dry. But for some reason this woman had drawn his eye. Maybe it was the blush. Or the way her full hips flared, framed so well by that form-fitting skirt. He couldn’t deny things hadn’t gone well earlier, but he’d done his best to apologize. Maybe being stuck beside him on a plane for a few hours would help her forget about that unfortunate accident.

“Hey, nice to see you again,” Chandler said, but she didn’t look over at him. Her cheeks reddened further as she shoved her open bag beneath the seat in front of her.

His lips curled into a smile as she fumbled in her bag, trying to rearrange the contents so it would zip again. Her black sweater was V-necked, the loose knit large enough that he could occasionally see flashes of skin. Her dark hair swung with her movements, catching the late morning light that shone through the small window beside him. And her ass, well, that was curved and tight and his palms fairly itched to touch it.

She sat up then, and he pretended to be very interested in the flight attendant giving the safety talk at the front of the plane.

“Mind shutting the window shade?”

He glanced over at her. She was squinting in the brightness that glared off the airplane wing.

“Sure,” Chandler said with an easy smile. He slid the shade down.

“Thanks.” She unfolded her boarding pass and smoothed it across her lap. It was easy to read her name.

Eliza Jackson. He tried it out silently. It suited her. Eliza. Liza. Nice name for a beautiful woman.

“So, where are you from?”

Chandler’s question was met with silence as the plane rounded onto the runway.

Finally, Eliza glanced over at him, her dark lashes shuttering her eyes. “Um, the Midwest.”

Undaunted by her non-answer, Chandler smiled. “Nice. I’m from North Carolina. Thus the slight drawl.” He gave his trademark grin, the one that never failed to get a woman to smile back at him even if she didn’t want to.

Nothing from Eliza. She seemed determined to focus on the floor, or the seat back in front of her. Basically anything to keep from looking at him. Of course, he couldn’t really blame her, but he was disappointed anyway. Had his failed marriage screwed up his game that bad? The aircraft picked up speed as it moved down the runway.

He tried again. “I live near the coast, the Outer Banks. You ever been? They’re some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.”

“No. I haven’t.” She closed her eyes as the plane lifted off, her knuckles white as they gripped the armrests.

Chandler watched her as the plane trembled with the effort of its ascent. A little line appeared between her brows, as if she wasn’t entirely comfortable with the process of flying. He wanted to reach over and grab her hand, reassure her, maybe even see if her lips were as soft as they looked.

Instead, he opted for conversation.

“Ever been to Hawaii before?”

She shook her head, not bothering to open her eyes.

Undaunted, he continued. “Me, either. It’s kind of a forced vacation for me.” He snorted a little. Working vacation, more like. His cousin was getting married, and Chandler had been roped into playing the role of best man. Fortunately, his job as private investigator could be flexible, when he needed it to be. “Are you vacationing?”

“Not really,” she bit out as the plane hit a decent-sized bump. She tucked her chin into her chest. Like she was trying to make herself as small as possible until this was over.

A longing built in his chest, and he almost reached over to pull her tight against his side, protect her from the fear. He crossed his arms to keep from doing something stupid. So what if they had chemistry? Right now she obviously needed to get through the takeoff. He’d wait until the plane had leveled off, and then he’d attempt conversation again. Draw her out. Get her phone number, if the fates were kind.

But when she finally opened her eyes, Eliza reached into the seat pocket and grabbed the first magazine she came to. Crossing her legs away from him, she turned on one hip, clearly marking their conversation as over.

Chandler blew out a breath. Oh well. He’d fucked that one royally when he scared her into dropping her panties all over LAX. The mental image caused him to smile again. She’d squawked like a chicken when he almost grabbed that thong. It was worth it to see her beautiful cheeks go pink.

Closing his eyes, he let his head fall back against the seat. Might as well get some rest. There was a dinner tonight at the resort so the wedding party could get to know one another. And if he knew Gregory, it would be wild, full of booze, and run really late. A nap was definitely in his best interest.

Too bad Eliza wouldn’t be joining him. A little bedtime fun with her would definitely make his dreams sweeter.

The sudden jolt of the flight’s touchdown woke him. Chandler blinked blearily, then stretched as much as the small area allowed him to. His arm brushed by Eliza’s, and as he started to mumble an apology, he was struck by the sight of her face.

She was looking straight into his eyes. Her irises were such a deep, dark brown, like expensive chocolates. Caught in her gaze for a moment, he waited.

“Nice nap?”

“It was,” Chandler said, stretching as the plane slowed its headlong roll up the landing strip. “Did you enjoy the flight?”

“Not really,” she said, fumbling with her seat belt. “Flying’s not really my thing.”

“You should fly next to me more.” He grinned. “I’ll keep you safe.”

The smarmy line was meant to prick her, and it did the job.

“By the way, you snore,” she snapped and bent down to retrieve her bag.

“You’re lying,” he said calmly as he unfastened his belt. “I’ve never snored in my life.”

She had the good grace to blush, and Chandler grinned at the sight. But the instant the plane stopped, she launched herself out of her seat to move into the aisle. Unfortunately for her, the rest of the passengers had the same idea, and she was forced to stand there, halfway in the aisle, with nowhere to go until the line started moving.

Well, it was unlucky for her, but it was damn incredible for Chandler. Her ass was now at eye level, and he definitely enjoyed the view.

Her toe tapped impatiently, and when the crowd of people finally began to thin, Chandler stood and moved behind her into the aisle.

“I’m Chandler, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, Chandler, but I’ve got to grab my bag and catch the shuttle. So, see ya. Have a good trip.”

She turned left inside the terminal, taking short, choppy steps that echoed inside the crowded Hawaiian airport. Sensing that now wasn’t the time to push her, Chandler waited a minute or two before following.

Hell, it wasn’t his fault his shuttle was in the same direction. And besides, now he could continue to enjoy the view.

Eliza wanted to punch something. God, could that have gone any worse? While her sexy neighbor slept, she’d centered herself, intending to practice her bombshell routine on him when he woke. It had started out promising enough, but then he’d had to pick at her. She’d promised herself on this trip she’d be confident, happy, completely the opposite of Eliza from Appledale, Ohio. B. . .