Justin

by Kris Michaels

  Danielle swallowed hard and ran her fingers through his hair again. "This is nice."

  His eyes traveled over her before a soft smile spread across his face. "Yes, it is."

  “Justin?” She had to know what they were doing. They were risking their friendship…was it worth it? He turned and lifted to his knees, his body directly in front of her, his arms on either side of her. Soft mossy green eyes raked over her body. The robe had opened exposing the threadbare t-shirt she’d had since she was a teenager. It was an attachment and comfort that she wasn’t willing to give up. She lifted her hand and tried to pull the robe shut, embarrassed.

  “Don’t, please.” Justin dipped his head, kissing the area where her neck met her shoulder. She shuddered against the light, warm sensation. A gasp caught in her throat when his lips traveled up her neck and his mouth took the lobe of her ear, nipping it lightly. “Do you want me as much as I want you?” Justin’s hand reached for her belt and worked the loose knot out. His hand slid inside the plush brushed cotton and rested at her side. His touch wasn't invasive or threatening. No, it was welcomed and wanted. He scalded her skin through her thin t-shirt. She leaned into his touch, seeking more, wanting more...God help her, needing more.

  Her eyes rolled back in her skull when his lips traveled down her neck again. She couldn’t breathe enough to speak. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and scooted down enough so he was over her. Their gazes met and held. He lowered slowly, dipping almost far enough to press his lips against hers but pulled away at the last second. Danielle lifted and tried to follow.

  He dipped again, giving her lips only the slightest touch. “Tell me you want me. Tell me you want this.”

  His whispered commands sent rivulets of desire through every nerve in her body. The cascading lust pooled deep and low. She snaked her hands through his hair. “I want you.” She whispered the words and lifted up to him, demanding the kiss that had teased her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her from the cushion of the couch against his body. Her legs parted and wrapped around his hips as their lips met in a kiss that fed the hollow hunger that had lived within her for far too long. He nipped at her bottom lip before he licked the sting. His kiss wasn’t a mere press of flesh against flesh, rather it was the very essence of everything she’d desired for years…the kiss was Justin. He wouldn’t give her less than everything. Less wasn’t in his genetic make-up. Justin King was meticulous—a perfectionist. He didn’t rush into anything. He sampled, tasted, enjoyed, and gave her his entire focus and attention. The kiss embodied who he was, a master sommelier, and he treated her as if she were the rarest of vintages. It stole her breath, heightened her senses, and found her heart.

  Chapter 7

  Justin pulled her closer savoring the soft sounds of pleasure, the tentative touches, and the flavor of wine mixed with her own version of sapid wonder. He could describe the nuances of every wine he’d ever tasted, but describing the marvelous palate that was Danielle Grant could take a lifetime to get right. Her hands found his bare skin and her touch sent a quake of desire through him. He had to pull away from her lips—to breathe. There was no other reason that would make him stop. One taste and he was enslaved to her unique flavor. He pulled away. Her jade green eyes had darkened, her pink cupid’s bow lips were now red and swollen from their shared passion.

  He reached out and pushed her hair from her face, cupping her neck. He lowered to her ear and whispered, “You are everything I dreamed you would be.”

  She froze under him, and he pulled back to make sure she was still with him. The look of wonder on her face made him pause. “What is it?”

  “You’ve dreamed about me?”

  The breathlessness of the question conveyed how important his answer was to her. He wanted honesty between them. Their friendship deserved it, and the respect he had for her demanded it. “I’ve wanted you for years. I didn't act because I didn’t want to ruin us. What we have.” He lowered and brushed a soft kiss against her lips, pausing to take the kiss deeper. His brain understood the magnitude of what they were doing, of the barriers they were breaching tonight, but his body, well fuck…his body was an impatient son of a bitch, and his little head was doing its best to overpower what his brain knew needed to happen. He needed to cool things down. He needed to give her a chance to think about the multitude of lines they were crossing before they went too far. But…God, his cock ached and engaged in combat against the absolute need to slow this attraction between them down so they could think. Rationally. His hips pressed against her core, guided by instinct and need. They both groaned in the ecstasy at the friction.

  "Sir, I just received a... Oh... I..."

  Justin froze over Danielle at the sound of Max's voice. "Give me a minute, if you would Max?" He held Danielle's startled gaze as he spoke, pulling her closer into his arms, his back blocked Max's view of her. There was no way in hell he'd let what was starting between them become office fodder.

  "Sorry, yes, of course. Absolutely." The hurried slap of Max's shoes against the marble tile preceded a quick open and shut of the hotel door.

  Justin relaxed his hold on her. The dark rose hue climbing from her chest to her cheeks clearly displayed the extent of her embarrassment at being caught in a compromising position. "It looks like I need to have a talk with Max about boundaries."

  Danielle pulled at her robe, closing the lapels. "I... I better go." She pushed herself up into a sitting position under him.

  Justin closed his eyes and cursed silently in every language he knew. He released the tension in his shoulders and shook his head before he opened his eyes. "I'd rather you go into the bedroom and wait for me to deal with whatever Max thought was urgent."

  She sent a piercing gaze toward the bedroom and then back at him. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

  Justin lowered and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'll let you go, but you might want to wait in the bedroom. Considering his slight crush on me, Max is probably mortified, and I can almost guarantee he is pacing in the hallway."

  "Oh, God...this was a bad decision." Danielle ran one hand through her hair as the other kept her robe closed. "What was I thinking?"

  "The same thing I was thinking. That we are good together. There is chemistry here. What is between us is unique. At least for me. Don't let Max showing up scare you away. He doesn't know who I was with. There was no way he could see you. He'll get over his embarrassment. Give me some time to deal with whatever emergency brought him over here this late, and then you can go back to your room. No one will be the wiser."

  "Okay." Danielle's gaze skittered around the room. She nodded without making eye contact. He lifted away, allowing her to escape to his bedroom. The door snicked shut before he allowed himself to swear softly. Okay? His brain obviously wasn't getting enough oxygen. What did okay mean? He scrolled back the words he'd just said. Hell, he'd have to deal with 'okay' later. Fuck, this was not how he was hoping the night would end. Through his disappointment, he conceded it was probably a damn good thing Max was hyper-efficient and an insomniac. Somehow, he couldn't find any enthusiasm for the idea.

  He grabbed his wine glass and strolled slowly to the small bar. He poured a glass only to give himself a moment. A quick adjustment and a glance down ensured he was decent before he went to the door and opened it. Max stood across the hall, staring at his feet. "I'm so sorry, sir. I never thought...I mean..."

  "Come in, Max." Justin stepped back and held the door open. Max pushed off the wall and glanced up. "I should have knocked. It's just that..."

  "I've never had a visitor in my hotel room on a business trip before." Justin finished the thought for Max.

  "Yes, sir." Max glanced around the suite.

  "Ah, well, from now on in the evening hours, knock first?"

  "Yes, sir. Absolutely." Justin took another sip of the wine and lifted an eyebrow at Max. "There was something important that brought you here?"

  "We just received initial notification of
the Michelin Star ratings. You have two new three-star restaurants! Nido dell’Aquila and The Sabre! Public Relations in New York has sent press releases for review and approval. They have also sent a tentative schedule for the ratings reveal at each restaurant. The chefs need to be notified and I knew you'd want to do that personally. Sir, two three-star restaurants in one year. That gives you five three-star establishments. It is a wonderful achievement!"

  Justin smiled at the excitement rolling off his assistant. His entire organization worked to provide a level of food and service that went above and beyond set in a unique and inviting environment. The Michelin recognition was the culmination of damn hard work by his entire team at each location. They deserved his attention now, and notification about their accomplishments as soon as possible. "Alright. Pull up the contact numbers for the chefs and the front of the house managers." Justin motioned toward the small desk and chair where they'd worked earlier in the evening.

  "But sir, your guest?"

  Justin glanced toward his bedroom. Danielle would understand the need to make the calls immediately. Besides, giving her time to think about what happened was wise. At least this way he could talk to her after she settled down and before she left for the night. He leaned forward in his chair and reached for his cell. "The contact numbers?"

  Oh my God...he wants me...has wanted me... Danielle paced the seventeen steps from door to window and back again. He doesn't want to ruin us. "Hell, I don't want to ruin us!" The words slid from her lips. She snapped her mouth shut and cast her eyes toward the door. She could hear the low rumble of Justin's voice and the faster more animated sound of Max's. Something had Max wound tight. She plopped onto Justin's bed and bounced off it again. Justin's bed. Oh shit. They...she'd...he'd... Oh shit.

  Danielle dropped back down to the bed and pulled her feet up. She grabbed a large lock of hair and started twisting it, a nervous habit she'd developed at a young age. She'd been helpless when her mom went from a manic episode into the black pits of depression. She'd learned to make a mental list of what she could control and what she couldn't. The ingrained coping technique was one she hadn't consciously used in years, but the emotion connected to Justin brought the method to mind.

  The thing was, there wasn't much she could control in this situation. She could control herself. At least hypothetically. Danielle snorted and dropped back onto the pillow. She turned to her side and focused on the door. Her phone vibrated in the pocket of her robe. She pulled it out and glanced at the face. She'd missed three text messages and had icons for numerous emails. The emails could wait. The texts could not.

  >Confirmation required on arrival date and time.

  Danielle sat up in bed cross-legged. She glanced at the door and pulled a strand of hair, twisting it around her fingers. Whatever was happening between Justin and her needed to take a back seat to the event she'd been planning for almost five months. She hadn't come to Perth by accident. She'd studied every possible aspect of what she was doing, and she was ready. God, she hoped she was ready. No. She was prepared, she'd practiced, and she'd prepared for every eventuality. The event that would happen in four days was something she couldn't reschedule. Danielle let go of her hair and replied.

  >Confirming arrival date and time are still correct.

  She closed the text and fell back onto the pillow again. Justin's low rumbling voice became white noise as Danielle closed her eyes and visualized the intricate preparation needed for the task she would be undertaking. She could see the equipment and feel the tension when it moved under her fingers. She was ready.

  The door opened, pulling her from her visualization. Justin stood in the doorway, both hands thrust into his pockets.

  "What was the emergency?" Danielle hadn’t bothered to eavesdrop because she doubted Max had a legitimate reason for barging into Justin's room.

  "We received our third star at both Nido dell’Aquila and The Sabre." A wicked smile spread across his face.

  Danielle smiled wide. His news usurped any remaining awkwardness. “That is amazing. Congratulations. You deserve it."

  “My people deserve it. It was a team effort.” Justin leaned against the door jamb not coming into the room. The tension that vanished at his good news returned like a tsunami landing on shore. “We should probably talk about what happened between us.”

  Danielle nodded but held up a hand when he started to speak again. “For the record, what we were doing out there? I was onboard with everything.”

  “I sense a ‘but’ coming.” Justin took his hands out of his pockets and crossed his arms over his chest.

  She smiled and once again nodded. “Yes, the ‘but’ is I think we need to take this back to the States when we aren’t slammed with meetings and jet lagged. I want to explore where this attraction between us will go, but I don’t want to…I don’t know…cheapen it to a business trip quickie?”

  Justin dropped one of his arms and ran a hand through his hair. He blew out a long breath before he spoke, “I hope you know I would never consider anything with you as cheap or a ‘quickie’.”

  “I do, but I also want us to talk about what is between us. The feelings I have for you aren’t a sudden revelation.” She stood and walked over to him. “Was it for you?” She lifted her hand and moved a finger between them pointing at him.

  Justin wrapped his arms around her and held her loosely as he gazed down at her. “To be completely honest, the revelation about where I wanted to take us was sudden; the feelings I have for you weren’t. I just didn’t realize exactly how much I cared for you until recently. I didn’t want to act on them. You know my track record.”

  “I would never hold that against you. Those women weren’t me.”

  “True, but that being said, I have a tendency to repel women in short order.” Justin pulled her a little closer, almost as if his action would delay what he felt was inevitable.

  “The way I see it, we have a good foundation. Let’s get this trip done. When we get back to New York, we can see where this goes.” She lifted up onto her toes, pulling him down to her lips. Her kiss was soft and light because she didn’t trust herself to hold to her own decree of slowing the sexual tension between them. As she pulled away, she stepped out of his arms. A quick pat of her robe made sure she had her phone and her keycard. She tipped her head indicating the outer room. “I should go.”

  Justin moved out of the way and let her pass. She padded across the room and stopped as she hit the small entranceway. Spinning around she motioned toward the couch. “I think we have some amazing chemistry. I really don’t want to mess this up.”

  A half smile crept across his face. “Not messing it up would be a first for me.”

  “Excellent. I believe I would like being a first for you.” Danielle wagged her eyebrows at him and headed to her own room.

  Chapter 8

  The wheels of the jet touched down at Hobart International Airport in Tasmania. The flight from Perth to Melbourne and then from Melbourne to Hobart took just over seven hours. Justin used the time to work. If he didn’t, he’d be thinking about Danielle, which had become a habit. Since she requested a timeout, for lack of a better word, until they made it back to the States, he’d had more than enough time to think about her. Hell, he’d thought about her in the shower—three times. It did absolutely nothing to satisfy his need for the woman. He could not get her scent and taste out of his mind. The teasing smiles and looks she’d taunted him with the last two days had tested his resolve to honor her request. He didn’t realize Danielle was such a little minx…or perhaps he just hadn’t noticed before. Damn, he’d been searching for someone when, quite possibly, that person had been right under his nose.

  He waited for the aircraft to approach the terminal. The small airport meant there wouldn’t be much, or in fact, any, wait on the tarmac for other aircraft to jockey for position. Thankful for the short taxi, he settled back into his chair and waited.

  The only problem he could foresee in their rel
ationship was his unquenchable desire for extreme adrenaline highs. They had a solid working relationship and friendship. Inevitably, the women he’d dated wanted things he couldn’t provide. Stability, a home life, all wrapped in the cloak of respectability his money and businesses had given him. The thing they would never understand was while he was proud of his business accomplishments, the restaurants alone weren’t enough. There would never be enough money, belongings or accolades to make him feel…alive. The hard, cold fact was he wasn’t sure any woman could hold his attention like the rush of adrenaline did. Danielle was in a league of her own because he’d been obsessing about her, rather than the abseil he’d scheduled. Gordon Dam was supposed to be a quick abseil, not taking more than three minutes, but with over two hundred hours logged at rappelling, both on and off the night job, he’d scheduled a time slot so he could make a rap jump to the bottom. It was an extreme rappel. He’d drop off the dam face-first in an Australian rappel position and bound down the dam in giant leaps.

  Those were the thoughts that should be on his mind right now, not wondering what Danielle was doing on her flight back to New York. The stairway lowered onto the Tasmanian tarmac. Justin was first off the aircraft. The heat from the summer wasn’t the intense heat of Australia. He’d liken it to a nice spring day with temperatures in the mid-sixties to seventy. The walk through the small airport took only a couple minutes. Justin had to veer around a group of tourists taking photographs with a statue of three Tasmanian devils playing on luggage. He headed straight for the rental car agency, presented his credit card, international driver’s license, and his passport and was on his way to the wilderness lodge near Gordon Dam within fifteen minutes of his arrival.