When he turned back, she had a hand on one hip and a quizzical look on her face. “There’s no music.”
He shrugged and took her hand, pulling her to him. “We’ll make our own music.” With that he wrapped his other arm around her waist and started singing the lyrics to Bruno Mars’s “Just the Way You Are.” It was her favorite song and even though he was singing horribly off-key, he moved his body to the melody.
Grace laughed at his efforts but joined in with him until they were dancing around the deck, singing as loud as they could. In the distance the sunlight faded, dropping down into the water, and a deep magenta and blue color filled the sky. Their movements slowed as they came to the end of the song until they were both still staring into each other’s eyes as they’d done so many times before. Only this was different, and they both knew it.
It seemed as natural as breathing to lean in and touch his lips to hers, and when she tilted her head and joined in the kiss everything that happened in the past, every obstacle, every worry, disappeared. There was only him and Grace now, the sweet tenderness of their kiss, the powerful yearning in their embrace.
Breaking the kiss was difficult, but when he twined his fingers in hers and began walking them toward the stairs that would take them below deck, she followed. He led her down to the master bedroom and closed the door behind them. Earlier he’d been in awe of this space himself. He’d rented the yacht so it’d been his first time touring it, but this bedroom had been amazing. The king-size bed was against one wall facing windows that brought the ocean inside with unfettered panoramic views.
She walked to the bed and sat, patting the space beside her.
“I’ve got something for you,” he said.
“I know. That’s why I’m telling you to come here.” Her smile was sexy and alluring and his heart thumped wildly in his chest.
The dress she wore was sexy as hell, that slit up the side a dangerous threat to his senses. But he could restrain himself, at least for a little while longer. He went to the nightstand and pulled out the top drawer. In it was a black velvet box, too big to be another engagement ring, so her smile remained in place when he carried it toward her.
“You know I love presents,” she said, her expression changing from teasing to giddy with excitement. She even lifted her hands to do a quick clap.
He couldn’t help it; he chuckled. “You’re such a kid when it comes to gifts.”
“I know. My mom used to say I acted like it was Christmas whenever somebody gave me a gift.”
“She’s right,” he told her, and walked closer, still holding the box just out of her reach.
She was practically bouncing on the edge of the bed and when that became too much for her she just reached out and grabbed it. RJ laughed, enjoying the authentically happy look on her face more than she would ever know.
She opened the box quickly and then stopped to stare up at him. “When did you get this?”
His words almost faltered when she reached her hand into the box. “I ordered it when I went back to my room the first night I saw you here. I requested express delivery.” Because he’d needed to see her with it.
She lifted the new vibrator out of the box, her fingers wrapped securely around the apparatus in a way that made his dick jump.
“I want to watch you this time,” he said, and began unbuttoning his shirt.
“You sure you’re just gonna watch?” she asked as she rubbed the tip of the vibrator over her cleavage.
He struggled to breathe but managed to keep his fingers on the buttons instead of reaching to pull the straps of her dress down so he could see her breasts completely. “Absolutely. I’m going to enjoy the show.”
With a smirk, she set the vibrator down and stood to remove her clothes. When she was done, she leaned over to pull some of the pillows together and set them up at the head of the bed. It was an elaborate act, giving him an unfettered view of her delectable ass.
True to his word, RJ removed the rest of his clothing and pulled one of the cushioned chairs from the corner closer to the bed. He sat and waited for the performance to begin.
“Show me what you planned to do with the one that got away from you the other night.”
“You mean the one you broke,” she said as she lay back on the bed.
He figured it had broken after he stepped on it, even though she hadn’t given him an update. “This replacement’s better.”
She adjusted herself on the bed and switched the vibrator on. “We’ll see.”
RJ swore he’d died and gone to heaven. The sight of Grace lying gorgeously naked on that bed, legs lifted so that her feet were planted on the mattress, knees spread, was more than he’d ever imagined. When he expected her to slide the apparatus between her legs, she lifted it to her lips instead, licking it up and down until his fingers gripped the arms of the chair.
He recalled her tongue moving over his dick just like that in the past, and he dropped one hand down to soothe his aching erection. She took the toy deep into her mouth and he began jerking his dick, wanting to be inside her mouth the same way that vibrator was. She removed it from her mouth with a plopping sound that had him moaning. Then she rubbed it over her breasts, circling her nipples and going down her torso to her stomach. He licked his lips when he knew what would happen next.
Grace glanced at him before switching the vibrator on, the low buzzing sound much louder in the otherwise quiet room.
“Now,” he whispered, his throat hoarse with need. It was possible he hadn’t quite thought this through, because now watching her seemed like torture.
She obliged, slipping the vibrator down until it eased inside her. On a long deep moan, she arched her back from the bed, her head sinking into the pillows. With one hand she moved the vibrator in and out of her pussy, while the other hand toyed with her breasts. RJ jerked his dick like he was ready to come at any moment—which he probably was.
He was entranced by her moaning, the thrusting of her hips that matched the motion of her hand, the sound of that vibrator and the jiggle of her breasts. And then he was done. Done with the watching part.
He stood from the chair, grabbed a condom from his wallet and hurriedly rolled it on. Climbing onto the bed, he grabbed her wrist and eased the vibrator out of her. He took it from her hand and turned it off. Then he was between those long legs, lifting them onto his shoulders and glancing up at her once more.
“Do you trust me?” When she only blinked at the question, he hurried to make himself clear. “Trust me to make you feel good,” he whispered. He saw her nod just before he lowered his head.
His mouth touched her warm folds and he moaned. On a deep inhale he let her scent permeate every part of his body, and as she shook with the intensity of the pleasure ripping through him, he licked her. Tender strokes over her pussy, a quick, clever flick to tease her hardened clit. She bucked beneath him and he gripped her bare ass in his hands, lifting her lower half off the bed so she was closer to his face, feeding him.
“Dammit.” The one clipped word from her spurred him on.
“So sweet. Just like I remember.” It was the truth—she tasted heavenly. With each caress of his tongue over her soft flesh, he could think of nothing in his life that had ever tasted better. And it was just like he remembered. The feel of her thighs against his cheeks, the throbbing of his dick each time his tongue stroked along her damp skin. It was all as good as before, a part of the memories he’d cherished and secretly longed for again.
“I want more,” he groaned. “More of you.”
She was pumping into his mouth now, trying to give him what he wanted so he’d provide the release he knew she so desperately needed. He planned to give it to her. Easing two fingers between the crease of her ass, he let one linger momentarily over her anus before continuing on to sink inside her entrance. She bucked again, a mixture of curses and moans softly fil
ling the air.
He slid another finger inside her, feeling the contraction of her body around him. This was it right here. The silken honey that seeped onto his fingers and eventually his tongue as he continued to lick her pussy was addictive. So much so he had no idea what he was going to do from this moment on. The need for her was going to be too great to watch her walk away again. Not this time. Even if all he got from her was this physical gratification, that’s what he wanted. What he’d needed for far too long.
Pumping his fingers in and out of her while flicking his tongue over her clit had her body jerking wildly beneath him. She whispered his name.
“Ronald,” she said again and again and he thrust his hips, wishing it was his dick buried to the hilt inside her instead.
“Gracie.” He said her name softly when he let his mouth leave her, his fingers still moving. “My sweet Gracie.”
Her body tensed the second her climax hit and he hungrily put his mouth over her once more to catch every drop of her release. Moments later he was easing away from her, lifting his body so he could drop a tender kiss on her mouth. She clapped her hands to the back of his neck and dragged him down for a deeper kiss, one that fused them together in a thick haze of longing, need and something more, something he wasn’t sure either of them was ready to name.
Instead of thinking too much on that, RJ positioned himself between her legs, sliding easily into her. She gasped when he entered her, bowing up off the bed. He massaged her breasts and began moving inside her, losing himself in the glorious warmth that always welcomed him. This is where he belonged, there was no longer any doubt in his mind. It was only Grace for him, now and forever.
He couldn’t get enough, and he totally lost himself in the feel of her muscles holding him tight, the sound of her voice whispering his name. When she wrapped her legs around his waist, he leaned forward, putting his arms around her back before changing their position. He sat on the edge of the bed while she straddled him, bouncing up and down over his dick until her name ripped from his throat. “Grace. My sweet Gracie.”
“Yes.” It was the smallest whisper from her that played over and over again as she moved her hips to match his upward thrusts. “Yes, Ronald. Yes.”
And that’s what RJ continued to hear in the next seconds when she arched in his arms, her second climax causing her body to tremble around him. He came right behind her, shuddering not only with the pleasure tearing through him, but with the love that followed that brilliant explosion. That was it, that was the name of the emotion he’d felt earlier. Love. It was what had been pulling him toward her from the moment he’d first seen her on this island. The love that hadn’t died in the ten years they’d been apart. The love he prayed she wanted to accept this time around.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
FOUR DAYS LATER, Grace rolled over in the bed, going still the moment she realized she was alone. Lying on her stomach, she extended her arm over the rumpled sheets where RJ had lain for a while last night. It had been just a little while longer than the previous nights, and she’d thought he might stay until morning. He hadn’t done that on any of the nights he’d come to her room.
After their tryst on the yacht, they’d returned to the shore much later that evening. He’d taken her to her room and stepped inside for just long enough to take her in his arms one more time. The embrace had been long, each of them holding on to the other as if they thought it might be their last opportunity.
“I wish you’d trusted me ten years ago,” he’d whispered just before pulling back slightly. “Part of the reason I admired you so much was because of your work ethic and your tenacity to pursue your goals no matter what. There’s no way I would’ve ever asked you to give that up.”
She’d let her forehead rest on his chest as regret filled every crevice of her being. “I should’ve told you that night. I don’t know why I didn’t.” Or rather she had known. Fear was a cruel bastard that she wholeheartedly despised.
He’d lifted his hands to cup her cheeks, tilting her face up to him. “Everything I just said is still true. I still admire you and wholly support your career goals.”
Grace knew that; otherwise his father and possibly the rest of his family wouldn’t have been so open to her being here and writing the story. “I appreciate that, RJ. I really do.”
He’d kissed her again, a very soft and lingering kiss that had left her dreamy-eyed and hopeful. In the days that followed she’d continued with her interviews, speaking to Chaz and then conducting a third interview with Veronica. She and RJ had also continued with their evening trysts, most times after the family dinner that Grace no longer needed an invitation to attend. During the days when she wasn’t writing, she had an unspoken invite to everything on Riley’s itinerary. In fact, Riley had taken to texting Grace daily reminders so she wouldn’t forget and stay in her room working. But Grace liked being in her room, especially during the time that RJ was there with her.
That’s what scared her.
After talking about what happened that long-ago night, she and RJ seemed to be of one accord, just like they’d been before. In Manhattan, their private space had been RJ’s penthouse, because it was away from the RGF offices and his parents’ palatial home. It was where RJ could relax and be himself instead of being one of the top executives at the company, or the oldest son of the family. It was the one place where Grace could feel comfortable and not like she was in constant competition with her sisters.
Here, on the island, the villas that RJ and his family were staying in were much larger than Grace’s room, but in her room they had privacy. For all intents and purposes, her room was now like his penthouse had been, all except for RJ spending the night. She never asked him why he didn’t. She hated the thought that she was once again allowing fear to take up space in her life.
Her vibrating phone disrupted her thoughts and she rolled over in the bed again, catching herself before she tumbled over the edge. With a shake of her head, she reached for the phone on the nightstand and removed it from the charger. The notification was a text message from Riley.
Truth or dare at 2 p.m. in the café.
Grace groaned and buried her head in the pillow. Did she really want to play truth or dare with Riley and the gang, which was the name Maurice had given the group of four couples? Were she and RJ a couple again? Another groan escaped at the question because she was so confused. She was beginning to believe that was her natural state of being now—at least it had been since setting foot on this island.
Her phone vibrated and chimed in her hand. She startled and then lifted her head from the pillow to stare at the screen. “Dammit.”
She answered it with a bland, “Hi, Eddie.” Eddie’s gravelly voice was the last thing she wanted to hear this morning.
“What’s going on? Is the story almost done? I was thinking of sending Tiege down to get some pictures of the wedding. He says he has a connection that could get him onto the property without any detection,” he rattled off without pause.
She bolted up in the bed. “Absolutely not!” Shaking her head as if she thought he could see her, Grace frowned. “I mean, why would I need Tiege here if I’m just doing interviews?”
Tiege was Veronica’s former stepson, so Grace knew exactly how the guy would get in undetected. Veronica really was planning her exit strategy if she’d told him about the wedding being here this week.
“Don’t try that stunt with me,” he replied. “The only reason I’m sitting on the fact that Riley Gold’s wedding is taking place this week is because this story is a lot bigger.”
“Look, I’m getting a lot of good material. The story is coming along nicely and will be in your inbox early next week.”
The wedding was Saturday, three days away, and her flight out was already booked for early Sunday morning. She planned to give the story one final pass on Monday and send it off to Eddie that afternoon.
“Send me what you’ve got so far. I want to make sure you’re on the right track.”
“Not a chance. That’s not how I work. I’ll send you the complete story when it’s done and no pictures.”
“Do you have any idea how much circulation we’d get if we landed the first and only wedding photos?”
“Do you have any idea how powerful both these families are? You sneak into this venue to get pictures and they’ll come after you. I mean, they’ll go over your head to the owner of the paper and they’ll make his life a living hell as payback. How do you think he’s gonna react when he finds out you’re the one who brought that type of heat to his doorstep?” She was bluffing, sort of.
Grace really had no idea how RJ, his family or Tobias dealt with the media when they overstepped boundaries. That wasn’t a conversation she and RJ ever needed to have, because up until this point she’d represented his family and their business with the utmost respect on the few occasions she’d written about them. Sure, this story was a totally different ball game, and she’d taken a very calculated risk in coming here to do it in the first place. But she did know that after several recent debacles—the blogger who’d printed those designs from King Designs and insinuated Riley had stolen them from Chaz, the reporter who’d revealed Nina and Major’s business connection, and the woman who’d made a fake video depicting Maurice as an absentee dad—the Golds had met their quota of dealing peacefully with the media. Any intrusion into Riley’s wedding wasn’t going to go over well, Grace knew that for certain.
“Look, I’ll meet my deadline. That’s all you need to worry about.”
“You’d better, or you’re through. Not only will I never work with you again, but if I’m ever asked about you—”
“Okay, I get it, Eddie. Like I said, the story will be in your inbox by close of business on Monday.” She didn’t wait for Eddie to say another word, but disconnected the call on her own terms. Having him threaten her when the sun was barely up wasn’t her idea of good morning conversation.
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