“I think so.” She could start her career in the morning, after Ryan left for court.
They nearly ran back to the dock, hands linked together, stopping to kiss every few steps. Serenity had never wanted a man more than Ryan. Completely caught off guard by her reaction to him, when he scooped her up and carried her aboard his boat, she didn’t even protest. But even with her libido—something she’d never paid much attention to before—surging, she noticed the beauty of the boat.
And the fact it looked like a million dollars, or more.
But then they were in a huge salon with a high ceiling, his lips were on hers again, his hands unzipping her jacket and pushing it off her shoulders. He grasped the hem of her blouse, and she lifted her arms over her head and let him pull it off, heart pounding so hard she heard it in her ears. They arrived in a bedroom and he sank onto the huge bed, taking her with him so she lay sprawled over him, his covered erection pressed to the seam of her jeans. She rubbed against it. She didn’t want to be the quiet, shy woman she’d been back home. The one who waited for a man to make every move. Serenity wanted to show Ryan how much she desired him, and to do that she shoved her reticence aside and went with the voice in her head that demanded she make this man her own.
Serenity worked his sweater off over his head then she went after the buttons at his waistband.
“Hey, baby,” he said, stilling her busy fingers. “We have all night and, hell, all year if we want it. Let’s take our time and get to know one another.” He spoke nuzzling her ear. “Because I very much want to get to know you. You smell like beautiful flowers. How do you taste?”
She flushed and started to speak, to say she didn’t know what, but he flipped her over to lie on her back and opened her jeans. Standing, he pulled off her boots and worked the tight denim off her until she wore only tiny pink lace panties and the matching bra. Thank heavens she’d been able to find the set in her unpacked boxes; most of her underthings were not nearly as seductive and she very much wanted to be seductive for this man.
Ryan, unhooked her bra and her breasts spilled free. “Very pretty,” he murmured, rubbing the pad of his thumb over an already peaking nipple. She reached for him, but he gathered her wrists in one big hand and lifted them over her head. “Keep them there, for now, okay?”
She nodded, but it took all her concentration to obey when she wanted to hold him, to touch him, to get those pants off him for God’s sake. “Ryan, please,” she begged, rubbing her thighs together, trying to get some friction, something to ease the ache in her core.
He gave a little spank to her hip, and she stilled. “We’ll get there. What’s the rush?”
The rush was she was about to explode just from proximity to him, a situation exacerbated when he took a nipple between his teeth and tugged at it before sucking it into his mouth and laving it with his tongue. She whimpered.
Lifting his head, he met her gaze the gold in his pale-blue eyes sparkling in the lamplight. When had he turned on the bedside lamp? She had no idea, and didn’t really care because he moved to the other breast and licked her then nipped. She shivered, the electric shock shooting straight to her lady parts
“You are as sweet as I imagined, Serenity.” He reached down and, with a jerk of the wrist tore away the panties then inserted a knee between her legs, leaving her completely exposed. He still wore his jeans, and possibly his boots… The vulnerability of being naked when he was not drove her even higher, but when he trailed his lips from her breasts down her belly, pausing to lap gently at the dip there, she squirmed, and her hands came down from over her head to bury themselves in his hair.
“Tsk. Very naughty. Do I have to punish you for that?”
“I-I don’t know.” But she shot her hands back up where he wanted them, intrigued. “How would you do that?” The idea of being punished by him gave her a little thrill.
He pressed a finger between her folds and held it up so she could see the gleam there. “Oh, there are lots of options for punishment. But looks as if you don’t hate the idea. You’re dripping wet. Does being naughty do that for you? Disobeying me when all I’m trying to do is make you feel good?”
He sounded so sincere and genuinely upset by her actions, she wanted to apologize. She also still wanted to find out about this punishment thing. As a librarian, she’d had lots of opportunities to read and one thing that always intrigued her was erotic spanking. “I think you might need to give me a little reminder so I don’t forget and move my hands next time.”
Ryan lifted his head and eyed her. “Really…you think that’s a good idea?” He sat up and patted his lap. “I’m game if you are.” By the time she crept into place, she’d begun to regret her offer. The rough denim chafed her tummy, and her head hung down low, but his hand rested on her bottom, big palm spanning both cheeks, driving her close to coming when he rubbed circles there.
Serenity didn’t even know herself anymore, but when Ryan’s gave her the first spank, she almost bit her tongue with the sting and the arousal all twined together. She’d always thought kink started earlier than this in a person’s life, but maybe not. Maybe there was hope for her.
“You okay?” he asked, rubbing where he’d spanked. “Because you have four more coming.”
She writhed, dying to get her pussy against something, anything, but he sat firm, pinning her thighs with one of his. “Okay,” she whimpered. “I can take it.”
His swats weren’t hard, just enough to sting and turn her on even more, so when he finished and stood, lifting her as he did so and laying her on her back with her butt right at the edge of the bed, she was beyond speech. He knelt between her legs and stroked her then bent and gave a lick from front to back. “Sweeter here.” His silky beard tickled her pussy lips while he nibbled her clit and slid one thick finger into her channel then another. She’d only had two lovers before, and neither had made her feel like this.
“Ryan, I’m going to…I can’t stop…”
He stopped and rose to his feet, leaving her achingly empty without him there, and cheated, denied what he’d been about to give her.
“Be patient, Serenity.” He unbuttoned his jeans, one agonizingly slow button at a time, and let them down over his hips. This man was even more mind-bogglingly gorgeous naked. And the cock jutting proudly from a nest of golden hair was mind-bogglingly large. At least in her limited experience.
A droplet of pre-cum lay at the tip, shimmering as he kicked his boots off and stepped out of the jeans. He went commando, like the heroes in her favorite novels, which she found daring and sexy, and she sat up and reached for him.
“My turn,” she said, dying to repay him for the pleasure he’d given her so far, even if he had stopped short. She expected that from men, but this one, she was pretty sure, would have her coming like crazy before the night was over.
He seemed like the kind who would not leave a woman hanging.
Serenity closed her hand around his cock and slid it up and down then bent to lap off the pre-cum. It was salty and musky and made her greedy for more. Taking the head into her mouth, she sucked on it, continuing to stroke his shaft. Eager, she worked her way down then retreated, taking in another inch each time until her nose was right at the golden nest. Then off again.
He groaned and fisted her hair, tugging her head up. “Stop, or I won’t last.”
“It’s okay.” She reached for him again, but he tightened his grip.
“No, it’s not. Come up here.” This time he had her straddle his lap, facing him, and he reached into the nightstand drawer and withdrew a foil packet. Tearing it with his teeth, he let the rolled-up condom fall into his hand. “Want to put this on me?
She’d rather have him inside where without the barrier, but she certainly didn’t want to get pregnant on her first day away from home. It would probably be smarter to do that later, like when she was married. “I’ll try. I’ve never done this before.”
“Really? I think it’s sexy, but you don’t have to.�
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“I want to try. But if I break it, do you have more?”
His chuckle rippled over her. “I have a whole box. Just do your best.”
Oh she’d do that. But she planned to make sure the contents of the box were for her alone.
Taking it slow, so slow he groaned in protest, she unrolled the latex until it covered him from stem to tip. “There. All wrapped up.”
He grasped her hips, lifted her over his cock, and lowered her, slowly, using gravity to stretch her to take him. She was so slick from arousal, it went much better than she’d feared but her utter desperation, hanging on the edge of orgasm, didn’t hurt. The moment she came to land on his lap, his dick buried deep inside her, she lost control and tightened even more around him, her vaginal walls rippling. He pulled back then thrust again, even deeper, while she clung to his neck and whispered his name.
After a few minutes, he stood with her and turned to face the bed, taking her down onto her back and thrusting even deeper. He rocked his hips, plunging inside her with each drive, each pulling out almost all the way then filling her again. And she came, again and again, until on the fourth time, he found his ecstasy with her, shooting the condom full of hot semen that almost burned through the latex.
Then he rested on his elbows, keeping most of his weight off her while their breathing slowed to approaching normal. “Can I talk you into staying?” he rumbled against ear. “Even if it is your first night in your new home.”
“Do you really want me to?” She hadn’t dared to hope. Her last boyfriend had been happier sleeping alone.
Ryan rolled off her, onto his side, and pulled her in to spoon. “Stay with me.” He tugged the blankets and pillows out from under them and covered them both. “Stay forever, if you like.”
“I’ll leave in the morning,” she promised, trying not to make too much of pillow talk. “I know you have to get up early for court.”
“The bastard I’m defending is guilty as sin.”
“So?”
“So, it makes no difference, but I feel less enthusiastic about getting out of bed with you to defend him.”
“But you’ll give it your best shot.”
“Of course.” A great yawn followed.
“I should get to the coffee shop and get started in the morning, too. I hope to reopen quickly.”
“That’s what I like, an ambitious woman with skin like satin and eyes like deep-blue velvet.
She couldn’t help loving the compliments
Ryan pulled Serenity closer, reluctant to release her even in sleep. He’d just experienced the most profound lovemaking of his life. From the little bit of playful spanking to everything else, none of it had been out of the ordinary by definition, just by how it made him feel. Extraordinary. Powerful. Sensual. Protective. He could go on and on. Even Mary never came close, and he’d thought what they had pretty special until it faded out. But now he understood what it was supposed to be like with the person made for you.
If she didn’t feel the same, it was going to be pretty damn painful.
Chapter Five
Ryan’s alarm went off at six, the time he set for court days, and he slapped at it and cursed under his breath. Mornings like this that he questioned why he continued to work as an attorney at all. He had no need for the money, and while he appreciated that his reputation sent the highest profile cases his way, he also wondered if there wasn’t something else he might like to do better.
Of course, once he stood in the courtroom before the judge and stated his case, once he won, he remembered what he liked about the job. He just could do without these dawn patrols. Rolling over to tell Serenity she should stay and sleep, he found her side of the bed empty, the sheets cool. They had made love into the wee small hours, falling asleep, waking, then doing it again, so he knew she couldn’t have been gone too long, but what made her leave at all?
He showered, shaved, and dressed, grabbed his briefcase and headed for the dock. Serenity’s boat looked completely dark. Maybe she’d just wanted some sleep without being constantly groped. Mary had often complained that he held her too tight at night, but he didn’t do it on purpose. He was the cuddly type, and so was Serenity. So, why did she leave?
His steps slowed, but he decided not to knock. She had to be wiped out. He certainly was, but he still had to go into the city to stand before a judge and try to convince a jury his client had not engaged in an array of colorful crimes when in fact everyone on the planet knew he had. Knew he made a great living at it and had no intention of changing.
This kind of case soured him on the law. He’d taken this one as a favor to an old colleague. Mistake.
The walk to his car through the light fog that had come in overnight usually refreshed him but today he had so much on his mind, his head throbbed with the weight of it all. He hated leaving without saying goodbye to Serenity, although she’d done the same thing to him. A fine pair.
Just, please, let us be a pair. He’d never met anyone so full of life. So many women had great body parts, but Serenity was the whole package. Beautiful, smart, and nice to his kid. Harley was a good boy but could be trying at times. Silly peanut-butter-loving kid.
With a great yawn, he climbed into the Tesla and headed for the ferry.
Serenity was safely on her boat, of that he was sure, and he’d call her later on and see if she would have dinner again. Maybe, this time, he’d actually cook.
Driving past Serenity’s shop he noticed all the lights on.
What the hell?
Serenity stopped by her boat only long enough to change into work clothes before heading for the coffee shop. After a night in Ryan’s arms, she was more anxious than ever to make a go of it in Sausalito. If possible, she wanted to open the shop that week, but she really had no idea how to go about it. She hoped a few calls to suppliers might help her at least have a limited opening. There should be payroll records so she could bring in help, if her aunt had any. The shop might be stocked with coffees and teas but the various types of milks, bread, pastries, etc. would need to be ordered and she only hoped that she’d find enough information there to even know who to call.
In leggings, sneakers, and a baggy sweatshirt she unlocked the door and entered then looked around for real. The distraction the night before had given her time only enough to register that it smelled great. And that certainly hadn’t changed. What it did was make her want that first morning cup so badly, she was prepared to take on the dragon of an espresso maker to get it. Even though she wouldn’t have a clue what to do. The copper appliance towered over everything, seeming to sneer at her, to tell her she couldn’t do it. Heck, she wasn’t that good at operating the pod version at home. Self-doubt insisted she couldn’t do it, but a craving for caffeine swore she could. After examining the device for a half hour or so, Serenity noticed the corner of a binder sticking out from one of the lower shelves.
Fingers trembling, she lifted it and found The Coffeehouse Rules, a compilation of how to run the place from making coffee to cleaning up and the bookkeeping. All handwritten. Something so intimate, she caressed it with her fingertips. Her aunt’s writing. She wanted to read it front to back, but didn’t have time right now.
For the moment, all she wanted was a cup of coffee. Delicious caffeinated fuel to get her thorough the cleaning and ordering it would take to reopen her business. She flipped through the book and, to her great relief, she found the instructions and approached the behemoth binder in hand.
It wasn’t as easy as the book implied. Then again, what ever is?
She had far too many parts off the machine when a shadow fell over her and she startled. But she didn’t need to look up to know it was a Griffin. They were forever sneaking up on her. And the scent of expensive cologne told her it wasn’t Harley.
“Morning, Ryan. Off to court?”
His polished loafer tapped on the floor next to a part of the espresso machine, something made of copper with a coil attached. “I thought I would, but un
like some people, I believe in a kiss goodbye after a night in bed together.”
She glanced up at him. “Sorry about that. I didn’t want you to lose any more sleep.”
“And you figured if you woke me up, we’d end up…”
“Fooling around again, yes.” A grin teased at her lips. “I didn’t want you to keel over in court.”
“Again accusing me of being a tired old man.” He crouched next to where she was trying to put together two parts she wasn’t sure had been together to start with. “Having a little trouble there?”
Serenity shook her head vigorously while allowing him to take the parts from her. “After last night, you think I could accuse you of that?” She sat on her heels while watching Ryan put the coffeemaker back together and stand. He held out a hand to her. “I think you’d better call in your barista if you want something to drink.”
“You mean I don’t make the coffee?” She knew relief colored her voice, but she was too desperate to try to pretend.
“There’s a Keurig in the back room. Your aunt ran this place forever and never mastered that beast.”
“Okay. I just need coffee.”
“I have to go, but when I get home, I’d like to make you dinner. We can grill steaks on the deck or whatever you like.”
He kissed her, killing another few minutes because they couldn’t stop, and after he was gone, Serenity sat down with the binder and read the whole thing, front to back, learning the workings of the shop and a lot about her independent auntie at the same time. She read anecdotes about the neighbors on the docks, about Stan who the first Serenity loved but who had a tendency to be a little controlling, and about the Griffins, father and sons. It took all day to learn her aunt’s heart, but it was worth the time.
Turning to the last page, she found a note and shook her head. Her aunt was good at communicating from beyond the grave.
If you’ve come to this page, you’ve had a chance to read all the wisdom I have to impart to you. How to order croissants and keep the place clean, how to hire someone to make coffee and all about our neighbors in Sausalito. I am sorry we never spent time together while I was still on this Earth but I believe we will meet one day. I take great comfort being able to share the place I spent so many happy years in with my only niece. Don’t hold it against your mom that she kept me at a distance. She only did what she thought best. And sometimes things just have to play out in their own way.
Melody Anne's Billionaire Universe_Claimed by Her Billionaire Page 4
