CHAPTER FOURTEEN
With her French doors thrown open and a strong breeze riffling the bed skirt, Sophie danced like a wild thing all over her suite. Pharell’s song Happy played in her earbuds, and she lost herself in the ocean-scented air and uplifting beat.
Spinning around, she hit a high note and her face cracked. The weird sensation made her burst out laughing. Guess it’s time to wash off the mudpack. Flipping on the bathroom light, she turned on the faucet and let the water warm up before splashing it on her face.
With her eyes closed, Ryan came to mind. He’d still be on a plane. Was he happy to be going back?
Did he feel relieved he’d pulled out of this tailspin?
It didn’t feel good to get so close to someone and then never talk to him again. They could have at least kept in touch through social media. But, no, she really didn’t want to see pictures of him with other women. Or back with Emma. That would hurt.
But for now she could send him a text. Just to see how he was doing. Would he like that? Or had he already moved on?
Yeah, probably moved on.
Actually, she’d like to get Jake’s contact information. She wouldn’t talk to her sister again about Crazy Hearts until she had an actual plan. And to make one she needed to find out whether or not running the business herself was a viable option.
Quickly rinsing off the mud, she patted her skin dry, smoothed on lotion, and then went to grab her phone off the nightstand.
The moment she popped the buds out, she heard pounding at the door. Grabbing her phone, she caught the robe in a fist at her collarbone and peered through the peephole.
All she could see was a light blue button-down stretched across a broad, muscled chest. “Ryan?”
“Soph? Open the damn door.”
Joy sparked and crackled under her skin. That deep, sexy voice thrilled her. She unlocked the door and threw it open.
He barreled inside, lifting her off the ground. Feet dangling, she had to grab onto his shoulders. He breathed her in. “Why didn’t you answer?”
He was back. He’d come back. “What’re you doing here?” Had he missed his flight?
But instead of responding, he closed and locked the door, and then walked her back into the room. Licking into her mouth, hands gripping her ass, he tumbled them down onto the bed. Immediately, he rolled to his side, bringing them face-to-face.
She scraped the hair at his temples, tucking it behind his ears. “You’re here.” Leaning in, she rubbed her cheek across his smooth skin. “You shaved.”
“Yeah. Wanted to show my coach I was back.”
“You’re too gorgeous to walk around like this, you know.”
Lifting the back of her thigh, he draped it over his hip. Then, he cupped her chin and kissed her in the sweetest, most desperate way. Like he’d missed her. Like he couldn’t believe he had her back in his arms.
He pushed the robe off her shoulders, but the material caught between them. “Get this off.” His gruff voice heated her.
Leaning away from him, she yanked at the silk, throwing it off her shoulder and pulling her arm out. He skimmed a hand slowly down the dip of her waist, the rise of her hip, and around to her ass. “You feel so good.” He pressed into her, kissing her cheek, her temple, and then nuzzling her neck.
Caressing her ass, he hit the elastic barrier of her panties, and then he sighed, pulling back. “How long have you been in here?”
“My room? A while.” She ran a hand up his chest, undoing the top button of his shirt.
“You didn’t open the door or answer my texts.”
“I was listening to my iPod. I had a spa night. I took a bath and gave myself a facial.”
“Yeah? I wondered what you were doing. You look all flushed and sweaty.”
The next button popped open, and she got a better view of his gorgeous, lightly-haired chest. “I was dancing.”
He licked a path from her neck to her collarbone. One hand cupped her breast, plumping it, and he swiped his tongue over her nipple. “Oh.” God. “Ryan, what’re you doing here?”
“Shit.” He pulled away from her, sitting up. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out his phone. “Hang on.”
Was there anything sexier than a man’s forearm, all strong and tan, the sleeve of his shirt rolled to his elbow? She waited while he typed out a text, and then tossed the phone onto the couch.
“What was that?”
“Had to tell my coach I didn’t make the flight.”
“Why fly all the way back to Santa Granada when you could’ve just stayed the night in San Juan and caught the first flight out in the morning?”
“I don’t want to go back yet. So I’m taking my break. I’m seeing it through.”
“You’re such a rebel. And you are so going to pay for it.”
“You know, one of the things my dad said to back his argument is that he didn’t want me to regret coming this far and then bailing before I had a shot at the majors. Well, I don’t want any regrets here either.”
“Yes, I can see how cutting short your hedonistic vacation might one day trigger a midlife crisis.”
“If I get on that field tomorrow, I’m going to fuck up. It’s just where I am right now.” He lay back down beside her, his hand stroking the slope of her shoulder and resting on her hip. Tugging at the robe half hanging off her, he said, “Take everything off and welcome your man home.”
She laughed against his mouth. “You sure you don’t want me to fry up some bacon for you first?”
“I want you naked.”
“And what do I get out of it?”
“You get to see my impressive man-meat.”
Laughter burst free from her belly. She hadn’t expected him to say anything like that.
She shifted off the bed, letting her robe fall to the floor. “I don’t know, buddy. You’re gonna have to step up your game, offer me a little more than just your man-meat if you want some of this.” She brushed the hair off her shoulders and shimmied playfully. He watched her, his expression hungry, hard, and it sent a thrill down to the soles of her feet. She stepped out of her panties.
“I came back for you.” He lunged for her, grabbing her arm and tugging her onto the bed. Once he had her under him, his mouth at her ear, he said, “I’m nowhere near finished with you.”
Desire burned under her skin, and happiness flooded her.
He kissed her slow and sweet, letting their tongues tangle deliciously. He palmed her breast, rubbing across her nipple. “I’m happy. Right here, right now. I’m happy. That’s why I came back. I just want this time with you.” He gave her breast a lustful squeeze, gently sucking her bottom lip. “Will you be mine for the week?”
******
Strapped into their life jackets and harnesses, Ryan reached for Sophie’s hand. He brought it to his mouth and pressed a kiss to her palm. He’d never gone paragliding before. As the boat picked up speed, their sails flapped, opened, and together they rose, climbing higher and higher into the air. Legs dangling, body weightless, he took in the sandy shoreline, the forest, and the turquoise lagoon.
He shouted as they climbed steadily, floating higher in the air. Sophie squeezed his hand. She smiled at him, and their gazes locked. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this kind of happiness before.
Their friends hollered and hooted at them from the boat, and Sophie waved. She seemed so content in her own skin. He wouldn’t know what that felt like, but she made him want to know. Being with her—it made him…fuck, he just felt so much. He couldn’t believe he’d only known her four days.
Fear sliced through him at the idea of losing her. Going back to his life, as if he’d never had this connection, this happiness.
He drew her hand to his mouth again, held it there in a lingering kiss. She watched him, almost warily. I love you. His body thrummed with more emotion than he could handle. I fucking love you.
To his surprise, she didn’t look away. She took in a deep breath, and a sense of peace seemed to spread over her, relaxing her body. He could’ve sworn he saw it in her eyes. I love you, too.
The moment the boat hit the dock, Ryan grabbed her hand and towed her up the beach. While the staff unloaded the boat and packed up the van, he wanted to steal a few moments alone with her.
“What’re you doing?” She glanced back at the others talking and laughing together.
He yanked her to him and kissed her cheek, gliding his tongue down to her neck and biting the tendon. Her hands tightened on his forearms.
“Ryan.” Her voice sounded thin and needy.
The ocean had carved caves into the rugged cliffs of this cove. He towed her into one, the dark and cool of it only igniting his need for her. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, his hands smoothing down her back, sliding under the elastic waistband of her bikini bottoms, and gripping her flesh. He was so fucking hard for her.
He ground his dick against her stomach and kissing that hot, wet mouth. Sliding his hands lower, dipping between her legs, he grazed the dampness beneath her curls. She sucked in a breath, moaning into his mouth.
“I want you, Soph.” He spun her around, yanking her bottoms down, jerking her hips up high.
“Ryan, dude?” Jake called from somewhere down the beach. “Where’d you get to?”
“Maybe they went to the parking lot already,” one of Sophie’s friends said, voices getting closer.
“Fuck,” he whispered harshly, pulling her bottoms back up. As she turned around, he kissed her mouth hard. “Fuck.”
And then he took her hand, leading them out of the cave. “Here.” He gave Jake a menacing look.
“Ready to go?” Jake gave him a shit-eating grin.
As they started off, Ryan leaned into her ear. “When we get back to the resort, let’s go to your room. I want to spend the rest of the afternoon alone with you, okay?”
Energy radiated between them like shimmering heat. Color suffused her cheeks. “Yes.”
******
The van idled in the parking lot, waiting for them. Jake and Laura ran for it, slamming into each other as they fought to get into the back row. By the time Sophie and Ryan caught up, she found only one seat left in back and one up front beside the driver.
Disappointed she wouldn’t get to sit with him, she took the passenger seat, while Ryan took the window beside Dix.
Her body still buzzed from the way he’d looked at her, the intensity. For a minute there, up in the air, all weightless and giddy with excitement, it had almost felt like he was trying to tell her something. Ridiculous to even think it, but the way he’d held her gaze with such…intention…it had made her feel like he loved her.
Could Kat be right? Could what she had with Ryan actually turn into something real? Something that lasted?
He’d come back to the island for her.
Affection rushed her hard, and she glanced back at him, wanting him to know she felt just as strongly for him.
But she found him with his cell phone in his hand, features tightened in…shock. She turned more fully to observe him. He looked stressed, almost angry. Jake leaned over the seat and said something that riled him, and he shouldered his friend away.
What was happening? The only thing she could think that would make him react this way was if his coach had gotten tough with him. Not taking the flight home last night had to have been a game-changer. Had he kicked him off the team?
Ryan set his phone down, gazing out the window. She wanted to crawl in his lap and comfort him. No matter how bad things were, all problems had solutions. He just had to talk about it. Not keep it locked inside.
She couldn’t stand to see him so unhappy, so she unbuckled her seat belt, climbed over the console, and sat on his lap.
“Seriously, Soph?” Laura said.
Ryan’s arms banded around her, and he pressed his lips to her temple, not saying a word.
She loved his scent, all hot sand and clean cotton. She loved his body, his strength, and the possessive way he touched her.
“You all right?” she whispered in his ear.
He didn’t answer.
Sensing eyes on her, she looked up and found Jake regarding her with barely disguised impatience. What the hell had she done?
Once they arrived at the resort, everyone filed out of the van. But she didn’t budge.
She leaned back against the door, her legs draped across Ryan’s lap. “What happened?”
“Nothing.”
She cupped his chin, tilted him towards her. Oh, that look in his eyes—filled with anger and frustration. It killed her. “Ryan.”
He drew in a deep breath. She thought he might say something, but his jaw snapped shut.
“Talk to me.”
“I don’t want to talk about it. I shouldn’t have to talk about it. It’s not my problem, and I don’t want it fucking up my last few days here.”
“But—”
“Two days, Soph. That’s all I’m asking for. I want these two days for myself. With you. Okay?”
What could she say to that? She answered with a kiss. She’d meant a simple kiss, a touch of affection, but as always it ignited into so much more. Oh, yes. She fell into the slide of his tongue, the grip of his big hands.
“Uh, excuse me?” a voice called.
She tore her mouth off his to find the driver standing outside the van.
“I’m sorry, but I’ve got another group to take out.”
Ryan’s hand squeezed her thigh, like he wasn’t ready to let her go. But she just smiled. “Of course. Sorry.”
His hips flexed hard, grinding his erection into her bottom. Without even thinking, she pushed back down.
“Let me grab my bag.” She launched forward, hands on the seat, ass in the air, as she grabbed her tote from the floor of the passenger seat. Ryan’s hands clamped down on her, giving both cheeks a hungry squeeze.
She couldn’t wait to get back to her room and be with him. As she stepped into the cool of the lobby, Ryan reached for her hand. While the others headed for the bar, he steered her toward the elevators.
But a hand touched her shoulder, stopping her. She turned to find Jake standing there, tall and imposing.
He gave her a chin nod. “Ryan said you wanted to talk to me about your business?”
“I do.” She did need to talk with him. But something else was going on. She could’ve sworn she saw Ryan shoot his friend an appreciative look.
“Why don’t you guys hit the café?” Ryan held up his phone, and she understood he had to deal with something. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
Well, if his coach needed to talk to him, Ryan had to face it. “Sure. Come get me when you’re ready.”
An hour and a half later, after two cups of coffee and a Rum Baba, their friends appeared at their table.
“We thought we’d join you for lunch.” Laura slid in beside her. “Are we interrupting?”
“Not at all,” Sophie said.
“You get your business stuff worked out?” Laura swiped a finger through the whipped cream left over on the plate.
Dixon flopped down next to Jake. “Don’t get him started. He could go on about business shit for days.”
Jake gave him a quelling look, but Dixon just picked up a menu. “What’s good?”
“Believe it or not, we’ve been talking the whole time,” Sophie said. “We haven’t even ordered.”
“Hey, guys.” Kat slid in next to Laura.
Just then Ryan arrived. He looked hard, tense, as he motioned for her friends to get out. “Let me sit next to Sophie.”
Kat scooted out and went to sit beside Dixon. Laura got out, too, and Ryan pushed in until he was right up against her. He rucked up the material of her dress, and his big hand clasped her bare thigh.
She was about to ask how everything had gone with his coach, but he spoke first. “You get the help you needed?”
“I did.” She smiled across the table to Jake. “He had great ideas.”
“Like?”
“Well, first off, he said to leave all the administrative stuff in LA and only move production to Montana. That in itself makes it much more do-able.”
“You’re moving to Montana?” Kat looked more upset than surprised.
“I’m not doing anything.” She hated deceiving her friends, but she couldn’t risk exposing the Nestlé deal. “Jake’s family runs a business, too. I’m just asking him about theoretical situations.”
“But it’s a possibility?” Kat asked.
“Who wouldn’t want to live in Montana?” Jake said.
As Jake turned the conversation to all that Big Sky had to offer, Sophie shared more with Ryan. “He also had a great idea about incenting the current workers with a profit-sharing model.” She said it quietly, while Kat argued against living in a tourist resort full-time. “That way they’re invested in the company and might not mind moving with the business. It’ll make it easy for me to keep things going smoothly.”
As wound up as he was, Ryan’s tight smile let her know he was happy for her. “Sounds good, Soph.”
“Oh.” Laura dug into her bag and pulled out her phone. “You guys, let me get in next to Jake so I can get a picture.”
Jake reeled back. “What the hell for? Get one with Dixon.”
“I already have one with him.”
Sophie set down her menu. “What happened to one guy for the whole week?”
“Yeah, well, that didn’t work out. I’m just doing a bunch of guys—”
Jake snorted.
“Not like that. Just me having a great time.”
Jake watched as Kat and Dixon got out of the booth. “What does that have to do with me? I’m not part of your good time.”
“Today you are.” Laura got in beside him, handing off the phone to Kat.
Ryan wrapped a curl around his finger and tugged to get Sophie’s attention back. “Sounds like he had good ideas.”
She nodded, as he stroked her inner thigh.
“What’s the big deal?” Laura gave Jake a little shove. “I’m putting pictures up on Facebook with me and hot guys. You should be flattered I’m including you.” Laura leaned against him. “Now smile.”
Jake pulled away. “What’s the point?”
“To make her ex jealous,” Kat said.
Jake looked completely disgusted. “Count me out. That’s stupid.”
“It’ll be on my social media accounts. It’s not like any of your friends will ever see it.”
“What’d he do to you?” Jake asked.
“You seriously won’t take a picture with me?”
“That’s right.”
“Fine.” Laura dropped her phone in her tote.
Ryan’s hand inched higher up her leg. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders, sifting her fingers through the silky hair at the back of his neck. “Do you want to order something?”
He shook his head tightly.
“Why bother with your ex? It’s over.” Jake looked completely clueless.
Kat handed Laura a menu, but she waved it away. “He broke up with me.”
“He fuck you over?”
“No, he was really nice about it.”
“So why try to hurt him?”
“Because we had a plan. He just…God, he just dumped me.”
“By text?”
“No. He was really good about it. He called and asked if he could come over. He wanted to take a walk with me.”
“Which was especially cool of him that he didn’t do it in the house,” Kat said.
“We live in the sorority.” Laura flicked a glance at Jake, who actually seemed interested. “Anyhow, he took me to a bench behind the library and told me he wasn’t going to Italy with me.” She stopped talking, tears glittering in her eyes. “That was our plan. We both signed with teams in Italy. But all of a sudden he doesn’t want to play soccer anymore.”
“So?” Jake said. “Lots of division one players don’t go on to play professionally.”
“Okay, well, I’m sorry, but I planned my life around it. Instead, he tells me he’s got a job lined up in Michigan. What about me? I’m just supposed to go to Italy alone?”
“Yeah.” Jake sounded incredulous. “That’s how it goes.”
“Are you serious? He tells me now? In March? Two months before graduation?”
“What was he supposed to do? Go ahead with something he doesn’t want to do because you don’t have the balls to go through with it on your own?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to. You’re spending spring break trying to make him jealous by putting up pictures of you with strange guys. You’re lying to him. And what’d he do? Break up with you. Look, after college…shit changes. You’re not in that bubble anymore.”
“Word.” Dixon lifted his fist, bumping with Jake’s.
“And if he’s not going to Italy with you, then what’s the point of staying together?”
Sophie totally agreed and hoped hearing it from an outsider would help.
“We have two more months. If he loved me, he wouldn’t have broken up with me.”
“So, he doesn’t love you anymore. You gonna punish him for that?”
“Back off, Jake.” Ryan said.
“No, it’s all right.” Laura seemed hopeful for the first time. “I actually want to hear it.” She drew in a breath. “I just…it hurts that he doesn’t want me anymore.” She looked embarrassed. “Sorry. I’m not usually like this.”
“Like what?” Jake said. “A guy blew up your world. It’s understandable. Just don’t take it out on him. That’s not cool. Deal with it and move on.”
Ryan placed a soft kiss on Sophie’s mouth. “You okay?”
Was she okay? Between the sensual assault of his stroking hands, the heat of his body, and the unsatisfied sexual energy coursing through her, she wanted to climb on his lap and make out with him. She almost didn’t care that she was in a café, surrounded by her friends.
He kissed her again, going deeper. God. Desire rolled through her, sending pulses of electricity through her. “Let’s get out of here.”
Oh, yes.
He turned to Kat. “Can you let us out?” Grabbing Sophie’s hand, he practically pulled her out of the table. “We’ll see you guys later.”
“Hang on.” Jake had never sounded so serious. “Got a quick question for you.”
For one moment Ryan’s grip on her tightened, but then he let out a resigned breath and let her go. “Yeah. Sure.”
She knew he had to deal with whatever was tearing him up, so she pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Talk to your friend. I’m going to shower and take a nap. I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”
One terse nod without even looking at her, and then Ryan strode out of the restaurant, Jake on his heels.
She watched until she couldn’t see him anymore, dread creeping through her.
What wasn’t he telling her?