Priceless Treasure

by Melody Anne

  “There’s no stopping now,” he said.

  “Oh. So you’re one of those guys who thinks ‘no’ means ‘yes.’ Just a prince of a guy. In any case, I need to use the restroom. I’d appreciate it if you left now.”

  Dammit! Now he had to stop. Because, no, he wasn’t that guy.

  With a reluctant sigh, he rose from the bed, but he turned toward her so she had no choice but to notice the bulge in his pants, the bulge she’d caused. Okay, so he’d had a part in that too.

  “I’ll give you your privacy, Savvy,” he said. “For now,” he added before swaggering to the door and making his exit.

  Leaning against the wall right outside, he took a deep breath and tried to remind himself that he was only playing with this woman. He didn’t want long-term commitments, at least not with her.

  If he wasn’t going to get sex from her, then there was no more use in pursuing her, right? Right! That meant this game was over.

  Damn right it was over. He was going to go back to the fiancée who was perfect for him. That would be the smart thing to do. So that’s what he would do. If only he actually believed it himself.

  Chapter Twelve

  Savannah took a shower and brushed her teeth, which was no easy feat, because her body was a boatload of nerves. What had been going on just a few short minutes ago? Why had Ashton been in her bed? And why hadn’t she tried harder to kick him out of it?

  But it was time to stop daydreaming. Heck, where had her vocabulary gone? This had nothing to do with daydreaming — it had to be called nightmaring. Anyway, she had things to do, and now that it was Saturday, she had some time to do it. Throwing off the towel, Savannah pulled on her favorite skirt and then turned to grab her bra. Then she froze.

  She’d been so preoccupied with her thoughts that she hadn’t heard her door open. But open it was, and, blocking any view of the hallway, Ashton stood there holding a tray with muffins and coffee. It took a moment for her to raise her hands and cover her breasts. She was too stunned to react quickly. He stepped forward and she stumbled backward.

  “Is breaking into my room something I can expect regularly?” she asked, mortification almost choking her. Sure, he’d been in her bed less than an hour ago, but at least then she’d had clothes on.

  “I thought I’d bring you coffee and food. You were kind enough not to bellow too much at me when we had that little misunderstanding in your bed,” he said before his eyes raked downward. Could he see right through her hands? She tightened her grip.

  Savannah wasn’t ashamed of her body, but she wasn’t in love with it either. She could do a few more crunches, or tone up her arms more. She didn’t want to get into her thoughts on her thighs, but they were covered, thankfully.

  “Want me to look away while you finish dressing?” he asked.

  His tone was a bit hoarse, and she didn’t know what to say. Her words seemed to be locked deep down in her throat — not great if you wanted to win friends and influence people. He’d doubtless seen his share of naked women before. She just hadn’t planned on being one among the masses.

  “You can leave,” she finally told him in yet another unnaturally high-pitched voice.

  He didn’t. He set the tray on the bedside table and turned to face the door. Not wanting to argue while she felt so vulnerable, she grabbed her shirt, threw it on, and did the buttons up crookedly. The bra would come later.

  When Ashton looked back toward her, she was at least clothed, though she still felt incredibly exposed. She knew that he had a visual of her in his sicko mind, and that was a privilege she preferred to keep to her bathroom mirror.

  He prowled up to her, and Savannah struggled again to find her voice as he brushed against her.

  “I should have knocked. I’m sorry.” He was whispering, but the sound — the vibrations — traveled all through her.

  “Don’t touch me, Ashton,” she said.

  But her traitorous body wanted to lean into the warmth she felt radiating from every part of him. Not good at all.

  “I’ll stop if you really want me to,” he said. “Do we need one of those safe words?”

  Safe word? What was that? But apparently all she had to do was tell him once again to get his hands off her, and he would do it, so why in damnation wasn’t she opening her mouth?

  Ashton’s fingers crept up the sides of her neck and then he was undoing the tie holding her hair up, and soon her tresses were cascading past her shoulders and then he was gripping the back of her head and tugging her closer to him.

  A mixture of confusion and desire rushed through her, and she knew she needed to call an immediate halt, but she just couldn’t figure out why that was.

  “Your body is stunning, Savvy. I want to see it again,” he whispered, his words mesmerizing her. “I’m going to undo your shirt now.”

  She stood there silent as the first button came free. Her body shook with passion, passion she’d felt for only this one man. Then the first half of her shirt was open and his hand was sliding inside, his fingers coming closer and closer to her peaked nipples.

  Enough. If she didn’t end this right now, things were going to go too far, and she didn’t want to live with the inevitable regrets. But as his fingers slid lightly over those nipples of hers, the only sound coming from her throat was a moan of pleasure.

  Then he was gripping both breasts and squeezing the tender flesh, making her knees wobble. She had to grip his waist to keep from falling to the ground in a puddle. Yeah, right at his feet.

  He pushed against her hips and she sighed again when his proud arousal made contact with her stomach. Okay, so he wasn’t quite hitting the spot, the place lower down where she was pulsing with need. This should stop, but she hoped it wouldn’t. She didn’t want to want this so badly. But she couldn’t help herself. No man had ever rendered her quite so speechless before.

  “I’m so turned on, Savvy. I can’t remember wanting a woman as much as I want you. I want to taste you, touch you, explore every inch of your delectable body. Tell me you want the same thing.”

  She couldn’t fight this, couldn’t stop what she was feeling. She wanted him, needed him, but there was no way she was voicing that thought aloud.

  Savannah had been on some good dates before, but she’d never once felt the same desire for any of those men — or, to be more accurate, boys — that she felt for Ashton right now. Man, was she scared.

  “Dammit, Savvy, tell me you like this,” he commanded.

  She only groaned. She couldn’t say the words that he was trying to coax from her. It was taboo, against almost every principle she held dear.

  He let out a similar groan of frustration and pushed her backward. Her knees hit the back of the bed and then she was tumbling on top of her mattress. She wasn’t alone there for long. He dropped down with her, and before she could utter a word, his head lowered and his mouth replaced his hands as he sucked her nipple into his hot mouth.

  While making her squirm beneath him, he rotated back and forth from one breast to the other while his hand found the edge of her skirt and began inching it up her thigh.

  Seeing Ashton’s dark hair on top of her fair skin was the most erotic image she’d ever witnessed in her life. It was all too much. Throwing her head back, she closed her eyes and gloried in the pleasure he was giving her.

  Maybe it was knowing that this was wrong, forbidden fruit and tasty as sin, or maybe it was because she’d never done something like this before. But whatever it was, it was incredible, and she allowed her secret desires to be fulfilled as this hunk of a man licked and suckled at her breasts.

  “I want to taste more of you,” he growled.

  A shiver traveled through her and all she wanted to do was scream yes in every language known to man. She wouldn’t stop this now. She couldn’t.

  “Savannah!”

  That didn’t mean outside forces weren’t a factor.

  It took several moments for Savannah to realize that someone who wasn’t Ashton wa
s calling her name, and when she did, she immediately heard the footsteps drawing closer and closer to her door. Oh my gosh! The door was still open.

  Thankfully, Ashton was aware of the situation, too, and though his eyes were burning embers of desire, he jumped back, tugging her skirt down and standing to block the view of whoever was about to step through while Savannah scrambled to button her blouse.

  “Savannah, oh …”

  Her sister had arrived.

  In this sad hormonal meltdown, Savannah had completely forgotten about it. Alexa stood there for a moment before a big grin overtook her features, and she looked from Savannah to Ashton and then back. The man had so much gall that he didn’t look embarrassed, not even a little bit.

  “I’m, uh, I’m sorry,” Alexa said, though she didn’t appear to be sorry at all.

  “No!” Savannah exclaimed before she forced herself to calm down. “I’m the one who’s sorry, Lexie. I lost track of the time. Ashton here was kind enough to bring me some hot coffee, since he knew my pot broke last night,” she said on the fly. The coffee pot really had broken.

  Walking over to the tray, Savvy picked up the cup and took a big sip, though the liquid was now disgustingly cold. There was no way, though, that she was letting her sister know that, so she drank away.

  “Oh, okay,” Alexa said with the same stupid grin on her face. “If we need to reschedule, that’s okay.”

  “No! I’m almost ready. Just give me a couple of minutes,” Savannah said in a rush.

  “Sure. Take your time. I’m going to soak up a few rays.” Alexa turned and gave Ashton a quick once-over, which he seemed to enjoy.

  “I’m Ashton, by the way,” he said as he stepped closer to her sister.

  Alexa gave Savvy a look that she didn’t like at all before flashing Ashton a brilliant smile.

  “I’m Alexa, Savs’s younger sister,” she said.

  “Ah, the infamous sister everyone loves,” Ashton said.

  When he and her sister clasped hands, Savvy couldn’t help but feel a surge of jealousy. Alexa was truly easy to love, and Savvy could see Ashton losing interest in her for her sister really fast.

  But that wouldn’t be a bad thing, because Savvy didn’t want Ashton. She didn’t, she argued with herself, even though it was ridiculous.

  “I don’t know about infamous, but I’m pretty great,” Alexa said with a wink at Ashton before turning back to Savvy. “I’ll see you in a few.”

  The look promised Savvy that she’d have to explain a few things. But still, Savvy breathed a sigh of relief when Alexa finally scooted away. Savannah was mortified at what her sister had to be thinking. With as much composure as she could muster, she turned to face Ashton.

  “That won’t happen again,” she told him. This was composure? She was close to tears. “Now leave. I believe I said something like that before.”

  Ashton didn’t say a word; he just took a step back and leaned against the wall. She had no idea what was in the man’s head. What she did know was that she probably wouldn’t like it.

  Gathering up the rest of her clothes, she rushed to the bathroom. When she exited it, he was gone. If the fates were with her, Alexa wouldn’t say a word about what she’d walked in on.

  But when were the fates ever on Savannah’s side?

  Chapter Thirteen

  Well, hello, ladies.”

  Savannah and Alexa stopped in their tracks as a gorgeous six-foot-plus mountain of a man with a few days’ growth of beard and piercing gray eyes stood in their path.

  “Hello, handsome,” Alexa said with a flirty smile before Savvy was able to even open her mouth.

  “I’m Lance,” he said, holding out his hand.

  “I’m Lexie, and this is Savs. Nice to meet you.”

  But the moment Lance and Alexa’s hands touched, Savvy was surprised to see her sister’s eyes narrow a tiny bit and her smile fall away. Lexie tugged on her hand and Lance released it.

  “Savs,” the man said with a nod as he turned toward her. His smile was now just a little less bright.

  “We have to get going now,” Savvy said.

  “Wait!” he called out as they took a step past him. They wheeled around. “Do you work here?”

  This time Alexa was strangely quiet.

  “I do,” Savvy said.

  “Good, then I know where to find you.”

  And then they walked around him.

  “Maybe we don’t want to be found,” Alexa muttered.

  “What was that about?” Savvy asked. “You were all flirty and then you were cold as ice.”

  “I didn’t like the feel of that guy,” Alexa grumbled.

  “Like, you got a creepy vibe, Lexie?” Savvy was now worried. She hadn’t felt anything creepy about the man.

  “No!” Alexa blurted out. But her voice calmed. “Nothing like that. I … I can’t explain it,” she said with something that sounded like frustration.

  They walked on silently for a few moments and then Alexa’s shoulders straightened and she seemed to be getting her groove back. Her eyes fixed on Savvy with a gleam in them.

  “Spill your guts.”

  Ugh! Sisters! Even though they were through the gate and walking away from the docks, Savannah still turned around with a blush on her cheeks. She’d rather focus on the stranger and her sister’s reaction to him.

  “There’s no way you’re going to just pretend you saw nothing and drop this, is there?”

  “Not a chance, sis,” Alexa replied. “I can’t believe that you’ve been getting down and dirty with that hunk of a man and you haven’t mentioned it to me yet.” She opened her car door and climbed inside. She was completely back to herself now. Maybe “Out of sight, out of mind” was her motto.

  Savannah followed her reluctantly inside the small two-door and buckled up. This wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have. What in the world was she expected to say to her little sis?

  “That was the first and last time I’ll be so-called getting down and dirty with him,” Savannah said. “He’s my boss.”

  “So what? I can’t comprehend the idea of online dating. So where else are you supposed to meet people besides work, school, or the bars? And, seriously, the ones you meet at the bars aren’t the ones you want to take home,” Alexa said. “And I despise online dating.”

  “That’s why I don’t generally hang out at bars. But no, I don’t want it to happen again with Ashton. That was a big mistake, and one I really, really don’t want to discuss.”

  “Sorry, sweets. If you didn’t want to discuss it, you shouldn’t have been moaning in pleasure when I walked in,” Alexa told her.

  “I wasn’t moaning in pleasure. I heard you calling me. We were just … well, he was kissing me,” Savannah said. It was true, sort of.

  “Hmm. Where exactly was the man kissing you?” Alexa asked.

  Savannah’s cheeks flamed again. Was her sister a freaking mind reader?

  “None of that matters, Lexie. The man is taken. He has a fiancée, so I shouldn’t have been fooling around with him in the first place,” Savannah had to admit.

  For once her little sister was stunned into speechlessness, which made Savannah feel even worse about herself. Alexa was obviously judging her. She’d committed the ultimate of sins against her sex by poaching on another woman’s territory. It was an unforgivable thing to do.

  “Did you go after him?” Alexa finally asked.

  “No. I’ve been trying to avoid him, but, as I told you, he’s my boss, and so we keep running into each other, and then one moment he’s a complete ass, and then the next he’s making me laugh …” Savannah trailed off when her sister chuckled.

  “If you weren’t chasing after some man, trying to steal him away, I don’t see why in the hell you’re feeling so guilty. You need to cut it out. Is this woman of his a saint, feeding the elderly every day, rescuing kittens from trees, saving the whales?”

  “What in the world are you talking about?” Savannah sputtered.


  “If the guy is coming after you while he’s already taken, it’s for one of two reasons. He’s either just a cad with zero morals,” Alexa said, “or his fiancée is a class A bitch and he’s looking for a reason to get away from her. He’s heading for the hills, and your cute little hills are alive … never mind.”

  Savannah opened and closed her mouth helplessly as she tried to figure out how to respond to that.

  “His fiancée isn’t the nicest woman in the world, but that doesn’t mean she should be cheated on, and it certainly doesn’t mean I ever want to be the other woman.”

  “I agree. The guy needs to choose — either the fiancée or you,” Alexa said simply.

  “Not everything is always black and white, Lexie. It’s not a bunch of true-or-false questions with easy answers.”

  “Sis, you have always sacrificed for others. Always. And I’m tired of watching you do that. Do you like this man?”

  They pulled up at a shopping center, and Alexa cut the engine and turned to look Savvy in the face.

  “No, not really,” Savannah lied.

  “I don’t believe you. I think you do, or there’s no way he would have been able to kiss you, let alone do whatever it was he was doing to make your cheeks glow the way they were when I walked into your room. I think you like him, but you are being self-sacrificing like always. If the man doesn’t want to be with the fiancée, you have nothing to beat yourself up about.”

  “How can you be so casual about cheating, Lexie?”

  “I’m not casual about cheating. I can’t stand cheaters. And if the man were married, I would tell you to slap him in the face and run far and fast. But he isn’t married, and it doesn’t sound like he plans on getting married. So why not try to see if there is anything more to what’s going on between you than insane lust?”

  “Because I … well, I …” Savvy couldn’t think of a single reason.

  “Because you want to play the martyr. Well, stop it.”

  “I’m not playing the martyr, I swear,” Savvy said. “I just don’t like him, Lexie.”