Burn: A South Beach Bodyguards Book (16 page)

That gave me a pit in my gut. No guarantees. I knew that. Today only.

This wasn’t the movies and I wasn’t Julia Roberts. She had a better mouth than me.

We lapsed into silence and I crossed my arms across my chest, my bag getting heavy on my right shoulder. It flopped forward but I didn’t bother to fix it. I wanted to say something, though I didn’t really know what, when the elevator doors opened. A minute later we were in our room and I let my bag fall to the floor with a gasp.

“Ryan, this is amazing.” The drapes were open exposing floor to ceiling windows and beyond that just the ocean. We could see a sliver of the beach but mostly it was just water, inky black now that dusk had descended, the moonlight dancing over the rolling waves.

Ryan pulled the slider open and stepped out onto the balcony. “Is, I could get used to this.” He glanced back at me with a grin. “Welcome to how the other half lives.”

I followed him outside and breathed in the winter breeze. Not hot, just a warm kiss, the scent of the ocean in the air. “It’s beautiful up here. This is what your dad’s place is like. It has an amazing view. I can’t wait to see it in daylight.”

It was the wrong thing to say. “I’ve never been to Mickey’s condo,” he said flatly.

Part of me wanted to press, ask why not, but the timing was wrong. “Look at how dark it is out there. I forget how expansive the ocean is. With the lights from all the buildings, it’s magical.”

Stepping to the railing, I looked straight down. The pool area was backlit and everything glowed and shimmered. It was a sexy hotel, no question about it. It made my nervousness evaporate. I felt sexy too, being there with Ryan. The heat of the day had receded and I shivered in my strapless dress, rubbing my arms. It was January, after all, and the nights got windy.

“Are you cold?” Ryan asked incredulously. “Here.”

He moved in behind me, and pulled me back against his chest, wrapping his arms around me. I couldn’t have planned it better if I had tried. It felt amazing to be in his arms, staring out at the water. So fantastic that it was surreal. It was real, yet not permanent. The ultimate fantasy and I felt lucky to have this opportunity. How many girls got to have their first time go down like this?

After a minute, he said, “How about I order us some wine or champagne?”

I wouldn’t have pegged Ryan for a wine drinker. In fact, I was sure he wasn’t. I wasn’t either. “How about a martini instead? I can’t say I’m big into wine.”

“Even better.” He let his hands drift off my arms. “Do you want dinner yet or later?”

“Later.” I turned around, searching his face, wanting him to understand if we drew this out too long, I’d lose my nerve entirely. “I bet there’s beer in the mini-bar. We don’t have to call room service. I don’t need a martini.”

I could tell he knew what I meant, because his face softened. “I’ll go check. You can sit here and relax.” He pulled the lounge chair out for me, away from the bistro table. “Sit down, Is.”

I did, but my leg bounced up and down from nervous energy. Just the thought of being with Ryan made my mouth hot and my nipples harden. I swallowed hard, trying to calm myself. It felt like he took forever to return to the balcony but at most it was three minutes. Three long horrendous moments of jittery anticipation. He handed me a glass filled to the rim. I took a sip, not bothering to even ask what it was. It looked like beer. It tasted like beer. Good enough.

Ryan sat down next to me, his leg bumping mine as he spread his legs and settled back into the chair. “That mini bar was fully stocked. Wouldn’t it be cool to have a minibar at home, just to have it? Like boom. I’m going to eat this tiny can of Pringles for no reason with this miniature bottle of gin. It’s cheaper than trying to stock a full bar.”

“Pringles and gin?” I mused. “I’ll pass.”

“Don’t knock it until you try it.” Ryan lifted his glass to his lips and drained half of his beer. “This is pretty good. It’s a lager.”

I didn’t know what that meant and I could really give two shits. What I cared about was closing the distance between the two of us. I was in agony waiting, wondering, yet he looked like he was settling into that chair for the next hour. I would self-combust by that point. So channeling my inner-Julia I took a deep breath and set my beer down on the table. Then I stood up and sat down right in Ryan’s lap. It was a bold move and not exactly in character. But it was the only way I could think to spur the action along.

But clearly my delivery was off. I moved really fast and completely caught him off guard. He had been right in the middle of raising his glass to his lips and my arm bumped his, spilling his beer all over his chest and mine. He jerked backwards and I rolled on his thigh, almost toppling down onto the floor.

“Ah!” I yelled, grabbing onto his biceps. That stabilized me, but sent another swell of beer sloshing over the side of his glass.

For a second he looked stunned, then he set his glass down on the table. “Shit, sorry.” He brushed at the liquid dripping down over the swell of my breasts and disappearing into my cleavage. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“My fault,” I said, voice high pitched from embarrassment and from the fact that he was touching my chest.

He seemed to realize what he was doing about a beat after me. His hand paused, thumb solidly buried in the depths of my sundress. His gaze met mine and he went still. Then without a word, he bent over and sucked up a droplet, right off the top of my breast. His tongue flicked out and followed the trail of the beer, back and forth, and deep down into my cleavage. I sighed. Ryan peeled the cup of my bra away from my skin and descended down over my breast, sucking my nipple into his mouth.

“I don’t think the beer got there,” I said, head falling back slightly. Then I wasn’t why in the hell I was protesting.

“I like to be thorough.”

And he yanked the whole front of my sundress down and cupped both breasts at once, torturing me in earnest.

I had wanted the action to pick up and Ryan was obliging.

Digging my nails into his shoulders for balance I let him take over from here.

N
ot much surprised me, and Isabel dropping into my lap wouldn’t have thrown me if I hadn’t been about to take a sip of my beer. It hadn’t been in my seduction plans to pour beer all over her chest, but if anything, it was a golden opportunity to shift her dress out of the way. Her tits were amazing, and obviously all natural. They had a nice give to them that had me instantly hard. Her nipples were dusky rose and when I sucked them one at a time, she made the sexiest little sounds in the back of her throat.

There was no light on the balcony, and no neighbors on either side of us, but I realized that could change at any moment. I just wanted one more minute before I took her inside. One more minute to feel her lightly balanced on my leg, to feel the grind of her fingers down into my shoulders, and to have the most perfect access to her chest ever. Standing up we were always completely mismatched and my perspective was skewed, the descending view.

This was head on and it was fucking awesome.

But she started to shift. “Shouldn’t we go inside? What if someone sees?”

The last thing I wanted to do was make her uncomfortable. Julia wouldn’t have cared, obviously, but Isabel did. The real Isabel. Not the flirt with the head injury, and truthfully I liked her better as she really was. Her alter ego had been too similar to other women I had hooked up with. Women who wanted to use me the same way I used them.

I didn’t want to use Isabel. I wanted to worship her.

So digging deep for every ounce of self-control I had ever possessed I yanked my head away from her breasts and pulled her dress back up to cover her. “You’re right. Let’s go inside, Is.”

She stood up, brushing her hair off her face, her face hidden in the dark sky serving as a backdrop. My shirt was wet from the beer spill so I pulled it off over my head and left it bunched up on the chair when I stood. The second we hit the light I could see the appreciation on her face and all the hours in the gym were worth more than it saving my ass on multiple occasions. Being in shape made me able to do my job, but if my build turned on Isabel, even better.

I’d never done this. It was so far off of my usual sexual encounters that I was spitballing. But at the same time, I wasn’t nervous. I was just, well, honored. I was going to do right by Isabel if it killed me. I took her hand and led her into the hotel room. The swanky factor was high, and I was impressed. It had been pricey but not over the top expensive so I was glad to see it was so modern and nice. It was a whole other level and bringing Isabel here had been the right decision. That white king bed looked fluffy and sexy and where I wanted to spread her out, the moonlight splashing over her naked body. Not my small dingy apartment.

At the bottom of the bed I stopped, facing her, and leaned down, burying my hands in her hair. She was insane if she thought she was plain or whatever the hell she was claiming. Her beauty was sweet, delicate, guileless. It was the her large doe-like eyes and her demure smile. Sure, when she’d been strutting around like Julia I had wanted to bang her within an inch of her life, but that wasn’t her, and while hot, I preferred seeing her gaze up at me, her expression one of anticipation, patience.

Kissing her, I massage the base of her skull, wanting her to relax, feeling the tension in her muscles. She was a good kisser. She let me dominate, but she was good at adjusting and anticipating my moves. She even tilted her head in perfect harmony with me. I knew she was straining on the very tips of her toes and I was bent practically in half to meet her mouth, so to make it easier, I slid my hand down her back, under her firm, tight ass. Then I lifted her up off the ground.

“Wrap your legs around me,” I urged. I could hold her for awhile, but I wanted her as close to me as possible.

She complied, and once she twined herself around my hips, I gripped her ass and held her easily, our mouths better aligned. “This is better,” I murmured, kissing her earlobe. “I can see you.”

Isabel gave me a smile. “I like the view.”

“Are you looking over my shoulder at the ocean?” I teased her, giving her a soft kiss before returning to nibble on her ear. I gave the soft flesh a quick, gentle nip.

“No, I mean you. Your face. You don’t seem to realize how hot you are, Ryan. And you’re only going to look better as you get older.”

“I’m going to grow into my face?” The thought amused me. “Something to look forward to, I guess.” I spread my palms over her backside, loving the way she felt. She was all soft curves and dips and valleys. I was granite. The contradiction between us was highly appealing to me. “You have a great ass,” I told her sincerely.

“Thanks. You have a great everything.” Isabel moved her hips, thrusting herself against my cock.

I was hard, throbbing. Ready. When she pulled moves like that I just wanted to take her against the wall, but I had the self-control to hold back. “Flattery will get you anything you want and then some,” I told her, meeting her movement with a nice grind of my own. We fit together well. “I want you to have it all, Is.”

“I want that too.” Her voice was breathy, aroused. She initiated a kiss, covering my mouth with her, and teasing my lips with her tongue.

Damn, she was so hot. Holding her tight, making out with her, our kisses getting deeper, more frenzied, while I thought this was a hell of a way to end a day that had started out brutally ordinary. Shifting, I eased her down onto the bed. “How much experience do you have?” I asked. “Say from one being totally untouched to ten being I did everything but intercourse.”

Information would be helpful. I didn’t want to either insult her or scare the shit out of her.

She looked up at me, tossing her hair back over her shoulders. “I don’t know. Maybe like a four or a five?”

I hesitated, hands on the button of my jeans. I wasn’t sure what that meant, exactly. And how I was picturing some dude like that cheesy Juan putting his hands on her, and I wished I had kept my fucking mouth shut. “Well, forget everything you know because this is going to be better.”

My voice sounded as fierce and adamant as I felt. Charming I wasn’t, but I always stood by my word. Isabel’s eyes widened and her mouth formed a perfect “o.” I shucked off my jeans and stood standing in front of her in my boxer briefs. For a minute, I wished I had candles or something to make it even more special, but the many windows and the lights from the hotel and the moon bounced light around. The nightstand was on, a soft warm glow. Nothing harsh. I wanted nothing harsh for Isabel. Ever.