Because Beards
Page 5
“Did you mean it?” he asked.
“Yes.” No. But she couldn’t admit it, and she sort of wanted to see the man grovel.
“Why? Because my router isn’t working? Because I refuse to obey at the snap of my VP’s fingers? These are illogical reasons.”
Whoa. He looked really pissed. “I don’t have to give you a logical reason.”
For a lengthy period, they stood facing each other without speaking. His hand remained splayed on the door, blocking her from opening it. The air became cooler with a light mist accompanying the breeze. His skin took on a wet sheen, and small drops of rain clung to his beard.
“Antonia. I didn’t mean it. I do…need you. You can’t quit.”
She blinked. It wasn’t the words he said; it was how he said them.
“I’m sorry,” he said, shocking her. “For being a jerk. I guess I’ve been by myself for too long. You’ve made me realize I can’t stay out here forever.”
“Does that mean you’ll come back?”
He dropped his hand from the door. “Yes. Under one condition.”
“Name it.”
“I didn’t ask you to come…but I am asking you to stay.”
“Stay? You mean for dinner or something?”
His gaze dropped and he appeared to be fighting a smile. “No. Stay the week. Help me get my groove back, so to speak. I’ll work. I’ll tell you what’s been going on in my head. I’ll even help you write media kits. At the end of the week, I promise I’ll drive home. Just don’t quit.”
Her mouth opened and closed, opened, and shut again. That was his condition? “Are you loco? I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because for one thing, I…I have to get back to Seattle.”
“I thought you took the week off.”
“Er, I did. But that was to give me enough time to find you.”
“And it only took you one day. You figured out what no one else could. I think you deserve a week off. Consider it mandatory.”
Didn’t he get it? “Staying with you is inappropriate. How about I grab a hotel room in the nearest town? We can meet up at a local diner or a library and work there for the next few days.”
His gaze turned hard again. “No. It’s here or nowhere.”
You entitled ass. “I can’t share the CEO’s vacation house with him! Period. You don’t have a spare bedroom.”
“No one will know you’re here.” He glanced behind him. “I’ll sleep in the Airstream. You can have the house. Think about it. You’ll have my full, undivided attention for five days.”
Tempting. Very tempting. Most tempting offers were classified as such because they fulfilled desire. Desire usually meant one wanted something enough they were willing to be stupid. Stupid decisions led to regret or consequences. Consequences sometimes weren’t worth satisfying a selfish act.
Then again, it was her dream house, and she’d love a few days off. And, of course, there was him.
“If I stay, you’ll leave this weekend? For good?”
He gave a single nod.
“And you won’t tell anyone I was here?”
He shook his head.
As a friend of hers would say, this was a PNR situation. Point of no return. Having Justin to herself was a dream come true and a total professional nightmare at the same time. Too much proximity. Too much one-on-one. But she couldn’t say no. “All right. Deal.”
Without a word, he grabbed her items from the car and headed back to the house.
Justin blew out a relived breath. That was close. During her tantrum about not getting work done, he didn’t take her that seriously, but when she announced she’d quit and stormed out, the panic hit him like a freight train.
Two thoughts popped in his head: Get her back. Say anything.
If she hadn’t agreed to stay, he was scary close to blurting, Yeah? Well I think I’m in love with you, so maybe it’s better if you quit!
Good thing he didn’t have to go that far.
Eventually he’d switch the router on—they should get some work accomplished—but for tonight, that wouldn’t be part of their evening.
“Make yourself at home,” he said, putting her bags on the sofa. “There’s wine. Beer. Snacks. Cheesecake. The pantry and the fridge are full. Take whatever you want.”
“I’d really like to clean myself up, if that’s okay.”
A vision sprung to mind. The two of them in the shower, him mapping her entire body with his tongue. Yeah, scratch that from your mind before you get hard. He pointed to the left. “Through there, as you’ve already guessed. There’s a tub too, but it’s not in the bathroom.”
Her eyes lit up. “Where is it?”
He gestured for her to follow him. Around the kitchen, on the other side of the house, was an acrylic freestanding tub with a handheld sprayer. He’d had it placed in the corner for an exclusive view of the lake and backyard.
By the way her mouth parted in awe, she loved it. She traced her fingertips along the edge. “It’s perfect.”
God, he wanted to kiss her. Was the time ever going to be right? He cleared his throat. “I’ll show you how to control the lights and curtains.”
He gave her a quick demonstration on how to operate everything with the remote, including the fireplace. He turned on the TV, even though he’d killed her ability to watch movies without the internet, except by his DVD collection.
She perused his bookcase. “Hm. Goonies. Spaceballs. Lethal Weapon…someone likes male-driven shenanigans movies.”
He hid a smile, and gave a fake cough. “Want to know a secret?”
Her brows lifted.
“Legally Blonde is in the Rocky case, hidden beneath the special features DVD.”
She laughed. “I’ll take it to my grave.”
A few moments of silence passed between them before he realized there wasn’t anything else he needed to show her. “Right, so…you should have everything you need.” He scooped up his books and laptop and tucked them under an arm. “I’ll be in the Airstream if you need me.”
She opened her mouth to say something, then smiled. “Gracias. I’ll see you in the morning.”
His smile faded as he opened the door to the trailer. What was he doing, walking away from her? He should’ve offered more. He should’ve found a way for her to need him so he wouldn’t be stuck in his trailer all night. He had Antonia Ruiz all to himself and he’d just…left her there.
For now.
He killed time writing in his brainstorm journal, and listened to a podcast he’d saved on his laptop. When the sun slid behind the horizon, he was beyond restless.
He put on a jacket and grabbed his flashlight, thinking he should check on the boat, make sure it was anchored and secured. Deliberately keeping his eyes off the house, he strode to the beach.
The boat was fine.
He walked along the shore, threw rocks in the water, then cut through the forest to make sure birds hadn’t made nests on the septic tank.
The lights coming on from the house illuminated through the trees.
He looked up.
Antonia stood in front of the window, wearing a silk robe, loosely tied at her waist, showing a wealth of womanly breasts and lacey panties. She stared out at the trees, tracing her fingertip along the edge of the robe’s collar.
His stomach dropped, and he let out a disbelieving breath. He swung around, wiping the sweat from his upper lip, knees weak.
He shouldn’t look. Squeezing his eyes shut, he cursed, took two steps forward…and stopped. No matter how much he burned for one quick glance, to take advantage of this moment, it was wrong.
“Shit.” The flashlight. She might’ve seen him out here. He switched it off.
Wait. Did she know he was in her direct line of sight? Had she done that on purpose? He hesitated, debating whether he should march forward to the beach, or let his eyes drink up the ultimate view.
I’m so goddamn weak.
He turned around, squatted behind
the tank, and looked.
She untied her robe, slowly, and let it drop to the floor.
He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, but damn if his cock didn’t twitch. Every line of her captivated him. Full breasts with dark, little nipples, a soft waist, thick hips and thighs. A lacy thong covering that part of her where he’d imagined his mouth to be over and over.
He slowly lifted his gaze to her face. Was that a smile? He couldn’t really tell from the distance.
She turned around and reached into the water.
He made a fist and bit it with a groan. He relished this showcase of her deliciously plump ass while she gathered her hair in a loose bun, removed her panties, and climbed in.
With his cock hard as steel, he trudged back to the trailer and slammed the door. He needed a drink. The only thing he had in the trailer was warm tequila.
Good enough.
He splashed a good portion over ice and sipped on it for a while, listening to a favorite Seattle band, when there was a knock on the door.
Half buzzed, he dropped his head back before forcing himself up and opening the door.
Antonia smiled up at him, wearing a white, ankle-length dress with a modest slit on her left leg.
God have mercy. “Hey.” His voice was rough.
“I’m starving. I found salmon in your fridge and thought you might be hungry? I made enough for the both of us.”
He didn’t respond, tongue-tied, remembering her luscious body naked.
She started to back up, a gleam in her eyes. “Come on. I like my food hot.”
As soon as he walked in, his mouth watered. Two plates with salmon, a side salad, and the rest of his quinoa. A bottle of wine stood near her plate, a third of it empty. He raised a brow, glad to see he wasn’t the only one drinking.
She’d cooked the salmon to perfection. It practically melted in his mouth, and when he finished, she seemed pleased that he’d cleaned his plate.
She set her chin in her hand and smiled. “I’m good, no?”
Ah man, she’s so lovely like that. “You’re good.”
“Found your cheesecake. Thought I could smother it with some chocolate syrup, but only if you share it with me.”
She created their dessert, swirling a generous amount of chocolate over the slice. His buzz started to wane now that he’d eaten, but his lust hummed consistently, especially when his gaze kept traveling to the center of her breasts every time she leaned over to cut a bite of cheesecake.
“It’s so quiet out here,” she said, bringing the fork to her mouth. “And dark. Are you ever scared being alone in a glass house in the woods?”
He shook his head.
She laughed softly. “I suppose a man like you isn’t afraid of much, no?”
Her accent came out a lot more when she drank, with her putting “no” almost after every question, something he’d picked up on at the summer BBQ and Christmas party. Each time, he found it more adorable. He swallowed his bite. “What is there to be afraid of? The forest monster coming to eat me?”
She leaned in. “Anything coming to eat you. Come on, admit it. You’ve heard a noise or saw a movement in the trees and got a little scared.”
“A bird flew into the window once. I think I jumped.”
“Oh, the poor thing! Your house treeked it.”
“Treeked? You mean tricked?”
She rolled her eyes and shrugged. “That’s what I said.”
He grinned, then pointed to the last bite on the plate. “Are you going to claim that?”
She pushed away from the table, shaking her head with a grin. “I never take the last bite. It’s rude.”
He chuckled. Maybe it was the fact he’d rarely interacted with anyone in person for a long time, or maybe he was just sick of his own company, but he hadn’t felt this—content? in ages.
It was her. She made the difference.
Shit. He was in trouble.
Antonia got up and picked up the dirty plates. He caught a whiff of the soap she used, and he had the urge to moan, haul her across the table and into his arms. It was getting ridiculous how much he had to fight his impulses.
He shot up from his seat. “Thanks for dinner.”
Her brows rose. “You’re leaving?”
“Yeah.”
“All right. If that’s what you want.” She held his gaze, almost challenging him.
He wanted to split her dress down the front, spread her legs, and fuck her hard and deep until she cried happy tears. The invitation in her eyes was unmistakable, and yet he couldn’t make a move. He opened the back door. “See ‘ya.”
“You saw me, didn’t you?”
He paused and met her gaze. “What?”
“I know you did, because I saw you first. In the trees.” She took a step toward him. “I wanted you to see me.”
“Antonia—”
She groaned, shoulders sagging. “I don’t want to fight anymore. Let’s stop pretending. You want me. You think I’m blind? I see it. You want to be close to me. And I want you. There. I said something I thought I’d never say.” She searched his face. “Am I wrong?”
He swallowed. “You’re wrong.”
“You’re lying.”
“You know what you look like. You’re beautiful and sexy, and…I’ve been out here alone for a while. Of course I’m going to look at you when you’re standing naked in front of a window, but I’m not going to…touch you.”
A fucking lie if he ever told one. His stomach plummeted at the hurt look on her face. He’d humiliated her to save his pride. He shot her down because he didn’t like being told he was so transparent, or that he was weak, and that it was okay. With a soft curse, he left the house and walked toward the trailer.
To his annoyance, she followed him. “Justin.”
He kept marching, ignoring her, feeling the weakness closing in.
“Why are you pushing me away?”
“I’m not. I’ve always been like this.”
“You don’t have to be. I think I know why you came out here. You’re unhappy. You imagined getting away from it all would fill that…that void. We all experience it. Sometimes our dreams let us down, even when they’re fulfilled—”
He whipped around so quick she bumped into him and gasped. Locking an arm around her waist, he swooped down and claimed her mouth. Her lips were hot, and she tasted like chocolate, sugar, and pure woman. A helpless sound escaped his throat.
Her hand slid inside up his chest and raked his hair while she swirled her tongue with his with greedy passion.
He moaned and ran his free hand down, inside the open slit of her dress, caressing her thigh, finding her skin warm and silky. He boldly went around her hip and grabbed her ass, pressing her body closer to his so she could feel how hard he was.
He wanted her so badly he could barely stop his body from shaking with need. The more and more they kissed, the closer he got to falling to his knees and confessing she had him, owned him, that he could lose himself in her if she let him. That was real power she had.
He broke away and took a step back.
Their deep breaths made white clouds in the dark, cold air. Her lips were swollen and her breasts rose and fell.
Eventually, he was going to succumb to her. It was inevitable. A matter of time. But not tonight, with her tipsy enough to regret it and blame it on the alcohol.
He drew in a deep breath, jaw clenching as his exhaled. He should get a fucking award for rejecting his ultimate temptation. “Go to bed.” He turned for the trailer.
“You’re walking away again?” she asked.
“As I said, I’ve always been like this.”
The first thought that came to her when she woke up the next morning?
It was the vino. Wine made her confident. Overly confident it seemed, because even though she’d gotten the kiss that destroyed all memories of kisses before it, she’d essentially been rejected.
She didn’t know why. Unlike most men, Justin seemed to get an
gry about his attraction to her, he kissed like a man starved for sex, and yet wanted to punish her for it.
She’d been so wet and turned on, she’d been seconds away from begging him to take her to bed, which appalled the hell out of her. Antonia Ruiz didn’t beg any man for anything. They did the begging.
She grabbed a pillow and screamed her frustration into it. The dog barked and she took the pillow away from her face with a smile. He wagged his tail eagerly. It was as though he smiled at her. She sat up. “Yes, I know, Fletch. I threw myself at him, but I don’t regret it.”
She got up, dressed, and let him out to do his business. She glanced at the Airstream. Justin had better keep his promise. Mad-hot mutual attraction aside, they had things to do. When she checked the wireless router, she found the cable connection wasn’t in all the way, and realized he’d sabotaged it on purpose.
She smiled and shook her head. “Men.”
The internet worked perfectly after that, and even though she was supposed to be on vacation, she checked her email and spent an hour catching up on social media. It was after nine o’clock and Justin had yet to make an appearance, so she turned on her favorite playlist on her laptop and started making breakfast. He had enough food to feed a small country.
She was singing along, flipping pancakes, and occasionally tossing the dog fatty pieces of ham when Justin appeared. She didn’t notice him until he cleared his throat and shut the door.
How long had he been standing there? “Morning,” she greeted.
“Smells good in here.”
“I’m making strawberry pancakes with a side of ham. Need coffee?”
“Desperately.”
She made him a plate of food and poured him a mug, then went to turn down the music. “You’ll be impressed to know I fixed the router.”
Head down, he cut into his pancakes, a hint of a smile on his lips. “Did you?”
“Now nothing can stop us from getting work done.”
“Hooray,” he said dryly before sipping coffee. There were dark circles under his eyes.
“Did you get much sleep?” she asked.
“Define much.”
“More than four hours?”
“Then no, but that’s usually the case for me.”