Читать книгу Drive Me Wild - P.J. Mellor - Страница 18

“W ait!” Penny broke away, her breath coming in shallow pants that heaved her naked breasts in a most interesting manner. “I forgot to put the Jell-O salad in the fridge.”

“Forget the salad,” he said, reaching for her.

“I can’t.” She stepped back, out of reach. “It will make a big sticky mess if it melts.”

Groaning, he flopped his head back on the sofa, watching her hurry from the room through half-closed eyelids. Damn, she had a fine ass.

And he wanted it. Now.

With a slight adjustment, he stood and made his way through the highly polished swinging door into the kitchen.

Penny stood in front of the stainless steel refrigerator, both of the French doors open, its light bathing her in a sexy glow.

Stepping close, he bumped her with his erection, grinning at her exclamation.

He walked his fingers up the outside of each smooth thigh, bunching the skirt of her dress as he went. Pressed close to her buttocks, he ran his hand down the slick red satin of her thong.

She moaned and leaned back, grinding her softness against him.

Cool air bathed her heated skin. Braedon wasted no time in slipping the bodice of her dress to her elbows, and releasing the closure of her bra. Her nipples puckered at the sudden change in temperature, making her arch her back, and squirm against his hardness.

Hormones, technique, proximity…whichever was at work, she didn’t care. All she knew was that she wanted her fiancé with a deep, burning desire she’d never felt before. He was a constant itch she needed to scratch. Whatever switch he’d managed to turn on within her, she prayed he never turned it off.

His hot fingers slipped beneath her damp panties to stroke her moisture, spreading it, causing her hips to flex.

Against her ear, he chuckled, a low sexy sound that vibrated in her ear, sending goose bumps to her extremities and moisture between her legs. Her nipples tightened to hard, almost painful points. After sucking gently on her earlobe, he whispered, “You like that, huh?”

She nodded, bumping her hips against his, rubbing her bottom along the hard ridge of his zipper, shamelessly offering herself. In case he had any doubt, she licked her lips and finally managed to say through a half groan, “Oh, yes!”

He applied pressure to her inner thighs by spreading his fingers. “Open for me, sweetheart.”

He didn’t have to ask twice. Heck, she’d do a horizontal split, if he wanted.

On his knees now, he slipped between her and the open doors. “Keep holding onto the doors,” he instructed as he pushed aside the scrap of silk and then dragged his tongue over her sensitive flesh.

With a whimper, she locked her knees to remain upright, her fingers in a white-knuckled grip on the steel handles.

Between her spread legs, his tongue speared her opening. She cried out her pleasure. She may have even told him to never stop. She certainly thought it.

He chuckled against her, setting off ripples of release. His fingers joined the party.

If she were not from a line of strong females, she might have swooned.

More, she needed more. Much more.

Beep! Beep! Beep! A high-pitched sound vied with their heavy breathing.

Braedon stopped, mid-swipe.

Her breath hitched, her heart slamming against her ribcage.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

He sat back on his haunches, still holding her splayed, the cool air bathing her overheated genitals. It wasn’t unpleasant.

“What the hell is that?” Face flushed, he looked up at her.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Reality dawned. “Oh!” She laughed and tried to close her legs and not fall in a whimpering heap of need on top of him. “It’s the refrigerator alarm. It’s telling me the doors are open.”

With a growl, he stood, scooping her up and over his shoulder. “Then let’s shut them and go to bed.”

She smiled against the warm fabric of his shirt. The man was a genius.

Ryan rolled onto his back, pulling Penny close, her head resting on his heart, and listened to her breathing slow as she drifted.

Meanwhile, his heart was trying to rip through his chest. And it wasn’t from sexual exertion.

He recognized an impending panic attack when he felt it.

Deep breath. In. Out. Relax.

He began to doze, only to be jerked awake again, sweat beading his brow. His heartbeat echoed in his ears. How had he allowed Braedon to get him into this mess? More important, how was he going to get out of it?

Penny made a soft sound and snuggled closer.

Penny. What he felt for her was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. It might even possibly be love.

Shit. Just his luck. He finally falls in love, and it’s with Braedon’s fiancée. Worse, it’s with a woman who is in love with his brother. And when she finds out she’s been lied to and used for sexual gratification by a virtual stranger, she will run right back into her unworthy fiancé’s arms.

With a shaking hand, he brushed a strand of hair from her face. Now that he’d found her, how would he survive without her?

What a mess.

He willed his muscles to relax, but to no avail. Tormented, every muscle in his body clenched, he held the love of his life while she blissfully slept.

If this was all the time he had with her, he would have to take it, hold it close, and savor it. Lord knew, it would all come tumbling down on him soon enough.

On the nightstand, his cell phone—rather, Braedon’s cell phone—chirped. Great. A message. Since it was most likely from his brother, he needed to get it and delete it before Penny woke up.

His outstretched arm couldn’t quite reach the BlackBerry.

Inch by inch, he scooted, pulling Penny along with him, until he closed his fingers around the cool pearl black square. It wouldn’t do to have Penny see a message from Braedon.

Turning as much as possible, he scrolled to the message and frowned. What the hell?

Wright, your time is up. Pay up.

The sender was not someone he recognized, but he knew the last name: Harding. It had to be Penny’s father.

Ryan heaved a silent sigh. Just what he needed. Beneath Penny’s head, his heart clenched. Were it not for shortening his time with her, a heart attack might be a viable way out of the situation. Nothing fatal, mind you, just serious enough to buy him some time to think.

While he stared at the glowing screen, it chirped again as another message came in from the same sender.

I’m waiting. Tomorrow morning. Ten o’clock. Don’t be late. It makes me cranky.

With his thumb, he laboriously typed out:

Where?

A few seconds later, the phone chirped again.

Don’t play stupid.

“I’m not playing,” he grumbled, tucking the phone under the spare pillow. He needed to call his brother and find out what all the cloak and dagger stuff meant. A glance at the clock on the nightstand confirmed the early hour. No doubt Braedon was still out.

Easing away from Penny, he inched his way to the edge of the mattress, grabbed the phone, then stood. A glance back confirmed she was still sleeping.

Cautious steps took him through the living room into the kitchen, where he waited to turn on the light until the door had swung shut.

He wasted no time, hitting the speed dial button, then paced the cool tile while he waited.

“Now what?” Braedon’s voice vibrated his ear.

Ryan walked to the far corner of the kitchen before he spoke in a low whisper, “You had a message.”

“So? Take care of it.”

“I’m trying!” He glanced at the still-closed door and lowered his voice. “But it was cryptic.”

“Cryptic? What the hell does that mean?”

“A text message saying to meet the sender tomorrow. At ten. With money…sound familiar?”

Braedon’s sigh heaved through the air waves. “What else did he say?”

“That’s it. To meet at ten tomorrow morning. Do you know where that would be? ’Cause when I asked where, he said not to play stupid.”

“I’ve met them a few places. He give any clue?”

“Brae, I wasn’t about to play twenty questions.”

“There’s an abandoned golf course, about half a mile down the road from my place. Try the caddy shack there. It’s on the Gulf side of the parking lot.”

“Okay, but…How much do I need to give him?” When his brother quoted the price, Ryan winced. “Will he take a check?”

Braedon’s laughter vibrated the cell phone, then he hung up.

Ryan stood for a while, trying to formulate a plan. He could notify the police. But if he did that, he’d also implicate his brother, as well as possibly alienate Penny by having her father arrested. Assuming her father actually showed up at that type of meeting in person. Regardless, she would still be affected.

The idea of parting with such a large sum of money made him physically ill. There had to be a better way of handling it.

He’d talk to whomever he met. Most people were not unreasonable. Surely they could reach a compromise.