What started out as a blatant attempt to prove he was top dog of that particular kennel quickly morphed into a fiery blaze of unbridled desire. Hunger drove him to a deeper foray, seeking every ounce of desire, soaking up each strong counter to his actions, and demanding still more.
A loud groan carried to his ears, startling Ryan when he realized the sound came from his own throat. Rogue grasped the back of his neck, pulling him closer, before harshly nipping his lip.
Shocked, Ryan jerked away, his breathing ragged as he sought to control his overheated body and burgeoning erection. Confusion flushed through his system as he stood there staring at Rogue, a former comrade in arms and rival.
What in the hell just happened?
Rage replaced bewilderment as he tamped down his reaction. Glaring at Rogue, Ryan wiped his bottom lip, clamped his mouth shut, spun on his heel, and stormed out.
Chapter 12
What in the hell was Blue Blood thinking? What's up with a kiss like there's no tomorrow then storm out and disappear?
For the hundredth time in the past two days, the question ran through Rogue's mind. The kiss replayed over and over again like a bad song stuck in his head, leaving more confusion than answers.
Why hadn't he called? Answered Rogue's text message? Came by? Made contact?
How can he kiss me like the world was ending, walk out, and not at least call for two days' time?
"Shit." Running one hand through his hair, he adjusted his tight jeans and tried to dampen his raging erection. No such luck.
Since Ryan sealed his lips over his, Rogue had fought with a relentless hard-on that refused to go away, no matter what he tried. He would have blamed Ryan for instilling that torture on purpose, but for a couple of facts. As far as he knew, Ryan didn't know he was bi. Secondly, he couldn't have faked the lust put forth as soon as their lips met.
Forty-eight hours of unfulfilled sexual need all because of a mere kiss.
Who was he trying to fool? Mere had nothing to do with it. Passionate, rough, and needy described the kiss much more accurately. A show of dominance, frustration, and longing that rocked his world and kept him on edge since, spurring his libido into high gear. Years of dreaming come to pass in a fleeting moment, kindling a fire threatening to burn out of control.
Ryan. If he didn't miss his guess, the kiss rattled Ryan more than it did him, jostling him from his steady seat in the straight world. While Rogue struggled with a pounding erection day and night, Ryan probably dealt with the emotional aftermath, questioning himself and his previous beliefs.
What did that mean for them?
Running a hand through his hair, Rogue sighed irritably. He had no damn idea what Ryan would do. Ignore him? Come back for more? No way to tell until the handsome blond either answered his call or showed up.
Glimpsing a reflection of Tempest in the window, his thoughts turned to her and their date in a couple of hours. Regardless of what Ryan decided, if anything, Rogue would still pursue Tempest. She soothed him, offered peace and humor, and set his body on fire with longing for her. He wasn't about to give up such a treasure. For anyone.
Chapter 13
Tempest found herself at an upscale restaurant, spending an evening with her boss. Correction. Rogue. When he asked after their first luncheon, she couldn't turn him down, even though she'd had a splendid time with Ryan and scheduled another date with him the day after next. Still unable to choose just one, she told herself to take a bit more time, they would separate themselves with another date or so, allowing her to pick the better fit. Until then, they kept her on her toes.
Good thing she kept a daily calendar in her purse. Keeping up with work and seeing two men at the same time bordered on insanity at times. Her already complicated schedule filled up even more with the addition of the two men.
"How's your chicken?"
"Pretty good, actually." Tempest forked another piece of the grilled chicken. "I was afraid it might be too spicy, but it's perfect." Placing the food in her mouth, she chewed. "Your steak must be good, considering how much you've inhaled so far."
Rogue shot her a grin. "Delicious." Swallowing, he watched her from across the table. Her long sable hair was normally in a ponytail. Tonight she left it free, the ends tickling her shoulder blades when the light breeze didn't send the locks to dancing. More than once, he caught her green eyes appraising him, raking over his body and settling on his face, a bewildered look crossing hers now and again. As if she was trying to figure out some puzzle in her head. It didn't take a detective to figure out what she pondered over.
"I'm seeing Ryan." She tossed out of the blue.
Sitting back, Rogue used his napkin to blot at his mouth. "I know."
"I need to be honest with you both. Transparent. No games, lies, or deceptions," she rattled on before taking a sip of her tea.
"I would prefer that. A relationship based on anything less than the truth is bound to fail."
Her emerald eyes flashed as she met his gaze. "Then would you answer me something."
"Sure."
"Why did you ask me out now? After two years? Is it because you don't want Ryan to have me? Am I a bone in a big dog tug of war?"
"Whew." He leaned in, resting his elbows on the table. He ducked the questions before, but knew he would have to eventually face the music. Tonight the song played clearly. "I know you're a bit confused. Let me try to explain things. First of all, you aren't a bone in a tug of war game. I will admit Ryan's appearance and his asking you out prodded me into action, but I wanted you long before he arrived."
She blinked but remained mute. He ran one hand through his short dark hair. "Ryan and I are adversaries, yes. But don't question whether I want you or not. I want you for you. Always have. I'm sure he feels the same."
After all the time they'd worked together, he finally stepped forward, asking her out on a real date. A clown could see Ryan prompted him into action, like laying a cattle prod to his rear. He wouldn't deny the facts. Yet, he needed her to understand she meant more to him than an employee, more than a trifle belonging in an ongoing rivalry.
Reaching across the table, he took her smaller hand in his. "Tempest. Whatever you decide, whether it's me or him or some other option, I will respect your wishes. Until then, I only want you to see the man I am and how I feel about you before you make your final decision."
A long pregnant silence passed, filled with only the murmurs of the evening restaurant crowd and the clanging of silverware. Rogue held his breath, waiting for her response, the words that would bolster his spirits or send them crashing into a fiery ball to earth.
She met his gaze and slowly smiled. "Deal."
Sighing in relief, he brushed his lips over her knuckles before releasing her. "Thank you. I promise you won't be disappointed."
"How could I? I have this primitive, yet hunk of a caveman, wining and dining me, pampering and entertaining me, before he drags me back to his cave." Her eyes flashed with mischief.
"Cave? I'll have you know it's a decent house. Clean and respectable." Picking up on her teasing, he threw out a pitch. "I even have a king-sized bed. Much more comfortable for caveman pastimes." He waggled his eyebrows.
"Uh huh." She giggled. "And what pastimes would those be?"
"For me to know and you to find out." He took a long drink of his soda, trying to quell the throb in his engorged cock. If a simple conversation at a public establishment tightened his groin into a pounding erection, she would be hell on wheels with his libido. He couldn't wait.
"What's next on the agenda," she asked before taking another bite of her dinner.
"Well, that's up to you."
She looked up at him.
"Either we return to my cave for you to discover some interesting and exciting pastimes…"
"Or?"
"Or we head over to the circus."
A sincere smile lit up her face. "I'm a sucker for the trapeze artist men in tights." She sighed dramatically. "Such bodies. And their endowments. Breathtaking."
He met her with a grin of his own. "They don't have anything on me, baby."
"Was that a line?" She cocked her head to the side.
"The truth. Honest truth."
Her stomach began a delicious slow somersault. My, oh my. She couldn't wait to inspect his manhood for herself.
When did I step into the mud puddle of hussyhood?
Two dates didn't a round of sexcapades make. Darn it. Forcefully pushing the naughty images aside, she focused on the man across from her. Plenty of time for the physical side of things. After she solidified his reasons and expectations.
She wasn't innocent, nor loose. Instead, she considered herself a modern woman with a healthy sexual appetite with the right man of the moment.
Who was the man of the moment now? Rogue or Ryan?
Both.
The thought slipped in. Maybe, just maybe she wouldn't have to choose after all. Not outright discarding the idea, she filed it away for later. Definitely something to consider. At another time.
Chapter 14
"It's not much, but it's home." Ryan ushered her in and closed the door behind them, clicking the lock.
She glanced around, finding a neat, orderly home. A sofa and recliner made up the living room furniture, both facing a large screen television. To the left sat a kitchen complete with a wooden dining table and four matching chairs. Dark brown tiles mimicked natural rock for flooring, bumping up against carpet a few shades lighter. On her right a hallway led to presumably bedrooms and perhaps a bathroom. "Very nice." She gave him kudos for tidiness. In all reality, he probably spent little time here, but managed to keep everything looking lived in, yet clean. Most men probably weren't neat freaks with their bachelor pads. Ryan proved an exception. Perhaps years of Army life created a habit he clung to even today. "Love the TV." She shot him a saucy grin.
Ryan chuckled. "Yeah. My big splurge last year. You want something to drink?" He gestured toward the kitchen.
"Water?" Her mouth was dry, probably a little dehydrated from dancing the past hour and a half straight.
"Coming right up." He walked to the fridge, opened the door, and pulled out two bottles of water. Ambling closer, he handed one over.
"Thanks." She took the offered item, twisted the cap, and took a long drink. "Dancing dried me out."
He took a swallow. "You're an excellent dancer, you know."
She grinned over at him. "I do okay. You're the surprise. Who knew a former Army Ranger could tango? You should've seen the women's faces. They were drooling. Their partners were nearly green with envy."
"Other women? I didn't see any beautiful woman but you." His eyebrow arched as he softly spoke the words.
Her stomach clenched delightfully while parts lower down sat up and took notice. Heck, they paid rapt attention all night long as Ryan wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulled her flush against that magnificent body, then moved with the sultry Latin music like a pro. Each movement a caress, each song a step higher on her ladder of desire. By the time they stopped, she was ready to tear his clothes off and find a vacant room for a fast and furious ride on the Ryan express.
"Where did you learn to dance like that? Like"—she waved her hand—"a smooth, flowing, well-oiled machine."
"My mother. She studied ballroom dancing in college. Made sure all of her children could hold their own in any of the traditional dances."
The admission made Tempest smile. A family full of rough and tumble military types with hours on the ballroom floor. The mixture piqued her interest and pulled her all the closer to Ryan.
"She'll be proud of you. You're exceptional."
He sat his water bottle on the nearby kitchen countertop. "You're the exceptional one. Beautiful. Smart. Gutsy."
Her gaze met his. The sparking in his blue eyes sped her heart and stole her breath. She placed her bottle on the floor and stepped closer, not stopping until she stood in his embrace. He leaned in, his soft lips covering hers in a gentle exploration that quickly caught fire.
Finally. After a night of tempting, teasing, and downright sensual torture, Tempest had Ryan alone and all to herself. Hot and hungry, she put everything she had in the kiss while furiously working at the buttons on his shirt. Ryan assisted by tugging his shirt from his pants before he started working on her clothes, seeming just as eager as she.
His hands smoothed over her back, then dipped underneath the blouse, making a beeline for the clasp on her bra. With a quick twist of his wrist, the garment fell open. Almost immediately his large, callused hands cupped her breasts, weighing them, while flicking his thumbs over the sensitive tips.
She moaned into his mouth, busily tongue wrestling in a haze of need and fiery passion.
Ryan pulled back, grabbed the hem of her blouse and lifted. Tempest squirmed out of the unwanted covering, letting Ryan toss both items aside while she focused on opening his shirt, quickly learning the feel, the hills and valleys of his sculpted chest and six pack abs on her trek. Her fingers flew over the buttons of his tight jeans, the same pair that molded his remarkable ass all evening long, kicking her womanly needs into high gear with the demand to see him naked. She couldn't get him nude fast enough.