Hot Buttered Rum: Standalone Romance (Silk Stocking Inn Book 4) (6 page)

He turned his chair to face me and leaned back casually. “Pirate, remember?”

“You weren’t until I made you one,” I said with a chin lift. I took a massive bite of lobster pie that I soon regretted as it burned the top of my mouth.

Without asking, Turner got up and walked to the sideboard where Coco had left a pitcher of cold water. He poured me a glass and returned. It helped cool my mouth and wash down the hot food.

“It’s never safe to assume. And I’ve got the catalog straight. I’ll correct my statement. I’ve never been with an engineer . . . or a woman like you before. And the catalog isn’t quite a catalog. A pamphlet, maybe.”

I put down my fork and turned toward him. “So now that we know about me—”

“I’m not done.” Turner slid his foot across the floor. He pushed it between my feet, forcing me to part my knees slightly. “Do you have someone back home? I don’t see any ring, and I’m just wondering how the hell that could be.”

His question caught me off guard. I shifted on my chair like a little kid who’d just been asked a question by the teacher that she had no good answer for. I went to my default response. “I’ve been too busy with my career to get tangled up in a relationship. And I just haven’t found the right man for my happy ending yet.”

“Happy ending? Do those actually exist outside of books?”

“I sure as hell hope so.” The words just fell from my mouth without me actually thinking about them. But it was how I felt. I badly wanted one of those novel worthy happy endings. I gazed at him, as he leaned back against the chair looking a little less menacing than he had standing in the kitchen but still totally out of place in a frilly Victorian dining room. “What about you? I know nothing about you except that you are a fisherman from a family of dentists and you have a talkative parrot. Oh, and you are quite
skilled
.”

“I would say it’s from a lot of practice, but I think that might get me in trouble again. As you probably already figured, I’m not a notorious pirate. Although I got Dexter from a bird rescue and I can’t vouch for his past. Some of the things that come out of his beak lead me to believe it might have been a bit shady.”

Turner tilted his head to the side. Then he reached across to push a strand of hair off my face. His touch was light, but it set my skin instantly ablaze. I took a quick sip of wine, hoping it might cool me down some. But it seemed to have the opposite effect.

“If your parents are dentists, how did you end up on a fishing boat?”

A wistful grin crossed his face as he seemed to be thinking back to a fond, distant memory.

“My parents were always busy with their dental practice. I was an only child, so my grandpa stepped in to fill the loneliness gap.” His laugh was the kind I could easily get used to. It was deep and confident, like Turner. “Grandpa was a salty ole’ dog, and I have no doubt that if he’d lived in the days of piracy, he would have been standing right there on deck below his own black flag.”

“He sounds fun. I love my grandpa, but his idea of adventure is getting green peppers on the pizza. So your grandfather is a fisherman?”

“Was. He died of lung cancer five years ago. He left me the
Pickled Pepper
. We spent a lot of time together on her. I decided to continue his legacy.”

“I’ll bet he’d be thrilled to know that you kept the boat and continued fishing.”

“I hope so. I’m afraid that’s about all of my tale. Nothing to rival the life of a pirate but it is what it is. I do have a deserted island though. It’s actually a piece of real estate my dad bought years ago with the intention of eventually building an island retreat. But he lost his enthusiasm for the idea, so he gave it to me. I’ve been building a cottage out there. It’s taking a lot longer than I expected, but it’s coming along.”

I sat forward with interest. “Is it far?”

“It’s not far by boat.”

“I would love to see it.”

“Yeah? I guess that depends if you can afford the traveling fee.” He wiggled his foot between my feet encouraging me to spread my knees to a highly unladylike distance.

“There’s a fee?”

He leaned forward and pushed the hem of my dress up as high as it could go. “Lavender panties are a good start.” He drew his hands back slowly along my thighs.

My pussy reacted instantly to his touch. I tried to control my breathing, but it was nearly impossible with the way he was gazing at me.

“I’ll tell you what—” he looked at the table. “I’ll clean up. You head upstairs and wait for me.”

Of course everything in my
good girl
conscience said to look shocked and to hesitate, but my good girl conscience was being ordered about by my newfound scandalously
naughty girl
conscience.

Turner’s blue eyes followed me as I stood up.

“Should I keep the dress on?”

“Definitely.” 

Chapter 10

I paced the room, not so much from nerves but from an explosion of giddiness that had taken over me the second I got back to my room. I walked over and fluffed the pillows for the hundredth time and then decided there were just a few too many on the bed. They were taking up valuable
activity
space.

I plucked off some of the frillier ones and then proceeded to pull back the top quilt. I stopped and remade the bed, deciding it was just a little too forward of me to turn down the bed. A laugh followed as I thought about how forward I’d been when I quickly dashed up to the bedroom to wait for him.

I twirled the green fabric of the dress around my legs a few times as I looked at myself in the mirror. I usually wore much more severe and business-like clothes for work. Seeing myself in a flirty dress made me smile as I thought about how my team would react if I walked into the design room in a short dress and sandals.

“Ginger?” My hands trembled at the sound of Turner’s voice outside.

“Come on in, Turner.”

He opened the door. His fingers went right to the light dimmer as he stepped inside. He lowered the amount of light just enough to give the room a pale yellow glow.

I looked around. “I had no idea the lights did that. Maybe I should ask how you knew.”

Turner shrugged. “Sometimes, if the weather is really rough on the water and the room is empty, Coco lets me stay here.” He kept one hand behind his back as he moved closer.

“That’s nice of her,” I said weakly, and took a discrete step back, suddenly very aware that he was hiding something.

“Why, my beautiful captive, you look a little nervous.” His voice was low and smooth and sent a thrilled shiver through me. He dragged his arm out and produced a can of whipped cream. “I say, who needs apple cobbler for dessert.”

He reached behind with his other hand and pulled out a long satiny scarf. “Found it downstairs in the hall closet, and I thought it might come in handy.”

I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath until he stepped in front of me and kissed my neck. “Breathe, beautiful.”

I pulled in some oxygen and the room spun for a second. He pressed his hand against my waist to keep me from falling.

“Must have been the wine,” I said quickly.

“Damn, I was hoping it was me.” He shoved the scarf back in his pocket and put the whipped cream on the dresser.

Turner wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against him. He kissed me long and hard, until, once again, the room spun. It wasn’t from the wine at all. Turner made me feel so lightheaded, I was sure if he released me, I’d float to the ceiling like a helium balloon.

“Do you want Turner or do you want Captain Turner tonight?” His low, hoarse whisper tickled my chin.

“Since I have a choice, I think I’d like the captain, please.”

“Aye aye, my perfectly tasty sea treasure.” His mouth pressed against my neck, and my head lolled back to enjoy the luxury of his kisses. “God, you taste like honey everywhere,” he growled. “I want all of you.”

He stepped back. His eyes were glazed with a white hot hunger. The way he looked at me sent a shiver through my body and, again, the room seemed to be just a little off center. “Lift your dress for me, baby,” he commanded.

My fingers still trembled as I clutched at the soft fabric and slowly scooted the dress up. I stopped just at the top my thighs and flashed him a teasing smile. “Would you like to see more, Captain?”

“Teasing a pirate with a rock hard cock is a dangerous game, wench.”

His voice had just enough of an edge on it to make me comply instantly. I raised the dress up above my panties. Something about standing in front of him, panties exposed, with his dark, ravenous gaze stroking me just like his strong callused fingers made a whimper fall from my mouth. I wanted him more than ever now.

Turner stared down at the panties as if he planned on ripping them off. That thought sent streaks of delight through my body. My pussy tightened with tingles at the thought of it.

“If you want these panties off,” I said, working hard to keep the excited tremor from my voice, “you’ll need to remove them yourself.”

Turner reached for the scarf in his back pocket. “I intend to do just that.”

He stepped closer, and without touching me, he leaned over to kiss me. It wasn’t just a passionate kiss, it was more. I couldn’t explain it, but something pressed against my chest to assure me we weren’t just two people having a sexy good time. We were forming a connection. His kiss was gentle and loving for those few blissful moments, and when he lifted his mouth from mine and gazed at me, it seemed he’d felt it too.

It had all started as wild flirting, but suddenly, it seemed more than that. It might have been the memory of feeling his arm go around me when I was close to drowning or the way he’d stripped me naked and climbed in bed to keep me from the danger of hypothermia.

“Ginger,” he said softly, almost as if he hadn’t meant to say it aloud at all. His throat moved with a swallow. “I’m glad you came to the inn.”

“Me too.”

He tossed the scarf onto the dresser next to the whipped cream. “For later. Right now I just need you naked in my arms.” He swept me up and we kissed as he carried me to the bed.

Turner lowered me onto the mattress and knelt between my legs. He pulled the panties off and tossed them to the floor. I reached for the button on his fly as he reached back and pulled off his shirt. He pulled a condom from his pocket and held it up with a smile.

I laughed. “I believe we call that cocky confidence.”

“I call it being prepared.” He shoved his pants down just low enough to set free his rock hard cock and rolled on the condom. Before I could take another breath he had me in his powerful grasp.

“Oh, Turner,” I sighed as he pushed inside of me. I was still tender from the afternoon’s tryst, yet I wanted him just as badly. Even more.

He pushed his hand beneath my ass and lifted me higher to meet his thrust. His body curled long and low, pushing his cock deeper inside of me, reaching my most intimate parts. The size of his cock made my pussy ache, but I wanted more. I reached up and grabbed the carved edge of the headboard and held it tightly as I lifted my bottom higher.

“Fuck yeah,” he groaned as the new position let him go deeper.

His forearms tightened as he braced his fists against the bed and stared down between us to watch his cock enter me over and over again. “Come for me, baby. I need you to come. You’re so fucking hot, I can’t keep it together long.”

I held the bed but reached up with one hand and pressed it against his face. “No, this time is for you. I want to watch you come. This is just for you.”

He turned his face beneath my hand and kissed my wrist. The clear blue heat in his eyes warmed me to my very core.

Turner’s eyes closed, and he rocked hard and fast against me. The massive antique bed creaked with each movement.

“You are sweet as fucking honey,” he growled as he slammed into me once more. His shoulders, arms and body stiffened and a low groan rolled up from his chest as he came.

I held my hand up to his face and the beard stubble scraped my hand as he pressed it harder against my palm. He pulled out slowly and collapsed down next to me on the mattress.

“I owe you,” he said on a release of breath.

“Yes, you do.”

Chapter 11

The good food, wine and cozy bed had helped us drift off for an hour or so. The spray of rain against the window woke me. I lifted my head from the pillow and looked over at Turner. He was a breathtaking sight to wake up to.

I kissed his shoulder. It took him a moment to stir.

“It’s raining. Will Dexter be all right alone on the boat?”

Turner squinted into the dim light of the room and glanced at the window. “It’s just a mild rain. He’s in his cage inside the galley. He’s fine. But thank you for thinking about him.” Now completely awake, Turner’s dark blue gaze fell on my naked breasts. “Damn, I just realized I’m completely and utterly in debt to you. How the hell should I repay you?”

I rested back against the plush pillows with a lazy yawn. “Not sure. I’ll let you decide, but I must warn you the interest on the debt is accumulating with each passing minute.”

“Can’t have that.” He sat up and looked around the room. His eyes landed on the silk scarf draped across the dresser. “Yep, that works,” he said to himself and climbed out of bed.

I pushed up to my elbow to watch him walk across the floor. Before we climbed under the covers, he’d stripped naked. The warm glow in the room illuminated his incredible physique from his broad shoulders down to his tight ass. My entire body warmed with a blush just looking at him.

He picked up the scarf. As he turned, his long, hard cock pointed toward me like the arrow on a compass. I sucked in a quiet breath, still shocked by the size of him and completely thrilled that at least for this long rainy night he was mine. Or was I his, I thought wryly as he stomped toward me with a look of determination and a silken scarf dangling from his long fingers.

He knelt on the bed. “Hands up, wench,” he said with a pirate-like snarl.

I giggled and tried to look frightened as I lifted my hands. “Oh, you terrible rogue, what do you have in mind?” I asked shyly.

“I might owe you, but—” He leaned forward and whispered against my ear, “you are mine, wholly and completely mine.” I had to remind myself we were role playing and not to take his words to heart. Even so, it was hard to tamp down the emotional response I had to his words. How badly I wanted them to be true. It was going to take a long weekend away just to help me recover from this weekend away.

Turner took hold of my hands and pushed them together. Then with a slightly wicked grin, he began tying them with the scarf. My common sense nudged me, reminding me that I should be slightly scared about the prospect of having my hands tied, but I just wasn’t in any kind of physical state to pay attention to my common sense. In truth, every inch of me was alive. I wanted nothing more than to have him take full control of me.

I knelt obediently in front of him, marveling at how easily I’d allowed him to take charge. In the real world, the world outside the fantastical Silk Stocking Inn, I never allowed men to control me. I insisted on being on equal ground with the male engineers on my team. But in the bedroom, with Turner, I wanted to be his plaything.

And it seemed he had the same idea. Satisfied that my hands were secured, Turner stood up off the bed and gave me a little tug to follow. He held the free end of the scarf as I made my ungainly exit from the bed without the use of my hands.

He eyed me from beneath a dark curtain of lashes as he led me to the foot of the bed. Then with a slight tug, he lifted my tied hands above my head. His hot naked body leaned against mine, and the slick, fleshy tip of his erection rubbed my belly as he reached over my head and tied the scarf to the bedpost.

He stepped back to take a long, hungry survey of me, with my hands tied above my head and my naked body leaned against the post. My nipples hardened from the way his appreciative gaze raked over me.

Turner returned to the dresser and picked up the can of whipped cream. “I’m hungry for some dessert.” He shook the can and tossed away the cap.

I pulled at my silky bindings. They were secure. My fingers tingled but not nearly as much as my pussy, as it waited anxiously to see where this was leading.

With the rain swirling around the inn, the air inside the room was cool. But the heat rolling off Turner’s body warmed me as he moved in front of me. I gasped as the whipped cream coated my breasts. Then he drew a line of cream all the way down to my pussy.

He tossed the can on the bed and leaned back to admire his pastry chef skills. “I’ve got one helluva a sweet tooth right now.”

“Probably a good thing since I can feel stuff starting to slip.”

“Better start from the bottom up then.” He dropped to his knees in front of me. He reached around and took a firm hold of my ass to hold me still as his tongue and mouth devoured the whipped cream. I rested my head back against the bedpost. The scarf helped to keep me upright on shaky knees as he cleaned my skin of the cream. He pushed to his feet and followed the sweet trail up to my breasts.

I arched my back urging him to take more of me into his mouth. His tongue swirled through the whipped cream, cleaning away the sticky mess.

“Turner?” I sighed dreamily.

“Uh huh,” he asked without lifting his mouth from my skin.

“Did you leave some for the apple cobbler?”

His laugh tickled my breast as he peered up at me. “You bad girl. You’re supposed to be imagining all the dirty things I’m about to do to you and, instead, your mind is on Coco’s apple cobbler.”

“Yes well, if Coco made it, I’m sure it will be sublime. But you’re right.” I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. “There. I’m going straight back to dirty thoughts. I might add that I can’t feel my fingertips any longer.”

“That’s it,” he laughed. “I’m a failure as a pirate.”

“No, I’m a failure at being a captive wench. I’ll try harder. What should I do?”

He reached up and untied the scarf and my hands. “Nope, the pirate life is obviously not for me.” He stared down at the scarf and a smiled tilted his mouth. “Fortunately, I’m still really good at the
playing dirty
thing.” Before I could utter another word, he lifted the scarf and tied it around my eyes. His mouth suddenly pressed warmly against mine, and his voice dropped to a low deep drawl. “Turn around, beautiful.”

He tied the scarf well enough that I could see nothing. I turned carefully around. His hard naked body came up behind me, and once again, he wrapped me in a blanket of body heat. His palms smoothed along my arms and stopped at my hands. He lifted them to the bedpost. “Hold on, baby, I’m about to repay that debt.”

His smooth, confident tone sent a tremble through me as I gripped the smooth polished wood of the bedpost.

“Move your hands lower,” he instructed.

I scooted my hands down, and as I did my ass jutted out farther. I heard the floor creak as he moved behind me, but the blindfold kept me from knowing exactly what was happening.

I gasped and nearly lost my grip on the bed when his mouth pressed against my ass. He took hold of my ankles and lifted each foot, placing it back down on the rug so that my feet were spread wide. After the initial shock of being completely exposed I found myself silently pleading for him to touch me. I pushed my ass out farther. He accepted the invite. His hot kisses moved along my ass until he reached the place I wanted for him to be.

His hand reached between my legs and cupped my pussy, taking special care to rest his thumb against my clit, as he brought me even harder against his mouth.

“Oh, please.” My moan was lost in the room as his tongue penetrated me. I rocked against his mouth, wanting more. I gripped the bedpost tighter, worried that if I let go I’d crumple to the ground. His tongue brought me close, so close to climax, that my head spun. With the blindfold, it was hard to keep my balance. “Turner, please, take me to bed. I need you to take me.”

He stood behind me and very nearly had to pry my hands free from the bedpost. He whipped off the blindfold and threw it aside. His dark blue eyes mirrored the way I felt, as if there was no one else in the world right now but the person standing in front of me.

“Please,” a whimper fell from my lips, and my knees weakened just as he scooped me into his arms.

Seconds before he’d had me blindfolded and tethered by my own grip on the bedpost, but he lowered me gently onto the bed. I’d been brought to the height of arousal. The moment he finished putting on the condom, I reached for him. Before I knew what he was up to, he’d draped my legs over his shoulders, bringing my pussy right next to him. His heavy sac slapped my bottom as he, without another moment’s hesitation, pushed his cock inside of me. It was a position I’d never been in. I wasn’t sure at first, but as he gazed down at my face, he lowered his hand and began strumming his thumb over my clit. My legs hung over his shoulders and the stubble of his beard rubbed against the inside of my knees.

Each thrust seemed to go deeper, and his cock reached spots that made me spasm in pleasure. He moved slowly, allowing me to feel every magnificent inch of him as he penetrated me to my core. As his thumb massaged my clit, my pussy clenched against the assault and I felt myself falling over the cliff.

“Oh, Turner!” I cried out as my pussy tightened and then exploded in waves of ecstasy.

“That’s it, baby. That’s what I want to hear . . . and feel. Your pussy is holding me like a hot, wet glove.

He took hold of my thighs and held me steady as he drove into me hard and fast. A primal growl rolled up from his throat as he impaled me one last time before coming.

Like my hands, after being bound above my head, my feet tingled lightly as I lowered my legs from his shoulders.

The bed creaked as Turner stretched out next to me. I reached for the covers and pulled them up over our naked bodies. He wasted no time in pulling me into his arms.

“That was different,” I said with a satisfied sigh. “Very different and very enjoyable.”

He kissed my forehead and tightened his hold on me. “Just like I’m finding you, very different and very enjoyable.”

“The room got cold.” I squiggled my body closer to his.

“Can’t help but notice that you are always trying to take advantage of my body heat.”

“Oh jeez, thought I was being more discrete than that.”

“Nope. It’s pretty obvious.” He tightened his arms even more, and all I could think was that I could easily stayed wrapped in his arms forever. If only our forever was longer than a weekend. But tomorrow was Sunday, and I would have to eventually head back home. I had no idea how I was going to forget him or this incredible weekend.

For a few moments the only sound was the misting rain outside the window. Turner’s deep voice broke the silence. “What are you thinking about right now, my perfect sea treasure?”

I didn’t answer. I held back a grin as I peered up at him.

He lifted his head to look at me. “You’re thinking about that apple cobbler, aren’t you?”

“Uh huh.”

He sat up and searched around in the pillows and quilt. “Gotcha.” He lifted up the can of whipped cream. “I don’t think it’ll taste as good on Coco’s dessert as it does on you, but let’s go downstairs and give it a try.”