Work Like You Don't Need the Money (3 page)

“Goodnight, children.” Holly smiled as Elena shooed them into the back.

“Seems I'm not the only one you've got wrapped around your little finger,” said Pete.

Holly raised an eyebrow, “I don't see you getting wrapped around anyone's finger, Mr. Bigshot! But yes, I think I did just make some new friends.”

“Mr. Bigshot?” laughed Pete. “What the hell makes you say that?” He was surprised by the name and even more surprised that he liked her using it.

“Oh, come on,” she smiled. “It's obvious that you're used to saying 'Jump' and having everyone ask 'How high?'”

Pete laughed. She was probably right, but he didn't like to think of it that way. He couldn't work out the look on her face. Was she dismissing him, or tempting him? He gave her a hard stare, remaining silent, watching the laughter fade from her face as she stared back at him. He held the silence a few moments longer than was comfortable, then said, “Jump!”

She laughed. “No way, Mr. Bigshot. You're not getting me like that.”

Though she was laughing, the gleam in her eyes looked a lot like lust and that dress couldn't hide her taut nipples. She really did want him. Perhaps not as much as he wanted her, that might be impossible, but her body was giving her away. Would it really be such a bad idea to act on something they both wanted so badly?

“What way will I get you then?” He couldn't resist asking and was shocked when she met his eyes.

“Any way you want as long as it's just sex, no strings.”

He wasn't used to a woman taking his breath away and leaving him speechless, but here she'd done it again. She stood before him, chin lifted, shoulders thrown back, lips slightly parted, looking so very kissable. But he shouldn't. They shouldn't. How could he not?! Or was she really just teasing?

Alonso rescued him. “We have your table now, my friends. The best in the house. Please, follow me.”

Pete allowed Holly to walk ahead of him, watching her backside swing while considering her words, 'Any way you like.' What was that quote? Something about 'Let me count the ways'? It would take them quite a while to work through all the ways he wanted her! She couldn't be serious? And could he do it if she were? More like could he stop himself? He already knew the answer to that one.

Once they were seated and Alonso had left them with a bottle of the Rioja, he peered over his menu at her. “It's not fair to taunt a guy like that, you know. Especially to tease him with something you can see he wants so badly.”

“I wasn't teasing. I was offering.”

She looked up at him and he locked her eyes with his own. Needing to pin her down on what she was really saying. “Any way I like?”

He watched her swallow and press her lips together as she nodded slowly.

“Why Holly?”

“Isn't it obvious?”

“It's obvious that I want you. Beyond that, I'm not sure I can think straight enough to make sense of anything!”

“Well, I think it's obvious that I want you too. It's also obvious that we shouldn't. We're from different worlds. We have no business being together, but we're going to be seeing a lot of each other until Emma and Jack's wedding. We can dance around it and make life difficult, or we can get it over with and out of the way.”

“Get it over with?!” Pete was taken aback by her forthright explanation and pretty much insulted that any woman, especially one he wanted this badly, would consider sex with him something she had to 'get it over with.' He stared at her, eyebrows lowered. The waiter came to take their order, giving Pete a moment to calm down. Once the waiter had gone, he looked at Holly again.

She smiled sweetly at him, “What's up Mr. Bigshot, like to think  you're something special do you?”

He had to laugh, “I don't think it, Sweetheart, I know it, and I'm going to show you just how special. All... Night... Long...

He saw the bravado slip. She wasn't near as brazen as she was trying to make out. But she
had
offered herself to him on a plate. And her argument did have some merit; it would be torture to keep seeing her and wanting her over the next few months. This way, they could get it out of their system. As she put it, 'get it over with.' She'd given him reason to overcome his own self-discipline, he intended to make the most of it.

When the waiter returned with their food, Pete resisted the urge to wolf it down and get her back to the B&B as quickly as possible. For all the physical attraction, it was more than that too. He enjoyed just being around her. Talking to her, laughing with her. Looking at her now, she was nervous, a little unsure of what she'd done. If she wanted to back out, so be it, but he was determined to make it such an enjoyable evening that she wouldn't want to. That she'd be as wanting and willing as he was by the time they got back to the room.

                                                        **********

Holly swallowed a forkful of paella and had to chase it with a sip of water. Her throat was dry. Her palms were sweating. What in hell had she just done? She looked up to find that intense blue gaze fixed on her. Was he trying to figure her out, or figure out what he was going to do to her? The butterflies in her stomach were swirling madly. Her body hummed in anticipation. When he looked at her like that she felt as though she was already naked before him.

Sex with Pete was inevitable. She'd known that for certain when he'd returned to the room after her shower. The way he'd looked at her, even when she'd turned away from him, she'd felt his eyes burning through her dress. The way her body responded to him. The way she was powerless to stop it. The currents of desire zinging between the two of them were undeniable. She had been feeling powerless, out of control, swept along toward the unavoidable truth that they were going to end up naked together. When he'd made his comment about learning to please her and then asked how he could get her, she'd had one of her impulsive moments. She'd spoken to take back the only little bit of control she could have. It was going to happen one way or another, at least this way she could pretend that she was in control of the when – and of the terms; no strings!

He was talking to her now, but she couldn't process what he was saying. She was too focused on watching his lips move. On the way they curled into that little smile. On what it would be like when they met hers, and how they would feel against her skin... Apparently those lips had just asked a question, because he was looking at her now, waiting for her to speak, expecting an answer.

“I'm sorry?”

He smiled, “I asked how the paella was?”

“Oh. It was wonderful.”

The waiter had removed their plates.

“Dessert?” asked Pete.

Holly shook her head. “No. You?”

“I'm saving mine for later.” There went that smile again as he ran his eyes over her.

“Pete, I..”

He reached across the table and took her hand in both of his own. The predatory look was gone.

“It's okay, Sweetheart. We don't have to do this if you don't want to.”

The warmth from his hands and his eyes spread through her. Whatever hesitation she'd felt, this was only drawing her deeper in. Was that his plan? Trouble was, when he looked at her like that she wanted him to care about her, not just desire her. But that would never happen, she knew that. Gathering her strength, she smiled at him. The sex, at least, was inevitable, so they may as well have fun with it.

“We don't have to?” She'd meant to tease, but didn't enjoy the struggle on his face. She stroked her finger across the palm of his hand. “We could always try not to, but I believe we'll find we do have to if we're honest about it.” She raised an eyebrow and gave her best temptress smile, or what she hoped looked like one, she'd never tried it before. It worked. The hard lust returned to his eyes.

“I do value honesty, and I do believe you are right. I also believe it's time to get out of here.” He called for the check.

“Can I get this?” asked Holly.

“Please, let me? It really is my pleasure.”

“Then thank you.” She liked that he hadn't dismissed her out of hand or made anything of the fact that the cost of a dinner like this was nothing to him, but was a big deal for her.

As they got ready to leave, Alonso called them over to the bar. The place had filled up a little now.

“Will you stay to have a drink with me?”

“Thanks,” said Pete, “but it's been a long day and we need to get Holly to bed.” As he spoke, he put his hand at the small of her back and she inhaled sharply.

“Then please wait, I will bring Elena to say goodbye.”

As they waited, Pete ran his fingers up her back then slowly down again, finishing with his hand around her bottom, drawing her against his side. She looked up at him.

“I thought you were the one saying we didn't
have
to do this?”

He smiled down at her. “I was wrong. We do.”

He held her tight against him and she felt his heat spreading through her. She knew he was right.

Alonso returned with Elena and they said their goodbyes, promising to come back soon to see the children.

Chapter Three

Outside the restaurant Pete turned to face her. When he looked at her like that, Holly felt as though his eyes had her pinned down and there was nothing she could  do to resist  anything he wanted.

“C'mere.”

She stepped toward him. He took her hand and pulled her out into the rain. She tried to make a dash for it, but he stood still and crushed her to his chest. The rain soaked through to her skin as they stood there.

“Relax and enjoy it, Sweetheart. Once you're wet you won't care anymore. Then you'll really start to enjoy yourself.” The corner of his mouth lifted and she knew he wasn't just talking about the rain. Then he surprised her. “Want to go for a walk?”

She laughed. He was right of course. She tended to forget the simple stuff like this, but now she was drenched, the rain smelled good. It felt good running down her. She was with this gorgeous man. Why not go for a walk with him before they spent the night together?

“Where are we going?”

He put an arm around her waist and led her down a path at the side of the B&B. In a few hundred yards they rounded a corner and the path ran alongside a river.

She turned to Pete, “This is beautiful!”

“
You
are beautiful,” he replied and pulled her to him.

Holly felt as though she might melt into him as he closed his arms around her. As though he might turn the rain to steam with the heat he radiated. She looked up to meet his intense eyes, inches from her own. One hand at the small of her back held her against him, the other came up to cup the back of her head.

“I wanted our first kiss to be a long, slow, wet one.” He smiled.

She didn't have  chance to return the smile before his lips came down on hers. His hand tangled in her hair, gently tugging her head back as she opened her lips to him. Her hands came up to his shoulders, and she clung to him as kissed her deeply, commanding her response. She moaned through the kiss as he pressed his hardness against her while his tongue explored her mouth. He was invading her, taking possession of every inch of her being. She had no resistance to offer.

Eventually his lips left hers. His hand, still tangled in her hair, drew her head back so she was looking up into his eyes which were now a deep violet color.

“I knew kissing you would be something else. I didn't know it would be this good.” He dropped his head and kissed her lips. Pulling her head back he kissed her neck. He trailed a finger down her throat and down between her breasts. His eyes darkened as he watched her nipples stiffen and push at the wet fabric of her dress which was now clinging to her. He spoke urgently, “I have to have you, Holly, but not here.”

She came to her senses. They were outside, by the river, in the rain. But had he wanted her naked right then and there she would have gladly obliged. He took her hand and led her back to the B&B. They slipped inside and ran up the stairs to their little room.

He'd let her enter the room ahead of him and now she felt a moment of panic as she turned to find him with his back against the door looking down at her. He was so much man. Well over six feet of him. All hard muscle and power. Suddenly the room seemed even smaller as his presence filled the tiny space. She shivered as he stepped toward her. His arms came around her and she could feel hot skin through wet fabric. He pulled his shirt off over his head. She swallowed hard at the sight of his broad, muscled chest. A hint of damp golden hair glistened above abs as chiseled as his features.

He held her face between his hands and kissed her. This time slow and gentle, before kissing his way down her neck. His hands closed around her breasts, and she moaned at the feel of his hot, hard fingers pressing through her cold, damp dress. He bent his head to mouth her nipple through the fabric. She let her head fall back and pushed her hips against him. Lost as she was in the sensations of his hands and mouth moving over her, his voice, low and commanding, came as a surprise.

“Take the dress off, Holly.”

She straightened up.

“Take it off. I need to see you.”

This was new to her. She'd only known guys to be all over her, pulling her clothes off themselves. Pete towered over her.

“It has to be you, Holly. Undress yourself for me. Give yourself to me.”

She felt the heat mount between her legs at his words. She only knew how to be taken by a man. To give herself? He was unbuckling his belt. He let his jeans fall to his feet and stood before her.

“Take off the dress.”

She had no choice, her body was obeying his command. She slipped the straps off her shoulders, unfastened the side zipper and let the dress fall to the floor. His eyes blazed as they rested on her breasts.

“The bra.”

She unclasped it and took it off, feeling the tips harden under the heat of his gaze. She went to remove her panties.

“Not those.”

As she looked up he was in front of her, kissing her, walking her backwards until her legs met the bed and he came down on top of her. She wrapped her arms around his back, arching up to press against his hot naked chest. Feeling the heat of his hardness pushing at her. He took her breast in his mouth, sucking then gently grazing with his teeth. As he did, he slid his hand inside her panties.