“Where are we going?” she asked, her question barely audible as they passed near the string quartet.
“We have a few minutes before they start the awards presentation. And I know this quiet spot by the pond where we can take a breather.” He guided her over a couple of stepping-stones that cut through a row of hedges. A small sign had been staked in the garden: Private Property: No Visitors Beyond This Point.
She glanced over at him with a conspiratorial smile as they made their way from the crowded lawn into a more secluded part of the property. “Breaking the rules, huh? You sure you’re not just trying to get a girl alone, Mr. Waters? I’ve heard you’ve got a bit of a reputation.”
“Oh, is that right?” he asked, releasing her hand once they were obviously alone and giving her ass a swift pinch.
She rewarded him with a little squeal and a flash of lust in her eyes. She picked up her pace and got a few steps out of his reach, peeking back over her shoulder at him.
“I wouldn’t run from me,” he warned. “That’s like flashing a cape in front of a bull.”
The eyebrow arch and head tilt she gave him were pure mischief. Before he could blink, she took off toward the water glimmering in the distance.
He launched into pursuit. “Oh, now that’s your ass, freckles.”
His dress shoes were slippery against the grass, but Charli wasn’t exactly wearing sneakers either. So before long he was only a stride or two behind her. She dared a glance behind her, her smile wide, before she unexpectedly veered right and left him skidding past her. He grabbed onto a tree to slow himself, then changed direction.
Charli ran along the edge of the pond, but her steps faltered when she saw the thicket of trees on the far side of it. Grant grinned in triumph. She only had two choices—surrender or risk traipsing through the wilds surrounding the property in the dark. Before she could act, Grant reached her, capturing her by the waist and spinning her off her feet.
She shrieked and he dragged her to the ground, pulling her down on top of him in the grass. “Gotcha now, darlin’.”
“You’re going to get your suit dirty.” She made a halfhearted attempt to escape, writhing against him and inadvertently making his cock stir to life. But when his arms didn’t budge, she sighed and sagged against him, her forehead against his. “Man, I hate to lose.”
He chuckled and slid his hands from her waist down to the curve of her butt, fitting her pelvis against his thickening erection. “Yes, but you make such a sexy little captive.”
She groaned. “Down, boy. We’re at a fancy-schmancy party, remember?”
“And those fancy-schmancy people are two hundred yards on the other side of those trees getting into their seats for a ceremony that starts in five minutes.” He tucked his hand beneath the hem of her dress, dragging a finger along the lacy line of her thong. “But I can play nice. If you’re not wet, I’ll let you free right now.”
“That’s not fair,” she protested.
“Ah, so you are ready for me then,” he murmured as he slipped a finger beneath the lace. The silky heat of her arousal greeted him. Fucking beautiful. She wasn’t just wet; she was soaked. “Well, well, someone likes being captured.”
She made a soft sound and closed her eyes as he touched her. “I may or may not have entertained the idea before. How do you feel about pirate outfits?”
He laughed. “Not a chance.” But maybe he’d have to play this cat-and-mouse game with her at The Ranch, where no one would blink an eye if he caught her, stripped her down, and tied her to a tree.Author: Roni Loren
But right now, he didn’t have the patience to wait until they were back at his place. He needed her now. Right here.
He traced his fingernail against her slit, and she quivered hard against him. “So responsive. You’re protesting, but your body certainly appreciates that we’re out in the open. I think you may have a bit of an exhibitionist streak in you, Ms. Beaumonde.”
She dragged her teeth over her bottom lip, but no additional protest came.
“I love that you’re so damn dirty,” he said, sliding his hands along the backs of her thighs. “You could give me a run for my money.”
“You’re just a bad influence.”
He gave her an unapologetic smile. “Sit up, sweet Charlotte, lift your skirt, and straddle me. Your only instruction is to not make a sound when you come for me. You understand?”
Even in the moonlight he could see her pupils go wide with desire, the risk of discovery clearly making her anxious but feeding her need for playing at the edge at the same time. “Grant, I don’t know…”
But even as she made her lackluster objection, she was lifting off him, following his directive whether she knew it or not.
“You know how to make me stop, darlin’,” he said, slowly bunching her dress up her thighs. “Say the word, and I’ll take you back to the party.”
Her breathing became more shallow with each inch of exposure. “What if I can’t be quiet?”
“You will.” He unfastened his pants and dragged his zipper down, releasing his erection. “Make a sound and I’ll turn you over my knee and redden that pretty ass right here. I’ll make sure you won’t be able to sit when we get back to the party.”