by Judy Angelo
Now if this were a real marriage it wouldn’t be a problem but like a fool he’d gone and made a promise that was backfiring big time. Why the blue blazes had he made that big boast that he wouldn’t touch her? Letting out a frustrated sigh he heaved away from the door, his mind going helter skelter as he thrashed around for a plan of his own. Counter attack – that was the best course of action. But how?
Glancing around the room, his eyes fell on the robe he’d dropped on top of the bed after his shower. That was it. She’d come out showing off her body. Well, two could play that game.
Shedding the loose cotton pants and T-shirt he’d been wearing, he slid into the robe, letting it fall open to show his boxer shorts. Okay, so his robe made of white terry cloth wasn’t sexy like hers but it would have to do.
The boxer shorts, though… He put a finger to his chin as he thought about it. No, too practical. He had to wear something else. There was one thing he could draw for, one of the wedding presents Ryder had given him, a gift he would not have expected from the serious, steady one.
“Thank you, Ryder,” he muttered and strode over to his suitcase which he hadn’t even bothered to unpack. He dug around in the inner compartment until he felt the silk fabric. When he pulled it out his face broke into a wide grin. It was slick, it was smooth and it was in tiger print. A G-string of his own.
Who was going to be sexy now? Quickly, Ridge stepped out of his boxers and slid the G-string up his legs and over his butt cheeks. It wasn’t too comfortable but if that was what it would take to get back at little Miss Lani then he would do it. As if he hadn’t wanted her enough before, she’d come out in all her glory and made him want her even more. Now it was her turn to want him.
And he would make her want him, lust after him, and then he would turn her down cold.
Satisfied with his plan, Ridge sucked in his stomach and flexed his shoulder muscles. So he wasn’t Dwayne Johnson AKA The Rock, but he worked out and his body was in pretty good shape. If Lani was like the women who’d come his way she would be all over him when he walked back into the living room.
And so, his confidence back, Ridge strolled into the living room, ready to wow a wayward temptress.
When he stepped into the room Lani was still sitting on the sofa where he’d left her. As he approached, she looked up and her brows rose in surprise. And then she spoiled it with an amused grin. “Oh, my God. Are you trying to turn me on?”
And then she laughed. And if he’d had any thought of playing sexy stud that evening, she nipped that right in the bud. Talk about a buzzkill.
“No,” he mumbled. “Of course not.” And then as casually as he could he pulled the robe shut.
“No, you were. You were trying to tempt me,” she said, insisting on rubbing his face in the pile of embarrassment dumped on the floor. “You were wearing a G-string. Oh, my God.”
That did it. Scowling, Ridge turned right around and went back the way he’d come, slamming the door behind him.
Lani Donatelli knew exactly how to rub him the wrong way. She’d won this first round but she’d better come good next time.
Because there would definitely be a next time and when it came he would be more than ready.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Some more coffee, madam?”
Lani looked up as the server leaned down, coffee pot in hand.
“Oh, no, thank you. I’m fine.” Smiling, she shook her head and watched as the colorfully clothed man gave her a polite bow then drew away.
She looked over at Ridge sitting across from her at the breakfast table. “The service here is superb,” she said. “They give you no chance to need a single thing.”
“That’s why I chose this hotel for our honeymoon,” he said and then as if remembering that he was supposed to be there on honeymoon, he frowned. He didn’t say anything further, though, probably because he was still embarrassed about the events of the night before.
“Good choice,” she said as she reached for the snow-white napkin and dabbed at her lips. Feeling a little guilty at how she’d behaved, today she was trying her best to be nice. The night before she’d wanted to burst his bubble of arrogance but she hadn’t intended to devastate him. He was a fellow human being, after all.
The truth was, although she’d made a big show of laughing he’d actually shocked her when he came out in his super skimpy underwear… and he’d turned her on. She would never admit it, not to him anyway, but when she’d seen his body, all muscle and brawn, her mouth had literally gone dry.
Ridge was a big man. That was no secret but seeing him with no clothes on… wow. The man’s abs looked solid as rock and the fine hairs on his torso only added to his ultra-masculine aura.
On seeing him like that Lani’s imagination went wild. She could just imagine what it would be like to have his arms wrapped around her, crushing her to the solid wall of his chest. What normal girl wouldn’t melt in the arms of a man like that? She knew she’d be practically swooning in his embrace…if she ever let him get close. She’d have to tread very carefully around this man because it would be too easy to get lost in the feel of him, the smell of him, the taste of him when she ran her tongue up…
“Ready to roll?”
Lani jumped, Ridge’s words shattering her fantasy world. “Are we going somewhere?” she asked, more than willing to just go back to the suite and vegetate. It had been hectic, getting ready for a wedding in two weeks, so she would be happy to just chill and catch up on her sleep.
“I thought you’d like to explore the island,” Ridge said. “Have you ever been to Halawa Valley Lookout or Kauleonanahoa?”
“Nope. This is my first visit to Hawaii.” She shrugged. “I’ve been busy with my research. Who’s had time for vacations?” And then she realized something. “Do you know, this is the first vacation I’ve had since I started working at the lab?” She smiled. “I wonder how the guys are doing without me?”
“I’m sure they’re doing just fine. I hope you’re not one of those workaholics who can’t leave the office behind.” Ridge gave her a sardonic grin.
“No way,” Lani assured him. “When it’s time for fun I can let my hair down.” Then she chuckled. “Not that I have much to do it with.” She’d let her hair grow a little longer for the wedding, skipping her regular appointment for a cut, and it was still in the softly curled style the hairdresser had given her for the special occasion. As soon as got back she was going to get her regular cut, though. That was much more practical when you had to do twelve-hour days and even weekends sometimes. With a schedule like that, who had time to titivate?
“Well, come on, then.” Ridge said, hopping up from his chair and coming around to help her with hers. “Let’s catch that island tour they’re doing this morning. That’s got to be better than being stuck in a hotel room all day.”
Lani shook her head but she got up and took his hand. Hotel room, he called it. The bridal suite was twice as big as her condo apartment and, not to mention, it was super-luxurious. She had absolutely no problem being stuck in a place like that. But if a tour was what Ridge wanted then that was what she would do. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about him coming up with mischievous plots while they were out in public.
In the end Lani didn’t regret her decision to go. Halawa Valley was exquisite in its beauty, with views of the two hundred and fifty foot Moa’ula Falls and the even taller Hipuapua Falls. From the lookout above the valley they could take in the landscape of grassy plains and craggy mountains with lush flora climbing up to the falls and lazy rivers running into the deep blue ocean.
From there they headed for Kauleonanahoa. Lani had the hardest time pronouncing it. “What the heck does it mean, anyway?” she asked, finally giving up on her attempt to say the word. “Maybe if I know the meaning I can come up with a suitable abbreviation.”
Ridge gave her a crooked smile as he looked down at her from his way taller than six-foot height. “You're sure you want to know?”
&nb
sp; “Yeah. Why not?”
“Because it’s referring to the phallic stone of Moloka’i. The word means ‘the penis of Nanahoa’.”
Surprised, Lani raised her eyebrows. “Really?”
Ridge nodded. “It’s a six-foot high symbol of fertility.” Then he chuckled. “You never know. It may give you some ideas.”
“I doubt it.”
Later when she saw the rock she had to admit it was a sight to behold. A naturally formed rock looking like that personal part of the male anatomy. Imagine that. And although Ridge would never hear it from her lips, the rock looked so like the real thing that it did give her some ideas, naughty ones which would best be kept to herself.
And it was a good thing she did, too, because that night when they got back to their suite Ridge looked like all that hiking and fresh air had made him raunchy as a ram. He wasn’t making any unwanted moves on her – he was probably too much of a gentleman to overstep his boundaries – but he was restless as a three-year old, pacing back and forth in the living room until she feared he would wear a path in the carpet. Then when he tired of that he went out onto the balcony, flopped down onto the wicker sofa and propped his feet on the balcony railing but within minutes he was back inside again, pacing up and down until she had to throw him out.
When, almost an hour later, she went out onto the balcony and asked if he wanted to go down to dinner he shook his head. “Let’s eat out here,” he said. “Order room service. I’m not in the mood to mix and mingle tonight.”
And so they dined in –Saimin, an Asian-style noodle soup, followed by chicken katsu and fried Mahimahi. They finished off with bowls of pineapple flavored shaved ice.
“Mmm, that was good,” Lani said with a sigh. “I am so full.” She gave a playful groan. “You’re going to have to roll me into my room.”
Instead of the laughter she’d expected for that funny comment she got a serious look from Ridge. He cleared his throat. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that,” he said, his voice sounding strange in its brusqueness. “That’s not your room anymore.” And that was where he stopped, saying nothing more, like that terse statement was sufficient.
Lani waited but when nothing further seemed forthcoming she decided to speak. “What do you mean, that’s not my room anymore?” she asked, frowning. And then her face cleared. “You’re such a child. Do you mean to tell me you want us to switch rooms just because I picked the bigger one? Oh, please. Grow up, will you?” She was laughing now, laughing at him for being so petty.
“That’s not what I meant,” he said, and he wasn’t laughing. “I meant that you’re not going to be sleeping in that room anymore. Neither am I. You’re going to be sleeping with me.”
Lani’s brows shot up then she folded her arms across her chest and glared back at Ridge. “Excuse me? Have you forgotten something? Just in case you did, let me remind you. We have an agreement.”
“And that agreement stands,” he responded, his tone cold. “I told you I would not make love to you, not unless you wanted me to. I intend to honor that agreement.” Then he sat forward and the dark-eyed gaze he fixed on her was determined. “But I never said that would mean we were going to occupy separate spaces.”
Lani gasped, shocked that he would put such a spin on things. “No, you never said that but of course I assumed-”
“You assumed wrong.”
But Lani was not about to accept that. “So why didn’t you stop me when I unpacked my stuff in that other room? Why am I hearing about this now?”
“Because,” he said with a shrug, a casual gesture that belied the intensity of his gaze, “I changed my mind.”
“You can’t do that,” she said in strident protest.
“Who says I can’t?”
“Well…” For a moment she was stumped. “Well, you just can’t.”
“Sure I can,” he said, seeming to become more adamant by the second. “And I will. Tonight you’re sleeping in my bed.” When she opened her mouth to repeat her protest he put up a hand to stop her. “I’m not going to touch you. I already told you that. You have absolutely no reason to fear for your,” he smiled, “feminine virtue.”
“Then why are you doing this?” she half cried, half wailed. “Does it make sense for us to torture ourselves?” As soon as the words left her lips Lani realized her mistake.
Immediately, Ridge picked up on her slip of the tongue, his eyes lighting up with an ah-ha look. “Torture ourselves?” he asked, looking way too pleased. “It would only be mutual torture if I wanted you…and you wanted me right back. So,” he sat back in his chair and folded his arms, the smile on his lips widening, “are you saying that you want me?”
“Never,” she hissed and hopped up from her chair. “I would never give you that satisfaction.”
“Hmm.” He loosened his arms and lifted his hand to rub his chin in an exaggerated gesture of thoughtfulness. “Maybe you should think about that. You might want to consider giving yourself the satisfaction.”
“Ugh.” With a a guttural explosion of frustration Lani whirled around and marched back into the suite and straight to her room. Yes, it was her room and she was not going to let Ridge Kent bully her out of it. She would lock the door if she had to.
And she would have, except that the stupid door didn’t have a lock. She couldn’t even resort to the option of propping a tilted chair behind the door. Outside of the sofa and two wicker armchairs there were only bar stools at the kitchen counter. For a place this posh you’d think they would have even one real chair. Darn.
And so when Ridge left the balcony and came – uninvited – into her room, it was to find her sitting on her bed, arms folded, still sulking. She’d had such a high opinion of him, thinking he would never invade her space. Well, not anymore. Her opinion of him just plummeted to an all-time low.
“Come on, Lani,” he said, going over to the closet. “Stop pouting and help me pack up your stuff.”
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” She hopped up off the bed and went right over to the closet then stood in front of him, trying to block his view to her stuff. Of course, she was too short for that. The man towered over her which meant all he had to do was look straight ahead to see everything. Her presence was no hindrance whatsoever.
“I’m going to help you pack,” he said as if he did that sort of thing everyday.
“No, you’re not,” she said and jammed her fists on her hips. “Not over my dead body.”
“Okay,” he said, “no problem. We don’t have to do this over your dead body. We’ll just do it over your live one.” And he reached over her head and began pulling her clothes from the racks.
“Stop that,” she shrieked and reached up to try and rip the garments from his hands but he frustrated her even more when he just held them up high, forcing her to jump and even then she couldn’t get the darned things.
After jumping a couple of times and realizing it was hopeless she stopped and resorted to glowering at him. “Ugh, you beast,” she snarled and then, not knowing what else to do, she stormed out of the room and onto the balcony. There she flung herself into the nearest chair and stared out into the night that had now fallen over the land.
It was a good hour before Lani made her way back into the suite. By then Ridge would have probably moved all her clothes over to his room. At this point she didn’t even care. She just wanted to get this so-called honeymoon over and done with so she could get on with her life.
She went back to her bedroom and, as expected, it was bare. The man was determined she should move to his room, so she would. She didn’t give a hoot. As long as he didn’t touch her she didn’t really care.
And then she smiled, realizing that things might actually work in her favor. She’d wanted to torture him, hadn’t she? What better way than to put temptation right under his nose? Laughing to herself she left her old room and, not even bothering to knock, she walked into her new place of abode.
And there he was, lying on to
p of the bed, hair damp, his hands clasped behind his head. He was watching her expectantly. “Took you long enough.” He didn’t sound angry, only amused.
She walked over to the chest of drawers. “I had a lot to think about.” She opened the top drawer and, as she guessed, he’d already put some of her stuff there. Her intimates. He’d had his fingers on her undies but if that gave him joy she couldn’t care less. As long as he didn’t think that gave him the right to touch her.
But, unfortunately for him, in the next few minutes he would get an unexpected show and boy, would he be tempted to touch. Too bad for him she wouldn’t let him.
Tonight she grabbed bikini panties and a black lace teddy, not as skimpy as the one she’d worn the night before but good enough, and then she was off to the shower. His shower. Now theirs. She gritted her teeth at the thought.
She took her time, savoring the warm spray massaging her back and shoulders, and then she donned her new costume and checked herself in the full-length mirror. The midnight-black silk teddy was in stark contrast to her pale skin, pale from all the hours locked away in the research lab, but the shimmering black material was a perfect match for the shiny-black shade of her damply curling hair.
When she went back into the room Ridge had pulled the covers down and he was still lying on his back but now he didn’t seem quite as relaxed as before. His arms folded across his chest, he was watching her enter the room, his eyes following her as she walked around the foot of the bed and then to the other side. His gaze was roaming over her body, taking her in from head to toe, practically burning into her skin.
When she got into the bed she didn’t slide in with her back toward the middle as she normally would. No, this time she climbed on, making sure to tilt forward, giving her now very tense ‘husband’ an unobstructed view of her breasts falling against the fabric of her skimpy top.
His sharp intake of breath told her all she needed to know. Ridge Kent was pretending to be unaffected by her display but he wanted her real bad and the evidence was there right in front of her eyes.
