Seduction of Steel: The Complete Series (21 page)

Bryan's last assignment in Las Vegas was easy enough, but his next one, in deepest Africa, would be dangerous, and Jennifer wasn't sure she'd see him again anytime soon, if ever.

“Do you have to leave tomorrow?” she asked.

“Yes, but we still have tonight, and I'd like to spend the entire evening making love to you.”

They enjoyed yet another night of all-consuming passion, and as dawn approached, Bryan quietly left Jennifer again.

She watched the sun rise, and hoped for the best.  It was all that she could do.

End of  Vegas Rendezvous, Part One.

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Jessica Steel took a sip of her latte and smiled with satisfaction, having just finished her latest in a series of erotic stories involving Bryan and Jennifer.  She'd long ago gotten over her world-class case of writer's block and now found herself with more material to write about than she had time to type.  Part of it had to do with renewed passion for her work, the writing of erotic fiction, and part of it had to do with the amazing amount of inspiration that she found ever since she'd met Ryan Stevens.

Ryan was an industrial spy, and his work took him all over the world.  He spent his time in exotic locations, occasionally encountered dangerous people, and always had something interesting to talk about.  Jessica learned first hand about how dangerous the spy game could be when she spent a few days in Las Vegas with Ryan, helping him destroy a stolen cell phone chip that might have cost the developer millions of dollars had it remained in the wrong hands.

She also discovered that intense, dangerous work often leads to intense, passionate sex, and when it came to sex, Ryan was incredible.  It wasn't just that he was tall, or handsome, or exceptionally fit; he also had this confidence about him that Jessica found very sexy.  He was also the most attentive lover that she had ever known.  He was skillful, patient, and eager to bring her to the heights of ecstasy, and Jessica was more than willing to comply.  If Ryan wanted her to come, it rarely took much effort.  One look from those gorgeous hazel eyes of his and Jessica usually turned to putty.

Yes, Ryan was an incredible lover, and a pretty talented spy, too.  He'd also discovered that doing his job alone was dangerous, and having Jessica along for help might not be a bad idea.  It was sort of a win-win proposition; Ryan had backup help on his spy missions, and Jessica was able to turn those adventures into best-selling erotic ebooks.  She changed the details, of course, to protect all parties involved, but the stories she wrote were exciting, fun to read and contained copious amounts of incredible sex, just like her relationship with Ryan.

Jessica smiled as she thought about her last sexual encounter with Ryan. 

After their last adventure in Las Vegas, when Ryan injured his ankle and nearly let the stolen chip get away, he told Jessica that he'd not only like having her around for his missions, but that he'd be willing to move to Denver in order to be closer to her.  He'd rented an apartment a few weeks later, just a few blocks from the one that Jessica shared with her longtime roommate, Amber Mitchell.  Jessica wasn't really sure why Ryan needed an apartment; it seemed that he owned very few possessions, aside from some clothing, a cell phone, and a laptop.

He still traveled frequently, as many of his assignments were simple ones that either didn't require help or didn't involve long, out of town stays.  He'd be gone for a few days each week, but for jobs that lasted longer than that, he usually took Jessica along.

She was more than grateful to have him around on more of a regular basis, and Amber was happy to have a roommate who wasn't so sullen all the time.  Without a doubt, Jessica was happier these days, and Amber loved that.  If you're going to have a roommate, it's better to have a happy one.

Having finished her story, Jessica came out of her bedroom/office and found Amber in the kitchen, preparing a salad.

“Hi, Jess.  I'm making a salad.  Want one?”

“Sure.  I'm getting a bit hungry.  How about if I open a bottle of wine?”
“That would be great.  How's the book coming along?” Amber asked as she cut up an avocado.

“I think I just finished the latest story.  They had a little romance on the beach, and now he's left her to go to Africa.  I think the next story is going to be a bit dark.”

“Sooner or later, you're going to have to marry those two off, aren't you?”

“Probably.  We can't have a love story without having it finish.  Readers like those 'happily ever after' endings, you know.  I can't disappoint them.”

“No kidding.  I love reading erotic fiction, but I hate it when the ending is ambiguous.  I want to see the guy and the girl get married in the end.”

“I'm working on it, Amber.  Give me another story or two, OK?”

“Fair enough.  When can I read it?”  Amber was a voracious reader of erotica, and she loved Jessica's work.

“Anytime you like.  It's essentially done, aside from the usual proofreading.  By the way, how are things with you and Jason?”

“Great.  He's been hinting that he's going to propose soon.  I think he really means it this time.”

They both laughed, as Amber and Jason had been dating for several years and that proposal had been “just around the corner” for quite some time now.  Amber was clearly happy dating Jason, but she was beginning to grow impatient.  She was a gorgeous redhead with a figure that any woman would envy, and any man would admire.

Jason had a steady job at an auto parts store, but Jessica thought that Amber could probably land just about any guy she wanted, including doctors, lawyers, or corporate raiders.  Still, Jessica admired Amber's dedication, and hoped that she and Ryan could have a relationship that lasted as long and worked as well as the one her roommate had with Jason.

“I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, Amber.  Maybe this time it will really happen.”

“I hope so.  So, what's new with you and Ryan?  I haven't seen him much lately.”

“He's been back in Pittsburgh for a few days, visiting family and taking care of some family business.  He should be back in the next day or two.”

“Are you two getting serious?”
 

“We're as serious as we can be, given our odd situation.  I'm here, and he's here some of the time and gone a lot of the time.  Sometimes I go with him and sometimes I don't, and...oh, I'm not sure where we stand as a couple right now.”

“I understand.  I hope that works out.  He seems like a great guy.”

“He
is
a great guy.  The sex is certainly amazing, and he's pretty good company, too.  We'll just take things as they come and see how it goes.”

“Good luck with that, Jess.  I'm headed over to Jason's, so I guess I'll see you later.  Well, probably tomorrow.”

Amber grabbed her purse and left, and Jessica spent the rest of the evening proofreading her new book.

While doing so, she received a text message from Ryan.

“I'll be there tomorrow.  Want to get together?”

“Sure. Call me,” Jessica replied.

Jessica became as giddy as a schoolgirl.  She'd been seeing Ryan off and on for a few months now, but she still got excited at the very thought of him.  He was tall and fit, but his piercing hazel eyes that just made Jessica melt.

She simply couldn't get enough of Ryan and she was ecstatic that she'd see him again tomorrow.

Chapter 2

As promised, Ryan called the next day. 

“Hi, Jess.  I just got back in town.  Want to take a ride?”

“Sure.  Where are we going?”

“That's a secret.  Is it OK if I pick you up in an hour?”
“That will be great.  See you then.”

Jessica thought it was odd that Ryan wouldn't tell her where they were going, but she trusted him.  She jumped in the shower, put on some jeans and a knit top, and spent more time than necessary getting her makeup just right.

Ryan showed up right on time, driving what appeared to be a vintage Corvette convertible.  It was a nice sunny day, and he had the top down.  He met Jessica at the curb and he gave her a hug and a quick kiss.

“Is that a new car?  It's beautiful.”

“Thanks.  I've had it in storage.  It just arrived.  It's a 1967 model.  It seemed like a nice day for a drive.  Get in.”

Jessica hopped in the passenger side and the took off.  Eventually it became clear that they were headed up into the mountains.  They were gorgeous this time of year, and Jessica always enjoyed a mountain drive.

“So, Ryan, how was your trip?”

“It was fine.  I just needed to take care of a bit of family business.  Everything's OK in Pittsburgh.”

“How is your family?”
“Fine.  My parents are starting to slow down a bit, so I'm trying to see more of them these days when I can.”

“Are they retired?”
“They are now.  Dad recently retired from a manufacturing company that he founded.  They're going to travel a bit more now that they've got the time.”

“That's nice.  It's always fun to travel.  Speaking of travel, where are we going?”
 

“You'll see.”

They drove along the two lane highway for about twenty more minutes and then turned off on a dirt road.  They continued down the dirt road for what Jessica thought must be four or five miles.  Then they turned down an even smaller road and went a few hundred yards.  Ryan stopped the car.

Jessica looked around.  They'd stopped amidst a thicket of trees alongside a brook.  The mountains rose high above them and aside from the sound of rushing water, the place was eerily quiet.  It seemed that there wasn't a soul within miles of them.

“I just thought this was a great day for a picnic.  And I can't imagine a better place to have one.  What do you think?”
 

“It's beautiful.  How did you ever find this place?”

“It's some land that belongs to an uncle of mine.  It's private land; no one ever comes here.  He hopes to develop it someday, but for now, it just sits here.”

“So what do we do now?”

“We have a picnic.  Come on.”

Ryan got out of the car and opened the trunk.  He removed a blanket and a picnic basket that seemed rather heavy.    They put the blanket down in a shaded area near the brook.  Ryan produced a bottle of wine and the usual picnic meal of fried chicken and potato salad, two things that he knew were among Jessica's favorites.

“I'm impressed.  You knew what to bring.”

“I do my homework, you know.”

They talked a bit about his trip to Pittsburgh while enjoying their meal and their wine.  Then they held hands and took a walk along the brook, admiring the deer and other wildlife they saw on the way.   After their short walk, they returned to the picnic site and sat down on the blanket.

As they sat next to one another, Ryan put his hand around Jessica's neck and gently pulled her toward him.  As their lips met, Jessica felt her flesh tingle, as Ryan's kisses always stirred her most basic inner desires.  As their tongues became entangled, time effectively stopped for Jessica, as she was completely lost in the moment.  That kiss might have lasted seconds or hours; she didn't know.  She surrendered completely to Ryan as his lips and tongue claimed her mouth as his own.  Her pulse quickened as Ryan ran his fingers through her hair.

When the kiss came to its inevitable end, Ryan proceeded to lie down on his back, pulling Jessica close to him as he reclined.  She lay on the blanket next to him and slowly unbuttoned his shirt, teasingly doing so one button at a time.  When his shirt was unbuttoned, she began to trace the contours of his chest with her index finger, running around his nipples and across his astonishingly tight abs.  Jessica never understood how Ryan manage to stay so fit, given his grueling travel schedule.  She was grateful, though, as the sight of Ryan without a shirt just made her quiver inside.