The CEO's Dilemma ; Undeniable Passion

by Lindsay Evans

Keith felt Rita’s body sway. She glanced up at him, and he saw that her eyes were glistening with tears.

  “It’s okay,” he told her. “I’ll be waiting right out here. If you need me, I’ll be here.”

  She nodded. And then she drew in a deep breath. Her shoulders visibly relaxed. She faced Keith again and mouthed the words, Thank you.

  Then she released his hand and stepped fully into the room.

  Chapter 18

  Hours later, as Rita lay in her bed, she couldn’t sleep. She was tossing and turning, an emotional ball of energy.

  The day of surprises had been more than she’d ever hoped for. It had been a day of love like nothing she’d ever imagined.

  The heart-to-heart with her brothers would be a memory she would always cherish. They’d laughed and they’d cried in that room. They listened to what she’d gone through without her father in her life, acknowledging her pain. And Rita had listened to them, learning that they too had felt cheated and hurt by not having had her in their lives. It had been a surprise to her to learn that they felt they’d missed out by not getting to know her.

  In that room, as they tore down the barriers of the past, they became a real family.

  And she had Keith to thank for that.

  She wanted to call him, but it was minutes to eleven o’clock. Too late?

  She picked up her phone, determined to chance it. If he was sleeping, he simply wouldn’t answer. And she would leave him a message. He’d dropped her home after her emotional time with her brothers, leaving her to be alone with her thoughts. It was what she’d needed, but right now, she needed Keith.

  The phone rang once, twice...

  “Hello?” He sounded a little groggy.

  “You’re sleeping.”

  “I was starting to doze off,” he admitted. “What’s up?”

  “I was thinking... Maybe we could go back on the boat?” Rita suggested. “This time I can act like a proper tourist and let you give me a real tour.”

  She winced, awaiting Keith’s reply. She knew that she’d been a tumultuous bag of emotions since getting to Sheridan Falls, and if he said no, she’d understand. But the fact that he’d facilitated the meeting between her and her brothers... Did he feel more for her?

  He’d gone above and beyond, and Rita’s heart was starting to feel things it hadn’t in a while. She was falling for Keith, and it was a scary reality.

  “Tomorrow?” Keith asked.

  “Whenever’s convenient,” Rita told him. “I can make some food for the trip... I make a very good mac and cheese.”

  “Is that so?”

  “The best in St. Louis,” she told him. “At least the very best in my apartment,” she added with a little chuckle.

  “I have a better idea,” Keith countered.

  “What’s that?”

  Keith left her in suspense, telling her to bring her bathing suit, a towel and comfortable shoes. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at one.”

  * * *

  When Rita opened the door and looked at Keith, her breath caught in her throat. He was so darn handsome. She wondered if she would always have this heart-palpating reaction to him.

  “Hi,” she said, sounding breathless.

  “Hey, yourself.” His smile was endearing. There was a big part of Rita that wanted to throw her arms around his neck and pull him into her unit and have her wicked way with him. But she imagined the boat would be a more romantic setting. The two of them out on the middle of the water, the blue skies above them—

  “You ready?” Keith asked.

  Rita cleared her throat, hoping he hadn’t been able to sense the direction of her thoughts. “Yep.”

  A short while later, they were in the car, but they didn’t head toward where the boat was docked. Was Keith going to get there another way?

  Apparently not. Because Keith drove farther to the outskirts of the town where the wooded area became more dense. He took a winding road into the thicket of trees, then pulled up on a patch of gravel.

  “I thought you were taking me out on the boat,” Rita said.

  “I have something better in mind.”

  Rita knew by now not to ask what that something was. Keith was fond of his surprises. Today she really hoped that the surprise would involve just the two of them.

  Keith parked the car. As Rita exited, she looked up at the tall trees that had to be hundreds of years old. They seemed to touch the top of the sky.

  “Grab your bag with your towel,” Keith told her.

  “Why would I need my towel here?”

  “You’ll see.”

  Once Rita had her bag, Keith offered her his hand and she took it. They walked together into the woods. A few minutes later, they were crossing a footbridge over running water. A river.

  Rita looked ahead at the direction of where the water was coming from. It flowed over rocks. And now she understood.

  “Sheridan Falls. You’re taking me to a waterfall, aren’t you?”

  Keith looked down at her and nodded. “It’s a beautiful spot. You can’t get to this one on the boat. Well, you can get to a certain point, but then I’d have to stop the boat and we’d hike to the falls. This is easier. There’s more than one waterfall here, and this one’s a bit more private.”

  Keith winked, and Rita’s pulse began to race. He had romance on his mind. She felt a rush of excitement.

  “We just have to walk a bit to get there. But trust me, when we’re there, it’ll all be worth it.”

  For about fifteen minutes, they followed the narrow path along the river. Finally, the waterfall came into view. Rita actually gasped; it was that breathtaking. The sky opened up above and the rays of sun shone down, giving a heaven-like aura to the falls, which looked to be about a hundred feet high. Mist hung in the air. There was a deep pool of water at the base, and a small bit of shelter beneath the falls.

  “This is incredible,” Rita said.

  Keith placed his towel on a large tree stump. Then he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on top of the towel. Rita began to do the same, taking off the dress that she wore over her bathing suit. She was wearing water shoes, and she was glad for that, because even as she took a step onto the rocks bordering the river, she found them slippery because of the mist.

  Keith took her hand. “Ready?”

  “Let’s do this.”

  He walked the stone path along the perimeter of the shallow pool, and Rita thought at first that he was going to lead them right into the waterfall. But there was a bit of an alcove beneath it, and he took her there. The thundering water crashed down against the rocks, splashing them beneath the alcove, but for all intents and purposes, it was a little haven from the falls. Rita stood there, looking through the cascading water and out at the world. At the trees, the rocks, the beauty of this place.

  And then Keith was securing his arm around her waist and pulling her close. Her lips parted in surprise just as his mouth came down and claimed hers.

  He kissed her slowly, his hands now moving over her slick body. He kissed her until she was breathless.

  Then he took her hand. He led her through the cascading water and she giggled as it splashed down onto her hair and body. It was cold, and her back arched in protest, and then she laughed even harder.

  Keith moved forward, his body disappearing into the shallow pool. Then he lowered the rest of his body and swam the breadth of the area, moving to what appeared to be the deepest part of the water. He looked at her, standing on the rocky ledge. “Come on. Join me.”

  Rita took a tentative step in, found it slightly deeper than she’d expected. “Whoa,” she said, spreading her arms wide to balance herself. But she soon found her footing. Then she did as Keith had and lowered herself totally into the water. She swam toward him.

  He snaked a hand around her waist again and p
ulled her close. “How is it?” he asked.

  “A little cold, but...lovely. Magical.”

  And it was. It was their own private paradise.

  Keith put his other hand beneath her thighs and held her as though he was carrying her. He twirled her around in the water, grinning at her. Rita knew she was safe, but she secured her arms around his neck. Unexpectedly, Keith dipped her backward and submerged her whole body. When he pulled her up, Rita was gasping and laughing.

  As her laughter faded, their gazes locked. In an instant, the playfulness in his eyes changed to something else.

  To lust.

  When Rita had come to Sheridan Falls, she never imagined herself frolicking in a waterfall with a gorgeous man. Her heart began to beat faster as her fingers stroked the nape of his neck. Keith’s fingers tightened on her back.

  “I really like you,” he said, his voice husky.

  “I really like you, too,” she replied.

  Rita edged her lips upward. He met her partway, their mouths coming together with heavy sighs. Desire exploded in her body, like a volcano erupting.

  God help her, this man... He was gorgeous. He was a gentleman. Everything about him turned her on.

  His tongue moved over hers wildly, their lust an entity all its own. Slowly, he let go of her thighs and her legs went down. As soon as Rita was standing firmly on her feet, Keith pulled her against himself, their wet bodies connecting.

  He held her close, smoothing his hands over her back. Rita leaned into him, loving the feel of his hard muscles against her. She trailed a hand down his arm, caressing his strong bicep and sighing as she did.

  A lustful groan rumbled deep in Keith’s chest, and he deepened the kiss. His fingers slipped into her hair, holding her head as his mouth ravaged hers. Rita dug her fingers into his arm, needing the support of his body as the onslaught of dizzying sensations made her weak in the knees.

  How was she so completely attracted to Keith? And why wasn’t she afraid of what she was feeling? Instead, she wanted to explore everything possible with him, do everything possible with him.

  Starting with sex in a waterfall.

  Breaking the kiss, she glanced around. If she and Keith had ventured to this place, what would stop anyone else from coming here?

  Keith held her, his fingers running up and down her back as he too looked around. “We’re fine,” he told her. “But come.”

  He took her hand and led her toward the waterfall. Keith then climbed out of the shallow pool, and helped Rita do the same. Carefully, they made their way onto the stone ledge beneath the spray of water. Rita giggled as they went through the waterfall and into the alcove. She knew what he was doing. Here, they would be afforded some privacy if anyone came along the path unexpectedly.

  Keith looked down at her, and her laughter subsided. He placed a gentle hand on her face and Rita curled her cheek into it. Her heart was thundering in her chest, much like the water around them. She honestly couldn’t remember feeling this excited about a man, ever. And everything he had done for her, being patient with her, listening to her, helping her smooth things over with her brothers... Her feelings for him were growing by the second.

  “You’re incredible,” she said, the words spilling from her mouth unintentionally.

  Keith kissed her. As he did, he slipped a hand beneath one bathing suit strap and pulled it down over her arm. Then he did the same with the other one. Both straps now hanging down, he tugged on them, pulling the bikini top from her breasts. They fell free.

  Keith eased back and looked at her body. “Damn.”

  The way he uttered the word and looked at her made Rita feel as though she were the most beautiful woman in the world.

  He covered both breasts with his palms, then tweaked her nipples at the same time. Rita’s lips parted, and she sighed softly, enjoying not only the sensation, but the thrill of being out in open nature like this.

  Keith lowered his head and brought his mouth down on one of her nipples. He drew it into his mouth deeply and sucked softly. Rita moaned in delight, and as his tongue worked its magic, she looped an arm around his neck and held on to him. He slipped a hand beneath her bathing suit bottom, finding her center. Rita gasped at the exquisite feeling. Then she leaned into his hand, urging him to stroke and explore.

  His lips moved to her other breast as his fingers tantalized her sensitive flesh. “I need you out of your bikini,” he growled, a sense of urgency in his voice as he tugged the material over her hips. Rita helped him, bending to pull it off her body. Then she unfastened her bikini top and let the material fall to the ground.

  Standing there in front of Keith, totally naked, she could see the look of lust and awe in his eyes and that had heat surging through her body. She would never tire of seeing him look at her like this.

  Keith stripped out of his own black swimming trunks, and Rita shamelessly checked out his large shaft. She bit down on her bottom lip.

  Stepping backward, Keith leaned against the stone wall. Then he took Rita’s hand and pulled her toward him. He kissed her, then lifted her into his arms, as though she weighed no more than a feather. He hooked her legs over his arms, and Rita looped her arms around his neck. She braced her feet against the wall for support.

  With skill, Keith guided his arousal to her center. And then he was thrusting inside of her, and kissing her, and bringing Rita to a height of ecstasy she hadn’t known was possible. With the water crashing around them, they found their rhythm with each other and nature.

  And Rita knew in her heart that she was falling in love.

  Chapter 19

  “Wow, Mom—you look beautiful,” Rita said. And she meant it. Her mother looked absolutely stunning.

  “My hair—”

  “—is perfect,” Rita told her. “But your makeup... If you don’t hold back those tears, it’ll be ruined.”

  Lynn dabbed at the edges of her eyes with a handkerchief. “I know, sweetheart. I’m just... I’m so happy.”

  The words hit Rita in the chest, causing warmth to spread within her. Her mother was happy. Rita could see it, feel it. And unlike weeks ago, the fact that her mother was about to marry her father didn’t fill Rita with a sense of anxiety. Instead, Rita felt a sense of peace. Love was a magical thing, wasn’t it? It always found a way.

  As that thought popped into Rita’s head, she couldn’t help thinking of Keith. Keith, with his broad shoulders and that knowing smile. The past two weeks since their adventure at the waterfall had gone faster than Rita had thought possible, faster than she would have liked. For once, she wished that she had the power to suspend time.

  Because the time she’d spent with Keith had been the most amazing weeks of her life. Between helping her parents plan their wedding, Rita and Keith saw each other almost every day, talking, sharing a meal and, of course, making love. He’d turned something on within Rita, something that was insatiable when it came to him.

  She would never tire of making love to him. But more than that, she simply wanted to be with him.

  What would happen now, though? It was her parents’ wedding day, and after this, she was supposed to be heading back to St. Louis. She and Keith hadn’t discussed a future, though he had asked if she thought she would ever be able to live in a small town.

  “Yes,” she’d told him, surprised at how she’d changed. Sheridan Falls had grown on her. But mostly Keith had grown on her.

  “Sweetheart,” Lynn said, her eyes suddenly filling with a sense of panic. “Do I have everything? I have something old, something new, something borrowed, something—”

  Rita took her mother’s hands in hers and squeezed them reassuringly. “You have everything.”

  “Is everyone here?”

  “It was a pretty full house when I took a peek a while ago, but let me check again. I’ll be back.”

  Rita left the room a
nd made her way to the church vestibule. She peered through the glass in the back doors and into the church. Her eyes landed on Keith, who was standing at the front with Brandon. Rita’s pulse quickened just looking at him, and she swallowed. Good Lord, he looked delectable in a black suit that appeared to be tailor-made just for him. Wide shoulders that tapered beautifully down at the waist. A black bow tie that looked so much sexier on him than the traditional tie. She could ogle him all day.

  Keith caught her eye, and smiled. A smile that always made her feel giddy.

  Brandon looked over his shoulder in her direction. Seeing her, he waved.

  Her brother.

  Rita felt overwhelmed, but this time with happy emotions. The future was going to be different, because she had changed her view of how it would play out. No longer a burden or a curse, she saw her new family members as a blessing. The brothers she’d never had.

  Keith stepped back for a moment, and then her father came fully into view. He looked dapper in his double-breasted black suit with a yellow kerchief in the pocket, and his gleaming leather shoes. The look of excitement in his eyes was undeniable. Rita saw a man who was looking forward to marrying the woman he loved.

  Finally.

  Keith headed down the aisle in her direction, and within seconds, he was opening the back doors that led into the sanctuary. The way his eyes swept over her had her feeling another unexpected emotion. Desire. She was suddenly wishing this day would hurry up and be over so that she could skip to later when she could spend the night in Keith’s arms.

  “Wow,” Keith said. One word, but it filled her with a sense of elation and confidence. He thought she was sexy, beautiful.

  “You’re looking pretty sexy yourself,” Rita told him.

  “How’s your mother doing?” Keith asked. “Is she ready?”

  “Yes. Please tell the organist to begin.”

  “Will do.”

  Keith gave her a quick peck on the lips, then Rita shooed him away. They’d been keeping their relationship hush-hush, as there was no need for anyone to know about them, considering they weren’t an official couple. After the wedding, they would figure out what their relationship was and where it was going.