“We need to slow this down.” His breathing was ragged.
She didn’t want slow. I need it now! Fast, hard, and hot. Reaching again for him he held her hands away.
“Unless you have a condom on you, I suggest we continue this in the bedroom.”
How could she have gotten so wrapped up in pleasure she wasn’t even thinking of consequences? Foolish. Jill pulled her hands to her side, “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”
Ross smiled at her, then kissed her lightly. He took her by the hand, leading her to the cabin.
Am I sure this is what I want? Pushing aside the last shred of doubt, absolutely, she let him lead the way.
He never had a problem keeping his self-control in check with other women, but with Jill it was difficult when she was near, and almost impossible with her standing completely naked before him. The thought of another man looking at her, never mind touching her intimately, drove him mad. He wanted to take her, make her his. Instead he summoned all his restraint. Gently he kissed her lips, then her jaw, moving to her collarbone. Moans rippled through her body as his lips captured one perky nipple, his hand pinching the other. “Jill, you’re so beautiful, I can barely control myself.”
He tore the foil packet and sheathed himself. With her standing, he nudged her legs apart slightly with his knee and began to stoke her clit with his index finger. He tipped her chin up so he could see the desire in her eyes. “Tell me, do you like it like this?” His finger circled her slowly. Jill nodded. “Or do you like it like this?” He increased the pressure and stroked more vigorously. She held her breath and gripped his shoulders. “Or maybe this?” He slipped a finger inside while his thumb stroked her clit.
She cried out in pleasure. “Yes.”
When she was close to release he stopped and replaced his hand with his hard cock, teasing her, letting only the head enter her then rubbing it over her clit—in and out, over and over again until he could feel her juices flowing, and she was shuddering in his arms. “Yes, that’s it, give yourself to me.” Her nails dug into him. She clung for support as her release shook her to the core.
Before her body regained control, he picked her up in his arms. “Wrap your legs around me.” She did so. He slowly slipped his cock inside her, letting her get used to the feel of him. As she settled, he gripped her ass and lifted her again and again to meet his thrust. She was wild in his arms, arching her back and throwing her head back, unable to contain her pleasure.
“Please, Ross. Please,” she begged.
He lifted her even higher for a deeper thrust. Her body shook, and he felt her clench tightly around him. So hot. She’s so fucking hot. He couldn’t hold back any longer. Leaning back against the wall, he exploded in a release stronger than he’d ever had.
Ross laid her on the bed and came to rest beside her. Both of them were panting. Reaching down, he pulled the sheets up to cover them. “You’re an amazing woman, Jill Aragao.”
She said nothing, only curled up into his arms, resting her head on his chest.
Time. All we need is time.
Chapter Twelve
‡
No dream that night. There was no need for one. She was content, resting peacefully in the arms of the man that she . . . She what? Jill knew she had feelings for him, and she had never felt this way about a man before. Well, that’s obvious, I was a virgin. It was by choice, not lack of interest by other men. She hadn’t met anyone she cared enough about to want to commit sexually. Even though she and Ross hadn’t spent much time together over the last few months, their conversations had opened her eyes to the real Ross Whitman. He was strong-minded, funny, and incredibly intelligent. She was obviously physically attracted to him, but she wasn’t sure about the rest yet. He was still hard to read. Most times damn impossible. He hadn’t yet explained why he was holding her against her will. And I haven’t told him I really wanted to stay either. There was only one thing still troubling her: Lizette and Elaine would be worried since she hadn’t returned to New York. Tomorrow she would need to insist they head back. Even if I don’t want to. She didn’t know exactly what this was. It was way too early to call it love. Love required commitment, honesty, and openness. We aren’t there yet, but I know I want to be. Maybe when they were back in New York things would be clearer.
As he lay there sleeping soundly, she entertained herself by letting her fingers play with the small patch of hair on his chest. Then she traced over his shoulder, his neck, and his jaw. He was absolutely perfect. She raised herself onto one elbow to get a better view. His jaw was covered in morning stubble. Very sexy. She had only seen him clean-shaven. Slowly she tugged at the sheet with her toes to pull it lower on him, down to his stomach, then his hips, until it revealed his private parts. They may have made love twice, but she wanted to see him, all of him, and what better time than when he was sleeping?
She saw the fine hairs that trailed from his bellybutton to his manhood. She had never seen him without an erection. It looked so soft and delicate. You were so hard when you were in my mouth earlier. He had been so large and hot. And I liked it. Jill had to resist the temptation to touch it as that surely would wake him.
Was it her imagination or did it twitch? No, it wasn’t it. It was . . . getting hard, a full erection. How? I didn’t do anything at all!
“Are you satisfied with your exploration?”
She turned to face him. Had he been awake the entire time? Blushing in embarrassment, she tried to hide her face by rolling over.
He stopped her and said, “I’m up now, what do you plan on doing about it?”
Still blushing but wanting to give to him as he had her, she asked shyly, “What would you like me to do?”
“Come here, and I’ll show you.”
The rest of the morning had been spent getting to know each other physically. She had made a point of telling him that the afternoon was going to be about learning about each other’s life and what made them tick. This should be fun. That wasn’t at all what he wanted to do. If she wanted to share fine, but that wasn’t who he was.
“Ready?” she asked and joined him on deck.
Never. He could only hope her questions were things he could answer, or better yet, things he was willing to answer. “What do you want to know?”
There was a long silence. That wasn’t a good sign. That meant she was putting thought into her questions. “Would you like me to start?” Maybe he could guide them to the track he was willing to follow.
She nodded. “That would be great. What do you want to know about me?”
“You told me about your parents, tell me about your sister.”
“That is a tough one. She is brilliant, and learning comes easily to her. It didn’t matter what course she took, she always got A’s.”
That wasn’t really what he was looking for, but it was a start. “Are you close?”
Jill looked out over the sea, “Not really. I’m a . . . disappointment to her.”
There was no way that could be true. Jill was amazing. “What makes you believe that?”
She turned to Ross and said, “I have no degree, nothing. I barely got my diploma from high school. She has her PhD in Engineering.”
“Okay, is that all? A piece of paper?”
Shaking her head she said, “You don’t understand. Like what happened at the fundraiser two days ago. I was lucky it went as well as it did. Imagine, I planned a casual event and let people bring their dogs. What if something had gone wrong?”
“That is a lot of what ifs,” he said with a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You need to think of what it was. It was fun, people enjoyed themselves, and you raked in more money than the agency had anticipated. That’s successful, if you ask me.” He hated to watch her beat herself up. Why didn’t she see the woman she was?
“Thanks, but that was luck. The next event might not go as smoothly. You were a huge part of this success. Are you planning on doing them all with me?”
Not even one more,
never mind all. “I didn’t do anything. Trust me, this was all you.”
She shrugged her shoulders in disbelief.
“So, what would make you feel successful?” He knew what it meant to him, but he couldn’t even begin to guess what success meant to her.
“I want to go to college and get my degree so I can be taken seriously.”
He hadn’t known she didn’t have a degree until she mentioned it. But telling her so wasn’t going to change how she felt. “Why don’t you go?”
Laughing, she said, “And here lies the difference. You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. I have to work. How do you expect me to go to college on top of the job I have? Besides that, how do I pay for it?”
“I’ll pay for it.” The words were out of his mouth before he even thought about what he was saying. For a man who didn’t do commitment, that was a big one.
He anticipated her wrapping her arms around his neck, thanking him. But that wasn’t the response he received. Instead, she pulled away from him, looking very angry. What did I say now?
“Do you think I am simply some woman you can buy sexual favors from?” She was huffing in anger. “Why don’t you fix your family issues and forget about mine?”
Family issues? God knows he had plenty, but when did this turn to him? He couldn’t recall even mentioning any issues; he intentionally avoided them. He was simply offering . . . only to pay for her education. Any other woman would have graciously accepted his money and said thank you. Nope, not Jill. She was damn near impossible to figure out. Maybe if he rephrased it she would see it was an innocent offer only. Nothing more. “That is not what I meant. I only—”
She stood up and said, “Don’t. I don’t need or want your money. I can,” in a firmer tone she continued, “and will, do this on my own. You’ll see. You will all see.”
With that, he watched as she stomped below, grabbing a few granola bars on the way. He wanted to avoid answering any questions about him, but this wasn’t how he pictured it ending. Looks like another night on the couch.
Chapter Thirteen
‡
Ross didn’t follow her below; he felt she needed to cool off, and he needed to think. No better place for that than lying on the deck under the stars. Peace and solitude. Perfect place to clear his head and try to understand why Jill affected him as she did. She was amazing—a sweetness that was pure, a firecracker when she needed to be, unafraid to challenge him, and could stand her own ground. He had thought once he’d had her he would have gotten whatever it was out of his system. The opposite happened though. Somehow she’d slipped deeper within him. He needed to put some distance between them. Maybe then things would go back to normal. What was normal, though?
It was decided; tomorrow he would do as she asked in the first place and head back to port. Things would be clearer there. He knew he would still see her, but the day-in, day-out was leading him down a path he wasn’t capable of going down. “Ross, I want to know more about you, and what makes you tick,” she’d said. “Isn’t that what relationships are built on?” The sweet expression on her face as she had looked up at him made it impossible to say no. And in the end, she hadn’t gotten anything at all. He knew all about the importance of foundations from building boats. They took time developing the design, the foundation, to create the beauty that sails effortlessly on the sea. Am I capable of, or even want, that level of intimacy and commitment? Thoughts of his childhood flooded his mind, and the answer was revealed. No, I’m not capable of, nor do I want, commitment.
Sleep hadn’t come easy and was far from restful. The sudden rocking of the boat, and a wave spraying him, interrupted what little sleep he’d managed. Jostled fully awake, Ross realized immediately there was a storm brewing. He had let himself get so damn distracted that he hadn’t noticed the weather changes around him. Too late to avoid it, there was only one thing left to do: Get her off this boat now. He couldn’t let anything happen to her. His heart was racing out of control, something he hadn’t experienced before. This wasn’t the first storm he’d been in, but this was different. He was an experienced sailor; she wasn’t. His foolishness had put her at risk, and he wouldn’t forgive himself if anything happened to her. He knew she stayed because he hadn’t given her a choice, however he was fairly certain she trusted him, whether or not he had earned it. He knew he’d let her down. Grabbing a life jacket, he raced for the cabin and banged on the door. He didn’t want her to see the panic he was fighting to control.
“Jill, get up,” he shouted from the door. The boat swayed, and he steadied himself.
She was still angry with him but his expression made it clear this was not the time. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
Ross threw a life jacket to her. “Put this on. Do not take it off, understood?” he commanded.
She did as she was told. The boat was rocking uncontrollably, and she fell twice trying to follow him back. “What’s going on?”
“A storm is developing. A big one. We are already getting what looks like six-foot waves, and the wind is picking up. I need you to radio the Coast Guard.” Ross opened a cupboard and removed some type of radio and placed it on the counter. He also pulled out her cell phone and handed it to her. “Normally I keep the marine radio on at all times.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I didn’t want any distractions.” Shaking his head he continued, “If I had, I would have received the storm warning from the Coast Guard. A mistake on my part.”
Major mistake. They were in trouble now, real trouble, and it could have been avoided if they had been honest with each other from the beginning. If she wasn’t so scared she’d call him out on this. All she could do now was obey his instructions and hope they survived this to fight about it later.
Ross handed her a paper. “I need you to call in a Mayday. Give these coordinates. Tell them I am going to head due east. Understood?”
Mayday. Oh God, this is really bad. Are we sinking? Her voice trembled as she spoke. “Ross, I don’t—”
“Jill, just do exactly as I said. Press this button when you talk.” His voice was harsh as he barked orders and then headed to the deck.
He can’t be leaving me alone at a time like this, can he? “Where are you going?”
“I need to try to get us out of this. Whatever you do, don’t come up on deck or open this door. When it’s time, I will come get you. Do you hear me? Don’t open the door.”
Jill wanted him to stay, hold her, comfort her, tell her everything was going to be all right, and not to worry. But the expression on his face told the story loud and clear. She had known it was bad, but his look said it was about to get worse. Filled with fear, she nodded as she took the radio mic, pressed the button, and started reading out as he directed. “Mayday. Mayday. Mayday. This is Freedom. Do you read me?” His note said to continue providing all the information even if they did not respond. And not to give up. “Repeat. Mayday from Freedom. We need help. Does anyone hear me? We need help.”
She continued transmitting the same message over and over. After a few minutes, which seemed like a lifetime in a crisis, she finally received a response. “Freedom, this is the US Coast Guard. What are your coordinates?”
She took the paper Ross had given her, and read the details. “Please send help. He is out there all by himself, and the boat is rocking badly.”
“Are you taking on water?”
She looked around briefly. “I don’t see any, but I’m not sure.”
“How many people onboard?”
“Two. Just Ross . . . Ross Whitman and me, Jill Aragao.”
“We are sending help. Put your life jacket on and stay in the cabin by the radio. We will contact you again if we need more information.”
“But Ross is out there by himself. What can I do?”
“Miss, unless you’re an experienced sailor, the best thing you can do is stay in the cabin.”
She’d never felt so useless. She could hear the waves crashing
against the boat with more force, causing her to stumble and fall to the floor. Pulling herself upright, she made her way to the couch and waited. Jill’s hands trembled with worry. Why couldn’t Ross come down here with me where it is safe? God, don’t let anything happen to him. She was filled with regret that their last, real conversation was a fight. Neither of them had time to apologize. Not that she felt she had said anything wrong, but she wished he was safe beside her. For all she knew the sail could have hit him, knocking him unconscious, or worse, the waves could’ve washed him overboard. He could be . . . Don’t you dare think it. Her eyes shut tight, yet the tears were streaming down her face. Ross is an excellent sailor. He’s okay.
More than thirty minutes had passed when she heard the radio. “US Coast Guard calling Freedom, do you read me?”
Grabbing the mic she responded, “I’m here. This is Freedom.”
“ETA five minutes.”
She could do this, five more minutes and Ross would come down and get her and together they would be taken to safety. Grabbing her bag with her wallet in it, she put it over her shoulder and waited. It wasn’t long before she heard what sounded like a chopper hovering over them. They’re here.
The Billionaire's Longshot: Betting on You Series: Book Three Page 9