Love & Seduction: A Forbidden Love Suspenseful Standalone Romance: A Love & Ruin Novel (The Love & Ruin Series Book 7)

by J. A. Owenby

  Searching for my towel, Vaughn’s grey T-shirt and black shorts caught my eye. “Holy shit,” I muttered, pulling myself up. He was at the door. I’d not bothered to close it since he was supposed to be on the other side of the house. We stared at each other without speaking while the soft, slow beats of “Pink” by Leon began to play. I patted the beads of sweat from my forehead and the back of my neck with the hand towel, then I wadded it up and tossed it in the corner. Vaughn approached me silently. He took my hand in his, his gaze growing more intense while he slipped an arm around my waist and guided us to the middle of the room. My heart fluttered with every blink of his dark lashes and the way his blonde hair shone in the studio light.

  He led me into the waltz, his attention never leaving my face while he steered me through the steps like a pro. I immediately fell into sync with his body. The music and the lyrics of the song affected me even more deeply. He twirled me around, then brought me flush against him. I peered up at him, lost in the moment. Lost in him. His feet slowed to a stop, and he dipped me gently, our eyes remaining locked on each other’s. My body hummed with excitement as his hips leaned into mine and moved in a slow, sensuous circle. Desire filled his gaze while our bodies synchronized, heat and passion flowing between us. This wasn’t just a dance. It had transformed into so much more. His touch and caress were more intimate than I’d ever experienced with a partner before on the floor. The music drew to a close, and we remained standing silently in front of each other.

  Vaughn placed his hands on the sides of my face. “You have no idea what you do to me. I’ve turned into a complete fool over you. I spend hours and hours thinking about you, and I know it’s crazy, but I can’t stop. I want to protect you and keep you safe. Then I remind myself what you’ve been through. I would never forgive myself if I hurt you or caused you pain. There’s also the fact that you’re my best friend’s sister and my boss has made it clear you’re off-limits. But …”

  “Vaughn.” His name floated off my lips in a soft whisper.

  He placed a finger against my mouth. “Let me say this. There’s no way that I can’t …” He briefly closed his eyes and released a breath. “If I’m your bodyguard, I can no longer deny what my heart wants. If you’re not interested, you need to tell me now, and I’ll walk away.”

  Breathless from his confession, I pushed up on my tiptoes until my lips nearly met his. “Kiss me, you idiot.”

  His hand slipped around the back of my neck as his mouth met mine, then he pulled away, his gaze searching me for permission before he kissed me again. My heart melted with his touch, and a flicker of life began to bloom inside me. His lips parted, and I welcomed him, his tongue seeking mine. His fingers slid down my bare back, sending shivers through me, and I leaned into him, craving more.

  Vaughn broke our kiss. “I need to take a break.” His thumb tenderly stroked my cheek, then he stepped back and left the room.

  I blinked rapidly, wondering if all that had really just happened or if I was dreaming. After scooping my towel and phone off the floor, I exited the studio in a daze, closing the door behind me. I wasn’t sure which had a stronger response to his gentle touch, my heart or my hormones. I bounded up the stairs and made a beeline for the shower. I quickly discarded my clothes on the bathroom floor as I turned on the water. Vaughn Reddington had just kissed me while I was sweaty and most likely stank to high heaven.

  I sniffed my pits and grimaced. I stepped under the hot spray of the shower and allowed it to wash over my sore body. Touching my lips, I closed my eyes and replayed his kiss over and over in my mind. Desire pooled deep in my belly, and I sank onto the wide seat. My fingers trailed over my stomach and between my legs while I imagined his mouth all over me. I stroked my sex and moaned.

  Vaughn had left so quickly, I wondered if he’d opted for a shower, too. My mind wandered to his large cock that I’d wrapped my lips around once before. I thought about the water running over his muscular chest, down his ripped abs, and over his hips. His fingers wrapped around his thick shaft, and he stroked himself as he remembered our kiss. My core throbbed in response, and I massaged my clit. I should have grabbed my vibrator, but I would save it for later tonight. Cupping my breast, I let my thoughts return to him. I needed his mouth on my pussy, sucking my bud while he pumped his fingers in and out of me. Heat swirled deep in my belly, and I continued with my fantasy. His tongue. His long dick plunging into me. He had no idea what I wanted to do to him. I slid a finger inside myself, moaning and arching my back while I exploded. If one kiss had me this worked up, I had no idea how I was going to hold out until we were ready for more. Something told me this wouldn’t be like anything I’d experienced before. I hoped I was right.

  Ten minutes later, I stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. I walked to the mirror and wiped the steam off the glass. For the first time since I’d been attacked, I examined the damage. Holy shit. I had dark fingerprints along the right side of my neck. The left wasn’t as bad, but I could see the mark from that bastard’s thumb. I dug through my toiletry bag until I produced some theatre foundation I’d used to cover bruises in the past. Most of the time, Tucker had been careful about not leaving marks where they could be seen, but I’d had to hide a few on my arms from Saul jerking me around too hard.

  I would take care of them before tonight. For now, I wanted to think about something else—like who had taught Vaughn to dance like that?

  10

  After a nap, I applied my makeup and slipped into a cute pair of jean shorts, along with a baby-blue polo Portland T-shirt. I’d not heard anything from Vaughn, but I knew he was somewhere in the house.

  The thump of my heart tickled my ears, and panic crept up my throat. Would Vaughn think kissing me was a mistake and take it all back when he saw me?

  I made my way to the living room, grabbed the TV remote, and plopped down on the leather couch. All I could do was wait to see where he was at with what had happened between us. He had bounced between hot and cold with me since I’d shown up here, but now I understood why. He had tried to hold out. I wasn’t sure why, but Sutton’s conversation with me repeated again in my mind. Vaughn was a player. Maybe he was, but he’d never treated me like that. I guess I was about to find out if she was right.

  Footsteps approached me, and my gaze landed on Vaughn, freshly showered and wearing jeans and a fitted black company shirt. Guess I’d had the right idea when I’d imagined him relieving some stress as well.

  “We should order the pizza for tonight.” He sat down next to me, his jeaned thigh touching my bare leg. I peered up at him, searching for any indication that he regretted his confession. His gaze drifted from my eyes to my lips, but he didn’t move. “Do you regret our kiss?”

  My brows knitted together. He’s concerned about what I thought? “Why would you think that?” I shifted in my seat, pulled my legs underneath me, and sat on my knees, facing him. “Vaughn, I was the one that came on to you at the wedding. I was tipsy, but I knew exactly what I was doing.”

  “I just dumped a lot on you after you were attacked last night, and I feel like an ass.” He leaned his head back on the couch, closed his eyes, then focused on me again. “I don’t want to hurt you, Claire, but I’m serious. If you’re not feeling the same way, I’ll trade places with ZW.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t want you and Zayne to change shifts. Please.”

  Vaughn reached for my hand and threaded his long fingers through mine. “You know we have to keep this quiet for now. I need some time to figure out how to tell Sutton and Pierce, and I’m not ready to yet. I want to spend this week with you and see how it goes.”

  “That sounds good.” Neither of us wanted to say it aloud, but what if we couldn’t stand each other by the time my sister came home? I doubted that was where we were headed, though.

  “Where are we going for the food?” I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and tapped my screen, opening a Google search.

  “I’ve got the menu here alr
eady.” Vaughn handed me his iPhone. “ZW will be over later, so I’ll order a few large for us, too.”

  My eyebrow cocked up. “You can demolish two big ones between the both of you?”

  A playful smile eased across his gorgeous face. “Yup. You should see how much we demolish when we’re starving.”

  “Oh, my God. I’d hate to see your grocery bill.” I giggled. “What about a meat lover’s and a veggie pizza for the girls, then if there are leftovers, you can have them.”

  Catching me off guard, Vaughn leaned in and kissed me quickly. He stood and offered his hand to me, helping me off the couch. “We can take the scenic route, and I’ll show you where I live when I’m not here.”

  “I’d like that, but I need to ask you something first.” My voice trailed off while I watched his expression fall.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. Sorry. I just want to know who taught you to dance like that.”

  Vaughn laughed and puffed out his chest. “You’re looking at the youth ballroom champion in the state of Washington. Well, when I was in high school at least. My mom taught me. She had a dance studio and bribed me into participating since she was always short on guys that took the classes.”

  My mouth dropped open. “Badass Vaughn can waltz and kill someone in the same move.” I barked out a laugh. “You’re full of surprises.”

  “You have no idea.” His voice was gruff as he closed the gap between us. Then he slid his arm around my waist and pulled me against his hard body. A soft moan escaped my lips while the bulge in his jeans pressed against my stomach. His mouth crashed down on mine, and for the first time, he allowed me to understand how strong his desire was. I wrapped my hands around his neck and devoured him. I couldn’t get enough—his taste, his scent, and his heated skin beneath my touch.

  A loud buzz broke our kiss, and I peeked at my phone on the couch. Shit. It was my sister.

  “Guess we should go, and I’ll talk to her on the way.”

  Guilt washed over Vaughn’s face. He was no more comfortable hiding this from them than I was, but until we were sure there was an us, we couldn’t risk it.

  Tapping the green button on the screen, I answered the phone. “Hey, how’s it going on the East Coast?” I asked.

  The late-afternoon sun warmed my skin, and a soft breeze rustled the leaves of the aspen and maple trees while I followed Vaughn to the car.

  The Mercedes purred to life while Sutton rambled on about how beautiful it was in the East. I couldn’t get a word in edgewise as we pulled out of the driveway, through the gates, and down the winding country road.

  “It sounds like your trip is going well. How’s the client? Did Pierce smooth things over?” I glanced at Vaughn, and butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

  “Unfortunately, we’ve stumbled into a big mess. I wish I could tell you more, but until we know what’s going on, just stick with Vaughn and Zayne.”

  A deep worry line creased my forehead. “What do you mean? Does this have anything to do with what I told you last night?”

  Vaughn frowned at my expression.

  “I’ll tell you more soon. I promise, Claire. We just don’t have a lot of information yet, but it might tie in.”

  “On the other side of the country? Sutton, you’re scaring me. What the hell is going on?” Panic clutched my chest, and I struggled to breathe.

  “I fucked up. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. I promise we will talk as soon as we’re home, which might be later than we originally thought. I’ll keep you posted. Listen, you’re in no more danger than you were before you arrived. In fact, you’re much safer where you are now with a bodyguard. Just don’t go anywhere without him. Promise me,” Sutton said, her plea heavy with concern.

  “Promise. I need to go. I’ll talk to you later.” I stared out the side window, willing myself to disappear and fade away from existence.

  “I love you, Claire. We will get everything straightened out.”

  “Love you, too.” I ended the call and sank back into the seat.

  “What’s wrong?” Vaughn threaded his fingers through mine, allowing me to rein in my anxiety a bit. His thumb gently stroked the back of my hand.

  I stared at him for a minute before I spoke. “I don’t know. Sutton made me promise I wouldn’t go anywhere without you. Apparently they found some new information that might tie in with all the shit happening here.”

  Vaughn’s lips pursed together in a thin line. “I’m sure I’ll hear from Pierce later. For now, let’s try to relax and enjoy each other. Gemma and Mac will be over, and you guys have the entire house to yourselves. Well, ZW and I will be there, but you know what I’m trying to say.”

  “I need to get drunk. Like seriously shit-faced.” I leaned my head on the headrest. “I get horny as hell when I drink.”

  Vaughn released a groan. “Don’t make me wreck the car.” A smile pulled at the corner of his lips. “We’ll talk about all of that later.”

  “If you’re not up for some playtime, it’s okay. I have a vibrator, some Ben Wa balls, and an anal plug. I can manage all by myself if I need to.” My core throbbed with the thought of his hands and mouth all over my body.

  “Jesus, Claire, please.” Vaughn shifted in his seat. “You’re killing me.”

  I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t do that to you. The last few months since I’ve not been around the MC club, I’ve had to perform self-service. That’s okay, but it’s much more fun if you have someone watch.”

  Vaughn jerked the steering wheel, narrowly missing the edge of the road and the thirty-foot drop-off.

  “Shit,” I gasped while I grabbed the door for stability. “I’ll stop. I’m sorry. I realized I was getting you worked up, but I’m not interested in explaining a wrecked car to my brother-in-law.”

  “Sorry. Are you all right? I didn’t mean to scare you.” Vaughn released my hand and placed them both on the wheel. “Thank God we’re here.”

  He pulled into a driveway, and I focused on the beige ranch home with burgundy shutters on the windows. The lawn was freshly mowed and short, well-trimmed shrubs lined the walkway to the tan front door.

  “It’s not huge, but I don’t need much.” Vaughn turned off the car and hopped out.

  I followed him up the sidewalk and waited while he unlocked the door. The alarm sounded as we stepped into the entryway, and Vaughn blocked my view while he punched in the numbers to silence it.

  My eyes darted around the living room. A beautiful multi-colored rug accentuated the dark wood floors. A black leather couch and iron coffee table took up the majority of the space.

  “The kitchen is back here. It’s my favorite place in the house.” Vaughn took my hand and led me into the expansive room.

  “Wow. It’s beautiful. I love the tan granite, and the appliances look top grade.” I ran my finger along the smooth countertop, my mind shifting gears.

  “As you can see from the dining table, this is the dining room.” Vaughn pointed to the left where a stable six-person table stood. “I’ve always liked an open plan for the kitchen and eating area.”

  “I just realized that you know more about me than I do you.” I placed my hand on his chest. “Who are you, Vaughn Reddington?”

  A broad grin eased across his face. “It depends on who you ask.”

  I returned his smile while he closed the small gap between us. He dipped his head, his lips gently touching mine. “I’m complicated, Claire.”

  “I know,” I whispered between his light kisses. “You would bore the hell out of me if you weren’t.”

  Vaughn chuckled and stepped back. Even though I tried, I couldn’t hide my frown. Why did he keep pulling away? Most men would have been fucking me senseless by now.

  “Is something wrong?” I tucked my hair behind my ear, my heart rate picking up speed.

  “No. Not at all. I’m trying to be respectful.”

  “Fuck that,” I said, tossing my hands
in the air, a bit exasperated.

  “I was going to talk to you about it later, but I guess now will work.” He pulled out a dining room chair and nodded for me to sit down.

  I took my seat while my brain worked overtime to figure out what was about to happen.

  Vaughn sat next to me, his expression growing serious as he took both of my hands in his.

  “Claire, I don’t know what Sutton has said about me, but I’ve played around pretty hard. I’m not sure if that bothers you or not.”

  “How could it? My weekends were filled with threesomes, drugs, and booze. I would never judge you. Besides, it’s only my business when I’m in a committed relationship.” I held his gaze while I spoke.

  “Good. You’re different, Claire. If you were anyone else, we would have already slept together, but you’re not anyone else.”

  My eyes narrowed. Where was he going with this?

  “What I mean is that you’re special. I don’t want to screw things up between us. This is different from anything I’ve ever experienced before. When we were at Pierce’s penthouse in Portland … when you left to go home with your parents … you took my heart with you, and you’ve never given it back. I’ve not dated anyone since, and I’ve not …” Vaughn cleared his throat. “I’ve not slept with anyone, either.” His thumb stroked the back of my hand, his intense gaze never leaving mine.

  My walls crumbled with his confession. Maybe for the first time in my life, things were about to be different. Better. But I was still too afraid to hope that a guy wanted me for more than bedroom entertainment.

  “You deserve the world. I want to take you out to a nice dinner, take you dancing, then I want to bring you here and make love to you. I don’t want there to be any doubt about how I feel, where you stand with me, or how I’ll treat you. You deserve to be cared for, loved, and supported. I want to be that for you, Claire. I remember the first time I laid eyes on you—you had just gotten cleaned up after the FBI had rescued you and the other women. You were exhausted and scared. The dark hoody you wore hung off your small frame. I wanted to wrap you up in my arms and hold you. I wanted to keep you safe, not because you couldn’t take care of yourself, but because the moment your eyes connected with mine, my heart immediately knew you. It was as though I’d been looking for you in every woman I’d met before you appeared. When you were finally in front of me. All I wanted to do was … be in your life.”