Betting on the Wrong Brother (What Happens in Vegas) Page 12

  Oh God.

  Fear propelling her, she slid her hand across the mattress, slowly, quietly, not wanting to make herself noticed. Her fingers landed on Ryan’s shoulder and she gave him a shake. “Wake up,” she whispered.

  “Huh,” he said, rolling onto his back. His eyes opened and closed again, but when the moan grew louder, it sounding like it was coming from the foot of the bed.

  He jackknifed up. “Shit.”

  “Yeah, that about sums it up,” she whispered, pulling the blankets up until only her eyes were showing. She really did have a thing against ghosts. When she mentioned them in the elevator she thought he did too. So, why the hell would he book himself into a haunted room?

  He touched her trembling arm. “You okay?”

  Was he serious? “No.”

  The moans grew into wails, so loud Andi had no doubt that they’d awakened everyone on the floor by now. Damn, they’d better not think it was her crying out like some wounded animal.

  “Stay here. Nothing will happen to you. I promise.” He covered her face, and climbed from the bed. Her ears perked as she listened to him walk around the room. Did the guy have a death wish?

  He walked toward the mini-fridge, and the moan grew distant. Was the ghost following him? Now that the spirit had moved, Andi had a direct path to exit to her own room. If she ran she could get inside the safety of her suite in seconds flat. But Ryan told her to stay put so she thought it best to listen to him. Besides, how nice would it be for her to take off and leave him here all by himself?

  The room turned cold. Her body felt icy, even with the blankets over her head and she began shivering. Her teeth clanged together, making it hard for her to hear what was going on. Was Ryan trying to communicate with the ghost? What the hell did he think he was, some kind of ghost whisperer?

  The phone on the nightstand rang, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. The shrilling sound cut through the room and the moans disappeared as quickly as they started.

  Ryan answered, and from his end of the conversation, she knew it was the front desk. He hung up and a moment passed, then another. She felt the mattress compress beside her. She shrieked, and drew the blankets up higher.

  “Hey, it’s just me,” Ryan said, his voice low, soothing. “Everything is okay.”

  She threw the blankets off. “Like hell it is. This room is haunted, and I’m getting out of here right now.” She jumped from the bed, grabbed his hand and dragged him across the room with her.

  “Andi, it’s okay, really.”

  “No, it’s not.” She snatched her clothes and purse from the chair she had draped them over last night. “You coming?”

  He touched her cheek, the hard lines on his face softening as his gaze moved over hers. “You really are scared aren’t you?”

  “Have you not seen the Grudge?” Her entire body practically convulsed as a shiver raced through her. “Ghosts aren’t my thing.”

  “Okay, let’s get you out of here.”

  Still dressed in the T-shirt he’d given her last night, she pulled open the door and once again found a group of women in the hallway. Their gazes left hers and turned to Ryan, to his boxer shorts specifically, and the hard ridges the material did little to hide. They glared at him like he was nothing more than a piece of meat and it seriously irked her.

  Ryan might lack modesty, standing in the hallway near naked and unashamed, but he was far more than something nice to ogle over. He was kind and thoughtful and last night he’d been sensitive to her needs, caring for her when she was exhausted and upset. Feeling protective of him, she grabbed her keycard from her purse, an unwise pang of jealousy racing through her as the women drooled over him.

  “Show’s over,” she said, coming to his rescue as she stepped in front of him and opened her door. “Nothing to see here.” She waved a dismissive hand. “Everyone back to their rooms.”

  She ushered him into her room and locked the door behind them. He pulled her into his arms, and she melted against him, letting his body warm hers.

  “You’re kind of feisty when you want to be,” he said, his voice sounding rough, sexy.

  She dropped her belongings on the chair beside the door. “I didn’t like the way they were looking at you.”

  “No?”

  “No,” she repeated.

  “Well, you can’t be upset with them. For some reason they have it in their heads that I’m one of the male models, here to be photographed and admired.”

  She cringed, mostly because she didn’t want him here for anyone’s pleasure but her own. “I never should have done that to you. You didn’t deserve that.” She listened to his heartbeat against her ear as his hands raked through her hair. He gave a small tug until she was looking up at him.

  “Andi?”

  “What?” she asked, placing her hands on his chest and splaying her fingers so she could touch more of him. The instant she felt the strong, rhythmic beat beneath a thick layer of muscle, her body came alive and she knew she had to have him again.

  He brushed his hand over her face, a conflicting look in his baby blues as his jaw seesawed back and fourth, stiff one minute slack the next. Did he want to tell her something? She wasn’t sure, but watching his lips move warmed her in all the right places. What he had to say would have to wait, because at the moment she needed him in ways she’d never needed another. Unable to help herself she went up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his, leaving no question about what she wanted at this very moment, and what would have to be postponed until later. A growl crawled out of his throat, and his hands moved to her back, pulling her hard against him.

  His fingers slipped under the T-shirt and felt warm and rough against her back. Excitement built in her as he touched her all over. It was almost frightening how much she craved his hands on her, and vice versa. She ran her fingers through his hair, mussing it even more before she reached for his broad shoulders, reveling in his strength, power and virility as they kissed hungrily.

  “You’re still shivering,” he whispered into her mouth, his hands rubbing her arms to create heat. She was, but not for reasons he was thinking. He captured her hand. “Come with me.”

  She followed blindly. She didn’t care where he wanted to take her. All she cared about was that they were together. He guided her to the bathroom and reached behind her curtain to turn on the water. His eyes smoldered with heat and hunger when they locked back on hers. His hands went to the hem of her shirt and she lifted her arms, giving him the answer he was looking for.

  He peeled the material from her body, and his blue eyes darkened as her breasts spilled free. He looked his fill, his gaze traveling the length of her body, stimulating every erogenous spot along the way.

  His eyes moved back to her face. “You know this is the first time I’ve actually seen you completely naked.”

  As he continued to look, longer than was comfortable, staring at her like he could see into the depths of her soul, see the unlovable girl inside, her hands crept over her body as old insecurities rushed back.

  He pulled her hands away. “Don’t,” he said, his soft whisper covering her like a warm blanket. “You’re beautiful, Andi.”

  Her body flushed hotly as she took in the sincerity in his eyes. Her heart thumped with the things she felt for him. She let her hands fall to her sides, everything in the way he was looking at her, and talking to her, making her feel like she could actually be loved. Honest to God, she’d never felt so sexy, so desired by anyone before.

  As steam filled the room, he kicked his boxers off. She drank in his rock-hard, gorgeous body, and the stiff erection aimed her way. Her fingers curled. She wanted to touch him in the worst way.

  He took her hand in his and helped her into the shower, positioning her under the spray. The warm water felt glorious against her skin. He grabbed her bar of honey-scented soap and ran it over her body. No man had ever washed her before but when it came to him, she was doing a lot of firsts.

  His hands slic
ked over her flesh, arousing her even more as his mouth found hers. God, she loved the taste of him, and would miss his kisses when this was over. That thought had a lump pushing into her throat, so she buried it, not wanting to dwell on anything negative at the moment.

  His hand slipped between her legs and her breath caught as he soaped her sex, taking an extra moment to run his thumb over the bundle of nerves that craved his touch. Her legs went weak and she could feel herself unravel like an old frayed pair of shorts. She gripped his shoulders, and his hands went to her breasts, taking his good old time to lather them, too. Once her entire body was coated in sudsy bubbles, he turned her to face the shower, and she felt his erection press into the small of her back as the water ran down the front of her body.

  Needing to touch him, to clean every inch of his body, she turned and took the soap from him. She lathered her hands then placed them on his body. She ran them over his shoulders, his chest, then lower until she gripped his throbbing appendage. She stroked him, going all the way from his crown to his base and he placed his hands on the ceiling, looking like he was in total agony.

  “Christ,” he murmured, his erection throbbing and tightening. “You know how to make me crazy.”

  Taking full possession of him, and wanting to make him just a little bit crazier, she ran her palms over his thickening length and his hips rocked, pushing himself into her hands.

  While she wanted to keep touching him, feeling his hardness in her hand all night long, the look in his eyes told her he had other plans. He repositioned them in the shower, and rinsed the soap off his skin. With their bodies clean he turned the water off and grabbed two towels. He quickly dried himself, then knotted the cotton around his waist. His attention turned to her and there was such warm and tenderness in his eyes, her heart missed a beat.

  He wrapped her in the towel and looked her over. “Warm now?” he asked.

  She took a fueling breath, a burn working its way through her body at his concern. God, he was so sweet. His head cocked, and she realized he was waiting for an answer. Since words were a little beyond her at the moment, she nodded, and he scooped her up, catching her by surprise.

  A little yelp sounded in her throat as he carried her to her bed, her wet hair tumbling over her shoulders and wetting her back. She pressed her face against his chest, breathing in the clean scent of his skin, along with that manly aroma that was uniquely his. Everything in his scent stirred her body and steered it into overdrive. Her hard nipples rasped against the cotton covering as he gently tossed her onto the bed, losing his towel before climbing over her.

  He pushed her knees open and knelt in between. “Towel off. Now.”

  She reached for the knot, and spread it open, reveling her naked body to him once again. The sound of his indrawn breath thrilled her.

  “I’ll never get tired of looking at you,” he murmured.

  Her gaze moved over him. “Same,” she managed to get past a tongue gone thick. She still didn’t understand Jan’s comment on him being a sex popsicle, but she did want to lick him all over.

  A tremor moved through her as he pinned her with his weight. Heat suffused her body and she could feel her cheeks grow warm. His hand pushed her damp hair from her forehead, and his eyes moved over her face.

  “You’re not afraid anymore, are you?”

  “No,” she whispered, expecting his teasing, but what he did instead filled her with a bone deep warmth unlike anything she’d ever felt before.

  He brushed soft lips over her mouth, and said, “Good, because I’d never let anything happen to you.”

  Her heart squeezed, and in a move she recognized as protective, he drew her closer to the edge of the bed, positioning her near the wall and packaging her in his strong arms, creating a deeper intimacy between them.

  She touched him and his muscles tightened. “Fuck,” he murmured. “When you touch me like that…let’s just say it damn near kills me.”

  His mouth found hers and pleasure gathered in her core to know how much he liked her touch. She ran her hands over him, scratching his back with her nails. His lips left hers and he buried his face in the hollow of her throat. She angled her head and moaned as he licked the spot on her neck that nearly drove her mad. His fingers ran the length of her side, stroking the outer edges of her breasts and her breath caught. It sure didn’t take him long to learn her likes. No man had taken the time to get to know her body before and the fact that he went through the trouble, even though they’d only agreed to a brief affair, touched her deeply.

  His mouth traveled the length of her body, and the warmth of his tongue on her sex ignited a fire in her. He burrowed deep and she writhed, delirious with need. His tongue licked, stroked, and alternated between fast and slow as his fingers worked magic inside her. The man really was a magician. She gripped the sheet to hang on as an orgasm ripped through her. He moaned from deep between her legs and stayed there until the tremors stopped.

  His hands pushed her legs together and he climbed up her body. He was about to kiss her again, but went deathly still, a tortured look in his eyes.

  “Shit, Andi. I don’t have any condoms.”

  “I do.” Thank you, Jan.

  He gave her a sexy, lopsided grin. “Oh, you do now, do you?” The teasing look on his face was so damn adorable she was sure she was going to melt all over the bed. “I don’t think you’re afraid of ghosts at all. I think you were just trying to lure me to your room to have your way with me.”

  “There’s no maybe about it,” she said, running her hands over his body. “But I am afraid of ghosts.”

  He chuckled and pulled her closer, the soft bristles on his face brushing over her cheek. Tomorrow she’d be chafed, her skin red and bumpy, but she honestly didn’t care. She wanted to wear his marks. He ran the soft pad of his thumb over her cheek, his touch intimate, soft, full of heat and passion.

  “Where are they?”

  “My bag,” she said, pointing to her tote by the door.

  He hopped from the bed, and her eyes were glued to his perfect ass as he crossed the room and brought her bag back to her. He climbed between her legs and went up on his knees, ready to sheathe himself. She rooted around inside until she found a condom.

  She handed it to him and he turned the package over in his hand. “Neon pink. My favorite.”

  “Jan had them for a workshop. She was giving lessons on how to put one on a man and make it sexy.”

  “Here.” He handed it back to her. “I want to watch.”

  Her heart jumped. She’d never put a condom on a man before. “I didn’t attend the workshop.”

  He arched a brow. “I still want to watch.”

  She ripped into the foil, tossed it away and placed the condom on his crown.

  He growled. “Fuck, that’s sexy.”

  She rolled her eyes at him. “I haven’t even done anything yet.”

  “Doesn’t matter.” He gripped his hair. “It’s still sexy.”

  He sounded like a wounded animal as she rolled the condom down his length. When she finished, he pushed her until she was flat out on her back. He fell over her, his smoldering gaze sliding over her face as he pushed into her body.

  She sucked in a breath as he filled her, and pulled him tighter against her, unable to get him close enough. He moved, in and out, long deep strokes that were less hurried than before. His tongue brushed the seam of her mouth, searching for a way in. She parted her lips, and he buried himself inside her, like he was seeking more than just release.

  Moisture broke out on her body and as they came together as one, slowly, softly, each taking and giving, she could feel a new connection between them. She palmed his muscles as blistering heat exploded, taking her to the edge and leaving her hovering there. She rocked with him, creating a rhythm that took her higher and higher. Hugging him to her, she returned his kisses, the hunger inside her all consuming.

  He angled for deeper thrusts, and her climax caught her by surprise. Pleasure reson
ated through every nerve in her body as wet heat flooded her sex.

  “Ryan,” she cried out, holding him tighter, his hot breath washing over her face as he panted right along with her. “So good.”

  “Andi, baby, you got me right there.”

  “Come with me,” she said as her muscles squeezed him. She cupped his face, and held him as he let go. Their eyes met and held as he pulsed inside her. A whimper escaped her lips as she basked in the glow of her orgasm.

  He collapsed on top of her and her thighs hugged his hips, never wanting to leave this position. Her heart settled back to a steady rhythm, and he lifted his head to place a tender, almost loving kiss on her lips. A riot of emotions ran through her. He gave a low growl of satisfaction, rolled to the side, and pulled her close. He ran his hands over her arms, touching her in a possessive way. She angled her head and took in his strong jawline. His lovemaking was different this time, slower, full of tenderness, yet still every bit as potent as the last time. She’d never been so satisfied in her entire life. Honest to God, she could get used to this. Get used to having him in her life permanently.

  But he’d straight up told her he wasn’t into long term relationships and she couldn’t forget that what happened in Vegas stayed in Vegas, right? Or was it possible that there could be more between them? If not, what the hell was she going to do about these things she was feeling for him again?

  Chapter Twelve

  The week passed by in a flurry of events. Ryan had left the hotel, talked with locals, and visited more haunted sites in the area as he plotted his next book. When Andi was off at one of her panels or chatting with her readers, he spent his time making notes…not to mention thinking about Andi, and when she’d be back in his arms.

  They’d spent every night together in her bed, the sex alternating between wild and kinky and soft and tender, each time better than the last. Now, here it was Saturday morning, and the conference was ending tonight after the awards show—one he’d won special tickets to, thanks to his moves. A smile touched his mouth. Andi really pulled a fast one on him there.