Playing Dirty: Windy City Kink, Book 3 (11 page)

“Be careful.”

He stopped and looked at her over his shoulder. She bit her lip.

Was she worried about him? Cute.

He waded farther out then did a shallow dive into the water. He came up just as a big wave washed over him, submerging him again. He came up laughing and spitting out salt water. Paige stood close to shore, watching him with her hands over her mouth. She
was
worried about him.

This was an excellent sign. He gave her a wave then fell backward into the water, rolled and swam parallel to the shore, enjoying the chance to use his muscles. He definitely needed to expend some energy. This wasn’t the way he’d prefer to do it, but hey, it’d work.

He swam back toward Paige in an energetic crawl until the water was too shallow and he pushed his feet to the sandy bottom. Her eyes were shadowed as she watched him. “What’s the matter, babe? You look scared.”

She blinked. “I’m not scared. I just…you shouldn’t have swum so far.”

“Why not?” He flicked his fingers at her, sprinkling her with drops of cold water.

“It’s the ocean. You could get sucked in by a riptide. Or attacked by a shark. Or a jellyfish.”

He laughed. “Uh-oh. I didn’t know Sea World was going to traumatize you.” They’d seen both sharks and jellyfish there.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not traumatized.”

“You were worried about me.” He moved in closer. She backed up a step and he reached for her.

“Don’t touch me! You’re wet and cold!” She turned and ran, splashing through the shallow water. Exhilaration heated his veins and he chased her, easily catching her, wrapping his arms around her middle from behind and lifting her off the ground. She screeched at the feel of his wet body.

He bent his head to rub his face against hers. “You need to get wet, Paige.”

He knew she got the double entendre when she went soft in his arms.

“I can make you wet,” he murmured in her ear.

“I don’t want to swim.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

He felt her ribs expand as she took a deep breath. Her breasts pressed against his forearm, her butt against his groin. And yeah, he was fucking getting hard again. His balls were going to be as fucking blue as the Pacific Ocean by the end of the weekend.

He kissed her cheek, her jaw, closing his eyes and breathing in her scent, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. “Come on,” he murmured, releasing her but taking her hand. “Let’s go lie down again. I wanna warm up in the sun.”

He led her back to their towels. She was unusually quiet. “You okay, Paige?”

She flopped onto her back and closed her eyes.

Chapter Eleven

Paige was not okay. She was confused. She was aroused. Her body was pulsing and aching in deep, secret places. She’d been so nervous watching Raff swim in the vast ocean, terrified that his dark head would disappear beneath the waves and not reappear—the ocean was so big, how would she ever find him? Then she’d been relieved when he returned, and annoyed at herself for being relieved, and then so
fucking
turned on by him chasing her, and by his sexy whispered innuendoes when he pressed that incredible body up against her.

She wasn’t going to make it.

She’d been ready to jump him when he was putting sunscreen on her. Then she’d laid eyes on his half-naked body. Holy shitballs, he was ripped. She’d suspected even with clothes on that he had a hot body, but, sweet zombie Jesus, he was gorgeous. Wide, muscled shoulders and a broad chest tapered down to a narrow waist and hips. His pecs and abs were cut, and his biceps had bulged as he bent his arms to rub lotion onto himself.

The black board shorts he wore sat low on his hips, the muscles of his torso angling down into the loose band of them. The shorts mostly covered his thighs, but his calves were thickly muscled, masculine with dark hair.

Boxing apparently kept him in damn fine shape.

Having his big hands massaging her with erotic strokes and seeing his beautiful male body was enough to get her worked up, but on top of that, Raff chasing her was stunningly exciting and now she was panting and, yes, wet. Definitely wet.

Yeah, she was in serious jeopardy of not making it through this weekend without sleeping with him.

“I’m good,” she finally croaked.

She let the sun soak into her and tried to relax her wired body, acutely aware of Raff lying beside her. Maybe the beach had been a bad idea since it required them to wear so little.

“We need to come back here for a week,” Raff said next to her. “There’s so much more I want to show you.”

“How about next weekend?”

“Sold. I’ll book it before we leave.”

“I was kidding.”

“I know.” He paused. “I, however, wasn’t. I’m totally up for flying back next weekend.”

“That’s crazy.”

“Probably. You gotta know, though, babe, I’ll do anything to have you.”

She scrunched her face up, eyes still closed. “But why?” she whispered. “I don’t understand this, Raff.”

She sensed him rolling to his side to face her. She didn’t want to look at him. She tried not to. But he was irresistible. She turned her head and opened her eyes.

He was right there, right in front of her. His broad shoulders. His rugged face. He hadn’t shaved that morning and he looked dark and dangerous. His eyes burned with brilliant emotion. “Don’t think I can explain it, sweetheart,” he said, voice low and rough. “I just feel it. From the minute I laid eyes on you, I wanted you. Intensely. Urgently.”

His words made her heart beat so hard she felt it in her throat, his voice stroking her senses and making her entire body hum.

He reached out and touched his fingertips to her cheek. She wanted to lean into his touch.

“There’s something about you,” he continued. “Something that feels like we fit together. Something about you makes me want to look after you. Protect you. Make you feel good.”

She liked those words too, although they confused her a little. “I don’t need to be looked after.”

“No. You don’t. I can see that. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting to.”

And then she did close her eyes against the wave of longing that swept over her. Because even though she didn’t need to be looked after, even though she had this amazing new life in a new city with her own business and new friends, she longed for someone who would be there for her, support her, someone with whom she could let go and…surrender. And his words were perfect.

She’d felt this way before. She’d had this yearning, this need, and it had gotten her in trouble. It had led her to Del, who she’d thought would be there for her that way. She’d surrendered to him and he’d abused her.

So it was painful trying to resist Raff, when what he was trying to give her was everything she wanted. But she had to be strong. She couldn’t be weak like that ever again.

His thumb brushed over her bottom lip, then his fingers slid into her hair. She opened her eyes to look into his, dark and molten, framed with thick eyelashes, looking at her like she was the most beautiful, desirable thing he’d ever seen.

That
was hard to resist.

“Don’t be afraid,” he rasped.

She couldn’t lie and say she wasn’t afraid. But she couldn’t admit that she was either. That would give him too much power. So she said nothing.

“Where are we going for dinner?” she asked.

She saw the disappointment in his eyes at her change of subject. She expected him to get angry, which Del would have done—hell, which Del
had
done when she’d disappointed him. But Raff didn’t. He just moved away from her and propped his head on one hand, lying on his side. “Café Salazar.”

“Is it classy?”

He smiled. “I guess.”

“Do I have to dress up?”

“You can wear whatever you want.” His gaze stroked over her again. “I’d be fine if you wore that.”

She snorted. “Right.”

“I think there’s a dress in the suite for you.”

“Of course there is.”

“Need more sunscreen?”

“I think I’m good.”

They again lay back and went silent. She felt her body melting into softness in the sun, the sounds of the beach fading away, the ocean’s rhythm a distant backdrop. She actually drifted off to sleep for a while and it was Raff’s touch on her shoulder that woke her.

“Time to go get ready for dinner,” he said.

“Mmm. Okay.” The sun was low in the sky now, the air cooling.

Back at the suite, he pulled a platter of cheese and crackers and olives out of the fridge then opened a bottle of red wine. “We have lots of time,” he said. “Reservation’s at seven. I thought you might want some time to shower and get ready. And our terrace is a nice spot to watch the sunset.”

“Yeah. That’s good.” She carried her glass of wine into her own bedroom, which also had a small sitting area and doors onto the terrace. She looked out at the ocean where the sun was lowering and sipped her wine before ducking into the elegant bathroom to shower.

When she came out, the sky was tinged mauve, purple and peach. Raff was right. It was amazing. She wrapped herself in the hotel robe and went to find him out on the terrace. Once again, he sat with his bare feet propped on the railing. He still wore the black board shorts but had donned his loose T-shirt. He had his smartphone in his hand and was scrolling through emails or texts.

He looked up at her as she walked out and took in her wet hair and thick robe. He grinned. “Even in that thing you’re gorgeous.”

“Stop telling me that.”

“Nope. Can’t. Did you come to watch the sunset with me?”

“Yeah.”

He immediately tossed his phone onto the table.

“Were you working?”

“I was. It can wait.” To her shock, he reached for her and pulled her onto his lap. She was naked beneath the robe, which made her feel all kinds of vulnerable, but she had to admit the heavy terry fabric kept her well covered from neck to ankles.

He settled her against him and picked up his own glass of wine from the table. “There,” he said. “Relax and enjoy.”

How the hell was she supposed to relax sitting on his lap? She focused on the ocean and the beautiful sky, sipping the faintly spicy Zinfandel. He was giving her so many amazing experiences this weekend. She should be absorbing it all—the luxurious surroundings, the gorgeous scenery, the amazing food and wine. This would never happen to her again. She needed to make the most of it.

Could that include…Raff?

Earlier she’d been telling herself she had to stay strong, that she couldn’t surrender to a man like him again. So, shockingly, she found herself coming up with reasons why she
could
maybe have sex with him.

It would be this one time. She should make the most of it. She could have sex with Raff and probably enjoy it because, after this, she’d never go out with him again. Having sex with him didn’t mean surrendering. After all, she’d be getting something out of it too. Once again, she was taking this and herself
way
too seriously.

She became excruciatingly aware that she was sitting on Raff’s lap thinking about having sex with him. She felt a dart of heat low in her belly and tingles moved over her skin. She glanced at his face. He was looking at her, not at the sunset, his gaze no less admiring.

She swallowed. “I want to thank you,” she said, voice low. “For giving me all this. It’s beautiful here. I got to pet a dolphin. I got to fly on a private jet. I got to put my feet in the Pacific Ocean.”

“The weekend’s not over.”

“I know. But I wanted to say that. You went to a lot of trouble. I still don’t entirely get why, but I do appreciate it.”

“Thank you.” He smiled. “I’m glad. And watching you enjoy each experience has been fun for me too.”

As the sun slowly lowered into the ocean, drenching sky and water in violet, orange and scarlet, they sat looking at each other, stretched-out moments of surprising intimacy and connection, a feeling of closeness that had nothing to do with physical nearness. With deliberate slowness, Raff set his glass down then removed hers from her hand. It joined his on the table.

He slid his hand around her neck, his thumb rubbing over her jaw in slow strokes, his eyes studying her face. “Not gonna ask,” he whispered. “Just gonna do it. Gonna kiss you, Paige.”

Her stomach did a slow, warm roll and her pussy squeezed. Heat gathered beneath the robe, rising up into her face. Her lips parted as his face neared hers, her eyelids going heavy. “I want you to kiss me.”

And then his mouth hit hers, firm and warm and demanding, opening over hers, and she opened in response. His hand on her neck and jaw adjusted her head a tiny bit and the kiss went deeper. Hotter. His tongue slid into her mouth—
oh my God, so sexy
—and her pussy tightened and heated even more. Sensation rippled through her stomach.

His tongue rubbed against hers, retreated, then slid back in. Her heart pounded against her breastbone, her breathing shallow, and her hands found him to grip, holding on to one bare forearm and digging into the soft fabric over his chest. A moan climbed up her throat.

He kissed her over and over, long kisses, diving deep. They tasted each other, using their tongues, nibbling at each other’s lips. Beneath her hand, his heartbeat became a drumbeat, strong, getting faster. The fierceness of his kisses, his hunger for her, was insanely erotic. He took control of this, of her—her body, her mouth.

His kisses were hot, wet, erotic. Deep and drugging. She loved it.

His tongue swept into her mouth again, sleek and hard. He tasted of hints of spice and berries from the wine, darkly male. He smelled like coconut sunscreen and warm sunshine and salty ocean. She rubbed her nose alongside his, kissed his jaw, letting her tongue taste his skin. He groaned and she loved that too.

She wanted to touch him everywhere, and her hands began to move, one sliding up his arm, the other finding the bare skin of his neck, then caressing his shoulder. Her breasts ached, her instinct to turn into him and press them against his hard chest, and a groan rumbled from his chest.

His hand was in her hair now, holding the back of her head, and his other hand found her bare leg. She became vaguely aware that the robe had parted, and his fingers caressed her thigh, sliding higher, under the robe, up to her hip.

God, she had nothing on—no panties, and he knew that now—and he was so close to touching her where she ached. She both wanted it and feared it. His fingers rubbed over the skin of her hip, then back down the outside of her thigh, over her knee, lingering on the inside of it. She shivered.

They kissed ravenously, again and again. His fingers tightened on her leg and in her hair, and she had to jerk back to catch her breath. She panted, their eyes met, and then his hand on the back of her head pulled her back in for more. The pressure of his hard chest on her breasts was perfect, but a sharp ache built up inside her.

His hand swept up her thigh again, this time curling around to cup her ass. A soft whimper escaped her. His big hand cupped her whole ass cheek, cuddling it, and more heat built inside her. God she loved that, how strong and masculine his touch was, how confident and firm. His mouth rubbed over hers.

“Paige,” he murmured. “So fucking hot. You taste so sweet.” He palmed her ass again. “Feel so good. Christ.”

His erection pressed against her hip, evident even through the thick robe, and she shifted a little, trying to rub against him.

“Playing with fire, sweetheart.” His voice rumbled up from his chest. “I’m hanging on by a thread here.”

She smiled against his lips then pulled back a bit and rested her forehead against his. They both sucked in air. “Maybe I want you to lose control.”

“Paige. Christ.” His eyes closed and he looked like he was in pain.

She’d tried to rationalize the reasons it would be okay to have sex with him, but now rational thought was completely obliterated by hot, pulsing lust. She wanted him. She wanted to touch him everywhere, wanted to feel his hands on her body, wanted him inside her. Her pussy tightened yet again and her nipples tingled. She rubbed against him again.

“Fuck.” Raff’s hands went to her waist and suddenly she was lifted off him. She blinked down at him. “Paige.”

“Wh-what?”

His gaze wandered down her body, taking in the robe that now gaped open to her waist where it was belted, then below that exposing her legs.

“You know I want you,” he said thickly. “Wanna make sure you know what you’re doing here.”

“I know what I’m doing.”

“Fuck,” he muttered again. “Should I cancel the dinner reservation?”