Ryan’s heart thudded with every step he took towards Sam, his gaze intent on her face and those eyes that shone with liquid heat. Did she know what she was doing to him with that look? He was rock hard, every nerve straining to take what she offered, to capture those sultry lips in a kiss that set them both ablaze.
He walked until he stood before her, but still he moved till barely an inch separated them and she had to lean back, butt resting against the table, legs slightly spread. Taking advantage, he stepped between them, pressing up against her, hard and throbbing to soft and yielding, and the breathy moan that slipped past her lips at the contact was nearly his undoing.
Bracing an arm on either side of her, palms flat on the table, he stared into her eyes, almost losing himself in their depths. His body screamed at him to just kiss her now, to take what she had on offer, but this time, Ryan wanted no misunderstanding between them. There were things they had to make clear before plunging into the whirlpool that waited.
“What exactly do you want, Princess?” He whispered the words, enjoying the shiver that shook her, and the flash of impatience in her expression. “What do you want from this?”
“You know what I want.” Her tone was petulant. She lifted her head, trying to reach up and kiss him, but he caught her chin in his hands and held her off gently.
“Do I?” He raised a brow and shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. You need to make it clear where this is going. If we do this, I want things clear between us, no awkward moments afterwards and no pretending it never happened. Is this a onetime thing for you?”
Because, it sure as hell wasn’t going to be just the once for him. He knew deep down he would never be content with having her just once more. Once he got her in his bed, he was going to need to do it over and over again before he could finally get past this crazy desire for her.
Her pupils darkened and she cocked her head, not breaking eye contact even as she mulled over his words. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head, every second that passed without her answer causing tension to seep into him, winding him up tight. He wouldn’t be surprised if she called the whole thing off now and bolted.
Disappointed, but not surprised.
“I want you to take me to bed,” her words sent a bolt of relief rushing through his system. “I’m not looking for a relationship, but I don’t want a onetime thing with you, either. We’re two adults who acknowledge our sexual attraction and I’d like to keep it that way. No strings, no complications and certainly nothing that gets in the way of our professional relationship. And if it’s turns out to be a mistake, then it’s a mistake I’m not going to regret making.”
It was what he wanted too. All the sex and none of the awkward feelings and need for commitment. Ryan wasn’t sure he would ever get to the point where he would be ready to commit to someone again, to make himself vulnerable to hurt and heartache, so this arrangement with Sam was best for them both.
“Good,” he smiled and cupped her delicate face in both hands, bringing his lips to hers.
She made a soft, breathless noise against his lips, parting readily for him, anticipation making the kiss just that much hotter, sweeter and the lust that had been simmering between them exploded in a conflagration that engulfed them both. She tasted wild, wet and willing and he groaned, angling his head to taste her better, thrusting his tongue deep in an imitation of what he intended to do once he had her horizontal on his bed.
His hands left her face and he gathered her against him. Her hands curled around his neck and she arched into him, his erection rubbing against her belly as she whimpered into his mouth, her tongue boldly tangling with his, teasing and tempting and silently begging him for more.
He’d longed for this moment for a long time. Kissing Sam with the certainty of more, knowing all he had to do was sweep her into his arms and carry her into his bedroom, strip her naked and satisfy every fantasy. But somehow, he found himself reluctant to rush the moment. He wanted to prolong it, to savor it and take his sweet time loving the ever living daylights out of this woman.
“Ryan,” she gasped, her arms tightening around his neck in protest when he broke the kiss, moving down to press soft kisses along the side of her neck, his hands sliding down to cup her delectable ass and squeeze, fitting her snugly against him.
His brain might be willing to let go, but the rest of him certainly wasn’t. With a groan, he forced himself to take a step back, and her eyes flew open, confusion clearly written there.
“Why…?”
“I need to feed you first, Princess,” he murmured, reaching out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, his entire body tight with unresolved desire. “You’ll need the energy because once I get you in bed; I’m not going to let you go for a long time.”
Sam moaned, another shiver racking her body at the promise in his words. She let her head fall to his chest, her breaths coming out in sweet little pants, but she nodded.
“Okay.” The words were muffled against his chest. Ryan indulged himself with holding her for a couple more seconds, before pulling away.
Picking up the plates in both hands, he nodded towards the living room. “How about a movie while we eat?”
It was also a good way of easing the tension coiled tightly between them and hopefully would keep him from leaping across the table to devour her instead.
They settled on one of the couches facing the huge screen and he dragged the coffee table closer so they could eat comfortably. He fetched a bottle of chilled red wine to go with the food, a fond smile on his face as he watched Sam tuck her legs underneath her body, plate balanced in one hand, remote in the other, busy flicking through the Netflix menu.
She looked like she belonged right there on his couch and he fucking loved it.
“What are you in the mood for?” she looked up as he approached. “Blood and gore, tense and riveting, cutesy and funny, or heart warming and romantic?”
He came to sit beside her, glancing at the screen as he worked the cork on the bottle open. “The last two options sound good. What are the movies?”
“Well, there’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Haven’t watched it yet, but I’ve heard good things about it. Have you seen it?”
“Nope.” The cork popped and he filled her glass then his. He didn’t have much time for movies, video games were more his go to favourite pastime. Frankly the only reason he kept his Netflix subscription was because he couldn’t be bothered going through the hassle of cancelling it. Lucky that came in handy tonight. “We can watch that if you want.”
“Mmm,” she made a noncommittal sound, still flicking through the options then brightened. “Oh, Coco! I love this movie. This one, definitely.”
Ryan tucked into his food as the movie began. “You like animated movies?”
She nodded, chewed for a bit then continued. “I love them, actually. There’s something that speaks to the inner child in me while watching them.”
“Any particular favourites?”
“This one,” she gestured at the screen with her fork. “Tangled, Mulan, Into the Spiderverse, Moana.”
“Not Frozen?” he raised an eyebrow in surprise. “I thought that was everyone’s favourite?”
She made a face. “It was an okayish movie, but I kinda thought Elsa was a bit self-centred and it ruined the whole thing for me. Olaf was the best though. How about you? What type of movies do you like?”
“I’m not really into movies,” he replied with a shrug. “Though I did follow most of the Avengers movies, and really enjoyed Civil War. Games are more my thing.”
“I loved Civil War too,” Sam beamed up at him, a faraway look in her eyes. “I remember watching it with Zahir and he was so impressed with the fight scene at the airport…” She abruptly cut off, eyes widening as she realized what she’d said.
He sat up straight, intrigued at the reaction.
“Zahir?” A frission of something passed through him at the obvious fondness in her voice when she’d mentioned the name, and the look in her eyes…
She looked away, reaching for her wineglass and took her time taking a long drink. The air around them shifted, becoming slightly tense and he was ready to change the topic since she wasn’t willing to talk about it when she sighed.
“My ex,” she whispered, staring into the depths of her glass, raw pain contorting her features.