Lorelei James - Bound

Chaz exited the bathroom and marched up between them. “The two of you will turn heads at this gala.” His gaze flicked over Ronin from head to loafer. Then he said, “Tom Ford?”

“Yes.”

“Sharp. Always an excellent choice. So, did you pick up my gorgeous BFF in a limo, Mr. Class Act?”

“No. I hate having someone else drive me.”

“In charge in all aspects. Gotta respect that. Can I snap a picture of you two to commemorate this occasion?”

Just as she’d been about to say yes , Ronin said no .

Why didn’t he want a picture of them?

Because this isn’t prom, Amery. Don’t act like a North Dakota rube.

Ronin held out his hand. “Let’s hit it.”

Amery air-kissed Chaz. “Don’t wait up, Mom.”

He swatted her butt. “I’m more like your fairy godmother and I’m here to lock up, so you don’t have to worry about coming home at midnight, Cinderella.”

“Thank you.”

As she and Ronin clipped down the sidewalk, the sun’s intensity had faded but retained enough brightness that she needed her shades. She didn’t see his Lexus and for a brief moment she feared he’d ridden his bike. But he stopped beside a sleek black sports car parked at the curb.

“This is yours?”

“Yes. I don’t drive her very often.”

“This is a Corvette?”

“Corvette ZR-1. She can haul serious ass, but I’ll drive with utmost caution tonight, I promise.”

Amery moved in close enough so their chests were touching. “Oh, I don’t know. Might be fun to go fast.”

“There is that . . . thrill,” he said in the silken timbre that caused her pulse to zing. “To see how much she can take when I push her to her limits.”

A funny tickle started low in her belly. “Do you do that a lot?”

“Push boundaries? All. The. Damn. Time. And especially with you.” Ronin tugged her against his body. “Before you slide in and torture me with those legs for the next half hour, gimme this mouth.”

Ronin took her mouth; there was no other way to describe the kiss. He owned her in that moment, his warring tongue stroking and teasing hers. His passion for her was barely contained. On the outside he might look like a sophisticated gentleman, but on the inside Ronin Black was pure sexual beast.

His mouth brushed her ear. “Good thing your friends were at your place. Because if we’d been alone? I would’ve hiked up this dress and fucked you on your desk. And then I would’ve bent you over the back of the couch and fucked you again.”

She trembled. “Ronin.”

“And you would’ve said yes. Both times.” His mouth meandered down her throat. “Will you spread your legs for me in the front seat of my Corvette? Let me slide my fingers into your pussy and finger-fuck you until you come?”

Her next shudder was more pronounced. “Yes.”

Ronin made that low rumble in the back of his throat, and it vibrated against her skin. “At some point tonight I will have my hand up your dress and you will come for me. Anything I want, any time I want was a very dangerous promise to make to me, Amery,” he whispered against her jaw, “because you have no idea what I want from you.”

“I don’t care,” she breathed, “it’s yours.”

Someone yelled, “Get a room!”

Amery blinked out of the sexual fog and realized they were still standing on the sidewalk.

He placed one soft kiss on her lips. “I lose my head every time I’m around you.”

But will you ever lose your heart?

Where had that thought come from?

Then he stepped back and opened her car door.

The Corvette practically hugged the ground and she was glad the dress wasn’t any shorter.

Ronin slid behind the wheel and the car made a throaty purr as he started it. He smiled. “Hang on.”

So much for him driving with utmost caution.

After a few minutes of enjoying the ride, she said, “I’m surprised you have a sports car.”

“I don’t seem like the Vette-driving type?”

“You have a nice car, and a nice bike, and an awesome penthouse, but you don’t strike me as the kind of guy who cares about owning expensive toys to impress others.”

“I don’t.” He picked up her hand and kissed it. “But I do like things that go fast, and buying a Ferrari or Lamborghini seemed indulgent.”

Her mouth fell open. He could afford to buy those?

“Kidding. A guy I know got in over his head with this car and I took it off his hands before the bank re-poed it.”

“That explains the purple fuzzy dice hanging from the rearview mirror,” she said.

“Those are mine. Needed to pimp it out a little.”

She laughed.

A few minutes later, Ronin said, “You’re quiet.”

“Nerves. This gala is a big deal to you—”

“The gala isn’t a big deal to me. The fact that you’re going with me is all I care about. And right now if you said let’s blow this off and have an intimate dinner, just the two of us, I’d do it in a fucking heartbeat.”

“You just want to get me out of this dress.”

Ronin flashed her a predatory smile.

They drove through a wooded area. Before she saw the venue where the event was being held, they joined a long line of cars waiting for the valet.

“Will you know very many people?”

“I’ll guess we’ll see.”

Amery watched attendees alighting from cars ahead of them. The women were wearing everything from full-length ball gowns to glitzy cocktail dresses. She tugged on the hem of her dress.

Ronin’s hand stopped the motion. “Don’t.”

“I’m nervous.”

“You’re with me. Doesn’t matter who else is here or what they’re wearing. We’re here to have a good time. And if it sucks, we’ll leave.”

“Okay.”

“That said, don’t be surprised if the women glare at you and the men lust after you since you’re stunningly beautiful.” He kissed the inside of her wrist. “And the dress isn’t bad either.”

It was starting to scare her how crazy she was about this man.

Ronin rolled down the window when the valet approached. “Good evening, sir. May I have your name?”

“Ronin Black.”

“Welcome to the Hidden Hills Resort, Mr. Black. I will need to trouble you for a picture ID.”

This event did have tight security.

He pulled out his driver’s license. The valet checked the picture on it against Ronin’s face and then he scanned it to make sure the ID wasn’t a fake.

Really tight security.

The valet smiled. “You’re good to go, Mr. Black. Brian is your assigned valet for the evening.” He handed over two tickets. “This is what will gain you admittance to the event, so take care not to lose them between your car and the front door.”

“Thank you.”

Ronin rolled up the window and muttered, “Jesus.” He looked over at Amery. “I can pull a U-turn. It’s not too late to get out of here.”

“I’ll hold the tickets.” Grinning, she snatched them from his hand and shoved them in her bra. “See? Perfectly safe.”

It took another ten minutes before they reached the valet stand, and Amery was getting antsy, but Ronin stayed calm. She wished his calm demeanor would settle her down. Immediately after he put it in park, both doors were opened. He said, “Stay put, I’ll help you out,” and exited the car.

What was that about? She heard him instructing the valet and then he skirted the front end of the car. He offered her his hand. Once they were on the sidewalk, a person with a clipboard approached them. “Good evening and welcome. May I please see your tickets?”

Ronin’s eyes were on Amery’s as he traced the line of her throat from her chin to her cleavage. A devilish smile lit his eyes as his fingers deftly slipped inside her bra cup and fished the tickets out. “Here you go.”