by Miranda Lee
But she was going to crank up that number to three tonight, or die trying. Not of humiliation, she hoped.
Surely he would not reject her? She’d seen the hunger in his eyes just now. All she had to do was convince him that she wasn’t the fragile emotional flower that he thought she was.
‘Ryan,’ she said abruptly when he stopped at the lounge and reached for the knob.
‘What?’ he returned a tad impatiently.
Laura cleared the lump which had suddenly filled her throat. ‘I…er…don’t want you to sleep on the floor tonight,’ she blurted out, trying not to blush but failing miserably.
Ryan’s eyes narrowed as they ran over her once more. ‘I see,’ he said, and she wondered what it was that he saw.
‘So it was just an act up in the room just now?’ he went on.
Laura winced. ‘Yes,’ she admitted, and blushed some more.
‘There’s no need to feel embarrassed. I’m flattered that you want me enough to bother playing games, since that’s clearly not your style. Frankly, however, I’d much rather you were straightforward with me. I despise deception and hypocrisy and holier-than-thou attitudes towards sex. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to get laid, Laura. As long as you don’t make a big deal out of it.’ He looked at her, banked heat in his eyes. ‘Are you sure this is definitely something you want to do? Think about it over dinner and we’ll speak later on. Okay?’
Clearly, he didn’t expect an answer. Opening the door, he cupped her elbow and ushered her into the lounge.
Dinner was a triumph and a trial. Everyone thought she looked fantastic, and said so, even Aunt Cynthia. The food was surprisingly good, the wine superb and the conversation lively. If Laura didn’t say all that much, no one seemed to notice. Once everyone had stopped complimenting her on her appearance, the attention had naturally swung to Ryan who was a much more interesting subject. Shane bombarded him with questions about his soccer career. So did Bill. Jane seemed content to just sit and smile at the happy couple across the table.
Laura could not have felt less content. Or less hungry—for food, that was.
She could not stop thinking about what Ryan had said. What if, because of her so-called sensitivity, he ultimately rejected her again? What if he did indeed sleep on the floor and leave her to lie in that big bed all alone, all night long? How could she bear it? She could hardly bear sitting here at this table, listening to everyone talking absolute rubbish and making each course last much longer than it should. Didn’t they know that she wanted the meal over and done with in record time? She had to know one way or another what was going to happen. Not knowing was killing her.
By ten, dessert had finally been cleared away and they all moved back into the front lounge, where Cynthia served up coffee in ridiculously small gilt-rimmed cups that she no doubt thought elegant. Laura supposed they were. She didn’t want coffee at first, until she remembered that coffee kept you awake. After that, she had her cup refilled three times from the large silver coffee-pot which they were told had once belonged to a French Count and which Cynthia had bought online. When Gran declared she was tired and wanted to go to bed, she asked Laura to take her. Naturally, she couldn’t refuse. As she rose from the sofa, Bill also stood up, suggesting the men retire to the billiard room whilst the women cleared up. In the past, Laura would have made some cutting remark over this chauvinistic attitude, but decided to bite her tongue this time. She did, however, glance at Ryan, who smiled in wry approval at her silence.
‘Thank you, darling,’ Jane said when she was safely tucked up in bed. ‘Now, don’t let Ryan forget to take me for that ride in his car before you go tomorrow.’
Laura just stared at her grandmother. ‘What ride?’
Her gran smiled a soft smile. ‘You were away with the pixies at dinner tonight, weren’t you, dear?’
‘A little bit.’
‘Thinking about that man you love, I dare say?’
‘Yes,’ Laura agreed. It was only a half-lie. Her mind had been full of Ryan but not with thoughts of love.
Jane sighed. ‘I don’t think you should wait for him to propose, dear.’
‘What?’
‘Before you go to bed with him.’
‘Oh. Oh yes. I think you could be right about that.’ If she waited for him to propose then she’d never go to bed with him!
‘I am right. Now, off you go. It’s time I went to sleep.’ And she yawned.
Laura gave her grandmother a kiss and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
The old servants’ quarters were just across the back hallway from the kitchen where she found Cynthia and Lisa busily washing up a huge stack of dishes. It still annoyed Laura that her uncle and his son felt that housework was entirely a woman’s domain, but Cynthia didn’t seem to mind. If truth be told, her aunt liked having total control in the house. Possibly, Lisa was of a similar ilk. Although younger, she must have been a bit like Cynthia for Shane to marry her.
‘You know, Aunt Cynthia,’ Laura said as she picked up a tea towel to help Lisa wipe up. ‘You really should have a dishwasher installed.’ It wasn’t as though they couldn’t afford it.
‘What on earth for?’ Cynthia retorted waspishly. ‘They don’t save you any time at all. You still have to scrape all the food off the plates, then rinse them down before you even load the infernal thing. Then you have to unload all the plates afterwards and put them away.’
‘I suppose you’re right,’ Laura said, determined not to fight with the woman tonight. ‘By the way, Aunt, that was a lovely meal tonight. Thank you for all the trouble you went to.’
Her aunt turned a surprised face her way. ‘You know, Laura, meeting that marvellous man has done wonders for your attitude. Not only are you looking so much better, you’ve finally found some manners.’
Laura shook her head whilst Lisa grimaced behind her mother-in-law’s back.
Laura was itching to say something seriously catty in return when Ryan suddenly came into the room.
‘How’s it going with you lovely ladies here?’ he said brightly as he made his way across the floor of the truly large kitchen to where they were grouped by the sink. ‘Need any help?’
‘Heavens no,’ Cynthia trilled, lifting her gloved hands from the sink as she turned towards her guest. ‘This is women’s work. Anyway, we’re just about done here.’
‘In that case, would you mind if I stole Laura away?’ he asked as he slid a warm arm around Laura’s waist. ‘Driving always makes me tired and I didn’t want to go to bed alone.’
Laura was glad that she wasn’t required to say anything. Talking might have been difficult at that moment.
‘You go right ahead,’ Cynthia said obligingly. ‘We can finish up here. As I said, it’s almost done anyway, isn’t it, Lisa?’
‘Absolutely,’ Lisa concurred. ‘It was lovely to meet you, Ryan. Shane and I have something else on tomorrow so we won’t see you again this visit. But I’m sure we’ll see you again soon,’ she added with a knowing little look Laura’s way.
‘I’m sure you will,’ Ryan said. ‘Au revoir for now, then. See you in the morning, Cynthia.’ And he swept Laura away before Cynthia could land them with a specific time for breakfast—which she was likely to do. Cynthia liked to run the house like an army sergeant, with a time for everything.
But Cynthia’s rigid schedules were the least of Laura’s worries as she was steered with considerable speed along the hallway towards the staircase. Ryan’s fingertips were digging into her right hip and his body language reeked of anger.
‘What’s wrong?’ she blurted out when they reached the bottom of the staircase.
‘Everything’s wrong,’ he bit out, and started pushing her up the stairs.
‘But… But…’ she stammered, totally confused by his suddenly aggressive attitude. He’d seemed so agreeable in the kitchen just now.
‘No buts,’ he broke in savagely. ‘And no talking. I’ve had enough talking for o
ne day. And enough thinking. I already know this is a bad idea. I know that neither of us might be happy about it in the morning. But I’m sure as hell going to be happy about it tonight. And so, by God, are you! Or you will, if you just shut up and let me do what I’m good at. Which sounds arrogant, I know, but there’s no virtue in false modesty. I was a damned good goalkeeper and I’m a damned good lover.’
Relief that his bad mood didn’t mean he still intended to sleep on the floor swept through Laura. At that moment, she didn’t care if he was unbelievably arrogant—which he was. Though maybe he had good reason to be. She’d never doubted for one second that he’d be good at sex. And now she was about to find out.
A shiver ran down her spine, then right down to her toes, making her shudder all over.
Ryan immediately stopped at the top of the stairs and pulled her close. ‘Don’t go pretending that you’re cold, madam. You’re hot for me.’
He was right.
‘I thought you said no talking,’ she said huskily, and pressed herself against him.
Ryan laughed, but then he fell silent, his eyes turning to a midnight blue just before his mouth crushed down on hers.
It was a kiss which told a story, if either kisser or kissed could read between the lines. The story was one of total frustration, both sexual and intellectual. Neither could understand the attraction they felt for each other this weekend. It was a mystery to them both. But they’d reached the point of no return, where logic had no power and all that existed for them was desire.
When voices in the hallway below threatened to disturb the marvellous madness of the moment, Ryan scooped Laura up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him. He didn’t miss a beat as he charged across the room and fell with her into the middle of the four-poster bed. They kissed on and on, their limbs tangled, neither of them coming up for air.
Ryan was the first to lift his head and draw a decent breath.
‘We’re acting like horny teenagers,’ he said with a ragged sigh. ‘All speed and absolutely no finesse.’
With almost shocking abruptness, he rolled off her and right off the bed.
Laura could not help the groan of dismay which escaped her lips. Immediately, he sat back down on the bed, leaning over to cup her face with gentle hands.
‘I didn’t want to stop either,’ he reassured her softly. ‘But allow me to know what’s best in this situation. I could be wrong, but I have the impression that sex for you hasn’t exactly been of the bell-ringing variety in the past. If it were, you wouldn’t have gone five years without it.’
Laura blinked, both at his intuitive conclusion and his rather amazing ability to take control of the wild passion which had been raging between them less than a few seconds earlier. She could not possibly have stopped, yet he had. Laura guessed that was what made him a man of the world and her a…what? A naïve fool? No, not a fool. Just much less experienced in sexual matters.
Perhaps not so inexperienced after tonight, she conceded with a rush of excitement.
‘What do you want me to do?’ she asked him breathlessly.
His smile carried a wicked edge. ‘Now, that’s a very leading question. Ask me again later. For now, I don’t want you to do anything except just lie there and relax.’
‘Relax?’ He might as well have asked her to climb Mount Everest.
His smile turned a little wry. ‘You’re right, I don’t really want you to relax. But I have something to attend to before proceeding.’ And he stood up.
‘What?’
‘I’m going to light the fire. It’s become quite cool in here.’
‘I didn’t notice.’
‘You will, once you get naked.’
Naked…
Laura could not help shivering at the thought.
‘After I’m done lighting this,’ he said, moving over to hunch down in front of the fireplace, ‘I want to undress you.’ He glanced over his shoulder at her.
Laura swallowed. Her throat was horribly dry all of a sudden.
‘Now, don’t start thinking,’ he growled before returning his attention to the fire. ‘It’s too late for second thoughts. Or for worrying. You want me to make love to you and I want that too. We may regret it in the morning, but who knows? Maybe we won’t. Maybe we’ll look back on tonight and think of it as an incredible experience which neither of us would have missed for the world.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
WANTING a moment to recover herself, Laura got off the bed and went into the bathroom where she was momentarily startled by her reflection in the large mirror. She’d forgotten how different she looked tonight. For a split second it bothered her that Ryan’s intense desire for her was nothing more than a superficial reaction to her suddenly sexier appearance. But then she shrugged the thought aside. Of course that was why he desired her. That was the nature of the male sex; their hormones were easily turned on by physical beauty. She had to confess that even the female sex could fall victim to such shallow attractions. If Ryan hadn’t been so handsome, with a drop-dead-gorgeous body, she would hardly want to sleep with him tonight, would she?
By the time she emerged a couple of minutes later, the fire was crackling, with flames leaping high up the chimney. Ryan was back on his feet, leaning on the mantelpiece and staring down at the flames. His jacket and tie had been removed, and the top two buttons of his shirt undone. He looked pensive, and so sexy Laura could hardly breathe.
He turned and stared at her, his expression unreadable as his gaze moved slowly down and up her body. Gone was the overt hunger from his eyes, but they still called to the woman in her.
‘Have I told you how incredibly beautiful you are tonight?’ he said thickly. ‘No, don’t answer. And don’t come any closer. I’ve changed my mind about undressing you. I want you to do it for me.’
Her eyes widened.
‘Don’t be shy. You must know you’ve nothing to be shy about. No, not the shoes; leave the shoes on. The belt first. Then the dress—but not over your head. Undo the zip then slide it off your shoulders.’
She did as he asked, her hands shaking, her heart thudding so fast and so loudly behind her ribs she thought it must surely go into cardiac arrest. By the time she reached to push the dress off her shoulders, her whole body was trembling. The thought of standing there before him in nothing but a black satin thong and a pair of high heels was both daunting and horribly exciting. As her fingers curled over the edge of the neckline, her nipples tightened further, as did her belly.
And then it was done, the red silk dress pooling at her feet with a soft whooshing sound. Her spine and shoulders straightened as he stared at her, and for a long moment neither of them moved or spoke.
But then he sighed. ‘I’m not sure one night is going to be enough,’ he muttered in gravelly tones.
She should not have been thrilled by his words, but she was.
‘Come here,’ he commanded.
Where did she find the courage to walk almost naked towards him?
Possibly courage wasn’t an issue when she was so turned on that nothing mattered any more except that his eyes stay fixed on her bared breasts.
Which they did.
‘Stop,’ he commanded again when she was within arm’s reach of him.
She stopped, her heartbeat momentarily suspended as she waited for him to reach out and touch her. When he did—brushing the back of one hand across her stunningly erect nipples—a lightning rod of electricity zapped through her body, making her gasp.
‘Turn around,’ was his next surprising order.
She teetered a little on her high heels as she did so.
‘Steady,’ he directed, taking a firm hold of her shoulders from behind. ‘Now, move your legs apart a little.’
Such a small, insignificant movement but, oh, what incredible feelings it evoked. She’d never felt so wicked. Or so wanton.
Her head literally spun. Was this the kind of thing he did with all his women? Stripped t
hem, not just of their clothes but their conscience and their pride? No, no, that last bit wasn’t right; her pride wasn’t at risk here. She didn’t feel in any way humiliated by the things he’d asked her to do. She’d seen the admiration flare in his eyes when he’d looked over her near-naked body. Laura had felt perversely proud of herself at that moment, perhaps because she knew he’d looked upon more beautiful bodies than hers. Yet he still seemed to find her very desirable.
I’m not sure one night is going to be enough, he’d said.
Not enough for her either, she suspected, if this was his idea of foreplay. What next? she wondered as an erotic tremor trickled down her spine to where her tightly held buttocks were quivering with anticipation.
He suddenly pressed himself up against her back, his left hand dropping from her shoulder to take possession of her left breast, whilst his right hand slid across to push her hair back from her face and neck. Her head tipped sideways when he put his mouth so close to her ear that his hot breath made her shudder.
‘I think,’ he murmured, ‘That it’s time to go to bed now. What do you think, beautiful?’
‘I can’t think at all,’ she returned shakily. And wasn’t that the truth!
‘God, but I love seeing you like this,’ he ground out, cupping her chin and twisting her head far enough around so that their eyes could meet.
‘Like what?’
‘All hot and bothered.’ His eyes glittered down at her whilst he moved his outstretched palm back and forth across her by-then exquisitely sensitised nipple.
A tortured moan escaped her parted lips. ‘You are a libertine,’ she accused breathlessly.
‘Not quite,’ he retorted. ‘But I could easily become one tonight.’
Ryan struggled for control as he scooped her up and carried her over to the bed. He struggled to calm his flesh, which was clammering wildly for a quick release. Not just quick—savage. He wanted to throw her onto that bed, rip off her panties and just ram himself into her.
Rough sex, however, was not something Ryan ever entertained. He prided himself on being an imaginative lover, but always a tender one. He never indulged in anything which smacked of violence. The thought of making a woman cry out with pain was anathema to him.