Chapter 22
The kiss was long, slow, and searching. His hands moved up her shoulders and neck, and finally rested on both sides of her face as he deepened the intensity of their lip-lock. Every move was slow, soft, sweet, and intentional, completely healing in a way.
As if to cast a romantic aura on the moment, the early-morning sunshine burst in through the windows. The storm had passed in the night, and they lay in a puddle of golden sunshine as Gray slowly explored her body, waking her with each sensual caress as she stirred from the sleep that had held her prisoner for hours.
Gray’s body, warm and filled with tensile strength, arced over hers. She smelled soap and his natural scent as he pressed against her, sinking her deeper into the cushy mattress while his mouth wandered from her mouth to her neck, then lower, to her breasts. His tongue streaked over her belly, stopping to dip into her navel before going lower still, his breath stirring shivers as he moved to the apex of her legs. Her eyes closed as his tongue found her sensitive flesh and massaged it. Liquid heat consumed her body, and her passion grew as his fingers delved within her inner folds.
The sound of Riley’s sighs grew louder with every stroke of his tongue and every thrust of his fingers. She clenched her teeth as his tongue moved faster, in tandem with his fingers. He was driving her crazy with want, and she felt her hips arching upward toward his clever mouth.
He moved up before she could enjoy an orgasm. Her legs parted for him and he entered her, slowly and fully. The feel of the thick length of his member inside her made her moan with pleasure. His hips moved downward, and her fingers squeezed the tight muscles of his ass. She felt those muscles flex and loosen with every pump of his hips. His breath washed over her cheek, and she turned her head so their lips could meet again. He ended the kiss and began to nibble at her bottom lip, his fingers plummeting to find her erect and shuddering clit once more.
Riley closed her eyes and just let the sensation sweep her away. His body was hot, and his hand kept moving. Tension filled her limbs and she strained upward, her heels digging into the bed as she arched higher.
Her oils coated his flesh, and her passageway began to open and close. Her gasps became desperate, almost frantic. Gray moved faster, his hips driving forward with more and more force each time. The sensations spiraled up from her body, making her inner thighs shake and her fingers clutch at his hair and back as she reached her climax.
Gray shuddered, his powerful body straining as he reached his own peak. His trembled and shook, and groaned loudly before sinking his teeth into her shoulder. She felt the twitches his rod made inside her tight sheath, and she whimpered as each pulse of his orgasm sent an aftershock rolling through her body.
He moved away from her slowly and said, “I’ve got bad news,” he said with a sigh.
Terrified to ask, Riley arched an eyebrow at him.
“Dad texted me. He’s short-staffed and needs me to tend the bar. Will you be okay alone today?”
She nodded and giggled. “You do this to try and keep me in bed?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I’m that memorable.”
She touched his cheek. “You are.” Then she slipped her hands behind her head, feeling happy despite the past 24 hours. “I’ll be fine. I can always come check you at the bar if I get bored, right?”
“Sure.”
“Good.” She stretched, almost smiling at the idea that was bouncing around in her head, one she hoped would be good news for him later that day.
He dropped a kiss on her mouth and dressed hurriedly before leaving.
Riley climbed out of bed and found clean clothes in her bag. She headed for the shower, trying to think through all the things she had to say that day, all the changes she was about to make, and everything she had to do. It was not going to be easy to pull it all together, but she was confident she could do it. A smile played along her mouth as she showered. “Baby, you’re gonna be so happy when you hear this little plan of mine,” she muttered as the soapy water rolled down her body, washing him off of her.
An hour later, a several-cups-of-coffee-fueled Riley knocked on the main office door. While her plain, modest shorts and t-shirt didn’t exactly scream serious, wealthy investor, she had no doubt that Gray’s father knew exactly how beneficial her little change purse could be to his flailing business.
Jon opened the door and looked at her quizzically, as if somewhat unpleasantly surprised. “Yes?” he said.
“Good morning, Mr. Smith. If you have a moment, I’d like to talk to you.” Before he had a chance to turn her down, Riley stole a glance over his shoulder and rushed out, “It’s important and fairly private, so I can come back if you already have people in your office.”
His eyes narrowed. “No, I’m alone. Come on in.”
She followed him inside and watched as he took a seat behind his desk.
Once Jon was settled, he cleared his throat. “I trust you’re not thinking of suing the resort for that little escapade yesterday.”
Escapade? She shook her head. “No, I don’t think anyone bears any real responsibility for that. Last I heard, it’s never too lucrative to litigate with God or Mother Nature.”
Jon gave her a wary glance. “Good. Then what can I do for you, Miss Teeter?”
Riley inhaled a long breath. “For starters, you can hear me out.”
“I’m listening.”
“Good, because I’d like to talk to you about your need for an investor.”
“An investor?”
“Yes,” Riley said, then took a second to examine the man. Gray resembled his father quite a bit, but there were plenty of differences, too. Gray’s rock-hard determination must come from his mother, she surmised, because Jon seemed far more wishy-washy somehow, something of a pushover, which Gray certainly was not. She also noticed that, while his office was neat and well-kept, it seemed a bit too lived-in as if he spent far too many hours there.
He grinned suddenly and then turned his face serious. “With all due respect, Miss Teeter, I’m very busy this morning, and we have some, uh…staff issues with the resort today. I’m afraid now is not the best time, but I would love to talk to you about that. Or discuss it with your father, on the phone or—”
“Well, sir, I’m afraid this may be the only time I have to talk to you about it,” she countered, and it wasn’t exactly a full-fledged lie. She had to gather a lot of information before making a decision, and she hadn’t wanted to involve Gray yet because she didn’t want to get his hopes up only to dash them. Furthermore, she didn’t want to make him feel like she felt obligated to help his family. Truthfully, if it didn’t work out she wouldn’t even mention it to him. On the other hand, if things looked copasetic and doable she had every intention of talking to Gray before she took one more step forward, though she wasn’t about to confess that to Jon, who certainly didn’t seem to have much faith in his son or his judgment in the first place. Plus, Gray’s father clearly thought she’d talked to her dad about investing. It was time to set the record straight.
Jon leaned back in his chair and glanced around his office, then pointed at a chair.
Riley sat down and instantly locked her eyes on his. “Listen, I’m not promising I’m going to invest or that I know anyone who will. I’m just here to see the numbers so I can decide if it would be a viable investment or not. I’m a firm believer in preparation and due diligence, and before I sink a dime into anything I want to know exactly where my money will go.”
Jon’s eyes narrowed, and a sardonic smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “Forgive me if this assumption is incorrect, but I thought your father was interested.”
“He’s not. I am.”
His brows lifted in surprise before dropping and pressing together. “It sounds as if you’ve already got your suspicions that the investment won’t be a sound one.”
Riley folded her hands in her lap. “It isn’t that. It’s just… Well, as much as I sometimes hate to admit it, I am my father’s daughter, and I know exactly what he would say about this investment.”
“And what would that be?”
“That it’s foolish and too risky. He wholeheartedly believes the economy is doomed to tank again, sooner rather than later, and he’d suggest that you could well lose a large chunk of business both here and at your fledgling resort. He would say you’ve allowed your other venture to draw your attention away from this place. Your slack and lack is noticeable to the staff and clientele here, and while you think your situation can be fixed with an investment to cover your debts, one thing you cannot fix is the dissatisfaction of your guests who left with a bitter taste in their mouths and will never come back. That’s a loss you cannot recover from…and even worse, in the tourist industry, people talk, and reviews do make a difference.”
Jon leaned even farther back in his chair, so far Riley feared he might end up on the floor. “And what do you say?”
“As a guest?”
“Sure.”
“Well, as I said, your customer service is lacking. I’m guessing you’ve made staff cuts because you were forced to in order to make payroll. The rooms are in desperate need of renovations, and you don’t offer enough onsite activities. There’s little to do besides drink or swim, and while those are enjoyable and there are many local attractions…” He stared at her, his face unreadable. So she continued, “It’s just not enough, especially with all your competition close by.” She wasn’t even going to mention the restaurant or the pool.
“That about sums it up,” he said, steepling his fingers in front of him.
Taking note of the irony in his voice, Riley leaned forward and said, “Listen, I’m not telling what you probably don’t already know from the feedback, complaints, and online reviews. You’ve gone from five stars to three in just a year. That’s clear. Maybe what isn’t clear to you is that you’re working your staff too hard. They aren’t happy, and it shows. Every guest request is met with impatience and resentment from your staff, even if they do offer fake smiles to try to hide it. You have some major problems here, and you’re doing little to nothing to fix them.”
He opened his mouth to argue but closed it again.
Riley took her opportunity. “As a potential investor, I need to know whether it’s a financial issue or simply a lack of passion for your work and your business, a lack of concern about your guests and their experience here. I also need to take a good, long, honest look at the books, at all your financials, in order to make an informed decision.”
Jon paused for a moment, then sighed and asked, “Tell me, did he put you up to this? Is this Gray’s way of trying to see exactly what he’ll get out of the deal? If that’s the case, you can tell him I said the answer is nothing, whether or not you or your family invest. I’m sure he sent you to string me along, because he thinks that’ll put him in my good graces and earn him some sort of chunk of the business, maybe an inheritance he doesn’t deserve, but that won’t be the case.”
“Excuse me?” Riley stared at him in surprise. Gray didn’t even know she was here.
“And, no, he’s not entitled to any of this business. It isn’t just because his mother had an affair and tried to pass the boy off as mine. It’s because when everything is said and done he’s just not capable of running this place. He can’t handle it, and I won’t let him ruin what we’ve worked for.”
What? Gray’s…not even his? Torn between horror and disgust, all Riley could do was stare at Jon. She didn’t know Gray. She’d barely scratched the surface. Finally, she said, “He has no idea I’m here. I came because he really does love this place and wants to see it succeed. I don’t need my father’s money. I have a personal trust, funds of my own, and I was willing to use it to help you get back on your feet, because it was important to Grayson. As for ruining the business, I don’t think you can pin that on Gray. You might do better to listen to him, because he has great ideas. You’re just too blind to realize it.” She stood and moved to leave, but turned around once more. “You’re dead wrong about him. I hope you realize that one day. I had no idea he wasn’t your son, but that answers so many questions as to why you treat him with so little respect. It also tells me that no matter what I do you’ll never give an inch. You refuse to see his strengths because his mother hurt you, and that, sir, is a sign of a poor, self-involved businessman who’s doomed to fail. I’m half your age and I see it. You’re the one who needs to wake up.” She shook her head and walked out, slamming the door behind her, not even taking one last look over her shoulder at his cold, indignant face.
“What the hell, Riley?” Gray snapped, startling her.
She hadn’t noticed him outside the door. She had a feeling he might have heard her yelling. She needed to explain. “Gray? I was just—”
“Just what? Going behind my back? What the hell did you just do?” he demanded, stopping her right outside the door, his eyes flashing. “Thanks for fucking everything up. This is my life, not yours! Take your stuff. Go to your parents. Go back to fucking New York. Go find someone else’s life to ruin.” Then, without another word, he turned and stomped down the hallway, shaking his head.