Worth the Risk: (A Contemporary Bad Boy Romance)

by Weston Parker

  He could see the tears beginning to well up in her deep blue eyes before she closed them. When she opened them again, they resembled twin sapphires sparkling in the sunlight. "Wow, that was surprising," she said, her voice breathy and awed. "I expected you to say something like your golf handicap is +6."

  Brice laughed, his whole body tingling with an amazing warmth. It was as if he could physically feel the connection growing between them. Sliding closer he placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled Janna against him.

  She looked up at him, and her expression was both elated and anxious. Brice couldn't understand the anxiety she felt around him. Somehow he had to convince her to let her guard down. "It's your turn to ask a question." He felt her body move ever so slightly as her words came out.

  "Let's see," he said, leaning back and considering the opportunity. The mood was a bit heavy, and he thought it would be smart to lighten it back up. Putting his Mimosa down, he skated his now empty hand across his own body to brush gently up her arm. He couldn't help himself; he wanted to touch her. "I'm going to ask you a very intimate question now, but I hope you'll be honest with me."

  "What is it?" she asked, her voice hushed, breath baited.

  "What is in your refrigerator? Right now?"

  Her loud laugh echoed through the limo's interior. "You asshole!" She slapped at his roving hand lightly in punishment, but she didn't really bother to stop his ministrations. "I thought you were being serious."

  "I am," he said, pulling a dainty hand up to his mouth to kiss the back of it. "You can tell a lot about a lady by what she's got in her fridge."

  "Sure, sure," she said, removing her hand from his grasp and waving it around airily in his face. "Well, you know I live in a co-op, right? So there's all kinds of junk in the fridge that isn't mine." He nodded in understanding, and she continued. "I guess I've got some vegetable juice, some gluten free cake I baked a couple of days ago. It turned out quite nice, incidentally. Oh, and some leftover noodles. And dark chocolate. I looooove dark chocolate."

  "Hmm..." he said, nuzzling her neck. "Very interesting."

  "And just what exactly does all that tell you about me?"

  "That sounds like a question," he said, nipping at her earlobe until he felt her shiver against him. "Is that your turn?"

  "Hmm?" she asked as he did his best to distract her with lick around the delicate shell of her ear.

  "It's your turn to ask a question. Is that what you want to know?"

  "Uh...sure," she said, her voice coming out as a squeak when he sucked her earlobe into his hot mouth.

  "Okay," he said, pulling back to lean against the seat again and secretly celebrating when he heard her sigh in frustration. "Well, the vegetable juice says you take care of yourself. But that's obvious just from looking at you. Your body is like a machine, one I'd like to be responsible for keeping well-oiled." Her throaty laugh sent a shiver down his spine. "The cake says you're an original who likes to experiment. And as soon as I figure out what a gluten is, I'll be able to tell you more about that one."

  She laughed, the sound reminding him of the gentle patter of raindrops against a tile roof. He continued. "The noodles, now that says you're flexible and open to change. And the dark chocolate, well that, of course, tells me that you're a very sensual woman." His voice lowered, becoming husky, as he leaned back over to whisper in her ear. "A woman who knows what she wants, a woman of exquisite passion that I can't wait to taste again."

  He turned her face to his and captured her lips, sliding his tongue against the lower one until they parted and he could ravage her mouth. Just as he was moving his hand from her shoulder to cup a warm breast, the car stopped. Brice groaned into her mouth before she pulled away.

  "We're here!" she said, almost bouncing on her seat. Although he wasn't happy about having to let her out of his arms, he loved seeing her so excited.

  "And where exactly is 'here'?" he asked, but stepping out of the limo he soon had his answer.

  * * *

  Janna raced around the limo to stand beside Brice, wanting to watch his expression when he discovered their destination. She expected a pleased smile, but her excitement started to fade when she saw a mixture of pain and regret cross his face. Shit! What was wrong?

  Tony had told Janna that Brice used to love to sail and that he owned a 50-foot sailboat in a marina on Lake's End an hour away from town. He'd hinted that Brice had been too busy to enjoy his hobby lately and that he would appreciate a chance to sail again. Janna thought it was a perfect solution. She could learn how to sail, something she's always wanted to do while spending quiet time with him on the lake. Add in a couple of surprise extras, and a bet-winning date was born. At least, that was the idea.

  The expression on Brice's face, however, said otherwise.

  "Is something wrong?" she asked quietly when he just stood there and stared at his boat. She noticed the name on the boat, then, and winced.

  Father's Pride was scrawled across the side of the boat in bold, blue letters. "I'm sorry," she said, suddenly realizing the enormous error she'd made. "I didn't know. It belonged to your parents, didn't it?"

  Brice nodded, looking away from the boat and meeting her gaze. He must have seen the worry in her eyes because his hand cupped her cheek and he said, "It's okay. I just haven't been sailing since..."

  "We don't have to do this," she said, bringing her hand up to cover his. "I'm willing to forfeit."

  His half-smile made an appearance, and she knew it would be all right after all. "No. It's about time I got this baby back out on the water. Come on," he said, tugging her down the dock and toward his craft.

  It was a lovely sailboat, and Janna felt her excitement returning. As they climbed aboard, she admired the clean white lines of the ship around her. "I thought you could teach me some things about sailing," she said, leaning against the side and giving him a hopeful smile.

  "I'd love to," he said, pulling her into his arms for a quick kiss before releasing her and heading around to the main sail. Before long he was flinging orders in her direction, and she struggled to keep up as she uncoiled ropes and helped pull the sails into position. And then the wind caught them, and they glided away from the dock and out onto the open blue of the lake. The sun peeked out from behind a cloud and Janna wished she could capture the moment in a bubble to remember it forever.

  Chapter Seven

  They'd sailed to the center of the lake, and Brice's muscles ached in that good way, the way that said they'd been working at something they enjoyed. And Brice really did enjoy sailing. Especially with a beauty at his side, an incredible beauty who'd reminded him of one of the things he'd enjoyed most in life but had ignored for too long. Janna had helped him rediscover a part of himself that he'd kept locked away since his parents had passed, and he was very grateful for its return.

  The object of his gratitude was currently bent over, coiling a rope like he'd shown her how to do earlier. Her firm bottom called to him, and his cock started aching. Started aching? he thought to himself. It's been aching all day! With a groan, he adjusted himself for the hundredth time, barely restraining himself from going over and grinding his crotch against her delectable ass. At that moment she glanced over her shoulder at him, and the look in her eyes said she knew exactly what he was experiencing.

  To distract himself from his inappropriate thoughts Brice moved over to the controls and dropped the anchor. He then had Janna help him lower the sails. The warm breeze across the lake felt nice, and he figured now would be a good time to take a break, maybe convince her to move their date to the plush cabin below decks. "Well," he said, pulling her back against his front and ever so gently pressing himself against her, "we're parked. What have you got in mind now?"

  His words were whispered into her ear, and he felt her tremble lightly in his arms.

  "I thought we could go below," she said, her breathy voice making it his turn to tremble.

  "And...?"

  "And...have lunch.
" She laughed, pulling playfully out of his arms with a wiggle.

  Brice groaned. "Oh, I'm hungry all right, but not for food!"

  Janna dodged his attempt to grab her again and headed down the short steps to the boat's interior. He chased her, coming to a halt in the galley when his eyes met an elaborate lunch set up in the dining area.

  She turned around, raising her eyebrow at him impishly. "Are you sure you're not hungry?"

  No, he wasn't sure. All of his favorites from Apriles were spread out on the table in their decadent glory. He watched Janna slide into the booth and motion for him to join her. She then uncorked a bottle of $300 German Riesling and poured them each a glass. Brice picked up an herb-encrusted cheese puff that resembled a swan and popped it into his eager mouth, moaning with satisfaction. Chef LeRoux sure knew what he was doing.

  "These are all of my favorites," he said, filling up his plate as she smiled at him.

  "I know," she said. "Tony told me all about the things you like, from food to sailing."

  Realization washed over Brice in waves. So this was his assistant's not-so-subtle hint to get over his past. "Clever Tony," he muttered, helping himself to a piece of shrimp and chewing it methodically. Janna must have passed the background check, then. Perhaps this was Tony's way of letting Brice know that he approved of her and that he should let her into his life. If that was Tony's intent, Brice certainly shared it.

  "Tell me a little bit about the boat," Janna said. "I've really enjoyed sailing with you."

  Brice took a deep breath after a fortifying drink of wine. "My father bought this boat when I turned fifteen. He thought we needed to spend more time together as a family. My father had worked hard all of his life to manage the Masterson dynasty, and he realized when I became a teenager that he'd missed most of my growing up. He promised my mother and me that he would make it up to us, and then he bought this boat."

  "We learned to sail it together, and any time he had some free time we came out here, sailing around the lake, spending time together. Some of my favorite memories are on this boat."

  Janna leaned closer. "I'm sorry if this is too personal. I wanted to come up with something memorable, and when I found out you hadn't been sailing for a while, I thought this would be..."

  "Memorable?" She nodded at his words, and he pulled her close beside him. "Oh, it's definitely memorable. In a very good way."

  When she smiled, he captured her lips, and their lunch was soon forgotten in the haze of their passion. With a groan, Brice pulled her out of the booth and into his arms, lifting her up and wrapping her legs around his waist. He then carried her through the galley and into his cabin. It wasn't large, but the bed could fit two. Not wanting to release her lips, he gently went to his knees and set her on the bed in front of him, all while pressing his lips to hers.

  * * *

  Janna pulled away, looking around her. The room wasn't large, but it was definitely cozy. The bed was covered in plush navy-blue and white striped blankets and pillows. Across from the bed was the door that led back to the galley, on the back of which was hung a Reservoir Dogs poster. On the wall to the right was a small desk and chair, over which hung a bulletin board plastered with photos. The wall on the left held an armchair and a door which presumably led to the bathroom. Several shelves also lined the walls, holding artifacts from Brice's personal life that required inspection.

  With him still kneeling before her she rose and walked over to the shelves next to the arm chair. Besides holding a small stereo system and several CDs, it also had a shelf of paperbacks. "Science fiction, eh?" she asked when he finally stood and moved behind her. "I knew it. You're a nerd."

  "Reformed nerd."

  Janna smiled and moved slowly along the shelves, running her fingers along the rows of early 90's CDs, songs filled with angst and longing, sung by shaggy-haired guys dressed in dirty jeans and plaid shirts. She stopped before a shelf holding trophies of various sizes and colors. Each trophy had a little golden man atop it, his arm pulling back the string on a bow. "And what exactly are these?" she asked, unable to keep the teasing tone from her voice.

  Brice blushed. He actually blushed. He mumbled something; his eyes focused squarely on the patch of floor in front of him. "What was that?" she asked, twisting the screws a little tighter.

  "Archery trophies," he said, his blazing green eyes finally meeting hers. "I was regional champion in middle school. In high school, I even made it to the nationals." Brice was obviously embarrassed, but his look still held a tinge of pride.

  "Archery, huh?" she said, attempting to sound unimpressed. "So you're pretty good at hitting a target?"

  "Uh huh."

  "I might have some targets in need of hitting," she purred, moving closer to the bed. In less than a second, he was on her, a needy groan escaping his lips before he captured hers. He pushed her back against the mattress and climbed in beside her, never releasing her. His lips caressed hers, his tongue gently probing until she opened for him.

  His kisses stole her breath away. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. All she could do was feel, and it was heavenly. Brice peeled off her clothes, kissing and licking each exposed slice of skin. After divesting her of her white cotton bikini-cut panties featuring little sailboats, he turned her over, licking up one leg from her foot to the back of her knee, then doing the other.

  Janna moaned and wanted to cry in frustration when he paused to take off his clothes. Every time they made love, it felt like he was worshipping her body. Brice tasted her everywhere, and it was a decadent feeling, being loved so thoroughly. He slid his body upward against hers, pausing to nibble playfully at her butt cheeks. Brice moved to his knees, pulling her up with him. His hands moved to her front, cupping her breasts, tweaking her already swollen nipples.

  "You taste divine," he murmured as he licked her neck from shoulder to ear, then gave her earlobe small, stinging bites.

  The mixture of sensation was driving Janna crazy. Her head rolled back to rest against his shoulder, and he took the opportunity to claim her mouth again with his. She couldn't help it, she squirmed in his lap, rubbing herself against his throbbing erection. Brice chuckled, moving one hand to lightly cup the front of her neck while the other moved down to grasp his shaft. After putting on a condom, he moved his member up and down against her heated skin, from the cleft of her now weeping pussy, along her ass crack, and back again. Soon Janna was whimpering uncontrollably.

  "What do you want?" he asked, his hoarse voice warm against her ear.

  "You," she pleaded, her eyes closed and her head leaned back in ecstasy. He gripped her hips, pushing her to her knees as he positioned himself behind her. Finally, with infinite slowness, he embedded himself fully in her waiting sheath.

  "Bullseye," she said and heard him groan behind her. Their pace became feverish, her cries inciting his lust wildly until he was slamming into her from behind with force. "Don't stop!" she shouted, pushing back to meet him. The power of his thrusts drove Janna mad, and she took it all and wanted more.

  Brice sped up, his cock sliding back and forth at light speed, the friction against her sensitive inner muscles becoming nearly unbearable. She climaxed with a scream, pressing her face into the mattress to stifle her cries. Within seconds Brice let out a shout behind her, driving deep inside of her and finding his own release.

  "Damn, woman!" he exclaimed when he'd caught his breath enough to speak.

  "That was definitely trophy-worthy," she said and was thrilled when she heard him groan beside her.

  "Temptress," he mumbled against the skin of her neck as he pulled her tight against him once more.

  "But you just released your arrow, so to speak," she said in surprise when she felt his hardness against her thigh.

  "I've got a whole quiver full," he replied, licking around her ear before moving to claim her lips again. He replaced the condom, then pulled her beneath him as he positioned himself over her and thrust once again into her willing wetness.


  ***

  Janna woke suddenly. She hadn't intended to fall asleep. Grabbing the heavy arm that was thrown possessively across her chest, she pulled it up to check his watch. Shit!

  "Wake up, Brice!" she ordered, giving him a little shove.

  "Whatsamatta?" he asked drowsily, trying to pull her closer to him and snuggle back into sleep.

  "It's 3:30! We've got to head back toward the docks!"

  "Later," he said, nuzzling her neck.

  "Now," she countered. "Remember Rule #3?"

  "Stupid rules!"

  "You came up with them!"

  "So I should be able to break them!" His face was adorably pouty, but Janna wouldn't give in.

  "We must assure equality between the dates, remember? No extra time. So get up and show me how to get this boat headed in the right direction." Janna pulled herself out of his warm grasp, even though she really didn't want to, and quickly pulled on her clothes. By the time she had her white shorts zipped and navy blue boat neck top in place, Brice had stood and put on his boxer briefs. She gave him a playful smile that he willingly misinterpreted as permission to board and she slapped his hands away before they could grab her and skipped out of his quarters and back onto the deck.

  * * *

  Brice took his time pulling on his jeans, looking at his disheveled boyhood bed. It had never seen the kind of action that had taken place this afternoon, and he felt oddly glad about that. This boat only held good memories, memories of people he cared about, and the memories he'd hold onto from today would fit easily among the older ones.