The Seduction of Destiny Rhode [The Seduction 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (11 page)

Jasmine started hitting keys on the computer in front of her.

“No, I couldn’t possibly, I just wanted to know if I could stay here a little bit longer. I don’t want charity, and I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Stop saying that. People are never a bother.” Destiny turned and looked the woman straight in the eyes. “This entire resort is my dream. I moved here not much more than a month ago from Kansas, so if anyone is going to understand what you’re saying, I do. I have wonderful people helping me accomplish all this, and without them I’d be lost and most likely out of business already. I can’t do a thing to thank them for all they’ve done for me…” She quickly glanced at Ronan and hoped he knew he was one of those people. “So let me help you!”

“I…”

Destiny saw the struggle on her face. It was clear she was stuck in that place of wanting to be independent, but just not really able to be…
yet
.

“Look, Karissa, I’m sure you have all the skills and intelligence to make it in this new life, so if you need a bit of help, take it. Soon you’ll be on your feet, and you can help the next person who comes along with a dream and nowhere to go. Please let me do this for you. It’s not charity. I’ll give you a discounted rate. You can work for me to pay for it. There’s a
ton
of work to be done around here, and the only reason I’m moving you is so that you won’t feel quite so alone. There’s a bunch of us staying over in building two right now.”

She hoped Karissa would accept her offer. She practically held her breath, hoping.

“Sweetheart, there’s nothin’ wrong with needin’ a hand up now and again, but most people aren’t so lucky as to have one offered them. Take this. Believe me, Destiny needs you to take her up on this as much as you need to take it.”

He reached out and stroked Destiny’s arm. It wasn’t a sexual touch by any stretch, and yet, she still got all tingly and tried to hide the smile that wanted to break free.

“She’s a good woman, and she isn’t at peace unless she’s helping someone!”

“I’ve never worked in a hotel before, but I was a bartender back home. I figured in Orlando there’d be tons of bars hiring, but…” Her gaze dropped to the floor, and she started playing with her fingers again. “I guess there’s not as much need for a thirty-six-year-old bartender here.”

Destiny couldn’t hold back another second, she grabbed the woman into a hug.

“You’re staying here and working for me if I have to tie you up and brainwash you to convince you!” It pissed her off she’d had so much trouble finding work. This woman was freaking gorgeous, and her age shouldn’t have made a damn bit of difference.

Ronan chuckled.

She looked over to Jasmine, who simply stared at her in confusion. “So is she moving then or not?”

“She’s moving. What’s the room closest to me?” Destiny put her foot down, metaphorically.

Jasmine tapped away at the keys again. “The closest empty room to you is a king minisuite, twenty-seven twelve.”

“Good. Put her there.”

“I can’t afford that. Please don’t…”

“Shush.” It wasn’t open for debate any longer. “We aren’t all that busy here yet, I’m not sure you’ll make much in tips, but I happen to be desperate for a bartender in the lobby bar. We can’t even open it most days, and last weekend when we were busy, Aiden actually tended bar.

“Who’s Aiden?”

“He’s sort of my partner, but not the point. I’m serious, Karissa. I need a bartender. I’ll pay you fair and include your room until business picks up, and you can earn what you deserve.”

“I just don’t know what to say.” She was clearly giving in, thankfully.

“Don’t say anything, just know this woman is a force of nature when she wants something. You didn’t stand a chance in refusing her.” Ronan winked. “Plus, you’ll be safe. We’re a family here, and you’ll have people to look out for you. For your son, too, when he gets here.”

Destiny stared at him in awe. She couldn’t remember another time in her life when anyone had said such wonderful things about her, and the way he stepped in to help Karissa as if it was second nature to him rather than any kind of inconvenience, floored her. It was possible he was more knight in shining armor than he gave himself credit for.

“We’ll have you moved right away so you can get settled in, and you can start your new job tomorrow. How’s that?”

Karissa smiled for the first time since she’d arrived in the lobby. “Thank you. I don’t know what else to say.”

“That’s more than enough.” Destiny hugged her again.

“Tell you what, I’ll help you move all your stuff now if you can be ready to go that quick,” Ronan offered.

“Well, I…I mean sure, I only have the one suitcase.” She started to sound relieved.

“Great! Then it’s a deal. I have plans in about”—he looked at Destiny questioningly—“twenty minutes, but until then, I’m all yours.”

Destiny felt butterfly wings brush against her stomach. If he wanted to meet up with her, presumably in the hot tub, in twenty minutes, she really needed to finish a couple of things first so she could join him guilt-free.

“Wonderful, so if things are all set here then, I need to finish up a couple of things. Will you be okay, Karissa?”

“Yes, you’ve done more than enough.
Thank you
.” She grabbed her hands and squeezed.

“Believe me, it’s not more than I’ve been given. I’m so happy to do this.” She caught Ronan’s gaze. “I’ll see you later then, Ronan, thanks for helping.”

He gave her that look that melted her to her core, and she actually stumbled on the marble floor, but quickly caught herself. She said nothing more, in part because she didn’t want to air their affair out before Jasmine and Karissa, but more because, as usual, Ronan had rendered her speechless. She only hoped she would be recovered by the time she got into the hot tub.

Destiny sank into the hot water, and in a rare moment, actually allowed herself to relax. She sighed and sank to her earlobes into the bubbles. She had to hold down her teal top as bubbles filled it with air and tried to lift it right off her body. She adjusted her position so the bubbles weren’t a threat to her decency, but that they would still give her some cover. Two-piece swimsuits were not her norm, and she felt a little exposed in this one, but decided to use it tonight with Ronan anyway. It was more daring than her usual black one-piece and though she was far from swimsuit model material, the generous amount of fabric covered all the right parts and left her looking at least adequate.

She let the thought of her body, and how much skin she was exhibiting, float from her mind. She felt good about being able to help Karissa tonight. In fact, she felt so good about it that she started to have an idea about a way she could help other people who were in hard places like Karissa and like Manny had been. It was something she’d have to run past Aiden, but it was something she was going to do with or without his approval regardless.

She laid her head back on the concrete surround and stared up at the black velvet sky dotted with stars that looked like sparkling diamonds overhead. She felt a silly little thrill in her stomach over how Ronan had been with Karissa. He didn’t flirt. He didn’t make jokes. He didn’t stay in the background and leave the whole thing to her. He backed her up and, she thought, even made Karissa feel more comfortable. It was ridiculous to feel proud of him. He didn’t belong to her, but she sort of did, anyway.

“Mmm, this looks exactly like the mermaid I’ve been looking for.”

She opened her eyes to see her sexy defender of women climbing into the Jacuzzi beside her. She was always left a little breathless at the sight of his biceps and chiseled abs. He said not another word, just slipped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her close for a slow, deep kiss that made her blood heat fast and hotter than the hot tub ever would.

Once he’d completely savaged her mouth, he kissed the tip of her nose. With his hands embracing her face, he laid his forehead against hers.

“I really am pleased you agreed to meet me here, Destiny.”

She closed her eyes and let his words roll over her. She loved the way she felt when he said things like that.

“You like me to be pleased with you, minx?” he queried.

She opened her eyes and looked into his. “Is that dumb?”

“For a man like me, that’s the most potent quality in a woman.” He ran his thumbs over her cheeks, and his fingers grazed the skin at the base of her neck. “It’s been a very long time since I’ve been with a woman who understood that. Who
wanted
to please me, but you do, don’t you, Destiny?”

Between his tone and the hot water and what he was doing with his fingers, she felt herself go into a state of disconnect, but it was the loveliest sensation, and she wanted to float in it a while longer.

“I do.” She truly did, though there was no understanding it. Something deep inside her felt as if it was her destiny to complete him in some way, to give of herself to him in a way she’d never been allowed to before. More, she felt that if she could give him that, in return, he’d complete her to depths she’d never felt before that had little to do with sex.

“Such a good girl.” He smiled down at her for a moment before kissing her passionately.

She wanted things from Ronan that she couldn’t articulate. She knew what they were sharing was just sex, but in some ways that could be perfect because maybe with him, she’d finally be able to explore her sexuality some. Maybe she could even share some of her deepest secret fantasies.

She pulled away and blinked up at him, feeling daring and a little invincible. There was no better time than the present to take a risk with him, but did she really dare?

“You okay?”

“I am.” She drew a breath. “I just…” She shook her head, frustrated that she couldn’t find the words she wanted to say.

He folded his fingers beneath her chin and forced her to look at him.

“Breathe, minx. Then tell me.”

She bit down hard on her lower lip. The sound of the jets would cover anything she said from being heard by anyone by Ronan. Not that anyone else was around, but what she wanted to say was shocking, and she wasn’t sure she’d survive the embarrassment if anyone else heard it.

“I have fantasies.” She knew she’d need to be more specific, but she needed to make certain Ronan would welcome the conversation before she bared her soul for him.

“Fantasies are a healthy thing, minx. You wanna be more specific?”

“Not really.” She smiled as big as she could.

He nipped at her nose, causing her to yelp then burst into giggles.

The bubble of laugher released some of her nerves, and when Ronan pulled her into his arms, she knew she could tell him anything.

“Ronan, my fantasies are sort of bad.” She swallowed and felt tears filling her eyes.

“Honey, I can’t imagine you have any fantasies that come even close to
bad
, so let’s just take this a step at a time. Give me one fantasy.”

She drew a deep breath and grabbed at one of her deepest secrets. “I want to be with more than one man…at the same time.”

“So you’d like it if Aiden and I fucked you together?” He sounded so calm and matter-of-fact.

“No! Aiden is
married
.” Although she knew from personal experience that didn’t necessarily exclude sex with a person
not
your partner, but she knew Aiden would never cheat on Cassidy the way she had on Oscar.

“Okay, fine, bad choice…but you want me to share you with another man?”

“Well, yes…but…” She hadn’t really personalized the fantasy that much. She hadn’t thought of it in terms of her and Ronan, and she didn’t want him to look at her any differently, but yes the idea more than just intrigued her. She’d held this fantasy deep inside her ever since she could remember, and if she couldn’t tell Ronan, she’d never be able to tell anyone, and if she couldn’t tell anyone, she’d never have the chance of possibly exploring this, or any of her fantasies. What was more shocking to her than anything was how much she found herself wanting to explore them even now, after all this time.

She maneuvered so she straddled his lap and looked directly into his eyes.

“I sometimes fantasize about being with several men, while the man I’m really with”—she gulped—“watches.”

He brushed back the loose strands of hair from her face.

“Watches, or instructs?”

She blinked and slid her teeth over her bottom lip. She hadn’t thought of it like that. Hadn’t known it would be a possibility.

“You mean like, tells the men what to do, or
me
?”

He wrapped one arm tight around her waist, his hand resting on her hip.

“I imagine it would go something like this…You’d be on a bed or other flat surface, possibly restrained in some fashion. I’d have chosen two or three men, men I
know
so you’d be safe. I’d tell them how they could fuck you, which orifice each could have, and I’d tell them how they could touch you and what they could say to you, but I’d want you to simply react to it all. I’d want to watch you, see the passion on your face. Watch you bite that bottom lip like you do when you’re so lost to the fire. I’d want to be right there when you looked for an anchor from the passion. You’d find my gaze, and I’d be your rock, the one thing in the sea of sensations that you could hold onto. Is that something like what you’re thinking?”