“Oh God. That was a stupid thing to say,” she said quickly, holding up her wineglass. “Too much of this.”
Travis set his beer down and moved toward her. God help Ruby, but she was frozen in place. Not that she wanted to move. That was a thought she didn’t want to analyze, because it would force her to think, and right now, she didn’t want to think. She wanted to close her eyes and lose herself in this night. In this moment. In this man.
She slammed her eyes shut because she didn’t want him to see what was there. She wanted him. Badly.
His hand slid into the tangle of hair at her nape, and his long fingers cupped her gently. She felt his breath on her cheek and inhaled as sharp, hot need swept through her body. It had been so long since she’d felt such a reaction. There’d been other men. Of course there had. Some had even been great lovers, and some had been just okay. But when want and need and desire intersected with love, it made the physical reach an entirely different level.
Love. God. That word. Was it possible she was still in love with Travis? After all this time? After all the pain and hurt?
“I feel like right now, I’m home.” His voice was rough. Heavy with emotion. “Ruby, you’ve always been home to me. Even when I was too stupid to know it.”
His mouth trailed a line of fire along her jawline and then made its way up until he swept the sweetest kiss across her lips. She opened beneath him, wanting more, but he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers.
“I want you,” he whispered fiercely. “I want every single fucking inch of you. But, Ruby, we gotta be sure. I don’t want to screw this up. So if you’re not sure, I’m cool with that. You can sleep below, and I’ll—“
“Stop talking.”
She shook her head and got up before blowing out the candle on the table. Their boat was in darkness, save for the muted lights thrown from the few moored boats with people aboard.
“Ruby.”
“Stop. Talking. Travis.”
She pulled the white dress over her head and tossed it to the ground. She was doing this. She was jumping the hell out of a pothole, and she was going to enjoy every damn minute of it.
“Are you sure?” he asked hoarsely.
She tossed her bikini top in the vicinity of her dress and hooked her fingers into the top of her bottoms. A heartbeat passed.
“Ruby.”
“No, Travis. I’m not even close to being sure.”
And then her bottoms joined the top.
Chapter 17
Travis thought he was going to lose his mind. Ruby stood in front him, naked, her skin awash in moonbeams and starlight. Every single exquisite inch of her was within his reach. All he had to do was touch her, and she’d be his. The fantasies that had crowded his brain for the last month would be silenced. So why was he hesitating? Why was he pulling back when he should be moving full steam ahead?
His dick was screaming at him. His mind was on overload. His senses were on fire. And yet…
“Ruby, maybe we should—”
“I told you to stop talking.”
He opened his mouth but didn’t get a chance to reply. On account of Ruby leaning over and sliding her lips across his. She straddled him, pushing his head back onto the seat as she planted her hands on either side of his shoulders. Her hair was all around him, her scent deep in his nostrils and her mouth claimed his with a hunger that left him breathless.
Travis wanted to do the right thing and slow down. That was what someone like Chance McDougal would do. But Travis wasn’t a good man. He wasn’t even close.
With a groan, he surrendered to the passion between them. To the heat and the fire that curled inside his gut. Her hot mouth was open, her tongue freely taking from him, and he kissed her back savagely. His hands gripped her hips to hold her in place, even as her hands sank into his hair so that he couldn’t move. The kiss was long and hard, their bodies strained against each other, and Travis never wanted to let her go. When she yanked back and looked down at him, he inhaled deeply, jaw clenched as he tried to get his emotions in check.
Never had he been this close to the edge in so short a time. They’d barely started, and he was ready to blow.
He couldn’t see her features, the shadows hid them from the moonlight, but her breasts hung in front of him, the dusky nipples taut, begging for his touch. Slowly, his hands worked their way upward, and she arched her back slightly, giving him the advantage he needed. He ran his finger over the tips, smiling when he heard her groan, and then followed with his lips and tongue.
“Trav,” she whispered when his mouth closed over her. He smiled against her skin, cupping her breasts, suckling, teasing, until her hips began to move harder against him. Each time he thrust his tongue against her nipple, she answered with a grind to his cock. And that was something he couldn’t do right now. Not yet anyway. He wanted this to last.
With a guttural sound, he yanked her off him and with one deft movement, sat her down on the seat and reversed positions. Except he wasn’t straddling her. Hell no. He was on his knees, eyes on a prize that had eluded him for years.
Ruby made a throaty sound, the kind that would drive any sane man crazy. She gazed down at him, tongue between her teeth, and slowly let her legs fall apart.
His hands rested on her knees, and Travis took a moment because Ruby was more beautiful than he remembered. Every. Damn. Inch. She was still gyrating slowly, and he slid his palms up the inside of each thigh, gently spreading her until she was entirely open to him.
To his greedy gaze.
To his wandering hands.
To his hungry mouth.
He bent forward, inhaled that scent that was all hers…and smiled wickedly when he parted her folds. She was slick and wet. Her clitoris was engorged, and he looked up at her as his fingers slid along her wetness. Her chest heaved, and she groaned softly when he caressed her clit gently, then, as her breathing quickened, harder. He rubbed with his thumb and sank two fingers deep inside, at an angle, curved just the way she liked it.
“Oh my God,” she whispered, “that feels so good.”
“Babe, I’m just getting started.” He replaced his thumb with his mouth. He used his teeth and his tongue. He sucked and licked and applied just the right amount of pressure to bring her to the edge. He got her there…and then pulled back, smiling to himself when she began to cuss.
There were many things he missed about Ruby. This was one of them. She was always vocal in their lovemaking. Never afraid to use the dirty words. To tell him exactly what she wanted.
“I cant take it,” she moaned.
He brought her to the brink once more and then eased back.
“I’m going to kick your ass, Travis,” she said roughly, her hands now in his hair as she pushed him deeper into her.
“I might like that.” he growled against her skin.
“I’m sure you would.” His tongue flicked against her, and she shuddered.
“I want you to make me come right now. Do you think you can do that for me?” She stopped moving for a second, and their eyes met.
“Pretty sure I can.”
“That’s not the answer I’m looking for.”
His fingers were still inside her, and he moved them just so, hitting that honey spot. “Shit.” She moved her hips, but he held her steady. Travis was in control, and he damn well liked it.
“Now we’re talking. How many times?” she asked.
“More than once.”
“That’s my boy.”
Travis got to work, and not more than a minute passed before she shuddered against his mouth, her groans rough as she bucked against him. Slowly, he got to his feet, uncaring that they were on the back of the boat and if anyone happened to glance their way, they’d see two shadowy figures doing things they should be doing inside.
Travis ripped off his T-shirt and stepped out of his shorts. His cock was rock hard, his body tense.
Ruby’s head rested on the seat, her eyes half-open, her body s
till reeling from his mouth and his hands. Travis bent over her and pressed his lips to the base of her neck. Her pulse beat rapidly, and he made his way up to her mouth, claiming it in a kiss that made his gut clench. The need to possess and to worship was overwhelming, and when her hand wrapped around his dick, he almost lost it.
She made mewing sounds and her throat constricted rapidly as she tried to vocalize what was going on inside her head and her body.
“Slow down, Ruby. We’ve got all night.”
“I don’t want to slow down.” She looked at him, chest heaving, a sheen of sweat making her skin glow. “I want it fast and hard, and I want it now.”
He grinned wickedly. “You haven’t changed at all.”
“No.” She spread her legs again. “I haven’t.”
Travis was only human. And a man at that. So he wasn’t prepared for this. He’d thought their first time would be slow. Two bodies getting to know each other again while candlelight flickered across skin and music caressed their ears. Not this feverish, hungry need that was making him crazy.
But Travis was, if anything, a pleaser, and he wasn’t about to disappoint his lady. A feral groan fell from his lips as he reached for her. He claimed her mouth once more, his hands between her legs, working her over until she was clawing at him like a cat. He flipped her over and grabbed her hips, lifting her ass in the air and shoving her knees forward for support. She grabbed the edge of the seat and glanced back at him. The look on her face was something he’d take to his grave. Happily.
Ruby Montgomery was the hottest thing he’d ever laid eyes on. And he’d been around the block a time or two.
He pressed down on the small of her back with one hand while the other gripped her hip. With his eyes on the tattoo that bore their initials, he sank sank into her. Deeply.
“Oh God, Travis.”
She tried to force the play and move her hips, but he wasn’t having any of it. Travis withdrew completely. He grinned when she swore at him and then sank into her again. And again. And again.
He kept his hold on her hip tight, because even though he wanted to accommodate her need, he also knew the end result would be that much more satisfying if he could just hold on a little longer.
“Travis,” she said hoarsely. “I can’t…”
“You can,” he replied, bending over her, his thrusts measured and long. His eyes were closed. He wanted this feeling to last forever. He wanted to punch his chest like he was Tarzan. Because the need to claim Ruby and possess her was older than time. It was basic. Raw. Primal.
And he’d never felt this way with any other woman.
In that moment, Travis knew he was wrecked. No way could he let her go again. A wave of emotion washed over him—it clogged his throat and made it hard to breathe. He gripped her hips tightly as he began to thrust harder, faster. She was so damn wet and tight. His gut clenched, her body rolled back into his, and they both came so hard, he nearly collapsed. It took all his strength to keep them from falling, and long seconds went by as they struggled to catch their breath.
Gently, he pulled her against him, and they lay down on the narrow seat, her body on top of his, his arms wrapped around her tight. Overhead, the night sky was blanketed with a million stars that shone like diamonds.
“That was…”
“Yeah,” she replied, snuggling against his chest. “Do you think anyone heard us?”
He was pretty sure at least half the marina heard some of the business going on. “Do you care?”
“Not really.”
He smiled and kissed the top of her head. “That’s my girl. It’s like that time at the hockey awards banquet, and we were backstage because I was supposed to hand out an award.”
“Oh my God.” She wiggled and pulled herself up until they were face-to-face. “We thought we were good because we had at least fifteen minutes before intermission was over.”
He shook his head wryly. Someone had left behind a live mic, and their backstage activities were inadvertently heard by the entire banquet room.
“Those fifteen minutes were well documented. Trust me, the guys didn’t let me live that down for a good long while.”
“Ten.”
“What?”
“You were done in less than ten minutes.”
“Was I now?” His fingers splayed across her butt, and he rocked her a bit. “I was young.”
“You were.” Her hips were moving to his rocking.
“I’ve got more staying power these days.”
She arched her eyebrow, a slow smile curving her lips, and he chuckled.
“What just happened doesn’t count. And for the record, I lasted longer than fifteen minutes.” He nipped at the base of her neck. “Had to have been at least seventeen.”
“You ready for round two?” Her hands were between their bodies.
“I’m always ready.” God, she had him. His stomach clenched as she began to massage his cock. Slowly. Methodically.
“Good,” she whispered. “Think you can last at least twenty?”
She used her thumb and rubbed along the ridge beneath the head of his dick. With a guttural sound, he nodded. “Let’s go for twenty-five.”
She thrust her hips up, and he felt how warm and wet she was. “Maybe we should take this below.” Ruby arched a wicked eyebrow.
Travis didn’t answer. He scooped Ruby into his arms and decided he was going to go for at least half an hour before he made her come.
And that was just to start.
Chapter 18
Twenty-four hours.
One thousand, four hundred and forty minutes.
Eighty-six thousand, four hundred seconds.
All that equaled one full rotation of the earth since she’d been with Travis.
And she still felt his touch on her skin. God, if she closed her eyes right now and concentrated, Ruby was pretty sure she’d be able to feel him inside her. She pushed her chair back and rested her head on the seatback and did just that. What the hell. It wasn’t as if she was getting any work done. She gripped the armrest, pictured Travis in her mind, and felt that familiar tingle between her legs. Her breasts swelled. Her heart sped up.
And then the door to her office flew open and Ruby damn near fell off her chair. “What the—”
Sidney Templeton walked into her office and, after closing the door, tossed her purse onto the sideboard. She poured herself a glass of water, sat down facing Ruby, and nailed her with a look that spoke volumes. The girl didn’t miss a thing, and her direct gaze made Ruby uncomfortable. There were things she wasn’t ready to discuss yet, because she had no idea what the consequences were. Not yet, anyway.
Sidney was relentless. She’d be all over it like a dirty shirt.
Ruby slowly uncrossed her legs and straightened her skirt. “Hey, I like your new bag. Is that Gucci?”
“Since when can I afford Gucci?” Sid’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t try to change the subject. I know what that look is all about, sister.”
“Excuse me?” Ruby tried her hardest to act chill and calm and devoid of all emotion.
Sidney leaved forward and smiled. “That look. The one you can’t hide.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Sidney chuckled and shook her head. “You’ve been thinking about all the sex.”
“I was thinking about work, Sid. I have a meeting later this week and—”
“You were thinking about all the sex you had this weekend. All the sex you had with Travis. And this?” She held up her water glass. “This right here is going to cool me down.”
“And why would you need cooling down?”
Sidney smiled and sank deeper into the chair. “Because you’re going to tell me about all the sex you had this weekend.” She paused. “After you tell me how in hell Travis Blackwell managed to worm his way back into your life.” She frowned. “No. Wait. I want to hear about the sex first.”
Ruby sighed and shook her head. There was no point
in denial. Sidney knew her better than anyone. She uncrossed her legs and winced.
“I knew it!” Sidney chuckled. “You had so much sex, you’re sore.”
“Okay, that’s a little too much.”
“I don’t care. Spill. I want details.”
“It just happened.”
“Where?”
“On a boat.”
Sidney leaned forward. “How many times?”
“Four. No, wait.” A slow smile curved Ruby’s lips. “Five.”
“Wow. No wonder you’re sore. Have you ever gone more than one round with Chance?”
Ruby sat in the chair. “No.” Sex with Chance had been good. He was attractive. He knew his way around a woman. He scratched an itch that needed scratching. But it had never been all-consuming. She’d never felt as if she lost a piece of herself when they were together. What she had with Travis was different. The connection was deeper. The sex wasn’t just good. It was off-the-charts good.
“What’s going on with you and Chance anyway? Is he totally out of the picture?”
Ruby nodded slowly. “He called me a few days ago and I told him we were done. After what he did, putting me in that position?”
“Well if that’s all it took you guys never stood a chance.” Sidney winked. “Pardon the pun. As for Travis…”
“Sid.” She closed her eyes. “It’s like we’ve never been apart. I can’t explain it. That insane physical attraction is still there. Even after all the crap we’ve been through. It’s like our bodies are meant to be together. Like we only come alive when we’re…”
“Having sex?”
That, in a nutshell, was what Ruby was afraid of. Had their entire relationship been built on the physical? On the fact that Travis barely had to look at her and she orgasmed? Was that why they’d failed so horribly at all the real stuff? The emotional stuff? The relationship stuff?
She nodded and buried her face in her hands. “What have I done?” she muttered.
“This is going to sound weird coming from me, but do you want some advice?” Sidney asked.
You Rock My World Page 15