by Tia Siren
Riley laughed and wrapped her arms around herself. “We’re gonna need winter clothes, I guess.”
He clenched his teeth to keep them from chattering. “I’d say.”
The tiny rental didn’t leave a lot of space, but it was equipped with four-wheel drive.
“I’ll drive,” Riley said, then piled into the driver seat.
He looked at her and arched a brow.
Her lips canted. “Gray, have you ever even driven snow?’
“No.”
“Then, like I said, I’ll drive. Besides, the GPS isn’t great up here, and I know the way.”
He wanted to refuse, but he didn’t, for obvious reasons. He didn’t know a damn thing about snow, and he was clueless as to where they were. “The air is so thin here,” he complained as they road took them higher and higher.
Riley, messing with the heater vents with one hand and driving with the other, gave him a distracted smile. “I know. Isn’t it great?”
“Yeah, beautiful,” he managed. He couldn’t deny the natural splendor of the place, but it didn’t exactly speak to him.
“Dinner will basically be ready when we get there,” Riley announced.
Gray tensed. “Say what?”
“The housekeeper promised to have it all set up. We’ll just have to toss the steaks on a flame, and we’ll be good to go.”
The playful smile on her face was a happy one, but that happiness stung Gray. Their budget hadn’t let them within staring distance of a steak, and the thought of them dining on such culinary goodness struck him with guilt all over again. He’d denied her the things she was used to, and she’d taken on a shit job for him, just to avoid wounding his pride. Now, they were headed to a house that had a housekeeper. His ego deflated as fast as his spirits as they reached a large gate.
A drive that seemed to take forever, and yet no time at all came to a rolling halt in front of a large set of iron gates.
A guard stood and stepped to the window of a booth. “Good evening, Miss Teeters,” he said, not even breaking a smile.
“Hi, Rodney. I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“True. Welcome back,” he said in the most robotic and unfriendly voice Gray had ever heard, staring at the well-used, compact rental car in total disgust.
“Thank you.”
Rodney nodded, then hit a button, and the gate slid open. Riley drove through, and they began to ascend slightly. Houses behind even more gates stood on long sweeps of lawn covered in a light dusting of snow. The mountains rose on one side, and the crystal-blue waters of the enormous lake sat on the other.
Gray’s mood swung from exhaustion to wonder and back again. He’d seen mansions in Florida, of course, but nothing on Earth could have prepared him for the so-called cabin Riley finally stopped in front of. The two guesthouses in front were enormous masterpieces constructed of natural stone and wood. The fortress of a house beyond them had massive windows, tall and arched, and a long driveway with a view of the secluded, wide yard, the mountains, and the lake. It was as if he’d stepped right into the pages of some sort of rich and famous magazine, and he’d never felt so out of place in his entire life.
Riley took his hand. “Run, damn it, before we freeze to death!”
That remark galvanized him, because he took it to be true. They raced up the driveway, hauling their suitcases behind them. They entered the massive foyer, complete with a giant atrium and vast skylights. Gray gawked openly, unable to conjure up even one word to describe all that he saw.
“Hello, Mrs. Gates,” Riley finally said, smiling at a woman who had silently stepped into the enormous entryway to greet them.
“Hello, Miss Teeters. I have done all you’ve instructed. It’s good to see you again,” the woman said, sounding almost as robotic as the guard out front.
“Thank you. You may go if you like.”
“You don’t need help with your luggage?” Mrs. Gates asked as her eyes went to the battered cases they held.
Gray shifted uneasily but didn’t offer the woman even a hello or an introduction.
“No, thank you. We’re fine. It was a really long flight, and we’re about done in. We’ll probably just eat in the kitchen, then call it a day.”
Mrs. Gates nodded. “I’ll be in my quarters if you need me.”
“Thank you again,” Riley replied.
Her quarters? The freaking maid has her own quarters? Gray wondered, unable to laugh at the fact that the only quarters he had in the world were the two left in his shattered bank account. Until that moment, he had no idea just how well off Riley Teeters was. Once he did have an idea, he was pretty sure he didn’t belong anywhere near it.
Chapter 31
Riley danced into the kitchen, high on happiness, pulling Gray along with her. The counters, all Carrera marble, the highly polished hardwood floors, and the high-end, stainless steel appliances all gleamed and shone. The stress of the previous months seemed to drop right off of her as she sauntered over to the refrigerator and pulled it open to find a tossed salad sitting in a serving bowl, homemade dressing in a cruet, two very thick steaks marinating in a delicious-looking sauce, and a lovely apple tart for two. To complete the meal, potatoes and grilled asparagus waited patiently in the warming tray. “How do you like your steak?” she asked Gray.
“I’ll help.”
She shot him a look. She’d noticed how quiet he’d been since their arrival, and she hoped he wasn’t having second thoughts. “After we eat, we seriously need to go climb into the giant soaker tub and spend a little quality bath time together.”
He smiled, finally amused. He lifted an eyebrow and asked, “Quality time, huh? Define quality.”
She chuckled as she adjusted the flame on the built-in grill. “Well, for starters, we couldn’t even shower together before, and that really sucked.”
“I’ll give you that.”
She grinned, as he seemed to be thawing, the tension melting away. She put the steaks on the heat and walked to the wine cooler. She carefully selected a red and popped the cork off with true expertise, as if she’d done it a thousand times, then filled a tall decanter. “I love red, but it has to be warmed and decanted.”
Gray gave the ruby and purple liquid a skeptical glance. “Do you have any beer?”
“In the wet bar in the living room.”
“Uh…which way?” he asked, lost already.
Her head jerked to the left. “Down there, at the end.”
He headed toward the wet bar at the far end of the open-concept front room. As Riley watched him move at a snail’s pace, her heart went out to him. Still, hard on the heels of her sympathy came a rush of real, very present relief. They were out of that hellhole they’d gotten themselves into, and she couldn’t and wouldn’t be sorry for that.
The steaks sizzled, and the gourmet kitchen filled with their savory aroma. Her belly rumbled, and her mouth watered. She’d been hungry before, but she’d never felt as famished as she did right then. The food they’d eaten in that scummy apartment left a lot to be desired, and ramen noodles and Coke were a far cry different than steak and wine. For so long, she’d been craving something rich and juicy, and now that it was right in front of her, she did not have the patience to wait for the meat to cook. Her belly cried out with desire again as she found real butter, fresh and creamy, and set it on the counter to slather on their perfectly baked potatoes. Just as she began to pour the wine, Gray came back, so she offered him a quick smile before darting her hopeful eyes to the cooking meat again.
“I’d offered to help. What do you want me to do?” Gray asked, with designer beer in hand. He looked lost and uncomfortable.
“Can you get that meat off there and help me set all this stuff out on the counter? I figure we can eat right here if you don’t mind.’
Gray nodded. “Sure.”
They worked well together, and they had dinner on the table in a matter of minutes. They ate quickly, both of them too hungry to care much about manners
.
Riley slid her plate away and released a contented sigh, patting her very full tummy. She picked up her glass and said, “Let’s go out to the deck.”
“But it’s freezing out there.”
“True, but the upper-level one is enclosed. It’s got such a great view. C’mon, Gray. Don’t be a party pooper.”
He looked ready to argue, but instead took his beer and stood. “Lead the way.”
She led the way to the stairs, then down the hall to the deck. “Want me to light a fire?”
Gray moved over to peer out the glass walls. “No, I’m okay.”
“Good.” She joined him on the balcony, and they stood there, looking out at the scenery. “Gorgeous, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Yeah, it’s a nice, uh…change of pace,” he said, with a bitter, begrudging note in his words. He clearly didn’t want to like it.
“Gray,” she said, leaning closer to him, “we won’t be here forever, you know. It’s just a little break from ocean.” She gazed out into the snow, not caring how thin her clothes were at the moment. “You don’t feel that way, though, do you?”
He sipped his beer. “I don’t know. I mean, I know you weren’t happy there, and I feel like it was all my fault.”
She shook her head and looked at him quizzically, completely baffled that he felt that way. “It wasn’t. I was the one who came up with the map idea.”
“You weren’t alone in that,” he said, his eyes too dark for her to read, which bothered her. They were losing each other. She swallowed, terrified by the thought.
Her eyes went back to the high ridges of the mountain. Snow, white and veined across the peaks and crevices, glistened like diamonds as the stars of the night sky reflected off it. Her heart lifted at the sight. “No, I guess we were both in on it, but still… Anyway, it’s behind us now.” Her voice was light, but the words fell like bricks. When she saw him flinch, she blinked, wondering what was going on. Is he angry at me? she worried. She put a hand on his arm, and he smiled down at her, but there were noticeable shadows haunting his face, and she knew it had nothing to do with the wintry darkness that drifted in from the floor-to-ceiling windows. “What is it, Gray?” she dared to ask.
“It’s nothing. Maybe just…culture shock.”
“That makes sense. It is a big change,” she acknowledged with a nod, trying to convince herself that she had to quit second-guessing and backtracking in her decision. She shoved that thought away, for she knew if she dwelled on it, she would only be angry at him, and none of their mess was his fault. It wasn’t really hers either, for that matter. “Hey, I was just thinking about skiing. Have you ever been?”
“Skiing? As in…on the snow?”
“Yes,” she said with a chuckle.
“No.”
His answer felt stilted and formal, like they were two strangers meeting somewhere for the first time. Oh no, Riley thought, staring at him. Did he leave me somewhere along the trip back here? Is it just… Are we over? Did I really screw this all up by being too freaking homesick. “You up for a little hot tubbing?”
He turned to her, and his eyes scanning her face. “Can we skip the tub? Maybe we can do that tomorrow,” he said, his voice flat.
She sighed in relief as she realized he was just tired and jetlagged. She was feeling the effects of their long trip herself. “Sure. We can grab a fast shower if you want. There’s room for two,” she said with a wink.
His smile warmed a little. “I bet the water pressure’s good here.”
“It is.” Her smile was not as real as she wanted it to be, but she found it difficult to put up with his moods, because she loved him so very much. “Come on,” she said, then led him to her bedroom.
The room was vast, with more floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the lake. The floor boasted a herringbone pattern, and the room held a king-sized bed, tall columns carved of glowing, gorgeous woods, and a small sitting area. The opulence was a little overwhelming after the rather Spartan existence they had been living in, and Gray took a deep breath as he glanced around.
“Gray, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to drag you into something so…completely different. I should have thought about—”
“It’s okay,” he interrupted.
She burrowed into his arms and leaned her cheek against his strong chest. The sound of his heartbeat rang into her ear, soothing her a little.
In no time, his hands stripped her of her clothes. There was a haste to it, a fast, urgent need within them both as he lifted her garments away, one by one, and laid her bare. The air in the room was warm, but after the high temperatures they had been living in, without any air-conditioning, she felt a slight chill pucker her skin.
They made it to the bed and fell onto the yielding surface of the huge mattress. The silk covers rumpled and slid below their skin, adding another texture to the sensations that scrolled through her body at his touch.
Gray’s fingers tapped along her sternum, a sweet, soft little rapping that made her incredibly aware of her own heartbeat. Riley’s legs parted as his hands explored her body, his nails raking ever so gently across her eager flesh. Her hips bucked and jumped in response, and her whimpers grew louder as he made long, leisurely, teasing circuits from her hips to her breasts, his fingers stroking every inch of her satiny skin.
Her nipples jutted upward, the points rough and taut, and his mouth found and captured them, He flicked his tongue across them as he suckled hard, driving her mad. Riley writhed and grasped at his hair, trying to tug him closer as his tantalizing tongue moved lower, farther down her body. Desire left her shivering and thrusting her hips in his face as his fingers pressed into the junction of her thighs.
“Oh, oh, fuck!” The cry jerked out of her throat as his tongue went to her clit and began to circle it, his teeth nipping gently at that flesh. The twin sensations of utter pleasure and slight pain combined and cascaded into a tumult of decadence. Riley’s fingers went to his hair, grinding her hips against his face in a motion spawned by utter desperation and demand.
Gray continued to torment her, taking her to the brink of climax, then backing off. His heated breath met the wetness of her center, and her legs thrusted farther out, the muscles locking and going rigid as she struggled to climb the peaks he kept sending her away from.
Gray moved upward swiftly. His hand caught his member, and in one quick thrust he was inside her, all the way in. He filled her completely, and it sent Riley toppling right back toward release.
Their bodies met and parted. Riley tilted her hips so Gray had a better angle of penetration. Her heels hooked around his narrow waist. Her mouth and teeth met his ear and neck. The salty flavor of his sweat coated her tongue, stirring her senses even higher and egging her on. He lifted his head and captured her mouth, bringing the flavor of her body to her lips. Riley held on, her feet banging against his lower back, as Gray drove in and out of the soaked, aching walls of her core.
“Hold on. Don’t cum yet, baby, not yet,” Gray begged.
The thick, desperate mutter made her orgasm speed toward her even faster.
The orgasm rolled through her, sending the muscles in her upper thighs into spasms and her hands to his back, where her nails left long furrows in his smooth skin. Her body opened and closed around the thick, powerful weight he pounded into her body yet again. Riley fought for air as Gray rose up on his forearms and thrusted into her one final time before going rigid. A guttural cry escaped his lips as he came.
A moment later, he collapsed on top of her, letting out a few barely discernible swear words. He rolled off her, withdrawing gently, then curled an arm around her and held her close. Her head lay on his chest, and the sound of his pulse, that solid, steady tick-boom, helped her own breath to slow and regulate. “This bed’s pretty comfortable, I must say,” Gray mumbled casually.
“I know, right?” she said with a yawn, her laughter sleepy and warm.
He cuddled her closer, and she settled into his body, letting
hers rest against his. They were skin to skin, the way she loved to sleep. His hand rested on her hip, and her fingers found a home on his flat, well-defined stomach.
“I’ll send the rental car back tomorrow. Mr. Gates could have picked us up at the airport, but he had a doctor appointment, and they weren’t exactly expecting us.”
“What about his wife?” Gray asked.
“Oh, Mrs. Gates has a slight vision problem. It’s not really safe for her to drive.”
“Ah.” He yawned widely and settled into the mattress, and his eyes drifted closed.
Riley watched him for a moment, then took three long breaths of her own, trying to wrap her head around the fact that they were there and that they had made it through something so hard and different without killing each other or breaking up. Satisfied with that, she closed her own eyes and dozed off into a deep, blessedly dreamless slumber in that comfortable, familiar bed.
Chapter 32
Riley stood at the windows, watching the sunlight fall across the lake as she sipped her coffee. Gray was still asleep in the bed behind her, and she enjoyed the serene, peaceful break of day. A slight chill radiated off the cool glass of the windows, and the crackle and rasp of the fire she had started in the massive fireplace stirred a deep happiness within her.
Gray moved about in the bed a bit, and she turned to see him blinking and stretching. The sheet was pulled taut around his body like a toga. He looked like a Greek god again, with the linen wrapped so tightly around the lean, flat surfaces of his sun-dyed skin.
“Morning,” Riley said sweetly, smiling at him. “Coffee?”
Gray stretched again, and his sleepy eyes fluttered a few times. That adorable, vulnerable expression and the revealed smooth muscles of his ripped abdomen made her heart beat a little faster. They’d had precious little time for anything but work lately, and she hoped they would now have a new beginning, that they could somehow get back to the happy place they once were.
“I’d love some coffee,” he finally answered after a yawn.