Chapter 9
Ethan
Icould have stayed in that state for hours. Teetering on the verge of that first kiss. The precious, perfect first time that our lips touched. I couldn’t rush this. I had to get it right, because there would be no do-overs if I got it wrong. Not with this woman.
She was a mass of contradictions. Immensely powerful and immensely fragile, in the same moment.
And she shone like a goddamn star. I had never seen anything so beautiful.
Those bright topaz eyes, so wary, so hopeful.
Full of wonder and curiosity as she swayed, infinitesimally, toward me. Fuck, yes. Please.
We danced with the closeness for a while, enjoying the humming charge of the energy between us, connected us even without touching.
Her sweet heat buzzed against my skin. I had never been so turned on.
I shook with it. This the trembling brink-of-a-fucking-miracle moment.
Waiting for something, some signal, some certainty.
I was following instinct, helplessly advancing, retreating, our lips never making contact.
Sensing her heat, her scent, the smudge of dark shadows under her gorgeous eyes, the hot blush of her cheeks and her slightly parted lips. I wanted to inhale her, devour her.
But if I put so much as a pinkie finger wrong, she would freak out and kick my ass to hell and gone.
I was waiting for a sign. That tiny move from her that would unleash me.
I didn’t care how long it took. I could do this forever.
I could just stay out here with her, let the seasons change around us.
Let the wind howl, let the snow fall, let the moon change its phases.
I wouldn’t notice. Not with her to look at.
She let out a breathless laugh, and laid her hand on my chest. She lifted her chin, and gave me a teasing look, through long, gold-tipped eyelashes. “So, Masters? What’s your deal? Have you lost your nerve? I wouldn’t blame you if you had.”
Ahhhh, yes. All the invitation I needed. I pulled her close.
The contact unleashed a shockwave of emotion. More than my system could handle. I was in overload, losing control, and I couldn’t lose control, not after all my bold words about driving her crazy with pleasure. That required technique, relentless self-command. Not some snorting, grunting caveman.
We tasted each other hungrily, her fingers digging into my chest. She didn’t have long fingernails, martial artists never did, but her fingers were strong, and her grip felt good. Sexy.
She was shapely, sinuous, in my arms. My hands could not get enough of her.
Every detail pleased me. The shape of her spine, the dip of her waist, the beautiful rounded swell of her ass, those long, strong legs.
The fine texture of her skin, the calluses on her hands, the satiny luster of her hair.
Subtle, delicate details, the rosy, well-shaped ears, her white teeth.
High, pointed breasts, pressed against my chest. I was so hyper-conscious of every point of contact, as if it burned me.
I leaned back, gasping for air. She looked dazed, licking her lips. Panting.
“Hey,” was all my muddled brain could articulate. “You, ah…okay?”
She laughed, a soft, whispery sound. “Is this all part of your technique? Feign vulnerability, so that I feel charmed and disarmed? Is that your move, Masters?”
“No moves,” I said. “I’m not capable of feigning anything right now.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Okay, then,” she said slowly. “Then let me turn that around on you. Are you okay?”
“I’m overwhelmed,” I said.
A frown appeared between her brows. “Ah,” she said. “I’m too much, huh? I get that a lot.”
“No!” I said, horrified. “Oh God, no! You’re not too much. You’re fucking amazing. I’m just so excited, my self-control slipped, and that freaked me out.”
“You’re not scared of me, then?”
I lifted her hands to my lips, kissing them. “Not in any bad way,” I said. “I’m just nervous. Hoping I’ll prove worthy of the mysterious warrior maiden.”
“Warrior maiden,” she repeated with a tiny smile. “That’s a new one for me. Worthy, huh? From the pampered billionaire with the helipad?”
“That’s irrelevant, and you know it,” I said. “You already told me you didn’t care about that, and I took you at your word.”
She nodded. “I meant it.”
“So, you’re staying here tonight,” I said. “You agreed.”
She gave me a sharp look. “I’m guessing that wouldn’t change anything if I didn’t agree,” she told me. “Your mind was made up. You’re just sweetening the pot by offering to fuck my brains out in the meantime. Very hospitable of you, Masters.”
I studied her face, wondering where I had made a false step. “Put that way, it sounds really self-serving,” I said. “Try looking at it this way. I am placing all my resources at your service. Including my body. All for you. I lay it at your feet.”
“Hmmm,” she murmured. The sound was almost like a purr.
It was one of those moments when the fate of the world hung on the flicker of an eyelash. Emotions burned in her eyes. This was dangerous for both of us, not just to her.
I took a step back, so she wouldn’t feel pushed, or smothered, or pressured, and watched the wind play with her hair, blowing strands across her flushed face.
“You’re not one of those guys, who’s going to start acting like the big boss as soon as we have sex, are you?” she demanded. “Because I find that really tedious.”
I let out a short laugh. “Full disclosure? I’m the kind of guy who will act like the big boss whether we have sex or not,” I said. “My sister says I have a character disorder when it comes to that. I piss her off regularly. I’m sure she’ll tell you all about it.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Dude,” she said sternly. “I won’t be meeting your sister. This is a total one-and-done. If we do it at all. Which is by no means certain.”
I lifted my hands. “I bow to your will,” I said.
“Bullshit you do,” she said, studying me keenly. “You don’t bow to anyone’s will. You just manage people, expertly. Because you’re smart. But it’s always your will being done, in the end. Am I right?”
I considered my words carefully. “Maybe,” I said. “But I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, if our interests align. And they do. What I want right now is to give you unbelievable pleasure. Hours of it. Until you’re exhausted from it.”
She harrumphed. “That might be harder than you anticipate,” she informed me. “I’m a tough nut to crack. Or so I have been told. I have a hard time letting go, relaxing. So really. Don’t get your hopes up.”
“Great,” I said promptly. “And this is where my character disorder comes in handy. The positive flip side of thinking I’m the big boss is not being afraid of a challenge, or strategy. Being willing to play a really long game. As long as it takes.”
Her eyes dilated. She licked her lips. My cock swelled against my jeans.
Whoa. So, the name of the game with Kat was slow. That was the key.
I held out my hand, and the gesture had the feel of a ritual.
A point of no return, for both of us. Relief and elation flooded through me as she took it.
Gratitude, too, because I was desperate for this, after all the flirtatious foreplay of that meal, that conversation.
If she had turned me down, I would have needed to be hospitalized.
I bent over her hand, and started kissing it. Slowly, thoroughly, figuring I’d begin as I meant to go on. Worshipful. She was skittish, shy, so I had to get her to the point where she was half-mad with frustration.
I felt the shiver go through her. Goosebumps, the nipple jut.
“Shall we go back inside?” I asked.
“Sure.” I kept hold of the hand she had given me, resisting her first, instinctive tug to free herself. I wasn’t giving any ground right now. Not right after winning it.
Back in the sunroom, she turned to face me. “So, how’s this going to work?”
I just smiled. “I’ll follow your cues.”
“You mean…here?”
I looked around, assessing the erotic possibilities of the sunroom. It had strong points. The heater made it warm enough, the afternoon sunshine filled it with light, and there were lemon profiteroles to play with.
But it wasn’t the right vibe. Not yet.
“Let’s go to my room,” I said. “I think this should start on a bed.”
She laughed. “Ah, okay. Traditional much?”
“I just like my soft mattress,” I said. “Later on, I can impress you with how adventurous I am.” I tugged her hand, to get her moving, and led her through the place.
Through the huge corner living room with the glass wall on two sides, one opening on to the terrace, the other out over a cliff. There was a little sunshine slanting through the jumble of heavy clouds. She glanced at the photo gallery.
“This is your family?” she asked.
“Family and friends,” I said. “Only the closest ones. You’d like them.”
She harrumphed. “That’s not in the scope of our night,” she said. “So don’t plan on introducing me to your parents.”
“My parents are long gone,” I told her. “When I was sixteen.”
“Oh. Like me, then. So, you didn’t inherit all this?”
“No,” I said. “My folks didn’t have a dime.”
“Ah. This is all you, then. Self-made man. Very admirable. Yay for the American dream.”
I paused, carefully. Money always tended to be an emotional minefield. “I had this house built about eight years ago, after things really took off with MasterTech. I wanted to create a place where we could all be together and feel safe.”
“You’re a very family-first kind of guy,” she said.
“Absolutely,” I told her. “Even though it’s just me here right now.
Freya’s back in Seattle with Jed, her new husband, and my little niece, Holly.
I personally think they should all be living here, just to make it easier to secure them.
But Jed is protecting her. He’s been my friend for years. We were in the Army Rangers together.”
“Ah. The Rangers. No wonder you can fight. And those other guys, in the van? Were they Rangers, too?”