Chapter 9

Ryan

Apparently being a gentleman isn’t good for the neck and I found that out the hard way after sleeping on the couch all night. I could have slept in the bed again, but I didn’t trust myself after spending a majority of the night after we’d returned from dinner making out on the sofa.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want her, my aching balls were proof of that, and my damned morning wood wasn’t helping things. I tried to put the thought of her taste out of my mind, but it was no use. I was falling for he fast and hard.

And it wasn’t just the fact that she was a virgin and I wanted the honor of deflowering her to be mine, but I found myself wanting to care for her like she’d cared for her family. It didn’t seem fair that she’d had to sacrifice so much, and it made me understand what an amazing person she truly was inside and out.

I thought of her soft, pale skin and the way her lips swelled against mine, her breasts heaving with desire. It was enough to make me want to cry and beg for her, and that was only just the upper half of her. At one point I’d had her laid out beneath me, her long legs wrapped around my waist and I thought I was going to go for it, but I’d done the right thing and talked myself out of it. I’d carried her to the bed and tucked her in when her eyes had gotten heavy, and then I walked back to the couch like a dog with nowhere to bury his bone and tried to think of enough sad things to kill my erection.

The shower running in the other room told me she was up and getting ready to slam my balls in another vise over these damned regulations. I had felt like a real heel since she’d told me the story about her grandfather and I wanted to make sure I didn’t have any part in causing anyone that much pain ever again if I ever had at all. There was just no way to tell and no way to be too careful. I’d spend what it would take to get the job done and done right.

My phone rang, and I let out a groan as saw my mother’s face on the screen. I loved the woman, but she’d never taken the hint that I wasn’t a morning phone call from your mother type of person.

“How’s my baby boy?” Mom always asked that question with too much enthusiasm, and I returned an equal endearment.

“Hey, Mama!” I lay back on the couch and put my feet on the small coffee table.

“When are you coming home? You’re father said you’re out of town. I wish you’d tell me these things before you do them, darling. I was going to call over Victoria and her niece, Candy to come and have dinner with us, but your father said you wouldn’t be home.”

I cringed. That was the biggest favor my father had done for me in ages. “Mom, I don’t want to see that girl again. She’s a gold digger, and I already told you about how she tried to lift my credit card. Stop trying to fix me up.” I’d told her a million times that I could handle getting a date, but she was more concerned with the type of women I dated rather than if I could get one. Quality or quantity. “Jesus, mom.”

“Ryan Evan Walker I’ll wash your mouth out for taking the Lord’s name in vain.”

“You’re not even religious, Mom.” I couldn’t help but laugh because she did. She was in a strange mood, and my mother was one odd duck on a normal day.

All of a sudden the bathroom door opened up and out walked Megan in a towel. Her auburn hair wrapped up in another revealing the soft curve of her shoulders and that slender neck I’d spent the better part of the night nuzzling.

My eyes bugged, and I took a long hard look as my mother rambled on the other end of the signal.

“Stop looking,” she giggled. “I forgot to get my clothes.” She whispered the words as she gathered up her clothes from her suitcase and the first item in hand was a pair of white silk panties that were trimmed with lace. All it would take is one swift yank, and she’d be naked. Or I could just push that towel up and take her right there bent over her suitcase. She turned and gave me another scolding look.

I lifted my shoulders and covered the phone. “Like I can help it?” She gave me a smile and laid out her clothes on the bed.

“What was that?” My mother asked. “Are you with someone? Ryan, please tell me you’re bedding down with some strange woman. You need to find a nice girl.” Nice girls were the farthest thing from my mind, and I was hoping the nicest girl I’d met in a long time would turn naughty.

“Mom, please.” I glanced up to see she her back was to me, and she was slipping up her panties and throwing a teasing glance over her shoulder. I put the phone to my chest. “You bad girl. You’re being a tease.”

“What?”

“Not you, Mom. Look, I got to go. I’ll call you later.” I hung up the phone and stood across the room from her. “You’re not fair teasing me when I’m on the phone with my mother.”

“I don’t know. I figured I was safest that way.” She gripped her towel tight against her breasts. “I was just getting my clothes to go back into the bathroom.” She pursed her lips, but it was no use, the smile on her face still showed, and the blush on her cheeks was a dead giveaway that she knew exactly what she was doing to me.

“That’s so not fair. Don’t you need help or something?” She took her things and hurried into the other room. “You’re terrible,” I shouted into the other room. When I heard her laugh, I laughed too.

“I’m going out to call my mother,” I called through the door. I felt it’d better I put some distance between me and her and her half naked ass, and went out to explain to my mother that the maid had come in. She wasn’t really buying it, but I wasn’t about to tell her about Megan. I wouldn’t even know where to begin, but if the past few minutes were any indication, I was making progress. I heard the little voice inside my head saying slow progress is still progress. I’d take it.

As it turned out all my mother was trying to do was find out if I was going to be home for dinner on Sunday as planned and once I reassured her I’d be back in plenty of time, she let me go with a promise not to invite anyone.

I wondered if Megan would go with me and decided I’d ask as I headed back to the room. Walking in, the scent of her perfume filling up my senses. I looked around the door to see her standing there, her hair curled in loose waves and her eyes brightened with the smallest amount of makeup. Her lips were slick, luscious with gloss, and the blush on her cheeks was all natural.

“I’m not sure the weather here is hair friendly.” Her mouth twisted at the corner. “But this is the best I could do. Maybe it’s the water?”

“If it is I had nothing to do with it.” We shared a laugh, and I pulled her in close. “I hope you know I really enjoyed last night.”

“Me too, and while I’m up for a little fun, I think I need to take things slow. I mean, I don’t know what you want, but it’s just—

I captured her mouth before she could say too much. I didn’t want her to feel like she had to doubt or wonder if I was interested. Her gloss tasted like honey, and I licked my lips savoring her taste as I pulled away. I brushed a thumb across her cheek and looked deep into her eyes. “I’d like for you to help me be someone you could respect, Megan. I’d like your advice on getting the plant in tip-top shape, and if you have any innovative ideas, I’m all ears. I don’t want to be that guy, the brat you talked about that first day. Help me?”

She stared into my eyes as if she was looking at me for the first time and then she smiled so wide it lifted my spirits. “Of course I will.”

The two of us headed out to the airport hand in hand, and she was all smiles as we chatted about taking special measures and the new kinds of technology that was out there. She was an amazing wealth of knowledge, and it turns out her mind turned me on as much as her temper.