Burn for You

by Jillian Leeson

  I pretend-scowl at him. “You’re so incredibly cocky.”

  “I didn’t hear you.”

  I give him a quick kiss. “You. Are. The. Best.”

  “That I am. In many ways. I’ll prove it to you later.” He winks. “And now I’d better collect my prize.”

  While Ryder strides up to Cecil, Ying walks back to her car and waves to me. “I’ll call you tomorrow. We’ll have lunch.”

  “Looking forward to it.”

  She drives off just when Ryder strides back, holding up a gold-colored badge and a document outlining the perks of gold membership.

  He grabs me around the waist and crushes his lips to mine.

  “Let’s go back to the hotel. I want to celebrate,” he says.

  And by the hungry look in his eyes, I know exactly what he has in mind.

  Ryder

  It wasn’t much of a race, but I feel as if I’ve won the Grand Prix.

  And if the clapping, whistling, and cheering when I accepted my gold membership doesn’t make my head spin, the unmistakable pride in Elle’s eyes causes my heart to flow over.

  The adrenaline high doesn’t last long, though. We’re driving back to Hong Kong along the desolate highway, with the scant moonlight illuminating the bush-covered hills on the sides of the road. It’s a smooth drive, so I step on it to cut down on our traveling time. My left hand finds Elle’s knee, and I push up the hem of her dress for my thumb to stroke the silky skin beneath. A quick glance reveals she’s closing her eyes, tilting back her head, and I grin. I like having this effect on her. I can’t wait to get back—to get her under me. To make her scream my name.

  And then I see it, in the middle of the road.

  An animal—some type of gray spotted cat, frozen in the headlights. I slam on the brakes, yanking my steering wheel to the right.

  The cat darts away.

  Elle screams.

  I lose control.

  And that’s when I crash back to earth.

  The strap of the seat belt digs into my skin as the car starts spinning. I let go of the gas pedal, letting the car right itself before I brake again. Thankfully, we come to a complete stop. It is just as well—the guard rail is right in front of us, only a few inches away.

  My heart is slamming against my chest, and I lean over the steering wheel. “Shit.”

  This could have ended badly. What if we’d got hurt? What if Elle got hurt? Again? I’d never be able to forgive myself for that.

  Worried, I look over at her. “Hey, you’re okay?”

  She puts her hand on my arm—she is obviously less affected than me. “I’m cool. And you?”

  “That was close. Too close. I’m sorry, beautiful.”

  “I’m used to a lot worse.” Smiling, she threads her fingers through my hair. “Come on, let’s get back on the road. I thought you wanted to celebrate.”

  I grin back at her before I turn the car and continue the drive back. But my mood has turned. Without the lightheadedness of my win, the worries that have been plaguing me re-enter my mind. What good will that gold membership do if I’m not able to afford the cars I’d like to buy?

  I stare ahead, concentrating on the broken line on the road. Elle is asking me questions, and I reply with short, snappy answers.

  “That meeting was pretty spectacular, wasn’t it?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “How did it feel, to win that membership?”

  “Good.”

  “Did you think you’d win?”

  “Yeah.”

  I know what she’s doing—trying to cheer me up—but I just can’t seem to focus. It is not long before she gets the message, and she stops asking me questions. But with each mile, the silence between us is building. With each mile, her irritation with me is building.

  It doesn’t help that when she puts her hand on my thigh, I flinch from the sudden contact, being deep in thought about my upcoming meetings. I try to make up for it by taking her hand, but as soon as I make contact, she withdraws it.

  “You all right?”

  I turn my head to look at her, and she gives a terse nod. Her lips pursed, she stares out the side window. I don’t blame her—I’m being a jerk. And the closer we are to our destination, the stronger I can feel waves of pent-up anger rolling off her in the confines of the car.

  When we finally arrive, I pull in to park, and that very second, she shoves open the door and leaps out while the car is still in motion. I don’t try to stop her—I’m sure she’d explode right there and then. Instead, I catch up with her at the elevator, watching her jab the call button again and again, her gaze anchored to the indicator lights. When they finally open, she darts in and positions herself in the corner right beside the doors to prepare for a quick exit. Her eyes are on her cell, doubtlessly to avoid my gaze.

  I greet the elevator boy and make some small talk with him about the weather, which elicits a soft, but unmistakable snort from her. When we reach our floor, she sprints out the doors, keycard in hand. But in her haste, she swipes it too quickly, and the indicator light remains red, so she tries it again, and again. I come up behind her, close enough to feel her body heat, but not so close that our bodies are touching. Ignoring her wince, I lean over, breathing in her delicious scent.

  “Give it to me.”

  Letting out a sigh, she lifts her hand. I take the keycard from her, making sure I brush my fingers across hers as I do. I place the card above the reader and hold it still for a few seconds before I give it one firm swipe.

  The door opens, and Elle speeds off. But this time I am not letting her get away. When we reach the dining room, I grab her by the arm and spin her toward me.

  “Don’t touch me!” She tries to shrug me off, but I refuse to let her.

  Instead, I flash her an evil grin. “I love it when you’re angry. It’s cute.”

  “Cute?”

  The fire in her eyes could burn down our suite. “You dare to call me cute?”

  I yank her tense body against me, and she shoves her hands against my chest, her nails digging in my flesh. I’m instantly hard, and I press myself against her to show her just how much she turns me on.

  “That’s what I said—cute.”

  My hand follows the curve of her hip. “And sexy.”

  My fingers brush across her cheek. “And beautiful.”

  Her eyes still burn into mine, but her hands have stopped pushing me. “If you really mean that, why the hell did you ignore me in the car?”

  “I was just thinking.”

  “About what?”

  My hands slide up and down her back. “About what I’ll do to you when we get back.”

  “Oh yeah?” Her voice has turned husky, and I feel her body relaxing against me. It didn’t take much for her to believe my excuse, and the bastard I am, I don’t put her right.

  “I was thinking of getting rid of this dress.” I pluck at the sleeve.

  “And see what’s hiding underneath.”

  She finally shows a half-smile. “There’s not much to find.”

  “Isn’t there?” My hand slides down her back and when it reaches the swell of her shapely ass, it stills.

  Jesus. She’s been going commando the whole night without me noticing it. If I was hard before, I’m now rock-hard to the point of painful. I have to have her—now.

  The glass dining table is behind her, and I make her walk backwards until her thighs hit its edge.

  “I’ll have to make sure you’re telling me the truth.”

  “Be my guest.”

  She hops on the table, and with her hands pushing on my shoulders, she forces me to take a step back. Reflecting a challenging glint, her eyes travel down to her legs, and I eagerly follow their path. I draw in a sharp breath when I watch her slowly part her thighs, making the hem of her dress ride up. My pulse kicks up a notch when the soft light from the window falls on her creamy skin. And when the shadows creep away, inch by tantalizing inch, the sight that greets me sends my heart in
to overdrive.

  “Do you believe me now?” she says in a seductive tone.

  I nod, my throat bone-dry.

  “I guess you want to know if I’m wet for you.”

  I nod again, and she places my hand on her knee. “Find out for yourself.”

  My cock gives a painful twitch. Damn, the things she does to me.

  Wearing a sultry smile, Elle grabs my shirt and yanks it, forcing me to close the distance between us. Gazing into her eyes, I trail my finger from her knee slowly up the silkiness of her inner thigh. My other hand is around her waist, traveling up her stomach, and curves around her perfect, firm breast.

  When my finger reaches its destination, it finds it slick with desire.

  “Damn, you’re wet.”

  I close in on her most sensitive spot, and at the same time my thumb strokes her silver nipple bar. She lets out a moan, tipping back her head.

  “Did it make you wet, seeing me win?” I breathe in her ear.

  “Uh-huh.”

  My finger follows a circular motion that I know drives her crazy. “So what do you want me to do about it?”

  “In…”

  I grin, satisfied to find that right now, she’s the one with the one-word answers. “Can you say that again? I didn’t hear you.”

  She croaks, “Inside.”

  “You want me to go inside you?”

  Her eyes closed, she nods.

  I position my finger at her entrance and am about to slip inside, when I feel her hand on my chest, shoving me backwards.

  What the hell?

  Her eyes glazed over with lust, Elle slides off the table and pushes me backward until my back hits the floor-to-ceiling window.

  She presses a finger into my chest. “I changed my mind. I don’t know if I want you inside me.”

  I raise a brow, puzzled by her change in demeanor.

  “You see, I have to have a taste first.”

  All of a sudden, she drops down to her knees and her hands are on my fly, making quick work of my button and zipper and yanking my pants down to my knees. The next moment her hot mouth is on me.

  I think I’ve just gone to heaven.

  “Christ. Elle.”

  She looks up at me with her big brown eyes, her luscious lips around my cock, and I swear I’ve never seen a picture more erotic. I bury my fingers in her hair, and start thrusting into her hot, wet mouth. I already feel my climax building, but she suddenly withdraws with a pop, leaving me empty and cold. I’m about to protest, but she flashes me a wicked smile and licks her lips while her long fingers curl around my cock. Her tongue darts out to swirl around my head, and she takes me in her mouth again, deeper this time, her tongue continuing its tantalizing circles.

  Leaning against the glass to support my weakened knees, I close my eyes, relishing the feel of my cock deep inside her throat. As she swallows, my fingers tighten in her hair.

  “Stop.”

  If she doesn’t, I’ll shoot off, and I don’t intend to—not right now.

  I gather all my willpower to push her away. “Taste good?”

  I don’t wait for her answer. Pulling her up to standing, I move behind her. My hand unzips her dress and unclasps her black lacy bra, and when they fall to the floor, I swipe them away with my foot.

  Elle is naked before me save for her sexy high-heeled sandals, and my heart swells—I’ve never seen a more beautiful sight. I take her hands and place them on the glass, while I widen her legs with my knee. Her long hair is covering her tattoo, so I slide it aside over her shoulder.

  I step forward, pressing my chest to her back. Breathing in her heady scent, I trail kisses down her neck, all the way down to the top of her shoulder blade. I start tracing the outline of her tattoo with my tongue, savoring her delicious, sweet-salty skin. Elle arches her back, thrusting out her ass against my arousal.

  With my hands on her breasts, I teasingly let the head of my cock stroke her wet folds, but I deliberately don’t enter.

  She lets out a frustrated moan. “Ryder, come on. In with it already.”

  “Answer my question first.”

  I squeeze her breasts, flicking her nipple bars.

  “Hmmm?”

  “Do I taste good?” I say.

  “Yeah, you taste good, okay? Now will you get on with it?”

  I grin. “I think I want to hear you beg.”

  I grab my cock and get my head to rub against her clit until she lets out loud, uncontrolled moans.

  “Come on, Ryder.”

  I continue in a circular motion, eliciting more moans from her. She reaches out behind her with her hand, but I snatch it before she gets hold of me.

  “Beg,” I say.

  “Please. I want—I want you inside me. I want you to fuck me. Hard.”

  Her words are all I need to make my cock swell and plunge into her, her slickness letting me glide all the way in.

  God, she feels so good. So hot, so tight.

  My hand on her waist, I start driving into her. And when I hear her pant and moan beneath me, I lose it. My thrusts turn hard, frantic. Everything around me becomes a blur. Somehow my hand finds her clit, and I circle it in a frenzied rhythm, while I continue my thrusts into her tightness. I angle her hips to make me go even deeper, and she clenches around me once.

  “That’s it, baby. Come now.”

  I feel her body tighten, and a moment later, she screams out my name, her flesh contracting tightly around me. Feeling my balls tighten, I pound into her twice more, and that takes me over the edge. I pulse inside her with a hard, explosive climax that hurtles me into oblivion.

  And in that moment, buried deep into Elle, with the glittering lights of Hong Kong at my feet, I feel like I’ve conquered the world.

  Nothing can ever hurt me.

  Chapter 5

  Elle

  “You’re working again?”

  I place my hand on Ryder’s shoulder, and he looks up at me from his laptop that’s set on the long glass table in the suite’s dining room. Behind him looms the spectacular city view, through the massive window that was the focal point of our raunchy exploits last night.

  God, last night. The way he drove into me—frantically, desperately—it was as if I was his last breath. The memory makes me shiver. Every time I think it can’t possibly get better, it does—it’s like he knows my body better than I do.

  Today, Ryder wears a white collared, blue-and-white striped dress shirt with a circular-pattern tie that matches his dark-gray pants. With his dark mussed hair and killer body, he’s about the only man who can make that conservative business look hot, and I clench my hands to keep myself from ripping it off him.

  “Yeah, I’m doing some work. I have a few business meetings today. I hope you don’t mind.”

  He smiles, but it doesn’t conceal the dark rings under his eyes. My heart squeezes for him. Maybe I shouldn’t have let him make love to me last night. I thought it would relax him just as it has me—I haven’t slept so well for a long time. But when I woke up, stretching out my arm for his familiar warmth, I found the space beside me empty and cold. He must have been up for a while—no wonder he’s worn out.

  I settle myself on his lap, sliding my hands up his hard chest.

  “No, of course I don’t mind. I’d even come with you, if you’d like. Make those meetings a little more interesting.” I trail my finger inside the collar of his shirt, relishing the feel of his warm, smooth skin.

  He envelops my hand in his and kisses my knuckles. “Hmm, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’ll just be distracted, and you’re going to be bored. Why don’t you do some sightseeing? Maybe some shopping?”

  Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out his wallet and hands me his platinum credit card.

  I shake my head. “No, I’m okay. I won’t be buying anything.”

  “I insist.” He shoves the card into my hand.

  I sigh. “I know there’s no arguing with you.”

  “You’re damn right
there isn’t. Just call reception for a driver to take you wherever you want to go.”

  “I don’t need one. I think I’ll just walk around, take the subway.”

  Ryder furrows his brow. “No, that’s not safe. If you don’t use the driver, then I’ll get someone to go with you.”

  “What do you mean? Like a bodyguard?”

  “Remember what happened in Hainan? Anything could happen to you. This isn’t New York, you don’t know this place.”

  I cross my arms. “Nothing happened to me. I’m fine.”

  “Only because Cecil got to you in time.”

  “Given some time, I’m sure I would’ve fought them off.”

  “It didn’t look like that to me. You were out of your depth, just admit it.”

  “Jesus, I’m not a kid, Ryder. I know how to take care of myself. I don’t need this crap.”

  My phone starts ringing somewhere in the distance—the perfect opportunity to jump off his lap and stomp out the room. Red-hot sparks fly through me. I can’t believe he’s telling me what to do. He hasn’t changed at all; he’s still the control freak he’s always been.

  I find my purse on the floor of the living room and yank out my cell. It’s Ying, from the car club meeting, and I calm down a little.

  “Ying, hey. What’s up?”

  “Hi. I called to find out what you’re doing today. I was thinking of taking you for a bit of shopping and sightseeing. And after that, we can have lunch.”

  I look out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the rays of the sun squeezing through the narrow gaps between the skyscrapers. This is a great chance to explore Hong Kong, with a local. And Ryder won’t be able to object—I won’t be on my own anymore.

  “That sounds fantastic. My over-protective guy doesn’t want me to go out on my own. He wanted to get me a bodyguard, can you believe it?”

  “Just tell him you’re covered. I’ll be your bodyguard for the day. Get ready, I’ll pick you up in about half an hour.”

  Filled with bubbles of excitement, I nearly skip back into the living room.

  “Ryder, that was Ying. Remember her, from the club meeting? She’s going to take me out today, show me around Hong Kong.”