by Melody Grace
She took another sip of water and tried to think of something safe to talk about. But every glance at him only made her heart beat faster, watching the gold tone of his skin against his button-down shirt, and the way his cuffs were pushed back over those strong, tanned forearms . . .
“Dessert?”
Brooke jerked her head up. Riley was smiling at her from across the table. “We could have it here, or . . . take some to go.”
His smile turned seductive, and Brooke had to remind herself to breathe. “Sure,” she managed, holding onto the table to keep from slipping to the floor in a pool of pure desire. “Sounds good to me.”
“Perfect.” Riley called their server back over, and a few minutes later, they were set with a couple of crisp bakery boxes and the check.
“This is my treat.” Brooke stopped him as he reached for his wallet. “I mean it.” She gave him a warning look. “It’s my way of saying thank you, for all your help at the hotel.”
Riley looked reluctant, but he nodded. “There are other ways of thanking me besides picking up the check,” he pointed out, with a raffish grin.
Brooke laughed. “Oh, I know.” She gave him what she hoped was a flirty smile. “This is just the first part of my gratitude.”
Riley met her gaze, and the air between them suddenly grew hot; thick with electricity. “Then let’s go,” he said, his voice low, and Brooke couldn’t scramble out of her seat fast enough. His hand rested on her lower back as they headed for the door, and Brooke could have sworn she felt his touch burning her, even through the silk of her dress.
“What, so I don’t even get a thanks for that meal?”
They stopped. A tall, dark-haired man was emerging from the kitchen. Heads turned, and Brooke could see why—with his roguish smile and an arm full of tattoos disappearing under his chef’s whites, he was worth a closer look.
“Dylan,” Riley greeted him, slapping him on the back. “I didn’t want to interrupt the genius at work.”
Dylan chuckled. “That’s more like it. And this must be Stephanie.” He turned to Brooke with a smile.
Riley paused, looking so uncomfortable, Brooke had to laugh.
“Actually, it’s Brooke,” she said, shaking his hand. “It’s great to meet you. Dinner was amazing. The reviews don’t do you justice.”
“I like her already,” Dylan said to Riley.
“That makes two of us.”
“I don’t suppose you do any private catering?” Brooke asked. “I have a big wedding I’m planning in a couple of weeks, VIP.”
“Sorry, love.” Dylan shook his head. “Not my scene.”
“Money’s no object, if that makes a difference,” Brooke added hopefully.
He smiled. “Not one bit.”
“Well, it was worth a shot,” she sighed. The chefs at the hotel would do a great job, instead.
“Great meeting you,” Dylan said. “Come back anytime.”
They headed outside. “Sorry about that,” Riley said, glancing over.
“What for?” Brooke replied. “He seems like a great guy.”
“When he’s in the right mood,” Riley said, unlocking the car. “He’s a little . . . eccentric. The whole temperamental artist thing.”
She arched an eyebrow. “God help the ladies of Sweetbriar Cove with the two of you out on the town, huh?”
“It’s not like that,” Riley insisted, but Brooke wasn’t fooled. He was trying to be polite, but she’d known from the start what she was getting into here, and she was under no illusions about Riley’s history with women.
“Sure it is.” She smiled. “Our hostess was drooling over you all night. But I don’t blame her,” she added. “How could she resist your charms?”
Brooke certainly couldn’t. The whole drive back, her anticipation rose again, twisting tighter until she felt almost feverish with nerves.
Was it possible to pass out from pure desire? She’d always thought her mom’s romance novels laid it on a little heavy with their swooning heroines, but now she wasn’t so sure. She was practically breathless, stealing glances at Riley in the dark of the driver’s seat, passing headlights casting shadows over his strong jawline.
“Here we are.”
Was it just her imagination, or did Riley sound almost nervous too? There was a gruff note in his voice as they pulled up outside her gate, his Adam’s apple bobbing with a swallow.
Brooke got out of the car. She didn’t invite him up, but she didn’t need to—Riley followed her up the stairs and inside. Brooke flipped the lights to dim and swallowed.
They were alone.
“I’ll, umm, put on some coffee?” she suggested. “Or tea, if you want, and I think I have some beers—”
He kissed her. Slow and sensuous, hands at her waist, tugging her into him. Brooke went willingly, melting into the hard planes of his body, and oh, the taste of him, the stroke of his tongue sending shivers down her spine.
She was lightheaded when they came up for air.
“I don’t want coffee,” Riley murmured, kissing along her jaw.
“Dessert?” Brooke’s voice went up as he reached her earlobe, nibbling with a sexy nip.
“No, thank you.” His hands slid over her waist, the silk soft against her skin. “There’s only one thing I need,” he whispered, and the rasp in his voice made her tremble. “You. Naked. Now.”
Brooke gulped. Could he get any sexier? She’d only had a glass of wine, but she felt drunk, reeling from the sensations pounding through her body, and the feel of him, stroking a teasing path over the curve of her hips. What had happened to all her bold seduction plans? She’d wanted to take the lead and relish every moment of this night. Instead, she was practically clinging to him on unsteady feet, her mind a haze of lust.
“I, um.” She broke away and bolted for the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water and gulping quickly to try to clear her head.
Breathe.
Why was she acting like this was a huge, life-changing moment? This was supposed to be fun. No strings, no drama, no hint of emotional turmoil or guilty regrets.
Brooke took another sip of the water, her daze clearing. This was Riley, her Riley. He wouldn’t have expectations, and he definitely wouldn’t be judging her for anything. She knew what she wanted. Him. So what reasons did she have holding her back?
No reason at all.
RILEY WAITED, wondering what was going through Brooke’s mind. She needed a beat, that much was clear, so he took the dessert box and moved over to the couch, kicking back with his feet up on the coffee table.
She could take all the time she wanted, he’d still be going out of his mind over here, crazy with lust.
“Don’t tell Summer, but I think this chocolate cake is even better than hers,” he said conversationally, digging in. To tell the truth, he could use a beat to cool off, too. The drive had almost done him in. he’d nearly pulled off to the side of the road a half-dozen times, just yanked her into his lap right then and there to claim the kiss that had been building between them all night.
But now, in the dim light of her apartment, away from traffic and crowds and any pesky interruptions, their chemistry had a new simmer. Something crackling at the edges, bright and hot and threatening to burn wild, out of control.
Everything else had just been a preview. Kiss by kiss. Inch by inch. And now . . . ?
Now he wanted everything.
Brooke finally put her water down and walked across the room. “You better get over here, before I eat this whole thing,” Riley said, glancing up.
The look in her eyes stopped him in his tracks.
“It’s all yours,” Brooke said, almost casually. She stood there in front of him, in the dim glow of the corner lamp.
Slowly, she slipped one strap off her shoulder.
Riley paused.
A small smile played on the edge of her lips as Brooke pushed the other strap aside. Her dress slipped down over her body in a ripple of silk, pooling at her bare feet o
n the floor.
Riley stopped breathing.
She was wearing lingerie, something lilac and lacy that barely covered her incredible body, but still begged him to unwrap her all the same. Lace fluttered over the swell of her breasts, and a trail of silk ribbons gathered at her hips, barely keeping her panties in place. But it wasn’t just the outfit that struck him dumb. No, it was her expression that made his blood run hot. Sensual and knowing, and just a little determined, too. Because even Brooke, he knew, wouldn’t be doing this without a plan.
God, she was magnificent.
Brooke moved closer. “You like it?” she asked playfully, tilting her head.
Riley couldn’t speak, so he just nodded.
“I thought you might . . .” She ran one finger down between her breasts, teasing the lace there. “I think I do, too.”
“Good.” Riley managed a strangled reply. Was this what a heart attack felt like? He could hear it drumming, louder with every step she took.
Brooke’s hands kept moving, skimming lower, over her hips.
“The thing about these,” she said, holding up the ribbons. “Is all it takes, is one little tug . . .”
She pulled and the bows unraveled. The silk fell away, and then Riley knew for sure it was a heart attack, because he was dead now. Dead, and gone, and up in heaven, watching the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen slowly peel her last scraps of clothing away until she was entirely naked before him.
When he finally was able to lift his gaze back to hers, Brooke was watching him with that smile on her face. “Now you’re overdressed,” she murmured. “Let me help you with that.”
She closed the distance between them as he sat, still paralyzed. He felt the whisper of heat, radiating from her body, and it shocked him out of his stupor.
“Wait.” His hands shot out, and took her by the hips. Brooke paused, standing above him.
He slowly ran his palms over her soft, smooth skin. She shivered beneath his touch, and he loved to see her respond so easily—how just a breath against her made her muscles tense. And a kiss . . . ?
He leaned in and pressed his lips to her stomach. Brooke swayed into him. He teased her bellybutton with his tongue, circling the hollow and straying to kiss her hips, and lower still.
Brooke made a noise that was halfway between a moan and a sigh. Riley’s body ached to claim her, but he held back. He was just getting started.
He gently ran his hands down over her thighs, and nudged them apart. His eye-line was level with her now, and God, he couldn’t resist leaning in for one, slow, forbidden kiss.
Brooke seemed to melt, clutching on to his shoulders as he delved deeper, tasting and teasing until her breath came in tiny pants, and he could feel her body strain against him. It was intoxicating, making her come undone like this, and when he glanced up, he saw her head thrown back and her eyes half-closed, glazed with abandon and desire as she gasped for more.
His ragged self-control snapped.
Riley surged to his feet, grabbing her by the waist and kissing her with a hunger he couldn’t disguise anymore. He needed her, every inch, every taste, until the world seemed to melt away and there was nothing but the riot of lust pounding through him, demanding more. They tumbled back towards the bedroom, Brooke tearing at his shirt and belt, and Riley was only too happy to oblige, stripping his clothes away until finally they were falling back onto her bed, skin to skin.
“Riley,” she gasped, as he bent his head to lavish kisses on her breasts. “Don’t hold back, I need— Oh,” she moaned loudly as his lips closed around one perfect, taut nipple.
He sucked, slowly, and Brooke seemed to melt beneath him. God, she was too beautiful, too perfect to believe with her hair spilling around her like some kind of tangled halo, and those pink lips parted in a silent plea. His heart was pounding a drumbeat of pure desire as he devoured her. He’d never wanted anyone like this before, and it was all he could do to lose himself in the feel of her body and those sexy little moans she made, twisting and writhing against him as he teased at her breasts, and slipped one hand between her legs to find her slick and clenching for him.
Riley growled.
He couldn’t take much more of this, God, he was just about ready to explode.
And then Brooke reached for him.
Riley shuddered at the sensation. She stroked, slow and teasing, as if she knew just how close to the edge she was sending him. He groaned against her, and she answered with a teasing smile. “I want you,” Brooke whispered softly, as Riley tried in vain to keep control. “God, I’ve wanted you for so long.”
It was more than he could take. He captured her mouth again, hard and hot, plunging his tongue deep to ravish her as his body ached against her. Brooke broke away, breathless, and reached for the nightstand. Riley gave silent thanks for her efficiency as she rolled a condom onto his hard length and pulled him back to cover her again.
He sank inside her, and lost his mind.
Brooke moaned, wrapping her legs around his waist and urging him on. Deeper. Harder. God.
Riley clutched the bed sheets and tried to keep from taking her hard, but this was the best damn thing he’d ever felt in his life before and he didn’t know how much more he could take.
With every last ounce of control, he paused, slow, leaning to drop a ragged kiss on her lips as his body shuddered with tension.
And then Brooke moaned against him. “Don’t stop,” she whimpered. “God, Riley . . .”
His control severed. He surged deep inside her, and yes, he couldn’t have held back if he’d tried. It felt like he was possessed with some animal hunger, driving harder with every stroke. Brooke’s body clenched and gasped against him, taking him deeper into her sweetness, until he couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t do anything but hold on for dear life as the pleasure pounded through him and the world contracted to just the feel of her body tight around him, and the sound of her moans, driving him on until he felt her shatter against him, and he answered with a strangled groan, exploding into the white-hot pleasure as he fell off the edge of the world and into her arms.
But it wasn’t enough.
Even as he lay there, Riley knew somehow. He could never have enough of her.
15
Brooke woke with a strong arm draped over her, and the warmth of a man’s body spooned against her from behind.
She smiled, still sleepy, and let out a yawn. Then the memories of last night flared, vivid in her mind, and Brooke’s eyes shot open.
She’d seduced him. Bold as day, she’d stripped off her clothes and taken him to bed like she did it all the time.
And God, it felt good.
“Morning, sunshine.” Riley stretched, a smile on his face. He reached up and lazily pushed her hair from her face. “Sleep well?”
“I did.” Brooke realized the sun was already high outside the windows. “What time is it?”
Riley yawned. “Nearly seven, I think.”
She brightened at the realization. “That means I got a whole six hours!”
He chuckled. “Good thing I wore you out then.”
“A very good thing.” Brooke smiled. No wonder she’d slept straight through, she could barely move from all their athletics the night before.
It turned out, the cure for insomnia was a night of great sex.
“C’mere.” Riley tugged her gently back into his arms and kissed her, slow and steady, warm as the sun pooling on her bare skin. Brooke sighed against him, melting back into the pillows.
This was definitely the best way to wake up.
Riley’s hands slid over her, bringing her body to life in a crackle of heat. The kiss turned deeper, Brooke pressing up against him to—
Her stomach made a growling noise, echoing through the room. Riley smirked. “Hungry?”
“It can wait,” Brooke said, tugging him back to her. There were more important things to focus on, like the muscular planes of his shoulders beneath her fingertips, and the way
his breath hitched as her touch roamed lower.
Her stomach made another rumble, and Riley laughed. “I can take a hint,” he said, hopping out of bed.
Brooke was momentarily distracted by the sight of him: all lean muscle and tanned skin. She’d nicknamed him Adonis before she even knew his name, and she was right. He could have put Rodin’s statues to shame.
Riley glanced over and caught her staring. “Like what you see?” he teased, and she laughed, blushing.
“You know I do.”
Riley looked at her hotly. “You should put some clothes on, before I ravish you. Breakfast be damned.”
It was tempting, but Brooke was running on fumes, and ravishing would be far more fun with some fuel. “Hold that thought then,” she said, and reached for her robe.
She went to the bathroom and started the shower running. “I don’t have to be in work until nine,” she called. “We could go get breakfast somewhere?”
“Sure, sounds good,” Riley’s reply came. She stripped off and stepped under the hot water, enjoying the drum against her tired skin.
A moment later, the door opened behind her, and a pair of strong hands slid around her waist. “Room for one more?” Riley murmured in her ear, and Brooke shivered, wet, and naked, and already wanting him all over again.
“Always.” She twisted to face him, and taste that gorgeous kiss.
Breakfast could wait.
THE WATER WAS RUNNING cold by the time they finally emerged from the shower, and Brooke had never been so satisfied—or hungry.
“Carbs,” she gasped dramatically, as she drove to Sweetbriar. “I need carbs!”
“Aww, poor baby.” Riley lifted one hand to his lips. “Remind me to travel with snacks. And a few other supplies.” He winked.
Brooke smiled. She wasn’t going to argue with that.
“What time do you get off tonight?” she asked, turning off the highway towards the bakery.
“That depends, what time are you coming over?” Riley quipped, giving her a grin, and Brooke laughed.
