Page 38 of Blue Hawaiian
“Then you’ve been with the wrong men. Because you’re incredible. I’ve never stopped thinking about you.”
He slipped on the condom and thrust himself deep inside her. She gasped at the feel of him and dug her fingers into his back. From the pocket of her robe, her phone began buzzing, but she ignored it. She was too far gone to care about anything except what was happening at this moment, in this bed, with this unbelievably sexy man.
He wasn’t gentle, but she didn’t want gentle. She wanted it hard and fast, with neither of them holding anything back. She rocked her hips, matching his rhythm, and held on tight. When he took one of her nipples between his teeth and tugged on it, the combination of pleasure and pain sent her careening over the edge. She came again in an intense orgasm that left her breathless and trembling. Connor gave a few more thrusts, then groaned in release seconds later.
Still atop her, he let out a soft chuckle. “That…might have gone a little quicker than I hoped.”
“It was perfect. We can take it slow next time.” She shivered as she imagined all the steamy encounters yet to come.
Whatever lay ahead of them, she had no regrets about her decision.
She just couldn’t let anyone find out.
Chapter 14
Connor lay next to Jess feeling completely and utterly spent. A delicious exhaustion crept over him, the kind that made him want to fall asleep with her in his arms. He couldn’t believe she’d willingly offered herself up after five years. And that they’d both enjoyed it so much. Now that he’d shown her how desirable she was, he wanted to do it again and again. Though, next time, he needed to pace himself better. He’d come faster than a horny teenager.
He ran his hand along her bare back, letting it rest on the curve of her ass. She gave a contented murmur and snuggled in closer.
As much as he wanted to spend the entire evening in bed with her, he couldn’t consider it. He still had to face his dad. He disentangled himself and eased out of bed, disposing of the condom with a Kleenex. “Do you want a drink?”
Jess sat up and pushed her messy curls away from her face. “I’d love one.”
She kept her eyes fixed on him as he retrieved the brandy from the top of the mini fridge. He poured them each a glass and set the bottle on the nightstand. As he passed her a glass, he raised his eyebrows. “Were you ogling me?”
“Of course. You have a damn fine ass. Plus, I’m making up for lost time.”
He climbed back into bed beside her. “You go right ahead.”
She took a sip of brandy and let out a long sigh. “This is heavenly. Why can’t we just stay here and have sex, like three or four more times, then order room service?”
Three or four more times. He groaned. “You’re killing me, you know.”
“And we haven’t had shower sex yet. Just imagine—you and me, all slick and soapy up against the wall.”
Though the idea sounded tempting, he forced himself to rein in his lust. He’d made a choice when he left the business proposal for his father. For once in his life, he needed to act like an adult. He stared at the amber liquid in the glass, already anticipating the argument ahead.
Jess placed her hand on his shoulder. “Everything okay? You’re not having second thoughts about us, are you?”
The vulnerability in her eyes pierced his heart. “Not a chance. I was thinking about tonight’s dinner. I need to deal with my dad. The longer I keep him waiting, the worse it’s going to be.”
“What’s going on? Does this have to do with starting your own winery?”
He nodded. “A couple of guys who used to work at Blackwood came to me late last year. Tom Bartolli’s an expert winemaker, and Reb Larkins has years of experience as a vineyard manager. I worked under them before, during my summer jobs at Blackwood, but they left the company three years ago. They were thinking of starting their own winery, so I told them I was interested. A few months ago, they found a property, and now they want me to invest as a partner and help manage it.”
“Is it in the Temecula Valley? On the same turf as Blackwood?”
“Yeah. Lucky for me, California doesn’t have a noncompete clause. The property’s on the east side of the valley. Sixty-five acres of prime vineyards, a winery, and a tasting room. The owners are ready to retire. The place has a ton of potential, but it needs a little TLC. Eventually, we want to add a farm-to-table restaurant.”
He stopped, hoping Jess would respond as enthusiastically as she had during their hike.
She beamed. “That sounds ideal. You’d do so much better as your own boss. Why don’t you ask your dad if he’ll invest in it? Doesn’t Blackwood Cellars own a bunch of different wineries?”
“Too many. Some of the wine is great, but a lot of it is mass-market crap, tailored to please as many middle-of-the-road consumers as possible. If my dad bought this winery, he’d bring it in line with Blackwood standards, and that’s not what I want.”
She traced her hand along his arm. “What do you want?”
“Ideally? If Dad would give me a loan, we’d have enough capital to do the renovations and work on the branding and marketing. But if he refuses to help me out, then I’ll need to get a few more investors or a loan from the bank. It’s a big risk.”
