Page 53 of Summer of Love (Costas Sisters 2)
He met her wide-eyed gaze and refused to acknowledge aloud that Zoe Costas and her con-artist, day-spa, pig-owning family didn’t fit with the Baldwin family lineage—something Ryan hadn’t wanted to think about or deal with during his time in New Jersey. He’d blocked out everything he could about home and focused on nothing but getting to know Sam. And his growing feelings for Zoe.
“I was just thinking about this.” He leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss. A hot, devouring kiss filled with all the desire that had kept him awake nights and the yearning he experienced each time he looked at her.
Apparently, she felt the same way and missed him just as much because she wound her arms around his neck, pulled him close, and thrust her tongue inside his mouth in a clear act of desire and possession.
He groaned and pulled her tightly against him, his groin thrusting against the barrier of his pants, eager to escape confinement and sink deep inside her moist heat. It’d been too damn long, he thought. Her hips swayed from side to side, seeking more intimate contact, and he was happy to oblige. He widened his stance and let his aching member settle between her legs so they could grind against each other, mimicking the act of making love as best they could.
Only the window seemed to support them now. Zoe’s breath came faster, and she breathed hot and heavy in his ear. He couldn’t remember any woman who made him want so much. Need so much. And wish to give back as generously as she gave to him. In the back of his mind, he understood that more than his body was engaged with Zoe and he’d have to deal with that soon.
But first, he’d handle the woman writhing against him, almost ready to come apart in his arms. He was damn close himself, and every ounce of self-control went into keeping himself in check while bringing her closer and closer to what he hoped would be a mind-blowing orgasm.
He’d already caught her rhythm with his hips and pelvis, and it wasn’t long before he thrust upward one last time, and she shook, groaned and came, calling out his name.
Only when she finally caught her breath did he step back. He took in her flushed cheeks and the way she attempted to straighten her clothing and grinned.
“I’m sure this isn’t appropriate behavior for a partner,” she said wryly.
He raised an eyebrow. “Who knows? There is a reason we partners have private bathrooms in our offices, you know.” He pointed to the door in the back corner of the room.
She blushed and in a very un-Zoelike way, ran to the restroom to pull herself together. Still, she had a point. He’d never brought a woman he was seeing to his office, let alone made one come behind the closed door.
Shaking his head at how different he was around Zoe, he adjusted himself, and while he waited for his most obvious reaction to Zoe to subside, he seated himself behind his desk.
Zoe stepped out of the bathroom at the same time Sam came barging into the office, barreling through like a tornado.
“Shouldn’t you knock before you just run into Ryan’s office?” Zoe asked. “What if he’d been having an important phone call?”
Zoe’s gaze never met his, but he noticed her non-Mediterranean blush remained.
“Yeah, well this is important.” Sam paused at the foot of his desk, obviously unnerved and out of breath.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m being followed,” Sam said.
Ryan sat up quickly in his seat while Zoe grabbed for Sam’s hand. “What do you mean?”
He had no doubt they were both thinking about the two incidents in New Jersey. Could this be a third?
“The child has an active imagination, Mr. Baldwin,” Ryan’s secretary, Nadine, an attractive brunette, said from where she stood in the doorway. “We went to Burger King, and she kept looking over her shoulder, sure someone was behind us.”
“But you didn’t see anyone?” Ryan asked.
“Not till I went to the bathroom,” Sam said. “When I came out, he was standing outside the men’s room right opposite me.”
Nadine’s mouth dropped open. “I had no idea.”
“Did he touch you? Try to grab you?” Zoe asked.
Sam shook her head. “He didn’t have the chance. A woman was walking out with her kids, and I latched on to the little one’s hand and pretended I was with them. Then as soon as we were out of the hallway, I ran to the table.”
“I didn’t know. She just said she wanted to leave and only mentioned being followed in a general sense.” Nadine glanced down. “I let her go alone,” she admitted. “Sam said it would be okay. I don’t have kids. I didn’t realize.”
Ryan nodded. “It’s okay, Nadine.” Hell, he didn’t know how to handle a teenager yet, either. Both he and Zoe had let her go to the rest stop bathroom alone. “Don’t worry about a thing,” he told the other woman. “Go relax, and I’ll take it from here.”
