Barbara Dunlop - The Ryders - Jared, Royce and Stephanie - Seduction and the CEO

He wrapped a strong arm firmly around the small of her back, holding her steady, his mouth sending sparks of desire from her breasts to the base of her belly. He released her bra, dropping it to the floor. Then he scooped her into his arms and carried her to the small bedroom.

The sheets were cool against her bare back. She could barely make out his outline as he discarded the remainder of his clothes. Then his warm, hard, musk-scented body was sliding next to her, and she was enveloped in kisses and caresses that seared heat over every inch of her skin.

She kissed his chest, tasting his salty skin, her hands roaming down his back, over his buttocks, along his strong thighs.

He groaned his approval, kissing her deeply. “You are gorgeous,” he breathed. He kissed her again. His fingers found their way into her flimsy panties.

She gasped at his touch, flexing her hips, transmitting an unmistakable invitation.

He peeled off her panties, produced a condom from somewhere, and covered her body with his own. Their bodies were flush together, tight at the apex, and her legs were wrapped around his waist.

He kissed her deeply, sliding his hands to her bottom, adjusting the angle of their bodies as he eased inside. Driving rain splattered against the bedroom window. Lightning chased across the sky while thunder vibrated the cottage walls.

Then the world around Melissa disappeared. Nothing existed beyond Jared, and every sensation was magnified a thousand times, his touch, his scent, the taste of his skin, the sound of his voice as he recited her name, calling her beautiful, urging her on.

Their tempo increased. The hot and cold and electric sensations heightening to unbearable. As thunder crashed around them, her body stiffened. Her toes curled. Her hoarse voice cried out Jared’s name as she tumbled from the pinnacle down into the exquisite arms of release.

As she floated to earth, Jared tucked a quilt around them. He turned slightly to the side, keeping them locked together, but taking his weight from her body.

Their deep breaths rose in unison, both of them sucking the moisture-laden oxygen from the dark room, recovering, reframing, realizing the magnitude of what they’d just done.

“I’m not sure that was such a good idea,” she ventured on a gasp.

He didn’t let her go. Didn’t back off a single inch. “Because you work for me?” he mumbled against her neck.

Because I’m writing an article on you. Because you don’t know who I am. Because I lied to you. The reasons were endless, and she couldn’t admit to any of them.

“At least for tonight,” she ventured, instead, “do you think we could be clear that I work for Stephanie?”

Jared’s chuckle rumbled through his frame. “So what’s the problem?”

“I’m leaving in a few days.”

He smoothed her hair from her forehead. “Just because something’s short, doesn’t mean it can’t be fantastic.”

“I suppose.” If you took away her deception, a one-night stand certainly wasn’t the end of the world. But eventually he was going to find out her true identity.

She couldn’t do anything to change the past hour, but she did need to control herself going forward. Not that she’d ever divulge any intimate details. Every single thing that happened in the cottage tonight was off the record.

But she did need to back off. She couldn’t let their circumstances get even more complicated.

She eased away from his warmth. “Stephanie’s probably counting the minutes you’ve been down here.”

“Are you asking me to leave?”

“I think that would be best.”

He stilled, and she assumed he was staring at her in the dark.

A lightning bolt lit up the room, and his stark expression of disappointment tugged at her heart.

“I think it would be best,” she repeated, wanting nothing more than to burrow down under the covers and sleep in Jared’s warm arms for the rest of the night. But she had to be strong.

He rolled from the bed. “Of course.” There was a tightness to his voice that bordered on anger.

She closed her ears to it and clung to the passion they’d shared.

His jeans rustled. Then he padded into the living room.

She held her breath while he dressed. Would he come back? Say something more? Kiss her goodbye?

Suddenly his silhouette appeared in the doorway. “Good night,” he offered without coming back inside.

“Good night,” she echoed, struggling to keep the hollowness from her voice. She’d asked him to leave. She was silly to feel hurt.

He waited a moment more, then turned away, heading out into the storm.

The truck engine rumbled to life. The headlights flared up. Then the big treaded tires churned their way over the muddy road.

Melissa dragged herself from the bed. She wrapped a robe around her body, retrieved her laptop, powered it up and forced her thoughts back to the discussion at dinner. The fling with Jared might be over, but she still had her job to save.

“Seth Strickland,” came the terse answer at the other end of the phone.

It was morning. The rain had stopped, and the lights were back on as Stephanie had predicted. Melissa was dressed in blue jeans and a simple tank top again, trying to push the insanity that had become her life back into perspective.

“Seth?” she said into the phone, thanking her lucky stars that he was in the office on a Saturday. “It’s Melissa.”

“Where the hell have you been?” he shouted without preamble.

She wasn’t ready to answer that question yet. “If I could guarantee the Jared Ryder story, can you buy me a little time?”

“No! And what the hell are you talking about? Why didn’t you call me back yesterday?”

“I’m in Montana.”

“You said you were working from home.”

“I’m at the Ryder Ranch. Right now. I had dinner with Jared Ryder last night.”

Seth went silent.

“I need a few more days, Seth.”

“You had dinner with Ryder?”

“And his sister. And his brother’s just arrived.”

“How the hell did you—”

“They think I’m a stable hand.”

“You’re undercover?” There was a note of respect in Seth’s voice. “It’s an exposé?”

“Yes, I’m undercover.”

“What’ve you got?”

“A bunch of stuff. His family. His childhood. Their charitable foundation.”

“Ryder has a charitable foundation?”

“Yes. But I need a few more days. Can you give it to me?”

“You’re in a position to guarantee the story?”

“Yes.”

There was a long silence. “If I go to Everett and you don’t deliver, you know both our asses will be out the door.”

“I understand.”

“And you can still make the guarantee?”

“I can.” She didn’t have enough on the construction business yet. But she’d let Stephanie matchmake some more, and she’d find a way to meet Royce. She’d get what Seth needed or die trying.

“I have to have it Wednesday. Five o’clock. And the copy better be bloody clean. We’re not going to have time for much editing.”

“Five o’clock Wednesday,” Melissa confirmed.

“And, Melissa?” Seth’s voice was gruff.

“Yes?”

“Lie to me again, and you’re fired.”

“Yes, sir.”

Seth hung up the phone, and she realized she was shaking. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and she barely had four days to pull it off.

“Have a good time with Melissa last night?” Stephanie asked as Royce’s pickup appeared in the distance on the ranch road.

“It was fine,” Jared answered, keeping his voice neutral. He fully expected Melissa to make herself scarce for the rest of the week.

He wasn’t sure what had gone wrong at the end of the evening, but he’d obviously made some kind of misstep. A woman didn’t go from crying out a man’s name to kicking him out of her bed in the space of two minutes if the guy hadn’t screwed up somehow.