Burn Into Me (36 page)

I tug at the waistband of his shorts. “I need you.”

He produces the crooked grin that never fails to make my stomach lurch. “So what are you waiting for?”

His words send my fingers in a frenzy, plucking at his waistband, jerking at his shorts, but the weight of the water and the extent of his hardness hamper my progress. It’s driving me crazy—I want him so badly. Especially when I realize his dexterity far exceeds mine, with my bikini top floating on the water’s surface and his hands cupping my breasts. But at last I manage to yank his shorts down and I grip him, long and hard and thick. His mouth is devouring mine again, his tongue stroking and twisting, passing on the taste of salt, of mint—of him.
 

 
I sling my arms around his neck, and he lifts me up, without breaking our kiss, until my legs are looped around his waist.
 

I feel the tip of him pressing against me—I haven’t even noticed that he’s slipped off my bikini bottom. He lowers his head, his mouth catching my hardened nipple, and the surge of lust this evokes in me makes me sink down on him. His hands hold my waist and mine are on his broad shoulders as he drives into me, the friction exquisite. I feel them building, those intense sensations that are gathering toward that glorious point of surrender.
 

But all of a sudden, he all but pulls out of me and stills.
 

“I want you to come for me, baby.”

I can’t move, I can’t speak. All I want is for him to finish what he started. And then everything happens at once—his tongue flicking my nipple, his finger on my most sensitive spot, and him driving home hard, again and again. My body tightens—I’m on the edge. One more lick, one more touch, one more thrust, and I am shattering apart on wave after wave of pure ecstasy.

My eyes closed, I come down slowly in his arms—spent, but utterly satisfied. The broad grin on my face reflects the feeling of bliss coursing through my veins, enveloping each cell in my body. This
is
paradise—the place where only Ryder can take me. Nothing can be more perfect.
 

And if this is anything to go by, our holiday is definitely going to be the best of my life.

How very wrong I was.

CHAPTER 1

Elle

I am a hypocrite, but right now, I couldn’t care less.
 

Letting a sip of crisp, chilled champagne glide down my throat, I lean back in the soft leather seat and stretch out my legs. My nostrils pick up the sweet fragrance of orchids as I gaze at the fluffy clouds drifting in the azure sky.
 

We are in the plane to China, to some tropical island where we’ll stay for a few days before moving on to Hong Kong. It was Ryder’s idea to take me on this holiday since we’ve both been working hard—he on his fund-management business and I on my app to help homeless kids.
 

Not long ago, I would have balked at spending twenty grand for a First Class ticket. It would support at least two families for a whole year, or feed a whole homeless army in the soup kitchen I volunteer at. But obviously, the anti-capitalist in me has made way for the new materialistic me who revels in upper-class luxuries.

“Still think this is a waste of money?”

A familiar deep voice reverberates through my body. I look up, and Ryder’s imposing figure towers over me, his elbow casually resting on the side of my seat. He’s wearing a blue-and-white striped shirt with the top buttons undone, and his piercing gaze down on me is all I can do to tear my eyes away from that inviting triangle of smooth skin. I imagine my fingertips touching that skin, warm and taut under firm muscles. And I wouldn’t hesitate to tear off his shirt’s buttons in an instant if I hadn’t noticed the cocky glint in his dark eyes.

My cheeks heating, I instantly sit up, trying to cover up my embarrassment by adopting a haughty tone. “Of course it is.”

Ryder flashes me a sexy, lopsided grin. “You don’t seem to mind. You’re quite comfortable here, I see.”

I glance around the enclosed area I’m sitting in, or what the flight attendant referred to as my “personal suite”. My eye falls on the seat facing me: a neat pile of PJs, slippers, a branded leather clutch, and a notepad with my name printed on it in gold letters. Having never flown before, I had no idea what to expect. But I refuse to admit to him how much I’m enjoying this.
 

“Well, I do mind.” I narrow my eyes at him.
 
“This is my first time on a plane. I should’ve flown coach to get the real plane experience. I want to know what people complain about: horrible food, seats reclining in your face, screaming babies.”

His lips immediately curl into a sexy, lopsided grin. “Do you, now?”

He pushes away from the partition and in one smooth motion, he shifts to stand in front of me, caging me in with his hands on either side of my head. I breathe in his aftershave, with undertones of the clean scent that’s uniquely him—more than enough to make me feel light-headed.

“In that case, I’ll have to show you the pleasures of First Class.”

He leans forward, so close I feel the heat radiating from his skin. My body instantly reacts: my breath catches, my pulse takes a leap. “I—I—”
 

He inches even closer, pure masculine confidence exuding from his every pore. He’s too irresistible, and I can’t help it—I lean in.
 

At the first touch of his lips, it’s like an electric current runs through me, setting my insides on fire. His kiss is soft and firm at the same time, demanding and passionate. He tastes like a heady champagne that I greedily lap up. My hands run through his soft, thick hair, pulling him toward me. I need him closer, deeper.
 

But all too soon, Ryder breaks away from me, leaving me breathless and bereft.
 

“Change your mind yet?”
 

The cocky grin he flashes produces a flare of anger inside me.

“You.” I lift my finger and poke it into his chest. “You always do this. You always want to be right.”

“I usually am. But so what? You seem to like it.”

He grasps my wrist and draws my finger into his mouth. His hot swirling tongue produces a wave of heat deep in my core, and I can’t help but let out a little moan.

“Ryder. Please.”

With a wide grin, he releases my finger. “See?”

Scowling, I swat his chest. “You’re as obnoxious as ever.”

“And you’re just too damn sexy.”

Ryder’s dark eyes sink into mine, while his big, warm hand lands on my knee and slides under the hem of my dress. A shiver travels up my spine. Darn, why does he have this effect on me? A mere look, a touch from him makes me melt inside, and I instantly forget everything.

His hand travels its way up the sensitive skin of my inner thigh, creating a searing path that sweeps up to that sensitive spot between my legs. I can’t stand it any longer—my hand glides into his shirt, exploring his hard pecs, just as warm and smooth and perfect as I’d imagined.
 

I run my other hand into his dark hair and pull his face toward me, wanting to feel his rough stubble against my cheek.
 

I want him. God, how I want him.

But before I can satisfy my craving to taste him again, Ryder breaks away from me. I open my mouth to protest, but a flash of red appears in the corner of my eye.

Drawing in a breath, I quickly straighten up and cross my legs as an impeccably groomed flight attendant wearing a red tailored jacket arrives with menus. She smiles warmly at me, and for once I am glad my sister urged me to wear a simple black sheath dress, ditch my face piercings and do away with my signature pink streaks.
 

Ryder sits down across from me at the newly set table, complete with crisp white tablecloth and sparkling silverware. Soon after we clink our wine glasses, the appetizer is served, and I feel a little jolt of excitement. I’ve never tried caviar in my life, and my first bite of the fish eggs, which are served with salmon, boiled egg and potatoes, surprises me. The tiny black pearls are salty and buttery, popping gently in my mouth like tiny bubbles. By the time the main course arrives, I can’t stop grinning. The lobster is cooked with ginger and soy sauce, and I’m thrilled to discover that it is as tender and succulent as it looks.
 

As I relish every delectable bite, I’ve hardly paid any attention to Ryder. Only after I’ve polished my plate, I notice that he has hardly touched his meal. He is absentmindedly cutting his beef tenderloin, staring up into space with a glazed look in his eyes. I’ve occasionally seen him act like this in the past few weeks, but I was too caught up in my own work to grill him about it. Each time I asked him, he’d wave it away with some excuse. But this time, I’m not letting him get away with it.
 

“Hey, what’s going on? Are you all right?”

He snaps his head back down and fixes his gaze on me. “Nothing. I’m fine.”

“Something’s bothering you, I can tell. What is it?”

“It’s nothing. Let’s just enjoy this trip.”

His lips curl into a smile, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
 

A realization hits me that makes my stomach churn.

I drop my voice to almost a whisper. “Is—is this about me not moving in with you?”
 

His brow furrows, and I feel a pang of guilt in my chest. He’s asked me many times to move in with him, but I’ve been holding him off. We come from different worlds—worlds that are poles apart. Living with him would feel like casting my old life aside, and with it, myself and everything I believe in. But I do know one thing: I love him so much, I couldn’t live without him.

I touch his arm. “Ryder, it’s not that I don’t want to. I just want to take it slow. I need to do something for myself first, to become successful.”

He meets my gaze, and a fiery spark jumps at me from his dark pools. “You’re already successful. You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone, especially to me.”

“I just want you to be proud of me.”

His large, warm hand cups my cheek. “Are you kidding me? You have no idea how proud I already am. Look at how you’ve built a life for yourself despite everything that’s happened to you.” He brushes his thumb back and forth along my cheekbone. “I admit, I’m disappointed that you won’t move with me yet. But I’ll give you as much time as you need. I’ll always be there for you. You know that, don’t you?”

Crossing my arms, I lean back. “Well, if it’s not that, then what’s been bugging you?”

He gazes out the window. “Oh, I’m just thinking about some business stuff. Nothing for you to be concerned about.”

A hot flare of anger surges inside of me. He’s hiding something from me. Why? Doesn’t he trust me? What does he think I am, some dumb plaything that’s only good for one thing?
 

I take a deep breath, willing myself to stay calm. “Ryder, if something is bothering you, I want to know about it. We’ve both been busy, and I know I should’ve asked you about it earlier. Because that’s what couples do, right? Share their problems?”

“I’m just not used to this.” He points at himself, then at me, and back. “I’ve always been on my own. I’ve always solved my own problems.”

“It’s the same for me. But if we want to do this thing, we’ll have to open up to each other. We’re a team now. I’m here for you, just like you’ve always been there for me.”

He lets out a deep sigh, and I can tell he’s warring with himself about whether he should tell me.
 

“We’ve had a glitch with the company’s computer system. But we’re working on it now. There’s nothing to worry about.”

My stomach drops. “Hey, you shouldn’t have taken me on this trip. You should’ve stayed home to work on your system. I feel bad keeping you from work.”

He shakes his head. “No, don’t feel bad. I told you, it’s all under control. And I want to spend more time with you.”

“I guess you’re right. But always tell me what’s on your mind, okay? I’ll do anything I can to help.”

“Hmmm, I’m not sure about that.”

I arch my brow, but before I can kick up a fuss, he gets up and sits next to me, his warm breath caressing my ear. “Because there are some things that I can’t tell.”

His hand slides around my waist.
 

“Some things are private.”
 

His mouth hovers over mine.

“Some things don’t need words.”

And his lips crush against mine in a kiss so hungry, so fiery, that everything falls away around me. All I feel are his warm, firm lips on mine, his hot tongue assaulting my mouth, his hands roaming the curves of my body. I fall into him, reciprocating the sheer frenzy and desperation of his kiss. Our tongues tangle feverishly, making up for weeks of frustration, punctuated by short stolen moments of bliss.

Being with him feels so good, so right. He is all I ever need to be happy. And I don’t ever want this to end.
 

This holiday I’ll make sure it won’t.

Ryder

For an instant, I forget about my problems.
 

Elle’s soft warm lips, her hand in my hair, her warm body pressed against mine, take me to another world, where everything is perfect, free from the worries that have been plaguing me for weeks. I breathe in her alluring scent of exotic fruit that never fails to make me feel light-headed. Even though I would like nothing more than rip her dress off and take her right here and now, I reluctantly break away from her, leaving us both breathless.
 

I brush my fingers across her silky cheek, noting how much she has changed for me. Gone are the pink streaks in her hair, her eyebrow piercing, her dark eyeliner. Even though I like her new, softer appearance, I never asked her to change—her tough looks were what attracted me to her in the first place. But I’ll go along with whatever she wants; I won’t ever love her any less. As if that were even possible—my love for her is so immense that I feel my heart overflow just looking at her.
 

Elle’s eyes are simmering with a mixture of desire and disappointment, and a tinge of guilt touches my chest. I wish I could always give her what she deserves—only the best. And that’s why it pains me to do this.