“At the time, I thought it was, but…I can’t seem to be in a room with you without wanting you.” His admission earned him a soft gasp from her and it made him bold. “When you pulled into my driveway later that night, I stood waiting by the door but…you never got out of the car.”
“I was afraid, but I hated the thought of you regretting what happened. If you hadn’t left so quickly, I would have told you that I wanted it too.” Then she pressed closer until they were touching everywhere. “I wanted more.”
Thank God.
“Peyton,” he warned gruffly. “I’m hanging on by a thread here. Be sure because as much as I want to kiss you, I want more, too.”
A slow smile spread across her face as she tossed the giant cookie back onto the table. “Then we’re on the same page,” she whispered before going up on her toes and pressing her lips to his.
7
For two weeks, Peyton had regretted not going after what she wanted with Ryder and she wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. The moment her lips touched his was one of the most exciting of her life.
Strong arms banded around her just as her hands smoothed up over his chest, along his throat and stubbled jaw on their way up into his hair.
And Ryder had really great hair.
The man certainly knew how to kiss, and it was even better than their first one, which she didn’t think was possible. He smelled good, he felt great, and he kissed her with a thoroughness that made her want to climb him and hold on tight. Instead, she gripped his hair and gave it a little tug, causing a sexy-as-hell throaty moan from Ryder.
I want to hear that again…
With another tug, he broke the kiss and breathlessly stared down at her. “Am I doing something you don’t like?”
She shook her head. “No. Why?”
“It felt like you were trying to get me to stop.”
So much for me being some sort of sexy vixen…
“I…you made a sound, and it was kind of a turn-on and I wanted to hear it again,” she blurted out and knew her face was on fire from sheer embarrassment.
A slow, wolfish smile crossed his lips and it made her heart skip a beat. There had never been a man who made her feel so wholly out of control and needy. And there’d certainly never been one who made her want to drop into bed with them after a few kisses.
There’s a first time for everything…
Swallowing hard, Peyton forced herself to look up at him. “Okay, I need to say something.” First, she let out a long breath and then decided to just go for it. “There’s probably a million reasons why this isn’t a good idea. We work together, you’re friends with my family, and from what I can tell, you’re not the kind of guy who does relationships.”
“Well, I…”
“Please,” she quickly cut him off. “I need to get this one last embarrassing thing out.” One dark brow arched at her and it made butterflies take flight in her belly. “I’m always overly cautious with every aspect of my life. The risks I allow myself to take have only been where business is concerned, never in my personal life. But I know if I don’t do this–if we don’t do this–I’m always going to regret it.”
One hand came up and gently caressed her jaw. “First of all, there is nothing embarrassing about anything you just said. If anything, it was incredibly brave.” He paused and simply looked down at her with a heat and hunger she’d only read about in romance novels. “You never have to be embarrassed with me. Ever. I always considered myself a risk taker,” he went on with a low laugh. “Or someone who just takes.”
No argument there…
“But with you…I feel completely out of my element.” Ryder slowly leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. “I’ve been telling myself for weeks to leave you alone, but…I can’t.”
His words made her feel sexier and more powerful than she’d ever felt. To know that a man like Ryder Ashford wanted her was the headiest sensation and she was greedy for more of it.
“I don’t want you to leave me alone,” she whispered. Taking a step away from him, she gave him what she hoped was a sexy smile. Then, with trembling hands, she slipped her cami up and over her head before letting it fall to the floor and then slowly slid her yoga pants down her legs, kicking them aside. Getting naked for the first time was always anxiety-inducing, but the way Ryder was watching her put her at ease.
Even as it excited her.
He closed the distance between them and reverently touched her breast, causing her to sigh. His hand was so warm and so large and felt so good that she slowly arched into his touch.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured before lowering his head and kissing her. This kiss was different from the one before. Where it was so hungry and wet and wild, this one was almost agonizingly chaste.
His hands, however, were doing some pretty wicked things to her nipples, causing Peyton to gasp as she reached for him. This time when Ryder lifted his head and smiled at her, his words took her by surprise. “I’ve fantasized about having your hands on me. I need you, Peyton. Please.”
This man had done nothing but surprise her from the first time she laid eyes on him, and it was clear he wasn’t through yet.
Meeting his gaze, she slowly unbuttoned his shirt and, as expected, his chest was spectacular. Running her hands over it–feeling his warm skin–was more erotic than it should have been. If she was getting this turned on already, she couldn’t wait to see what it was like to lie in bed naked under him.
Boldly, she pushed his shirt over his shoulders, never breaking eye contact with him. Ryder was the one to remove his belt and trousers, and when he stood before her in nothing more than dark and snug boxer briefs, she didn’t know where to touch first.
Before she could decide, Ryder scooped her up into his arms and made the short walk to the bed. As he lay her down and covered her body with his, Peyton forced herself to savor the moment. They might only have this day and night before they had to go back to what they had before. And when he leaned down and claimed her lips in another hungry kiss, she told herself not to think about tomorrow. For now, she wanted to make this one night last a lifetime.
The room was starting to get dark, but Peyton was feeling too boneless to move to turn on a light. She was thoroughly exhausted and far too comfortable naked in Ryder's arms. He placed a soft kiss on her shoulder and she hummed with pleasure.
If she’d thought his kisses had ruined her for other men, they were nothing compared to the way he’d made love to her. It was like riding a roller coaster–frenzied and out of control one minute and then soft and tender the next. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was her usual dinner time but didn’t want to ruin the moment by asking about what they were going to eat.
Even though she had worked up an appetite…
Ryder continued to kiss along her shoulder and neck, and Peyton couldn’t believe his stamina. They’d made love twice and in her own limited experience, that was impressive enough. Hell, when he’d pinned her under him the second time, she was pretty sure the shocked look on her face was almost comical. Not that Ryder had commented; no, he was pretty much focused on making her feel good.
Mission accomplished.
The slight sting of a bite made her jump, and she glanced over her shoulder at him. “Hey, what was that for?” she teased.
“Well, you were very quiet and I thought I should do something to get a response out of you.”
“You could have just said something. No need to go biting.”
“You didn’t seem to mind my biting earlier so…” Carefully, he rolled her over so she was facing him. “And I certainly hope to see where else I can taste you later.”
Now she knew her eyes went wide. “Later?”
“I have big plans for the rest of the night and they all involve you being naked and willing,” he told her, making her shiver with delight.
Before she could answer, her stomach had a little something to say. Loudly. Peyton ducked her head and groaned.
“Um…”
Ryder’s arms tightened around her before placing a kiss on the top of her head. “I think that means I need to feed you first.”
She burrowed down under the blankets, which really just put her at eye level with his chest. “You can just throw the cookie at me and I’ll eat it down here before I die of embarrassment.”
To her surprise, Ryder joined her under the blankets. “I thought we already covered the part where you don’t need to be embarrassed with me.”
“Ryder…”
“If it makes you feel any better, I’m hungry too.”
“Well…maybe I feel a little better…”
“And I think we should go across to the diner and eat there. The menu was a little impressive.”
Tossing the blanket off so she could see him, she smiled. “Really?”
“I’ve learned several things about you, Peyton. And one of them is that food is very important to you.”
“Does that mean you won’t judge me if I eat some of that cookie before we go to dinner?”
“Only if you’re unwilling to share it,” he teased before leaning in and kissing her thoroughly.
Yeah, she’d share the cookie and anything else he wanted for more of this.
It took several minutes, but they reluctantly got out of the bed. Peyton knew she had to shower before they went anywhere, and was about to ask Ryder if he wanted to join her when his phone rang.
A weary sigh was his response when he looked at the screen.
“Who is it?”
“The mechanic from the airport. I need to take this.”
“Go ahead. I’m going to grab a quick shower,” she told him, but he was already answering the phone.
As much as she wanted to linger under the hot water, she wanted to eat more. So it was super quick, and she was out and drying off in less than ten minutes. There was a knock on the bathroom door before Ryder peeked in with a bashful grin.
“Damn. You’re out already,” he said. “I didn’t think I was on the phone for that long.”
“You weren’t,” she assured him, walking over and giving him a quick kiss. “The water pressure was amazing, but I didn’t want to spend too much time in there.” Then, with a soft laugh, she added, “Plus, I’m that hungry.”
Fortunately, he laughed with her and pulled her to him. “Any chance I can take a quick shower, too?”
“Absolutely!”
“What if I’m not as fast as you?”
“Then you’ll just have to meet me over at the diner,” she said with a sassy wink before pulling out of his arms and heading for her suitcase.
But she never made it.
Ryder came up behind her and hauled her into his arms before depositing her on the bed and covering her body with his.
“Ryder!” she cried out with laughter. “What in the world?” This was a side of him she’d never seen, and if anything, it made him even more appealing. He had her hands pinned above her head and as she squirmed beneath him, the only thing she accomplished was having her towel unwrap.
“What if I told you dinner was being delivered in thirty minutes?” he murmured, kissing his way from her jaw to her shoulder.
“I…I thought…” she panted, as his mouth captured her nipple. “I thought we were…oh that feels so good…going out…and…and…” The moment she gave up trying to speak and bucked beneath him, Ryder released her hands. Peyton immediately raked them through his hair, holding him to her.
“I took a chance and ordered in,” he told her before moving to her other breast. “I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving the room.” When he lifted his head and gave her that heated gaze she was already addicted to, she didn’t care if they never left this room.
Or ate dinner.
“Are you disappointed?” he asked.
Shaking her head, she guided him back to her. “Just promise we’ll make good use of our time before dinner arrives.”
His smile was slow and seductive. “Duchess, I promise you’ll be very satisfied with how we spend our time.”
And when his head lowered again, Peyton was pretty sure Ryder Ashford was never wrong.
The room was pitch black and Ryder hated the fact that he was awake.
Beside him, Peyton was sound asleep and would occasionally let out a soft snore that was kind of adorable. His arm was around her and their legs were tangled together and it was a contentment that felt slightly foreign to him. All he knew was that he wanted more of it–not just for a night or for a weekend, either–more as in…indefinitely more.
Peyton brought out a side of him that Ryder thought simply didn’t exist.
He came from a rather serious family–there wasn’t a lot of laughter in his life. Responsibility and the importance of an education had been drilled into him since he was a young boy. And while he loved what he did for a living and found it satisfying, he never felt a sense of…joy in it. Working with Peyton these last few weeks showed him he could have heated debates and deep discussions and conversation as well as laugh and learn new things. He’d always been inquisitive, but he felt like this was the first time he was truly enjoying what he was discovering.
And it was all thanks to the woman in his arms.
Softly, he kissed her forehead and she hummed sleepily.
Today had been…well, it had been both terrifying and exhilarating. After the way things happened with their flight, he’d been certain there was no way to turn the day around. And he certainly never imagined he’d find himself naked and thoroughly worn out in bed with Peyton. If they ignored what brought them to this room, then the day could best be described as perfect. Everything, from the moment they’d stepped into this room had been faultless.
It was a shame he was going to have to ruin it in just a few hours.
Yeah, he’d sort of put some things in motion earlier in the day–as in right after lunch–that he opted to keep to himself.
Namely, booking a flight for them to Denver.
Honestly, Ryder had no idea how Peyton was going to take the news, but he had a feeling she wasn’t going to be thrilled. Maybe after a good night’s sleep she’d feel better about the prospect of getting on a plane.
At least…he hoped she would.
And he hadn’t gotten them seats on a major airline either because there were no direct flights and it almost wasn’t worth the effort since they could drive it in almost the same amount of time.
No, he’d gone and…chartered them a plane. A larger one than his, but still not anything particularly large. The one he secured could hold fifteen passengers and was considered large by the charter companies. But he had no idea how one skittish young woman would see it.
Glancing at the clock, he saw it was a little after four. Their flight was at ten. The last he and Peyton talked about their route to Denver, he had told her they’d go back to the airport around eight because it was where the car rental agency was.
He just hadn’t mentioned that they wouldn’t be utilizing it.
Letting out a long breath, he wondered if he was making a mistake.
Another mistake.
If she really wanted to drive, then…
His thoughts were interrupted when one of Peyton’s hands started to smooth over his chest. Then his abdomen. And then lower.
Oh, God…
The feel of her soft lips following that same trail made him moan. With his hands going to her hair, he whispered her name like a plea. They needed to sleep. She needed to sleep, but…God help him, he didn’t want to stop her.
Not now.
Not ever.
A little over four hours later, they were standing in the airport hangar.
“I don’t understand,” she said, giving Ryder a strong sense of déjà vu.
Stepping in front of her, he took one of her hands in his. “Okay, hear me out.”
“Do you expect me to get on a plane?” she asked, interrupting him with barely-contained fury.
“I just think an eleven-h
our drive is a bit excessive and will cause us to miss the entire first day of the show,” he reasoned, amazed at how calm he sounded. “You know things don’t kick off until noon and if we take a plane, we can be in Denver by eleven and at the hotel by noon. If you think about it, it just makes sense.”
Then he held his breath because he could tell she was gearing up to give him a piece of her mind.
“Are you out of your mind?” she hissed, aware of all the people walking around the hangar. “Do you remember what nearly happened to us yesterday? Are you that insensitive that you would force me back on a plane after being traumatized like that?” Pulling her hand from his, she paced a few feet away. “Unbelievable. You are unbelievable!” Pausing, she faced him. “You told me we were driving!”
“Technically, all I did was mention where the car rental agency was,” he said quietly, realizing how bad this made him look.
“Ryder, you cannot keep doing these things! You make these plans and then spring them on me and they never work out!”
“One time!” he reminded her. “It was one thing I sprung on you that didn’t turn out so great and it wasn’t my fault! I don’t control the air, Peyton!” He knew losing his temper wasn’t helping his cause, but…
“Look, if we’re going to work together, you can’t keep pulling this shit, Ryder,” she snapped as she went toe to toe with him. “I refuse to work for someone who treats me like I’m not entitled to an opinion!”
“That’s not what I said, and it’s not what I implied!” Ryder forced himself to take a step back and calm down because things were spiraling out of control. When he looked at her, he almost laughed at her defiant pose–arms crossed, hip cocked, foot tapping, and an angry glare. She’d checked all the boxes of how to look pissed off, but he wasn’t going to let it get to him.
“Peyton,” he began.
“Not flying,” she countered quickly.
Of all the ridiculous…
“You know what?” he yelled. “Fine! We’ll do it your way. We’ll drive the eleven hours to Denver and miss the first day of the show and probably lose our rooms. Again!” Then he leaned in close and figured two could play at this game. “You know, for someone who claims to want to be taken seriously and have her own business, you seem more than willing to pass up an opportunity to hit those workshops and demonstrations you’ve been rambling on and on about for weeks!” With a final look of disgust, he added, “I expect a higher level of professionalism from my colleagues. I guess that was my mistake in thinking you could handle it.”
Nobody Does it Better Page 11
