Sipping his beer, Ronin stared up at the sky, wondering if it’d take a helicopter to get the heavy tub portion up here. The bad thing about downsizing the cargo elevator was he lost the ability to haul big pieces past the fifth floor. He could’ve opted for big, symmetrically shaped plastic pieces for a cover, which, once assembled, encompassed the entire roof. But he’d had no place to store them in the summer months. He’d chosen extreme weather-resistant plastic, which made a tight enough seal around the area that some of the heartier trees on the garden side didn’t have to be moved indoors when the temperatures dropped below freezing.
Wouldn’t be long before that happened. He’d better get the guy here to set up the winterization kit next week.
That decided, he performed water therapy exercises on his knee. Something in the movement caused the pain in his shoulder to flare. He did push-ups against the side. One arm, then both arms. Then he raised his arm over his head like he was swinging a hammer.
“Are you supposed to be doing that?”
Ronin jumped. Then he spun around. “Were you trying to sneak up on me?”
The smile on her face said everything. “What goes around, comes around, ninja.”
“I deserve that.”
Amery shoved her hands in her pockets. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Why?”
“I don’t know. I thought you were mad at me or something.”
“What gave you that idea?”
“You hardly said anything to me when you came up from the dojo.”
He slowly moved his arm across the front of his body, then pulled on his wrist with his other hand. A loud popping sound echoed.
Her eyes widened. “Was that a body part?”
“Yeah. But it feels remarkably better now.”
“Oh. Well. Good.”
“I’d invite you to join me, but I know you’ll decline. I’ll probably stay in another half hour.”
“Why don’t you think I’ll join you?”
“Because I’d demand you strip to skin. And if you decided to thwart me and jump in in your swimsuit, I’d take great pleasure in tearing it off you.” He let his wicked intent show in his eyes. “With my teeth. Then I’d probably tie you up with your bikini strings.”
Clearly torn between defiance and desire, Amery blinked at him.
“So, baby, what’s it going to be?”
“Ronin—”
“That’s what I thought.” Ronin turned his back on her and resumed his exercises.
It took twelve reps of lunges before she stomped into view. Her pink-tipped toes twitched with anger.
“Do you know how much I hate that dismissive tone of yours? You assume a lot sometimes, Master Black.”
“Arguing with me about why you won’t get in the pool isn’t getting you into the pool, so why do it?”
“Infuriating man.”
Ronin swam to the opposite side.
“So you invite me into the pool and now you’re getting out?”
“No. I’m just grabbing my beer.” He drained it. “And I didn’t invite you, remember?”
“Rude, infuriating man.”
And it was about to get a whole lot worse. He waggled the empty bottle at her. “Babe, since you’re probably stomping off anyway, would you mind throwing this away on your way back downstairs?”
If that wouldn’t get her in the pool, anxious to dunk his ass, nothing would.
“Babe?” Off went her jeans as she spoke. “Babe?” Then her panties. “Babe?” Her T-shirt was next. Hey, wait a second; that was his T-shirt.
Her escalating use of the word babe culminated in an angry jump into the pool. Amery splashed him while flinging phrases like sexist pig and bossy bastard at him.
Eyes flashing, her tits bouncing, her nipples rigid points . . . goddamn, the woman was a fucking goddess.
“Ronin! Are you even listening to me?”
“No.” He caught her wrist before she splashed him again. “Nothing registered after you started coming toward me, those perfect perky tits leading the way.”
“Omigod, you are such an ass.”
Ronin hauled her against his body. “Thanks for joining me in the pool.” His lips started at the spot below her ear and moved across that stubborn jawline, tasting her skin beneath the chlorine. “I miss that breathy sigh you make when I kiss you right here.” He zeroed in on the spot two inches below her ear.
She made the sound.
“I could spend the next hour telling you everything I missed in the past seven weeks, but I’d rather show you.” Holding her head in place, he kissed her with all the need he felt for her, with fire, with impatience.
Amery kissed him back, but her hands were wrapped around his forearms, holding him back.
Like. Hell.
“Need my mouth on you,” he growled against her throat.
“Ronin—”
“Now. Tell me you don’t want my mouth between your thighs.” He sucked on the spot below her ear that made her moan.
“I can’t think when you do that.”
“So stop thinking and give me what I want.” He pushed her backward until they reached the folded pool cover. “Lie back.”
“Won’t I sink?”
“Not if you hold still.”
“But I can’t hold still when you . . .”
“That’s never a bad thing. Arms above your head like you’re floating. That’s it. Beautiful.”
Ronin lowered himself into the water and raised her pussy to the level of his mouth. He licked her slowly, searching every soft fold for the sweet taste of her.
There it was. Goddamn. There it was. He greedily buried his tongue inside her.
“Oh, god.”
He pulled back and rubbed his lips over the inner swell of her mound. “Tell me you missed this.”
She moaned.
“Tell. Me.”
“I missed you.”
You. Not this.
“I missed you too, baby. I . . .” Ronin’s attempts to tell her that he loved her were met with resistance, so here was his chance to show her.
He was too starved for her to slowly drive her to the detonation point. He pushed back the skin hiding her clit with his lips and settled his mouth over the hot spot. “You taste so fucking sweet.”
“You’re so amazing at that.”
His response was to suck harder in precisely the way she liked.
Wasn’t long before she started to rock her hips into his face, and he felt that first spasm against his mouth.
He sucked and swallowed those sweet juices, growling against her tender flesh. When her legs stopped trembling and the pulses ended, he kissed the inside of her thigh. As he eased her off the pool cover, he kissed straight up her belly. He latched on to her nipple, which had gone tight in the cold night air.
Amery wrapped her legs around his waist. When she was fuzzy from orgasmic bliss, worrying about his injuries appeared to be the farthest thing from her mind.
Ronin feasted on her nipples. Warming them with his mouth, wanting to slide her body down to where he ached and slip inside her. He kissed his way up her chest to her chin. “Amery, baby, I lo—”
She slanted her lips over his and kissed him with deliberation. “I do taste pretty sweet on you,” she murmured between soft pecks on his mouth.
Once again, she’d stopped the words in his heart from passing through his lips. Why?
Because she’s scared.
Then she proved it by pushing away from him. “I’m cold. Let’s go inside.”
• • •
AFTER they crawled into bed, Ronin said, “I should let you know that Shiori will be calling you to have lunch tomorrow.”
“Did she say why?”
“No.”
“Huh. That’s weird.”
“You don’t have to go.”
“I know.”
“In fact, I wish you wouldn’t.”
She turned over and gave him a cool look. “Why’s
that? Afraid she’ll ask me how your injuries are healing since I doubt you’re being honest with her either?”
“Either? It’s been a week since the fight. I’m nearly back to normal.”
“Then there’s no reason for me to stay here and tend to you, is there?”
Goddammit. Why was she baiting him and then moving closer to taunt him?
Amery touched the bruise on his chest. She ran her hands across his ribs. “Are you so insistent I see you as bounce-back Black that you’d rather I leave than admit that you aren’t one hundred percent?”
“Would you rather I pretended my recovery time is taking longer than I expected so I can keep you here?” he countered.
She sighed. “You are such an exasperating man.”
Ronin plucked her hand from his chest and ran his thumb over her knuckles. “You aren’t going anywhere.”
His declaration didn’t seem to bother her because she didn’t argue. “Will you start driving tomorrow since it’s been a week?”
“Maybe. I’d thought about taking you to lunch, but my sister beat me to it.”
“How about if I cut out early and bring you food? Then, if you’re feeling stir crazy, we could go for a drive.” A wide smile spread across her beautiful face. “I’d love to get behind the wheel of your Corvette.”
“No chance.” He kissed the inside of her wrist. “And the only time I’m stir crazy is when you’re not here.”
“What happened when you went down to the dojo today?”
“Are you asking if I overexerted myself? I didn’t. There were a few business things I needed to handle. All in all, I wandered around and felt pretty useless.” Jesus. Why don’t you just blurt out all of your fears? That with limited physical contact, your students will see you the way you’ve seen so many other martial arts instructors—as washed up? As a teacher who knows the techniques but can no longer employ them?
“You’re not useless.” She scooted even closer. “You’re so not.”
He wanted to show her just how useful he could be to her.
But then the crazy woman shocked him by pulling his mouth to hers and kissing him. She never let it get to the combustible stage, keeping it slow. A gentle exploration. A sweet communion. A promise of more.
After she’d incited him and soothed him with her kiss, she didn’t sleep on her side of the bed for the first time in five nights. She curled her body into his and fell asleep in his arms.
CHAPTER FIVE
AMERY arrived at the bistro early, scoring the prime spot in the corner, where she could keep an eye on the door. Since her last formal meeting with Shiori had been at the Ritz, she wanted the familiarity of her home turf.
Gigi, her favorite server, sauntered over with a smile. “Where have you been keeping yourself? I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“I’ve been working through lunch most days.” A lie, but confessing she couldn’t afford to eat out seemed pathetic. “Someone is joining me, but I’ll start out with a Moscow mule.”
“Is Emmylou your lunch date?” Gigi asked hopefully.
Her office mate had flirted outrageously with Gigi the last time they’d eaten here, and the poor girl had eaten it up. “No. She’s traveling this month.”
“Oh. I’ll put that drink order in for you.”
After Gigi flounced off, Amery noticed other neighborhood business owners scattered throughout the restaurant. She waved at a couple and then scanned the menu. The lunch special, turkey salad on homemade molasses bread with a side of Colorado peaches and mountain huckleberries, caused her stomach to rumble. They hadn’t had time for breakfast this morning, and she was starved. Ronin would be too, and this sandwich looked healthy enough that he’d eat it.
Her thoughts drifted to last night in the pool . . . Ronin’s hunger for her, his skill at driving her to the edge and then making her fly—familiar sensations, yet somehow they felt new. Maybe it was the gently lapping water as his tongue greedily devoured her. She’d wanted her hands on his head, pulling his hair, guiding him, controlling him, but no. Once again he’d controlled her and the situation. Like he always did.
Gigi dropped off the drink, and Amery stirred it without taking a sip.
After the spectacular orgasm, and later, as they were entwined in bed, she’d wondered how much longer she could hold Ronin off on resuming their sexual relationship. But mostly she wondered why she was holding back. Now that he was on the mend . . . why wasn’t she jumping him?
Right then it occurred to her the physical side of their relationship renewal was starting out the same way as their first intimate encounters had. Ronin giving all to her and not allowing her to reciprocate. What had she done last night as soon as those skilled hands of his touched her flesh and his tongue stroked her? She’d gone mindless. But even if she’d tried to return the favor, he would’ve found some way to distract her.
No more. She’d let him know, in no uncertain terms, that his body was hers to play with, pleasure, and control.
Amery just happened to glance up as Shiori started toward her. The woman’s graceful glide reminded her of a sleek panther. There was a sense of beauty and danger with a coiled edginess that warned you not to take your eyes off her or you’d feel the slice of those sharp claws and the bite of deadly teeth.
Shiori had dressed in a short jade-colored skirt that showed off her legs. Over a lavender silk shell, she wore a long-sleeved black jacket that nipped in at the waist and ended above her hips in a wide peplum. Of course the outfit was chic, sexy, and completely professional. Amery bit back a jealous sigh. And of course she finished the outfit with the perfect accessories—lavender suede pumps and an oversized satchel color-blocked with jade and black.
Thankfully Shiori didn’t expect the fake kiss-kiss and half-hug reception. She simply smiled and slid into the booth. “Amery. It’s good to see you. Thank you for agreeing to meet me today.”
“My pleasure. And without it seeming like I’m fawning, can I just say that outfit is outstanding? You look amazing.”
Shiori grinned. “Thank you. I’ve been filling my free time shopping.”
“Shopping here in Denver?”
“Some. New York City is too far to fly to justify a couple of hours to shop, so I’ve found the most darling boutiques in Chicago, Las Vegas, and Dallas.”
“You hop on a plane just to go shopping for a few hours?”
“Oh no. I charter a plane and attend to business while I’m in the air. I’m all about multitasking.”
Amery couldn’t hide her shock. Ronin and his sister really did live in two different worlds; she couldn’t imagine Ronin doing something so frivolous.
Don’t judge. Her money, her life, her choices.
Shiori leaned over and peered at Amery’s drink. “What is that?”
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