A blush crept up my cheeks. Calling me his girlfriend - the nerve of the man! I wanted to set him straight there and then, but before I could object, Ashmita called out, “Kids! Snack inside!”
Her call had an immediate effect: the children, squealing and jostling each other, were racing to get back in, and the yard was whisper quiet within three seconds flat.
“The kids are great, aren’t they?” Ryan waved to Rosie and her friends, their noses pressed against the window.
“Yeah, they are. Thanks for bringing me here.”
“No problem. I knew you were going to like it. It’s just so rewarding to see them happy with the little they have. That reminds me, I think it’s time for me to make you happy.” He turned to face me, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
“Oh yes? How’re you going to do that, I wonder? By being my kind and considerate boyfriend?” Still annoyed with his earlier remark, I couldn’t suppress the tone of sarcasm in my voice.
He chuckled. “I’ll be a lot more, I’ll promise you that.”
My gaze slid down from his cocky grin, down to his broad shoulders, down to his solid chest. I remembered how hard and strong his muscles had felt when I was pressed against him during our kiss. An involuntary shiver ran along my spine. “You better make good on that promise. I can hardly wait what your plans are for me now.”
“Are you hungry? Dinner?”
“As long as we’re not going to be mobbed by your crazy fans again.”
“Don’t worry, I can assure you they won’t bother us tonight.”
He took out his phone and dialed a number. “Hi, it’s Ryan McFarlane. I’m coming over to pick it up, I’ll be about twenty minutes.”
He flashed a mysterious smile, and after saying goodbye to the kids, helped me into the car. Before long, we reached the town and stopped in front of a little local restaurant, where Ryan picked up two paper bags. After parking the car, we walked through the resort’s lush tropical gardens to his bure. The thatched-roofed cottage had the same hardwood floors, handwoven mats, and lofty ceilings as mine, but was laid out in its mirror image.
He poured me a glass of red wine and directed me to the dining table on the wooden deck. It had a spectacular view of the shimmering private plunge pool, and beyond, the Pacific Ocean. The sun was setting in streaks of orange and yellow. I sat back, sipping my wine, while a light breeze caressed my face. To my amazement, I had thoroughly enjoyed spending the day with Ryan. He had been funny, kind, and caring. And he seemed to be genuine, especially with the kids. It didn’t seem like he had been putting on an act.
Soon, he came out with plates of traditional Fijian food: fish, prawns, taro, curry, and salad. He spooned a little of each dish on a plate and passed it to me. Taking a bite of the spicy kokoda fish, I said, “I had such a great time today. The kids were so cute.”
Ryan spooned rice on both our plates and sat next to me. “You can’t tell, but some of them come from troubled backgrounds and had a really tough start to life. They don’t just need a roof over their head and food on the table, but they also need to feel safe, to feel loved.”
“I think they’re in good hands with Ashmita.”
“Yeah, they’re taken care of well. A lot of kids aren’t as lucky.” He stared into space, as if this had triggered a painful memory.
“I read somewhere that your parents died when you were young.” I wasn’t sure if it was too sensitive a topic to bring up, but I had a sudden desire to know more about him.
“They were killed in a car accident. My older brother basically brought me and my little brother up. It’s sad to see those kids grow up without parents. At least I knew my parents till I was fourteen. I still have great memories of them. Those kids have nothing.”
“I agree. When you visit a place like that you find yourself grateful for what you have. My parents split up when I was little, and I haven’t had much contact with my Dad after he left my Mom for someone else. But at least I had a family, a home to come back to. My Mom has always been there for us, even though my Dad wasn’t.”
Ryan nodded. “That’s how I feel about my brother. You have a sister, right?”
I winced. “I haven’t been very close to her. She’s so different from me. She’s the older, responsible one, and she still lives in our home town with a job in some call center. I think she’s perfectly happy with her life. Mom keeps on rubbing that in. And although I’ve had some success in Hollywood, sometimes I’m more jealous of her than the other way around.”
There, I had done it again. Telling him more about myself than I had planned to. I pressed a napkin to my mouth and focused my attention to the sparkles playing on the surface of the pool.
“I think your sister has a lot to be jealous of.” Ryan lightly stroked my hair with the back of his hand. It sent an involuntary chill through my body.
“Yeah, like having dinner with the dashing star of Remorse.”
“Hey, you’re a pretty big star yourself. I really liked you in Fire Zombies. Do you know that I’ve seen all your movies?”
Surprised, I turned my head to dare a glance at him. Wrong move. He had captured my gaze, and I was incapable of breaking it.
“No way. I don’t believe that for a second. I bet you haven’t seen Into the Dark.”
“You mean where you got killed when making out in the woods? Your first movie? Yep, seen it twice. I actually liked you in that, you were so young and cute. It made me angry that they finished you off early in the movie.” I was shocked. Why would he have done all that research on me, only for a lousy bet? Or was there more to him than I had thought?
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were a fan.”
“Who says I’m not? I’ve been a fan for a very long time.” He cradled my face with his hand, lightly stroking my cheek with his thumb. It caused my pulse to take a crazy leap.
“In—in that case, do you want my autograph?”
“I was hoping to get more than that.”
He slid his hand to the back of my neck and lowered his mouth to mine.
When our lips met, I felt an electric current pulsing through me, setting my whole body alight. His tongue entered my mouth, stroking mine, softly at first, then more vigorously in a long hot assault. His divine scent and taste pervaded my mind and my body, and I didn’t think of anything else but his lips to mine, his body to mine.
When we finally broke our kiss, my face was flushed, and I fanned it with my hand. “Wow, it’s hot here.”
Ryan flashed a wicked, crooked smile. “Maybe it’s time to cool down.”
I pouted at him. “Cool down? I don’t know, I think I like hot better.”
He stood up and held his hand out to me. “Come.”
I placed my hand in his, and he led me down the steps to the sunken area of the plunge pool. He grinned. “I can assure you, cool is better.”
He put his hands on my shoulders and spun me around. Pulling me back against his chest, his arms encircled me, his hands slowly unbuttoning my blouse. He slid it off my shoulders, brushing his fingertips along my arms. It sent shivers all over my body. Then he pushed down my skirt, which dropped to the floor, and I stepped out of my high heels, leaving me standing in my lacy bra and panties.
“All in red… oh, I like it,” he whispered in my ear.
I turned around, wanting to touch him. I reached out my hand, but he grasped my wrist and breathed, “Stay there, don’t move.”
“But—”
“I want to look at you. Mmm, you’re so beautiful.” I could feel his heated gaze burning my skin where it traced its path. Hesitantly, I took a step forward, until I was so close to him that I could feel the heat emanating from his body. “I want to see you, too.” My voice sounded hoarse, needy.
“Off,” I whispered.
Keeping his gaze locked with mine, he undid the buttons of his dress shirt, one by one, tantalizingly slowly. My eyes wandered eagerly to the opening of his shirt that with each unfastened button reveale
d more of his chest, unveiling his sculpted muscles highlighted by the shimmering light of the pool. I drew in a sharp breath when his shirt fell to the floor - he looked stunning, like some kind of Greek god.
Tracing my fingertips along the contours of his chest muscles, I felt hot desire building inside of me, converging in the intimate place between my thighs. Excited, I continued my exploration downward, across his perfectly shaped abs, to his navel, and further down, following the thin trail of dark hair.
Hastily, he undid his belt and the buttons of his jeans. Leaving his boxer briefs on, I slowly pushed his jeans down to his ankles, sliding my hands along the hard, undulating muscles of his perfect legs. Pulling me up, he stepped out of his jeans. He leaned forward and covered my mouth with his. He tasted so hot, so good.
But suddenly I felt the ground taken away from under my feet - he swept me in his arms, took two steps forward, and jumped in the pool. The splash momentarily startled me, but the cool water felt wonderful on my skin. Released from his arms, I swirled around in the pool, relishing the feeling of coolness.
Ryan was under water, and when he surfaced, he looked straight at me, his eyes burning fiercely. “Come here.” His voice was commanding.
I gave him a mischievous smile. “If you want me, come and get me.” I splashed water in his face, quickly dived in and swam to the other side of the pool. I thought he wouldn’t be able to catch up with me, but before I knew it, I already felt his muscular arms around my waist. His hard chest pressing against my back, I tried to struggle free, but his arms kept me locked in place.
“You’re gonna pay for that,” he breathed in my ear.
Roughly, he turned me around, so I was facing him, and pressed his wet, soft lips against mine. He pulled me towards him, putting his hands around my waist, then skimming the length of my back, skimming my sides, skimming the contours of my bra. A whirl of passion raged inside of me, all remnants of reason evaporated from my mind.
His fingers found the clasp of my bra, released it, and slid it off my arms. Abandoning my lips, his mouth started a trail of kisses from my jaw to behind my ear, down to my neck, my collarbone, my breasts, while slowly lifting me out of the water. He finally closed his lips around my nipple, which stiffened instantly to an unbearable tightness.
I let out a groan as his expert tongue teased, pulled, and suckled while his hand palmed my other breast. His other hand was on my hip, one moment pulling down my panties, the next stroking my inner thigh. Yearning for his touch, I parted my legs, and he slowly slid his finger in my most intimate flesh. His thumb found my sensitive spot, circling it gently. Letting out a moan, I bucked my hips against him. My world was spinning out of control, flames of passion heating every inch of my body. Moments later, my inner muscles were contracting around him, in an explosion of fiery sensations.
Afterwards, I put my head against his shoulder and my arms draped around his neck, feeling fully relaxed as I floated in the water. I slid my hand down to reach for him, but he grasped me and whispered, “Later.”
He pulled me to the side of the pool and helped me step out of the water. From a chair, he picked up a large towel and enveloped me in its soft fluffiness. After wrapping a towel around his hips, he put his arm around me and led me inside.
The enormous bed in the middle of the room was scattered with flower petals, and I could smell their heady fragrance when Ryan lifted me gently onto the mattress. He lay down on his side next to me, propped on one elbow. His hand lightly stroked my cheek, causing me to catch my breath.
“Kate, tonight is all about you. Tell me what you want.”
“I want you. Inside me,” I breathed.
“Let me unwrap you first.” He slowly opened up the towel, and when I was fully unwrapped, he gazed down at my body, his eyes glowing with reverence.
“Kate… you look so incredibly beautiful.”
At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to feel his hard, perfect body on mine. And judging by the heat in his gaze, he was thinking along the same lines. But instead of crushing my body with his, he lifted his hand and touched my cheek with his fingertips - a mere featherlight brush that slowly moved along my jaw, down to my chin, into my neck. And then around my shoulders, along the edges of my breasts, across my ribs until he reached my stomach, where he circled around my navel. An involuntary shiver went through me.
“You need unwrapping, too,” I whispered. I pulled the towel off his hips and started peeling down his boxer briefs. But before I had time to admire his impressive arousal, he turned over to reach towards the bedside table, and in one smooth movement, he tore the wrapper of a condom and sheathed himself.
And the next moment, his mouth was on mine, and our tongues were stroking, tangling, devouring. His hands were everywhere - on my sides, my hips, my breasts, kneading and rolling my nipples until I let out loud moans of pleasure.
“Ryan, come on. Inside,” I panted. As if on cue, he urged my legs wider with his knees, and he stayed at my entrance for a moment before he slowly filled me. I stretched open my folds, savoring the wonderful sense of fullness. He kept his gaze locked with mine while he drove into me again and again, with strokes long, slow, and deep. The pressure was building up inside of me, and I cried out his name, craving for release.
“I love you, Kate,” he whispered in my ear, and plunged deep inside, drawing out a moan from me. But then he withdrew almost completely. “Do you love me?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” I wanted to thrust my hips forward to draw him deep inside of me, but I couldn’t move; he had pinned me down.
He breathed, “Say it… say it to me.”
I couldn’t wait any longer; I was overcome by desire. “I love you, Ryan.”
With that, he slid deep inside, again and again, taking me over the edge and shattering my world in a thousand pieces.
When I woke, it was still dark. Ryan was fast asleep next to me, his heavy breathing against my bare shoulder. He lay on his side, with his arm wrapped around me, a warm hand on my stomach. What had happened last night? I couldn’t remember details of our lovemaking; it felt more like a dream. But I remembered the feelings I’d experienced: a heady mix of passion, tenderness, ecstasy, and fulfilment. I couldn’t suppress a smile at the thought.
I looked at the clock: 4.30am. All of a sudden, I remembered that it was the last day of filming. A strange feeling washed over me; there was something I had to remember, something to do with it being the last day.
Then it suddenly dawned on me. Today was also the last day of the bet. The bet that Ryan had made to get me in bed, to get me to say I loved him. Oh no! Had I said it while we were making love? It suddenly came back to me, Ryan on top of me, his eyes full of yearning, asking—no, insisting—I’d say it to him, before he took me over the edge, into oblivion.
Only now did I realize why he had been so insistent: to win that disgusting bet. I was furious with myself. Why, oh why, had I let things go so far? Of all things, I should have seen that one coming. But he had taken advantage of me in the heat of the moment, when I was at my weakest, at my most vulnerable. Suddenly I felt dirty and used.
Carefully, I slipped from his embrace and off the bed. He stirred, turned to his other side and thankfully, continued sleeping. I collected my clothes from the floor and quickly got dressed. I opened the door and walked back to my bure in the quiet of the early morning.
I still couldn’t imagine what kind of person would stoop so low, to hurt someone else’s feelings just to win fifty bucks. But he wasn’t the only one to blame. I had fallen into his trap with open eyes. How could I not have seen that he had lured me in by taking me to the orphanage and plying me with delicious Fijian food before going in for the kill? The idiot I had been to believe him, to fall for him, while he only cared about getting me into bed and making me say those three dreadful words.
But what was done was done - I had lost, he had won. Still, the bastard shouldn’t get away with it scot-free. So I took out my cellphone, dialed a numb
er, and left a voice message. Perhaps it was childish of me to go through with this. But I was certain it would feel good to wipe the smirk he would surely have after winning the bet, off his face.
It was a sunny morning, with the clear blue sky serving as a perfect backdrop for the swaying palm trees, but I couldn’t enjoy any of it when I walked to the set a few hours later, with last night’s events still playing over and over in my mind.
“Kate, hey.”
It was Ryan, right behind me. At once, I quickened my step, hoping I would reach the set before him so I didn’t have to talk.
“Wait up.” Ryan grabbed my arm from behind, and spun me round to face him. It pained me to see he still looked gorgeous, although he clearly hadn’t shaven. His hair was tousled and his blue-striped shirt half unbuttoned, revealing his bronzed muscled chest.
“Listen, I wanted to tell you something this morning, but when I woke up, you were gone.”
I turned my head sideways, avoiding his gaze. “Ryan, it’s alright. You don’t need to explain. I already know.”
“What do you—”
“Guys, you’re on. Hurry up, Becky is waiting.” One of the director assistants ran towards us, holding up the clapperboard. I seized my chance to free my arm from Ryan’s grip and hurried to the set.
To my horror, the very last scene we had to shoot was the kissing scene, the one that Ryan had screwed up when he got distracted by his fans. I told myself to be strong—a great actress would not be fazed by this. I would simply suppress my emotions and follow the script to the letter.
In the first few takes, we didn’t reach the kissing part as the wind kept on blowing my sunhat off. When it was finally time for the kiss, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Soon I felt Ryan pressing his mouth against mine. His lips were warm, firm. My heart jumped, but I willed it back under control. I let him take the lead, his lips expertly brushing and gliding against mine.
His hands were sliding down my sides, his fingers lightly caressing the small of my back. He deepened our kiss, and for a moment I forgot about my resolve. It felt so damn good kissing him, his hard body pressed against mine. His masculine scent went straight to my head, intoxicating me. But when the kiss was over, it all came back to me, and I chided myself for succumbing to him again. It just showed what a great actor he was, convincing to the end. Thank God I was about to get my revenge.
Vengeful Love: A Summer Love Story (contemporary romance) (Sizzling Summer Romance) Page 3