“Honey, I’m home.” Ruby’s voice, bright with a hint of laughter, came from the front hallway of the cabin. “That’s fun to say.”
Adrian rested both his hands against the counter and hung his head in relief. He wasn’t going to look too closely at what his worries about her whereabouts meant. Just move on. He straightened up and headed for her.
“Wait,” she called as he entered the main room. “Turn around.”
He did. Her footsteps moved through the living room and into the bedroom. Then he heard her come out again.
“Okay. You can turn around now.”
He furrowed his brow in confusion, which she dismissed with a little wave.
“You’ll see later.” She walked across the living room and stopped in front of him. Then she put her hands on her hips and batted her eyelashes at him theatrically. “Did you make yourself useful while I was gone?”
“Maybe.” He gestured toward the kitchen. “You can decide yourself.”
Ruby’s steps slowed as she caught sight of all the bowls filled with ingredients. She turned to him, her eyes shining. “I should have known. Anything you do, you fully commit, don’t you?”
“How kind of you to notice.”
Her face lit up with laughter. “Aw, Adrian. Have I not been nice enough to you?”
He raised an eyebrow, but the effect was probably ruined by the real smile he couldn’t stop. In the past, her comments almost always had little barbs, critiques of his tendency to obsess over the details, to get things exactly right. He searched for traces of that now, but she seemed genuine. His heart raced as he took in the admiration in her voice. Was this new, or had she appreciated this side of him all along, too? Had he simply failed to notice?
Before he could fully process an answer, Ruby was in the kitchen, looking businesslike.
“So where do we start?” she asked over her shoulder as she washed her hands.
“I found a recipe from Cristina’s posts with the ingredients we have, so you should focus on cooking that. I can start assembling the tamales without chicken, since I already watched a video online that showed how to fold the banana leaves.”
He glanced up, and her expression was full of humor. “If that’s acceptable to you, of course,” he added dryly.
She widened her eyes innocently. “Of course it is. You know best, Adrian.”
So much for all that admiration he’d heard in her voice just moments ago. She was mocking him. Yes, maybe his ideas sounded a lot like commands, but he had spent the last hour prepping the food and coming up with an efficient plan.
“Of course I know best,” he said, because he just couldn’t resist.
Adrian headed around the counter and took a step closer, then another. With each step he took, she backed up. The electric pull between them buzzed and sparked, charging him up. There was definitely hunger in her gaze, but there was also defiance. She took another step backward, then another until her back was flat against the wall. He rested one hand on the wall next to her as the smell of coconut flooded his senses, making him lose his train of thought.
“Just because I admitted I’m hot for you doesn’t mean you can order me around,” she whispered.
He struggled to keep his expression stern, but it was hard to when she was so close.
Her eyes narrowed a little. “You think you’re right about everything, don’t you?”
“I don’t think I’m right. I am right.”
The statement was arrogant as hell, but it felt so satisfying to say exactly what he meant. She huffed out a little breath, but her cheeks were flushed and her nipples were hard, poking through her dress. If this didn’t end with sex, he was going to need some serious time in the shower. And knowing Ruby, there was a good chance she’d hold out just to get on his nerves.
He, on the other hand, was long past any game that required him to hold back. He was all in. His head hung heavy over her as he took long drags of her scent. Resting his weight against one hand on the wall, he brought the other hand to her cheek. Her breath hitched, and her pulse pounded at the base of her throat. Still, her eyes were rebellious. His gaze wandered down farther, over her flushed cheek, to her lips, pouting at him.
“Does it turn you on to argue with me like this?” he whispered.
She narrowed her eyes. “Only if I win.”
* * *
Adrian’s laugh was rich and deep, wreaking havoc on her already keyed-up body.
Ruby was lying, of course. There was an ache between her legs that she was trying hard to ignore. Arguing with him did turn her on. The truth was that everything that happened between them turned her on. He was so close, almost touching her, and her body burned for his.
Ruby lifted a hand to his thigh. He stilled at her touch, his breath a sharp hiss. Slowly, she moved her hand higher, higher, until she reached his cock. It was straining against the material of his shorts. She gave it a stroke. He swallowed, and that look of smug satisfaction slipped a little. Good. He was playing dirty, using her attraction against her, so there was no reason she shouldn’t play dirty, too.
“Is this what you’re going to do in the office the next time you want to make your point? Close your office door and press your hard, aching cock up against me?”
His dick jumped against her hand, and his body stiffened. Ruby smiled up at him. She’d hit a nerve, the forbidden line they’d stepped over. And oh, it was so satisfying to get under his skin. So she went for it again. “But what happens if you catch me in a dark hallway with Raj again? You gonna make your point the same way?”
She had absolutely no intention of making out with Raj anymore, but she couldn’t resist bringing it up.
One look at the dark glint in his eyes told her that sentence had turned their taunting into all-out sexual warfare, and it made her giddy, light-headed.
He lowered his mouth to her ear. “You’re not making out with him at happy hour again.”
The rough hum of his voice was turning her inside out. She tilted her head, looking up at him. His mouth was so temptingly close, but she gave him her most skeptical look. “Is that so?”
“Yes. It is.” He moved her hand from his cock and pressed the long, hard length in just the right place, against her clit. She moaned, her whole body thrumming with need, and Adrian was watching her with his relentless stare.
So she stared right back. “Because you say so?”
“Because you won’t be aching for Raj. You’ll want my mouth, my cock.” He slipped his hand under her dress, sliding it up her leg until he came close, so close. And then he stopped. She glared at him, and he gave her his smug smile. “Right now I’m gonna fuck you against this wall so you’ll remember it. So you’ll be thinking about me whenever your back is against the wall.”
His voice was a low rasp, and his body was tense, like he, too, was holding on to his last ounce of self-control. And how she was dying to give in right now if it meant a relief to this aching need.
“Do it,” she whispered. “Make me think about you every single time.”
He let out a groan, and his mouth descended on hers. The kiss was wild, all hungry need. She slid her fingers into his hair, pulling him close, and he let out a deep rumble. He tilted his head, and their mouths fit together, like the missing piece of a three-year-long puzzle. Everything clicked into place. Frantic hunger turned into the long, sensual glide of his lips over hers. She met each stroke of his tongue with her own.
When he moved to her neck, Ruby tipped her head back against the wall, exposing every vulnerable part, and he let out a hiss of satisfaction.
“You taste so good,” he said, lips against her skin. “So sweet.”
He sucked at the base of her neck. The sensation shot through her body, hitting her core. She gasped. “Again.”
Adrian’s laugh was low and satisfied, and he went back for more. Th
e friction of his mouth, the heat of his big hard body against hers, it was so good. Ruby closed her eyes and pulled him closer, grinding against his erection.
He flexed his hips, dragging his hard length along her clit. White-hot sparks exploded inside her.
“What’s the matter, Ruby,” he whispered. “Do you need something from me?”
He was pushing her to beg. She knew it, and she was almost past caring. Almost.
“Is this what you want?” he coaxed, rocking his hips again. Another round of white-hot pleasure ran through her. “Do you need my cock? Tell me how badly.”
Her breaths were coming so fast, one after another. Damn him. He really was going to make her beg.
“You’re an ass,” she hissed.
Adrian laughed. “We both already know that. But I have a nice hard cock to fuck you with. So I guess you’ll have to overlook that part.”
“I should go back in the bedroom and take care of this myself,” she said, giving him her best glare.
He must have taken her at her word because he stilled against her. When he pulled back a little, his smug smile had slipped. Did he think he’d pushed her too far? Not even close. He took a deep breath.
“I am an asshole, Ruby. But the only thing I want right now is to please you.” He was so serious, and the truth of it, the vulnerability in his voice, hit her hard.
She slid her hands to his cheeks and gently tilted his face so they were looking eye to eye. “I know.”
His expression was unreadable, and she held his gaze, watching him closely. Finally, after a few moments, he nodded.
She stroked his cheek, and his cock throbbed against her. “Now fuck me,” she whispered.
His mouth crashed down on hers again, and a deep groan rose from his chest. She couldn’t get enough of his mouth, his body, everything. She lowered her hands to his waist, finding the button of his shorts, fumbling with the zipper. Finally, it came loose, and she shoved his shorts and boxers off. He kicked them aside, still kissing her. He broke off and tugged his T-shirt over his head in one swift move. Ruby pulled her dress off, dropping it onto the pile.
Then his hands were on her again, big, warm hands moving over her skin, sending trails of delicious fire over her stomach, her sides, her breasts. She moved to unhook her bra, but he shook his head.
“Just like this,” he rasped. “Please.”
Both of his hands came around her ass, and he lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his waist so his cock settled between them, lighting sparks and making her dizzy. He pressed his cock against her, just the silky scrap of her panties between them.
“What do you want?” The question was out of her mouth before she could think better of it.
“You, Ruby. I want you.”
Then, before she could fully register his words, he moved her panties out of the way and sank deep inside her. His cock stretched her, sliding into her with the most beautifully satisfying friction. In those last inches, her body surrendered completely.
“Fuck,” he muttered. “So wet. So good.”
He was trembling, or maybe she was. Maybe they both were. It didn’t matter anymore because they were both winning now. Or maybe they were both losing.
Then he started to move, his thrusts long, hard and relentless. Over and over, he slid in and out. The pleasure was building inside, growing, blooming, taking her breath away. She tilted her hips and dug her heels in so his cock dragged along the perfect spot.
“Oh, my sweet Ruby,” he rasped, his head buried in her shoulder. “So sweet. I can’t take it.”
His biceps, his chest, his abs, everything flexed with each thrust. He was covered in a sheen of sweat, but he showed no signs of slowing. Just those thrusts, long and hard, until she was so close.
“Harder,” she whispered.
He bit down on her neck on the next hard thrust, and everything exploded. Ecstasy pulsed through her in wave after wave. She gasped for breath, and his name was falling from her mouth, over and over. “Adrian. Oh, Adrian.”
His cock grew inside her, and then he was coming, too, filling the room with growls. His arms tightened around her, and for one moment, everything else was gone. Just the two of them. He brought them to the floor, a tangled mess of arms and legs. She clung to him, his hard muscles under her hands, as her breathing slowed.
They were in Hawaii. Playing a fake couple. Except this didn’t feel very fake right now.
Adrian pulled back a little, his eyes serious, like he was trying to read her. Like he was making sure she was okay. It was intense, and it felt so good. Then he raised an eyebrow. “Did I give you something to think about?”
A bubble of laughter rose up inside her. “You’re being an asshole again.”
The corners of his mouth twitched up. “I know.”
“I can’t believe how much fun I’m having this week with such an asshole,” she mused.
A smile spread across his face, and this time he didn’t try to hide it. “You are definitely going to be the death of me,” he said, shaking his head. “But right now, I’m okay with that.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
RUBY WOKE UP Christmas morning to the low hum of Adrian’s voice. It was a sexy sound, so she lay there, just listening to it. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and he came into view through the bedroom’s French doors.
He was stretched out on one of the lounge chairs on the lanai, facing the ocean, so she couldn’t fully see him. He seemed to be wearing only pajama bottoms, and he was talking to someone on the phone. Clearly that someone was under the age of five, judging from his questions about stuffed animals and finger paints.
She closed her eyes again, the details of yesterday’s kitchen adventure coming back. His voice in her ear. His hard biceps flexing under her fingers as he thrust so deliciously deep inside her. Holy hell.
How could this be the same Adrian Wentworth, CFO of NY Creatives Media, a man of few words and fewer smiles?
Ruby stretched lazily, then slid out from under the soft sheets. She took her time pulling on a tank top and shorts, then she wandered toward the French doors for another view of him.
Adrian ran a hand through his hair, his toned muscles in relief in the morning sun. The man was beautiful. After a moment of gaping, she registered a change in Adrian’s tone.
“Merry Christmas to you,” he said, his voice gentle. “And I’m not all alone, Mother.”
Ruby froze as the silence stretched out. Listening in when he was talking to a child hadn’t felt like an invasion of his privacy, but a conversation with his mother was different. Ruby shifted on her feet. She should really leave, but she was so curious. It wasn’t much of a conversation, actually, more just a series of yeses, noes and other one-word answers. This was more like the Adrian she knew...except she could’ve sworn there was longing in his voice.
She didn’t know anything about his family. Had he mentioned a sister at some point? Why was he here in Hawaii instead?
“No one important,” he said with a hint of irritation. “It’s work related.”
No one important. The words should not have stung, but they did. Even though he was probably just trying to cut off his mother’s questions.
Still, after the dinners and the sex, it hurt to hear the words come out of his mouth. Just like it’d stung a little when he’d stayed up long past her and was out of bed before she woke up, like he had silently drawn an intimacy line. It was ridiculous. This was just a few days of fun. And she never got sensitive about men. Why was she starting now, after a couple days of really good sex?
Slowly, she backed away from the doors. The sinking feeling was settling in the pit of her stomach as she turned around.
Pull yourself together, girl. If she wanted to dwell on this, she could do it some other time. Today was Christmas, the day she’d hoped to make her own kind of special this year. Ruby wa
s absolutely not going to let Adrian’s words ruin it—words that might not be true and definitely weren’t even meant for her ears.
She blew out a breath, straightened up and focused on the first step to a good morning: coffee. She headed for the kitchen, but as she walked out through the doorway into the main room of the cabin, she came to a stop.
The room was covered with red and white flowers. They were strewn across the glass coffee table and hung from soft white lights that lined the windows. Flowers sat on the branches of the decorated palm tree in the corner, and they were spread along the floor, making a trail that lined the wall. Beneath the tree lay a single present, square and flat, wrapped in red paper with a white card on top.
Ruby stood in the doorway, frozen in place, her gaze darting from surface to surface as she took in all the flowers. She had never seen anything like it before. It was as if the whole room had bloomed overnight. The ache in the pit of her stomach from moments ago faded. It didn’t compare with what was right in front of her, breathtakingly gorgeous. She could spend Christmas Day just sitting in this room.
She ducked back into the bedroom and grabbed Adrian’s present out of her beach bag. She tiptoed over to the tree and set his present next to the red package.
Adrian had left the French doors open, and a soft breeze blew off the ocean, rustling the petals of the flowers on the table. He was still on the lounge chair, and she could hear the low rumble of his voice through the wind, though she couldn’t make out the words.
A little of that sinking feeling came back, so she turned and headed to the kitchen for a coffee. But the kitchen was full of surprises, too. Gone were the dishes from their tamale-making project. Instead, in addition to the fresh pot of coffee, she found a bowl of cut fruit, a small pitcher of juice, hard-boiled eggs and a flat basket of pastries, doughnuts and rolls. The napkins were candy-cane patterned and the plates were red. Ruby stared at the spread.
Pure Satisfaction--A Hot Holiday Romance Page 11