She had a primal urge, as she unzipped and threw her dress on the floor.
"Just stay there for a minute," he whispered, as she came back to him, and her hair flowed around him. "I just want to look at you, sweet pea. Just want to look. Smell your sweet perfume." And, his eyes roamed her body, before both his hands kneaded her breasts then drew her close to him again. She felt his hardness straining for her.
"I want to be inside you," he whispered against her breasts, as he sucked one then the other. "Are you ready for Ram, sweet pea? Y'all ready for me?"
She smiled at his accent. "Yes. I'm ready."
Turning her to one side, he shucked off his underwear.
"Ram I need to take this off--"
"No darlin.' I want it on."
He kissed her deeply, while his hand came back between her legs, fingers slipping in and out, while she moaned.
"Ram," she whispered, "I...I need you in me now."
He smoothed her hair, before he said, "Now?" as he sucked and played with her nipples, his hand roving from one to the other.
"Yes," she whispered, before she moaned again.
But she wasn't expecting his thrust within her then, as he rolled her onto her back. Her eyes flew open, and she gasped.
Grinning down at her now, he said, "You sure you're ready now?" And, he stopped thrusting. "You ready, sweet pea?"
Moving against him, she whispered, "Yes. Ram...I need you."
And against her cheek now, he whispered, "You want all of me, darlin'? The whole thing?"
Thrusting slowly, carefully, he eased himself further into her, as she tightened against him. She couldn't say anything, the words just wouldn't come, and she found herself just gasping at the sensation and the intimacy.
"Christ," he whispered, "you are a tight little thing, sweet pea." And his thrusting increased as he moaned now too, and said, "Come for me, Jace. Come for me, now. I love you, darlin.' Love you so very much. My sweet, sweet woman."
"I love everything about you," he continued whispering in her ear, "everything." His fingers smoothed the garter, roved underneath it then out again.
She cried out with pleasure, and he increased thrusting, until she tightened again against him, gasping, and running her hands through his hair.
His finger came against her bud then, rolling it expertly, until she found her release. "Damn," he said, "you feel so good to me right now," he drawled, as his mouth came down on hers, he stiffened, found his release, while his tongue flitted and he sucked on her own.
Breathless now, he said softly against her lips, "Sorry, darlin.' It's been a while. I don't usually do it so fast; you just turn me on somethin' fierce."
Pulling up, looking down at her now, he said with a smile, "Now...now you can work on me. Where's the table?"
Chapter 9
The next morning, the buzzing and persistent ringing of her cell phone woke Jace. She looked at the clock. Seven in the morning.
Sitting on a chair by the bed table, naked, she said, "Hi Nat."
She brought her feet up on the cushion of the chair as she listened to her friend, not noticing Ram watching her with interest and a tender look on his face.
Ram thought she was just the most attractive woman he’d ever seen, and he felt guilty for the thought, as he pictured Susan in his mind. But, she was never as comfortable with her sexuality as Jace. On one hand, he didn't want to compare the two, but on the other hand, he just couldn't help it.
The night before, Jace had just blown his mind with her openness, and he cursed at himself for being so quick. He wanted to make their lovemaking last for a long, long time. She just turned him on, like a damn switch, he thought.
His eyes raked over Jace now, and he listened to her side of the conversation. Her eyes were heavy with sleep, and her voice was husky. So very sexual, he thought. Not to mention the rest of her, he saw in full view.
"Yes," she continued, "we’re in Nassau. You’re calling me pretty early, Nat."
Her hair fell in graceful curls around her shoulders, she was limber, he thought, as she held herself in a tight little ball on the chair with her lips in a pout as she listened to Natalie. He smiled, and just watched her, fascinated.
"So," Nat asked Jace, "did you do the dirty with him yet, girl?" She started laughing but Jace was not amused.
"You know I’m not a morning person, Natalie. Besides, that’s between Ram and me."
But when she looked up, Jace's breath left her, and Natalie became just like an annoying chatter in her ear, as she saw the look on Ram’s face. His eyes were soft, as they watched every movement she made, and there was the smallest hint of a smile on his face, an unmistakable come hither look.
"What?" she asked him, her brows furrowing.
Then he laughed, and she became aware of Natalie’s voice again. Her friend rambled on, "I can hear him in the background. Okay, sweetie, I won’t press. God knows, I have enough secrets of my own. I just want to know one thing."
"What?"
"Is he a stud? Tell me now."
Jace's eyes took in Ram, as he lay casually, still watching her, with a sheet thrown carelessly over his midsection. "I’ll have to tell you about it later, Nat." She clicked the phone closed.
He laughed again. "Really, really not a morning person?"
She shook her head, and didn’t move from the chair.
"I suppose sex is out of the question then?" He grinned at her broadly, and threw back the sheet.
And she thought he was really well-endowed, a fact she noticed and felt quite pleasantly the night before.
But, she became out of sorts, then, as the boundary between her patient and herself, her private self, was blurred. "Just give me a minute," she said, as she dropped her head to her knees. She wanted to go to him, but a part of her wanted to pull back so she could do a proper job of analyzing and working on him.
He didn't push her, as she heard him leave the room. The shower ran a minute later.
"Oh, hell," she muttered, giving in to her feelings and desires.
She walked into the large marble walk-in shower.
He didn't notice her at first, as his eyes were closed from rinsing out the shampoo.
Grabbing him from behind, it was her turn to laugh now. He turned around quickly, and pinned her to the wall, almost as if he'd been expecting her. Water flowed from multiple spigots down them both as he used his palmed soap to rub over her body, first her breasts, her stomach, then her buttocks and thighs and between her legs.
"Did I ever tell you you're sexy?" he said, his face now against her cheek.
"I heard it once or twice last night," she replied softly.
He led her over under the spray to rinse, and held her face with both his hands, as he kissed her. "I should have said it more than twice," he breathed, backing her into the wall again.
"Two can play at this game," she laughed, as she soaped his chest, his back, rolling down to his hard buttocks and thighs, then to his hardness. But his expression turned serious, as she played before he rinsed.
"Right now," he whispered, turning and staring into her eyes, "right here."
His hands moved on her in ways she'd never experienced, as water cascaded down them both. And she gasped as he entered her, slowly, carefully then pushed her back against the wall with his thrusts.
Scooting up into a indentation in the shower wall, she brought her legs around his waist, feeling the hard shower against her, feeling the water, and most of all, how he moved inside her, hard, then gently, then harder still, for precious moments together. She arched her back, while he sucked her breasts, one than the other.
"Come with me," he urged softly, "darlin' come with me now."
She cried out with the sensation he created within her, and pulsed inside.
"Oh, God, Jace…sweet pea, you sweet, sweet thing…" he said against her lips, before he kissed her deeply, and slowed his thrusts as his climax shook him.
"My back," he gasped suddenly a few second
s later, as he withdrew from her, still holding her with one arm, the other clutching at his back, as it was in spasm.
"Damn," she said, standing, after untangling her legs "did it hurt you? Damn it, I just wasn't thinking."
He grinned but still held his back at the same time, gasping "It was worth every minute of pain I might have, sweet pea. Don't even worry yourself. I'll just take an extra pain pill."
She quickly donned a robe and set up her PT table. "Ram, I'm set up in the living room," she called. But her brows furrowed as she watched him limp in from the bedroom just wearing underwear. "Not a good way to start your day," she told him.
"That's okay darlin' I'll start my day that way anytime."
But, she wondered about that, as she felt the muscle spasms in his hard back. "It's not good, Ram." And she worked on him steadily for fifteen minutes, wondering all the while whether he could ever live a normal life.
He sighed and sat up on the table, grabbing her hands and drawing her close to his chest. "I have a surprise for you," he whispered in her ear.
Laughing, as the sensation tickled her, she told him, "You've had your surprise for the day, which was me alive and kicking this early in the morning."
Drawing her back, smiling now and looking more relaxed, he said, "After you sunbathe and frolic in the water, have a leisurely lunch on me, I have some boutique owners coming here at four o'clock to show you dresses. We're attending a rather formal gathering, and I thought you probably didn't bring any floor-length dresses. Just call the phone number written on the pad over there and tell them your size."
She looked pensive. "I couldn't do that, Ram. I wouldn't know how to act at a formal gathering. Besides, I can't afford that type of dress."
With his hands on either side of her face now, he said, "The dress is on me. And, tonight, just act like yourself, Jace. You're a beautiful person, graceful, soft-spoken." He slid down from the table and walked towards the bedroom to dress. "Oh," he added, over his shoulder, "I love you. Did I mention that last night?"
She smiled. "Several times."
Ram's meetings ran for hours and during the last one, he sent a text to Warren. 'Tld her I love her.'
A few seconds later, his friend text him back, 'Dude, congrats.' And Ram smiled, as a second one came through, 'Getting married?'
Ram pondered that for a minute, and thought what man wouldn't want her? Beautiful, sexy as hell, talented, independent. But the image of Susan just wouldn't leave his mind. What if something were to happen to Jace? What then? He'd be left alone again, with just memories.
Later in the day, Jace stood in the bedroom surrounded by all sorts of floor length dresses on the bed, each in a stunning color, and it was a hard decision. She finally went with a strapless form fitting gold gown with a gold-beige off center stripe on the skirt and a slit up the front. And, after the women from the shop had left, she dared to look at the price tag. "Five thousand dollars?" she said out loud, while she shook her head. And she thought she must speak with Ram about this, as it was just too much to pay.
And later, when the delivery of matching shoes came to the penthouse, she didn't dare look at the tag on those. "I'm like Scarlett, I'll think about that tomorrow," she muttered.
She sat in front of her computer researching the item she was going to ask Doctor Truman about after she had all her ducks in a row, because he was not a man to hypothesize on a whim. She needed to get all her facts down pat before she called him with her theory on Ram.
Victoria barely said hello to Marley as she let him in her room at the hotel. Of course, she always stayed at Ram's hotels, even if it pinched her budget.
"My dear, how are you?" Marley said politely, smoothing back his brown hair, and fixing her with his haughty cool brown-eyed stare.
"I just cannot believe this," she told him, as he sat in a chair. "Ramsey apparently is fixated on this woman." And, she threw him the society section of the local newspaper.
He smiled sardonically. "The great Ram got taken down I see." He paused. "You knew it would happen eventually, Vic."
"Please, Marley," she said in exasperation, "I've asked you to call me Victoria."
He sat back, still observing her. "Aside from the money, just exactly what attracts you to him?"
"You must be joking, Marley. Just look at him for God's sake. He's a hunk."
"Yes, I suppose so."
Something in his voice made Victoria look up. Marley wasn't bad looking, in his own way, slim and nicely built, but common brown hair and eyes, plus she knew he existed on an allowance like she did. He had the 'old money' descriptor, and was often written up in society pages, but his was, she thought, ancient money. No airplanes, yachts, hotels or anything. Just the money. And two nasty parents, who were still alive.
However, he was good as an escort to Ramsey's social events, so she didn't stick out like a sore thumb. Good for a roll in the hay, although not very exciting, purely missionary and too damn quick. Then she found herself, as she looked through her dresses, wondering idly what Ram was like in the sack.
Jace had Mari do her hair in an upsweep, complete with a tropical flower, at Mari's insistence. And Jace, while dressing for the event, decided she would leave off the garters and stockings, as the dress was too form-fitting for that. She applied her make-up and waited for Ram.
He came in ten minutes later, calling for her.
"In the bedroom," she said, as she perused an internet site with interest.
"Hello, darlin'," he drawled, leaning now on the doorjamb and holding his jacket slung over his shoulder. He whistled softly. "Damn, you are a sight for sore eyes, honey pie."
She looked up then quickly, but still seemed preoccupied with whatever it was she was working on, as her gaze went back to the laptop on the table. He thought she was a vision in strapless gold lame with just about all her legs showing, with gold heels, and carelessly upswept curly brown hair. Complete with flower.
Finally, she stood, and smiled at him. The dress was, he thought, absolutely made for her, showed off her figure to perfection. Plus, today she wore a faint, fresh perfume which wound around his senses.
"I need to shower," he told her, not really wanting to be away from her, but thinking he needed a cold one after seeing her. "Be right back."
They left for the event, which was, Ram explained, a supper and benefit and fundraiser for autistic children in the hotel ballroom.
Jace entered the crowded room, and thought Ram must have invited all his friends, as he went from one group of people to the next, politely introducing her. And Jace thought Ram looked extremely handsome and elegant in his black tux.
There were the ever-present paparazzi, snapping unknown quantities of pictures while they ate and danced.
After all the sun she'd had earlier, and the rush of everything, Jace found herself leaning into Ram as they danced to a slow tune.
"The orchestra is lovely," she said softly, as his grip tightened on her.
"You're the lovely one," he whispered in her ear, "and so sexy sweet pea. Mmmm, are you my sweet pea?"
She thought of the night before, and warmth spread through her body, just at the thought of him touching, teasing, caressing, his hands warm and tender. She couldn't answer him, and he teased her now, almost as if he could read her mind.
"Darlin' sweet pea, I felt you tighten around me. Mmmm, did you come last night?"
She nodded then sighed, wished she could get rid of the intense feeling before someone noticed.
"Don't worry about them," he whispered softly by her ear, "I just need to know…did I satisfy you, then?"
She drew a shaky breath. "Yes," she said softly.
But he persisted. "You ever feel like that before?" he asked.
Hesitating, she said, "I suppose not."
Laughing softly now, he countered, "Suppose? It wasn't like lightning striking then?"
"Well, I wouldn't put it exactly like that."
Spinning her around now deftly, he said, as he
pulled back to look at her with his turquoise eyes, "Who's Ralph, darlin'?"
The question caught her off guard. "Ralph?"
"Yes," he said, with his arms still tight around her waist.
"Why do you want to know about him?"
"Because he's still calling you. Is he your boyfriend?"
She stiffened. "He's like a fly on the wall. You shouldn't concern yourself with him."
Pulling her even closer, he replied, "I want to know everything about you. And I noticed you never talk about him at all. I just…just don't want to lose you."
But the song ended, and she excused herself to the posh restroom where she sat on an overstuffed chair, while women came in and out and memories of their disastrous marriage assaulted her.
"Well," one said, looking her up and down, "if it isn't Ramsey's latest."
"I beg your pardon?" Jace replied, looking up at the woman. She looked around thirty, Jace thought, with a tight face, enormous breasts almost spilling out of her blue gown and an arrogant look.
"Oh, darlin' I just wanted to see who Ram was left with. My, isn't he just a thrill in the sack? All those nice muscles, dear, and they don't call him 'the ram' for nothing you know. Yes, I'm sure you know by now."
Jace was speechless, as she stared at the woman.
"Oh, he didn't tell you about me?" the woman said flippantly. "Isn't that just like Ram. He doesn't share much information does he? You almost have to read the society pages to catch up with him."
Jace looked at the woman coolly. "I don't believe I caught your name."
"That's because I didn't offer it up, darling. You take care now, and just remember, you're getting sloppy seconds."
With that, the woman left the restroom, and Jace sat back, stunned. And, the thought occurred to her that Ram hadn't really said anything about girlfriends. She'd just run under the assumption that he'd been celibate since his wife's death. He hadn't mentioned this woman, and Jace wondered who on earth she was and where she came from.
Romance in Dallas - Tycoon! Page 8