Chapter 3
3
RYLAN
The door to Joss’s dressing room opened, the hinges creaking as it neared the wall, and I held my breath. The last outfit she stepped out in had my insides doing all sorts of funny things—flipping and twisting and melting at the mere sight of her. I didn’t know which of the items I’d snagged off the racks she was coming out in next, but the anticipation was killing me.
“So…” One of her long legs became visible as she took a small step into the doorway, and my mouth threatened to overflow with drool. My heart kicked in my chest, harder than it had when we were hanging over the side of the Strat and I’d had images of her slipping through my fingers flitting through my head. “What brings you to Vegas?”
That banging in my chest was so intense, I thought I might pass out. Holy fucking shit, she was gorgeous. In nothing but a satiny, spaghetti strap tank and a sequined skirt that hugged her curves, Joss had me rethinking all of my life’s goals.
I pushed off from the wall I was leaning against—because quite frankly, sitting in those plush chairs they had lining the dressing area became more impossible with each change of her clothes—and walked her way.
“Gorgeous.” I couldn’t not touch her. I slid my hands down her silky arms, stopping myself at her fingers when I really wanted to touch every last inch of her. “You’re absolutely stunning.”
She dipped her head—always so self-conscious—and smiled. I wanted to taste her lips, to see what their flavor was and drown myself in it. Color spread across her cheeks as I lifted our hands to the side, taking in more of her gorgeous body.
Joss peeked up at me and her shy smile went crooked. She shook loose one of my hands and brought hers to my face, wiping at the edge of my mouth. “You’re drooling a little.”
“Yeah?” A chuckle rumbled through me as I wiped the rest of the saliva away. It’d only be replaced by more, I was sure, but it was the least I could do in this posh boutique. “You’d be drooling too if you saw what I saw.”
She rolled her eyes and turned toward the mirrors at the end of the room. “I can see just fine.”
“Can you?” I snagged her hand before she could get far and pulled her back to me. Her chest bounced off mine and I caught her around the waist. “You see the most beautiful woman in the world when you look at yourself?”
Her voice was just a whisper. “Rylan, stop.”
“Can’t stop, gorgeous. Not until you see the truth, and probably not even then. You are stunning.” My hand gravitated toward her waist. I slipped it around behind her, pulling her close. “It hurts that you can’t see what I see.”
She sucked in a shaky breath, turning her pretty eyes to meet mine. “Where does it hurt?”
My heart. My lungs. The blood pulsing through every inch of me.
“Everywhere.”
Her eyes darkened as she stood there pressed against me. She smoothed her hand up my chest until her fingertips ghosted my jaw. “You didn’t answer me before.”
“I was a bit distracted.” I curled my other arm around her, rocking the two of us back and forth. “What’d you ask?”
“What brings you to Vegas?”
She traced my jaw, from my chin to my ear and back. I felt like my neighbor’s old cat, sunning himself on our front porch while I dug my fingertips into his fur, purring up a storm.
“Adventure,” I told her before I dipped her like we were dancing. She let out a squeal, her fingers curling into my shirt to keep me from dropping her.
I’d never drop her.
Never let her go.
“Adventure?” Her bright eyes caught the glare from the lights overhead, the darkness from earlier washed away.
“My favorite thing in the world.” Though I was beginning to think that had changed. I straightened, taking her with me, though I didn’t let her go when we got back to vertical. “There’s nothing better than chasing a thrill.”
“Like jumping out of a building?”
“It’s wild.” I licked my lips and dropped my gaze to hers. “Came here for some gambling and some fun. Then I found you.”
She scoffed. “I’m not fun?”
“Ohhh!” Her smile was to die for. “You, gorgeous, are the most fun I’ve ever had.”
“You lie.”
“Never.” I dipped her again, eliciting yet another squeal. When I had her upright again, I turned her toward her dressing room and gave her ass a light swat. “Go. Put something else on before you tempt me to tear that thing right off you.”
She stopped with her hand on the door jamb and looked over her shoulder at me, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.
“What?” I asked when she didn’t move, but she only shook her head before stepping in and closing the door. My chest squeezed and I backed into the wall once more, waiting forever for her door to swing open.
“What else do you do for fun?” Joss stepped out again, this time in a floral sundress so similar to hers. This one had a zipper going from the top of her ass to the strap around her breasts, and it was undone, letting her purple panties peek out. She turned away, pulling her long hair off her shoulder and baring her entire back to me.
My hands itched to touch her again, but I took my time stepping toward her. Her skin pebbled in the cool air as I approached, and I swore a shiver tore through her as I zipped her up. I bent forward, tracing the line of her neck with my nose.
“Anything that gets my heart rate up.” I pressed my lips to the skin behind her ear. “Rock climbing. Bungee jumping. Skydiving. Four wheeling. Racing. Pretty much any physical activity. The more danger, the better.”
Joss twisted in my arms, giving me a look at the front of the dress. It was a different cut than hers and less flattering. I was about to say so when she sucked in a breath so deep, her breasts pressed into the space between us and my mind temporarily stopped working.
“I’ve never been rock climbing before. Or any of those things.”
“No?” I got distracted again, this time as she walked her fingers up my chest and settled her palm near my collarbone.
“Or zip lining.”
“Never?” She shook her head in answer. “What do you do for fun?”
Her body rocked as she gave a quiet laugh. “I work too much to have fun. But I love nature. I love being outdoors. Hiking, skating, riding horses when I can.”
“I love riding horses.”
She leaned in close and dropped her voice. “I don’t love this.”
“Your dress is better.”
She beamed up at me. “Thank you. I thought the same thing.”
“You wanna try something else on?”
Her smile went soft, and the sight made me want to pull her closer. So I did.
“I feel like I’m in a movie.” She edged back a little, getting caught in my arms, and settled for pointing her thumb over her shoulder to her dressing room. “It’s like this is one of those montages where the heroine tries on a hundred different outfits and comes out with a brand-new wardrobe on the other side.”
“You read my mind.”
“Rylan!” I’m pretty sure she was trying to chastise me, but I couldn’t find it in me to care.
“Come on, gorgeous. I told you; I’m treating you. I’m buying you every outfit you like.”
“What if I don’t like any of them?”
I leaned in and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Bullshit. Of everything you’ve tried on so far, there are exactly three outfits you don’t like. This being one of them.”
“How can you tell?”
“Because of the way you light up when you step into the room. Your smile…” I traced her bottom lip with my thumb, so damn tempted to bend down and taste her. “It’s a thing of beauty.”
Her throat worked through a swallow before she grabbed my hand and twisted her fingers around mine. “I can’t let you buy me an entire new wardrobe, Rylan. I don’t have anywhere to wear most of this stuff.”
“Let me treat you.” This time, I was begging. There was something about her that made me want to spend every penny of my new fortune on her. I wanted to come to her rescue. I wanted to sweep her off her feet.
I wanted to follow through on my threat and tear her clothes right off.
Joss’s eyes zipped back and forth between mine. I could practically see her mind working. Finally, after a long silence, she licked her lips.
“Only a few.”
“A few what, gorgeous?”
“A few outfits, okay? I don’t need all of them anyway. You don’t need to waste your money on things I’ll never wear.”
“A few outfits.” I tightened my grip around her waist, pulling her against me as I tilted my head. “But I get to choose.”
“Rylan—”
“I get to choose.” I swore she shivered as I slid the zipper down her back. She stepped out of my arms, fingers clutching the front of her dress. For a moment, my imagination got away from me. I was daydreaming of her dropping the dress to the floor before climbing me like a light pole. My dick throbbed and, not for the first time since I first saw her, I wanted more than anything to ease it deep inside her and give her the kind of loving she so desperately deserved.
Joss licked her lips one last time before she swung the door shut between us.
It was fucking crazy, how much I missed her even though she was on the other side of that flimsy piece of wood. I wanted the weight of her in my arms, the heat of her body against mine. I wanted her smiles and her tears.
I wanted her to be mine.
“Last one.” She came out again, and this time it was almost too much. The dress she was wearing had a halter top and was made of a frilly material that looked like it wasn’t thicker than a cloud. One of her long legs peeked out of the slit that ended inches from her panties, and the desire to hold her was too much to take.
Taking her in my arms, I leaned in close and whispered in her ear. “I have never seen anything more gorgeous than you.”
Her shy smile lit up her face, and I knew, this one was a keeper. This dress. This girl.
I’d do anything to keep her.
“I’m getting this one for you. Doesn’t matter if you have nowhere to wear it, I’m getting it for you. If there’s the slightest possibility you’ll wear this smile again, then whatever this costs, it’ll be worth it.”
“Why are you so sweet?”
“Is that really a question?”
She shook her head. “No. Not really.”
I skimmed my fingers across her bare thigh, straining against the temptation to slip my hand under her dress and push her panties aside. “If you could have any superpower, what would it be?”
She grinned before biting her lip and peeking up at me. “Mind reading.”
“Yeah?” She nodded, and I said, “I choose x-ray vision.”
Laughter burst through her, and she slapped my chest, and I stood there staring like the fool I was, desperate to soak her up. “You’re horrible, Rylan…” She stilled, tilting her head to one side. “What’s your last name?”
“Dennis.”
“Rylan Dennis. I like the sound of that.”
“What’s yours?”
“Monroe.” She stepped out of my grip, disappearing into her dressing room again while I tasted the sound of her name on my lips.
Joss Monroe.
I’d only just met her, but I swore I was falling in love.