by Elisabeth Naughton, Cynthia Eden, Katie Reus, Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright, Joan Swan
The warm night wind played with the fabric of the wispy black rayon beach cover she’d tossed over sweet lingerie. It draped seductively over her curves, had thin shoulder straps, a deep vee at her chest, and a single, easy-release tie. She’d definitely prepared for this visit. At least on the outside. On the inside…that was still a work in progress.
Cassie stared at the heavy wooden door and dragged her wringing hands apart to smooth them over the soft fabric.
“One step at a time,” she whispered. “Freaking fix things first, idiot.”
She drew in a breath and knocked. Her hands automatically returned to tangled, wringing fingers, and she couldn’t pull them apart before Rio opened the door.
Her heart tightened with apprehension, skipped with hope. One look at his face, and her stomach dropped with dread. Still pissed. And clearly disturbed. She knew how hard it was to close the door on those horrible memories once it had been opened. Knowing she’d been the one to break that seal on Rio’s demons flooded Cassie with guilt.
“You’re the last person I expected to see tonight.” He looked over her shoulder as if he wasn’t interested in her presence. “What do you need, Cass?”
“I need to apologize,” she said. “Are you going to make me do it on your porch?”
He dropped his gaze to the stone at their bare feet and rubbed the back of his neck. He’d changed into cargo shorts and a T-shirt. He looked rugged and carelessly sexy. “It’s been a long, rough day. I don’t want to fight. Again.”
“Okay. I guess I deserve this. I’ll just say what I came to say, then.” Disappointment weighted down her shoulders. “You were right; I was completely out of line. And you were also right about me trying to get you to hit me.” That brought his gaze up. “But not because I like it; because I was testing you. Not consciously. I wasn’t planning on testing you. But subconsciously, yes. Saul brought up some bad memories for me, and I…needed to know—for sure—that no matter how far I pushed you, no matter what I did or said, I’d be safe with you.”
And now that she’d said it out loud, she realized how incredibly screwed up she still was even after she’d escaped rape, put her attacker behind bars, and been through years of therapy.
She threaded her fingers, feeling more defeated than victorious. Rio’s disinterest was probably better for both of them.
“I feel horrible that I touched such a painful place for you. If I’d known…” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter; I shouldn’t have done it in the first place. That’s…what I came to say.”
She stared at his chest and held her breath. Promised herself she’d wait three seconds before she turned to leave. One one-thousand. Two one-thousand. Three one-thousand.
Four one-thousand.
Five one-thousand.
“You never answered my question,” Rio finally said. “Do you have a boyfriend…now?”
The air left her lungs on a sigh, and a fresh wave of embarrassment surged. She could have avoided this whole mess with just a simple answer to his original question. “No.”
When he didn’t say anything, didn’t move, she added, “I, um…haven’t had one in a long time and…honestly…”—fear pinched her stomach—“I haven’t had many.”
Still nothing. Aggravation edged out her relief. She looked around the dark night. Heaved a breath. Finally met his eyes. “Are you really going to make me stand out here to talk about this?”
“What happened at the clinic today?”
Her shoulders slumped. She should have known she couldn’t simply show up and end up in his bed two minutes later.
Irritation burned, and she let it flare in her eyes when she met his again. “Take a wild guess, Rio.”
“Nina.”
“Yes. Nina. There are consequences to a lousy reputation. And not all of those will keep you or others safe.” She crossed her arms. “And now I’m pissed. You ass. I can’t even apologize without getting pissed at you.”
He smiled. Just a little.
“Oh my God.” A mix of humor and aggravation burned in her chest. “Don’t you even.”
His grin grew wide, and her heart stretched in spite of her irritation. He reached out, grabbed one of her forearms still crossed tight at her chest, and pulled her toward the door. “Since you don’t have a boyfriend, I guess you can come inside.”
“Maybe I don’t want to come in anymore.” She resisted just enough to make him put some effort into getting her over the threshold.
Cassie’s gaze skipped over the familiar space—really just a tiny one-bedroom cottage, but with the amenities of a five-star hotel. Marble, stainless steel, leather. High ceilings, lots of windows. Flat-screen television, surround-sound stereo, minibar, granite kitchen and bathroom.
Rio had set up a weight system in one corner of the small living room—which explained all those muscles she’d been dreaming about. A silver laptop sat open on the coffee table, its screen dark. The room had a soft glow from the single low light in the corner.
He closed the door, ran both hands over her upper arms, his gaze on the exposed skin of her chest. “I was pretty out of line too.”
His hands curved over her shoulders; one slipped around her nape, the other caressed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. Cassie’s frustration transitioned into that fiery want she’d come with. Only on a whole different, deeper level. She unfolded her arms and curled her hands into the cotton of his T-shirt.
“What happened to my sister”—he shook his head—“I’ve never quite let it go. I’m overly sensitive. I shouldn’t have blown up like that.”
She leaned in, pushed up, and pressed her lips to his. Hadn’t planned to, just needed to. And now that they were there, a whole lot of other need exploded in the foreground.
Rio hummed in pleasure. His eyes fell closed a second before Cassie’s did. His hand tightened on her neck, drawing her into him. His mouth opened and took hers with all that amazing heat and skill.
Within ten seconds, Rio had her body molded to his, controlling her hips with an arm low on her back, controlling her mouth with the hand at her neck. Within twenty, Cassie’s head was swimming, her body straining.
She broke from his mouth and sucked air. His hand fisted and released restlessly at her hip. Cassie’s did the same in his T-shirt.
“I want you,” she said, breaths uneven and fast. “No more excuses. I want you right now.”
His fingers closed at her hip, squeezing flesh and fabric. He groaned low in his throat. She brought one hand around from his back and boldly rubbed his erection. Rio jerked, tightened his hold on her. Determined, focused, only one goal filling her mind, she brought her other hand forward, popped the button on his shorts, lowered his zipper. “Cassie—”
“Fast first”—she pressed her mouth to his cheek, whispering in his ear—“to ease the craving. Then slow to savor.”
She slid her hand into his open shorts and palmed the erection covered beneath soft cotton. He was long and thick and beyond expectation. An immediate flutter of nerves clashed with an equally sudden sweep of desire.
Rio’s head fell to her shoulder as a low, sexy sound came from his throat.
“Oh. Well.” The surprise slipped out, followed by a shaky laugh. “Um… Hmm. You’re…. I might need to alter that craving philosophy.”
He lifted his head, took her mouth in a shockingly hot, hungry kiss. She had to grab his waist for balance as both his hands caressed down her back and over her ass. There he squeezed, pulled her against him, and walked her backward until she hit the door.
He broke the kiss. “Is this…okay…for you?”
Okay? Okay? It was great. Fantastic. Amazing. But her throat was too thick to talk, and she just nodded.
A hot, sexy smile slid over his face. “Good. Let’s work on that craving.”
“Rio—”
He covered her mouth with another scorching kiss, and she forgot what she was going to say. His mouth moved and licked and sucked and caressed. His han
ds gripped her ass and massaged and pulled her against his erection, where he met pressure, rocked and rubbed until Cassie’s legs were weak.
At some point, while Cassie’s head was lost in a delicious cloud of sensation, he’d found the tie to her cover and pulled it open. He stepped back and just looked. She was breathing hard, dizzy, slumped against the front door, one hand fisted in Rio’s T-shirt.
“Why the hell are you…still dressed?” She pulled him closer by the fabric and drew it over his head.
The grin on his face when the shirt dropped to the floor made Cassie’s stomach squeeze and float.
His gaze drifted down her body. “I could say the same about you. But, damn, you look so good, I’m not quite ready to get you out of it.”
He closed the distance, gripped her waist, and lifted. She grabbed his shoulders and tightened her thighs at his hips.
“Ah, yeah,” he said. “Good girl.”
He ran his hands down her back, positioned her deepest ache against his erection, and rocked into her. The pressure released pent-up pleasure, and it flowed through her in a hot, sweeping wave. Cassie’s body arched into him. Her head fell back. A sound of relief came from her throat.
“God, you’re hot.” Rio’s voice was smooth and deep and sexy, mirroring the waves of pleasure rippling through her body.
He leaned in, kissed her. Playfully nipping. Licking. Said, “Ride me, Cass.” Then took her hips with both hands, smothered her mouth so completely he trapped her head against the door, and he…God…he…rubbed on her, rocked against her, pulled her hips against his in ways that made her mind stop working. In ways that made sounds float from somewhere deep inside her.
His mouth left hers. Cassie let her heavy lids stay closed and focused on the feel of his every touch. His stance shifted, and he let her slid down until her feet touched the ground. Then his hands were free, and they roamed her body. One up, across her belly and abdomen, cupping her breast. The other down, over her hip, beneath the edge of her panties and straight between her legs.
She tensed, gasped, opened her eyes.
Rio was watching her and a sudden burn of embarrassment washed her face.
Until his fingers moved. And a kind of pleasure she’d never known flooded her body and shut down her mind. “Oh God.”
“Oh my God, more like,” Rio muttered, his voice coarse. “You…you’re…smooth.”
“Wha…?” She finally drew air, and oxygen hit her brain. He meant waxed. Nothing but bare, tender skin where he touched. “You like?”
“I think…” A slow, wicked-hot smile slid over his mouth. “It’s more about what you like.”
He pulled her mouth into a deep kiss and stroked a feather-light touch over her bare sex.
Cassie’s muscles contracted in pleasure. She had no idea where the sound she made came from. And she was breathing hard when the luscious current dimmed.
“Oh, yeah,” he said, a smile in his voice. “You like.”
“I’d like it better if you were inside me. Like…now.”
“You’re the boss.” There was challenge in his voice. Maybe sarcasm, because they both knew who was in control here and now.
His fingers moved—slow strokes, soft circles, other things she couldn’t describe but that made her want to claw and bite her way to release. Then those strong fingers pushed inside her. That wasn’t the part of him she’d been wanting inside her but couldn’t tell him because the sweet, decadent pressure made her gasp. Moan. And move against his hand. She couldn’t keep herself from rocking into the source of extreme pleasure. And the act both excited and embarrassed her.
“Dios Mio.” Rio’s rasp brought Cassie’s eyes open. “You’re tight.”
The pure, vivid lust lighting his face, the hunger in his voice shot another burst of excitement between her legs, and her muscles clenched around his fingers.
Rio growled. Did something with his hand, adding pressure inside while returning her thrust. The result was exquisite. Cassie laughed out a low groan followed by a throaty, “Rio…”
She rocked her hips forward. Rolled them backward.
“That’s it,” he murmured in that voice. That damn voice. “Do it for me. Get it on, baby.”
She clenched around him again. Whimpered with pleasure.
“Oh…” Rio drew out the word. “I think someone likes a little dirty talk. That right, Cass?”
God, just the mention of talking dirty hit her with excitement. And he did that…thing…with his hand and pressed his heavy thumb against her center. A sound came from her throat; she didn’t know what—a cry, a moan. Only knew she couldn’t stop making it as he touched her.
He leaned in, brought the other hand around the nape of her neck, his fingers into her hair, did something…unworldly with the hand between her legs.
So wickedly good, Cassie’s head fell back on a cry.
“If you like this,” he whispered at her ear, “just wait ’til I get my mouth on you.” He bit her neck, sucked at the spot, licked it. “It will be so good.”
“Oh God, yes.” The surge came in an instant rush. White-hot and explosive.
Every muscle contracted, her back arched, head fell back against the door. She opened her mouth, would have screamed but couldn’t breathe.
Still, Rio stroked, his expert hands extending the peak until her back cramped and her lungs burned.
And when the extreme pleasure faded into smooth waves of complete satisfaction, he was right there, with sweet kisses and strong arms carrying her into the bedroom.
Her breathing was still quick, her whole pelvis still pounding when he released her waist and eased her feet to the floor. The slide of her hot, damp body along his was electric and kicked the banked fire into an immediate full burn.
She kept her arms wrapped tight around his neck, stretched against his body, and opened her mouth to him. He groaned as he kissed her back, his lips fierce, tongue hungry, hands hard, digging into her waist and holding her body against his. The sudden, fiery show of passion after his exquisite tenderness was an extreme turn-on. Something about knowing the man could go to such extremes with equal intensity and deliver such pleasure was a heady reality.
“Cassie.” He breathed her name, kissed her cheek, her jaw. Scraped his fingers through her hair and murmured against her throat, “I’ve dreamt of this for months.”
His heavy rasp tingled down her neck and filled her chest with pleasure. She tilted her head to kiss his jaw. Reached up and curved her arm around his neck, pulling his head down to whisper in his ear. “Show me. Show me everything you imagined.”
His mouth covered hers again. His tongue immediately dipped in and circled. She melted against him, and a hum ebbed from her throat. He pressed a hand to her jaw. The other caressed its way up her abdomen and covered her breast. He stroked and squeezed until Cassie was arching into his touch. His fingers slipped beneath the edge of lace, hot against her tender skin. Rough over her nipple. Sensation tugged deep at the center of her body, and she pulled out of the kiss to drag in air.
“Soft. So soft.” He leaned back, watching his hands rub her breasts and brush her nipples. “I want to eat you and look at you at the same time. I want it all.”
“You can have it all,” she said between uneven breaths, “but only if you take it now.”
He laughed. A low chuckle that sent shivers of promise across her skin. His hands continued to travel over her body, sending so many crazy wonderful signals she couldn’t tell where they were coming from anymore. Kissing her, touching her, he walked her back toward the bed.
In a fluid, confident move, he wrapped her in one arm, put the other hand and a knee to the bed and laid her down, covering her body with his.
Somewhere between standing upright and feeling his heavy body pressing into hers, Cassie’s mind cracked. As quick as a snap, panic flooded her brain. Her whole body tensed. She hit a flat hand to Rio’s chest and pushed.
“Whoa. No.”
He looked down at
her. “What?”
She knew it was Rio. She knew there was no danger. Still, her mind had thrown some switch, and she couldn’t unthrow it. Her panic-soaked brain screamed run, run, run!
“Rio.” She shoved harder. “Let me up. Please.”
He rolled off, and she was on her feet without knowing how she got there. She couldn’t breathe fast enough. Her chest was too small for her heart. Pain streaked along her ribs like electric currents.
“What?” Rio’s worried voice came from behind her. “What did I do? Did I hurt you?”
Cassie shook her head, all she could manage. She pressed one hand to her chest, one to her forehead. And paced. And breathed.
Within ten seconds, the fear ebbed. Within twenty, her lungs filled completely. Within thirty, mortification had surely turned her crimson from her scalp to her toes. Sweating, shaking, she chanced a look at Rio. He sat on the edge of the bed, the silhouette of his shoulders slumped, hands clasped between his knees, just watching her.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “Can I…do anything for you?”
Complex emotion pushed through her chest, and tears burned her eyes. The last time she’d told a man no, he’d beat her bloody and held a knife at her throat. He’d had every intention of forcing sex on her and, Cassie believed with her entire soul, every intention of killing her afterward.
And here, she’d come on to Rio, asked him to sleep with her, taken her pleasure, and then…freaked out. Yet he was sitting there asking how he could help her.
Christ.
“Bet this wasn’t anywhere in those fantasies of yours.” She fanned her face with a hand against the burn of humiliation and faked a smile, miserably, she was sure. “Little claustrophobic moment there.”
He studied her with eyes that seemed to see deep below the surface. “You know you’re safe with me, don’t you?” His voice was soft, and, Cassie thought, edged with yearning for confirmation. “You know I’d never hurt you, right?”
