Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Rhett
I’m acutely aware of the warm press of Pippa’s body against me in the back seat. Every brush of her fingers against mine sends sparks surging up my arm. There is a low hum of anticipation running under my skin. There is no other way to put it: I’m hyper-aroused.
We pull up at the beach house driveway and get out of the car. I bid my chauffeur goodnight, and we head for the front door. Neither of us speaks. My blood drums in my ears. Once we step inside, Pippa smiles at me.
“I’m going to get ready for bed,” she says softly, and heads for the stairs.
My cock is throbbing and hard as a rock, but all I say is, “Goodnight, Pippa.”
She looks back over her shoulder at me, and the smile she gives me is small but unmistakably mischievous.
Then she disappears up the stairs. That look!
Jessica Rabbit wants to get naked with me.
I linger in the hallway for a second, every instinct urging me to go after her, but I tell myself to wait.
Be patient. Jessica Rabbit has a plan up her sleeve.
I pour myself a glass of whiskey and stand watching the restless dark waves outside as I drink it.
From the moment Pippa stood before me in that bar, I felt something, but I didn’t realize what.
I thought it was lust, pure and simple. She was smoking hot, and I wanted her.
Her presence scrambled my brain. I couldn’t think straight around her.
Hell, let’s be honest here. I was desperate to have her.
People who know me would be astonished if they hear Rhett Remington came up with a plan as pathetic as ‘let’s pretend I’m your boyfriend to make your ex jealous’.
I shake my head. She obliterated all rational thought from my mind.
I was smitten. The wait has been unbearable, but I know she will be worth it. I can no longer resist the pull of her.
I lay the empty glass on the cabinet and climb the stairs. The faint scent of Pippa’s perfume lingers in the air. My steps echo on the granite stairs. As I reach the top, a movement catches my eye, a flash of red and black moving down the dimly lit landing.
Ah, sweet, sexy Pippa.
I stop dead when she steps in front of one of the windows, fully lit by the moonlight shining in.
The delicate red and black lace clings to her curves in a daring and completely irresistible way.
Her hair falls loosely around her shoulders, her face is clear of makeup, and there’s a half-smile on her face, a mixture of nerves and seduction that has my pulse spiking.
She catches sight of me and freezes.
She’s standing, as if poised to flee, but the look in her eyes is a challenge and a dare all rolled into one. I can’t resist it. I can’t resist her. Not for a second longer. This is her sending me a very clear message.
Without a word, I close the distance between us.
Seizing her by her waist, I tug her into my arms. The moment our bodies connect, the world narrows down to just me and her.
I lean down, my lips brushing hers before our mouths lock, and I give in to the deep hunger that’s been building since the first time I saw her in her rabbit outfit.
She kisses me back passionately, her hands pressing against my chest as if she’s testing the boundaries of where I end and she begins.
My hands move up to her hair. Grasping a handful of glossy red hair, I tilt her head back, deepening the kiss.
There’s no hesitation, no holding back from her either, just the raw outpouring of chemistry between us, electric and undeniable.
She pulls away slightly, just enough to look at me, her eyes wide and her chest heaving. “Rhett, is this really a good idea?” she asks breathlessly. “Vanessa is off your back. And … I … I still want George.”
George. That fool! But I keep my voice calm and measured. “Of course you do. I completely understand, but right now, you want me. Can you deny the attraction between us?”
She shakes her head distractedly.
“We’re adults,” I coax. “We can have sex without complicating it. We know what we want. Don’t tell me you’re not curious to know how good it could be between us.”
“But I don’t want to do anything I’ll regret. I think George is starting to come around.”
“George is coming around. That’s great, but there’ll be nothing to regret.
You don’t owe him any loyalty. He broke up with you, and I got the impression in London that Claudia and he were not platonic friends.
He was getting laid. So, what’s the harm if you have a bit of fun tonight?
After tonight, you can always go back to London and get him back if you still want to. ”
Her lips part slightly. I can see the lust and longing in her eyes, but she hesitates. I can almost see the wheels turning behind her eyes.
“I … I’ve only ever been with George,” she admits quietly. “I don’t know … what it would even feel like with someone else.”
That triggers something fierce in me. What I feel in that moment is pure desire. She is so close to offering herself to me in the rawest, most intoxicating way. And I want it. I want her. I know I can rock her world.
“Well then, George is a bigger fool than I thought. I’m here if you want to find out what sex with someone else would be like. The ball’s in your court, baby.”
“Just sex? No promises. No expectations.”
“Just sex. No promises. No expectations,” I lie softly.
Her eyes flick to mine, measuring, weighing, and I see that flash of decision, the flicker of daring, of wanting even if it’s dangerous.
“I still want George back,” she says softly. “But you’re right. He forfeited my loyalty with his actions, and there is definitely something between us. Yes, I do want you, what woman wouldn’t, but it’ll probably just be this once tonight. Are you ok with that?”
I hide the ferocious jealousy that spikes in my chest. No, I’m not fucking ok with that.
I’m giving her back to George, but if that’s all she’s offering tonight, then I’ll take it for now.
But I’ll find a way to make her fall for me.
Before we return to London, I’ll rip those rose-tinted glasses off her eyes.
I will make her see George for who he is.
A man who is not in love with her. I will show her that she is casting pearls before swine.
And I will make her see that she is not in love with him either.
“Sure, we’ll do it on your terms. No pressure. No complications. But I’ll be damned if I don’t make it the best experience you’ve ever had.” I pause and grin wolfishly. “And if you go and fall in love with me, then that’s on you.”
Her eyes are enormous, and her breath catches in her throat. “Deal.”
I pull her closer to me, and she shivers against me.
Our lips meet again, softer this time, teasing, exploring.
Her hands trail over my chest, and move higher, her fingers deftly finding the line of my jaw, the curve of my shoulders.
My hands reach down over the contours of her back, pulling her body so tight, my raging cock digs into her flesh.
We savor every second of our kiss until we reach the hallway to my bedroom. Somehow, it unleashes something in us, and our movements become frenzied with ravenousness, our hands groping at each other frantically, our clothes flying off as we devour each other’s mouths.
By the time we reach my bedroom door, we are both buck naked, and my cock is so hard it’s throbbing like a wild animal. I can’t wait to touch Pippa. To taste her. I smell her lust. She’s more than ready for me.
With her clothes gone, her breasts are glorious.
For a second, I stop and stare at the sight.
Then she pushes them against my chest, skin to skin, and writhes against me.
My hands run greedily across her naked back, traipsing downwards, gripping and squeezing her bare ass almost as if I’m trying to pull her into me.
She bites her lip, her eyes dark with desire. I feel rather than hear the low growl that escapes me. I tug her inside my moonlit bedroom and kick the door closed behind us.
“Rhett,” she murmurs. It’s a whisper of surrender. Her hands explore me, tentative at first, then with growing confidence, and I respond in kind, tracing the line of her hips, the curve of her waist.
Every touch, every brush of our lips, every whispered moan brings us closer, the tension between us snapping like a live wire. She’s yielding, yes, but with a spark of defiance, reminding me that she’s in control, even as we both teeter on the edge of surrender.
Silvery colored shadows across the walls watch as I suddenly scoop her up into my arms. She gasps and laughs softly, and the sound is laced with breathless excitement. There’s a tremor of anticipation in it that echoes inside me too.
I drop her on the bed, and as I get the rubber on, I watch her bounce.
Gorgeous. Just gorgeous. Deeply buried in plump pillows, her eyes find mine, sparkling and full of expectation.
I crawl onto the bed beside her. Brushing a strand of hair from her face, I let my hands roam freely, exploring, memorizing her throat, her breasts, her stomach.
Everything is mine. And not just for tonight.
I lean down to kiss her neck, tasting the intoxicating warmth of her skin.
Slowly, I suck the soft skin. When she looks in the mirror tomorrow, she will know she is mine.
She arches herself towards me, her lips parting in a soft gasp.
I leave her neck and return to that open mouth.
Hunger. I taste her hunger, and it is heady.
I pull my mouth away from hers and kiss down her body, heading for her sweet pussy. I promised her the night of her life, and that is exactly what she is getting. It’s going to be ‘George who?’ by the time I’ve had my way with her.