by Cindy Stark
“Um, yeah,” Erin said, glancing from Annabelle to the snowboarders to him.
Fuck. The last thing he wanted was Erin in a room with one of those guys.
“I can do it,” she said to Hans. “But I’ll need to purchase more massage oil first. I’m sure I have enough for Rick’s massage, but that’s probably it.”
Thank God.
Erin stood, and Rick watched both of the snowboarders’ gazes drift to her ass, both smiling with appreciation. He caught the blond one’s eye and sent a warning full of fire in his direction. The dumbass was at least smart enough to look away.
She walked to where Annabelle sat and leaned down to kiss her on her cheek.
“Good night, love.” Annabelle smiled at her. “I’m so happy you’re here.”
“Good night. I love you, too.” She squeezed her hand and walked away, catching his gaze and looking at him with concern.
“Is it still bothering you,” Erin asked when they were clear of the room.
“Yeah. I can’t sleep. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all.”
He let her precede him up the stairs, his own gaze outlining the lovely shape of her ass. At least he liked her for more than her body, he rationalized.
Chapter Eighteen
Erin had to admit she was nervous, going back into Rick’s bedroom and having him strip down again. After their friend dinner date, she’d escaped into the atrium with Annabelle, Joel, and Hans. She knew she’d find some fun, and she wouldn’t have to worry about her one-sided feelings for Rick surfacing and making things awkward. She’d planned on waiting until he was asleep before she entered their shared room, and then she could hide beneath the safety of her covers until morning appeared again. She could definitely work with that plan for the next couple of days.
Except Rick had messed it up with his pleas for a back rub. Even if she wasn’t aching to dig her fingers into all that masculine flesh, she couldn’t deny him if she wanted to, knowing her touch could bring him some relief.
She opened her portable table, trying and failing miserably to not look at Rick as he undid the buttons on his dark shirt. Each time his hands slipped to the next button, he exposed another inch of hardened flesh. He caught her gaze as he removed his shirt and tossed it on his bed. She blinked, unable to look away as he lowered his hands to the button on his jeans and undid them.
“What made you decide to become a massage therapist?” Rick asked, breaking the spell he’d cast over her.
She kept her focus on assembling the tools of her trade. “I don’t know. I guess I like helping people.”
He approached her wearing nothing but a pair of gray cotton boxer briefs. She tried to breathe, but only a whisper of air passed through her constricted throat. God, he was beautiful.
“Do you want me to get on the table?” He nodded at the padded surface covered with a white sheet.
“Um, yes.” She tried to force her brain into motion. “I, uh, need to change out of these clothes so I don’t get oil on them.”
“Good idea. You look so nice, and I’d feel bad if you ruined them.” His gaze traveled the length of her, heating her beyond the point of boiling.
She couldn’t answer and instead, grabbed the t-shirt and jeans she’d brought with her purposely for massaging Annabelle’s back and hurried out of the bedroom and into the bathroom to change.
Her hands shook as she undressed and changed into her working clothes. She would make a fool of herself if she couldn’t get her raging urges under control.
She waited a few more minutes until she calmed. When she felt ready, she crossed the hall again and entered the bedroom, closing the door behind her to protect Rick’s privacy in case anyone else decided to go to bed.
Thankfully, he lay face down on the bed, and she didn’t have to meet his gaze. If she could treat this like any other massage, working professionally and efficiently, then she could make it through the next hour.
The room crackled with silence as she turned on one of the bedside lamps and turned off the overhead light. Subdued lighting helped to relax her clients. She poured oil into her hands and rubbed them together to warm it. “This might be a little cold.” She ran her hands down the length of him, spreading the oil.
He inhaled in response.
“Sorry,” she whispered. “Just try to relax.”
He softened his body at her command.
She ran her fingers over his skin, noting that his muscles were in much better condition than the first day she’d rubbed him. “Is there any area that’s particularly bothering you?” she asked as she began to work the lower quadrant of his left side.
“There,” he mumbled. “Both sides.”
She started out slow until his muscles responded to her touch, growing more pliable. Then she dug in her thumbs in an effort to reach the deeper muscles. As she manipulated his body, she studied him, enjoying the way his trim waist stretched out into a strong back and wide shoulders. Shoulders that she’d love to find herself cradled against.
“You have a scar.” She traced the white line cutting across his lower back, resisting the urge to soothe it with her kiss.
“Ski accident,” he said in a strained tone.
“Am I hurting you?” she asked in response.
“No.” His answer came out short and curt.
Most people preferred to not talk while receiving a massage, and even though she and Rick knew each other beyond their client and therapist relationship, perhaps he was the same.
She kept quiet and focused on her work. Massaging him was a pleasure beyond pleasures. In what other profession could she be allowed to touch the body of the man who haunted her dreams and not be questioned? She allowed her senses to connect with his, a warm current of energy flowing between them, leaving her in an interesting state of heated need and relaxation.
When she finished his back, she poured more oil into her hands and began to work her way down his muscular arms, worshipping him the only way she was allowed. The subdued power resting beneath her fingertips made her ache for more. Touching him was amazing, but she yearned to have him touch her in return.
She lifted his hand, using her thumb to massage the center of his palm. He closed his hand around hers for a second, making her heart jump, but then he released her. She continued with her work, waiting for him to say something, but he didn’t.
“Can you roll over?” she asked in a lowered voice, not wanting to disturb him too much.
He shifted on the bed until he was face up. His expression stopped her in her tracks. Desire burned in his dark eyes, singeing her with his gaze. She swallowed, not sure if she should continue.
“Close your eyes. It will help you to relax,” she whispered. More than that, it would help her to finish.
She added more oil to her hands, assuming her place above his head and began to massage the front of his shoulders and his collarbone area. This time, he didn’t relax, and she glanced over him, her gaze snagging on the rock hard length pressing against his briefs.
Oh god.
She inhaled, the pounding of her heart echoing the pulsing at her core. She hadn’t meant to do that. As much as she wanted him, she’d been trying to relax him, not excite him.
She continued massaging, unsure of what to do.
She should stop and walk away. But she couldn’t. No, she wouldn’t.
He wanted her, no doubt, and she ached for him.
Her decision to persist with her unintended seduction flushed potent power through her veins. If she pushed this, she knew he wouldn’t refuse her. And, god, she wanted him.
It might not be smart. She might get hurt. Right now, she didn’t care. He no longer had a girlfriend to keep them apart, and she wanted the feel of his hard body against hers as they made love.
From the first moment on Annabelle’s steps when she’d looked into his dark eyes, she’d wanted to know what he’d taste like, what his arms would feel like around her. But the river of discor
d between them seemed too wide to cross.
No longer.
She tried to keep her breathing even as she ran her hands over his muscled pecs. Smooth skin stretched over iron, and she caught herself touching him like she would a lover instead of a client. She tried to stop, but couldn’t.
His eyes were open again, and her breaths grew more erratic. She released his gaze as her hands traveled lower down his abdomen. The six pack resting beneath her fingers tightened as she moved over the sexy surface.
“Erin,” Rick whispered his warning. One she had no intention of heeding.
“Shh…” She shook her head to dissuade him from talking. He tried to reach for her, but she pushed his hands back against his sides. “Let me have my fantasy.”
He widened his eyes, but didn’t move.
She poured more oil, rubbing her slick hands down his powerful thighs. Every inch of him excited her, heated her beyond belief. “Does this feel good?” she whispered.
“God, yes.”
Then that was that.
She started to lift her t-shirt, and then met his gaze. “Do you want me to stop?”
“No,” he said on a groan.
“Good, because I think we’re both wearing too many clothes.”
Excitement flashed in his eyes as the edges of his mouth curved in a grin.
Caution flipped to reckless abandon.
With slow movements, she tugged her shirt over her head, reveling as his greedy gaze devoured her. His smile was gone, replaced by a hunger that left her breathless. She inhaled, her breasts straining beneath the black lace bra, her nipples hardening into diamonds that yearned to be soothed.
She closed her eyes, running her palms across her breasts, trying to temporarily pacify her need and buy her a little more time.
“You’re killing me,” he said with a rasp as he tried to sit up.
She held up her hand. “Stay there. I’m not finished with you yet.” She quickly undid her jeans, letting them drop to the floor before she stepped out of them. This time, she avoided Rick’s gaze, knowing she was close to giving in to his demands.
But she wanted this her way.
“Come here,” he commanded.
She shook her head. “Not yet.”
She approached the table, gazing at his swollen penis, her core instantly liquid.
He studied her, potent desire simmering in his expression.
She had a limited amount of time, and she knew it.
She ran her palm down the length of his hardness, relishing in the barely masked power as he throbbed beneath her touch. Sharp sensations needled her as she anticipated having him inside her. She wanted him so badly. She locked eyes with him as she pulled his boxer briefs down his legs.
He was hot, velvety steel in her palm, and she circled her fingers around him.
She lowered her head, gently taking him into her mouth. He jerked in response.
“Fuck,” he whispered, sitting up.
She pulled back, letting her teeth graze him, and suddenly his hands were in her hair, fisting and tugging.
He let her lick and tease him for several minutes before he pulled her away. Fierce need blazed in his eyes, and she wondered if she’d awakened the devil.
“I’m not done,” she whispered.
He didn’t answer as he swung his legs across the bed and stood. She took a step back, but he grabbed her with powerful hands, pulling her hard against his body as he backed her toward the bed.
They fell to the mattress, and she scrambled to get her bearings so that she could continue her seduction. She was on her knees before he hauled her back down, covering her body with his.
“This is my fantasy. You have to do what I want,” she said, breathless. She lifted her hand to his face, her gaze melding with his. Her fingers tingled as she slid them across his raspy jawline, watching his desire-darkened eyes. She ran a fingertip across his bottom lip, soaking up the feel of his soft mouth compared to the short whiskers growing right beneath his bottom lip.
“Not any longer.” He claimed her mouth with an intensity she didn’t think existed. “You’ve tortured me long enough. My turn.”
She buried her fingers in the short hair at the back of his neck, holding onto him for dear life. “I want you so much,” she whispered.
A rumble of need came from deep within his chest. He had her bra and panties off within a matter of seconds, and she was suddenly naked beneath him. He left her long enough to remove his underwear, leaving the cool air to rush against her heated skin. She missed him instantly.
When he’d joined her in her nakedness, he rolled toward her, his gaze devouring her inch by inch. He placed a hand on the inside of her knee and slowly drew it up her body.
He stopped near her core, and she inhaled sharply in anticipation of a more intimate touch. Lavender swirled through the cloud of desire encompassing her.
Was Madame Rosa watching?
Her errant thoughts were quickly stolen by Rick’s touch. Instead of dipping inside her, he grazed the edges sending fierce shivers through her before he continued upward.
He ran his fingertips lightly over her breasts, increasing the already-impossible ache in her nipples. “If I didn’t need you so bad, I could sit here for another hour just looking at you. You’re so beautiful.” His gaze met hers, driving a spear of need deep within her heart.
If she heard that line everyday of her life, she’d never tire of it. She licked her bottom lip, trying to bring moisture to her parched mouth. “Make love with me, Rick.”
The momentary pause in their sexual frenzy ended with her words.
He drew a puckered nipple in his mouth, and she gasped at the sensations he drew from within her. She realized at that point, the one kiss they’d shared a few days ago would never have been enough.
She needed to experience this man. All of him. This would be one of those encounters she would remember throughout her life. She was living life and would never regret it.
She slid her hands over his butt, and he tightened in response. His ass was firm and muscular, and oh so delicious. He sucked harder on her nipple, sending another rush of powerful sensations to her core. She gripped him tighter, her nails digging into his hard flesh, and he responded by releasing her nipple and claiming her mouth.
He paused long enough to retrieve a condom from the nightstand next to his bed.
“You won’t regret this?” he asked as he pressed her into the mattress and settled between her legs.
“Never.” She wrapped her legs around him, drawing the solid length of him closer to her apex. He was so incredibly hard against her, and she burned with an aching need that only he could soothe. She might die if he didn’t take her soon.
He kissed her as though she’d given him the greatest gift before he raised himself up on his arms. “I want to watch your face when I take you.”
“Rick,” she whispered, her heartstrings suddenly caught up in the sexual spell he wove.
“What?” He centered himself at her opening, remaining focused on her face.
She’d swear love radiated from his eyes, but their relationship wasn’t old enough for feelings that deep. The thought that this gorgeous man who’d been so tender and dear to her aunt might possibly care about her, too, pushed her over the edge. She shook her head, too scared to ask the truth. “Don’t make me wait any longer.”
He slid slowly into her, pushing her boundaries until she wanted to scream from pleasure. She bit into her bottom lip. The shock of him inside her was so exquisite. She gasped when he reached bottom.
“Oh my god.” Nothing had ever felt so good or so right.
“Good?” he whispered, his voice breathless.
“So good.” She wasn’t sure what was different, but every other experience she’d ever had paled compared to this.
“Yeah.” He nodded before leaning toward her, giving her a kiss that left her quivering around him.
He began to move then, each slide in and out intensifyi
ng the pressure building inside her. She gripped his biceps, holding on to the powerful muscles as they flexed with each move he made. The gentle lovemaking he’d began with was quickly replaced with demanding, possessive thrusts that took from her body, yet gave her so much more.
Damn. How would she ever come back from this?
She gripped him tighter and tried to hold onto a shred of her sanity. “Don’t let go of me, Rick.”
He growled with pleasure, pumping into her harder and harder until the ferocity of it enveloped her and sent her spiraling into hot, satiated bliss. She cried out before she could stop herself and then prayed that no one downstairs had heard her.
“Yes, baby. Yes,” he said breathless as he continued his relentless pace.
She clung to him, trying to catch her breath. She only had a second before the things he did and said to her captured her again and propelled her upward again.
“Please don’t stop,” she whispered. “Don’t ever stop.”
The moment the words left her lips, she wished she hadn’t implied there might be more to their evening than sex for her. She didn’t want to pressure him. Didn’t want to ruin the beautiful moment between them.
She soon realized it didn’t matter. Either Rick hadn’t heard or didn’t care. He lifted from her, thrusting harder and harder, and she sensed that he was close. Emotion played across his face in an erotic display of pleasure and need. She focused on him, letting herself get caught up once again in the sensations of having him inside.
The moment the look on his face changed, she clenched in response, knowing she’d brought him to this point. He paused, gripping her tightly and she followed his release with another sweet one of her own.
* * *
Rick tucked Erin tightly against him, loving the way her body fit against his. He drew a slow finger down her side and over her hip before hugging her again. “Thank you for that.”
“Thank you,” she answered with a soft laugh. “I feel wonderful.”
“Me, too.” He did, and the strength of it left him vulnerable. But he wasn’t afraid. This felt too right.
“I take it your back is much better,” she said with teasing in her voice. “From the way you performed, no one would have guessed you’d been flat on your back a few days before.”